Sachin Tendulkar to play 200th Test at home ground

India legend Sachin Tendulkar has got his wish to play his 200th and final Test at his home ground in Mumbai. The 40-year-old former captain announced his decision to retire from all forms of cricket last week. Tendulkar in numbers Test matches (198) He has scored 15,837 runs at an average of 53.86, hitting 51 tons and 67 half centuries. His top score was an unbeaten 248 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in December 2004 One-day internationals (463) He has scored 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23. He has scored 49 centuries (highest score 200) and 96 fifties Twenty20 internationals He only made one international appearance in the shortest form of the game, scoring 12 from 15 balls against South Africa in December 2006 Tendulkar's full career statistics (Cricinfo) The Wankhede Stadium, where he made his first class debut in 1988, will host the second match of the two-Test series against West Indies from 14 November. His mother, who has never seen her son play an international match during his 24-year career, is expected to attend. Tendulkar is the highest scorer in both Tests and one-day internationals, with 15,837 runs in 198 Tests and 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs. He made his international debut aged 16 in November 1989 and last year became the only batsman in the history of the game to score 100 international centuries. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) squeezed the home series into the schedule to allow Tendulkar to retire in front of his home fans. The first time Tendulkar played at the Wankhede, he became, at the age of 15, the youngest Indian to score a century on his first-class debut. In his last Test against the West Indies at the ground, Ravi Rampaul denied him a century by dismissing him for 94. Eden Gardens in Kolkata will host the opening match of the series from 6-10 November.

Former England paceman Harmison retires

LONDON: Stephen Harmison, the former England paceman who has failed to make a single fist-class appearance in Durham's title-winning year, announced his retirement on Sunday. The 34-year-old, who took 226 Test wickets for his country, told regional newspaper Sunday Sun that he had "known for a while" that he would be calling it a day at the end of the 2013 season. Harmison's retirement follows on from that of Matthew Hoggard last month, meaning all four of England's feared pace attack from the 2005 Ashes have now called time on their careers to some extent. Simon Jones is to remain as a Twenty20 specialist, while Andrew Flintoff retired in 2010. It was while in an England shirt and specifically while bowling with the likes of Flintoff and Hoggard that Harmison made his name. His brilliant seven for 12 in the West Indies in 2004 marked him out as one of the most feared fast bowlers on the planet, and he carried his form through to England's memorable win over Australia a year later. Harmison made his Durham debut in 1996 and has been a one-county man short of a loan spell with Yorkshire when his body had started to fail him. While Harmison is proud of his work with Durham, the wider cricketing community will associate him with one of England's golden periods, during which he reached the top of the Test bowling rankings. (AFP)

T&T beat Chennai, through to semis

Trinidad and Tobago achieved their first objective as they bowled out Chennai Super Kings for 118 in 19.4 overs after putting them in to bat. In response, they chased down the target in 15.1 overs. The Caribbean side will now face Mumbai Indians in the second semifinal here Saturday while CSK take on Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur Friday. Openers Lendl Simmons (63) and Evin Lewis (38) gave a solid start to their chase, striking a 79-run partnership. After the in-form Lewis was caught in front of the stumps by part time bowler Suresh Raina, Simmons continued his onslaught. The right hand bat Simmons anchored the innings with his 41-ball knock which included five fours and four sixes while Darren Bravo (11 not out) saw the team home. There was not much to talk about the Super Kings' bowling as only Raina and Ravichandran Ashwin managed to clinch a wicket each. Earlier, the Super Kings batsmen were really not in their elements as they collapsed for a measly 118 with only three of their batsman getting into double figures. It was more of dismal batting from the two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions than a good bowling performance of T&T, which led to the result. Only opener Murali Vijay (27), skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (25) and Raina (38) showed some potential in the otherwise drab batting show by the 2010 CLT20 champions. Pacers Ravi Rampaul and Lendl Simmons clinched two wickets each as all-rounder Rayad Emrit took three with his medium pace. Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings 118 all out in 19.4 overs (Suresh Raina 38, Murali Vijay 27, Mahendra Singh Dhoni 25; Rayad Emrit 3/21, Lendl Simmons 2/10, Ravi Rampaul 2/31) lost to Trinidad and Tobago 119/2 in 15.1 overs (Lendl Simmons 63, Evin Lewis 38, Darren Bravo 11 not out; Suresh Raina 1/16, Ravichandran Ashwin 1/24).

Warner dropped from ODI squad

has been dropped from Austalia's squad for the ODIs against Scotland and England, while Mitchell Starc will return to Australia after complaining of lower back soreness. Steven Smith, who was part of the original 18-member limited-overs squad, has already flown back after a thigh injury.

"David has been left out of the Australian ODI squad for this tour purely due to his recent lack of form in this format," Darren Lehmann, the Australia coach, said. "By his own admission, David would acknowledge that unfortunately he hasn't scored the weight of runs that he would like recently in one-day cricket for his country."

Warner was part of Australia's Champions Trophy squad in England, but featured in just one match, scoring 9 against England, but was suspended from the team after a bar incident in Birmingham. He has only played three more ODIs this year, in January against Sri Lanka, and scored 10, 60 and 4. Warner scored a 42-ball 53 on Saturday in the second T20 against England, but that wasn't enough to sway the selectors.

"Like all selection matters, it was a tough decision, but like all players he understands the situation and knows he needs to get back to playing Ryobi Cup and making a heap of runs that we can't ignore," Lehmann said. "I spoke with David at length about what he needs to do and I've been impressed with his attitude since I've come into the Australian setup."

Australia kickstart the ODI leg of the tour with a one-off match against Scotland in Edinburgh on September 3 before taking on England for a five-match series that starts on September 6 in Leeds.

Squad: Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Fawad Ahmed, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Phillip Hughes, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Clint McKay, Adam Voges, Matthew Wade (wk), Shane Watson.

virat kohli recieving arjuna award

Weakened bowling a concern for Zimbabwe

must have more on his mind than the average coach ahead of Zimbabwe's two-Test series against Pakistan. For a start, he will be wondering if the series will even go ahead.

Zimbabwe's newly-formed players' union may yet boycott the matches, as they have been threatening to do since Pakistan arrived in the country more than two weeks' ago, because of non-payment of salaries. The players have not received their July or August remuneration or the match fees they negotiated with ZC, despite being promised the monies would be transferred into their accounts last Thursday. They have given ZC until Monday to pay up or they will not take the field in whites on Tuesday.

Earlier, the players had also said that they would not take part in the T20s or the third ODI, but they reached an agreement with ZC at the 11th hour. An insider believes this will not happen again. The source told ESPNcricinfo the players are likely to stop crying wolf and follow through with their ultimatum this time. Even Waller seems to think the payments issue will have an effect on the Tests.

"I think the unhappiness over payments will spill into the series, unfortunately. I don't think it has been solved yet," he said. "I am not a 100% sure exactly, but I am under the impression that nothing's definite yet."

