Experts feel Indian approach is correct

NEW DELHI: After several humiliating Test losses in the last one and a half year, an under-pressure Indian team eked out a much-needed win over Australia in the Chennai Test. However, the victory, in some quarters, was seen as pitch-made, facilitated by a designer track which helped spinners from Day One. Will it help Indian cricket in the longer run if we continue to create 'lopsided' conditions at home? Won't it undermine our performance when we go abroad?

Experts and former India players TOI spoke to on Wednesday did not find anything wrong with the Indian approach. "There is nothing wrong if we're using the home advantage. Whenever we travel abroad, we are greeted with green tops. So, I don't think India did anything wrong," former captain Chandu Borde said. "We have only won the first Test of the series and we don't know what will happen in the next three matches. Therefore, it's too early to talk about short-term and long-term goals. Who knows, the Aussies can come up with something challenging in Hyderabad."

Former India captain and chief selector Krish Srikkanth too echoed Borde's thoughts. "I don't see anything wrong in using home advantage."
Former player Kiran More felt that India needed this win sorely. "We had a series of losses in Test cricket. This win was important and I am glad that the Indian team could achieve it. This win will surely motivate the players to stay ahead of the competition," he said.

Will we see different kind of pitches during the series? "This is the fag end of the season and almost all the pitches have hosted Ranji Trophy matches. We won't get fresh pitches," More reminded, while adding that it MS Dhoni's knock which made the difference in Chennai.
While conceding that the Chennai turf was difficult to bat on to an extent, former opener Chetan Chauhan felt that the win was very crucial for India. "Batting on the fourth and fifth day in Chennai wasn't easy, but it wasn't a bad Test pitch. We also needed this win to keep the interest level intact of all the stakeholders. We should prepare turning tracks for the remaining Tests too."

Talking about the Australian approach, Chauhan felt that the visitors should have played two spinners in the first Test. "The Aussies made a huge blunder just like the way England did in the first Test last year."

Former skipper Kapil Dev too approved of turning tracks. "There is no harm in playing on rank turners at home. We should play to our strengths. But we should conduct domestic matches on sporting pitches so that our players are ready to play away from home."

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India need to be cautious against Aus

PUNE: Well begun is just about half-done for India in the on-going Border-Gavaskar Trophy cricket series.

India had taken 1-0 lead against England with a win in the Ahmedabad Test earlier in the season but still lost the four-match series 1-2.

Longish series, of more than three Tests, have never been India's forte. They have won three and lost 15 such series since 1981-82.

In all three of India's three series wins (of four or more Tests) in those last 20-plus years, the opposition had not managed to win a single match. Whenever the opponents have managed to win a Test in 18 such series, they have either won (15) or drawn (3) the series.

The defeats have dealt a deflating effect on the Indian team. Only the 1989 four-Test series in Pakistan have ended in a winless for either team: 0-0.

So, India have to be careful in not allowing any toe-in for Australia in the subsequent Tests at Hyderabad, Mohali and Delhi. The wickets there may not be as spin-friendly as it was at the Chepauk.

Many experts were stunned that England won a series in India for the first time since 1984-85. A closer look would have avoided the intensity of surprise.

Here is why:

England were coming closer to recording a series win in India. In 2008-09, they lost 0-1 after Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh sealed the Chennai Test with that superb unbeaten partnership. India were not a dominant force in that match.

In the previous series in India, Andrew Flintoff's men had eked out a 1-1 draw against Dravid's men by winning the Mumbai Test in 2005-06. And in 2001-02 India had pocketed the three-match series 1-0 after winning the first Test in Mohali.

Thus, the sequence from the England viewpoint, was: inferior team losing just 0-1, drawing 1-1 and then losing 0-1 despite being in a winning position in Chennai. Looking from this angle, their series win was not too surprising.

During many press conferences after a hard day of Test match cricket, players talk about the need to take 20 wickets to win a Test match.

In principle taking 20 wickets can be decisive but practically there are some exceptions. For, opponents (setting a target after losing their own 20 wickets) can take 20 wickets for fewer runs and win the match! Moreover, even if you have chased a target successfully in the fourth innings, you may not have taken 20 opposition wickets to win the match!

Ask Kevin Pietersen. He declared in the 2005-06 Chennai Test and India went on to win the Test by taking just 19 wickets!

Even Zimbabwe (Delhi 2001) and the West Indies (Port of Spain 1975-76) dared to declare against India and lost those Tests. There are examples of Australia and even their opponents benefiting from this daredevilry.

India's Test series wins involving four or more Tests since 1981-82

1981-82: vs England at home. 1-0 in six games
2006: In West Indies. 1-0 in four games
2008-09: vs Australia at home. 2-0 in four games.

India's Test series defeats involving four or more Tests since 1981-82

1982-83: 0-3 in Pakistan. 6 games
1982-83: 0-2 in WI. 5 games
1983-84: 0-3 vs WI at home. 6 games
1984-85: 1-2 vs England at home. 5 games
1986-87: 0-1 vs Pak at home. 5 games
1988-89: 0-3 in WI. 4 games
1991-92: 0-4 in Australia. 5 games
1992-93: 0-1 in SA. 4 games
1996-97: 0-1 in WI. 5 games
2002: 1-2 in WI. 5 games
2004-05: 1-2 vs Aus at home. 4 games
2007-08: 1-2 in Aus. 4 games
2011: 0-4 in England. 4 games
2011-12: 0-4 in Australia. 4 games
2012-13: 1-2 vs Eng at home. 4 games.

Summary: Since 1981-82, India won three and lost 15 series of four or more Tests. Matches: Won 9, Lost 36. Since 2001 India won two and lost six series of four or more Tests. Matches: Won 7. Lost 16.

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'I missed bowling during the first Test'

HYDERABAD: Shane Watson has realised he can never give up bowling completely in his career after watching his teammates getting butchered by the Indian batsmen during the first Test, which left the Australian all-rounder with a temptation to start rolling his arms over again.

Ravaged by injuries, Watson had commitment to playing only as a batsman on his comeback during the four-Test series, but with the Aussies struggling to contain the hosts, he is itching to bowl again.

"That was a time that reaffirmed to me that I do want to bowl," Watson was quoted as saying by a cricket website.

"That was a time where if I hadn't have made the decision not to bowl for this tour that I could have had some input on the game at a crucial time in the match. That to me was the first time over the last month since I came back that I missed bowling.

"The decision I made is more a longer-term decision to get some running and conditioning into my legs, so when I start bowling again, my body has more chance of handling it.

"I do appreciate the decision but it certainly reaffirmed to me that I'm never going to give up bowling. It excites me having some input on the game, especially when what I do could have an influence on a certain part of the game," he added.

However, Watson said he will stick to his plan of resuming bowling during the second half of the IPL so that he can contribute with the ball during Australia's Ashes tour of England in July and August.

"That thought (of bowling at a later stage during the India tour) has gone through my mind a few times but I suppose we do have to stay on course," said Watson, who has taken 12 wickets at 33.41 in his past six Tests in India.

"There were reasons why I made that decision -- to try and get my body conditioned enough to get back into bowling.

"I know I've needed two or three months just to be able to get some conditioning into my body, to then hopefully hold together for the next period of time once I get back bowling again."

"There is a big reason why I'm not bowling at the moment -- in between the Test matches to get some running into my legs to continue to build that resilience, so I can hopefully just stay together," Watson said.

He was forced to skip part of the Australian Test summer -- the Brisbane and Adelaide Tests against South Africa due to calf and hamstring injuries. Watson had bowled 47.4 overs during the Hobart Test against Sri Lanka and then struggled with his calf in the next Test.

He decided against bowling after consulting Cricket Australia's medical staff, personal physio, Viktor Popov and captain Michael Clarke, Watson said.

"I took a lot of information in at the time, especially through the summer having the same calf injury again and also the amount I bowled in Hobart, that was the most I've ever bowled in my career in four or five-day cricket," Watson said.

"I knew my body could handle it, it was more so backing up to handle it again. I had to get the right conditioning in my legs, things like running technique, doing all those things to give myself a better chance to hold together my body when I'm bowling.

"But I also need to be more careful in the future about the overs I do bowl. One, I have the chance to do it more consistently and have less chance of injury but also there were times when it affected my batting, more so in Test cricket over the last 12 to 18 months, especially when I was opening.

"There were a number of reasons why I made that decision, most importantly is trying to score some runs in Test cricket as well," he said.

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Would have traded 175 for win: Sachin

NEW DELHI: Senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar says he would have "gladly traded" his knock of 175 against Australia in 2009 for an Indian victory even though he "certainly" rates it as one of the very best in his glorious ODI career.

Chasing 351 runs in the fifth of the seven-match ODI series at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Tendulkar fell awfully close to pulling off an unlikely win with an incredible innings.

"It was certainly one of my best innings, but I would have gladly traded those 175 runs for a victory," Tendulkar said about the match which India lost by three runs.

He scored those runs off 141 balls and smashed 19 fours and four sixes. Tendulkar completed 17,000 runs in ODIs during the course of that innings.

"It was one of those days when nothing seemed to be out of place. I was able to execute my strokes well. Our middle order failed, but Suresh Raina batted fluently. We had a good partnership of 137. Suresh was caught behind at 299 in the 43rd over.

"Harbhajan Singh fell soon after, to make it 300/6, but I believed we were very much in control. It was a question of hanging in there, running well and ensuring that bad balls were dealt with harshly," he said.

"We were only 19 away when I tried to lift (Clint) McKay over short fine-leg, only to be caught by (Nathan) Hauritz. It was a huge disappointment. The lower order tried hard, but more wickets fell, and we fell short by three runs," Tendulkar wrote in a piece for BCCI's official website.

Tendulkar mentioned about the comparisons made between that knock and his back-to-back hundreds against the same opponent in Sharjah back in 1998.

"I have been asked on a few occasions to compare the 175 with the back-to-back hundreds against the same team at Sharjah in 1998. I don't think a comparison can be made. The expectations were way higher at the final stages of the tri-series in Sharjah," he said.

"The Hyderabad hundred was scored in the middle of a bilateral series, and hence the circumstances were very different, physically and even mentally."

The pressure was certainly their on that November evening as well as the series was tied at 2-2 going into the fifth ODI.

