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Indian Airlines face an extremely difficult task on the morrow afterclosing out the second day of their MRF-Buchi Babu pre-quarterfinal at23/1 in reply to MAC-TNCA’s imposing 459/7 declared. India ‘A’ openerJ Arun Kumar survived 51 minutes before being dismissed by legspinnerBalaji Rao for 14 in what turned out to be the penultimate over of theday.Play was suspended at 4.34 PM due to bad light and called off at 5.00pm since the light had not improved. Manish Sharma and VVS Laxman heldout until close but Airlines are still 436 runs adrift. If they do batout the whole day tomorrow, it is unlikely they would have overhauledMAC-TNCA’s first innings total.In that eventuality the winner will be decided on run quotient (numberof runs scored divided by number of wickets lost). MAC-TNCA’s runquotient presently stands at 65.57. For Airlines the responsibilityrests heavily on the shoulders of Laxman, Sharma, Ravneet Ricky andVijay Dahiya.In the morning play started 105 minutes behind schedule due toovernight rains having dampened the outfield. Indeed only 69 overswere bowled during the whole day. Resuming at 314/4 at the CPT-IndiaPistons ground here in Chennai, MAC-TNCA lost Sharath for 124 (191balls, 16 fours, 1 six) when he edged Dodda Ganesh into the waitinggloves of wicketkeeper captain Dahiya.The fifth wicket partnership between Sharath and Robin Singh hadswelled to 89 when the mishap occurred. Robin merrily proceeded to 73(127 balls, 6 fours), adding another 64 with Gokulakrishna before hefell to Haryana off spinner Ishan Ganda. Gokulakrishna, brother ofyesterday’s centurion Madanagopal finished on an unbeaten 46 as MAC-TNCA called it quits in the 139th over.Incidentally there were another pair of brothers on the field – thetwo umpires K Srinivasan and K Bharathan. For Airlines Murali Kartiktoiled long and hard to collect returns of 2/141 from 46 overs whileGanesh, Ganda and Chaudhury took a wicket apiece.

There were times during the second day of this Test match that illustrated exactly why cricket at this level is known as Test cricket.This was a day played hard and tough, by 22 men trying desperately to effect some advantages for their respective team.Mark Waugh, with his elegance and true grit, changed things fully to ensure Australia had the advantage. What a comeback after the pressure he was under recently. Perhaps, only perhaps, Brian Lara could follow suit, since he too was under the same pressure.At least no-one, not even me, could complain about the efforts and the cricket overall, even if the West Indies, as they did at Brisbane, lost the plot somewhat after tea, the fast bowlers tiring badly and being punished for it by Brett Lee.With the Australians starting at 72-2 in reply to the West Indies 196, both teams would have been looking for the immediate advantage. While Australia managed to go to lunch at 151-4, the West Indies looked to have made every effort to take quick, necessary wickets.Jimmy Adams however showed a lack of imagination when it looked as if he could just get that break through. Someone will have to wake him up sometime this series. His field placings were strange, and the situation with the 2nd new ball, not taking it immediately after tea, confused all.Australia scored a daunting 396-8 before captain, Steve Waugh, surprisingly, declared late in the afternoon, giving his bowlers seven overs at the West Indies late in the evening.Darren Ganga is not out nine, just surviving to the end, while losing opening partner Sherwin Campbell, easily caught by the first of two gullies, Jason Gillespie, from the bowling of Brett Lee. When Campbell went for four, the West Indies were 7-1. Night-watchman Merve Dillon was also out, caught at the wicket by wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist, for three, the final act of the day.Sunday could be a very long day for the West Indies batsmen.Earlier, Mark Waugh, with his 18th Test hundred; was eventually dismissedfor 119, including 12 boundaries. It was his first Test century sincemaking exactly 100 against Pakistan in the 1999/2000 series 19 innings ago, and represented a perfect psychological comeback. He also helped put his team in a very strong position to effect that record-breaking 12th win.Waugh Junior came to the crease when his team was in some bother at 111-3, after overnight batsman Matthew Hayden had been bowled, from an inside edge, by Marlon Black, for a very well-made 69. He had survived a chance on 58, in the 11th over of the day, when he top edged a Dillon delivery to fine-leg, but Marlon Black spilled a dolly catch, the score 100-2.Courtney Walsh, in the meantime, was soon presented with a straight but fiercely hit caught and bowled chance from Hayden. The return catch was missed, but Walsh had to quickly go for an x-ray, as the ring finger of his bowling finger was dislocated. The x-ray suggested only severe bruising.At 104-2, Gillespie, then on 12, received another poor decision, this time by Umpire Peter Parker. There was a clear deviation from the glove of the Black delivery on its way to wicket-keeper Jacobs which was confirmed by television replays. The dismay and disappointment of the West Indies was evident.But nightwatchman Gillespie did not last for much longer. He was caught by Brian Lara at 1st slip, from the bowling of Nixon McLean, for a bothersome 23.Waugh Junior was also dropped at cover point by Darren Ganga, when he had madeonly 21 and the score 159-4. That miss cost the West Indies dearly. He also survived a fearful hit from a delivery from Courtney Walsh, using the second new ball, directly on the helmet, when he was 93, and Australia 296-6.After that, he blossomed, playing some imperious shots in his innings, driving, glancing and guiding the fast bowlers everywhere in the outfield. The straight drives, especially off Dillon and Nixon McLean, then a pull and a cover drive, after he had made his century, from Courtney Walsh’s bowling, were sights to behold. Incidentally, when he had gotten to his century, after only 151 balls, he had hit ten four’s.He established useful partnerships with his brother Steve, putting on 65 for the fifth wicket, in 107 balls and then with Adam Gilchrist, who also played well for his sixth Test half century; including seven boundaries; Waugh added a quick-fire 95 runs in 134 balls for the seventh wicket. Both partners fell to Walsh to edge him close to the 500 landmark.Said Mark Waugh afterwards: “To make runs on a bouncy Perth pitch, against the West Indies, was very satisfying. I was very pleased with the way I played. No, I was not under any real pressure except that this is a Test match. Simply, I wanted to enjoy the day, hopefully make a few runs, as this is a very important game for us. I was obviously pretty focussed out there and was happy with the way my form went.””Perth could be a difficult place to bat, as obviously there are pace and bounce there. It takes a bit of adjusting to. If you happen to meet a couple of good fast bowlers, it can be pretty awkward, but once you get in, the pace of the wicket allows you to score quickly. At least it’s a nice and even surface out there. You can get yourself in trouble if you are not diligent and watch the ball constantly.””Perth is a lot harder, with much more pace and bounce than Brisbane. Brisbane was a little bit slower and a bit more uneven. While Perth was much more even, if you wanted to bend the back, the bowlers could get some help too”The third day is shaping up to be a truly great day. Either Australia will win the game, and secure that record of 12 consecutive Test wins in a row, or the West Indies could flash themselves to glory, slashing and bashing the Australians to a full stop.Somehow, the former seems more likely than the latter, but you never know.

