New deal for McGrath

Yorkshire captain Anthony McGrath has signed a new three-year contract to stay at Headingley.

The 33-year-old is entering his benefit season with the White Rose county, almost 14 years after making his debut.

The Bradford-born right-hander played a leading role for Yorkshire last season, and finished as their top-scorer in Twenty20 action.

"I'm delighted to stay at the club for the next three years," McGrath said. "I have enjoyed a fantastic career here so far and I think the next three years will be an exciting time for the club and for me, especially in my new role as captain."

Stewart Regan, Yorkshire's chief executive, added: "It's great news that one of our most senior players and our captain has chosen to commit himself to the club for another three years.

"Under Anthony's leadership I'm confident that 2009 will be a successful year for the team and the Yorkshire County Cricket Club."

Mahela not worried about form

Sri Lanka's outgoing captain Mahela Jayawardene has said that he is not worried about his form with the bat.

Jayawardene, who will step down as Sri Lanna captain after the two-Test series against Pakistan, said he does not have the runs to show but he was hitting the ball well.

"Generally we tend to evaluate a batsman's form by the runs he scores. But to me I see how he is playing the ball and I have been comfortable in the last few months although the runs have not flowed from the bat," Jayawardene told a news conference.

"I just want to go out there tomorrow and try to execute my batting plans properly and get the runs that matter. But I would not say I am worried," he said.

Under pressure to come out of the prolonged bad patch, Jayawardene said he would be treating the series just like any other series.

Jayawardene has to come to terms to quitting captaincy

Besides, Jayawardene said he had come to terms with the fact that he would quit captaincy after this series.

"It is really not on my mind now that I am going to leave the captaincy after the series. The other players are now reconciled with my decision and we are ready for the match," he said.

He said he enjoyed leading his country and would love to go out on a winning note. "But I think the time for this talk about giving me a good farewell as captain is over. It is going to be a tough challenge out there and we need to perform as a team and get our basics right to do well," he said.

Jayawardene felt it really did not matter that Pakistan has not played a Test for the last 14 months.

"They are always a dangerous side and they have a new captain in Younis Khan who is a very seasoned player. So it is going to be a hard series and we are not underestimating them at all," he said.

Sri Lanka have not lost a Test series in Pakistan since 1995 but their last two Test defeats have both come at the National Stadium here.

Jayawardene said Sri Lanka had not decided about their team combination as yet but insisted they were not under any pressure because of the recent one-day series defeat at home to India .

"Look that is one-day cricket and our Test side is very different so this is a new ball game and we are looking ahead to a good match," he added.

Aus clinch a thriller

Australia earned a thrilling one-run win over New Zealand in the one-off Twenty20 international at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Set 151 for victory, New Zealand fell just short of their target when Nathan McCullum smashed a four and a six from the final two deliveries of the match.

Brendon McCullum (61) top-scored for the tourists, while Nathan Bracken finished with 1-16 from four overs.

David Hussey (41) was the pick of the Australia batsmen, with Daniel Vettori (1-23) outstanding for New Zealand.

The Black Caps had looked on course for victory with the destructive Brendon McCullum at the crease in the penultimate over.

The wicketkeeper put on 71 runs with Neil Broom in an enterprising third-wicket stand before his partner fell for 36 top-edging a James Hopes delivery to Callum Ferguson with the score at 73-3.

However, the complexion of the match changed courtesy a moment of inspiration from Adam Voges when McCullum launched a Ben Hilfenhaus length ball down the ground in the 19th over.

With the ball set to fly for six, long-on fielder Voges made the catch on the boundary, but his body's momentum took him over the rope.

However, just before he crossed the boundary, the Western Australian threw the ball back into play, regaining his composure before sprinting on to the field to complete a quite outstanding catch, a dismissal confirmed by the third umpire Rod Tucker.

Needing 14 from the final over, bowled by Bracken, New Zealand's hopes of victory looked to have ended when Grant Elliott (23) was run out off the first delivery.

The next three went for just two runs, leaving the tourists needing 12 runs to win from the final two balls.

Nathan McCullum promptly slapped them for a four and a six, leaving New Zealand agonisingly short of their winning target.

With Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke or Mike Hussey all absent, Australia stand-in captain Brad Haddin won the toss and elected to bat at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The wicketkeeper made a flying start alongside David Warner at the top of the innings, racing to 34 inside four overs before he was caught and bowled by Tim Southee.

Warner and Ferguson fell soon after before Hussey steadied the innings with a composed 41 off 39 deliveries, ably assisted by Voges (23), Cameron White and James Hopes (both 16).

Aussies under pressure

Australia will be a touring team under pressure when they arrive in South Africa Monday, according to South African captain Graeme Smith.

Australia will play three Test matches, five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals on their two-month tour.

South Africa will be favourites after winning both the Test and one-day series in Australia recently.

It is a position with which the host nation will be comfortable, Smith said in the South African Sunday Times, although he warned that he expected an Australian backlash.

"It's going to be an unusual place to be for a South African team," said Smith.

"It's a great feeling and a reward for all the sacrifices everyone has made. But we know that Australians are very competitive people and they don't like to be on the back foot. The only way we can keep them there is by playing better cricket again."

The side that Ricky Ponting will lead is one of the most inexperienced Australian touring parties in recent history and Smith said they would lack the confidence that previous sides had on the second leg of the back-to-back tours that have been the norm for South Africa-Australia contests.

"On previous tours they have come here with confidence having had the foot on us right through the summer there and they've just carried it on. Now, even their experienced guys will come here in a different frame of mind, while the younger players are coming here for the first time."

Smith said the Australians faced several selection issues while South Africa had already announced they would field the same starting eleven, with the addition of left-arm pace bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe, that won the first two Tests in Australia before losing the third game.

"They're a touring team under pressure and it's never easy," he said. "If we can play well in the first Test maybe we can open up a few cracks."

One good omen for the Australians is that they will travel to the small university town of Potchefstroom, an hour's drive west of Johannesburg, immediately after their arrival.

With good training facilities and no big-city distractions, Potchefstroom was chosen by Australia as their pre-tournament base before the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. They went on to lift the title without losing a match.

After three days of training, the Australians will open the tour with a three-day match against South Africa A in Potchefstroom

Clarke doubtful for series-decider

A back injury has left Michael Clarke doubtful for Friday's series-deciding final ODI between Australia and New Zealand.

Team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris confirmed Clarke has soreness in his thoracic spine. The injury is different from the lower-back pain that has troubled Clarke in the past.

It flared up during Australia's six-wicket victory over New Zealand in Adelaide on Tuesday when he opened the batting and bowled eight overs.

"Don't think he will be able to play"

"It is not the lower back, where he usually has problems, but his upper back. He's sore and it's quite painful and I don't think he will be able to play," Kountouris said.

"But this type of thing doesn't hang around for long. (It) comes and goes quickly, so we expect him to get better fairly soon," he was quoted as saying by 'The Australian'.

Clarke, due to captain Australia in the Twenty20 match against New Zealand in Sydney on Sunday, will be given time until Friday morning to prove his fitness.

If Clarke's condition lingers, it could force Ricky Ponting to play in the Twenty20 International despite he and Mike Hussey being rested by the selectors from that match.

SL snap India streak

Tillakaratne Dilshan top-scored with a solid 97 as Sri Lanka prevented an Indian clean sweep with an emphatic 68-run win in the fifth and final one-day international here on Sunday.

The hosts posted 320-8 following impressive knocks from opener Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara (84), and then dismissed the tourists for 252 to register their first victory in the series after four successive defeats.

It also ended India's nine-match winning streak, beginning with a 5-0 series victory over England at home last year.

"The wicket played a major role and it allowed us to push the score," said Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene.

"Credit to India, they played really well in the series. We were up against a really good side."

India's batting came under pressure for the first time after the hosts made their highest total of the series, but only Yuvraj Singh posed a real threat with a fighting 62-ball 73.

Debutant Ravindra Jadeja (60 not out) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (53) also defied the Sri Lankan attack, but their efforts came too late.

"We won the series, but it is never easy playing in Sri Lanka," said Dhoni.

"Sri Lanka played brilliantly today. Our bowling was not so strong."

The hosts never allowed India to build a big partnership with a disciplined bowling performance, with seamers Nuwan Kulasekara and Farveez Maharoof, and spinners Muttiah Muralidaran and Ajantha Mendis taking two wickets apiece.

