Mark Cosgrove and Brett Dorey will replace Damien Martyn and Stuart Clark for the three-match one-day series in Bangladesh. Martyn played in the first Test but is returning home due to an elbow injury, while Clark is going back to Sydney to be with his wife for the birth of their child.Cosgrove, a 21-year-old left-hand batsman for South Australia, hasn’t yet played international cricket but has impressed in the first-class circuit, averaging 41 from 24 matches. Dorey, 28, played three matches in the VB Series last season, but managed only one wicket.Australia have already made one other change to their squad, replacing Shane Watson with James Hopes. Watson hasn’t yet recovered completely from a calf injury he picked up in the recent Pura Cup final.
On the importance of Younis and Malik Malik has been performing for a while and Younis had a good time in theTests. They are good boys. Now they are seniors and it is theirresponsibility to perform.On the team being weak The team was not weak, but young.The pitch? The pitch was slow and low.On what he has learnt as captain [Jocularly] I get more angry. The more you captain, the more you learn.About his bad back There’s a bit of a problem, and the physio has advised three weeks’ rest.About the extensive travel [Again jokes] Travel-travel karke meri kamar chali gayi hai [I’vetravelled so much my back has given way].About the amount of cricket played There is so much cricket around the world, you just have to get used toit. If there is big gap between matches, that can also harm.On Afridi’s innings Afridi’s 40 was important. He lifted the pace, and India became defensive.
Just like his batting, Akash Chopra has a confidence that is not demonstrative. His batting is a mixture of careful consideration, precise and unfussy footwork, and unostentatious execution. While his more illustrious colleagues have hogged the headlines so far this series, Chopra, in only his first tour abroad, has worked tirelessly, and succeeded, in the job assigned to him. Defying the new ball, laying the bricks and paving the way. He has been India’s quiet hero of the series so far.”I have been given a job,” Chopra says, “to play off the new ball and to occupy the crease.” He has complied in outstanding manner. In no first innings so far has Rahul Dravid, who was a virtual opener on India’s last tour to Australia, been dragged out of the dressing room before the tenth over, and thrice Chopra has blunted the Australians for more than three hours. He has been the anchor to Virender Sehwag’s buccaneering strokeplay. Together, they have driven the Australians to distraction.”They complement each other very well,” concedes John Buchanan. “Chopra is somewhat limited in his strokeplay, but he has played well within himself. Sehwag is limitless in his strokeplay and presents a different kind of challenge. We know exactly how to bowl to the two of them, and we have stuck to our plans. But they have come up with some good performances in crucial times.”Though Chopra and Sehwag have been team-mates in the Delhi Ranji teams, they have rarely batted together in domestic cricket. While Chopra has forever been an opener, Sehwag has only opened for India. But they have an intrinsic understanding which is evident from the way they trust each other for singles. “Singles are a part of our strategy in the opening overs, when boundaries haven’t been easy to come,” Chopra says. “I know Veeru very well, we are very close friends, so it’s easy to strike an understanding.”Chopra missed a good part of India’s domestic season last year owing to a fractured finger, but managed to secure a place in the Indian side by performing in two trial matches against New Zealand. He prepared for the Australian tour by seeking advice from Sunil Gavaskar, Geoff Boycott and Mohinder Amarnath. “They told me to give the first hour to the bowler because the Kookaburra balls move more than the balls used in India. I have tried to do that.”If there’s one worry about Chopra’s batting, it’s been his inability to build on his start and play an innings of substance. He was out to a brute of a delivery today, but his dismissal has often been caused by a lapse of concentration. Chopra isn’t unduly worried, though. “This is a new level of cricket for me,” he says, “the standard is much higher than what I have been used to. But I have coped quite well I think. I am sure that a big innings will come anytime now.””If I can stay there for three hours, I am good enough to stay in for three more.”
