Established 1961 13 Sports Wednesday, January 3, 2018 England ponder taking a spin with Crane in Sydney Sydney Ground has a reputation as a turning

SYDNEY: Leg-spinner Mason Crane’s experience match. “We are a better team than what we’ve played playing in Sydney may prove the clincher to earn him a on this trip and that is a benchmark for our side moving debut as England try to salvage their Ashes series with forward,” said after the a win over Australia in tomorrow’s final Test. draw. “We will try to make sure that we go one better Trailing 3-0 and lost, England are consid- in Sydney and get the win that we want.” ering a possible team change for the fifth Sydney Test But to break through in Sydney, where they have with ’s place under threat and Crane pushing won twice in the last four Ashes Tests, England must for his first cap. Moeen has played 48 Tests and came find a way of shackling the freescoring Smith. Smith has to Australia as an accomplished all-rounder but he has enjoyed a phenomenal series, scoring three centuries- under-performed, taking only three and aver- including a Test best 239 in Perth-to amass 604 runs in aging 19 with the bat. six innings at an astonishing average of 151. The has a reputation as a The Australia skipper, who averages 63.55 in his 60 turning wicket, enhancing Tests, is now in outright sec- Crane’s chances of playing. ond place for the highest- The 20-year-old Hampshire ever ICC ranking points leggie also boasts a five- behind Don Bradman. “I’m wicket haul playing at the adapting to each of the famous ground for New We are a better bowlers, I’m changing my South Wales last year. plans to them and how Crane, who was impress- team than what they’re trying to get me out,” ing in Sydney club cricket, Smith said. “Hopefully, I can was called up by NSW and we’ve played just keep working and keep took five wickets in the getting better as well.” Root Sheffield Shield victory on this trip said his team had to keep against South Australia. believing they can get Smith “With the series lost it gives us the opportunity to look out. “We just have to keep trying every option if he at some different people,” England’s Australian coach does get in and if it is a good surface to bat on, and Trevor Bayliss said this week. keep trusting and believing in what we do,” Root said. Asked if Crane was ready for , Bayliss Pace spearhead , who missed the added: “There’s maybe no time like the present to find Melbourne Test with a bruised heel, is vying with out. “We think he’s a guy that has got the goods and recalled off-spinner Ashton Agar to likely replace the more he plays at this level the better he will get. You in the final Australia XI. have got to start somewhere.” England outplayed TEAMS (PROBABLE) Australia for large tracts of last week’s fourth Test in Australia - , , Usman Melbourne only for to bat out the entire Khawaja, Steve Smith (capt), , Mitchell last day with an unbeaten century for a draw. Marsh, , Mitchell Starc/Ashton Agar, , , . A BETTER TEAM England - Alastair Cook, Mark Stoneman, James Prior to Melbourne, experienced pair Alastair Cook Vince, Joe Root (capt), Dawid Malan, , and were having lean series and under Moeen Ali/Mason Crane, , , pressure for their spots. But Cook carried his bat with Stuart Broad, James Anderson. MELBOURNE: File photo showa Australia’s captain Steve Smith celebrates scoring his century an unbeaten 244 in the highest Test score at the Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI) Joel Wilson against England on the final day of the fourth Ashes cricket Test match at the MCG in Melbourne Cricket Ground by an overseas player, while (WIS) TV umpire: Sundaram Ravi (IND) Match referee: Melbourne on December 30, 2017. —AFP Broad bounced back to form with five wickets in the (SRI). — AFP

India’s winning run under threat from ICC rates S African green tops MCG pitch as