"The seven-match series against Australia was even when we took the field for the crucial fifth game at Hyderabad. The winner would take a 3-2 lead, and the loser would be under tremendous pressure before the last two matches," Tendulkar said.

The stadium in Uppal, which was back then a newly-built one, came in for praise from Tendulkar.

"I had pleasant memories of the Lal Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad. It was the venue where I had scored 186 against New Zealand in 1999-00. The new Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium has a much better facility. The ground was well-maintained, and the arrangements excellent for players and spectators," Tendulkar said.

"Of course, we weren't thinking about all that when Australia went on the offensive after winning the toss and electing to bat. Openers Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh put on 145 at a run a ball, and the middle order continued with the attack. When they finished with 350/4, not many gave us a chance," he said.

Tendulkar almost chased the target on his own but, with just 19 runs short, he got out and the rest choked, falling short by three runs with two balls still to go.

"One of the good things about chasing a big total is that there is no ambiguity regarding the strategy you have to adopt. We knew we had to go for it from the outset and play strokes. I felt that I wasn't timing the ball well, and went in for a change of bat. I shifted to a brand new willow, and that changed things," he said.

"Australia had a decent bowling line-up comprising four pacemen in Ben Hilftenhaus, Doug Bollinger, Clint McKay and Shane Watson. Nathan Hauritz was their main spinner, with the likes of Adam Voges chipping in with his left-arm spin. Mike Hussey also sent down a few overs that evening."

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Arthur admits difficult selection dilemma

HYDERABAD: Australian cricket coach Mickey Arthur conceded that his team made a mistake by not going in with two spinners in the lost opening Test against India but it remains a "difficult" selection dilemma for the second match as well due to the pacers' decent performance.

"That's going to be the million dollar question," Arthur said when asked whether the Aussies would go for a two-pronged spin attack in the Test starting on March 2.

"It's easy in hindsight having a look at how the wicket ended up, you probably would have liked two spinners on there, however, our quicks took most wickets. We didn't get a massive return from spin in this game. I thought James Pattinson was outstanding, so it's a difficult dilemma," he explained.

Arthur said the visiting side, which lost by eight wickets in the first Test, is not sure about the bowling attack for the second Test.

"Looking at the way it ended up probably two spinners (would have been good) but our quicks were the most likely out there, so I am not sure which way really," he said.

Xavier Doherty is the second spin option for the Australians if they decide to go for more than one slow bowlers.

"I think on wickets like this balls turning into you are just as effective, because you've actually got to play," Arthur was quoted as saying.

"You can't leave balls alone. Balls coming into the bat on wickets that have crumbled are almost as tough to play. Ideally you want both, and I did a lot of looking at the England series and they used Panesar a lot," he explained.

Arthur said the opening Test was a massive learning experience for the team's only full-time spinner Nathan Lyon, conceded 244 runs for four wickets.

"I think he has learnt from this game that you have got to be really consistent in conditions like this in order to put the batsmen under any sort of pressure, but I think he will grow and he will learn from this game," Arthur said.

"It will be interesting to see how he pulls up after this Test match and in terms of information and preparation and everything he worked extremely hard coming into this Test match. Only he knows how he will approach things if he plays in the next Test match and how that is going to go."

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Hayden feels a tiger resides inside Sachin

NEW DELHI: A tiger resides inside the "little" frame of Sachin Tendulkar, feels former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden, who saw it when he started playing against the Indian veteran.

"I probably first heard Sachin's name in the early '90s. The one thing that always stuck in my mind about Sachin was that his size never ever matched his status," Hayden wrote in a book 'Sachin -- Cricketer of the Century' by Vimal Kumar, which will hit the stands in the first week of March.

"He was an incredibly slight man for someone who was such a huge brand within the game. It wasn't until I really played against him that I understood that there was a tiger that lay within him: he was a very competitive little man," he said.

Hayden also recalled an interesting incident from the 2008 Test series in India.

"My favourite Sachin moment was at the Mohali Test where he broke the world record for the most number of Test runs. There was so much excitement around the ground that the fireworks actually stopped play for the better part of 20 minutes, whilst the smoke cleared away," he recalled.

Writing in the same book, former Australian coach John Buchanan compared Tendulkar with Australian great Ricky Ponting, who happened to be a contemporary of the Indian.

"Statistically, Tendulkar has a better record than Ricky Ponting. If Tendulkar is far more orthodox, far more classical and technical, Ricky is a little more unorthodox," he explained.

Buchanan, however, felt it was difficult to choose between Tendulkar and Ponting.

"Sachin definitely is a better player of spin bowling, more so on the challenging and spin-friendly wickets of the sub-continent," he said.

"I would have loved to see Ricky's domination over spinners in the same way as Sachin's, and vice versa, the Master's audacity on the front foot like the Tasmanian's against the best fast bowlers.

"Only if these two qualities were exchanged in their respective games could either of them have bettered Sir Bradman's Test average," he added.

Buchanan praised Tendulkar's mental toughness. "Sachin has an exceptional ability to relax and can switch on and switch off with ease without any fuss. To get away from cricket and can come back recharged year after year for decades has been really marvellous. The Master has been the greatest exponents of doing that."

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India move to 4th spot in Test rankings

DUBAI: India moved up a rung to fourth in the ICC Test rankings for teams replacing Pakistan, while veteran Sachin Tendulkar jumped three places to be 17th in the batsmen's chart announced on Wednesday.

Rankings: Team | Allrounders | Bowlers | Batsmen

Among the bowlers, off-spinner R Ashwin was rewarded for his match haul of 12 for 198 in the first Test as he rose to a career-best 11th.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni charged up 15 places to 21st courtesy his maiden double hundred at Chennai.

Other centurion of the Chennai Test Virat Kohli has gained 10 places and is now on a career-best 25th position.

South Africa consolidated their position on the top of the Test rankings after a thumping victory over Pakistan in the third and the final Test at Centurion.

There was no other change in the top 10 of the bowlers' table, which is headed by South Africa's Dale Steyn followed by his teammate Vernon Philander.

Hashim Amla continued to lead the Test batsmen chart followed by Australian skipper Michael Clarke.

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Delhi enter Vijay Hazare Trophy semis

VISAKHAPATNAM: Gautam Gambhir made an useful contribution of 44 coming in to bat at No. 4 as Delhi thrashed Gujarat by eight wickets to enter the semifinal of the national one-day championship for Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Delhi captain Rajat Bhatia opted to field on a two-paced wicket and seamer Sumit Narwal responded brilliantly with career-best figures of five for 21 in seven overs to skittle Gujarat for 126 in 32 overs.

In reply, Delhi knocked off the runs in only 28.4 overs with Gambhir remaining unbeaten on 44 from 67 deliveries with six fours and a six. Mithun Manhas was retired hurt on 23 while Unmukt Chand made 28.

The senior pro was supposed to bat at No 3 but was forced to come in at No 4 due to different reason.

"Gautam was suppose to come in at No 3 as he didn't want to tinker with opening combination. But as soon as he went to attend nature's call and a wicket fell at the same time. Since, there was a possibility of getting 'timed-out', Mithun Manhas, who was supposed to go in at No. 4, was promoted up the order," a member of the Delhi squad said.

In the morning, the cracks and variable bounce on the 22-yard strip helped Delhi seamers Narwal and Parvinder Awana (2-32), who used the conditions to good effect.

Gujarat failed to build any major partnerships after openers Priyank Panchal (21) and skipper Parthiv Patel (18) were dismissed. The duo added 40 for the opening wicket.

Gujarat lost seven wickets for 49 runs from being 77 for three in the 18th over.

The target was never a big one for Delhi and they cruised home comfortably.

Brief Scores:

Gujarat - 126 in 32 overs (Akshar Patel 30, Sumit Narwal 5-21, Parvinder Awana 2-32).
Delhi - 130/2 (Gautam Gambhir 44 no, Unmukt Chand 28, Mithun Manhas 23 retd).

Delhi won by 8 wkts. Delhi are in semifinals.

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I never dreamt of a double ton: MS Dhoni

CHENNAI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni was modest in admitting that he never dreamt of playing for the country, leave aside scoring a double hundred in Test cricket ever in his career.

Dhoni smashed 224 for off 265 deliveries in India's first innings score of 572 in reply to Australia's 380 to lay the foundation for the hosts' convincing eight-wicket victory in the opening Test of the four-match series.

Questioned about his majestic double century after the match on Tuesday, Dhoni replied: "I had never dreamt that I would get a double in Tests. I had never even dreamt of playing for the country. So, let's just keep it simple."

Coming onto bat on the third day of match with India at 196 for four, Dhoni produced a stunning counter-attacking knock on a difficult Chepauk pitch to notch up his maiden double ton, his sixth Test century overall.

"It was important to play some shots. If you have those extra catching fielders, you might make one mistake and end your innings. I had to play a few shots to try and spread the field. That was the motive," said Dhoni, who was also adjudged the man of the match for his stunning knock.

"But the first partnership was important. Sachin (Tendulkar) and (Cheteshwar) Pujara batted for a period of time. The partnership between Virat (Kohli) and Sachin was crucial. It tired the bowlers a bit."

The Indian skipper reserved special praise for off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who returned with a match haul of 12 for 198.

"Ashwin bowled brilliantly. He bowled in right areas and has got variations. He was consistent in this match. In the second innings, he was well supported by Bhajji ( Harbhajan Singh)."

Having learnt a hard lesson from England series which they lost 1-2 after winning the first Test, Dhoni doesn't want to get complacent as the job is far from being over yet.

"It's important to be focussed now, but at the same time it is important that the bowlers take some time off now," he said.

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We were 'outplayed' by India, says Clarke

CHENNAI: Australian captain Michael Clarke on Tuesday conceded that it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni's double century that turned out to be a game-changer as they were completely outplayed by India in the first Test.

"They outplayed us. Mahendra Singh Dhoni certainly led the charge and I thought Virat Kohli was outstanding as well with his hundred. But it certainly was Dhoni, who changed the game," a dejected Australian captain told mediapersons at the post-match conference.

Clarke admitted that Dhoni's innings had the most impact on the match, but did not forget to praise off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 12 Aussie wickets to pave the way for India's victory.

"It (Dhoni's innings) certainly had an impact on the game. Dhoni contributed a lot to India's success in this Test match. But like I said, Kohli made a fantastic hundred. Ashwin got seven wickets in the first innings and five in the second. Those were three very good performances. We were completely outplayed," Clarke added.

