Sachin completed 48th Test Century

Indian Batsman Sachin Tendulkar hit his 48th Test century to lead India's fight back in the 2nd Test after Sri Lanka's bowling attack ran through the top order.

The world's leading international run-scorer (ODI & Test) was unbeaten on 108 as India, replying to Sri Lanka's 642-4 declared, recovered to 382-4 by stumps on the third day at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Tendulkar, an experienced person of 168 Tests, reached his 5th hundred this year by sweeping Randiv to the square-leg fence for his 13th boundary.

India in South Africa 2010-11, Series Schedule

Date	Match Details	Time IST	Place
Dec 16 - 20	South Africa v India, 1st Test SA won by innings & 25 runs	14:00	Centurion
Dec 26 - 30	South Africa v India, 2nd Test Ind won by 87 runs	14:00	Durban
Jan 02 - 06	South Africa v India, 3rd Test Match drawn	14:00	Cape Town
Jan 09 - Sun	South Africa v India, Only T20I Ind won by 21 runs	-	Durban
Jan 12 - Wed	South Africa v India, 1st ODI SA won by 135 runs	-	Durban
Jan 15 - Sat	South Africa v India, 2nd ODI Ind won by 1 runs	-	Johannesburg
Jan 18 - Tue	South Africa v India, 3rd ODI Ind won by 2 wickets	-	Cape Town
Jan 21 - Fri	South Africa v India, 4th ODI	-	Port Elizabeth
Jan 23 - Sun	South Africa v India, 5th ODI	-	Centurion

The Ashes Series 2010-11

Lasith Malinga out of 2nd Test, Mendis returns

In a major gust to Sri Lanka, fast bowler Lasith Malinga was ruled out of the squad for the 2nd Test because of ‘stiffness in his knee’.

Lasith Malinga was off the field for large parts of the fifth day of the 1st Test, and walked with clear trouble on occasions. Chairman of selectors Aravinda de Silva said Malinga was rested on the advice of team physiotherapist Tommy Simsek.

Malinga will be replaced by Dilhara Fernando in the squad.

"We have to be cautious with Malinga. He was not feeling quite fit to go through a five-day Test. He complained of stiffness in his knee," de Silva said. "We are closely monitoring Malinga's fitness and we are hopeful he will be fully fit for the third Test starting in ten days time."

The second Test starts on July 26, while the third is scheduled from August 3.

In other changes, unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis made his way back into the team after picking up 6-67 against the Indians in a practice match, while Mahela Jayawardene was made the vice-captain of the squad. The earlier vice-captain had been Muttiah Muralitharan.

Ponting joins Tendulkar in 12,000 landmark

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting became only the 2nd batsman after Sachin Tendulkar to score 12,000 Test runs when he reached the landmark against Pakistan on Thursday.

Ponting's edged a four runs to 3rd man off left-arm fast Mohammad Aamer on the 2nd day of the 2nd Test at Headingley gave him the 40 runs he wanted to reach the landmark in what was his 247th innings in his 146th Test.

Sachin Tendulkar also reaches the 12,000 mark in the same number of innings.

Ricky Ponting is one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation and has scored 39 Test hundreds, second only to Tendulkar's record mark of 47.

But the India star made his Test debut in 1990 - five years before the 35-year-old Ricky Ponting's debut - and has played 21 more matches at this level than the Australia batting great.

Tendulkar, 37-year-old, is the only batsman in Test history to have scored more than 13,000 runs. His tally stands at 13,539 runs from 273 innings in 167 matches with 47 hundreds, including a best of 248 not out, at an average of 55.48.

Sri Lanka beat India after Murali's 800 wicket-mark

Muttiah Muralitharan retired with 800 Test wickets as Sri Lanka won India by 10 wickets in their first Test match.

The crafty off-spinner had last man Pragyan Ojha caught at slip by Mahela Jayawardene to reach the 800 wicket landmark and finished India's 2nd innings in the post-lunch session of the final day's play.

India, who were made to follow on 244 runs behind, were bowled out for 338 in their second inning, leaving Sri Lanka a modest target of 95 runs in the opening match of the three-Test series.

