Smith surpasses Cronje's captaincy record

Johannesburg: Graeme Smith Saturday surpassed late Hansie Cronje's record of leading South Africa in most number of One-day Internationals.

Smith achieved the record when he led the side for the 139th time in the second of the five ODIs against India here.

"Smith's achievement is outstanding, especially when it is taken into account that he became captain at the age of 21, only after one full season in international cricket," said CSA CEO Gerald Majola.

"Graeme has more than justified CSA's faith in his leadership qualities when he was appointed at such a young age, and since then he has grown considerably in stature both as a player and as a captain.

India vs South Africa

Smith made his ODI captaincy debut against India at Dhaka in 2003.

"It is most fitting that he achieves this extraordinary South African captaincy record against India eight years later.

"He has an ODI average of over 40 and a Test average of over 50, which is remarkable because he has done this on top of being captain in both forms of the game and he has not yet reached 30 years of age.

Majola feels it will be fitting if South Africa wins the World Cup under Smith's captaincy.

"He has been an essential part of the process that has moulded the Proteas into a formidable unit, and the cherry on the top of his captaincy would certainly be bringing the ICC World Cup," he said.

I never played politics in my career, says Ganguly

Kolkata: Asserting that he never played politics as a cricketer, Sourav Ganguly Saturday regretted that he was probably the only Indian captain to have been dropped after winning a series.

"I never did politics. I wouldn't have been here if I had done politics," Ganguly told students of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) during an interaction here.

Ganguly should have followed Kumble

Referring to his famous comeback into the Indian team in the South Africa tour late 2006, Ganguly said: "It's just that I wanted to play. I was 32 then when I was left out. I was probably the only captain who was left out after a series win."

Recalling his feelings when he out of the team, he said: "I felt depressed, sad at times."

"I felt I was good enough. As good a player as anybody else in the team. Of course some were slightly better."

Asked how he succeeded in making his great comeback when lot of others had gone into the wilderness after being given the boot, Ganguly replied: "Difference was I had a past record which was good, that helps. Whenever you are in the team you have to deliver. I played well (when I returned to the team). India won. I got accepted quickly."

He urged the students to be transparent as a leader. "With my practical experiences I say whatever you do you would not be at the top all the time. So when you are at the top be transparent. The rule is the same for all, be it in politics or sports.''

Why did they have to insult Dada again?

"As the leader you must tell the truth. They might not like it, but it's important to be clear with your colleagues."

Ganguly said it was important to have faith in one's own abilities in difficult times. "It's a thing in life which all of you will go through. The higher you go, the more you go through. It is important to have faith in yourself."

Tendulkar equals Jayasuriya's ODI record

JOHANNESBURG: India's Sachin Tendulkar is playing his 444th one-day international, reaching another milestone in a career where he holds nearly every major record with the bat.

Tendulkar, 37, equaled Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya for the number of ODI appearances. Tendulkar reached the mark in the second ODI against South Africa on Saturday and will likely break the record in the third game on Tuesday.

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Tendulkar already holds records for the most Test appearances (177), the most Test centuries (51) and the most Test runs.

In ODI cricket, Tendulkar has 17,000 runs - over 4,000 more than Jayasuriya in second - and has hit 17 more ODI centuries than his nearest rival, Ricky Ponting of Australia - 46 vs 29.

Tendulkar is also the only player to make 200 in a 50-over international.

Munaf clinches stunning win for India

 

India 190 (Yuvraj 53, Dhoni 38, Tsotsobe 4-22) beat South Africa 189 (Smith 77, Munaf 4-29) by one run
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

South Africa made a mess of what should have been a comfortable chase of a below-par total at Wanderers, stumbling in the batting Powerplay and then sinking to a dispiriting defeat in a thrilling finish. In conditions less favourable for batting than what the venue has offered in the past, Graeme Smith had put South Africa on course with a positive innings but his wicket in the 33rd over triggered a collapse that was a product of panic, ill-luck and some needling Indian bowling. Munaf Patel's spell proved decisive as he dislodged Smith and ended the South African innings with two wickets in the 43rd over when the hosts were just a shot away from victory.