West Indies selectors have preferred the promise of the future rather than the experience of the past in the five players they named yesterday as back-ups for their already chosen World Cup squad of 15.The five will participate in the two-week preparatory camp starting in Antigua January 12, prior to West Indies leaving for the tournament in South Africa and will be on call in case injury or illness eliminates any one of the original players before or during it, Michael Hall, West Indies Cricket Board chief cricket operations officer, explained.Left-hand all-rounder Ryan Hinds, 21, right-hand utility batsman Daren Ganga, 23, and fast bowler Darren Powell, 24, were all on the recent tour of India and Bangladesh and have played both Tests and One-Day Internationals.Left-hand opening batsman Devon Smith, 21, of Windward Islands, and wicketkeeper Keith Hibbert, 22, of Jamaica, toured England and Canada with the "A" team last July and August but are yet to appear at senior international level.All could realistically look forward to being involved in the next World Cup in 2007 in the West Indies. The older alternatives cannot.Fast bowler Cameron Cuffy, opening batsman Sherwin Campbell and wicketkeeper Courtney Browne, all 32, left-hand middle-order batsman Floyd Reifer, 30, and leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo, 27, were the more seasoned options.All have played Tests and One-Day Internationals, Cuffy and Nagamootoo as recently as the series in Bangladesh last month. But the new selection panel under former captain Sir Viv Richards is clearly looking ahead.Unless required further, the five back-up players will return to their regional teams for the start of the annual first-class tournament January 31.
Orissa beat Assam by 51 runs at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta earliertoday. A few days ago the coach of the Bengal team Palash Nundy wassaying that Orissa is the team of the future from the East. Hecouldn’t have made a better statement. Debashish Mohanty and his teammates put up a thoroughly professional display to outplay Assam in theRanji Trophy one-day encounter.Batting first after being put in Orissa totalled 249 for seven intheir 50 overs. They did so, after being reduced to 94 for the loss offour wickets in the 23rd over. A fifth wicket partnership of 123 runsin 139 balls runs between Pravanjan Mullick and P Jayachandra took thegame away from Assam. Mullick who scored an unbeaten 83 in 119 ballsshowed a lot of common sense while batting. He had six fours, alldrives in front of the wicket, on both sides. Jayachandra, who wasdropped by wicket keeper Vinayak Samant when on 14 had 52 beforeholing out to Parag Das at mid wicket. Both, helped by some shoddyfielding from the Assam team ran well during their partnership. As forAssam, left-arm medium pacer Gautam Dutta and Javed Zaman lookedimpressive. However, the others did not back them up.When Assam batted, Mohanty ripped through the top order. He had Paragdas caught at short leg in his very first over. Then, Ganesh Kumar wascaught behind by Gautam Gopal in Mohanty’s third over as he tried tosteer him. None of the Assam batsmen looked confident against him.Only Vinayak Samant managed to negotiate him with some degree ofcomfort. Samant was the top scorer for Assam with 84 in 115 balls witheight boundaries. The rest of the batsmen failed except for tailenderSunil Subramanium who made 27. The Assam innings folded for 199 in46.4 overs.Orissa, now have 4 points from two matches. Their last league matchagainst Bengal on December 10 will finally decide whether they willqualify for the Wills Trophy or not.
Tottenham Hotspur have been put through the wringer once again this season, with Thomas Frank struggling to get a tune out of the north London squad.
Sunday’s dour defeat against Nottingham Forest underlined the many issues that had already been written down, with errors rife and players bereft of confidence and coherence.
The indelibility of Spurs’ European triumph does not overrule the many problems that have stifled progress in recent months. Frank remains steadfast that he is the man for the job, but many of a Lilywhite persuasion are harbouring doubts, and that’s only going to intensify if an upswing is not found soon.
Why Frank's job is at risk
Following the defeat at Nottingham Forest, Frank was adamant that it would take time to get his Tottenham project up and running, with reporter Matt Law saying “Spurs have no identifiable culture”, thus making managerial merry-go-rounds ineffective, as we have seen over the past ten years down N17.
