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BCCI vice-president Niranjan Shah has criticised the Decision Review System (DRS) in its present form, saying it offers marginal gains for a technology that is exorbitant and not error-free. The Indian board’s stand so far has centred on the perceived unreliability of the ball-tracking technology, but Shah has also questioned the economic feasibility of the system and the lack of competing technologies.Shah’s statements come ahead of the ICC’s annual conference in Hong Kong, at which the cricket committee’s recommendation that DRS be used in all Tests – a stand the BCCI disagrees with – will be considered.”You have to look at the economics. Every board is not making money out of Test matches and ODIs. The system requires about $60,000 per match,” Shah told . “Last year, about 65 Tests and 170 ODIs were played around the world. Multiply those numbers with $60,000. It would be a staggering amount for one or two decisions in a match.”The ICC can come up with such technology because the money is not going from its coffers. The member boards have to pay for it. There might be some matches in the world where the money coming in from the ticket collection will be less than the amount spent on DRS.”There are two companies that presently offer competing ball-tracking technologies, Hawk-Eye and Virtual Eye. Shah said more options were needed so that the technology could become affordable before it could be universally used. “I see some vested interests working here. Unless there are 10 different technologies and they become competitive and cheaper, we cannot adopt [the system]. A $1000 a day should be fine. Not $60,000 a day. That kind of money should go into the development of the game among the Associate members.”Shah also was not in favour of the manner in which the DRS is currently used, with teams allowed a maximum of two unsuccessful reviews per innings of a Test. “The DRS cannot be used for the whole game. If a team exhausts its options in the very first over, what happens then? For the rest of the innings, the team has to live without the system. If you can’t have the system for the whole match, what is the use?”If you want to use the technology throughout the match, then the game will never finish because the batsmen and bowlers will go on appealing. If there is a restriction, it won’t justify the cost. Only the first few batsmen get the advantage. The others don’t. Where is the fairness?”Shah reiterated the BCCI’s opposition to the ball-tracking technology, saying that it was the imagination of technology versus the imagination of the umpire. “They have to prove on what basis the tracking is going on, because every square centimetre of the pitch is different. If there is a human error, take the umpire to task.”Even the accuracy level of the system is suspect. I’m told that the accuracy has gone up to 97% from 92%. It is not 100% still. I cannot fathom so much money spent for so little returns.”

Match facts

Tuesday, May 10, Mohali
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Can Adam Gilchrist stop Sachin Tendulkar’s form team this time?•AFP

Big Picture

When Kings XI Punjab last won an IPL game – against Rajasthan Royals on April 21 – Osama Bin Laden was still alive, and Chris Gayle was yet to arrive in India. A lot has happened since, and it’s fair to say Adam Gilchrist’s men are running out of time.That win was Punjab’s third in succession, and since then they have slumped to five straight defeats, without stretching any of their opponents. Even Pune Warriors, coming off a mind-numbing seven consecutive losses, had no problems overcoming Punjab. Paul Valthaty’s season has unravelled after a strong opening, David Hussey has not pulled his weight in the middle order, and Gilchrist himself has been a big failure. He has five games left to turn things around, and even that may not be enough.Mumbai Indians are all but through to the play-offs. Their campaign has been typified by efficiency with the bat, ruthlessness with the ball and brilliance in the field. They will want to lift their batting, particularly in the first half of the innings, as they brace for the business end of the tournament. Aiden Blizzard displayed the sparkle Mumbai needs, in their win against Delhi Daredevils. Sachin Tendulkar has gone off the boil after beginning the season well, and he will be keen to revive his form against Punjab’s weak attack.The form guide might indicate otherwise, but don’t discount Punjab’s chances on Tuesday. No. 10 beating No. 1 is the sort of upset Twenty20, and the IPL in particular, is made for.

Form guide (most recent first)

Punjab: LLLLL (tenth in points table)
Mumbai: WWWLW (first in points table)

Team talk

David Hussey has scored 40 runs and gone wicketless in four games. Will Punjab drop him and include David Miller? Siddharth Chitnis and Mandeep Singh made up the numbers in the previous game, but Punjab’s lack of quality options might give these players another chance.Unless they want to rest Lasith Malinga or Harbhajan Singh, Mumbai have no reason to fiddle with their XI.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector.