The hosts cruised home without losing a wicket as Tharanga Paranavitana followed his 1st-innings century with 23 not out and Tillakaratne Dilshan ruined an unbeaten 68 off 47 balls.

Dilshan signalled the emphatic win by lofting off-spinner Harbhajan Singh over long-on for six.

Muralitharan, 38, who has taken more Test (800) and one-day (515) wickets than any bowler in history, remains open to playing limited-overs games.

India, the top-ranked Test side, have not won a Test series in Sri Lanka since 1993.

Muralitharan reached 800-wicket mark in Test Cricket

Retiring world record bowling holder Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka clams 800-wicket mark with his last delivery in Test cricket on Thursday.

Muralitharan, 38, had last man Pragyan Ojha caught at 1st slip by Mahela Jayawardene to end India's 2nd innings after lunch on the final day of the 1st Test at the Galle.

Muralitharan, who has more Test (800) and one-day (515) wickets than any bowler in history, will retire from Test cricket after the 1st test match.

India, who were made to follow on 244 runs behind, were all out for 338 in their 2nd innings.

Sri Lanka needs 95 to win the 1st Test and take the lead in the three-match series.

The Ashes Series, 2010-11

Date	Match Details	Time GMT	Place
Nov 25 - 29	Australia v England, 1st Test	00:01	Brisbane
Dec 03 - 07	Australia v England, 2nd Test	23:03	Adelaide
Dec 16 - 20	Australia v England, 3rd Test	02:30	Perth
Dec 26 - 30	Australia v England, 4th Test	00:01	Melbourne
Jan 03 - 07	Australia v England, 5th Test	00:01	Sydney

India in South Africa 2010-11, Schedule

Malik expect to replace Afridi for 2nd Test against Aus

Former captain Shoaib Malik is set to replace Shahid Afridi in the Pakistan playing eleven for the 2nd Test against Australia at Headingley, which is also possible to see the return of off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.

Sources said Pakistan will make two changes in the playing XI that lost to Australia by 150 runs in the 1st Test at Lord's.

Malik will replace Shahid Afridi, who has announced retirement from Test cricket, while Saeed Ajmal is likely to come in place of Danish Kaneria, they said.

Malik has actually convinced the team management that he can still contribute to the side after being axed from the first Test squad following his lack of significance in practice sessions.

"We know that he did not play any cricket in between the Lord's and Headingley so his form has got nothing to do with his selection. We have achieved what we wanted to and since he has scored fifty in the last Test he has played, he would be there in the team," according to 'The News'.

Pakistan undergo a humiliating 150-run defeat against Australia in the first Test last week and Malik's addition will bolster the batting as he is the senior-most players in absence of Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan.

Grand farewell planned for Muralitharan at Galle

Sri Lanka Cricket has deliberated a grand farewell for Muttiah Muralitharan, who will play his last Test against India from Sunday, but they will not prepare a tailor-made pitch to aid the spin wizard.

He is just eight wickets shy of touching the miraculous 800-wicket, but SLC officials say Muralitharan does not need a pitch suiting his style as he can strike on any pitch.

The cricket authorities have invited all former Test skippers to witness the Test and has even formed a special Muralitharan Farewell Committee to organize the show.

"We are planning to give him a good send-off and we will ensure that the event is memorable," SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga told PTI.

SLC will organize a brief event before the commencement of the 1st Test and a grand felicitation at the end of the match.

According to officials, the 38 year old bowler will be welcomed by the local bands from Galle District when he will enter the stadium on the first day.

All former chairmen and secretaries of the board have been invited to witness the farewell Test match and the Galle cricket ground is being spruced up for the occasion.

We will definitely miss Zaheer and Sreesanth: Dhoni

The absence of pace spearhead Zaheer Khan and S Sreesanth will be a big setback for the team, according to Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni who reckons it will give an opportunity for young pacers to show their worth in the Test series against Sri Lanka.

Zaheer Khan has been ruled out of the series due to a shoulder injury while Sreesanth has sprained a ligament of his left knee and will be replaced by Munaf Patel in the test squad.

"It has happened with us in the past. In the past also we have lost our main bowlers just before an important series. We will definitely miss Zaheer and Sreesanth during the series," MS Dhoni told reporters.

He, however, felt that the circumstance was an ideal opportunity for non-regular bowlers of the team to show their worth.

