Batsman Tunes Out Troubles and Sets a Record

Sachin Tendulkar’s 50th score of 100 or more in five-day tests, achieved earlier this week in Centurion, South Africa, was more than just another personal landmark in a career already overflowing with them.

It was a significant moment for cricket as a whole. Cricket as a game thinks in fifties and hundreds and applauds when players reach those marks.

Until recently it was unthinkable that any one man might score as many as 50 centuries in tests. Tendulkar not only met the old record, 34, set by his Indian compatriot, Sunil Gavasker, he smashed it. One more and he’ll have exceeded the original mark by 50 percent.

It is not unthinkable that somebody may one day overtake Tendulkar, though his closest pursuers right now — Ricky Ponting (39) and Jacques Kallis (38) — are far behind in his wake.

It appears unlikely, barring some implausible explosion in the number of the matches or the emergence of an authentic Superman, that we will ever see the next step, somebody scoring 100 centuries in tests, and that makes Tendulkar’s mark of 50 a truly special moment.

For many of the Tendulkar’s millions of followers, he already is Superman. He is a rare sporting marvel, a child prodigy who not only fulfilled the awesome potential he first showed when he broke into India’s team at 16, but then showed the desire and durability that allowed him to maintain his top-level play later on in his career. It is as if Mozart had lived to be 70, composing fresh works of greatness all the while.

That Tendulkar, 37, retains his underlying genius was evident in the first innings at Centurion as India collapsed around him. Tendulkar was facing the most effective and aggressive pace pairing in world cricket — Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel of South Africa — in conditions that perfectly suited them. He did not merely cope, but scored more than a run a ball, producing a succession of breathtaking strokes.

In the second innings, when he reached his own landmark, he was battling for his team, desperately attempting to avert first defeat and then, when that became inevitable, the humiliation of losing by an innings.

It was left to a South African, India coach Gary Kirsten, to shed light on what is perhaps the secret to Tendulkar’s extraordinary durability: practice.

He is, “the model of what an international cricketer should be, and has been for years,” Kirsten said. “I still reckon that I do more throw-downs to him every day than any other member of the squad.”

That comment brought to mind other great athletes who had nothing else to prove, yet still had the inner drive to take them to the next level.

Like the golfer Gary Player, who when complimented on his good fortune said, “And you know, the more I practice, the luckier I get.”

The baseball player Joe DiMaggio explained his dedication to performing well every day by pointing out, “there might be some kid watching who has never seen me play before.”

The 50th century is yet another addition to the monument being built by the man who, without a doubt, is the greatest living batsman. He plays in a batting order that also includes the world’s most explosively brilliant player, Virender Sehwag, and the man who most closely resembles the outcome should anyone ever succeed in constructing the ideal batsman from scratch, Rahul Dravid.

Yet none of them, not even Tendulkar, is India’s most valuable player, in the sense of being the man it can do least without. The match in Centurion left little doubt about who that is: the left-arm quick bowler Zaheer Khan.

While South Africa’s pacemen made the pitch there look lethal, India’s equivalents, shorn of their injured leader, were ineffective and allowed the Proteas to pile up 620 runs for four wickets. With Zaheer, India will just about pass muster in bowling, his presence taking the pressure off the other players. His teammates benefit from the pressure that his speed and movement place on opposing batsmen. Without him, India is way short of what a No. 1 team needs.

Confident Stuart Broad: We will make our rusty rivals pay

Stuart Broad believes South Africa's lack of Test cricket this year gives England a golden chance to take the first match of the series.

Just 48 hours before the teams meet in the opening Test at Centurion, the all-rounder urged his team to go for the throat against a side, whose last taste of the five-day game was back in March.

Although South Africa beat Australia, it was a hollow victory as the Proteas lost the series 3-1. By contrast, England enjoyed a golden summer, comfortably seeing off the West Indies before reclaiming the Ashes in a 2-1 triumph.

After practice here today, Broad said: "This is a big opportunity for us. South Africa are a bit rusty, they haven't played Test cricket for a while and we are feeling good as a team. We have to make sure we go into the first day at Centurion and hit them hard. We're pretty confident we can."

England are still deliberating over whether to go on the attack and play just four bowlers but Broad believes the squad are versatile enough to cope with anything.

"The beauty of this England side is that we have that option," he said. "Obviously if we go in with six batters it will put pressure on the bowlers, but Jimmy Anderson and I have been opening the bowling for quite a while and we are ready to step up and take responsibility.

"What's good about this England team is that there are players ready to step up in all situations. We just have to make sure we get off to a good start on Wednesday. That's so important in a four-match series."

Broad also explained why he has decided to opt out of the Indian Premier League for another season.

Struggling with a shoulder injury earlier in the tour, he said: "It's been a tough schedule. We've got four Tests over the next five weeks and then there's the Bangladesh tour.

"You have to listen to your body. I'm not ruling out the IPL in the future but for now England comes first. It was always my boyhood dream to play for my country and that is my priority. I've done a lot of thinking and a lot of talking. I have to think about my body."

Anderson will also miss the IPL, citing his desire to be fresh for next winter's Ashes defence.

He said: "Taking on Australia will be a huge challenge and one that I am fully committed to.

“I want to be an integral part of the first England cricket team to retain the Ashes since 1972 and I'll be giving myself the best possible chance of doing that by not playing in the IPL
“The England cricket team have a busy schedule in 2010 and I'd like to be playing for England as much as possible.”

Wicketkeeper Matt Prior says that England should adopt a squad‑rotation policy so players avoid burn-out.

Prior, whose own position has been called into question, accepts changing the team gives a rival player a chance to impress but says England should learn from Australia.

Prior told the January issue of The Wisden Cricketer magazine: “Ultimately players are going to have to be rested. They have to be told — not asked. No one will say they want a break but there is nothing wrong in the England management saying: You are our No1 but we want you to rest to be fit for an important series.

“You don't want to give a rival half a chance to take your job but Australia think nothing of resting their players without placing the dropped player's future at risk. Ricky Ponting was in the form of his life when returning from a rest period after the Ashes.”

A wicket with character . . . about time

FOR almost all my international career, Perth had been a fortress for Australia.

I made my Test debut there in December 1995, when we comfortably beat Sri Lanka, was dropped when the West Indies won there the following season, and went the next 10 years never experiencing defeat at the WACA Ground.

The pace and bounce of Perth was usually too much for the opposition. Six of our victories there in my time were by more than an innings, one by seven wickets, another by almost 500 runs and another by more than 200 runs.

