Daily Cricket News Briefing Latest Cricket News Rohit called up as cover for Laxman

The Indian selectors have called up Rohit Sharma to the squad for the first Test against South Africa as cover for VVS Laxman. Laxman hasn't fully recovered from the finger injury he sustained while fielding during the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong last month.

Captaining the Indian Board President's XI in the tour game against the South Africans, Rohit managed just 20 but was delighted with his selection. "It feels good that I've been asked to stay back...Bahut hi achcha lag raha hai (I'm feeling great)," he told the Kolkata-based Telegraph.

This is the first time Rohit is part of the Test squad since the 2008 visit to Sri Lanka. He was in fine form during the Ranji Trophy this season, making 527 at 87.83, including a highest of 309* against Gujarat.

Meanwhile, Laxman skipped the team's fielding practice on Wednesday afternoon, but did have a bat at the nets.

India will be sweating over the injuries that have dogged the side of late - key batsmen Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and fast bowler Sreesanth have already been ruled out of this match.

Captain MS Dhoni, though, looked to have recovered fully from the back spasms which forced him to miss the Chittagong Test. "One can't have any control over injuries. Obviously, we'll miss Dravid. It's like a captain having no control at all over the toss."

Source:cricinfo

Last chance for Pakistan

Big Picture

Finally Pakistan's drawn out, controversial and currently win-less tour comes to an end. At the start of the summer they were a chance of challenging Australia in the Test series. Then they were determined to topple them with a band of reinforcements in the one-day series. After losing eight internationals in a row, this is the last opportunity to do something successful.

The good news is the tourists are the World Twenty20 champions after their triumph in England last year and they have won their past seven games in this genre. However, they will be without their captain Shahid Afridi, who was so hungry in the final ODI in Perth that he chomped on the ball. After admitting to tampering, he will miss two Twenty20s before being allowed back. That leaves Shoaib Malik in charge as the third leader of the trip.

Australia should be confident given their form this season, but this is their weakest format and they have won only 11 of their 24 internationals. Michael Clarke is captain full-time after Ricky Ponting's T20 retirement, but already there have been calls for Cameron White to have the top job given Clarke's apparent unsuitability to the game.

Form guide (Most recent first)

Australia ANLLL

Pakistan WWWWW

Watch out for�

Umar Gul didn't have much fun in the one-day series and hasn't played since delivering a nine-ball over that cost 23 in Adelaide. Those numbers should be ignored by the selectors because Gul is a Twenty20 master. He is the most successful bowler in the world in this format, with 39 wickets at 11.58 in 23 games.

Steven Smith is a batsman-legspinner who is most exciting for his brutal shot-making. Only 20, Smith has immense power and has quickly proved he is ready for international action, although the rise may have come a little too quickly for his bowling. He had limited opportunities in the Big Bash with the bat, but took seven wickets at 10.28 in five games and has 310 runs and nine victims in seven one-day domestic contests.

Team news

Australia have some strong fast bowlers to choose from, with Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes jostling for three spots. There is also competition at the top of the order with Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh and David Warner all preferring to walk out first.

Australia squad Shane Watson, Shaun Marsh, David Warner, Michael Clarke (capt), Cameron White, Travis Birt, David Hussey, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Dirk Nannes, Shaun Tait.

Pakistan have to tinker to fill the various roles of Afridi and are also without Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan, who don't play Twenty20s. There are still 15 players with the squad so the touring selectors have plenty of options.

Pakistan squad Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal (wk), Fawad Alam, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik (capt), Salman Butt, Khalid Latif, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Imran Farhat, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Saeed Ajmal, Rao Iftikhar Anjum, Mohammad Aamer.

Pitch and conditions

The surface in Melbourne is usually hard work for everyone in the longer forms of the game, but that can often be overcome in Twenty20s. The weather might also be tricky, with rain predicted in the morning before easing to isolated showers.

Stats and trivia

* Australia have lost both times they have faced Pakistan in Twenty20s

* Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal have played 27 T20 internationals, four behind the leader Brendon McCullum, while Australia's most experienced men are Michael Clarke and Nathan Bracken, who is not in the squad, on 19.