Waller, like the rest of us, will have to wait to hear their final decision, but he will also contemplate how to get the best of a clearly disgruntled group if they opt to compete. Even though Zimbabwe found it in themselves to win the first ODI against Pakistan, they have not fared well recently and were defeated in all nine matches - five ODIs against India, two T20s and two ODIs against Pakistan - in which Waller has been in charge.

He has not coached them in a Test yet, but has already seen enough to know what Zimbabwe's biggest challenge will be. "The main concern I have is probably on the bowling side: how are we going to get 20 wickets?," he asked after the third ODI. Zimbabwe have not bowled a team out once since Waller took over so to expect them to do it twice will be a tough ask. To ask them to do it twice without two of the most attacking bowlers may well be a bridge too far.

"I am not saying our bowlers aren't good but we've lost someone like Kyle Jarvis, who could bowl with a bit of pace and swing the ball, and Graeme Cremer, who's a quality legspinner," he said.

Jarvis retired from international cricket on the eve of the Pakistan series, saying the cash-flow situation had made it impossible for him to continue playing for Zimbabwe, while Cremer made himself unavailable during the Bulawayo leg of the India tour. ESPNcricinfo understands Cremer does not want to be considered for Zimbabwe until he is paid monies owed to him and is assured of financial security going forward.

That leaves the rest with a lot more responsibility and not a lot of experience to bank on. Brian Vitori, who partnered Jarvis and even outshone him on Zimbabwe's Test comeback, will likely have to lead the attack as the one of the most experienced men, with just three caps. He has not played the longest form in 18 months since January last year. Despite a promising start to Test cricket, injuries and a lack of form have hampered his progress.

Shingi Masakadza and Tinashe Panyangara have also played a trio of Tests each - Panyangara more than eight years ago in 2005 - but both have shown fairly good control in the lead-up. Much is expected from young Tendai Chatara, who impressed in West Indies earlier this year, and Zimbabwe will have to take a gamble on the kind of spinner they are going to use.

Without Cremer, their attacking options will be between Natsai Mushangwe and Tinotenda Mutombodzi but they could go for the safety of a containing bowler instead. Prosper Utseya is their leading offspinner and has the experience of years and captaincy behind him to add solidity to an otherwise fragile attack.

All Waller can do is be optimistic. "I still believe our bowlers can go out and do the job," he said, although he confined that to doing it in the first match. "Bulawayo will be difficult because it's a batting paradise down there and we know the quality of the Pakistan batting, so we are going to have to do something exceptional to beat them down there. If we are going to beat them, I think it's going to have to be at Harare, on a wicket that will give us more of a chance."

Efforts have been made at Queens Club - where Pakistan beat Zimbabwe in 2011 - to ensure it is less flat and new clay has been laid on three of the pitches on the square . However, whether Zimbabwe will even get down to Bulawayo to play will depend on how quickly ZC can come up with cash and how seriously the players' union wants to flex its muscles.

India's NZ tour advanced to January

India will tour New Zealand for a month in mid-January for five ODIs and two Tests, with the first one-dayer to be played on January 19 and the second Test ending on February 18. New Zealand Cricket's release came a day after the BCCI's working committee approved the tour. The announcement increased the uncertainty surrounding India's South Africa tour in November, the itinerary of which is yet to be finalised.

The New Zealand tour was scheduled to begin in early February, according to the ICC Future Tours Programme, but will now start around two to three weeks earlier, eating into the time allotted for the South Africa tour. In fact, according to the itinerary announced by Cricket South Africa in July, and objected to by the BCCI, the third and final Test in Johannesburg was to end on January 19, the day on which India will now be thousands of miles away commencing their New Zealand sojourn.

The make-up of the South Africa trip had already been put in doubt after it was left out of a list of upcoming series announced by the BCCI a day ago, which included a freshly-planned home Test series against West Indies in November.

West Indies will then will travel to New Zealand after playing in the subcontinent, for a series that starts on December 3 and ends on January 15, four days before the home team's first game against India.

David White, New Zealand Cricket's chief executive, said he was unaware about the itinerary of India's tour of South Africa but added that NZC had finalised the dates only after discussions with the BCCI. White did not want to speculate on why the BCCI's release on Sunday had not included the dates but confirmed both boards had worked together on the final itinerary. "Those dates have been signed off with the BCCI. We had been in discussions just before the (BCCI) working committee meeting and worked through the dates and that was ratified at the meeting," White told ESPNcricinfo.

He was understandably pleased about the prospects of a tour that is likely to be a money-spinner for his board. "It's brilliant that the Black Caps will be playing five ODIs against the world's top one-day side given the proximity of the World Cup in 2015," White said. While the boards have stuck to the five ODIs as laid out in the FTP, the originally scheduled three Tests have been cut down to two, while the Twenty20 international has been done away with. The venues will be confirmed in a week or so, NZC said.

India last toured New Zealand from February to April 2009 for a longer trip consisting of two T20s followed by five ODIs and ending with three Tests. While New Zealand won both T20s, India took the ODIs 3-1 and the Tests 1-0.

Age - Not a number but a concern for Misbah, Pakistan

Misbah-ul-Haq and MS Dhoni have a similar approach towards cricket. Both love to take the game towards the final overs, something which often baffles their fans, but they derive tremendous pleasure by batting under nail-biting situations. But, while Misbah creates enormous pressure on his teammates by playing too many dot balls, Dhoni enjoys the game in the death overs, hitting sixes at will, and pulling off spectacular chases for Team India. Misbah was the most consistent batsman for his side in the recently concluded ODI series against West Indies. He scored three consecutive half-centuries that guided Pakistan to a series win. In the entire ODI series, it was Misbah’s job to resurrect the innings after a poor show from the openers. Those were valuable innings, but one can’t ignore the pace at which they were scored. Pakistan managed to win matches because they were chasing paltry scores and their skipper took ample time to shape his innings. But at the same time, he created a lot of pressure on the other batsmen by playing too many dot balls. With Misbah’s approach, Pakistan would have a tough time against formidable opponents. And the major concern for Pakistan and Misbah at the moment is – the age factor. Not just only Misbah (39), Pakistan have been depending too much on aged players like Saeed Ajmal (35) and Shahid Afridi (33). While Ajmal, who made his debut at the age of 30, is still one of the world’s most threatening bowlers, Afridi on the other hand has been a major disappointment for his team and his fans considering his inconsistency in all formats of the game. It is sad to see that Pakistan cricket still revolves a lot around Afridi, who is the most inconsistent all-rounder of the modern era. When he made his comeback against the Windies in the first ODI match (76, 7/12), everybody took it differently. But as he has done on numerous occasions in the past, he proved to be a total failure in the rest of the series. The Pakistan Cricket Board needs to understand that they can’t ignore Lala’s larger than life attitude and at this crucial stage, if he can’t show maturity being a veteran in the side, Pakistan will have to think about cricket beyond Afridi. In the past, one of Pakistan’s major strength was the presence of world class all-rounders. There was a time when Abdul Razzak, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez were part of the same squad. While Malik was dropped for his form, Razzak further dented his chances of a comeback after slamming Misbah for his slow game. "He is batting slowly and playing too many dot balls and that adds to the pressure on the batsman playing with him or those coming in. If a captain bats defensively and doesn`t lead the charge then it demoralises the environment in the dressing room," Razzaq had said. And not only Razzaq, but the staunchest supporters of the Pakistan cricket have blamed Misbah for playing selfish cricket which has cost them several games. But when you look at his record in 2013, he has scored 745 runs at an average of 58. The concern for Pakistan is, while he is comfortable playing too many dot balls and then accelerating the pace of the innings, it affects the performance of other batsmen who are under pressure to score quick runs with their skipper playing his natural tuk-tuk cricket. I am not too sure whether Misbah would fit in Pakistan’s squad for the 2015 World Cup and thus, it’s time the selectors hand over the captaincy to someone like Mohammad Hafeez. The professor has a brilliant cricketing brain and he has all that it requires to lead a successful side. It’s high time Pakistan select a 15-man squad which they think would deliver their best at the 2015 World Cup. And they have the kind of players who can do well at the big stage. It’s just about beginning the process of filtration. And before that, they need to appoint a skipper who can inject some fresh energy into the side.