But Frank’s job is nonetheless at risk. Spurs are mired in 12th place in the Premier League, and with just one win from seven games, the gap between those in Champions League contention is beginning to widen.
The old boss, Ange Postecoglou, didn’t leave the most stable foundations, but Frank has taken the reins of control in north London and his pragmatism and reworked tactical style have depleted Tottenham of their attacking sparkle without establishing real green shoots.
This is painfully evidenced by the club’s dismal playmaking numbers in the top flight this season. Neither James Maddison nor Dejan Kulusevski has kicked a ball due to injury, but the blame still lies with the manager. He has talented options at his disposal.
Premier League 25/26 – xG Leaders
Club
League Position
xG
(1) Man City
2nd
30.3
(2) Chelsea
4th
26.9
(3) Man United
8th
26.8
(4) Arsenal
1st
26.5
(5) Crystal Palace
5th
26.2
(17) Tottenham
11th
15.2
Data via FBref
Take Xavi Simons, for example. The young Dutchman hasn’t had it all his way since signing, but he has the trappings of an elite attacking midfielder, and a new manager could help bring him up to his potential.
Spurs lining up Frank upgrade
According to Spanish reports, ENIC Group are growing wary of Frank’s progress since being appointed during the summer, and are believed to ‘want’ former Barcelona boss Xavi as their replacement.
This is not believed to be a short-term fix, but rather, a willingness to appoint a tactician for the long haul, bringing a proactive and intelligent system to the team.
The 45-year-old, who speaks fluent English, has even said in the past that he “would love to work in the Premier League”. It might just be a match made in heaven for a Spurs side craving an attractive footballing identity.
Much has been made of Hansi Flick’s success at La Blaugrana since arriving in 2024, but pundit Thierry Henry is of the opinion that it was Xavi’s work beforehand that has created the pillars of this thrilling Spanish squad, suggesting he is “up there with Pep” in terms of how he sees the game.
Hailed as a “world-class” manager by journalist Maynard Manyowa, Xavi didn’t have it all his way in the Catalan capital, but he did win La Liga, infusing his team with trademark passing dominance. It was a barnstorming season of success in 2022/23, so much so that club president Joan Laporta said, “We have the best manager in the world”.
Barcelona have always been interlinked to their ball-playing culture, and Xavi – who prefers a 4-3-3 system – embodied that from the dugout after so many years of orchestration from the centre of the park.
La Liga – Possession Leaders (22/23)
Club
Final Pos.
Possession Av.
Barcelona
1st
64.3%
Real Madrid
2nd
60.9%
Villarreal
5th
56.9%
Real Sociedad
4th
54.6%
Sevilla
12th
52.6%
Data via FBref
His desire to see his players get on the ball and be enterprising in possession could bring the best out of Simons, who has endured a tough start in Tottenham but, frankly, walked into a system that struggled to establish creative patterns as a collective.
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Still, he ranks among the top 9% of positional peers in the English top flight for passes attempted, the top 2% for progressive passes and the top 8% for ball recoveries per 90, data via FBref.
The nifty Dutchman has proved already his quality on the major stages, and the flashes seen in the Premier League thus far suggest that he could lead the attack from number ten in Xavi’s system.
Hailed as a “difference-maker in big games” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the technical skill and completeness this rising star has projected are elements that Xavi would harden and shape into something world-class.
Tottenham’s new playmaker did ply his youthful trade in Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, and in this, he could thrive as Xavi’s new protege.
Archie Gray upgrade: ENIC submit offer to sign "magic" £61m star for Spurs
Tottenham need to make a signing or two in the January transfer window.
