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Match facts

February 26-March 2, 2009
Start time 10.30am (08.30GMT)

Big Picture

South Africa’s tour of Australia was such a short while ago that it feels like this is the fourth Test in a six-match series. Following their 2-1 win, South Africa headed home and their players had a break of sorts, although there was some domestic cricket on the calendar. Australia faced New Zealand in a one-day contest before rushing to the airport to set off for Johannesburg. Australia enter the series hanging on by a fingernail to their No. 1 Test ranking. They avoided handing it over at the SCG last month but a South African series win this time will mean the end of the long reign of Ricky Ponting’s men.It’s only three years since Australia’s last Test tour of South Africa but a lot has changed in that time. Only three members of the current squad – Ponting, Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey – made that trip. Where once there was Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden and Brett Lee, there are now names like Bryce McGain, Phillip Hughes and Ben Hilfenhaus. How Australia’s newer faces handle the pressure of a Test tour will be a key factor in the final results. There are no such squad issues for South Africa, who have retained the core group that won in Australia and have such a strong line-up that Ashwell Prince couldn’t find a spot.The other fascinating part of the series will be how the two teams use the umpire referrals. Neither side has played under the trial system, which will be overseen in all three Tests by Billy Bowden, Asad Rauf and the retiring Steve Bucknor.

Form guide (last five Tests, most recent first)

South Africa LWWWW
Australia WLLWW

Watch out for

Dale Steyn lived up to the hype in Australia and finished as the leading wicket taker and was a major reason why South Africa won the series. On his home pitches he will again prove a handful, particularly if the prodigious swing that is expected does happen. As if he wasn’t threatening enough, he has spent his time off toughening up by wrestling crocodiles.Phillip Hughes will become Australia’s youngest Test debutant since Craig McDermott in 1984 when he walks out on Thursday at the age of 20 years and 88 days. A supremely talented left-hand opening batsman, Hughes has piled up runs for New South Wales over the past 18 months but his most striking characteristic is his ability to performon big occasions. They don’t come much bigger than a tour of South Africa where the No. 1 ranking is on the line and the ability of Hughes and Simon Katich to provide strong starts will be critical to Australia’s chances.

Team news

South Africa have named a 12-man squad for the first Test and there isn’t much doubt about who will play. The left-arm fast bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe has been included but will almost certainly be the man to miss out as the settled group that beat Australia at home continues its push for the No. 1 spot. The spinner Paul Harris is likely to play in a team that was so good in Australia that Prince could not break back into the side having fully recovered from his broken thumb.South Africa (likely) 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Neil McKenzie, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 JP Duminy, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Morne Morkel, 9 Paul Harris, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Makhaya Ntini.The rain and pitch conditions at the Wanderers have encouraged Australia to name a 12-man squad with both the specialist spinners Bryce McGain and Nathan Hauritz left out. It means an all-pace attack and the main decision now is whether to include the medium-pace allrounder Andrew McDonald or go for four out-and-out fast men in Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus. The batsman and handy offspinner Marcus North should have confirmed his Test debut thanks to his strong performance in the tour match in Potchefstroom. However, the only one of the three uncapped men in Australia’s 12 who is certain of making his debut is the opener Phillip Hughes.Australia (likely) 1 Phillip Hughes, 2 Simon Katich, 3 Ricky Ponting (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 Michael Clarke, 6 Marcus North, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Peter Siddle, 10 Doug Bollinger, 11 Ben Hilfenhaus, 12 Andrew McDonald.

Pitch and conditions

There was some rain in the lead-up to the match, which meant that until a couple of days ago the players had not seen the pitch, which was covered by a tent-like structure that allowed the groundsmen to continue working on it. However, both teams are expecting plenty of swing, particularly on the first day, while it could be hard going for batsmen and spinners. There are further storms forecast for the first few days of the Test.

