Pak need good batsmen: former captains

Karachi: Pakistan's continuing poor form against South Africa in the ongoing series in the UAE has drawn stinging criticism from former captains who feel the team desperately needs good batsmen.

South Africa swept aside Pakistan by eight wickets in the first one-day international in Abu Dhabi on Friday after outclassing Shahid Afridi's men in the two Twenty20 matches earlier in the week.

"Definitely the batting is letting the bowlers down. The batting is just not good enough and they are not putting up enough runs for the bowlers to defend," former captain Asif Iqbal said.

Iqbal also felt that Afridi's poor form was having a negative effect on the team's overall performance.

"I think Shahid has to pick up his performance because he has to lead by example and it is the job of the team management and coach to motivate and lift the players in these circumstances," the former captain said.

Despite the return of former captain Younus Khan to the team and his scoring a half century, Pakistan were bowled out for just 203 runs.

Former captain Javed Miandad felt that the team needs to show more purpose and planning.

"There is no purpose in the way they are approaching the matches. The batsmen are playing without a plan and that is why they are struggling to get big scores," he said

Miandad said the players just need to learn the art of staying at the wicket and putting a high value on their wicket.

Another former captain Aamir Sohail said he was disappointed with the role of the team's coaching staff.

"Where is the coaching/support staff. What is their job description?" he asked.

"Nowadays in modern day cricket it is clear that the role of the support staff is very important and plays a big part in any team's success or defeat. But in our team I don't know what is happening, the players are playing without any plan at all."

Batting great Zaheer Abbas said the players need to realise that they are putting the future of cricket in Pakistan at stake with their shoddy performances.

"We have been playing badly since last year and and with all these controversies people are now becoming disheartened.

These constant changes in the team and the controversies outside the field are also affecting the team's ability to play good solid and sensible cricket," Zaheer said.

Former leg-spinner Abdul Qadir said it was unfortunate but the national team was not moving forward because of the strange policies of the cricket board.

"South Africa is a top team but on a pitch which was good for batting and where conditions were ideal for us and we even won the toss, how can you justify getting out for just 203 runs.

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Sachin's bat auctioned for Rs. 42 lakh

Mumbai: Indian batting icon Sachin Tendulkar's willow fetched the highest bid of Rs. 42 lakh at a glittering sports auction here that saw personal items donated by 25 top sportspersons from the country and overseas go under the hammer.

The champion batsman had scored an unbeaten 163 against New Zealand at Christchurch last year, his fourth highest one day score, with this bat.

Tied at second spot was the rifle used by India's only individual Olympic gold medallist, shooter Abhinav Bindra, when creating history at the Beijing Games two years ago and the bat of Rahul Dravid, with which he had scored a century in each innings in the Kolkata Test of 2005 against Pakistan.

Both were successfully bid for Rs. 20 lakh.

The bat signed by all team members of the 1983 World Cup winning team, donated by Sunil Gavaskar, went under the hammer for Rs. 17.5 lakh.

Anil Kumble's jersey that he wore when he equalled Jim Laker's record of ten wickets in a Test innings against Pakistan in New Delhi in 1999 and his Test cap that he wore between 2004 and 2006 went for Rs 11.5 lakh.

Among the other items auctioned off were Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer's shoes and sports gear donated by Indian top racquet sports exponents - Shuttler Saina Nehwal and tennis player Sania Mirza.

Doners Dravid, Kumble, tennis ace Leander Paes, national football captain Baichung Bhutia, 1974 hockey World Cup winning skipper Ajit Pal Singh, former hockey captain Viren Rasquinha and Bindra were present at the auction last night.

Leander's 12th Grand Slam winning racquet at Wimbledon this year in mixed doubles was the second piece to be auctioned and received a bid of Rs. 7 lakhs.

Also gracing the function were world champion wrestler and Delhi Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sushil Kumar and hockey great Dhanraj Pillay.

The auction was held by Non Government Organisation The Foundation founded by actor and ex-rugby international player Rahul Bose in association with Raheja Universal and the proceeds were donated to Bose's NGO.

The donors and items that went under the hammer were:

Pankaj Advani: Medal - World Billiards Champion, 2007; Cue, International debut, 2002.

Viswanathan Anand: Medal - World Chess (Match) Champion, 2008.

Mahesh Bhupathi: Racquet - Mixed Doubles Champion, Australian Open, 2009.

Baichung Bhutia: Jersey - signed by Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Baichung Bhutia and others worn at the International Charity Match for Haiti earthquake, 2010.

Abhinav Bindra: Rifle - World Champion, 2006; World record; Olympic Record.

Rahul Dravid: Bat - Century in each Test innings vs Pakistan, Kolkata, 2005.

Anil Kumble: Test Jersey - 10 wickets in an innings vs Pakistan, New Delhi, 1999; Test cap, 2004 to 2006.

Sania Mirza: Racquet - Wimbledon, 2010.

Saina Nehwal: Racquet - Singapore Open Super Series, Indonesian Open Super Series, Indian Open Grand Prix, all 2010; Gold Medal, Indian Open, 2010.

Sachin Tendulkar: Bat - 163 vs New Zealand, Christchurch, 2009, fourth highest one-day score.

Virender Sehwag: Batting gloves, 125 vs New Zealand, 2009, fastest one-day hundred by an Indian.

Kapil Dev: Bat - signed by 1983 World Cup winning squad.

Sunil Gavaskar: Bat - signed by 1983 World Cup winning squad.

Leander Paes: Racquet - Mixed Doubles Champion, Wimbledon 2010.

Viren Rasquinha: Hockey stick - bronze medal, Asian Games, Busan, 2002; India blazer, Asian Games, Busan, 2002.

Geet Sethi: World Professional Billiards trophy, 1992. Cue - World Billiards Championship, 2007; World Snooker Championship, 2008.

Prakash Padukone: Silver edal - Japan Open, 1981.

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi: Debut India blazer vs England, 1961; retiring India blazer vs West Indies, 1975.

Ajitpal Singh: Hockey stick exchanged with Pakistan captain Islahuddin - World Cup Final, 1975.

Vijay Amritraj: Tennis racquet, tennis balls.

Roger Federer (courtesy Globosport): Tennis shoes - winner, Cincinnati Open, 2010.

Diego Forlan (courtesy Mahuaa TV): Football - 2010.

Ricky Ponting (courtesy Dhiraj Malhotra): Gold Medal - World Cup, 2007.

Maria Sharapova (courtesy Akshay Kulkarni): Racquet - 2010

Shane Warne (courtesy Rahul Bose): Retiring Cricket Victoria shirt - 2008.

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Sachin on cricket's past, present, future

London: Move aside the Glenn McGraths and Muttiah Muralitharans, the only bowler who has tested Sachin Tendulkar to an extent that the Indian batting icon "didn't know what to do" while facing him was stunningly the late Hansie Cronje.

The ex-South African captain, who died in a plane-crash after being banned for match-fixing, was the one man Tendulkar found hard to deal with and bowling technique had nothing to do with it.

