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Home , Azhar Ali, Ehsan Adil, Marvan Atapattu, Nuwan Pradeep, Rahat Ali (cricketer), Ryan Harris (cricketer)

SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2015 SPORTS England bank on Bayliss to douse Australian fire

LONDON: A callow England team with a big extrovert. He’s not somebody who is new coach take on a bullish and streetwise going to change things in dramatic ways.” in an intriguing Ashes series which should provide plenty of drama and SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE aggressive . Brearley thinks Australia have a signifi- Michael Clarke’s touring side will cant advantage in their attack attempt to win the urn on English soil for spearheaded by Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell the first time in 14 years and Alastair Cook’s Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Ryan Harris. hosts will try to win back the trophy follow- “Australia are a very tough team,” ing their crushing 5-0 defeat in the last Brearley said. “On paper, they’re a better series Down Under. team than us. They’ve certainly got better Two years ago Australia went into the bowling than we have. Ashes with a new coach in Darren Lehman “But we’re playing at our home grounds, and lost 3-0, but it was a victory margin which makes a difference. If we can get that which flattered England. spirit going, and people play to their best, This time around the hosts will be led by then we’ve got a chance.” England were lift- Australian coach Trevor Bayliss who will aim ed in the New Zealand series by positive to build on the feel good factor generated and match-changing from their by England’s impressive resurgence in the middle-order batsmen. “One of the exciting recent one-day series against New Zealand. things is the flair in the young players from Australia all-rounder Shane Watson number five to number eight- is a believes having the 52-year-old Bayliss at terrific player, , and the helm will give England an advantage. ,” Brearley said. “He knows a lot of us very well,” Watson Cook will need major contributions from said. “He’ll have these ideas about how he his experienced opening bowlers James can try to expose our team. The edge will Anderson and Stuart Broad and will be des- be the inside information he will have. But perate for Gary Ballance and Ian Bell to we know that if we are at our best we will rediscover their form at numbers three and be very hard to beat.” four. England could be tempted to play leg- England stagnated under former coach spinner in the first test in Cardiff , drawing a test series in West starting on Wednesday but it would be a Indies this year before being held by New gamble given the prolific form of the Zealand on home soil under . Australians. After two barren years Alastair Cook has is the top-ranked batsman : cricketer Sarfraz Ahmed (right) plays a shot as Sri Lankan wicketkeeper looks on during the third and finalTest cricket rediscovered his batting form but doubts in the world after a phenomenal run while match. —AFP remain about whether he has the captaincy , Chris Rogers, Clarke and acumen to outwit the Australians. Watson are proven run-scorers in English “I’m not sure how much flair he has,” said conditions. The first Test usually proves to former England Mike Brearley who be pivotal. Two years ago England won a Woeful Pakistan hand masterminded three Ashes victories. “It will thrilling and fluctuating game in be difficult for him if things don’t go well to Nottingham by 14 runs and in 2009 the start with-and if he doesn’t feel he’s got the hosts’ last- pair Anderson and Monty same spirit that the team have had in the Panesar survived for 37 minutes in Cardiff one-day matches recently, and if he doesn’t to secure the draw which set up a 2-1 series Sri Lanka advantage quite feel in charge. “Alastair Cook is not a win.—Reuters

PALLEKELE: Pakistan’s brittle top-order undid around. “We are very positive. Our problem et on either side of a 19-minute interruption for the good work by leg-spinner as Sri today was we were not able to build partner- rain early in the post-lunch session. Lanka seized control of the series-deciding third ships. But tomorrow is a new day and time to A heavy downpour for the second time and final Test in Pallekele yesterday. make a fresh start.” forced the umpires to call for an early tea, but Having been bowled out for 278 in the first Sri Lankan coach credited Pakistan’s woes just refused to end as the next innings, Sri Lanka hit back to reduce Pakistan to the bowlers for the turnaround after the modest three fell for 17 runs in five overs. 209-9 by stumps on the second day that saw 11 first innings total. “It’s a great comeback from the Azhar was on 49 and Pakistan still 158 runs wickets fall on the evenly-paced pitch. bowlers,” he said. “The wicket is much better behind when he was reprieved by TV umpire Nuwan Pradeep grabbed 3-26 in 14 steady than the scores tell you. It’s been disciplined Sundaram Ravi after on-field official Paul Reiffel overs and fellow seamer bowling and we’ve also been good on the field. had declared him caught behind off Prasad. chipped in another three wickets to cause a dra- “We’re really happy with where we are at the But Azhar only managed to add another matic Pakistani collapse. moment.” Pakistan lost both openers, Shan three runs when he edged a drive off Pradeep to Sarfraz Ahmed returned unbeaten on a gal- Masood and , by the score of 40 be snapped up by at sec- lant 72 and Azhar Ali made 52, but none of the and star batsman was run out off ond slip. other batsmen settled down to form a sizeable the last ball of the morning session to make it Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq, who came in . 