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VVS LaxmanOn his ninth Test centuryI am extremely pleased with this knock. There was a lot of pressure out in the middle, and the situation demanded that I play a long innings. It was an anchoring kind of innings, something that I have always wanted to do. I have wanted to deliver when the pressure is on, and I am delighted I did that today.On whether he preferred to bat at No.3As far as slots are concerned, I don’t mind batting anywhere in the middle-order. I have always maintained that I am ready to bat in any position in the middle-order that the team wants me to. No.3 has been very good for me, I have always batted there from my school days. Luckily, I got a hundred at a crucial stage. Numbers don’t really matter at this moment.On how the pitch playedThis morning was much better. Yesterday, there was a lot of moisture on the surface, the ball was gripping and turning. Today, the management decided on the heavy roller which brings the moisture out and dries up the surface. The ball was coming on nicely, but once the effect of the roller wore off, the ball started to grip and bounce like on the first day.On the Sri Lankan bowlingParticularly after lunch yesterday, it was a difficult batting phase. They bowled well as well, and the track was assisting them. It was important to hang in there, it was not easy to play your strokes straightaway. From now on, it is very important for us that as a team, we don’t relax. We want to clean up the tail quickly and put pressure on Sri Lanka.On Irfan PathanIrfan batted really well. He is stroking the ball well. I have seen him grow as an international cricketer, I have seen how much hard work he has put in. If you can have guys coming in at number eight and contributing, it can put pressure on the opposition. Irfan has to be congratulated for the hard work he has put in.On Pathan’s feats this seasonI think the turning point was when Pakistan toured here. Till then, things were going smoothly for him, then he picked up an injury and had to fight his way back. That toughened him mentally. Since then, he has become more mature. He is working a lot on his game and is concentrating on becoming a much better cricketer, which he is becoming now.On Dhoni and the tailDhoni’s was a very important knock as well. It was essential that he come out and play positively because we needed some runs on the board at that point. I have always enjoyed batting with the lower order. I have confidence in their ability and potential, and I tend to give them the confidence as well. I don’t hog the strike because I know they are capable batsmen, and they can deliver for the country.Irfan PathanOn the 82 to follow up the 93 in DelhiI enjoyed both the knocks, though they came in different situations. Both situations were pretty difficult. In Delhi, we had lost the first wicket cheaply, and I had to play my shots. Here, we were 180-odd for six, and the situation demanded that I get more runs and be a bit more positive too. I realised there was no point in just hanging in there and then getting out cheaply. Having said that, I enjoyed this innings a little more because we were under a lot of pressure.It would have been great if I had got a hundred, but that’s how it is. I got a really good ball here, while I played a poor shot in the Delhi game. Importantly, though, both my knocks were very good from the team’s point of view, and that’s what I am most happy with. It is true that I am performing regularly and scoring more than usual. Importantly, I batted well when the bowling was good. I won’t say I batted like a batsman here today, but my batting has improved a lot, and that is pretty satisfying.On the hype about him being Indian cricket’s futureI tend not to listen to all that. I know that I need to keep my feet on the ground. The most important thing is not to worry about the results, but to keep focusing on what you do, and that is helping me a great deal.

Simon Katich expects to celebrate his career-best performance with another stint in the dressing-room for Sunday’s VB Series match against Pakistan at the WACA. Despite calmly steering Australia out of a desperate situation with 76 at the Adelaide Oval yesterday, Katich tipped Damien Martyn to replace him when he returns from a week’s rest.Rather than being disappointed, Katich said he was grateful for the opportunity as part of Australia’s limited-overs rotation policy. “I understand my role at the moment, I get a chance if the other guys get a break,” Katich said. “That happened down in Tassie when Matty [Hayden] was having a rest.”Brad Haddin, the reserve wicketkeeper, is another player who has performed strongly in his limited opportunities, collecting a stunning catch to remove Chris Gayle and helping rescue Australia by sharing an 82-run partnership with Katich at Adelaide. Haddin has been named in the New South Wales team to play Queensland tomorrow, and will make way for Adam Gilchrist’s return at Perth.”Every game is a great experience for us, so it’s better to play one than none,” Katich said. “Even though we might miss out on Sunday, I’d rather have played, and then at least you know you can get out there and get a few runs, and hopefully get another chance down the track.”