From backbone to broken-back: Quest for comeback by Team India senior

You can’t rest on your past laurels, they say. Nothing does more justice to this adage than Indian cricket: A rough patch and assets for the team became liabilities. The quintet of Yuvraj Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh, once considered the backbone of the team are now struggling to make a place in it. And to add to their woes, all these match-winners have crossed the age bracket of thirty. A lean patch and one of the most prolific opening pairs of all time for the country, Sehwag and Gambhir, were shown the doors by the selectors. Though, fortunately India got a perfect replacement in the form of another Delhiite – Shikhar Dhawan unluckily the old warhorses are still struggling with their form. Southpaw (Dhawan) has been performing outstandingly well ever since he took the charge to open the Indian innings in all formats of the game and never gave his skipper and selectors a chance to even consider the comeback of the senior Delhiites. Comeback of these two openers - Gambhir and Sehwag, now depends on two conditions. First, they have to perform consistently in domestic cricket. Secondly, how well or poorly the newly paired openers – Dhawan and Rohit Sharma will perform in the near future. Dhawan, though, is in sublime form but Rohit Sharma is still patchy and his inconsistent form might open a slot in the top order. Gambhir recently joined Essex club to play County cricket, which has helped many cricketers in the past to make their comeback in the national teams. But so far in four innings, the left-hander hasn’t performed well. Yuvraj Singh is another out of favour player. Though, the stroke maker has already won the biggest battle of his life -- by defeating cancer -- but to make a comeback in the national team, considering his health and fitness won’t be that easy. Albeit, as we all know that he is a real fighter and surprised many by his fighting instincts – be it on or off-the-field. So, it’s almost impossible to write him off. The only concern with him was of his fitness as no one can doubt his calibre as a cricketer. And to make a comeback, he went to France to attend a six-week fitness camp under the guidance of world renowned fitness expert, along with Zaheer Khan. He has achieved many accolades and records while representing the country -- be it the Man of the Series in the 2011 World Cup or hitting six sixes against Stuart Broad in T20 World Cup. His all-round skills, certainly give him an added advantage, but to break into the team, he has to give more than 100 per cent. After the retirement of frontline fast bowler Javagal Srinath, the only bowler who effectively managed to fill the void space is undoubtedly Zaheer Khan. He played a crucial role all these years by spearheading the Indian bowling line-up. From moving the new ball both ways with good control, to reverse swinging the old one, to use slower one with good effect, his versatility made him one of the best fast bowlers in contemporary cricket. But right through his illustrious career, Zaheer has been plagued with injuries which forced him to miss matches at regular intervals. And injuries at regular intervals have always pushed him back. It was never his form, it was always his injury and fitness concern that gave him tough times in the past. Zaheer’s talent and contribution was such that once MS Dhoni stated that he is the Sachin Tendulkar of bowling. And even the best swing bowler in contemporary cricket Jimmy Anderson admitted that he picked a few tricks from Zaheer. Zaheer knows that fitness is a major hurdle for him as he himself recently said, ‘My fitness has let me down and I have been working on it’. And after his successful fitness sojourn in France, now he will leave for South Africa to get back into proper shape. Zaheer Khan’s comeback will only strengthen the Indian bowling. And his rich experience can also help the young fast bowlers to further enhance their skills. So Zaheer has to work on his fitness as he has enough tricks up his sleeves to get back into the India fold. Harbhajan Singh, the ‘turbanator’ is also in the list of dejected seniors. Dip in Bhajji’s form and the sudden rise of R Ashwin in all forms of the game, gradually gave selectors a reason to keep him out of the team. For Harbhajan, who is the highest wicket taking spinner for India in Test’s (413) after Anil Kumble (619), it would be a hard nut to crack to make a place in the national team. Apart from Ashwin, Dhoni also has Ravindra Jadeja in the team, who has made his reputation as a breakthrough bowler. The other options to exploit for the skipper are of Pragyan Ojha, Piyush Chawla and Amit Mishra. So, Bhajji has to come up with something outstanding in the domestic leagues to get into MSDs playing X1. All these five players have played a crucial role in India’s success in recent times - from taking them to the top in Test rankings, to winning the World Cup in both the limited over formats -- T-20 World Cup in 2007 and ODI World Cup in 2011. Their best days are behind them and now they have to come up with something really special to make a place for themselves, which might not be impossible, but it wouldn’t be easy either. As they say - ‘Form is temporary and class is permanent’, although this time around it would be the form that would give them a chance to get back into the international circuit to show their class.

Zimbabwe vs Pakistan 2013 Live Score: 3rd ODI at Harare

While Pakistan kept the same team that beat Zimbabwe at the same venue a few days ago, Zimbabwe made two changes to their eleven.

Vijay Zol aims high after century on first-class debut

Scoring a century in your debut first-class innings could be the dream of any young player and Vijay Zol, who achieved the remarkable feat on Friday, wants to savour this knock for the rest of his life. Though he was a bit nervous before going in to bat, Zol knew what was required of him and went about his business accordingly. "Nerves were very much there. But I tried to keep my composure early on and the more time I spent in the middle, the more confident I became," Zol told Cricketnext after stroking 110 against a New Zealand A featuring Test bowlers Mark Gillespie and Doug Bracewell in Visakhapatnam. "The knock that I played today was very special to me and will always remain very close to my heart. Scoring a hundred on debut is a big thing and I am delighted that I was able to achieve such a feat." ALSO SEE Zol, Nayar tons round off draw Zol is just 18 but he has already seen the tough phase in life as Jalna, a small town in Maharashtra, doesn't have a cricket stadium and it took special efforts from him and his father, Hari, to get him the basic infrastructure so that he could pursue his career.