Can the hill country folk of Kandy have ever been so richlyentertained? For the first half of the day the Indian fast bowlersscythed through the Sri Lankan batting and in the afternoon, hometownhero Muttiah Muralitharan thrashed a comical half-century that put hisside firmly in the box seat at the end of the third day of this secondTest.It was an astonishing day. Zaheer Khan and Venkatesh Prasad bowledtheir hearts out, taking nine wickets between them, as Sri Lankaslumped from 52 for one to 124 at lunch and then lost four wickets in33 balls in a postprandial slumber to leave them on 157 for nine, witha lead of just 199.In 76 crazy minutes, however, Muralitharan and last man Ruchira Pereraswung the game emphatically back towards Sri Lanka with a 64-runpartnership for the last wicket, which was a record for the wicketagainst India and the equal highest of the game. Sterile statistics,though, do not tell the real tale.It was the manner in which Muralitharan scored his first ever firstclass fifty, 67 runs off 65 balls, which included three sixes and fourfours, that brought the crowd, which swelled to nearly 8000 as news ofMuralitharan’s heroics spread through the town, to hysterics andIndia’s players to their knees in frustration.He strutted to the wicket to a standing ovation and then taunted thetourists like a chief clown. His strokeplay mixed outlandish heaves,full-blooded pulls and exaggerated defense ­ he even padded up toGanguly eight yards down the pitch, much to the bowlers verbaldisgust. In between balls he rehearsed a startling array of innovativestrokes and in between overs he exercised his novel right to requestrefreshment and a rub down from the 12th man.When Ruchira Perera walked in to bat, Muralitharan was only on 11, buthe took firm command of the situation as Ganguly bizarrely pushedeight fieldsmen back onto the fence, surely the first time that theLankan spin ace has been handed such respect while he was batting.Psychologically and tactically the plan backfired as Muralitharancleverly farmed the strike. He refused to take ones until the finaltwo balls of the over, but managed to scramble the odd two and belt anoccasional boundary. When he was finally caught on the long offboundary India needed 264 runs for victory.It is a testing target. England only limped home by three wickets whenasked to chase 160 in Kandy last March and Sri Lanka lost to SouthAfrica by seven runs when they were bowled out for 169 here last year.This pitch has not crumbled like those two surfaces, however, whichshould give India hope.India’s openers survived the new-ball by the skin of their teeth,especially Shiv Sunder Das (19), who looked fortunate not to beadjudged leg-before wicket by Chaminda Vaas on two occasions before hehad scored. He was also bowled off a no ball of Vaas, who bowledsuperbly in his seven over burst (7-5-6-0).Das and Sadogoppan Ramesh (13*) had added 31 for the first wicketbefore Sanath Jayasuriya threw the ball to Muralitharan. Das pullswept him to the mid-wicket boundary, but the off spinner deceived theright-hander with his straighter delivery in his third over to leaveIndia on 42 for one.They lost no further wickets before bad light stopped play at 6.05pmwith India on 55 for one with 209 still required, but Muralitharancreated enough problems to suggest that he holds the key to this matchtomorrow.Were it not for top scorer Muralitharan then Sri Lanka would in allprobability have been heading towards their third successive defeat inKandy, as the Sri Lankan top order crumbled under the pressure exertedby Zaheer Khan in the morning and Prasad in the early afternoon.Khan struck with his third delivery of the day, which brushed theoutside edge of Kumar Sangakkara’s (13) bat and was neatly taken bywicket keeper Sameer Dighe.Mahela Jayawardene and Marvan Atapattu, who scored 45 from 88 balls,added 32 runs for the third wicket, before Prasad had Atappatu caughtbehind to leave Sri Lanka on 84 for four.Ganguly bowled a short two over spell without success, but quicklycalled back Khan who then dismissed first Test centurion MahelaJayawardene (25) in the slips and trapped Russel Arnold (4) leg-beforewicket with a ball that nipped back off the seam.Hashan Tillakaratne (16) and Suresh Perera (15), both of whom arefighting for their places after an unsuccessful series thus far, alsoput up some resistance for 50 minutes either side of lunch, adding 21further runs.Venkatesh Prasad then took over the mantle from Khan. Swinging theball away from the right handed Perera he caught the edge of Perera’sflashing blade and Hemang Badani redeemed himself for an earlier misswith a sharp left handed catch at second slip.Tillakaratne had been shuffling across his stumps throughout hisinnings and had survived several close leg-before appeals beforePrasad trapped finally trapped him in front with an inswinger. Prasadthen quickly followed up with the wickets of Dilhara Fernando andChaminda Vaas to secure his seventh five-wicket haul in his 32nd Testand set the stage for Muralitharan’s theatrical performance.

