1st Test: WI 116 ahead, 8 wickets in hand

New Delhi: Seventeen wickets fell during the second day as West Indies grabbed a slight advantage over India with a 116 -run lead, having bowled out the hosts for 209 in their first innings at the Feroz Shah Kotla.
Earlier, skipper Darren Sammy produced an inspired spell to help the visitors dismiss India for 209 and take a useful 95-run lead. Sammy finished with 3/35, as only Virender Sehwag (55) and Rahul Dravid (54) contributed scores of any significance.
 West Indies were 21 for two at the close of an eventful day's play. Kirk Edwards was batting on 15 while night-watchman Fidel Edwards was yet to open his account as they managed to negotiate Pragyan Ojha and Ravichandran Ashwin after India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni started with spin from both ends. Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell were the two batsmen to be dismissed. With three full days left, India will seek to dismiss West Indies as quickly as possible to try and come back into the match.

Once West Indies were bowled out for 304, the Indian openers got off to a brisk start, with Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir (41) dominating the Windies' pace attack with exciting strokeplay to put on 89 runs in just 12.3 overs.
Gambhir was unlucky to be dismissed in the 13th over as he was run out backing up, with Sammy deflecting a Sehwag straight-drive on to the stumps. Sehwag raced to his half-century off just 36 balls before falling in Devendra Bishoo's opening over, brilliantly stumped by Carlton Baugh, who removed the bails when the batsman's foot was in the air.
As the opening duo departed, the Indian middle ordered crumpled on the uneven Kotla track. Pacer Fidel Edwards got a big wicket when he trapped Sachin Tendulkar leg-before for just 7 and denied the maestro an unprecedented 100 international hundreds.

Dravid was then joined by VVS Laxman but the latter's stay at the crease was uncharacteristically brief, playing away from his body and edging Bishoo to Baugh for just 1. An aggressive Yuvraj Singh gave India some late momentum in the afternoon but it proved short-lived as he was out for 23 in the second over after tea, driving to the man in the covers off the bowling of Sammy and it spurred the West Indies skipper into life. Sammy then sent back Dhoni without troubling the scorers in the same over before Baugh once again came to the action to pull off a smart catch to send Ashwin (0) packing in his next over.
Ishant Sharma provided some brief resistance as he put on a partnership of 49 with Dravid before he was unluckily given caught down the leg side for 17. Dravid then soon brought up his 61st Test fifty before falling to Ravi Rampaul for 54 and the pacer sendt back Umesh Yadav very next ball.
Earlier, the visitors had crumbled from 269 for five to 304 all out on the back of a six-wicket haul from Ojha (6/72). West Indies added just 48 to their overnight total of 256 for 5. Ojha took three of the five Windies' wickets to fall in the opening session, while Sharma and debutant off-spinner Ashwin each got one wicket. Ashwin finished with 3/81 off 27 overs.

Pak draw third Test, win series against SL

Sharjah: Sri Lanka failed in their bid for a series-leveling victory in the third and final Test against Pakistan on Monday, frustrated by a lengthy rain delay and the resistance of the hosts at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Pakistan, set an improbable 255 to win in a minimum of 61 overs, ended on 87-4 to secure a draw and wrap up a 1-0 series victory.

Sri Lanka, resuming on their overnight total of 164-5, were stalled by morning drizzle that wiped out the entire first session.
Once play finally got under way 35 minutes after lunch, the visitors pushed their score to 181-6 before declaring.
Opener Tharanga Paranavitana ended unbeaten on 76, a knock that included five fours and a six off 168 deliveries.
Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed 3-50, including the wicket of Kosala Kulasekara (7), while pacer Umar Gul took 2-44.
Kulasekara was bowled off the under-edge trying to force through the off side.
Sri Lanka added just 17 runs in 4.2 overs before captain Tillakaratne Dilshan opted to declare the innings.
Pakistan wobbled early as they tried to preserve their 1-0 series lead.