Stats and Trivia

• Jacques Kallis needs 12 runs to become the first South African to reach 10,000
• AB de Villiers will become the fourth South African to play 50 consecutive Tests
• Australia have won the last three Tests between the two sides at the Wanderers and two of the successes were innings victories

Quotes

“We’ve spoken about the moments of the last series where we were a bit deficient. The guys have learnt a lot from those moments and what we have to do better next time. We can’t forget that some of these guys are playing their fourth, fifth, some of them are playing their first Test out here.”
.”I definitely won’t mind seeing Australia bat and having Dale Steyn and Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel running in on the first morning.”
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Jamaica have jumped back to the top of the points table after an innings and 13-run win over Windward Islands in Dominica . Windwards needed another 38 to make the opposition bat again but lost their last four wickets for 25 runs within the first hour. Nikita Miller, the left-arm spinner, sparked the collapse when he trapped Rawl Lewis lbw. He was supported by Gavin Wallace who picked up two wickets. Legspinner Odean Brown capped a sound performance to finish the game with figures of 11 for 112. Jamaica now have 60 points, nine ahead of Barbados.Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) have a stiff task on the final day, needing another 314 to beat Leeward Islands at the Three Ws Oval. Leewards built on their first-innings lead of 85 thanks to half-centuries by Tonito Willett and Omari Banks. The pair added 88 for the fourth wicket before Willett was caught behind while trying to drive the left-arm spinner Kavesh Kantasingh for 77. Banks remained unbeaten on 66 before Leewards declared at 242 for 7. CCC suffered an early jolt in their chase when Kyle Corbin edged Lionel Baker to substitute fielder Steve Liburd at second slip.It was a high-scoring draw at the Providence Stadium but Trinidad and Tobago edged ahead of the home side Guyana by virtue of first-innings points. Narsingh Deonarine scored 143 to lead Guyana’s response to T&T’s 530 but his side fell short by 128 runs. Deonarine added 67 for the fifth wicket with Royston Crandon but a steady fall of wickets – sparked by legspinner Imran Khan – pegged them back. Deonarine and Davendra Bishoo resisted with a ninth-wicket stand of 108 but overhauling T&T’s score was always a stiff task. Deonarine was the last man out and his 286-ball knock included nine fours and four sixes. Khan finished with figures of 4 for 92 while the offspinner Amit Jaggernauth took 3 for 97.

Sohail Tanvir, the left-arm fast bowler, hopes his short stint with South Australia will help him during Pakistan’s tour of Australia later this year.Tanvir played four Twenty20 games during his two weeks with the team. “For experience sake, the tour turned out to be a real success,” he told the . “My prime aim was to get first-hand knowledge about Australian wickets.”Financially, playing with the South Australia team was not a big success. Unlike the Indian Premier League (IPL), it offers a much lesser amount. It is the playing experience that really matters and I have learnt a lot during my stay in Australia.” In the Twenty20 Big Bash, he took only two wickets in 14 overs but had an impressive economy-rate of 6.50.Tanvir said he was looking forward to playing again next season. “A couple of more state teams approached me during the competition and the SA state expressed their desire to hire my services again for the next season.”Tanvir, who made his debut during the World Twenty20 in September 2007, shot into the limelight with his performances in the IPL, where he was declared the best bowler. He said playing domestic tournaments in other countries had helped him stay in rhythm. “We don’t have enough international cricket these days and playing in company of quality players would definitely help us stay in tune.”He was in favour of having pitches that help fast bowlers during Sri Lanka’s visit, with the tourists’ main threat being the spin pairing of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis. “Pakistan have got good quality pacers and in comparison Sri Lanka fortunes rest on two spinners,” he said.

Scorecard

Punjab Stallions, led by twin centuries from Shoaib Malik and Salman Butt, marched to their third successive win in the Pentagular One Day Cup with another commanding six-wicket over the Baluchistan Bears at the National Stadium in Karachi. Solid contributions from Saeed Bin Nasir and captain Misbah-ul-Haq had led Baluchistan to what seemed a competitive 284. Malik and Butt made the total seem far less daunting.It shouldn’t have been for Punjab began their reply on a poor note, losing openers Azhar Ali and Nasir Jamshed with the total just 24, and then Umar Akmal at 70. But like the Federal Areas pair of Umar Amin and Afaq Raheem yesterday, Butt and Malik began to swiftly repair the damage.Malik’s contributions to the national side may often inspire less confidence, but he is in the midst of the purplest of patches currently. In Punjab’s previous two games he has been outstanding allround and he was here again. Though the boundary count wasn’t high – only ten -some driven down the ground and slapped through cover were pretty in that typically efficient way. Gaps were easily picked in the wide spaces of the National Stadium and as is the norm with him, he ran hard through out. Thoroughly unhurried, Malik ended 108 not out, at considerably better than a run a ball.Butt was grace itself, the timing that had so deserted him in Pakistan’s recent Abu Dhabi jaunt, back in its rightful place. Repeatedly he pierced areas between point and cover. The recent improvements in his leg-side game were also evident in some fine flicks and pulls through midwicket. The pair had put on 130 when Butt went hoicked Danish Kaneria to midwicket, the leg-spinner a little better today than he has been thus far.At that point, a collapse wouldn’t have been unthinkable, but the other main man in the Punjab line-up – Kamran Akmal – eased the situation with a boisterous 48 from only 29 balls. Three massive sixes, pulled over midwicket and lofted over long on, proved further that his batting at least is back to somewhere near his best.Malik had impressed with the ball earlier as well; an economical 2 for 37 means he now lies third in the wicket-takers’ table and is leading the run charts. Still, Bin Nasir has been in good touch and a fine unbeaten 97 held Baluchistan together. Either side of him solid efforts from the top and middle orders boosted the total.The openers Mohammad Hafeez (48) and Shoaib Khan jnr (36) added 75, and a 94-run partnership for the third wicket followed between Saeed Anwar jnr (25) and Bin Nasir. Misbah, hair shorn and beard visible, almost capped it with a typical finish, his 49 coming from 47 balls, but with just one boundary. He was out just when Baluchistan were looking to push, however and despite a valiant charge from Bin Nasir, who just failed to reach his century, Baluchistan’s total just wasn’t enough.