To say Ross Taylor was not seeing the ball well in Brisbane would be an understatement – he was not seeing it at all.Taylor has revealed that he had to consult an eye specialist after the Gabba Test for treatment of a pterygium in his left eye – an overgrowth of the thin clear membrane on the surface of the eye. This would be no surprise to those who saw him look completely out of sorts in the first innings of the series, and not much better in the second.Having trained his hardest leading into the match, Taylor knew something else had to be wrong, and was relieved to find there was a medical solution. Duly cleansed by eye drops and a less intense preparation for the WACA, he went out and constructed the most prolific innings ever made by a visiting batsman in Australia.”I had to get my eyes tested in between,” Taylor said. “I couldn’t really see the ball so the eye drops obviously worked. I have a pterygium in my left eye and I do that a lot [open eyes]. The optometrist said when it’s dark you’ll probably do this a lot [opens eyes] and I told the boys and they lost it because that’s how they take the mickey out of me.”The eye issue was just one of numerous obstacles Taylor overcame in order to bat so brilliantly at the WACA, a performance that left the Australians in wonderment at his concentration and ability to efficiently take advantage of anything loose. Back in August, Taylor had suffered a serious blow to the testicles in Zimbabwe that required a trip home and surgery – he is still under doctor’s instructions not to get hit amidships for another two months, a difficult assignment when faced with a fired up Mitchell Starc.”Yes, for four months, try to not get hit – it’s an interesting thing to tell a player,” Taylor said of the testicular injury. “I think I’ve got about two months to go so I’m counting down. It’s good to be hitting balls again but there’s no discomfort. It’s a bit nerve wracking when 160kph is coming at you but once you get into the fight the adrenalin kicks in and the instincts take over and you just bat.”Just batting was something Taylor was unable to do for anything like as long as he needed to in the lead-up to this trip. A practice fixture in New Zealand the week before departure for Australia was the first time he had picked up a bat since the Zimbabwe tour, and in the days before the Gabba, he trained hard. Perhaps too hard.”I was out of the game for six weeks, I couldn’t do anything,” he said. “I was anxious, it’s a big tour and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves and I wanted to do well and was a bit underdone and all at sea.”I trained pretty hard leading in but sometimes when you try too hard you don’t get the results. Leading into this I let it all go to see where it took me.I’d put too much pressure on myself so I just relaxed, got on the balls of my feet and played straight. Chalk and cheese from where I was a week ago.”Set in Stone: Ross Taylor’s record-breaking score on the WACA scoreboard•Getty Images

