Zimbabwe in India

Second one-day international, Mohali.
India 319-6 (50 overs) beat Zimbabwe 255 all out (43.3 overs) by 64 runs.

India now level the series 1-1

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly was the chief architect of a victory for the home side in an entertaining day-night match in Chandigarh.

Ganguly struck his fourth consecutive one-day fifty to guide India to a massive score.

The left-hander was eventually out after an 83-ball innings had seen him hit 86 runs, including three sixes and eight fours.

Dinesh Mongia, who had never previously bowled in senior international cricket, and the more regular slow bowler Harbhajan Singh then bagged three wickets each to take the home side to an ultimately comfortable win.

Mongia's victims included key man Andy Flower and Faridabad hero Doug Marillier.     Match report

Australia in South Africa

Second Test, Cape Town, day three (stumps):
South Africa 307-4 and 239; Australia 382.

South Africa have shown commendable reserves to grab a lead of 164, with six wickets in hand, after an absorbing day's play in perfect weather at Newlands.

Trailing 1-0 in the three match series, and forced to endure Adam Gilchrist's customary heroics on Saturday, South Africa's top order batsmen stuck to the task gamely.

Gary Kirsten, for instance, hit a doughty 87.

Although initially perplexed by the variations of Shane Warne, he held firm and when Brett Lee offered scoring opportunities, he accepted gladly.

The left-handed opener had put on 84 with Herschelle Gibbs in a rare solid opening stand for the home side.

But Gibbs, who was looking strong against the seamers, failed to convince against Warne - and his uncertainty against the wrist-spinner eventually led to his downfall.     Match report

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South Africa's cricketers have thanked a sports psychologist for helping them unlock the mental chains which had plagued their summer contests with Australia.

The South Africans finally celebrated a dominant day over Australia after taking 4-300 from the third day of the fluctuating second Test in here, extending their second innings lead to 164 runs.

Confident batsman Graeme Smith, who became the second debutant to score a half-century in the match, was the most promising face of the third day after surviving a torrid welcome from Shane Warne to score 68.

The 21-year-old Smith thanked psychologist Clinton Gahwiler for helping a team whose mental powers caved in during four consecutive hidings by Australia this summer.

"He discussed our worries and fears because there has been a big drop in confidence in the team and within individuals," Smith said.

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Amid all the grimness cast over South Africa by heavy defeats and race selection rows, Paul Adams shone brightly at Newlands on Saturday.

Adams, who was recalled in desperation for this Test after not playing for his country in almost a year, took the fight up to Australia and along the way became the eighth South African bowler to reach 100 Test wickets.

More significantly, at a time when South African administrators are seeking to make the Rainbow Nation side more a team of colour, Adams became the first non-white to achieve the milestone.

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Former Test opener Michael Slater has vowed to return to the highest level of cricket after his recall to captain New South Wales.

Seven weeks after being dumped from the side, Slater will lead the Blues for the first time in their final Pura Cup match of the season against Tasmania in Hobart starting on Wednesday.

Slater said he had benefitted from the on and off field dramas that had plagued him this season.

"I'm a much stronger person for everything I've gone through," Slater said.

Asian Test Championship

Asian Test Championship final, Lahore, day five:
Sri Lanka 528 & 33-2 bt Pakistan 234 & 248-5 by eight wickets.

Sri Lanka are the new Asian Test Champions, after completing an eight-wicket win over holders Pakistan on the last day of the final.

Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 230 in the first innings, was at the crease when the Sri Lankans overhauled the victory target of 32 runs in the seventh over of their second innings.

The left-handed wicket-keeper was one of the key heroes in the match as he did everything to earn his side a 294-run lead on first innings.

Sangakkara remained unbeaten on 14 at the non-striker's end when Mahela Jayawardene (12) cracked a boundary off Shoaib Akhtar to lift the Sri Lankans to 33 for two and to a well-earned triumph.

Pakistan had begun Sunday at 248 for five in their second innings, still 46 runs shy of making Sri Lanka bat again.     Match report

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Sri Lankan cricket officials have condemned comments by former West Indies paceman Michael Holding about the bowling action of Muttiah Muralitharan.

Holding, a member of the International Cricket Council's Illegal Deliveries advisory panel, believes Muralitharan's unique action contravenes the laws of the game.

He said he was in "110 per cent" agreement with former Indian captain Bishen Bedi, who recently claimed Muralitharan was more like a javelin thrower than a spin bowler.

"A bowler's arm, once it gets to shoulder height, should stay straight until delivery. If it's bent, then it should remain bent to the same degree and should never alter.

"The law says nothing about hyper-extended bent or abnormal bent," said Holding.

England in New Zealand

Nasser Hussain believes the loss of three senior players will make England underdogs against New Zealand in the three-Test series.

While New Zealand enter the first Test on Wednesday with a virtually full-strength squad except for injured fast bowler Shane Bond.

But England will field a relatively new-look line-up without the likes of Michael Atherton, Alec Stewart and Darren Gough.

And Hussain said: "With the slight turnaround in our team and the fact that people like Atherton, Stewart and Gough aren't here for various reasons, I think we do start as underdogs.

"But we've been underdogs before and have fought hard and that won't mean anything to how we play on Wednesday - that's all that counts.

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Ashley Giles faces a battle to prove his fitness for the opening Test against New Zealand after contracting a stiff back just three days before the start of the series at Lancaster Park.

Warwickshire's left-arm spinner was unable to take part in practice on Monday and was instead restricted to stretching exercises with physiotherapist Dean Conway.

Giles woke up with the problem on Sunday morning having bowled 23 overs the previous day as the tourists' final warm-up match against Canterbury progressed towards a tedious draw.

It leaves him needing to prove his fitness at nets on Tuesday, where he will be given an extended bowl.

Miscellaneous

Adrian le Roux of South Africa will be appointed as the Indian cricket team's physical trainer for a year's time, informed BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah in Bombay on Sunday.

Speaking to Times News Network Shah said: " His name was finalised during the meeting in Kolkata. Coach John Wright is in touch with him. We are quiet confident that Le Roux will travel with the Indian team for the West Indies tour next month."

Indian team had a stint with Le Roux during their South African tour in October. He was critical of the teams fitness level then and advocated various steps for the improvement. Indian players' inferiority in this aspect is considered a major reason their below-par performance against average teams like Zimbabwe and England.

Le Roux is a trainer of the Orange Free State team and joins Wright and physiotherapist Andrew Leipus has been promised $2000(Aus) per week. Le Roux is set to earn $50,000 a year.

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Daryll Cullinan reacted with surprise when the United Cricket Board dropped his case like a hot potato in the hands of the Gauteng Cricket Board. He is now demanding that Gerald Majola sticks to the facts when he comments on their disagreement.

The middle-order batsman strongly denied that he was suspended by Gaueteng pending the outcome of a commission of inquiry. He said from his home in Johannesburg that he first wants to obtain legal advice to determine the role of the Gauteng Cricket Board in the whole affair.

According to the chairperson of the Gauteng Cricket Board, Dr Mtutuzeli Nyoka, everybody must be involved in this investigation.

"It is not a witch-hunt, but it is very important that we have the co-operation of current and past players and administrators who care about cricket in South Africa."

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