Indian top order heaps misery on New Zealand

NAGPUR: Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar built up India’s strong reply with unbeaten half-centuries in the series-deciding third and final Test against New Zealand on Sunday.

The veteran batsmen took the innings on following the dismissal of openers Gautam Gambhir (78) and Virender Sehwag (74) to bring India to 292-2 at stumps on the second day of the match at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.

India were ahead by 99 runs with eight wickets in hand, having bundled out the visitors for 193 early in the morning session.

Tendulkar survived some hostile bowling from New Zealand’s quicks to play some breathtaking shots on either side of the wicket. He had so far hit seven boundaries in his 57-run knock off 126 balls.

Dravid played in typically sedate fashion, making 69 with the help of eight fours during his four-hour innings.

He added 79

Defiant Younus guides Pakistan to safety

DUBAI: Younus Khan notched his 17th test hundred to guide Pakistan to a draw against South Africa on the final day of the first test on Tuesday.

Set 451 for victory after the visitors declared their second innings on 318 for two, Younus stroked an unbeaten 131 as Pakistan lost just one wicket on the fifth day to reach 343 for three.

Younus got solid support from skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (76) as the pair put on an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 186.

Their partnership was a record for any Pakistan wicket against South Africa, eclipsing the 161-run second-wicket stand between Kamran Akmal and Younus scored in Lahore during the 2007/8 season.

South Africa began the day with high hopes of pushing for victory but did not help their chances by spilling three catches.

Younus was dropped twice, with his score on 16 and 70, while Misbah was put down at

NZ’s McCullum defies India with ton in second Test

NEWDEHLI: New Zealand opener Brendon McCullum struck a superb 124 not out to defy India on the fourth day of the second Test on Monday.

McCullum, 29, hit 11 fours and three sixes in his 177-ball knock as the visitors reached 237-4 at close in reply to India’s first-innings 472, built around a record century by tailender Harbhajan Singh.

New Zealand, who made 350 in their first innings, lead by 115 runs with six wickets in hand.

Kane Williamson (12) was the other not out batsman at the crease when stumps were called for the day.

McCullum dominated India’s bowlers, hitting paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth for a six over long-off and a four off the next ball before racing to his sixth Test century with another boundary.

He added 125 runs with Tim McIntosh to register New Zealand’s first century-stand for the opening wicket in six

Harbhajan’s ton extends India’s lead to 122 runs

HYDERABAD: Spinner Harbhajan Singh hit a second consecutive test hundred to extend India’s first innings lead to 122 runs over New Zealand before the hosts were dismissed on the fourth morning of the second test on Monday.

The off-spinner continued tormenting the visitors with an unbeaten 111, following up scores of 69 and 115 in the first test, and bludgeoned the New Zealand attack with seven boundaries and seven sixes to bring up his second test century.

Harbhajan added 105 runs for the last final with Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who provided able support with 24 off 71 deliveries, before the hosts were all out for 472 in response to New Zealand’s 350.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori got Sreesanth out leg before to complete his 19th five-wicket haul in a test innings.

The three-match series is tied at 0-0 after the opening test at Ahmedabad was

Cautious India make slow progress after Tendulkar falls

HYDERABAD: The early loss of Sachin Tendulkar on day three compelled India to take a cautious approach as the hosts made slow progress in their first innings in the second test against New Zealand on Sunday.

Rahul Dravid (33) and Vangipurappu Laxman (31) took India to 237 for three wickets at lunch, as the hosts trailed by 113 runs in reply to the visitors’ first innings total of 350.

India managed only 59 runs from 30 overs in the opening session at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium against some disciplined bowling and inspired fielding from New Zealand.

Dravid and Laxman added 53 runs in an unbroken fourth wicket partnership after Tendulkar fell in the fifth over of the day to New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori. Tendulkar tried to break the shackles, imposed on him by some fine swing bowling by paceman Chris Martin, by dancing down the wicket to

Indian bowlers restrict New Zealand to 350

HYDERABAD: India’s Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh picked up four wickets apiece to trigger a New Zealand batting collapse as the visitors folded up for 350 in their first innings of the second test on Saturday.

