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It has been a series dominated by spin so far, but Australia are hoping that Mohali will provide some help for their fast bowlers

Brydon Coverdale10-Mar-2013Reasons for hope have been few and far between for the Australians during this tour of India. But the third Test in Mohali was always going to provide a glimmer. Last time a Test was played at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium was in 2010, when India beat Australia by one wicket. Mitchell Johnson took a five-for. So did Zaheer Khan. Ben Hilfenhaus and Doug Bollinger were in the wickets. All up, 25 batsmen fell to pace over the course of the Test, and only 12 to spin.Of course, a lot can change in two and a half years. Just ask Simon Katich, who was opening with Shane Watson during that Test. Or the first-choice spinner Nathan Hauritz. In fact, Clarke, Watson and Johnson are the only three men from that XI who are part of this squad. But after India’s spinners claimed 20 wickets in Chennai and 14 in Hyderabad, any suggestion of a more pace-friendly surface will be welcomed by the Australians.”I think it is the one place in India, or one of the few places in India, that is renowned for a bit of pace and bounce,” the allrounder Moises Henriques, who has played limited-overs cricket at the venue, said. “But in comparison to wickets in Australia there still won’t be the same amount that you get back home. But it’s certainly one place where the quicks could come in and do a little bit more damage on.”The Australians trained at the ground on Sunday but the pitch square remained under cover in gloomy weather, with the possibility of rain during the day. It has been difficult for the Australian fast bowlers so far on the tour, although James Pattinson used his pace to collect six wickets in Chennai. Henriques was the fourth seamer in Chennai and the third in Hyderabad, and has managed only one wicket at 93.”It has been tough. I feel like I’ve been bowling okay without really having that penetration to get through and take some wickets, which a lot of the seam bowlers have been struggling with over here,” Henriques said. “I’ve got to not only be able to keep it tight as the allrounder and build pressure but somehow find a way to start taking some wickets as well. It is tough for the quicks over here but maybe we’re not coming up with the right plans.”However, Henriques was impressive with the bat with a pair of half-centuries on debut in Chennai, before he was bowled trying to play against the spin in the first innings in Hyderabad and then suffered an unfortunate run-out in the second innings. The struggles of Australia’s batting line-up mean Henriques remains the second leading run scorer in the squad with 154 at 51.33, and the batsmen need to offer significantly more support to Michael Clarke, who has 268 runs at 67.”Michael has been scoring a lot of runs for us and we need to chip in and take a lot of the pressure off Michael so he can play with a bit of freedom,” Henriques said. “We do have the players to do it and after the first couple of Tests we’re starting to learn more about the conditions over here. I think a lot of the … playing XI hadn’t played a lot of cricket over here, especially in five-day cricket. Although it was disappointing the first two Tests are a learning curve. We’ve just got to keep learning and getting better, that’s all we can do at this stage.”A return to Mohali might also provide some pleasant memories for the vice-captain Watson, who has not scored a Test hundred since his 126 in the last Test at the venue in 2010. Clarke’s decision to move up the order for this game could mean Watson is also bumped up to No.3, if the struggling Phillip Hughes is left out, but the batting line-up is far from the only decision Australia’s selectors must make over the next few days.Unless the pitch provides a surprise when it is uncovered, it is unlikely the Australians will again pick two spinners as they did in Hyderabad, meaning either Johnson or Mitchell Starc would likely be included. There is also the question of which spinner to play, with Xavier Doherty having struggled for impact until the end of India’s innings in Hyderabad and Nathan Lyon having been axed to work on some technical issues after the first Test.

Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, has kept the door open for a return to international cricket for the series against England