There had been correspondence with Taylor’s longtime friend and mentor Martin Crowe also, a long email correspondence before this match and then the happy contrast of a short congratulatory text message this evening after the day’s play. Along the way to 290, Taylor had also surpassed Crowe’s 188 in Brisbane in 1985 as the highest Test score by a New Zealand batsman in Australia.”I heard from Hogan [Crowe] leading into the Test match,” Taylor said. “He sent me a long email. I heard a little bit from him before Brisbane. I got a text from him last night and he jokingly said he was disappointed because that was his proudest moment having the record here in Australia, 188, He was rapt – I received a text before and he’s very proud.”The other major player in Taylor’s story this week was Kane Williamson, the softly-spoken but quietly commanding young batsman who has led the way for New Zealand on this tour. Taylor looked on approvingly – if not comprehendingly – as Williamson showed Australia’s attack could be thwarted in Brisbane, and emulated him here.”Not only this series but the last 18-24 months every format of the game outstanding, consistent in way he prepares, his process is very meticulous,” Taylor said. “It’s great for the Australian public to see a world-class batter. You don’t often say that in New Zealand, good example for other batters.”Not a lot of words out there but know you’re going to have to work hard to get his wicket. He took a lot of pressure off me at start. For such a young man to achieve what he has achieved, it’s only the start.”Through an innings that occupied near enough to two days, Taylor witnessed numerous passages. The most thrilling was Starc’s second new-ball spell on the second afternoon, when Taylor got his bat behind a ball clocked at 160.4kph. The most amusing was his rollicking last-wicket stand with Trent Boult; it ended when it was Taylor who got out short of 300 rather than his nervous partner.”It’s not easy when you come out to bat after a partnership,” Taylor said of Brendon McCullum’s meeting with Starc. “Brendon had to wait a long time and Starc had his tail up. Fortunately we had a little bit of luck. It was very fast and hostile and both survived seven overs straight with the new ball in those conditions, it’s not easy. I’m sure that would have taken a lot out of him.”I was disappointed not to get 300, but if you’d said at the start of the day I would have been close, I would have taken it. I feel a bit happier that Boulty didn’t get out because he was so nervous out there, if he’d got out and I was close that could have broken him for a few years.”The final word on Taylor’s innings can go to Adam Voges, who watched a visitor show plenty of sense in how he handled the WACA, and grew in admiration for him with each passing hour. “I wish that nick carried early yesterday,” he said of an early Taylor edge. “I thought the innings he played was outstanding.”He pounced on any width that we gave him throughout the whole innings and I think he just grew into his innings wonderfully well. He didn’t really give us a sniff. I thought it was an exceptional innings. After we put on [almost] 560 in the first innings it actually gave them a bit of ascendancy back in the game. He batted really, really well.”Eyesight to the blind, and a record that will take some beating.

In another step to roll out in-house reforms, the BCCI has asked all its state units to be more accountable, seeking relevant proof and information from them for the various subsidies they have been granted in the last ten years.In three separate letters sent earlier this week, which have been accessed by ESPNcricinfo, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur has also urged the states to set up individual vision documents for the development of the game under their jurisdiction, and submit the same to the board by September 15.”BCCI has been distributing huge amount of subsidy since 2005 to the state units. We are now in the process of documenting the steps taken by the State Units to develop and promote the game of cricket in the last decade,” Thakur wrote in the first letter, sent on August 5.Every year the BCCI disburses about 70% of its profits to its members. But with no checks and balances in place till the mid-noughties, states did not bother to justify their expenses to the board. BCCI administrations in the last ten years, though, have taken a firm stance if they sniffed any wrongdoing on the part of the states. In the recent past the BCCI has hauled up various members – including the Delhi District Cricket Association, Rajasthan Cricket Association, Kerala Cricket Association, Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association, and Assam Cricket Association – for different reasons, including allegations of misappropriation of funds and embezzlement.The BCCI has appointed senior administrator Ratnakar Shetty, the board’s game development manager, as the coordinator of this project. According to Thakur, the BCCI wanted the states to share information related to five specific areas: “Construction or refurbishment of international stadium, creation of cricket facilities at the district level, creation of cricket academy and its activities, domestic tournament in your association, and welfare measures undertaken by the association.”Thakur stressed the states need to take up the issues as “top priority”, and also appoint an official, who would become the “one-point contact” for the BCCI to coordinate with.Another important area, Thakur pointed out, where the states need to become more vigilant, is when they avail funds from the Infrastructure Subsidy pool – since 2005, the BCCI has set up a annual pool of Rs 50 crore from which the states can claim expenses for buying land for new stadiums, constructing a new stadiums, refurbishing an existing stadium, and buying ground equipment. Usually such claims need to be supported by the relevant documents listed in the BCCI’s guidelines, but Thakur said that some states had not only failed to adhere to them, but also misused the funds in certain cases.”I am writing to you this letter to request you to advise your office to strictly adhere to the guidelines for claiming reimbursement under Infrastructure Subsidy. We have come across some claims for items other than for Infrastructure Development or in some case the relevant document for purchase of land are not enclosed and in some cases the auditor’s certificate is not enclosed. This leads to undue delay in clearing the files for release of payment,” Thakur noted in a separate letter that was sent to the state units on August 6.Calling the state units a “partner in the development and promotion of the game in India”, Thakur urged them to help in the BCCI’s endeavour to formulate a Vision2020 document. Asking them to take the matter up “as an agenda” with their respective managing committees, the states have been asked to prepare their own Vision 2020 document and submit that to the BCCI by mid September.”There is no doubt that cricket in India has developed and prospered over the years due to our collective effort. The State Units have taken new initiatives to develop and promote the game all these years. The BCCI would like to involve its member units in setting up the Vision2020 document for the game,” Thakur wrote.With a Supreme Court-appointed Lodha committee looking into institutional reforms for the BCCI, the board has already taken steps to clean up the administration of cricket in the country. In the last week of July, the board had for the first time acknowledged and sought to address the issue of conflict of interest. In a letter written to its members, Thakur, had asked representatives of every state association, and members of various committees and sub-committees of the BCCI, to sign a declaration stating they have no conflicts of interest.

