West Indies Tri-Nation Series

Iceman Dhoni breaks SL hearts

India 203 for 9 (Rohit 58, Dhoni 45*, Herath 4-20) beat Sri Lanka 201 (Sangakkara 71, Thirimanne 46, Jadeja 4-23, Bhuvneshwar 2-24) by one wicket

Leave it to me, he says. I want to take this to the last over. Me against one man. One on one. I know I am better than the last man the other team can put up against me. Once again, MS Dhoni reduced a lost match into a one-on-one contest with an opposition bowler, and knocked off the 15 required in just three hits. You could see the bowler - Shaminda Eranga, 9-2-34-2 until then, wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli to his name - was intimidated the moment he saw the first one fly into the top of the top tier.

Bear in mind that this was a treacherous pitch with seam, spin and uneven bounce. Dhoni was injured, and had come back only for this match. He wasn't running as hard as he does, and wickets were falling at the other end. When Dhoni came in, the asking-rate was 3.35, but with falling wickets and turned-down singles, it hit the improbable towards the end. Dhoni, though, kept refusing singles, kept admonishing the last man Ishant Sharma for taking off for panic-stricken singles.

Ishant couldn't be blamed. The game had unravelled fast for India. They were cruising when Rohit Sharma had braved for yet another fifty despite another painful blow to his body (which makes it atleast four in two innings against Sri Lanka), despite many balls that seamed past his edge, despite the slow start. When India were 139 for 3 in the 32nd over, though, Rangana Herath delivered a grubber, and it squeezed under Rohit's bat. Things were about to change.

The pitch was still difficult to bat on as Suresh Raina soon found out. He thought he had a half-volley from Suranga Lakmal when he went for the drive, but even after pitching that full the ball seamed away appreciably and took his edge. The accurate and wily Herath saw an opening now. And burst through it. In the 38th over, his last, Herath trapped Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin - whose combined figures had been 17.5-1-65-6 - in successive deliveries. India 152 for 7.

The drama had begun. Only a few minutes earlier, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara had gone on and on - for overs it seemed - about an obstructing-the-field appeal against Dhoni. He had taken two steps down the wicket, and then realised he would have hit the other batsman if he ran straight. So he ran, nay hared on a bad hamstring, at an angle, but didn't change his direction for the remaining 20 yards. The throw hit him, and the two senior Sri Lankans would not leave the umpire's side. They knew they needed this man out as soon as possible.

For the next half hour, though, Sri Lanka would have thought they didn't need to get Dhoni out. Dhoni tried to intimidate Lakmal once during the Powerplay, but after that he began playing the percentage game. Sri Lanka knew Dhoni couldn't manipulate the strike with that hamstring, and controlled the game well. Lasith Malinga - seven overs for 54 runs until then - finally got his radar right, and got Bhuvneshwar Kumar toe before wicket with his dipping slower yorker. In the tense overs that followed, R Vinay Kumar lost his cool, and slogged and got out. India 182 for 9 after 46.2 overs.

With any other batsman than Dhoni, you would expect panic. Dhoni, though, wanted to corner just one man. He wanted to bring it down to that one man. He was also daring Sri Lanka to keep back Malinga, who had one over left, for the last. Sri Lanka didn't. Malinga bowled the 48th. Dhoni faced the whole over, looking unhurried, for just a scrambled couple.

The only man hurried was Ishant, who tried a suicidal single off the last ball of Malinga's over to keep Dhoni on strike. The ball, though, had gone straight to the fielder, and Dhoni was miffed Ishant tried such desperation. It was not becoming of someone batting with the coolest and the best batsman in ODI cricket. Ishant would do that again off the first ball of the next over. Twice Dhoni let Ishant know what he did was not right. Ishant faced another dot. Then another dot. Seventeen off nine. Dhoni was cool at the other end. He had marked out his man. He knew it wouldn't be an experienced bowler in the last over.

Two runs came off the last three balls of the 49th over, but Ishant was made to feel under no pressure. He had been told to leave it to the man who knew his way around these lanes. Then began the great show. As soon as Ishant left alone - yes, left alone - the last ball of the 49th over, Dhoni signalled to the dressing room for a new, heavier bat.