"Honestly. I got out to Hansie more than anyone. When we played South Africa, he always got me out more than Allan Donald or Shaun Pollock. It wasn't that I couldn't pick him. It's just that the ball seemed to go straight to a fielder," Tendulkar told The Guardian.

Cronje, primarily a middle-order batsman, was efficient with his medium pace, fetching 43 wickets in 68 Tests and 114 ODI wickets in 188 matches before his spectacular fall from grace owing to the 2000 match-fixing scandal in which he was the prime accused. He died in a plane-crash in 2002.

Tendulkar said facing Cronje was always a tricky proposition for him.

"I was going great guns in Durban one year and played some big shots against Donald and Pollock. Hansie came on and I flicked his first ball straight to leg-slip. I never knew what to do with him," he said.

Tendulkar once again named McGrath as the best fast bowler he ever faced and despite dominating Shane Warne, the Indian icon considered the Aussie to be the best spinner he came across.

"I did okay against him (McGrath). But, among the spinners, Warne at his best was still something special," he said.

The 37-year-old batsman, who has spent over 20 years in international cricket, is often compared to Sir Don Bradman and Tendulkar recalled some special moments he spent with the late Australian legend.

"We went to see him on his 90th birthday. It was very special. We were talking about averages and I said, 'Sir Don, if you were playing today, what would you have averaged?' And he said, '70, probably.' I asked, 'Why 70 and not your actual average of 99?' Bradman said, 'Come on, an average of 70 is not bad for a 90-year-old man.'

"This is what I tell my son. Whether you're an 11-year-old boy or Don Bradman, we should never forget it's just a game we can all enjoy."

His passion for the sport is well-documented and Tendulkar said even after spending over two decades in the international arena, he tries to re-invent himself.

"I'm really focusing now on how I can get to the next level as a batsman. How can I get even more competitive? How can I get even more consistent? How can I get better?" Tendulkar pointed out.

The diminutive batsman said going past the 14,000-run mark earlier this year was one of the big moments of his career but he never lets the thoughts of achieving milestones overshadow what is actually required of him in a match situation.

"It was a big moment...But I was most aware of the match situation," said the right-hander who had arrived at the wicket with India 38 for two in reply to Australia's first innings of 478.

"And then it flashed on the big screen that I needed eight runs to reach 14,000. Every run I scored was cheered.

But when I needed two, I hit a boundary. I was happy but I thought, 'right, now we can get back to focusing on cricket', because everyone had become too worried about those eight runs. It had taken away my focus."

"Yes, obviously going past Brian Lara was something special. But I'm even happier now and hopefully it continues."

Talking about the changing face of the game, Tendulkar said Australia are in decline after retirements of their heavyweights.

"To not have Hayden, Langer, Gilchrist, McGrath, Warne, it's a big loss. They still have some world-class players but their batting revolves around (Ricky) Ponting. When you want to create a vacuum in their batting you need to get Ponting," he said.

Tendulkar feels given Australia's loss of aura, England are serious contenders to lift the Ashes this time.

"I think England have a better chance. I favour them slightly. I would say Morgan could be the key performer in the Ashes. Morgan and Swann," he said.

"He (Morgan) is a very solid player who can control the pace of his innings. He can become a really good Test batsman even though he has only played a few Tests so far. After Morgan, you've got the experience of Strauss, Collingwood and Pietersen. They're a really well-balanced side and this is a great opportunity for England," he added.

India is one of the co-hosts of next year's World Cup and Tendulkar said the pressure would be of an altogether different level.

"It's going to be massive. Everyone in India is looking forward to a mega tournament and although people haven't started talking yet about 1983 (the last time India won the World Cup), it will happen soon. But given our recent form, people have a right to be excited and have extremely high hopes," he said.

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Mohammad Asif Magic Ball to Cameron White

Brilliant Mohammad Asif

Tendulkar only current player in ESPNcricinfo all-time World XI

Sachin Tendulkar is the only current player in ESPNcricinfo's all-time Test World XI, which is dominated by Australians and West Indians, reflecting their pre-eminence in Test cricket over the years.

Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Wasim Akram were the other players from the last two decades to make it to the XI, which featured seven players who made their debuts after 1970.

Four Australians, three West Indians, two Englishmen, an Indian and a Pakistani make up the XI.

Three players were unanimous choices, figuring in the first XIs of each of the 12 members of the jury (each juror was asked to pick a first XI and a second) - Don Bradman, Garry Sobers and Shane Warne, each of whom got the maximum points possible in the exercise, 60. Tendulkar followed with 51 points.

Perhaps the biggest surprise the XI threw up was the gap between Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, the two leading wicket-takers in cricket history. Murali made it to ESPNcricinfo's World Second XI, tallying 34 points fewer than Warne.

The closest battles were for one of the opening spots and for No. 5. Sunil Gavaskar lost out to Jack Hobbs by one point and George Headley by two to Viv Richards.

Len Hutton (47 points) partners Hobbs at the top. They are followed by Bradman, Tendulkar, Richards and Sobers. While there was no competition to Sobers for the allrounder's spot, Imran Khan (19) narrowly edged out Keith Miller to make it to the Second XI.

Adam Gilchrist beat Alan Knott to the wicketkeeper's spot by eight points. The next closest contender was Kumar Sangakkara, who got nine points.

The bowling positions were all decided by handsome margins. Three of cricket's most highly rated fast bowlers - Dennis Lillee, leading with 48 points, Wasim Akram and Malcolm Marshall (in addition to Sobers, who could bowl left-arm fast, spin and chinamen) - accompany Warne.

Four players figured in either the first or second XIs of each of the 12 jury members - Bradman, Sobers, Warne and Viv Richards. Five players were in 11 - Tendulkar, Akram, Hutton, Gilchrist and Marshall.

The jury comprised one former captain from each of the top Test-playing teams - Ian Chappell, Clive Lloyd, Tony Greig, Duleep Mendis, Ali Bacher, Intikhab Alam, John Wright, Ajit Wadekar - and four cricket historians and writers.

The World XI is the final installment in ESPNcricinfo's all-time XI series, in which all-time sides have been picked for the leading Test teams. The shortlists that the members of the jury picked their World XIs from consisted of the players who made it to the country XIs.

ESPNcricinfo readers were invited to pick their XIs in parallel, and six of the jury's choices made it to the readers' XI: Bradman, Tendulkar, Sobers, Gilchrist, Warne and Akram. Virender Sehwag and Gavaskar were the overwhelming favourites for the opening slots, while Brian Lara edged out Richards for a place in the middle order. The readers went with a two-spin, two-quicks bowling combination - their XI has Warne and Murali bowling in tandem. And Glenn McGrath and Akram comfortably beat competition from all the West Indian bowlers in the shortlist.

"It was only natural that our all-time XI series for the top Test-playing countries should culminate in an all-time World XI," Sambit Bal, editor of ESPNcricinfo, said. "It's the apt finale to what has been hugely successful exercise. Not only have these features been widely read, our readers have participated in huge numbers in picking their own XIs."