Pakistan’s Hafeez, Junaid wrap up big win against Zimbabwe

HARARE – A commanding century by Mohammad Hafeez and a four-wicket haul from left-arm seamer Junaid Khan led Pakistan to a series-levelling victory over Zimbabwe in the second one-day international on Thursday. Full Scorecard: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe 2nd ODI After Hafeez had carried Pakistan to an imposing total of 299 for four with an unbeaten 136, Junaid stubbed out a promising run chase by the Zimbabweans to secure a a 90-run win and set up a series decider on Saturday. Captain Brendan Taylor led Zimbabwe’s reply from the front with an assured 79, but his dismissal saw the hosts collapse from 200 for four in the 39th over to 209 all out in the 43rd as Junaid finished with figures of 4 for 15. Taylor had shared partnerships with Hamilton Masakadza, Sean Williams and Malcolm Waller as Zimbabwe laid a platform for what would have been the highest successful run chase at Harare Sports Club, only for Junaid and Saeed Ajmal to snuff it out. Ajmal induced a top-edge from Taylor that was taken one-handed by seven-foot Pakistan bowler Mohammad Irfan, and in the next over Junaid dismissed both Waller and Elton Chigumbura to end any hopes of victory for Zimbabwe. Pakistan’s batsmen had struggled in the first ODI on Tuesday, which they lost by seven wickets, leading captain Misbah-ul-Haq to call on them to end a prolonged run of substandard performances in 50-over cricket. Hafeez answered that call with a superb knock, hitting five sixes but also showing restraint after Pakistan had stuttered to 84 for three in the 22nd over. The 32-year-old gained control of the innings in a 129-run stand with Umar Amin, who recorded his maiden half-century. Although the pair added just 66 runs over their first 23 overs together, they cashed in on the batting powerplay when they hammered 43 runs in five overs. Amin was brilliantly run out by Tendai Chatara soon after, but Hafeez went to his century in the following over and was well supported by Shahid Afridi in the final stages of the innings. “We were not thinking to score 300 to be honest, we were thinking of about 260, but the two partnerships with Umar Amin and Shahid Afridi really made the difference,” said Hafeez. Afridi clubbed three sixes on his way to 39 not out as Pakistan took 64 runs from the final five overs of the innings, leaving Zimbabwe with a target that proved well beyond them. “They just ran away from us, and scoring 300 against that attack is always going to be difficult,” Taylor said. “Credit to them – they came back strong, and we’re going to need our best performance on Saturday.”

Hafeez powers Pakistan to 299

Having gotten used to seeing Misbah-ul-Haq steer Pakistan in recent matches with slow, yet steady fifties, the question was whether Pakistan could manage just as well without him. Misbah failed, but another of their seniors, Mohammad Hafeez, ensured Pakistan didn't suffer a meltdown. With an idea of the kind of score Pakistan would need to stretch a Zimbabwe batting line-up high on confidence after Tuesday, Hafeez chose to be aggressive from the outset. He also ensured he batted right through, giving Pakistan the safety net needed as they raced towards 300.

Zimbabwe were guilty of dropping catches in the first ODI but those let-offs, fortunately, didn't cost them in the end. While they were relatively better today, one lapse cost them plenty of runs. When on 30, Hafeez went for the slog sweep but as the ball dipped towards deep square leg, Brian Vitori was a touch too late on the dive. He couldn't hang on and Zimbabwe were made to rue the missed chance.

Hafeez's driving, flicking and defense against the seamers was solid and he used his feet against Prosper Utseya, lofting two sixes over long-on. He launched Elton Chigumbura over the same region as he progressed to his fifty off 65 balls. Following Misbah's departure, Pakistan had lost all their experienced batsmen, but Umar Amin stepped up to give Hafeez the support he needed. Amin looked busy at the crease, looking to push the singles and attempting the odd slog, though he wasn't always successful in connecting. Zimbabwe had a chance to send Amin back on 11, when he was sent back attempting a single, but the throw missed the stumps at the bowler's end.

Amin opened up at the start of the batting Powerplay, taken in the 36th over, clipping Utseya wide of midwicket and then launching him over cover the next ball. Three overs later, he lofted Tendai Chatara over the sightscreen and followed it up with a slash past point. He found the gaps with ease through the off side and reached his maiden fifty in ODIs off just 61 balls. Pakistan smashed 43 in the Powerplay without losing a wicket, setting the platform for their late-innings acceleration.

Amin was eventually run-out from a direct hit by Chatara, but not before adding a valuable 129 with Hafeez. Hafeez made sure his side didn't lose the initiative, like they did on Tuesday with a collapse, batting positively and finding the gaps. He had all but bettered his highest ODI score (139*), made on the same ground two years ago. A blazing cameo from Shahid Afridi took Pakistan to the doorstep of 300.

It was a good recovery from the morning when Pakistan had lost three wickets within the first 25 overs and scored at a rate not greater than four an over. Nasir Jamshed was under pressure to keep his place, having looked rather edgy on Tuesday. He moved to a promising 32, before he was trapped in front by one from Utseya that straightened. Ahmed Shehzad failed to replicate his form from the T20s, falling for 5. He pushed at a ball moving away from him and spooned a catch to backward point, giving Vitori his first wicket.

Misbah was watchful, as is his signature style, but ended up putting too much pressure on himself by staying scoreless for 13 balls. The need to show some urgency prompted him to shuffle across his stumps to whip Vitori into the gaps on the on side, but he couldn't get it past short midwicket, where Sean Williams took a sharp catch. The relief was only temporary for Zimbabwe, as Hafeez took the advantage away.

Zimbabwe are a win away from registering a rare series win against a major side. Their batsmen may find the conditions easier in the afternoon, but 300 will require them to go a few steps higher than they did on Tuesday.

Faisal Iqbal hopes to carve out spot for hims

Another tour, another opportunity and more hope for middle-order batsman Faisal Iqbal to find his identity within the Pakistan team. Since his debut in 2001, Faisal operated mostly as a "replacement player", in the shadow of Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq, and was never able to cement his place in the team.

He has played 26 Test matches over the past 12 years. He last played for Pakistan in 2010 but was part of the Test squad for last one year without being part of the playing XI. He was retained in the squad for the two-match Test series against Zimbabwe but uncertainty looms over his chances to play. Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq and Misbah-ul-Haq ahead of Iqbal in the pecking order to occupy the middle-order spots, while Mohammad Hafeez and Khurram Manzoor will mostly be preferred to open the innings. Should he get the chance, the Zimbabwe Tests, he knows, could be crucial for his career.

"I always have been treated as a replacement in past. I was actually groomed to take over from Inzamam or Yousuf once they were done with their careers, but unfortunately I have been deprived," Iqbal told ESPNcricinfo. "For most of my career, since my [international] debut, I have kept waiting for a proper slot so that I could play as a permanent player, and I am obviously disappointed. But I am always optimistic and ready to grab the chance.

