TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 2015 SPORTS England rest Root for Australia T20 and ODI

LONDON: England have rested Ashes-win- wicketkeeper batsman Jonny Bairstow ning star batsman Joe Root from their even though he revived his international squads for both the upcoming lone career with a series-clinching 83 and five one-day against New Zealand at Chester-le-Street in internationals against Australia. June. Root, the Ashes player of the series after “We have made some significant his 460 runs played a central role in progress in our limited-overs this England’s 3-2 win over the five Tests, has summer, and the next six games allow been a key player in all three international these players to continue testing them- formats in recent times. selves against one of the very best sides in But with England facing tough Test the world,” said England national selector series away to Pakistan and South Africa James Whitaker. later this year, England’s selectors have “This is primarily a young group of play- decided to give the 24-year-old a break ers, and the next three weeks will provide from international duty. them with valuable experience as we con- Also omitted are senior bowlers James tinue to identify those who can take our Anderson, currently out with a side strain, limited-overs cricket forward over the next and Stuart Broad, whose stunning eight for four years.” 15 at his Trent Bridge home ground saw Yorkshire paceman , Australia skittled out for 60 in the third included in the ODI squad after spending Ashes Test. much of this season as cover for England’s Neither Anderson nor Broad, as well as Test bowlers, was well aware of the chal- veteran batsman Ian Bell, have played a 50- lenge posed by Australia. over one-day international since this year’s “They won the World Cup not so long World Cup, which Australia won on home ago-they are the best in the world, so it’s soil in March. going to be a tough ‘ask’,” said Plunkett. “But Test skipper Alastair Cook, dropped we beat New Zealand, who were in that from England’s squad before the global World Cup final, so it shows where we are- showpiece, was again omitted from white- and I am really looking forward to the ball duty. Eoin Morgan will again tough competition.” both squads, having led England in their The lone Twenty20 clash takes place in miserable first-round exit from the World Cardiff on August 31, with the one-day Cup before overseeing a thrilling one-day series starting at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl series win at home to World Cup finalists headquarters on September 3. COLOMBO: Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli (right) greets Sri Lankan cricketer after the second match between New Zealand. Australia face Ireland in a one-day inter- and India. — AP Essex left-arm seamer Reece Topley was national in Belfast on Thursday in what will the only uncapped player in either squad be their first 50 overs per side clash since after being named in the Twenty20 party. the World Cup. With former captain Michael Moeen Ali was restored to both squads Clarke having retired from international Ashwin helps India after being injured at the start of the sea- cricket after the Ashes, the upcoming son, with fit-again fellow all-rounder Chris white-ball games will mark Steven Smith’s Woakes also selected. first campaign as the full-time one-day But there was no place for Yorkshire skipper of Australia. — AFP level Sri Lanka series

COLOMBO: Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin caused a dramatic Sri Lanka collapse as India SCOREBOARD completed a crushing 278-run victory in the sec- ond Test in Colombo yesterday to level the three-match series. COLOMBO: Final scoreboard on the fifth day of the second Test between India and Sri Lanka at Ashwin grabbed five for 42 as Sri Lanka, set the P. Sara Oval in Colombo yesterday: an improbable victory target of 413 runs, were India 1st innings: 393 (L. Rahul 108, V. Kohli 78, J. Mubarak c Kohli b I. Sharma 0 shot out for 134 in their second innings soon R. Sharma 79, W. Saha 56, D. Prasad 2-84, A. D. Prasad c Mishra b Ashwin 0 after lunch on the fifth day at the P. Sara Oval. Mathews 2-24, D. Chameera 2-72, R. Herath 4-81) R. Herath not out 4 Leg-spinner Amit Mishra chipped in with Sri Lanka 1st innings: 306 (K. Silva 51, L. T. Kaushal lbw b Mishra 5 three as the hosts lost their last eight Thirimanne 62, A. Mathews 102, A. Mishra 4-43) D. Chameera lbw b Mishra 4 batsmen for 62 runs after resuming at 72-2, giv- India 2nd innings: 325-8 declared (M. Vijay 82, A. Extras: (lb4, w1, nb2) 7 ing Virat Kohli his first win as captain in his fifth Rahane 126, D. Prasad 4-43, T. Kaushal 4-118) Total (all out, 43.4 overs) 134 Test as leader. Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Silva), 2-33 (Sangakkara), 3-72 A brief spell of heavy rain forced an early Sri Lanka 2nd innings (72-2): (Mathews), 4-91 (Chandimal), 5-106 (Thirimanne), lunch with nine wickets down, but the weather K. Silva c Binny b Ashwin 1 6-111 (Mubarak), 7-114 (Prasad), 8-123 cleared for India to finish the match in the sec- D. Karunaratne b Ashwin 46 (Karunaratne), 9-128 (Kaushal), 10-134 ond over after the resumption. K. Sangakkara c Vijay b Ashwin 18 (Chameera). The defeat denied retiring Sri Lankan great A. Mathews c Rahul b Yadav 23 : Ashwin 16-6-42-5, Yadav 7-1-18-1, I. Kumar Sangakkara a fairytale farewell in his last D. Chandimal b Mishra 15 Sharma 11-2-41-1 (nb2, w1), Mishra 9.4-3-29-3 international match. The left-hander was dis- L. Thirimanne c sub (Pujara) b Ashwin 11 India won by 278 runs, level three-match series 1-1. missed for 18 on Sunday. India’s emphatic win set the stage for an intriguing finale to the series when the third and hosts with 46, but six batsmen failed to reach under a lot of pressure. “The was quite final Test starts at the Sinhalese sports club in double figures as Sri Lanka were bowled out in demanding, but we could have put on a better the Sri Lankan capital on Friday. 43.4 overs. show on the last day. But having said that I must Kohli said he was delighted at his first win as Ashwin finished with a match-haul of seven concede that India, especially Ashwin, bowled captain after coming close twice against wickets to add to the 10 he took in the first Test really well.” Sri Lanka never recovered after they Australia in Adelaide and against Sri Lanka in the England’s Joe Root walks after losing his wicket in this file photo. in Galle where Sri Lanka fought back from the lost Mathews off the first ball of the day, edging first Test of the current series. brink to win by 63 runs. fast bowler Umesh Yadav to stand-in wicket- “We had played really good cricket in both Sri Lankan captain said he keeper Lokesh Rahul, who dived to his right to Burning Ashes regret to those Tests as well and if we had done that for was disappointed not to secure a win in hold a low catch. one more session there, two more wins would Sangakkara’s final match. “I was pretty disap- First Test hero began by follow Clarke into retirement have been ours,” he said. pointed with the way things went because we hooking seamer Ishant Sharma for a six, before “It is a commendable effort by the team to did not play our best cricket,” Mathews said. “I he was bowled round his legs by Mishra for 15 to MELBOURNE: A batsman of prodigious tal- Africa. Even as the runs gushed from his regroup so soon after Galle and put up a show am even more disappointed that we did not win reduce the hosts to 91-4. It soon became 111-6 ent and a captain unflinching in pursuit of bat, rumours swirled of dressing room like this. Once we took those early wickets in the it for Sanga. We promised him we would play as India grabbed two more wickets in the space victory, Michael Clarke restored Australia to disharmony. A ham-fisted attempt to instil morning, we wanted to bowl attacking lines and our best cricket, but we didn’t. of five deliveries. Karunaratne was bowled by the pinnacle of test and one-day cricket discipline during the ill-fated 2013 tour of didn’t want to lose time. “There is one more Test “The best time for was on the second Ashwin before lunch and Mishra sealed the win but winning the affections of a nation India saw four players stood down in the to play and I am sure we will be as focused and and third days and we clearly did not capitalise by trapping both and proved his toughest battle. infamous ‘homework-gate’ episode. positive as we were in this match.” Opener on that. After they took the lead, they batted leg-before on either Clarke bowed out a winner at The Oval The Clarke-endorsed caper backfired played a lone hand for the really well in the second innings and put us side of the break. — AFP on Sunday but the dead rubber demolition badly and Australia were whitewashed 4-0 of England was a Pyrrhic victory that will do in the subcontinent before losing the Ashes little to salve the 34-year-old’s one burning 3-0 in England. The team took back the urn Sangakkara regret. Having never won an Ashes away in with a brilliant 5-0 whitewash months later four previous attempts, Clarke staked his and though Clarke led from the front with offered legacy on bringing the sacred urn home centuries in the first two tests, his crowning and promptly lost with a game in hand. moment would come at Newlands the fol- diplomatic post Leading a team to Ashes defeat is a car- lowing March. dinal sin in cricket-mad Australia, so for Nursing a broken shoulder and pep- COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara said a many of his compatriots, his two failures in pered with bouncers, he saw off a brutal tearful farewell to international cricket yesterday charge will forever bar him from the pan- assault from South Africa’s pacemen to and was immediately offered the post of the theon of his country’s great captains. compile an unbeaten 161, setting up a rare island’s top envoy in Britain, where he plays county Similarly, his final tormented spells at the series win away to the Proteas and securing cricket. Several thousand cheering fans, many of crease took the gloss from a fine record of his team the top ranking in tests. The tri- them schoolchildren waving Sri Lankan flags along 8,643 runs in 115 tests, tipping his average umph was to prove the tipping point for with VIPs, turned out to salute Sangakkara at the under 50, the mark often seen dividing the both the team and player, however. end of the second Test against India in Colombo. very best from the rest. Poorer records have Australia’s reign as number one was “You have been a great honour to Sri Lanka,” invoked wild adulation for players from fleeting, while age, hamstring injuries and President