Lancashire are considering a move away from Old Trafford after 138 years, to a purpose-built stadium on the east side of Manchester.Old Trafford first hosted a Test in 1884, even before Lord’s, and is one of the country’s oldest grounds. But time has taken its toll. The stadium has become increasingly run down, and is constantly overshadowed by the nearby football ground, the home of all-conquering Manchester United. There are financial problems as well: attendances for major games have been dwindling, and as a result, Lancashire have held rock concerts there to increase revenue – only for local residents to complain about the noise.The proposed new site would be next to the 2002 Commonwealth Games stadium, where Manchester City now play, and close to the velodrome and national squash centre. It would also seat 30,000 – a 30% increase on Old Trafford’s current capacity.A club statement released today said that Lancashire, together with the council, will be “working jointly to determine whether such a move would be a viable option for the club not just financially but in terms of providing a venue that will attract prestige competitions, maintain Manchester as a venue for international cricket and enhance attendance and membership in a modern, state-of-the-art stadium.”But they added: “No decisions can or will be taken on this issue without the support and approval of the club’s members.”

Fifty-two for one overnight and facing a Himalayan target of 504, Madhya Pradesh could only hope to salvage three points from a draw in their Ranji tie against Vidarbha. This they did, just barely, on Day Four.Naman Ojha, unbeaten on 35, contributed the only significant score in the visitors’ innings, making a fast 90 off 123 balls at the top of the order. Ojha’s was the second wicket to fall, with the score on 120. Nightwatchman Devendra Parmar also helped the team’s cause by spending 259 minutes at the crease, making only 21 but ensuring that Vidarbha’s bowlers toiled to dismiss his side.Further down the order, Nikhil Patwardhan made 56 off 99 balls. Wickets fell towards the end of the day, however, and Narendra Hirwani and Omprakash Yadav, the last two batsmen, stayed together long enough to ensure a draw.For Vidarbha, Pritam Gandhe took four wickets and Samir Khare took three. They, however, could not help their side pick up the full complement of 10 points from an outright win, getting only five by virtue of their first-innings score.

ScorecardAssam held on during the final day to secure three points against Karnataka•PTI

Assam drew their Group A encounter against defending champions Karnataka, but gained three points by virtue of a first-innings lead. Set a target of 388, Assam managed their way to 259 for 5, thanks mainly to Arun Karthik’s unbeaten 115 and Gokul Sharma’s 55, that was part of a 132-run fourth-wicket stand.Two quick strikes form Vinay Kumar left Assam on 40 for 3, after starting the day on 30 for 1. J Suchith then ended Karthik and Gokul’s century stand when he went through the defences of Gokul in the 61st over. Shreyas Gopal trapped Tarjinder Singh lbw in the 70th over after which no further wickets fell.Assam’s left-arm spinner J Syed Mohammad, who finished with match figures of 7 for 135, was adjudged the Man of the Match. Scorecard Vineet Saxena’s unbeaten 80 and and Puneet Yadav’s 75 not out helped Rajasthan salvage a draw against Delhi at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The hosts also took away three points from the game owing to their 102-run first-innings lead.Chasing 336, Rajasthan started on an overnight score of 20 for 1 and added only six runs to the total before Ankit Lamba edged Pawan Suyal behind for 12. Ashok Menaria, who made 1 off 23 balls, was dismissed by Pradeep Sangwan when he trapped the batsman leg before in the 25th over. Delhi could inflict no further damage, though, as an unbroken 150-run stand ensued between Saxena and Yadav, helping the home team play out a draw.Deepak Chahar, who backed up his 5 for 60 with a 48-ball 50 in Rajasthan’s first innings, was adjudged the Man of the Match.
ScorecardCenturies from Ankit Bawne and Chirag Khurana ensured a first-innings lead for Maharashtra in their Ranji Trophy opener against Haryana in Gahunje. Only two innings had been possible in the match, with a bulk of the second day being rained out. There was barely any chance of an outright result so the hosts continued batting until the close of play. Maharashtra finished on 570 for 6, well clear Haryana’s 335.Bawne seems to have picked up where he left off last season. His 172 off 291 balls was the seventh fifty-plus score over the last 14 innings. He struck 20 fours and two sixes and was part of a 246-run sixth wicket partnership with Khurana, who remained unbeaten for a career-best first-class score of 136.
ScorecardOffspinner Akshay Wakhare snapped up his eighth five-for to lead Vidarbha’s push for an outright win, but Odisha, who were following on, managed to draw the match with the help of Anurag Sarangi’s 92.Things had looked dicey for Odisha when they wobbled from 54 for 0 to 65 for 3, but Sarangi and the captain Samantray (34 off 113 balls) combined for an 88-run partnership which stalled Vidarbha’s charge for seven points. Pratik Das was unbeaten on 39 off 101 when the match was called to a close and the Vidarbha settled for three points. Wakhare finished with match figures of 9 for 161.