Sri Lanka strengthened their position after reducing India to 85-4 in the opening 15 overs, with Kulasekara removing in-form opener Gautam Gambhir (13) and Suresh Raina (no score).

Sri Lanka virtually made sure of the win when record-breaking Muralidaran held a return catch to dismiss Yuvraj in his third over. The Indian hit one six and 11 fours.

Muralidaran, who became the highest wicket-taker in one-dayers on Thursday, then trapped Yusuf Pathan leg-before for three runs.

Sri Lanka's top order earlier flourished for the first time in the series, with Dilshan, Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya (37) dominating the Indian attack on a flat track.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Sangakkara smashed one six and eight fours in his 70-ball 84, his third successive half-century.

Sri Lanka were strongly placed at 255-2 in the 42nd over before India struck back with four wickets for just one run, with paceman Ishant Sharma taking two in one over.

Sharma bowled Thilina Kandamby (26) and had Chamara Kapugedera caught behind for no score to peg the hosts back. Dilshan was run out in the same over following a mix-up with Jayawardene.

Maharoof hit a 23-ball 32 with one six and three fours in the closing overs to help his team cross the 300-mark.

Indian captain Dhoni used nine bowlers, including four part-timers, but failed to stem the runs as Dilshan, Sangakkara and Jayasuriya batted comfortably against pace and spin.

Jayasuriya exploded with a flurry of boundaries, pulling Sharma for three fours in an over. His cameo saw the hosts race to 66 off just 10 overs.

Sangakkara looked in good form from the beginning, firmly driving and cutting to find various parts of the boundary. He outscored Dilshan during their big stand with his exciting stroke-making.

The wicketkeeper-batsman fell immediately after hoisting part-time spinner Yuvraj for a six over long-on, caught by Rohit Sharma in the deep while attempting another big shot.

Australia stay alive

Brad Haddin hit his maiden century as Australia ended a five-match losing streak with a 32-run win in the third one-day international against New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Promoted to open the batting, Haddin made 109 off 114 balls before being run out as the home side totalled 301-9.

They then reduced New Zealand to 183-7 but all-rounder Grant Elliott kept them in the hunt with a superb 115.

He was caught in the 45th over and the Kiwis were eventually all out for 269, but still lead the series 2-1.

Haddin was named man-of-the-match and, reflecting on his innings, he said: "It was a good one, especially with the occasion. We spoke a lot about being the guy to make a difference today and I enjoyed it at the top of the order."

His elevation to the top of the order for the first time since September 2004 was prompted by Australia's decision to cut short skipper Ricky Ponting's two-match break following a six-wicket defeat in Melbourne.

It proved a shrewd move as Haddin and Michael Clarke set them on their way with an opening stand of 135 before Clarke, on 64, drove a ball from Elliott to extra-cover.

Elliott also picked up the wicket of Ponting for 16, caught at deep square leg, but Haddin hit three sixes as he progressed to his century -- although he needed a slice of luck on 75 when Peter Fulton dropped him at long-on.

He was finally run out by fellow wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum as he attempted a quick single, but Mike Hussey (51) and Callum Ferguson (28) added 62 in seven overs for the sixth wicket to keep the score ticking over.

Hussey's half century took only 30 balls and Australia were only three runs short of 300 when he was caught off Kyle Mills at deep mid-wicket.

Iain O'Brien was the most successful bowler with three wickets, but they cost him 68 runs and chasing down such a big total looked a tall order for New Zealand, especially as McCullum was nursing a sore shoulder after being struck by a delivery from Mills.

Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor departed with only 16 on the board and although Elliott and Fulton (40) shared an 80-run partnership before Fulton fell to James Hopes, a collapse followed which reduced from 149-3 to 183-7.

Tim Southee made 17, but it was McCullum, who finally came in at number nine, who finally helped Elliott put the pressure back on Australia.

McCullum hammered Hopes over the offside field for six and also collected two boundaries off the normally reliable Nathan Bracken.

Elliott, meanwhile, responded to being dropped by a diving Adam Voges on 79 with three fours in one over from Bracken, and went to his hundred with a steer to third man for two.

He celebrated by driving Hopes through the covers for his eight four, but the bowler got his revenge four overs later when Hussey took a straightforward catch at backward square leg.

With Elliott gone, it was up to McCullum to try and clinch the series for New Zealand but he was caught by Ponting off Ben Hilfenhaus and although tail-ender Jeetan Patel lofted a six, he was bowled by Bracken half-way through the 48th over as Australia wrapped up the match.

"Dhoni best captain in international cricket"

Former captain Ajit Wadekar feels that MS Dhoni will enjoy a higher success rate than Sourav Ganguly as India captain.

He also said that current skipper Dhoni is the best leader in world cricket at the moment.

Wadekar: Dhoni will break all records

Wadekar, under whose captaincy Indian team won their first series in England and West Indies back in 1971, feels Dhoni will break all records of captaincy.

"The Indian team is lucky to have a captain like him. He is the best captain in the world at the moment. He knows how to get the best out of the team and leads from the front. He is very cool and has tremendous faith on his decisions and squad," Wadekar told PTI in an interview.

The former chief selector said Dhoni will eventually surpass Ganguly as India's most successful captain.

"Definitely Dhoni will become the most successful Indian captain very soon. He will break the record set by Ganguly," he said.

"Definitely Dhoni will become the most successful Indian captain very soon. He will break the record set by Ganguly," he said.

"He does not believe in giving big statments. He is well balanced in dealing with media. He backs young cricketers and never hurt the egos of senior players which is commendable," Wadekar added.

"This team has a chance to win World Cup"

Wadekar said the current team has what it takes to clinch the 2011 World Cup to be held in South Asia.

"This team has got a lot of young blood. It has won matches without senior player. In fact, for the first time in the history of Indian cricket we have a balanced team.

"It has great pacers and spinners, an equally good batting line up and fielders. I think this team has a chance to win the World Cup," he said.

"We are defeating champions in every format of the game. We have pacers and batters who performed well on every pitch including in Australia. No one should have doubt on the their capabilities now," he added.

Kolkata wins bid for Mashrafe

Kolkata Knight Riders bid $ 6 lakh for Bangladeshi allrounder Mashrafe Bin Mortaza to get him in the team for Indian Premiere League, the official Twenty20 league of India.

Mashrafe was the first player up for sale from Pool F, according to cricinfo.com.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians bought Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful for $ 75,000.

With Kolkata bidding with the base price of $50,000 for Mashrafe, Kings XI Punjab entered the race and the bids spiralled slowly towards $400,000 and the auctioneer asked Punjab if they want to go $410,000.

As Kolkata touched the $500,000 mark, Punjab went further at $550,000. Kolkata was the first to bid $600,000 for Mortaza at which point Punjab bowed out of the race.

It was the longest lot in the auction.

Gambhir powers India

Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralidaran completed a record bowling double before a Gautam Gambhir-inspired India scored a challenging 332-5 in the fourth one-day international here on Thursday.

Left-handed opener Gambhir smashed a career-best 150 off 147 balls for his sixth hundred in one-dayers to boost his team's chances of posting their record ninth successive win.

India lead 3-0 in the five-match series, having already beaten England 5-0 at home last year.

Off-spinner Muralidaran, the world's leading bowler in Test cricket, became the highest wicket-taker in one-day internationals when he dismissed Gambhir for his 503rd victim.

Gambhir and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (94) dominated the Sri Lankan attack with a wide range of attacking shots, adding 188 for the second wicket after the early dismissal of in-form Virender Sehwag.

Sehwag, who scored 116 in the last match, contributed just five this time before uppishly driving fast bowler Nuwan Kulasekara to Sanath Jayasuriya at mid-off in the third over.

Sri Lanka then had to wait for more than 30 overs for their next success as Gambhir and Dhoni made the most of a mediocre attack on a slow pitch. The hosts' fielding also left a lot to be desired under pressure.

Gambhir was the first to reach his half-century, hoisting seamer Angelo Mathews over long-on for a six. Dhoni also completed his fifty in style, swinging Muralidaran over mid-wicket for a six.

Dhoni, who promoted himself in the batting order, fell six short of his fifth hundred in one-dayers when he mistimed a shot off left-arm spinner Jayasuriya, with Dilhara Fernando taking a one-handed catch at point.

The Indian skipper hit two sixes and four boundaries in his 96-ball knock.

Kulasekara then bowled Yuvraj Singh for five and Yusuf Pathan for no score off successive deliveries to raise his team's hopes of restricting India.

