Weather and Toss plays a key role as India, SA square up on boxing day.
Weather reports here suggest that the elements will be a crucial factor in the contest with rain forecast for the first, fourth and fifth days of the Tests. On other two days too, the sun is expected to play hide and seek.
5 wickets in 9 balls by Tim Southee
Southee's spell reduced Pakistan from 58/1 to 68/6 within the space of 10 minutes and included just the third hat-trick in Twenty20 Internationals.
Nz won on Pakistan by 5 wickets.
Southee claimed five wickets for 8 balls, finishing with 5/17 -- the first five-wicket bag by a New Zealander in Twenty20 Internationals -- as New Zealand held Pakistan to 143/9 after winning the toss.
Guptill then made 54, including a 23-ball half century -- the fastest by a Kiwi in T20s -- to guide New Zealand to victory with 17 balls to spare.
Southee set up the win, which puts New Zealand 1-0 up in the three-match series, with an outstanding spell of swing bowling.
Australia all out for 98.
England's bowlers had the Australians all at sea on a seaming MCG drop-in wicket to bowl out the home team in just 42.5 overs.
James Anderson (4/44) and Chris Tremlett (4/26) did the damage, while wicketkeeper Matt Prior took six catches as all the Australian wickets fell to catches behind the wicket.
PCB willing to send players to India for IPL .
A senior official of the PCB Subhan told at a press conference on Saturday that the Board was interested in sending its players for the IPL 2011 to India.
"We are keen on this and if the Indian board requires us to provide any clearance or NOC for any player we will do it," Subhan said.
He added that the PCB had already written to the BCCI on the issue last week and were awaiting a reply from them.
Gambhir injured doubtful for second Test may be replaced by Murali Vijay .
While captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that Zaheer Khan, who missed the first Test in Centurion due to hamstring injury is fit to play, he did admit that Gambhir's injury in the knuckles of his left hand is a concern ahead of the second Test.
If Gambhir comes ready on time, booking opens Murali Vijay is inducted into the playing XI. However, it is a test signal Vijay who is known to be too comfortable while playing a short sharp stuff.
Pitch favourable to bowling will help India to level the series, says Dhoni
India are coming off an innings defeat in the first Test at Centurion but Dhoni said that the cloudy, humid conditions and green wicket would help his team take the 20 wickets they need to level the three-Test series.
"In the last game we were not even able to take 10 wickets, which is always a worry if you want to win a Test match.
India have been boosted by the return to fitness of fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who has taken 261 wickets in 76 Tests.
Bowlers should pick 20 wickets: Gary
India coach Gary kirsten said Friday in a match your bowlers take 20 wickets and South Africa this Sunday against the Boxing Day Test match then it certainly can be.
"Finally, we need to get 20 Test wickets I think we have shown in the last three years that we all 20 wickets in test conditions is the ability to have. 'C for all of us depends on us to prove it can kirsten here, "said.
"kirsten's return to South Africa is only a rumor"
South African pace spearhead Zaheer Khan hopes that the pace of withdrawal will encourage attacks.
"Zaheer obviously back is good. We welcome all circumstances we have, and we as their bowling line up is quality," he said.
About Stadium Kingsmead, kirsten said: "These colors look like an outfield that happens in two days seems like" .. "
Kirsten said first innings score of 400 would require.
"Finally, we need to get 20 Test wickets I think we have shown in the last three years that we all 20 wickets in test conditions is the ability to have. 'C for all of us depends on us to prove it can kirsten here, "said.
"kirsten's return to South Africa is only a rumor"
South African pace spearhead Zaheer Khan hopes that the pace of withdrawal will encourage attacks.
"Zaheer obviously back is good. We welcome all circumstances we have, and we as their bowling line up is quality," he said.
About Stadium Kingsmead, kirsten said: "These colors look like an outfield that happens in two days seems like" .. "
Kirsten said first innings score of 400 would require.
