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ScorecardScotland ended day two battling to avoid an innings defeat after a second slump with the bat against Izatullah Dawlatzai. He added a second five-wicket haul to take Afghanistan to the verge of victory with Scotland still six runs away from forcing a fourth innings.Dawlatzai added 5 for 37 to his first-innings 6 for 57 to send Scotland spiralling towards defeat. His wicket of Kyle Coetzer late in the day raised the possibility of a two-day finish. Coetzer was the only batsman in the top order to have any kind of an innings but his half-century was a lone hand in a miserable batting display that saw Scotland 27 for 4 against the new ball.There was, at least, some response as wicketkeeper David Murphy survived 59 balls for 23 but his dismissal brought four wickets for just 14 runs – one them Coetzer – and it was left to Gordon Drummond and Safyaan Sharif to scrap Scotland into a third day.

England will not take their Test series in New Zealand lightly with a full-strength squad expected to be named on Thursday for the three matches in March although not all the players who were on duty in India will earn another trip.The selectors covered many bases with their squad for the India series, which ended up consisting of 19 players after the addition of Kevin Pietersen, Stuart Meaker for a period and later James Tredwell to the party. The squad for New Zealand is set to be a more streamlined 15 names so there will be fewer reserves kicking their heels on the sidelines.From the original players included for the India tour, Eoin Morgan and Samit Patel are the likely ones to be disappointed this time. Joe Root’s impressive Test debut, and continued emergence as an international cricketer, will earn him a run at No. 6 while Nick Compton, although he did not make the major score to make his place impregnable, did enough to warrant at least the three matches in New Zealand.Jonny Bairstow is expected to be available again following his compassionate leave which means he will return for the T20s and ODIs then provide the batting and wicketkeeping back-up in the Test squad. Bairstow’s stock has fallen a little since he replaced Pietersen against South Africa at Lord’s, where he made 94 and 54, now finding himself behind Root.Morgan and Patel will remain fringe Test players. Morgan has stated his desire to return to the longer format, but also said he would assess his IPL commitments when his short-term future in the side was clearer. Omission from this Test squad puts him well down the pecking order again and he may well decide on another lengthy spell in India.Patel was always likely to be a horses-for-courses selection. England began the India tour wanting someone to provide a fifth-bowling option to balance the side, but it soon became clear his left-arm spin was not Test standard and he sent down fewer overs as the series progressed. Neither did he fully take his chance with the bat, albeit he was on the end of a couple of rough decisions, and further scores of 26 and 33 were not sufficient.The bowling attack is set to consist of familiar names although the third-seamer’s slot in the final XI remains up for grabs. Tim Bresnan will be able to count himself fortunate to travel after a barren second half to 2012. Since the start of the South Africa series he has two Test wickets at 210 apiece. There is a strong case to have a look at one of the younger pace bowlers – Meaker, Chris Woakes or James Harris – but that does not appear to be the approach.Bresnan, Stuart Broad and Graham Onions will again be competing to support James Anderson and Steven Finn. Broad has ground to make up after a troubled tour of India and his performances in the preceding one-day games could well have a bearing. Onions is the type of bowler who could flourish in New Zealand but will have only one warm-up game to press his case.Monty Panesar, who sparked England’s revival in India, will have to be content with a back-up role again behind Graeme Swann.Probable England squad Alastair Cook (capt), Nick Compton, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Graham Onions, Monty Panesar

Match facts

January 19, 2013
Boland Park Paarl
Start time 1000 (0800 GMT)Will Martin Guptill be awesome like in the Twenty20s or awful like in the Tests?•Gallo Images

