All posts by h716a5.icu

N Srinivasan is set to preside over the BCCI’s working committee meeting, two months to the day he said he would step aside as board president for the duration of the probe into the IPL fixing mess

Amol Karhadkar31-Jul-2013N Srinivasan is set to preside over the BCCI’s working committee meeting to be held in New Delhi on Friday, two months to the day he said he would step aside as board president for the duration of the probe into the IPL fixing mess. The committee that carried out that investigation submitted its report on July 28 but the manner in which it was set up was struck down two days later by the Bombay High Court as illegal and violative of the BCCI’s own constitution.However, that ruling, and the public outcry that followed it, seems to have left the BCCI president unfazed. A senior board official said public criticism wouldn’t affect the BCCI’s way of functioning.”The president had stepped aside till the probe was complete. Now that the probe is over, he has decided to return to action,” the official told ESPNcricinfo, requesting anonymity. “It doesn’t matter what the court has observed. Our legal cell will look into the matter.”The two-man committee was investigating charges against the holding companies of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals besides Raj Kundra, the Royals co-owner, and Gurunath Meiyappan, senior management official of Super Kings and also Srinivasan’s son-in-law.Following the public uproar after arrests of three Royals cricketers and Meiyappan, Srinivasan had stepped aside, paving the way for former president Jagmohan Dalmiya to look after the BCCI’s day-to-day affairs. However, once the probe panel submitted its report to the working committee, it was clear that Srinivasan would officially return to power at the earliest.It remains to be seen if Dalmiya, who had admitted that the BCCI had been embarrassed due to the court order, is rewarded for handling the board’s affairs over the last two months.Dalmiya, for his part, was quoted by as saying he was clueless about what was happening in the BCCI. “I’m totally in dark about what’s happening at the board. I’ve not been communicated anything. I’m just hearing all these in news reports,” he said. “Perhaps I’ll find out after going there for the working committee meeting in New Delhi.”

Dwayne Smith, the West Indies allrounder, has been re-signed by Sussex as an overseas player for the Friends Life t20

ESPNcricinfo staff07-May-2013Dwayne Smith, the West Indies allrounder, has been re-signed by Sussex as an overseas player for the Friends Life t20. Smith previously played in all formats for the county on a Kolpak agreement in 2008 and 2009, then as an overseas T20 signing the following year.Smith hit 59 from 26 balls to help Sussex to victory in the 2009 Twenty20 Cup final, part of a limited-overs double with the Pro40 league, which they also won in 2008. Smith, 30, who is currently playing in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, will join former New Zealand international Scott Styris as Sussex’s overseas players, after a deal for John Hastings fell through.”I’m very happy to be joining Sussex again,” Smith said. “I can’t wait to get back to my second home and the lovely crowd at Hove.”Having played 87 ODIs, to go with 10 Tests and 17 T20 internationals, Smith last week missed out on selection for West Indies’ Champions Trophy squad. Sussex, who were beaten semi-finalists in last season’s FLt20, will begin their campaign at home to Surrey on June 28.Sussex’s professional cricket manager, Mark Robinson, said: “Dwayne has the ability to win games by himself with the bat, he is a more-than-useful bowler and he is one of the best fielders ever to have been seen at Hove. He is immensely popular with the players, the members and the sponsors and everybody is excited about his return.”

Mohammad Hafeez animatedly defended everyone in the Pakistan setup, specifically the coach Dav Whatmore, with even more gusto than he celebrated their 95-run victory