With very rare exceptions, Perth and Brisbane were the two places we felt most confident of victory because of the extra bounce in the pitch.

Yet as batsmen we loved playing there. The pitches played with great consistency and the ball came on to the bat so you had the confidence to play your shots, making for entertaining cricket.

I am looking forward to playing on that type of Perth pitch again in the third Test against the West Indies, beginning tomorrow. .

It had become lower and slower in recent seasons, continuing the trend of pitches around the world that are losing, or have lost, their character.

This season there have been good reports coming out of Perth, with NSW beating Western Australia inside three days thanks to an excellent bowling performance from Doug Bollinger on a lively pitch. If the Test pitch is something similar that is great news for players, and great news for the fans, who will see plenty of lively cricket.

The pitch being prepared for this Test does have a good cover of grass but we'll wait until today before having a close look at it.

Certainly all the signs are encouraging because for most of my career Perth has been one of the great places to play cricket.

Cricket needs more pitches like the WACA Ground of old, a wonderful contrast to the type of slow, low wickets you find in so many places now.

This reduces one of the great joys of Test cricket, to be challenged on unique surfaces, something which Australia could once boast about. Each of its major cricket grounds had a distinctly different surface.

If you could learn to cope with a variety of difference surfaces around the country and around the world, whether you were a batsman or a bowler, you were considered the complete Test cricketer.

That challenge is now going out of Test cricket as pitches around the globe develop a sameness. Low, slow pitches can make for bland, one-sided cricket where bat dominates ball and results can be difficult to achieve.

This is my concern for Test cricket on the subcontinent in particular, where there can be some real batathons.

It was no surprise to us that the West Indies batted well in Adelaide. The slow, low pitch was always going to suit their style of play. However, if the WACA Ground pitch is anything like the Perth of my younger days, I think they'll struggle like they struggled in Brisbane during the first Test.

There has been talk that their impressive young fast bowler Kemar Roach could be a handful for us in Perth.

He can certainly be quick but we played him well on the helpful Brisbane pitch and I believe we can do the same again during this Test. Likewise, we've got some impressive young quicks of our own who will enjoy any assistance at least as much as the West Indian fast bowlers.

Statistics suggest that off-spinners struggle in Perth but I don't believe they tell the full story.

Left-arm finger spinners Daniel Vettori from New Zealand and South Africa's Paul Harris have had success against us at the WACA Ground in recent seasons.

And many touring sides chose not to play their off-spinners in Perth, with India leaving out Harbhajan Singh just two years ago.

Off-spinners have had success at state level drifting the ball away from the right-handed batsmen in the breeze. I had a chat to Nathan Hauritz after the Adelaide Test and he admitted he didn't bowl as well as he would have liked, but I believe that with the prevailing Fremantle Doctor aiding his drift and a bit of extra bounce, he could bowl well.

One thing we have talked about since we arrived in Perth is our batting.

We have played consistently well, making 8(dec)-480 in Brisbane and 439 during the first innings in Adelaide.

During that time nine players have made 50 or more, and two have made it to the 90s, but no one has scored a century.

This contrasts with the West Indies, who have made three hundreds and yet are 1-0 down in the series. Those sorts of statistics are starting to have an Ashes feel about them.

It's important that players who get starts do press on and get big scores, but by the same token you don't want to make a big deal about it.

The more you talk about it, the harder it can become.

Last summer we talked about losing wickets around the breaks and it kept happening. It was like a self-fulfilling prophecy.


by Ricky Ponting

Courtesy : http://www.theaustralian.com.au

Australia beat India in one-day thriller

World champions Australia claimed a four-run victory in the opening one-day international on Sunday after India went close to reaching a daunting target of 293.

A plucky eighth-wicket stand of 84 by Harbhajan Singh (49) and Praveen Kumar (40 not out) almost gave India victory after they had slid to 201 for seven.

India needed nine off the last over from Peter Siddle but the paceman bowled accurately, conceding just four runs and clean bowling Harbhajan.

Earlier, Australian batsmen, led by captain Ricky Ponting, fed on some listless Indian bowling on a flat Reliance Stadium track to post an imposing 292 for 8 in the first of the best-of-seven-match ODI series here today.

Electing to bat, Australia suffered an early blow before recovering superbly through a near-century stand between Ponting (74) and opener Tim Paine (50).

The sound beginning was build upon by half centuries from Cameron White (51) and Michael Hussey (73) as the Indian bowling, which has struggled of late, was put to the sword in merciless fashion in hot conditions.

In the morning, the hosts struck an early blow by sending back Australian opener Shane Watson, on a high coming into the series with back-to-back hundreds in the semifinal and final of the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

The burly batsman straight-drove the first ball of the series from Praveen Kumar for a boundary but then was trapped in front by an incoming ball from Ashish Nehra in the second over to which he played back.

Watson's early dismissal left Australia at five for one after eight balls and brought in visiting team's skipper Ricky Ponting to the crease.

Ponting, on a roll in one-dayers since the best-of-seven ODI series against England with two centuries and four half centuries under his belt from his last 10 innings, and Tim Paine -playing for the first time in a ODI in India -dominated the bowlers.

The duo kept the run rate at a healthy five plus to raise the 100 of their innings in the 19th over when wicketkeeper Paine tried to slash Ishant Sharma to be caught behind for 50.

Paine, who struck nine fours in his 62-ball innings, and Ponting shared 97 runs for the second wicket in 107 balls.

Ponting looked in total command, striking the ball beautifully, and hooked left arm pacer Ashish Nehra for a six.

He looked good for a 100 when he left, trapped leg before by young left-arm slow bowler Ravindra Jadeja while trying to turn the ball to the leg.

The Australia skipper faced 85 balls and hit eight fours and two sixes, the second one off Jadeja over a leaping Nehra at long off, and his dismissal at team total of 151 in the 30th over brought down the scoring rate a bit.

But that was a brief respite for the home team as Cameron White (51) and Michael Hussey (73) again stepped up the run rate after the 35th over to help Australia reach 213 for three at the end of the 40th. They added 76 runs in 77 balls.

Australia added 54 runs in the last 10 overs to leave India with an asking rate of 5.86.

Hussey, out of form before this series and a question mark against his name for the next Test series against West Indies, departed in the last over after facing 54 balls and striking the ball cleanly to hit eight fours and a six.