But there was no stopping Gambhir, who reached his century with a lofted four over covers off Kulasekara. He hit one six and 14 fours before being the fifth man out.

India's chance to become No. 2

India can grab number two spot in ICC rankings if they complete 5-0 whitewash in Sri Lanka & Australia lose to New Zealand.

Having already pocketed the series by taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series against Sri Lanka, India are within two ratings points of Australia and four behind leaders South Africa (125).

A 5-0 whitewash of Mahela Jayawardene's team may help the Indians topple Australia from the number two spot, provided Ricky Ponting's men, who lost their firsrt ODI against New Zealand, continue their poor shows.

With Dhoni's men touring New Zealand in March where they will play five one-dayers, a lot can change before the April 1 cut off date.

The top side in the ODI Championship will be richer by USD 175,000 with the runners-up getting USD 75,000, the ICC said in a press release.

Current rankings: 1. South Africa (125 points); 2. Australia (123); 3. India (121); 4. New Zealand (115); 5. Pakistan (111); 6. England (108); 7. Sri Lanka (104); 8 West Indies (91); 9. Bangladesh (46); 10. Zimbabwe (23); 11. Ireland (19); 12. Kenya (0).

India eyeing record win

Having clinched the five-match series by taking a 3-0 lead, India will look to maintain the momentum in the fourth ODI.

The win would be a record ninth consecutive win for Team India and by the looks of it the team looks unstoppable.

Although the visitors would ideally like to make a clean sweep of the series, giving an opportunity to the bench players will be their priority in the remaining two games.

Everything has gone well for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and company til now and the team will be keen to keep the momentum going.

The Indian batting has looked far superior than the Sri Lankan batting attack and the bowling has also been much more sharper and disciplined.

New players might get a look in

Dhoni made it clear after the third win that giving reserve players a chance to prove themselves would be his priority rather than the pursuit of the record ninth straight ODI win.

"We are not looking at the record. Rather, we will give chance to players who didn't get a chance to play in the series so far," Dhoni said.

"We are 3-0 up and have already won the series. It gives us an opportunity to play those players. For us, this is the priority. The team is not looking at the record but giving chance to those players," he said.

India humiliated Sri Lanka with a 147-run win under floodlights at the R Premadasa stadium on Tuesday to seal the series. Sri Lanka, however, have only pride to play for in the remaining matches which are of no more than mere academic interest now.

Jayawardene will have to ensure that his team executes the game plan well and wins the next two matches to reclaim their lost confidence ahead of the busy season.

Jayawardene admitted his team was not up to the standard of Dhoni's men and there were some areas which needed immediate attention, especially the bowling which was absolutely off the mark on Tuesday.

"There are certain areas we need to tighten up. Against a good opposition like India, certain things were not up to the standard," he said.

"We'll definitely have a chat with the selectors now but we need our best team to win the next two matches, which is very important to get back the confidence. We have a lot of cricket ahead," he said.

Bowling concern for SL

Bowling would be the main area of concern for the home side after seeing Ferveez Maharoof and Dilhara Fernando perform in the third match returning figures of 7-0-68-0 and 8-0-63-1 respectively.

Other bowlers - Nuwan Kulasekara (10-0-68-0), Ajantha Mendis (9-0-64-1) and Muttiah Muralitharan (10-0-60-1) were also no better.

"I am disappointed with the bowling," Jayawardene said after the match.

Besides, his main weapons Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis will also need to urgently find a way to stop the rampaging Indians.

For the Indians, there are really no major worries and it remains to be seen who are the seniors to be rested for Thursday's match to be played under lights at the SSC.

Umpiring howler claims Sachin again

Sachin Tendulkar has fallen victim to dubious umpiring decisions three times in a row and would be keen to make his presence felt with a substantial contribution.

Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag, the two centurions in the last game, could be rested along with pace spearhead Zaheer Khan who has taken a lot of bowling load in recent times.

Ravindra Jadeja could get a look in, in place of Yuvraj Singh.

Teams (from):

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Pragyan Ojha, Munaf Patel, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh.

Sri Lanka: Mahela Jaywardene (captain), Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Chamara Kapugedera, Jehan Mubarak, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Thilina Kandamby, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis, Farveez Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekera, Thilina Thushara and Angelo Mathews.

Pak players barred from IPL

Pakistan Cricket Board official Asif Suhail said: "We had asked the government for advice and we were suggested not to send our players to India on security grounds."

The auction for foreign players for the second edition of the IPL is scheduled on February 6 and Pakistani leg spinner Danish Kaneria was the most valued player from the country.

Asim Kamal, Yasir Hamid, Mohammad Hafeez and Yasir Arafat were the other Pakistani players, who would have gone under the hammer.

On being asked whether it is a tit for tat reaction by the PCB and the Pakitani government after India's refusal to tour the trouble torn country in January, Suhail sai: "Look, if the Indian government can refuse to send their team to our country, our government too reserves the right to keep our players from travelling to India."

In the first edition of the IPL last year, Pakistan had then skipper Shoaib Malik, Younus Khan, Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif participating

Taylor steers Kiwis to a thrilling win

New Zealand managed to clinch a thriller against Australia, winning the first one-dayer by two wickets at Perth.

After bundling out Australia for a mere 181 runs in the first one-dayer at the WACA Ground, New Zealand won the cliff-hanger by two wickets to lead the the five-match ODI series 1-0 on Sunday.

New Zealand lost both the openers -- Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill early. While, Peter Fulton (7) and Grant Elliot (8) followed them to the dressing room as well.

But Ross Taylor came to his team's rescue, playing a patient knock of 64, which ultimately turned out to be decisive and helped his team win the game. He also shared a valuable 62-run partnership with Kyle Mills (26).

However, Australia did well to fight back after returning Taylor.

The world champions, who forfeited their official status as the world's best ODI team following a 4-1 series defeat against South Africa, needed a dominant display with the ball in order to make an immediate return to the top of the one-day international rankings.

A victory today would have moved them back to the top but the Black Caps managed to hold on to their nerves.

Earlier, Mike Hussey (49) was the only Australian batsman to offer any resistance, but his dismissal summed up the home side's batting performance - uncharacteristically chipping a simple catch to mid-off from Iain O'Brien from the first ball of Australia's batting powerplay in the 44th over.

Some late hitting from Mitchell Johnson (20) and Shaun Tait (nine), who put on 27 for the last wicket, gave the score some respectability as they were bowled out for the fourth consecutive game.

Mills takes four for 35

The Kiwis effort was led by new-ball bolwer Kyle Mills, who quickly removed inexperienced openers Shaun Marsh (15) and David Warner (seven), on his way to figures of four for 35.

Australia's cause was not aided by untimely run outs of captain Ricky Ponting (five) and Michael Clarke (12) and when David Hussey was caught down the leg side by Brendon McCullum off the bowling of off-spinner Jeetan Patel, Australia were reeling at 54 for five.

Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin stemmed the tide with a 61-run stand for the sixth wicket, but those runs came at a laboured pace - mainly due to the stifling off-spin of Black Caps skipper Daniel Vettori who conceded just 22 from his 10 overs.

Eventually Haddin's patience broke and he played on to his own stumps after advancing down the wicket to Mills for 31 from 54 balls.

That left Australia 115 for six from 35 overs and while Mike Hussey and James Hopes (18) put on 27 runs to set the scene for a late attack, both fell in the first over of the Australians' batting powerplay, bowled by O'Brien, to further frustrate the home fans.

Nathan Bracken then fell for a duck in the next over when he was trapped lbw by Tim Southee (one for 34).

Johnson and Tait frustrated the visitors briefly in their 27-run stand for the last wicket, but Mills had the final say when he bowled Johnson.

Teams:

Australia: Shaun Marsh, David Warner, Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, David Hussey, Brad Haddin (wk), James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken, Shaun Tait.

New Zealand: Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill, Peter Fulton, Ross Taylor, Neil Broom, Grant Elliott, Kyle Mills, Tim Southee, Daniel Vettori (capt), Jeetan Patel, Iain O'Brien.

Dhoni warns team against complacency

After their second consecutive win, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has warned his team not to be complacent.

Dhoni did not feel the job was done yet despite his team enjoying a 2-0 lead and said he expects the same level of commitment from all the members of the team in the remaining three matches.

"It was tough and we did not have such a game for a long time. We have to be careful as such wins often make us relaxed a bit. We should remember that the series is yet to be won. We want to win the series and for that each of us have to give 100 per cent," Dhoni said after his side's 15-run victory here yesterday.

