Ton will boost my confidence: Kohli

Virat Kohli, who starred in India's five-wicket win on Wednesday, said he was under pressure to perform and the 118 against Australia would certainly give him a lot of confidence.

But the Delhi batsman feels this knock would still not guarantee him a place as the competition for the number three slot is quite tough.

"Honestly, I was struggling to get runs. I had not scored in last six-seven matches. I was under pressure... I was not hitting in the gaps. It was very satisfying and it gives you a lot of confidence when you score chasing under pressure," Kohli said about his third one-day century, which incidentally his best so far.

"I will not say my place is cemented. I have to keep performing well in few more chases... I have to be consistent," Kohli added.

Kohli hit a 121-ball 118 to help India register the win over Australia and take a 1-0 lead before the third and final one-dayer in Margao, Goa.

"It (the win) is a good sign, it shows we have a good bench strength. In fact, the competition to get into the side helps in developing the hunger and you score more runs," he said.

Asked whether he had matured as a batsman post his knock against the world number one, the Aussies, Kohli said, "I think, you try to learn a lot at international level.

"You try to learn from the mistakes... You tend to fail sometimes... This is part and parcel of the game... You do the basics right and train hard, it pay back."

"I didn't perform well in last two series. I could not convert my scores into big knocks. There was a struggle for a place," he added.

Kohli also thanked Yuvraj Singh who extended a fine support in building the Indian innings with a 137-run third wicket stand.

"I think, someone like him at other end helps you. He has so much experience. It takes a lot of pressure off you. I had that advantage. It was a good partnership and it set the pace for us to capitalise in the end," he said.

This was a third straight win for India in the coastal city and Kohli said, "I am really happy if it happened. and I could contribute in that."

"The mood in the dressing room was very good especially after beating them 2-0 in the Tests. It got us a lot of confidence."

Dhoni heaps praise on batsmen

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Wednesday praised the batting department for scripting a five-wicket win over Australia in the second ODI, which also helped the hosts take an unassailable 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

"Yuvraj (Singh) and (Virat) Kohli got us back in the game and (Suresh) Raina supported Kohli well in the end. We wanted to see how much dew was around, I thought the spinners would get more turn but it turned out to be much flatter.

"(Cameron) White took the attack apart, but with Suresh Raina at the crease with one Powerplay to go I knew we had a chance. And Yuvraj, it was very important for him to get runs," Dhoni said after the match.

Kohli smashed a career-best 118, while Raina's 71 not out and Yuvraj's 58 also played crucial roles.

"Kohli has been often criticised for giving away good starts and he batted perfectly today. We'll look to win the third game as well. We have eight to 10 games before the World Cup and we want to achieve more than just winning the games," he added.

Dhoni's opposite number Michael Clarke also credited the Indian batsmen for making the difference.

"Cameron White's innings was unbelievable, I thought 290 was enough but India chased well. We'll try to rebuild. We are disappointed with the result. We'll try to do better in the first 15 overs in the second game," he said.

However, he was happy with the efforts of his bowlers and said, "John Hastings did a fantastic job, (Mitchell) Starc has a bright future for Australia."

Meanwhile, Man of the Match Kohli said he was struggling with cramps during the winning effort.

"I was struggling with cramps in my 70s and 80s. I just wanted to drag the game as much as I could to put my team in a winning position. (Murali) Vijay suggested that I just time the ball than hit it too hard. He helped calm me down.

"With Yuvraj batting at the other end, it's always helpful because he can score quickly and take the pressure off you. We just decided to build a partnership and bank on the Powerplay," he said.

Asked about batting at the number three position, he said, "The team has shown trust in me to bat at No 3 and I'll just look to capitalise. Once the dew came in, the ball was coming on quite nicely and we tried to take advantage of that."

India's young guns beat Australia

Virat Kohli hit an excellent 118 off 121 balls while Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh contributed with solid fifties as India successfully chased down a target of 290 to take a 1-0 lead in three match ODI series at the floodlit Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ADA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, here on Wednesday.

Chasing a stiff target of 290, India got off to a disastrous start by losing debutant Shikhar Dhawan for a second ball duck when he was clean bowled by Australian pace bowler Clint McKay.

Fellow opener Murali Vijay soon followed him back to the pavilion when he edged a McKay delivery to wicket-keeper Tim Paine. Vijay was looking solid but poor shot selection led to his downfall for 15 from 18 balls.

However, Virat Kohli changed the entire complexion of the match with a flawless century as he shared two crucial partnerships with Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina to put Indian on course for a magnificent win.

After missing the Test series against Australia, Yuvraj Singh answered his critics in stylish fashion by hitting classy 58 off 87 balls which included five boundaries.