Graeme Smith extended his exceptional record against Bangladesh with another hundred, as South Africa’s international summer began in imperious style on the first day in Bloemfontein. Smith, now fully recovered from the long-standing tennis-elbow injury which prevented him playing the first ODI, was well supported by Neil McKenzie and, in particular, Hashim Amla whose exquisite 103 took South Africa’s score past 250 before bad light curtailed the day’s play.Bangladesh approach each series more in hope than genuine expectation. The clutch of players who hot-footed it to the Indian leagues have exposed their shallow resources, and only occasionally did they threaten to distract South Africa from the task of making the most of time in the middle. Opting to field first on such a true surface smacked of nervousness; this is the same pitch on which Titans chased 335 to beat Eagles last week, and there were precious few demons to worry Smith or Amla.That isn’t to say the entire day went South Africa’s way. Bangladesh managed to limit the hosts to a cautious 61 at lunch, with their opening bowlers, Mahbubul Alam and Mashrafe Mortaza, bowling a tidy off-stump line. But all too inevitably this discipline slipped and slipped as the afternoon wore on, and South Africa capitalised with increasingly confident strokeplay – particularly off the back foot, where Smith excels. It is early into their international summer but, with a chastened Australia looming on the horizon, the initial form shown by South Africa’s captain bodes very well.Smith, and later Amla, were fed their strengths on the back foot. Alam, like the others, was guilty of bowling too short and Smith needed no second invitation to cut him past point repeatedly for four, before turning straighter deliveries through midwicket. Alam then over-compensated in length to be driven powerfully through extra cover. McKenzie, too, looked in excellent touch and uncorked a beautiful short-arm pull through midwicket to pass 3000 Test runs.After lunch, South Africa upped the pace to race past 100. The names Smith and McKenzie are etched in Bangladeshi souls after the world-record 415 the openers put on together in February. They looked set to add to their run-tally, but McKenzie, for once, lapsed in concentration when he lazily back-cut the impressively persistent Shahadat Hossain straight to backward point.It was Bangladesh’s only wicket, and thereafter – but for two rain-interruptions – South Africa made smooth, easy progress. Amla’s fluidity and growing confidence rubbed off on Smith who danced down the pitch to Shakib Al Hasan on three occasions, treating him with disdain. Amla, meanwhile, was in sublime form from the off, gliding Alam through the covers; cutting Al Hasan for another four before forcing Hossain’s wasted balls past point. Bangladesh bowled too short, too frequently.Smith was given a reprieve in the 80s by the wicketkeeper, Mushfiqur Rahim, and made them pay with another dance-and-loft off Al Hasan to bring up his 17th Test hundred. He later pinged the same bowler over the top for a satisfying blow over long-on. Amla, meanwhile, was untroubled until on 93 he was beaten by a sharply turning delivery from Mehrab Hossain. Unfortunately, first slip couldn’t cling on. Bangladesh’s cricket is very rarely a shambles, but neither are they consistently slick enough to trouble the best.After stroking the day’s most elegant four down the ground, Amla brought up his sixth Test hundred from 149 balls, as the pair’s partnership approached 200 and South Africa closed in on 300. Bad light spared further punishment for Bangladesh, but Smith – whose two previous hundreds against them have both been doubles – will ensure there are fresh bruises on day two.
