Johnson axed from Australian Ashes team

ADELAIDE: Paceman Mitchell Johnson has been dropped from the Australian team for Friday’s second Ashes Test against England at the Adelaide Oval.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting said on Thursday a final eleven would be decided before the start of play, but confirmed Johnson had been omitted from the 12-man squad.

Fast bowlers Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris, who were added to the squad after last Monday’s drawn Gabba Test, are vying for places in the team.

Australia – Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Shane Watson, Mike Hussey, Marcus North, Brad Haddin, Xavier Doherty, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus. (12th man to be named). AGENCIES

Pakistan win thriller to end Aussie drought

LEEDS: Pakistan held their nerve to claim their first Test victory against Australia in 15 years in a tense fourth-day finish at Headingley here on Saturday.

Pakistan, set 180 to win, lost four wickets for 40 runs before finishing on 180 for seven and a three-wicket win as they levelled this two-Test series at 1-1.

Left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer was five not out and Umar Gul, who hit the winning run off Mitchell Johnson, one not out as Pakistan ended a run of 13 straight Test defeats by Australia – a record for one country against another.

Pakistan were still five short when Australia”s Michael Hussey appealed for a gully catch against Kamran Akmal on 13, off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson but replays were inconclusive.

And then left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer, who took seven wickets in the match, edged Ben Hilfehnaus through the slips for four to tie the scores.

But there was one more twist with Kamran Akmal brilliantly caught by Hussey off Johnson and this time there was no doubt.

Gul, though, hammered his first ball from Johnson through the offside and Pakistan had won with more than a day and two sessions to spare.

Left-arm quick Doug Bollinger, starting Friday, took three wickets for five runs in 17 balls on his way to three for 51 and Ben Hilfenhaus three for 39 but even Australia could not turn this match around.

Ultimately, Australia paid the price for being bowled out for just 88 in their first innings – their lowest Test total since they were dismissed for 76 by the West Indies at Perth in 1984

Australia ”held” Pakistan to 258, with medium-pacer Watson taking a Test-best six for 33, following his previous best of five for 40 in Australia”s 150-run first Test win at Lord”s last week, after the frontline quicks had been mostly ineffective.

And Australia then maded 349 with Michael Clarke and Steven Smith, in his second Test, both making 77.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting contributed 66 as he became only the second batsman, after India”s Sachin Tendulkar, to score 12,000 Test runs.

But Aamer still managed to take four for 86, giving the 18-year-old left-arm quick Test best match figures of seven for 106.

Aammer and Watson won their teams” respective man-of-the-match awards.

Pakistan resumed Saturday on 140 for three, needing 40 more runs to win with Australia requiring seven wickets.

However, as recently as the Sydney Test in January, Australia bowled Pakistan out for 139, chasing a victory target of 176.

Azhar Ali resumed on 47 not out, with Umar Akmal unbeaten on two.

Ali, off Bollinger”s third ball Saturday, cover-drove a full toss to the boundary to complete a maiden Test fifty off 108 balls with six fours.

But next ball, he could only edge Bollinger to keeper Tim Paine.

Ali was out for 51 and Pakistan were 146 for four.

Bollinger appealed for caught behind and lbw against Kamran Akmal, still on nought, in successive balls but Rudi Koertzen, in the South African umpire”s 108th and last Test before retirement, correctly rejected both pleas.

Shoaib Malik – on 10 – was brilliantly caught at the second attempt off a well-hit drive by Marcus North at short extra-cover off Hilfenhaus and Pakistan still needed 19 to win, with four wickets standing.

Kamran Akmal, with three boundaries, took Pakistan to the brink before Gul gave Salman Butt victory in his first Test as Pakistan captain.

Pakistan now have a short turnaround before a four-Test series against England starts at Trent Bridge on July 29.

Australia have to two Tests away to India in October before attempting to regain the Ashes from England on home soil, in a five-Test campaign that starts in November.

This series was played in England after international cricket in Pakistan was effectively suspended after an armed attack on Sri Lanka”s team bus in Lahore in March last year.

Pakistan close to historic win against Australia

LEEDS: Pakistan were left tantalisingly close to ending their winless streak against Australia at stumps on the third day of the second and final Test at Headingley here on Friday.