Young Suresh Raina again proved that he has got the metal by finishing the things of with brilliant knock of 71 for just 47 balls. He thrashed the bowlers all over the ground and hit nine boundaries and one huge six in his innings.

There were some nervous moment at the end when India lost Kohli and skipper MS Dhoni in quick succession however Raina steadied the nerves along with Saurabh Tiwary helped India winning the match by five wickets and take an unassailable 1-0 lead in three match series. First ODI was washed out at Kochi without a ball being bowled.

Earlier stand in skipper Michael Clarke returned to form with his fifth century to help Australia post a challenging 289 for three.

Ashish Nehra evicted the opening duo of Shaun Marsh (0) and Tim Paine (9), but Clarke (111 not out from 138 balls with seven fours and one six) and Hussey (69) steadied the ship putting on 144 runs together.

Some big hitting by vice-captain Cameron White (89 from 49 balls with six fours and six overboundaries) -- with a couple of them straight ones through umpire Billy Bowden -- spurred the Aussie scoring as they scored 49 runs in the five overs of batting powerplay between 43rd and 47th overs.

Both White and Clarke were in a rampaging mood, Nehra, who had an impressive first spell of 4-1-3-2 had his figures destroyed towards the end as he returned with 57 runs from his 10 overs.

The Aussie scored 114 in the last 10 overs, something that speaks highly of Clarke's innings that had the shades of recovery and then the dominance.

Put into bat, Australia were clearly under pressure as the opening duo of Marsh and Paine were dismissed early by Nehra in an impressive first spell.

Skipper Clarke and Hussey -- the experienced duo of the new-look Australia side -- did the repair work, building their innings brick by brick, In the end Cameron White's big hitting helped Australia in reaching a fighting total of 289.

'Final order on Kings XI's service tax soon'

Even after termination of the franchisee agreement with Kings XI Punjab by BCCI, KPH Dreams which owns the T20 team is still not out of trouble, it seems, as the Central Excise Department on Monday said it would pass an order within a month determining the company's total tax liability.

The department, which had slapped a notice on KPH Dreams for payment of Rs 5.38 crore as service tax, would be passing an order to decide the final tax liability within a month after giving the company a third and last opportunity for hearing on October 27.

"The order (for determining tax liability) will be passed within a month after hearing the final arguments of the company on October 27," Central Excise Commissioner HK Thakur told PTI on Monday.

The department had slapped a notice on KPH Dreams in February this year asking the company to pay up service tax to the tune of Rs. 5.38 crore for the payment received during the first season of IPL matches.

The department has already held two hearings of the company on September 22 and October 5. "During their replies filed with us, the company (KPH Dreams) claimed that it is not supposed to pay the tax. But we will go through their (KPH Dreams) replies before fixing the final tax liability," said Thakur.

Besides tax liability, the company may also face penalty on tax, which can be imposed by the Central Excise Department in its final order.

Under section 78 of Service Tax Act, the department has the power to impose penalty which starts from minimum amount of Rs 5,000 up to the maximum of 200 per cent of due tax.

According to the notice issued to KPH Dreams, out of Rs 5.38 crore, the department had raised a demand of Rs 3.89 crore as service tax for payment it received from BCCI-IPL in the shape of share of revenue, prize money and share of official beverages.

The department had asked the Kings XI franchise to pay Rs 9.17 lakh as service tax on Rs 74.24 lakh worth services provided by overseas companies under reverse charge basis.

Rs 1.02 crore service tax was demanded on the services provided by overseas players and another Rs 37.55 lakh was demanded on the payment of ticket sales classified under exempted services.

Besides facing tax liability, venturing into IPL has not been a profitable opportunity for the company as it suffered a net loss of Rs 25 crore in 2008-09.

Kings XI Punjab, which had committed to pay USD 76 million as franchise fee for over ten years, in January this year had said that it is hoping to break even by March 2011.

According to the shareholding pattern in the company, actress Preity Zinta and industrialist Ness Wadia have 23 per cent stake each while Karan Paul, Chairman of Apeejay-Surrendra Group, has 4 per cent equity stake. The balance 50 per cent is with M B Finmart and Windy Investments.

India Blues win Challenger series

Opener Tanmay Srivastava scored a run-a-ball 103 while talented Bengal batsman Manoj Tiwary smashed a quick-fire 84 to help India Blue win the NKP Salve Challenger Series with a thumping 140-run victory over India Green on Monday.

In reply to Blue's challenging score of 287 for seven, the Greens were all-out for 147 in 36.4 overs. India discard Rudra Pratap Singh took three for 20 for the winners.

For the second day in a row, India Blue captain Yuvraj Singh opted to bat after winning the toss.