Clarke's assessment about his team's defeat was that they did not attack enough in the weak areas of the Indians.

"I think there are areas in both teams you need to focus on. There are weak areas in the Indian team we did not attack enough. If we had got 150 or 200 on the board (for them to chase), we might have been able to expose or at least see how they played on a deteriorating wicket. A lot of credit has to go to India."

He refused to commit whether Australia would go into the second Test with a second specialist spinner.

"We've got the same options we had before this Test. We need to assess conditions once we get to Hyderabad. Australian spin took three wickets in first innings while fast bowlers took a lot more," said Clarke.

"That does not mean to say we got it right by playing three fast bowlers and a medium-pace all-rounder. We need to look at conditions again and work out what we think is the best XI."

Clarke however didn't have any harsh words for the Chennai strip which deteriorated a lot on the fourth day.

"I think the wicket played better than it looked, to be honest. Both first innings, the wicket was pretty good for batting. The second innings, it did deteriorate. It spun and bounced a lot more. The bounce was inconsistent."

"I like to see a result in Test cricket, and the fact that the game went five days says to me that it's a pretty good Test match wicket," Clarke, in fact had some good words for the Chepauk strip.

At the same time, he admitted that Australia didn't bat well in the second innings.

"It's not just about selection. It's about how you perform. I don't think we bowled well enough in our first innings and we certainly didn't bat well enough in our second innings."

The Australian captain has been one of the better players of spin bowling but he feels that as a team they need to execute their skills in a much better fashion as they would have to face a lot of Indian tweakers.

"You're going to face both if you're playing against India. They've got two right-arm off-spinners along with Jadeja and Ojha. I think you have to find a way against the ball spinning in both directions. I think it's more personal preference. We have just got to find a way to execute our skills better, with bat and ball."

"For me, I don't think it matters too much. I got out to a ball spinning away in the first innings, and to one spinning back in the second innings (laughs). I'd like it to go dead straight. That would be nice."

Will this batting performance warrant a change in the batting order, he gave a terse reply, "I don't know how moving up the order guarantees any more runs. No matter where you bat, the guys in the top seven need to make sure we're scoring the majority of the runs."

He was full of praise for debutant all-rounder Moises Henriques, who scored two half centuries in the match and also gave a hint that he might be used as a third seamer.

"If we don't have a third fast bowler, Moises can certainly don that role. I think it's very exciting the way he's started. He's been a very talented player for a long time, and it's nice to see that potential come to the forefront in his first Test match."

The skipper gave a tongue-in-cheek reply when someone asked about bringing in a few more spinners.

"Bring more spinners to India? Bring the whole country in soon! Warney's (Shane Warney) is in town. We'll see, if he's available!" he commented on a lighter vein.

"We have spinning options with Xavier Doherty and Glenn Maxwell. We'll assess what the pitch is like and then make that decision."

Clarke defended the field that was set for off-spinner Nathan Lyon who was hammered for 215 runs.

"The plan was to try and take wickets. The most important thing is to have fielders in catching positions. But if everyone's in saving a single, it's much easier to hit boundaries. You want to take wickets, but you also want to give Nathan a little protection as well. That's why we had the fields we had."

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Avoiding criticism has helped me: Dhoni

CHENNAI: Under attack till very recently for India's dismal shows, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni reckons that keeping himself shut off from all the criticism that came his way has helped him concentrate on his performance.

Dhoni, who smashed a game-changing 224 to play a big part in India's eight-wicket victory in the first Test against Australia, said he had not changed his playing style despite the criticism.

Asked about the pressure on him due to recent failures of the Indian team and effect of criticism on his performance, Dhoni said he mostly tried to keep himself aloof.

"What really matters is the job I'm trying to do. The best thing I've done so far is to not watch news or read newspapers, so that has really helped, frankly," Dhoni said at the post-match press conference.

"It's not that I do not read newspapers, it's just that the third page from the back is always the sports page, so you try to get rid of that. Otherwise you don't get to know what's happening in India," said Dhoni.

He said he has not changed a bit in his playing style, despite all the criticism that have come his way.

"Nothing has changed. Whatever is your speciality remains your speciality. Nothing has changed," he said.

Dhoni attributed the Test win to team effort and said it was all about executing the plans.

"I think a lot of credit goes to batsmen number three, four and five because they played long innings. OK, Sachin Tendulkar did not get a 100 or Pujara did not get a big 50, but still they played for a considerable period of time," said Dhoni.

"The humidity over here, you know Chennai gets quite humid so it helps in getting the opposition bowlers tired. And it was important that we batted for four sessions. We were able to bat for more than four sessions. Overall it was a very good effort both by bowlers and batsmen," he said.

Dhoni disclosed that he batted according to a plan to play some big shots initially so that the extra-catching fielder near him was removed.

"This Test was evenly poised when I came in and Nathan Lyon was bowling well. So, it was important to play a few big shots so that you could get rid of that extra catching fielder from near you," Dhoni said.

"So that if you misread a flighted delivery, or go back to a ball pitched slightly up, you don't have that one extra fielder to catch that inside edge or a bat-pad. It worked well," he said.

Asked if missing out on a hundred in Nagpur in his previous Test had played on his mind in this match, Dhoni said, "I have got five 90s, so it doesn't weight any more. Seriously, I've got out in the 90s plenty of times. I personally believe it's the top six batsmen, OK I'm batting at six now, but they're the ones who really worry about the 100s.

"It's the weightage of the innings, I've never thought about 100s. I remember the 92 I scored at the Oval in 2007. Dilip Vengsarkar was there and he said whether I would do different. I said no, I would bat the same way, and if I get a chance to hit, I would hit. So nothing much has changed," said Dhoni.

The Indian captain refused to rate his double ton here, saying that each knock has its own significance in the context of team success.

"I don't have many big innings, so it's slightly easy for me to choose. But at the same time it's difficult to choose because I don't have many. I feel the 70 runs I scored at the Lord's in 2007 series were very special because that innings helped us win the series.

"It's not the amount of runs, often it's the weightage of the innings that you've played that matters. It might be just a 25-30 runs you've scored, but if they have a big impact on a match or series, that can be really special," he said.

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'We need to give more time to Sehwag'

CHENNAI: Virender Sehwag's patchy form continued but skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni still believes that the senior opener should be given more time to get back to form as he is a match-winner.

Asked about the performance of Sehwag, who played in the Test wearing spectacles, Dhoni said, "I think we just need to give him more time. Well, that's how he bats. About Viru pa, I've said this plenty of times before, when he scores runs, he looks a fantastic player and when he doesn't, you can question the shot he played or the way he played."

"He's someone who's always played with that sort of flair. At times, we get very critical about him. We all know he is someone who can change the course of the game, he's an attacking player. So let's go forward with that kind of an attitude," he said.

Sehwag had scores of 2 and 19 in the first Test which concluded here today.

He said Sehwag was unfortunate to get out in the first innings.

"This wicket, there was not much pace. First innings, he was unfortunate because he middle the ball, yet it came back and fell on the stump. In the second innings, there was not much pace for him to play freely," Dhoni said at the press-conference after India beat Australia by eight wickets in the first Test here.

The Indian captain also made it clear that Murali Vijay, who scored 10 and six in the two innings, will continue at the opening slot.

"If you look at just the statistics of opening batsmen you may say that he (Vijay) is not good enough. But at the same time you need to give them a fair amount of time. Let's hope for the best. Vijay has played this game, let's continue with him and give him some time and the comfort of saying that he's wanted over here," Dhoni said.

Asked if the team could go for four spinners in the Tests to follow, Dhoni said,"Four or five can be an option but you have to be sure that the wicket will turn. On the very first day, most of us assumed that it (Chepauk) would be a turning track, it would have plenty for the spinners. But we saw it was a decent wicket.

"Yes, there was a bit of turn on offer for the spinners, but overall it was quite a good wicket. That's why you want to be prepared for a situation like you think something may happen, but it actually goes the other way around.

"Also, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is someone who can add a bit. We all know the importance of batting deep because it really frustrates the opposition bowling. I think we went with the right combination.

"Three spinners itself is a lot. If you have an extra fourth spinner, then it becomes very difficult to answer why the fourth one bowled only a small number of overs. You can't make three or four spinners bowl the exactly same number of overs. You don't see the number of overs bowled by them and then make a bowling change. Who looks effective, according to that you make the change."

On Ojha being left out for the first Test here, Dhoni said, "There are lots of questions. It's not always good to be predictable. As I said, you look at the batting line-up, there were lots of left-handers in their side.

"As I said, it's considered that the away-going spinners is quite difficult to face consistently. Also, the fact that the away going spinner, can keep it slightly tight so that you don't leak too many runs. So we had the perfect combination of two off-spinners and one left-armer."

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India take outright lead in ODI ranking

DUBAI: Team India took an outright lead on top of the one-day table following England's 2-1 victory in the three-match series against New Zealand, which saw them lose two ratings points in the latest ICC ODI Championship ranking on Monday.

ODI Rankings: Team | Batting | Bowling | All-Rounder

England, however, retained their number two spot and now lead third-ranked Australia by just one ratings point and fourth-ranked South Africa by five ratings points with just 100 days to go to the start of ICC Champions Trophy.

With India and Australia not scheduled to play any ODIs before the April cut-off date of ICC ODI Championship Table, South Africa are the only side that can push India and England down the order when they take on Pakistan in a five-match series from 10 March.

The only way South Africa can leapfrog England and add another $75,000 to their account is by beating Pakistan 4-1 or better. If South Africa win 4-1, then the Proteas will join England on 117 ratings points but will be ranked above Alastair Cook's side when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.

If South Africa make a clean sweep of the ODI series, then they will jump three places to claim top spot from India, which, in turn will mean they will win $175,000 as well as the ODI shield. These two are presented to the side that tops the ODI table at the 1 April cut-off date.

The batting table is still headed by South Africa's Hashim Amla, followed by his captain AB de Villiers in second place and India's Virat Kohli and his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni retaining the third and fourth place respectively. Suresh Raina has lost one place to be at the 12th spot.

In the ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, R Ashwin has improved one spot to share the 13th spot with two others, while Ravindra Jadeja is still at the number nine position of the table, which is still headed by Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal.