45-3. to bat at number seven due to a mild groin Pakistan were struggling at 152-7 when Yasir Azhar and repaired the early strain, became Pradeep’s third scalp when he helped Sarfraz add 45 for the eighth wicket, him- damage with a 46-run stand for the fourth wick- was given out leg-before after making six. —AFP self contributing 18 with the bat to follow his impressive bowling. Yasir claimed another five-wicket haul as Sri SCOREBOARD Lanka added six runs to their overnight score of 272-8 before they were dismissed within 20 min- PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka: Scoreboard at stumps on the second day of the third and final Test between Pakistan and Sri : South Africa’s captain (right) and ’s cap- utes of the start. was leg- Lanka at the Pallekele International Stadium yesterday: tain Mashrafe Mortaza pose with the trophy on the eve of the first Twenty20 match before to left-arm seamer for 18 and of their series. —AP last man Pradeep fell in the same fashion to Yasir Sri Lanka 1st innings (overnight 272-8): Pakistan 1st innings: without scoring. D. Karunaratne st Sarfraz b Azhar 130 Shan Masood lbw b Prasad 13 Yasir finished with 5-78, joining his idol Shane K. Silva c Sarfraz b Rahat 9 Ahmed Shehzad c Chandimal b Pradeep 21 Azhar Ali c Karunaratne b Pradeep 52 Warne as the only overseas bowlers to claim five U. Tharanga c Younis b Yasir 46 L. Thirimanne c sub (Azam) b Yasir 11 Younis Khan run out 3 England’s Mr Reliable or more wickets in an innings three times during Asad Shafiq lbw b Prasad 15 a Test series in Sri Lanka. A. Mathews c sub (Azam) b Yasir 3 J. Mubarak st Sarfraz b Yasir 25 Sarfraz Ahmed 72 Yasir had taken 2-79 and 7-76 in the first Test Misbah-ul Haq lbw b Pradeep 6 D. Chandimal lbw b Rahat 24 ready to make the leap lbw b Kaushal 0 in to fashion Pakistan’s 10-wicket win. He D. Prasad c Yasir b Azhar 0 Yasir Shah c Chandimal b Prasad 18 then claimed 6-96 and 2-55 in the second match T. Kaushal lbw b Rahat 18 : Firmly established in the pivotal tion for England. His second test , a in that Sri Lanka won by seven wickets. Rahat Ali lbw b Kaushal 2 number five position in England’s batting brilliant 180 against Australia at Lord’s, S. Lakmal not out 6 not out 0 The 29-year-old, who hails from the Khyber N. Pradeep lbw b Yasir 0 order, Joe Root is primed for the job of tak- appeared to confirm that Root’s natural region of northwest Pakistan, has already Extras: (lb4, w1, nb2) 7 Extras: (lb3, w3) 6 Total (for nine wickets, 64 overs) 209 ing on Australia’s vaunted pace attack toe place was opening the batting alongside grabbed 59 wickets in a 10-Test career which Total (all out, 89.5 overs) 278 to toe. Alastair Cook. Fall of wickets: 1-32 (Masood), 2-40 (Shehzad), 3-45 began in October last year. Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Silva), 2-106 (Tharanga), 3-133 (Younis), 4-91 (Shafiq), 5-135 (Azhar), 6-151 (Misbah), 7- The Yorkshireman’s consistency is But he then endured a torrid time and Azhar said Pakistan could still turn the Test in (Thirimanne), 4-137 (Mathews), 5-204 (Mubarak), 6-248 152 (Ehsan), 8-197 (Yasir), 9-202 (Rahat). reflected in his statistics after 27 tests — was taken out of the firing line for the their favour with three days remaining. “This Test (Karunaratne), 7-248 (Prasad), 8-264 (Chandimal), 9-277 Bowling: Prasad 19-1-78-3 (w1), Lakmal 14-1-64-0 (nb2), 2,273 runs and six centuries coming at a return series in Australia as England were is open and the closer we get to their total, it will (Kaushal), 10-278 (Pradeep). Pradeep 14-5-26-3, highly impressive average of 54.11. handed a humiliating whitewash. improve our chances,” he said. “The third innings Bowling: Rahat 21-4-74-3 (w1), Ehsan 14-3-37-0 (w1), Mathews 4-1-3-0, Kaushal 13-1-34-2 Australia have, in Steve Smith, the num- Root did score 87 in Adelaide but failed of the match is always very important, and if we Imran 16-3-51-0 (w1), Yasir 31.5-4-78-5, Azhar 7-0-35-2. Pakistan trail by 69 runs with one wicket in hand. ber one batsman in the world but Root is to get past 30 in seven other innings, strug- can get them early, we can turn this match not far behind having come of age as a test gling against Australia’s battery of pace- player since suffering the ignominy of men who exposed his weakness outside off being dropped for the final Ashes test on stump. the dismal 2013-14 tour Down Under. Having been moved up and down the Australia’s Harris quits cricket Since being overlooked in Sydney in order, he was dropped for the final test in January 2014, the England man is averag- Sydney but was recalled to face Sri Lanka. LONDON: Australia’s injury-plagued paceman Ryan Harris ing more than 90 in the five-day format. Root compiled an unbeaten 200 in the first announced his immediate retirement from all forms of cricket on Once touted as a natural opener, a role he innings at Lord’s, at the age of 23 years and Saturday, dealing a major setback