After bowling Bangladesh out for under 100 in the first T20, South Africa’s attack intends to apply the same heat to their opposition in the second game as they go in search of a series win.”We need to be pretty aggressive; that’s our game plan,” Charl Langeveldt, who is on his first assignment as South Africa’s bowling coach after succeeding Allan Donald last month, said. “Normally when we come to the subcontinent, we try and use our aggression. That’s why we play four fast bowlers.”South Africa’s pack of Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada, David Wiese and Wayne Parnell broke the back of the Bangladesh chase, with six wickets between them. Abbott and Rabada set the tone through effective use of the short ball, which made matters uncomfortable for the Bangladesh batsmen even though there was not much bounce or pace from the surface.Abbott’s first over was exclusively about holding his length back and varying his line from wide outside the off stump to closer in, aimed at the batsman’s body. He was rewarded with a wicket at the end of it. Rabada initially bowled on a length but soon saw he would need to get the batsmen into awkward positions. As soon as he banged in a bouncer, it produced a wicket.But Langeveldt explained that despite the brutish nature of a barrage of short balls, he is not teaching his bowlers to single-mindedly adopt a caveman-like, forceful approach to their bowling. “It’s also about the follow-up ball and our guys executed that well too,” he explained. “We need to adapt. You can’t just come and be aggressive to a Shakib [Al Hasan] or a Mushfiqur [Rahim] if he is going well. It’s also about adapting to the conditions.”Wiese demonstrated how taking pace off the ball was an equally effective tactic, while Parnell found a hint of reverse-swing. Those subtle arts are what Langeveldt is placing the focus on in limited-overs cricket ahead of the World T20, which will be played in India next year.With conditions likely to be more like the ones South Africa are experiencing now in Bangladesh than those they play in at home, Langeveldt wants his men to have enough variation in their game to perform on any surface. “The main thing for us for the T20 World Cup is to improve our skills. It’s not 100% yet. We’ve got a young attack – they are good listeners and they ask good questions.” Chris Morris is the other member of the attack and he may come in for Parnell for the second game.Eddie Leie will also hope to get an opportunity. The legspinner could make his international debut, likely at the expense of Aaron Phangiso, if South Africa want to give all their bowlers a run in this series, something Langeveldt hinted at. “We are experimenting with the new guys to see where they are,” he said. “We know what we are going to get from Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel so this is a good opportunity to see what the young guys have got.”

Tahir moves to No. 2 on ICC rankings

Imran Tahir has become the second-ranked ODI bowler in the ICC rankings, while South Africa, by virtue of having registered a 2-1 series win over New Zealand, have climbed up to third position.
Tahir, who was in fifth position when the series began, jumped up three places following his five wickets in the series. While moving up the rankings, Tahir also pushed his team-mate, Dale Steyn, down to fifth position.
South Africa and New Zealand, who started the series on 109 and 110 points respectively to be the fourth and third-ranked sides, have now swapped places.