The ICC Player Rankings for ODI all-rounders is still headed by Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez, with Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan in second place, Shane Watson of Australia in third, Sri Lankan Angelo Mathews and Jadeja in fourth and fifth place respectively.

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Akram steps down from KKR post

NEW DELHI: Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram on Monday stepped down from the post of mentor and bowling coach of IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders citing personal reasons.

Akram has been an integral part of the team for the past three seasons and also been a part of the core team along with chief coach Trevor Bayliss and captain Gautam Gambhir that helped in devising the strategy for the champion side.

According to team management, Akram has expressed his desire to spend more time with his family as his two sons Taimur and Akbar are barely in their teens.

Akram has been leaving out of suitcase for a number of years now due to his increased media commitments as well as the hectic travelling and camps related to Indian Premier League.

KKR CEO Venky Mysore in a media release issued by the franchise stated: "Wasim Akram will be badly missed. He is a legend and a great motivator to have around the team. However, we fully appreciate the reason why he will be unavailable. We hope to work with him in future."

Meanwhile, Indian team's fielding coach Trevor Penney, who has earlier worked with the now defunct Deccan Chargers will be joining KKR as their fielding coach.

In another minor development, Joy Bhattacharjya, the team director for the previous five seasons will now be seen in the role of an advisor (content development and management).

Adrian Le Roux, Andrew Leipus and Vijay Dahiya will however remain in the support staff.

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Aus survive to reach 232/9 at stumps

CHENNAI: India inched closer towards a comprehensive victory in the first Test against Australia but debutant Moises Henriques delayed the inevitable with a fighting undefeated 75 on a difficult track to take the match into the fifth and final day.

Scorecard | Match In Pics

Henriques followed up his first innings half century with another gutsy effort as he added 57 runs for the final wicket with no. 11 Nathan Lyon (8 batting) to prevent India from wrapping up the match with a day to spare.

The duo consumed 18.1 overs to not only frustrate the hosts but also snatch a lead of 40 runs after Ravichandran Ashwin's second five-wicket haul helped India decimate the Aussie top and middle-order.

Ashwin grabbed five for 90 and his current match haul of 12 wickets helped India reduce Australia to 175 for nine before Henriques-Lyon provided some rearguard action to ensure that the game went into the final day.

With pitch providing right kind of assistance for the spinners, senior-off spinner Harbhajan Singh also put up a much improved performance in the second innings scalping the important wickets of David Warner and Matthew Wade.

The duo was ably complemented by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who also helped the team with important breakthroughs.

The highlight of India's performance was skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's magnificent 224 which enabled the home team to post a mammoth 572 in their first innings, thereby ensuring a lead of 192 runs.

The likes of Ed Cowan (32), Michael Clarke (31) and David Warner (23) tried their best but it was a near-impossible task to play a game of survival on a pitch that was deteriorating with the passage of every over.

Batting more than five sessions to save the Test match was a Herculean task but Shane Watson and Cowan showed intent during the first session.

Ashwin struck with the last ball before lunch. He invited Watson to play forwarded but ball took off the surface to hit the shoulder of his bat as Sehwag took the catch. However the post lunch session spelt doom for the visitors as they lost four top-order batsmen during the session.

Henriques faced 124 balls hitting six fours and two huge sixes -- one each off Ashwin and Harbhajan. The Portuguese born all-rounder used his feet well against the spinner and also defended well when it mattered.

It was extremely frustrating final hour for the Indians as a desperate Dhoni in his bid to complete formalities finally brought Ishant Sharma in the 76th over of the innings but the pacer failed to break the partnership.

Earlier on, the troika of Ashwin, Harbhajan and Jadeja took full advantage of a crumbling pitch as the hosts reduced the Aussies to 128 for five at tea.

The spinners exploited the deteriorating conditions as they polished the Australian top-half in the post-lunch session as India looked to go for the kill.

Starting the post-lunch session at 34 for one, the Aussie batsmen found it difficult to play a surviving game on a pitch where there were enough footmarks on both sides for the spinners to trouble the batsmen.

Whenever the delivery landed on the rough, there was vicious turn on offer and also the variable bounce made life even more difficult.

Ed Cowan (32), who was trying to graft his way having played 97 balls, was finally adjudged leg before when an Ashwin delivery straightened after pitching and the left-hander wasn't entirely committed to the front foot.

Although the batsman didn't look too happy, television replays suggested that the ball would have hit middle stump.

Phillip Hughes's nightmare ended in three balls as he got a delivery from Jadeja that nastily jumped onto him after hitting one of the spots. The ball ballooned off his gloves and Sehwag took the easiest of catches at slip.

Harbhajan, who had an indifferent first innings, bowled far better in the second essay. He was slower through the air and was also getting the required drift.

David Warner, who curbed his natural instincts to score a patient 23 off 61 balls, got a drifter from Harbhajan and was caught plumbed in front of the wicket.

Buoyed by the success, Harbhajan got his second wicket as he cleaned up Matthew Wade (8), who went for a wild sweep while completely missing the line of the delivery.

The final session also started on a bright note when Ashwin got one to turn sharply as Clarke was trapped on the backfoot with a ball keeping low.

With the departure of Australian captain, there were some premature celebrations in the stands.

While Henriques looked confident at one end, Peter Siddle was bowled by Jadeja to make it seven down.

However James Pattinson (11, 26 balls) provided some resistance which also helped Henriques to score a few runs in the process.

Finally, left-hander Pattinson became Ashwin's fourth victim in the second innings as he edged one to Sehwag in the slips. The senior opener took a judged catch low onto his left.

Mitchell Starc hit a couple of boundaries but didn't show intent to stay back for a long period as he tried to loft Ashwin to give an easy catch to Tendulkar in the long-on region.

Once Starc was gone, Australia still needed 17 runs to avoid the follow-on but Henriques and Lyon fought well to live for another day.

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'Credit to down Aus goes to everyone'

CHENNAI: The Australian by nature play aggressive cricket and the credit to humble them goes to the whole team, India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja said on Monday.

Australia are on the verge of losing the series-opener as they have a mere 40-run lead with just one wicket in hand, going into the last day of the match.

Asked to compare the batting of England, who defeated India in the last home series, and Australians, Jadeja said the tourists play with much positively.

"Australian have this ego...they try to play more positive. If they have played three, four overs maiden, they show aggression, so that they don't come under pressure. But this wicket has been turning through the match, and we've bowled well... Aswhin has bowled well, Bhajju pa has bowled well. Everyone has played his role," Jadeja said.

Ashwin took five wickets in the second innings and Harbhajan Singh scalped two.

"Now, we've got to take their last wicket quickly and the runs that are left to score, 50-55 or whatever, get them," Jadeja, who took two wickets, said.

The young player gave a thumbs up to the pitch at the MA Chidamabram stadium, saying it still has something for fast bowlers despite favouring spinners.

"It's a good wicket. In Indian conditions, there are such wickets. In Test cricket, you win only if you get 20 wickets. And the centre of the wicket is not damaged, so it's good for fast bowlers. Whatever wear and tear has happened, it's happened due to the footmarks of the bowlers, and it's at the ends of the wicket. I think it's a good wicket for Test cricket," Jadeja said.

"There is turn in the wicket, everyone knows that, everyone can see that. But sometimes, there's more turn than usual, which you don't really need. Mainly, we'll have to bowl in the right areas."

Asked how he would be like to known, a batting or bowling all-rounder, Jadeja said he does not care much about the tag and just want to score runs and take wickets.

"As you said, I had two triple centuries in the Ranji season, and obviously for my state team I bat at No. 4 for six years. I came into the Ranji Trophy team as a batsman. I don't think about what I should consider myself. I only think that I should play for India, and score runs and take wickets. If I do only one of the two, my image of an all-rounder won't be there. So I have to make improvements in both departments," he said.

Talking about his batting and dismissal, Jadeja said since he was not getting runs, desperation was there.

"Every time you play for India, pressure is there. I played 45 balls, I was set, so there was that time of 15-20 minutes, I should have got runs more easily. But was a bit nervous, because the shots I was playing, I was not getting the runs... So at that time, I left that ball and it hit the stumps. I should have played more carefully at that time. Can't say there was pressure, but I wasn't getting runs, so I was looking for runs."

He also said that he needs to add more variety to his bowling to be successful in Test cricket.

"Yes, absolutely. As I play more matches, I'll learn more. From players, from seeing different wickets. I'll discuss with my teammates, coaches, to add variations to my game. It depends on what sort of wicket is there, how it's behaving," he said.

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3rd Test: Azhar Ali leads Pak resistance

CENTURION: Azhar Ali defied the South African bowlers as Pakistan sought to avoid an innings defeat on the third day of the third and final Test at SuperSport Park on Sunday.

Scorecard

Needing 253 to make South Africa bat again, Pakistan were 87 for two at lunch, still 166 runs behind, after a morning which yielded 73 runs in 28 overs.

Azhar, who opened the batting in place of the injured Imran Farhat on Saturday evening, was unbeaten on 27, eking out over 110 balls.

The only wicket to fall on Sunday morning was that of Younis Khan, who was caught at first slip off Dale Steyn in the seventh over of the day.

Farhat, who missed the start of Pakistan's follow-on innings after being struck on the right hand by Steyn in the first innings, joined Azhar and was slightly more adventurous in reaching 32 not out off 67 balls.

Farhat went for X-rays on Saturday afternoon which revealed no major damage.

Debutant Kyle Abbott, who destroyed Pakistan's first innings by taking seven for 29, was unable to repeat his success in a five-over spell on Sunday, although he troubled Farhat with several deliveries that bounced unpredictably outside the left-hander's off stump.

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Dhoni's double ton takes India to 515/8

NEW DELHI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni gave an exhibition of blistering strokeplay to hit a career-best undefeated 206 while Virat Kohli cracked 107 as India rode on their captain's batting brilliance to gain control of the first cricket Test against Australia by taking a substantial 135-run first innings lead on Sunday.

Scorecard | Match In Pics

Dhoni produced a stunning counter-attacking knock to notch up his maiden double hundred, his sixth Test century overall, while Kohli recorded his fourth in longer format as the hosts reached a commanding 515 for eight at close, on an eventful third day's play.

