Sports FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2017 Captain Root has faith in ‘level-headed’ Jennings MANCHESTER: England captain Joe era wicket-keeper and later a caretaker from several pundits. “It’s tough, and him lightly. “We will make sure we do Root believes Keaton Jennings’s calm national coach, appears to have that’s why it’s called Test cricket, it can our homework on him if you like and approach will stand him in good stead retained his place at Old Trafford. “He’s be a very hard thing to break into,” said we are fully prepared for all the chal- as he battles to come through a tricky a very level-headed guy, he’s got a very Root. “You come from county cricket lenges the whole attack brings. “I think period in his fledgling Test career. The strong character and throughout he’s where there’s not a huge amount of it’s wrong to single out individuals-you opener made a century on his England been very much the same in the way exposure to the media and external know on any given day any one of debut against India at Mumbai in he’s approached his training and in scrutiny-and you have to get your head those guys can put in good perform- December. But his subsequent nine each game as well,” Root said of around it pretty quickly,” the star bats- ances.” Heavy rain in Manchester had Test innings have yielded just one fifty. Jennings at Old Trafford on man added. “It is a test of character, it’s made assessing pitch conditions diffi- Jennings has found life particularly Wednesday. a test of skill.” cult, with heat lamps used to dry sec- tough during the ongoing Test series “It’s great to see someone so light of tions of the outfield. at home to his native South Africa, with experience be very mature and go ‘World-class’ Philander But Root, one match away from vic- two ducks in six innings. But he heads about it in the right way,” added Root Part of that test this series has been tory in his first series as England cap- into Friday’s fourth Test at Old Trafford of Jennings, qualified for England facing bowlers of the calibre of accu- tain, said: “There’s been a lot of chat having made a morale-boosting 48 in through his mother and via residence. rate seamer Vernon Philander, whom about the weather around, but most difficult conditions during the second “The way he played in that second the Proteas hope will be fully fit after importantly all we need to focus on is innings of England’s 239-run win over innings was extremely great to see, I’m he was laid low with a mystery stom- making sure we look to win this game.” South Africa at The Oval that left the pleased that he’s been able to get a ach illness at The Oval. “He’s a world- But the bad weather meant Root felt hosts 2-1 up with one to play. score and hopefully that’ll lead into class bowler and puts the ball in good unable to reveal if England would stick It was a timely knock with the 25- some more runs this week.” areas,” said Root of Philander. with the same XI. “It (the wicket) was year-old under pressure for his place Johannesburg-born and raised “Throughout this series there have under-prepared and a lot can change ahead of England’s Ashes tour of Jennings is averaging just a touch over been surfaces that have been more in the next 24 hours, so we’ll make a Australia. But at the very least the son 15 against the Proteas, with his tech- bowler-friendly and he obviously poses judgment on the side tomorrow of Ray Jennings, South Africa’s isolation nique coming under severe analysis a big threat to us and we don’t take (Friday).” — AFP Australia pay war ends, ensuring tours, Ashes MELBOURNE: Australia’s bruising and protracted cricket pay dispute was finally resolved yesterday with players and man- agement agreeing on a new “in-principle” deal, ensuring upcoming series against Bangladesh, India and England can go ahead. The players appeared to be the winners in the five- year agreement, worth an estimated Aus$500 million (US$396 million), as they retained the revenue-sharing model they had been fighting for-with women cricketers also included for the first time. The bad-tempered stand-off had been rumbling for months, rattling the game and badly straining the players’ relationship with governing body Cricket Australia. Some 230 cricketers had been unemployed since the end of June when their contracts expired, putting this month’s Test tour to Bangladesh under serious threat. “Today’s agree- ment is the result of sensible compromises by both parties,” said CA chief James Sutherland, adding that the “core issues” had been worked out. He said the five-year deal would “restore much certainty to the game of cricket”. ‘Challenging process’ COLOMBO: India’s Cheteshwar Pujara watches the ball after playing a shot during their second cricket test match “It will allow all players-state and international players-to against Sri Lanka. — AP be contracted immediately and it will also allow the all-impor- tant tour of Bangladesh to proceed as planned.” Captain Steve Smith welcomed the deal on Twitter, adding: “It’s been a long Pujara, Rahane centuries and challenging process and it’s great that we can now get on with playing the game that we all love. “I’m excited that we can all start working together again to continue to grow our put India in driver’s seat great game.” At the heart of the dispute had been the divisive issue of revenue-sharing. CA wanted to scrap the model that has COLOMBO: Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane hit cen- governed players’ salaries since their first memorandum of turies as India took opening day honours on 344-3 at stumps against Sri Lanka in the second Test yesterday. Pujara (128) SCOREBOARD understanding was brokered 20 years ago. Players have and Rahane (103) put on an unbeaten 211-run partnership for been paid a percentage of gross revenue for the past two the fourth wicket to thwart Sri Lankan bowlers who struck two COLOMBO: Scoreboard at the close of play on the open- decades, and they argued that changing the system would crucial blows in the afternoon session in Colombo. ing day of the second Test between Sri Lanka and India in make them employees rather than partners with incentives The in-form Pujara registered his 13th Test century in his Colombo yesterday. to grow the game. — AFP landmark 50th game as Rahane fired his ninth Test hundred. India 1st innings The visitors, who lead the three-match series 1-0, wobbled S. Dhawan lbw b Perera 35 slightly when Lokesh Rahul went for 57 and skipper Virat Kohli L. Rahul run out (Chandimal/Dickwella) 57 followed for 13 soon after lunch. Rahul, who scored his eighth C. Pujara not out 128 Test fifty on his return from a viral fever, was run out in a mix- V. Kohli c Mathews b Herath 13 up with Pujara. Veteran left-arm spinner spinner Rangana Herath sent Kohli trudging back to the pavilion with a tossed- A. Rahane not out 103 up delivery that got the edge of the captain’s bat and went to Extras (b4, nb1, lb3) 8 slip. Pujara and Rahane ground out the runs to deny Dinesh Total (3 wickets; 90 overs) 344 Chandimal’s side any more wickets during the day. Pujara, To bat: H. Pandya, W. Saha, R. Ashwin, R. Jadeja, U. who scored 153 in the first innings of the opening Test, hit 10 Yadav, M. Shami fours and a six at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground. Bowling: Pradeep 17.4-2-63-0, Herath 24-3-83-1, Rahane also tackled the spinners with aplomb, using his Karunaratne 3-0-10-0, Perera 18-2-68-1, Pushpakumara feet to great effect during his 168-ball stay at the crease so far. 19.2-0-82-0, De Silva 8-0-31-0. In the morning session, off-spinner Dilruwan Perera had Fall of wickets: 1-56 (Dhawan), 2-109 (Rahul), 3-133 (Kohli) Shikhar Dhawan trapped lbw for 35 after the tourists elected Sri Lanka: D. Chandimal, U. Tharanga, D. Karunaratne, K. to bat first. Debutant left-arm spinner Malinda Pushpakumara Mendis, A. Mathews, D. de Silva, N. Dickwella, D. Perera, R. MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia CEO James Sutherland (L) was still searching for his first Test scalp. The hosts need at Herath, M. Pushpakumara, N. Pradeep. and Australian Cricketers’ Association CEO Alistair least a draw to stay alive in the series. —AFP Nicholson attend a press conference. —AFP .