Modi lines up Clarke campaign

At stake is The Cricketer magazine, currently under an anti-Clarke ownership.

The magazine that was once the bastion of cricketing conservatism could become the platform for a campaign against the English cricketing establishment if talks between Lalit Modi and the current owners of The Cricketer bear fruit.

The Cricketer was founded in 1921 and edited for almost four decades by Sir Pelham Warner, the former England captain, selector, tour manager and president of the MCC. For much of its existence, it has been the authoritative voice of the English cricketing establishment. Later editors included the equally traditional EW Swanton.

But now, with Modi considering joining a management team that includes Lord Marland, who unsuccessfully stood against Giles Clarke for chairmanship of the ECB in 2009, and Neil Davidson, the former chairman of Leicestershire whose feud with Clarke stems back several years, the magazine could be set to become a platform for a campaign to end Clarke's spell as ECB chairman.

The Cricketer magazineThe attraction for both parties is fairly obvious. Modi, the inventor of the IPL, is currently living in exile in London and resides on the periphery of the cricket world having been banned for life by the BCCI. But he remains vastly wealthy with business interests in tobacco and chemicals and is eager to find a platform from which to broadcast views which most mainstream media remain reluctant to amplify. He also retains ambitions of reclaiming a prominent position within cricket administration.

The Cricketer, meanwhile, is an organisation fighting to remain relevant and stung by recent failed investments. As well as struggling to deal with the issues inherent in being a monthly magazine in the digital age, its foray into broadcasting ended in failure after Test Match Sofa, the on-line commentary service that the ECB believes represents a threat to the value of broadcasting rights, stopped broadcasting after the Ashes tour in February with losses understood to exceed £180,000. Its plans to set-up a website to rival ESPNcricinfo were all but abandoned after heavy losses and the magazine's editorial staff are currently involved in a "consultation process" that has fuelled uncertainly over their futures.

The Cricketer's parent company, Test Match Extra, has also been involved in a long-running legal dispute with the ECB over what it sees as an attempt to ostracise it from the mainstream cricket environment.

Most of all, though, the tie-up would see some of Clarke's most vocal critics united in what might be termed as a manifesto masquerading as a magazine. As well as seeing the removal of Clarke as an objective, many of those involved if the deal goes ahead are known to favour a city-based T20 competition in the UK.

But Modi's primary motivation would appear to be revenge. He clashed with Clarke over an alleged attempt to set-up an IPL-style league in England - Modi denied claims that he was involved in setting up a rebel league and the pair eventually decided to settle their differences out of court - and remains insistent that Clarke should be removed from any position of authority. "Giles Clarke has to be removed from his position and that is all I'm focusing on," Modi said in a recent interview with The Cricketer.

In recent weeks, Modi has waged an aggressive campaign over Twitter designed to goad Clarke in to taking legal action against him. Modi hopes such a process will bring to light documentation that would embarrass Clarke; a scenario that is rejected by the ECB.

"I am challenging them to sue me," Modi told ESPNcricinfo. "People are afraid of libel, but I've never been afraid of libel. Because I am very clearly saying the truth. I know where the truth lies."

The ECB dismissed Modi's comments. "The ECB does not even entertain the claims of a man who has been a fugitive from justice in his own country", ECB spokesman Colin Gibson, told News One TV. "He is banned for life by a BCCI enquiry which was led by respected politician Arun Jaitley."

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Duminy wants to test leadership skills

JP Duminy was understood to be one of four candidates under consideration to succeed Graeme Smith. He said he would not be averse to becoming a captain in the future.

Not right now, maybe not at Test level and perhaps not even for South Africa, but JP Duminy is certain of one thing: he wants to be a captain. The allrounder was understood to be one of four candidates under consideration to succeed Graeme Smith, and although Duminy did not get the job or even officially apply for it, he said he would not be averse to becoming an authority figure in the future.

The next in line: JP Duminy"I saw my name there. I didn't particularly throw my name in the hat but it's definitely something I have thought about - not necessarily only in Test cricket but also in different formats, maybe even for Delhi [Daredevils] sometime. Definitely in the future, I would like to step into that role," Duminy said at the South African squad's fitness camp in Pretoria. "I've played enough cricket to know what it's about and so it's about testing myself - whether I can do the job. I am looking forward to the challenge if it comes."