"We have taken great care in choosing the jury for the world XI. All the cricketers on the panel have been captains, and are thus well-versed in the business of selecting teams. Also, they have either played alongside, or watched first-hand, a significant number of the nominees."

The World XI: Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton, Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Viv Richards, Garry Sobers, Adam Gilchrist, Malcolm Marshall, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Dennis Lillee

The Second XI: Sunil Gavaskar, Barry Richards, George Headley, Brian Lara, Wally Hammond, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Bill O'Reilly, Fred Trueman, Muttiah Muralitharan, SF Barnes

Readers' XI: Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Garry Sobers, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath 

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Who after Bradman and Sobers?

The presence of two names in any all-time world XI has traditionally brooked no argument, but one more joined them as an unanimous choice in ESPNcrincinfo's all-time XI. Shane Warne, who spun the ball a mile and made spin bowling glamorous again, was a presence in the first XI of each jury member, alongside Don Bradman and Garry Sobers. (Each juror was asked to pick two teams - a first XI and a second.)

The jury also seems to have settled the answer to the question "Who after Bradman?" The answer is Sachin Tendulkar, by a fair distance. Tendulkar, who stands a step away from 50 Test hundreds and whose lustre, in defiance of age, grows brighter with every passing day, was effectively voted, with 51 points, the fourth-greatest cricketer in the history of the game. In the batting stakes he was comfortably ahead of Viv Richards (42).

Brian Lara, Tendulkar's contemporary and great rival, didn't make it to the World XI, with 28 points, George Headley, the other West Indian in contention, and considered Bradman's equal for batting skill by many, lost out to Richards by a mere two points. In fact, the last juror's vote swung it for Richards. Walter Hammond, who had the misfortune of spending a career in Bradman's shadow, made it to the second XI.

Going by the votes, this is the order of merit in which the world's middle-order batsmen stack up: Bradman, Tendulkar, Richards, Headley, Lara, Hammond, Graeme Pollock and Greg Chappell.

There was an even closer contest for the opening positions. While Len Hutton, the master technician, who scored a colossal 364 at the age of 22, took one end comfortably with 47 votes, Jack Hobbs, who remains cricket's most prolific batsman with 61,237 first-class runs and 197 centuries, just about managed to snatch the other spot from Sunil Gavaskar, whose technique and temperament withstood the severest examinations, by one point.

Gavaskar is partnered in the Second XI by Barry Richards, whose Test career was limited to only four matches, but whose legend was established during World Series Cricket, where the contests were as fierce. The openers who came behind those two in the reckoning were Virender Sehwag and Victor Trumper, who played in vastly different eras but in the same buccaneering spirit.

The allrounder's position was, of course, a no-contest, but the jury settled an important argument by voting Imran Khan into the Second XI. Keith Miller, the free-spirited Australian allrounder, came next, followed by Imran's great rivals Richard Hadlee, Ian Botham and Kapil Dev, in that order.

Adam Gilchrist, who with his batting redefined how wicketkeepers were viewed - and selected - fought off a strong challenge from Alan Knott, the Englishman considered by many the most technically accomplished wicketkeeper ever. Gilchrist secured his position with 45 points to Knott's 37.

World XI: Jack Hobbs, Len Hutton, Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Viv Richards, Garry Sobers, Adam Gilchrist, Malcolm Marshall, Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Dennis Lillee

Second XI: Sunil Gavaskar, Barry Richards, George Headley, Brian Lara, Wally Hammond, Imran Khan, Alan Knott, Bill O'Reilly, Fred Trueman, Muttiah Muralitharan, SF Barnes 

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Tendulkar's 49th century grinds Australia down

Only a man blessed with immense powers of endurance could sustain a 20-year Test career and Sachin Tendulkar displayed exactly that quality on a day of Indian dominance in Bangalore. Tendulkar batted through the day, along the way recording his 49th Test century and helping to steer M Vijay to his first, as India all but demolished Australia's first-innings advantage.

Tendulkar finished the day unbeaten on 191 and MS Dhoni was on 11, and with India requiring only a draw to win the series, there was no need for Dhoni to consider a declaration. How Ricky Ponting would love to have called a close to India's innings himself, after a day on which his attack looked toothless and failed to make a breakthrough until 3.21pm.

When they did, they quickly made it two. Vijay's edge behind off Mitchell Johnson was followed four balls later by the departure of the unlucky debutant Cheteshwar Pujara, who was padded up for more than six hours only to be greeted with skidder from Johnson, who trapped the new man lbw for 4.

Suresh Raina made 32 before he drove Michael Clarke to mid-off late in the afternoon, but by then India were within sight of Australia's first-innings 478. They had Tendulkar and Vijay to thank; their third-wicket partnership began on Sunday afternoon, stretched until after tea on Monday and was worth 308 runs. Both players batted wonderfully well, barely giving Australia the sniff of a wicket.

Tendulkar moved to 99 with a slog-swept six off Nathan Hauritz and repeated the stroke to move into triple figures while offering the spectators at long-on a catch. Nobody has scored more Test hundreds than Tendulkar, who celebrated his seventh in the past year with his usual bat-raise and glance to the heavens, but without any major display of emotion.

Vijay witnessed the ease with which his senior partner raced through the nineties but found it not so simple himself, and was stuck on 99 for more than 20 minutes. The Australians tried to dry up his options with short balls and when he eventually pushed a quick single to cover, he leapt for joy and was embraced by Tendulkar, who had started his Test career when Vijay was five years old.

In those two decades, Tendulkar has had only one year - 2002 - better than his vintage efforts of 2010, which earned him the ICC Cricketer of the Year award last week. He continued that form by handling all of Australia's bowlers with supreme comfort, racing to triple figures before lunch after he had started the day on 44.

Tendulkar pulled Johnson for consecutive fours, sliced Shane Watson over cover with ease and respectfully kept out the most consistent of Australia's bowlers, Ben Hilfenhaus. But the harshest punishment was saved for Hauritz. Even Shane Warne failed to mesmerise Tendulkar and in comparison, he found Hauritz easier to read than a cheap paperback.

As well as the two sixes, Tendulkar worked Hauritz effortlessly through the gaps, using his feet with the confidence of a man who knew exactly what was coming. The morning began with Hauritz conceding two boundaries down leg side to Tendulkar and that set the tone for much of the day.

By comparison, Vijay was generally not as forceful but was no less important for India. He scored slower than his partner but showed sublime placement on both sides of the wicket and occasionally went over the top against Hauritz. There were echoes of VVS Laxman in Vijay's clips and drives through the gaps, and that is enough to worry any Australian side.

Unlike Tendulkar, Vijay did have a couple of nervous moments, including an lbw appeal from Hilfenhaus just after lunch that could easily have been given out. Before the break, Vijay had nearly run himself out in his eagerness to move from 49 to 50 when he pushed to cover, took off and was turned back, and was only saved by a wayward ping from the fielder Hauritz.

