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Dinesh Karthik has set his sights on proving his worth as a specialist batsman for India in all three formats

Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo31-Jul-2013Such is MS Dhoni’s value as a player, it takes two men to replace him. But while one of the talking points of this tour has been how well Virat Kohli might fill Dhoni’s shoes as captain, rather fewer people have been discussing Dinesh Karthik’s merits as a wicketkeeper-batsman.If Karthik had it his own way, however, his keeping wouldn’t be a factor. Of all people, Karthik knows that the keeper’s gloves belong to Dhoni for the foreseeable future and so he has set his sights on proving his worth as a batsman for India in all three formats.”It’s not something I’ve ever felt bad about because I feel it’s a great opportunity playing with [Dhoni],” Karthik said. “I’ve always looked at myself [as someone who] can play as a batsman in this side and that’s what I’m looking to do – play as a batsman in all three formats of the game.”It was his batting as a teenager that first attracted the selectors’ attention, and once again the runs he scored during a fruitful IPL season with Mumbai Indians led to his recall in a simplified batting role for the Champions Trophy in June – his first games for India in three years. Karthik has also benefitted from some minor tweaks to his batting technique which have aided his balance at the crease.”I feel I have the technique,” Karthik said. “It’s important that every time I get an opportunity I pile up the runs and make sure I do well as a batsman. We won the Champions Trophy and that was great. West Indies was a quiet time, but Zimbabwe again in the two innings I’ve played I’ve done well.”Yet, Karthik’s figures do not quite convince. Since his return in England, Karthik has scored two fifties in 11 innings. Although the runs haven’t begun to flow just yet, on a few occasions since his recall Karthik had shown he has the ability to absorb pressure in the middle order after the loss of early wickets. Most recently, he entered the fray during the second ODI at Harare with India wobbling at 65 for 4. He didn’t need as much luck as his partner Shikhar Dhawan, who was dropped twice and caught off a no ball, and compiled a tidy 69 that helped set a match-winning total. His reaction to pressure situations like that will be key to Karthik’s future.”I’m looking forward to these things,” he said. “It’s important that you keep putting in performances every time you go into bat and be as consistent as you can, and that’s something I’m really looking forward to doing.”

The first-ever Twenty20 at the Queens Sports Club ground in Bulawayo was a thriller with the home team squeezing home by six runs

The Report by Mohammad Isam11-May-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Shakib Al Hasan was superb with bat and ball, but it wasn’t enough for Bangladesh•AFPThe first-ever Twenty20 at the Queens Sports Club ground in Bulawayo was a thriller with the home team squeezing home by six runs. Zimbabwe fought back mightily when it mattered and Bangladesh imploded just when they could smell the win. The visitors collapsed from 120 for 1 in the 15th over to being kept down to 162 for 8. Tinashe Panyangara bowled a terrific final over, giving away just three runs as the Bangladesh lower-order failed to play smartly.Zimbabwe had earlier made 168 for 5 after deciding to bat first. Hamilton Masakadza struck his seventh fifty while captain Brendan Taylor made a quickfire 40 as they put Zimbabwe on course for a big total. Bangladesh were brought back into the game by their spinners after the Taylor-Masakadza partnership ended, with Shakib Al Hasan getting both wickets and bowling economically in between.Shakib was doing the job with the bat too, hammering 65 off 40 balls and helping add 118 for the second wicket with Shamsur Rahman. He struck eight disdainful fours and two sixes while Shamsur ended up with his maiden fifty, after a slow start.The pair had taken Bangladesh to within 49 of the target with 34 balls to go, but the moment Shakib was dismissed, the Bangladesh batsmen started to make a meal of the chase.Shamsur fell two balls later and it was down to the Bangladesh captain, Mushfiqur Rahman, to steer the chase. He began badly though, involved in two mix-ups that ended in run-outs of Nasir Hossain and Mahmudullah in the 16th over. Nasir was inches short of safety as Tinotenda Mutombodzi broke the stumps. Mahmudullah was far from the crease at the other end after he got mixed calls from Mushfiqur; Mutombodzi swooped on the ball to his left and scored a direct-hit.Then the pressure got to Ziaur Rahman, the Twenty20 specialist who had a torrid time connecting bat on ball. He frustrated Mushfiqur, with whom he almost had a collision, before falling to Panyangara’s clever length in the 18th over. This wicket, and the eight runs from the over, perhaps swayed Taylor into picking Panyangara to bowl the last over.Mushfiqur hit two sixes in the melee of wickets, before holing out to deep square-leg off the first ball of the final over when 10 runs were required. Panyangara was more resourceful in his last two overs than his first two, keeping it full to choke the runs. Sohag Gazi has some batting credentials but looked out of his depth towards the end of the chase while Abdur Razzak missed everything even though he was given room to swing.Panyangara took three wickets while Prosper Utseya broke the Shakib-Shamsur partnership, taking both wickets. Brian Vitori was also excellent, giving away just 24 from his four overs and picking up the wicket of Tamim Iqbal in the first over.This, after the Bangladesh spinners brought them back into the game with some control over the big-hitting in the last seven overs. Taylor and Masakadza put on 74 for the second wicket with the Zimbabwe captain severe on anything pitched on legstump. He made 40 off 25 balls with six fours and a paddle-swept six. He fell in the ninth over, after which Masakadza tried to up the run-rate but wasn’t too successful.He was dismissed after making 59 off 48 balls with four boundaries and a six. They failed to get the big hits away in the last five overs, with Shakib taking 2 for 20 and one wicket apiece for Gazi, Shafiul Islam and Mahmudullah.Bangladesh now have a final shot at redeeming the tour on Sunday. Mushfiqur will be under some pressure as he was in charge after the Shakib-Shamsur partnership broke, but couldn’t see the team through.