Duminy has played only 24 Tests but has a decade of international experience and has fast become part of the senior core, which includes vice-captain and ODI leader AB de Villiers, T20 captain Faf du Plessis, pace spearhead Dale Steyn and the captain Hashim Amla. Duminy believes the group of players, rather than one big personality, will be the men to collectively take South Africa forward.

"Graeme was a guy that led from the front in terms of his aura about himself and the way he conducted himself," Duminy said. "I don't think we (the current players) could fit into that role so we've got to stick together in terms of what we are trying to achieve as a senior's group. We've got a good understanding between us. We've got to focus on what we are trying to do - play good cricket and dominate the international circuit."

The above quartet and Amla have 278 Test caps among them, which is still short of the 283 Smith and Kallis had, but suggests South Africa are not gasping with inexperience. For Duminy, it also presents an opportunity for whom the team manager Mohammad Moosajee called the "second-generation" leaders to leave their own legacy. "It's a big loss for us in terms of Graeme and Jacques but the game does go on and we have an opportunity as the new breed of players to step in and fulfill that role as seniors," Duminy said.

SHOWED WILLINGNESS

Duminy has already showed willingness to embrace extra responsibility after being tasked with an all-round role following Kallis' retirement in December. Not only did Duminy bowl more Test overs and take more wickets in the 2013-14 season than at any stage of his career, he also had his best summer with the bat since he first appeared in 2008-09, when he made the century against Australia that remains his career-best score.

Duminy said he enjoyed being given a bigger role, especially as a bowler, and felt it "brought the best out of me in terms of my game." He also identified the next eight months as a test of whether he can "sustain that responsibility."

He is not the only member of the squad who will asked to contribute more. Morne Morkel, who joked that he told a member of the public he wanted to be the next Test captain and the fan swiftly advised him it was a not a good idea, said all the experienced players would need to pull their weight. "We also need to step up and deliver the goods," Morkel said. "We want to back Hashim and play for him and make his life easier."

Like Morkel, Amla goes about his business quietly, which may be why the fast bowler endorsed his more subtle style of leadership. "Hashim has been leading in the background before he was captain," Morkel said. "I don't think it will be a massive change - yes the personality might be a bit different to Graeme but we are all used to Hashim, its nothing new for us."

More importantly for Morkel, Amla will lead by example. "A leader doesn't have to talk and say all the nice things. A leader goes out and scores runs or does well and that's when people follow. Hashim ticks all those boxes," Morkel said. "He goes out in tough conditions and he scores runs. When guys are bowling fast, he delivers - that's the sign of a quality leader and it inspires guys to do those things too. It's not all about words, we know all of those things, it's about going out and fronting up."

No one will argue that Amla is not the best example of that - not even those who were competing with him for the job and who may take it off him in the future.

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WIndies cruise to 10-wicket Test victory over NZ

The result leaves the series tied at 1-1 heading into the third and final Test starting on Thursday at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.

PORT OF SPAIN - West Indies finally broke the back of New Zealand's resistance and romped to a 10-wicket victory after lunch on the final day of the second Test at Queen's Park Oval on Friday.

Set 93 runs to win after the Black Caps were dismissed for 331 in their second innings, attacking opening batsman Chris Gayle stole the show with an unbeaten 80 off just 46 balls as the home side romped to 95 without loss off 13.2 overs.

The result leaves the series tied at 1-1 heading into the third and final Test starting on Thursday at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.

Gayle, who belted seven fours and six sixes, left Kraigg Brathwaite trailing in his wake. But it was the junior opening partner who took the Man-of-the-Match award for his first innings of 129.

It was all very different at the start of the day, though, as New Zealand's late-order defiance and unsettled weather caused the home side no end of anxiety, especially as sub-standard cricket contributed to their own frustrations.

Starting the day at 257 for eight, just 18 runs ahead with only two wickets in hand, the Black Caps' ninth-wicket pair of B.J. Watling and Mark Craig extended their partnership to 99, a new record in Tests for New Zealand against the West Indies.

The Caribbean side broke through after 80 minutes' play when Craig was caught by wicketkeeperDenesh Ramdin for a topscore of 67 off Kemar Roach, giving the pacer his fourth wicket of the innings.