After an attritional Test series – with sub-standard pitches and sweltering conditions being assigned majority of the blame – Pakistan and South Africa embark upon a five-match ODI series beginning in Lahore. Expect a lot of changes in the middle, bar the weather, as the teams swap their whites for the traditional greens. There will be a marked increase in crowd figures as the Lahore pitch is expected to be a nightmare for the bowlers.Brimming with confidence after a salutary performance at the ICC World Twenty20, Pakistan will go into the series hoping to have shrugged aside their Test defeat. It is their first 50-over series since May and Shoaib Malik, whose captaincy was found lacking in decision-making and strategy during the Tests has impressed in the shorter format.”We need to put the Test series loss behind us and I know all the players are professional and know their responsibilities, so I am confident of a good show,” Malik said.Although Mohammad Asif remains doubtful for the match, Pakistan will hope to avail of the Afridi-factor that was sorely missed in the Tests. Having opted out of the matches due to religious commitments, Shahid Afridi returns to the squad and along with Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s hero in the ICC World Twenty20, will form a destructive partnership in the final overs. Mohammad Yousuf will also hope to make his comeback after being dropped from the tournament in South Africa and add firepower to the middle order.Iftikhar Anjum is set to be used first-change behind Umar Gul and Sohail Tanvir, Pakistan’s surprise package in South Africa, if Asif fails the fitness test before the match. With the home side relying on the spin of Afridi and Malik, Abdur Rehman, who had a successful Test series, was likely to miss out.South Africa, meanwhile, have sent back Paul Harris, the highest wicket-taker in the Tests, but their line-up now includes Justin Kemp and Albie Morkel, two powerful hitters who also pitch in with the ball. Graeme Smith, who’s wary of Pakistan’s success at Twenty20, is confident of a good show.

“Pakistan’s confidence will be high after their recent success in the Twenty20 tournament. But obviously it’s another challenge for their captain and we will try to put them under pressure,” Smith said.Barring an injury to Vernon Philander, who replaced the injured Morne Morkel half-way through the first Test, the rest of the squad looks in good shape especially after thrashing the PCB XI in their only tour-match before the ODI series. Although there were complaints of a congested itinerary, mainly due to security concerns on the tourists’ part, Smith feels the Test victory has helped his side.”We are pretty confident after the rush start to the tour. It was nice tohave a good rest and we are going into the one-day series knowing we havethe potential to do well.”Potential is one word that South Africa somehow manages to defy at crucialmoments and, although, history favours the tourists – who’ve won seven of thelast 10 ODIs between these two teams – Pakistan were victorious in the two encounters at Lahore when South Africa last visited.TeamsPakistan (probable): 1 Imran Nazir, 2 Salman Butt, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Mohammad Yousuf, 5 Shoaib Malik (capt), 6 Shahid Afridi, 7 Misbah-ul-Haq, 8 Kamran Akmal (wk), 9 Sohail Tanvir, 10 Iftikhar Anjum, 11 Umar Gul.South Africa (probable): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Herschelle Gibbs,3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Justin Kemp, 6 Albie Morkel, 7 Mark Boucher(wk), 8 Shaun Pollock, 9 Andre Nel, 10 Johan Botha, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

In a curious incident of the missing match-referee, the Delhi v Uttar Pradesh match at the Feroz Shah Kotla was abandoned on the final day. The match referee and one of the umpires were missing from the ground for close to 90 minutes even as the players waited for them to start play.The two umpires – I Shivaram of Hyderabad and Sameer Bandekar of Mumbai – decided at 9:15 am that the light was not good for play to begin. The light improved around 11 am and the players prepared to take the field but there was no sign of the match referee, Sambran Banerjee, and umpire Bandekar.The two coaches – Chetan Chauhan of Delhi and Rajinder Singh Hans of Uttar Pradesh – were stumped at the turn of events: “We are ready to play, but we have no idea why they (officials) are not starting,” he was quoted in . Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) general secretary Sneh Bansal agreed that the conditions were perfect for cricket, and was left wondering why play did not start.The two officials reappeared at 11.45am and Bannerjee hid behind the excuse of being in the toilet. Yet, that was no way of excusing a delay of 90 minutes. The same newspaper also reported that Bandekar and Banerjee had gone to St. Stephens ground to watch a Bengal-Punjab Under-22 match. The match was then called off just after lunch, when light was not indeed good for play. “They decided to call it off at lunch,” said one of the players involved, “and didn’t wait a little longer to see if the light improves.”The DDCA Sports Secretary Sunil Dev was furious. “The irresponsible conduct of the two officials has denied Delhi batting practice and also robbed Aakash Chopra of the chance to complete his second century of the match,” he said. “I will request the DDCA to file a complaint with the BCCI.”