Big Picture

You can tell a lot about a place by simply browsing through its newspapers. A quick glance at the local media in South Africa will reveal that three-match ODI series against New Zealand is almost not happening.The back page has been taken over by football’s African Nations’ Cup which is being hosted in South Africa and begins on the same day as the first ODI. The inside pages are a mixture of Super Rugby previews, Australian Open action and look ahead to the Test series against Pakistan. Only a few lines have been set aside for the New Zealand contest and most will say, deservedly so given the mis-match of the Test series.New Zealand’s media is also not taking the series too seriously. The two newspaper journalists and one radio reporter who covered the Tests have left South African shores. their parting words were that they would return home to concentrate on the upcoming England series and would only keep this contest in the very periphery of their vision.Even if it is of little interest, the series will be of some use to both participating sides. For New Zealand, it is an opportunity to claw back some respect after they were humiliated in the Tests. They are still without some of their key players but at least look a more capable unit in this format than the longer ones. Specialists such as Kyle Mills, Rob Nicol and Grant Elliott have been brought in to bolster their ranks and New Zealand will hope to compete and maybe even spring a surprise or two.South Africa will see this as phase 1 in the long-term preparations for the 2015 World Cup. Although two years away, South Africa’s 2013 schedule means they can focus this period on fifty-over cricket. They played 13 ODIs in 2012 and could play as many as ten more this year, depending on how far they go in the Champions Trophy. Winning that competition will go a long way to ensure the chokers label starts peeling off and coming with ways to win that start in this series.

Form guide

(most recent first, completed matches only)
South Africa: WLLWW
New Zealand: LLLLL

In the spotlight

It’s tough to keep a proper eye on a coach but Gary Kirsten’s strategies will be under the microscope as he looks to create an ODI unit that win ICC silverware. Kirsten has earmarked 2013 as an important period for ODI development in a similar way to how 2012 was identified as the time for the Test team to shine. The success in the longest format has come through consistency and a solid team culture which Kirsten said will take longer to embed in the limited-overs side. His first task is to find the right combinations, then to ensure the continually indecisive AB de Villiers is comfortable in his role as captain and lastly, to get the tactics right. In between that and managing workload ahead of the Pakistan series, Kirsten has his plate overflowing for the next week.After an inept show with the bat in the Tests, Martin Guptill returns to the white-ball game with a point to prove. He has already had success in the Twenty20 series where his unbeaten century singlehandedly levelled the series for New Zealand and his capability in the shorter forms is much lauded. His tendency in Tests to hang his bat out to dry gets shelved in limited-overs where he plays with freedom and finesse. Good performances in the three ODIs won’t stop the questions about his ability against the red ball but it may buy him some time.

Team news:

A new wicketkeeper in Quinton de Kock means that de Villiers will be free from the glovework in this series. De Kock batted at No. 3 in the Twenty20s but came in lower in this format, although South Africa’s batting line-up will remain flexible. Colin Ingram could find himself back in the starting XI with Farhaan Behardien likely to make his ODI debut and both will compete with Ryan McLaren, depending on whether South Africa want an allrounder. Robin Peterson will do the spinning duties while any combination of two of the four quicks will play.South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith 2 Hashim Amla 3 Faf du Plessis 4 AB de Villiers (capt) 5 Quinton de Kock (wk), 6 and 7 Colin Ingram/Farhaan Behardien/Ryan McLaren 8 Robin Peterson, 9, 10 and 11 Dale Steyn/Morne Morkel/Lonwabo Tsotsobe/Rory KleinveldtGuptill and Nicol should open the batting with Brendon McCullum at No.3. Williamson will have to move up a spot because of Ross Taylor’s absence. James Franklin should have recovered from the hamstring injury which ruled him out of the Port Elizabeth Test. The allrounder’s spot will be decided between Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham and Elliott while one of Neil Wagner or Mitchell McClenaghan could make their ODI debuts.New Zealand: (probable) 1 Rob Nicol 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Brendon McCullum (capt), 4 Kane Williamson, 5 James Franklin, 6 BJ Watling, 7 Colin Munro/Jimmy Neesham/Grant Elliott 8 Nathan McCullum, 9, 10 and 11 Kyle Mills/Neil Wagner/Mitchell McClenaghan

Stats and Trivia:

• Despite last playing an ODI in September, South Africa are currently the No.1 ranked ODI team, one point ahead of England. New Zealand are ranked ninth.
• Paarl, which is one of South Africa’s smaller grounds, is hosting its second ODI in as many summers as part of the drive to spread the game. Last January, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 43 at this venue, chasing 302 for victory.
• New Zealand’s are without their top-ranked batsmen Ross Taylor (No.18 overall) and bowler Tim Southee (No.15) because of mismanagement and injury respectively. South Africa’s highest places batsman on the rankings is Hashim Amla (No.1) and their best bowler is Lonwabo Tsotsobe (No.4). Both are in the squad.