1934-35The first tour was to be underrepresentative for England as the women, who had to agree not to smoke, drink or gamble or “be accompanied by a man”, had to fund themselves They still proved stronger than both Australia and then New Zealand for the first of only 45 Tests for the hosts; they no longer play this form. The hosts’ first showing was fairly forgettable, too, Myrtle MacLagan’s five wickets rolled their first innings for 44 and Joy Partridge reduced their second innings to 122 with four, England romping to victory by an innings and 337 runs after big centuries by Betty Snowball and Molly Hide. Tests: New Zealand 0 England 1 1948-49The 1948-49 tour should have been the third or fourth for England’s women, but war got in the way in 1939. An ageing England – with four from the original party – went via Sri Lanka for a tour match, then Australia before heading to New Zealand, which took four days by sea, and four warm-up games later they were ready for the only Test, which they won by 185 runs, a considerably smaller thrashing than that meted out in the first Test four years earlier. Tests: New Zealand 0 England 1 1954 This was New Zealand’s first visit to England and this series contained the only result of a Test between England and New Zealand in that country. England won one, the opener in Leeds, which proved enough to pick up the three-Test series 1-0. From then on all series in England were drawn with all of the other 12 matches ending in a draw.Tests: England 1 New Zealand 0 1957-58 A decade later, and England returned Down Under and had two draws against New Zealand and then three against Australia. As these were only three-day matches, however – with a rest day in the middle of most of them – it was pretty difficult for any team to force a result. Tests: New Zealand 0 England 0 19661966 was a great year for English football and not a bad one for the women’s team, as they drew all three Tests against the visiting White Ferns to retain the series trophy for another series. In fact, it was never out of their possession in all the time New Zealand chose to play Tests. With three-day Tests throughout this series, a result could not be forced. Rachael Heyhoe-Flint was in her pomp, making a ton in the opener at Scarborough. After skittling them in the second match at Edgbaston for 131 and then making 275 themselves, England would have thought they were in with a chance, but a defiant 7 for 300 declared in the second innings left the match a draw with England way short of their 157-run target. New Zealand couldn’t quite hunt down the 84 needed from nine overs in the final Test at The Oval, their best chance of taking victory. England 0 New Zealand 0 1968-69Enid Bakewell was England’s star against New Zealand and after the first draw, in the second match in Christchurch she made a century and 66 not out to take them home at a thrilling 4.07 runs per over in the second innings. Bakewell made two fifties in the third match as England pulled off victory by 37 runs. Tests: New Zealand 0 England 2 1974Three-day matches were still the name of the game, and there were only two Tests in this series. A century for Jan Brittin at Headingley in the first and Janette Dunning’s 74 pushed the game into an inevitable draw while in the second, at Worcester, Brittin’s 96 again put paid to any chance of a result as England didn’t even make it to their second innings.England 0 New Zealand 0 1984New Zealand had played England in three World Cups since the first one in 1973 by the time they got around to having their first series between themselves. New Zealand came over to England and were roundly beaten 3-0. Jan Brittin’s hundred marked the opener at Hastings, which proved no battle, then she made 88 not out in Leicester. Finally at Bristol she made another fifty to swing the match England’s way. ODIs: England 3 New Zealand 0 1984-85England headed out to New Zealand for two drawn Tests, which acted as the warm-up for their onward journey to Australia, where they lost the five-Test series 2-1. The one-dayers, all in Melbourne, were a much more one-sided story, Australia picking them up 3-0, with two centuries for Jill Kennare in the second and third matches the talking point. Tests: New Zealand 0 England 0 1992-93This tour again went in reverse, with England playing three Tests against New Zealand before heading to Australia. The Test series was won 1-0 against the White Ferns. The opening match in Auckland ended in an inevitable draw as England piled on 9 for 356 over the first two days. Jo Chamberlain’s five-wicket haul (eight match wickets) and three Carole Hodge run-outs inspired them to the win in Wanganui, while the third at New Plymouth was washed out after two days. Tests: New Zealand 0 England 1 1996In Scarborough, England passed 400, with centuries for Barbara Daniels and Kathryn Leng, then New Zealand surpassed that, going over 500 thanks to a double from Kirsty Flavell. A stultifying second match at Worcester saw both sides reach nearly 300 runs, and