Srivastava and in-form Shikhar Dhawan (44, 51 balls, 4x6, 1x6) added 67 runs before the Delhi batsman was caught by Ravichandran Ashwin at deep square leg off Abhimanyu Mithun's bowling.

Ajinkya Rahane (7) and Yuvraj Singh (12) were both dismissed off leggie Sarabjit Ladda. While Rahane mistimed a pull-shot, Yuvraj was done in by a googly.

At 118 for three, Srivastava was joined by Tiwary who was fluent from the onset, giving Srivastava a chance to score freely.

The centurion hit nine boundaries, while Tiwary hit seven fours and a six, adding 97 runs for the fourth wicket.

After Srivastava departed in the 41st over, it was Tiwary who single-handedly took the score close to 300 with some delightful strokes.

The Bengal batsman hit Mithun for a four and a six off successive deliveries before getting out.

When the Greens batted, they looked completely out of sorts as pacers Rudra Pratap, V Yomahesh and spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Piyush Chawla bowled well.

Robin Uthappa was the top scorer with 30, while S Badrinath, Kedar Jadhav, Aniruddha Srikkanth and Rohit Sharma fell cheaply.

Sachin's feats are time immemorable: Kapil

The way Sachin Tendulkar is piling up records after records, cricket fans will talk about his amazing feats for at least the next fifty years, India's World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev said on Monday.

Tendulkar on Sunday became the first batsman in the history of Test cricket to reach the 14,000-run mark during the second match against Australia.

"The present generation will only talk about Sachin for another 50 years. I am sure about it as not many people could reach the target that Sachin had set now. He is focused always and that is the reason that nobody could reach his standards," Kapil said.

Tendulkar ended the day on 191 not out but Kapil said he should have got his double hundred on Monday itself.

"I think, I am disappointed. He should have got a 200 today itself. He may be little tired towards the end. But the bowlers were also tired and Tendulkar could have taken them on and could have easily got a double hundred," Kapil said to a television channel.

While, Saurav Ganguly, one of Sachin's contemporaries, suspected that anyone in cricketing world could ever scale the number of records that this little master has achieved.

Former captain Ganguly was sure Tendulkar's records will remain etched in history and will never be broken.

"Sachin's marks, I doubt will be reached by anyone," he said.

On Tendulkar's marathon 308-run partnership with Murali Vijay (139), which was pivotal in a strong Indian reply to Australia's 478, Ganguly said, "Sachin came in at a very important position when we were 38 for 2. From there he and Murali played outstandingly to take India to a position that they are in now. Sachin's knock is so invaluable. Sachin and Murali's knocks were fantastic."

Tendulkar brings up 49th Test hundred

A day after Sachin Tendulkar became the first man to hit 14,000 runs in Test cricket, the maestro followed it up with a cracking 49th Test hundred and 95th ton overall on day three of the second Test against Australia here on Monday.

This is Tendulkar's 11th Test hundred against Australia and the sixth in nine Test matches this year. He was unlucky to miss out on a ton in the first Test at Mohali when he was dismissed on 98, but this time he made no mistakes.

Tendulkar brough up his hundred with a six off Nathan Hauritz. He took 157 balls to get to the mark.

Sachin, who came into the middle on Sunday after the fall of Rahul Dravid's wicket and with the scoreboard at 38/2, has already put up a 150-plus partnership with opener Murali Vijay, who played the anchor role to perfection.

This is Tendulkar's second Test hundred at this ground and he now shares the record for most centuries in Bangalore with Mohammad Azharuddin and Sunil Gavaskar.

Australian Ricky Ponting, the nearest competitor in this race, is in second place with 39 Test hundreds.

2nd Test: India reach 435/5 on day three

Sachin Tendulkar gave ample display of his class with a marathon unbeaten 191 as India restored the balance in the second and final cricket Test against Australia with a solid batting show on Monday.

Tendulkar notched up his 49th Test century and found able support from opener Murali Vijay (139) as the hosts reached a comfortable 435 for five at stumps on day three in reply to Australia's 478.

The 37-year-old batting maestro, who has been in stunning form in the last three months, played a virtual sheet anchor role to guide India not only to a safe position but from where they can push for a 2-0 series win.

Tendulkar and Vijay, who scored his maiden Test century, were involved in a record 308-run partnership for the third wicket which laid the foundation of India's spirited reply.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (11) was giving Tendulkar company at stumps on an eventful third day.

Milestone man Tendukar, who on Sunday became the first batsman to score 14,000 Test runs, today wrote another record to his name by making a 150-plus score for the record 20th time, surpassing Brian Lara's 19.

With two full days left, India will now try to gain a substantial first innings lead and try to put pressure on the Australians on the M Chinnaswamy track which is expected to provide some help to the slow bowlers.