Quotes:

“For them, the change of format will be quite refreshing. New Zealand have always done well in World Cups, which means their very good at white-ball cricket as a unit. It will be a closer series.”
“I’m going to bat at No. 5. That will allow the aggressive guys up front followed by guys who know how to build an innings at 3 and 4.”

ScorecardUnmukt Chand is one of many prodigies almost mysteriously produced by Delhi cricket. Now only 19, he has already played 16 first-class games since his debut in 2010. That his second century came in his 17th match brought relief to the young man.In this Ranji season Chand must, at double speed, graduate from being India’s under-19 captain to one of Delhi’s more reliable openers. He will bat in worse conditions and face tougher bowling attacks in the future. But his 134 not out against Tamil Nadu on day one at Feroz Shah Kotla was a personal triumph over the more youthful side of his batting and mistakes of his past.On a slow day, in which only 80 overs were bowled, Delhi ended on 287 for 1 after they were sent in to bat. The lone wicket was that of the captain Shikhar Dhawan but not before he completed his first Ranji Trophy century in a prolific domestic season. Dhawan had already scored more than 600 runs in the Duleep Trophy and the Challenger Trophy.Dhawan’s 104 was a dominant and confident innings but Chand’s sparkler of a 134 was as significant. It was an innings that began with Chand being considered the weaker link among the openers but the day ended with an acknowledgement that he was actually growing up.The first session made the toughest demands on Chand, the ball swinging as it is expected to. Chand was judicious in picking what to leave and also checked himself from launching into a few of his eye-catching strokes. The off side was packed, there were two wide gullies, and it took him 12 balls to get off the mark.The first hour brought a total of 28 runs to Delhi and Chand had a streaky half-chance off J Kaushik go past a diving third slip. Shouts came from the boundary asking him to be patient. Patience took its time arriving, and Chand slashed Kaushik again to the point boundary.As the ball lost its shine and zip heading into lunch, and the sun began to climb, the Delhi batsmen opened their shoulders. Chand hit three boundaries in an over from L Balaji, through mid-on and cover and a screaming cut through point.Dhawan seized control of the innings after the first hour, and at the first sight of spin, the batsmen lit up. Offspinner M Rangarajan was hit out of the attack after five overs that cost 27 runs. Chand turned the strike over to the more experienced Dhawan and then, by hitting the hard working left-arm spinner Aushik Srinivas for six over long off, spread the field.It took Chand 102 balls and nine boundaries to get to his 50. The next 50 took 64 balls, but offered fewer chances with six fours and a six. “We were able to stick to the messages we got from the dressing room,” Chaid said. No losing early wickets, and capitalising in the post-lunch session. As his 100 neared and Delhi lost Dhawan, Chand went from 95 to 100 in singles. “I had got tempted to score quickly in the past when on 93 and 86 and the thought came in my mind that I should not repeat the same mistake.”Delhi had lost the toss but they made only gains after that. The pitch was different from the previous drawn game against Baroda, but had they won the toss, Dhawan said with a grin that Delhi would have loved to bat.