In the spotlight

Adam Gilchrist is hopelessly out of form, but a player of his class is only a cut and a short-arm pull away from regaining touch. The last time these sides met, his old friend, Harbhajan Singh, nailed him for a duck in the first over. Expect Gilchrist to come out better equipped this time.If Gilchrist gets past Harbhajan, he will come up against the chalk and cheese of fast bowling: Lasith Malinga swerves them in very full or very short at blistering pace, while Munaf Patel lands them right in between those two lengths at a sedate trundle. Together, the pair has accounted for 36 scalps this season, and looks good for more.

Prime numbers

• With 57 wickets, Malinga is one scalp away from tying with RP Singh as the highest wicket-taker in IPL history. RP Singh has played 53 games, while Malinga’s wickets have come in only 36 matches
• Among batsmen with over 1000 IPL runs, only two average in excess of 40 – Tendulkar (41.48) and Shaun Marsh (52.20)

The chatter

“I took up cricket because of Sachin . So, obviously it’s a great achievement for me to be sharing a dressing room with him.”

Match facts

Sunday, May 1 Chennai
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)With nine wickets to his credit, Amit Mishra is third behind Iqbal Abdulla (10) and Shane Warne (10) in the list of spinners•Indian Premier League

Big picture

They win one and they lose one but Deccan have slowly picked themselves off the bottom and are beginning to inch up in the points table. They were almost a two-man bowling attack, with only Dale Steyn and Amit Mishra contributing in the first half of the tournament, but suddenly, from nowhere, Ishant Sharma announced himself in some style in their last game. Admittedly, the pitch was helpful but Deccan will hope he will rouse himself to greater deeds from here on.As far as their batting is concerned, Deccan have depended heavily on Kumar Sangakkara. Their domestic batsmen have failed, their big signings like Cameron White, Daniel Christian and JP Duminy haven’t quite managed to live up to their billing yet. So, it’s no surprise that they haven’t been consistent so far.Deccan’s opponents Chennai Super Kings have lost three games but it took some exceptional performances, and iffy conditions, to beat them. Paul Valthaty dropped his cloak of anonymity one day, Harbhajan Singh picked his maidenTwenty20 five-for on another day, and rain played a big part in the game they lost to Kochi. They have won all their home games and won their first away game in the last encounter against Pune. They return to Chennai where their spin-heavy attack can be expected to test Deccan’s batting.

Form guide (most recent first)

Deccan: WLWLW (sixth in points table)
Chennai: WWLLW (fifth in points table)

Team talk

Will Deccan Chargers opt for the off-colour Pragyan Ojha at Chepauk? Ojha, who was a star performer in previous IPL editions, has been looted for runs but they might be tempted to give him a go on Sunday. Surely, now, JP Duminy, or even Michael Lumb, will be given a go in place of Cameron White?Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector.

In the spotlight

S Badrinath has been one of the most classically pure batsmen in this IPL. Everything seems to have fallen in place for him this IPL season; he hasn’t been dismissed in his last three games and has harvested runs in some style. Interestingly, he will face Dale Steyn, the man who made him look like a novice in his last Test match. The ball cut in, swung out, reared at the throat, and Badrinath struggled; his critics have used that failure to fuel their arguments. Will there be a mini-redemption for him on Sunday?India loves their quick bowlers because there haven’t been many in their history. And so when Ishant Sharma harassed Ricky Ponting in a furious spell at Perth, they thought they had found a new hero. However, Ishant slowly lost his mojo and with it his place in the national team. He sparkled on a pitch that had something for the seamers against Kochi. Will it be the start of his journey back to the highest level or was it just a one-off?

Prime numbers

• Kumar Sangakkara and Badrinath are the top scorers for their respective sides and both have made 235 runs. Chennai have two other batsman who have tallied more than 200 but Deccan’s second highest run-tally is 144 (Bharat Chipli).
• Doug Bollinger is the only bowler from either of these teams who has an economy rate of under 6 an over (5.93)

The chatter

“Our captain [Sangakkara] is playing beautifully at the moment, Sunny Sohal has done well, [Bharat] Chipli has also done quite well. Mishra’s been outstanding, probably one of the best bowlers in the competition. Everyone’s beating everyone out there. No one’s really slipping away at the top of the table. If we win tomorrow it will be our fourth win and we’ll be pretty close to those top four positions.”