Craig had continued to live a charmed life. In a bizarre sequence of events at the start of the final day, the left-hander edged through the slip cordon, was dropped by Benn at third slip and then had another edge missed by Chris Gayle low to his right at first slip when Ramdin chose not to attempt the catch. Jerome Taylor was the suffering bowler on each occasion.

Unyielding defiance

His eventual dismissal was the prompt for rain to then drive the players off the field, holding up play for 20 minutes as West Indian impatience grew.

Last man Trent Boult hung around for more than half-an-hour with Watling as another 20 runs were eked out before touching a delivery from fast bowler Shannon Gabriel for Ramdin to take his fifth catch of the innings on the stroke of lunch.

"There are some things we still need to work on because we were a bit lazy in the field yesterday and today," said Ramdin, reflecting on his team's first Test win at the venue since 2008. "I'm still learning as captain as well. There were a few tactical things I need to look at again."

Watling was unbeaten on 66, his 387 minutes of unyielding defiance occupying 216 deliveries and including four boundaries.

"It was always going to be tough for us to get back in the game after we lost seven for 60 on the first day," said New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum. "It really sets it up now for Barbados, though."

Pitch offered batsmen a good workout: Raina

India captain Suresh Raina says he has never seen a subcontinental wicket such as Mirpur's.

The pitch in Mirpur was something of a revelation for Suresh Raina, the India captain. The monsoons in Bangladesh had been delayed, but their impact led to the final match becoming the first rained out at Shere Bangla Stadium. Under overcast conditions and a deck that did not lack in moisture, lateral movement was almost perennially available and batsmen had to cope with some testing bounce as well.

Suresh Raina"Especially in the subcontinent, I haven't seen a wicket do this much in the last 10 years," Raina said. "It was good for the team, for the batsmen to adapt to these conditions and take it to England and Australia for the Tests and the World Cup. Bangladesh are also going to West Indies. So I think it was a good battle between bat and ball and winning the series was important."

The average score in an ODI at Mirpur has been 240, but over the course of the last two ODIs, India had been bundled out for 105 and were on 119 for 9 when the rain ended things today. Bangladesh succumbed for 58 on Tuesday. There is room for an argument that both teams had been caught unawares by the amount of help that was on offer. Raina believed conditions like these made batsmen work harder and the bowlers were also allowed to come into their own.

BATSMEN ALWAYS HAVE UPPER HAND

"Whenever we play in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, I think the batsmen always have the upper hand. Here, rain was coming in and bowlers had a new ball at both ends. So you had to control your shots and decide when to attack and when not to. Still I think, both sides played really well, especially India.

"Everyone stepped up to the plate. Most importantly all the bowlers had a fantastic tour. Especially Stuart Binny and Mohit Sharma . I think the two debutants, Parvez and Akshar also did really well. When you come to any tour, one thing that comes to your mind is that you need to win all the games. The series was tough, the wicket was doing something. Very happy with the boys, they did a fantastic job."

Four of the squad that visited Bangladesh - Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny and Wriddhiman Saha - would also feature for the tour to England. The lessons learned from facing probing seam bowling in favourable conditions could help them.

"A lot of young players have come out of one and a half months of IPL. They were playing their first tour in Bangladesh when the wicket was doing something. We have learned how to tackle seaming conditions and a few players from our side are going to England so they could utilise these conditions to prepare for the Tests."

When asked how India could handle tougher conditions outside the subcontinent, Raina pointed out that long-format cricket would prompt a change in mindset and the pitches for those matches would be truer, which would help the batsmen. "That wicket is going to be more batting-friendly. Bounce will be there, but at the same time you can play your shots. Here I think the wicket was really doing a lot."

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Don't worry, I'm going to hold on, Pradeep told Mathews before tense Lord's finish

The Sri Lanka tail-ender survived an intense last over from Broad to draw the Lord's Test.

Nuwan Pradeep approached the last five balls of the match with confidence, as he walked out to deny Stuart Broad and England, his captain Angelo Mathews revealed after the match.

Pradeep swayed away from a bouncer first ball - avoiding a reprise of his hit wicket from the first innings - then played and missed at a back-of-a-length delivery, and fended the third one away towards point.

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Next ball - the penultimate delivery of the match - raised a raucous appeal from the hosts, and the batsman was given out by Paul Reiffel, only for the decision to be immediately reviewed. Replays showed Pradeep got a big inside edge, and lived on. The final delivery was edged to slip, but it only reached the fielder on the bounce.