More to follow

75 overs South Africa 122 for 4 (Smith 68*, Miller 1*) need 69 more runs to beat India 190 (Yuvraj 53, Tsotsobe 4-22)

Graeme Smith stood firm amid India's attempts to defend a below-par 190 at Wanderers. Smith batted positively to keep South Africa's chase on track, though he lost four partners in conditions less favourable for batsmen than what the venue has offered in the past.

Just as the South African bowlers had done, each of Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel and Ashish Nehra were able to nip the ball off the pitch though their accuracy failed to measure up to what their opponents had managed. While they were able to beat the edge on more than one occasion - Munaf got rid of Hashim Amla early with a delivery that darted back in - they doled out enough bad balls to allow Smith and South Africa to ease any pressure. Munaf was punished for consecutive boundaries through mid-off and point, while Zaheer was pulled through midwicket when he pitched short.

Colin Ingram was a little rusty to begin with but gradually grew in confidence; the highlight of his brief knock being a six over long-on off a length delivery from Nehra. He was dropped by MS Dhoni shortly after, and edged one to the third-man boundary but the Indians didn't have to wait long to see his back. He defended inside the line to Harbhajan Singh, who was able to derive a significant amount of turn from the track, and was trapped in front. AB de Villiers, not long after, nicked an away-going delivery from Nehra to Dhoni to make it 77 for 3.

Smith, though, continued to be positive, using his feet against Harbhajan Singh, while JP Duminy, too, charged out to combat the turn and take the ball off a length. Smith cracked Nehra through midwicket for a second time and punched Zaheer through the covers shortly after reaching his fifty and 6,000 runs in ODIs. Just when it seemed South Africa were coasting, Duminy struck part-timer offspinner Rohit Sharma straight to long-on but Smith's assured presence remains the major obstacle for India.

50 overs India 190 (Yuvraj 53, Dhoni 38, Tsotsobe 4-22) v South Africa

A disciplined bowling performance from South Africa choked India at Wanderers, keeping them to a below-par score on a pitch that is expected to last the day. Unlike in Durban, it wasn't the bounce that India's batsmen struggled against but nagging lines and lengths from the seamers, particularly Lonwabo Tsotsobe, and variations in pace from Johan Botha. India tried hard, and promised a fighting score through two partnerships, but such was South Africa's determination that a wicket never seemed too far away.

India approached their innings cautiously under overcast skies after opting to bat, and the openers were averse to chasing deliveries outside off due to the movement off the pitch. Dale Steyn and Tsotsobe consistently bowled in the corridor outside off and were only targeted when they delivered full and straight. M Vijay flicked Steyn over square leg, while Tendulkar drove him past midwicket for a boundary but they were rare moments of relief for the batsmen.

At a venue that has traditionally been favourable for batting, South Africa capitalised on what little assistance was on offer and India's circumspection. Tendulkar had taken 10 balls to score, while Vijay had been lucky to edge a slog over the slips. A similar attempt in the eighth over off Tsotsobe didn't pay off, however, and he skied a catch to wide mid-on. Tsotsobe benefited from angling the ball across the batsmen, getting it to cut away and beat attempts to open the face. Tsotsobe's role had been a largely containing one but his accuracy amid India's pressure to accelerate as the pitch eased out earned him some more rewards later in the innings.

Tsotsobe's possible competition for the third seamer's spot in the World Cup is Wayne Parnell, and his introduction, along with Virat Kohli's arrival, infused some urgency to India's innings. Parnell bowled a length and line different to that of his team-mates, and was driven handsomely by Kohli down the ground and Tendulkar past midwicket. Made less potent by his lack of movement, Parnell was taken for runs mostly through the leg side.

Though the flow of runs increased, what remained consistent was the uncertainty in the running between the wickets. Tendulkar survived two run-out attempts and when he refused a single, it was Kohli who paid the price, dislodged by a direct hit from David Miller. Tendulkar didn't last long after that, inside-edging a slowish delivery that kept low from Botha onto the stumps.

The end of that hard-fought partnership meant MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh had to build from scratch, and they set about leading India's recovery as the field spread out. Displaying little signs of getting bogged down, neither batsman felt compelled to take undue risks and instead ensured a steady scoring-rate through working the field. Both used the sweep and the paddle, while Yuvraj often drove straight to pinch twos because long-on that was wider than usual. Bad balls were a rarity but Yuvraj was prompt to punish them when on offer: he slashed Morkel over point and flicked Tsotsobe to the fine-leg boundary to raise his half-century. The stand was worth 83 and with 13 more overs to go, a score of 240 was on.