As Angelo Mathews psyched Shaminda Eranga up for the last over, Dhoni practised a few swings with two bats held together. Calculatedly he picked out one. Eranga went to his mark. This match should not have been on, but in Dhoni's book this was even odds. Eranga bowled a nervous first ball: a wide length ball, which Dhoni swung hard at. That was a nervous ball, and would have been out of the ground had Dhoni connected. Dhoni didn't.

The second ball, though, was closer to Dhoni - swing, and met that hunk on the up. And up it went. And far. And kept going. Over the top of the stands. You could see it in Eranga's eyes now. It was now going to be nigh impossible for Eranga to execute his skill. In one hit, Dhoni had brought it down to just luck for Sri Lanka. The luck was not with them. Eranga bowed length again, Dhoni went hard again, and the ball flew off the outside half of the bat, and over point.

It was over already. Eranga just ran up for the formalities, delivered another length ball, and was dispatched over extra cover. The iceman had done it again, but he hadn't had a great first half of the day as a keeper and a captain. Apart from not having been at his best with the gloves, Dhoni had also let Sri Lanka off the hook with his choice of part-time bowlers ahead of the specialist spinners, who would eventually go on to cut Sri Lanka's effort short.

Bhuvneshwar had given India his customary breakthroughs in the first spell, the scoring was difficult, but Virat Kohli and Raina provided Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne relief with their odd long hop or big wides. Their partnership took Sri Lanka to 171 for 2, but then Thirimanne made a mistake, and almost every batsman that followed. In over-aiming during that Powerplay, Sri Lanka had lost their last eight wickets for 30 runs, letting Dhoni off the hook now.

You will be justified to think of Dhoni's choice of bowlers as odd. As you would have been with his persistence against all logic with Ishant in the Champions Trophy final. Just that the results were drastically different.

Australia in England - The Investec Ashes

Warner sent to South Africa

David Warner has paid a further price for his wayward behaviour earlier on the tour of England by being pulled out of the Ashes tour. He will instead go to South Africa with Australia A in order to gain match practice, the national selector John Inverarity has said.

Having decided not to play Warner in the first Test against England at Trent Bridge, the selectors have now added him to the A squad, though Inverarity suggested the left-hander may still return to England later in the series. But the decision flows on from Warner's suspension for punching the England opener Joe Root, something described as "a despicable thing" by the Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland.

"David has trained hard and been very supportive of the team and his team-mates during the past few weeks, but his preparation for the first Test was not ideal," Inverarity said. "He is in need of match practice and runs in the longer format and the Australia A games in Zimbabwe and South Africa will provide him with the best possible opportunity.

"David remains a member of the Ashes Squad and will return to the England at an appropriate time once we're happy he has had adequate preparation in match conditions."

Australia's coach Darren Lehmann described Warner's situation as a "hard luck story". "While he has done everything right with training and preparation, his nets have been spectacular, he's done everything right around the group since his suspension, we can't pick him without any form in four-day cricket," he said. "That makes it a hard and a disappointing one for him. He took it hard but understood the reasons behind it when Rod Marsh spoke to him.

"We're confident he'll come back really well but for now, because he didn't get the games under his belt, we just feel like it's the best six [batsmen]. We want an in-form David Warner playing. Now the challenge is for him to keep working hard and get ready for the tour game, to play the right brand of cricket and get back in the Australian team. And the challenge for the top six is to perform well enough to keep him out."

The inclusion of Steve Smith and Ashton Agar in the team for Trent Bridge has also caused other changes to the Australia A squad. Aaron Finch has been promoted to captain the team, and Alex Doolan will be his deputy. Doolan, who has been playing in England, underwent fitness training at Trent Bridge on match eve by way of South Africa preparation.

Australia in England - The Investec Ashes

England turn up bearing gifts

Say what you like about England, they are marvellous hosts. Had they greeted each Australia bowler with a garland of flowers, a basket of fruit and an array of balloon animals, they could hardly have been more welcoming. Indeed, if each of their wickets had been wrapped in shiny paper and tied with a bow, they could not have made better gifts of them.

This was a wretched batting performance from England. It was a nervous, flimsy, foolish performance by a side too experienced to be excused for wilting in the spot light. While the identity of several of the players is different, it was a performance that evoked memories of England's capitulation in the final of the Champions Trophy. Then, as now, they froze under pressure.

