Australian Selectors Facing Tough Call, Australians Demanding Shane Warne Return

After the draw of first test match and losing the 2nd test match Australian selection committee is facing problems in selecting team. Simon Katich is injured and to find his replacement is not an easy task. Australian bowling was not successful in the first two test matches. Marcus North, Xavier Doherty, Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle ar still waiting for their selection.

Australian were not able to get wickets of England batsmen and the scored more then 1,000 runs in two consecutive innings of two test matches and lost only 6 wickets all together. Australian captain R Pointing is very desperate after the defeat and he said that he donot want to become an Australian captain with three Ashes defeats.

Australia has lost 2005 and 2009 Ashes series under the captaincy of Ponting. In 2010-11 Ashes series Australia has lost a test match and this is a real concern for Ponting. Spinners are also not favoring Australians and after the failure of two test matches Australian people are demanding the come back of Shane Warne. Shane Warne is in England and he said that it is a nice thing that people still love him. While answering his return to international cricket he said that the demand of his return is flattering him and it is just honorable thing for him.

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

Australia bat first in second test

BANGALORE: Australia captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat first in the second and final test against India on Saturday.

Vangipurappu Laxman, architect of India’s thrilling one-wicket victory in the first test at Mohali, was not

considered because of a back injury, with Cheteshwar Pujara brought in to make his test debut.

India also brought in Murali Vijay and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth to replace the injured Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma.

Peter George replaced Doug Bollinger who sustained an abdominal strain in Mohali.

India: Virender Sehwag, Murali Vijay, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Cheteshwar Pujara, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (captain), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Pragyan Ojha, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

Australia: Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Marcus North,

Pakistan vs Australlia 1st Test Full Scoreboard

Pakistan vs Australlia 1st Test played at Lord’s London on 13th to 17th July 2010. Pakistan won the toss and choose to field. Australlia Classical win against Pakistan by 150 runs. Man of the match : Salman Butt, Simon Katich.

Pakistan vs Australlia 1st Test Full Scoreboard

Australlia Batting
Shane Watson b M Aamer 4(16b,1/4)
Simon Katich c K Akmal b M Asif 80(138b,9/4)
Ricky Ponting (c) c U Amin b M Aamer 26(39b,4/4)
Michael Clarke lbw b M Asif 47(77b,8/4)
Michael Hussey not out 56(100b,8/4,1/6)
Marcus North b M Asif 0(3b)
Tim Paine (wk) c K Akmal b U Gul 7(46b,1/4)
Steven Smith lbw b D Kaneria 1(7b)
Mitchell Johnson b D Kaneria 3(9b)
Ben Hilfenhaus b M Aamer 1(8b)
Doug Bollinger b M Aamer 4(28b,1/4)
Extras: (b 10, lb 2, w 2, nb 10) 24
Total: (10 wkts, 76.5 ovs) 253

Pakistan Bowling
Mohammad Aamer 19.5 2 72 4
Mohammad Asif 19 5 63 3
Umar Gul 17 3 32 1
Shahid Afridi 3 0 25 0
Danish Kaneria 18 7 49 2

Pakistan Batting
Imran Farhat c T Paine b B Hilfenhaus 4(19b,1/4)
Salman Butt b S Watson 63(94b,12/4)
Azhar Ali c T Paine b B Hilfenhaus 16(43b,2/4)
Umar Amin c T Paine b M Johnson 1(3b)
Umar Akmal lbw b S Watson 5(21b)
Kamran Akmal (wk) lbw b S Watson 0(3b)
Shahid Afridi (c) c M Johnson b S Watson 31(15b,4/4,2/6)
Mohammad Aamer c T Paine b D Bollinger 0(2b)
Umar Gul c S Watson b D Bollinger 7(20b,1/4)
Danish Kaneria c S Smith b S Watson 14(20b,1/4)
Mohammad Asif not out 4(6b,1/4)
Extras: (lb 2, nb 1) 3
Total: (10 wkts, 40.5 ovs) 148

Australlia Bowling
Doug Bollinger 11 3 38 2
Ben Hilfenhaus 12 2 37 2
Mitchell Johnson 10 2 31 1
Shane Watson 7.5 1 40 5

Australlia Batting
Shane Watson c I Farhat b M Asif 31(51b,4/4,1/6)
Simon Katich c K Akmal b U Gul 83(174b,14/4)
Ricky Ponting (c) lbw b M Asif 0(6b)
Michael Clarke b U Gul 12(25b,2/4)
Michael Hussey c I Farhat b U Gul 0(1b)
Mitchell Johnson b U Gul 30(54b,5/4)
Marcus North c K Akmal b M Asif 20(25b,2/4)
Tim Paine (wk) b S Afridi 47(85b,3/4)
Steven Smith lbw b D Kaneria 12(17b,1/4)
Ben Hilfenhaus not out 56(84b,6/4,1/6)
Doug Bollinger b D Kaneria 21(33b,3/4)
Extras: (b 6, lb 5, w 2, nb 9) 22
Total: (10 wkts, 91 ovs) 334