But Tsotsobe struck next ball as Yuvraj drove straight into mid-off's hands, and he returned when India took the batting Powerplay to trap Suresh Raina plumb in front. If that wasn't enough, he backed up his wicket-maiden in the Powerplay by yorking Dhoni to finish with his best figures in the 50-over format and potentially, a second consecutive Man-of-the-Match award.

The rest of the line-up folded in little time. The tail succumbed to ill-executed attempts to clear the field and Rohit Sharma was trapped in front as he walked across to a Morkel delivery, during another dispiriting performance with the bat for the visitors.

World Cup could be a three-way race - Duncan Fletcher

Next month's World Cup could end up being a three-way race between the top teams in Test cricket, Duncan Fletcher, the former England coach and currently South Africa's batting consultant, has said. "You've got three sides on a par: India South Africa and England, all with different strengths and weaknesses," Fletcher said in Johannesburg on Friday. 

Fletcher claimed South Africa, who have never won a World Cup, are going to be a "huge threat" in the subcontinent. "I believe South Africa match everyone as far as one-day cricket is concerned." He indicated that their stiffest challenge will come from India, who will be under "enormous pressure" because they are playing at home and England, given their recent form. "England has a good athletic side in the one-day game. The big difference, and you can see it, is the confidence having gone out to beat Australia." 

While Fletcher singled out those three teams as the top dogs, he also felt this World Cup will be one of the most hotly contested in years, because of the more level-playing field. "It's an open World Cup for a change. There are no firm favourites. You can't rule out Sri Lanka. Australia, although they have taken a huge dip, I don't know where they are at the moment and Pakistan, you can't write them off on those wickets."

The conditions in the subcontinent are expected to be a major factor in the tournament and Fletcher had two significant pieces of advice for all the teams. "Spinners are going to be crucial," he said, "Secondly, you need fit cricketers, because it's going to be hot there and the players have to adapt to those kinds of wickets and get their techniques right and how to play on those wickets." 

Both those warnings will need to be taken seriously by South Africa, who traditionally only use one spinner and came under fire for several senior players suffering from cramp in the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean. That senior-player contingent which consisted of Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher and Justin Kemp, now only two survivors and the dynamics of the South African team have changed since then, so fitness should not be an issue, whereas the role of the spinner might be.

Johan Botha shoulders most of the slow-bowling responsibility, with JP Duminy's role increasing. The South African selectors have included Pakistan-born legspinner Imran Tahir in the squad for the current series ODI against India, but he did not play in the first match in Durban and looks unlikely to make an appearance in the second in Johannesburg. The pitches in South Africa favour their four-seamer, one spinner, attack and without testing Tahir here, it's difficult to see how he will fit into the World Cup plans.

For Fletcher, the big question that hung over South Africa was how their bowlers will adjust to pitches that are significantly different to the quick, bouncy strips they are playing the current series on and are used to. He didn't think South Africa were easily fooled into believing they will be gifted surfaces like the one they had in Durban on Wednesday, where they bowled India out for 154, but he was concerned about the short time-frame they will have to acclimatise to vastly different conditions. "When they go to India those wickets may be a bit slower and a bit flatter, but they just have to get used to it. They have to adapt a bit quicker," he said. 

South Africa played ODI cricket in India last year as well as a series in similar conditions in the UAE against Pakistan. Fletcher said the planning has been in place for a while for this World Cup, but the execution will still be important. "They've [youngsters] been across to Sri Lanka on a couple of A tours so they planned well in that situation. But there's still a huge jump up from that level to international level."

Fletcher believed South Africa had the ability to learn quickly and with the number of young players in the set up, and the guidance they will be provided with, they will have the right mindset to challenge for the title. "With fresh young minds coming through and wanting ideas you just have to make sure you go through their game mentally rather than technically. The key to it is to make them believe that ability they have is good enough and it has got them to this level. That's why they have been picked." 