The most galling aspect of this display was the self-inflicted nature of England's decline. Perhaps only two of the their wickets - that of Joe Root and, by a generous assessment, Ian Bell - could be credited more on good bowling than poor batting, with some of the dismissals - Matt Prior's and Graeme Swann's in particular - donated so ridiculously that they would have a good chance of gaining charitable status.

The root of England's decline was a combination of nerves and the spurious misunderstanding of what it means to play 'positive' cricket. For England on the first day at Trent Bridge, 'positive' cricket meant attempting to score quickly, attempting to hit boundaries and attempting to assert their authority in the most obvious, unsophisticated way.

So, instead of leaving the ball outside off stump, instead of waiting for the bowlers to stray into safe areas, instead of patiently grinding out a match-defining total, England sought the short-cut to success. They allowed their hubris and adrenalin to get the better of them and they chased deliveries that they would have been well advised to let go.

Even Jonathan Trott and Alastair Cook, batsmen with a reputation for their attritional qualities, were drawn into flashing at balls well outside off stump. Even Kevin Pietersen, a man who has a well-earned reputation for thriving on the biggest stage, appeared to falter through nerves and guided a wide ball to slip and even Prior and Swann, men with a reputation of rebuilding all-but-lost causes, managed to steer short balls to fielders as if providing catching practice.

Trott's frustration upon his dismissal was palpable. He shaped to smash his stumps out of the ground but sensibly checked himself just in time but his frustration was easy to understand. Trott has now passed 27 in each one of his last 12 Test innings but, on nine of those occasions, he failed to pass 56. In short, he has built himself the foundations time after time and failed to capitalise upon it. A loss of concentration has been his downfall on most occasions. A batsman that built a reputation upon a compact technique and looked in the ripest of form, paid the price for being flash. He is, at present, too often trying to be something he is not.

Steven Finn press conference

It was not always aggression that cost England. Some of their batsmen were punished for faulty technique with Bell drawn into playing at a decent delivery, but one he might have left, and Jonny Bairstow bowled - as he was in both innings of the warm-up game in Chelmsford and now has been in five of his 12 completed Test innings - after attempting to whip a straight ball through midwicket.

There was no need for England's aggressive approach. Without the influence of poor weather, draws have become rare in England. The old Test disciplines - disciplines of patience and restraint and denial and stamina - have been all but forgotten amid new fashions to dominate, entertain and 'express' talent. The game may, on the surface, appear more entertaining, but it has also lost a certain dynamic that differentiated it from other formats. There was beauty, maybe not always an obvious but beauty nevertheless, in the steadfastness and defiance of Geoffrey Boycott and Chris Tavare. While the game has changed for the better in many ways, England would be well advised not to forget such qualities entirely.

England could have well done with a player of Nick Compton's old-fashioned virtues. The idea that you have to seize the initiative in Test cricket is a modern myth that has been perpetrated by the impatient and is shown up for its folly by the success of the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, Hashim Amla and, in a different time, by Trott and Cook.

Positivity does not have to be expressed in boundaries. It can be expressed in a firm forward defensive, in a refusal to be tempted by deliveries away from the body and by an obvious determination to bat, not just for a session or a milestone, but for a day or more at a time. It was that quality that ground Australia into submission in 2010-11 and that quality England will need to rediscover if they are to prevail on this occasion.

There are some mitigating factors. While the winner of the toss had to bat first - this is a flat but unusually dry pitch that may deteriorate - the atmospheric conditions did provide some assistance to swing bowlers. Australia also bowled pretty well, using the crease cleverly and luring England into false strokes.

But England made life far too simple for the bowlers and Peter Siddle, in particular, can rarely have enjoyed a softer five-wicket haul.

It does not matter that England partially redeemed themselves with the ball. That only goes to illustrate what an opportunity they missed with the bat against an attack that was plainly nervous and included a teenage debutant who, for all his abundant talent and athleticism, looks some way short of the quality required for this level at present and an allrounder who could manage only four overs before injury intervened. Had England shown a little more fight and resilience, they could be resuming their first innings on the second day against effectively a three-man attack.