Substitute Lahiru Thirimanne inspired the breakthrough, his direct hit from mid-on removing Mohammad Hafeez for 13 at 20-1.
Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath added the wicket of Azhar Ali, before seamer Chanaka Welegedara quickly claimed first-innings centurion Younus Khan.
Azhar (7) was out lbw playing inside the line of a turning delivery, while Younus (11) chipped an on-drive to mid-on.
Opener Taufeeq Umar and captain Misbah-ul-Haq took Pakistan to tea on 61-3 and further dulled Sri Lanka after the break.
Taufeeq compiled 39 of 121 balls before Suraj Randiv struck to give Sri Lanka a late opportunity.
Taufeeq, who hit four fours, struck a delivery straight to backward point.
Randiv was confident he had a fifth wicket on a thin edge from Asad Shafiq to the wicket-keeper.
But umpire Simon Taufel ruled not out and Misbah and Shafiq continued to stonewall the Sri Lanka attack in a partnership of 10 that spanned 95 balls.
Misbah ended on 9 not out off 86 deliveries while Shafiq made 7 off 55 balls.
Herath (1-19), Welegedara (1-19) and Randiv (1-21) produced the breakthroughs for Sri Lanka.
The two teams begin a five-match one-day series in Dubai on Friday.

1st Test: Chanderpaul guides WI to 256/5

New Delhi: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (111 not out) hit an authoritative century to help West Indies reach 256-5 on Sunday on the opening day of the first Test against India at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium in New Delhi.
At stumps on the first day, Carlton Baugh was giving Chanderpaul company on 19 off 45 deliveries. The duo have so far added 56 runs for the sixth wicket in 13.4 overs. Chanderpaul smashed seven fours and two sixes during his 24th Test century to douse the enthusiasm of an inexperienced Indian bowling attack.

Chanderpaul enhanced his already impressive record against India by scoring his seventh century against the team and the second in consecutive Tests after also getting one in their last game in Dominica in the Caribbean in June this year.
Opting to bat first, Indian spin duo of Pragyan Ojha and debutant Ravichandran Aswhin threatened to run through the visiting side's top-order but Chanderpaul along with Kraigg Brathwaite provided some stability to the West Indies batting. The duo added 108 runs for the fourth wicket to frustrate the Indian bowlers, especially in the second session.

Brathwaite scored a patient 63 off 212 balls before MS Dhoni pulled off a smart stumping off Ojha to bring an end to his hard-fought innings. Brathwaite's knock was very crucial from the West Indies' point of view as Ojha and Ashwin were beginning to pose problems for the batsmen early in the match.
Brathwaite got his runs with nudges and steers through the third-man region, Chanderpaul looked intent on attacking the bowlers, especially the spinners, against whom he was not afraid to go down the wicket.
After the tea break, Chanderpaul looked more intent and carried foff from where he left before tea. Brathwaite, meanwhile, got to his fifty, his second in this form of the game, with a push to mid-on.

Earlier West Indies got off to a poor start as Ojha struck twice in the opening session and Ashwin took a wicket in the first over after lunch to put India on the top. Ojha dropped Kieran Powell (14) off his sixth delivery off his first over but made amends when he returned to trap the batsman leg before in his next over.
The turn Ojha generated prompted Dhoni to press Ashwin, who made his Test debut alongside paceman Umesh Yadav, into service from the other end and the pressure paid off.
Ojha struck again in the 24th over when the in-form Kirk Edwards (15) drove forwards to give the spinner a return catch. Ashwin got his first Test wickets when he took the important scalp of Darren Bravo (12) when the left-hander shaped for a cut shot. The batsman played too close to the body and was clean bowled.
Ashwin also dismissed experienced batsman Marlon Samuels in the third session by inducing an edge that was collected neatly by Dhoni behind the stumps.