Indian bowling was a mixed bag. Nehra impressed right through but Kumar was expensive though he was unlucky that twice he got the edge of Paine's bat but the ball did not carry to the slip fielders.

Kumar was hoisted over the roof of the pavilion by Hussey in the 49th over of the innings to end up with no wicket for 77 runs.

Ishant, who has struggled of late, started unimpressively but then settled down to show glimpses of what he is capable of when in rhythm in his opening spell. Coming back in the slog overs he leaked runs but picked up the wickets of Hussey and Brett Lee and ended up with figures of 3/50 from his 10 overs.

Another disappointment was spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh who bowled a poor line and was punished for 20 runs in his first three overs and 27 in his second spell of five overs. He ended up with the wicket of Adam Voges in the slog overs after conceding 57 runs.

Jadeja did reasonably well and got the prize wicket of Ponting, and ended with impressive figures of one for 39 from his nine overs.

The Indian fielding was generally below par with many slow movers in the line-up.

Earlier, India had to leave out Yuvraj Singh, who is recovering from a finger injury sustained before the start of Champions Trophy, along with Munaf Patel, Amit Mishra and Sudeep Tyagi.

Australia benched Doug Bollinger, Jon Holland, Ben Hilfenhaus and Shaun Marsh.

New Zealand humbled in one-sided Champions Trophy final

AUSTRALIA claimed their second successive Champions Trophy title, beating New Zealand by six wickets in the final at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

Australia had a huge fight on their hands at 2-6 against some inspired Kiwi bowling, but Shane Watson again kept a cool head with his second successive unbeaten century to steer Australia (4-206) side past New Zealand's 9-200.

Watson (105 not out) hit successive sixes off spinner Jeetan Patel to score the winning runs - with 28 balls remaining - and reach three figures in style.

After Australia's early wickets, Watson and Cameron White (62) restored order with a partnership of 128, and despite wickets to Kyle Mills (3-27), the world champions were never in trouble.

Australia's victory created history, as they are now the only nation to have won this event twice, following their triumph in India three years ago.

Their win also earned a major windfall, as the team pocketed $US2 million ($A2.31 million). As runner-up, New Zealand earned $US1 million ($A1.15 million).

New Zealand entered the match rank outsiders, with a view that everything needed to go right for them to topple their trans-Tasman rival.

Instead, they lost skipper Daniel Vettori to a hamstring injury an hour before the game began, and then acting skipper Brendon McCullum - the side's most destructive batsman - fell for a duck in the fourth over, to Peter Siddle.

The Black Caps' innings never really took off, as they regularly lost wickets.

Siddle bowled superbly and had figures of 1-18 from nine overs while battling illness towards the end of his last spell, until his last over cost 12 runs.

Offspinner Nathan Hauritz also had a great game with the ball, as his 10 overs yielded good control and 3-37.

But Australia also experienced an injury setback, as young batsman Callum Ferguson wrenched his right knee in the field and was assisted from the field.

Ferguson was not needed to bat, as allrounder James Hopes went in ahead of him at No.6 and finished on 22 not out.

New Zealand started brilliantly with the ball, as Shane Bond removed Tim Paine (one) in the second over and Mills had Ricky Ponting (one) plumb in the next.

But Watson and White weathered the storm patiently - Australia were 2-19 after 11 overs - and had wrestled back control when Watson hit sixes in successive overs just after their partnership passed 50.

Watson played a mature hand when White departed with 67 runs still needed, and his fourth career ton followed his unbeaten 136 in the semi-final against England last Friday.

Watson ended the tournament the competition's second-highest run scorer (265), behind only Ponting's 288, which was a remarkable achievement given he began the series with successive ducks.

Australia's players will now head home for a short break before they depart for India, where they will play seven one-dayers against Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side.

Andrew Flintoff in big demand

ANDREW Flintoff's declaration that he wants to play in Australia is likely to spark a fierce interstate bidding war for cricket's freelance gun for hire.

In an expansive interview in England overnight, Flintoff insisted one of his last remaining cricket goals was to play in Australia where his explosive all-round talents would attract a pot of gold.

"I'm hoping to play more for Lancashire and in the Indian Premier League. Another ambition is to play in an Australian domestic tournament," Flintoff said.

Flintoff recently joined Australia's Andrew "Roy" Symonds in becoming a freelance short-game player when he rejected a second-tier contract from the England Cricket Board.

The man they call Freddy is out of action now after knee surgery but states are already lining up to secure his services as a Twenty20 player in the 2010-11 Big Bash competition.

South Australia last night confirmed they were "aggressively pursuing" Flintoff and one of their key selling points was the relaxed lifestyle in Adelaide for Flintoff, his wife Rachael and young family.

"We have made no secret of the fact that we are after Flintoff and we have already talked to him on several occasions," a SACA spokesman said.

Queensland is another state that is in the market for Flintoff after already showing interest in the world's premier allrounder.

Bulls coach Trevor Barsby says he would love to have Flintoff on deck but one sticking point could be the price the allrounder would demand.

It is believed Flintoff is seeking a two-year domestic deal in Australia and he would be able to demand a base price of at least $120,000 in the Big Bash.

That payment may be topped up by Cricket Australia who would be just as keen to see Flintoff playing in Australia after claiming they wanted to turn the Big Bash into a "Bigger Bash".

Queensland Cricket boss Graeme Dixon confirmed the Bulls' interest in Flintoff but said they did not have a bottomless pit of cash.

Other states such as NSW, which has already shown a liking for big-name international stars after recruiting Kiwi Brendon McCullum last season, are also likely to join the race to secure Flintoff.

Flintoff also wants to continue playing one-day cricket for England and become the world's best limited overs cricketer at the next World Cup in 2011. He denies he has done anything wrong by snubbing the ECB's contract offer.

"I'm comfortable in what I've done," he told The Guardian in England.

"I know what I'm doing, sincerely. I'm in a good position to know when I can play, and when I can't. I'll never duck out of an England game."

England escape one-day whitewash

England avoided a 7-0 one-day series whitewash with a four-wicket win over Australia at the Riverside.

Graeme Swann was England's star performer, taking 5-28 as Australia were dismissed for 176 despite an innings of 53 by Ricky Ponting.

Andrew Strauss (46) and Joe Denly (53) gave England a solid platform with a 106-run opening partnership.

A middle-order collapse gave Australia hope but Paul Collingwood and Tim Bresnan saw England home on 177-6.

Although the victory ensured England escaped an unprecedented 7-0 series drubbing, another sub-standard batting performance - Strauss and Denly excepted - gave them little cause for optimism ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, which starts on Tuesday.

