Adam Gilchrist refused to wave the white flag, but admitted that Australia would need a monumental effort to ensure that Steve Waugh’s farewell Test isn’t remembered as an ignominious defeat. “We never give up hope,” he said with a wry smile. “And we always give it our best shot.”Gilchrist reckoned that Australia, who have set the standards for everyone else to match in recent seasons, would need to emulate India to stand any chance of salvaging something from the game. “When we do get the chance to bat, we need to learn from the way they batted … very patiently and watching the ball closely.”Despite acknowledging that the team had been physically and mentally taxed, Gilchrist said that there was no dearth of spirit in the team. “We’ve stuck to our task, but have been undone by some outstanding batting,” he said. “And a few catches have gone down, which has been one thing that’s let us down this series. I’ve been as responsible as anyone else.”He rated the Indians as the toughest opponents that he had faced. “It’s been the toughest home series I’ve played in. It’s been a real challenge to find ways to get these guys out. It’s one of the best batting line-ups in the world, going back a long way.”Asked what India had done differently to other sides, he said, “What they’ve done is been able to bat for long periods against us. You could point to the absence of McGrath and Warne, and also to their exceptional batting. I think it’s been a bit of both. [Virender] Sehwag and [Akash] Chopra have also done a great job opening the batting.”As for the two men who meted out the punishment today, Gilchrist didn’t hold back on the superlatives. “VVS seems extraordinary each time we play him. We can’t work out why he then goes away, and is left out of the team [for the 2003 World Cup]. As for Tendulkar, it was inevitable that he was going to come good. He looked a bit tentative yesterday, but was back in the groove today. He looked like the class act that he is.”There was some disappointment at the booing directed at Stuart MacGill after he dropped both Tendulkar and Laxman during the course of the day’s play. “I can understand that there’s a lot of frustration at not being part of a fairytale, after all the hype going into the game. But it’s the soft option to boo, the cheap option.”Gilchrist played one of the all-time great Test innings, 204 not out, at Johannesburg two seasons ago, to set up what Waugh termed two days ago as the most impressive victory of his tenure. A reprise is needed tomorrow, or the day after, depending on when India close their innings, if Australia – and Steve Waugh – are to leave the SCG with anything more than tears and regrets.

India’s tour of Pakistan has been delayed by a week due to logistical problems, and will begin no later than the second week of March.According to a report by Rediff.com, Jagmohan Dalmiya, the Indian cricket board head, announced that security was also a reason for the postponement.”The tour will be delayed by about a week,” Dalmiya said. “It shouldn’t start later than the second week of March, but the team won’t be able to go earlier because we are trying to fully cover all points, security as well.”The Indian cricket board is expected to announce the tour itinerary on Saturday. India is due to play three Tests and five one-dayers in their first full visit to Pakistan since 1989-90.

Scorecard

Sachin Tendulkar emulated Inzamam-ul-Haq’s Karachi heroics with a dazzling 141, but it wasn’t enough to inspire India to an improbable victory after they were set 330 to win by Pakistan at Rawalpindi. Shoaib Akhtar, playing his 100th one-day international in front of his home crowd, winkled out India’s lower order as they fell 12 runs short at the finish.As long as Tendulkar was at the crease, India were favourites to pull it off. He batted magnificently, passing 13,000 runs along the way, and adding 105 with Rahul Dravid to set the game up for India. The slow bowlers were cut, swept and paddle-swept deftly, while the pace bowlers were creamed through the covers, and lofted over midwicket with ease.Ironically, it was that shot that proved his downfall, when he slog-swept Shoaib Malik down to Abdul Razzaq at deep midwicket (245 for 4). His 141 took just 135 deliveries, and gave the remaining batsmen the perfect platform to make a charge.Dravid eased to 36 before some extra pace from Mohammad Sami bowled him (260 for 5). And Yuvraj Singh then reeled off 19 in quick time before striking a Shahid Afridi delivery straight to Shabbir Ahmed at deep midwicket (282 for 6).With Shoaib back into the attack, Mohammad Kaif scooped one to point (284 for 7) and Zaheer Khan was trapped leg before first ball to leave Pakistan on the verge of victory. But Ramesh Power, the debutant, and L Balaji gave them a real fright, smashing 30 from just 15 balls to set up a thrilling climax. When Balaji was run out, and Ashish Nehra bowled by Sami, it was all over, with eight balls still to be bowled. The gallant Powar, unbeaten on 18, could only watch in frustration.Virender Sehwag and Tendulkar had started the pursuit by treating Shoaib with some respect, while going after Shabbir, who had come into the team to replace Naved-ul-Hasan. Sehwag went after him first, tonking one over midwicket and then smacking him over cover for four more.By then, Tendulkar had his eye in, as he proved when he cut Shoaib over point,before flicking him past the square-leg fielder. Shabbir then pitched one in the slot, and Tendulkar played a glorious cover-drive, following up with a clever glance off his pads for four more.