Preview of the match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in Chennai

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran05-Apr-2013Match factsApril 6, 2013
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Mumbai fell short by two runs in their opening game•BCCIBig PictureMumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings flagged off IPL 2012 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Two strong sides played out a tepid match, with Mumbai trouncing the hosts. Mumbai’s opening game of this edition didn’t quite go to plan, losing narrowly to Royal Challengers Bangalore in a game that see-sawed in the final stages. With the asking rate climbing during Mumbai’s chase, Royal Challengers appeared to have the match in control, but Dinesh Karthik’s three consecutive sixes eased the equation considerably. Though Karthik failed to see the side through, Mumbai would have been better served if Karthik had more support.Not for the first time, Kieron Pollard walked in later than he should have (he got to face only two deliveries). For the past few seasons, fans have pushed for a promotion in the batting order and never understood Mumbai’s conservative approach to Pollard. Perhaps there is a good reason for that strategy, but it is hard to fathom. Had he been set, the result could have been different. Despite the defeat, Mumbai needn’t tinker with their line-up. Lasith Malinga missed the game due to injury, but he will be forced to sit out the second match, fit or not, since the game’s in Chennai.Super Kings haven’t always been the strongest starters. Given the form of their protagonists from the Australia Tests – MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin and M Vijay – it’s hard to imagine the side stuttering. The ban on Sri Lanka players affects them the least, given they have only two such players in their line-up, who aren’t automatic picks. Chennai are without Faf du Plessis for at least the first month due to injury, while two other South Africans, Albie Morkel and Chris Morris join the team after the South African domestic T20 competition ends on April 7..Players to watchAfter being smacked for three fours off his first four balls, Jasprit Bumrah’s selection was starting to look farcical for Mumbai Indians. Bumrah scripted a remarkable turnaround, picking up three wickets on IPL debut. His unusual high-arm action makes him worth watching, and his performance should guarantee at least another game. He bowls from wide of the crease and generates a sharp angle into the right-handers, which fetched him two of his three wickets.Ravindra Jadeja has in recent times been the butt of jokes on social media networks for failing to justify his two-million-dollar price tag. While Jadeja may have underachieved as a batsman for India, respect for him should have grown following the Australia Tests in which he picked up 24 wickets, second behind Ashwin (29).2012 head-to-headMumbai won the opening game by eight wickets, chasing down a paltry 113. The second match, at Wankhede Stadium, was a nailbiter, with Dwayne Smith playing a blinder for Mumbai with 16 needed off the final over. Smith smashed three boundaries off the last three balls to steal a two-wicket win for Mumbai. Super Kings hit back in the Elimination final, winning by 38 runs in Bangalore.Stats and trivia Mumbai lead the head-to-head with seven wins against Super Kings, out of 13 games. Suresh Raina was the leading run-scorer for Super Kings last season with 441 runs in 19 games. Sachin Tendulkar is the top-scorer in matches between the two sides, with 353 runs at an average of 44.12 from 10 innings.Quotes”The focus is on a few star players, both Indian and foreign, but there are others too who have contributed immensely. Take Badrinath for instance. He might not be a big hitter but has come up with several important performances for the team.”