"It would be great to get games in succession to prove myself. I obviously won't be looking at Zimbabwe as an easy opponent as, for a batsman, it's all about one good ball. They are after all an international side and every run is important against them. I have plenty of experience and even scored an ODI hundred in Zimbabwe, so things won't be alien for me."

Iqbal, who is a nephew of former captain Javed Miandad, had a prolific career at junior level, from his time with the Under-15s. But his time with the seniors has, for the most part, been overshadowed by allegations of nepotism, something Faisal describes as a "daunting factor" and one of the major blows for his career.

"I might have been victimised in past and things have not been fair for me," he said. "I am a professional player and have never taken my cricket for granted. I have scored runs on the ground with my own hands, haven't I?"

He has often impressed on comeback: after his first recall in 2002, he scored 83 against Australia; then came 139 against India - the highlight of his career - which helped Pakistan to a 341-run victory in Karachi in 2006. In that fateful series against Sri Lanka in early 2009, he scored a half-century in his first innings back. His problem, though, has been consistency. A lack thereof has resulted in him being repeatedly dropped.

Faisal will be hoping to get his chance on September 3, when Pakistan face off against Zimbabwe in Harare for the first of two Tests. This time, he'll hope to make that good start and go on to build on it.

England still hold edge despite changes

Any event in the aftermath of an Ashes series has got its work cut out to capture the imagination but a short, sharp Twenty20 series has got a chance, with the World T20 next March adding much-needed relevance. Australia will also be extremely keen to take something home and recent history suggests they are a good bet to do so, with the last three Ashes winners struggling in the limited-overs matches that followed.

But Australia may have to wait until the ODI series to find much-craved success because England's T20 squad is largely fresh and eager to impress selectors ahead of a global tournament. There are potential places in the ODI team at stake too, with England likely to continue rotation of the players involved in more than one format until preparation for the 2015 ODI World Cup begins in a year's time.

Australia also need to reverse a poor recent record in bilateral T20 series. Since June 2010, they have only won five of 19 matches. That they managed to defy that form with a run to the semi-final of the World T20 in Sri Lanka was down to a remarkable tournament from Shane Watson and a good showing from the now-retired Mike Hussey.

George Bailey returns to lead the side along with a host of one-day specialists including Mitchell Johnson, the mere mention of whom draws guffaws from England supporters, but his good showing in the Champions Trophy suggests he could earn their respect.

England also change captains with Stuart Broad taking the reins. He has a squad full of players in form having recently played in the Friends Life t20 and closing rounds of the Yorkshire Bank 40. Michael Carberry heads that list after over 500 runs in the Flt20 and is in line for a first international appearance since his solitary Test in Chittagong three years ago. Ravi Bopara has also found his touch and will use the limited-overs internationals to stake a claim for a place on the Ashes tour as a potential No. 6

Saqlain invited to help West Indies spinners

Former Pakistan offspinner Saqlain Mushtaq will conduct a three-week spin-bowling clinic for a select group of current and emerging West Indies spinners, including three women cricketers, from September 3.

Saqlain was invited to conduct the clinic on the suggestion of West Indies coach, Ottis Gibson in a bid to better the skills of players who are likely to represent West Indies at different levels.

The group of spinners includes Devendra Bishoo, Shane Shillingford, Veerasammy Permaul, Ashley Nurse, Anisa Mohammed, Shaquana Quintyne and Stafanie Taylor. The players were picked by the WICB selection panel.

Sunil Narine, Samuel Badree and Nikita Miller were considered for selection but could not be picked due to their unavailability. Narine and Badree are scheduled to play in the Champions League T20, while Miller has been picked for the West Indies A squad for the India tour in September. Permaul and Nurse will also leave the clinic to travel with the West Indies A squad.

Saqlain, renowned as one of the first offspinners to use the doosra, took 208 wickets in 49 Tests and 288 wickets in 169 ODIs over a career that stretched between 1995 and 2004. After a successful county stint with Surrey, he was appointed as a spin consultant by New Zealand Cricket in 2009 and has, more recently, played the same role with the Bangladesh team.

Spinners selected to attend the clinic: Devendra Bishoo, Jesse Bootan, Yannic Cariah, Bryan Charles, Akeem Dewar, Larry Edwards, Ramaal Lewis, Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai, Ashley Nurse, Veerasammy Permaul, Shane Shillingford, Jomel Warrican, Shaquana Quintyne, Stafanie Taylor, Anisa Mohammed

Shehzad, spinners sink Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe had their moments where they stretched Pakistan with a confident start in their chase of 162, but tackling the spinners in the middle overs was always going to be the bigger proposition. Pakistan's spin trio - led by Shahid Afridi - put the stranglehold on the scoring with regular wickets and the hosts found the target rapidly slipping away from them. Once the required rate neared an improbable 12, the final passage of play turned tepid. In both innings, Pakistan found the going tough in the first half of the innings but clawed back in the second. Ahmed Shehzad weathered a sluggish start with a solid half-century that set the base for Shahid Afridi to play his natural game and push Pakistan to a competitive score. The Pakistan seamers struggled to contain the openers, but following a few quiet overs of spin, the momentum shifted. Brendan Taylor was looking to play himself into some form, after a poor series against India, and he didn't have the time or an attacking partner at the other end to help his side reclaim the edge. After being put in to bat, Pakistan lost their first three wickets inside nine overs, all off questionable shots. Tendai Chatara accounted for the first two, and his second wicket to get rid of Mohammed Hafeez was made possible thanks to a brilliant reflex catch by Taylor. That catch was a good example of Zimbabwe's fielding in the early part of Pakistan's innings, but they couldn't put enough pressure on Pakistan in the second half. Pakistan progressed to a less-than-satisfactory 57 for 3 after ten overs, but the turning point in the innings came in the 12th over. It was Elton Chigumbura's first and he leaked 17, which included a pulled six by the debutant Sohaib Maqsood and two swept boundaries by Shehzad past short fine leg. Pakistan ensured they maintained that momentum till the end of the innings, picking 75 runs off six beginning from the 12th. Maqsood looked promising in a stand of 55 with Shehzad, pouncing on anything short from the seamers. After pulling Chigumbura over deep square leg, he tried to clear the straight boundary the following ball but was done in by an impressive running catch by Vusi Sibanda. Shehzad's knock was vital in giving Pakistan a base to build on, which was crucial given the under par scores from the rest of the top order. He managed only one boundary in the first ten overs and began to open up in the company of the confident Maqsood. He was caught on the edge of the long-on boundary for 70, attempting a second six. Afridi, sent in at No.6, made a cameo 23 to give the bowlers a solid score to defend. Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza helped Zimbabwe race to 35 off five overs - at the same stage Pakistan had already lost two wickets. Taylor said at the toss that Zimbabwe were more comfortable chasing, and the openers certainly gave the impression. Sibanda didn't look too troubled by Mohammad Irfan's pace and lift, improvising by arching his back to steer the ball wide of the fielders on the off side. Saeed Ajmal was brought on in the sixth over as damage control. Captain Hafeez reverted to his seamers and Anwar Ali struck in the first over of his second spell when he trapped Hamilton Masakadza lbw attempting to pull a ball that wasn't short enough. A set Sibanda lost his leg stump to Afridi, staying back to a flat, quicker delivery. Sean Williams was trapped lbw on the sweep, but didn't appear satisfied with the decision. What Taylor needed was a form partner and the team management probably erred by not promoting Elton Chigumbura. Chigumbura performed better than some of the specialists in the one-dayers against India and when he walked in today Zimbabwe needed in excess of 17 an over. Timycen Maruma, who came in ahead of him, faced 13 balls for ten runs, at a time when Zimbabwe were desperate for a massive surge. The spinners held sway and the margin of victory was a comfortable 25 runs.

