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India A 556 for 7 (Gavaskar 173, Gambhir 131, Ratra 68, Powar 64*) lead Sri Lanka A 340 (Daniel 111) by 216 runs
Scorecard
Rohan Gavaskar blasted 173 as India A amassed 353 runs on the third day of the second Test against Sri Lanka A at Pune. Ajay Ratra and Ramesh Powar also joined in the run-feast as the bowling was smeared all over the park.Gavaskar spent a little over five hours in the middle and hit only 12 fours in an innings predominantly dominated by precise placements. He put on 143 runs with Ratra and 90 valuable runs with Powar. The latter was in an aggressive mood and hit four fours and two sixes in his half-century. Rangana Herath toiled all day for only two wickets and none of the bowlers made any impression.

Shane Warne wants Michael Clarke to succeed Adam Gilchrist as Ricky Ponting’s deputy in all forms of the game after his strong performance as Twenty20 captain. The idea has been dismissed by Ponting, who said Clarke’s opportunity for a full-time promotion would come if he maintained his standards of the past 12 months.Admitting Clarke was one of his best mates, Warne said he was the standout candidate and now was the time to groom him. “The best way to do this would be to elevate him to the vice-captaincy in all forms of the game,” Warne wrote in his column.”Gilly has done a wonderful job but won’t be around for too much longer in all forms of the game. I reckon he will hang the gloves up and decide to play only one form, probably Test matches.”Warne’s relationship with Gilchrist is not strong and the wicketkeeper was rated 20th in Warne’s top 50 players despite dominating for a decade. Gilchrist has said Clarke was not the only one who could replace Ponting when he eventually stepped down and Michael Hussey was another contender.The appointment of Clarke for the Twenty20 win over New Zealand on Tuesday was a one-off, but Warne said he was ready for more senior responsibilities. “When you win the toss, hit the first ball you face for four and win the match in your first game as national skipper, you would have to think it’s not a bad start,” Warne said.”He has all the attributes and the image, flair, confidence in his own ability, respect for the game and respect from his team-mates, which has been earned. He knows himself, understands his own game and is hungry for success.” Warne also wants Clarke to be captain of New South Wales when he returns for occasional state games.Ponting said Clarke had grown into a leader over the past year but there was no rush to fast-track him. “I don’t necessarily agree with [Warne],” Ponting said in Adelaide. “I don’t think that needs to be the case right now. Gilly’s not going to play forever, we’re all not going to play forever, but Michael’s opportunity is going to come.”He expects Clarke will be his deputy in the future. “The day will come when Michael will get his opportunity,” Ponting said. “It might not be right now, it might not be six months’ time, but that opportunity will come and he will step into the vice-captain’s role. Hopefully I can stay around for another few years and keep him out of my position for a bit longer.”

Abdul Razzaq has taken back his decision to retire from international cricket and is available once again to represent Pakistan. The allrounder’s decision comes after discussions with his local club and long-time coach.”I have reversed my decision and am available for Pakistan once again,” Razzaq told Cricinfo. “I have had many discussions with P&T Gymkhana and my coach, Azhar Zaidi, and we felt it was better if I took back my original decision. Maybe I made that in the heat of the moment.”Razzaq announced his retirement from international cricket in August, in protest at being ignored by the selectors in the squad for the ICC World Twenty20. He accused the selection committee and the board of not treating him with enough respect and dropping him for matters other than his form. The selectors maintained that he was still in their plans for ODI and Test cricket, though his form in those formats has been unconvincing over the last year or so. In his last 15 ODIs, he averages 17.30 and has taken only 12 wickets.Three fifties and 38 wickets in his last 15 Tests have also done nothing to help his cause, though injuries have hardly helped the process. He missed the Test series against South Africa late last year and the World Cup in the West Indies subsequently. In 2005, he also missed the home series against England with an elbow injury.Razzaq now plans to take part in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam trophy for Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL). The doors back to international cricket will not open immediately, however. Salahuddin Ahmed, chief selector, said Razzaq would need to show that he was back to his bristling best. “Let him play first-class matches first and prove his form and fitness there. After that, the doors are always open for every first-class cricketer in the country,” Salahuddin told Cricinfo.And further obstacles may exist in the form of the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Razzaq was one of four Pakistani players to sign up for the league and the Pakistan board still maintains that anyone who does turn out in the ICL will not represent Pakistan.Mohammad Yousuf, another player to sign for the ICL, was convinced by the board to opt for Pakistan instead, though no similar efforts were made with Razzaq. The league has threatened legal action against Yousuf. Razzaq says, however, he will wait and see how matters develop before deciding on a course of action as far as his contract with the ICL is concerned.