Match Facts

Friday, April 15
Start Time 2000 (1430 GMT)Lasith Malinga has taken wickets in his first over in both games•AFP

Big Picture

In a tournament where predictions based on cricketing logic are often about as valid as that of a prescient octopus, Mumbai Indians have returned some sanity to proceedings. They were the best side on paper coming into the tournament, and rather than succumbing to the supposed “predictable unpredictability” of the IPL, they have translated their theoretical strength into two clinical victories; and Kieron Pollard and Andrew Symonds haven’t even had a bat yet.Friday will be a test not just of whether Mumbai can continue their dominance, but also of whether the IPL itself can occupy the sort of space in the country’s consciousness that it has in recent years. Cricket returns to the Wankhede Stadium for the first time since Sachin Tendulkar was hoisted on his India team-mates’ shoulders during the World Cup celebrations, and the IPL organisers will be hoping the cheers that greet him when he walks out to bat will create a ripple effect that will keep the buzz around the tournament going.Mumbai’s opposition, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, look a lopsided team. Their batting line-up boasts names worthy of making a Twenty20 all-star team, but the bowling, if you take out the ageing Muttiah Muralitharan and the volatile Sreesanth, reads rather eerily like a list of former India bowlers. The weakness was apparent in their first match in particular, when Mahela Jayawardene, stuck for options, had to toss the ball to the inexperienced Raiphi Gomez and watch him get hit for 20 runs in the 18th over of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s chase.If there is one weakness Mumbai have that Kochi can try to exploit, it is the support bowling. But in order to get there, they have to first pass the Lasith Malinga test. Malinga’s mastery of the old ball is well documented, but he has been as lethal with the new one in the tournament so far, striking in his first over in both of Mumbai’s games.

Team talk

Kochi have two options to strengthen their bowling: John Hastings will be back from Australia’s tour of Bangladesh, while Thisara Perera could provide some extra pace. Including either of those two, though, would mean having to bench either Brad Hodge or Murali. Steven Smith will not be joining the Kochi squad as he is returning to Australia to have surgery on his ankle.Andrew Symonds missed Mumbai’s first two games with a niggle and is likely to come in for James Franklin, meaning he will play alongside Harbhajan Singh. They were the protagonists in the Sydney saga in 2008. Harbhajan played down the incident, saying it was behind them and that they were looking forward to playing with each other.Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector. Predict the playing XIs for this match.

In the spotlight

The three squads that have won the IPL so far had one thing in common: they were built around the image of their captains. Mahela Jayawardene has led his national side to a World Cup final (in 2007) and is a dangerous Twenty20 player, although his best performances in the format have come in the opening slot. Pushing himself up the order to take on his team-mate Malinga would be a sign of confidence that could filter down to his team.Rohit Sharma came into the tournament with his $2 million price tag hanging like a weight around his neck; cynics ever-ready to lament the IPL’s ability to inflate the egos of impressionable youngsters. Friday is a chance for him to prove his worth.

Prime numbers

• Ravindra Jadeja is Kochi’s highest run-getter this season with 70 runs from two games. During the first season of the IPL he scored 135 runs in nine innings, while in the second he got 295 runs.
• Mumbai’s new wicketkeeper Davy Jacobs scored only 88 runs in eight innings during the Standard Bank Pro20 series in South Africa, while Owais Shah, who is yet to get a game for Kochi, was the leading run-scorer in that tournament with 293 runs from eight innings.
  

  Chatter

  “He’s a great guy. Whatever happened in Sydney, that’s all history now. We don’t want to keep on thinking about what happened then. Hopefully, with his performance and mine, we can do a lot of good things for Mumbai Indians. “
  “It is just the beginning of the tournament, we need not be negative. I think just one win can change things for us and the momentum will take us ahead in the tournament.”