Zimbabwe bring focus back to cricket

In a relatively quiet month for international cricket, save for the ongoing marquee Test series in England, Zimbabwe and Pakistan have managed to shoehorn a series to fill a gap in the calendar. Shortly after the series was confirmed came the off-field distraction involving the Zimbabwe players and the cricket board. A familiar pay dispute led to fears over whether the tour would get under way but, thankfully, the players made peace with the board with the formation of a players union.

The dispute, however, disrupted the hosts' practice schedules and though they have since resumed training, it remains to be seen if it has been sufficient. This is in contrast to the preparations ahead of the recent home series against India. The players trained for ten weeks, but it wasn't enough to stretch an experimental Indian side. The batting was the biggest let down, followed by the fielding. The result was a 5-0 thrashing. It will only get tougher against Pakistan, who're playing full strength despite the low-profile nature of the tour.

Prosper Utseya, the offspinner, has insisted that the players are in the right frame of mind. "We have managed to put that [contractual issue] behind now and some of the players have been offered contracts," Utseya told the Zimbabwe Herald. "Obviously I am not sure what they've got, but they looked happy. It is good that ZC have managed to meet us halfway going into the series."

Series wins in the West Indies have given Pakistan confidence after the gloom of the Champions Trophy. The performances of the youngsters in the two T20s in the West Indies, including Umar Amin and Zulfiqar Babar, should have pleased them immensely. A few players have been busy in the Caribbean Premier League, though, among them, only Mohammad Hafeez features in the upcoming T20s. The rest of the squad have been training in Lahore.

Smith achieves his moment, England miss

It is not often that striking Jonathan Trott for six has been portrayed as a career-defining moment, but that will understandably be Australia's ambitions for Steven Smith after he completed a maiden Test hundred to quell England hopes of an unprecedented 4-0 victory in the Investec Ashes series.

This series has long fallen to England but Australia could yet cobble together a reasonably cogent argument that they are finishing the stronger and, with another five Tests in store in the Great Brown Land to come, Smith's unbeaten 138 - extended from 66 overnight - will support their contention that they can be competitive in the return.

As for this final Test of the series, England could draw comfort from the fact that Alastair Cook and Joe Root survived 17.3 overs before bad light clipped a few minutes from the second day. They will hope that their decision to field two spinners for the first time in a home Test for four years will be justified by the end of the match but, after conceding nearly 500 and with an unsettled forecast for Saturday, the odds are not in their favour.

To discover Trott trundling in as a bit-part bowler in England's attack was no bad thing for Smith with a first Test hundred in the offing. Trott had only four Test wickets to his name and Smith allowed himself an over of reconnaissance before asking Brad Haddin, his batting partner: "Do you think I could hit him over the top?" Keep a clear mind, Haddin advised and Smith did just that.

His response to the first ball of Trott's second over, a graceful loft over long-on for six, might have been the final genial blow in a practice session, a gentle mickey-take of a team-mate. Instead, as his delighted expression showed, it was further proof of a potential breakthrough.

Smith had been overshadowed by Shane Watson on the opening day. Conditions were more exacting as he resumed his innings but he reined in the most adventurous elements of his game, surviving against a ball that regularly nibbled around off the seam. His occasional full-blooded moments were well judged, which has not always been the case. When the mood takes him, he does not lack for courage.

England will sense that they wasted a good bowling opportunity. When play finally began at 2.30pm - morning drizzle having delayed the start by three-and-a-half hours - the skies remained heavy, the pitch had a darker tinge and there was more encouragement for the seam bowlers than there had been on the opening day when Australia moved blissfully to 307 for 4.

Smith's mind attuned to a more taxing task but, understandably, the same could not be said for the nightwatchman Peter Siddle, who was picked off in Anderson's third over of the day when he tried to whip the ball through midwicket and was bowled by a late outswinger.

A year ago at The Oval, England were 250 for 2 before conditions changed, South Africa hurried them out for 385 and Hashim Amla's triple century went on to ensure that England lost by an innings. With Australia five down for 320, England must have sensed their opportunity.

But England were unable to make the same impact. Anderson and Broad bowled without much luck and Chris Woakes, although he exerted reasonable control, again made little impression as a third seamer. If he had been adequate at best on the first day, he would have hoped for better in more favourable, oft-times gloomy conditions, but he carried little menace.

When Haddin on-drove him into a puddle on the boundary edge, it did not enhance England's mood. If they asked for the ball to be changed once, they must have asked a thousand times.

England also wasted a review with Haddin on 15, Matt Prior persuading Cook to turn to the DRS for an imagined leg-side glance in which the bowler, Anderson, had no interest. The ball missed the bat by a distance, underlining the feeling that England, who began the series as superior in their use of the DRS to Australia, now possess the same confusion.

By the time Smith's century arrived, followed shortly afterwards by tea, the skies were clearing and batting conditions had erased. Smith had achieved his moment; England had missed theirs. But Trott underlined that he is not quite as harmless as he appears. Four balls after Smith experienced the most fulfilling moment of his career, Haddin departed, trying to manufacture a chop behind square on the off side but deflecting the ball on to his stumps.

With 36 overs remaining at tea, and a 7.30pm finish on the horizon, Australia's main consideration was whether to have a bowl at England at the tail end of the day.

They declared with 75 minutes left after a satisfying post-tea thrash brought a further 95 runs in 13 overs. England, whose professionalism knew no shame, dawdled through only 11 overs in the first hour, three by the offspinner Graeme Swann, retreating into obsessive ball drying and continued requests to change the ball rather than actually caring much about propelling it in front of a capacity Oval crowd.

James Faulkner, a debutant allrounder who has made his name in one-day cricket, was well suited to instructions to make quick runs after tea. Three boundaries off Broad in four balls, the best of them a forearm smash over cover, gave him some fun before Woakes, in his 23rd over, took his first Test wicket when Faulkner's top-edged pull was neatly taken on the run by Trott at deep square leg.