Tendulkar and Vijay surpassed the 222-run mark, set by Allan Border and Kim Hughes in Chennai in 1979, as Australia went wicket-less in the first two sessions of the day.

Tendulkar, who is now approaching his sixth double ton, has so far struck 20 fours and two sixes in his 319-ball knock.

The Mumbaikar completed his 49th Test century in the morning session by smacking spinner Nathan Haurtiz for two consecutive sixes while Vijay got his maiden hundred with a single off paceman Peter George in the middle session.

Vijay, who replaced an injured Gautam Gambhir in the side, seized the opportunity as he contributed in India's fightback. His 139 runs came off 310 balls with 14 fours and two sixes.

India lost three wickets in the last session with paceman Mitchell Johnson (3/89) striking twice.

Johnson broke the third wicket stand by getting Vijay caught behind and then trapped debutant Cheteshwar Pujara three balls later.

Murali Vijay hits debut Test ton

Two years after making his debut against Australia at Nagpur, Indian opener Murali Vijay brought up his first Test hundred against the same opponents on day three of the second Test at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday.

Murali, who was picked for the playing XI in place of an injured Gautam Gambhir, made the most of the opportunity with Sachin Tendulkar guiding him from the other end. This is his seventh Test appearance.

The stylish right-hander played patiently to anchor India's innings after the hosts were two down for 38 runs on day two on Sunday. He played with a lot of patience and held one end up as Tendulkar launched into the attack from the other end.

The 26-year-old got a standing ovation from his teammates and the crowd and was hugged by Tendulkar, who himself earlier hit his 49th Test hundred.

Racist e-mail scandal disappointing: Gilchrist

Former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist on Saturday termed the racist e-mail scandal involving his country's police officers "very disappointing", but claimed that Indian students Down Under are "positive" about their stay.

"If it (racist e-mail) is a recent news, as we will try to find it out, and if it is proven to be correct then it is very disappointing," Gilchrist said.

The cricketer said the Australian government has taken up the recent racial incidents against Indians "seriously".

"It needs to be taken seriously. Our government and the education sector have certainly addressed it. Indian students there have been very positive about being in Australia and on (university) campuses. They feel safe," Gilchrist told a television channel.

Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday summoned Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese and sought an explanation on the issue in which top Victorian police officers have been caught in a racist e-mail scandal joking about the electrocution of an Indian train passenger.

Gilchrist said Australia is trying to ensure that no racial incidents occur. "We have to work together to try and ensure that these incidents do not re-occur. I think we are trying to do that."

We'll try to remove North early: Sehwag

Left-handed batsman Marcus North is in good touch and India would try to remove him early on Sunday to restrict Australia to a moderate first innings score in the second cricket Test, said opener Virender Sehwag.

"He (North) is playing well in this match and this is also his second Test against India. At this moment, he looks competitive and tomorrow morning, we will try to get him out as quickly as possible," Sehwag told a press conference after the day's play.

The opening batsman said their strategy would be to skittle out the visitors as quickly as possible so that they get to bat for a longer time.

"That is our team strategy. As of now, the ball is coming up slowly to the bat and hopefully the wicket will get better as the match progresses. Perhaps on third and fourth day, it would dry enough and the ball will come nicely onto the bat," he said.

Captain Ricky Ponting's 77 helped the visitors reach 285 for five in the opening day of the match before the play was called off due to bad light after 85.5 overs. North remained unbeaten on 43.

Sehwag also defended the decision to rest VVS Laxman, saying the right-handed batsman was not fully fit.

"We tested him this morning and he said the back is still stiff and we did not want to take any chances. If something goes wrong and he cannot continue, then we would not get a fielder for Laxman. So it was a good decision to not to play him," he said.

The swashbuckler batsman also praised Suresh Raina, who got the big breakthrough in the form of Ponting in the post-tea session.

"The wicket that Suresh Raina took to dismiss Ricky Ponting today was the best amongst the five wickets that we could garner. We started off well but at one stage during the tea session, we thought they would score around six runs an over but we are happy to restrict them," Sehwag said.

On playing at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, he said, "We are always happy playing before the supportive Bangalore crowd and I am sure they could come in good number like today for all five days."

Talking about the pitch, Sehwag was of the opinion that the strip is wet and the side portions are not fully dry. "May be it would get better," he said.

Asked whether they would celebrate senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar's feat of surpassing 14,000 runs (he is 27 runs short of the mark), Sehwag said, "We always celebrate his feats and new marks and that would be continued in the dressing room and the practice."

Meanwhile, Australian opener Shane Watson credited Ponting and North for chipping in with valuable runs.