Tendulkar has hit 14 tons with his scruffy old bat
Tendulkar's favourite piece of willow showed plenty of war wounds caused by hours of hard-hitting at the crease, with tape across its toe (bottom) and shoulder.
But its effectiveness was in no doubt as he scored an unbeaten 111 against South Africa in Centurion to notch up his 50th Test century -- sparking national jubilation and a message of congratulations from the prime minister.
Somi Kohli, the owner of Beat All Sports which makes Vampire bats, told the Indian Express that he had insisted on repairing the bat after seeing Tendulkar trying to do the job himself earlier this year.
"Sachin's knowledge about bats is phenomenal but I told him that just like doctors are specialists, a willow also needs to be looked after by bat doctors," he said.
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Butt faces seven-year ban in spot-fixing case:Sources
A well-placed source said Butt was likely to be banned and slapped with a heavy financial penalty.
"The way things are going for him the frequent change of lawyers and his abrasive relationship with the ICC, he does not appear to be in a position to plead his case effectively against the allegations against him," the source said.
"And apparently the ICC ACU have prepared a long list of evidences against him based on the fact that he was captain and responsible for the conduct of the team," the source said.
England need one more win to retain Ashes from Australia
Australia go into Sunday's fourth Melbourne Test fuelled by the momentum from their emphatic 267-run victory in Perth, which levelled the series at 1-1. But they cannot afford a slip-up in the last two matches.
"We always talk about the last two Tests in a series being where things are won and lost," England skipper Andrew Strauss said on Friday.
"The first few games set it up and the last couple bring it home. That is the challenge for us."
England looked poised for their first series triumph Down Under since 1986-87 after an innings victory in the second Adelaide Test, before Ricky Ponting's team hit back spectacularly in the third Test at the WACA.
"All of us need to bring it together in the last two games here and at Sydney," Strauss said in Melbourne.
"Most of our guys still feel in pretty good form, but you need those guys to stand up and deliver at the business end of the series."
Alastair Cook has scored 495 in five innings, Strauss and Jonathan Trott hit centuries in Brisbane, and Kevin Pietersen was unstoppable with a majestic 227 in Adelaide before they all stumbled in Perth.
Zaheer is crucial for India to bounce back, says Sourav
"A lot will depend on the Zaheer factor to win the Durban Test. Toss will also play a crucial role in Durban. But we need to bat consistently. I strongly hope that India will bounce back," Ganguly said
Down 0-1 after the first of the three-match series, India will have to win the Durban Test beginning on Sunday to keep the series alive for the final on in Cape Town from January 2.
Ganguly, who is the chairman of the Bengal Cricket Development Committee, spoke after their mid-season review that met after their Ranji side failed to make the quarters while the U-19 side faced relegation.
Pain-free Ricky Ponting set for Boxing Day
not take the field on the fourth and final day as Australia completed a 267-run victory to level the five-test series 1-1.
The 36-year-old captain appeared to have little difficulty during the fielding session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but elected not to take the crease in the nets.
Ponting has endured a poor series with the bat, with just 83 runs at an average of 16.60, 51 of those as Australia batted out the first test for a draw in Brisbane.
"The finger is good actually. I joined in and did a fair bit of fielding at training this morning, I didn't have a bat today but I'll jump into the nets tomorrow," Ponting said at a public appearance in Melbourne.
"So I think, as I said after the Perth game, I'm a really good chance of playing in this test match and hopefully I'll be able to play pain-free, which will be nice."
Most Wanted: Viru on everyone's radar.
relatively hard ball. He takes the attack to the opposition with his aggressive stroke-play and also takes pressure off other batsmen," said Graeme Smith.
The point the South Africa skipper made was well illustrated in Centurion. The other batsmen looked far more comfortable against the South African attack when Sehwag got some quick runs in the second innings.
Apart from boosting the side's morale, a quick start, even a crisp 30 or 40, blunts the opposition's attack. "It's a very nice feeling to get him out early. He is the danger man who comes hard at you," said Morne Morkel.