If Hashim Amla had his way, all ODI cricket would be played in the same way as the recently completed series between South Africa and New Zealand. Not because both teams could use the contest for experimentation, not because there there was very little at stake but because of conditions.”The wickets had a lot in it for the bowlers, which is very good. I think this is how ODI cricket should be played – there is something in it for the bowlers and guys have to bat semi-decently to get some runs,” Amla said at the post-series presentation, where he was named Man of the Series.Pre-season pitches in South Africa had their first taste of international cricket and did not prove as pacy as they usually are. Instead, they were slow and sticky, sometimes had some extra bounce and demanded batsmen show patience if they wanted reward. Amla is a master at that and ended as South Africa’s highest run-scorer, two behind Tom Latham who led the charts.He also scored South Africa’s only century and ended a lean patch that stretched seven innings and was beginning to bother even him. “It was a bit disappointing not getting runs too often before that,” Amla said. “Sometimes when you don’t get runs, the hunger increases and you look forward to scoring more runs.” Even if those runs come in challenging conditions.AB de Villiers, who top-scored with 64 in the decider, also found it heavy going. “It wasn’t easy at all; it was hard work upfront. I didn’t expect it to be difficult until the 30th over,” de Villiers said. “Fortunately, David Miller and I managed to get some momentum.”New Zealand did not find anything similar as they tried to suss out what was required to score off a sticky surface. “It was different conditions again and they adapted much better than we did,” Kane Williamson said. “We weren’t able to get on the front foot and get ahead of it.”South Africa were in the driver’s seat in Durban but overall neither side could conclusively say it steered proceedings through the contest with the advantage swinging throughout. Both were able to test their depth and both discovered what could work in future. For South Africa, Kagiso Rabada’s control stood out, for New Zealand, Latham’s and Ish Sodhi’s “Overall this tour has been of great benefit to the team as a whole and a bunch of individuals,” Williamson said. And to the organisers because it showed that cricket can be played in winter.

The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has taken strong exception to recent comments made by BCCI president Shashank Manohar with regards to the constitutional revamp carried out at the ICC under the chairmanship of his predecessor N Srinivasan. Srinivasan is the president of the TNCA.TNCA secretary Kasi Viswanathan has written a letter asking Manohar whether he had told the ICC board that he was willing to dilute the BCCI stake on powerful committees of the world body and revise the contribution costs the BCCI was supposed to gain from the formula worked out by the Big Three, which was approved in 2014.Manohar, who replaced Srinivasan as ICC chairman, has noted in the past few months that he does not agree with the Big Three boards – the BCCI, the ECB and CA – “bullying” the rest of the ICC.At the last ICC board meeting in Dubai in January, Manohar suggested to the Full Members that the he would speak to the BCCI about the possibility of giving up about 6% of India’s 22% share of ICC revenues back to the world body. Manohar had made both these statements in a personal capacity.Viswanathan questioned how Manohar could make such statements without having discussed and explained the reasons first to the BCCI members. The letter, accessed by ESPNCricinfo, and sent on February 15, was also addressed to BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur, joint-secretary Amitabh Choudhury, treasurer Anirudh Chaudhury, the five vice-presidents of the board and all its full members.”Is it true that you have made any statements in the ICC giving up BCCI’s permanent membership in the ICC Committees?,” asked Viswanathan. “Have you made any commitments to the ICC on BCCI’s share of contribution costs? If the answer to one or both of the above questions is in the affirmative, kindly let me know under what authority have you taken this decision when this matter has not been discussed in either the Working Committee meeting or the General Body meeting of BCCI held recently?”The TNCA letter came up for discussion at the BCCI special general body meeting, held in Mumbai on Friday. According to a member of the Srinivasan camp, Manohar told him the seven Full Members in the ICC (Bangladesh, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies) along with Cricket Australia told him that they supported undoing the revamp carried out by the Big Three.”He [Manohar] said he never committed to asking for less money and that he hasn’t given up [BCCI’s rightful share],” the Srinivasan camp member said. “He said: ‘In order to protect our interests, instead of giving up 21 percent, I said I will share something and make sure we get at least 16 to 17 percent. That’s the deal I want to do.’ He told me that.”The member also said Manohar had told him he had not committed to any definitive figure during his interactions with the ICC board members on what percentage the BCCI was willing to give up. “He told me: ‘I can assure you I never mooted this idea. I told them I can’t take a decision without consulting the members’.”Without naming Srinivasan, Viswanathan impressed upon Manohar that after being ignored for “several years” by the ICC, the previous BCCI administration had worked hard to “achieve important breakthroughs” for Indian cricket. Viswanathan even listed three specific achievements.The first was a BCCI nominee being elected as the inaugural ICC chairman when the previous rule would have meant the BCCI nominee’s next turn at the ICC presidency would have only come in 2023 under the then prevailing rotation system. The second was the BCCI having a permanent seat on the powerful Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee and on the Executive Committee of the ICC. “Thirdly and above all, ICC saw reason and logic in BCCI’s demand for a higher share of the broadcast income of ICC. All of these were discussed and approved by the Working Committee of the BCCI on 23rd January 2014,” Viswananthan wrote.Viswanathan noted that it had come as both “shock and surprise” to read Manohar’s comments that he wanted to “dilute” the second and third points. “To our collective shock and surprise, possibly pandering to some dissenting media press report regarding this matter, it appears that in your recent meeting of the ICC held in Dubai last week, you have made some suggestions to the ICC Council by which the second and third points above referred are sought to be diluted, if not removed altogether.”Viswanathan explained the revised formula under which the Big Three would be guaranteed handsome monetary returns for their contributions to ICC revenues. “From the pre existing measly 3.39% (USD 52.5 Million out of Gross income of USD 1.56 Billion), BCCI, Cricket Australia and ECB were recognized as the primary contributors and hence entitled to a major share of the revenue. Accordingly BCCI was to get 22.37% (USD 570.5 Million out of gross revenue of USD 2.5 Billion) from ICC which in monetary terms works out to approximately Rs. 3,822 Crores, the said amounts being receivable from the period commencing from 2015-23,” Viswanathan wrote. “It is also ensured that for the subsequent period from 2023-31, the BCCI would not receive less than this share of revenue from ICC for participating in ICC events. These monies are to be ploughed back into the game and to develop infrastructure in the grass roots.”Viswanathan questioned Manohar about how he could take decisions without consulting the rest of the BCCI. “When your action could cost BCCI hundreds and thousands of crores by way of revenue,” Viswanathan wrote, “was it not legally and morally obligatory on your part to take into confidence the member associations whose bottom-line is finally affected?”

