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Rahul Dravid and Brian Lara wore distinctly different expressions at the end of India’s 3-1 series win at Baroda. Lara, usually eloquent and warm, seemed hurried and just about ready to leave as soon as he arrived. Dravid, normally cagey and defensive, was relaxed and cracking jokes. But both sang from the same hymn sheet when asked about Sachin Tendulkar’s innings.”We were not unduly worried about Sachin. Maybe everyone else can stop worrying now so we can have a bit of peace around. But what will we discuss then?” said Dravid, eliciting laughter from the press corps. “It was a great innings. Sachin showed why he is a great player, why he can play in different conditions, why he can adapt. Not many people in the world can do this. If you have players who can do this sort of thing, you’re going to win a lot of games, no doubt about it. Sachin’s innings was truly special and one of the best I’ve seen from him.” Lara was no different. “Another very good innings. We all know what he’s capable of. I am not surprised, maybe you are,” he said. “He’s capable of producing innings like that every now and then.”But from there on, there was little similarity in what the two captains had to say. Lara acknowledged that his team had been comprehensively outplayed on the day. “It was complete domination but I wouldn’t say it was a lack of fight from West Indies,” he said. “I thought the Indians just played much better. They deserve the win. Their performance was outstanding with the bat and in the field as well.”Lara also stood by his decision to put India in, explaining it by saying, “There was nothing wrong with the decision to field. It was the same decision as the one in Madras [Chennai]. There was nothing very different about this pitch. We gave away too many runs and when it was our turn lost too many wickets. India batted pretty well and things didn’t work out for us in the first half. After they had a good foundation the likes of Dhoni and Tendulkar could accelerate in the end. We started poorly and didn’t put the ball in the right areas. Uthappa got India off to a flier, scoring at 6-7 an over and this meant that there was no pressure on the guys who came after.”Dravid was just happy with the way the series had ended. “It’s a really good way to win the series. It was a must-win game for us, to win the series,” he said. “We were under a bit of pressure. That’s good. We’re going to play some pressure games that are must-win in the future. To come out and put in a performance like this was a tribute to the whole squad.”

When asked if any players would be rested in the forthcoming matches against Sri Lanka, Dravid said, “Now we’re coming to a stage where we have to pick our squad and play our best fifteen with an eye to the World Cup. Who plays in specific games depends on the conditions.”Before the start of this match there was plenty of interest in how Irfan Pathan would fare in his comeback. Seven overs for 43 runs was not exactly ideal, but Dravid was comfortable with the start that had been made. “I thought Pathan bowled quite well. He bowled in some good areas,” said Dravid. “When he pitched it right he created a few problems for the batsmen. He has to get some more international bowling under his belt before we can make any judgments but the start was a good one.”Dravid was also happy with the way Yuvraj Singh was finding his feet on return from injury, and the manner in which he fielded. “He was exceptional, wasn’t he? That’s exactly what we wanted to see,” said Dravid. “One of the goals in playing Yuvraj – who feels fit and fine – was to see this. What he needed was the confidence in a match to do the things he knows he can do and has done in the past. Under pressure of a game when a catch is there your instincts take over. He was brilliant.”

Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan have been left out of Sri Lanka’s 15-man squad for the upcoming ODI series in the West Indies.The 37-year-old Jayasuriya retired from Tests last December, and wished to concentrate on his ODI career. However, he hasn’t had a great run since the World Cup, with only 305 runs in 20 innings, and there was speculation that he would be dropped from the side, especially after his poor performance in the CB Series, where Sri Lanka finished third behind India and Australia.Murali, the leading Test wicket-taker, also didn’t have a great time in Australia, but it is believed that he will be feature only in key ODI tournaments from now on. Murali will play in the two Tests preceding the ODI series in which he will be replaced by offspinner Ajantha Mendis, who with 54 wickets, is the leading wicket-taker in the Premier League Tournament, Sri Lanka’s domestic first-class competition. Mahela Udawatte, the 23-year-old hard-hitting opener, replaces Jayasuriya. Udawatte has been touted as a successor to Jayasuriya.”He [Jayasuriya] did not perform well in Australia,” Ashantha de Mel, Sri Lanka’s chief selector, told . “We have three years to groom a team for the 2011 World Cup and younger players must be given a chance.”Sri Lanka will also be without Lasith Malinga, out with a knee injury, for both the Tests and ODIs in West Indies. Allrounder Kaushalya Weeraratne makes a comeback to the Sri Lankan side. His last ODI was in 2003. Uncapped left-arm fast bowler Thilan Thushara, who was picked for the Tests, also finds a place in the ODI squad.Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Kulasekara and Ishara Amerasinghe are the other fast bowlers in the squad, while Malinga Bandara is the other spinner alongside Mendis. Besides Weeraratne, Chamara Kapugedera and Tillakaratne Dilshan are the other all-round options available to captain Mahela Jayawardene.Sri Lanka ODI squad: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chaminda Vaas, Chamara Silva, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Malinga Bandara, Kaushalya Weeraratne, Nuwan Kulasekara, Ajantha Mendis, Jehan Mubarak, Ishara Amerasinghe, Mahela Udawatte, Thilan Thushara.