Resuming on a strong overnight score of 258-4 built on Tim McIntosh’s opening day ton, New Zealand added just 92 runs for the loss of six batsmen on day two at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

A watchful opening duo of Virender Sehwag (28) and Gautam Gambhir (29) then took India to 62 runs without loss at tea, continuing the hosts’ dominance on the second day.

In a fiery spell of left-arm swing bowling, Khan (4-69) trapped right-handers Gareth Hopkins (4) and Kane Williamson (4) leg before as he managed to get the ball to swing back from around the wicket.

Harbhajan then joined in the fun for the hosts by dismissing Daniel Vettori

Guptill, McIntosh give New Zealand solid start

HYDERABAD: Martin Guptill and Tim McIntosh added 147 runs for the second wicket to build a solid platform for New Zealand in their first innings on the opening day of the second test against India on Friday.

At tea, the visitors reached 159 for two wickets with opener McIntosh (55) and Ross Taylor (four) at the crease.

Guptill (85) fell leg before to left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha after a shaky start, during which he survived a caught behind off a no ball and a dropped catch.

The right-handed batsman, who replaced BJ Watling from the first test, used his feet well against the spinners as he grew in confidence and hit nine boundaries and a six.

Left-hander McIntosh, who was under tremendous pressure after a golden duck in the last match, brought up his fifth test half-century, with a fine leg glance off Harbhajan Singh.

Shanthakumaran

Ton-up Ryder, Williamson thwart India

AHMADABAD: Jesse Ryder struck a remarkable 103 and shared a 194-run stand with debutant Kane Williamson to defy world number one India on the third day of the first Test against New Zealand on Saturday.

Ryder struck 10 fours and a six in his 205-ball knock while Williamson was equally impressive in making 87 not out as New Zealand reached 331-5 at stumps at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad.

That left the visitors 156 runs adrift of India’s first-innings 487.

Ryder completed his third century — all of which have come against India — with a delightful four in the covers but was trapped lbw by Shanthakumaran Sreesanth one ball later in the day’s last over.

New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum said the team was delighted by the efforts of the fifth-wicket pair.

“We have not seen a number five and six bat like this in a very long time,” he

Aussies ‘hapless, woeful’ against Sri Lanka: press

SYDNEY: Australian newspapers accused Ricky Ponting’s men of embarrassing, hapless and woeful play against Sri Lanka after the visitors scored their first-ever series success Down Under.

Just weeks out from the start of the keenly-awaited Ashes series against England and without a win in any format since July, the Australians lost the second of three one day matches against Sri Lanka on Friday night.

“Just embarrassing,” read the headline in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph in an article which described the Australians as “woeful”.

“Everything that could go wrong did go wrong in a comprehensive 29-run defeat,” it said in its coverage of the shortened, rain-marred game at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

“Australia’s bowlers were dismantled by Sri Lanka with frightening ease and now injured pace bowler Doug Bollinger is in doubt for a key Ashes warm-up as his

Aussies ‘hapless, woeful’ against Sri Lanka: press

SYDNEY: Australian newspapers accused Ricky Ponting’s men of embarrassing, hapless and woeful play against Sri Lanka after the visitors scored their first-ever series success Down Under.

Just weeks out from the start of the keenly-awaited Ashes series against England and without a win in any format since July, the Australians lost the second of three one day matches against Sri Lanka on Friday night.

“Just embarrassing,” read the headline in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph in an article which described the Australians as “woeful”.

“Everything that could go wrong did go wrong in a comprehensive 29-run defeat,” it said in its coverage of the shortened, rain-marred game at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

“Australia’s bowlers were dismantled by Sri Lanka with frightening ease and now injured pace bowler Doug Bollinger is in doubt for a key Ashes warm-up as his

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