3rd Test: SL 164-5, lead Pak by 237 runs

Sharjah: Left-handers Tharanga Paranavitana and Kumar Sangakkara struck half centuries on Sunday as Sri Lanka bid to level the series with victory over Pakistan in the third and final Test.
Paranavitana hit an undefeated 66 on the fourth day to lead Sri Lanka to a second-innings 164-5 at stumps, an overall advantage of 237 runs heading into the final day. Sangakkara was dismissed for 51.

Earlier Chanaka Welegedara's 5-87 helped Sri Lanka seize a first innings lead of 73 after bowling Pakistan out for 340 by lunch at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Opener Paranavitana hit four fours and a six while Sangakkara supplied early momentum by striking two fours and two sixes in 91 balls.
Pacer Umar Gul (2-35) and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal (2-44) were Pakistan's best bowlers.
Sri Lanka, trailing the series 1-0, got an early boost when Pakistan started the day at 282-6 in pursuit of the visitors' total of 413. Left-arm seamer Welegedara dismissed Abdur Rehman (3) with the final ball of the first over.
Rehman edged to second slip where Mahela Jayawardene fluffed the chance but Paranavitana at first slip was there to grab the rebound.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath (3-85) quickly claimed Gul for 5 caught at mid-off by Angelo Mathews. With Pakistan on 289-8, Sri Lanka sensed a big lead.
But Misbah-ul-Haq stretched his overnight 50 to within sight of a fourth Test century and shared a crucial ninth wicket stand of 47 with Ajmal (12 not out).
Misbah was dropped three times in the session — by wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva on 52, Angelo Mathews on 53, and Paranavitana on 66.
Misbah eventually went for 89, top-edging a sweep to provide off-spinner Suraj Randiv his first wicket in the innings. The right-handed batsman struck seven fours and a six off 261 balls.
Welegedara returned to mop up the innings and snare his maiden five-wicket haul in his 14th Test.
Last man Junaid Khan (0) had his off stump rattled by an outswinger from the 30-year-old Welegedara.
Pakistan struck early in Sri Lanka's second innings with success for Gul with the new ball.
Captain Tillakaratne Dilshan edged to third slip where Mohammad Hafeez grasped a low catch at 5-1.
Gul should have added the wicket of Paranavitana soon afterwards but Asad Shafiq grassed a sharp gully opportunity.

Paranavitana struggled to assert himself early but Sangakkara — fresh off a brilliant 144 in the first innings — passed 500 runs in the series before he fell soon after tea after sharing a second wicket partnership of 75 with Paranavitana.
Mahela Jayawardene completed a miserable series when he was leg before wicket to Gul for 20 at 127-3.
With an early declaration on Monday in mind, Sri Lanka tried to up the run rate in the final hour but lost the wickets of Mathews (13) and Kaushal Silva, both lbw to Ajmal playing across the line of off-breaks.
Paranavitana survived to the end with Kosala Kulasekara (4 not out), although the latter was lucky to survive a run out opportunity.
Pakistan won the second Test at Dubai by 9 wickets after a drawn first Test at Abu Dhabi.

Taylor century in vain as NZ win one-off Test

Bulawayo: New Zealand beat Zimbabwe by 34 runs on a thrilling final day Saturday in the one-off cricket Test, overcoming a brilliant century by captain Brendan Taylor.

Taylor led Zimbabwe to 265-3 at the tea break, needing 101 more runs to pull off a remarkable victory at Queens Sports Club, but when he fell to the second ball of the final session the home side collapsed.

Zimbabwe's middle order and tail crumbled under immense pressure to be all out for 331 with less than six overs of the match remaining.

Doug Bracewell spearheaded New Zealand's attack with three wickets in the session, removing Regis Chakabva (5), Njabulo Ncube (14) and Ray Price (4) to end with 5-85. Spinner Daniel Vettori chipped in with 3-71, all of the wickets coming in the last session.

"It was a great Test match and I have only played 31," said New Zealand captain Ross Taylor.

