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John Wright has called on the Indian team to show more intensity in the field when they take on Bangladesh in their first match of the second stage of the Asia Cup on Wednesday. India lost to Sri Lanka on Sunday by 12 runs, but made it to the next stage by virtue of being second in the group.”We had a wake-up call the other night,” Wright said, talking about India’s display against Sri Lanka. “I thought it was a very disappointing performance. There was no urgency or intensity, which is always disappointing when you are trying to move on as a side. You can accept wins and losses but I was not happy with the intensity and we have talked about that.”While Wright expressed his disappointment, he also hastened to add that India had come out of such situations before. “If you go back to the World Cup we had a big loss against Australia and we turned that situation around. We got a big fright against Pakistan A [on the tour to Pakistan earlier this year] where they clouted us all over the field. So it was an important wake-up call.”What’s important for us this week is that each team at this stage is going in on a equal footing. We are in exactly the same position as Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Unless, of course, we get to an equal-points situation in which case that defeat will cost us. But we don’t want to get into that situation. I expect a very hungry performance tomorrow.”Wright also suggested that Rahul Dravid would keep wicket again, after playing as a specialist batsman against Sri Lanka. “I anticipate that Rahul can continue with his keeping for the rest of this tournament. That has proven to be our strongest line-up. Parthiv got his chance the other night because of Laxman’s injury but we will be going back to Dravid unless there are any fitness issues.”Talking about the option of playing two spinners, Wright said: “That is a possibility but we will assess that on the morning of the match. I think you will find that in the 12 there will be two spinners. We will have a look on the morning of the match and go from there.” With Zaheer Khan ruled out of Wednesday’s match due to a leg injury, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra will battle it out for the fourth bowler’s spot.

Bob Woolmer has already worked some minor miracles in his short stint as Pakistan’s coach, but he is well aware that something special will be required on the final day at Faisalabad, if Pakistan are to avoid slumping to defeat against Sri Lanka, Woolmer’s first home Test at the helm.Sanath Jayasuriya set Pakistan up for the fall with a rollicking 253, before Dilhara Fernando completed a deflating day with a four-wicket burst before the close of the fourth day. The upshot was that Pakistan needed a further 314 for victory, with six wickets standing. “It’s going to be tough work to save the game," admitted Woolmer, "but we will have a go.”We’ve had enough bad sessions to be on the wrong side of this game," he added. "Our batting was disappointing in the first innings to say the least.” Pakistan had a golden opportunity to take command of the match after Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami dismissed Sri Lanka for 243, but they could muster no more than 264 in reply.”We are looking for players to bat for two days in Test matches just like Jayasuriya did," added Woolmer, although he admitted that Pakistan’s recent schedule had not been in their favour. The team has had a glut of one-day matches since the series against India back in April, and there have been no domestic four-day games in the meantime.”I would like to see more Test matches," he continued, "so you are not always just playing 15 one-day internationals. Surely there should be three or four Test matches and then five one-day internationals so that players can alternate better."The Sri Lankan camp was a much happier place, and Jayasuriya was beaming after carrying his side into a winning position. “I have never thought about individual landmarks," he said, "but getting such a score obviously is very pleasing. I hope my innings helps us win this Test match because all of us want to show everyone that Sri Lanka is a team capable of winning abroad.”It is always important for me when I get runs outside Sri Lanka but I am satisfied today because I scored runs when my team needed it the most.”

Ricky Ponting and Stephen Fleming have both requested the International Cricket Council to explain the 15-degree rule for bowlers, saying that the players themselves are in the dark about the procedures and methods employed to decide whether a delivery is legal or not.Tim May, chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, was on the nine-member panel that recommended the change in the laws, and he talked to both Ponting and Fleming regarding the proposed amendment.Ponting was quoted in as saying: “It was good to hear it come from Tim yesterday and his views on it all. But we still need to know a bit more about it, we need to see it in action and see it in place.”According to tests done by biomechanics experts, 99% of bowlers extended their arms to some extent, and even those with actions considered to be in the classical mould were found to straighten their arm more than 10 degrees.”It shouldn’t be secretive,” said Fleming, expressing his views about the study. “What we have to be careful of is the knee-jerk reactions when a statement comes out, and we get this emotive type of reporting that starts throwing players’ names up without basis.”Fleming told the paper that he would welcome more information on the subject, with the current picture being pretty vague. “The one thing we are happy about is there is some movement,” he added. “For too long [chucking] was the ugly sister that wasn’t being talked about but now it’s out in the open and there’s some positive steps being put in place.”