After an impressive bowling display, when Swann became only the fifth England spin bowler to take five wickets in a one-day innings, the hosts almost contrived to throw away a match which was there for the taking.

From 106-0, when an injudicious reverse sweep cost Strauss his wicket, England slumped to 141-5 and although they reached their target with 10 overs to spare, it was somehow fitting that they should finally stumble over the line courtesy of a no-ball.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on a series whitewash, and dropping to third in the one-day rankings as a consequence, Australia will travel to South Africa for the Champions Trophy confident of repeating their 2006 victory.

With the sun belting down on a glorious morning in Chester-le-Street, Ponting once again lost the toss - his sixth from seven - as Strauss opted to utilise the favourable overhead conditions and bowl first.

The hosts welcomed back Collingwood from a three-game hiatus and gave another local favourite, Graham Onions, his one-day debut at the ground where he recently helped Durham win the County Championship for the second successive year.

On a track offering assistance for both seamers and spinners, England bowled with the control and aggression so often missing in their previous six performances in the series.

Anderson reaped instant success as Shane Watson edged a simple catch to Swann at first slip and Tim Paine, fresh from a maiden one-day ton at Trent Bridge in the previous match, followed suit to give Onions his first one-day wicket for England.

With Australia teetering for the first time in the series at 17-2, the experience of Ponting and Clarke steered the tourists away from immediate danger.

Ponting, in particular, was cutting, pulling and driving with consummate ease and a booming front-foot drive saw the Tasmanian surpass Inzamam-ul-Haq and move to third in the all-time leading one-day run scorers, with only Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar now in front of him.

But soon after reaching his 68th one-day half century, Ponting was beaten in the flight by Swann and looped a catch to Collingwood, who was stationed at mid-on, a dismissal which sparked a seven-wicket collapse for just 80 runs.

The breakthrough provided fresh impetus for England and Clarke followed soon after for 38, run out by a smart piece of fielding from Eoin Morgan.

Australia still missing Warne, McGrath: Harbhajan

A familiar thorn in Australian flesh, Harbhajan Singh offered no sympathy to Ricky Ponting and his grief-stricken teammates on their Ashes debacle and said they are still missing Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

As expected, Harbhajan looked rather amused by Australia's Ashes defeat as he went on to highlight the positive implications of England's Ashes triumph.

"Congratulations," was his spontaneous response when he was told about Australia's defeat and was asked to comment on.

"Honestly speaking, I was too busy with my new house (in Jalandhar) and did not see much of Ashes. But it's great to see other teams dominating Australia. England clearly played better and deserved to win," said the off-spinner, who had had umpteen run-ins with a number of Australian cricketers, notably Andrew Symonds.

On a more serious note, Harbhajan said Australia were struggling to adjust to a life without Warne and McGrath.

"They are clearly missing players of the calibres of Warne and McGrath. You have to remember that bowlers win you Test matches and you have to take 20 wickets to win a Test.

"Warne and McGrath were the biggest pillars in Australian cricket and I think it would take time before Australia find their replacements. They will struggle till similar wicket-taking bowlers break into the scene," explained Harbhajan after unveiling the Compaq Cup, which will be given to the winner of next month's tri-series in Sri Lanka.

Asked if he felt even Symonds too was missed, Harbhajan side-stepped the provocation.

"See, Symonds, as long as he was part of the team, did well for Australia. He is a very, very good player. But I think more than Symonds or even (Adam) Gilchrist, Australia sorely missed Warne and McGrath," he said.

Harbhajan and Symonds were the main protagonists of the 2007 'Monkeygate scandal' that threatened to rip apart world cricket.

Harbhajan was accused of calling Symonds a monkey before Justice John Hansen exonerated him of the charge.

Harbhajan said The Oval, venue of fifth and final Ashes Test, offered enough turn and Australia made a mistake by leaving out off-spinner Nathan Hauritz.

"Had I been there, I would have taken 10 wickets and prevented Australia's defeat," he quipped before adding "there was enough turn on the track."

England yesterday pulled off a sensational 197-run victory over Australia in the fifth and final cricket Test to regain the Ashes urn after a four-year gap.

After the defeat, Australia slipped to number four in Test rankings while captain Ricky Ponting suffered the ignominy of being the only the second Australia captain in 132 years of Ashes history to lose two series on England soil.

The other was Australia's first touring captain Billy Murdoch a century ago. Murdoch lost his second series in 1890.

Australia tumble from top, cricket rises from ashe

The jury is still out on whether England's superb Ashes victory will help revive Test cricket in the time of Twenty20, but Australia's tumble from the number one spot arguably heralds the most exciting phase in the history of the game.

Not since the 1960s when England, Australia, West Indies and South Africa looked to be on equal terms has the sport seemed as profuse in talent -- only now, it is far more competitive and infinitely richer in terms of money and texture of play. Better financial rewards have shaped a new, market-driven aggressive attitude that has facilitated greater expression of skill and ensured more results than draws.

A visibly chastened Ricky Ponting, while chomping on humble pie on Sunday, acknowledged that Australia's stranglehold over the game was virtually over and the field was now wide open. Australia have been acknowledged as world champions since 1993-94 and have held the number one position from the inception of the ICC rankings in 2003. The Oval defeat saw them fall to number 4, behind South Africa, Sri Lanka and India.

Yet, only six points separate the top side from the number four suggesting an exciting race for supremacy in the next 12 months. Of these four, India have the opportunity to take the number 1 position if they win a home series 2-0 against Sri Lanka this October. But to retain this position for some length of time, they must win the away series against South Africa late next year - and almost everything else in between - which should be great incentive for MS Dhoni and his team.

This entails maintaining superb form playing overseas and consistency overall. While Indian cricketers had traditionally been poor tourists, there is reason for optimism. The trend was bucked when Sourav Ganguly's team drew against Steve Waugh's side in 2003-4 and though the 2008 series was lost, the Indians succeeded in dismantling the aura of invincibility around the Australians. Since then, they have beaten Ponting's team at home and defeated New Zealand in New Zealand emphatically too.

In that context, Australia's fall from the top has been has not been such a surprise. In the last two years, out of 23 Tests, Ponting has won nine but also lost eight. In this period, he has also lost the services of four or five supremely gifted players. Compare this with 30 victories and just three defeats from the previous 38 Tests he captained, and the unhappy Aussie captain's plight is evident.