As it is, England face an uncomfortable wait to see how Stuart Broad reacts to a blow on the shoulder sustained while batting. International cricket is a draining business and its participants, especially fast bowlers, are bound to experience the occasional injury. But Broad, of late, appears to be made of crystal and fairies' wings and is developing a reputation of being injured more often than he is fit. In a three-man pace attack, such attributes are unlikely to endear a player to selectors.

Australia in England - The Investec Ashes

England hit back as 14 wickets crash

          Frenzied. That barely begins to tell the story. The pent-up tensions at the start of an Ashes series frothed out into a memorable first day of eager and aggressive bowling, angsty batting and high excitement. When the nervous energy had subsided, and a sell-out crowd began to wend its way home, the first day of the Investec Test series had granted its favours slightly, without ever quite making eye contact, towards England.

          In the build-up to the Test, it had been observed that the ball had not swung as much at Trent Bridge this season. It turned out that England's most genteel Test ground was just being bashful. On a warm, hazy day, swing bowling was in the ascendancy, 14 wickets fell and no batsman has yet made a half-century.

          This is a slow, dry Nottingham surface, already markedly cracked and with the forecast of dry days ahead, England, who won the toss, will fancy that reverse swing and the spin of Graeme Swann will come to the fore as the match progresses. Those possessing tickets for the final day will already be looking for a back-up attraction.

          The stand-out bowling figures on a turbulent day went to Peter Siddle, an indefatigable rouser of the troops, who specialises in making an impact at the start of an Ashes series, and who emphatically demanded an immediate reassessment of Australia's qualities as he took five wickets by tea with remorseless, full-length bowling and just enough swing to make it potent.

          But the ball of the day was surely delivered, on behalf of England, by James Anderson. He produced a mesmerising delivery to bowl Australia's captain, Michael Clarke, sixth ball for nought, a late outswinger and a suitable way to go past Fred Trueman's landmark of 307 Test wickets. On the balcony, David Saker, England's bowling coach, really did lick his lips with pure delight.

          Before then, Steven Finn had made inroads by dismissing Shane Watson and Ed Cowan in successive balls. Watson's desire to dominate brought an edge to second slip; Cowan's carve at a full, wide one was one of many indiscretions and left Finn on a hat-trick which he came within a whisker of achieving by beating Clarke.

          Finn was preferred by England to Tim Bresnan and then took the new ball as Stuart Broad remained off the field for ice treatment on his right shoulder - which required a cortisone injection less than a week ago - after he was struck by a bouncer from James Pattinson. Australia will not be wishing him well.

          Chris Rogers was Australia's stabilising element, just the man to provide an additional neutron or two, but he got too far across his stumps to Anderson in an effort to cover the outswing and was picked off lbw, his call for a review narrowly failing.

          Siddle was Australia's inspiration. His hat-trick in Brisbane two years ago, and Test-best 6 for 54, proved to be a false dawn for Australia as England went on to win three Tests by an innings.

When he leaked 27 runs in four overs in a first, unrewarded spell, it was symptomatic of Australia's anxious start, but his switch to the Radcliffe Road end for a one-over spell before lunch brought immediate dividends when he found some late outswing to bowl Joe Root.

Clarke unsurprisingly turned to him once more immediately after lunch. Kevin Pietersen fell to a typically flamboyant drive, whereas Jonathan Trott's booming drive at a wide one left the batsman so appalled as he dragged on that he made as if to demolish the stumps in self-admonishment. Until then, he had played with great certainty for 48, milking Australia's attack through the leg side with regularity, but even he was struck by Ashes fever.

A fourth spell accounted for Ian Bell, who was defeated by an excellent outswinger. At 178 for 4, Bell and Bairstow had been close to confirming England's superiority. Instead, Bell left with a quizzical nose scrunching, recognition that for England, overwhelming favourites for the series, things were not exactly going to plan.

They went even more awry in Siddle's next over when Matt Prior, with only a single to his name, departed ten minutes before tea. Siddle banged one in short and wide and Prior's suitably belligerent response merely presented a catch to cover.

Australia's first wicket had been the one they most desired: Alastair Cook: Cook, a remorseless compiler of 766 runs in his last Ashes series, a series which he reflected ahead of this rubber "changed me as a cricketer". This time Australia removed him for 13 and they will pray that the number is a harbinger of ill luck all summer long.