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Paul Stirling blitzes one to the boundary during his match-winning hundred•Getty Images

Two sparkling centuries lit up Ireland’s clash with Netherlands at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Ryan ten Doeschate propping Netherlands up with his second ton of the tournament and Paul Stirling then launching Ireland’s pursuit of 306 with a blazing, 72-ball 101. Ireland’s disciplined bowling and far superior fielding proved the difference between the two sides, and they eventually triumphed by six wickets with more than two overs to spare after a far closer finish had appeared possible.Apart from one lapse in the first over, Ireland had barely fumbled while restricting Netherlands on a benign, batting-friendly surface and closed out the innings in bizarre circumstances with four run-outs in four balls. Netherlands were nowhere near as tight in comparison, putting down three clear chances and failing to keep the pressure on in the field, their lapses repeatedly allowing Ireland to stay ahead of the game.Netherlands should have had a breakthrough as early as the third over, but Adeel Raja put down a top edge off William Porterfield’s bat at third man and Ireland were soon rocketing along at eight an over. Stirling provided the main impetus in that regard, swinging from the hip from the very start of his knock, as the first ball he faced was answered with a wild hook and a top edge that sailed straight over the wicketkeeper for six. He barely slowed down thereafter, hitting very little straight down the ground but repeatedly puncturing the field on both sides of the wicket.He plundered 19 from Bernard Loots’ second over, including a second six over deep midwicket, and shortly after brought up a 25-ball half century, the second fastest in the tournament. Porterfield was rather more circumspect but had no problems putting the bad ball away, and after 68 out of 81 runs came in boundaries in the first 10 overs Netherlands were forced to postpone their use of the bowling Powerplay simply to try and slow Ireland down.With Pieter Seelaar and ten Doeschate, Netherlands’ two most accomplished bowlers, operating in tandem, the tactic temporarily worked but when the bowling Powerplay was eventually taken in the 19th over, and the batsmen attempted to pick up the tempo once again, Netherlands put down two chances in as many overs to lose further ground.Porterfield eased past fifty in the 20th over but by then Stirling already had a hundred in his sights. Their partnership stretched to 177, a new Irish record for the opening stand in ODIs, before, in a three-ball flurry of excitement, Porterfield fell to a catch behind and Stirling brought up his century but then thumped the next ball – a long-hop – straight to the fielder on the deep-midwicket boundary. Their departures opened a window of opportunity for Netherlands but Ireland’s chase barely missed a step, with each successive batsman making a contribution and the brothers O’Brien closing out the game with an unbroken 28-run partnership at close to nine an over.While lacklustre bowling and fielding let Netherlands down, the ascendancy had swung between the two teams before lunch and Netherlands had gained in an attacking stand between ten Doeschate and captain Peter Borren. The Ireland bowlers had few answers against the pair and were hampered by an injury to young left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who appeared to dislocate his shoulder as he dived to stop the ball and had to immediately leave the field.

Smart Stats

• The target of 307 is the second-highest successfully chased score in ODIs in Kolkata. The highest is 316 by India against Sri Lanka in 2009.

• Ryan ten Doeschate’s century is his second of the tournament and he becomes the third player after AB de Villiers and Sachin Tendulkar to score two centuries in the 2011 World Cup.

• ten Doeschate has now scored five centuries and nine fifties in ODIs. Among batsmen who have scored over 1500 runs in ODIs, his average of 67.00 is the highest.

• The 121-run stand between ten Doeschate and Peter Borren is the highest for the fifth wicket for Netherlands in ODIs.

• Paul Stirling scored a century off just 70 balls, which is the fourth fastest in World Cups and the second fastest for an Irish batsman in World Cups. Stirling’s strike rate of 140.27 is the second highest for an Irish batsman for a score over 100 in ODIs

• The 177-run stand between William Porterfield and Stirling is the third-highest opening-wicket partnership in the 2011 World Cup and the highest for Ireland in ODIs.

• The 81 runs scored by Ireland in the mandatory Powerplay is their highest score in the first ten overs of an innings in the tournament.