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Jan-2013Jesse Ryder, the New Zealand batsman, has kept the door open for a return to international cricket for the visit of England which begins with Twenty20 internationals in early February.Ryder, who was dropped after an incident during the one-day series against South Africa last year and has not played since, has a meeting with the coach Mike Hesson on January 29 after the squad return from the tour of South Africa.Ryder said he wanted to take himself out of consideration for the side for a period of time while he worked on various “issues” although he did play in the IPL. This domestic season he has been in impressive form for Wellington in all forms of the game; he has made 558 runs at 69.75 in five Plunket Shield matches, including three hundreds, and has amassed 508 runs in 10 innings during the HRV Cup at a strike rate of 167.65″There is a meeting on the 29th coming up when the coach is back so we’ll see how that goes,” Ryder told New Zealand radio station . “I’m definitely not ruled out for a return for England.”And Ryder, 28, confirmed he still has the desire to play in Test cricket as well as the shorter formats of the game. “Definitely all forms, especially Test cricket. That’s the main goal for me to be a consistent Test player.”Without going into specifics about what he has dealt with over the last 10 months, Ryder believes he will now be able to cope with whatever pressures the game throws at him.”I think I’ll be fine,” he said. “I’ve had a good 11 months off and worked on a lot of stuff…you’re always going to have your failures in cricket. Hopefully I can be a little bit more consistent once I get back to the international stage.”The return of an in-form, and focussed, Ryder would strengthen a brittle New Zealand middle order which was harshly exposed in the two-Test series against South Africa. Ryder has played 18 Tests for New Zealand after making his debut in 2008 and averages 40.93 with a top score of 201. His stop-start international career, hindered by injury and discipline problems, has also restricted him to 39 ODIs and 20 Twenty20s.Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, was in no doubt that he wanted Ryder back in the side but that the comeback should not be rushed.”We would love to have Jesse in our team. He’s got some issues that he’s dealing with at the moment and he’s making progress. But when he’s fit and healthy and fine in his own space and performing as he is back home he’ll be a vital member of the team.”Ross Taylor, the former captain who also took time away from the team after his controversial sacking, is expected to return for the matches against England. New Zealand were also missing Tim Southee and Daniel Vettori from a first-choice Test side for the series in South Africa.

They may not have enjoyed the preparation they hoped for against spin bowling and they may be without their only genuine fast bowler, but England go into the first Test of the series against India confident, composed and, most of all, united. It might have seemed barely possible a few weeks ago but, at this stage, Kevin Pietersen appears to have returned to the squad seamlessly.It is true that the real test of England’s team spirit is yet to come. That will come on hot afternoons when things do not go their way; when disappointment or frustration tests patience to the limit.But, going into the first Test in Ahmedabad on Thursday, England can feel satisfied with the progress they have made. As recently as September, the divisions within the squad appeared so deep that some predicted that Pietersen would never appear in international cricket again. And, whatever the rights and wrongs of the Pietersen affair – and most reasonable observers would accept that there was fault on both sides – the fact is that England are a stronger side for his inclusion.Indeed, such has been the success of Pietersen’s “reintegration” that Matt Prior, the England wicketkeeper, has said that the spirit within the squad has never been better. While Prior and his colleagues know that the next few weeks offer one of the sternest challenges to any cricketer, they at least go into their series feeling confident in their preparation and their unity.”We go into this Test match feeling fully prepared that we’ve covered every base,” Prior said. “We’ve had a very good and long preparation phase this time around. We have been able to hit a lot of balls and play a lot of cricket on these types of wickets. We have given ourselves the best chance. We have prepared as well as we can. It’s now down to performing on the pitch.”There are certain things that we do now in our net sessions and in our training and our thought processes that are very different to other England teams I’ve toured with. If you keep doing what you always did, you keep getting what you’ve always got. I think the records speak for themselves: how long it’s been since England last won out here.”So to come out here and win in that environment would be even better. All these little challenges lead to something that, if we could pull it off, would be a fantastic honour to be part of.”It may be tempting to dismiss Prior’s words as pre-series spin but they have a ring of truth. It has been noticeable that Pietersen has been more involved in on-field laughter and, off the pitch, that he has been working with other batsmen in the nets. His local knowledge and contacts have been utilised, too, by a squad of whom 10 have never toured India before. It is not a different Pietersen – a chastened, cowering Pietersen – but the same confident man as before; just one who now fully understands his role within the squad.”We wouldn’t want KP to change too much because it is how he is that makes him special as a player,” Prior said. “If Kev suddenly came as this shy, introverted character I would be more worried. I want him to go out and express himself. I’m glad he’s come back the same KP as he was. The important thing is this group all pulling together in the right direction and Kev, the character that he is, pulling with us makes us a far stronger team and that is happening right now.”Kevin is in our team and in our squad. It is as good as it has been since I’ve been in this England side.”Prior is one of the few to emerge from the Pietersen debacle with his reputation enhanced. It was Prior who attempted to break the deadlock by phoning Pietersen and initiating a frank but constructive conversation and, over recent months, he has grown into the role of a key leadership figure in the England set-up.”I like that role,” Prior said. “I genuinely believe that it’s the team in big situations that win you games and get you out of holes. It’s about 11 blokes pulling in the same direction rather than one or two or three individuals. Obviously individual performances always help. But it’s the group that is stronger than anything. That is why I feel so strongly about the team pulling together.”The loss of Steven Finn is substantial. He is developing into a hostile and skilful fast bowler and, in practise on Sunday, bowled with such pace that Richard Halsall, the England assistant coach who was keeping wicket, described the experience as “genuinely quite scary”. But, reasoning that it would be unwise to go into a Test with two bowlers under something of an injury cloud, England have decided to go with Stuart Broad.”It’s a setback,” Prior said. “I’m sure the coach and captain would want to choose from every player who’s out here but we have lot of strength in depth in the squad. It’s one thing that’s made our squad so strong over the last couple of years.”The key to the series may well prove to be how England deal with the Indian spinners. And, perhaps, how they deal with the scars of the series against Pakistan in the UAE when all their”That series is always in the back of your mind,” Prior admitted. “But, as an international sportsman, you have to be pretty thick skinned and able to move on. I hope we learn from our experiences and mistakes and take them forward into these Test matches.”I think it’s going to be tough. But out of those tough challenges come your great rewards. Winning the Ashes in Australia was a tough challenge but it felt even better at the end of it because it was tough. If it was easy it’s not as much fun if you come out on top.”