Although India is just a win away from pocketing the series, he said his team would have to make improvements in some departments of the game in the coming matches.

"Today's game was a tough one during which we have committed some mistakes which we would like to rectify before going for the next match," he said.

"We had couple of run outs. Besides, the bowlers should maintain line and length in the slog overs," he added.

An unflappable Dhoni also admitted that he lost his cool when he found his bowlers clueless during the power plays in the middle of the Sri Lankan innings.

"I lost my cool especially when bowlers got confused with the power plays. I was not myself especially in the second power play," he said.

Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene conceded that India played better cricket and were the deserving winners.

"They (Indians) played better cricket today. It was a good game. They deserve to win. We have also some positives to take. We fought back well. It was a bit too much for Kandamby to finish the match. Myself and Kapugedera should have been there," he said.

"During India innings we gave way too many runs when we were in control. We have to minimise mistakes and raise our game in the remaining matches," Jayawardene added.

India go 2-0 up

Sri Lanka's Thilina Kandamby smashed a solid 93 not out under pressure, but failed to stop India from posting a 15-run victory in the second one-day international here Saturday.

The tourists restricted Sri Lanka to 241 after scoring 256-9 in a day-night match, which was held up for five minutes during the hosts' innings after Indian fielder Ishant Sharma was struck by an object from the stands.

The 20-year-old paceman Sharma (4-57) was the bowling star for India, who now lead 2-0 in the five-match series.

Indian fast bowlers Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar and Sharma did the early damage, exploiting the conditions well under lights during their sharp opening spells to reduce the hosts to 36-3 in the eighth over.

Left-handed Kandamby sustained his team's hopes with a 100-run stand for the fourth wicket with skipper Mahela Jayawardene, who regained form with 52 -- his first half-century in 14 one-dayers.

But the asking rate kept climbing despite impressive knocks from Jayawardene and Kandamby, with Sri Lanka needing 91 to win with six wickets in hand in the last 10 overs.

India strengthened their position when man-of-the-match Sharma removed Chamara Kapugedera (31) and Farveez Maharoof (seven) in successive overs.

Kandamby, playing only his ninth one-dayer, hit nine fours in his 129-ball knock for his second half-century.

India earlier rode on Yuvraj Singh's 66 to post a competitive total after electing to bat.

The middle-order batsman's 38th half-century came after his side had lost three wickets for 83 runs. He steadied the innings with an 85-run stand for the fourth wicket with Suresh Raina (29).

Yuvraj applied himself remarkably well on a slow pitch and reached his half-century in style, driving off-spinner Muttiah Muralidaran through the covers for a four.

Yuvraj hit one six and seven fours in his 88-ball knock before falling to a dubious decision, adjudged leg-before by Sri Lankan umpire Gamini Silva off paceman Nuwan Kulasekara.

The TV replays suggested the batsman had inside-edged the delivery on to his pads.

India managed just 46 in the closing 10 overs as seamer Maharoof (2-40) and Muralitharan did not allow the batsmen to score freely.

Record-seeking Muralidaran went wicketless but conceded only 32 in his 10 tight overs. He is still two wickets short of surpassing former Pakistani paceman Wasim Akram's world record of 502.

India got off to a brisk start as they raced to 83 off 12.2 overs but lost three big wickets in the process.

Virender Sehwag (42) and Gautam Gambhir (27) punished Sri Lanka's new-ball bowlers with their bold strokeplay after the third-over dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar (six), trapped leg-before by Kulasekara.

Kulasekara was replaced by Maharoof after conceding 42 in his opening six overs. Maharoof struck instantly, having Gambir caught behind with his third delivery.

Sehwag's flourish ended when he was caught short of the crease while going for a third run. He hit seven fours in his 26-ball knock.

India look to maintain momentum

On a roll after six consecutive ODI wins, India will look to maintain the winning streak against Sri Lanka on Saturday.

Even without explosive opener Virender Sehwag, who was nursing a lower back injury, the Indians were hardly pushed as they beat the Lankans by six wickets in the opening match on a tricky Dambulla pitch.

The much-touted Murali-Mendis combine failed to work for the Lankans, forcing skipper Mahela Jayawardene to admit that the duo's magic was somewhat on the wane.

Remember the horror

However, the Indians would do well to remember the humiliation they were subjected to when the two teams squared up the last time around at the R Premadasa stadium.

Chasing a modest 227, the Indians were sent packing for 103 in under 27 overs with Mendis wrecking the visiting line-up with a four-wicket haul.

For the hosts, ageing warhorse Jayasuriya continues to be in good form but middle-order mainstay Kumar Sangakkara's inconsistent run with the bat has become a major concern.

Jayawardene, himself battling a batting slump, however, insists that one loss is not reason enough to press the panic button and his team-mates would come back hard.

"We will continue to play we have played"

"The way we have been playing of late has changed and we will continue with that. I give credit to our guys because it was not an easy wicket but it probably slowed down later on and so was good to score runs," he said.

Without a fifty in his last 13 one-day internationals, Jayawardene's return to form would be a prerequisite for Sri Lanka's prospects of squaring the series in Saturday's day-nighter.

The other major difference between the two teams in Dambulla was the runs extracted from the power-plays. While the Indians milked 40, the Sri Lankans could muster only 28 and that too for the loss of two wickets.

The Lankan batting is yet to fire

The Sri Lankan top order has not performed to expectations and opening partnerships have not been consistent.

Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis were a shadow of their intimidating past when they bamboozled batsmen. At Dambulla, they conceded almost hundred runs for a solitary scalp.

Proteas displace Oz as number one

South Africa have displaced Australia at the top of the ICC's one-day rankings after securing a 39-run win in Perth.

The ODI series triumph follows South Africa's 2-1 win in the Test series and though Australia remain the number one team in the longer version of the game, the Proteas return home with the new-found tag of being the top team in one dayers.

India remained the third-placed ODI team with 120 points while South Africans have five points more. Australia also have 125 points but were pushed to the number two slot as they were found fractionally behind the Proteas when decimal points were calculated.

Australia needed 289 runs for a win to remain the number one side but 249 was all they managed before folding in 49 overs with Michael Hussey (78) and Brad Haddin (63) making futile efforts with the bat.

Earlier,Amla(97) and AB de Villiers (60) steadied South Africa with a 118-run stand and then JP Duminy (60 not out off 42 balls) provided the late burst as South Africa posted 288 for six wickets.

Australia faltered early in the chase and could not really recover from the early setbacks.

The hosts needed a strong start from Shaun Marsh (5) and David Warner (22) but debutant South African Lonwabo Tsotsobe rocked the Australian boat with early double strikes and Ricky Ponting's men could never really recover from that.

Proteas gun for top rank at the WACA

South Africa might have won the ODI series against Australia but the number one team spot will still be up for grabs at the WACA.

When the Proteas entered the ODI series without their charismatic skipper Graeme Smith, not one critic gave them a chance against a brilliant Aussie batting-line up. But with what they have done now, tomorrow's game becomes crucial because that will decide which team would take top honours in the ICC cricket rankings.

The South African side though would miss the services of their of top pacers Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn who have been rested after a epic tour, while back from injury Nathan Bracken and Micheal Clarke would further brace the Australian side. The replacement in the Australian side to accomodate these two should be Cameron White and Shaun Tait.

For the South Africans, the rest to the senior pacers would mean that the two left-arm fast men Wayne Parnell and Lonwabo Tsotsobe will be making their ODI debuts after appearing in one of the Twenty20 internationals. Jacques Kallis might also be rested but that would depend upon Van Jaarsveld's fitness.

The Aussies have been given rollicking starts by David Warner and Shaun Marsh and the Kangaroos would be hoping of another good show from the openers. Marsh has been the top scorer of the series from either side picking up 213 runs.

For the Proteas, this would be a new look side but still the way Johan Botha has led the side, writing this team off would be at your own perils.

The track at WACA should be another belter with good and predictable bounce, thereby promising oodles of runs to both sides.

This match is very important considering the return Test and ODI series begins in a month and hence so team would look to give the final advantage to the other.would be very important and neither side would want to give the other one

Teams

Australia: Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, Shaun Tait, David Warner, Cameron White.

South Africa: Johan Botha, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, AB DeVilliers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Neil McKenzie, Albie Morkel, Morne MOrkel, Makhaya Ntini, Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Vaughan Van Jaarsveld, Graeme Smith.