Wasim Akram in his column: “I think the ICC should … get into preparing Test pitches all over the world, or start deducting points that will affect a team’s ranking. Till then we will keep getting these (wrestling pits) like the one in Jamtha, where the ball hardly comes on to the bat.”Jacques Kallis in his column: “Ask a spinner whether he would prefer to bowl on a decent pitch with 400+ runs on the board, or on a dry turner with just 200 on the board where he has to worry about every run, and I think most will take the first option.”Not everyone was complaining though.

Rain left Natal 63 runs shy of what would have been their first win in a first-class match this season.Instead, the match was drawn as Natal’s progress was halted at 198 for four in search of a target of 261 with 36 overs still to be bowled.The home side earned their shot at victory by efficiently wrapping upGriqualand West’s second innings for 222 after they had resumed on 167 forfive. Griquas scored 279 in their first innings, to which Natal replied with241.That meant Griquas’ last five wickets, which tumbled in 17.1 overs, wereworth just 55 runs. As has been the trend throughout this match, battingerrors rather than penetrative bowling caused most of those wickets to fall.The last of them belonged to 20-year-old number seven Johan Louw, whoconverted his overnight 14 into a solid 50, his maiden first-classhalf-century in only his second match.The visitors’ most stubborn partnership on the final day was mounted by Louwand Zahir Abraham, who added 49 for the eighth wicket.Natal’s run chase was entertainingly sparked by Ahmed Amla, who went afterGriquas’ mediocre bowling with gusto to score 69 off 115 balls with ten foursbefore being trapped in front by medium pacer Louw ten overs from theenforced close.The elegant Amla rode his luck and was dropped three times, each time offthe bowling of off-spinner Martyn Gidley and twice by the bowler himself.Amla’s dismissal ended a fourth-wicket stand of 55 shared with his captain,Dale Benkenstein, who took over the aggressor’s role impressively to finishwith 42 struck off 53 balls, including two fours and three sixes.Griquas were hampered by the absence of fast bowler Wayne Kidwell, whorequired four stitches after splitting the webbing between his thumb andforefinger while fielding.

Naved Latif lifted National Bank of Pakistan’s (NBP) spirits and helped them reach a creditable 256 for 6 by close on the opening day of their first-round replay against Sialkot at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday.Put in to bat, NBP lost opener Nasir Jamshed (13) early but a 63-run second-wicket partnership briefly lifted them before a flurry of wickets – three for 26 – pegged them back again. Fawad Alam then played a rescue act with Latif as they carried NBP towards the 200-mark before Alam was cleaned up by Nayyer Abbas for a 46-ball 33. At this juncture, Latif and Mansoor Amjad, NBP’s captain, joined hands in an unbroken 75 run-partnership for the seventh wicket that took NBP to close.Most batsmen contributed well as Rashid Riaz’s 48 came off 124 balls with six fours, Naumanullah, already the highest scorer in the tournament, took his tally to 945 with his 34 off 58 balls. Latif’s unbeaten 62 at close had come off 112 balls as Mohammad Ali, who finished with three wickets for 69 runs, took his tournament tally to 40 wickets.The first-round tie between these teams in October was abandoned after unplayable conditions at Jinnah Stadium.The 11th and final round of the Championship begins with three Group A matches from Wednesday in addition to five Group B matches. Habib Bank Limited (HBL) are on top of the Group A table with 66 points and a win against Karachi Whites in their final round encounter will take them into the final.NBP need to win both their last two matches and gain the full 18 points. At the same time, they would be hoping that HBL are beaten by Karachi Whites. Group B leaders Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) have already qualified for the final, which will be played from January 1, 2008.