With India ahead of the asking rate, Shoaib struck with a beautiful delivery. It was full, and knocked back the off stump when Sehwag played around it (56 for 1).Soon after, India were rocked again, when VVS Laxman, who made just 4, was trapped leg before by Sami, as he tried to shuffle across the crease (71 for 2). Ganguly then enjoyed a reprieve, when Shoaib put down a sitter at mid-off after he had given Shabbir the charge.His luck didn’t last though, and when he gave Afridi the charge after a patchy 15, he was stumped by yards (140 for 3). That got Tendulkar and Dravid together. Singles and twos were scampered, despite Tendulkar appearing to suffer from fatigue, and fours plundered when the bowlers erred in line or length.Pakistan’s own run feast was the result of a stunning opening partnership. With Afridi back in the side, and back to his wood-cutting best, the new-ball pairing of Balaji and Zaheer were given a pummelling. Afridi started with an inside-edged four off Balaji, but then calibrated his sights to smash some splendid strokes straight down the ground and through midwicket.Yasir Hameed’s approach was more orthodox, with a couple of gorgeous cover-drives giving the Indians plenty to chew on. Only Nehra, who came on as first change, kept the runs down, as Ganguly was compelled to call on his slow bowlers.Sehwag, though, was targetted for special treatment, with Afridi slamming sixes over midwicket and long-off. Powar wasn’t scared to flight the ball, and he got appreciable turn at times. As for Yuvraj, he made an impact with just his second delivery, inducing a reckless heave across the line from Afridi, whose rollicking 80 had taken just 58 balls (138 for 1).Yousuf Youhana compiled an elegant 24 before Yuvraj struck again. Youhana played outside the line, and edged one back on to his stumps (191 for 2). But Inzamam came in next, and thumped Powar for a straight six, as Pakistan appeared on course for a huge total.The next break came courtesy some calamitous running. Hameed, who made 86, played one to short third man, and by the time he responded to Inzamam’s call, Nehra’s throw to Yuvraj had beaten him (225 for 3).That set the stage for Nehra. Included only after a late fitness test, the first ball of his new spell bowled Inzamam (28) off a thin edge, and the next trapped Moin Khan in front for 0. Malik jammed down on a superb yorker to ensure that there would be no hat-trick.Nehra’s intervention proved only a temporary respite as Younis Khan – who made 28 before tickling a catch behind off Nehra – Malik and Razzaq, the consummate finisher, took Pakistan past 320 with aggressive running, cleverly placed shots, and a little help from Indian fumbles in the field. It proved to be just about enough, despite an unforgettable knock from Tendulkar.

Eagles 185 for 5 (Bosman 84*) beat Dolphins 181 for 5(Sugden 50, Klusener 63*) by 4 runs
ScorecardAfter losing the toss and being asked to bat first in front of 8,025spectators at Kingsmead, the Eagles smashed the highest total of the Standard Bank PRO20 Series. Thanks to Loots Bosman’s undefeated 84, they racked up a total of 185 for 5, with the last 100 runs of the innings coming off 8.1 overs.Boeta Dippenaar and Nicky Boje set the tone of the innings, with both batsmen scoring at better than a run-a-ball. Bosman came to the crease at 55 for 2 after eight overs and a high total was already onthe cards. But he took the bowling by the scruff of the neck, smashingsix fours and six huge sixes, two of which ended up on the roof ofthe stadium. His 84 was scored off only 44 deliveries and he wasinvolved in a 78-run partnership, in six overs, with Benjamin Hector,who madde 29 off 17.In reply, the Dolphins needed a solid start, but disaster struck when they lost two wickets in the first two overs. Craig Sugden, back in Durban after a stint with Border, picked things up with 50 from 35 balls, before holding out to long-on. Lance Klusener thenstrode to the crease with the Dolphins’ hopes squarely on his shoulders.His 50 came up in 26 deliveries, but needing 24 off the last six balls was always going to be a big ask. Jon Kent managed two fours and a single in the first three balls, and Klusener two fours and a two thereafter, but he finished stranded on 63 from 30 balls. The Dolphins should have got him in earlier.