"It is a great platform for young bowlers to prove their mettle and seal their place in the side," Dhoni said.

To make matters inferior for India, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is down with a fever and has been ruled out of the practice match.

"Harbhajan is not playing tomorrow. He has got a viral infection but he is expected to be fit for the first Test," Dhoni said.

Muttiah Muralitharan, who will quit Test cricket after the 1st Test against the Indians, Dhoni said his batting contemporaries will do their best to make it difficult for the Lankan spinner to attain the 800-wicket mark, a feat for which he needs just eight scalps.

"Murali is great bowler but we will make it tough for him in the series. He will have to earn his wickets," he said.

Dhoni also said that he was not in favour of the Decision Review System which will make its preface in next year's World Cup in the sub-continent.

"I am not in favour of the review system. I feel it should be used only when it is 99 per cent accurate," the wicket-keeper batsman said of the DRS which will not be a part of the forthcoming series.

Get Flintoff back for Ashes Series: Ian Chappell

Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell has asked England to take prompt from the Bodyline series and talk into all-rounder Andrew Flintoff to come out of Test retirement if they desire to win the Ashes later this year.

After watching Ricky Ponting's struggle against the short balls since last one year, Chappell believes Andrew Strauss should use Flintoff the similar way former England captain Douglas Jardine had utilized Harold Larwood to remove Don Bradman in the infamous bodyline series of 1932-33.

"Jardine was quick to realise that you need good fast bowling to win in Australia. Jardine not only provided Larwood with a blueprint for unsettling Bradman, he also made sure he had plenty of fast bowling back-up. England currently have a flexible attack but the one thing they lack is a man with the speed, accuracy and aura to shake up good batsmen on bouncy Australian pitches," said Chappell.

"The one England bowler with those testimonial is Flintoff. Strauss would be wise to advise Flintoff that if he's fit, he'd like him in the touring party, even if it's just for two or three specific Tests," Chappell said.

Flintoff retired Test cricket after England's Ashes win last year but he is now gearing up to make a first-class comeback with Lancashire after going under the knife to fix his knee problems.

Muralitharan has announced his retirement

Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has announced his retirement from all international cricket, after the 1st Test of the 3-match series against India, which will begin on July 18.

Muralitharan is the leading wicket-taker in Test matches as well as ODIs, with 792 wickets in 132 Tests and 515 wickets in 337 ODIs.

He had announced last year that he would be retiring in Test matches after the home series against the West Indies in November 2010, but has now advanced the date. However, he could make himself available for the 2011 World Cup that is to be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and will start in February 2011.

One of the world's finest exponents of spin bowling, Murali's career has spanned a staggering 18 years, most of which he spent dazzling the world, and a few of which were dogged by allegations of chucking, notably in Australia, where he was called for throwing on two occasions - by umpires Darrell Hair and Ross Emerson.

He has said that it is difficult to bowl long spell for him and is expected to play T20 cricket. He plays for reigning IPL champions Chennai Super Kings, who are due to play in the Champions T20 league in September in South Africa.

“I am a Sehwag fan" says Haynes

Former West Indies opener Desmond Haynes concedes that he is a big fan of Virender Sehwag and says he hardly misses an occasion to watch the dashing Indian right-hander in action.

"I am a Sehwag fan. If he is batting anywhere I make sure to watch him," Haynes said.

Desmond Haynes also issued some word of guidance to Sehwag, who according to him "has the ability to take any bowler to the park".

"Sehwag should now realise that every one will bowl very close to his body and hence he should practice to play more shots off his body," says Haynes, who is in Dubai to do a coaching clinic, told Gulf News.

Haynes, also praised Yuvraj Singh and said he was happy to see Yuvraj return to the Indian Test team.

"Another exciting player for me is Yuvraj Singh and I am glad he is being given the chance again to play Test series against Sri Lanka," he said.

Haynes, who reckons Sunil Gavaskar as the "best opener the world has ever seen", said among the bowlers he faced New Zealand legend Richard Hadlee was the most fearsome.

"There are guys who could bowl at 100 miles an hour but they don't make you play every delivery. Hadlee is one who is always at you all the time and makes you defend your wicket all the time," he said.