India in Sri Lanka

A century by Marvan Atapattu (108) and an unbeaten 95 by Mahela Jayawardene helped the home team amass 323-5 in reply to India's meager total of 232. Though India got Jayasuriya (30) early, the rest of the team members put on useful partnerships. Venkatesh Prasad, however, continued his good show with the ball while taking 3-54.

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The outspoken former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga said he felt that the Sri Lankan coach Dav Whatmore has become a more powerful figure in Sri Lankan cricket than was necessary.
He said he felt Sanath Jayasuriya was unable to do much as it was the coach who took all the major decisions. Ranatunga recalled his period of captaincy and said he had faced similar problems with the Australian coach.
He said he knew a day would come when Jayasuriya too would object to policies and decisions made by the coach. He said that Jayasuriya was unwilling to play four pacers in the Kandy Test match but was forced to do so on Whatmore's insistence.
Ranatunga also took a dig at the national selectors for leaving star batsman Aravinda de Silva out of the squad.

Asian Test Championships (ATC)

It was Pakistan all the way on day two of the first match of the second edition of the Asian Test Championship at Multan.
The home team piled up a mammoth 546-3, finally declaring after equalling a world Test record when five of their batsmen came up with hundreds in the same innings.
Saeed Anwar (101), debutant Taufeeq Umar (104), Inzamam ul Haq (105 retd hurt), Yousuf Youhana (102 not out), Abdur Razzaq (110 not out) were the five batsmen to get hundreds. This equals the feat of Australia against the West Indies at Kingston in 19554-55.
At stumps on the second day Bangladesh were 55-3. They are 412 runs behind on the first innings. Earlier opener Taufiq Umar became the eighth Pakistan player to score a hundred on debut.

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It seems former Pakistani batsman and coach Javed Miandad's honeymoon with Bangladesh cricket is over. Miandad recently appointed by the Bangladesh Cricket Board as the national team's batting coach as some differences with the main coach Australian Trevor Chappell.
The latter is believed to have objected to the former's style of coaching the batsmen while the match is in progress.

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Former Pakistan skipper turned politician Imran Khan has issued a statement demanding that India be penalised by the ICC for failing to honour its commitment to play the Asian Test Championship match in Pakistan. He said that the BCCI minted money when Pakistan toured India in 1999 despite opposition and have now backed out when it was their turn to return the favour. He also wants Pakistan to boycott India until they come and play in Pakistan.

Victorious Australians back home!

The victorious Australian team returned home after a three month long tour of England. Skipper Steve Waugh, who is unlikely to be still playing four years hence on Australia's next tour of England, said he felt three months was too long a time for the players to be away from home and family.
He also felt that the tour matches against county sides were an absolute waste of time and should be done away with. This Ashes tour saw the Australian team playing 21 matches including six three/four-day matches against county opposition. Waugh has suggested making shorter tours to England.

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Skipper Steve Waugh said he was sure that opener Michael Slater would fight his way back into the side. Slater whose on field form has been troubled by his off field (marital) problems was dropped for the final Test after missing a practice session because he overslept.
Slater who reacted with complete dismay at having been dropped did not return along with the team.

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The Australian skipper Steve Waugh said that England are likely to do well on their tour of India despite the 4-1 defeat handed out to them at home by the Australians. He felt that India were a bit of a hot and cold team doing well on one day and poorly the next.
He said he felt in order for the team to do well on the field they would have to embrace the country, the people and have a good time.

England's tour of Zimbabwe

The CEO of the England and Wales Cricket Board Tim Lamb said he would make sure that England make the tour of Zimbabwe next month as he felt there was no justification in canceling it He felt that canceling the tour would not adversely affect the government of Zimbabwe but the cricketing community in the country.
He also believed it was not within his discretion as a sports administrator to make moral judgments about political situations of a country.

Miscellaneous

Test discard Ajit Agarkar has been appointed as the Mumbai captain for Moin-Ud-Dowlah Gold Cup Invitation Cricket Tournament at Hyderabad from September 2-16. He replaces Paras Mhambrey, who has not been given leave by his employers.

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The Bangladesh tour of South Africa according to the ICC's ten-year plan which was to take place in April 2002 has been postponed by six months to October 2002 when Sri Lanka are also likely to tour there. The final itinerary however has not been finalised. Bangladesh is scheduled to play two Tests and three one-day internationals in South Africa.

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England fast bowler Darren Gough dismissed all reports circulating in the media that he has plans to move away from Yorkshire to another county. The County's chief executive Chris Hassell too denied any such reports. The fast bowler's name has been linked with a number of counties, including Surrey, Middlesex and Essex, which has been denied by Gough. Meanwhile Darren Gough's benefit match featuring many international players is to be played today.

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Former South African opener Barry Richards and now a batting consultant with the Sri Lankan Cricket Board is of the opinion that the late Australian legend Don Bradman's Dream Team is a genuine one.
He said he was honoured for being considered in the Don's eleven. He however added nothing can offset his loss of not being able to play enough Test cricket.
Richards played in just one Test series for South Africa against Australia in 1970, while scoring 508 runs at an average of 72.57 with two hundreds and two fifties before his country was banned from playing international cricket from 1970 to 1991 due its apartheid policies.

Brief Scores

India v Sri Lanka(3rd Test)
at Colombo (3rd day)
Toss: India
India: 234 (SS Das 59, S Ramesh 46, R Dravid 36, H Badani 38; Muralitharan 8-87)
Sri Lanka:323-5 (M Atapattu 108, K Sangakkara 47, M Jayawardene 95 not out, V Prasad 3-54)

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1st MATCH - ASIAN TEST CHAMPIONSHIPS
Pakistan v Bangladesh
at Multan, Pakistan (2nd day)
Toss: Bangladesh
Bangladesh:134 (Mehrab Hossain 19; D Kaneria 6-42)
55-3
Pakistan:546-3 decl (S Anwar 101, Taufeeq Umar 104, Inzamamul Haq 105 retd. hurt, Yousuf Youhana 105 not out, Abdur Razzaq 110 not out)

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