Match facts

Monday, August 18, 2008
Start time 10am (local time) 0430 (GMT)

Big Picture

The Indians had no answers to the spin wizardry of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis in the Test series, but they have another opportunity to unravel the mysteries in the five-match ODI series, which gets underway in Dambulla on Monday. Nothing suggests their task in the shorter version will be any easier, though: Mendis scythed through the Indians in the Asia Cup final last month, and the line-up facing him here will be largely the same. Late Sunday night the Indians received a blow with the news that Virender Sehwag had twisted his ankle at practice. Team sources said he was unlikely to play the first ODI and Virat Kohli may take his place.Sri Lanka at home are formidable opponents, but recently they have shown signs of vulnerability, losing two of their last three home series, to Pakistan and England. Mahela Jayawardene will want to prove those losses were nothing more than a small blip in an otherwise awesome record in Sri Lanka.

Form guide (last 5 ODIs)

Sri Lanka WLWWW
India LWLWW

Watch out for

Sanath Jayasuriya: The last time he played India, Jayasuriya cracked a match-winning 125, his sixth ODI hundred against them. Jayasuriya relishes playing the Indians – no one has scored as many runs against them as he has – and even more so at home, where he averages 46.44 at a strike-rate of exactly a run a ball. His record in Dambulla isn’t as impressive – an average of 26.23, with just one half-century in 15 innings – but against India he’ll fancy his chances of turning that around.Yuvraj Singh: has announced he is in peak form for this series with an astonishing 121-ball 172 in the practice match against a Sri Lankan XI. The absence of Sachin Tendulkar places an even greater burden on Yuvraj, who will be keen to prove he can handle that responsibility as well as tackle the mighty Sri Lankan spinners.

Team news

Sri Lanka have packed their squad with nine batsmen, which means three will probably miss out. Kumar Sangakkara had opened the batting through most of the Asia Cup, and he could do so again, allowing the team to slot in five specialist bowlers, with Chaminda Vaas coming in at No. 7. Dilhara Fernando struggled in the tour game against the Indians and is unlikely to make the cut.Sri Lanka (likely) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 3 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 4 Chamara Kapugedera, 5 Chamara Silva, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Chaminda Vaas, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Thilan Thushara, 10 Ajantha Mendis, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.India are likely to play five bowlers, which means Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha will form a two-pronged spin attack. With Zaheer Khan a certainty, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel and RP Singh will fight for two spots. Pathan’s batting prowess could give him the edge, while Munaf could get the nod over RP.India (likely) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Irfan Pathan, 8 Pragyan Ojha, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Munaf Patel.

Pitch & conditions

The pitch looks firm, with a fair amount of grass which is likely to be shaved off before the game begins. The weather is likely to be clear as well, and the conditions suggest the toss might not be that big a factor.