"Marcus started his innings well. It is a nice batting wicket and he has been doing a good job getting useful runs for the team," he said.

"Ricky also batted very well today. It was disappointing that he could not get a big one. He was playing so beautifully but unfortunately losing wicket after batting so well will be frustrating. He held on well with (Mike) Hussey and Marcus North very well," he added.

Asked whether he was satisfied with his own batting, Watson said, "I could have scored a century-plus runs here as it is a very good batting strip. It is disappointing.

"But, we are sure that we will be able to post a good total in sub-continental conditions, close to the one that we did in Mohali," he added.

He predicted that the pitch may remain good for batting in the days to come. "At this moment, the pitch is nice to bat on and will swing and carry through."

2nd Test: Aus 478, India lose early wickets

Australia rode on a fine century by Marcus North to get to 478 in their first innings on day two of the second Test against India at Bangalore on Sunday.

Resuming on 285, both the overnight batsmen, North and Tim Paine frustrated the Indian bowlers with a 128-run stand for the sixth wicket in a lop-sided session.

For the second successive day, Australia, who trail the series 1-0, dominated the morning session, scoring freely without loss.

North played with maturity and looked solid both against the pacers and spinners. He slog-swept Pragyan Ojha for the first six of the match.

Paine's was a slightly more eventful knock in which he struck two fours off an S Sreesanth over and was caught behind off a no-ball by the pacer before he brought up his second Test 50 with a cheeky boundary off Ojha.

BCCI likely to scrap three IPL teams

BCCI chief Shashank Manohar has called in for an emergency meeting of the Indian Premier League's Governing Council on Sunday and there are reports that the meeting may be death blow for three of the franchises. According to sources, the BCCI is likely to scrap three IPL teams - Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals and Kochi.

The trio have failed to produce sufficient documents regarding their franchise. Kochi has already missed its final deadline.

Show-cause notices have already been sent to Kochi, Rajasthan and Punjab for the ownership row and other alleged irregularities. The BCCI has made it clear that franchises have to be owned by companies and not individuals.

Bangalore Test: Ponting leads Australian charge

Electing to bat, Australia were 95 for no loss in their first innings at lunch on day one of the second and final cricket Test against India at M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday.

Shane Watson (54) and Simon Katich (39) were at crease for the visitors at the break.

The hero of the first Test VVS Laxman, who led India to a victory against Australia at Mohali, was left out of the team for the second Test. India have brought in Cheteshwar Pujara as his replacement, along with Murali Vijay and S Sreesanth in place of Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma.

Laxman, despite a nagging back problem, had scored an unbeaten 73 to ensure his team came through the tense final moments of the Mohali Test.

Rana ban likely to be lifted at hearing

The 12-month ban imposed on Pakistani all-rounder Rana Naved-ul-Hasan by the Pakistan Cricket Board is likely to be removed on Saturday, when he will appear before an appellate tribunal, formed to hear appeals of players banned or fined after a disastrous Australian tour.

"He has already served six months of the ban (imposed in March) and the tribunal is expected to remove the remaining ban period immediately," a source told PTI.

The all-rounder had met with the PCB chairman Ijaz Butt last month in which he apologised for his conduct and behaviour on the Australian tour that eventually led to his ban and fine of two million Pakistani rupees.

Rana was among seven players who were either banned or fined by the board on the recommendations of an inquiry committee that probed the team's poor performance in Australia and found the players guilty of misconduct and indiscipline.

Except for Rana all the other players have had their bans lifted or fines halved by the board or the appellate tribunal.

"There is every likelihood the fine may also be halved or waived as Rana, during his meeting with the PCB chief, specifically requested him to remove the ban and fine," a source said.

Rana and former captain Younis Khan have both not been picked for the national team since the Australian tour.

Younis has not been picked despite his indefinite ban being removed by the appellate tribunal in July. A source in the legal department of the PCB told PTI that Younis would not be considered for Pakistan until he met with the PCB chairman like the other banned or fined players and "sorted out his issue."

"The legal department of the board has sent Younis letters and reminders asking him to come to the PCB offices and meet with relevant officials to resolve the issue," the source added.

Younis has kept a low profile since returning from England in August after playing county cricket and despite being repeatedly ignored by the PCB, even for the series against South Africa in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, starting later this month.

Zimbabwe lose first T20 against South Africa

Graeme Smith smashed a half-century in his first game after resigning the Twenty20 captaincy to guide South Africa to a seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe at the OUTsurance Oval on Friday.

Smith made 58 off 33 balls, with 48 of those runs in boundaries, as the Proteas raced to 169-3 to pass Zimbabwe's 168-4 in just 15.5 overs.