neither even made it to the second innings. In the third, at Guildford, they set England a huge 311, and the hosts reached 225 for 8 on the last day, New Zealand just unable to break their duck in England. The one-dayers were a different story, though, as Debbie Hockley smashed New Zealand to their first ODI successes on England soil, and then some, with two fifties and a century – just as Jan Brittin had done to them a decade or so earlier. Tests: England 0 New Zealand 0 ODIs: England 0 New Zealand 3 1999-00The Test win against New Zealand was scant consolation for England, who lost the Ashes against Australia. However, it was to be one of the last times that New Zealand played a Test, the team deciding to focus on one-day cricket instead. In all that time they had never once overhauled England. One-day wise, New Zealand more than got their revenge in their World Cup-winning year, with a 5-0 drubbing over their visitors. Tests: New Zealand 0 England 1 ODIs: New Zealand 5 England 0 2000-01England headed Down Under for more misery within the same calendar year, where they were sent down 3-0 to complete eight ODI losses against New Zealand within 12 months. ODIs: New Zealand 5 England 0 2002-03The Test win against New Zealand was scant consolation for England, who lost the Ashes against Australia. However, it was to be one of the last times that New Zealand played a Test, the team deciding to focus on one-day cricket instead. In all that time they had never once overhauled England. Tests: New Zealand 0 England 1 2003One of New Zealand’s very last Tests, this was a draw at Scarborough. Centuries for openers Charlotte Edwards and Laura Newton gave England a first-innings lead of 70, but Maia Lewis’s 60 put the chances of a result out of the window. England 0 New Zealand 0 2004The 3-2 scoreline belies the fact that England had the series wrapped up by the fourth match, at which point it was 3-1. New Zealand took the consolation win at Old Trafford in the fifth match. England 3 New Zealand 2 2007Again, the scoreline was flattering to one side: New Zealand had already taken the series with the first three matches by the time England won the last two matches. As an indication of form ahead of the next World Cup, New Zealand looked handy. England 2 New Zealand 3
Zimbabwe’s inter-provincial one-day tournament, the Faithwear series, began at the Harare Sports Club and Academy grounds on Thursday and runs until next week.Since the matches will be played at the Harare Sports Club, which is adjacent President Robert Mugabe’s heavily-guarded palace, and the tranquil Highlands Country Club, no disturbances are expected during play.Players based in Harare, however, will have to beat ever-increasing transport costs to make it to the venues, that is if they manage to leave their neighbourhooods in time without encountering police curfews.The players involved in the tournament fall under the most vulnerable age range in Zimbabwe, and they look up to cricket for a reprieve from daily challenges. Most are not contacted, however, and have no formal employment. Cricket can hardly sustain their livelihood.In deepening problems in the country, it is easy to get detracted, and organisers will be hoping that the tournament passes event-free.Zimbabwe has introduced a new format to the tournament where all matches will be played in one city.
Sanath Jayasuriya On his final game It was totally disappointing for me. I got injured and we lost the match – it was not the best way to end my Test career. Naturally, I was looking for a good finish but unfortunately we were unable to do that. I tried my best to bat and I took an injection in the morning. But the doctor was not very keen for me go outMahela Jayawardene His summing up of the match It was not a bad wicket but they bowled really well yesterday. There was something for the quick bowlers here in the morning but we could not get those early breakthroughs. Defending just 180 we needed to get three or four early wickets to get the momentum going. We were confident and the bowlers beat the bat a few times early, but they started batting well and got away from usOn what would have been a good target It is all about momentum – if we’d had batted better last evening the momentum would not have shifted over to Pakistan. Anything over 250 might have been OK if we had the momentum. The last hour of the day yesterday cost us the match and the seriesOn Mohammad Asif He bowled really well here and at the SSC. He bowled straight and was putting the vast majority of his deliveries in the right areas. You can’t take anything away from him – he just bowled really well. This was the first time I have seen him – he has the pace and the movement. His wrist seems to be right behind the ball and he gives nothing away, putting a lot of the pressure on the batters.On his reluctance to use Malinga Bandara After seeing the wicket yesterday and how it was behaving my gut feeling was that I had to give an opportunity to the quicks to get something out of it. It