Pakistan Bowling
Mohammad Aamer 18 3 67 0
Mohammad Asif 21 3 77 3
Umar Gul 21 5 61 4
Danish Kaneria 17 2 74 2
Shahid Afridi 14 0 44 1

Pakistan Batting
Imran Farhat c S Watson b S Smith 24(48b,3/4)
Salman Butt st T Paine b M North 92(173b,15/4)
Azhar Ali c T Paine b B Hilfenhaus 42(87b,4/4)
Umar Amin c S Katich b M North 33(54b,4/4)
Umar Akmal c M Clarke b M North 22(30b,3/4,1/6)
Kamran Akmal (wk) b S Smith 46(83b,6/4,1/6)
Shahid Afridi (c) c M Hussey b M North 2(4b)
Mohammad Aamer c M Hussey b M North 19(48b,1/4)
Umar Gul c R Ponting b S Smith 1(10b)
Danish Kaneria c R Ponting b M North 2(11b)
Mohammad Asif not out 1(1b)
Extras: (b 2, lb 1, nb 2) 5
Total: (10 wkts, 91.1 ovs) 289

Australlia Bowling
Doug Bollinger 12 4 43 0
Ben Hilfenhaus 16 8 37 1
Mitchell Johnson 18 5 74 0
Steven Smith 21 5 51 3
hane Watson 6 0 26 0
Marcus North 18.1 1 55 6

Hotel fire kills 29 in Iraq, half foreigners

BAGHDAD: A police chief in northern Iraq says a fire engulfed a five-story hotel killing 29 people, including foreigners.

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Hotel fire kills 29 in Iraq, half foreigners

Pakistan resume record chase

LONDON: Pakistan resumed their innings on fourth day with overnight batsmen Salman Butt and Azhar Ali at the crease chasing 440 runs record target to win the Test at Lords.

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Pakistan resume record chase

Two blasts hit rail track at Setharja station

KHAIRPUR: Two bomb blasts at Setharja railway station in Khairpur district damaged a portion of the railway track, police said.

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Two blasts hit rail track at Setharja station

Pakistan reach 216-4, needing 224 more

LONDON: Occasional bowler Marcus North claimed the key wickets of Salman Butt and Umar Akmal to boost Australia’s chances of winning the first test at Lord’s as Pakistan reached 216-4 in pursuit of a world record victory at lunch on day four Friday.

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Pakistan reach 216-4, needing 224 more

Watson”s five puts Aussie on top

LORD”S: A characteristic Pakistani batting collapse, highlighted by a bizarre Twenty20-style cameo from captain Shahid Afridi, has put Australia firmly in control of the teams” series-opening Test at Lord”s – despite a batting wobble of its own late on day two.

Afridi was batting in his first Test match for four years but could just as well have kept the coloured clothes on. Arriving at the crease with his team reeling at 5-83 he responded with a brutal 15-minute innings of 31 that epitomised why he is so revered in limited-overs cricket but simultaneously showed why he was a bizarre choice as Pakistan”s new Test captain.

Opener Salman Butt”s impressive 63 was the only valiant batting performance as Pakistan was bowled out for 148 in just the 41st over. Australian all-rounder Shane Watson”s maiden five-wicket haul in Test cricket meant Australia”s seemingly disappointing first innings of 253 was actually enough to give it a 105-run lead.

By the end of day two that lead had been extended to 205 runs as Australia went to stumps at 4-100 in its second innings, with Simon Katich on 49 and nightwatchman Mitchell Johnson on two.

The first negative for Australian supporters for the day was the extension of captain Ricky Ponting”s barren spell at Lord”s as he was dismissed LBW. The replay indicated the delivery from Mohammad Asif would have passed leg-stump, however by not playing a shot Ponting made it much easier for umpire Rudi Koertzen, officiating in his second-last Test, to give him out.

It was followed soon after with Umar Gul”s wickets, in successive deliveries, of Michael Clarke for 12 and Mike Hussey for a duck. With 21 minutes remaining the Australians decided to shield No.6 batsman Marcus North by sending Mitchell Johnson in.

Australia started day two by another 31 runs to its first-innings total thanks an unbeaten 56 from Mike Hussey and some solid resistance from Doug Bollinger.

Australia Test squad to face Pakistan

SYDNEY: Australia cricket squad named Tuesday for July”s Test series against Pakistan in England:

Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke (vice-captain), Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Usman Khawaja, Marcus North, Steven Smith, Shane Watson.

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