In his absence, ten Doeschate and Borren added 121 for the fifth wicket, by far the largest stand of the innings, in quick time on a pitch that looked increasingly good for batting after the early-morning moisture had been scorched from the surface. ten Doeschate had also been involved in two other important partnerships after Netherlands lost two early wickets and then suffered a further casualty when Wesley Barresi was forced to leave the field in just the second over after being hit on the back of the head by a return throw from Kevin O’Brien.ten Doeschate kick-started his innings by adding 41 with Alexei Kervezee, who struggled to deal with the early bounce and movement and eventually gave his wicket away softly, pushing a length delivery from John Mooney straight into the hands of Kevin O’Brien. That dismissal brought Barresi back to the crease, and he immediately set about the Irish bowling. He raced into the 40s before he was pinned in front of his stumps, but Dockrell’s injury noticeably dampened Ireland’s mood and ten Doeschate and Borren quickly seized the initiative once again.ten Doeschate raised his fifty in the 27th over and with the field set back in defence, the partnership developed with plenty of running between the wickets before he opened up as he closed in on a century. Borren raced to a 56-ball half-century in the 38th over and ten Doeschate went to his own landmark soon after in the midst of another expensive over from Boyd Rankin. He celebrated by heaving Stirling over wide long-on but fell trying to repeat the shot next ball, caught at long-off by Mooney.Borren and wicketkeeper Atse Buurman didn’t allow the pitch to slow Netherlands’ momentum and continued to find the boundary – though more than once it was courtesy of outside edges and slashes past third man but the innings ended in farcical circumstances when Netherlands lost four wickets in four balls – all run out – to be bowled out for 306. That still might have been a match-winning total, but ultimately Ireland showed the value of their greater professionalism and the enhanced self-belief that has come from their positive performances in this tournament.

Match Timeline

Strangers embraced; total strangers, Indian and Irish, without inhibition at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. It was almost as though they’d been waiting to exhale for the longest time – for 20-odd overs, when the unthinkable first appeared within reach once Kevin O’Brien began his battering. As John Mooney finally despatched Jimmy Anderson to the recesses beyond the midwicket boundary, the hundreds gathered at the ground let go all at once.As the Ireland team celebrated mid-pitch in a raw burst of emotions, so did their fans, who had not given up when Ireland were 111 for 5. They had dared to dream along with O’Brien, they had willed Mooney on, and finally, they had believed in Trent Johnston. Their reward was what one delirious fan called “the biggest sporting achievement in the history of Ireland.” How special was it? “Come on, this one’s against the English!”In the crazed moments after the historic win, standard reporting practice went out of the window. There was no point in asking for names or back stories; the fans, fuelled by whatever was available inside the ground, were in seventh heaven, unable to comprehend the manner and magnitude of the achievement.”It doesn’t matter if we get beaten by everyone else in this World Cup. What matters is that we have beaten the English,” one fan said.Wednesday’s win came in the backdrop of the ICC reaffirming its decision to cut the next World Cup down to ten teams and, though it’s been a sore point with Ireland and other Associate nations, it didn’t seem to matter a jot today. “We don’t want to play Tests. We don’t want to do anything. The World Cup is over for us. This is it,” shouted a tall, Boyd Rankin lookalike.Some supporters had almost given up after seeing Ireland stutter early in their mammoth chase but they decided to wait as long as Kevin O’Brien was batting. “We had decided that we’d leave if Kevin O’Brien got out. But he didn’t. Oh, he just didn’t get out. He just kept going on and on. It’s a massive innings. It’s just fantastic,” said Rankin-lookalike’s companion.Keeping them company was a smattering of locals, who were cheering for the underdog and were soon turned into believers. Suddenly, what was a leisurely outing with the family turned into fierce rooting for the Irish. Singles were loudly cheered, boundaries drowned in the cacophony – as much as a few thousand could muster – usually reserved for Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. When a close second run was attempted, there were frantic cries of “” (“don’t” in Kannada). Alex Cusack’s run-out drew groans, the eerie silence that accompanied O’Brien’s was deafening.The pre-match prediction was that it would all end in tears. It did – but tears of joy when the winning boundary was hit and more of them when an emotional O’Brien accepted his Man-of-the-Match award. Soon they dispersed into the night, and as they made their way out of Chinnaswamy Stadium and into the depths of Cubbon Park, they thanked the Indians among the crowd for their support.But they did so with one caveat. An elderly Irishman, his eyes glistening with pride, said it all. “The Indian fans are good and friendly. But after today, watch out India. You are next.” The Green Army marches on.