“It was the first time that I played in front of such huge crowd but I wasn’t paying any attention to the crowd. The more you focus on the inside, the better it is.”

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has defended his decision to send a letter to the press, with comments on SLC, but said that the fallout from the incident was not a distraction for his side ahead of the Boxing Day Test

Andrew Fernando in Melbourne25-Dec-2012Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has defended his decision to send a letter to the press — with perceived questionable comments on Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) — but said that the fallout from the incident was not a distraction for his side ahead of the Boxing Day Test. SLC, in an official release, stated it will review the actions of Jayawardene and team manager Charith Senanayake, during the lead up to the Test in Melbourne.Jayawardene’s letter to the press, in which he said he had lost all confidence in dealing with SLC, had been prompted by a local newspaper’s reporting on a previous letter he had written to the board. He had believed the letter to be confidential, and the contents of which, if released, could potentially embarrass the support staff working with the Sri Lankan team. In his subsequent release to the press, Jayawardene expressed his disappointment with the board for having allowed his letter to be made public, which, in turn, was believed to be a breach of his contract for portraying the board in a negative light.”It’s not really a distraction,” Jayawardene said on the eve of the Test. “It’s not the first time something like this has happened and I’ve just taken it on board. I honestly don’t know what I’ve done in this scenario. The document was released by them, and I just asked the question, “How did that happen?” I think hopefully we can get that resolved pretty soon once they realise I haven’t done anything wrong. Right now my focus is on this tour and to try and give my best for the team. I don’t think most of the guys even know what’s going on.”Sri Lanka are waiting on the fitness of Nuwan Kulasekara, who has been struggling with a bruised rib, with Dhammika Prasad on standby to step into the pace attack. Kulasekara was hit by a delivery that leapt up off a crack on the fifth day in Hobart, and has not yet shaken off the soreness from the blow. He has been bowling in the nets, but will have his fitness determined on the morning of the Test.Opener Dimuth Karunaratne, meanwhile, is set for an extended run at the top of the order, despite having had an inauspicious start to the series in Hobart, scoring 14 and 30. Sri Lanka have a more experienced opener in Tharanga Paranavitana in the squad, but Jayawardene said the management had identified Karunaratne as a promising future prospect, and hope to give him opportunities free of the pressure of having to hold a place in the team. Karunaratne has played two Tests, and made a run-a-ball sixty against New Zealand last month. He was brought into the Test team after having had success in an A team tour to South Africa.”When we made the call on Dimuth, we wanted to make it a long-term decision. Whatever happens, he will at least get a good year in that slot. I think he’s shown a lot of promise as a Test opener. I think everyone’s very pleased with the way he’s been batting. It was unfortunate he got some good deliveries in the last Test. The way he bats gives us more opportunities. If he gets going, he’s a very aggressive batsman and he’ll score quickly for us. That will win Test matches, not just here, but in Sri Lankan conditions as well. That’s something we are looking for him to do. He’ll definitely get a longer run in the team.”Jayawardene also said a strong performance from the experienced top order would be Sri Lanka’s best chance of securing a maiden victory in Australia. Sri Lanka slipped to 87 for 4 in their first innings in Hobart in one of the defining periods of the Test, which enabled Australia to secure a first innings lead of 114. Sri Lanka’s top order had also failed to fire collectively in the two Tests preceding the tour, in a home series against New Zealand.”A good performance from the top order will give us an opportunity to put pressure on the Australians, and our best chance of winning a Test match here would be our batters putting runs on the board. The top order has been our strength over the last couple of years when four or five guys have been getting the job done. Yes, we’ve had a couple of hiccups in the last few Test matches – in the last series against New Zealand and the one in Hobart. That can happen. You can’t be consistent for that period of time. We’ve got the experience, and we’ve got the talent. We just need to produce the goods.”Jayawardene was also confident his team would not be affected by any crowd hostility stemming from the ball tampering controversy in Hobart. Sri Lanka’s management had alerted the match referee to footage they believed might have shown Peter Siddle picking the seam of the ball during their first innings, but had stopped short of making an official complaint. Siddle, a Victorian, was cleared of any wrongdoing by the ICC after the conclusion of the match.”I think we’ve been through a lot of hostile things in the past. 1995 was one thing, and even after that. I don’t think it will faze our guys at all. If anything that might give us a little extra. What you have to remember is that there will be a good, partisan Sri Lankan crowd in Melbourne as well, so it might go against them (Australia) as well. A lot of the younger guys probably won’t even understand what the crowd is going to tell them. It’s not going to be a big issue.”