An unbeaten 94 by middle-order batsman Shoaib Malik took Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to a six-wicket win against Habib Bank Limited in Sialkot. Chasing 176 to win, they were in trouble at 13 for 3, but Malik put on an 84-run partnership with opener Shehzar Mohammad, and followed it up with a 79-run stand with Anwar Ali to achieve the target. After conceding a 28-run deficit in the first innings, PIA’s bowlers, led by seamer Najaf Shah, bowled Habib Bank out for 147 to give their batsmen a fair chance of winning the match.After choosing to bat, Habib Bank struggled to find momentum in their innings, largely due to fast bowlers Aizaz Cheema and Anwar Ali, who took seven wickets between them. Opener Shan Masood’s 42 was their highest score as they were bowled out for 200. But Fahad Masood, by taking 6 for 33, brought them back into the contest, and helped restrict PIA to 172. Even that meagre total was reached after half-centuries from Malik and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed, who put on 90 runs for the sixth wicket.Habib Bank’s No. 3 Aftab Alam scored a half-century in the second innings but he was the only one who provided some resistance as Shah and Cheema ran through their line-up. The target didn’t look likely to be overhauled when Masood shook PIA’s top order, but Malik took them to victory. Faisal Iqbal had a poor game with the bat, scoring nine runs.In Faisalabad, a strong first-innings batting performance by Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), which helped them gain a 123-run lead against State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), took them to three points after the game was drawn.Middle-order batsman Yasir Arafat led KRL’s first innings, with a patient 80, as they scored 311. SBP kept losing wickets regularly in reply, and were struggling at 107 for 8 before middle-order batsman Mohtashim Ali and No. 10 Hasan Mahmood helped them reach 188. Left-arm spinner Nauman Ali was the chief wrecker with four wickets.Half-centuries from opener Zain Abbas and Saeed Anwar jnr. led KRL’s second-innings effort before they declared at 183 for 5, at the end of the third day.Chasing 307, SBP openers began positively, putting on 103 for the first wicket. There was a brief stutter when three wickets fell for 15 runs, but opener Farrukh Shehzad and No. 6 Usman Saeed took them to safety, and the match was called a draw after 73 overs.An unbeaten century by Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited‘s (ZTBL) Haris Sohail wasn’t enough to prevent a 186-run defeat against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in Rawalpindi.SNGPL, after being put in to bat, scored 250, led by captain Misbah-ul-Haq’s 110, the Pakistan captain’s first fifty-plus score of the season. Allrounder Abdul Razzaq was the chief wicket-taker with six wickets but it wasn’t too happy a game for him after that as he scored two ducks. WicketkeeperZTBL couldn’t recover in the contest after their first-innings collapse, bowled out for 99, mainly due to a six-wicket haul by seamer Samiullah Khan which gave SNGPL a big lead of 151.SNGPL backed their bowling performance with strong batting. Opener Taufeeq Umar scored 80, and shared a 153-run partnership with Azhar Ali, who remained unbeaten on 129 when SNGPL declared at 256 for 2, setting ZTBL a stiff target of 407.Samiullah was again the chief wicket-taker in ZTBL’s chase. Sohail was the only batsman who provided some resistance, as they were bowled out for 221, giving SNGPL victory by 186 runs and taking them to the top of the table.Adnan Akmal missed the match despite recovering from a finger injury, on account of his upcoming wedding.