Skipper Hrishekesh Kanitkar’s fine batting display placed Maharashtrain a commanding position on the first day of the West Zone Ranji Matchagainst Gujarat at the Shivaji Stadium, Karad.Gujarat won the toss and invited Maharashtra to bat. The Maharashtrabatsmen made merry of the conditions with big partnerships in the daypiling a healthy 318 for five in 90 overs. Opener Bhave (71) andKanitkar (94) shared a 121 run partnership for the second wicket.Kanitkar and Abhijit Kale (35) added 82 for the third and the fourthwicket saw Kale and K Aphale (53 not out) add 60 in their turn at thewicket. Kanitkar caressed the ball to the fence on 14 occasions of 170deliveries and Bhave smashed the ball 13 times in his 131 ballinnings. Hitesh Majumdar bagged three of the five wickets to fall onthe first day.At the end of play K Aphale and Mandar Sane (5) were at the wicket.

Silly season has come early, again. But is it time to take Twenty20 more seriously? Surrey certainly think so – they hope success could turn their season around after a shocking start.They’ve got the pedigree to give it their best shot; winning it the first year and reaching the finals day in the other three competitions. Adam Hollioake was their captain in 2003, but they turned down his approach this year – that’s how confident they are in their youngsters.Twenty20, while acknowledged as a commercial and spectator success, has still often been dismissed hit-and-giggle, but it helped launch England’s campaign against Australia in 2005 – to Ricky Ponting’s peril after he had initially laughed the game off.One Australian who isn’t laughing now is Matt Nicholson, Surrey’s pace bowler, whose side have had the smiles wiped off their faces this year. “It’s a good opportunity to use this as a springboard for the rest of the season and get a momentum going,” he says. “Let’s start from now and look forward and look upwards.”But while England’s Ashes winners used the game to do exactly that, they also benefited from a first-choice first-class eleven. It may be too late for them to stage a complete turnaround, but the mid-summer madness of Twenty20 is perfectly timed for some relief, take a breather, mental time away from first-class.Surrey’s bowling is still probably too weak to help them turn round their fortunes in the Championship. Yet never say never; as Nicholson says: “Cricket is a confidence game. If we can get some confidence back in the line-up we can go forward for the rest of the season”.The players can see the lighter side, of course: even James Benning, who should be seriously thinking about England honours in the Twenty20 World Cup this September. Sometimes he doesn’t even do any pre-match preparations: “It depends what time I turn up. It’s a bit more relaxed.” All the same, an increasingly serious element is creeping in.

Chris Schofield, who’s been given a second life with Surrey after wandering lonely under a cloud for three years, is keen to be playing any kind of cricket these days. He’s not messing around. “I’m playing all the one-day games,” he says earnestly. “Things are looking up. I played the first two years of Twenty20 with Lancashire. I absolutely loved it and am looking forward to it again.”The game may be markedly different in tempo – and provides a huge contrast with the Tests that have just dragged on – but is it essentially that different? “Don’t forget the basics,” says Nicholson. Yet there are, naturally, differences. “While it’s competitive and you desperately want to win, “it’s not as hard on the body as the four-day game.”Most blokes have played enough cricket to realise if they’re playing a four-day game they have to put their head down a bit. If they’re playing a Twenty20 you’ve got to get on with it.”There are further differences in both batting and (all kinds of) bowling. For fielding, of course, you need to be as sharp as ever. How does batting differ? Benning’s top tips for batting are: “Keep to what you’re good at. Play strong cricket shots. Get in the gym. Watch the ball hard. And enjoy it. Keep in your comfort zones and expand your game through time and effort.”

Nicholson has these hints for pace bowling. “The key is getting the ball to move. If you’re bowling straight you’re probably in a bit of trouble. Offcutters or swinging the ball or a change of pace… if you’re moving the ball you’ve got half a chance of taking wickets which puts them on the back foot.”At the end, it’s a change of pace: a few in the blockhole, a few at their head. Variation, confuse them a little bit.”Spin bowling in Twenty20s is almost the polar opposite to first-class, at least for Schofield. As he explains: “With Championship cricket you try to float the ball up and make the batter make mistakes, whereas with one-day cricket you bowl a bit flatter. One-day, what you’re trying to do is not let the batters free their arms.”My main objective will be to just try and keep it down for a minimum. The wickets come anyway, it’s just trying to contain them. You bowl your four overs – to go for 30 or less you’re doing a good job.”The Surrey batsmen will be walking out to the Clash classic, London Calling. But it’s not just London who are calling for some good cricket. There is so much cricket that there is a danger of overkill – but not, it seems, for the short game, which is selling out fast. “Three hours is good for everyone,” says Schofield. “People can have a few beers then go out afterwards.”And it remains a good way in for new supporters, attractive to children – and of course to the money men. Packed crowds, sun and fun are what it’s all about and where it’s at. So, grab them before they’re all snapped up.