Stats & Trivia

• Sri Lanka have won 13 out of 18 ODIs at the Rangiri Dambulla Stadium. Before their two defeats to England in October last year, they were on a nine-match winning streak, dating back to February 2004.
• India have won two out of five matches here, but have lost all three games against Sri Lanka.
• Muttiah Muralitharan has a bowling average of 13.34 and an economy rate of 3.28 runs per over at this ground, with 29 wickets from 12 ODIs. Sri Lanka have won each of the last five matches here when Murali has played.
• Teams batting first have won 12 out of 23 games, averaging 23.66 runs per wicket and 4.14 runs per over. Teams chasing have won 11, and average 23.92 runs per wicket and 4.04 runs per over. In the ten day games, teams batting first and chasing have won five times each.
• Rahul Dravid is the only batsman to score an ODI century at this ground – he made 104 against UAE in 2004. Sri Lanka’s highest here is an unbeaten 97 by Marvan Atapattu against South Africa the same year. (Click here for the highest scores in Dambulla.)
• Spinners have taken 139 wickets here at an average of 24.05 and an economy rate of 3.95. The fast bowlers have been equally successful, with 178 wickets at 26.96 and an economy rate of 3.93.

Quotes

“With Sanath in form it’s a great thing. The starts he gets makes a huge different. If he stays for 10-15 overs, it’s likely we will get a good start. He’s like Sehwag for India. That gives a different dimension to our set up.”
“Sehwag is the sort who takes a bit of risk at times. Whenever he gets us that start we have a fair chance of winning. He’s in very good nick, so is Gambhir. Both played well in the Tests so they have some added responsibility on them.”

ScorecardAfter looking set for a good finish, following an enterprising declaration by Luke Sutton, Lancashire’s match against Nottinghamshire faded away into a draw on a pitch that, even after four days, did not provide enough assistance for the bowlers. A classic over from Dominic Cork, where he claimed three wickets, gave the home side brief hope of victory, but they were unable to maintain their advantage and Nottinghamshire finished comfortably on 178 for 4.Lancashire, 146 for 4 overnight, with Faf du Plessis and Steven Croft at the crease, began with an air of briskness that was a little deceptive. The batsmen couldn’t find the boundary, and finally a lofted drive from Croft off Graeme Swann found the fielder at a fairly deep mid-on instead. The first hour brought 57 runs, which was probably below the target. Sutton settled in before beginning to open up, while du Plessis reached his 50 off 82 balls.Sutton surprised most people by declaring more than half an hour before lunch, as he lofted a catch to cover and was dismissed for 38, leaving du Plessis unbeaten on 53. One observer said, quite seriously, that it was the most positive declaration he had seen from Lancashire in years. Certainly it left Nottinghamshire with an interest in the game, as they were set 315 runs in a minimum of 73 overs, and set up the match for an interesting afternoon.Nottinghamshire handled the six overs before lunch confidently, scoring 32 without loss, mostly off the wayward Sajid Mahmood. Paul Franks was sent in to open with Will Jefferson, whose regular partner Matt Wood had been forced off the field just before the declaration after taking a powerful blow in the back at short leg. With Adam Voges also injured, this may have been a factor in prompting Sutton’s early declaration.Cork again took centre stage, although perhaps pushed the boundaries with some of his appealing. He put up a major performance when shouting for a catch at the wicket when Jefferson hooked on 12, celebrating noisily with his team-mates without even looking at the umpire, who had not moved his finger.Jefferson swung Keedy for six over midwicket, but then moved across his stumps to be trapped lbw by the rampant Cork for 26. Then Mark Wagh was caught down the leg side second ball, but the best was yet to come. Next was the ball of the day, a superb inswinger that Samit Patel could only edge onto his stumps. Cork had taken three wickets in four balls, and this one over shattered all Nottinghamshire’s hopes of victory.Franks and Chris Read now concentrated on survival, and they successfully steadied a very shaky ship. They survived almost until tea, when Franks fell for 42 to the leg-spin of du Plessis, Lancashire’s second spinner in this match. Franks deserved great credit for the way he handled his unaccustomed role, but his departure brought in Voges, nursing a painful hand.However, it proved to be the last wicket of the day. Rather strangely, Cork was not brought back for a second spell until after tea, without success. The pitch was just a little too placid and a potentially good fizzled out into a rather dull draw, as Read (71) and Voges (19) comfortably batted out time against bowlers without the inspiration or assistance to do further damage.Sutton, whose declaration was about as well-timed as could have been expected without the benefit of hindsight, called it a day with 11 overs still to go. Nottinghamshire were left grateful that their middle order, after failing them in the first innings, had now come to their rescue. The atmosphere on the field was not always pleasant during the four days, and the umpires could have been a little more proactive in encouraging the right spirit.