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Tendo os jogadores titulares que decidir o futuro do Grêmio na Copa Libertadores em duelo da próxima terça-feira (2) frente ao Atlético Tucumán, o mais provável é que o Grêmio use seu time “alternativo” para jogar com o Fluminense no próximo sábado (29) em jogo que ocorrerá no Maracanã às 16 h pelo Brasileirão.

O time gaúcho bem que tentou antecipar o confronto para a próxima quinta-feira (27) e, assim, otimizar o seu tempo de recuperação. Porém, o próprio adversário do time de Porto Alegre não concordou com a ideia e o duelo seguiu marcado para o sábado.

Além dos atletas que normalmente não são utilizados nos torneios eliminatórios, Renato Portaluppi terá a chance de testar como está a condição física de Alisson, recuperado do estiramento no joelho que sofreu na vitória da equipe gremista na Argentina pelo jogo de ida das quartas da Liberta.

Mesmo que quisesse colocar todos os atletas a disposição para jogar em terras cariocas, o técnico do Tricolor Gaúcho não poderia contar com o volante Ramiro e o atacante Luan, já que ambos tomaram o terceiro cartão amarelo frente ao Ceará na emocionante vitória por 3 a 2 de virada na última rodada.

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Steven Finn took three wickets in Sussex’s second innings as Middlesex’s bowlers combined well to set up victory

David Lloyd at Lord's02-Jun-2012
ScorecardSteven Finn took three wickets as Sussex failed to bat through for a draw•Getty ImagesMiddlesex will be without Steven Finn for next week’s home Championship match against Somerset, regardless of whether or not he makes his Test return on Thursday. The fast bowler is certain to be in the squad to face West Indies, at the very least, but his county colleagues should take enough confidence from this excellent victory to believe they can cope without him.Finn certainly played his part here, especially during the early stages of Sussex’s second innings. The first three wickets – Ed Joyce, Chris Nash and Murray Goodwin – all fell to the 23-year-old, who looks quick and hostile even on a slow pitch, and the visitors were immediately up against it.Had Finn added a fourth victim (and made it seven for the match) Middlesex would surely have won by an innings. But Eoin Morgan dropped a fast, two-handed chance in the gully before No. 8 Naved Arif had scored and Sussex – showing some welcome and somewhat overdue fight during the afternoon session – just about managed to make the hosts bat again.Despite Finn’s important contribution, Middlesex are anything but a one, two or even three-man team. Last year’s Division Two champions started the season with many people tipping them as relegation candidates but this 10-wicket success sees them firmly established in fourth place.Their third win of the season was sealed during the early stages of the final session. But it was what happened during the first two hours of day one that had most bearing on the outcome – Tim Murtagh, Finn’s new-ball partner, taking three wickets at next to no cost as Sussex, having chosen to bat, crumpled to 66 for 5. The visitors did well to recover to 283 after that. It was still an inadequate total, however, and a draw became the height of their ambition once Middlesex amassed nearly 500 without a single century-maker. Five players passed 50 to underline the depth of their batting.”We are playing some good cricket,” Angus Fraser, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said. “The only objective we’ve set ourselves this season is to make a positive impression on this division. I want the coaches of all the big, successful sides to go away from their games against us thinking we are a good team who can only get better.”Sussex believed on the fourth morning that they could escape. But Finn’s 11th ball of the day put a huge dent in that idea, a fast yorker ripping through Chris Nash’s defence. Having removed Ed Joyce the previous evening, Finn made it three-for with the struggling Murray Goodwin edging into the huge, flypaper hands of Ollie Rayner at second slip.From then on, it was only likely to be a matter of time. Sussex did not help themselves, however, with Luke Wright snicking an away-from-the-body drive against Gareth Berg and Mike Yardy inexplicably pulling Toby Roland-Jones straight to deep square leg. And so it continued, with even Ben Brown – who played so well while compiling his second half-century of the match and sharing in a stand of 63 with Arif – bizarrely falling to a fluffed reverse sweep against Rayner.Sussex will find themselves in relegation bother this season unless they can sort out their batting. They play Surrey at Horsham next week still looking for a total in excess of 315, and their biggest individual worry must be Goodwin. The veteran Zimbabwean has nine single-figure failures in 11 knocks.As for Middlesex, it is onwards and upwards. And they wish Finn well on his travels. “When you are out of the England side and badly wanting to get back in you are constantly striving to get a big bag of wickets,” said Fraser. “You’re bowling can suffer as a result but he has been doing well for us and I’m sure he will do well for England when he next plays for them.”