Firdose Moonda in Centurion03-Mar-2013Unless it is the World Twenty20 final, winning a match in the shortest format is seldom the cause for massive celebration. Today, it was.For Mohammed Hafeez, Pakistan’s thumping of South Africa was as much an individual triumph as it was a team one. It showed that he has not lost his touch even after the Test series brought that up for debate. It showed that the team is not incapable of competing with and beating an opposition that continues to be talked up as better than them. And it showed those who have called for heads to roll, their words came too early.Hafeez animatedly defended everyone in the Pakistan setup, specifically the coach Dav Whatmore, with even more gusto than he celebrated their victory. He thought it proved the criticism they have copped from home was unreasonable and this would put an end to some of that.”It was unfair. If the results of one format do not come in your favour, it does not mean the boys are not working hard or the coach is not good enough. Those are all premature statements from people sitting I don’t know where,” he said.”And it does not mean that if we win the coach is working harder. He was working the same way with us throughout. We are all behind him and we’ve all been working hard.”Although it was not specifically mentioned, Hafeez’s comments were an obvious rebuttal to former captain Moin Khan’s call for Whatmore to be sacked. Moin called Whatmore “overrated” and said he was “fighting for survival.” Hafeez scoffed at all of that.Instead, he said his team had simply shown what he always knew they were capable of. He also asked for people to remain patient with them because of the difficulties of their circumstances, which includes not playing at home “for the last four years but still doing good things for Pakistan cricket.”A trophy from South Africa is one of those achievements. Even though it came from a format that is brushed aside as a small boys’ game and a contest in which one match was washed out, it means something. “We really wanted to do something good in this format because of the ODIs coming up. We knew the importance of this game,” Hafeez said. “Tests require a different discipline but here everyone just played without fear.”Hafeez led by example in that regard. His 86 was a fluent innings, punctuated with classy strokes and calculated risk-taking. After a lean Test series, it will go a long way to boost his confidence. “I knew that I was playing very well in the nets, it’s just that I was getting good balls in the Test series and that was disappointing,” he said. “But I stayed positive, the coaches kept me positive and worked hard with me.”The move to No. 3 also seems to have worked and Hafeez will likely stay there. With the youngsters Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shehzad upfront, he was required to drop down to provide experience and although it is not his first choice, he can see the benefit in doing it. “I always prefer to come as an opener but this is the requirement of the team. We are looking to the future and Ahmed Shehzad has been doing well domestically and we wanted to give him a chance. I will do whatever I have to for the team.”For the first time on this tour, the team Hafeez so passionately talks about have a reason to smile. It is largely because of him and Umar Gul, who Hafeez said was “outstanding,” and is “always good in this format.”They also have a reason to be hopeful ahead of their five-match ODI series in South Africa and Hafeez hopes they continue in this vein. “We’ve got a great feeling in the dressing room now. It’s a feeling that has been missing for 42 days and it’s great to have it now.”

Mohammad Hafeez has suggested that the decision to leave out R Ashwin, India’s leading limited-overs spinner, for the first Twenty20 helped Pakistan

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Dec-2012Mohammad Hafeez has suggested that the decision to leave out R Ashwin, India’s leading limited-overs spinner, for the first Twenty20 helped Pakistan. India opted to go in with left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja ahead of Ashwin for the match in Bangalore, which Pakistan won by five wickets.”This is the combination, they knew very well what they (wanted), Ashwin was not there in this team,” Hafeez said. “So our plan was that if we play out the new ball, then their spinners are not world-class; I know Yuvraj is in great form, but when you don’t have a world-class spinner then we can dominate.”Jadeja bowled 2.4 overs, including the final one of the game, and was taken for 29 runs, and he contributed only two runs with the bat. “It was a surprise for us that they didn’t play [Ashwin], at the end we are happy that we won the game.”Dhoni, though, defended the decision saying Ashwin was more of a threat with the new ball. “Ashwin has been one of our main bowlers, he had to bowl in the first six overs a lot,” Dhoni said. “Once we had three seamers, we wanted to give Jadeja a chance also, and once the field has opened up in the last two games Ashwin has also gone for runs, [though] he has bowled beautifully in the first six overs.”Only one of Pakistan’s top seven batsmen was a left-hander, another reason Dhoni provided for the decision to leave out the offspinner Ashwin. “They had lots of right-hand batsmen, and if we needed an offspinner, we had Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina. If we needed an option of a left-arm spinner in case Yuvi had a bad day, we wouldn’t have any option in the XI [if Jadeja was left out].”This was only the second Twenty20 match Ashwin has missed since his debut against Zimbabwe in 2010; the other one was the meaningless fixture against England in the World Twenty20. Ashwin himself was philosophical about his omission: “Even Fernando Torres has to sit out for Chelsea.”

