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Ricky Ponting said Australia would not be getting too carriedaway after their emphatic 83-run victory over the world No. 1 SouthAfrica, adding that his team’s bid for a third consecutive World Cupwas only just building up its momentum.”It was a big win for us,” Ponting, whose team now travels toAntigua for the Super Eights stage of the competition, said. “Taking thosetwo points with us and a pretty healthy run-rate as well – it’s anideal start to the tournament. But that’s all it is for us, it’s oneof the games down and we’ve got to focus and turn things round prettyquickly for the big game against West Indies on Tuesday.”Tuesday’s match will be the inaugural fixture at the new Sir VivianRichards stadium in Antigua, and Ponting said his side had to bewary when facing West Indies on home soil. “They’re a very dangerous team, and they should know these conditionsvery well,” he said. “They have great crowd support from all over theCaribbean, and once again it’s one of our biggest games in this WorldCup. Every step you take in this tournament becomesmore and more exciting.”Right at the moment things are going really well,” Ponting said,as Australia have won three matches out of three in the group stages inSt Kitts. “We just wanted to go out there and play a great game today.This win is no more satisfying than any other against South Africa.They’re a good side so whenever we beat them it’s a good achievement.”Though South Africa eventually slumped to a sizeable defeat, it wasnot until Australia’s bowlers had been given a fright in the opening25 overs of the run-chase that they began to take control. “To get through that challenge today willbe great for us,” Ponting, whose bowlers failed to defendconsecutive scores of 330-plus against New Zealand last month, said. “Thelast few times we’ve been challenged that way, we haven’t performed atour best, but today we really kept in there and waited forsomething special.”That something special came courtesy of a brilliant run-out from theboundary’s edge by Shane Watson, and Ponting admitted that the throwhad probably changed the course of the game. “The way we executedtoday after that first breakthrough was terrific,” he said. “We justhung in there, our fielding was good, and once we got a bit of a sniffwe were all over them and went in for the kill.”Whenever a side is chasing a total like that, if they have one littleslip-up or one brilliant piece of fielding from us, then it puts themon the back-foot pretty quickly and that’s what happened today. It’salways hard work chasing big totals like that. South Africa have doneit reasonably well in the past, but in this big game they weren’t ableto do it.”Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, was proud of the effort that hisside had put into the chase, but admitted that they had “lost theirway” at crucial moments of the match. “We bowled well at times at thedeath, for little bursts, and even with the bat, going into the 35thover, we were ahead of our targets,” he said. “But we just left ourselves toomuch to do in the last ten. We had opportunities to win and we move onwith confidence to our next game against Sri Lanka.”

Sachin Tendulkar will miss the one-day series against England because of a posterior labrum tear* and cyst in his right shoulder. He has been advised immediate surgery and will be out of competitive cricket for at least eight weeks following the operation.Munaf Patel was included in the squad for the first three ODIs after an impressive showing in the Tests against England while Venugopal Rao has been recalled after missing the tour of Pakistan.Virender Sehwag, who missed the last three one-day matches in Pakistan, comes back into the squad, though he too has been struggling with a back problem in this Test. When asked about the retention of Gautam Gambhir and the possibility of Sourav Ganguly’s name coming up for discussion, Kiran More, the chairman of selectors, said: “We discussed a lot of names. Gambir made runs in the tour game [against England] and we don’t want to disturb the combination that won 4-1 in Pakistan.”Asked about Zaheer Khan being omitted, More said that his showing had not been up to expectations in Pakistan, curtly telling a reporter to “check statistics” when asked if that was really the case.More also said that there was no temptation to bring back Anil Kumble, despite his sterling performances in the Test series. “He has been our main strike bowler in Tests, bowling upto 40 and 50 overs a game,” said More, adding that no one was out of contention.India
Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid (capt), Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Irfan Pathan, Venugopal Rao, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Ajit Agarkar, Ramesh Powar, Rudra Pratap Singh