Pakistan ended the third day on 140 for three – just 40 short of a victory target of 180 that would end a record run of 13 straight Test defeats by Australia stretching back to 1995.

But despite Headingley being bathed in bright sunshine, the umpires took the players off at the scheduled finish because neither side was close enough to victory, in the officials” opinion, to force a result in an extra half-hour.

Pakistan left-handed opener Imran Farhat, dropped on four, made 67.

But left-arm quick Doug Bollinger gave Pakistan a nasty jolt by taking two wickets for no runs in seven balls to remove both Farhat and fellow left-hander Umar Amin.

It was a reminder to Pakistan, bowled out for 139, chasing a victory target of 176 in Sydney in January, of what can happen against against Australia.

However, Azhar Ali – in only his second Test – was 47 not out at stumps, having helped Farhat put on 110 for the second wicket as Pakistan”s top order at last produced a signinficant partnership when it was most needed.

The 28-year-old Farhat faced 95 balls with nine boundaries before he was yorked by Bollinger who then had Umar Amin caught behind for nought.

But Pakistan might have been in dire trouble had not first slip Shane Watson dropped Farhat off Bollinger despite getting both hands to the ball.

Pakistan were then 18 without loss

But Australia did remove in-form batsman Salman Butt, in his first match as Pakistan captain, when the left-handed opener, on 13, edged Ben Hilfenhaus to Michael Clarke at second slip.

Pakistan had moved on to 59 for one when Watson, who had taken a Test-best six for 33 in the first innings, was introduced into the attack.

But the medium-pacer, whose previous best of five for 40 came during Australia”s 150-run first Test win at Lord”s last week, couldn”t break through.

Leg-spinner Steven Smith, who had earlier made his maiden Test fifty, was late cut for four by Ali as Pakistan got the target down to under a hundred.

Farhat then glanced stray Watson deliveries for two fours in as many balls before his two off the all-rounder took Pakistan to the morale-boosting total of 100.

That Australia set Pakistan as many as they did was thanks mainly to Smith”s dashing 77 in only his second Test.

Smith was last man out in an Australia total of 349 — a vast improvement on their humbling first innings 88 — having come in when their lead was only 47.

But he played some fine shots in a 100 ball innings featuring two sixes and nine fours that ended when he was bowled slogging at Umar Gul.

He shared stands of 37 with both Mitchell Johnson and Hilfenhaus for the eighth and ninth wickets respectively

Smith launched leg-spinner Kaneria for two sixes in as many balls, the second a huge hit onto the roof of the Football Stand End.

In the morning, Pakistan teenage left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer took three wickets for just 12 runs in 16 balls, on his way to final figures of four for 86 in 27 overs and a Test-best match return of seven for 106.

Clarke, 76 not out at the break, added just one to his interval score when, to Mohammad Asif”s first ball after lunch he was caught behind off a superb full length delivery that seamed away enough to take the outside edge.

Australia resumed on their overnight score of 136 for two, 34 behind Pakistan”s first innings 258.

Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, was 61 not out but had added only five more when he was caught behind off a loose drive against Aamer.

Australlia vs England 4th ODI Full Scoreboard

Australlia vs England 4th ODI at Kennnington Oval, London on 30th June 2010. England won the toss and choose to field. Australlia 290/5 in 50 overs with Ricky Ponting (92) and Michael Clarke (99) played well innings. England made 212/10 in 42.4 overs. Australlia win the match by 78 runs. Man of the match : Ryan Harris.