Working his way back to form and fitness, Anil Kumble, the legspinner with the tally of 465wickets, is upbeat about touching the magical 500-wicket mark this season starting with the three-Test series against Sri Lanka next month.Kumble, who was left out of the one-day squad for the home series against Sri Lanka and South Africa on fitness grounds, is now fit and raring to make a comeback to competitive cricket. “I had a slight niggle in the back but I am fine now,” said Kumble. ” I have been practising with the Karnataka team. In fact I am looking forward to Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy match against Railways so that I can test myself in a match situation.”Kumble’s decision to play in the Ranji match, starting on November 23 in Delhi, may have something to do with the Indian Board’s directive that injured players must prove their fitness in a domestic game before making themselves available for selection to the national team. Kumble, 35 wickets short of joining the elite 500 club, said the series against Sri lanka would provide him an opportunity to get closer. “Thirty five wickets from three Tests is a little tight, but yes, 500 is a realistic target. I am looking forward to that feat and starting my season on a good note.”Kumble said the 6-1 one-day series victory over Sri Lanka would help India go in to the Test series with confidence. “The series victory over them will give us the confidence as we play the Tests which nevertheless would be a different ball game altogether,” he added. “Our track record in Tests has been good, so we hope to have a good game against them.”He did not think that public interest in the Test series would be on the wane given that the two teams had played a one-day series earlier. “I do not think the interest level will come down. Test cricket has its own charm, the match against England and Pakistan which ended yesterday was a close game. It was as thrilling as it gets.”Kumble said he was very happy to see the recent resurgence of the Indian team and the performance of the youngsters. “It [the performance of the team] has been really good. It is a healthy sign indeed but we have to continue the good show, this is what is most important.”Asked about the team management’s various experiments with the batting order and going into matches with as many as five bowlers, he said, “…as far as experimentations are concerned, the results are there for everyone to see, results do matter and if the results are good, the process must be good as well. It is good to see youngsters coming through. It is still early days but obviously the talent is there. It is important that we continue to do well.”Kumble said he had not seen much of upcoming spinner Piyush Chawla who is being spoken highly of by cricket pundits, especially ever since he scalped Sachin Tendulkar in the Challenger Series in Mohali. He was all praise for Greg Chappell, the coach, although he admitted he has not had too much interaction with him. “It is certainly a big help to have someone with so much experience around.”

The threat of a vote of no confidence in Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) which was widely expected at the special meeting of the Mashonaland Cricket Association never materialised – mainly because of internal discontent which led to the resignation of the entire MCA board.The meeting, attended by 60 or so members, was a heated affair, and the anger with the board’s behaviour soon became clear. Stephen Mangongo, the former head of national selectors, proposed a vote of no confidence in the MCA board. Such was the overwhelming feeling of the floor that a vote was never taken – the board resigned on the spot.Of the eight board members, only Crispen Mandenge, the new chairman, Elvis Sembezeya and Claudius Mukandiwa survived. They were joined byLance Malloch-Brown, the former Mashonaland wicketkeeper, Jeremiah Matibiri, Rory Mcwade, Clarence Musamba and Mike Temhiwa.Tavengwa Mukuhlani, the outgoing chairman, automatically lost his post on Zimbabwe Cricket’s board as he was only there in his capacity as Mashonaland’s chairman.Sembezeya said the new MCA board is expected to carry the mandate of the clubs who elected them into power. “The previous board had people who did not represent any clubs, people like Mukuhlani, just sold themselves to the clubs, they promised to secure sponsorship for the small clubs and that is how they were voted into power. But they have done nothing … all they do is oppress the same clubs who voted them in."One eyewitness said it was now a question of wait-and-see regarding the new board’s approach to Zimbabwe Cricket. "But the mood suggested that those present wanted a committee that would take a tougher linewith ZC," he added.

Dennis Lillee has reacted sharply to Sunil Gavaskar’s criticism of Australia’s sledging tactics, saying that sledging would never leave the game completely.”Sledging has gone on since W.G. Grace and it will go on as long as any sport is played, not just cricket,” Lillee was quoted as saying in . “If they think it’s too bad, the authorities are there to stop it.””I think it’s funny coming from someone who took his bat and went home when an umpire’s decision went against him,” said Lillee, referring to the Melbourne Test between Australia and India in 1981. Gavaskar, adjudged lbw to Lillee, was so incensed at the decision, that he dragged his partner Chetan Chauhan off the field, and was placated only on the sidelines by Col. Hemu Adhikari.Lillee also responded to Gavaskar’s charge that bowlers in school games anywhere in the world are verbally abusing batsmen after seeing their heroes do it on TV. “I don’t know how much junior cricket he has watched in Australia. That’s not right.”