The PCB is in favour of England resuming its tour of India after the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, believing the move will send out a “positive signal for cricket in the subcontinent”.”If England returns despite the carnage caused by the Mumbai attacks it would give out positive signals for cricket in the subcontinent. We feel it will also go a long way in India playing us,” Saleem Altaf, the Pakistan’s board’s chief operating officer, told . “I fully support the statement of England captain Kevin Pietersen that we can’t let cowards run cricket. These terrorists who caused so much carnage in Mumbai have to be given out a clear message that people in the region want to live a normal life.”England were five matches into their ODI series against India when the attacks took place last month. The teams were due to play the second Test in Mumbai starting December 19, and were slated to stay at the Taj Mahal hotel, one of the locations targeted. In the wake of the attacks, the final two ODIs of the seven-match series were called off, and the England squad headed back home.The ECB is now awaiting a report from their Reg Dickason, their security expert, who is assessing the situation in Chennai and Mohali, the new venues for the two Tests instead of Mumbai and Ahmedabad. However, there are doubts whether all of England’s first-choice squad are go to India if the tour does proceed as planned; the board has maintained it will leave the decision to the individuals concerned.Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, said the board would make a sensible choice. “Under no circumstances will we allow our cricket to be dictated to by terrorists,” he said. “India is an enormous country and there are large parts of it that have never seen terrorist activity. In 2005 [when terrorists attacked parts of London], the Aussies were sensible and we are doing the same here.” Clarke’s statements came after the ICC chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, urged England to tour India if the security situation is deemed safe.The Pakistan board is also expecting a decision on India’s visit to the country next year. There have been reports the tour would be cancelled as the Indian government take a tough stance on ties with Pakistan after the attacks.”So far the Indian board has just told us that they are waiting for directives from their government and that is the present status quo,” Altaf said. “Our [PCB] chairman Ijaz Butt will meet with his Indian counterpart in Colombo this week during the Asian Cricket Council meeting to discuss things while I am also going to attend the ICC chief executives meeting and we hope to make some headway on the Indian’s tour.”Altaf was hopeful the tour goes ahead; the PCB in the past has said neutral venues would be considered if India are wary about the security situation in Pakistan. “Cricket has to resume in the subcontinent,” he said. “We know that the Indian board wants to support us. Hopefully, the series will be played on schedule right now that is the most important thing for us.”