Smith and Loots Bosman produced a 90-run opening partnership and David Miller (36 not out) and JP Duminy (35 not out) carried South Africa home to give Smith's successor, Johan Botha, a winning start.

South Africa takes a 1-0 lead in the two-match T20 series. The countries also play three one-dayers.

"I wanted to help Johan get off to a good start with his captaincy and lead with the bat and hopefully I did that," man-of-the-match Smith said. "It's a big year for us. six months to the World Cup and I really wanted to start well. Hopefully it will continue."

Earlier, the South Africans had given a rusty performance in the field in their season-opener as Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha made half-centuries for Zimbabwe. Chibhabha was dropped twice and South Africa also missed a string of run-out chances.

Masakadza top-scored with 72 to lead the Zimbabweans to a decent total.

But the left-handed Smith kicked off his season with nine fours and two sixes as he and Bosman punished a frail Zimbabwe bowling attack. Smith reached his fifth half-century in Twenty20 matches with a slog-sweep over midwicket for six.

Leg-spinner Graeme Cremer trapped him lbw trying to sweep again soon after. South Africa lost three wickets for just nine runs as Smith, Bosman and debutant Colin Ingram, who made three, fell in the space of 10 balls.

But Miller and Duminy played fluently for a 70-run partnership and South Africa won with more than four overs to spare.

The Proteas also handed an international debut to bowler Juan Theron, who starred for finalists Warriors in the recent Champions League Twenty20. Theron returned 1-33, clattering into Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura's stumps with a trademark inswinging yorker for his first wicket in international cricket.

The only worry for the Proteas was an injury to fast bowler Morne Morkel. He impressed with two overs for just nine runs before turning an ankle.

Misbah-ul-Haq named Pakistan Test captain

Pakistan have named middle-order batsman Misbah-ul-Haq as captain for their forthcoming Test series against South Africa in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The 36-year-old, who was not picked for the recent tour of England, will become Pakistan's fourth Test captain of 2010.

Spinner Danish Kaneria returns after being dropped during the England tour.

Shahid Afridi has been confirmed as captain for the one-day and Twenty20 internationals that precede the Tests - a day after the squad was named.

Meanwhile, former coach Intikhab Alam returns as team manager.

Yawar Saeed had resigned as Pakistan's tour manager following their controversial tour of England, which was marred by allegations of spot-fixing.

Omitted from both squads is wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who had an error-strewn tour of England.

Kamran was taken to hospital on Wednesday with abdominal problems, but could rejoin the squad at a later date if he passes a fitness test.

His place behind the stumps goes to Zulqarnain Haider, who was Kamran's deputy in England before a broken finger ended his participation in the tour.

The three Pakistan players at the centre of the claims - Test captain Salman Butt, and seamers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir - remain under provisional suspension by the International Cricket Council, although none of them have been charged by police.

The trio's appeals against their ICC suspensions will be heard on 30 and 31 October.

In any event, Asif cannot play in Dubai or Abu Dhabi as he is banned from entering the United Arab Emirates after being detained for possession of opium at Dubai airport in 2008.

Seamer Wahab Riaz was the fourth Pakistan player after Butt, Asif and Amir to be questioned by British police in relation to allegations of corruption, although he was not charged and is not under ICC suspension - and is named in the Test squad.

Neither Misbah nor left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman, who are in both squads to face the Proteas, toured England - and nor did paceman Mohammad Sami, who is in the Test squad.

Afridi has been Pakistan's regular one-day captain since the summer of 2009

Left-handed opener Taufeeq Umar is recalled to the Test squad, four years after his last international appearance, while left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir is named as the 16th man in the Test party, providing that he can prove he has shaken off the knee problem which has caused him to miss much of the last year.

But there is no place for ex-skipper Shoaib Malik, Shahzaib Hasan or Mohammad Irfan, who all played in Tests or one-dayers against England, in either squad.

Afridi has been Pakistan's regular captain in limited-overs cricket since the summer of 2009, although veteran batsman Mohammad Yousuf skippered the side in Australia at the start of 2010.

Misbah will be the fourth man to lead them in Tests this year after Yousuf, Afridi - who relinquished the role after one game - and Butt.

The first Twenty20 international takes place on 26 October, and is an extra game added to the schedule - with the proceeds raising money for the victims of the recent floods in Pakistan.

The one-day series is followed by two Tests, also in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Before travelling to the UAE, the Proteas begin a brief limited-overs series against Zimbabwe in South Africa - which starts on 8 October.

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Pakistan Test squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Imran Farhat, Taufeeq Umar, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Yousuf, Umar Akmal, Azhar Ali, Saeed Ajmal, Danish Kaneria, Abdur Rehman, Zulqarnain Haider (wk), Umar Gul, Tanvir Ahmed, Mohammad Sami, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir (subject to fitness).