Ramnaresh Sarwan, the West Indies batsman, has signed as Leicestershire’s overseas player for the 2012 season

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Feb-2012Ramnaresh Sarwan, the former West Indies captain, has signed as Leicestershire’s overseas player for the 2012 season. He will join the county for the entire season, subject to gaining clearance from the West Indian Cricket Board and a UK work permit. He will be a part of Leicestershire’s pre-season tour of Barbados in mid-March, before flying to the UK.Sarwan has not been a part of the West Indies setup since the home series against India in June 2011, and has not played any cricket since then due to confusion over his fitness. The Guyana Cricket Board left Sarwan out of their squad for the Caribbean T20, saying they were unsure of his fitness, but Sarwan criticised the board, saying he was fit and had informed the board of that. Sarwan has also had his differences with the WICB in the past.Leicestershire have had Australia allrounder Andrew McDonald as their overseas player in the Championship at various stages of the past two seasons, but McDonald has not played for Australia since 2009 and hence cannot get a work permit to play in England. Sarwan, who has previously played for Gloucestershire, will be his replacement.”We are delighted to have completed the signing of Ramnaresh Sarwan,” Leicestershire chief-executive Mike Siddall said. “He has an impressive Test record and his availability to play all forms of the game for us during the 2012 season is an added bonus. We wanted to sign an experienced overseas batsman and Ronnie certainly fits the bill.”Sarwan has played 87 Tests and has scored 5842 runs at 40.01.

Shane Watson, the Australia opening batsmen, is likely to make a comeback for the second ODI against South Africa in Port Elizabeth on Sunday

Firdose Moonda22-Oct-2011

Shane Watson, the Australia opening batsmen, is likely to make a comeback for the second ODI against South Africa in Port Elizabeth on Sunday. Watson sustained a hip injury before the second Twenty20 match last week and missed out on that game in Johannesburg and the first one-day international on Wednesday. He was not seriously hurt though, and was left out of the starting XI as a precaution, for fear of aggravating the niggle ahead of the Test series.”I’m confident with how Shane trained yesterday and that he’ll be fine to go,” Michael Clarke, Australia captain said. Shaun Marsh, Australia’s other injured player, took part in a session for the first time on Saturday since picking up a shoulder injury after playing in the first T20 in Cape Town ten days ago. Clarke said team management would give the pair “as long as possible” to see whether they are fit for Sunday’s match and will only announce their starting XI at the eleventh hour.If both Watson and Marsh are deemed fit, Australia will have four men capable of opening the batting and Clarke will have some decisions to make. David Warner, who was in ominous form at the Champions League T20 for New South Wales, but has only amassed 20 runs from three innings on this tour, and Ricky Ponting, who scored 63 in the first ODI, opened the batting on Wednesday. “It’s not a bad problem to have,” Clarke said. “We will wait and see what happens with Shaun today and with Shane. We’ll see how he pulls up and we will work out what the best XI is in these conditions. We need to make sure we assess them correctly.”St George’s Park’s much slower pitch, with lower bounce, will be vastly different to the pacy wicket the two sides played on in Centurion. A westerly wind is predicted, which should bring in moisture from the sea and offer something to the bowlers and although the pitch is likely to be flat, run-scoring can be more difficult here.That will not come as good news to former South African captain Graeme Smith, who has been under fire for his lack of form. Smith managed just four runs in the last ODI, which were overthrows and has looked increasingly uncomfortable at the crease. Clarke said Australia are not taking his lean patch for granted and they expect the Smith that stood up to them in the 2008-9 series to be back soon. “There’s certainly going to be a time in this series when Graeme will make run. He is a good player and his statistics certainly show that.”Clarke also sympathised with Smith, saying his public pasting is somewhat unwarranted. “He has been a very good captain and a very good player so I don’t know why he copped so much criticism,” he said. “In regards to playing against him, I respect him.”With Australia’s two left-arm pace bowlers, Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson, things are not set to get any easier for Smith, who has been hesitant against left-armers. Clarke thinks it’s not necessarily the arm the bowler uses, but the ability to swing the ball that is causing Smith problems. “Anytime the ball is swinging, whether you are right or left-handed, it’s tough batting,” he said. I think that was the case the other night, there was a bit of rain in the air and our bowlers did a very good job in good bowling conditions.”Australia’s attack is earning them high praise, with the blend of old hands and young talent proving successful. “We’ve got a couple left-handers and if the ball is swinging, they play a big part in bowling to left-handers, swinging the ball away. And, it’s no different with [Pat] Cummins or [James] Pattinson to right-handers, they take the ball away from the right-hander so it’s a good place to be with our fast bowlers at the moment.”Cummins has claimed the bulk of the spotlight, with his evident maturity at his young age constantly pointed out as exceptional. He was included in Australia’s Test squad at the expense of Pattinson, who was included in the squad for the tour of Sri Lanka. Pattinson has faded a little but Clarke is convinced that he will make an appearance again soon. “He is a young guy and he is trying to improve every time he walks into the nets,” he said. “I’m confident you will see more of him, whether it’s in this series or in the Australian summer. He has got an opportunity to perform for Victoria while we are playing the Tests. I wouldn’t be surprised if you see him playing in these one-dayers either.”The Port Elizabeth pitch may not be the place for Pattinson but the venue of the third ODI, Durban, may give him his chance. By then, Australia hope to have wrapped up the series and Clarke said even if they have, they will go for the kill and look to sweep South Africa. For now, their focus is on the second ODI and they have a reason other than a trophy to want to emerge victorious. Wicketkeeper, Brad Haddin, turns 34 on Sunday and Clarke said, “I’d love nothing more than to win the series for him to celebrate his birthday.”