Fletcher will travel with the South African team for the remainder of the ODI series against India and through the warm-up stages of the World Cup. He has also not ruled out coaching them on a full-time basis in future. With Corrie van Zyl stepping down after the World Cup, there is every possibility of Fletcher stepping in. "I'm not going to say I like a job, I'm not going to say I don't like a job at the moment. I've been very fortunate with the work I'm doing with South Africa." 

Cricket South Africa extended the deadline for applications for the head coach to February 18, so Fletcher still has some time to consider if he will throw his name into the hat.

Tendulkar and Kallis share number-one batting spot

India batsman Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis of South Africa have jointly claimed the coveted number-one position in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test batsmen after stellar performances in the Cape Town Test which finished on Thursday.

Tendulkar, who scored 146 and 14 not out, has gained one place while Kallis has been rewarded with a jump of four places for his performances of 161 and 109 not out .that earned him the man of the series and match of the match awards, to leapfrog Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara.

Both the batsmen now sit on 883 ratings points, just one ahead of Sangakkara.

Tendulkar, who won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Cricketer of the Year Award 2010 at the LG ICC Awards in Bengaluru in October last year, last claimed the number-one spot on 14 October 2010 after his magnificent 214 and 53 not out against Australia also in Bengaluru.

It is the 10th time that Tendulkar has claimed the number-one ranking which he first achieved in his 33rd Test in November 1994 against the West Indies in Mumbai.

Kallis last surged to the top of the batting table in October 2005 after the Sydney Test against Australia while he first topped the chart after the Newlands Test against England in January 2005. He earned 77 ratings points from the series against India in which he scored 498 runs.

Also charging up the batting table are left-handed openers Alastair Cook of England and Gautam Gambhir of India. Cook, who scored a match-winning 189 in Sydney, has vaulted eight places to fifth spot. Cook had entered the Ashes in 30th position on 628 ratings point and ended the series with a career-best rating of 803 – thanks to his series aggregate of 766 runs which earned him the man of the series award.

Gambhir has broken into the top 20 and he now sits in 15th position after his scores of 93 and 64 have helped him jump seven places in the latest rankings which were released on Friday.

England's Ian Bell and Matt Prior have also improved their rankings after hitting centuries in England's an innings and 83 runs victory in Sydney. Bell has moved up five places to 22nd position while Prior is now in 29th position after gaining six places.

In the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, South Africa's Dale Steyn continues to lead the pack. He is now on 899 ratings points after earning two ratings points and will now have to wait until the next Test series against Australia in September-October before he takes a shot at the 900-point mark threshold..

Bowlers making upward movements include James Anderson in third (up by one place), Ishant Sharma in 15th (up by one place), S.Sreesanth in 22nd (up by four places), Ben Hilfenhaus in 24th (up by two places), Shane Watson in 32nd (up by one place) and Tim Bresnan in 36th (up by five places).

There is no change in the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for Test all-rounders with Kallis leading Daniel Vettori of New Zealand by a distance.

Australia finally halt England's winning march

Australia edged out England by four runs in the second and final Twenty20 International at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday to level the series 1-1.

With this loss, England's world record eight match winning streak in Twenty20 Internationals also came to an end.

Australia, after opting to bat first, posted 147 for 7 in its 20 overs. England started off briskly but later lost its way in the chase and ended up at 143 for 6 to finish on the losing side.

Earlier, Australia rode on a brisk start by David Warner (30: 26b, 3x4), but quickly slipped from 63 for 2 to 80 for five. It required a 51-run stand for the sixth wicket between Aaron Finch (53: 33b, 4x4, 2x6) and Steven Smith to give the score some respectability. For England its spinners Graeme Swann (2-19) and Michael Yardy (2-19) bowled well.

England began its chase in fine fashion with Ian Bell (39: 30b, 3x4) and Steven Davies (29: 26b, 2x4) adding 60 in 7.2 overs. But a middle-order collapse followed. England moved from 60-0 to 88-4 and thereafter fell behind the asking rate. Chris Woakes spanked a straight six off Brett Lee in the last over to bring in some excitement into the contest but it was too little too late.

All-rounder Shane Watson (2-17) and fast bowler Mitchell Johnson (3-29) were the best bowlers on view as Australia snapped their five-match losing streak in Twenty20 Internationals.