Talks between the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Players Association revealed a “fundamental difference” over the issue of sponsorships and endorsements, according to a statement issued by the Board.A 14-hour meeting in Port-of-Spain ended in stalemate with the stumbling block appearing to be how sponsorship relates to the board and its major sponsors on the one hand and players’ endorsements on the other. This deadlock means that contracts for the forthcoming one-day VB Series in Australia remain unsigned.The main disagreement involves as many as ten senior players, including Brian Lara. The players are not paid a retainer and a fair proportion of their income comes from advertising. If they sign the contract, they risk losing their image rights to the West Indies Cricket Board, which recently signed an exclusive sponsor’s contract with Digicel, a regional mobile-phone provider.”Some of the conditions stipulated by the board have nothing to do with cricket but represent an attempt to exploit the players for commercial purposes,” said Dinanath Ramnarine, the players’ association president and chief executive. The meeting was not unproductive, as agreement was reached on six clauses, but Ramnarine ended up by advising his players not to sign the contract.Some have already signed and returned the contract, and the board remains confident that the issue will be settled before the squad is scheduled to assemble in Barbados on November 29.

Martin Snedden, the head of New Zealand Cricket, has suggested that India might be asked to visit New Zealand for a one-day series in January – a move prompted by Sri Lanka’s tour cancellation. India are currently on a break for nearly two months: this availability, as well as their commercial pull, makes them an attractive replacement.When asked about the possibility of India touring, Snedden told the NZ Press Association, “I haven’t had a chance to look closely at it but we’ll have to do some work … it’s a possible option but I don’t know whether it’s workable or not.”But it is unlikely that India will tour. Pakistan are scheduled to arrive in February, and besides denying that they had not received any request from the New Zealand board, India board officials said that there wasn’t enough time to tour any other country before then.Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the president of the BCCI, said to , “It’s a fact that we don’t have much time as Pakistan are due to arrive here in February.”

The former West Indies Test allrounder Bernard Julien is battling throat cancer, according to a report in the Trinidad Express newspaper.Julien, 54, was diagnosed almost a year ago. He had been working as a government coach in Trinidad & Tobago, but had to stop because of persistent coughing and a lump in his throat.He is determined to beat the disease, and doctors have apparently given him a 90% chance of doing so, provided he takes his medication and stops drinking and smoking. “I want to live. It is life you are talking about,” he was quoted as saying. “I want to beat this thing. I am not giving up.”Julien, who played for Kent as well as T&T, was a lively left-arm fast bowler and an attacking right-hand batsman. He took 50 wickets in 24 Tests, and also scored 866 runs, with two centuries – the first of them a memorable 121, as Garry Sobers stroked 150, in the Lord’s Test of 1973. Julien was also a member of the West Indian side that won the first World Cup, in 1975.

Graeme Smith, the South African captain, has marked out Steve Harmison as one of England’s weak links in the forthcoming Ashes. In an interview to the newspaper of England he said, “I said before the series began that he [Harmison] is a big confidence bowler, and because of that we certainly targeted him, as I’m sure Australia will do.”Smith went on to add that Harmison, for all his improvement in recent times, was not all that different from the man he faced about two years ago when England and South Africa last met. “He didn’t start well and his confidence levels dropped as the series went on,” he said. “It looked to me like he was trying to find something that was missing all the way through. He never really found it. We felt he was pretty much the same bowler we faced two years ago.”But it was not all negative in Smith’s report card. “The one thing that did impress me about England on this tour was their resilience,” he conceded. “We’ve often heard stories in the past about batting collapses, and that if you get on top of England they are the type of team to fold. We didn’t get that feeling this time, so that is obviously something that has come with winning and with keeping a settled team. We often had them at about 260 for six but we could never quite close the deal. They are a tough team to beat now.”In the end, though, the outlook for England in the Ashes was not particularly bright. “I don’t believe you can play conservatively against the Australians and win. You have to take a few risks,” said Smith. “I think England’s bowling will be OK and the series will boil down to two areas: how the batsmen cope with Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and whether England can stay with Australia at the start of the series. If they don’t do either, they’ve got no chance.”