"All Pradeep said to me was, 'Don't worry, I'm going to hold on. If they bowl short at me I'm just going to leave it'." Mathews said of his exchange with Sri Lanka's No. 11 before he went out to bat. "That was very encouraging from the tail-ender. I actually thought he did that exact thing. When they went for the lbw, we were not confident, because we couldn't see from behind. But he was pretty confident that he hit it, and thank God that he did."

Pradeep and Eranga celebrate surviving the last over at Lord's.Pradeep's lbw decision was the second piece of drama in the over after Rangana Herath gloved a short ball to the wicketkeeper - but his hand had already come off the bat handle. Herath did not wait for the umpire's decision to begin walking back to the pavilion.

"I guess Rangana wasn't aware of the rules," Mathews said. "It's a lesson learned. We all now know that if it hits your hand and it's off the bat you're not out."

Pradeep showed presence of mind to call for the review, even as England celebrated around him. "It wasn't the easiest time for Pradeep to go and bat, and to review the decision was also a brave effort. In that tense situation, your mind goes blank sometimes. It's always good to review it and luckily we used it. We hung in there."

Mathews was less enamoured by Sri Lanka's collapse either side of tea. The visitors had eight wickets in hand with 36 overs to play in the day, but lost three quickly to James Anderson's reverse swing, and were under immense pressure in the final session.

Mathews and Prasanna Jayawardene batted out 20 overs together, despite Jayawardene's severely bruised finger, before Rangana Herath faced 13 balls, until being dismissed.

"I thought we batted poorly after tea especially. The bowlers came and gave one last effort, and we fell for that. I thought Anderson bowled really well. Their seamers bowled hard and asked questions from our batters but we couldn't really handle it after tea. It shouldn't have got close.

"It was a great effort from our lower middle-order. Rangana Herath did well, and so did Prasanna, with a broken finger. He had had painkiller injections to keep going. It was a good effort in the end, but after tea we were too relaxed."

Alastair Cook faced some criticism for delaying his declaration, and Angelo Mathews said Sri Lanka were always unlikely to attempt chasing 390 on the final day.

"They could have declared earlier, maybe. Close to 400 runs to get on the last day is going to be a tough ask. The wicket was spinning a little bit, and it was playing up and down a little bit as well. We had to bat sensibly.

"We were going in a 50-50 mode. We wanted to bat till lunch, then tea, then see how we were. We were in a pretty bad situation after tea, and we couldn't do anything but go for the draw."
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Rain delays India's clinical chase

1ST ODI, MIRPUR: Rahane, Uthappa slam fifties in seven-wicket win.

Openers Ajinkya Rahane and Robin Uthappamade fifties as India beat Bangladesh by seven wickets after a nearly three-hour rain interruption during their chase. Bangladesh rustled up 272 for 9 after choosing to bat on a slow pitch. In reply, Uthappa and Rahane racked up 99 at more than run a ball. Then it poured, but the drainage in Mirpur allowed a revised target of 150 in 26 overs to be set. The rain had freshened up the pitch and the Indians found the ball turning and bouncing sharply but, even then, 50 required in the remaining 9.2 overs did not prove to too hard to knock off.

India had the openers to thank for giving them such a solid headstart. Playing his first ODI in nearly six years, Uthappa showed he was still in the same touch that had earned him ten successive scores of 40 or more in the IPL.

First ball of the innings, he flowed forward to steer Mashrafe Mortaza behind point for two. Mortaza responded by beating the outside edge twice in the next three balls. That was about as difficult as it was going to get for Uthappa. In the fourth over, he opened the face to guide Al-Amin Hossain past slip for four and also drove him past mid-on for the same result.

Two shots were emphatic proof of the ridiculous form Uthappa is in. On a pitch where batsmen had to resort to slog-sweeps to generate power and distance, he stepped down to Abdur Razzak in the left-arm spinner's first over and calmly clipped him over the deep midwicket boundary. Three overs later, he drove Shakib Al Hasan in the air, held his straight followthrough and watched the ball sail over the wide long-off rope.

Rahane had to labour harder for his runs. He started slowly and eventually decided to give Mortaza the charge. The first time, he cleared mid-on awkwardly, the second time, he timed it for six over extra cover. He was at ease after that, as both batsmen easily and regularly rotated the strike.

