India in Sri Lanka

Just when one thought that the win at Kandy was the shot in the arm for the Indian batting, they collapsed yet again after getting a good start from their openers.
Going into lunch at 91 without loss, a total of 350 were on the cards. The openers, Das and Ramesh, put on 97 runs before the collapse began.
India then lost ten wickets in less than two sessions while adding only another 137 runs, with Muthiah Muralitharan claiming 8-87. At stumps Sri Lanka were 13-0 in six overs.

Asian Test Championships (ATC)

It was Pakistan all the way as a hapless Bangladesh were battered into submission on the first day of the first match of the second Asian Test Championship at Multan.
After a fiery opening spell from Waqar Younis it was the young leg spinner Danish Kaneria who had Bangladesh in trouble while claiming 6-42.
The visitors were dismissed for 134. Pakistan then crossed the visitors first innings total without losing a wicket. Openers Saeed Anwar (101 in 102 balls) and debutant Taufeeq Umar (77 not out) put on 168 for the first wicket.
At stumps on the first day Pakistan were 219-2, 85 runs ahead with 8 wickets in hand.

England's tour of Zimbabwe

James Foster along with two other newcomers, James Kirtley of Sussex and Jeremy Snape of Gloucestershire have been included in the one-day squad to tour Zimbabwe.

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England are most likely to go through with their tour of Zimbabwe despite the political instability in the country. Tim Lamb, chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board said there was no question of the tour being called off.

Mumbai and Baroda tour of Kenya

Pace bowler Paras Mhambrey will lead the Mumbai side to Kenya to play a triangular tournament. The other teams participating are Baroda and Kenya. Meanwhile left-handed batsman Vinod Kambli, who has dropped out of the tour as he is down with gastroenteritis and tonsillitis, will be replaced by Jatin Paranjpe.
The Mumbai team for Kenya is as follows
Paras Mhambrey (capt), Sairaj Bahutule (vice-capt), Robin Morris, Wasim Jaffer, Vinayak Mane, Jatin Paranjpe, Kunal More, Nilesh Patwardhan (wicketkeeper), Ajit Agarkar, Ramesh Powar, Nilesh Kulkarni, Swapnil Hazare, Paul Valthaty and Bhavin Thakkar.
Former Indian opening batsman Lalchand Rajput will be the coach while MCA joint secretary Mayank Khandwala will be the manager.
Itinerary in Kenya:
Sept 11: Baroda vs Mumbai at Simba Union.
Sept 12: Kenya vs Baroda at Nairobi Gymkhana.
Sept 14: Baroda vs Mumbai at Nairobi Gymkhana.
Sept 15: Kenya vs Baroda at Ruaraka.
Sept 16: Kenya vs Mumbai at Simba Union.
Sept 18: Kenya vs Mumbai at Ruaraka.
Sept 19: Baroda vs Mumbai at Ruaraka.
Sept 20: Kenya vs Baroda at Simba Union.
Sept 22: Kenya vs Mumbai at Nairobi Gymkhana.
Sept 23: Final.

Miscellaneous

Zimbabwe born Sussex opening batsman Murray Goodwin has played down former England cricketer Allan Lamb's criticism of the English Cricket Board to go ahead with the tour of Zimbabwe despite the uncertain political situation there.
Goodwin said his country was relying on England to honour its commitment to play in Zimbabwe. Players had to tour many countries and it was not possible for them to get involved with the affairs going on in the country he added.
South African-born Lamb, who scored more than 20,000 first-class runs for Northamptonshire and represented England in 79 Tests and 122 one-day internationals, wants Britain to breaking sporting ties with Zimbabwe to isolate President Robert Mugabe.
Lamb is using the abandonment of the Zimbabwe tour to set an example.

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Warwickshire's and England's left arm spinner Ashley Giles underwent surgery for a Achilles tendon injury and is slowly but surely recuperating.
He has been named part of the tour squad to India and is likely to be fit after the surgery. The injury has been causing him trouble for a while now and had flared up in Pakistan where he was England's leading wicket taker.

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Former Australian opening batsman Geoff Marsh who is all set to take up the coaching assignment of the Zimbabwe national team had earlier turned down the offer to coach the Indian A side since the BCCI delayed his appointment.
It is felt Marsh, who was also a consultant to the BCCI on domestic cricket, must have felt insecure after many Board members opposed his appointment condemning it as a waste of money for nothing constructive.

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The former BCCI secretary and Karnataka State Cricket Association member C Nagaraj who was banned from contesting any elections from the state cricket body has refuted all the charges that were leveled against him as baseless.
He insisted he was innocent and time would prove that the charges were made against him to prevent him from contesting the elections.

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Sri Lanka is likely to lose their fast bowling coach Rumesh Ratnayake to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
Ratnayake has reportedly been offered a plum post as a development officer of the ACC where he will be required to visit under-privileged member countries of the ACC and help them with coaching. Ratnayake is expected to take up the offer from next month.

Brief Scores

India v Sri Lanka (3rd Test)
at Colombo (1st day)
Toss: India
India: 234 (SS Das 59, S Ramesh 46, R Dravid 36, H Badani 38; Muralitharan 8-87)
Sri Lanka:13-0 (S Jayasuriya 10 not out, M Atapattu 2 not out).

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1st MATCH - ASIAN TEST CHAMPIONSHIPS
Pakistan v Bangladesh
at Multan, Pakistan (1st day)
Toss: Bangladesh
Bangladesh: 134 (Mehrab Hossain 19; D Kaneria 6-42)
Pakistan: 219-2 (S Anwar 101, Taufeeq Umar 77 not out; Mohd Sharif 2-54)

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