England vs Australlia 4th ODI Full Scoreboard

Australlia Batting
Shane Watson c E Morgan b G Swann 41(54b,5/4,1/6)
Tim Paine (wk) c E Morgan b T Bresnan 8(22b,1/4)
Ricky Ponting (c) c A Strauss b J Anderson 92(93b,10/4)
Michael Clarke not out 99(106b,7/4)
Cameron White c J Anderson b S Broad 17(16b,1/4)
Michael Hussey run out (A Strauss/J Anderson) 1(1b)
Steven Smith not out 18(8b,4/4)
Extras: (b 3, lb 2, w 9) 14
Total: (5 wkts, 50 ovs) 290

England Bowling
James Anderson 10 1 66 1
Tim Bresnan 9 1 52 1
Stuart Broad 10 0 46 1
Michael Yardy 9 0 49 0
Graeme Swann 6 0 31 1
Luke Wright 3 0 14 0
Paul Collingwood 3 0 27 0

England Battingg
Andrew Strauss (c) c T Paine b S Tait 37(45b,5/4)
Craig Kieswetter (wk) b R Harris 12(23b,1/4)
Kevin Pietersen lbw b R Harris 8(6b,2/4)
Paul Collingwood lbw b S Smith 15(19b,1/4)
Eoin Morgan c T Paine b R Harris 47(56b,1/4,3/4)
Michael Yardy c C White b D Bollinger 57(63b,5/4)
Luke Wright b S Smith 2(9b)
Tim Bresnan c S Watson b R Harris 22(26b,1/4)
Graeme Swann c T Paine b D Bollinger 1(2b)
Stuart Broad c M Hussey b R Harris 4(5b,1/4)
James Anderson not out 0(2b)
Extras: (b 1, lb 3, w 3) 7
Total: (10 wkts, 42.4 ovs) 212

Australlia Bowling
Shaun Tait 7 2 23 1
Doug Bollinger 8 0 38 2
Ryan Harris 8.4 1 32 5
James Hopes 10 0 56 0
Steven Smith 9 0 59 2

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings 48th match Video Highlights

Kolkata Knights Riders vs Chennai Super Kings 48th Match In the IPL 2010 season at Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Kolkata Knight Riders need to win all 3 matches of their remaining matches for to reach in Semi Final. Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and choose to bat. Kolkata Knight Riders made 139/8 in 20 Overs. Chennai Super Kings very easily made 143/1 in 13.3 Overs. Chennai Super Kings won the match by 9 wickets. Man of the Match : Ravichandran Ashwin.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings 48th match full Scoreboard

Kolkata Knight Riders Batting
Sourav Ganguly (c) lbw b D Bollinger 10(12b,2/4)
Chris Gayle st M Dhoni b R Ashwin 7(4b,1/6)
Brendon McCullum c M Muralitharan b R Ashwin 0(4b)
Manoj Tiwary c M Vijay b S Raina 27(31b,2/4)
David Hussey st M Dhoni b R Ashwin 0(4b)
Angelo Mathews c M Hayden b M Muralitharan 48(47b,3/4,2/6)
Wriddhiman Saha (wk) st M Dhoni b S Jakati 1(2b)
Laxmi Shukla c M Hayden b D Bollinger 17(10b,2/6)
Ajit Agarkar not out 9(5b,2/4)
Iqbal Abdulla not out 0(1b)
Extras: (b 1, lb 5, w 14) 20
Total: (8 wkts, 20 ovs) 139

Chennai Super Kings Bowling
Ravichandran Ashwin 4 0 16 3
Doug Bollinger 4 1 15 2
Albie Morkel 2 0 14 0
Shadab Jakati 4 0 23 1
Muttiah Muralitharan 4 0 47 1
Suresh Raina 2 0 18 1

Chennai Super Kings Batting
Murali Vijay not out 50(40b,4/4,2/6)
Matthew Hayden b C Gayle 0(2b)
Suresh Raina not out 78(39b,11/4,3/6)
Extras: (lb 2, w 13) 15
Total: (1 wkts, 13.3 ovs) 143

Kolkata Knight Riders Bowling
Chris Gayle 3 0 35 1
Ashok Dinda 2 0 25 0
Ajit Agarkar 2 0 14 0
Iqbal Abdulla 2.3 0 21 0
David Hussey 2 0 22 0
Angelo Mathews 1 0 15 0
Laxmi Shukla 1 0 9 0

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings 48th match Video Highlights

Kolkata Knight Riders 48th match 1st Innings

Chennai Super Kings 48th match 2nd innings

Hamilton Test in interesting stage as Aussies 2 runs ahead of Kiwis

HAMILTON: The second Test between New Zealand and Australia is evenly balanced after two days here on Sunday.

Australia are 35 for two in their second innings at stumps, an overall lead of two runs.

