MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2013 SPORTS Under-fire Cook wants to stay England

MELBOURNE: Under-fire crucial catches in the first half-hour of ing to use as much of my experience of because it’s in the present, hurts quite a take advantage of it. But when the confi- says he wants to carry on as England Sunday’s play which could have put the playing 100 Tests to help turn this team lot, especially as I’m captain as well, it dence isn’t there and you lose a couple captain but if the selectors think there is Australians under pressure. around. “I know that it starts with a lot of probably hurts even more,” he said. of , you don’t.” a better man for the job then he would It has been a dramatic turnaround hard work and it starts with a perform- “When we left England we had high Asked if England had players who take it on the chin. England are on the from England’s last tour in Australia in ance or two that we jump on the back hopes of doing something very special. I were no longer good enough for Test brink of a humiliating series whitewash 2010-11 when Cook amassed 766 runs of. did say at the time we’d have to play , Cook said: “I think that’s a very after Australia cruised to an eight- at 127.66. Three years later he has “I’m 100 percent wanting to carry on. some very good cricket if we wanted to big shout. We’ve some very good players victory in the fourth Ashes Test in scored 232 runs in eight innings at If someone makes that decision, and achieve that and we haven’t done that. in our dressing room. We’ve some Melbourne yesterday with a day to 29.00. But Cook insists he wants to con- says ‘We think there’s a better man’ or “The bottom line is we haven’t been record-breaking players who will have spare. tinue as captain, leaving the big call on ‘You’re not good enough to do it’, then I good enough. The part of this game that some fantastic days left in an England Somehow the demoralised tourists, his post-Ashes future to the England have to take that on the chin because as makes it even more frustrating is that we shirt, I know that for sure. who gave up the Ashes in 14 playing selectors. a captain, you’re responsible for the got ourselves into a good place to put “We need that coming out of us now, days, have to find a way to stop the “I’m totally responsible as captain for team.” some pressure on Australia: 100-odd I think that’s what we need in Sydney Australian juggernaut in this week’s final the team and if, at the end of the series, Cook was in the England team that ahead and no wickets down in the sec- now: we need an outstanding 100 or an Sydney Test from repeating the 5-0 rout the selectors decide I’m not the best was crushed 5-0 by Australia seven years ond innings. outstanding 5-for and then everyone of the 2006-07 series Down Under. man for the job, then so be it,” Cook told ago and may face a repeat performance “I suppose that might be where we jumping on the back of that. That’s what Cook’s position is under scrutiny giv- reporters after England’s dispiriting loss. at the in the final are as a side. When you’re winning turns around a team that is struggling en England’s woeful series, and he ratch- “It would hurt and I’ve got no plans Test starting Friday. “It’s quite a long games of cricket you get yourself in a like we are at the moment to put in a eted up the pressure by dropping two of going anywhere. I’m desperately try- time ago now. I think this one obviously, good situation like that and you really good performance.” —AFP Ruthless Australia wins 4th Test by 8 wickets

MELBOURNE: Chris Rogers struck a sparkling century to fire Australia to a dominant eight- wicket win in the fourth Ashes test yesterday, leaving an insipid England staring down the barrel of a humiliating series whitewash. The victory, completed before tea on day four, pushed Australia to a 4-0 series lead and the prospect of sweeping England in the fifth and final test in Sydney seven years after ’s team whitewashed the tourists in 2006-07. Needing quick wickets to have any chance of salvaging pride at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, England were let down badly by their captain Alastair Cook, who put down DURBAN: India’s batsman Shikhar Dhawan, plays a shot on the fourth day of two catches at first slip in the first half-hour their cricket test match against at Kingsmead stadium, Durban, to reprieve Rogers on 19 and his opening South Africa, yesterday. —AP partner David Warner for 22. Though Warner lasted only three more