Uthappa had just reached his fifty when he was given leg-before off Shakib, replays showing a healthy inside edge before ball hit pad. The skies had been threatening to open for quite some time, and they did so in the same over.

Upon resumption, Shakib belted out successive appeals for leg-before against Cheteshwar Pujara as the ball darted around alarmingly. The second appeal saw Pujara heading back for a duck, even as replays suggested the ball would have gone over the stumps.

Some confused running and close calls followed, but Rahane and Ambati Rayudu found the big hits ultimately, and captain Suresh Raina completed the job with more than an over to spare.

Bangladesh would have felt confident at the break after taking India's ragtag attack, with two debutant spinners and two limping fast bowlers, for 272. They could have got even more. Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib, Anamul Haque and Mahmudullah made solid contributions but all of them fell when they were looking good for more.

India were hurt by Mohit Sharma hobbling off the field in his fourth over. He came back but could send down only two more. The other fast bowler Umesh Yadav also pulled up and lost his lines in the Dhaka heat at the death.

Bangladesh targetted the three specialist spinners after a rather slow start. It was Mushfiqur who built some momentum. Yadav and Mohit had tied down the top order with their discipline. Bangladesh were 35 for 2 in the 11th over when Mushfiqur came in and began positively, his approach also rubbing off on Anamul.

Even as Anamul holed out after moving to 44, cutting short a promising stand at 52, Mushfiqur continued slog-sweeping at the other end and raced past his fifty. The shot eventually brought his downfall, and the mishit gave debutant Parvez Rasool his second wicket. Yet another partnership had grown but had been terminated prematurely, this time at 47.

Shakib and Mahmudullah, another batsman in need of runs, now added a composed 65 for the fifth wicket. Both batsmen fell against the run of play, once again. Bangladesh slipped from 229 for 5 to 235 for 8 but Mortaza and Razzak clubbed a few boundaries to haul them to 272. They weren't getting those many to defend, though.

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Root puts England in control against Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka fought back well reaching 140 for one at stumps on day two on Friday.

Kaushal Silva avoids a bouncer from Chris Jordan at Lord's.

Scorecard | Action in Images | Day 1: Root turns Sri Lanka tide

LONDON - Yorkshireman Joe Root's maiden double hundred has given England a big advantage in the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's after the hosts declared their innings on 575 for nine.

Sri Lanka fought back well reaching 140 for one at stumps on day two on Friday. The Sri Lankans are still 435 runs behind and need a further 235 to avoid follow on.

They lost opener Dimuth Karunaratne for 38 as debutant Chris Jordan claimed a wicket in his first over of Test cricket.

But Kaushal Silva added 82 runs for the second wicket with Kumar Sangakkara as the tourists ended on a positive note after a tough start. Sri Lanka haven't lost a Test Match at Lord's in 23 years.

Root became only the second Englishman to score a double hundred against Sri Lanka after Jonathan Trott and helped the hosts to their highest score against the Sri Lankans surpassing their 551 for six declared made in 2006.

Resuming from the overnight score of 344 for five, Root extended the partnership with wicketkeeper Matt Prior to 170 runs, also a record for England against Sri Lanka for the sixth wicket.

The one dimensional Sri Lankan attack struggled on good batting conditions as England scored at a healthy rate on day two.

Seamer Shaminda Eranga threatened to help Sri Lanka regain the initiative when he bowled a good spell in the morning session where he had two wickets in quick succession.

Bowling with a leg slip and a short leg in place, Eranga bowled short and had Prior caught at short leg by Kaushal Silva for 86 and another short ball accounted for Jordan.

But overall he was erratic giving away too many loose balls down the leg side and finished with three for 163 in 30 overs.

Stuart Broad made 47 off 38 deliveries with nine fours and added 64 runs for the eighth wicket with Root.

Nuwan Pradeep claimed his wicket and two balls later should have had Liam Plunkett, but the chance was put down by Eranga at midwicket.

That proved costly as the ninth wicket stand between Plunkett, playing his first Test in seven years and Root produced 81 runs and more importantly got Root closer to the double hundred.

Anderson, in with Root 19 runs shy of a double century, showed his confidence by getting off the mark with a reverse-swept four off Herath.

Root's lapped two off the spinner then took him to a double century in just over five hours off 298 balls with 16 fours.