*

Graham Thorpe, the England batsman, has urged his team not to be intimidated by Australia’s reputation when the Ashes begin at Lord’s on July 21. Thorpe, who has missed the last two Ashes series, came back to the Test arena in September 2003 against South Africa, and has been in good touch since then.”I can visualise towards July and think what it’s going to be like,” Thorpe told AFP. “It will be a massive occasion and the lads have to relax and enjoy what is going on. If we play the men rather than statistics and figures it will be our best way of playing against them. We won’t do well being tense and worrying about their record or who we are playing against. You have to have a certain amount of belief regardless.”England, who are currently the No.2 team in Tests, have been in terrific form in the last 12 months, having won their last four series. “Come what may it is important not to beat yourself up if you have a bad day. Being realistic we will have some bad days against Australia and you have to get out of bed the next day with a smile on your face and enjoy it.”Australia have dominated the Ashes since 1989, but a resurgent England side would be confident of a better performance this time around.Having missed the last two series, Thorpe was hopeful of playing this year’s Ashes. “I would love to be fit because it would be great to have an opportunity to play against them with this England team,” said Thorpe, who made a hundred on debut against Australia in 1993. “We have a lot of good performers and I know we are going to have to play as a team and to our highest potential against them.”This summer I have not got a great deal to lose, it has been a pretty good journey in the past 18 months, probably the best period I have played for England.”

Close India 284 for 3 (Tendulkar 73*, Laxman 29*) v Australia
Scorecard

The young apprentices served up a fine entrée in the final Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and then the modern masters got down to the task of preparing a substantial main course. As at Melbourne, Akash Chopra and Virender Sehwag set India up nicely with a century opening partnership. But the middle order did not squander the platform they had been gifted, and India finished the first day on 284 for 3. Sachin Tendulkar, the subject of much unseemly media speculation, constructed partnerships of 66 with Rahul Dravid and an unbeaten 90 with VVS Laxman on his way to an ominous 73 not out.The day began fittingly for a man who relishes the uphill battle. Steve Waugh lost the toss and watched the Indian openers tot up 98 runs before lunch. They spluttered to a start rather than roared to one. On a good bouncy pitch, Chopra and Sehwag began tentatively, playing and missing, prodding and poking, unsure of quite how to handle the swing and seam movement that Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie generated. Gillespie, back from injury, had trouble with his line, frequently bowling wide of the off stump, or on the batsman’s legs. Lee was quicker and more accurate, and any early breakthrough appeared likely to come from him.Then, in the space of two heartbreaking overs from Lee – heartbreaking for the bowler – the momentum shifted. First, Chopra edged a beautiful away-swinger and was caught behind – off a no-ball. The next ball was legitimate, and Chopra edged again, straight to Simon Katich at gully – Katich fumbled, and dropped it.Sehwag added sodium chloride to Lee’s lesions a couple of overs later, and again, a no-ball started it. Lee overstepped and dropped one wide outside off, Sehwag slashed over backward point for six. Lee overcompensated, drifted down leg, Sehwag clipped him to fine leg for four. Lee got his line right in the next ball, but not his length, as Sehwag punched a fuller ball in the corridor to the cover boundary. Singles followed, and 18 came off that over. Lee had been hit out of the attack.Chopra found his groove as the game went on, as his shot selection grew more assured, and fortune gave way to fortitude. Sehwag, meanwhile, opened up as the ball grew older. His aggression bordered mostly on the right side of recklessness; he put away most loose balls that came his way, but didn’t try any wild strokes against the good balls. When he did flash, he flashed hard.Just when Sehwag seemed set for another big innings, he edged a good-length ball from Gillespie after lunch, and was caught behind for 72 (123 for 1). Shortly after that, Lee earned a fine wicket. First, he unleashed a bouncer at Chopra, which Chopra left alone. Then came the yorker, which Chopra dug out superbly. Then, the faster inswinging yorker, which left Chopra clueless as it crashed into his stumps (128 for 2). Chopra had made 45 – once again, the openers had given India a good start. What would Rahul Dravid and Tendulkar make of it?Tendulkar, an irresistable force for so much of his career, was an immovable object. He played a solid and compact innings, with few expansive attempts to drive, and no expensive uppish slashes. He got his boundaries with the minimum of risk – as when he opened his account off a slightly underpitched yorker from Lee, meeting it nonchalantly with the full face of his blade, in a perfectly timed push to the long-on boundary.