Dale Steyn has been rewarded for his outstanding bowling in the Test series with a place in the South African squad for the three-match ODI series and the one-off Twenty20 game. Steyn inclusion, in place of Justin Kemp, is the only change from the squad that won the ODI series in Pakistan earlier this year.The selectors have also put Morne van Wyk, the right-hand batsman, on standby for Herschelle Gibbs for the one-day series. Gibbs hurt his knee during the second Test in Centurion, which South Africa won by an innings and 59 runs to wrap up the series 2-0.Explaining the decision to replace Kemp, a batting allrounder, with a fast bowler, selection convener Joubert Strydom said: “With the number of allrounders in our squad we are happy with the depth we have to our batting. Dale gives us an exciting extra option as a wicket-taking bowler.” New Zealand were clueless against Steyn’s pace and swing in the Test series – in two matches he took 20 wickets at a remarkable average of 9.20, with a wicket every 16.8 deliveries.The Twenty20 match will be played at the Wanderers on Friday, while the ODI series starts in Durban on Sunday.Squad
Graeme Smith, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Albie Morkel, Vernon Philander, Johan Botha, Andre Nel, Charl Langeveldt, Makhaya Ntini, Dale Steyn. On standby: Morne van Wyk.

Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan board, believes Bob Woolmershould not be giving out unnecessary statements to themedia. There were reports in some sections of thelocal press in Pakistan on Tuesday that Shaharyar had called Woolmer toask him to avoid making comments to the press. TheNews quoted sources within the board: “Basically thePCB chief told Woolmer he should only speak when it isabsolutely necessary to the press and only give issue-related statements.”The source added, “Shaharyar told him that too many statements didn’t help the team or thePCB and only made things more complicated foreveryone.” Apparently, Khan also discussed theincreasingly contentious issue of Woolmer’s website,which he has used often to answer criticism from thelocal media, and also his ongoing verbal battle withex-coach Javed Miandad.Abbas Zaidi, the PCB’s media director, toldCricinfo: “I cannot say exactly whether or not thechairman has spoken to Woolmer about it. But I cantell you that he does believe Woolmer shouldn’t bemaking all these comments, at least not to the extentthat he has been. The reasoning behind it is that itthen becomes a slanging match – he said this and hesaid that – and he should keep a distance from thesethings.”Zaidi did reveal that Shaharyar had spoken to the teamin Australia. “He believes there is no point incriticising the team further. They are already shakenand embarrassed, so hitting them while they are downwill further damage their morale. But he has conveyedto them some words of encouragement, as a chairman, totry and forget what has happened and move on toMelbourne [the venue of the second Test, which starts on December 26].”Shaharyar’s words of encouragement come in the faceof increasingly hysterical and trenchant criticism inPakistan at the nature of the team’s capitulation atPerth. Some journalists and ex-players have reignitedthe issue of Woolmer’s passport, questioning whether aforeign coach can work successfully with Pakistan.Even the Federal Minister of Sports, Ajmal Khan,weighed in with his views, claiming he didn’t think aforeign coach would communicate effectively withPakistani players.Most vocal has been Javed Miandad, who has repeatedlyquestioned Woolmer’s aptitude for the job as well ascasting doubt over his commitment. Miandad had reactedangrily to statements that Woolmer was seeking theservices of a sports psychologist for his “mentallyawed” team after the defeat. He told Dawn newspaper:”Criticising one’s own team with such remarks is aninsult of not only the players but of the entirenation, and it would be better if the coach handles thesituation by motivating the players. To me by usingthe word mental confusion, the coach is labelling hisplayers as mentally disturbed people and that is alsothe insult of the nation.”Zaidi responded to the barrage of criticism: “We runthe game, so we take the blame. The media arebasically relying on people for quotes who have beensacked by us. So it isn’t surprising that they aremaking these sort of comments.” There have been someex-players, however, like Imran Khan and Rameez Raja,who have cited poor technique, an outcome of poordomestic playing standards, as the cause of thedebacle.There were isolated outbreaks of public outrage too. InKarachi, for example, protestors burnt effigiesof the captain and coach in front of the Press Club.Around 150 protestors also smashed up a public television onTuesday.Zaidi said of the public reaction, “I think there is amisperception among the public that we are a verytalented and good side. The fact is that we are yet tobecome a good side and people should realise this.They have beaten India four times since the series athome, but that shouldn’t instill false optimism in thepublic.”