Ton-up Root turns Sri Lanka tide

England, after losing the toss, were 344 for five at stumps on the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord's.

Joe Root celebrates getting 100 runs at Lord's.

Scorecard | Action in Images | Warne tells Cook to stop being 'boring'

LONDON: Joe Root's second hundred in as many Lord's Tests was thecornerstone of England's recovery on the first day of their series opener withSri Lanka on Thursday.

Root's 102 not out helped take England to 344 for five atstumps on the first day of the first Test after they'd been struggling at 74for three when the 23-year-old Yorkshireman walked out to bat.

Root, who made a Test-best 180 against Australia atLord's last year, was well supported by Matt Prior (76 not out) in a so-farunbroken sixth-wicket stand of 135.

However, recalled wicketkeeper Prior was fortunate not beout for a second-ball duck before completing just his second 50 in 21 Testinnings.

Moeen Ali (48), one of three debutants in a new-lookEngland side following their 5-0 Ashes drubbing in Australia, had previouslyhelped Root steady the ship during a fifth-wicket stand of 89.

"It's a very slow wicket and hard to time when theball goes softer," Root told Sky Sports. "It was a day when you hadto scrap.

"There's nothing that beats Test cricket and thechallenge of scoring runs in the first Test of the summer after the winter wehad was something that I relished."

Root, criticised for not playing forward enough inAustralia, added: "Getting forward is something that I'm working on andwant to develop. I worked hard on that today."

Things initially went well for Sri Lanka after captainAngelo Mathews won the toss and elected to field.

Although sunny blue skies above suggested ideal battingconditions, the pitch was a greener-looking one than usually associated withLord's at this time of year.

Early double strike

Mathews's decision yielded a quick reward as England lostboth their openers inside the first half hour.

Australia-born Sam Robson, one of England's newcomersalong with Ali and all-rounder Chris Jordan, fell for one on his Middlesex homeground when drawn forward into edging a full-length Nuwan Pradeep delivery thatwas well caught by diving wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardene.

And 14 for one became 22 for two when England captainAlastair Cook, who in this match became only the fourth man after India's SunilGavaskar and the Australian duo of Allan Border and Mark Waugh to play 100consecutive Tests, exited for 17 when he edged an intended cut off Nuwan Kulasekarainto his stumps.

Ian Bell, the only other experienced batsman in arevamped top order, eased first-change Shaminda Eranga through the covers forfour.

Gary Ballance looked less assured and the Zimbabwe-bornleft-hander's innings ended when he was caught behind off Pradeep for 23.

England had struggled to 98 for three at lunch but Bellwas unbeaten on 41 and looking in excellent touch in his 99th Test.

Shortly after lunch, he drove left-arm spinner RanganaHerath for six to go to a 69-ball 50.

But he was out soon afterwards when, hitting across theline, he was lbw to Eranga although Sri Lanka had to first challenge Australianumpire Paul Reiffel's original not out decision .

Ali began cautiously but the left-hander and Root wereboth unbeaten on 43 at tea.

Root subsequently completed his fifty but Ali fell justshort when he drove loosely at Herath and was caught by Mahela Jayawardene atslip.

Prior, dropped during the Ashes, had still to score onThursday when struck on the back leg by Herath.

Sri Lanka appealed for lbw but Reiffel ruled in thebatsman's favour and, despite a review, the 'umpire's call' stood after replaysindicated the ball, which would have hit the stumps, had pitched fractionallyoutside off stump.

Meanwhile, the initially watchful Root cut andcover-drove Eranga for two well-struck boundaries.

Prior, who marked his Test debut with a hundred at Lord'sagainst the West Indies in 2007, reached 50 when he cover-drove Pradeep,bowling with the new ball, for his seventh four.

Root, obliged to be more vigilant, drove Kulasekara downthe ground for just his eighth boundary to go to 96 before then reaching histhird hundred in 16 Tests off 183 balls with three off Herath.

Debutant Craig sets up historic New Zealand win

DAY 4 IN JAMAICA—Spinner takes wickets wickets in 186-run win, just their second in the Caribbean.

Craig (centre) celebrates a wicket. (AP)

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Mark Craig's dream debut culminated in a 186-run victory for New Zealand in the first Test against the West Indies at Sabina Park in Jamaica on Thursday.