Warne: Sachin key to Indian dreams

Shane Warne believes India could realise their number one dream only if Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar keeps himself fit.

Warne also refused to agree with the fact that it was the best-ever Indian team so far despite its recent victories against Australia and England.

"I think the best Indian team that I played against was my first one way back in 1991. But this current team is a bit tougher... And I think they can challenge for the number one title in the world, only if Sachin remains fit," he said in reply to an e-mailed questionnaire.

Asked what set Tendulkar apart from all other cricketers of his era, Warne said he had perfect judgement of a bowler.

Sachin in a different league

"Sachin is just a class above everybody else because of the way he judges the line length of a bowler and the way he conducts himself on the pitch," he pointed out.

Warne, however, avoided commenting on how long the Indian batting maestro should go on to play cricket.

The former leg-spin wizard defended Australia's loss to India in the sub-continent, saying Ricky Ponting's men were not on decline but other team's were catching up with them.

"I think they're playing excellent cricket, other sides are just catching up," Warne said.

No shame in losing to India

"I think Australia is going through a change in period and India is always hard to beat in India... I thought it was a wonderful series and India just outplayed Australia and were a better team, there is no disgrace in that.

"Australia were in a position to win 3-nil against South Africa recently, but lost the series. But there are signs early in 2009 that Australia will be a very strong team," he added. Recalling the inaugural season of the which he won captaining and coaching an underdog Rajasthan Royals team, Warne said it was a memorable experience.

"My experience was full of wonderful memories; I thoroughly enjoyed the team spirit that we created amongst our group. It was something I will always remember." Warne justified his comments that Rajasthan Royals got him in cheap, saying it was indeed a lot less price paid by the franchise owner considering he led the team to title win.

"In the context of everything to have the captain and the coach as one person and looking back in hindsight, I'm sure Emerging Media would be very happy with the price they paid for me considering we won the whole competition. If I went on the market now I'm sure I'd get a lot more," he said, adding, "I'm very happy to be in Rajasthan Royal." But Warne said he remained a die-hard Test fan and enjoyed the format the most and did not feel that Twenty20 was a threat to its future.

Nothing to beat Test cricket

"No, I think Test cricket is always the number one version of the game, because that is the true test of a cricketer. T20 is also a great format of the game and will ultimately help Test cricket by the way the game is played." Warne believed fitness was key to success of his team.

"Fitness is a very important aspect of the game; you have to be fit for your role, whatever your role in the team is," he said.

Asked about his plans to make the team ready for the Second IPL, Warne said, "We'll have an open, honest and frank conversation about how we will go about winning in April."

He, however, refused to divulge the details, saying, "We cannot win it in January." Warne also did not seem much interested in roping in any additional players to the Rajasthan Royals squad in the upcoming auction in Goa.

Warne, happy with Rajasthan Royals

"I'm very happy with our squad, we'll only add players if they can make a difference," he said.

Asked who was his favourite batsman to bowl at in international cricket, Warne replied, "Darryl Cullinan (of South Africa). I would like to bowl to him for a living." On recent terror attacks in Mumbai, Warne felt it did not affect the game but wished it had never happened.

"Obviously there is a bit of a concern when something like that happens and - I really felt for the people of India, it was horrific and something I wish never happened. All we can do is rely on the information given to us by security...

"No, I don't (think it was harming the game), but obviously any terror attack is something we all wish would never happen and that would stop," he added.

Dhoni leads India victory charge

Half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni powered India to a comfortable six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first one-day international in Dambulla.

Opening batsman Gambhir (62) and Raina (54) added 113 runs for the second wicket after India had lost Sachin Tendulkar (five) cheaply to a dubious leg-before decision while chasing 247 for victory.

Dhoni (61 not out) then took command, putting on 44 runs for the fourth wicket with Yuvraj Singh (23) and 66 runs with Rohit Sharma (25no) as India overhauled the target with just under two overs to spare.

Sanath Jayasuriya (107) had compiled his 28th ODI century and Kumar Sangakkara made 44 in difficult conditions as Sri Lanka finished with a decent 246 for seven after being asked to bat first.

Sri Lanka then claimed the early breakthrough when left-arm seamer Thilan Thushara rapped Tendulkar on the pads with a delivery that pitched just outside leg stump and straightened.

Kumar Dharmasena, umpiring his first ODI, upheld a vociferous appeal, although replays showed the height was questionable.

Left-hand batsman Gambhir, opening in place of Virender Sehwag who was ruled out due to injury, steadied the innings in the company of Raina.

An accurate line from Thushara and Nuwan Kulasekara had kept the batsman quiet, but Raina broke the shackles by hitting Kulasekara for a six and two boundaries in the bowler's fourth over.

The two easily tackled Sri Lanka's feared spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, both going on to amass half-centuries.

All eyes on Murali today

Sri Lankan ace spinner Muttiah Muralidaran, who is already the world's leading taker of Test wickets, is poised to become the leading bowler in one-day internationals.

Barring injury or a spectacular sudden loss of form for the 36-year-old, that new record is likely to come in the five-match one-day series against India, starting here on Wednesday.

Already the world's leading wicket-taker in Tests with 769 scalps in 125 matches, the off-spinner needs just three wickets to surpass former Pakistani fast bowler Wasim Akram's mark of 502 in one-day internationals.

"We will be very happy when he gets the record. It is another milestone for him and another one for Sri Lankan cricket," Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene told reporters on Tuesday.

"Everyone knows the amount of hard work he has put in over the last 16 years, going through a lot of hardship. Now, after a few games, or even tomorrow, he might hold the records in both Tests and one-dayers.

"That's an amazing effort for a guy who started as a fast bowler and then turned into an off-spinner."

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he was sure the "champion" Sri Lankan spinner would complete a bowling double in the series, but his team would make him work hard for the record.

"He is a brilliant bowler and has been very consistent. He is a champion bowler," said Dhoni.

Jayawardene said his team was keen to clinch a fourth successive one-day series after beating Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

"India are a very competitive side. They pose a tough challenge for us and we are looking forward to that," he said.

"Their batting looks better this time, with Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag returning to the one-day squad. I think batting will be their strength. They also have two good pacemen (Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma)."

India won the last one-day series 3-2 in Sri Lanka without Tendulkar, Sehwag and Sharma, who were injured.

The Sri Lankan captain, without a half-century in his last 12 one-dayers, said he had been working hard on his batting and hoped to regain form.

"I'd like to get more runs and contribute more to the team's totals. This is something I have been working really hard. I hope I get it right against the Indians," said Jayawardene.

Indian captain Dhoni said his team had to adapt to the conditions early.

"We have two experienced players (Tendulkar and Sehwag) with us this time. A lot depends on the conditions here and we have to adapt quickly."

TEAMS
INDIA (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Pragyan Ojha, Irfan Pathan, Praveen Kumar.

SRI LANKA (from): Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chamara Kapugedera, Thilina Kandamby, Jehan Mubarak, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralidaran, Ajantha Mendis, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thilan Thushara, Angelo Mathews.

Umpires: Brian Jerling and Kumar Dharmasena.

Younis takes over Pak captaincy

The Pakistan Cricket Board has reportedly relieved Shoaib Malik of captaincy duties and handed the reins to batsman Younis Khan.

Malik's position as skipper hung in the balance after his side crashed to a humiliating defeat to Sri Lanka in a three-match one-day series last week.

The 234-run loss in the final match in Lahore was Pakistan's biggest ever in terms of runs and prompted calls from several former players to sack Malik.

The PCB demanded an explanation from the team management for the defeat and chairman Ijaz Butt indicated a decision would be made only after deliberating on the team report.

But just weeks after being retained as captain for an indefinite period, the PCB has decided to move on.

According to Pakistani television reports, Younus met with Butt this morning and has accepted the task.

"Younus has agreed to lead the side," Geo TV quoted a PCB source as saying.

Younus was vice-captain of the Pakistan team under Inzamam-ul-Haq and was seen as the natural choice once Inzamam stepped down following the first-round exit from the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean.

But the 31-year-old at that point refused the captaincy, saying he did not want the added pressure.

His stand forced the PCB to turn to Malik - a much younger and less experienced leader.

Malik faced criticism throughout his two-year term, but his reign was nevertheless extended at the start of last month.

Malik's most significant win was a 3-0 ODI triumph over West Indies in Abu Dhabi late last year.

Jayawardene looking for revenge

Mahela Jayawardene admits his side will be intent on revenge when they take on India in the first one-day international.