runs, Rogers combined with number three Kallis farewell ton gives batsman Shane Watson to flog a demoralised attack, their carefree partnership of 136 put- South Africa big lead ting the hosts within 31 runs of victory before the opener succumbed for 116. DURBAN: A teary scored an Ricky Ponting (13,378) in the list of top test Australia captain Michael Clarke (six not emotive farewell century and moved into batsmen. out) joined Watson (83 not out) to administer third place on the all-time list of test run He was out three balls after, top edging the last rites for England, who played out the MELBOURNE: Australian batsman Shane Watsons (top) and captain Michael Clarke scorers as South Africa built a sizeable first spinner Ravindra Jadeja high into the air to final sessions with a deflating weariness that celebrate the winning run on the fourth day of the fourth Ashes cricket Test match innings lead over India on the fourth day of be caught by India wicketkeeper Mahendra allowed the hosts to mow through the 231 against England in Melbourne yesterday. —AFP the second test yesterday. Singh Dhoni. Kallis’ 115 was scored off 316 runs required for victory without breaking sweat. Opens shoulders which he became the first player to reach 1,000 Playing his last test, the 38-year-old all- balls and was his 45th test century, a record He and Watson helped drive Australia past runs. Australia paceman , who rounder hit 115 to help steer his side past bettered only by 51 hundreds from Watson whipped a boundary square to secure the win in style, and charged down the 100, and then opened their shoulders in the last took eight wickets and ran out Joe Root with a India’s first innings total of 334 as South Africa Tendulkar, who retired last month. 40 minutes before lunch to smack 113 runs in brilliant piece of fielding on day three, was reached 497 for eight before rain brought a Playing in his 166th test at the same sun-bathed pitch with arms raised as a crowd of more than 38,000 roared their approval. the morning session. Rogers gave up another named man-of-the-match for a third time in the delay to play and tea was taken early. venue where he made his debut 18 years nick two balls after lunch off the of series following his awards in the Brisbane and A brisk 61 from , batting ago, Kallis was ably supported in the “We’ve had our ups and downs. There’s no doubt that the winning feeling is back in our Broad, but a sluggish Bairstow failed to get a Adelaide tests. at number nine, and , 41 not extended morning session by an aggres- hand on the half-chance. Cook’s dropped catches will only add further out when the drizzle brought on the cov- sive Dale Steyn, who had come in as the camp,” Clarke told reporters after his team fin- ished a tough year that started with nine Rogers and Watson cracked boundaries at pressure on the England skipper, who waited an ers, ensured a 163-run lead as South Africa night watchman at the end of a rain-cur- will, racing to 200 after the 36-year-old opener hour and a half before introducing spinner sought to force a result with time running tailed third day. straight tests without a win on a high. “Today could have went one or two ways. brought up his ton with a sublime off-drive for Panesar in the morning, by which time out in the two-test series. Steyn scored 44 off 93 balls before being four off the bowling of James Anderson. After Australia’s batsmen were well on top. Kallis, who announced his decision to caught behind as South Africa moved their “We could have just got over the line but I think because the boys just have so much Watson raised his second half-century of the In truth, England surrendered the match on quit the test arena in a surprise statement overnight tally from 299 for five for the loss series, Rogers was finally dismissed by spinner day three when their batsmen collapsed to be all on Christmas Day, reached his ton in 273 of two wickets, taking advantage of India’s confidence in their own ability and in the work that they’ve been putting in, we ended Monty Panesar for his highest score in test crick- out for 179 after tea, having lost their last five balls to a standing ovation from a disap- surprise decision not to take up the second et, slashing an edge to Bairstow. wickets for six runs to hand the initiative straight pointingly small crowd at Kingsmead. It new ball at the start of the day and instead up winning quite convincing today.” Having started the day needing 201 runs “Doesn’t get better than this to win a