The off-spinner claimed four second innings wickets to finish with eight in the match as the home side crumbled to 216 all out after being set the daunting target of 403.

There was an unexpected late flourish by the West Indies last-wicket pair as last man Shane Shillingford belted the fastest-ever half-century by a Caribbean cricketer in Tests and dominated a record tenth-wicket partnership against New Zealand of 82.

Yet it only delayed the inevitable with New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum summoning Kane Williamson for the last over of the day.

He duly obliged by having Benn caught at the wicket to trigger celebrations among the Black Caps at only their second victory in 16 Test matches in the West Indies going back to their first tour here in 1972.

Craig's haul of four for 97 complimented the very important early double-strike by Tim Southee after McCullum declared his team's second innings at 156 for eight, an effort highlighted by opening batsman Tom Latham's battling 73, his second half-century of the match.

Fresh from an excellent effort in the first innings when he claimed four for 19, Southee removed openers Kieran Powell and Chris Gayle in quick succession.

Powell fell without scoring while Gayle, who went past 7,000 runs in Test cricket in getting off the mark with a boundary, departed in the seamer's next over, caught at the wicket in a manner similar to his first innings dismissal off the same bowler.

For the few fans gathered at Sabina Park hoping for a monumental effort from their hero in his 100th Test match, his swift demise was as much of a huge let-down for them as it was a considerable boost to New Zealand.

Craig then got into his own on the wearing pitch with the wickets of Kirk Edwards, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Kemar Roach.

Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi chimed in with the all-important wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul before adding the scalps of beleaguered captain Denesh Ramdin and tailender Jerome Taylor.

"This is a dream come true. It surely doesn't get any better than this," was Craig's reaction on receiving the Man of the Match award.

"It think it all went wrong for us in the first innings when three of our top six didn't get a score," said Ramdin in reflecting on the defeat. "We just need to spend more time at the crease."

"This was a brilliant Test match for us. To get 500 on that wicket was a special effort," said McCullum in relishing the victory.

"The bowlers were also outstanding because it's tough to get 20 wickets on this pitch."

'Winning games for India is what I want to do'

Nearly six years after his last ODI, Robin Uthappa returns to the Indian side, refreshed, more assured, and eager to contribute to the team's success.

The success in the IPL has now earned you an India cap after six years. How exciting is it to be playing again in the national shirt?

I am very excited. It means a lot to me that I'm playing for the country again. It makes me extremely proud that I am able to do what I love doing at the highest level. But I just see this as an opportunity. I cannot sit back and I say I have made it now. It is an opportunity to start all over again.

You built your success in the IPL as an opener. The last time you played for India, you batted in the lower middle order. Would you be more comfortable opening?

Winning the treble with Karnataka gave me a massive understanding of what I need to do in terms of being able to perform my role to the best of my ability. I am very certain about my role as an opening batsman, because I do it day in, day out throughout the season for Karnataka. So it is just a matter of repeating the same process at a different level.

Are you better aware about your role in the Indian side now?

I know that if I stick to what works for me, I will be successful. I need to stay in the present. I need to make sure that I focus on the most important thing: to play on the merit of the ball. If I can do that, the scores will come. I am pretty confident that I can perform the role of an opening batsman to my fullest potential. I believe that I can set up games for India to win. Winning games for India is what I want to do. That is an intense desire.

You did that with Kolkata Knight Riders. You finished as the IPL's best batsman. How important an achievement was that?

It is a wonderful feeling. I am happy that I was able to contribute to my team in a way that was meaningful. And I was able to do it consistently. I want to build on it. I want to move forward with that growth now. At the same time, I recognise places I can improve on, work on, get better at.

It was an uncertain beginning for both Knight Riders and yourself. You started in the middle order and were only the fourth-choice opener?

I spoke with the team management and told them I wanted to open. So I did feel the pressure in the first match I opened. But that kind of nervousness is only a good thing. It makes you go out there and express yourself better. It makes you more alive in the moment. I came out better with that pressure on. I have got more clarity about my cricket and that has contributed to my success.

I believe your personal coach, Pravin Amre, stressed on focusing on the basics?

Sir [Amre] has always taught me that if I had the right [technical] action, the end result would be good. The initial part of our training was a lot about making sure that my initial movements were correct, my set-up was correct, the way I picked up the bat, the way the backlift was, the [way the] downswing was. When all of that is proper, 60-70% of your work is done. The rest is about getting your head into position, holding that position well and playing the ball late into the gaps. It is important to remind myself about these things because when you achieve a momentum there is danger of getting carried away when it is important to stick to the basics.