* Australia haven't completed a T20 game since their first-round exit at the World Twenty20 in June. Their two games against England in September were wash outs.

* The MCG has hosted two of these internationals, with Australia winning each time

Quotes

"We have to win this game. We are professionals and not [just] looking forward to us going back to our country after 100 days. We're just concentrating on tomorrow's match."

Shoaib Malik, Pakistan's stand-in captain

"They're the best team in the world at this format of the game. We'll have to play exceptionally well again to beat them."

Cameron White, Australia's vice-captain

Malik named captain to keep stability

Shoaib Malik will captain both Twenty20 internationals against England in Dubai later this month despite the return of regular captain Shahid Afridi because the board does not want to change leaders in the middle of tours.

Malik led Pakistan in the Melbourne Twenty20 against Australia last week, after Afridi was banned for two matches for tampering with the ball during the last ODI against Australia in Perth. That ban means Afridi will also miss the first game against England, on February 19, though he returns for the second game the following evening.

But because the tour is so short, the PCB has decided against changing the captaincy and keeping Malik in charge. There has been speculation since Afridi was caught on TV biting the ball repeatedly that his future as the format's captain is in doubt. Malik, Pakistan's captain in all three formats as recently as last year, is being talked about as a candidate again but Wasim Bari, the board's chief operating officer, played down such notions.

"It is not a good idea to have one captain in one match and another in the next," he told Cricinfo. "There is no point in doing it match to match so we decided, as it is a short tour, to just keep Malik as captain for both games. Afridi is our captain in the format. Had there not been a ban, there would not have been a problem."

Incidentally, Malik is reunited as captain with Yawar Saeed, who accompanies the side as manager once again. Exactly one year ago today Saeed was part responsible for a series report in which he wrote that Malik was a "loner" and "aloof" and that he should be replaced by Younis Khan as captain.

Of equal significance is the absence of Intikhab Alam, Pakistan's coach, from the squad and his future with the side. Most often the public face of Pakistan in defeat, Intikhab has come in for increasingly heavy criticism after the Australian tour. He is due to appear before a board inquiry committee later this week and Ijaz Ahmed, coach of the Under-19 side and who will alredy be in Dubai as head of the A side, will join the senior squad as a batting and fielding coach. Perhaps tellingly, Bari refused to be drawn over Intikhab's future.

"There is no word yet on Intikhab's future. There is an inquiry being held at the moment and subsequently it will be decided. Ijaz is not the coach but the batting and fielding coach for the side there," Bari said. "Daniel Vettori and New Zealand also toured without a coach and it has happened before so it is not so unusual."

Harris And Hauritz Set Up 113-Win For Australia

Australia 256-8 (Watson 59, Ponting 49) beat
West Indies 143 (Harris 3-24, Hauritz 3-28) by 113 runs
Scorecard
First One-Day International, Melbourne

Ryan Harris and Nathan Hauritz both returned three wickets during Australia's thumping 113-run win over the West Indies in the first One-Day International in Melbourne.

Shane Watson stroked 59 and Ricky Ponting 49 as Australia posted 256 for eight batting first and in reply the tourists were blown away, dismissed for 143 in just 34.2 overs.

Watson faced 74 balls and Ponting 61 and althought they were the only two players to pass 40, enough batsmen got starts to set the West Indies a tough target despite Kieron Pollard impressing with three for 45, dismissing Ponting, Michael Clarke (18) and Brad Haddin (8).

In reply, the West Indies were quickly in trouble when they slipped to 12 for three, losing the wickets of Chris Gayle (7), Runako Morton (3) and Travis Dowlin (1) to the new-ball burst from Doug Bollinger (2-18) and Harris (3-24).

Lendl Simmons made 29 and Pollard 31 as the West Indies tried desperately to rebuild but they continued to lose wickets as they fell further behind the required run rate.