Morne Morkel, the South Africa fast bowler, will miss the third Test of the series against Pakistan due to the hamstring injury he picked up during the course of the second game

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2013Morne Morkel, the South Africa fast bowler, will miss the third Test of the series against Pakistan due to the hamstring injury he picked up during the course of the second game. Dolphins’ quick Kyle Abbott has been named as his replacement for the Test, which begins on February 22.Rory Kleinveldt, who was already part of the Test series squad, is expected to make South Africa’s starting XI though, ahead of Abbott.Abbott’s domestic form prompted his call-up, CSA selection convener Andrew Hudson said: “Kyle swings the ball nicely and is another player who has earned a call-up through outstanding form at franchise level. He has done extremely well in the Sunfoil Series [the domestic first-class competition] this season.”He had an outstanding match return of 12 for 96 against the champion, Cape Cobras, and finished the series as the leading wicket-taker [49 wickets] and an economy rate of under three to the over.”Morkel had pulled up halfway through his 21st over in Pakistan’s first innings, and left the field. He came out to bowl in the second innings, but managed only 3.1 overs before his hamstring trouble flared up again, leaving Jacques Kallis with the job of finishing his over for the second time in the match.Meanwhile, seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe is likely to have fully recovered from his ankle injury in time for the limited-overs leg of the Pakistan series, Hudson said. “We did consider Lonwabo Tsotsobe [for the Tests] but unfortunately he is still recovering from an ankle injury. He will only be fit in time for the limited overs segment of the tour.”Tsotsobe was ruled out of December’s Twenty20 series against South Africa with ankle issues, but managed to play the ODIs that followed in January. He has not played any competitive cricket since.

George Dockrell, the Ireland left-arm spinner, has been named the ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2012George Dockrell, the Ireland left-arm spinner, has been named the ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year. He was chosen ahead of three of his team-mates Paul Stirling, Kevin O’Brien and Ed Joyce, and Afghanistan bowler Dawlat Zadran.Dockrell, 20, was the leading wicket-taker in the voting period – between 4 August 2011 and 6 August 2012 – taking 43 scalps in ODIs, T20Is and the Intercontinental Cup, the ICC’s four-day tournament for top Associate and Affiliate sides. Dockrell plays county cricket for Somerset, captained Ireland recently in the Under-19 World Cup, and took 14 wickets in T20 internationals, the most by any bowler in world cricket during the voting period.”It’s great to win such an award and especially to be following the footsteps of an esteemed group of players like William Porterfield and Ryan ten Doeschate, and only at the age of 20, I feel very honoured,” Dockrell said after receiving the award in Colombo. “It has been a great year of cricket with I-Cup, U-19s and WCL Championship, and now the WT20, and I’ve been learning a lot to take into this tournament.”It’s good to be setting high standards, and hopefully I will keep performing well for Ireland in the future.”Dockrell became the second Irishman to win the prize, after Porterfield in 2009.

Phillip Hughes’ fine form in county cricket has helped win him a call-up into the Australia A side to side to play England Lions at Edgbaston

George Dobell11-Aug-2012Phillip Hughes’ fine form in county cricket has helped win him a call-up into the Australia A side to side to play England Lions at Edgbaston, following an injury to Peter Forrest.Hughes, 23, who is in England playing for Worcestershire as their overseas player, scored a century at the same ground this week and became the first Worcestershire opener to carry his bat in a first-class game since 2008. He is leading the club’s averages in all formats of the game, with a first-class average of 45.12, a T20 average of 100.50 and a List A average of 97.80.Kevin Sims, Australia’s A rehabilitation manager, said: “Peter Forrest sustained a minor side strain in the match against the England Lions at Old Trafford and with only one match remaining we have decided to send him home to prepare for the upcoming season.”Hughes, who has not played Test cricket since December, missed out on the original selection for the A tour, but has continued to work on his technique after it was exposed at the top level. His century against a strong Warwickshire attack this week was his first in first-class cricket since September.His call-up is not such good news for Worcestershire. Sitting at the foot of the Division One table, they are already struggling for reliable batsmen and face an uphill battle to avoid relegation. Hughes will miss their Championship match against fellow strugglers Lancashire at New Road, but should be back ahead of the CB40 game against Leicestershire.The first unofficial Test of the two-match series between Australia A and England Lions ended in a draw. The second begins at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