Seamer Jon Lewis will end his 16-year association with Gloucestershire at the end of this season, having signed a two-year deal with Surrey.Lewis, 35, played one Test for England against Sri Lanka in 2006 and also appeared in 13 ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals. He has taken more than 770 wickets in first-class cricket and his experience will surely be a valuable asset to Surrey.”I have had some wonderful times with Gloucestershire, been privileged to captain the club, play with many fantastic players and enjoy terrific backing from the supporters over seventeen seasons, which have brought many highlights,” said Lewis.”I am very grateful for all the opportunities the club has given me. Now I am looking forward to an exciting new challenge with a team I feel is ready to step up to the next level. Surrey has some hugely promising players and I hope I can add some experience to their squad and help their young bowlers progress.”Lewis will strengthen an already impressive bowling line-up at Surrey, joining the likes of Chris Tremlett, Jade Dernbach, Stuart Meaker and Tim Linley – alongside young bowlers such as Matthew Dunn, Tom Jewell and Chris Jordan.”Jon Lewis has been the most consistent seam bowler in English Domestic cricket for some time now and is exactly the right character and personality I have been looking for,” said Surrey Professional Cricket Manager Chris Adams.”We have a developing group of very exciting young quick bowlers and it is fantastic to know that Jon will be leading that group in the heat of the battle. He will bring a host of qualities on and off the field and is a terrific addition to the squad; I am delighted he has decided to join us.”

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O Grêmio terá a defesa titular no Gre-Nal 416 do próximo sábado. Na tarde desta quarta-feira, o zagueiro Kannemann foi julgado pelo STJD por conta da expulsão na estreia do Brasileirão contra o Cruzeiro e escapou de um gancho pesado.

O atleta foi enquadrado em dois artigos (254 – jogada violenta de 1 a 6 jogos e o 258 – desrespeito ao árbitro de 1 a 6 jogos de pena). Com a absolvição no artigo 258, o argentino que pegou gancho de apenas de um jogo no artigo 254 (já cumpriu a automática), está livre para jogar sem nenhuma restrição.

Após o julgamento, o advogado de defesa, Mario Bittencourt, deu o parecer sobre o caso do argentino. “Fizemos a defesa no sentido de que o atleta não ofendeu e desrespeitou ninguém, mas tão somente de que houve indignação e veemência pela injusta expulsão. O fato de ser latino e ter o hábito de gesticular quando fala também foi usado por nós. Conseguimos assim absolver o atleta do artigo 258 e pegar pena mínima no 254. Feliz dele poder jogar o Gre-Nal.”

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Com Kannemann garantido, o técnico Renato Gaúcho pode trabalhar sem quebrar a cabeça de olho no Inter. Em quatro jogos no Campeonato Brasileiro, o Grêmio tem duas vitórias, uma derrota e um empate.

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