No excuses for failed chase - Mohammad Hafeez

Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan's new Twenty20 captain, has said there was no excuse for his team not chasing 132 in the first match against Sri Lanka, despite them returning to the international circuit after a two-month layoff. Hafeez made an encouraging start to his new role by restricting the hosts' strong batting line-up, but his first-ball duck was the start of Pakistan's slide.

After the defeat in his maiden game as captain, Hafeez was philosophical, admitting that Pakistan were beaten by a better team. He said the pitch was difficult to bat on, but didn't offer that as an excuse for his side crumbling to 95. He didn't attribute the loss to Pakistan's lack of match practice over the last couple of months either.

Pakistan had the upper hand at the start thanks to Sohail Tanvir's incisive new-ball spell and some poor shot selection. Sri Lanka were struggling 96 for 7 at one stage but Thisara Perera's late 32 converted a paltry score to a match-winning one.

"As a bowling unit we did well to restrict them to 132. Tanvir was brilliant with the new ball," Hafeez said. "This was a difficult pitch to bat on and we were hoping to restrict them to 110-120 after getting seven wickets. But in the end Perera made the difference. He took the game away from us."

Umar Gul, one of Pakistan's most effective slog-over bowlers, had a poor game, conceding 43 in four overs. "We also thought that on this pitch, had we batted first, we would have posted 140," Hafeez said. "But we did not finish well when we bowled. Umar Gul is usually our match-winner but today he wasn't able to do that job. Having said that, 132 was still chaseable but if your main batsmen fail then it's very difficult to win such games."

Pakistan were jolted early when Hafeez and debutant Shakeel Ansar were dismissed with the first two deliveries of the chase. The number of dot balls in the first half of the innings increased the pressure, as did Sri Lanka's effective fielding. Two experienced batsmen capable of changing the game, Shoaib Malik and Shahid Afridi, were sent back by terrific catching. Commenting on Pakistan's approach, Hafeez said there was no specific plan to be watchful after the loss of two wickets.

"There was no such instruction for the two batsmen [Ahmed Shehzad and Khalid Latif] to be defensive," Hafeez said. "They were trying hard and Angelo Mathews bowled a good spell. I think as a batsman it's up to him to decide how to approach the situation, how to build the innings."

Hafeez is leading an experimental Twenty20 side with a few new players, after Misbah-ul-Haq was dropped from the format. He backed the squad to come good ahead of the World Twenty20 in September.

Sachin rare photo

Clarke eyes all round Aussie improvement ahead of second Test

Port of Spain (West Indies), Apr 13: Australian captain Michael Clarke has stressed on the need of starting better in the second Test match against the West Indies at Port of Spain, and believes his players needs to pull up their socks.

Clarke specifically pointed out Australia’s poor fielding performance, which saw them drop a total of seven catches in both Windies innings, and said no top team can afford to do that.

Australia won the Barbados Test match after looking dead and buried for the first three days of play, but they eventually sealed a victory in fading light as they chased down 192 on the final day.

Clarke also rued the fact that none of his batsman went on to score a century in the match, and has urged his boys to start strongly in the second Test match.

“We need to continue to learn about the conditions here and make sure we start better, whether that be with bat or ball in Trinidad,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Clarke, as saying.

“But on good wickets against a tough fighting opposition you can''t afford to drop chances. We definitely have to improve in that area,” he added.

The Australians, who arrived in Port of Spain on Thursday, can win the series if they win at Queen''s Park Oval.

CLT20

India on top despite Kirk Edwards' ton

West Indies 204 and 224 for 6 (K Edwards 110, Chanderpaul 73*, Harbhajan 3-61) lead India 347 (Dhoni 74, F Edwards 5-103) by 81 runs.

India edged a day of fluctuating fortunes to take complete control of a rain-marred third Test in Dominica and closed in on a 2-0 series victory despite a century on debut from Kirk Edwards. His confidence and composure while approaching his landmark was a contrast to his edginess and uncertainty early in his innings, and he was guided along by Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who fought his own battles and survived to take the game into the fifth day. However, the loss of three wickets in the final session, made possible by an improved spell from Harbhajan Singh, meant the game was still India's.