Had Hauritz simply lobbed the ball to Tim Paine, Vijay would have been out by many metres. Peter George also gave up four overthrows with a high hurl from mid-off that would only have been appropriate had Paine also been 203 centimetres tall. Those efforts epitomised Australia's sloppy and wearying day.

The only man who didn't seem tired at stumps was Tendulkar. That's the benefit of 20 years of practice. 

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Misbah the best cricket brain in Pakistan - Lawson

Former Pakistan coach Geoff Lawson believes Misbah-ul-Haq has the "best cricket brain" in Pakistan and is well-placed to handle the Test captaincy, surprisingly handed to the 36-year-old last week.

Misbah was thought to be out of national reckoning when he wasn't picked for the Asia Cup or the tour to England earlier this year. But a disastrous sequence of captaincy appointments left the board, in their own words, with little choice.

Lawson is well-placed having been coach during Misbah's return to international cricket three years ago during the 2007 World T20, a tournament which he nearly won for Pakistan. That sparked the most productive phase of his career and it was in Lawson's time, between 2007 and 2008, that he established himself in the middle order; in five Tests under Lawson, he averaged 78 with two hundreds and a fifty; he averaged 41 in 28 ODIs, and over 67 in the ten Twenty20s Pakistan played with Lawson in charge.

Misbah was vice-captain to Shoaib Malik during that time and took over on one occasion, leading Pakistan to an ODI win over India in the 2008 Asia Cup in Karachi. "He definitely has the best cricket brain and intellect in Pakistan cricket," Lawson told ESPNcricinfo. "He has a statesman-like demeanour which so many Pakistan captains have lacked and he handles adversity analytically not emotionally. He knows how to get the best out of players and he is a winner, note his outstanding domestic record as a leader."

Several former players, including Wasim Akram have expressed their surprise at the appointment. Mostly it stems from Misbah's age - even though he is, for now, captain for only two Tests against South Africa - but also from his batting form.

His comeback ended initially in September 2009, when he was dropped for poor form. He returned, however, during the subsequent tour of New Zealand and Australia at the insistence of Mohammad Yousuf, who was captain at the time.

More disappointing returns on that tour formed part of a broader decline since Lawson's departure. He averages 24 in nine Tests since Lawson left in October 2008, and 21 in 19 T20Is. An average of nearly 40 in 16 ODIs since then is not enough to assuage the concerns of some that he doesn't command an automatic place in the XI.

"He works very hard on his fitness and his cricket skills so physically he will be in good shape," Lawson said. "The question is simply one of age and reactions. Has he got the sharpness to be productive at international level at 36? The captain leading or failing by example can have a significant effect on any team but especially Pakistan. He deserves this but Ideally he should have been captain six years ago." 

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Misbah recalled because Younis unavailable - Mohsin

Pakistan recalled Misbah-ul-Haq to the Test side and installed him as captain primarily because Younis Khan was not cleared for selection by the PCB, the chief selector Mohsin Khan has said.

"We needed a senior player to strengthen our batting line-up," Mohsin told the News. "Our first choice was Younis Khan but we didn't get any clearance [from the PCB], after which we discussed the option of recalling Misbah and decided to go for it."

Another factor that went in Misbah's favour was his non-controversial record and fitness, despite being 36. "In a team where many of the players have had serious disciplinary problems, Misbah is one guy who has a neat and clean background," Mohsin said. "He is a thorough professional and one of the fittest players in our country, which is another big plus point.

"I know that Misbah has just managed to score runs on and off in his international career but he is the kind of player who can click anytime. He has done well in the Pentangular Cup and the National One-Day Cup which is a good sign."

Pakistan had dropped both Misbah and Younis following the winless tour of Australia in 2009-10. While Misbah was cast aside because of poor form, Younis was banned along with several other Pakistan players on disciplinary grounds. Younis appealed against his punishment, like the others did, and was cleared as well, but the PCB have not picked him in the squad since.

Misbah will lead Pakistan in the two-Test series against South Africa in Abu Dhabi in November. He becomes the fourth man, after Mohammad Yousuf, Shahid Afridi and Salman Butt, to captain Pakistan in Tests in 2010 alone. 

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Always the artist, never the superstar

In a wonderfully charming way the world sometimes pauses, holds back from its relentless march forward, to look at timelessness, at things that defy the situations it seeks to create: a beautiful love story, a travelogue lazily told, a ghazal, a VVS Laxman innings.

When Laxman bats, he is almost dated, sepia tends to tinge the bright, colourful, high-resolution pictures that show him batting. He doesn't steal the impossible single, doesn't come storming back for a second like his life depended on it, doesn't snarl at somebody because he has a couple of seconds and doesn't know what to do with them.

He lets the moment breathe, gently sniffs at the serenity that inevitably surrounds him and takes his stance; his world is dictated by his speed and no one else's. Like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, he seems to search for a higher calm as the other seagulls scrap for anchovies around him.

Not that the scrapping is bad, not that the stolen second run is impure; it is just not him, not his world. When he was slogging in the IPL recently, his bat-speed awry, his body tilted at angles strange for strokeplay, the leg moving out of line to hit over midwicket rather than coming languidly towards the ball to stroke it past cover, he looked like a cheap imitation of the original. It didn't become him. It was an artist trying to enter the world of commerce; a world that pays millions to those who don't bat like him.

And he is understated - another disqualification from the world of commercial endorsements. When he uses the letter "i" it is only because it is in the middle of the word "win". He loves winning, he loves contributing to a win, but he is unlikely to be nudging someone to be in the first row of the photograph.

And so while the big cheques don't always appear, something else does: respect in his dressing room and in that of the opposition; like it does for Naseeruddin Shah, while the big cheques go to Salman Khan. But respect never goes out of fashion; it is something all performers crave, and he has it in abundance.

For a major part of his career he has batted at No. 6. It means the tail is a stone's throw away. It means the boundary riders are out for him, offering him the single to attack the rest. It means he stays not-out more often; once every sixth innings almost, compared to about one in 10 for Tendulkar and one in nine for Dravid. You might argue it boosts his average but the innings rarely go as far as they might have gone. Hence, only 16 centuries. Hence, too, the change in batting style; from a free-stroking player to someone who must guard his wicket and prolong the innings. Number six is a difficult position to bat in if you are a batsman who doesn't bowl because your numbers rarely look as good as those of the men who precede you.

That is why he has had to walk the selection tightrope far too often for a player of his ability. That is why many believe he has been underrated. Down in Australia they think we are daft, but we have never bestowed on him the stature we have on Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, and more lately Sehwag. And so, every time there was a new kid on the block, the attention shifted towards Laxman. And yet in the last two years (from January 1, 2009, to be precise), he has scored a century every four Tests and averages 80.

Remember, too, that he doesn't play any other form of cricket at this level. It means he has to lift his game enormously, for standards of first class-cricket in India are poor, and quite simply, he wouldn't have played enough. It is an assignment that can be daunting for most and something he will have to live with for the rest of his career. Nobody knows how long that is going to be. He might have the spine but his back is asking too many questions and his knees aren't his best friends.