Match facts

Sunday July 19, 2015
Start time 1pm (11am, GMT)0:34

‘Focussing on our own strengths’ – Uthappa

Big picture

Whatever rustiness India may have felt in their tour opener last weekend appears to have been well and truly shaken off. Their slick, measured performance in the first Twenty20 suggested they weren’t exactly stretching themselves, and Zimbabwe will need to step up their game enormously if they are to bridge the yawning gulf in experience between the two sides in this format.India charged to 178 on Friday on a pitch that wasn’t entirely conducive to strokeplay, and a slightly less frenetic performance from Zimbabwe’s bowlers could have helped them keep the visitors to a slightly more manageable total. The brevity of this format means that every delivery matters, and for Zimbabwe to gift India 25 extras was unforgivable. After Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha’s steady start to the chase, the middle order wilted with a string of soft dismissals.Their win on Friday made it 4-0 to India on the tour, and everything has gone to plan for them. In each match, someone has performed with both bat and ball, and they’ve also blooded a number of uncapped players. India are clear favourites and will also not want to blot their copybook with a slip-up in the final match.Zimbabwe’s inexperience in this format was clearly evidenced by their approach to the chase in the first game, in which their dot-ball percentage was 50%. Against tight bowling, on a pitch that didn’t immediately lend itself to aggressive batting, they were found wanting and this will be a key area for them to improve upon.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
Zimbabwe: LLLWW
India: WLLWW

In the spotlight

It’s hard to believe now, but there was a time early in Hamilton Masakadza‘s career when he was considered too sedentary for limited-overs cricket. He’s yet to make a real impact in this series though, and Zimbabwe need Mount Masakadza to erupt at the top of the order if they are to take the pressure off their middle order and challenge India.Robin Uthappa‘s returns on this tour have been increasing with each outing, and though his innings in the first T20 match was less than explosive, it was the adhesive that held India’s lower order together. Given his position at No. 3 and the fact that he seemed to come to terms with the pitch and conditions quickly, he may be the key player to bat through and set up another big total.

Team news

Zimbabwe’s top six should be settled for the second match, although Craig Ervine is the sort of batsman who would probably be better utilised up the order. Offspinner John Nyumbu is the only man in the squad not to have played a game yet during India’s visit, and given the slowness of the pitch, and his control as a bowler, he could be a good pick.Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Chamu Chibhabha, 2 Hamilton Masakadza, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Elton Chigumbura (captain), 5 Charles Coventry (wk), 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Graeme Cremer, 8 Prosper Utseya, 9 Neville Madzia, 10 John Nyumbu, 11 Chris Mpofu.Such was India’s dominance in the first T20 that they will probably feel safe giving a chance to a sixth debutant in Sanju Samson, who came in for the injured Ambati Rayudu.India (probable): 1 Ajinkya Rahane (captain), 2 M Vijay, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 Kedar Jadhav/Sanju Samson, 6 Stuart Binny, 7 Harbhajan Singh, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Mohit Sharma, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Sandeep Sharma.

Pitch and conditions

The pitch being used for this game is the same one used in the second ODI, and though it will have had a week to recover from that match, one can expect it to behave sluggishly. While the Dukes ball has offered some movement through the air to the quicks throughout, the pitches have played slow and low in the afternoon, and Sunday should be no different. Expect another bright, sunny day.