The Indian captain set the M A Chidambaram stadium ablaze with his amazing strokeplay as he smashed 22 boundaries and five sixes during his 243-ball assault much to the delight of a sizeable Sunday crowd which cheered the Indians as they went about consolidating their position in the match.

Dhoni, who was agonisingly run out for 99 against England in India last Test in Nagpur, changed the complexion of the game with his aggressive batting after the hosts lost Sachin Tendulkar (81) early in the morning session. Tendulkar, who gave glimpses of his vintage form yesterday, could add just ten runs to his tally.

The Indians found the going a little tough in the pre-lunch session as the runs dried up but the second new ball ball saw the game slipping away from the Australians as both Dhoni and Kohli attacked the bowlers with an array of shots on both sides of the wicket.

The duo added 128 runs for the fifth wicket before off-spinner Nathan Lyon provided the breakthrough for the visitors with India still 56 runs short of Australia's first innings total.

Kohli paid the price for a lapse in concentration as he tried to lift a delivery from Nathan Lyon over mid-on but could not get the desired elevation and Mitchell Starc latched on to a good catch. Kohli clobbered 15 boundaries and a six during his 206-ball knock.

Dhoni then took centrestage and virtually single handedly took India to a position of strength with a superb batting display in hot and humid conditions.

After Kohli's dismissal, India lost another three wickets in periodic intervals as Ravindra Jadeja (16), Ravichandran Ashwin (3) and Harbhajan Singh (11) were back in the pavilion.

However Bhuvneshwar Kumar (15 batting) complemented his skipper really well as they put on a record 109 runs for ninth wicket partnership against Australia.

There were times when Dhoni shielded Bhuvneshwar from the Aussie attack as he refused singles on a number of occasions.

The humidity took its toll but the skipper never gave in. Whenever the Aussies tried to keep him quiet, he responded with a typical big hit either straight or towards the deep mid-wicket range.

The 31-year-old Dhoni recorded the highest score by an Indian wicket keeper, eclipsing Budhi Kundaran previous best of 192 scored against England in 1964 at Madras Corporation Stadium.

Dhoni also surpassed 4000 Test runs during his game-changing knock.

With couple of days left in the match, India will look to increase their lead as much as possible and then try to push for victory by bundling out out the Aussies cheaply in the second innings as the track is expected to deteriorate gradually.

With rough being created by the bowler's footmarks on both sides of the track, the Indian team would expect both in-form Ashwin and senior pro Harbhajan to make best use of the conditions so that India doesn't have to bat last on this track. Even if they come out to bat, they would expect the target to be less than 50 runs which will mean that batsmen won't be under any kind of pressure.

Ideally, Dhoni would be expecting that Bhuvneshwar provides him with the same kind of support tomorrow which will enable him to take the lead closer to 200 runs.

The launchpad of this furious assault certainly was the 128-run fifth wicket partenrship with Kohli as India went into tea at a relatively comfortable score of 371 for six.

While Australia were hoping that the second new ball will help them make some decisive inroads into the Indian lower middle-order, Dhoni thought otherwise.

The new ball was taken in the 83rd over and in the next seven overs, Dhoni-Kohli duo had smashed the Aussie bowlers to the cleaners to score 54 runs.

If Kohli was ready to wait for the loose deliveries, Dhoni was even hitting the full-pitched deliveries over the bowler's head.

With a bottom-handed grip and powerful wrists, the Jharkhand dasher generated enormous power behind each of his shots with minimal backlift as the ball flew to all corners of the ground.

Kohli completed his century when he clipped a full inswinging delivery from James Pattinson to the square leg fence. The celebration was very unlike Kohli as there was a satisfying smile and no aggressive gesture as one normally associates with the Delhi lad.

Although, Kohli was out for 107, all-rounder Jadeja hung around for a while before shouldering arms to a delivery from Pattinson that knocked his off-stump back.

At the break, Dhoni was holding fort with R Ashwin (3) giving him company.

Dhoni completed his century off 119 balls by hitting Siddle over fine leg for a boundary.

While his first 100 came off 119 balls, his second hundred was a touch faster as he took another 112 balls to reach the landmark.

Among the Australian bowlers, Pattinson was certainly the best as he got four for 89 from his 26 overs but Siddle and Starc will be disappointed on not being able to get breakthroughs despite bowling 47 overs between them.

While left-arm pacer Starc wasn't able to hit the right length consistently, Siddle atleast managed to keep things tight. Nathan Lyon (3/182 in 40 overs) predictably bowled the most number of overs but was clobbered consistently by Dhoni.

Australian captain Clarke will certainly feel that he played a spinner short in this match.

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Ashwin fined for pad with more logos

CHENNAI: Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was on Sunday fined 10 per cent of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct relating to clothing and equipment while batting on the third day of the opening Test against Australia.

Ashwin, who was the star Indian bowler in the Australian innings on Saturday when he grabbed a career-best 7-103, was imposed the sanction for wearing a batting pad, which had more manufacturers' logos than permitted under ICC rules, when he batted on the third day.

He was found to have breached Article 2.1.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel which relates to "breach of the ICC's Clothing and Equipment Regulations during an International Match".

"The player exceeded the permitted number of manufacturers' logos when he walked onto the field with four logos on the straps of his batting pads," a statement from the ICC said.

Ashwin accepted the Level 1 charge and the sanction proposed by Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees.

The charge against Ashwin was brought by on-field umpires Marais Erasmus and Kumar Dharmasena and third umpire Vineet Kulkarni.

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3rd Test: Pakistan 176/6 at tea on Day 3

CENTURION: A run-out shortly after lunch sparked a collapse as Pakistan slid towards defeat on the third day of the third and final Test against South Africa at Super Sport Park on Saturday.

Scorecard

Pakistan were 176 for six at tea, still 77 runs short of an innings defeat which would complete a 3-0 series sweep for South Africa.

An early finish seemed in prospect when Pakistan lost four wickets quickly after lunch to be floundering at 114 for six, but Sarfraz Ahmed (27 not out) and Saeed Ajmal (30 not out) batted enterprisingly and with a modicum of luck to put on an unbeaten 62 for the seventh wicket.

Azhar Ali and Imran Farhat defied the South African bowlers for most of a morning during which only the wicket of Younis Khan fell.

They saw Pakistan through to lunch at 87 for two, with Azhar on 27, eked out over 110 balls.

But Azhar did not face another ball before he was run out by a superb throw from fine leg by Dale Steyn after being sent back by Farhat, who had initially been seeking a second run.

Pakistan's hopes of avoiding an innings defeat crumbled as three more wickets fell in quick succession.

Farhat was caught behind, slashing at first innings bowling hero Kyle Abbott for 43 and without addition to the score Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq edged an away-swinger from Rory Kleinveldt to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.

Asad Shafiq made only six before he drove Kleinveldt to mid-off. But Sarfraz and Ajmal showed spirit in batting through until tea.

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Tendulkar and Kohli take India to 182/3

CHENNAI: Sachin Tendulkar showed glimpses of his vintage form with a fluent unbeaten half-century as India recovered from two early jolts to leave the first Test against Australia evenly poised on Saturday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

The 39-year-old veteran, who had been struggling for form for a long time, played with decisive footwork and a positive frame of mind to guide India to 182 for three in 52 overs on the second day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which saw local boy R Ashwin grab a career-best seven-wicket haul.

Tendulkar (71 batting) and Virat Kohli (50 batting) were at the crease when stumps were drawn with India still trailing by 198 runs. The two have so far added 77 runs for the fourth wicket.

Tendulkar, in the course of his 67th Test half-century, touched another milestone by surpassing 7,000 runs on home turf. Kohli, on the other hand, completed his sixth Test half-century at the fag end of the day.

Resuming at the overnight score of 316/7, the Australians continued to frustrate the Indians with captain Michael Clarke (130) and the tailenders combining to score 64 more runs to take the score to a competitive 380.

Ashwin, who had scalped six wickets on the opening day, claimed the wicket of last man Nathan Lyon to return with figures of 7/103, while left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (2/71) and Harbhajan Singh (1/87) were the other wicket-takers.

The Indian reply was disastrous to start with as openers Virender Sehwag (10) and Murali Vijay (2) departed in close succession, falling to tearaway pacer James Pattinson, who was used in short spells.

But Cheteshwar Pujara (44) and Tendulkar steadied the innings to some extent with a 93-run third-wicket partnership. Both the batsmen launched a brilliant counter-attack to unsettle the Aussie bowlers.

Tendulkar hit two glorious fours off first two balls he faced from Pattinson and clobbered another majestic boundary off the fourth ball, making his intentions clear.

Just when the duo seemed to be cruising along comfortably, Pattinson provided the breakthrough when he came back for his second spell by accounting for Pujara.

Pujara fell to an off-cutter in the 29th over after striking six fours in his 76-ball stay at the crease.

With three days left in the game, India will look to come close to the Australian total and then push to seize the initiative.

Earlier, both the openers were out bowled. Vijay was the first to go after a 15-ball stay, which included two fours, done in by Pattinson's pace.

Sehwag quickly followed his partner back to the pavilion, failing to spot a slower one from Pattinson which bounced inside the crease and dislodged the bail of his leg stump.

But Pujara and Tendulkar steadied the rocking boat, bringing up the team's 50 in the 13th over. The two displayed patience but at the same time kept the scoreboard ticking.

They completed a half-century stand for the third wicket in 68 deliveries to rescue India from the precarious position.

Tendulkar was then joined by Kohli, who had a disappointing series against England, unleashed a flurry of shots to announce his return to form.

Earlier, in the morning session, Australian batsmen frustrated Indian bowlers with determined batting before being bowled out for 380 in their first innings.

Resuming at 316 for 7, the visitors resisted the home attack for 38 overs and added 64 runs. They were also helped to an extent by a few decisions that went in their favour much to India's frustration.

Since the last-wicket pair of James Pattinson and Nathan Lyon was at the crease at the official lunch time, the morning session was extended and at the fall of the latter, the break was taken.

Indian off-spinner R Ashwin registered his career-best figures (7/103) while Ravindra Jadeja (2/71) took two wickets.

Michael Clarke and Peter Siddle kept the Indian bowlers at bay for about 90 minutes before the Australian captain went for an extravagant shot off Jadeja, miscued it and gave the hosts a chance to clean up the tail.