Many years ago a young Jonty Rhodes was batting with the legendary but ageing Graeme Pollock. After Jonty had called him for one single too many, the great man called him mid-pitch and said: "Young man, the athletics stops now and the cricket begins!"

The athletics may have stopped for VVS Laxman but the cricket continues to be magical. His place in the pantheon is assured. 

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Why Laxman's career proves England are better than Australia

Lancashire’s VVS Laxman set England on course to win the Ashes with a match-winning and potentially series-turning innings for India against Australia in Mohali, a performance of classically Lancastrio-English cricketing resolve, fit to set alongside this nation’s great Ashes-triumphing performances of recent times, such as Pietersen’s 158 at The Oval in 2005, Botham’s 1981 mega-heroics, Australia’s top-order batting in 1985, and Kerry Packer running World Series Cricket at the same time as the 1978-79 series.

Laxman, alongside Ishant Sharma (who must now surely have inked himself into England’s line-up for Brisbane on November 25), saw Indiland home in a breathtaking late rearguard after Australia’s useless, impotent and morally inept seam bowlers had fortuitously scythed through the Englian top order.

The Baggy Greens, despite being only 0-1 down in the seven-match series, have now surely proved that they will never win a relevant cricket match again – any half-decent team would have appealed more convincingly for leg-before against Pragyan Ojha when just six more runs were needed to lose, and only a fracturing side staring into an abyss of imminent nothingness would have allowed their substitute fielder to narrowly miss the subsequent run-out attempt. Ricky Ponting’s best hope now is to avoid a 7-0 whitewash, and attempt to resign with his dignity and batting average still at least partially intact.

From an environmental point of view, it is a deeply regrettable shame that the obvious formality of England retaining the Ashes for the third series in a row after their triumphs in 2005 and 2009 will have to proceed to satisfy advertisers and spectators, at a cost to the planet of innumerable pointless aeroplane flights, when a ceremonial handing over of the Ashes to England captain Mahandrew Singh Strauss on the steps of Buckingham Palace would surely be more appropriate.

I’m confused.

I apologise if I have taken a slightly Anglo-centric view of the Mohali Test, a modern classic that fluctuated mesmerically amidst outstanding individual performances, crucial injuries and curious umpiring, and which featured one of the most dramatic single deliveries in cricket history. It is hard to think of a more incident-packed ball than Johnson’s to Ojha in the final over – if it was possible to score four for two off one ball, India almost did it. Australia should have taken the last wicket, then could have taken the last wicket, but instead gave away four of the required six runs, and lost a couple of balls later.

For those who missed it, Billy Bowden’s magic umpirical sonar apparently detected an edge that eluded the rest of the cricketing universe before Ojha’s pads diverted the ball from catapulting middle stump into the Punjab skies, whilst the batsman, perhaps momentarily deranged by the pressure and excitement of (a) the occasion, (b) there actually being an adequately sized crowd at a Test match in India, and (c) not being 100% lbw, set off for the most non-existent quick single in cricket history, as the Australian 12th man, Smith, hoved in on the ball and hurled it within centimetres of stump-splattering victory, only to see the leg-side fielders, similarly distracted by the heart-befuddling tension of the moment, admiringly watch his hurl scoot to the boundary for four decisive overhurls.

Perhaps the only individual balls that come close to matching it are the last ball of the 1999 World Cup semi-final, when South Africa finally choked harder than Australia in one of the great simultaneous choke-offs in sporting history, and the penultimate ball of the tied Test in 1960-61, when Grout was narrowly run out by Hunte’s sizzling throw from the boundary as he scampered for what would have been the winning third run. But to have two near-wickets and a boundary must be a first.

The finale of the Brisbane tie remains the most dramatic over in Test history – it began with five minutes remaining of the match, and Australia requiring six runs with three wickets remaining. There then followed, in just seven balls: five runs of varying degrees of luck, one catch, one dropped catch, one missed run-out, and two run-outs (both preventing the winning run, the second sealing the tie with a direct hit from midwicket). Plus one dot ball when not much happened. Something for everyone. One can only imagine how the average modern-day commentator would have relayed the action – presumably with a cocktail of window-shattering decibels and spontaneous combustion.

Mohali, a superb Test match throughout, gave the world the latest of Laxman’s sporadic masterpieces, innings of sublime perfection that have punctuated his oddly inconsistent career. English fans have never seen the Hyderabad Hyperstylist at his best. He has a worse Test average against England (34) than, amongst others, Russel Arnold, Boeta Dippenaar and Paul Reiffel (the 1990s version of Garfield Sobers). Against Australia, since 2000, Laxman averages 62, comfortably outperforming, amongst others, Russel Arnold, Boeta Dippenaar, Sachin Tendulkar, and every other batsman in world cricket.

Laxman’s career alone therefore proves, if proof were needed, that England are 82% better at cricket than Australia, and will certainly win the Ashes by approximately 3.22 Tests to 1.78. Unless Hauritz steps up a couple of gears, or Swann gets injured, or Australia’s superior flat-wicket seam-bowling proves decisive, or the innate class and home experience of their ageing batsmen outdoes England’s seldom consistently high-scoring line-up, or it is not uncharacteristically and unbrokenly cloudy for seven weeks, or Peter Siddle develops an unplayable googly, or England’s selectors panic and recall the late Wally Hammond in the vain hope he can repeat his 905 runs of 1928-29, or this happens, or that happens. Tough series to predict.

Meanwhile, as we English and our cricketing media obsess about the forthcoming confrontation in Baggy Greenland, the world’s current and former No. 1 nations bring their irritatingly short two-match series to a conclusion in Bangalore. In the frequently indigestible smorgasbord of an international cricket schedule that is force-rammed down the throats of the world’s fans, this is a rare case of underkill, like Federer playing Nadal over one set, or Usain Bolt taking on Tyson Gay in a 40-metre sprint, or Kiefer Sutherland starring as Jack Bauer in a new series of 9.

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Aleem Dar named Umpire of the Year

Aleem Dar, the Pakistan umpire, has been named Umpire of the Year at the ICC Awards ceremony in Bangalore. He has won this award - named the David Shepherd Trophy - for the second time in successive years. The other nominees in the category were Steve Davis, Tony Hill and five-time winner Simon Taufel.

Dar, 42, was voted by the captains of the ten full members of the ICC and the eight-man elite panel of ICC's match referees for the period August 24, 2009 to August 10, 2010. Their choice was based on his decision statistics and officiating skills over the past 12 months.

After collecting his trophy from match referee Chris Broad, Dar said: "I think the fact that I'm still playing cricket in Pakistan makes me a good umpire. In the last four times I've played cricket I've scored centuries so I definitely think that has helped." 

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Tendulkar wins Cricketer of the Year award

Sachin Tendulkar has won his first ICC award, the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, by being named the Cricketer of the Year during the 2010 ICC Award ceremony in Bangalore. Tendulkar, however, lost out in the other major categories he was nominated in, with Virender Sehwag winning the Test Cricketer of the Year award and AB de Villiers claiming the ODI prize.