Dravid, at the other end, was his usual unyielding self, immaculate in his responses to every question thrown at him – from balance to footwork to every microscopic detail of technique. He was serene yet busy, solid yet fluid, and he outscored Tendulkar during their partnership of 66. He was clinical against loose bowling, much of which came, during his stay at the crease, from Stuart MacGill.Dravid cut and on-drove MacGill for fours in the first over after tea, then flicked and off-drove him for two more boundaries in his next over, and then chose the otherwise controlled Nathan Bracken for punishment, square-cutting him ferociously when he pitched short and slightly wide. But as in the first innings at Melbourne, he was out against the run of play, caught on his crease by an incutter from Gillespie for 38. At 194 for 3, India were on the same slippery slope as towards the end of the first day in the last Test.But Tendulkar and Laxman, promoted in the batting order above Sourav Ganguly, kept climbing. Tendulkar opened out as he grew more comfortable, using his wrists to work balls on off and further inside to the leg side, rocking back to punch or pull anything short. He did not allow the comfort with which he was playing to relax him, and played no loose strokes – though MacGill did fox him a couple of times, inducing edges that did not go to hand.Laxman’s last innings at the SCG was the gorgeous 167 in 1999-00, when he had nothing to lose. Today, he gave nothing away, as he settled in for the long haul. He found occasion to play his staple shots, the wristy flick to midwicket and the inside-out cover-drive, but was more a gatherer than the hunter he had been in his last Test here.In the previous Test, India’s middle order had made a meal of the start they had been given. But these men had worked too hard and dreamed too long of victory in Australia, and they batted as if they would not let anything come in the way of their just desserts.Waugh, no doubt, had other plans up his sleeves. After all, this was his party.Amit Varma is managing editor of Wisden Cricinfo in India.

Simon Katich, the 27 year-old Australian left-handed batsman and left-arm wrist spinner, will be Hampshire’s second overseas player next season after signing a one-year contract. Shane Warne will captain the county providing he recovers from his shoulder dislocation sustained in the one-day international against England on Sunday, but Katich should prove to be a very useful addition to his resources.It was during the 1998/99 Australian season that Katich really emerged with statistics to confirm his rich promise when he scored 1,039 runs in the Sheffield Shield, including 115 in the final, to help Western Australia take the title. This earned him selection to tour Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe with the national side, but he went down with chicken pox while away and took some time to rid himself of the virus.He made an immediate impact when he played for Durham in the summer of 2000, scoring a thousand runs at an average in excess of 40 and, following another very successful season in Australia, was selected for the Ashes tour in England in 2001. He made his Test debut at Headingley when captain Steve Waugh was injured, and the following winter made his one-day international debut for Australia.A product of the Australian academy, he moved from his native Western Australia to New South Wales for the current Australian season and took three wickets to rip out England’s middle order in the one-day match at Sydney prior to the start of the VB Series. He played in one first-class match for Yorkshire last season and three limited-overs games when Darren Lehmann was called away on national duty.Hampshire’s director of cricket, Tim Tremlett, said: “We’re delighted to have signed a player of Simon’s calibre. He is familiar with English conditions and is very highly regarded.”Obviously the county is hoping he doesn’t do a John Crawley and get into the national side after signing for us,” he added.His first-class career to date sees his batting average standing at an impressive 48.31, with 16 hundreds, while in one-day cricket he averages 36.81.

Welcoming the support from the International Cricket Council (ICC),CBI on Sunday said it would soon send a team to London to gatherinformation from the world body on the cricket telecast rights caseand other matters arising out of the match-fixing scandal.”We would be soon sending a team to London and the support from ICC isimportant for us as some of their officials have also been named intwo of the cases,” CBI spokesman S M Khan told reporters in NewDelhi.He said the agency was always in touch with the anti-corruptionbranch of ICC and looked forward to any support from them which wasvery crucial to the investigation into the telecast rights case.CBI on November 8 registered five cases against some Doordarshanofficials for allegedly cheating the Prasar Bharti of crores of rupeesin award of telecast rights for cricket matches. The five cases relateto alleged bunglings in telecast rights for 1997 Independence Cup, ICCKnockOut tournament in 1998 played in Dhaka and the World Cup in 1999.CBI alleged that some officials of Doordarshan had entered into acriminal conspiracy with the Bangalorebased WorldTel and Delhi-basedStracon India and dishonestly enhanced the bid for the telecast of thetournament.Referring to the alleged nexus between betting syndicates andunderworld, the spokesman said “we are still looking into whetherthere is any link between match-fixing syndicate and organised crimesyndicate in the country and abroad.”Former Director of CBI R K Raghavan had sought help from other statepolice departments and central intelligence agencies in this matter.The ICC report on match-fixing, unveiled in London on May 23, hadvoiced grave concern over corrupt practices in international cricketand pledged its support to CBI in probing the links between organisedcrime and match-fixers.The CBI on May 4 last year registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) oninstruction from the Union Sports Ministry. The agency later submitteda 164-page report to the then Sports Minister S S Dhindsa on October31. The CBI hopes that the ICC’s efforts would lead to further probeinto the role of nine foreign players, who were not investigated bythe agency.