Clarke stepped out to loft Jadeja over his head for a straight six but just managed an edge that flew to the hands of Bhuvneshwar Kumar at long-off.

Clarke's splendid 130-run captain's knock came off 246 balls with 13 boundaries including one shot over the fence. It also ended 54-run fighting stand between him Siddle (19).

Soon, Harbhajan Singh's long wait to get a wicket ended when he had Siddle caught at first slip.

Playing his 100th Test and going wicket-less on the opening day, it took the off-spinner the last ball of his 24th over to get his first.

There was only frustration for Indian bowlers after that as the last-wicket pair of Pattinson and Lyon batted for another 12 overs.

Ashwin had Lyon plumb in front of the wicket but yet again Dharamsena thought otherwise. However, four balls later, Lyon swept, found an edge and Virat Kohli took an athletic catch at backward short leg to end the Australian innings.

Earlier, neither the spinners nor medium-fast bowlers could trouble the batsmen much until Clarke lost focus and tried to push the accelerator button on.

The chances were far and few as Clarke and Siddle batted with determination. The nearest Clarke came close to getting out was when while coming forward his uppish defensive shot went towards silly point Cheteshwar Pujara, who could not held on to the half-chance.

Then Siddle edged one behind off Harbhajan but that was a tough chance for wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

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De Villiers hits ton as SA reach 409

CENTURION: AB de Villiers completed a century as South Africa made 409 all out on the second day of the third and final Test against Pakistan at SuperSport Park on Saturday.

Scorecard

Pakistan were nine for no wicket at lunch.

De Villiers, resuming on 98, reached his 16th Test century - and his third against Pakistan - when he eased Rahat Ali through the covers for three runs in the second over of the morning.

He went on to make 121 before being caught in the deep off left-arm opening bowler Rahat Ali, who finished with six for 127.

Rahat earlier dropped a straightforward catch at fine leg when De Villiers, on 107, top-edged a pull against Mohammad Irfan, who was the most challenging of an inexperienced pace trio but ended wicketkless.

Vernon Philander made a Test best score of 74 in helping De Villiers stretch their overnight partnership of 86 to 129 - a record seventh wicket stand for South Africa against Pakistan - before he was caught low down at first slip by Mohammad Hafeez off part-time bowler Younis Khan.

Pakistan were without Ehsan Adil, who suffered a calf injury on Friday.

De Villiers made his runs off 215 balls with 15 fours, while Philander faced 113 balls and hit nine boundaries.

Rahat bowled a mixture of wicket-taking deliveries with some poorly directed balls, conceding close to five runs an over. His analysis included six no-balls and six wides.

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I got out at the wrong time, says Pujara

CHENNAI: Indian batsman Cheteshwar Pujara on Saturday said he got out at the "wrong time" after doing all the hard work on the second day of the first cricket Test against Australia.

India finished the day at 182 for three in reply to Australia's first-innings total 380 all out, and Pujara, who was dismissed for 44, felt the hosts were in a comfortable position.

"I was set and things were going smoothly for us. But unfortunately, I got out at the wrong time. Still we are in a good position. I am happy about it and I have also contributed at the right time," Pujara said.

About his dismissal, Pujara said he was "surprised". Pujara was joined by Sachin Tendulkar, who remained unbeaten on 71 at stumps, at a crucial juncture as India had lost their openers with just 11 runs on the board.

The two added 93 runs for third wicket to steer India to safety.

"Sachin, when he got to bat, he was on the mark facing the first ball itself and hit three boundaries in the first over itself. So, he was looking positive. I have not seen him in such a kind of positive mindset. It was really pleasure watching him," the 26-year-old right-hander told reporters.

Tendulkar showed glimpses of his vintage form with a fluent half-century as India recovered from the two early jolts to match evenly poised at the M A Chidambaram Stadium.

"It was very important for us to make a partnership and it was really crucial. During the partnership we were talking about how the ball was moving and at times reverse swinging. Such communication was really important when we were batting."

The odd bounce, according to Pujara, was not a big problem for the Indians.

"I do not think so. At times you get extra bounce and at times it kept low. But we are used to it and so it was not a big problem for us.

"As for my losing the wicket, it kept very low and I was late on the ball. I think I could not sight the ball after it pitched, I was a bit late," he said.

Coming back to Tendulkar's knock, Pujara said, "I think I have seen him bat in the nets and the way he was timing the ball was different. I have seen him even in the England series in the nets.

"Unfortunately, he did not get runs in the England series. The way he was batting at the nets there was nothing wrong. He was timing the ball well and even in the camp at Bangalore before we came here, his batting was a pleasure to watch.

Pujara, as expected, picked James Pattinson as the best bowler he has faced on Saturday.

"So far I think Pattinson was the best. They were getting reverse swing but we were prepared for it. We knew that their strength is fast bowling. They will be relying on fast bowlers.

"In Indian conditions there was not so much swing movements so what they were trying was to get the ball old as early as possible to get the reverse swing."

Asked if he was surprised by the bowling of Australian quickies, Pujara said, "As I said before I lost the ball half way and that was the reason I lost my wicket. Otherwise, on the Indian wickets, there was not much of pace for the bowlers because of the wicket condition."

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3rd Test: Pak lose 4 wickets before tea

CENTURION: Pakistan made their best start of the series but then lost three wickets in 13 balls on the second day of the third and final Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Saturday.

Scorecard

Pakistan were 91 for four at tea in reply to South Africa's first innings total of 409.

Imran Farhat, playing his first match of the series, and Mohammad Hafeez put on 46 for the first wicket, successfully seeing off the new ball threat of Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander.

But Pakistan were quickly back in perilous territory when Philander returned for his second spell as he and new cap Kyle Abbott took three wickets in successive overs.

Abbott followed up with a second wicket when he dismissed Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq shortly before tea.

Philander trapped Farhat leg before for 30 before Abbott, with his sixth ball in Test cricket, had Hafeez caught low down at gully for 18. Philander then bowled Azhar Ali for six, with the batsman edging a ball which kept low into his stumps.

Misbah fell to a superb diving catch by Alviro Petersen at second slip off the tall, strongly-built Abbott.

AB de Villiers earlier reached his 16th Test century - and his third against Pakistan. He went on to make 121 before being caught in the deep off left-arm opening bowler Rahat Ali, who finished with six for 127.

Rahat earlier dropped a straightforward catch at fine leg when De Villiers, on 107, top-edged a pull against Mohammad Irfan, who was the most challenging of an inexperienced pace trio but ended wicketkless.

Philander made a Test best score of 74 in helping De Villiers stretch their overnight partnership of 86 to 129 - a record seventh wicket stand for South Africa against Pakistan - before he was caught low down at first slip by Mohammad Hafeez off part-time bowler Younis Khan.

Pakistan were without Ehsan Adil, who suffered a calf injury on Friday.

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Clarke's unbeaten ton takes Aus to 316/7

CHENNAI: Captain Michael Clarke led from the front with a sparkling unbeaten century under pressure as Australia recovered from a precarious position to post a respectable 316 for seven on the opening day of the first Test against India on Friday.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

Clarke brought up his 23rd Test century off the second last ball of the day hitting left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja towards long-off to remain unbeaten on 103 on a day which saw an engrossing battle between the bat and the ball.

Clarke negated all the good work done by off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (6/88) who took all but one among seven wickets that fell on the day at the Chepauk.

Clarke was well-complemented by debutant Moises Henriques (68) as the pair added 147 runs for the sixth wicket after Ashwin's terrific post-lunch spell saw the visitors being reduced to 153 for five.

The Tamil Nadu offie finally broke the partnership by dismissing the impressive Henriques, trapping him leg-before much to the relief of his teammates.

Ashwin, who took his sixth five-wicket haul in Test matches ended with fantastic figures of six for 88 in 30 overs but should consider himself unlucky being robbed off Clarke's wicket due to the absence of Decision Review System (DRS).

The Australian captain was batting on 39 when he offered a simple bat-pad catch to Cheteshwar Pujara at forward short-leg but umpire Kumar Dharmasena turned down the vociferous appeal from the Indians.

The television replays clearly indicated that the ball had hit Clarke's bat before flying off to the close-in fielder. The rival skipper took advantage of the situation and did not look back as he took his team to a position of safety with other Indian bowlers looking pedestrian.

A lot was expected of Harbhajan Singh playing his 100th Test match but the experienced off-spinner went off the boil after the first few overs giving away 71 runs in 19 overs.

Debutant Bhuvneshwar Kumar's performance also left a lot to be desired. With a pace of about 130 kmph, he could hardly pose much problems for Clarke and Henriques.

It was a commendable show by Clarke and Henriques, who were positive to begin with and didn't look like getting bogged down by the bald turner that was on offer.

In all three sessions, the Australian batsmen maintained a decent run-rate despite losing wickets at regular intervals.

Opting the bat first, David Warner showed decisive footwork during the first couple of hours as he attacked the Indian spinners Harbhajan and Ashwin. Ed Cowan also looked confident although both the openers got a reprieve in the first hour.

Cowan charged down the track and Dhoni missed a stumping chance while Warner's catch was dropped by Virender Sehwag at the first slip. The bowler on both occasions was Ashwin.

However, the burly home boy had the last laugh against left-hander Cowan (29), who confidently charged down the track to loft Ashwin. The ball turned and bounced as Dhoni whipped the bails off in a flash.

Phil Hughes (6) didn't look comfortable at all during his brief stay and dragged a wide short delivery from Ashwin onto the stumps.

Warner however continued to attack as he completed his 50 off 77 balls with five fours in company of Shane Watson (28).

The duo put on 54 runs for the third wicket as Australia went into lunch at 126 for two.

The first hour in the post-lunch session turned out to be very productive for India as Ashwin dismissed Watson, Warner and Matthew Wade in quick succession as the visitors suffered a mid-innings collapse.

Both Watson and Warner were leg before trying to play deliveries that were skidding and were caught on the backfoot. Warner made 59 off 93 balls with the help of six fours.

But it was skipper Clarke, who responded to the crisis situation as he batted with a lot of authority. His footwork was assured and he decided to wait for the loose deliveries hitting as many as 11 fours and a six.

He drove well and also played the cut shot perfectly. The six off Ashwin over long-on was majestic as it brought up his half century. Clarke also completed 7000 Test runs on the day, when he reached a personal score of 11.