The South Africans, as they showed in the first innings at Centurion, where they had him caught at third man, will have their plans ready, though. With the wicket likely to have good pace, bounce and swing, the hosts will again play on his patience and try to force a false stroke early on.
"He's a naturally aggressive batsman and gives bowlers a chance. It's for him and the team to decide what kind of role he's to play, but sometimes you do need to knuckle down a bit," said Smith. Whether Sehwag takes Smith's advice is something time will tell, but his teammates want the opener to be himself. "He plays in his own way. That's how he gets triple and double hundreds. He shouldn't change his game," said Gautam Gambhir.
While Sehwag will do what he does, the other batsman will need to apply themselves better as the conditions will again favour the bowlers.
"We let ourselves down a bit in the first innings in Centurion, but we have six top quality batsmen who can deliver the goods," said India coach Gary Kirsten
South Africa prepared for Indian backlash: Graeme Smith
South Africa cruised to victory by an innings and 25 runs in the first Test of the three-match series after India crumbled to 136 all out on day one in the face of testing Proteas pace bowling.
"After what happened in the first Test I expect them to be better, especially from a batting perspective, as they will know what to expect," Smith told a news conference before the match starting on Sunday.
"India are an experienced team and I expect them to come out fighting in the next Test and I expect them to use their experience to bounce back. We can't afford to take anything for granted in terms of how we expect them to go," he added.
While Smith expects the number-one ranked Test team in the world to present a stiffer challenge at Kingsmead, he said his own charges would draw a lot of heart from how they had performed in the first Test.
"When you win by an innings and 25 runs you do take a lot of positives out of the game and a lot of confidence. From our perspective we have taken a few big steps forward in the series and India have probably got a few doubts," he said.
South Africa do not have an impressive recent record in Durban having lost their last two matches at Kingsmead by significant margins.
In last year's Boxing Day Test they were trounced by England by an innings and Australia won by a convincing margin of 175 runs.
Is Sachin Tendulkar the world's greatest sportsperson of all time?
The answer, at least according to netizens who participated in a recent Sydney Morning Herald poll, is a resounding yes - by a whopping margin of 67% to 33%.
Even as we were digesting this result, along came an interview by Usain Bolt. The world's fastest man admitted to being a huge Sachin fan. He also said that given a chance, he'd like to ask Sachin "how he has managed to work so hard to stay at the top for so long and what advice he'd give other sportsmen".
Clearly then, Sachin is idolized not just by millions of cricket lovers, but also champions of other sports. It's easy to understand why: After all, he has sustained excellence at the highest competitive level for a scarcely believable 21 years, while cheerfully bearing the crushing burden of knowing that a billion hopes rest on his shoulders every time he bats.
Not many sporting legends of any event or era can make such a claim. So, is Sachin not just the greatest cricketer but, in fact, the greatest sportsperson of all time? It's a question that's bound to stir a heated debate. So, we decided to throw it open to our readers as well. We prepared a shortlist of 12 of the greatest sportspersons ever. Sachin, naturally, figures in it. But choosing the other 11 proved immensely challenging.
We need 400-plus runs in the first innings: Gary Kirsten
While on Thursday was an optional practice day for the Indians, Zaheer Khan was still conspicuous by his absence. Is all well with Zaheer? "Yes. He is fully fit, no worries there," Kirsten stressed. The second battle, the Boxing Day Test, begins on December 26.
Reacting to criticism that India's lack of pace would not let them win in South Africa, the former opener said, "You need to take 20 wickets to win a Test. We've shown in the past that we've the ability to take 20 wickets in any condition. We've some quality in bowling."
Asked if he had a look at the Kingsmead pitch, Kirsten smiled before saying, "I saw it from the dressing room. It looks the same as the outfield." What if another Centurion-like track was offered? "Then we'll have to assess the situation and apply ourselves well."