Boxing back to the hosts. “The good thing about this prompted a brief outpouring of emotion looked in vain for spin and inswing from Day test and get 100 on the last day. It’s what game is that we got an opportunity to win it,” from the usually unflappable Kallis. the softer old one. for victory, Rogers added only one run before nicking a behind but dreams are made of,” Rogers said in a pitchside Cook said. Fifteen runs later, as he battled with After lunch India still persisted with the interview after making his second test century in “In the first half-hour we created three hamstring cramp, Kallis passed Rahul old ball and were punished by Peterson wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, replacement for the dropped Matt Prior, teamed up with a late-blooming international career. chances. When it’s a low run chase you need to Dravid’s career tally of 13,288 runs to move and du Plessis in a brisk 110-run partner- Like Cook before him in the match, Clarke take those chances. We didn’t take them and we behind (15,921 runs) and ship. —Reuters Cook to make an absolute mess of the chance. brought up his 8,000th test run in his short got punished for the rest of that. “There’s a lot of Bairstow stuck barnacle-like to his mark innings, adding another milestone in a year in things we are struggling to explain.” —Reuters rather than take the catch that was rightfully SCOREBOARD his, leaving a late-moving Cook to put down the ball after lunging to his right with one SCOREBOARD DURBAN, South Africa: Scoreboard yesterday after South Africa’s first innings on the fourth hand. England heads dropped further when day of the second test against India at Kingsmead: Cook fluffed the simplest of chances shortly MELBOURNE: Scoreboard after Australia beat England by eight wickets before tea on the fourth day of India 1st Innings South Africa 1st Innings (Overnight: 299-5) after, with Warner driving recklessly at a Ben the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday. Shikhar Dhawan c Petersen b Morkel 29 c Dhawan b Jadeja 47 Stokes delivery to send the nick straight into England first innings 255 Total (two wickets; 51.5 overs) 231 Murali Vijay c De Villiers b Steyn 97 Alviro Petersen c Vijay b Jadeja 62 the skipper’s lap. Australia first innings 204 Did not bat: S. Smith, G. Bailey, B. Haddin, M. Cheteshwar Pujara c De Villiers b Steyn 70 b Shami 3 Mercifully for Cook, Warner was out for 25 England second innings 179 Johnson, R. Harris, P. Siddle, N. Lyon. c De Villiers b Morkel 46 Jacques Kallis c Dhoni b Jadeja 115 slashing at another Stokes ball to be snaffled Australia second innings (overnight 30-0) Fall of wickets: 1-55 2-200 b Steyn 0 AB de Villiers c Kohli b Jadeja 74 by Bairstow, but Rogers marched on. He rode C. Rogers c Bairstow b Panesar 116 not out 51 JP Duminy lbw b Jadeja 28 his luck to his half-century, moving to 49 D. Warner c Bairstow b Stokes 25 Bowling: Anderson 11-2-26-0, Broad 10-0-58-0, Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Smith b Steyn 24 Dale Steyn c Dhoni b Khan 44 when an inside edge whistled past the S. Watson not out 83 Panesar 7.5-0-41-1, Stokes 12-0-50-1 (1-nb), Root Ravindra Jadeja c Kallis b Duminy 0 Faf du Plessis run out (Rohit Sharma) 43 stumps and beat the keeper to run for four, M. Clarke not out 6 4-1-8-0, Bresnan 7-1-48-0. c De Villiers b Steyn 0 Robin Peterson c Vijay b Khan 61 but brought up the milestone with a lovely Extras (nb-1) 1 Australia lead the five-match series 4-0. c De Villiers b Steyn 4 not out 0 cut through the covers for two. c Smith b Morkel 1 Morne Morkel c & b Jadeja 0 Extras: (7lb, 4w, 1nb) 12 Extras: (3lb, 15lb, 2w, 3nb) 23 TOTAL: (all out) 334 TOTAL: (all out) 500 N Zealand, WI ODI rained out Overs: 111.3. Overs: 155.2. Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-198, 3-199, 4-199, 5- Fall of wickets: 1-103, 2-113, 3-113, 4-240, 5- NAPIER: The second one-day international in time for even a reduced 20-over match. 265, 6-320, 7-321, 8-322, 9-330. 