Australia 432 and 135 for 1 (Langer 72*) beat
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Shane Warne led a sensational bowling performance that demolished New Zealand for a miserable 131 and Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting made sure there were no fourth-innings jitters as Australia took a 1-0 lead. After three days only 10 runs split the teams in a gripping, swinging opening to the three matches, but Australia quickly swung the momentum and recorded a demoralising nine-wicket win.New Zealand also troubled Australia at Brisbane in November before crashing disastrously and their horrible third-innings blues were again on show. The Australia fast bowlers roared back to life as their opponents gave up the advantage won over the first seven sessions and lost with a day to spare. The recovery from this disaster will take longer than the four days before the second Test starting at Wellington on Friday.Warne continued the momentum surge provided by Adam Gilchrist and Simon Katich on Saturday by taking five wickets to move past 1000 first-class victims. Australia’s at-the-stumps attack collected a world-record equalling seven lbw decisions and the four bowlers hunted together as they finally exerted their influence over a side that caused them serious danger in a first-innings 433.Varying his bowling over and around the wicket, Warne took 5 for 39 from 14 overs that hypnotised the shot-scared batsmen. Hamish Marshall was the most composed following his first-innings 146, but he was again outclassed as he tried to pad the ball away. Bowled through his legs in the first innings, he was cleaned up around them today and became Warne’s No. 1000. Australia’s last man to reach the mark was Graham McKenzie.The worst dismissal came from Craig McMillan, whose feet were so unsure where to move his shoelaces must have been tangled. Warne needed one over to turn him into a defensive knot as he let two full tosses outside leg stump hit his foot on the full, and then popped a defensive prod to Simon Katich at short-leg. Three lbw decisions – Daniel Vettori’s was slightly doubtful – completed his 29th Test five-wicket haul and highlighted a disturbing batting trend.While Australia’s trouble traditionally comes from chasing small fourth-innings totals – they had no none today – New Zealand’s difficulty since December 2003 has been batting in the third. Failure to set a significant target hampered their chances of victory with 76 at Brisbane, when they lost by an innings and 156 runs, and 161 and 218 as England beat them in the second and third Tests last winter. In two matches against Pakistan in 2003-04 they registered 96 for 8 and 103 in the 1-0 series loss. The disease struck violently when a total of 250 on a spinning pitch could have been a match-winner.”The batsmen let us down,” Fleming said. “It was a bad batting performance and the top order needed to come through. There were stops and starts, but nothing of substance. We’ve succumbed again on the fourth day of a Test.”Australia’s one chasing wobble came when Vettori removed Matthew Hayden with the last ball before tea and they went to the break at 25 for 1. Langer drove powerfully on his way to a half-century and with Ponting’s 47 ensured a smooth and hasty passage to safety. It was a satisfying end to a day belonging to the bowlers. “It’s a very big win that, after day one and early day two, to fight back and win so comprehensively,” Ponting said. “Shane and the rest of the bowlers bowled beautifully.”Jason Gillespie, who was ineffective on days one and two, was snubbed for the opening overs in favour of Michael Kasprowicz, but when he got the ball his menace returned and two wickets dropped the home side to 34 for 3. The first victim was Craig Cumming and it brought huge cheers from the Australia huddle as his teammates understood the bursting pressure from the 12th man Brett Lee.Increasing his pace to the 140kph range, Gillespie’s inswing forced both Cumming and Lou Vincent to play the wrong line. He returned after lunch to win a slightly doubtful decision to a similar ball to Brendon McCullum, and the lift in energy arrived in time to save his spot for the next Test.Stephen Fleming was lucky not to fall lbw to the first ball of the day from Glenn McGrath, who won his third lbw shout when Fleming squeezed across the crease and left without the big innings he and his team so desperately required. Another game had slipped from his secure grasp after two brilliant rearguard hundreds and more bamboozling from Warne on his way to another envious record.How they were out
New Zealand Fleming lbw b McGrath 17 (20 for 1)
Fell across his stumps trying to flick an outswinger that hit in line with leg stump and was moving slightly down legside. Cumming lbw b Gillespie 7 (30 for 2)
Stepped forward and played straight to a ball that angled in and was going to hit. Vincent lbw b Gillespie 4 (34 for 3)
Attempted to defend and was caught in front a long way forward to a late inswinger heading for middle.Astle b Kasprowicz 21 (71 for 4)
Off-cutter forced an inside edge from Astle, who was trying to leave, and the ball knocked over leg stump.McMillan c Katich b Warne 5 (78 for 5)
Confused over his defensive method, McMillan blocked from outside his stumps to short-leg.Marshall b Warne 22 (87 for 6)
Wanted to pad up to Warne bowling around the wicket and outside leg stump, but his bent leg didn’t straighten in time.McCullum lbw Gillespie 24 (121 for 7)
Another tricky inswinger that thudded into the pad, but was sneaking down the legside.Vettori lbw Warne 23 (127 for 8)
Sweeping Warne as he bowled over the wicket, he became the fifth lbw of the innings when the legspinner pitched on off stump and turned.O’Brien lbw Warne 0 (131 for 9)
Went half-forward to a straightening delivery.Martin lbw Warne 0 (131)
Full ball drifting in slightly hit Martin on the front foot.AustraliaHayden c Cumming b Vettori 15 (25 for 1)
Forced back to a high bouncing ball that brushed his glove and ballooned to short-leg.