Tired of the incessant questions about his retirement, Sachin Tendulkar has insisted that the decision of when to quit cricket is his alone

Nagraj Gollapudi25-Mar-2012Tired of the incessant questions about his retirement, Sachin Tendulkar has insisted that the decision of when to quit cricket is his alone. He said it would be “selfish” to make an exit when he was “on top” of his game. Tendulkar also lashed out at some of the former India cricketers who had suggested he should follow Rahul Dravid in retiring, saying they had no business making decisions for him.”When I feel I don’t have that, on that day, I will think of retirement,” Tendulkar said at a media conference in Mumbai, convened by his brand managers World Sports Group to celebrate his achievement of scoring 100 international hundreds. “I feel those who say you should retire at the top are selfish,” he said, “because when you are at the top, you should serve the country instead of retiring.”When I retire is something I will decide because when I started it was not decided by someone else. Those who are advising me about retirement did not bring me into the team. I get my strength from my coaches and family.”Earlier, in a special hour-long meeting with editors from the Indian media, which preceded the press conference, Tendulkar had said he had already lived out all his dreams. “I don’t have any other dream now. There were two big dreams: one was playing for India and the second was to lift the World Cup. That was my biggest dream.”At the same time, Tendulkar insisted his repeated statements that he had not at all thought about retirement were genuine and he was not trying to conceal anything from the media. “Maybe you guys have not understood properly. I have always said that when I decide to retire I will let you know. Where is the question of not answering?”Tendulkar said he was not looking too far into the future and hence could not predict whether or not he would be available for the 2015 World Cup, which would be his seventh appearance in the tournament. “When this question was asked in 2007 [about the 2011 World Cup], it was tough for me to answer. It’s the same situation: I don’t know what to say about 2015. If people keep praying for me that means a lot. I will keep trying, the rest is in god’s hands. I just want to enjoy the game. I don’t want to set targets.”After a 33-innings long wait for the 100th century, Tendulkar got it in anticlimactic circumstances, with India losing to Bangladesh, after Tendulkar’s 114 off 147 balls had built a total of 289, and consequently missing out on the Asia Cup final. Tendulkar said the events being held to commemorate his achievement were not just to celebrate that single century but all the work he has done in his career.”I don’t think we are celebrating just that game. Where I have reached today, it has taken me 23 years to be at that place. Results are very important for me. Yes, it was a disappointment for us to not make the final, and let me tell you there was no major celebration after I scored a hundred as we had lost the match.”Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Danish Kaneria, Pakistan legspinner, will contest the ECB charge levelled against him for breaching its anti-corruption directives

Umar Farooq09-Apr-2012Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, has decided to contest the charge brought about by the ECB against him for breaching its anti-corruption directives. The ECB had decided last week to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Kaneria and his former Essex team-mate Mervyn Westfield, who was jailed for four months in January after he admitted to underperforming in a Pro40 match against Durham in September 2009.Kaneria has hired three law firms to present his case: Time Solicitors and Stephen Hourigan in the UK, and Dr. Farogh Naseem in Pakistan.Kaneria was questioned by the Essex police in March last year in relation to the incident but was released on grounds of insufficient evidence. Kaneria hasn’t been cleared by the PCB to play for Pakistan, but has been playing domestic cricket. He is currently Pakistan’s leading Test spin bowler, with 261 wickets in 61 Tests.An ECB disciplinary panel, chaired by Gerard Elias QC, is expected to sit in the first week of May to consider the charge. Kaneria’s legal team has, however, sought a delay in the hearing and time until at least May 10 to reply to a 400-page evidence bundle that is yet to be received by the lawyers in Pakistan. Kaneria will also need time to apply for a UK visa.”It seems that even if we expedite the matter at a very fast pace, the bundle of 400 pages available at the Time Solicitors London office is likely to be couriered to us on Tuesday,” Naseem wrote to the ECB in a letter, a copy of which is with ESPNcricinfo. “Also considering that Kaneria’s defence and supporting evidence will have to be jointly finalised by lawyers from two jurisdictions i.e UK and Pakistan, it seems that it will not be possible to furnish the same by 20-4-2012.”It is thus most humbly requested that the time to supply Kaneria’s defense and supporting evidence may be extended up to May 10, whereafter the disciplinary hearing may be scheduled.”Westfield is expected to be released from jail this month.