"This last season has been really special for the entire team," Tendulkar, who also received the People's Choice Award, said. "I think right from the start of the season, when we won in Sri Lanka and I scored a hundred in the finals, and from there on the season took off for us. We became No. 1 in the Test rankings, something we all wanted to achieve, and we've been able to maintain our performances in the last ten months."

Tendulkar said Gary Kirsten, the India coach, had played an important role in the success of all the batsmen. "He has been instrumental in making all the batters play plenty of deliveries in practice sessions, he himself throws thousands of deliveries," Tendulkar said. "Gary has been able to keep us in the right frame of mind, whatever areas we needed to work on, he is making sure we are addressing that."

Tendulkar fought off competition from Sehwag, Hashim Amla and Graeme Swann, the other nominees in the Cricketer of the Year category. Previous winners of the Cricketer of the Year award include Rahul Dravid, Andrew Flintoff, Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Mitchell Johnson.

During the period under consideration for the award - August 24, 2009 to August 10, 2010 - Tendulkar scored 1064 runs at an average of 81.84 in ten Tests. He made 914 runs in 17 ODIs at 65.28, and also scored the format's first double-century against South Africa in Gwalior. Tendulkar is presently third on the ICC's rankings for Test batsmen, and tenth in ODIs.

MS Dhoni was named captain of the Test team of the year, which included Sehwag, Kumar Sangakkara, Swann, Tendulkar, Amla, Simon Katich, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis, James Anderson and Doug Bollinger.

Ricky Ponting was captain of the ODI team of the year, leading a side comprising Tendulkar, Shane Watson, Michael Hussey, de Villiers, Paul Collingwood, Dhoni, Daniel Vettori, Stuart Broad, Bollinger and Ryan Harris.

Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand batsman, won the award for the best Twenty20 Performance of the Year for his 116 not out against Australia in Christchurch in February. McCullum edged out Hussey, Mahela Jayawardene and Ryan McLaren, the others nominated for the Twenty20 award.

Netherlands allrounder Ryan ten Doeschate won the Associate Player of the Year award. ten Doeschate's performances during the English domestic season has made him a sought-after player in international Twenty20 competitions. He has been signed by Tasmania for the Big Bash and by Canterbury for New Zealand's domestic tournament.

Steven Finn, the England fast bowler, won the award for Emerging Player of the Year. Finn, 21, made his Test debut against Bangladesh in March and has since taken 32 wickets in eight matches.

New Zealand won the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for the second time in row and the third time overall. Aleem Dar, the Pakistani umpire, also won the Umpire of the Year Award for the second time in a row.

Rachel Heyhoe-Flint, the former England women's captain, was the first woman cricketer inducted into the ICC's Hall of Fame, while Shelley Nitschke, the Australian allrounder, was the Woman Cricketer of the Year. 

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Sehwag is Test Cricketer of the Year

Virender Sehwag, the India opener, has been named the Test Player of the Year during the 2010 ICC Awards ceremony in Bangalore. He won the award, the first of his career, ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, Dale Steyn and Hashim Amla, who were the other nominees in the category.

"It's fantastic to win the award, to take over the title from Gautam Gambhir," Sehwag said after receiving the prize from Courtney Walsh. "I think I got motivated when Gambhir got this award last time, I was discussing with him that I hope I get it this time and I got it. I'm a huge fan of Test cricket and I love to play it more than Twenty20 or one-day cricket.

"When I was growing up, I was playing lot of 10-over, 12-over games, so I had to score off every ball, same thing I have continued. I followed my instincts and played in the same way in T20, ODI and Tests. It's a great strength to have."

Sehwag scored 1282 runs in ten Tests at an average of 85.46 between August 2009 and 2010, which was the period under consideration for the award. He was also named in the Test Team of the Year, which was captained by MS Dhoni. 

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de Villiers wins ODI Player of Year Award

South Africa's AB de Villiers has won the ODI Player of the Year award at the ICC Awards in Bengaluru. De Villiers beat off tough competition from India's Sachin Tendulkar and the Australia duo of Shane Watson and Ryan Harris to take the prestigious award.

During the voting period, de Villiers helped his side to ten victories in 16 ODIs, scoring 855 runs at an average of 71.25 and at a rate of 103.38 runs per 100 balls faced. In that time he hit four fifties and four centuries, and also picked up five dismissals in the four matches in which he played as wicketkeeper. He is currently the No.1-ranked ODI player in the world, comfortably ahead of the next best.

On receiving his first-ever ICC award de Villiers said: "I've really enjoyed this season and it's great to have been named the ODI Cricketer of the Year. It's a World Cup season and a World Cup is something we would love to win and we rate our chances pretty highly".

De Villiers also features in the ODI Team of the Year and is the only South African in the side selected by the expert five-man panel.

The panel was chaired by West Indies legend Clive Lloyd and included former Australia batsman Matthew Hayden, former England bowler Angus Fraser, former Zimbabwe player and England coach Duncan Fletcher and former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri. 

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Brendon McCullum wins T20 Performance of the Year

Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman, has won the prize for the Best Twenty20 Performance at the ICC Awards ceremony in Bangalore. McCullum's unbeaten 116 against Australia in Christchurch in February this year was singled out as the greatest among the five nominations.

McCullum's 56-ball innings, laced with 12 fours and eight sixes, beat competition from Australia's Michael Hussey for his 60 not out off 24 balls against Pakistan in the semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20, South Africa's Ryan McLaren for his 5 for 19 against West Indies, and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene for his two performances at the ICC World Twenty20 - 100 off 64 balls against Zimbabwe and 98 not out off 56 balls against West Indies.

McCullum, who is in Bangladesh with the rest of the New Zealand squad for the Test and ODI series there, was delighted with the award. "That score is my highest in a Twenty20 International and on the day everything just seemed to go right for me."

The award rounded off a good year of Twenty20 International cricket for McCullum, who scored 411 runs in 14 matches at an average of 37.36 during the voting period, which ran from August 24, 2009 to August 10, 2010. 

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Steven Finn wins Emerging Player award

The England fast bowler Steven Finn has capped a remarkable maiden year of international cricket by being named as the ICC's Emerging Player at their annual awards ceremony in Bengaluru.

Finn has claimed 32 wickets at 23.21 in his eight Test appearances against Bangladesh and Pakistan, including consecutive five-wicket hauls at Lord's and Old Trafford in May and June. He made his debut in Chittagong back in March, having flown out to Bangladesh only days earlier as an injury replacement for Graham Onions.

Receiving his award from legendary West Indies bowler Joel Garner, Finn said: "It's a great honour, and one that I wasn't expecting. It's been a great honour just to play Test cricket for my country over the past 12 months, because Tests are the highest level of the game, and though it's been tough at times, there's the joy of representing your country."

Finn's 6'7" frame, allied to a solid temperament and an intelligent game-brain, has made him an integral part of an England bowling attack that has secured victory in seven of their last eight Tests, and even at the age of 21, he is regarded as integral to England's hopes of successfully defending the Ashes for the first time since 1986-87.