Just as few recall the somewhat controversial catch that sealed the 2005 Ashes Test at Edgbaston and turned the series England’s way, so history may not record the key moments that allowed South Africa to take control of the 2012 Test series against England.Few dispute that they deserved to win the series and few dispute that England, with six losses in 11 Test in 2012 and one series win in four, have no place on top of the Test rankings. As England coach, Andy Flower, put it: “We have been beaten by a slightly better side in this series. I think that’s fair to say.”The disappointment from an England perspective was that they failed to do themselves justice. They dropped nine catches, gave wickets away cheaply and failed to trouble South Africa’s batsmen with medium-paced fare.The failure of England’s bowling attack is most worrying. The bowlers have impressed in all conditions in Tests since the Ashes of 2009 – even in the UAE last winter, they performed well only to be let down by poor batting from their colleagues. The series against South Africa – and the drubbing at The Oval in particular – was an abrupt departure from the norm.While South Africa batted with impressive skill and dedication, England also failed to take chances that might have altered the series. Hashim Amla was dropped before he reached 50 on the way to his triple-hundred at The Oval and before he had reached 10 at Lord’s; Alviro Petersen was dropped before he had reached 30 in his 182 at Leeds. Had such chances been taken, England’s ugly bowling averages may be a good deal prettier.”We had our chances,” Flower said. “At Lord’s we dropped two crucial catches. They’ve caught well in the slip area but I think their bowling attack was a little bit more incisive than ours. I don’t think that’s unfair on our bowlers to say that.”Their batsmen cashed in and got the big, match-turning innings. Yes, with the assistance of a dropped catch here and there from us. But in the main they deserved to win. We haven’t grasped the opportunities that came our way. And, against a good, hardened, experienced side like South Africa, you’ll suffer the consequences of that.”England are taking steps to improve the bowling. Stuart Broad has been omitted from the ODI series against South Africa not just for rest but to undergo some strength and conditioning work, which England hope will enable him to recover his nip. “We don’t often get windows with the guys that play all three forms of the game to do conditioning work,” Flower said. “Broad, we believe, needs a rest; or a combination of rest and strength work.”Tim Bresnan, James Anderson and, at Leeds anyway, Steven Finn also appeared somewhat jaded. In the longer term, it may be that England need to accept that the burden they have placed on their players – an international schedule that offers little time for mental or physical recovery – is the biggest obstacle to consistently performing at their best.Flower also suggested a decision on Andrew Strauss’ future as England captain will be left to the man himself.”Andrew is a bit drained,” Flower said. “It’s been a hard series for him. Obviously he’s been a superb leader for us, but he would have wanted to score more runs and that has a wearing effect. And then these peripheral issues have taken a lot of his energy and his enjoyment out of the last few weeks.”I think he’s done the right thing to get away for a few days with his family so he can recuperate. He’s a strong bloke and he’ll come back feeling very strong.”England’s attempt to regain the No. 1 ranking will begin with a four-Test series in India, where their record is not promising. The team is set to be weakened not only by the absence of Kevin Pietersen but also by the departure of players at various parts of the tour on paternity leave. Flower hopes, however, that the lessons learned in the UAE and the emergence of several promising young players can help England recover lost ground.”We will definitely be plotting our challenge,” Flower said. “We want to get back there. We’ve got a tough outing first up in India, but that’ll be exciting. It’ll be exciting to see if we’ve actually embedded some of the lessons we’ve learned in the UAE, because no doubt we’ll be playing on spinning pitches.”Jonny Bairstow handled the situation well. The skill, timing and courage he showed was outstanding. James Taylor has handled himself calmly as well. We’ll make our decisions based on what is best for the England side and not be scared to do so.”

If the first two matches are an indication of what is to come, bowlers at the Under-19 World Cup will be queuing up to bowl at the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville, and bowl first. England were shot out by Australia for 143 and on that same surface India were dismissed for 166 by West Indies. Both the chases, although successful, weren’t easy either.There’s been swing and seam for the quick bowlers, and once the balls got older there was turn for the spinners too. The bounce was true on the first day, and extremely high, and it was variable on the second. Unmukt Chand, India’s captain, spoke of the challenges of batting on such a surface after getting sent in by West Indies.”The pitch was seaming a lot, really difficult to bat out there. The cracks had opened up and the ball was doing quite a bit after pitching,” Chand said. “It was something we were not expecting.”After one opener fell in the second over, India’s focus became survival until the conditions eased out. Runs slowed to a trickle, though, and the challenge was how long Chand and Baba Aparajith could remain calm under sustained pressure from the West Indian quicks. With experience, it becomes easier to assess the conditions quickly without feeling the need to score from the get-go.”That was the test, it was very important to stay patient and be there for as long as we could,” Chand said. “The ball wasn’t coming on to the bat well, and I had a difficult time batting.”Aparajith cracked first, trying to hook a bouncer from Ronsford Beaton and gloving it to the wicketkeeper. Thereafter, dismissals occurred at frequent intervals as India’s batsmen were continuously tested by pace and seam movement even during the middle overs.”Yesterday’s match was played on this wicket, it was a used wicket,” Chand said. “That’s why the cracks had opened up. If you look at the other wicket, it’s not like this. The cracks were creating a lot of problems for us. Once the ball pitched there it used to either go up or along the ground.”Chand lasted up until the 20th over, facing 61 deliveries for his 22, compiled when batting conditions were the hardest. His innings was ended by Kyle Mayers, who came on second change but sustained the pressure built by the quicks before him. Mayers’ first spell was 6-0-17-1 and he finished with 2 for 35 before a match-winning 43 earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.”My role in the team is basically to bowl tight,” Mayers said. “We have a lot of allrounders, especially medium-pacers who can bat a bit. My role mainly is to bowl tight, with the bat try my best and give it my all.”West Indies used a different length to attack India, when compared to the one Australia used against England. While Australia’s fast bowlers were full most of the time, with the bouncer deployed as a surprise, West Indies were mostly back of a length, pinning the Indians in their crease before delivering the fuller ball.Roddy Estwick, the West Indies coach, said the bowlers had “responded magnificently” to the plans prepared for India, after playing them in the subcontinent in September 2011.”Anywhere in the world, when you look at Indian batsmen, they tend not to like short bowling,” Mayers said. “It was alright for the wicket, because it had lot of bounce and pace.”A fresh pitch will be used for the game between Australia and Nepal on Monday, but Craig McDermott, the former Australian fast bowler, had said he’d been told that it would be quicker and bouncier than the ones that undid both England and India.