Happily for him, though, Ponting has the support of his board and selectors and retains his job, despite being only the second captain to lose two Ashes series. Australia's cricket ethos rarely allows a captain to remain in the team if he loses his job, so if he was sacked, Ponting would have probably retired. That would have meant losing one of the game's best batsmen still.

In the dilemma, the Australian administrators hope, also lies the redemption.

Dravid must make his return relevant

Considering last week's events, diehard romantics of Indian cricket might be excused in believing that they were watching a rerun of an old blockbuster instead of a new film for a new season.

Sourav Ganguly and John Wright, it is being widely speculated, will team up again as captain and coach -- albeit for Kolkata Knight Riders -- and Rahul Dravid finds himself back in the one-day squad.

Of these, Dravid's return is obviously the more significant, but in some ways also the moresurprising. For almost two years, the formerIndia captain has not even been within miles of being in the one-day team; just when he would have decided to consign the blue uniform to the attic, Messrs Srikkanth & Co have asked him to revise his calling card.

From every available indication, Dravid's return is not based on compassion. There has been undisguised concern within the administration (and which has also spilled over to fans) over Team India's recent results: a quick exit from the World T20 and a huff 'n' puff victory over the West Indies. This could have compelled the selectors to plump for experience to steady the boat.

Hacking youngsters in favour of a senior statesman when the stated policy had been to build a young side for the next World Cup is contentious (some might argue retrograde), but the precious Rohit Sharma has sadly muffed up far too many opportunities to retain the faith of even his supporters.

It is no secret that MS Dhoni has not been enamoured of Dravid being in the limited overs sides, but the past three months have not been particularly kind to him as captain. Several young batsmen have proved inconsistent or technically inept and with Viru Sehwag still injured, he might be fortunate that someone with vast experience is still around.

Indeed, Dravid's fantastic ODI record could provide relief to Dhoni. With 10,585 runs to his name (the third highest aggregate by any Indian) and an average just short of 40, he has been a class act. However his strike rate is a none-too-daunting 71.22, and while this includes scores of matches where he played the pivot to the strokeplayers, Dravid has to improve this rate substantially to make his return relevant.
***
Like all lovers of Test cricket, I have been delighted by the Ashes contest which reaches its climax this week. What has intrigued me, however, is the hostile reception Ricky Ponting has received from the crowds at most grounds.

There must be something about the Australian captain's personality (it can't be his batting surely) which people other than just Harbhajan Singh and Sunil Gavaskar also find irksome. Among post-War Australian captains the English have loved to hate, Ponting now stands alongside Ian Chappell.

In the all-time list of most disliked captain from either side in an Ashes contest, however, Douglas Jardine remains unmatched.

The story goes that during the controversial 1932-33 series, the England captain was waving flies away from his face on a hot, humid day when a voice boomed across the stadium, "Hey Jardine, let them be, they are your only friends in Australia." Ponting, all said and done, has more.

And finally, cricket's big sacrifice has not been in vain. By all accounts, Usain Bolt was a promising fast bowler in his school days in Jamaica, till he was weaned away into athletics.

Would Bolt have been in the same class as, say Mike Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose et al? Perhaps even better, but perish the thought. Who then would have run the 100m in 9.58 sec and redefined the limits of human achievement?

Injured Flintoff under pressure not to play IPL

Injured England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is reportedly under pressure not to play in the 2009 Indian Premier League Twenty20 competition.

With Australian captain Ricky Ponting and several other players from that country deciding to opt out, Flintoff's fragile fitness has assumed a larger than life picture, especially in the wake of England failing to win the third Test in Antigua.

In an article for The Telegraph, former England fast bowler Derek Pringle is critical of Flintoff's desire to appear for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL in his injured state, and urges him to learn from Ponting, who has put country first before IPL.

He quotes one England player as saying: "Ponting can do what he likes. I'm playing in IPL, end of story."

"If that sounds unpatriotic, the reality of playing for England these days is a non-stop slog of matches and tours for which the England and Wales Cricket Board must take much of the blame. After all, the quickest way to grow the game's revenue in recent years has been to enhance TV deals by playing ever-increasing amounts of cricket, a process that has proceeded unchecked for 10 years," says Pringle.

At first players countered by warning of burnout, but with money now to be made by playing yet more cricket, a hard-nosed attitude has taken hold," Pringle adds.

He blames the ECB squarely, saying that had they not made such an issue over IPL participation last year, and not insisted that players appear for the ill-fated Stanford venture as a way of remaining out of reach of India's Twenty20 moguls, the players would probably have been less bullish now about taking part.

"The Board's other option, and one many former England cricketers feel they should have taken, was to have handed players, especially those dithering over signing their central contracts, an ultimatum: "You can play in IPL but while it takes place when it does [April and May], if you do you won't play for England," Pringle says.

"With the Ashes imminent, injury is likely to be an emotive matter with regard to IPL, which is why Flintoff, who will discover the extent of any damage to his right hip on Saturday, is keeping his own counsel. But the thought of him playing extra cricket, and IPL is an add-on, albeit a highly lucrative one, must run contrary to England's best interests for this summer's Ashes and World Twenty20," he concludes.

Batsmen will decide the fate of the tour: Sourav Ganguly

These are testing times for Mahendra Singh Dhoni -- both figuratively and realistically. His first tour overseas as Test captain is to a country where India have always come a cropper.

The last time India crossed the Tasman Sea, they were bludgeoned into submission. The scars are fresh in the memory of many players, ask Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag or even John Wright.

So what can Dhoni do to avoid a similar pummelling from the home team this time round?

"Simple, bat well," says Sourav Ganguly, who led India in that disastrous tour of 2002-03, where India lost the Test series 2-0 and the ODIs 5-2. It is not a suggestion. It is an advice.

Ganguly himself admits the advice is not so simple, after all. "It is not easy to bat well there. But the reality is that batting will decide the fate of the tour. It would require a lot of application, concentration, perfect shot selection..." Ganguly goes on to say.

India's most successful captain ever says the playing conditions will be tough enough although India, unlike in the past, would be playing at the end of the New Zealand season.

"The ball does a lot there. It moves a lot. The pitches are very demanding. So the batsmen will have to cope up a lot." The former captain, however, is confident that Indian batsmen like Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, have the capability to come good on the tour.

Ganguly, who is the in city to judge a reality show for NDTV Imagine, thinks lack of a practice match before the Test series is not the best way to approach it. Particularly for a side that is aspiring to be the No. 1 Test team in the world.