to his team’s defence of the had mixed success with, Root has now 165 days, to become England’s youngest Ashes starting in England next week. blossomed at number five. double centurion since David Gower in The 35-year-old Queenslander withdrew from Australia’s ongo- The blond, boyish-faced batsman 1979. ing warm-up match against Essex and walked away from the sport enjoyed a fruitful first two years in test A fine player of spin, Root has continued less than a week before the first of five tests against England starts cricket, a maiden century coming at his to thrive this season, hitting an unbeaten at Cardiff on Wednesday. “Given the news I received yesterday, and home Headingley ground against New 182 against West Indies in Grenada in April after talking it over with my family, I know now is the right is the Zealand in his sixth test. before making 98 and 84 in the first test time to step away from cricket,” Harris said following scans on his It was an innings that underlined a against New Zealand. A dominant perform- troublesome right knee. growing maturity as he followed the likes ance in a winning Ashes team would add “I’m pretty lucky, I have had a wonderful career and nothing of Yorkshiremen Herbert Sutcliffe, Len further fuel to the argument that Root has made me prouder than pulling on the baggy green,” said the Hutton, Geoff Boycott and Michael the ability to be one of his country’s great- right-arm paceman, who ends his career with 113 wickets from 27 Vaughan, who all once batted with distinc- est batsmen. —Reuters tests. announced that would replace Harris in the Ashes squad. “I played 27 more tests than I ever Cook faces ultimate challenge thought I would and I have relished every single moment of them,” said Harris, who also claimed 44 wickets in 21 one-day LONDON: Alastair Cook faces his biggest before moving past his friend and mentor internationals. “I couldn’t have played with a better bunch of ever challenge as England captain when he Graham Gooch as England’s leading run- blokes and walking away from the team and our support staff is leads his young team into this year’s home scorer in tests last month. probably the hardest thing to stomach right now. Ashes series against Australia. But Cook has personal baggage to deal “This is a very special team and I know they will do Australia His country’s highest test run-scorer, with as well as leading an inexperienced proud in this Ashes series. I know I will certainly be watching every back in the form which made him one of team which includes only four other play- ball.” The Sydney test against India in January was Harris’s last the world’s leading opening batsmen, Cook ers with experience of Ashes success. He international match but he will be best remembered for taking 24 must try to feed on the positive vibes has struggled in the last two series against wickets in a losing cause the last time Australia toured England in fuelled by a gripping contest against New Australia, scoring only 523 runs in 10 2013, the highlight his 7-117 figures at Chester-le-street. Zealand in all forms of the game. matches. Coach paid tribute to the lion-hearted pace- With a new-look team, short on experi- Not terrible statistics but without a cen- man, who made his test debut in 2010 against New Zealand in ence but long on aggression and confi- tury and averaging just over 26, a far cry Wellington at the age of 30. dence, he takes on Michael Clarke’s ruthless from his overall test record which includes “Ryan always gave it his all for his country and he epitomises Australia with the simple objective of win- 27 hundreds at an average of nearly 47. everything the baggy green stands for,” Lehman said of the bowler ning back the famous urn. For inspiration, he should think back to nicknamed ‘Rhino’. “His never-say-die attitude was his signature as Trevor Bayliss is the England coach his finest hour on the 2010-11 Ashes tour he left absolutely nothing on the field each time he played and I charged with master-minding his native when he scored an astonishing 766 runs in think that is something for which he should be incredibly proud.” country’s downfall and Cook will need to seven innings as England won a series in “The team and I are certainly very proud of everything he has gel quickly with the 52-year-old Australian Australia for the first time in 24 years. achieved on and off the field and we wish him all the best in to work out how to bring down Darren However, Cook’s captaincy will come under whatever he decides to do next.” CA chairman Wally Edwards Lehmann’s ultra-efficient side. At least Cook intense scrutiny. also lauded Harris for his outstanding career. “Ryan has been a the batsman is back. A reputation as a conservative leader wonderful role model and has proved to state cricketers around the nation that age is no barrier to national selection if you have After nearly two years without an inter- will be hard to dispel but he must be brave AUSTRALIA: In this file picture taken on January 8, 2015, Australia’s Ryan talent, commitment and a burning desire to succeed,” Edwards national century he made two in two tests and innovative to probe the weaknesses of Harris bowls during day three of the fourth cricket Test between Australia and said. —Reuters against West Indies and New Zealand an ageing Australian side.—Reuters India. —AFP