"We are very confident going into the Ashes," said Finn. "We are very well prepared, and though we are going in as underdogs, we have a very settled side."

Finn was one of two Englishmen to make the final shortlist for the awards, alongside his team-mate Graeme Swann, who was nominated for the Player of the Year category. He beat Pakistan's Umar Akmal, Sri Lanka's Angelo Mathews and Australia's Tim Paine to the Emerging Player title, which was won last year by the Australia fast bowler, Peter Siddle.

The Emerging Player of the Year Award was one of nine individual prizes given at this year's ICC Awards. Players eligible for this award must be under 26 years of age at the start of the voting period (August 24, 2009) and have played no more than five Test matches and/or 10 ODIs before the start of the voting period. 

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Nitschke named Women's Cricketer of the Year

Shelley Nitschke, the Australia allrounder, has been named the Women's Cricketer of the Year at the ICC Awards in Bangalore. In the eight ODIs she played during the period under consideration - August 24, 2009 to August 10, 2010 - Nitschke scored 342 runs at an average of 57, and took 12 wickets. She also played in 10 Twenty20 Internationals, scoring 265 runs and taking ten wickets.

Nitschke won the award ahead of team-mate Ellyse Perry, West Indies' Stafanie Taylor and England's Katherine Brunt. She was also part of the victorious Australian women's side in the ICC World Twenty20 earlier this year.

Accepting the award from Australia batsman Michael Hussey, Nitschke said: "This year has been fantastic and to cap the year off with winning the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year is brilliant. A huge part of increasing people's following of us has been our playing double-header matches with the men's sides, and to be playing Twenty20 cricket on a global stage has also helped us immensely."

There was another special honour for women's cricket, as former England batsman Rachael Heyhoe-Flint became the first woman to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. 

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Ryan ten Doeschate is Associate Player of the Year

Ryan ten Doeschate, the Netherlands allrounder, has been named the Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year at the ICC Awards ceremony in Bangalore. He was chosen by the jury over Afghanistan's Mohammad Shahzad and the Ireland duo of Trent Johnston and Kevin O'Brien. He has won this award for the second time - his first came in 2008.

During the voting period - from August 24, 2009 to August 10, 2010 - ten Doeschate played for the Netherlands in five ODIs, making one century and three half-centuries. He averaged 121.33 at a strike rate of 79.30. He also played four Twenty20 Internationals for his country, scoring 94 runs at an average of 47. In the one ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture he played during this period, ten Doeschate scored an unbeaten 212 against Kenya, striking 22 fours and seven sixes in his first innings, and claiming 7 for 174 in the game with his medium pace.

ten Doeschate couldn't attend the award but was delighted to receive the prize. "I'm really upset that I am unable to attend tonight's ceremony to accept my second ICC award. I feel extremely privileged to be once again recognised by the ICC and the Voting Academy for my performances this year.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the KNCB (the Netherlands board) and my team-mates as well as the ICC for the continued support it shows to Associate and Affiliate cricket." 

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Rebuilding Australia retain never-say-die spirit

Whatever happens on the final day of this great Test, Australia can be proud of themselves. Don't count on them feeling content with this, though.

This has been an un-Australian display in many ways, but in the refusal to give up, in the fight they have put up despite limitations, this has been so very Australian. And that is the beauty of playing Australia, that only rarely - like in Nagpur two years ago - do they make it easy for the other side to win.

In foreign conditions, with two bowlers who had never played Tests here and one who had played one, with a wobbly middle order that has allowed the Indian spinners to dictate terms, somehow Australia have either hung in or come back for the last four days to now be favourites.

Earlier Australian sides wouldn't have batted the way Shane Watson and Tim Paine did in the first innings. Even as recently as in 2008-09, Matthew Hayden was trying to hit his way out of trouble, feeling out of place as one of the pack. The difference, perhaps, was that that team was not used to struggling. This team has not only been introduced to the struggles, it seems to be enjoying the fight. And India, down to three bowlers and five batsmen in the first innings, have given them some fight, only for Australia to absorb, absorb, absorb, and then strike back at a weak moment.

On the start of the fourth morning, with all three results possible, Australia showed safety was the last thing on their minds. Watson went from monk to marauder, identifying the moment to seize and coming hard at India. All the shots he had avoided earlier, he played now: the upper-cut, the slog-sweep, the adventurous drive against the turn. A collapse followed, but two left-hand batsmen who were denied by the golden generation before them stuck around to push Australia to a defendable total.

Simon Katich and Michael Hussey began their careers almost simultaneously as kids in Perth, and started this game with the same number of caps and runs. Hussey followed Katich into the 4000-run club today, and you couldn't help but wonder how many more they would have got had they been born in some other country. Both of them have been part of - fleetingly, albeit - the days of domination too, but as scratchy accumulators. The 42 runs that came from their scratchy accumulation today will not be talked about often, but just ask India what they won't give for a 42-run stand right now?

The pièce de résistance, though, came when Australia came out to defend 215. If Virender Sehwag got off to a flier, this would have been one last Australian effort in this match. And if this was going to be the one last effort, they were going to make it grand.

The Australian bowlers might not have the skill of Zaheer Khan, but they made up for it through aggression and persistence. The wickets didn't come through a cracking pitch or a mischievous spinner, but through three pace bowlers finding energy they didn't seem to have in the first innings. Ben Hilfenhaus' pace went up dramatically, Doug Bollinger found accuracy, and Mitchell Johnson just had to do the back-up job.

"We had a bit over an hour to bowl," Hilfenhaus said later. "We knew we could come out hard. We knew we didn't have the runs on the board, and this could be the defining moment in the match."

There have been teams that have tried the short ball against Sehwag in the last two years and failed, but the Australian trio remained quick and accurate. With only two men in front of square, Bollinger kept pounding in the bouncers at around 140kmph, and hit Rahul Dravid once before getting his wicket.

Hilfenhaus was prepared to play what is not his natural game. He bowled as many bouncers and cutters as he did outswingers. He had been much better in the first innings than figures of 0 for 100 suggest. For somebody playing his first Test in the country, he has shown remarkable knowledge of Indian conditions. He has been bowling off a shorter run, preserving energy for longer spells, and has done well with the old ball that hasn't quite swung.

Against Sehwag today, two of his bouncers sailed over the keeper's head, giving away close to 4% of what Australia were defending. With a change of ends, he kept searching for the correct bouncer. It wasn't quite an unplayable delivery, and Sehwag has managed these before too, but the right amount of pressure had been created.

Similarly Hilfenhaus has promised to put Sachin Tendulkar, who has terrorised generations of Australian bowlers before him for 20 years, under the pump on the final day. Who can blame him for feeling confident? Staying consistent with the Australian way, expect Hilfenhaus and friends to make India fight for every single run. 