Abhijit Kale, the Maharashtra batsman who was accused last year of offering bribes to two national selectors, has been banned by the Indian board (BCCI) until December 31 this year. Kiran More and Pranab Roy, both members of the national selection committee, had complained that Kale had offered them a bribe last year to ensure himself a place in the Indian squad to tour Australia. Kale had denied the comments.However, the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) is planning to ask the Indian board to reconsider the decision. Speaking to Wisden Cricinfo shortly after the announcement, Dynaeshwar Agashe, the chairman of the MCA, said: “If he has not given any bribe this is a very harsh decision. He has already lost one season of cricket and suffered last year. So we are going to request the BCCI to reconsider the decision. If the evidence is inconclusive, this punishment is too much.”Agashe also said that the Maharashtra selectors would not hold this against Kale, and would continue to pick him if he is fit and can find a place in the side on the merit of his consistent performances.A BCCI enquiry was then instituted, which completed its investigation recently and submitted its report to the board. According to the television channel, NDTV, Kale has given a letter of apology to the BCCI, in which he admits that he tried to “influence the selectors”, while insisting that he had never tried to bribe them.Kale’s letter said: “The entire episode has unnecessarily tarnished the image of the board. I accept that it was wrong on my part to influence the selectors by approaching them directly or through my parents. With regard to the issue of offering money to the selectors, I wish to state that I was misunderstood and I assure you that I had no such intention. I tender [an] unqualified apology for my said act.”The BCCI, not having enough evidence to hand Kale a harsh sentence, has, thus, decided to ban him for a year, with the sentence beginning retrospectively, and thus running till December 31 this year. Jagmohan Dalmiya, the board president, justified the punishment, saying: “The disciplinary committee unanimously felt that although a strong case of offering money was made out against Abhijit Kale, no extreme or severe punishment should be given to him in the absence of direct proof.”However,” he continued, “there [has] been cogent proof of Kale trying to influence the selectors directly, or through his parents, which he has admitted in his unconditional apology letter. The disciplinary committee held Kale guilty of gross misconduct and indiscipline. Taking into account Kale’s personal future career and his unconditional apologies as well as the suspension that he had undergone since November 21, 2003, the disciplinary committee decided that he should remain suspended till December 31, 2004.”Dalmiya also had a word about the complainants. “In addition to this,” he said, “the disciplinary committee also felt that the two national selectors, More and Roy, should have intimated Kale’s attempt to influence them forthwith to the board, instead of delaying it. The committee recommended to the board [the idea of] framing a code of conduct for the selectors in the future.”More, one of the selectors who accused Kale, said that he welcomed the decision and respected the board’s judgment.

South Australia have announced their squad for the 2004-05 season, and it includes three of the most promising players from grade cricket. Jack Smith and Dan Cullen (both Adelaide) and Matthew Weeks (Port Adelaide) have been offered senior contracts for the summer.Smith, a right-hand batsman who captained the Adelaide Buffalos to the A-grade premiership earlier this year, scored 739 runs at 49.27 during 2003-04. He is not only an outstanding batsman but has been identified for his exceptional leadership qualities.Cullen, a 20-year-old offspinner, had an impressive year, taking 41 wickets at 20.98 for Adelaide and contributing 17 wickets at 29.82 in five Cricket Australia Cup matches for South Australia.Weeks, a talented 21-year-old allrounder from Port Adelaide, enjoyed a successful season which saw him poll 24 votes in the tightly contested 2004 Bradman Medal – only four behind the winner Shane Deitz. Weeks made 572 runs at an average of 44 in his 11 A-grade matches for Port, and took 24 wickets with his fast-medium bowling.The SACA’s general manager, Harvey Jolly, said all three players have an appetite for success. “These three young players all have strived to be recognised by producing outstanding performances at grade level and have been rewarded with a state contract as a result,” he said. “We look forward to seeing them replicate their success at state level next season.”South Australia’s highest first-class runscorer in 2003-04, 19-year-old Mark Cosgrove, has also signed for another year. Cosgrove made 639 runs at 45.64 last season.Rookie contracts have been awarded to 2003-04 rookie and fast-medium bowler Chris Duval, the Sturt legspinner Cullen Bailey and Shannon Hurn, an up-and-coming 16-year-old batsman from Northern Districts.South Australia squad Greg Blewett, Ben Cameron, Mark Cleary, Daniel Cullen, Mark Cosgrove, John Davison, Shane Deitz, Jason Gillespie,Callum Ferguson, Andy Flower, Ryan Harris, Mark Higgs, Trent Kelly, Darren Lehmann, Graham Manou, Mick Miller, Paul Rofe, Jack Smith, Shaun Tait, Matthew Weeks.Rookies: Chris Duval, Cullen Bailey, Shannon Hurn.

Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, has started training again following a minor operation on his stomach almost two months ago.”I am starting to push myself, but I might be a bit low on strength because I am behind on my weight-training schedule," Smith told in South Africa. "It was quite sore where they cut through the stomach muscles and I had to go slowly when I started training again. I’ve had to learn to eat more slowly, because the op has made my stomach smaller."Smith had the operation, at Kingsbury Hospital in Cape Town, to reconstruct a defective stomach valve. He has had the defect, which affects his body’s ability to filter stomach acids properly, since birth. While it is not debilitating, the faulty valve had caused him discomfort for several years, particularly during times of stress.”It got uncomfortable at times, especially when I was under a bit of stress. It got quite bad before and during our tour of New Zealand,” he said. “We have had a bit of a break so it seemed the best time to get it sorted out.”Smith will now join the South African squad at the Tukkies High Performance Centre in Pretoria on July 19 for a four-day training camp ahead of their five-week tour of Sri Lanka.

Thieves have stolen jewellery worth £70,000 from the home of Ian Botham, the former England allrounder turned TV commentator. The jewels were snatched during a party at his luxury home in Ravensworth in North Yorkshire, and police have confirmed that they are investigating a “high value” theft in the area between July 23 and 24.According to a report in , Botham’s wife Kathy discovered the jewellery was missing after guests had left a party they were hosting. Botham is not the first English cricket personality to fall victim to thieves this year – a burglar made off with Michael Vaughan’s watch and wallet, containing more than £1000, and £300 and 17 credit cards belonging to Darren Gough after sneaking into the England dressing-room during a practice session at Chester-le-Street at the end of June.Besides the money, Vaughan’s wallet contained a match ticket from the Antigua Test last April, autographed by Brian Lara, who broke the Test batting record with an unbeaten 400 in that game.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the president of the Indian cricket board, has blamed Zee Telefilms and ESPN-Star Sports, the opposing parties in the telecast-rights issue, for putting the Australian series in jeopardy. Dalmiya felt that the TV channels had placed their commercial interests ahead of the public interest for the game.Dalmiya’s comments came in the wake of the battle for TV rights to telecast international matches in India for the next four years. Addressing a press conference in Kolkata, Dalmiya revealed that the BCCI had been “pushed back to the wall” and had “no elbow-room” to arrive at a solution.”We need TV channels for the telecasting of the matches. But they are not ready to come to an agreement so that we can ensure the live coverage of the matches. We require TV channels, but cricket is supreme.”Dalmiya reiterated that the board was trying its best to ensure that the series was telecast live, and said that they had proposed four options to Zee and ESS. “We are making necessary arrangements. We will make an announcement within the next few days.”The first option was to submit fresh bids before the Mumbai High Court whereby rights could be awarded to the highest bidder. The second option was the division of the four-year telecast period into two parts. That would mean that the upcoming three cricket series will be segregated from the total period under consideration. Dalmiya added: “The four-year TV rights contract would then have commenced from May 2005.”As a third option, the TV companies were asked to submit tenders for the coverage of only these three cricket series. The final option was for the BCCI to produce the television coverage of these matches on its own.Dalmiya also said that the board had tried to convince the ICC about holding the series without TV coverage. “In a letter to the BCCI, the Australian Cricket Board even threatened not to come and play in India,” Dalmiya said. “If there was no television coverage. So, we had no option before us other than cancelling the whole tender process.”

Duncan Fletcher was pleased with his team’s perseverance after they hadlost the toss and were asked to field first on the opening day of thethird Test at Newlands. Despite 74 from Graeme Smith and a serene 81 notout from Jacques Kallis, South Africa were restricted to 247 for 4 in the day’s 90 overs."We’re quite happy with our performance on that wicket," said Fletcher. "Ithink the guys have done a good job, because it’s quite a flat track and afast outfield and it’s not offering the bowlers anything. From our pointof view, we’d have looked to have scored over 300 if we were only fourdown on the first day, so it was pleasing to restrict them to around 250.I think if we can restrict them to around 350 or 400 that would be a goodeffort.”It was a tough ask for England’s bowlers to get back out into the field sosoon after their victory charge in the second Test was scuppered by badlight, but Fletcher conceded that the conditions here are much morepleasant than at Durban. “I don’t think the guys looked too tired at theend of the day, but it’s totally different to Durban and it’s a lot morepleasant playing cricket here temperature-wise.”It’s not easy and it would have been asking too much if we were playingin Durban today, but you have that cool breeze here which helps. It’sdifficult to maintain that intensity over two days, but we’ve playedback-to-back Tests in Sri Lanka and that is a hard ask – it’s not as hardplaying this one."England’s day began with a late selection drama, as Mark Butcher – who hadbeen under pressure for his place – was ruled out at the last minute witha troublesome wrist injury. "He felt a twinge while he was batting inDurban," explained Fletcher. "He saw a doctor yesterday, but when we goton the bus this morning, I thought he was playing." Butcher’s place hasbeen taken by Robert Key.