Thirty-two overs had passed, and Australia had added 137 runs, before England introduced spin. Unsurprisingly, it was Graeme Swann, not Simon Kerrigan, whose method deserted him under Watson's onslaught on the first day. Swann needed only two balls to strike, tossing one up and defeating Mitchell Starc's lusty swing by a distance. Anderson ended a vigorous contribution from Ryan Harris with an excellent high catch off his own bowling.

As Australia hit their way towards a declaration, England eschewed the option of turning to Kerrigan. An ambitious captain would have risked another mauling to give Kerrigan his first Test wicket. A conservative captain would have protected him for another day. Cook, to no great surprise, took the path of minimal risk.

Malik wants to bat up the order for Pakistan

Shoaib Malik, the 31-year old Pakistan allrounder, believes he has another "five or six years" of cricket left in him. Malik, who was dropped from the national squad after the Champions Trophy, also wants to bat up the order instead of No 6 or 7, where he's been used of late.

"Representing your country is the biggest thing (and) of course I want to play for my team (Pakistan), I want to do well for my country," Malik said. "I still think I can play for another five or six years. I am fit but I want to see myself consistent. I do not want to bat at No 6 anymore. I want to bat at No 3 or 4."

Malik averages 39.02 in 51 ODI innings batting at Nos 1 to 3. At positions 4 to 7, his average comes down to 31.16 from 128 innings.

Malik last played Test cricket in 2010 but was part of Pakistan's limited-overs units until the Champions Trophy earlier this year, after which he has been ignored for the tours of West Indies and Zimbabwe. He admitted that injuries and poor form had contributed to his decline, but said he had now regained his strength. "I was struggling with my shoulder and my elbow but I have had surgery for my elbow and I have worked hard in the gym every day (since being dropped). Now I am absolutely fine. I can even bowl 30 overs in one day. I am very happy and I want to play as an all-rounder. That is my priority."

Malik is currently playing in the Caribbean Premier League, where he is the second-leading run-getter in the tournament with 223 runs from seven innings at a strike-rate of 114.94. Malik's side Barbados Tridents will face Jamaica Tallawahs in the second semi-final in Port-of-Spain on Friday. "It (CPL) is so far, so good (for me). I have played some good innings, (I have been) bowling also. I want my team to be in the final and win this CPL."

He said that Barbados captain Kieron Pollard's faith in him as an all-rounder, since they spoke at the Champions Trophy, had boosted him. "When someone gives you that confidence it is always good," Malik said, revealing that Pollard encouraged him to bowl as much as possible and extend his all-rounder aspirations.

What's next for England?

Whatever else happens over the last three days of this match, England may reflect on the Oval Test of 2013 as having provided a disconcerting peek into their future.

It is not just that their two debutants in this match -Chris Woakes and Simon Kerrigan - have endured tough baptisms into Test cricket. It is that, over the last four years, England have now brought 12 new players into their Test side without any of them making an incontrovertible case for long-term inclusion.

You have to go back to 2009, when Jonathan Trottwon his first Test cap, to find an England player who can be said to a have made an uncompromised success of his elevation.

Since then a dozen men have been tried - Michael Carberry, Steven Finn, James Tredwell, Eoin Morgan, Ajmal Shahzad, Samit Patel, Jonny Bairstow, James Taylor, Nick Compton, Joe Root, Kerrigan and Woakes - and, while four or five (Taylor, Finn, Bairstow and Root in particular) may yet prove themselves worthy Test players, none have yet progressed to become long-term, automatic selections.

As a result, England continue to rely on the same trusted characters. But the unsettling suspicion is that, scratch beneath the surface of this strong England side, and there are doubts about their bench strength.

While England look relatively well stocked with top-order batsmen - the likes of Varun Chopra, Luke Wells and Sam Robson - and tall, fast bowlers - the likes of Jamie Overton, Boyd Rankin, Finn and Tremlett, who responded to be overlooked for this match by claiming five wickets for Surrey on Thursday - they are no closer to finding a replacement for the swing of James Anderson or the spin of Graeme Swann.

Maybe that is not surprising. Anderson and Swann are two of the best bowlers England have possessed in decades. But they are both over 30, they are both required to shoulder heavy workloads and neither can be expected to do so indefinitely.

While it had been presumed that Monty Panesar would inherit Swann's role in this side - and there are whispers that this could, just could, be Swann's final Test in England - recent revelations about Panesar have thrown some doubt over his long-term involvement. Suffice it to say, it would be naive to conclude that his bizarre behaviour in Brighton recently was simply an aberration.

That would mean that Kerrigan could be England's first choice spinner much earlier than had been anticipated. Aged only 24 and with an impressive first-class record, Kerrigan no doubt has a bright future. But on the evidence of this game, he is some way from being a Test cricketer.

In some ways, the second day of this Test was even more depressing than the first for Kerrigan. There are caveats to the decision not to bowl him - it was a day truncated by poor weather and conditions favoured the seamers - but to see Trott called into the attack ahead of him hardly provided a ringing endorsement of his captain's faith in his abilities. Perhaps a more sympathetic captain might have found a way to involve Kerrigan a little more.

Any judgement on Woakes' debut depends on how you perceive his role. He bowled tidily enough on a flat wicket and will surely never let England down. Whether that is enough to justify a Test career as a third seamer is highly debatable, though. And, while he may yet score match-defining runs from No. 6, what has become clear is that he cannot be viewed as a viable alternative as the incisive swing bowling replacement of Anderson. England don't have one.

Jamshed determined to make Test comeback

Nasir Jamshed, the Pakistan batsman, has set his sights on a Test comeback after being dropped from the side ahead of the Zimbabwe tour which begins on August 23. Jamshed enjoyed a prolific ODI season last year, where he scored 462 runs in eight innings at an average of 66, establishing himself as a regular, though he didn't hit the same highs in his 16 ODIs this year. His Test performances, have been found wanting, with only 51 runs in four innings, and a high score of 46 in a difficult series in South Africa. Speaking at the last day of the national training camp on Saturday, Jamshed said: "Test cricket is an important format and essential for every big player. I am disappointed over being dropped from the Test side. I will try my best to regain a place in the five-day format too by giving good performances in ODIs and T20s. If I am given another chance in Test cricket, you will find me a more mature player. I have realised my mistakes [in South Africa] and I have learnt the lessons." Another notable selection was of the allrounder Anwar Ali, who first gained prominence with his display of swing bowling during the ICC U-19 World Cup in 2006. He has only played one T20I for Pakistan, in a match against Zimbabwe in Canada on October 2008. Since then he has worked on his batting, becoming a competent allrounder in the domestic scene. Over the last two seasons, he has taken 107 wickets at the first-class level, while providing contributions with the bat as well. Anwar was hopeful that his new-found ability with the bat would hold him in good stead for the tour: "This time I have come back in the team with improved batting skills too to play my role in the team as an effective all-rounder." © ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

