3rd Test: South Africa thrash Australia by 309 runs for a 1-0 series win

South Africa won the third Test by 309 runs on Monday to clinch back-to-back series in Australia, retain the No. 1 ranking and end Ricky Ponting's career with a big defeat. Robin Peterson dismissed Ponting (8) and skipper Michael Clarke (44) as South Africa finished off the Perth Test with a day to spare after battling to salvage draws in the first two Tests in Brisbane and Adelaide.
Australia, set an unlikely target of 632 to win, was out for 322 after a late cameo by No. 10 Mitch Starc, who ended unbeaten on 68 and shared an 87-run last wicket stand with Nathan Lyon (31).After resuming at 40-0, Australia's day started in the worst possible way when David Warner (29) was removed by Vernon Philander on the second ball without addition to the overnight score. Morne Morkel removed Shane Watson (25), also caught at slip by Graeme Smith, to bring Ponting to the crease.
South African lined up in a guard of honor as Australia's all-time leading scorer made his way to the pitch, stopping momentarily to shake hands with Proteas captain Graeme Smith, with Australia at 81 for 2.
The 37-year-old Ponting got off the mark with a trademark pull to the boundary off Morkel and drove another boundary in his only other scoring shot of a 23-ball innings, but was caught by Jacques Kallis trying to cut Peterson — a few balls before lunch.
Every South African player ran to shake Ponting's hand as the ex-Australia skipper left the WACA arena, where his test career began in 1995. The scoreboard flashed up a message "Thanks Ricky" and the crowd stood to applaud him. Clarke gave Ponting a pat on the back as they crossed in the tunnel between the pavilion and field, then went out and hit the next two balls from Peterson to the boundary to be not out 8 at the interval.
Clarke and Hussey had put on 228 and 272 in the first two drawn Tests and were starting to get settled in during the middle session. Clarke scored double centuries in the first two matches but when he was out and Hussey went soon after, the end was only a matter of time.
Starc combined with John Hastings (20) in a 31-run ninth-wicket partnership that ensured Australia avoided its second-worst ever defeat in terms of runs — a 408-run loss to the West Indies in 1980 — and his entertaining last wicket stand with Lyon that only delayed the inevitable.
Ponting announced on the eve of the series-deciding Test against South Africa that it would be his last international match, and his departure overshadowed the early stages of the match. He now shares the Australian record of 168 Test caps with Steve Waugh.
The former Test skipper owns the record for most test runs by an Australian with 13,378 at an average of just under 52 in 287 innings. Only Sachin Tendulkar has scored more runs in the Test arena.

3rd ODI: Bangladesh look to seal series

After winning the first two one-dayers comprehensively, hosts Bangladesh will be hoping to wrap up the series when they take on West Indies in the third ODI at Mirpur on Wednesday.
By all means, the one-day series has been a disappointment for the visitors and West Indies would be hoping to fightback at Mirpur to stay alive in the five-match series.On the other hand, Bangladesh are on a dream run and playing some brilliant cricket. They will surely hope to carry the momentum. The bowlers have managed to keep the West Indian batsmen including Chris Gayle at bay. The emergence of four newcomers in the side have also helped them alot. Opener and newcomer, Anamul Haque was the difference between the two sides in the last ODI as he despatched West Indies bowlers all across the park and also notched up his maiden century in his debut series.
Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim has also shown good form so far as he played a match winning knock in the first ODI and Bangladesh will be hoping that once again their batting click as a unit at Mirpur. In the bowling department, Rubel Hossain and Shafiul Islam are both capable seamers and have plenty of experience to trouble West Indies batsmen once again.
West Indies who were World Twenty20 winners a few months ago and have been in good from in Tests have struggled in the first two ODIs. Chris Gayle has failed to give them solid start and rest of the batting have also struggled. Windies dressing room will be hoping that swashbuckling opener finally finds his from on Thursday. Only bright thing for West Indies is Darren Barvo.
The Windies bowlers have also struggled so far with their ace spinner Sunil Narine not able to find his feet in the subcontinent conditions. Narine's position is surely under threat, with Veerasammy Permaul's spin offering more control.
Probable XIs
Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Anamul Haque, 3 Naeem Islam, 4 Nasir Hossain, 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Mushfiqur Rahim, 7 Mominul Haque, 8 Mashrafe Mortaza, 9 Sohag Gazi, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Rubel Hossain/Shafiul Islam
West Indies: 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Lendl Simmons, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Marlon Samuels, 5 Kieron Pollard, 6 Dwayne Smith, 7 Darren Sammy, 8 Devon Thomas, 9 Andre Russell, 10 Ravi Rampaul, 11 Sunil Narine/Veerasammy Permaul