Stats and trivia

• Hamilton Masakadza is Zimbabwe’s leading runscorer in T20 internationals, with 943 runs, including seven fifties, in the format.
• India’s 178 for 5 was the fourth highest T20I total scored at Harare Sports Club. At the top of the pile is Pakistan’s 198 for 4 scored four years ago.
• Axar Patel is now India’s leading wicket-taker on this tour, with eight scalps at an average of 17.13 in four matches across two formats.

Quotes

“You’re already basically cooked when you’re coming in here, so you’re ready for it.”
“Not many people will expect us to win, but if we go out there with the attitude that we have everything to gain I think we will come out with a victory.” .

Anxious to field a competitive outfit for the 2007 World Cup, the West Indies board has announced that it plans to have a short list of 30 players by September this year, who will be put through special training for the event. A report in The Jamaica Observer states that Teddy Griffith, the president of the WICB, has asked the selection panel to look out for players who could feature in the 30-man squad.”They [the players short-listed] will be engaged in their cricket, but they would also be involved in a programme using the facilities at the St George’s University in Grenada and the University of the West Indies in Barbados,” Griffith said on a cricket discussion on CBC-TV. “Granted there may be people who may drop out and other people [may come] in, but [we] want to get this done by the time the team returns from the Champions Trophy in England in September.” West Indies will feature in another one-day competition before that, when they battle it out with England and New Zealand in the NatWest Series tournament later this month.West Indies have recently struggled in both forms of the game. Though they beat Bangladesh 3-0 in the one-dayers, a couple of games could easily have gone the other way. Before that series, they were thrashed by England in the Tests, but made a better fist of it in the ODIs, holding them to a 2-2 draw in a rain-affected series.Griffith also clarified that no foreign team would be invited for this season’s Carib Beer Cup, West Indies’ domestic four-day tournament. Overseas teams have been playing in the competition for the last four years – A teams from England, Bangladesh and India participated, as did Kenya’s national team – but Griffith ruled out another invitation next season.”First of all, it’s very expensive to bring foreign teams for our first-class competition and so if we are going to have them they must be of the best quality,” he said. “In the first year, England came and that was marginally successful, but certainly with the other teams it was not so.”

South African Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour has expressed concern over the axing of bowler Makhaya Ntini from the national cricket team playing the second Test in Melbourne against Australia.Ntini, who has taken four wickets in his previous five Tests and failed to take any in the first Test loss, was replaced by Allan Donald.Balfour has questioned why, if selection is based on form, Lance Klusener managed to escape the selectors’ axe.United Cricket Board chief executive Gerald Majola says he’s not prepared to comment on the merits of the issue other than to say he respects the minister’s opinion.South Africa has an obligation to pick “one player of colour” in the Test side, a requirement satisfied by the inclusion of Herschelle Gibbs.

Sachin Tendulkar, lauded only a few days ago by former South African international Pat Symcox for remaining squeaky clean in the face of controversy, has been asked to explain why he didn’t have to pay duty on a Ferrari he received.Tendulkar is in good company however. Also involved in the High Court’s query is the Indian Government. The court wants to know why Tendulkar didn’t have to pay 11.3 rupees duty for the gift from the Fiat company.The gift was made by Fiat, who produce the Ferrari, in recognition of Tendulkar’s feat in equalling Don Bradman’s 29 Test centuries. It was presented to him by Formula One champion Michael Schumacher at Silverstone in England.Newspaper coverage of Tendulkar picking up his duty-free red Ferrari 360 Modena from the airport and driving it home prompted the High Court to query the duty waiver. Tendulkar had requested a duty-free waiver.The case will be heard on August 19.

The Jamaican fast bowler Jermaine Lawson has dropped out of the West Indian squad for the Champions Trophy. Lawson, 22, has a newly diagnosed stress fracture of the lower back, and will be out of action for at least six weeks. Darren Sammy has been called up as a replacement.Sammy, 20, is the first international cricketer to emerge from the Caribbean island of St Lucia. He made his one-day debut during the recent NatWest Series in England, although there wasn’t actually any play in the match for which he was chosen – the heavens opened after the toss was made in the match against New Zealand at the Rose Bowl, and no play was possible. But the ICC ruled that the match counted in the records, as the toss had taken place.