New Zealand resumed on second day at 19 for one but they were dismissed for 264 in their first innings, with Ross Taylor smashing 138 off 104 balls while no other batsman could make any significant ccontribution.

Taylor brought up his century off 81 deliveries – the fastest by a New Zealander.

For Australia, Mitchell Johnson took four wickets for 59 while Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris claimed three each.

India vs Australia 6th odi highlights

India vs Australia 6th odi highlights, Latest India vs Australia 6th odi highlights and updates:-

Australia beat India comprehensively at the Nehru Stadium in Guwahati by 6 wickets and 49 balls to spare in the sixth ODI. It was India’s must win today but they lost the plot in quick time having got reduced to 27 for 5 in the 9th over! It was a bad decision from the Indian Skipper MS Dhoni to bat first when conditions were apt for swing, seam and even spin bowling. The homeside just managed to make a match for the full house by stretching their total to 170.

Virender Sehwag started the match in an unbelievable manner by slashing Mitchell Johnson for a six over covers. The left armer who not only came back in the team, also came back into his own strongly by cleaning up the woodwork of Sehwag with an inswinger in the fourth ball of the match. A couple of balls later, Gautam Gambhir misread the line of an outswinger and lost his off stump playing a flick shot. Moments later, Sachin Tendulkar departed after pushing on the up too early. Left handers Yuvraj (dragging one back onto the stumps) and Raina too fell in quick succession to leave India in a disastrous position.

India’s Skipper MS Dhoni kept his end intact and got Ravindra Jadeja to support him and put on something on the board. Quite a lot of luck prevailed in the partnership and India could surpass all the humiliating lowest totals in ODI Cricket. Before Dhoni could set his eyes in taking India past the three figures came a blow from Doug Bollinger, who struck his backpad and was lucky to get a marginal lbw in his favour. Dhoni made 24 from 77 balls and had put on 48 for the 6th wicket. Harbhajan had the same walk in and walk out like in Hyderabad, another duck it was for him to leave India at 75 for 7 in the 31st over.

Jadeja, who grew in confidence with his drives and cuts found a gutsy partner in Praveen Kumar to take India close to the moderate 150-total. Jadeja fell in the 45th over for a patient essay of 57 from 103 balls with 6 fours. It was a 74-run stand for the 8th wicket that gave something in return for the paying public. Praveen Kumar gave them few more fireworks in the end to come up with his maiden ODI fifty, he remained unbeaten on 54 from 51 balls (with 7 fours and a six) before the likes of Nehra and Munaf got cleaned up. A total of 170 was pretty good given the situation that India was at 27 for 5. Johnson had figures of 3 for 39 while his new ball partner finished with a rich 5 for 35 which included four maidens.

In their chase, Australia lost their first wicket in Marsh who got trapped lbw by Munaf Patel with 24 on the board. Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting after that took off 61 more runs from the target before the former top edged his big sweep off Harbhajan Singh. Watson had struck 10 fours in a run-a-ball 49. Just an over after Watson’s exit, Harbhajan forced a bat pad nick off Ponting with 81 more runs to defend. Ponting made a fighting 25 from 57 balls and had survived plenty of square turners from young Jadeja.

The Aussies made no heavy weather of the remaining runs and lost one more wicket in Cameron White (25) but not before another useful partnership that took them closer. Hussey remained unbeaten on 35 from 62 balls and along with Adam Voges (23*) wrapped up a 6-wicket win in the 42nd over. Dougie Bollinger got the Man of the Match award.

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India vs Australia 6th odi highlights was first posted on November 8, 2009 at 8:44 pm.

Ind vs Aus 6th odi: India Fizzle out for 170 in Must Win Encounter

Ind vs Aus 6th odi: India Fizzle out for 170 in Must Win Encounter, India were bowled for 170 runs in the sixth ODI at Guwahati on Sunday morning, failing to survive their full quota of 50 overs.

Even for this moderate total, India had Ravindra Jadeja and Praveen Kumar to thank, who displayed great gusto to ensure that hosts retained a fighting chance of winning this crucial match and leveling the series.