Shane Warne believes Ricky Ponting could learn something from Allan Border and Ian Chappell, two of the former captains who criticised Ponting over his tactics in the fourth Test in Nagpur. But Warne said although Ponting made some bad decisions it was important he was not hung out to dry.”His tactics surprised me – and everyone else – because he is naturally an attacker,” Warne wrote in his column in the . “The reason he is under pressure is that it looked like he put himself in front of the team, and that just isn’t Punter. Having played with him for a long time, he was one of the guys that put the team first – always.”If it meant throwing his wicket away in the chase for quick runs, he would do that. And there have been previous captains who would not do that. I just think he got it wrong this time and I’m sure he will be a better captain for the experience.”Ponting’s decision to use part-time slow bowlers instead of his main strikers after tea on the fourth day against India drew severe criticism from a wide range of cricketing names. Ponting was particularly disappointed with the harsh words from Border and Chappell but Warne said the two men could have something to offer.”Hopefully Ricky understands where everyone’s criticism is coming from, takes it on board and does not wipe people,” Warne said. “I’m sure if he thinks it through, he could do worse than ask Ian Chappell or Allan Border out for dinner and chat about it. He might just pick up something.”Ian Chappell was the biggest influence on my cricketing career and I learnt a lot about captaincy, tactics and the game off him. Border taught me what it meant to play for Australia and showed me what toughness was. He was brilliant and he never gave up.”Warne said it was not so much the fact that Australia lost the series 2-0 but the way the team was defeated that was a concern for some of the ex-players. He said the squad appeared to lack spark, although he felt the players would lift immediately for next week’s first Test against New Zealand.Ponting also found support from his former team-mate Justin Langer, who described Ponting as one of the “most selfless people and captains I have ever played with”. Langer said the poor over rate was an issue the entire squad needed to address and it was unfortunate that Ponting was being landed with the blame.”Anyone who suggests Ricky Ponting had any ulterior motives has absolute rocks in their head and I include in that former legends of the game who have said it because they are not reading the situation properly,” Langer told the . “To point the finger at the captain, who already has a dozen other things going on, is unfair and it’s insanity.”Adam Gilchrist, who led Australia to their series win in India in 2004-05, declined to pass judgment on Ponting’s tactics but he said there were several others in the touring party who would have contributed to the decision. “There’s a coach [Tim Nielsen] and a vice-captain [Michael Clarke], Matty Hayden is an integral part of that team, and they would have all sat and discussed it,” Gilchrist said on radio. “Ultimately it all comes down to Ricky.”

Irfan Pathan has made a surprising return to India’s one-day squad, the selectors picking him and Sachin Tendulkar for the next two games of the seven-ODI series against England. They are the only two changes to the 15-man squad: Irfan was preferred to RP Singh while Tendulkar replaced M Vijay, who was included originally after Tendulkar asked to be rested for the first three ODIs.Pathan’s last ODI involvement was a poor performance in Sri Lanka, where he had one wicket from three matches. He went back to domestic cricket and picked up 12 wickets in two Ranji Trophy games – including seven against Uttar Pradesh. It was enough to impress the selectors, who felt RP was “not in form.””Irfan was picked on the basis of his credentials as an allrounder. Despite the presence of Yusuf Pathan, his brother, the panel felt the team needed a fast bowler who could bat. He [Irfan] fits the bill for an allrounder and has proved it in the past,” one of the selectors said.The move to drop RP was surprising because captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has long been a strong supporter of his. At a press briefing on Wednesday Dhoni said he wanted RP to be given more opportunities.”It’s a bit of a surprise,” a source in the Indian team revealed. “He needs to play more matches. He is absolutely fit. He was getting better despite not playing much in the last few matches.”The selectors picked the squad for the next two matches – four remain in the series – because they wanted the option of picking lesser-known faces for the final two games in case India won the series before the sixth ODI.India squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt) Sachin Tendulkar Gautam Gambhir , Virender Sehwag,Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Virat Kohli, Pragyan Ojha, Irfan Pathan

ScorecardThe second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand did not start on the third day as well after relentless rain ensured a hat-trick of wash outs.Although there was no rain when play was scheduled to begin at 9.00am, the start was delayed because of water on the covers and a soggy outfield. There was going to be an inspection at 11.00am but it started to drizzle before then. The covers were finally removed but the umpires, after inspecting the ground, felt that it would take too long to dry it out and decided to abandon play for the day.The weather forecast for Tuesday is more promising with sunny intervals predicted but too much time has been lost for the possibility of a result. The Mirpur game will decide the two-Test series after New Zealand won the first match in Chittagong by chasing 317. They were given a scare when Bangladesh bowled them out for 171 in the first innings, with Shakib Al Hasan taking career-best figures of 7 for 36. But Daniel Vettori scored half-centuries in both innings and picked up nine wickets to guide his team to a three-wicket win. New Zealand won the preceding ODI series 2-1.New Zealand: (likely) 1 Aaron Redmond, 2 Jamie How, 3 Jesse Ryder, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Brendon McCullum (wk), 6 Daniel Flynn, 7 Grant Elliott, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Iain O’Brien, 11 Jeetan Patel.Bangladesh: (likely) 1 Tamim Iqbal, 2 Junaid Siddique, 3 Rajin Saleh, 4 Mohammad Ashraful (capt), 5 Naeem Islam, 6 Mehrab Hossain jnr, 7 Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 9 Mashrafe Moratza, 10 Abdur Razzak, 11 Shahadat Hossain.