Scorecard

This firecracker of a Test match, nominally the first game of the Asian Test Championship but in spirit the decider of the drawn two-match series just played between the two teams, reached so many points of crescendo over five days as to leave its audiences marveling about it even after months.After electing to bat on the first morning, Pakistan were reduced inside nine overs to a ridiculous 26 for 6 by Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, and looked in danger of being all-out so quickly as to allow India to bat and take the lead before lunch.But now Moin Khan, a wicketkeeper who always seemed to reserve his best batting for moments of crisis such as this, appeared, and somehow managed to see off the quicks. Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, the spin bowlers who followed, did not pose the same threat on a first-day pitch, and eventually Pakistan aggregated 185 before being bowled out. Moin’s distinctive game, structured around little flicks and dabs, swats to leg, and frenetic running between the wickets, brought him 70.The next day Sadagoppan Ramesh, enjoying a dream start to his career, raced to nonchalant 79, and at 147 for 2 India were in charge of all the control buttons. Then the air of calm and order was once again shattered: two veritable cannonballs from Shoaib Akhtar, charging in off a thrilling 30-yard run-up and straining every sinew, disposed of first the well-entrenched Rahul Dravid and then the just-arrived Sachin Tendulkar for an ignominous duck. It was Tendulkar’s first golden duck in Tests; stunned, the Eden Gardens fell silent. This double blow proved too much for India, who fell away for 223.The match was still only into the second day, and before close of play there was to be yet more drama. Srinath, steaming in again and slanting the ball away from the left-hander as always, took Saeed Anwar’s edge, but Mohammad Azharuddin at second slip spilled the catch.The next day belonged almost entirely to two men, one from either side. Running in tirelessly for over after over, Srinath finished with Test-best figures of 8 for 85 from 27 overs, pulling back Pakistan from a comfortable 262 for 3 to 316. For Pakistan, Anwar made full use of his `life’ the previous day and carried his bat for a punishing188 – also a career-best – full of flaying cuts and majestic drives on the up.This left India with a target of 279, far more than they would have imagined an hour into the first morning of the match. And indeed it was Pakistan, who had set India a target of similar size in the first Test at Chennai and won the game, who looed now as if they held the upper hand.The next day, Ramesh and VVS Laxman put on a century-stand for the first wicket, before Saqlain Mushtaq, the most influential bowler of the first two Tests, removed both batsmen.Even so, the game was again in the balance at 145 for 2 when Shoaib again swung it his team’s way, albeit unwittingly. Tendulkar had made a confident beginning, and looked to add a comfortable three to his score when he flicked his 13th ball, bowled by Shoaib, into a legside gap. But, turning to take the third run, he seemed not to see the bowler standing in his path until it was too late, and by the time he had extricated himself from the tangle he had been beaten by substitute Nadeem Khan’s throw from the boundary. It was probably the most important contribution made by Nadeem, Moin’s younger brother and a purveyor of innocuous left-arm spin, in his career.Enraged by the manner of Tendulkar’s dismissal, the crowd erupted and pelted the Pakistani fielders with various objects, and play had to be halted for over an over, during which Tendulkar himself emerged to placate the crowds. When play resumed, Shoaib was again in his element, and it always looked as if Pakistan’s strong bowling line-up would defend the target successfully. Shoaib finished with his second four-wicket haul of the match as Pakistan put the seal on a remarkable turnaround and triumphed by 46 runs.

Jermaine Lawson, Jerome Taylor and Marlon Samuels have been named in the 13-man Jamaica squad to play against South Africa in a one-day practice match ahead of the five-match one-day series beginning on May 7.Lawson, whose career has been frequently hampered by injury, last played a Test in August 2004 against England. Taylor, who was named in the Test squad earlier, recovered from a back injury. Taylor and Lawson will be joined by Donovan Pagon, Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh and Xavier Marshall.West Indies have lost the Test series, with the fourth, and final, Test starting today in Antigua. This will be followed by a practice match on May 5 in Jamaica.Squad
Marlon Samuels, Carlton Baugh (wk), Donovan Pagon, Xavier Marshall, Jermaine Lawson, Jerome Taylor, Bevon Brown, Odean Brown, Tyson Gordon, Gary Graham, Alanzo Harris, Nicarlo McFarlane, Jowayne Robinson.