was not that Malinga [Bandara] did not have anything, but Murali was bowling well and he is is obviously our main match-winner. Thus I went for Murali at one end and tried to do something with the quicks at the other. Malinga, though, has done really well in the last few months. He didn’t have a great game at SSC but you can’t say he had a bad game here because he hardly bowled because of the conditions.On whether complacency was responsible for Sri Lanka’s collapse After we got them out and secured a 109-run lead we had a chat in the dressing room and said `Let’s push the advantage and make sure we don’t give them anything’. There was no complacency, as we knew after the first Test that we had to put the runs on the board against these guys and bat for three sessions.But we lost early wickets and they bowled really well. I can’t pinpoint it and say, `This was lacking and that was lacking’. The effort was there but it was an unfortunate two hours. The first four or so wickets were got by good balls and after that the guys were trying to get some runs and turn around the momentum. For example, Dilshan is a natural strokeplayer and that is what he did in the first Test to rescue us. He was trying to do the same here. You can’t pinpoint and say it was bad technique.On whether Sangakkara should have opened Sanga is very fit – he showed that in the first Test as well. He was not complaining. We asked the question and he wanted to open so we moved everyone moved one spot.On Sanath’s sad farewell Unfortunately, Sanath was not there for us yesterday. It was very sad. He had a brilliant career and has been a great ambassador for Sri Lanka’s cricket. Everyone wanted to give him a good farewell and it was a very disappointing way to say goodbye to Sanath in Test cricket.On the England tour England will be different. When we went last time we handled the conditions well at the start but then struggled in the last two Tests. Obviously, though, the weather and the pitches are going to be different and we are just going to have to get there and adjust as quickly as possible. It is all going to be about hardworkOn Darryl Harper’s reluctance to give Murali lbws I don’t want to make any comments on that. If I have anything to say I will put it in the report, which is the right way to do it. Umpires are under a lot of pressure as well. It is not easy in Test cricket. Wee just have to take it with our heads high.Bob Woolmer On the ease with which Pakistan won I think the 20 wickets yesterday was a slightly false reflection of the conditions. Sometimes, if you psychologically do as well as Sri Lanka did yesterday to bowl us out you can subconsciously relax. Asif started to take wickets and it all started to happen for us. When you come here knowing you have a specific target, on a pitch that really wasn’t a 73 all out surface, you realise that you just need to get through the new ball and Murali’s first spell. Then Younis Khan and Imran Farhat batted really well. When we were 109 behind after the first innings we were looking down the barrel. But a wonderful performance from Asif got us back in the game.On Mohammad Asif He bowled beautifully in this series. In fact, I think it’s really exciting for Pakistan cricket just how well he bowled. He is a type of bowler that Pakistan have not had for a long time – someone who hits the deck and is tight. He is one of those McGrath-like bowlers who bowl really tight line and lengths and just move the ball in and out. It is very difficult for a batsman to pick up as there is very little change in his action. He moves the ball and he is not slow – he is quick enough to bowl people out. At the age of 23, he will get better.On the turning point of the match It swung Pakistan’s way when Sri Lanka batted again last afternoon. I think, though, possibly, the hidden turning point may have been when Sanath Jayasuriya took that blow while catching Imran Farhat. Suddenly, they had to open with someone else and the only way Pakistan could win was by bowling out Sri Lanka cheaply. I was looking at around 140/150 and then chasing around 250 so bowl them out for 73 was a shock for us as wellOn the pitch On the first day I though it was a good pitch. There was some movement after the moisture of the preceding few days, but the bounce was even – having said that I though we could have bowled better on it. On the second day it seemed to get quicker and more uneven. Historically, after looking back previous Tests, batting on the third day is the best day here in Kandy so I think we were fortunate. When you are chasing 180 and you get a good start, hitting fours and taking singles, the opposition find it difficult to hold you.On Jayasuriya Sanath has been an absolute credit to the game of cricket. He has been a wonderful ambassador for Sri Lanka’s cricket. He has been a fantastic cricketer on the field, with his batting, left-arm spin and fielding. It is always sad when someone who has done so much for cricket on the field has to pack up his bags and stop.