Sri Lanka lost an ODI series against India last August but hope this time they will have the momentum after clinching the recent Test series 2-1.

"The defeat against India hurt us badly, but we are now looking to turn things around," said Jayawardene.

"We beat them in the Tests but lost the one-day series against them, so it's going to be an interesting series.

"We will try to keep the momentum going."

Jayawardene's men have showed no ill effects from a hectic fixture schedule in recent months, during which time they have posted convincing wins in a two-match Test series against Bangladesh and the following triangular one-dayers which also included Zimbabwe.

Shining light

They were then pitted against Pakistan, whose original opponents India called off a series with their neighbours because of political tension, and clinched a 2-1 win having lost the first game in Karachi.

Despite their good form, they have been inconsistent with the bat although Tillakaratne Dilshan has been a shining light.

"We have had problems with our batting and have been bowled out for low totals," said Jayawardene, who has struggled for form of late.

"But the good thing is we still managed to win and the guys have shown a lot of character.

Extended break

"We still scored a series win in Pakistan and the batting has also started to click, so it's a good sign before we take on India."

India paceman Zaheer Khan has other ideas however, saying: "I'm looking to play good, competitive cricket and focus on the process rather than the results.

"I've always felt that if I bowl well, wickets would follow. So the focus is on bowling well."

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side have had an extended break following the cancellation of the Pakistan tour, and Zaheer has used the time to perfect his technique.

"I was advised to cut short my run-up but that was a long time back," he said.

"A longer run-up wasn't adding to my bowling in terms of generating pace.

"So I knew I had to do it, but I didn't want to do it right off at international level.

Proteas claim series after crushing win

Impressive knocks from Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers helped South Africa claim a convincing eight-wicket victory in the fourth one-day international against Australia and an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.

De Villiers smashed an unbeaten 82 from 85 balls, while Amla was 80 not out as the pair put on a 144-run partnership to help steer the Proteas to their target of 223 with almost 12 overs to spare.

Australia's innings of 222 had been patchy at best, with Ricky Ponting's 63 the only highlight for the hosts at the Adelaide Oval.

South Africa opener Herschelle Gibbs also produced a scintillating cameo of 38 as the tourists made light work of their run chase.

Gibbs faced just 29 balls, smashing eight boundaries, and was the key player in a 58-run opening stand with Amla.

He eventually miscued one of several lofted drives and was caught by Mike Hussey at mid-on.

Gibbs' replacement, Jacques Kallis, also made batting look easy but he was dismissed by James Hopes with Shaun Marsh taking the catch at short mid-wicket.

That left the Proteas on 79 for two - but Amla and De Villiers forged what proved to be the match-winning partnership.

Hopes was the best of the Australian bowlers, finishing with one for 28 off 7.1 overs, while Ben Hilfenhaus was the other wicket-taker.

Earlier, Australia won the toss but were bowled out in 48 overs. Dale Steyn returned the best figures (three for 49), while Makhaya Ntini finished with three for 52.

Tendulkar, Sehwag rise in ICC rankings

Sachin Tendulkar went up a spot to tied 10th while Virender Sehwag also rose a rung to 19th in the latest ICC ODI rankings.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni remained second while Yuvraj Singh was stuck at seventh in the latest list.

In the bowling figures, Zaheer Khan dropped a rung to tied 11th but remained the only Indian in the top 20.

Sri Lanka's Nuwan Kulasekara raced up the rankings to second with yet another good performance in his side's successful ODI series in Pakistan.

The 26-year-old's jump of four places sees him overtake team-mate Muttiah Muralitharan and push Australia's Nathan Bracken into third place. New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori still tops the table.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting has regained the fifth spot in the batting rankings while West Indies captain Chris Gayle still tops the table.

Indian team reaches Colombo

The Indian cricket team arrived at the Bandaranaike International airport in Colombo on Monday afternoon.

The team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni was received by Sri Lankan officials and the players were given a warm welcome. A large crowd had turned up to catch a glimpse of the stars as they trooped out from the terminal.

The Indians had a practice session in Chennai in the morning from where they boarded a flight to Colombo.

Dhoni and his teammates will take on the hosts in five-match one day series, beginning with the first ODI on Wednesday at Dambulla.

The tour will be rounded off with a Twenty20 international on February 10.

Shakib, Tigers rewarded

Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has rewarded Shakib Al Hasan for becoming the world's number one all-rounder in the ICC ODI rankings.

BCB president Lt. Gen Sina Ibn Jamali handed over a memento and a cheque of Tk 1,00,000.00 to Shakib on behalf of the board at the end of the third and final one-day against Zimbabwe at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

The BCB president also declared a prize of Tk 50,000.00 for each member (players and team management) of the squad that won the three-match one-day series by 2-1 against Zimbabwe.

Jamali made this announcement during a dinner reception in honour of State Minister for Youth & Sports Ahad Ali Sarker at a local hotel, which was attended by the Bangladesh cricket team.

Sehwag confident about facing Mendis

On the eve of the Indian team's departure for Sri Lanka, Virender Sehwag has sought to put the rivals on the backfoot.

Sehwag said he had done his homework against mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis and would not hesitate to attack him, adding that his knowledge of the nuances of the game made it easy for him to deal with mystery bowlers like Mendis.

"I am exceptionally aware of the nuances of the game. I know what's happening, who is where and how to take advantage of him in the field. I studied him (Mendis) during the Asia Cup in Pakistan. Even at non-striker's end, I kept following his methods. His style when he is bowling off-spin, googly, or pushing it through middle finger.

Sehwag: I'll not have problems against Mendis

"So I have no problem in attacking him. A bowler is demoralised if he knows that a batsman has read him completely", Sehwag said.

He said a bowler like Mendis preferred to keep three or four fielders close to bat. "It means there are open spaces in the field. Even a mis-hit can give you boundaries," he explained.

"Unlike the accepted norm, I find hitting against the spin more profitable. It allows one to free one's arms," he said.

The explosive right-hander, who claimed that he never looks back in regret, said his big knocks won't count anything for him if the team had not won ultimately.

"I never look back. I have never looked back on those innings. What is gone is gone, it's over," he asserted.

"Nothing more thrilling than winning"

Asked whether his two triple centuries in Tests mean anything special to him, Sehwag replied, "They don't. Surely not as much as winning a match for your team. All of us play to win. Nothing is more thrilling than winning a match for your team." Sehwag also recalled how an advice from former India captain Sunil Gavaskar helped him correct his stance.

"Once Sunil Gavaskar asked me look to take middle or off-stump guard. And I think it has suited me. With a leg-stump guard, you could be chasing a wide delivery. Or leaving a gap. With a middle-and-off stump guard, the bowler doesn't know where to pitch his stuff.

"If it is in stumps, you could whip it to onside. If it is outside the off-stump, he is allowing you to play your favourite shots. I always take middle stump guard," he said.

Sehwag also had a unique way of keeping focussed at the crease.

Sehwag hum songs

"I want my mind to be absolutely free while facing up to a bowler. I try to hum songs, bhajans, Sai Baba bhajans, Kishore Kumar songs, especially those pictured on Amitabh Bachchan, till the bowler is about to deliver," he said.

"I then tell myself: Watch It. I try to sing songs as perfectly as possible in order to keep my mind completely uncluttered," the 30-year-old batsman said.

On whether it would be tough to find a replacement for Anil Kumble, Sehwag said, "Kumble was in a league of his own. It's impossible to get a bowler like him." "In his absence, Harbhajan Singh is our frontline spinner. On foreign pitches, it would be three pacers and Harbhajan. So there would be added responsibility on him. He is now sufficiently experienced and one hopes he would rise to the occasion.

Jayawardene turns sight on India series

After the 2-1 ODI series victory over Pakistan, Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene has now turned his sight on India.

He said his side was keen to avenge their home loss against Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men last year.

The Sri Lankans went down 2-3 to India in the one-day series and Jayawardene didn't mince words when he said they were looking to turn things around when Dhoni's team tours the island nation for a five-match series starting on Wednesday.

"The defeat to India hurt us badly and we are now looking forward to turning things around this time," Jayawardene said on Sunday before leaving Pakistan.

India will be tougher opponents, says SL skipper

The captain though cautioned his players that India would be a tougher opponent than Pakistan.

"India is shaping up well in both forms of the game. We beat them in Tests but lost the one-day matches, so it would be a good series and we would try to keep the momentum going," he said.