CAPE TOWN: India’s long winning streak in Test crick- poor after et is under threat in a quick-fire three match series against South Africa this month, where their status as the top ranked nation in the format faces a stiff exami- drawn Test nation. Virat Kohli’s side have won nine successive series to MELBOURNE: The Melbourne Cricket Ground climb to the top of the International Cricket Council’s pitch for the fourth Ashes test has been rated “poor” rankings but most of the success has come on batting by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after last friendly wickets. South Africa are expected to prepare ‘green top’ week’s drawn clash between hosts Australia and wickets for the Tests in Cape Town, Pretoria and England saw only 24 wickets fall over five days. Johannesburg, all squeezed into January, to hand India The track drew criticism from both competing an unfamiliar and difficult challenge. teams after Australia scored 327 and 263-4 declared India have traditionally struggled against the home in their two innings while England scored 491 in bowling attack with just two victories in 17 previous their only innings. “The bounce of the MCG pitch Tests on tour in South Africa. But while past touring was medium, but slow in pace and got slower as the sides have crumbled under the barrage of pace, this is match progressed,” match referee Ranjan an experienced India squad, 13 of whom have previous- MUMBAI: File photo shows Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni (R) wears a Santa Claus Madugalle said in his report to the ICC, reflecting ly toured South Africa and will know what to expect. cap as teammates Kuldeep Yadav (C) and Hardik Pandya (L) look on during celebrations after the concerns of the match officials over the per- “All I can say is the team is up for the challenge,” India won the third T20 international cricket match against at The Wankhede formance of the pitch. said India coach Ravi Shastri ahead of the first test at Stadium in Mumbai on December 24, 2017. —AFP “The nature of the pitch did not change over the Newlands, which starts on Friday. “If you asked me four five days and there was no natural deterioration. “As years ago, I would have said no. But this team has such, the pitch did not allow an even contest gained in experience,” he added. ing all over the place. You come to India it might be first class game. The bowling department is also rein- between the bat and the ball as it neither favoured “The beauty of this team is it does not matter who turning. If you want to be rated as a side, you adapt to forced by the return from injury of Dale Steyn and his the batsmen too much nor it gave the bowlers suffi- opposition it is. For us every game is a home game. the conditions. It’s as simple as that.” long-time new ball partner Vernon Philander. The three cient opportunity to take wickets.” Even this is a home game for us at Newlands. You see South Africa, who are second in the ICC test rankings, Test series is followed by six One Day Internationals and the pitch, you adapt. No excuses, no complaints. are at full strength for the first time in almost two years three clashes between the two countries DISAPPOINTING “Tomorrow you go to England and it might be seam- as AB de Villiers returns from a lengthy absence from the through to the end of February. — Reuters (CA) has two weeks to respond to the report, the sport’s governing body said in a statement. CA Chief Executive James Sutherland said CA will strive to avoid a repeat and discuss the with an extra bowler on what is expect- Selection ed to be a green, seamer-friendly wicket matter with the administrators of the ground. at Newlands. “Such a rating is extremely disappointing for all “We don’t know just yet whether we involved,” Sutherland said. “We work closely with all headache will play him in the first test but, depend- our venues to encourage the best possible interna- ing on the selection, he might well play,” tional cricket playing environment. “We’ll be taking for South Africa Gibson said. The 34-year-old Steyn has on board advice from the ICC, players and relevant not had a rigorous examination of his experts to work with the Melbourne Cricket Club to injury since returning to action in ensure this rating is not repeated.” ahead of Test November and it is a risk to play him, The MCG test was the last to be rated under the particularly if he breaks down as he did ICC’s pitch and outfield monitoring process, with a CAPE TOWN: South Africa have a against England in late 2015 and revision of the process set to come into effect from selection conundrum as they consider Australia in 2016. “I don’t think that if we Thursday. Under the new process, if a pitch or out- their team to face India in the first Test were to pick a three-man seam attack field is rated as being substandard, that venue will on Friday with veteran bowler Dale plus a spinner we would want to put him be allocated a number of demerit points, which will Steyn far from sure of a place in the side, in, in case something happens and he be active for a five-year period. coach Ottis Gibson said yesterday. leaves the team vulnerable if he can’t fin- “We have to try and pick the best ish the game,” Gibson added. POOR AND UNFIT team for the conditions and it is clearly a “I’m not saying that will happen, but “One demerit point will be awarded to venues selection headache, but it is a good you don’t want to take that risk with the whose pitches are rated by the match referees as headache to have all the best players first test. We have to look at the best below average, while three and five demerit back and available to play,” he told a combination to try and win the game and points will be awarded to venues whose pitches news conference. he will certainly come into the discussion are marked as poor and unfit, respectively,” the AB de Villiers has returned after a but it depends on the formation of the ICC said. two-year hiatus from the test arena team we put on the field.” “When a venue accumulates five demerit points, while Steyn is available again after a Dale Steyn it will be suspended from hosting any international year-long lay-off and major shoulder QUICK WICKET cricket for a period of 12 months, while a venue will surgery for the three match series Gibson, recently appointed South at the toss on Friday. But he warned the have to put the ball in the right area. be suspended from staging any international cricket against the top-ranked test team. But Africa coach after previously serving as bowlers they still had to efficiently use However the wicket looks, you still have for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 Steyn, five wickets shy of becoming England’s bowling coach, said the hosts the favourable conditions. “With some to play well on it. We will be playing the demerit points.” The fifth Ashes Test begins in South Africa’s top test wicket taker, will had asked for a quick wicket to be pre- grass on the wicket, bowlers sometimes best team in the world, so we have to Sydney tomorrow. — Reuters only play if South Africa decide to go pared and that looks likely to be the case tend to get a bit carried away. You still bring our A-game,” he said. — Reuters