Pakistan Twenty20 & ODI squad: Shahid Afridi (capt), Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Shoaib Akhtar, Tanvir Ahmed, Zulqarnain Haider (wk).

South Africa Test squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (wk), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

South Africa ODI squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Charl Langeveldt, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

South Africa Twenty20 squad: Johan Botha (capt), Loots Bosman, AB de Villiers (wk), JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Mohali contest great for Test cricket: Akram

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram praised the quality of cricket played during India's thrilling win against Australia in Mohali and said Test matches like these keep alive the interest of the audience in the oldest form of the game.

"Test cricket is alive and kicking. Coming at the back of the Champions League T20, the Mohali Test had more excitement than the Chennai Super Kings-Warriors final. For those who have questioned the future of Test cricket, the Mohali match has been a great advertisement for the five-day game," Akram said.

"Australia looked good to win the Test at one stage. But I must say, the ninth-wicket 81-run stand between Ishant (Sharma) and (VVS) Laxman was decisive. India's grit and the ability to fight till the last were good signs. Players like Laxman, Dravid, Sachin and Zaheer only reinforce my view that there is no substitute for experience in Test cricket," Akram told a website.

The legendary pacer also offered some word of advice to young players like Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli and said they would only improve if they continuously experience the tenacity and perseverance of the senior batsmen.

"The hunger in the senior players like Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Zaheer Khan actually make India what they are today. The Rainas and the Kohlis, the Vijays and the Ojhas will only improve if they play more and more Test matches.

I must congratulate the Indian selectors in reposing faith on able senior players. And I am sure Dhoni must be excited to have them in the dressing room," he said.

Akram also questioned the validity of the two-match series between India and Australia and said the International Cricket Council must make it mandatory to have at least a three-Test series, if not a five-match contest.

"Unfortunately, a two-Test series between the top countries in the world is not enough. I feel a two-match series is unfair on the visiting side, more so if the team is Australia, England or New Zealand. I wonder how the Aussies agreed to this itinerary.

"It takes a while to digest the playing conditions and that's what happened to the Aussies. Before they could fathom the Mohali wicket and its vagaries, India had already swung it their way," he said.

PCB in two minds over captaincy issue

The Pakistan Cricket Board appears to be caught up in another self-created problem with indications that it is finding it difficult to find someone to lead the team in the coming series against South Africa in the UAE.

The failure of the board to announce the captain for the first leg of the series that includes one-day and T20 matches despite including Shahid Afridi in the squad means it remains uncertain over the captaincy issue.

"There is some confusion over the captaincy issue because logically Afridi should have been named captain for the limited over series as he has led the team satisfactorily in the limited over matches this year," a source in the board said.

He also pointed out that the board had indicated earlier while appointing Afridi as captain that he would continue till the 2011 World Cup.

"The failure to name the captain for the ODI and T20 series means there is confusion over the captaincy issue because of several reasons one of them the expected return of Younis Khan to the Test side and secondly the possibility of Salman Butt being available for selection after his ICC hearing on October 30th and 31st in Doha," the source said.

"There has been some contact between Younis Khan and the board in recent days and now the Chairman, Ijaz Butt is contemplating bringing back Younis as captain for the South Africa series as Test captain," another source added.

He explained that Butt wanted a way out if matters didn't work out with Younis or if the former captain himself preferred to return to the team as just a player and not captain.

"The other options available for Butt is then to appoint Afridi as test and one-day captain at the same time," the source said.

He said this was also a difficult task for the board since Afridi had indicated that he was happy just leading the team in the limited over matches and didn't want to be part of the Test team even as a player.

Afridi had suddenly announced his decision to retire from Test cricket and leave the captaincy after Pakistan lost the first test to Australia in England in July.

Afridi's sudden decision led to the appointment of Salman Butt as Test captain but he is now under suspension from the International Cricket Council for his alleged role in the spot fixing scandal.

"The board is also waiting to see how the appeals hearing of the three suspended players including Aamir and Asif goes in Doha," the source said.

"The PCB has not given up on the option of Butt being cleared by the ICC and having his suspension removed after the hearing. If that happens then Butt would be available for the Tests against South Africa that would be played after the one-day and T20 series,"

2nd Test is a must-win game for us: Hussey

Down 0-1 in the series, Australia batsman Mike Hussey on Thursday said the visitors are determined to come out with flying colours in the second and final Test against India starting here on Saturday.

Incidentally, the second Test against India would be Australia's last five-day game before this year's Ashes but Hussey said their priority now is to win the next match and level the series.