You are now showing the full face of the bat in your strokes as opposed to earlier, when it used to be closed. How big a difference has that made?

It has made a massive difference. As a cricketer I can experience certain stuff but I cannot explain to you in words what it feels to hit the ball from the middle of the bat with the right technique. Very early in our training, I remember telling Sir immediately after hitting a fluent cover drive that I have hit so many sixes in my life but this shot I just hit I would never forget. I hit it so sweetly. He told me not to worry because I would do it more often. It is just a feel, more like a sensation.

Which is the most improved stroke?

Every shot in the V past the bowler on both sides has improved. I have worked a lot on the on drive. We spent hours on that stroke where earlier I was vulnerable against the lbw. You have to get a lot of things in place for that shot: your head needs to be on top of the ball, your legs in the right position, your body aligned correctly to get the power into the stroke. But the cover drive is the one that stands out for me. I have become more of a touch player than someone who plays with a lot of power. That has been my biggest improvement. But it will only stay with me if I continue to work on it.

One of the most visible changes is that you have consciously cut down on hitting sixes. Was that planned?

It was not a conscious effort. The aim was to play to the merit of the ball and importantly bat responsibly. As much as opening is a challenge it is also about focusing on holding an end up. That only allows my team to be in a better position. In some games I was trying to chip the ball over the infield but it went straight to the fielder. I felt that in those instances, if I had gone all through, it could have only proved beneficial. One of the goals I set for myself at the outset was that I wanted to bat through 20 overs. But I started the tournament by coming to play in the middle overs before I started to open. Like I said earlier, there is a lot of scope to improve.

You would appreciate the innings Suresh Raina played in the second qualifier for Chennai Super Kings - playing good cricketing shots. Was that the best innings of this IPL for you?

As far as skills are concerned, definitely. Raina held beautiful positions, played late, stood deep in the crease, made use of the bounce, played very clever cricket. I enjoyed watching him play without fear. Also, when you are chasing a massive score it gives a batsman the freedom to be brave. It was inspiring and I picked up some good things from Raina's innings.

You batted with an injured toe against Mumbai Indians in a crucial match that Knight Riders won. You picked it as your best innings this IPL. Why?

Two days before the Mumbai match in Cuttack, I was hit flush on my left big toe by a yorker-length delivery from Pat Cummins. He was bowling with a new ball that swung in. I batted through, but when I removed my shoe I had a broken nail and it was bleeding profusely. Andrew Leipus [Knight Riders' physiotherapist] gave me some painkillers.

I was positive about playing the match considering we had to win it. I was wearing slippers the next day. But on match day, when I reached the ground, I realised I could not even get a sock on easily, let alone a shoe. I am a UK size 10, so Andrew suggested I try a bigger size. I tried one size bigger but that too was not going in. Then I tried Morne Morkel's size 12. But I could barely walk in them even though I hit some throwdowns. I could not put too much pressure on my leading leg as I was unable to get up on my toes.

I had doubts whether I would be able to play the match. I was feeling uncomfortable in Morne's shoes. Andrew suggested I wear something with an open toe to take the pressure off. Jacques Kallis had his bowling boots, which were size 11. Andrew built a nice, thick protection cap over the cut part of the shoe to provide a good cushion.

Fortunately we bowled first and it gave me little more time to adjust to the shoe. I finished with the Man-of-the-Match award with an 80. I thanked Kallis and played in them till the qualifier.

WV Raman, an experienced domestic coach and part of the coaching bench at Knight Riders, says in all these years he has seen you, you have never been more calm about your batting.

I am in a place in my life where I understand how I can handle everything. If I can stay in the present I have got most things taken care of. I have grown as a human being in the last couple of years as well. I am surrounded by positive people, who add value to my life, which helps me perform better.

Do you realistically believe you will be part of the Indian squad for next year's World Cup?

I believe in my ability and that I will play in the World Cup and contribute to our country's success in a meaningful manner. That is the hope. I am very, very consciously living in the present. I am confident but for the moment I am focusing to perform and succeed in Bangladesh to begin with and carry forward the confidence into subsequent tournaments.

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