Harris added the wickets of Denesh Ramdin (7) and Nikita Miller (4) to his earlier dismissal of Morton while off-spinner Hauritz dismissed Pollard, Dwayne Smith (7) and Ravi Rampaul (3).

The second of five matches is in Sydney on 9th February.

Taylor Blasts New Zealand To Easy Victory

New Zealand 185-5 (Taylor 78) beat
Bangladesh 183-8 (Mushfiqur Rahim 86, Butler 3-43) by five wickets
Scorecard
Second One-Day International, Dunedin

Ross Taylor blasted 78 in just 51 balls to help New Zealand seal their One-Day International series against Bangladesh with a comprehensive five-wicket win in Dunedin.

Bangladesh were restricted to 183 for eight, Mushfiqur Rahim's 86 helping them recover from 25 for five and in reply, Taylor smacked six fours and five sixes to guide New Zealand home in just 27.3 overs.

Andy McKay (2-17), Daryl Tuffey (1-55) and Ian Butler (3-43) combined to rip out the top five Bangladeshi batsmen in just 12.2 overs and the tourists were quickly 46 for six when Mahmudullah was run out by Martin Guptill.

Rahim then put on 101 with Naeem Islam (43), hitting eight fours and three sixes in 107 balls to ensure that Bangladesh at least used up their full quota of overs before Shahadat Hossain thumped 16 in seven balls at the death.

That was a taster of what was to come when Taylor reached the crease in the tenth over following the dismissals of Brendon McCullum (9) and Peter Ingram (28) and the big-hitting right-hander took the game away from Bangladesh with some aggressive batting, backed up by 32 from Guptill and an unbeaten 20 from James Franklin.

Pacer Shafiul Islam impressed once again by taking three for 49 and Rubel Hossain returned two for 68 but they were completely outclassed for the third time in the tour after they were thrashed in the Twenty20 International and opening ODI.

The third and final ODI is in Christchurch on 11th February.

Cricket World® Player Of The Week - Hashim Amla

South African batsman Hashim Amla has been named as the Cricket World® Player Of The Week after his unbeaten 253 during the opening Test against India in Nagpur.

Amla's career-best effort, which saw him occupy the crease for 473 deliveries and enabled South Africa to score 558 for six before declaring to put India under massive pressure.

Amla stroked 22 fours during his innings and put on a record third-wicket stand in India of 340 with Jacques Kallis, who made 173.

Other contenders for the weekly award included Shaun Tait, Kallis, and Daniel Vettori.

India Left Struggling After Being Skittled By Steyn

South Africa 558-6 dec. (Amla 253no, Kallis 173) v
India 233 (Sehwag 109, Steyn 7-51) & 66-2
First Test, Nagpur, day three

A stunning spell of bowling from Dale Steyn negated an equally brilliant Virender Sehwag century and left South Africa in the clear after day three of the first Test in Nagpur.

After Sehwag scored 109 in 139 balls, Steyn returned a career-best seven for 51 to rout India for 233 and South Africa, who amassed 558 for six before declaring late on day two, enforced the follow on and had India reeling at 66 for two when stumps were drawn, still 259 runs behind.

Sehwag was in blistering form, hitting 16 fours as he motored to an 18th Test century in 134 deliveries but he had little support, only debutant Subramaniam Badrinath (59) and Gautam Gambhir (12) reaching double-figures, as South Africa, spearheaded by Steyn, showed their ruthless streak.

Four batsmen were bowled, two without offering a stroke to the fast bowler while there was a wicket apiece for Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell and Paul Harris as India lost their last six wickets for just 12 runs; shortly before Mahendra Singh Dhoni was caught by Jacques Kallis off a Harris delivery that spat at him, India were 221 for four and looking reasonably well set, but that all changed in the space of just seven overs.

When India batted again, Gambhir was bowled by Morkel and Sehwag was caught by Graeme Smith off Steyn which left Sachin Tendulkar unbeaten on 15 and Murali Vijay on 27.

Hashim Amla's unbeaten 253 enabled South Africa to declare while Jacques Kallis also stroked 173.