The successful bowler was Pattinson. The ball was not particularly potent, pushed wide across Cook, but he edged a loose drive to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin. Cook sat on the balcony, alone, and no doubt pondered on the demands of captaincy at the start of an Ashes series. Clarke, several hours later, went through the same thought process.

Pattinson had expressed his desire to avenge England's ridiculing of his older brother, Darren, when his sole England Test cap went awry against South Africa in 2005.

On the ground where Darren made his name, James launched the series nervously with a wide and a bye - a loopy bouncer followed by a ball that swung down the leg side. But he does not lack for on-field aggression. His snarl was soon evident against Root, returned with a cheeky chappie smile that might have come straight out of an old-time English music hall. He might also have picked up Pietersen's wicket when Haddin narrowly failed to intercept a glance down the leg side.

Ashton Agar, a left-arm spinner on Test debut, had cause to be even more jittery. An Australian spinner on debut in an Ashes series cannot bowl a ball without being aware of Shane Warne's arrival into Ashes folklore. He began with the Ball of the Century; some act to follow. Agar, gum chewing furiously, delivered a low full toss which Trott gratefully punched to the cover boundary. But his tall, springy approach and classical action promised good things to come.

England, 185 for 6 at tea, succumbed rapidly at the start of the final session, losing their last four wickets for two runs in 14 balls.

Broad's fallibility against the hook shot was underlined when he unwisely tried to attack Pattinson; Bairstow, who had played enterprisingly for 37, considering that he has spent much of the past year as a drinks waiter, was bowled hitting across a full-length ball from Mitchell Starc; Finn gave Starc two in two, reviewing a catch at the wicket to no avail; and there was no late flourish from Swann who offered only a tame prod to cover.

West Indies Tri-Nation Series

Silverware within young captains' grasp

Match facts

Thursday, July 11

Start time 0930 (1330 GMT)

Will it be Angelo Mathews or Virat Kohli who will be smiling after the final?

Big Picture

          Much of the cricketing world's attention might be drawn towards the blue-riband Test series which kicked off in England on Wednesday, but a soon-to-be-forgotten tri-series in the Caribbean isn't done with yet. India and Sri Lanka have played each other so often in recent years that even jokes about how often they play each other have become stale. Still, when the two sides face off for the 42nd ODI in five years, there's a series trophy on the line. Also, firing up the two teams will be the chance for two young captains to get their hands on some silverware.

          If it wasn't enough that India's one-day side was shorn of many of its most experienced players in recent months, they also lost the services of MS Dhoni midway through the tournament. That meant that two years on from their World Cup triumph, India's ODI side had only two players that featured in that famous Mumbai final. Fast on the heels of that Dhoni injury, India were humiliated by Sri Lanka by 161 runs, and were staring at an early exit.

          Instead, stand-in captain Virat Kohli added to his ever-expanding tally of ODI centuries to resuscitate the campaign, before Bhuvneshwar Kumar added to his burgeoning reputation as a new-ball expert by ripping through Sri Lanka's batting. The two victories meant India ended up top of the table, and will go into the final with more of the swagger that carried them to the Champions Trophy title.

          Sri Lanka have more experience in their line-up, particularly in the batting, but have lost some high-profile crunch ODIs to India in recent years. Their bowling attack isn't as seasoned though, and plenty will depend on how Lasith Malinga and Rangana Herath fare.

          Sri Lanka will play their fourth day of cricket in five when they play the final, and thankfully the weather forecast is better than it has been over the past week. There is still a chance of some light showers but it is likely that Thursday will prove the last of India-Sri Lanka cricket for the year.

Form guide

(most recent first, last five completed matches)

Sri Lanka LWWLL

India WWLLW

In the spotlight

          On Thursday, Mahela Jayawardene will become only the third cricketer to play 400 ODIs, behind legends Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya. He has a penchant for turning up on the big occasion, as India well know, and will be desperate to mark the landmark game with a performance that will lift Sri Lanka to only their third ODI series win in previous 12 campaigns.

         After a long and not always convincing streak in the middle order, Rohit Sharma has reinvented himself as an ODI opener. Usually a flamboyant, attacking player, he has had to shelve his more expansive strokes in the challenging conditions of the Caribbean. His strike-rate is a pedestrian 60.45 this series, but he has already played three important innings in four matches.

