Zimbabwe in India

Second Test, Delhi, day two:
Zimbabwe 1st innings 329 all out; India 1st innings 171-4 (at close).

Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly returned to form with an unbeaten 78 at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

The left-hander cracked a six and 11 fours as he mixed patience with aggression in almost four hours at the crease, and scored his first Test half century in 12 innings.

Fans who were hoping to see Sachin Tendulkar equal Sir Don Bradman's record of 29 Test hundreds were disappointed as he fell to spinner Ray Price for 36 and India ended the day 158 short of Zimbabwe's first innings total.    Match report

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Youngster Charles Coventry has been promoted to Zimbabwe's senior squad for the forthcoming one-day series in India.

He will fly to Delhi at the weekend along with all-rounder Doug Marillier and seam bowlers Gary Brent and Douglas Hondo.

"We want the four in India now because their style of play fits into our strategy for the one-day series," said convenor of selectors Ali Shah.

Four players involved in the Test series - Trevor Gripper, Ray Price, Gavine Rennie and Brighton Watambwa - will be returning home.

Miscellaneous

Former West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd has been included in an elite five-man panel of match referees who will officiate in every Test from the beginning of April.

The decision to appoint fully professional referees, and an eight-man panel of umpires who have yet to be named, was taken by the International Cricket Council in an attempt to improve player discipline and raise standards of officiating.

Sri Lankan Ranjan Madugalle was appointed as chief referee last November, and he will also be joined by Wasim Raja of Pakistan, South African Mike Procter and India's Gundappa Viswanath.

There are no representatives from England or Australia, the game's two oldest Test-playing nations.

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Australian officials are hopeful that the national team's tour to Pakistan will go ahead as planned in October.

Australian Cricket Board operations manager Richard Watson, security manager Reg Dickason and Tim May of the Australian Players' Association are currently in Pakistan to review security arrangements at five venues.

Pakistan are keeping their fingers crossed that New Zealand and Australia will agree to tour this year after losing three home series in 2001 as a result of the September 11 attack on the USA and border tension with India.

Next week's Asian Test Championship final against Sri Lanka in Lahore will be the first Test match played in Pakistan since last August.

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The lawyer who defended banned fast bowler Duncan Spencer at his drugs hearing has added his voice to calls for an overhaul of the Australian Cricket Board's anti-doping policy.

Spencer, who received an 18-month ban for steroid use last year, yesterday declined to comment on the minimal penalty imposed on NSW batsman Graeme Rummans on Thursday night. But Spencer's Perth-based lawyer, Brendan Taylor, echoed concerns raised by the Australian Cricketers' Association that the ACB's anti-doping policy was in need of an urgent overhaul.

"Duncan expressed considerable sympathy for Graeme Rummans' situation (and) he had been in contact with Graeme prior to the hearing to wish him the best," Taylor said yesterday.

Australia in South Africa

Mark Waugh's chances of salvaging Australia's greatest one-day career have received a crucial setback with the selectors deciding to ignore his form revival on the South African tour.

Australia's most prolific one-day run-scorer is in desperate danger of falling victim to the selectors' push for a generational change that saw his twin brother Steve axed as one-day captain after Australia's failure to make the VB playoffs.

Australia's selection panel will meet in Melbourne to name a squad of 15 players to contest seven one-day games in South Africa and three in Zimbabwe.

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South African captain Shaun Pollock faces an uphill battle to be fit for the second Test against Australia but officials remain confident that he will be starting in Cape Town on March 8.

After Australia's record victory over South Africa at the Wanderers, Pollock's return is crucial if the hosts are going to have any chance in the next Test starting on Friday week.

The champion all-rounder is undergoing constant physiotherapy in a race against the clock to be fit for the Test. If South Africa loses again, Australia will clinch the series and remain on top of the world rankings.

Australian quick Glenn McGrath said South Africa sorely missed Pollock although his return will not be the only change needed for the second Test.

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Like his famous father, Harry Gilchrist is living life in a hurry. At barely two months old he is about to pad up for his first overseas tour.

Harry and mother Mel will arrive in Cape Town early next week to meet their celebrated father and husband Adam, the man who gobsmacked South Africa, and cricket fans from both nations, by hitting cricket's fastest double century at the Wanderers Stadium last week.

Gilchrist's emotional release when he crouched and bowed his head after reaching his century was an expression of relief, thanks and concern for his family.

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