Jayawardene was happy with the way his team performed against Pakistan.

"It has been a good series for us in Pakistan and the players showed lot of character coming back from defeat in the first match. The batting has also started to click so it's a good sign and progress before we take on India," he said.

The skipper agreed that if Sri Lanka have to beat India their batting will have to be consistent throughout the series.

"We have had problems with consistency with our batting in recent series being bowled out for low totals. But the good thing is we still managed to win and that shows the character in the team," Jayawardene said.

Pakistan drop to fifth spot

Pakistan has slipped one place to fifth in the ICC ODI Championship table following its 2-1 series defeat at home to Sri Lanka.

Although Shoaib Malik's team won the first ODI of the series in Karachi thanks to a brilliant unbeaten century by Salman Butt, it then proceeded to lose the second and third matches after impressive displays by the visitors.

That means Pakistan loses three ratings points and drops below New Zealand into fifth place on the table.

SL team retains seventh spot

For its part, Sri Lanka has gained two ratings points from that series and as a result stays in seventh position but it is now just one point behind England in sixth spot.

Mahela Jayawardene and his men next face third-placed India in a five-match ODI series from Wednesday.

Sri Lanka is a team with a proud one-day pedigree having won the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1996 and was runner-up the last time around in the West Indies.

During that event in April 2007 it was ranked as high as fourth in the world so no doubt the players will feel they belong further up that ladder than seventh.

Meanwhile, despite winning the series against Zimbabwe 2-1 Bangladesh lost one ratings point to 46 but has maintained its place in ninth position in the rankings. Zimbabwe is now just two ratings points behind 10th-placed Ireland having gained a point from that series.

There will be plenty of opportunities for change at the bottom of the table with Zimbabwe heading to 12th-placed Kenya for a five ODI series beginning in Mombasa on Tuesday.

Sri Lanka clinch series victory

Seamers Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara turned in a stunning performance with the new ball as Sri Lanka secured a stunning 234-run victory over Pakistan to clinch the one-day series 2-1.

Nuwan Kulasekara and Thilan Thushara ended Pakistan's hopes of overhauling a target of 310 by claiming three wickets apiece in quick succession to leave Pakistan reeling at 22 for six in just under nine overs.

Muttiah Muralitharan then reached the 500-wicket mark in the one-day game with two tail-end wickets as Pakistan were skittled out for 75 runs in just 22.4 overs.

Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (137 not out) had put Sri Lanka in command with an unbeaten century, helping Sri Lanka amass 309 for five in their 50 overs.

Kulasekara and left-arm seamer Thushara then quickly hit stride and effectively ended the match as a contest even before Pakistan could get their chase off the ground.

Pakistan decided to tweak their fragile batting order, opening the innings with Younis Khan and dropping first match centurion Salman Butt down to three.

The move backfired as Younis (four) was trapped in front by Thushara with the last ball of his first over.

Kulasekara then swung into action, inducing an edge from Butt (zero) which was held by Thilina Kandamby at first slip.

They fell like nine pins

Wicketkeeper batsman Kamran Akmal (nine) lasted a couple of overs before he was consumed by Thushara, while Farveez Maharoof took a fine reflex catch at short midwicket to send back opener Khurram Manzoor (three) off Kulasekara.

Misbah-ul Haq was dismissed for a seven-ball duck, caught behind off Thushara, while Shahid Afridi (zero) was bowled, shouldering arms to a delivery that nipped back.

Umar Gul (27) looked good during a 44-run stand with skipper Shoaib Malik (19) which helped Pakistan get past the 50-run mark, a feat which looked distinctly unlikely after the new-ball blitz.

Muralitharan enters the 500 wicket club

But the pair were dismissed off successive deliveries and Muralitharan cleaned up the tail to bring up victory.

Muralitharan needs only two more wickets to level Pakistan's Wasim Akram (502), the leading wicket-taker in ODIs.

Earlier, Dilshan gave Sri Lanka a solid start in the company of Sanath Jayasuriya (45), vindicating Mahela Jayawardene's decision to bat first under overcast skies.

Jayasuriya fell immediately after enforcing the batting power play at the start of the 16th over, but Dilshan consolidated the innings through a 108-run stand for the second wicket with Kumar Sangakkara (50).

Fast bowler Gul struck quick blows at the death, removing Jayawardene (18) and Chamara Kapugedera (nought) in the same over, but Sri Lanka powered on to 309 for five in 50 overs.

Did Malik miss Akhtar?

Pakistan dropped bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Sohail Tanvir and brought in inexperienced youngsters Sohail Khan and Saeed Ajmal.

Sohail shared new-ball duties with Gul - both started with maiden overs - and kept Sri Lanka on a tight leash with accurate first spells.

Gul's first six overs yielded just 16 runs, while Sohail conceded only 18 from the same number of overs, forcing the Sri Lanka openers into several false shots.

Ifthikar Anjum then proved expensive, however, and Jayasuriya broke the shackles to swing momentum Sri Lanka's way by hitting him for three boundaries and a six in his fourth over.

Jayasuriya flattered to deceive

But Jayasuriya fell victim to Gul in the next over, the left-hander miscuing a pull shot which went straight to Ajmal at mid-on.

Sangakkara and Dilshan started with a mix-up which almost cost another wicket, but settled down to plunder runs.

Another mix-up ended Sangakkara's innings, but Dilshan forged a half-century partnership with Thilina Kandamby (32) and went on to reach his second century in 155 ODIs with a single off Ajmal.

Dilshan's knock came off 139 deliveries and was punctuated by 10 boundaries. Gul finished with three wickets from nine overs, conceding 45 runs, while Ifthikar conceded 53 runs from five overs and was not used again..

Bowling good, batting poor

After a shocking defeat in the tri-nation opener, things went from bad to worse as the Bangladesh lost the first game of the three-match series by two wickets. However, the Tigers yesterday savored success by securing a 2-1 series victory against Zimbabwe yesterday.

The initial target was to whitewash the lowly African nation in the series as consolation for their first defeat but Mohammad Ashraful's men settled for a face-saving series victory when they beat Zimbabwe by six-wicket in the series deciding curtailed-over match at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

Definitely it came as a relief but the series left more questions to answer ahead of their next international assignment at home against Pakistan in March. All the credit must go to the bowlers who continued their recent impressive performance but coach Jamie Siddons needs to find swift answers about his brittle top order batting.

In reply to a paltry target of 120 in 37 overs, Bangladesh reached home for the loss of four wickets with 27 balls remaining. However, the scoreboard was misleading as the top order batting looked shaky despite the fact that the pitch was much better than in the first two games.

Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful also admitted that they have to give a long look at their batting to earn international success.

"It's really fine that we finally bounced back to win the series and I must say our bowlers played an excellent role in the series victory. They (the bowlers) showed character in the last few series but we have a real headache with our batting," said Ashraful in a post-match briefing.

"If our batting had clicked like the bowling we could get much more international success in the last few months. So, we have to work hard on our batting and I think the coming premier division cricket league will be helpful for us to return among runs," he added.

He however said that it was not easy to bat on this pitch and that was the reason the low-scoring games were produced in the tri-nation and three-match one-day series.

"Yes, most of our players are stroke-makers and that's why it was not so easy for us to score runs here. But as the bowlers were in good form, the management had decided to give them the advantage," he explained.

"I was lucky enough as we won the toss in three games. In the first game I made a mistake by deciding to bat first. The toss was a really important factor," he confessed when asked about how he evaluated his team's 2-2 record against the Zimbabweans.

Ashraful praised his bowlers, particularly his deputy Mashrafe Bin Mortaza.

"We were under pressure after the defeat in the first game but the bowlers did an excellent job especially what I believe is that Mashrafe is in his peak form for the last one year. And Shakib was excellent. I believe that as a team we are improving," said Ashraful.

Zimbabwe skipper Prosper Utseya also heaped praise on the Tigers as he believes that Bangladesh has been improving day by day in the international arena.

"Bangladesh is showing improvement and they deserved the victory. We should work out our top order failure, though given the conditions it was not easy to bat here," said Prosper.

Mohammad Ashraful might be a relieved man after the series win but in no way can he relax because the boos of the supporters while he was receiving the trophy will ring on in his ears for a long time to come.

Super Shakib

It was a special day for Shakib Al Hasan as he took centre stage yesterday as he started the match as the best all rounder in the world.