ScorecardOpener Neil McKenzie batted throughout the day to inspire Hampshire on the opening day of their County Championship Division Two clash against Essex at Chelmsford.McKenzie, the 36-year-old South African, was unbeaten on 134 during an innings that spoke volumes for his determination and concentration, which ensured his side claimed the upper hand as they finished on 303 for 6 after winning the toss. He has so far defied the attempts of seven bowlers to remove him during an effort that has so far spanned 270 deliveries and brought him 13 boundaries.The eleventh boundary, a superb drive through extra-cover off Ryan ten Doeschate, brought up his century after nearly five hours and highlighted why Hampshire made great efforts to sign him for championship duty. He was only originally set to play Friends Life t20 matches this season, but was recently persuaded to make himself available for four-day action.His main accomplice was Sean Ervine. Together, after the fourth wicket had gone down at 106, they put on 110 in 28 overs. Ervine struck seven fours in his innings of 55, which was brought to an end when he played on against David Masters, easily the pick of the Essex bowlers. But the stand should have been broken after it had yielded just 10 runs because Harbhajan Singh, diving forward from second slip, failed to accept a catch offered against Masters.It proved a day Harbhajan will want to forget. In addition to spilling that catch, he went wicketless throughout 28 overs while conceding 73 runs.Following Ervine’s departure, Michael Bates contributed 27 in a sixth wicket stand of 72 before he gloved a Graham Napier delivery to diminutive wicketkeeper Adam Wheater while attempting to take evasive action.But no-one was able to remove McKenzie from the scene although an opportunity was spurned just before the close when Wheater leapt high but failed to grab the chance off Napier.Masters, Napier and ten Doeschate have so far claimed two wickets each, the latter picking up his successes in the space of six deliveries just before lunch. Bilal Shafayat was trapped lbw to end an entertaining 31 while Simon Katich was caught behind by a ball that left him. It was a double strike that left Hampshire 70 for 3 at the interval and Essex reflecting on a satisfactory morning’s work. But the day ended with Hampshire – and particularly the rock-like McKenzie – in charge.