"The Test specialists will have to do a lot of adjustments in a quick time. Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman need to adjust to the conditions fast," he says.

The Bengal player, however, is not worried of team's former coach John Wright's presence in the rival camp. "It is up to the players. The coach's role is just about 10 per cent. So I'm not overtly worried that John would pass on information that can help the New Zealanders."

He, however, admitted that India have a good coach in Gary Kirsten, who has a striking similarity with Wright. "They both are good coaches but eventually it will boil down to the players."

Ganguly felt the next two years will be crucial for India. "The next two years will be important if they want to be the No. 1 side in the world. Currently South Africa look the best and Ricky Ponting's Australia are not far behind Graeme Smith's men," he said.

India, according to him, are just behind South Africa and Australia.

South Africa seal one-day triumph

South Africa completed a magnificent Test and one-day double over Australia with an eight-wicket win in Adelaide.

AB de Villiers (82) and Hashim Amla (80) shared an unbroken stand of 144 as the tourists took a 3-1 lead in the one-day series, with one match to play.

After losing the toss in Adelaide, the tourists ripped through the Australia batting line-up with Makhaya Ntini (3-52) and Dale Steyn (3-49) on song.

Only Ricky Ponting (63) and James Hopes (42) provided home resistance.

The commanding victory, on Australia Day at the picturesque Adelaide Oval, will heap further problems on Ponting, who takes his beleaguered side to Perth for the final match of the five-game series on Friday.

Should South Africa win at the Waca, they will usurp Australia at the top of the one-day team world rankings.

"We have turned a good tour into a great one by winning both series and we can now turn it into an amazing tour if we complete a 4-1 victory," said South Africa coach Mickey Arthur.

Ponting won the toss and opted to utilise what looked like a flat batting surface to compile an intimidating total for his opponents.

But his plans were thrown into disarray within the first three overs when both openers needlessly gave their wickets away.

Both men were caught by Morne Morkel - the swashbuckling David Warner mis-hit Ntini to mid-on before partner Shaun Marsh holed out to third man in the next over.

Ponting and Mike Hussey rebuilt the innings with a 93-run stand, with the Australia captain looking particularly imperious through the covers and mid-wicket.

But Hussey's dismissal - trapped lbw by Proteas skipper Johan Botha on 28 - sparked a capitulation by the home side, losing their remaining eight wickets for just 110 runs.

Ponting fell soon after, while Cameron White (30) threatened a lower-order renaissance alongside Hopes before the hard-hitting Victorian edged Steyn to De Villiers, who was keeping wicket in place of the injured Mark Boucher.

Australia's prospects of building a defendable total ended when all-rounder Hopes drilled a lofted drive off Albie Morkel to Neil McKenzie at cover in the 47th over.

And the innings ended an over later when Ben Hilfenhaus was caught behind off Morne Morkel.

With a less than intimidating total to chase on an easy-paced wicket, South Africa made an emphatic start - courtesy of big hitting from Herschelle Gibbs.

The opener struck 38 from 29 balls, using his feet to shuffle down the wicket to the quicks, before guiding Hilfenhaus to Mike Hussey in the 10th over.

Jacques Kallis (13) fell soon after, but man-of-the-match De Villiers and Amla compiled a brilliant match-winning stand.

Amla in particular looked assured, caressing anything straight through mid-wicket while De Villiers used his feet intelligently to disrupt the rhythm of the Australian attack.

De Villiers' innings featured one six and six boundaries from 85 deliveries.

Dropped Matthew Hayden considers his cricket future

A "VERY disappointed" Matthew Hayden will consider his Test cricket career over the next few weeks after being dropped from Australia's one-day and Twenty20 sides this morning.

“It’s very disappointing not to fill the cricket calendar,” the veteran opener said on learning of his exclusion from the short form squads.

Mitchell Johnson is also out, along with a number of the players from the Sydney match who are being rested.

However, selectors have signalled their faith in youth by picking young Sydney batting tyro Dave Warner for the Twenty20 side.

Warner, 22, is an electrifying presence at the wicket. He hit 65 from 35 balls against South Australia this week. He has given a contract with an Indian IPL franchise after hitting 97 from 54 against WA and a record one day 165 for NSW against Tasmania.

Nathan Hauritz and Peter Siddle, who have come into the Test team this summer, will be in the 50-over squad. Mercurial paceman Shaun Tait is also back in the one day and Twenty20 squads.

Hayden said: “My immediate future is to go back home to my family and the people that love me the most and just enjoy this time, to tack guard again, it’s been a pretty long last four months.

“I am going to take the time to get my mind around what the future does hold. I will take my time and make a good decision going forward.”

Hayden said he respected the selectors' decision to drop him from the short form games and give youth a chance and that he would play the Shield game for Queensland at the end of the month.

“When you are short of runs you have to start asking questions and they (the selectors) do that better than anyone,” he said.

“For my mind it’s as simple as being committed to playing out the summer and then taking the time to either get back on the horse or make a decision not to. It’s as clear cut as that.”

The Australian understand Hayden was told in the dressing rooms after the side’s win in the Sydney Test that he would not be part of the team to play in the 50 over games against South Africa and New Zealand.

He is also out of the one day sides which indicates he is no longer part of the selector’s long term plans for the next world cups in either format.

Hayden was a key figure in Australia’s recent world cup triumphs but would be almost 40 by the next ODI world cup.

Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said this morning that his panel would not make any decision on the Test future of Hayden until they sat down to discuss the squad for South Africa in February.

The batsman has the one Shield game to reiterate his claim.

Hilditch, who had previously endorsed Hayden for the Ashes was less effusive about the batsman’s recent efforts.

“As far as Matthew is concerned we thought the time was right to move on in Twenty20 cricket and in One Day cricket it’s our view that he wouldn’t have got to the 2011 World Cup,” Hilditch said.

“Matthew didn’t give me any indication about his future plans. He wasn’t happy when we told him, but you would be unhappy was.”

“My feeling is that he will play for Queensland.”

Hayden has had a gruelling schedule too, but has not scored more than 40 in the five Tests against New Zealand or South Africa. He only managed two half centuries in four matches against India before that.

He averaged 33 against India, 10 against New Zealand and 19 against South Africa.

Hayden has looked out of sorts and out of form since missing the West Indies series mid-year because of a ham string strain.

The 37-year old must now go back to state cricket if he wishes to regain the form that made him one of the world’s great opening bats.