Bowlers push India on back foot

Virat Kohli reacts after being given out to a low catch for 14 in the second ODI against ZimbabweThe toss was supposed to have gone against Zimbabwe in the first ODI, with the early-morning start at Harare Sports Club making the new balls dart around and the pitch flattening out for the chasing side. Zimbabwe had an opening partnership of 72 but it consumed 22 overs, and the 228 they managed ultimately wasn't enough to test Virat Kohli and Co. Two days later, Brendan Taylor's luck improved, Virat Kohli called incorrectly and India were asked to face the four Zimbabwe seamers. The way India batted, it gave Vusi Sibanda and Sikandar Raza's opening effort in the first game lots of context. The same batsmen who could have hardly been bothered in the chase on Wednesday were made to struggle to put bat to ball. And when they did they often edged them. The new balls swung, seamed, bounced, and skidded. Had the Zimbabwe quicks shown more control, and had their fielders caught better, India would have been in a bigger hole. Shikhar Dhawan played possibly the most charmed innings of his short international career. He was caught behind off a Kyle Jarvis no-ball and dropped by the wicketkeeper off the same bowler. His fortune made him India's chief hope at the halfway stage as he approached a half-century. The rest of the India top order did not have the same kind of luck. Rohit Sharma, having said just before his 100th ODI started that one needed to be careful against the new balls as an opener, chased Brian Vitori's first delivery, a widish good length ball, and edged to the slip cordon. Virat Kohli, coming off a match-winning hundred, looked largely solid before he pushed Jarvis to mid-on. He was given out by on-field umpire Bruce Oxenford, but expressed enough doubt over the decision for the third umpire to be called in. Replays were not exactly conclusive, as they often aren't in these cases, but the third umpire did not overrule Oxenford's decision. Incredibly, Kohli still stood his ground and wanted the third umpire to check once more, but all his anger was ultimately in vain. Ambati Rayudu was brought crashing down from his debut half-century in a painful 25-ball existence during which he was put down by the bowler Vitori and was beaten on numerous occasions. Rayudu ended his misery when he tried to break free and ended up spooning a drive to cover, off Vitori. For once, Suresh Raina - who has made no secret of his desire to bat up the order - had plenty of overs to get himself in, but nudged his 11th delivery down the leg side to the keeper. At 65 for 4, and no MS Dhoni to come, his team's atrocious over-rate would have been one of Taylor's biggest worries. Dhawan looked intent to make good use of his lives, though, and along with Dinesh Karthik, steered India past 100.

Cowan, Starc dropped for Lord's

Ed Cowan and Mitchell Starc have been dropped forUsman Khawaja and Ryan Harris in Australia's XI for the second Ashes Test at Lord's.

The changes were not unexpected, after Cowan struggled through arguably the poorest of his 18 Tests at Trent Bridge in the unfamiliar No. 3 position and Starc's form oscillated throughout.

Khawaja's inclusion provided him with the first chance to show his improvement as a batsman since he was left out of the Test team in late 2011, serving consistently as a reserve since.

Harris was always a likely call-up for Lord's, as his consistent line, swing and skiddy pace appear ideally suited to the ground and its idiosyncratic slope. Importantly, Harris has played twice at the venue before, and as a senior bowler his temperament will be useful for the tourists as they seek to reverse a 1-0 series deficit.

While Starc can be expected to come back into the team at a later date, Cowan may have played his last Test. He had taken part in 18 consecutive matches since his debut on Boxing Day 2011, but a record of only one century and an average of 31.28 always left him vulnerable to omission.

Pakistan sent into bat by Windies in series opener

PROVIDENCE Guyana: Pakistan were put into bat by West Indies after their captain Dwayne Bravo won the toss in the first One-day International of the five-match series here at the Providence Stadium on Sunday. Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi are both back to the Pakistan XI. Umar will keep wicket too. Ahmed Shehzad will open the innings. And there is no Junaid. Asad Ali is in. In the West Indies side, Jason Holder replaced Tino Best and Dwayne Bravo is back and took Devon Smith's place. Teams: West Indies: D.J. Bravo (captain), C. Gayle, J. Charles, D.M. Bravo, L. Simmons, M. Samuels, K. Pollard, D. Sammy, J. Holder, S. Narine, K. Roach. Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Asad Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Mohammad Irfan.

Afridi, Misbah rescue Pakistan against Windies

PROVIDENCE, Guyana: Hugely contrasting half-centuries by Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq rescued Pakistan from a perilous position as they reached 224 for nine against the West Indies in the first one-day international at the Guyana National Stadium on Sunday. Returning to the team after being omitted from the Champions Trophy in England in June, the mercurial Afridi smashed a top score of 76 off 55 deliveries while Misbah redefined the role of the cautious captain, occupying 121 balls for his watchful innings of 42. The pair put on 120 for the sixth wicket, a new record in one-day internationals for the ground and the best for Pakistan against the West Indies. Their effort was essential after Jason Holder wrecked Pakistan's top-order batting in finishing with the outstanding figures of four for 13 off 10 overs. The beanpole pacer, in just his fourth one-dayer, proved almost unplayable in overcast, seamer-friendly conditions with an exhibition of pace and accuracy that belied his relative inexperience. Holder wasted little time in getting among the wickets after light morning delayed the start by 15 minutes. Ahmed Shehzad played-on in the Barbadian's second over while the experienced Mohammad Hafeez was a prized scalp, his off-stump sent cartwheeling when he opted not to offer a shot. Holder was then fortunate to have an lbw appeal against the other opener, Nasir Jamshed, upheld and then removed Asad Shafiq first ball to a brilliant catch by wicketkeeper Johnson Charles. He should have claimed a fifth wicket but what looked like an obvious edge to Charles off Umar Akmal was ruled not out by umpire Joel Wilson, the same official who ruled Jamshed leg-before. Afridi wasted no time setting about the bowling, hoisting six fours and five sixes in a typically entertaining innings while at the other end, Misbah was content to support the rampant all-rounder by feeding him the strike at every opportunity. Afridi eventually fell to a catch at deep midwicket off Kieron Pollard in the 39th over. West Indies did not help their cause with a repetition of the bowling indiscretions which surfaced during the Tri-Nations series last week where visiting India and Sri Lanka beat them to the final. They delivered some 23 wides and gifted a total of 28 extras to the Pakistani total. Given the potential potency of the Pakistani bowling attack, it may prove to be a carelessness they could ill afford. (AFP)

Pakistani total. Given the potential potency of the Pakistani bowling attack, it may prove to be a carelessness they could ill afford. (AFP)

Moin Khan made chief selector by PCB

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed former test wicketkeeper and captain Moin Khan as the chief selector. According to Geo Tv sports anchor Yahya Hussaini the span of his tenure is still unclear. However his first responsibility would be to announce the Pakistan U-23 team for the Sri Lankan tour. The other members of the selection committee would remain the same. Talking to media from Lahore Moin said that he has been appointed the chief selector of Pakistan and not Karachi and does not believe in Quota system.