Team news

Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal started the long journey from Sri Lanka to the Caribbean yesterday after Nuwan Kulasekara was ruled out of the tournament with a hand injury, but whether that will only end up in boosting his frequent flier miles or the Sri Lankan pace attack as well is still to be seen. While he has to deal with the jet lag, he at least has the experience of playing in the Caribbean as recently as a couple of weeks ago, when he turned out for Sri Lanka A, taking eight wickets in three matches.

Sri Lanka (probable) 

1 Mahela Jayawardene, 

2 Upul Tharanga, 

3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk),

4 Dinesh Chandimal, 

5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 

6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 

7 Jeevan Mendis, 

8 Dilhara Lokuhettige/Suranga Lakmal, 

9 Lasith Malinga, 

10 Rangana Herath, 

11 Shaminda Eranga

Unless MS Dhoni is deemed fit for the final, India aren't likely to tinker with their combination much. At Wednesday's press conference, Kohli said a decision on Dhoni had not yet been taken.

India (probable) 

1 Shikhar Dhawan, 

2 Rohit Sharma, 

3 Virat Kohli (capt),

4 Suresh Raina, 

5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 

6 M Vijay, 

7 Ravindra Jadeja, 

8 R Ashwin, 

9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 

10 Ishant Sharma, 

11 Umesh Yadav

Stats and trivia

India and Sri Lanka have won 10 finals each at neutral venues, joint second highest after Pakistan's 20 wins. India's win-loss record at neutral venues in finals: 10-16, Sri Lanka's is: 10-10

Kohli, who otherwise averages 54.70 against Sri Lanka in ODIs (five 100s, eight 50s), averages only 26 in tournament finals against them, with no fifty-plus scores

It's been 13 ODIs, stretching back to last November, since Jeevan Mendis either scored 30 runs or took more than one wicket

In the first ten overs of ODIs this year, no one has more wickets than Bhuvneshwar, who has 13

Quotes

"I told the team before the last game we played against Sri Lanka that 'we are flying home on the 12th (of July) no matter whether we play in the final or not; it's better we play in the finals than watching two other teams in the final'."

Australia in England - The Investec Ashes

Clarke retreats from Ashes legacy

Australia's captain Michael Clarke is in retreat. If not in retreat from England, then certainly from history.

          On the eve of the first Test at Trent Bridge, Clarke was adamant that the next 10 Ashes matches would not define him as a player or a captain, and that they were no more important than any Test against any other nation. As globalised thinking, it could perhaps be construed as refreshing. But on the day before going into battle against an accomplished and experienced England side, it almost sounded as though Clarke did not want to stake too much on a series he may very well lose.

          "I've read it will make or break my reputation as a captain. Personally, I don't feel like that," Clarke said. "Every Test match I play in, every time I walk out to bat I try and make a hundred, whether it's against Bangladesh, India, South Africa or England. That doesn't change my mindset. Because of the history and tradition of what comes with Ashes cricket, which is fantastic, it obviously builds this series up and that's great for the game, but as a player my mindset will be no different than it was last summer. Every time I captain Australia I want us to win.

          "I understand there's so much expectation that comes with an Ashes tour, and that's from fans back at home, this is everything to an Australian fan, the biggest series you play as a cricketer. But as a player, that expectation I have on myself every single day, I'm not more disappointed if we lose the first Test against England than if we lose the first Test against South Africa or India and the excitement when we win will be no different. There's no more pressure from within."

          By contrast, England's captain Alastair Cook was comfortable enough in himself and his team to accept the extra weight that comes with an Ashes bout, particularly one to be played over an extraordinary two legs, spanning 10 cricket grounds, 50 playing days and two continents. Cook's England are warm favourites, but he said the additional expectation from the rest of the nation and the world was something the best players learned to live with and ultimately thrive on.

          "They are the biggest Test matches we can play, as an Englishman or an Australian," Cook said. "The history and the tradition and the rivalry, how much the whole country gets behind both sides whether you're in England or Australia. I think it can define a career. It's not the be all and end all, but I've had some very fond memories in Ashes series of winning it and hope to add a few more over my career.