Kirsten was happy with the way his players were responding to the challenges of the tour. "We've prepared as well as we could have. The players are committed to give their best and that is all I can ask for." Kirsten has fond memories of Kingsmead as a player with several innings of note. Will his knowledge help India? "I can only share information with the players who take it on board. It's up to the players."
Asked if the team management has taken any decision on playing Suresh Raina in the second Test," Kirsten replied, "We've taken no decision."
Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar feels blessed to have a 'son' like Sachin Tendulkar
Congratulating Sachin on his hitting his 50th Test century, his avid fan says her blessings are always with the 'little master'.
"Sachin treats me like his mother and I always pray for her like a mother. I can never forget the day when he called me 'aai '(mother) for the first time. I had never imagined that. It was pleasant surprise for me and I feel blessed to have a son like him," Lata said.
"Sachin celebrates his birthday on April 24 which is also my father's (Dinanath Mangeshkar) death anniversary. We never get a chance to meet on that day. On one occasion we had met on April 23rd," she says.
She recalls an incident when journalists asked Sachin about his feeling for her to which his reply was "what could one think about his mother".
For the 81-year-old Bharat Ratna winner, Sachin is really an ideal son.
"I always pray for his success and well being. My blessings are always with him."
Lata and Sachin's admiration for each other is not a secret. According to Sachin, Lata songs are a stress buster for him. Lata, on the other hand, always try to catch an innings of Sachin on TV.
Asked if the country's highest civilian honour should be bestowed on the cricketer, she says he definitely deserves the Bharat Ratna.
"For me, he is the real Bharat Ratna for years. Whatever he has done for the country, very few people can do. He deserves this honour. He has made all of us feel proud.
"India has produced many great cricketers but Sachin is Sachin. He is one and only in his generation."
Our bowling plans didn't work in the 1st Test: says Dhoni..
The Indian bowlers were plundered for 620 runs at the Centurion and they managed to dismiss only four South African batsmen.
"It was difficult because there was not much help from the wicket. We don't have bowlers with express pace. They don't bowl in 140s so they have to be even more precise with their line and length," Dhoni tried to defend the pace trio of S Sreesanth, Ishant Sharma and rookie Jaydev Unadkat.
"We tried different fields. We tried to contain them but were unsuccessful for the better part of their innings," the Indian captain said.
When asked whether Zaheer Khan's absence made a big difference in the first Test, he said, "It's not that whenever Zaheer plays, he gets wickets. But with the amount of experience in his repertoire, he always has a back-up plan ready in case the first strategy doesn't work."
"That's one quality we have," Dhoni said sarcastically. "We don't really do well in the first Test. It's not only in India but even overseas. However, if you look at the previous records, we have come back well in the later stages. Hopefully, we will be back in the next two Test matches," an optimistic Dhoni said.
Tendulkar, Sehwag in ICC shortlist for greatest ODI team.
In the nominees for the Greatest ODI team of all time, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the lone Indian in the list of wicketkeepers.
However, no Indian has found a place in the list of middle-order batsmen and fast bowlers, while the legendary Kapil Dev has found a mention in the all-rounders' nomination.
Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh have made the list of spinners shortlisted for the dream team.
Mumbai schoolboy Armaan scores 498 to set new record.
Armaan, playing for Bandra school Rizvi Springfield against Raja Shivaji of Dadar, struck as many as 77 fours in 490 balls at the Karnatak Sports Association ground at Cross Maidan in South Mumbai before he was caught behind two short of a well-deserved 500.
Incidentally Armaan's 498 also bettered the record set last year of 439 by Sarfraz Khan in the Harris (under 16) Shield inter-schools tournament.
Armaan, who was 295 not out last evening, later said Sachin Tendulkar, who had created the world record school-level partnership of 664 with Vinod Kambli in the Harris Shield, was his idol.
"Sachin Tendulkar is my idol. I was not looking to set records but wanted to bat as long as possible," he said after his marathon knock lasting more than eight hours.