ESPNcricinfo previews the fifth ODI between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Johannesburg

The Preview by Abhishek Purohit21-Jan-2012Match factsJanuary 22, Johannesburg
Start time 1000 (0800 GMT)There have been plenty of calls for Tillakaratne Dilshan to be sacked•Getty ImagesThe Big PictureIt is hard to believe that less than ten months ago, Sri Lanka were World Cup finalists. After the heartbreak of April 2, 2011, they have lost series to England, Australia, Pakistan and now South Africa. Tillakaratne Dilshan’s helpless, yet inwardly hurting, visage has been a common sight in all those defeats. Sunday’s game could be Dilshan’s last as Sri Lanka captain. There have been calls back home to sack him as leader. Some even want him to be dropped from the side. They want change.What is being forgotten is that it is not only Dilshan who has failed. Sri Lanka’s senior batsmen have consistently failed. Their fast bowlers have picked up more injuries than wickets. The hunt for a match-winning spinner continues. To hold Dilshan responsible for all these failures is to ask the world of what was only a stop-gap appointment.It hasn’t helped that leadership does not come to Dilshan as naturally as attacking batting does. The only way he knew was to lead by example, and on that count, he has definitely failed. Even more revealing than a disappointing batting average of 19.95 has been his bowling return of three wickets at 129.33. Dilshan the bowler was Sri Lanka’s partnership breaker. Dilshan the captain has turned Dilshan the bowler into a default Plan B. When the wickets are not coming, he brings himself on. When the runs are flowing, he brings himself on. It shows cluelessness, it shows desperation, and it hasn’t worked.Dilshan finally put it together in the fourth ODI with an innings that seemed to have shaken off the shackles binding him. Sri Lanka took the cue from their captain and an uninhibited Thisara Perera blazed them to their first win of the series. If this indeed turns out to be Dilshan’s final game as captain, he would want his side to play like he has throughout his career. Without apprehension.Sri Lanka’s struggles have made AB de Villiers’ first series as captain much easier than he would have thought. There were signs of panic, though, when Perera started to hit out. Suddenly, the fielding came down several notches, catches were spilled and de Villiers lost control over proceedings. He admitted after the game to have erred tactically. There will be time for him to learn on the job. A win in South Africa’s final game of the home summer season would not be a bad start on the learning curve.Form guideSouth Africa LWWWL
Sri Lanka WLLLLWatch out for …The under-pressure Graeme Smith made only his second half-century in 17 innings in Kimberley. At the very least, his 68 has silenced the critics till Sunday. Another failure will renew the calls for him to be dropped from the limited-overs side. South Africa’s Test captain can do without such added pressure ahead of the tours of New Zealand and England. He needs one more meaty performance tomorrow.For a proud performer who has looked in supreme touch in the previous two matches, Kumar Sangakkara’s 77 runs for the series don’t do him justice. He was run-out after a mix-up in Bloemfontein while what should have been a six was turned into a catch by Alviro Petersen in Kimberley. Will he have better luck in Johannesburg?Team newsRobin Peterson has taken only four wickets in four games and hasn’t been able to squeeze the flow of runs as well. South Africa have run out of reasons to deny Johan Botha, a better batsman than Peterson, a place in the XI. Albie Morkel was “rested” for the fourth ODI after having bowled ten overs in three games. Both Albie and Botha could play tomorrow. That will mean Vernon Philander and Peterson sit out.South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Faf du Plessis, 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Johan Botha, 9 Wayne Parnell, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe.Sri Lanka would not want to tinker with the XI that won in Kimberley. That means the offspinner Sachithra Senanayake could get another game ahead of Dhammika Prasad.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Lahiru Thirimanne, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Sachithra Senanayake/Dhammika PrasadPitch and conditionsThe Wanderers will have a pitch with more bounce than any of the four venues where the ODIs have been played. Sri Lanka don’t enjoy bounce; South Africa do.Johannesburg has had quite a bit of rain of late and there is a chance of thunderstorms tomorrow.Stats and triviaSouth Africa have lost their previous two completed one-dayers at The Wanderers, the latter by one run to India a year agoWith 191 runs at an average of 63.66, Dinesh Chandimal has been Sri Lanka’s best batsman of the seriesQuotes”We want to finish strongly. 2-3 will be a fantastic result considering how we started this series.”
“We spoke about ruthlessness before this game [Kimberley] but we weren’t that ruthless. We wanted a whitewash but we didn’t do that. We want to make it 4-1 now.”