Wasim Jaffer and Sachin Tendulkar scored centuries to take Mumbai to a position of strength in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Baroda

The Report by Sidharth Monga06-Jan-2013
ScorecardFile photo: Mumbai’s big batsmen came good on big day•ESPNcricinfo LtdThe last time Sachin Tendulkar played first-class cricket in Mumbai, his team fell to arguably its worst defeat in Test cricket. The last time Wasim Jaffer played in Mumbai, he scored a hundred to get his side three points but had to leave midway to tend to his father who had suffered a heart attack. On Sunday in Mumbai, albeit against a limited Baroda attack, normal services resumed as the two scored centuries to take Mumbai to a position of strength in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final.This was Jaffer’s 31st Ranji century, which takes him level with Ajay Sharma as the highest centurions in Ranji Trophy. Jaffer is now just 44 short of reclaiming his record of most runs in Ranji Trophy, which he lost to Andhra’s Amol Muzumdar in the first half of the tournament. Tendulkar, too, took a step towards records. This was his 80th first-class hundred, just one behind Sunil Gavaskar’s Indian record of 81. Also, with 18 centuries in this competition, he is two behind Gavaskar’s 20.The two came together with Mumbai 35 for 2 after choosing to bat first. Jaffer had already survived an lbw decision when South African umpire Adrian Holdstock – part of umpires exchange programme – reprieved him off an inswinger from left-arm quick Gagandeep Singh. Tendulkar squashed all nerves by batting with intent, and racing away to 23 off 32 without taking any risks. A straight drive between the stumps and the non-striker stood out.Tendulkar now settled in for a big innings, and Jaffer began to look comfortable. It was a slow pitch, and scoring was not easy, which showed in how Tendulkar once ended up dragging a lofted shot to cow corner while he intended to hit it straight down the ground. He stopped taking risks then. Jaffer, who cut one wide of Yusuf Pathan at first slip just after lunch, began to score more freely with some beautiful flicks through wide mid-on and midwicket. The two were complimenting each other again.No wicket fell in the middle session as Mumbai went from 77 for 2 at lunch to 193 for 2 at tea. Tendulkar’s strike rate had dropped to around 50, but Jaffer’s had risen to about a run every two balls. Jaffer began the final session not out on 92, and soon made his only mistake of the day after an uncertain start. As he edged a cut off Gagandeep to slip, Baroda’s captain, Yusuf, couldn’t hold on to a fairly simple chance. Jaffer then went on to bring up his century with an exquisite cover-drive off the same bowler.Tendulkar wasn’t far behind, and brought his three figures up with a nudge fine of long leg and scampering for two. A spectator, a middle-aged man, charged onto the field, and embarrassed Tendulkar by insisting to touch his feet in reverence. You could see Tendulkar wasn’t comfortable with the notion, but it seemed he had no choice.Murtuja Vahora, Baroda’s spirited right-arm fast bowler, finally broke through Tendulkar’s defence with a beauty that swung prodigiously in to sneak through the small gap between bat and pad even as Tendulkar strode forward. The off stump went cartwheeling, and Vahora was overjoyed. Jaffer, though, had become even more fluent, ending unbeaten on 137. Nightwatchman Dhawal Kulkarni did his job with an unbeaten 0 off 15 balls.