298, 6-384, 7-387, 8-497, 9-500. between New Zealand and the West Indies The West Indies lead the five-match Bowling: Dale Steyn 30-9-100-6 (2w), Bowling: Zaheer Khan 28-4-97-2 (1w, 1nb), was abandoned yesterday due to persist- series 1-0 after winning the opening ODI in Vernon Philander 21-6-56-0 (1nb, 1w), Mohammed Shami 27-2-104-1, Ishant ent rain. Although it was not heavy rainfall, Auckland on Boxing Day by two wickets. Morne Morkel 23.3-6-50-3 (1w), Jacques Sharma 31-7-114-0 (2nb, 1w), Ravindra Jadeja ground officials said part of the outfield The next game is in Queenstown on Kallis 11-1-36-0, Robin Peterson 22-2-75-0, 58.2-15-138-6, Rohit Sharma 11-1-29-0. had become too wet to be readied for play Wednesday. —AFP JP Duminy 4-0-10-1. Series: two-match series level at 0-0. Relieved Clarke lauds bowlers Herath ready for Pakistan test and Rogers after toss anxiety ABU DHABI: Ace Sri Lankan spinner Rangana matches also speaks volume for his success, but MELBOURNE: Australia captain Michael tinged pitch and overcast conditions in Herath is hoping lack of Tests will not affect his Herath won’t take it for granted. “Everything is Clarke was left to thank his bowlers and the morning that few others did, but bowling in the first of three Tests against past, I feel you can only take it as confidence centurion Chris Rogers for the hosts’ immediately revealed his discomfort Pakistan starting in Abu Dhabi from tomorrow. but it’s past so I need to start from the begin- escape in the fourth Ashes test yester- with the decision in a television inter- Sri Lanka have not played the five-day format ning on Tuesday,” said Herath, who has 200 day, having risked his team’s winning view after sending his team into the field since beating Bangladesh at home in March this wickets in 47 Tests. streak by opting to bowl first after win- on day one. year, but Herath claimed Sunday he would be Herath rated Pakistan’s top order as strong ning the toss. The queasy feeling can only have ready come the first Test. with skipper Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan. “I Australia completed a dominant win grown stronger as England survived to “As a team we played in March against think Khurram Manzoor has played well, Shan by eight wickets at the Melbourne stumps at 226-6, with the hosts’ best Bangladesh and if you play regular cricket then (Masood) is the only new guy but you have Cricket Ground on Sunday to take a 4-0 batsman leading from your form is much easier to keep but I don’t feel (Mohammad) Hafeez, Misbah, Younis and Asad lead in the series but Clarke admitted his the front. any rustiness and am ready for the three Tests,” Shafiq and the top order is much better,” said decision had haunted him throughout “When you win the toss and bowl, the Herath said. Herath. the match. result always dictates whether you’ll be The 35-year-old left-armer is seen as Sri Herath said he knew what was expected of Credited for his aggressive captaincy criticised or applauded,” Clarke told Lanka’s answer to Pakistan’s off-spinner Saeed him, more so after the retirement of world and his setting of imaginative fields, reporters. Ajmal in the Tests but Herath said he was not record spinner in 2010. Clarke has also shown himself a dab “Was it the right decision or not? Well concerned with the hype. “As a bowler I know the responsibility I have, hand at calling the toss, winning it all the result will say yes, but after the first “Ajmal is a very nice bowler and his record is not thinking about who has left, Murali or who- four times in the series to date. five overs on day one, the wicket certain- very good, even I have done well in the last four ever. I miss him very much and even now if I can He had resolutely played the percent- ly played better than I expected it to. “It five years, so somebody can say that it’s a battle bowl with Murali it’s much easier to bowl. NAPIER: Head coach of New Zealand ages up until Melbourne, putting his certainly wasn’t our bowlers I was second but I am not concerned about Ajmal. “I am con- “You know what kind of bowler he was, team in to bat in the three previous vic- guessing, it was more the fact that I was cerned about my team and how I am going to what kind of class Murali had, you can’t com- (L) looks out at the rain with conditioning coach tories in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. hoping that the grass on the wicket and perform,” said Herath, who took 12 wickets in Sri pare him with anyone, so I don’t have words to Chris Donaldson, players Adam Minle and Jesse Clarke and his backroom colleagues the overhead conditions were going to Lanka’s second Test win against Bangladesh in say about Murali,” said Herath of the off-spin- Ryder during the second international one day gleaned something in the MCG’s green- do a little more than they did.” —Reuters Colombo. ner who took 800 wickets-the most in match between New Zealand and the West And his record against Pakistan, 51 in 12 cricket. —AFP Indies at McLean Park in Napier yesterday. —AFP