20 year old Jadeja, who faced immense criticism for his reckless run-outs in the previous two games, showed the way to his illustrious seniors with a gritty 57 run-knock, his second ever half-century.

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Coming into bat with the scoreboard reading 27/5 and India facing an inglorious prospect of being bundled out for a 2-digit score, forget lasting 50 overs, initially along with Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Jadeja provided some much needed stability to the Indian ship.

But after Dhoni’s dismissal, Jadeja broke through the shackles and along with Praveen Kumar pushed India’s score past 150, in the process ensuring that the bowlers have a decent chance of saving the day for the hosts.

Jadeja and Kumar added 74 runs off 82 balls, exploiting the batting power play to the hilt, scoring 34 runs from it.

Jadeja eventually fell to Doug Bollinger when he failed to get the timing to pull right. Jadeja’s fighback lasted 103 balls and was sprinkled with 6 hits to the fence.

Praveen Kumar, undeterred, continued his impressive performances with the bat and slammed his maiden half-century as well. His batting prowess have been the find of the series for India in this series and gave yet another display of his immense untapped potential. He blasted 54 runs from just 51 balls and looked good to add a few more before Shane Watson’s double strike in the 48th over engulfed Ashish Nehra and Munaf Patel to draw curtains on the Indian innings.

Earlier, the rebuilding process for the hosts had started with Dhoni and Jadeja putting their heads down when they joined forces at 27/5.

With runs coming at a snails pace, the duo ditched all forms of aggression as they attempted to offer a semblance of respectability to the Indian total.

However, it seemed to be back to square one when Bollinger, re-introduced into the attack for a second spell, trapped Dhoni leg before wicket. Dhoni, who became Bollinger’s third victim, contributed a painstakingly slow 24 runs off 77 balls to India’s cause.

In the same over Harbhajan Singh managed his second consecutive second ball duck as Australians seemed to have tightened the noose on the hosts, before heroics from Kumar and Jadeja gave India some breathing space.

In the morning, a disastrous start with the bat by India helped Australia wrest early advantage.

After Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat in this do-or-die match, India made the worst possible start as the opener Virender Sehwag and one-drop batsman Gautam Gambhir fell cheaply. Soon after, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar too made a beeline for the pavilion as Indian innings plunged deeper into crisis.

Having got off the mark with a six off the second very delivery of the match, Sehwag perished two balls later when he was beaten by late in-swing off a Mitchell Johnson delivery to see his stumps uprooted.

Johnson cleaned up the stumps of Gambhir too in the same over to reduce India to 7/2 after an action packed first over.

The biggest blow of the day however was struck by Doug Bollinger, who showcased his excellent reflexes to take a sharp return catch offered by Tendulkar to send the packed Jawaharlal Nehru stadium into shocked silence.

Tendulkar fell for 10 runs (17 balls, 2 fours) to leave India reeling at 23/3 after the sixth over.

Next up, Yuvraj Singh was clean bowled by Bollinger quite bizarrely as the ball hit the stumps due to a faint nudge from the back of his bat. Yuvraj himself was left bemused by the manner of his dismissal as he trudged out of the pitch sporting a wry smile.

Suresh Raina too failed to make a mark falling for a duck, his half-hearted swipe off Johnson latched onto by Nathan Hauritz.

Just 10 overs into the match, India was 27/5 leaving Dhoni and Jadeja with a mountain to climb even if India just aspire to make a match out of the contest now.

For Australia, Bollinger (5/35) and Johnson (3/39) dealt crucial blows to India while Shane Watson cleaned up the tail to finish with 2/27. Hauritz bowled a tidy 9 over spell conceding just 19 runs.

Meanwhile, India retained the same side that lost the Hyderabad ODI by mere 3 runs.

Australians however made one change to their playing eleven, bringing in Mitchell Johnson in place of Ben Hilfenhaus.
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The Teams:

Australia: Ricky Ponting (C), Michael Hussey (VC), Doug Bollinger, Nathan Hauritz, Jon Holland, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Cameron White and Clint McKay.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar and Ravindra Jadeja.

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Ind vs Aus 6th odi: India Fizzle out for 170 in Must Win Encounter was first posted on November 8, 2009 at 12:41 pm.