ESPNcricinfo’s preview of the one-off ODI between Afghanistan and Australia in Sharjah

The Preview by Brydon Coverdale25-Aug-2012Match factsThis will be the first match of any format between Australia and Afghanistan•UAE Cricket BoardAugust 25-26, 2012
Start time 1800 (1400 GMT)
Big PictureTen years ago, the idea of a one-day international between Australia and Afghanistan seemed about as plausible as playing cricket on the moon. But Afghanistan’s cricket progress has been one of the most remarkable success stories in the game’s recent history and now they have a chance to play Australia for the first time. The one-off match will be Afghanistan’s second ODI against an ICC full member and Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland said when he announced the fixture last month that he hoped it would help the development of the Afghanistan team.”Everyone in world cricket have been really impressed with how cricket has flourished in Afghanistan, despite its pressing national problems,” Sutherland said at the time. “As an ICC member, CA strongly supports world cricket’s ambition for cricket to continue to develop as a global sport and that, combined with the strong relationships between our two countries, encouraged us to look at how we might recognise and encourage Afghanistan by playing them on the field.”Australia are expected to win the match but their captain Michael Clarke was careful not to underestimate Afghanistan before the game, noting that they would be more familiar with the conditions, whereas Australia have just come from a tour of England and a cold winter back home. The Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal said the match would be “a huge moment” for all of his players.There is another reason this fixture is significant: it is rare, if not unprecedented, for a one-day international to be played across two days. The extreme heat in the UAE forced a rethink of the playing times for a 50-over contest and to avoid the worst of the sun, it was decided that Australia’s ODIs against Afghanistan and Pakistan would start at 6pm and would be scheduled to finish at 1.45am. It is not so much day-night cricket as night-morning cricket.Form guide (Complete matches, most recent first)Afghanistan LWLLW
Australia LLLLWWatch out forThe legspinner Samiullah Shenwari is Afghanistan’s leading wicket taker in one-day internationals, with 27 victims at 26.66. He also doesn’t mind the conditions in Sharjah, where he has played five of his 22 ODIs, and where he picked up his best figures of 4 for 31 against Canada. The Australians will be a stiffer challenge, but on a pitch expected to offer some turn he could prove a tricky customer.Glenn Maxwell will become Australia’s 196th one-day international player and the sixth man to debut for them in the format this year. In 2010-11, he broke the record for the fastest half-century in Australian domestic one-day history, with a 19-ball effort for Victoria, and he will provide some strikepower in the lower middle order. He is athletic in the field and will enjoy bowling on the turning Sharjah surface.Team newsAfghanistan have named a 15-man squad, with their captain Nawroz Mangal back in the mix after he missed their most recent matches in Ireland in July.Afghanistan (possible) 1 Karim Sadiq, 2 Javed Ahmadi, 3 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 4 Nawroz Mangal (capt), 5 Najibullah Zadran, 6 Mohammad Nabi, 7 Asghar Stanikzai, 8 Samiullah Shenwari, 9 Gulbodin Naib, 10 Dawlat Zadran, 11 Shapoor ZadranAustralia have named their starting XI ahead of time. Maxwell will make his international debut and Clarke has promoted himself to No.3. The four players to miss out from within the squad were Callum Ferguson, Daniel Christian, Steven Smith and Alister McDermott.Australia 1 Matthew Wade (wk), 2 Dave Warner, 3 Michael Clarke (capt), 4 Michael Hussey, 5 David Hussey, 6 George Bailey, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Mitchell Johnson, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 James Pattinson, 11 Xavier DohertyPitch and conditions”The wicket looks quite hard, there’s no grass on it at all,” Clarke said on the day before the match. “I think as the game goes on there’ll probably be a bit more spin throughout the game.”The weather can be summed up in one word: scorching. Even late at night the temperature is not expected to dip below 34C.Stats and trivia This is Afghanistan’s second ODI against a full member of the ICC; they lost their first by seven wickets to Pakistan in Sharjah in February Although most of their games have been against fellow associate members, Afghanistan have an impressive ODI record, having won 12 of the 22 matches they have played The No.3 position has been a problem for Australia in ODIs recently; in the past year they have used six batsmen there for a combined average of 21.13
Quotes”This will be a huge moment for every single one of us, playing against the mighty Australians.”
“They’ve played a lot of cricket over the last couple of weeks in preparation for the T20 World Cup. It’s an opportunity for them to come out with nothing to lose and plenty to gain.”