A lot of credit should also be given to Henriques, who showed maturity playing second fiddle to Clarke. He faced 132 deliveries and hit five boundaries in the process. He also ran well between the wickets and proved to be the ideal foil for someone like Clarke, who found the gaps with ease.

Any total in excess of 350 could prove to be challenging for the Indians as the ball is getting roughed up quickly on a bone dry surface.

With three potent quicks in the opposition ranks and two of them being exponents of reverse swing, the Indians will have to be at their best when they get a chance to bat on Saturday.

For the Indian bowlers, Ashwin's performance was the only silver lining as he bowled in excellent areas throughout the day. Had he got a bit of more support from the other end, India might have been able to dismiss Aussies for a far lesser score.

While Harbhajan was again guilty of bowling flat, Jadeja didn't have any variation in his bowling. The Saurashtra all-rounder did get a wicket in the end bowling Mitchell Starc through the gate but by then the visitors had reached a position of safety.

There was little cheer for the opening bowlers too as Bhuvneshwar and Ishant Sharma gave 94 runs in 22 overs bowled between them. Especially, it wasn't a pretty sight to find Dhoni standing upto the stumps to a new ball bowler in the fifth over of the day.

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3rd Test: SA 104/2 at lunch on Day 1

CENTURION: Pakistan gambled on an inexperienced pace bowling attack and were rewarded when they dismissed both South African opening batsmen early on the first day of the third and final Test at SuperSport Park on Friday.

Scorecard

That left South Africa on 104 for two as the sides took their first break of the day.

Rahat Ali and Ehsan Adil both claimed their first Test wickets. Rahat, playing in his second Test, dismissed Alviro Petersen leg before wicket for 10 and new cap Adil, 19, struck with his third ball in Test cricket when he had South African captain Graeme Smith caught at second slip for five.

Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis fought back with an unbroken stand of 66. Amla was on 50 not out, reaching his half-century off 76 balls in the last over before lunch, while Du Plessis was on 29.

With Mohammad Irfan playing in his second Test, the three Pakistan pace bowlers went into the match with two caps between them.

Junaid Khan, who was impressive in the first Test, had not recovered from a thigh injury while the experienced Umar Gul's five wickets in the first two Tests were at a cost of 46.80 runs each.

South Africa were without star all-rounder Jacques Kallis because of a calf strain suffered in an optional practice on Thursday.

He was replaced by fast-medium bowler Kyle Abbott, 25, who earned his first cap after being called into the squad as cover earlier in the week.

Abbott topped the wicket-takers in the domestic first-class competition, taking 49 wickets for the Dolphins at an average of 15.36.

South Africa, who clinched the series by winning the first two Tests, had one other injury-enforced change, with Rory Kleinveldt replacing fellow fast bowler Morne Morkel.

Pakistan made three changes, with Imran Farhat replacing opening batsman Nasir Jamshed, while Rahat and Adil came in for Umar Gul and Tanvir Ahmed.

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3rd Test: Amla shines but Pak take five

CENTURION: Hashim Amla hit a sparkling 92 but Pakistan took five South African wickets before tea on the first day of the third and final Test at SuperSport Park on Friday.

Scorecard

South Africa were 201 for five at tea.

Rahat Ali and Ehsan Adil, neither of whom had taken a wicket in Test cricket before, were responsible for all five dismissals.

The left-armed Rahat, playing in his second Test, took three for 57, while new cap Adil, 19, took two for 39.

Amla looked set for his 20th Test century before edging a drive against a wide delivery from Rahat to be caught behind by wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.

He struck 13 fours in a 128-ball innings and shared partnerships of 69 for the third wicket with Faf du Plessis (29) and 79 for the fourth wicket with AB de Villiers, who was unbeaten on 40 at tea.

With Mohammad Irfan playing in his second Test, the three Pakistan pace bowlers went into the match with two caps between them.

Junaid Khan, who was impressive in the first Test, had not recovered from a thigh injury while the experienced Umar Gul's five wickets in the first two Tests had come at a cost of 46.80 runs each.

Although they produced wicket-taking deliveries, both Rahat and Adil were inconsistent and sent down enough loose deliveries for South Africa to maintain a scoring rate of close to four runs an over.

South Africa were without star all-rounder Jacques Kallis because of a calf strain suffered in an optional practice on Thursday.

He was replaced by fast-medium bowler Kyle Abbott, 25, who earned his first cap after being called into the squad as cover earlier in the week.

Abbott topped the wicket-takers in the domestic first-class competition, taking 49 wickets for the Dolphins at an average of 15.36.

South Africa, who have already clinched the series by winning the first two Tests, had one other injury-enforced change, with Rory Kleinveldt replacing fellow fast bowler Morne Morkel.

Pakistan made three changes, with Imran Farhat replacing opening batsman Nasir Jamshed, while Rahat and Adil came in for Umar Gul and Tanvir Ahmed.

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Playing with Michael helped me: Moises

CHENNAI: Australia's Moises Henriques on Friday said that his skipper Michael Clarke's presence in the middle had a calming influence on the debutant, who signalled his arrival on the big stage with a crucial half-century on the opening day of the first Test against India.

Henriques, who made 68 off 132 balls, was involved in a 151-run stand for the sixth wicket, which lifted Australia from 153 for five to 316 for seven by the end of day's play at the M A Chidambaram Stadium.

"The way Michael plays spin is different. He makes it easy down the wicket. I do not try and play as Michael does against spin. Playing with him helped me to be not nervous and I played calmly," Henriques told reporters.

It was a hard grind for the 26-year-old all-rounder, especially with six-wicket man Ravichandran Ashwin getting the ball to turn and bounce.

"I think Ashen gets motivated to spin all the balls where he gets more bounce. It is quite hard to get out smothering his deliveries. He does not bowl many bad balls either.

"He is a disciplined bowler. He changed his pace up well and he hits same length all the time. It is very hard to score off him," Henriques said.

He felt that the loose soil could play some tricks on the fourth and fifth day.

"General wear and tear of energy obviously saps you out in the sun. I do not think there was sort of wearing any less or anything like that but the foot marks in the loose ground out there looked like a three-day wicket.

"Obviously the loose soil out there is going to play some tricks on the fourth and fifth days."

The Aussie said that first hour on Saturday will be very crucial.

"The first hour is very important for us. At this stage, the game is very balanced. Michael is in amazing form and hope he gets his two hundred."

Henriques said that the Indians did not bowl too many loose balls.

"It was tougher. It gets easier a bit after you face about 30 balls. It did not become easier because they just were disciplined in what they were trying to do. They were not giving too many bad balls. It is certainly hard grind out there but I enjoyed very much these games.

"As a batter I just had to keep grinding away. It is a hard ground and the spinners were rather disciplined."

Asked if India not fielding a specialist left-arm spinner was an advantage to Australia, he said, "I think it is obviously... because we have a lot of left-handers in our batting order. They played with two off spinners, there were lots of balls hitting stumps. Obviously, for right handers, if you miss anything you are going to be close to LBW."

Henriques said that he would have loved to finish the day undefeated.

"In this game it was our turn and we have to make it count. Unfortunately, I really missed out on the chance to finish the day and we could have added another 30 runs or so. But let me say that the game is balanced and it is going to be a big hour the first thing tomorrow."

Asked if he could have been sent lower down the order, " he said, "Obviously some guys got out. I would not say I was satisfied. To be honest, once you get out there, you just want to keep scoring more runs. I would have been satisfied if I had remained unbeaten.

As for the pace bowlers, he said, "I think they got the ball to move around a little bit and swing. We had a couple of set batsmen who can be there and play well against reverse swing as well.

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Harbhajan Singh to play his 100th Test

CHENNAI: Set to complete a century of Test appearances, veteran Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Thursday said he is a "bit nervous" going into the first Test against Australia starting on Friday.

With 408 wickets from 99 Tests at an average of 32.27 and a strike-rate of 68.1, Harbhajan has been one of India's most prolific bowlers even though he has been enduring a tough phase for some time.

The off-spinner will become only the 10th Indian cricketer to achieve the milestone after it was confirmed that he will be in the playing eleven for the series opener.

"It's a big game," Harbhajan, who interestingly found fame after wrecking the same team in the famous 2001 series, said at the pre-match press conference.

"(The previous) 99 are gone. Obviously a bit nervous but I am sure I will be fine. I have faced these situations before," the 32-year-old spinner added.

Talking about the milestone, Harbhajan said the next target would be to add another 50 Tests to his CV.

"I have gone through times when I was not doing well or when I was doing well and got too excited. These things happen. Bit nervous to start with, but I will be fine.

"Once I get away with 100, we will see what needs to be done to play another 50-odd. Probably I will have to work even harder," he said.

Reflecting on a career which has had its share of highs and lows, Harbhajan said he has learnt never to give up through the journey.

"It's been a journey with lots of ups and downs. No one can always be at the top and no one will be always down... You will have ups and down, like normal guys, doing routine things," Harbhajan said.

"What I've learnt from great players is to never give up. These guys have done so well for India, made themselves great cricketers and ambassadors for the game. They had one thing in common - never give up. That made this team successful. They showed us how to work hard.

"They made us believe we can win anywhere, from any situation. I'm very lucky, very proud that I've played with all these greats like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid...I repeat their names because without their support I wouldn't have achieved this," he added.

Asked how he kept himself motivated during the tough times, especially after being dropped from the team, Harbhajan said the desire to be a part of the squad kept him going.

"Playing for India itself is a big motivation. When you're not playing, that's what motivates you...that I should be there playing for India, I should work hard for the team and get there.

"It comes to individuals, if you want to work hard at that stage, or you want to just sit back and say I've played...it's fine whether I get picked up for India or not. But I want to play for India and that's the only thing I wanted," he said.

"I really worked hard whatever time I was out. I wanted to come back and do well for the team. If you're willing to work hard, God will help you. I've always believed. I was trying to stick to this - work hard, have faith in God, and you'll get the chances, opportunities," he added.

Some of his most significant milestones have come against Australia but Harbhajan said he doesn't quite understand the connection with the team from Down Under.

"I don't know if I have a special connection with Australia, but it's nice to see your name alongside with greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunny Gavaskar, and all the greats who have played for India in 100 Test matches," Harbhajan said.