Indian selector announced ODI & T20 Squad
Indian selector announced strong 16 member squad for South Africa ODI and twenty20 series in South Africa. The surprise inclusion in the squad is leg-spinner Piyush Chawla who last played in ODI for India in 2008.
Virendra Sehwag who missed the last one day series against New Zealand also included in the squad, while Sachin Tendulkar who has not played any series after his double century in ODI is also included in the squad. This is the last series for the Indians before they will play in the world cup so by considering this, it may be the final members who will take part in the mega event.
Middle order batsman Rohit Sharma who played in the ODI series against New Zealand also failed to retain his place. Ravidner Jadeja, Saurab Tiwary, Parthiv Patel and Ishant Sharma also not included in the squad.
Indian team comprises of six specialist batsmen, one wicketkeeper M.S.Dhoni, eight bowlers and only one all-rounder Yusuf Pathan.
Indian ODI Squad: MS Dhoni (Captain & WK), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, Yusuf Pathan, Piyush Chawla, S Sreesanth.
Virendra Sehwag who missed the last one day series against New Zealand also included in the squad, while Sachin Tendulkar who has not played any series after his double century in ODI is also included in the squad. This is the last series for the Indians before they will play in the world cup so by considering this, it may be the final members who will take part in the mega event.
Middle order batsman Rohit Sharma who played in the ODI series against New Zealand also failed to retain his place. Ravidner Jadeja, Saurab Tiwary, Parthiv Patel and Ishant Sharma also not included in the squad.
Indian team comprises of six specialist batsmen, one wicketkeeper M.S.Dhoni, eight bowlers and only one all-rounder Yusuf Pathan.
Indian ODI Squad: MS Dhoni (Captain & WK), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, R Ashwin, Yusuf Pathan, Piyush Chawla, S Sreesanth.
Sachin returns to India's One-day squad
New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar was named in India's One-day squad for a five-match series in South Africa, ending a self-imposed 10-month lay-off from limited-overs cricket.
Tendulkar, 37, decided to rest from One-Day Internationals after smashing an unprecedented double-century against South Africa in Gwalior on February 24.
He missed 22 one-dayers this year, but a return was imminent for the away series in South Africa to prepare for the World Cup in South Asia in February-April.
Tendulkar, the world's leading run-getter, became the first batsman to score 50 Test hundreds during the opening Test at Centurion on Sunday.
The star batsman was included in a 16-man squad for the limited-overs contests which begin after the three-Test series ends on January 6.
Sarwan And Ramdin In West Indian World Cup Squad
The West Indies have named their 30-man preliminary squad for the 2011 World Cup, with experienced pace bowlers Jerome Taylor and Fidel Edwards missing out as they continue to recover from injuries.
Batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan and wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin - who were both not named in the recently-cancelled One-Day International series in Sri Lanka, are named in the squad.
Sangakkara replaces Tendulkar at number one
Tendulkar was dethroned from the top spot by Sri Lankan skipper Kumar Sangakkara in the batting chart, but Indian pacer Zaheer Khan climbed to a career-high third in the bowling list of the ICC Test rankings issued on Monday.Joining Sangakkara in the top 10 are South Africa's AB de Villiers, the current ICC ODI Player of the Year, and England's Jonathan Trott, both players entering the bracket for the first time.
De Villiers moved up eight places to fifth while Trott has risen to eighth position.
Siddle has risen to 14th after claiming 6-144 in the first Test at the Gabba while ICC Young Player of the Year Finn has broken into the top 20 in 19th place time after his six-wicket-haul.
However, Australia's Shane Watson has displaced England's Graeme Swann for fifth place after the 29-year-old scored 77 runs and claimed 1-96 during the first Ashes Test.
We won't be fooled by Johnson again: Pietersen
PERTH: England were blindsided by the intensity of paceman Mitchell Johnson's swing during their third Test defeat to Australia in Perth, but would not be caught out again in Melbourne, batsman Kevin Pietersen warned on Wednesday.