South Africa Cricketers’ Association chief executive Tony Irish has responded to claims that some members of the national team could be sanctioned and perhaps even sacked on their return from Bangladesh by saying they are “groundless”.Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Sport chairman, Butana Komphela, said on Tuesday that alleged talk of a strike amongst the national players in protest at president Norman Arendse’s interference in the selection of the squad amounted to “a mutiny against the president”.”You should sack them, fire them – meet them at the airport and tear their contracts up,” Komphela told Arendse and Cricket South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola. “It is a mutiny and it is not acceptable.”Irish responded yesterday on behalf of the national players saying: “There is no basis for any disciplinary action against any of the players. SACA made an internal complaint against the president for the public statements he about the team before they left and we will wait for that to be processed in due course.”Arendse was quoted in Sondag newspaper as saying that the players “they love money too much. Moreover, the majority of blacks are waiting for them to strike, because if they did it would be difficult to come back in politically.”Irish said that, although the references to money had upset the national players, that was not their greatest concern. “Far more upsetting to the players was the divisive references to race and politics. They are a team playing with a common purpose and to be referred to as anything else was matter they wanted addressed.”

Scorecard

Travis Birt picked a timely day to produce his first Pura Cup century of the season and he lifted Tasmania to an enviable position at Adelaide Oval. South Australia, who were bowled out for 139 on Thursday, fought back with three wickets in the first session to have the Tigers at 5 for 216, but Birt was helped by Sean Clingeleffer to end the challenge.Birt, an Australia A representative last winter, had struggled for sizeable scores during the summer and overcame his problems with a controlled 102 that kept Tasmania on track for a spot in the final. The Tigers grabbed the competition lead with their first-innings points and Birt strengthened the advantage during his 202-ball contribution that included nine fours.His partnership with Clingeleffer, who picked up a useful 46, was essential in preventing South Australia from facing a small deficit. Birt fell to an edge off Paul Rofe, who had earlier picked up Michael Dighton for 52, and Dan Cullen added Clingeleffer to accept his second victim. Mark Cosgrove’s occasional offerings concluded the innings at 337 and he returned a surprising 3 for 3 off nine overs.South Australia’s reply started badly when Jason Borgas was caught at point for 1 and Darren Lehmann departed on the final ball of the day when he was taken sweeping Xavier Doherty. The Redbacks were 2 for 53 and still 145 in arrears.