Match Facts

Matt Prior’s Big Bash stint with Victoria was short-lived, and he is back in England’s one-day side•Getty Images

January 21, Hobart
Start time 14.20 (03.20 GMT)

The Big Picture

The first game at the MCG was the last chance for both teams to answer any selection queries before finalising their World Cup squads. And not everyone who played has made the cut – Steven Davies, Chris Tremlett and Xavier Doherty, for example. Now both teams can really begin their World Cup preparations in earnest.Shane Watson’s brilliant unbeaten 161 on Sunday gave Australia a 1-0 series lead, but the reality is that apart from Watson’s innings, the rest of Australia’s performance was no more than middling. Michael Clarke took up 57 balls and got out without hitting a boundary, and in the field his team allowed England to post nearly 300, with a few too many missed run-outs and stumpings and dropped catches. Australia’s World Cup defence begins in just over a month, and they need to be working better as a unit instead of being carried by one magnificent individual effort.Not that England can be very pleased with their display at the MCG, either. After 30 overs they’d posted 3 for 174, a position from which they should have reached well over 300. And their attack, without James Anderson, didn’t look terribly threatening. They too need to hone their form ahead of the World Cup, and they’ll do so in Hobart without Graeme Swann, who has a knee problem.Both teams have been hit by fitness concerns, with Michael Hussey now at home in Perth after undergoing surgery on a serious hamstring injury he picked up while running a sharp two during the win at the MCG. The Australians are also without Mitchell Johnson, who has a throat infection and didn’t fly to Hobart with the team. “He has improved in the last 24 hours and is expected to meet the team in Sydney on Saturday,” the physio Alex Kountouris said.

Form guide

(completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWLLL
England LWLLW

Watch out for…

Remember Nathan Hauritz? He’s that spinner Australia had been grooming for two years only to discard him on the eve of the Ashes in favour of a one-day specialist who failed to hold his place after two Tests. And now that one-day specialist, Xavier Doherty, has been cut from the limited-overs team, leaving Hauritz as the main man for the World Cup. He hasn’t played for his country since November 5, and rest assured he wants to stick it to the selectors who didn’t stick with him.Like Hauritz, Matt Prior didn’t play the opening ODI in Melbourne. Davies was the preferred gloveman, which was an odd choice given Prior’s powerful striking and impressive form during the Ashes. But come World Cup selection time, England went with the experience of Prior, and as a result he’s finished his Twenty20 stint with Victoria and flown to Hobart to join the one-day squad. He’ll open the batting with Andrew Strauss, and the Australians know that if they don’t get rid of Prior early, he could be a matchwinner.

Team news

Things have changed since the first match. Australia’s World Cup squad has been settled, so Doherty has made way for Hauritz, but there are also a couple of other issues for Australia. Hussey’s place in the middle order is likely to be filled by Shaun Marsh, who didn’t make the World Cup squad but is a possible replacement if Hussey is ruled out of that tournament. And Johnson’s throat infection should mean a place for Shaun Tait, who had back stiffness in Melbourne and was rested as a precaution.Australia (probable) 1 Shane Watson, 2 Brad Haddin (wk), 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 Cameron White, 5 David Hussey, 6 Shaun Marsh, 7 Steven Smith, 8 Brett Lee, 9 Nathan Hauritz, 10 Doug Bollinger, 11 Shaun Tait.Prior has come in to take the place of Davies, and it will be a straight swap at the top of the order. Swann will also miss out due to a knee injury, and his spot should be taken by James Tredwell, who is set to play his third one-day international. Paul Collingwood will have to wait for his chance to break back in to the side.England (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Matt Prior (wk), 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Ian Bell, 6 Eoin Morgan, 7 Michael Yardy, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 James Tredwell, 10 Chris Tremlett, 11 Ajmal Shahzad.

Stats and trivia

• The teams have only met once before in an ODI at Bellerive Oval, back in 2002-03, when Australia won by seven runs
• With no Anderson, England’s attack is so inexperienced that Tim Bresnan is the leading wicket-taker amongst the bowlers, with 38 ODI victims
• Australia’s win-loss ratio at Bellerive is better than at any other venue in the country – they have won 10 of the 14 ODIs they’ve played in Hobart

Quotes

“We’ve got a lot of improvement to do, definitely, with the ball and in the field at the start of our innings especially.”
“You look at Shane Watson in the last game getting 161 – it’s a match-winning total. Those are the types of innings that all batsmen are looking to get and realising that their 40s, 50s and 60s don’t win games.”