Lalchand Rajput, the coach of the touring India A side in the West Indies, is disappointed the fancied batting line-up didn’t click as a unit, but is not alarmed about the future of India’s middle order after a side full of Test aspirants failed to reach 300 in any of the innings of the three first-class matches against West Indies A. The sheer amount of international experience in India A’s middle order – Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Manoj Tiwary – made them favourites going into the series, but none of them scored a century, and India A lost the series even after having won the first match.”It’s fair to say we didn’t think the series would go this way,” Rajput said from Port-of-Spain where the limited-overs leg of the tour will commence. “They bowled really well too. Delorn Johnson took 17 wickets in the series, and Jason Holder was good as well. Ours was a strong batting line-up that never clicked as a unit. The conditions were difficult, but we should have done better.”India A’s first two wickets invariably yielded little, and the middle order always found itself under pressure and exposed to the new ball. In the six innings, the first two wickets added respectively 0 and 1, 4 and 8, 1 and 11, 14 and 14, 16 and 16, and 22 and 1. “We were a very strong batting unit,” Rajput said. “But we never clicked together. In six innings we never had an opening stand. We were always 20 for 3 or 30 for 3. If you want a big score, the top three have to fire.”Those who followed gave a relatively better account of themselves: Pujara crossed fifty thrice, Wriddhiman Saha twice, and Rohit and Tiwary once each. One of Pujara’s fifties was a special effort of 96 in the chase of 186 in the first match, in Barbados, after the visitors had been reduced to 77 for 6 and 115 for 8. India A would have hoped to carry some momentum and psychological edge into the next match, but losing the toss proved crucial on a pitch that was turning square on the fourth morning. Put in on a damp morning in the third match, the India A top order came up short once again, and even Pujara, who had scored three half-centuries in four innings until then, was run out before he could make a difference.The first-class matches of this tour were particularly important for the young Indian batsmen after Rahul Dravid’s retirement earlier this year. The selectors won’t get to watch another first-class match before they pick the team for the first of the 10 Tests this home season. Rajput said there was no need to panic, and that this tour was an important experience for the youngsters.”It’s actually good that we are exposing them in conditions abroad before they get into the Test side,” Rajput said. “It will help them. They’ll know what to expect when they go abroad. It’s a good idea for them to get exposure at an early stage in their career.”They should know relatively early that playing abroad is different. They now know what they need to work on. Life is difficult when you go and play abroad. You have to work hard. Still they are sound players. Don’t write them off based on this tour.”Pujara’s temperament, Saha’s keeping, Rohit’s start, and the surprise package, Bengal quick Shami Ahmed, were the positives of the series, Rajput said. “Pujara’s in Bridgetown was one of the best innings I have ever seen,” Rajput said. “When you lose eight wickets, you put together that partnership to win the Test, it was tremendous. He showed a lot of character and temperament. Top performance.”The man who stood alongside Pujara during that match-winning effort was Ahmed, who impressed Rajput a lot. “He is strong, bowls at a sharp pace, and throughout the day,” Rajput said. “Even in the third spell of the day, he bowls around 140kmph. Even when batting he doesn’t give up. You have to get him out. He is one bowler to watch out for.”Saha showed similar resilience, Rajput said, scoring two fifties in tough batting conditions. His keeping on tough pitches was impressive too. Rohit got 94 in the first innings of the tour, but never kicked on after that. It summed up India A’s effort: “They got starts, but couldn’t convert them. Had they converted them, the story would have been different.”

Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman, has hinted at asking India to host a limited-overs series between Pakistan and Australia later this year. Pakistan are seeking a venue for the series after Sri Lanka’s refusal to stage it.Ashraf, who has been invited by the BCCI to watch the IPL final in Chennai on Sunday, said he will discuss the idea with the Indian board officials, but maintained the main agenda would be to revive bilateral cricketing ties between India and Pakistan.The other possible venues for the series are Malaysia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The series was scheduled to comprise five one-dayers and three T20Is to help the sides prepare for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, which begins on September 18.”It isn’t a bad idea (considering India) but a good choice to maintain the healthy relationship with them (India), but let us see the mood there,” Ashraf told ESPNcricinfo. “But our primary purpose is to revive ties with them. However, in the meantime we have three options under consideration to host our series.”Ashraf was optimistic about a healthy dialogue with the BCCI, following India’s decision to invite Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 champions, Sialkot Stallions, to participate in the Champions League Twenty20 later this year, in India.”We are ready to play them and I can see that they [India] are also positive and gradually the ice is melting,” Ashraf said.The UAE, which has hosted most of Pakistan’s home series, was doubtful due to the hot weather. However, Ashraf didn’t rule out UAE’s chances either, as it’s more cost-effective for the PCB.”We have been ruling out UAE mainly because of the month of Ramzan and the hot weather there,” Ashraf said. “But we can counter that by playing day-night matches.”Dilawar Mani, the Emirates Cricket Board chief operating officer, confirmed that they had offered to host another series for Pakistan. “We have offered them but are yet to get a response,” Mani told ESPNcricinfo. “We didn’t offer them until Sri Lanka backed out. The main concern is the humidity, otherwise the temperature starts to drop after 4pm and the conditions are convenient to play.”The PCB has been planning on starting its own Twenty20 league, but Ashraf didn’t sound optimistic about launching it this year. Various companies have made presentations to the board, but each company requires a minimum of six months to plan the league.”We were hoping to have it this October but I think due time constraints we might have to push it back,” Ashraf said. “However, the plan is in the pipeline and if we aren’t able to get it organised this year then we have to find another window next year.”Eight companies, including Ten Sports, Nimbus and Geo TV, have already made their pitches to the PCB.Edited by Kanishkaa Balachandran