          "I think the external pressure and the hype is that there is more interest in the country in general. For players who are aware of that and can deal with that, clearly the cricket stays the same. It's the same 22 yards, the same red ball, but it does heighten. That's where you want to test yourself, in increased pressure situations."

          As much as Clarke did not wish to acknowledge it, Australian cricket's direction over the past two years has been aimed primarily at putting up the strongest possible bid to wrest the Ashes back from England. The Argus review that followed the 2010-11 defeat at home stressed the need to prioritise Test cricket, and the elaborate player fitness management regime overseen by the team performance manager Pat Howard was geared towards ensuring all first-choice players would be fit for the first day's play in Nottingham.

          Lastly, the summary removal of Mickey Arthur two weeks ago to be replaced by Darren Lehmann was deemed imperative because Australia's next opponents were not Bangladesh, nor anyone else. The Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland, the chairman Wally Edwards, and Howard all agreed that the quest for the Ashes required decisive action.

          So far it has worked. Lehmann's appointment has sent a rush of good feeling and relaxation through the touring party, and Clarke counselled his men to enjoy themselves. "The media and the public will build it and it's a fantastic series to be a part of, so instead of being scared of it, enjoy every single moment," Clarke said. "Love being out there and hearing the Barmy Army, seeing so many people in a packed house, love walking out at Lord's for the first time for the guys who haven't experienced that.

          "You spend a lot of time together, it's always tough cricket, but the boys are in a fantastic place. They're excited about what lies ahead and we know we will walk out there and give our absolute best. We have prepared as well as we possibly can. Guys are excited about facing if the ball is swinging or reverse swinging or if Graeme Swann is spinning it. We have a chance to play against a very good England team, in their own backyard, we've got nothing to lose, we've got a great group of players with plenty of talent, let's get out there and enjoy every minute of it."

Just don't think it will define you.

South Africa v India

BCCI objects to South Africa tour itinerary

          The BCCI has objected to the itinerary of India's tour to South Africa starting in November, which was announced by Cricket South Africa on Monday. According to the BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel, CSA announced the schedule without obtaining the BCCI's consent.

          "We have written to CSA mentioning that while we have been discussing the tour itinerary, nothing had been agreed upon (before they announced the schedule). The discussions are on and a consensual decision will come soon," Patel told ESPNcricinfo. Jagmohan Dalmiya, who has been in charge of the BCCI's day-to-day affairs with N Srinivasan having stepped aside as president, confirmed that the BCCI had raised "concerns" with CSA.

          While Patel refused to elaborate on those concerns, Dalmiya said the BCCI had issues with the scheduling of the Tests. At the moment, the tour comprises two Twenty20 internationals and seven ODIs, followed by three Tests.

          "We have some concerns over the gap between the last two Tests of the three-match series," Dalmiya told reporters in Kolkata. "We have informed this to our South African counterpart (CSA) and the two boards are trying very amicably to sort out the matter. The new schedule will be announced soon." *

          The present schedule has an eight-day gap between the second and third Tests. Earlier this year, when South Africa hosted Pakistan, there was a similar eight-day gap between two Tests. The BCCI prefers to play three-Test series with a three-day interval for home series. The last time India toured South Africa (in 2010-11), the biggest gap was five days - between the first Test at Centurion and the Boxing Day Test. This time, the gap between the first two Tests is just two days, with CSA deciding to reinstate the Boxing Day and New Year Tests to Durban and Newlands respectively.

          It is learned that the new BCCI administration has concerns with the "number of matches and the itinerary" for the tour. The tour is scheduled to end on January 19, just before the start of the New Zealand tour, though the schedule for that tour hasn't yet been finalised.

          The BCCI feels that seven ODIs are "too many". "If we have five ODIs, perhaps the tour can get over a week early and the boys can have a week-long break before flying to New Zealand," a BCCI insider said, preferring anonymity. He also revealed that the board has been consulting the players on whether they would prefer to play the Tests before the ODIs.

          CSA, however, has claimed that it has not received any formal complaint from the BCCI and that they have followed all the correct protocols. "If the BCCI has any concerns they can raise them with us and we will sort them out amicably as we have always done in the past," Michael Owen Smith, CSA media consultant, said.