Led by a Virat Kohli classic, India are now within 82 runs of the New Zealand first innings total

The Report by Sharda Ugra01-Sep-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSuresh Raina’s fifty had aggression mixed in with an urgency to find security around his No. 6 spot•Associated PressLed by a Virat Kohli classic, after staggering somewhat at two points of their innings, India find themselves within 82 runs of the New Zealand first innings total of 365. Plus a healthy chance in this Test match. At stumps on day two, India were 283 for 5 with Kohli seven short of his century and MS Dhoni four short of his fifty.Kohli formed the core of two middle-order partnerships that ensured that the Indians kept moving ahead. Just after lunch, India had wobbled at 80 for 4, before Kohli became the fulcrum of the Indian resistance even as New Zealand’s impressive seam bowlers threatened to get their teeth into the Indian lower order.A fifth wicket stand of 99 with Suresh Raina took control of the Indian innings after the loss of the top four. A sixth-wicket unbeaten 104-run partnership with Dhoni had made the most of the softer old ball. New Zealand’s triumvirate of leading quick bowlers, Tim Southee, Doug Bracewell and Trent Boult had an outstanding day of purpose, energy, swing bowling and wickets, more than ably aided by their fielders. In the final count, though, New Zealand were held off by these two partnerships.At stumps, the Indian response was centered around Kohli’s most intelligently compilied knock. He came in at 67 for 3, at the fall of Virender Sehwag’s wicket. In the early part of innings, he gave the bowling due respect and with two aggressive partners at the other end, Kohli played at his own pace. He was neither over-defensive or overdosing on the aggro. His strokemaking was of the highest calibre, his first boundary only off the 21st ball. He stepped out confidently to hoist Jeetan Patel over midwicket for six and hitting Boult, Bracewell and James Franklin down the ground for straight boundaries. A controlled pull off his face to Bracewell was sufficient proof of his calibre.Raina’s 55 was a different kind of fifty. It had aggression mixed in with an urgency to find security around his No. 6 spot. He was the prime mover in the partnership with Kohli, given enough opportunity to go onto his front foot. His three boundaries in the second over he faced from Bracewell, however, included a cracking pull shot. When Patel tossed one up, Raina struck a sweet six over extra cover. He was given a reprieve on 48, stumped off a no ball off Patel. His innings came to an end quickly after tea. Like Hyderabad, he was caught trying to tickle one down the leg side, this time to Southee.Much like Raina had done on his arrival during a crisis, Dhoni led his innings with big-hitting strokeplay. He took maximum benefit of the fact that his counterpart had offered him Patel’s off spin at one end for as many as eight overs. Dhoni charged down the wicket against Patel, taking on the fielder at long-on and belted two sixes over his head. That kicked off his innings and got the partnership with Kohli going at a good clip.Smart stats

Pragyan Ojha’s five-for is the third of his career and his first against New Zealand. The previous two came against West Indies.

With Ojha’s five-wicket haul, the number of five-fors for India in the series went up to three. It is only the fourth time that India have had three five-fors in a series of two Tests.

The opening stand between Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir yielded just five runs. In the last ten innings, the pair has not been involved in a single fifty-plus stand.

The 104-run stand between MS Dhoni and Kohli is the sixth century stand for the sixth wicket for India against New Zealand. Dhoni has been involved in four of them.

The fifth-wicket stand between Suresh Raina and Kohli is only the fifth 99-run partnership for India (broken stands only). The last such stand was between Syed Kirmani and Sunil Gavaskar in Chennai in 1979.

Sachin Tendulkar was bowled for the second consecutive innings in this series. He became the third batsman after Rahul Dravid and Allan Border to be bowled on fifty or more occasions.