Going to sleep early after the news was broken to him on Thursday night, Shakib contributed significantly to yesterday's decider by picking up three wickets and scoring an unbeaten 33 off 36 deliveries to make the day memorable for both him and the Tigers.

The holiday crowd on Friday chanted his name and got behind him entirely and the object of their affection did little to disappoint as he kept to his reputation of guiding his side to victory. But, despite all his achievements and attention the lad from Magura remains level-headed about it all and thinks its best to not let success get to his head.

"I tried to sleep early last night. When I went in to bat, I had it in my mind that I'll have to do something today because I would need to prove my worth as the best all-rounder. No doubt it is my personal success but my team's victory is much more important to me and comes first" said Shakib admitting that he was excited when he went in to bat.

"After this success people will expect more out of me, but I am positive in my thinking and outlook. I believe my achievements will inspire my other teammates and our team can rise through the ranks in international cricket. I also believe that more players from Bangladesh will make it in the ICC Championship rankings" he added.

Shakib also came up with a popular saying, "It's easier to achieve independence but difficult to maintain, so I have to be keep my feet on the ground".

When asked which one of his performances was his best, the all rounder smiled and said, "actually my memory is not that sharp, however I can remember a few batting performances".

While Shakib is having a ball on the field, his captain Mohammad Ashraful is clearly going through a bad patch but has the full support of his team.

When asked about all the criticism against Ashraful, Shakib said, "Its not easy to captain a side like Bangladesh, Ash (Mohammad Ashraful) is not scoring at the moment but I do not think he is batting badly. It's just a matter of time before he comes back from the rust and makes a big score".

There has been a lot of debate on the pitches in Mirpur which has produced low scoring games so far and Shakib believes that it would be difficult if the same pitches are prepared for the upcoming series against Pakistan in March, owing largely to the opponent's strong seam attack.

Shakib stars for Bangladesh

Shakib Al Hasan put in a match-winning performance with both bat and ball to steer Bangladesh to a 2-1 series win over Zimbabwe in the third one-day international in Mirpur.

In a match reduced to 37 overs per side due to heavy fog, Shakib took the spotlight in both innings as the Tigers chased down their opponents' 119 with six wickets in hand.

Shakib finished with bowling figures of three for 15 from eight overs, and he starred again in the Bangladesh reply with a measured 33 not out to see his side home.

The day started poorly for Zimbabwe after play belatedly got under way with the impressive Mashrafe Mortaza trapping Vusi Sibanda leg before without a run on the scoreboard.

Mortaza, impressing with the new ball, quickly removed Hamilton Masakadza and Stuart Matsikenyeri to leave the batting side wobbling at 31 for three.

Sean Williams weighed in with 38 valuable runs, including five boundaries, in a productive partnership with Keith Dabengwa, who finished undefeated on 21.

Tamim Iqbal got the chase off to a good start, hitting five fours on his way to a 49-ball 34, but an early run out and Mohammad Ashraful's dismissal for just three gave Zimbabwe hope.

Spinner Ray Price was responsible for that wicket, one of two he claimed in a remarkable spell of 7-2-9-2.

But even that level of economy was not enough to hold off Bangladesh as Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim (20no off 31 balls) secured the six-wicket victory.

Proteas blow Australia away

Albie Morkel again provided the late hitting to guide South Africa to a three-wicket win against Australia in the third ODI.

Morkel's heavy scoring has proved invaluable for the visitors in the final overs so far in the series, and so it proved again as the 27-year-old all-rounder blasted 40 off 22 balls to help his side reach their target of 270 with 21 balls to spare.

Opener Herschelle Gibbs top-scored for the South Africans with 64 from 52 balls to provide the platform for his side to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Earlier, a middle-order collapse restricted Australia from posting a bigger total than they may have expected. Rookie David Warner blasted 69 from 60 balls, but the hosts lost four for 44 in the middle overs before being bowled out for 269.

The Proteas nevertheless had to fight for the win and had Mark Boucher to thank for making an unbeaten 31 after coming to the crease with the game in the balance.

South Africa skipper Johan Botha, who kept the visitors in the contest with a superb spell of bowling returning figures of three for 32 from 10 overs, fittingly struck the winning runs.

Gibbs' half-century gave South Africa the start they were craving as the veteran opener blasted 10 boundaries and a six on his way to a rapid 64 off 52 deliveries.

Both openers received a life in the first over of the run-chase as first Ricky Ponting dropped Hashim Amla, before David Hussey put down a simple chance at backward point to let Gibbs off the hook and deny Shaun Tait an early breakthrough.

Amla's stay came to an abrupt end with his score on 13 when a horrible mix-up between the wickets gifted Australia the breakthrough.

Gibbs, meanwhile, continued to look threatening, blasting Mitchell Johnson over the extra-cover fence, while Jacques Kallis was content to nudge the ball around bringing up 10,000 runs in one-day internationals on his way to hitting 60.

Momentum turned when Johnson removed Gibbs who edged to Michael Hussey at slip before Nathan Bracken continued the revival by removing AB De Villiers cheaply, also caught by Hussey at first slip.

Australia's chances were further strengthened when Nathan Hauritz bowled JP Duminy for nine, and when Tait had Kallis caught behind the Australians were right back in it.

Boucher and Neil McKenzie (27) set about rescuing the innings, putting on 46 runs before McKenzie was caught short of his ground attempting to steal a run on the arm of Warner.

But Morkel, who was not without luck as Tait dropped a diving chance with his score on 10, was up to the task.

Warner plays a crucial innings

Australia head earlier appeared on course for a mammoth total but a steady flow of wickets saw the hosts bowled out for 269 in the final over.

The opening hour of play belonged to Warner who slammed six boundaries and two sixes to set the SCG alight and hand his side a dream start.

Warner's attack began in the fifth over blasting spearhead Dale Steyn for 15 runs.

The visitors turned to Kallis to try and stem the flow of runs but Warner showed the veteran all-rounder little respect sending his first delivery to the mid-wicket fence.

With momentum on their side the hosts opted to take their batting powerplay in the 17th over forcing Botha to bring Steyn back into the attack.

Despite the loss of both Warner and Shaun Marsh (43), the hosts made good use of the powerplay but the contest quickly turned in the visitors' favour when Australia lost three wickets for 23 runs in a damaging six-over period.

Bangla win match, series

Shakib Al Hasan put in a match-winning performance to steer Bangladesh to a 2-1 series win over Zimbabwe.

In a match reduced to 37 overs per side due to heavy fog, Shakib took the spotlight in both knocks as the Tigers chased down their opponents' 119 with six wickets in hand.

Shakib turned in a miserly spell of eight overs for 15 in the first innings, collecting three wickets along the way.

Amazingly, four of the 24-year-old's overs were maidens as the tourists struggled to establish any rhythm at the crease.

He was at it again in the Bangladesh reply, putting together a measured 33 not out to see his side home.

The day started poorly for Zimbabwe after play belatedly got under way with the impressive Mashrafe Mortaza trapping Vusi Sibanda leg before without a run on the scoreboard.

Mortaza, impressing with the new ball, quickly removed Hamilton Masakadza and Stuart Matsikenyeri for 10 apiece to leave the batting side wobbling at 31 for three.

Sean Williams weighed in with 38 valuable runs, including five boundaries, in a productive partnership with Keith Dabengwa, who finished undefeated on 21.

Tamim Iqbal got the chase off to a good start, hitting five fours on his way to a 49-ball 34, but an early run out and danger man Mohammad Ashraful's dismissal for just three gave Zimbabwe hope.

Spinner Ray Price was responsible for that wicket, one of two he claimed in a remarkable spell of 7-2-9-2.

But even that level of economy was not enough to hold off Bangladesh as Shakib (33no off 36 balls) and Mushfiqur Rahim (20no off 31 balls) secured the six-wicket victory.

Malik fined for slow play

Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik was fined 20% of his match fee for slow over rates in the second one-day international against Sri Lanka in Karachi.

Sri Lanka had lost the first match on Tuesday by eight wickets, but came back strongly to clinch an imposing 129-run win to square the three-match series 1-1.

Pakistan, with a pace attack comprising Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul and Ifthikar Anjum had struggled with their over rates on Tuesday as well, but had bowled out Sri Lanka in just over 45 overs to escape punishment. Sri Lanka, however, batted their full quota of overs on Wednesday which left Pakistan in trouble.

Match referee Chris Broad imposed the fines after Malik's side were ruled to be two overs short of their target when time allowances were taken into consideration.

The players were fined 10% of their match fee and skipper Malik double the amount.