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UDRS resistance returns to hurt India

India can feel hard done by Billy Bowden's lbw decision against Gautam Gambhir, but they have only themselves to blame. The batsman hits the leather off the ball, and is also hit outside the line of the off. The umpire thinks it is pad first, and misjudges the line. The batsman makes a T sign, the third umpire has a look at it, and tells the on-field umpire he has made a mistake. The umpire then crosses arms, reverses his decision, and the batsman goes ahead with his innings. When that happens at a critical juncture, as it could have on two occasions today, it is a huge relief for those participating in, officiating in, and watching the game.

India, though, refuse to use it. The Gambhir decision, and the one against Michael Hussey, where everyone in the crowd immediately knew it was not out, is exactly what the UDRS is in place for. Umpires are human too. They too make mistakes. Admittedly some are more human than others. In recent times their workload has grown manifold, but the Elite Panel remains just as big - or small.

India's argument against the UDRS is that they are not comfortable with it unless a technology at least as reliable as Hot Spot is used. Rahul Dravid illustrated India's concerns about the system yesterday. "My personal view is that if it can be proved that technology is foolproof, there is no harm in going for it," he said. "As long as we can be sure that it is available for every Test match, every condition all over the world and it's uniform." And while neither the BCCI nor the ICC is willing to bear costs for the technology that is to be used for the smoother running of the game, it is unfair to expect the broadcasters - who have paid through their noses to obtain the rights - to foot the bill.

Yet, looking at the way Gambhir and Hussey were given out, there is a case for even half the technology doing more good than bad. The Indian team is not united in its opposition of the system. At the P Sara Oval earlier this year, when Abhimanyu Mithun and Ishant Sharma were given out caught off their pads, Virender Sehwag had said: "It happens in cricket. Sometimes the umpire gives you a good decision and sometimes a bad decision. But yes, I would love to have that referral system in Test cricket, or even in one-day cricket. That is my personal opinion."

Ben Hilfenhaus shared the opinion after the day's play. "Obviously there is technology out there to be used," he said. "Umpires are doing a fantastic job, but obviously with the technology you take a bit of that human error out."

Chances are Gambhir's personal opinion might not be too different from Hilfenhaus' after today. Personal opinions, though, should not matter in the first place. As many players have demanded before, the ICC needs to put its foot down and make it mandatory for all Tests to be played under the same set of playing conditions. Test cricket shouldn't become a backyard game of cricket where kids decide beforehand if they can be given out lbw or not. 

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Ishant finally makes an impact

Six years ago, Australia set India 229 to win a Test match in Chennai. India knocked off 19 before stumps on the fourth day, but an overnight deluge reduced Chepauk to a swamp and deprived what would have been a capacity crowd of a nailbiting climax. At Mohali tomorrow, rain is unlikely to be a factor and this abbreviated series will almost certainly get the result that sets up the Bangalore game as a must-win for one side.

Australia are clear favourites, having taken four top-order wickets. VVS Laxman, who averages nearly 50 in the team's second innings, is struggling with back spasms and will only bat if required, while the tail will need to offer far sterner resistance than they did on the third afternoon.

Successful fourth-innings chases of this magnitude are rare, and India have pulled off just two against Australia when the target has been in excess of 200. The only instance on Indian soil came as far back as 46 years ago, when sedate half-centuries from Dilip Sardesai and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, combined with a rather more brisk 30 from Chandu Borde saw them edge past a 254-run target.

After some spectacular final-day collapses in the 1990s and the early part of the new millennium, India have been less of a soft touch in recent times. At Chennai in 2008, they famously chased down 387 against England after Sehwag's blazing 83 on the fourth evening ensured that they could bat normally on the final day. As recently as August, they slumped to 62 for 4 at the P Sara Oval in Colombo before Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina saw them past 257 with a measure of comfort.

The drama of the afternoon seemed a world away as Australia dominated most of a morning session in which India were as listless as they had been on the opening day. Then, with the score on 87 - Australia's unlucky number - it all changed. It was a filthy delivery from Ishant, short and wide, but Watson, who had batted with real purpose for 56, only dragged it on.

Ricky Ponting followed, essaying an equally poor pull and Ishant could have had three in the over but for a no-ball referral from Billy Bowden. Michael Clarke was walking off by the time he went up to the TV umpire, and Ishant's emotions, after a frankly rotten match, boiled over. "When you get excited, run in really fast and are desperate for a wicket, you make these kind of mistakes," he said after the day's play. "But you need to control your breath and emotions and try to get a good rhythm. The seniors help when I get excited. He [Bowden] was doing his job and I was doing mine. If he's given a no-ball, then it's a no-ball."

Daljit Singh, the curator, suggested that the pitch played quicker on the fourth day as a result of the moisture in it having evaporated after three days of sunshine. Ishant bowled a clever short ball to nail Clarke - "I think there was more bounce compared to the first innings," he said - and was relieved to be back among the wickets after a string of indifferent performances that he attributed to a minor tweak in his approach to the wicket.

"I struggled in Sri Lanka as well because I have shortened my run-up by two steps," he said. "It's just two steps, but it's taking time to find my old rhythm. I'm missing my steps a little bit. I spoke to Zak about it, and a few seniors in my team. The good thing is that I'm still bowling at the same pace that I was getting with my previous run-up."

India's pursuit of 216 got off to the worst possible start, but having benefited from a terrible decision to get rid of Michael Hussey, the Indians weren't about to point the finger at the officials after Gautam Gambhir whacked the ball on to his pad and watched bemused as Bowden lifted the crooked finger. "That's part and parcel of the game," said Ishant. "No one feels good about that but you can only control what's in your hands."

Only Tendulkar, hero of the Chennai chase, and MS Dhoni remain of the specialist batsmen and the 161 runs needed will appear a million miles away if either is dismissed early on the final morning. Ben Hilfenhaus, who bowled a fabulous spell to send India into a tailspin before stumps, promised to put Tendulkar "under the pump" and there will be more than a few damaged cuticles in the Indian dressing room after he takes fresh guard tomorrow. "When four of your best batsmen get out, the mood is a little bit tense," said Ishant. "But everyone is in a good frame of mind and we believe that whoever is at the crease can do a job for the team. We'll try our level best." 

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Laxman will bat if needed - Ishan

VVS Laxman, down with back spasms, is expected to bat on the final day of the Test should he be needed, Ishant Sharma said at the end of the fourth day's play. Laxman got the spasms before India's first innings, and came out to bat with a runner, at No. 10. He didn't field in Australia's second innings but, because the No. 6 batsman is already in, Laxman can theoretically walk out at the fall of the next wicket.

India are four down for 55, and need 161 more going into the final day. They will start the day with nightwatchman Zaheer Khan batting with Sachin Tendulkar, who is unbeaten on 10.

This is the second time Laxman has had back spasms in two Tests. He batted in pain to score a match-winning century at the P Sara Oval. "It was painful," Laxman had said then of that effort. "I started my innings well, but during the partnership [with Sachin Tendulkar] I had a lot of discomfort and the spasms didn't allow me to move freely. Once I was into my 30s it became very painful... I was in such pain that I thought that the best decision in team's interest was to have a runner instead of just giving away the wicket due to pain." 

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