Regardless of what was happening to Patel, Boult, Bracewell and Southee got the ball to move at good pace, even if they were a bit lenient by not putting enough short ball queries to Raina. Like he had done in Hyderabad, Ross Taylor overbowled Patel at a time when his three seamers were – between them – asking constant questions of the batsmen. Rather than use Franklin’s very medium pace to wobble the ball around, Taylor chose to fall back on Patel.Until then, New Zealand had given themselves the best chance in this Test, Southee instantly justifying his selection over Chris Martin, not only because he’d hit a six during his brief time at the crease. Within ten overs of the Indian innings, Southee had the wickets of Gautam Gambhir, shouldering arms and having his bail disturbed, and Cheteshwara Pujara, mistiming a hook leaving the hosts at 2 for 27.At the other end, after a watchful start, Sehwag lashed at the bowling. At the lunch break he was on 39, with seven boundaries, an surviving an appeal for leg before and two nicks through the slips. His partner Sachin Tendulkar played at a subdued pace, searching for touch and timing.In his first over after lunch, Bracewell’s leg stump line to Sehwag was meant to eliminate the width and room he gobbled up on his way to 43. The third ball was whipped to the square leg boundary. The fourth ball, slightly straighter, was hit uppishly and ended up in the hands of the flying Flynn at short midwicket.When Tendulkar hit a classic straight drive off Bracewell, it offered the clue that he may finally have settled in. One ball later, came the bowler’s denouement: Tendulkar played all over a straight one and was bowled through his defence. It is the second time that Tendulkar was bowled through the gate in this series. Within eleven balls after lunch, India were tottering at 80 for 4 before Raina and Kohli got together.Play had started half an hour early and New Zealand lost their last four wickets for 20 runs, within 45 minutes. The two overnight batsmen, Kruger van Wyk and Bracewell who added 99 for the seventh wicket, met with contrasting ends. van Wyk fell to a sustained spell of inquiry from Zaheer Khan, trying to guide one through to third man, Gambhir-style, but instead edged it to a diving Raina at second slip. Bracewell was unlucky to be the non-striker who ended up backing Southee too far. Ojha finished with 5 for 99, when he had Southee leg before for a lusty 14.Overall, it was a tight day’s Test cricket; New Zealand have kept throwing the challenges, Southee finishing with 3 for 35 and Bracewell 2 for 66; the control of the game will, however, depend on what India’s last batting pair do on Sunday morning.

Dhaka Gladiators opener and Pakistan batsman Imran Nazir was hit on the head by a Peter Trego bouncer during the Bangladesh Premier League game in Chittagong today

Mohammad Isam22-Feb-2012Dhaka Gladiators opener and Pakistan batsman Imran Nazir was hit on the head by a Peter Trego bouncer during the Bangladesh Premier League game in Chittagong.Nazir suffered the blow in the seventh over of Dhaka’s chase against Sylhet Royals when he was on 31. He had a hat on rather than a helmet and immediately went down to the ground holding his head. Minutes later he walked off with physio Vibhav Singh holding an ice-pack on the injured area on the side of Nazir’s head.Nazir was immediately taken to a local clinic where it was found that he was out of danger. The medical reports showed that he had suffered soft tissue damage. As a precautionary measure, Nazir will be kept under observation in Chittagong for an additional day. Dhaka’s next game is against Chittagong Kings at home on February 24.

Pakistan are set to tour Sri Lanka for a full series comprising three Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals between May 29 and July 13

Sa'adi Thawfeeq29-Apr-2012Pakistan are set to tour Sri Lanka for a full series comprising three Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20 internationals between May 29 and July 13, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has confirmed.Pakistan are scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka on May 29 and will play the first of two Twenty20s in Hambantota on June 1. The one-day series begins in Pallekele on June 7. The first two ODIs will be played in Pallekele and the remaining three at R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.The three-Test series commences in Galle on June 22 and the second Test will take place at the SSC in Colombo from June 30. The teams will return to Pallekele for the final Test starting on July 8.Pakistan and Sri Lanka last played a Test series in October 2011 in the UAE, where Pakistan won the three-match series 1-0. They last toured Sri Lanka in 2009, when they lost the three-Test series 2-0.