"It's a big moment. I remember playing my first game under (Mohd) Azharuddin's captaincy. It was in Bangalore, I was 17 and I had no clue about what was going to happen. I was just a little kid in the park, I was star struck by looking at these players. I was playing alongside Tendulkar, (Javagal) Srinath, (Anil) Kumble... These were my heroes. It was a great moment.

Harbhajan said he never thought he would play this long for India.

"...I never thought I'd play for India for this long and play 100 Test matches. God had been really kind. I would like to thank the Almighty for giving me this opportunity. And of course a big thanks to my teammates and great seniors like Tendulkar, Kumble, Srinath, Rahul Dravid, Laxman.

"These guys have been fantastic. I don't know if I'd have achieved this without their support. I thank each and every one who stood by me and supported me. I'm just going to go out and enjoy this big match tomorrow and hopefully I'll do well," he said.

When queried about the 2001 series against Australia in which he took 32 wickets, Harbhajan said that feat is behind him now.

"That was a long way back, I can't keep on thinking about that again and again hoping I'll repeat that. That kind of a series happens once in a lifetime, when everything clicks," he said.

"All I can say is that I'll put in more effort than I put in then, and hope for the results me and the team wants. Whether it's 32 wickets or 23 wickets, I'll look to the bowl well for the team, and the results will follow."

He has been relegated from the spin spearhead's role to being the third choice at times, but Harbhajan doesn't mind the transition.

"At the end of the day, you're doing things for the team, whether you're No. 3 spinner or the No. 2 spinner. I don't mind playing as the No. 4 as long as I get to do the job for the team," Harbhajan said.

"At the end of the day, 11 people walk in to do the job for the team. It doesn't matter whether you're No. 3 or No. 4 or No. 6, or whatever number," he explained.

On the most cherished moment of his career, Harbhajan recalled,"...against Australia in 2001, and the second moment when we became the No. 1 side in the world. That was very satisfying."

Dubbed feisty for his aggression, Harbhajan said he has become mature with age.

"I've definitely grown up, I was 17 and a half then, now I'm 32. I've mellowed down, with time you learn a few things. I've made a few mistakes earlier in my career, due to my extra aggression. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. But with time, I've learnt a lot. I look forward to being a better person," he said.

Harbhajan said combining with the legendary Anil Kumble was one of the best learning experiences for him.

"Obviously it was great to have Anil Kumble on the other side, a guy like him who's got such experience with him. One thing I've always cherished, when he was playing, he was one guy who would never give up.

"If he was bowling at the other end, 30th over, he's bowling with the same intensity. I used to think, why can't I do this? That's what pushed me. It was a little difficult without him. Of course new guys have come, they've done well. It take long time to fill his shoes, but the new guys have done well in whatever cricket they've played," he said.

Queried about the form slump of the team, Harbhajan said amends can be made for the debacles of the past few months if the team clicks in unison. He also defended his prediction of a 4-0 win for India in the series starting on Friday.

"...if we stick too our basics, it is very hard to beat us in India though we didn't win in our last series against England and didn't play to our potential. We have been the No. 1 team in the world, that doesn't come like a dream. We've worked hard," Harbhajan said.

"These are the same guys who've taken the team to that position. Why I said we could beat them 4-0 is that if we don't believe, who will? I believe that we can do it, then we work towards it. You've got to believe in yourself to make things happen, you work towards it," he said.

Criticised quite often despite over 400 Test wickets in his kitty, Harbhajan said he does not get too affected by it.

"How do I handle, I just keep quiet. Everyone has got their opinion, but unfortunately or fortunately people who have not played to that level, if they say things like I'm not good enough to play for India, it doesn't matter," he said.

"What matters is what my teammates think of me. Those guys are going to be with you, that's what matters. Everyone has got opinions, even I've got my opinion about others, it's not that I'm right all time. You've got to live with it," he added.

Despite the relative inexperience of the visiting Australian team, Harbhajan said the Indians cannot afford to take it lightly.

"Earlier (Australian) teams, when they've come to India, I can see in their batting line up, up to No. 11, all of them were match-winners, experienced players.

"In this team, most of them have played in the IPL, but not in the longer format. The Australians come hard at you, whatever team they might have come with. You've got be there and focus on your job, rather than thinking if they're coming here for the first time," he said.

"The Australian team is always a good team to play against. I'm sure it'll be a good series," he added.

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Pak will resist making changes: Misbah

JOHANNESBURG: Pakistan will resist the urge to experiment with their side in the final Test against South Africa at Centurion starting on Friday, captain Misbah-ul-Haq said.

The Proteas have already clinched the three-match series after winning the first two Tests in Johannesburg and Cape Town but Pakistan will not use the opportunity of the dead-rubber third match to give others in the squad a game.

"I think we need to play our best side; every game is important at Test level ," Misbah told reporters. "We still have to have our selection meeting but I don't think too much will change (from Cape Town)."

Misbah said the team were still not sure whether seamer Junaid Khan, who missed the second Test with a thigh injury, would be fit to return.

The addition of Khan, probably in place of Tanvir Ahmed, would be welcome on a Centurion pitch that looks to have plenty of pace and bounce. Misbah agreed with Proteas coach Gary Kirsten that South African pitches were the hardest to bat on in world cricket.

"From my own experience I would have to agree with that," Misbah said. "South African pitches have more pace and bounce, while in the rest of the world the wickets are getting slower. Even in Australia you don't get the same bounce."

South Africa won the first Test at the Wanderers by 211 runs, following that up with a four-wicket victory at Newlands.

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Bhajji would be 'very hard' to face: Clarke

CHENNAI: Australia captain Michael Clarke admitted that off-spinner Harbhajan Singh would be the toughest customer to face among Indian bowlers when the two teams lock horns in the first Test of the four-match series starting Friday.

Clarke also congratulated Harbhajan who is set to complete a century of Test appearances on Friday.

"Firstly I think that is great for Harbhajan (playing in his 100th Test). On behalf of the Australian team, we congratulate him. It's a very special achievement. He is going to be very hard to face among all the Indian bowlers but we have our plans to win this Test," Clarke told reporters at the pre-match post conference.

Lavishing praise on Harbhajan, Clarke said he has always shared a good relationship with the veteran off-spinner on and off the field.

"He has been a wonderful player. I always had a very good relationship with Harbhajan. I have faced challenges on the field as he is a very good bowler. He has played Test matches against the best players and I am sure that this Test is not going to be different," he added.

With 408 wickets from 99 Tests at an average of 32.27 and a strike-rate of 68.1, Harbhajan has been one of India's most prolific bowlers even though he has been going through a tough phase for quite sometime now.

Harbhajan, interestingly, found fame after single-handedly demolishing the Australians in the famous 2001 series, picking up 32 wickets from three Tests.

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Ponting to lead Mumbai Indians in IPL 6

MUMBAI: Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting will replace Harbhajan Singh as captain of the Mumbai Indians for the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League, starting April 3.

Ponting, who retired from international cricket late last year, was bought by Mumbai Indians at a base price of $400,000 during the IPL players' auction held in Chennai earlier this month.

Mumbai Indians said in a statement that decision to name Ponting as the skipper for the forthcoming season was taken after consultation with its newly-appointed chief mentor Anil Kumble, head coach John Wright and icon player Tendulkar.

"Ricky has a lot of experience to lead a competitive and a high-profile side like Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Sachin readily agreed to my suggestion that Mumbai Indians is best served when he leads the batting unburdened by the rigours of captaincy. It was our idea (Sachin and mine) to bring in Ricky as the captain of the Mumbai Indians," Kumble said in the statement.

On his new role in the Mumbai Indians team, Ponting said: "It's a huge honour and I thank Mrs Ambani and the Mumbai Indians management for the faith they have reposed in my abilities.

"Mumbai Indians has the potent combination of Indian and international cricketers and I look forward to leading the team to play to its full potential."

Mumbai Indians owner Nita Ambani added: "On behalf of the Mumbai Indians family, I welcome Ricky Ponting to the team as the leader of the side. Today we have world's two biggest cricketing greats in Sachin and Ricky, and I am sure the duo will be an inspiration for the youngsters in the team.

"Sachin will always be an integral and important part of Mumbai Indians' leadership. Ricky will bring in fresh perspective in the team leadership and will have the support of the best cricketing minds like Sachin, Anil and John Wright," she added.

Mumbai Indians will start their IPL 2013 campaign on April 4 in Bangalore.

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Virat Kohli to captain Royal Challengers

BANGALORE: IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday appointed Virat Kohli as their captain for the upcoming sixth edition of Indian Premier League.

Kohli succeeds former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, who was at the helm during last season.

Kohli's appointment follows a productive IPL 6 auction in which RCB strengthened their bowling line-up significantly and added capable all-rounders to increase the amount of flexibility in the selection of the playing squad.

"We are delighted to announce Virat as our captain. His hunger to learn, lead, motivate and set an example is unquestionable," team owner Vijay Mallya was quoted as saying in a press release.

Virat is the 11th highest run-scorer in overall IPL history with 1639 runs and a strike rate of 119.28.

He has scored eight half centuries and is also the 3rd highest run scorer in Champions League T20 history.

"Glad to be appointed captain of RCB. I thank the owners for reposing their faith and I am looking forward to the challenge and the responsibility to carry the team to greater heights," Kohli stated.

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Looking forward to first Test: Henriques

CHENNAI: Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques on Wednesday expressed amazement at being named in the playing XI for the first Test against India and said he was looking forward to make it count in his maiden appearance in the five-day format.

"It's an amazing feeling. I can't say how much I'm looking forward to the opportunity," Henriques said.

"It has happened very quickly. It wasn't really in my list of goals at the start of this first-class season," the 26-year-old added.

Henriques was chosen ahead of another uncapped all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.

He said that he was informed about his selection last night.

"Mickey (coach/selector Mickey Arthur) came into my room last night and passed me the news."

Henriques said he was delighted to have joined the likes of legends like "Allan Border and the Waugh Brothers" who seem to have played an influential role in his career.

"I never thought it (Test cricket) had passed me by. I always felt that once I could stay on the park for long enough, the rest would take care of itself.

Asked if Arthur gave him any advice, Henriques said, "He told me to just keep doing what I have been doing, not to change anything. The conditions will be different here but I will be doing my very best to execute (my plans)."

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