Edwards had big boots to fill when he was picked for this Test ahead of Ramnaresh Sarwan. He was left out of the West Indies squad for the final two ODIs against India and would have been under some pressure coming in to this game, then being dismissed early in his first outing and given the responsibility of rebuilding the innings after the early loss of the openers in the second. The nerves were on show against a testing spell by the Indian seamers on a track offering some assistance early on, and against the turn and bite Harbhajan was able to extract. Munaf Patel roughed him up with a couple of bouncers that he failed to keep down - Edwards had succumbed to the short ball in the first innings - and Harbhajan produced a half-chance towards short leg with his line from round the wicket.

Edwards, however, overcame the tough initiation. He was a beneficiary of a packed off-side field against spin, being able to comfortably work the straighter ones around to rotate the strike, and an overdose of short deliveries from the seamers, who perhaps helped him conquer his weakness. He pulled Munaf twice to the midwicket boundary, inflicted the same treatment on Ishant Sharma and in the session after tea, having reached his half-century, confidently stepped out to Harbhajan when he'd been playing back to him for much of the day. A pulled six off Abhinav Mukund and a delightful straight drive off Ishant later, he joined an illustrious list of West Indians including George Headley and Lawrence Rowe in freakish fashion, surviving a run-out chance when Harbhajan missed a direct hit and completed the ton on an overthrow.

Harbhajan eventually got Edwards, however. India had expected more from him on a spin-friendly track in Barbados where West Indies managed to save the game, but he stepped up in conditions with lesser, but adequate, assistance today. He bamboozled a set Darren Bravo with a vicious turner that zipped from leg to beat the outside edge, and trapped him next ball with a flighted delivery that Bravo, sensing a release, miscued to mid-off. Edwards seemed to have fought off the threat, but when Harbhajan came round the wicket and got some extra bounce, he edged a tired cut to MS Dhoni to trigger India's fightback.

Indian seamers make inroads in rain-marred day

West Indies 75 for 3 (Bravo 22*, Chanderpaul 17*, Ishant 2-23) v India

Steady rain blighted a promising start under clear skies and bright sunshine in the first ever Test in Dominica - the 106th Test venue - to reduce the opening day to just 31.1 overs. In that time, India had made good use of their only opportunity to bowl first this series, removing three top-order batsmen on a good batting track. India's decision to bowl was prompted by the moisture in the pitch, but it didn't play a significant role; instead the seamers were persistent against the inexperienced batting that included two debutants. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo then added 40 runs in a rebuilding effort before the rain swooped in.

It was a day of landmarks for West Indies today: Chanderpaul became the most-capped West Indies Test cricketer, overtaking Courtney Walsh, and he fittingly handed out the maroon caps to the two debutants, Kieran Powell and Kirk Edwards. There was wobbly swing for Praveen Kumar early on and, barring a couple of misdirected balls down the leg side, he set about working at the openers outside off stump. Powell left the ball well, and solidly kept out the odd ones that nipped back in. A tall opener from Leeward Islands with a sound defence, Powell had gone along patiently but couldn't resist stabbing at Praveen, who teased him into edging an inducker to second slip.

Barath had negotiated the deliveries bowled in the channel but offered hope to the bowlers with his constant shuffles towards off stump. Ishant had bowled a couple of shortish deliveries at Barath and following a change of ends, in the 13th over, continued hitting that length. Barath hooked a bouncer, played at the next one down the leg side and saw it clip his thigh pad, and then opted to attack again when Ishant delivered a third consecutive short ball. He walked across to swivel and pull one behind square, only to drag it off his glove onto the stumps. Ishant had won the battle.

Sarwan dropped for final Test

Struggling West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan has been dropped for the third and final Test against India in Dominica. Kieran Powell, a 21-year-old batsman from Leeward Islands, has been named as his replacement.

Sarwan, 31, back in the Test side for the ongoing home season after nearly one-and-a-half years out, has struggled for form right through, starting with the Pakistan Tests. He managed only 54 runs in four innings against Pakistan, and his form nosedived further in the series against India, where he managed only 29 runs over the first two Tests. Sarwan seemed to have been informed of his axing soon after the second Test in Barbados. An hour after bad light ensured a draw, Sarwan tweeted: "Wishing the guys all the best in Dominica! Miami here I come." Warner Park in Dominica is the venue for the third Test.