Ricky Ponting knew a big score was coming, and satisfyingly he achieved it in Sydney when his team really needed him, with 134 runs that matched the innings of his pomp

Daniel Brettig at the SCG04-Jan-2012Ricky Ponting knew it was coming. Touch and rhythm had returned slowly to his hands and feet, and all he lacked was a score to prove it beyond doubt. Satisfyingly he achieved it in Sydney, with 134 runs that matched the innings of his pomp.While many had doubted Ponting’s capacity to return to such heights, particularly when he fell lbw three times in four Test innings in South Africa in November, the man himself said he had never felt the end was nigh. There had been much frustration, of course.”I wouldn’t be playing if I didn’t think I could do it,” Ponting said. “I think over the last few weeks even, there’s been enough signs there to know and have faith in what I’ve been working on, to know that a big score was just around the corner. I actually told a few people that after last week in Melbourne I felt a big score was very close.”It’s hard to be frustrated when you’re getting out early, it is easier to be frustrated when you’re getting decent starts and not capitalising. Low scores are always going to be there in our game. Once you get to 40, 50, 60, that’s when the great players go on and make big scores and that’s what, for me over the last few weeks, has been the most frustrating thing. I’ve probably scored a few 50s in between my last hundred, but they’re the ones you get most frustrated about.”Ponting said he had needed to break his technique down and rebuild it in response to a slackening run of scores, pushing the boundaries of hardwork that had already been substantially stretched by his proud, fastidious character.”I’ve had to work exceptionally hard, harder than ever on certain technical aspects of my game, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “I’ve been doing that for a little while now, I’ve been doing a couple of different things over the last couple of weeks, which are starting to pay dividends for me. The thing that is starting to come back is that real rhythm about my batting, and the feeling of being at ease at the crease.”When you’re going through a lean trot it is amazing how many little things creep into your head, and those little things can sometimes take over and get in the way of what you’re trying to do. So I’ve had a really clear mind this week, knowing what I’ve been working on is starting to come good for me, so it’s been a good couple of weeks for the team and today’s an extra special day for us.”It was extra special at least in part, because of the circumstances in which Ponting and Michael Clarke began their stand of 288. Australia had lost three quick wickets, the ball was swinging, and the SCG crowd murmured nervously about a team that had recently developed a habit of horridly low scores.”When Michael came to the crease last night it was a huge period in the game for us. We were three down in the game for not many and the momentum was starting to swing back in India’s favour after we’d had a very good day with the ball,” Ponting said. “The important thing for both of us was to make sure we played our natural games and we showed great intent.”Michael showed great intent from the moment he came to the crease and we both managed to score reasonably quickly last night, which just gave us a bit of momentum going to stumps, and we started the same way this morning. Our scoring rate in this innings has been very good and we’re taking the game forward all the time, which is the way we want to play our cricket. So at the moment we’re sitting in a strong position, thanks to some brilliant batting by the captain.”In the depths of a 33-innings drought between centuries, Ponting said he had been fuelled by pride, by not wanting to let his career fade to black without a rousing conclusion. But there had also been the team, which he no longer leads, but which he does not want to leave behind.”For me over the last few months there’s been a lot more pressure on me than I’ve never had at any stage of my career,” Ponting said. “But that’s just made me work harder. I’m a pretty proud person, and the last thing I wanted to do was to finish off my career the way it had been going the last few months. That’s why I’ve worked as hard as I had.”I wanted to give myself the best chance to play well and win games of cricket for Australia, and that’s the only reason I continue to play. There’s nothing else personally I’m trying to achieve, other than to help the Australian team win games, and get back up from No. 5 or wherever we were a few months ago, back up to the top of the tree where we deserve to be.”Confidence in our game is an amazing thing and spending time in the middle is what every batsman needs to do when they’re going through a lean trot. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve been able to spend a bit of time in the middle, and after the innings today I can have a bit more confidence about my game than I’ve had for a long time now.”