The first T20 against South Africa will be held at the MCG on Monday. Michael Clarke is being rested because of an injured thumb.


SQUADS



TWENTY20

R Ponting©

M Hussey (vc)

D Hussey

B Hilfenhaus

J Hopes

N Bracken

B Haddin

S Marsh

S Tait

D Warner

R Harris

C White

N Hauritz

ONE DAY SQUAD

R Ponting ©

M Clarke (vc)

B Haddin

J Hopes

N Bracken

S Marsh

M Hussey

D Hussey

N Hauritz

B Hilfenhaus

C White

S Tait

P Siddle

Australia mourns end of era, claims chief selector's head

"Australian cricket dead and buried".

The headline in the "The Daily Telegraph" perfectly summed up the mood as Australia plunged into depression following the cricket team's first home series defeat in 16 years and chief selector Andrew Hilditch finds himself at the receiving end of the media wrath after the debacle against South Africa.

"The echo of the ball flying off the confident bat of South Africa's Hashim Amla yesterday was the death rattle of Australia's record 16 years without a series loss at home.

"Analysts investigating Australia's dramatic Test cricket demise say there are no suspicious circumstances," the writer said.

The daily also ran a mock obituary of Australian cricket which read "R.I.P. Australian cricket slaughtered by South Africa December 30 at the MCG. Aided and abetted by: Incompetent selectors, Inept batting, Impotent Bowling Dreadful Catching, Poor Captaincy."

Explaining what ails Australian cricket, the writer said, "It simply followed a short illness complicated by player arrogance, chronic selection short-sightedness, poor captaincy decisions, unreliable batting, indecisive bowling and fielding clumsiness.

"Any obituary will say the few spasms of competitiveness Australia mustered in both Tests were brutally amputated by a cohesive South Africa, who recorded their first series victory in Australia," he said.

Doubting Australia's number one status in ICC rankings, the report said, "Australia, propped up by statistics, are still No. 1 in world rankings. But after dismal series losses to India and South Africa, this Australian team is so lifeless it could come to the next Test in a hearse."

In the same daily, Ben Dorries asked a blunt question -- "Who on earth selected the selectors?"

"The head of Australian selection boss Andrew Hilditch should be on the chopping block after his shambolic handling of the side's casualty ward and the extension of Matthew Hayden's career," he said.

"Hilditch said last night it was not time for "chopping and changing" the side. If now isn't the time, after one of the most demoralising efforts ever by an Australian side, then when is it?" he asked.

"Former selection chairman Trevor Hohns, an uncompromising man who made the tough decisions, would have had none of it. He was the man who famously denied Ian Healy a farewell Gabba Test, telling the wicketkeeping great he had played three more Tests than he deserved," he recalled.

"The whole saga around Australian selections has become a disgrace," added the writer.

Insisting that Hilditch and fellow selectors should be made to pay for selection blunders, the report said, "Our cricketers are accountable for their actions and their million-dollar paypackets are scrutinised with their performances every day.

"It is time for Hilditch and fellow selectors Merv Hughes, David Boon and Jamie Cox to also be accountable."

Not sparing Cricket Australia either, the writer said, "If it is good enough for the Reserve Bank to explain why it raised or slashed interest rates then it is good enough for the bosses of Australia's favourite sporting team to explain theirs on a much more regular basis."

Robert Craddock of 'Courier Mail' echoed the same view and turned the heat on the selectors for their handling of injured all-rounders Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson.

South Africa face tough final day

South Africa need 314 runs on the final day of the third Test if they are to complete a clean sweep of the series after reaching 62-1 at stumps.

Australia took their overnight 33-0 to 257-4, with Matthew Hayden making 39, his highest Test score of the series.

Simon Katich scored 61 and Ricky Ponting 53 before the skipper declared.

The visitors, set 376 to win, lost makeshift opener Morne Morkel without scoring but Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla saw play through to stumps.

South Africa will usurp their opponents at the top of the Test-match rankings if they can clinch victory on what should be a fascinating final day in Sydney.

Australia have an inexperienced attack, while South Africa successfully chased down 414 to win the first Test in Perth.

Nonetheless, it will be a difficult assignment for the visiting team.

Skipper Graeme Smith is unlikely to bat again after injuring his hand in the first innings of the third Test.

And the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground is showing signs of wear, while Australia's 288-2 against the Proteas in the 2005-06 season is the highest fourth innings total to win a Test at the ground.

Australia started the fourth day in aggressive fashion, with Hayden advancing down the track to drive through the on-side.

The out-of-form opener eventually fell to Morne Morkel, inside edging a drive on to his stumps.

The Queenslander, whose place has come under increasing scrutiny during a frustrating summer, was given a rousing reception as he walked off the ground.

Ponting, who almost chopped the ball on to his stumps with the first delivery he faced, was in brilliant form, striking nine fours as he compiled his 53 off just 57 balls.

But just as the skipper looked set to really cut loose as the home team pushed for a declaration total, he too fell to an inside edge as he attempted to cut a delivery from Morkel.

Dale Steyn accounted for Katich lbw with only Mark Boucher appearing to appeal for the decision, while Michael Clarke hit an aggressive 41 off 55 balls in a partnership of 76 with Michael Hussey.

Clarke was nonchalantly caught in the deep by Amla off the bowling of Paul Harris - and his dismissal brought about the declaration, leaving South Africa with their target of 376 from a minimum of 116 overs.

The Proteas sprung a surprise by opening with Morkel, who lamely chipped a delivery to Mitchell Johnson at mid-on to hand Doug Bollinger his first wicket at Test level.

Amla survived a scare when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was unable to take a difficult chance wide to his right.

And Amla had to take evasive action when a delivery from medium pacer Andrew McDonald hit a crack and climbed alarmingly.

The batsman showed superb nerve and composure to drive the next delivery to the boundary.

And Neil McKenzie and Amla saw play through to the close to set up an intriguing final day.

South Africa coach Mickey Arthur said that his team have not given up on the possibility of snatching a dramatic last-day win.

"I think all three results are still possible and that's got to be good," said Arthur.

"We're still going to play it hour by hour. If we can get ourselves to tea then (we'll) have a look.

"If we are unscathed at tea time then we'll be ready to launch a proper assault.

"There is a dressing room full of guys that don't want to give an inch. The guys have given their all and have been absolutely amazing for 14 days and none of us want to end up losing the last Test match."

Smith is unlikely to bat after breaking his hand in the first innings but he could feature at a later stage in the day if he is required.

