Cricket round-up:An excellent bowling performance from Shanthakumaran Sreesanth on day three put Indiain sight of a comprehensive victory in the second Test against Sri Lankain Kanpur.
Sreesanth, playing his first Test since April last year, claimed five first-innings wickets as Sri Lanka were skittled for a meagre 229 in response to India’s first innings total of 642.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni then chose to enforce the follow-on and Sreesanth again provided the breakthrough by dismissing the dangerous Tillakaratne Dilshan (11) as India tightened the noose.
The home side then picked up the wickets of Tharanga Paranavitana, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene cheaply as Sri Lanka ended the third day on 57 for four, still 356 behind India’s first innings score.
Virender Sehwag, bowling his off-spinners for the first time in this match in the final session, sent back Paranavitana, while Mahela Jayawardene was run out, responding to a poor call from Sangakkara.
Sangakkara was then bowled by Harbhajan Singh via an inside edge as Sri Lanka collapsed to 54 for four.
Angelo Mathews (two not out) and Thilan Samaraweera (one not out) were at the crease when stumps were drawn.
Simon Katich led the way with 92 as Australia'stop-order set the platform for a sizeable first innings score against West Indiesin Brisbane.
Katich top-scored while captain Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey both hit half-centuries as the home side reached 322 for five at stumps on day one of the first Test.
The Windies, spearheaded by 21-year-old paceman Kemar Roach (one for 50) and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo (two for 66), showed plenty of potential in the field, but their lack of sustained pressure proved all too costly, with opener Shane Watson the only man unable to get settled in the middle.
Umar Akmal announced his arrival in the Test arena with an impressive century on debut as he and his brother Kamran hauled Pakistanout of the mire on day three of the first Test against New Zealand.
Chasing the Black Caps’ first innings total of 429, Pakistan were left reeling on 85 for five at University Oval in Dunedin after Chris Martin and Shane Bond had ripped through the top of the order.
But showing maturity beyond his 19 years, Umar Akmal sparked a stirring fightback as he brought up a maiden Test 50 in just 57 balls, including one sweeping six off Daniel Vettori, and continued to play his shots to reach three figures in 132 balls in the final session.
He showed no nerves whatsoever in the nineties, hitting Iain O’Brien for four then six, before his 16th boundary lifted him to 101 the very next ball.
Even his brother’s dismissal in the next over for 82 did not distract the teenager and he continued to frustrate the New Zealand bowlers until he holed out to Peter Fulton at deep backward point off Bond when on 129. His 160-ball innings included 21 boundaries and two sixes.
Pakistan will resume tomorrow on 307 for eight, 122 runs behind, after Umar and Kamran’s partnership of 176 runs ensured they avoided the follow on — something that was a distinct possibility after Bond, playing in his first Test in two years, had taken three wickets in 10 balls in his spell after lunch.