Maithripala Sirisena said in a televised other parts of the world. Australia, howev- the rise of Steven Smith would all push ceremony at the P. Sara Oval for the formidable er, is its own country. Clarke toward the exit. cricketer after the match. Local fans raised on a diet of Allan The death of team mate Phillip Hughes Sangakkara, who turns out for Surrey in English Border and Steve Waugh struggled to struck Clarke like a hammer blow but his , did not directly address Sirisena’s warm to millennial Clarke, a working class leadership in mourning comforted a announcement about the diplomatic post, later boy whose comfort with wealth and nation. Injured and grief-stricken, his stir- telling reporters he had been unprepared for the celebrity was at odds with the no-nonsense ring 128 against India in the Adelaide trib- gesture. “It was a surprise, I have to go and think austerity of previous Australian captains. ute match for Hughes was the last of his 28 about it and discuss with his excellency (the presi- A darling of Australia’s weekly gossip test centuries. dent)” Sangakkara said. magazines, Clarke was less popular among Clarke’s refusal to surrender to his body During the formal sendoff, the 37-year-old local cricket media. Portraits emerged of a frustrated as well as inspired, and a grow- broke down as he thanked his parents for standing player aloof in the dressing room whose ing chorus of pundits urged him to quit. by him during his 15 years of cricket. “All the sup- disdain for time-honoured protocols occa- He defied them all and helped Australia port and love they showed over the years, whether sionally ticked off senior team mates. secure a fifth World Cup in March, scoring a I played cricket or not, whether I did well or not, The Ferraris, supermodel girlfriends and half-century in the final in his last one-day the only place I could go and feel underwear modelling grated with tradi- international. Another fairytale swansong safe was home. So thank you ‘amma’ (mother) tionalists, and Clarke’s first forays as captain beckoned in England and few in Australia and ‘apachchi’ (father),” Sangakkara said, fighting drew jeers from home crowds. begrudged his last tilt at bringing home back tears as fans cheered and clapped. Yet, in the soul-searching years after the the Ashes. He also praised Indian captain Virat Kohli and calamitous loss in the 2010/11 Ashes, there But the goodwill acquired over years his team for their tough opposition during his were fewer comforting sights than the man evaporated in weeks as Clarke’s struggles farewell match which Sri Lanka lost by 278 runs on nicknamed ‘Pup’ striding to the crease. on the English pitches confirmed him a Monday, allowing the tourists to level the series 1- He battled a degenerative back condi- spent force. With ready-made replacement 1. “Thank you for not giving any quarter,” he told tion throughout his career but carried the Smith waiting in the wings, a farewell test the Indian team. team with a Bradman-esque weight of runs at The Oval seemed another needless “And thank you for really making it a privilege of COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena hands over a memento to cricketer and brilliantly marshalled a patched-up indulgence for critics and Clarke was dis- mine to play against you,” he said. Hours after the Kumar Sangakkara at the end of the second Test cricket match. — AP bowling attack. missed cheaply in the first innings. emotional send-off, Sangakkara said he was look- the short mid-wicket fielder for 18. Sangakkara, the ICC chief executive David Richardson paid trib- “I’d place Clarke second only to Mark He denied himself a last chance to make ing forward to a “new innings” with his family. fifth highest run-getter in Test history, finished his ute to Sangakkara as “one of cricket’s greatest ever Taylor among Australia’s recent captains amends by having England bat again, his “Thank you for the wonderful farewell,” he said Test career with 12,400 runs from 134 Tests at an players and ambassadors”. when it came to tactical awareness,” former first and only enforcement of the follow-on. on Twitter. “I will miss the cricket. But my amazing average of 57.40. He scored 38 centuries, including “By scoring a total of 28,016 runs across all three captain Ian Chappell wrote on Espncricinfo. The hunch proved astute, and Clarke wife (Yehali) and children await my innings with a best of 319 against Bangladesh in Chittagong last formats, he puts himself in the higher echelons of A pair of golden summers book-ended a walked off The Oval with a big win, though them. Time for family.” Thousands turned out on year. He follows Sachin Tendulkar of India, Ricky players to ever grace the game. “Sangakkara will spectacular 2012 boasting a triple-century one unlikely to gild his legacy or ease the Sunday to see Sangakkara’s final international Ponting of Australia, Jacques Kallis of South Africa rightly go down as one of cricket’s greatest-ever and a double at home against India before pain of another Ashes failure away from innings. But he was denied a dream end to his and Rahul Dravid of India in the all-time list of lead- players and ambassadors,” Richardson said in an two more doubles against touring South home. —Reuters career when he was caught tapping a full toss to ing Test scorers. ICC statement. — AFP