"If there is one over or two overs to see out to draw or one or two required to win, I think we're going to need a chain to chain him down in the dressing room," added Arthur.

"I'm not taking the possibility of Smith batting totally out of the equation but it is very, very and highly, highly unlikely."

Australia batsman Hussey said his team would need a strong collective effort to push for victory on the final day.

"It's going to take all of us, like it did in the first innings," Hussey.

"It's going to take a good hard grind of all the bowlers bowling well in partnerships, being patient, being disciplined - the things that we always talk about in our meetings.

"And hopefully a few tricks from the pitch would be nice as well to get us a couple of wickets."

South Africa Seals First Test Cricket Series Win in Australia

South Africa won the second cricket Test by nine wickets to seal its first series win in Australia and inflict the top-ranked team’s first home loss in elite contests for 16 years.

Captain Graeme Smith hit 75 and Neil McKenzie finished 59 not out as South Africa reached the target of 183 after lunch on the final day in Melbourne, securing its first series victory over Australia since 1970. The Proteas had failed to win in eight previous contests on Australian soil.

South Africa, which won the opener in Perth by six wickets, is the first team to win a Test series in Australia since the West Indies in the 1992-1993 season. The tourists can replace the Australians atop the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings by completing a 3-0 sweep.

Australia’s first back-to-back Test defeats since March 2001 leaves Ricky Ponting’s squad facing the prospect of becoming the first Australian team in 27 years to suffer a series cleansweep.

Australia, which won eight straight Test series between November 2005 and June 2008, has now lost two of its past three contests after also losing 2-0 in India.

Thank god, I don't have to bowl to Sachin: Ishant

India paceman Ishant Sharma might have acquired the reputation of bumping off top batsmen like Ricky Ponting but he thanks his stars for not having Sachin Tendulkar as an opponent.

"Sachin Tendulkar is one batsman who is not easy to bowl to. Be it in nets or in the middle, he always bats as if he is playing a match. I am thankful to god that I play in his team. His experience is equal to my age," Ishant said.

The gangling Delhi bowler said besides Tendulkar, Ponting and Hayden were among his favourite batsman.

"Other than Sachin and Ponting, my favourite batsmen are Matthew Hayden and Rahul Dravid," he said.

Ishant said he was trying to bowl fast consistently but also focusing on maintaining the right line and length to trap the batsmen.

"I am trying to bowl at 100 mph but what is more important is which areas I hit. If you get that speed but the delivery is short- or over-pitched and ball goes across the boundary than there is no use of it.

"Instead, if I bowl at 140-145 kph and swing it, batsmen could be in trouble," he told NDTV.

"I know my limitations and try to be in my limits," he added.

The 20-year-old fast bowler also said he did not believe in experimenting in the match and relies on whatever he practised in nets.

"You should try in a match only what you have practised in the nets. You should not try new things straightaway while playing for the country.

Even Aussies would have returned to India: Marsh

Australian Cricketers Association has endorsed England's decision to return to terror-struck India to play Tests and claimed Ricky Ponting's team would have done the same thing in these circumstances.

ACA Chief Executive Paul Marsh said England followed the advice of cricket's most highly regarded security officer Reg Dickason, who earlier worked with Australia for over a decade.

"Without being privy to the specific advice I assume it would have been the same advice we would have been given in the same circumstances because we use the same security officer," he said.

"We have always said that we rely on independent experts and we follow their advice," he was quoted as saying by 'The Australian'.

England had returned home after the last two games of a seven-match one-day series were called off, with the hosts leading 5-0 but returned to play the two-Test series as per the schedule.

Australia was widely criticised for not scrapping their tour of Pakistan early this year but Marsh said their decision was justified by the unending turmoil in that country.

"Sadly our decision on Pakistan was vindicated with the bombing of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad," Marsh said and added "it is a difficult time for cricket around the world."

Marsh is attending a Federation of International Cricketers Associations (FICA) executive meeting in Kuala Lumpur this week, where safety and security issues are expected to dominate debate.

Brett Lee helps Australia thrash Kiwis

Brett Lee bounced back from his troubled tour of India with nine wickets against New Zealand as Australia sealed a 2-0 series win.

Lee took 4-66 and 5-105 as New Zealand made just 203 in their second innings, losing by an innings and 62 runs.

Brendon McCullum provided resistance in Adelaide with an explosive 84 which included 14 fours and two sixes.

But Lee, left-arm paceman Mitchell Johnson (3-29) and spinner Nathan Hauritz (2-32) ensured a four-day win.

Lee took just two wickets per Test in India and was under pressure to perform with series against South Africa and England to come.

There was even talk the 32-year-old paceman would be rested for one of the New Zealand Tests. Lee countered with the best match figures he has ever collected in a Test.

He said a virus picked up in India had robbed him of his strength, and had taken a while to shake off.

Lee said. "It only feels now over the last couple of weeks that the strength has come back. The results show that as far as pace and wickets. I'm ecstatic to get nine wickets in a Test."

"I've been improving every match. That just goes down to strength. The next couple of weeks are going to do me a lot of good I think, being back in the gym, having a great strength programme, putting back on the kilos that I've lost. I'm getting really close."

For all Lee's improvement, New Zealand were extremely poor with the bat in Adelaide, and Australia are sure to face stiffer opposition from South Africa.

They began the day on 35-0, still 230 behind, but lost five wickets before lunch in a limp attempt to make the Aussies to bat again.

Black Caps captain Daniel Vettori watched on as his team self-destructed in the face of Lee's probing line and length.

Aaron Redmond squirted the second ball of the day to Michael Clarke at point before Jesse Ryder scooped a cover drive to Andrew Symonds.

Ross Taylor departed after a leading edge handed Lee a simple caught and bowled, then Ponting produced a stunning full length diving catch in the slips to remove Jamie How.

Johnson removed Daniel Flynn after the Kiwi played across the line before bowling Peter Fulton after the interval.

Vettori and McCullum briefly steadied the innings but when the captain was caught by Matthew Hayden at first slip off Hauritz, Australia's triumph was within sight.

McCullum and Tim Southee added 26 for the eighth wicket before the Kiwi bowler handed Hauritz a second wicket, caught at second slip by Ponting.

New Zealand reached tea 98 runs adrift at 167-8, before Iain O'Brien and Chris Martin both completed pairs.

The Black Caps will look to bounce back in their two-Test series against the West Indies, starting in Dunedin on 10 December.