Tasmania 214 (Bailey 86, Dighton 63, Bollinger 6-68) and 4 for 141 (Birt 68*, Butterworth 62*, Bollinger 4-36) trail New South Wales 7 for 512 dec by 157 runs
Scorecard

Doug Bollinger picked up three wickets in four balls to register his first ten-wicket match and put New South Wales on the brink of an innings victory against Tasmania. Bollinger bundled out four of the Tigers’ top five batsmen for ducks in their second innings before a fightback from Travis Birt and Luke Butterworth steadied Tasmania’s freefall.At the close the Tigers still trailed by 157, reaching 4 for 141 with Birt on 68 and Butterworth on 62. Bollinger was on a hat-trick in his second over, when he had Michael Di Venuto caught behind from the third ball and Daniel Marsh lbw. George Bailey survived the next delivery but no more than that, giving Bollinger his tenth victim for the game.The Tigers were 4 for 11 by that stage, as Bollinger had already bowled Michael Dighton from the first ball of the innings. The Butterworth and Birt partnership rescued Tasmania from complete annihilation and left the scorecard even more lopsided than in the first innings.Bollinger was also the first-innings destroyer and he helped finish the job by adding Brett Geeves (15) to his overnight total of five wickets. That left him with a career-best 6 for 68, while Nathan Bracken and Beau Casson played a part in wrapping up the Tigers’ tail for 214.Simon Katich enforced the follow-on after a rain delay early in the day suggested the Blues might not have their full allotment of overs to dismiss Tasmania a second time. Bad light stopped play during the final session but the Tigers still faced a major challenge to avoid defeat and put their title defence back on track.

West Indies have retained the majority of their Test squad for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, with the offspinner Amit Jaggernauth the only man cut for the shorter format. The allrounder Kieron Pollard, who played his only one-dayer during last year’s World Cup, has been recalled.The 16-man squad also features two wicketkeepers with Patrick Browne, who was utilised as a specialist batsman during the ODIs against South Africa earlier this year, included alongside Denesh Ramdin. The left-arm spinner Suliemann Benn, who played his first Test at Providence last month, is the only member of the squad yet to make his ODI debut.The legspinner Rawl Lewis, the opening batsman Brenton Parchment and the fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, all of whom featured in the 5-0 loss to South Africa, have not been picked for the upcoming series. Ramnaresh Sarwan was named as vice-captain to Chris Gayle for the three games, which begin in Trinidad on Thursday following a tightly-contested Test series that ended 1-1.Squad Chris Gayle (capt), Devon Smith, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Runako Morton, Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Patrick Browne (wk), Darren Sammy, Sulieman Benn, Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell.

Chris Cairns will lead the MCC against his former team-mates when New Zealand kick off their tour of England with the traditional opener at Arundel.Cairns, who retired from international cricket in 2006, is one of three New Zealanders in MCC’s squad. He will be joined by his former Test and one-day colleague, Nathan Astle, and Rob Nicol, the Auckland batsman and former MCC Young Cricketer. Darren Bicknell, who cracked 132 for the club against Scotland at Lord’s earlier this week, will open the batting, and the squad also includes Steve Elworthy, the former South Africa fast bowler, Paul Nixon, John Stephenson and Min Patel.”Touring team matches are always a highlight in the MCC cricketing calendar and Arundel is a fantastic place to play cricket,” Stephenson, MCC’s head of cricket, said. “It promises to be a great day for players and spectators alike and, hopefully, an international scalp in the bag for the club.”New Zealand’s squad, depleted by five players participating in the Indian Premier League – including their captain, Daniel Vettori – arrived at Heathrow yesterday afternoon. The first Test gets underway on May 15 at Lord’s.MCC team Darren Bicknell, Hylton Ackerman, Richard Montgomerie, Rob Nicol, Nathan Astle, Sean Ervine, Chris Cairns (capt), John Stephenson, Paul Nixon (wk), Steve Elworthy, Min Patel