Johnson ripped apart England's top order in the first innings with a match-turning six wicket haul that propelled Australia to an emphatic 267-run victory that levelled the five-match series at 1-1.
Johnson said he had enjoyed taking Pietersen's wicket and described him as a 'smart-arse' after the South Africa-born batsman had asked him teasingly for his phone number so they could be 'best mates'.
Ishant, Rohit dropped for T20, ODIs againt SA
Fast bowler Ishant Sharma was the notable absentee from the Indian cricket squad which was announced for the T20 match and the ODI series against South Africa starting in January 2011. Middle order batsman Rohit Sharma who played in the ODI series against New Zealand also failed to retain his place.
Sachin beats Don Bradman in a poll publlished in Aussie Newspaper
MELBOURNE: Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who on Sunday became the only cricketer in history to have scored 50 Test tons, emerged runaway winner over Don Bradman in a poll commissioned by an Australian newspaper on who is the best batsman of all time.
In an online poll conducted by the 'Sydney Morning Herald' asking readers to vote for 'The greatest batsman ever: Bradman or Tendulkar?', Tendulkar secured 67 per cent of the votes as against Bradman's 33 per cent. 20768 cricket fans voted.
Tendulkar seemed to have got votes from those who took into account that he played in three formats of the game and against 10 countries while Bradman played in only Test matches and primarily in Australia and England only.
Gilchrist, Lara in top position of $400,000 for IPL auctions
Legendary West Indian batsman Brian Lara, dashing Australian wicketkeeper batsman Adam Gilchrist are among overseas players who have been put in the top br
acket base price for the upcoming auctions of the fourth edition of Indian Premier League.
As per information received, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting's name doesn't figure in the list that the IPL governing council has sent to the franchisees.
Around 400 foreign players have expressed their willingness to be a part of the cricketing extravaganza. They have been classified in six brackets ranging from $20,000 to $400,000.
The Australians have only three players - top scorer in IPL 1 Shaun Marsh, Gilchrist, the captain of second edition champions Deccan Chargers and speed merchant Brett Lee in the top bracket base price. The Hussey brothers Mike and David are in the second base price bracket of $300,000 while T20 and ODI specialist David Warner is in the third bracket with a base price of $200,000.
acket base price for the upcoming auctions of the fourth edition of Indian Premier League.As per information received, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting's name doesn't figure in the list that the IPL governing council has sent to the franchisees.
Around 400 foreign players have expressed their willingness to be a part of the cricketing extravaganza. They have been classified in six brackets ranging from $20,000 to $400,000.
The Australians have only three players - top scorer in IPL 1 Shaun Marsh, Gilchrist, the captain of second edition champions Deccan Chargers and speed merchant Brett Lee in the top bracket base price. The Hussey brothers Mike and David are in the second base price bracket of $300,000 while T20 and ODI specialist David Warner is in the third bracket with a base price of $200,000.
South Africa wins 1st Test lead series 1-0
Centurion Test:
South Africa's first innings win against India at home.Kallis earned Man Of The Match Award for his excellent double ton.Sachin unbeaten 111 could not help India to survive as tailenders have lifted their hands in a very short span of time which made Safari's an comprehensive victory over India.
Man Of The Match: Jacques Kallis
Sachin's 100 on Centurion is a special one
He was in a foreign land. At least a land that has stayed the most foreign to India even after their resurgence away from home.He was trying to save a game, trying to kill time, trying to run through the deficit.He had kept his time at the crease even though there is a lot of pressure and responsibility on him. But this was his memorable and valuable centuries among his 50 centuries.
Later he spoke of the moment when he reached the milestone. "The first thing obviously I thought of was my father because I wanted to do it for him," he said. "Yesterday was his birthday, and I would like to dedicate this to him."
Let us see Sachin saves the test and proves that he is "GOD FOR INDIAN CRICKET".