Australia may be hit by injuries and down 1-0 in the five-match one-day series, but Michael Clarke does not think there is much to worry about. Clarke, who scored a half-century in Sunday’s six-wicket loss, believes the side is playing well despite losing the opening two games of the tour.”[The first ODI] was a little bit disappointing but we’re not far away,” he told . “I don’t think we have too much to worry about. We’re playing pretty good cricket.”Australia’s back-up bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Mick Lewis suffered in the first one-dayer alongside Brett Lee, but injuries are becoming a greater problem as Ricky Ponting (stomach), Andrew Symonds (hip) and Stuart Clark (rib) are all in doubt for Friday’s second match at Cape Town. Phil Jaques will arrive in South Africa as cover on Wednesday and will be considered for a spot at No. 3 or in the middle order.Ponting is hopeful of playing and Clarke backed his captain to be fit. “Fingers crossed, I hope Ricky is fine for Friday, so Phil probably won’t get the chance to play,” Clarke said. “Jaquesy is a fantastic player. As he has shown before, he’ll step up and do well. We’ll get Jaquesy if Ricky and Andrew [Symonds] aren’t fit.”Clarke said the appearance of both injured players would give the side a big lift as they attempt to level the series. “Ricky and Andrew, if they don’t score a run between them, just their presence in the field is missed unbelievably,” Clarke said. “Punter is the No. 1 batsman in the world at the moment and ‘Symmo’ is certainly up there. You can’t replace those sorts of guys and they were certainly missed.”The Test squad is announced next week and Clarke has been fine-tuning his new-ball method in the nets in a bid to return to the squad for the three-match series starting on March 16. “I just need to continue working hard on my game, continue scoring runs and hopefully another opportunity will come up,” he said.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Australia’s growing charge was again stalled by rain just as Ricky Ponting enforced the follow-on with a massive lead of 326. Michael Kasprowicz reignited Australia’s hunt for victory as New Zealand were dismissed for 244 at tea, but the players did not return on a day when it wasn’t only the pitch that wanted to stay under the covers.Two sessions were wiped off by rain and mist hugging the Basin Reserve, and more is forecast for tomorrow. Any lost time on day five will probably ensure an Australia victory is sucked down the drain. If clear skies reappear – it’s a big if – New Zealand must show greater application than they did in the first innings against an in-form attack that dealt the wickets around.Australia’s bowlers are fresh after delivering 81.1 overs – only 42.1 were possible today – and finishing off their opponents in a session that lasted almost three hours. Through Lou Vincent and James Franklin New Zealand made a reasonable attempt at crease occupation in their unlikely bid to pass the follow-on target of 421.Once Vincent, who posted his seventh Test half-century, and James Franklin added 58 Kasprowicz struck twice with two edges, Shane Warne followed it up with Brendon McCullum and Craig McMillan, and New Zealand were all out after some clever Daniel Vettori aggression. Australian hands that were warming in pockets were suddenly preparing for a second bowl. Dwarfed by Australia’s mammoth 570 for 8 declared, New Zealand started 448 runs behind and reduced the damage by 122 when the covers went back on for good.Kasprowicz, running in under ghostly fog suiting his `Kasper’ nickname, homed in on both Vincent and Franklin with carefully constructed plans over a couple of overs that produced nicked attempted drives and easy catches for Adam Gilchrist. The naggingly accurate and slippery bowling again showed why he has kept Brett Lee cleaning shoes and wondering when he’ll get his next first-class game.Intent on a long stay, Vincent was happy to front-foot pull the fast bowlers and sweep Warne, and he offered a small acknowledgement for his 115-ball fifty. His partnership with Franklin, the nightwatchman, became irritating for the experimenting Australians. Gilchrist crouched outside leg stump for a couple of deliveries to Warne, who sometimes employed five close-in catchers to Franklin. All were avoided and he played a couple of smart drives on his way to a Test-best 26.The pair’s resistance started talk of time running out for Australia, but then Kasprowicz popped up, giving himself three victims for the innings and 99 in his career. When McCullum arrived in a hurry and pushed his third ball to Michael Clarke at midwicket three wickets had fallen for 18 runs. The boost revived Warne and life was breathed into a dreary session.McMillan has lost some embarrassing battles to Australia over the summer and was fighting to retain his place. He began under control and then snapped, slogging Warne for a large six over mid-on. He can’t help it. From there he was confused and soon left head-down to a horrible swipe on bended knee off Warne.Jason Gillespie upset Iain O’Brien before Vettori and Chris Martin provided two stumbling blocks. Farming the strike, Vettori crashed eight boundaries in making 45 and Martin successfully tried not to get out. The tactic worked until Vettori picked out Damien Martyn, and more thoughtful batting will be necessary to see off Australia on the final day. Unless it rains.How They Were Out
Franklin c Gilchrist b Kasprowicz 26 (166 for 5)
Feet stayed planted as he eyed a drive but edged instead.Vincent c Gilchrist b Kasprowicz 63 (180 for 6)
Ball angled in to Vincent, who tried to push through cover but his weight wasn’t all the way forward.McCullum c Clarke b Warne 3 (184 for 7)
Playing outside leg stump, he pushed a catch to a diving Clarke at midwicket.McMillan b Warne 20 (201 for 8)
Lost his head again, slogging across the line to a ball that hit off stump.O’Brien b Gillespie 5 (212 for 9)
Yorker brushed pad on the way to leg stump.Vettori c Martyn b Warne 45 (244)
Caught in the deep hitting to midwicket.