Five ways India can improve for the third Test against England

India's batting was poor in Mumbai, barring Cheteshwar Pujara's excellent first-innings century and a dogged half-century in the second from Gautam Gambhir. Most damning was the collapse on the third afternoon when spin accounted for seven Indian wickets. Numbers two to seven managed 41 runs between them. Subtract Gambhir's resourceful unbeaten 53 and India would have folded, instead of leading by 31 runs with three wickets remaining at stumps. It was as abject an Indian performance as can be at home in conditions supposed to favor them.Sample the list of dismissals: Virender Sehwag edged to gully; Pujara inside-edged to short leg; Sachin Tendulkar was caught dead on the crease when playing back; Virat Kohli, inexplicably, hit a full toss to mid-off; Yuvraj Singh gloved to short leg; and MS Dhoni, whose technique to spin has been suspect, nicked to slip. Apart from Pujara, each dismissal had a common factor – insecurity.
With the ball gripping and turning, India's batsmen were unsure of what approach to take. Sehwag and Dhoni played at big-turning deliveries with hard hands. Tendulkar was set up by Panesar for the second time in the match, following up deliveries that pushed him forward by ones that left him unsure of what line to play down. Yuvraj was thrusting in the dark aimlessly and Kohli … well, Kohli is probably the best person to describe what he was doing chipping a full toss to mid-off.
India are now in danger of giving up an unassailable series lead in Kolkata. If the batsmen don't see that as reason to firm up and play to their expected levels, it's hard to imagine what will.

2. Bring in Ashok Dinda

India's decision to field three primary spinners in Mumbai came a cropper. In Kolkata, despite debates about the nature about the pitch, India need to put forward their best team and Pragyan Ojha, R Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh do not complete that. India sorely missed a shot of pace in the second Test – they would have had that if Umesh Yadav wasn't injured - and a crocked Zaheer Khan cannot handle the workload.
The options for second pace bowler are Ishant Sharma and Ashok Dinda – hardly the most menacing duo but India have to work with what they've got. Ishant can work up more pace than Dinda, yet to debut in Test cricket, but he's yet to play a Test since returning from injury and hasn’t had any first-class practice for a month when he played Delhi's Ranji Trophy opener. He had match figures of 36-3-129-3.
Dinda has played three Ranji Trophy matches in November from which he has taken seven wickets, five of them Bengal's most recent match which ended on the 20th. Nothing special, but more match practice under the belt than Ishant has managed bowling in the nets and warming the bench in Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
Certainty England's batsmen need to be asked some different questions and Dinda might just be the man to ask them. He knows his home ground well and can offer the surprise element to England. He's not express pace and cannot get the lift that Ishant can, but India need to shake it up. Handing a Test debut to one of the most hard-working and consistently pace bowlers on the domestic circuit may be the spark India so desperately need.

3. Forget about the pitch

Before the Mumbai Test, there was plenty of focus on how the Wankhede pitch would play. After a run-laden surface in Ahmedabad, Dhoni called for a turning track in Mumbai. He got it, and we all know what happened next. A week before the third Test, Dhoni again called on the pitch staff at the Eden Gardens to prepare another turning surface. It elicited criticism from Prabir Mukherjee, the Eden Gardens curator, who termed it “immoral” and even asked for a month’s leave. The 83-year-old Mukherjee was pacified as the Cricket Association of Bengal convinced him to come back to work.
Here's some advice, India: forget about the nature of the wicket, just play good cricket. England didn't worry about how much the Wankhede pitch would turn. Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann just came out and used their brains to comprehensively outbowl their Indian counterparts - three of them, no loss - 19 wickets to nine. Even if the Eden Gardens throws up another square-turner, do India have the arsenal to trouble England?
They would be better placed correcting their on-field cricket rather than engaging in arguments over the nature of pitches. Spin has traditionally been India's strength, and two big wins over South Africa came on turning track at Kanpur in 2008 and Eden Gardens in 2010. But times have changed, and relying on tradition and history when your current crop of spinners aren't as potent as their previous brand doesn't isn’t the way forward.

4. Think about better times

It seems a long time ago, but India were No. 1 in the Test rankings for nearly 18 months. When they played in Kolkata back in February 2010, their top ranking was on the line after a drubbing at the hands of South Africa in Nagpur. Stirringly, Dhoni's team hit back with an innings victory to keep their ranking and draw the series. They must remember times like that.
India do not lose much at home – just seven times in the last decade, in fact - and they maintained a strong record during that time by playing good cricket. Now the time has come to recollect their strengths and get each of the playing XI to make a contribution at the Eden Gardens. Defeat will bring changes to the squad for the final Test, so it is high time the players play well beyond expectations and put India ahead.

5. Block the Tendulkar issue out of the mind

Tendulkar, who recently completed 23 years of international cricket, has been criticized for a continued poor run in Test cricket. He has failed to reach 30 in his last six Test innings, and four of his last five dismissals have been bowled. The 39-year-old has been visibly uncomfortable against both fast men and spinners in his last few Tests, getting dismissed to deliveries which he would have sent to the boundary with ease in his heydays. The issue has almost reached a crescendo, and former and current players have had mixed opinions on the maestro's wretched form. India would do well to not let the talk affect them. Easier said than done, of course, but it's the mind that often wins the physical battle.