"Every Test match is big. Yes, it is the last Test before

the Ashes but we are not thinking about it this stage. We are 0-1 down in the series and we have to win this match and level the series," Hussey told reporters on Thursday.

"That is the focus at this moment...To play good,

disciplined Test cricket for long periods of time. If we play with the same intensity that we did in Mohali, we have a good

chance of leveling the series," he added.

The left-handed batsman, however, is a disappointed man to have lost the Mohali Test from a winning position.

"It was a Test match which we could have won. We had our chances, but we could not do the job and get over the line.

After the match, the dressing room was very quiet," Hussey said.

"From a positive point of view, we did a lot of things right. We are playing against the number one team in the world

with a relatively young team. We will try to maintain that consistency here," he said.

Asked why is India such a tough opponent on home soil, Hussey said, "They know how to handle pressure and how to handle every situation. They have done it many many times before.

"Their bowlers, Harbhajan (Singh) and Zaheer Khan have played a lot of Test cricket and have a got lot of experience. They know the conditions well and how to use it to their benefit," he said.

It was one of my best innings: Laxman

After single-handedly guiding India to a one-wicket victory over Australia in the nail-biting first cricket Test on Tuesday, V V S Laxman termed his unbeaten 73 as one of the best knocks of his career.

"It is definitely one of my best knocks. I have always enjoyed batting in such situations and I feel disappointed if I do not perform in such situations. I was able to deliver," he said after helping India take an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

"Whatever knock you play, if it helps the team in winning it feels really satisfying," he added.

Laxman gave credit to the tailenders Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha for supporting him in completing a memorable win.

"It was a great effort from Ishant at the other end because with an injured leg he played and showed his character. He displayed great temperament. The partnership with Ishant was very important," said Laxman.

"All our tailenders take a lot of pride in their batting and they work really hard on their batting," he said.

Asked about how he reserved his best for the Australians, Laxman said, "You always feel good when you play well against Australia. Each session, the fortunes were fluctuating."

He said his back injury is getting better but still stiff.

"Hopefully, it should be OK (before the second Test in Bangalore)," he told a television channel.

Ponting seeks revival after Mohali loss

Australian captain Ricky Ponting on Wednesday urged his young team to overcome the first Test loss to India, saying such defeats always hurt badly.

India won by one wicket in a dramatic finish in Mohali on Tuesday despite being reduced to 124-8 while chasing 216 for victory, to take the lead in the two-match series.

Venkatsai Laxman defied back spasms to fashion India's win with an unbeaten 73 after tailender Ishant Sharma struck a defiant 31 during a match-winning stand of 81 for the ninth wicket.

The loss meant Ponting's men must win the second and final Test starting in Bangalore on Saturday to draw the series.

Ponting said he hoped the tourists, who take on England in the Ashes series at home from next month, will not be unduly affected by the traumatic defeat.

"I think it's important that we don't dwell on the negative side of not winning the game," Ponting said as his team prepared to fly to Bangalore.

"I think it's important we look at the positives that we have created and achieved out of this four-and-a-half days.

"There have been a lot from a pretty inexperienced group of players."

Australia have ended on the losing side in a number of close finishes in recent years, but Ponting admitted Tuesday's loss hurt like never before.

"This is a tough loss for us, it's no good hiding from it," he said. "This hurts all of us, I'm sure it's hurt a lot of people at home as well.

"They all hurt when you lose, especially when you've been in positions to win.

"This one probably hurts more because I'm the captain. Eight down with 80 to get, it was a game we should've won."

Ponting admitted he was unsure how the players will respond in Bangalore where the tourists will seek a series-levelling win.

"You don't know how they're going to take it until you see them in a similar situation next time," he said.

"You don't know if it's going to be a good experience having been there once, or if it's a thing they might not overcome next time.

"We won't know until we get those younger guys in that situation."

Australia, currently fourth in the Test rankings behind leaders India, South Africa and Sri Lanka, will slip to fifth if they lose the series 2-0.

The Australian selectors on Wednesday rested Ponting, batsman Shane Watson and fast bowler Mitchell Johnson for the three one-dayers against India that follow the Tests to keep them fresh for the Ashes.

India, meanwhile, will be without opening batsman Gautam Gambhir and fast bowler Ishant Sharma for Bangalore due to knee injuries suffered in Mohali.

It was also unclear if Laxman would be fit to play despite undergoing extensive treatment for back spasms.

India's selectors have added uncapped batsman Abhinav Mukund and left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat to the 15-man squad, but neither is likely to take the field.

Opener Murali Vijay is expected to replace Gambhir, while fast bowler Shanthakumaran Sreesanth is likely to take over from Sharma.

If Laxman does not play, he will be replaced by rookie batsman Cheteshwar Pujara.