Ricky Ponting is expected to recover from his broken finger in time to lead Australia at the MCG on Boxing Day, but the selectors have included New South Wales batsman Usman Khawaja in the squad as a precautionary measure. Khawaja, who just turned 24, is uncapped and will join the team in Melbourne on Wednesday.”While the NSP (national selection panel) are confident Ricky Ponting will be available for the Boxing Day Test, through an abundance of caution we have named Usman Khawaja as the standby player,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of the panel, said. “Usman richly deserves this opportunity following his excellent form at domestic level last season and continuing on this season.”Khawaja had also been included as cover for Michael Clarke, when the vice-captain was struggling with a back problem in the lead-up to the first Test in Brisbane. He is presently in Sydney, where he scored a 78 for New South Wales in the second innings of their Sheffield Shield game against Queensland.However, Australia’s batting coach Justin Langer was extremely confident of Ponting recovering. ”I would be amazed if Ricky doesn’t play in this Test, he is that tough physically and mentally. At one-all, Boxing Day Test, a chance to win the Ashes, he will definitely be there,” Langer told the . ”His injury might work in his favour. He has been trying so hard and this might help him relax and get ready for the Test match. Rather than working too much and doing batting beforehand, this might be the breather he wanted.”Ponting sustained the injury when he dropped Jonathan Trott at second slip on the third afternoon at the WACA, with the rebound popping up to Brad Haddin. X-rays showed a small crack and he spent the morning of his 36th birthday in the dressing room to protect the injury. He walked out after the victory had been secured to level the series at 1-1 and congratulated his team-mates. Ponting hasn’t been in form with the bat either, scoring 83 runs in six innings in this series, and averaging 38.95 in 24 Tests since the start of last year.Squad: Shane Watson, Phillip Hughes, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Michael Beer, Ben Hilfenhaus, Usman Khawaja.

One of the surprises in Pakistan’s preliminary 30-man World Cup squad was the absence of batsman Fawad Alam, whose omission has been attributed to his lack of form by chairman of selectors Mohsin Khan.”We simply could not find a place for Fawad in the squad and that was down to him not being in the sort of form needed in a tournament like the World Cup,” Mohsin told .Alam scored two half-centuries in his previous eight one-day innings, but he also has four single-digit scores, including his last two knocks against South Africa in Dubai two months ago.Pakistan had announced their squad on Tuesday, a day ahead of the ICC’s extended deadline for naming the 30. Shoaib Malik, the former captain, and legspinner Danish Kaneria have also been left out of the probables. Kamran Akmal, the wicketkeeper who has been out of favour over the past few months, has been included.The PCB hasn’t said so publicly but the trio have been under suspicion in the aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal that has rocked Pakistan’s cricket. Akmal was the subject of an ACSU notice earlier this year but has since asked for and received a written clearance from the ICC.

Ottis Gibson, the West Indies coach, has conceded that his team made mistakes that cost them a few wickets, but was confident of their position in the Test. West Indies ended the third day at 165-5, trailing Sri Lanka’s first innings score by 222 runs.”Our first priority is to avoid the follow-on,” Gibson said. “Carlton Baugh is just coming back into international cricket and there’s an opportunity for him to get some runs and spend some time in the middle as well. Dwayne Bravo is playing well and these two guys tomorrow will have to do a good job for us.”Gibson said Darren Bravo was disappointed with the shot that led to his dismissal for 80 shortly before the umpires came off for bad light. “He is only a young man in terms of international cricket and this is his second game. He’s got to learn. At the time he got out, the light had got bad and the umpires were contemplating to go off.”Like I said to him, this is international cricket and he’s got to learn quickly. He’s played fantastically well for a young guy playing only in his second Test match to play with that sort of authority. He’s going to be doing well for us in the future.”West Indies dropped a crucial catch off Kumar Sangakkara early in his innings, and missed a few others as well. “Kumar got dropped on two a difficult chance. He went onto get 150. If we are going to keep developing we need to take catches like that. If we had taken those catches don’t know what would have happened. But that’s cricket.”Nobody goes out with the intention of dropping catches. All the catches we dropped were difficult ones. Three of them should have been taken in international cricket.”Gibson went on to say that the West Indies side is a very young one and will continue to learn how to play Test cricket “There aren’t a lot of guys who have played in Sri Lanka before and we dominated the first Test. In this Test three days have gone, and we are fighting. It’s a good sign.”