"All credit should go to (Tatenda) Taibu and Taylor for the way that they have batted, they made it look easy. But to get that wicket of Taylor after tea was a victory for us, and obviously the way Danny and Bracewell bowled won us the game."

The victory was New Zealand's first in a series since February 2010.

"It's always tough to play an international side in their country, that wicket was hard for the bowlers," Ross Taylor said. "You have to give all the credit to Brendan, he had an outstanding series and led from the front. To score a hundred and end up on the losing side is disappointing but going forward, Zim cricket's fortunes will change."

Brendan Taylor, who scored 50 in the first innings, hit 117 for his second Test century and third of the series across all formats, to add to his three half-centuries. Brendan Taylor smashed eight fours and five sixes from 145 balls before mis-hitting a Chris Martin wide delivery to be caught in the covers by BJ Watling on the second ball after tea to begin the slide.

"It was a great day of Test cricket, we showed a lot of character and determination," Brendan Taylor said. "We could have blocked out the game an hour before the end but we played positive cricket. All in all everyone can be happy with their efforts.

"Obviously there was a lot of responsibility on my shoulders to see the team through, but with Tatenda still at the crease and other good batsmen still to follow, I was very positive that they will do it. I would have liked to bat another hour and see the team through or draw the game."

Former skipper Taibu played a composed supporting role for his 63, putting on a 108-stand for the fourth wicket with Taylor. He faced 163 balls and cracked six fours and a six before becoming Vettori's first victim after tea.

"To be able to put the team in a winning position the way we did was a big effort but we are disappointed to have lost," Taibu said.

"The turning point was Brendan," said Zimbabwe coach Alan Butcher. "Had he batted for another hour we would have won, and also Taibu's dismissal. Our tail is very long and we don't get a lot of runs from them, it's something that we need to address. The guys are disappointed but as coach I'm happy with the way we played in the five days.

"To even contemplate a win under those circumstances shows how much we have progressed as a team."

After Zimbabwe resumed at 61-2 from the fourth day, Brendan Taylor shared a third-wicket partnership of 96 with opener Tino Mawoyo, who also scored at a good rate before being bowled by Martin Guptill for a measured 52.

Mawoyo faced 154 balls and hit four boundaries in an innings in which he gradually opened up.

New Zealand scored 426 and Ross Taylor boldly declared the second innings at 252-8, giving Zimbabwe, which scored 313 in the first, a shot at victory at 3 runs per over.

It was Zimbabwe's third Test since returning to the five-day format this year after a six-year absence. It beat Bangladesh in a one-off match and then lost to Pakistan.

3rd Test: Pak close Day 3 on 282-6 vs SL

Sharjah: Younis Khan hit a confident 122 on Saturday but Sri Lanka's bowlers hit back to keep Pakistan under pressure after day three of the third and final Test at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The hosts closed on 282-6, still trailing by 131 runs.

Younis' 18th Test century helped Pakistan recover from 35-2 at the start of the day. The former captain lashed 12 fours and two sixes off 211 balls in 291 minutes.

The right-hander shared successive partnerships of 98 and 100 partnerships with Azhar Ali (53) and captain Misbah-ul-Haq (50 not out) before Sri Lanka hit back in the final session.

Left-arm seamer Chanaka Welegedara (3-62) spearheaded the visitors' attack while left-arm spinner Rangana Herath grabbed 2-73.

Younis and Azhar dulled Sri Lanka's attack in the morning session as they repaired the damage of the previous evening when both openers perished cheaply.

The pair played out three consecutive maidens to start the day and only got the first run of their partnership after 51 deliveries.

But they soon came out of their shells to play some delightful strokes with Younis particularly strong on the sweep and driving down the ground.

One of the few anxious moments for Younis came on 30 when there was a rare miss attempting a sweep at Rangana Herath but the close lbw appeal was turned down.

The pair got through to lunch unscathed at 126-2 but was soon separated after resumption.

Azhar followed Younis to his half century after the break but was bowled by Kosala Kulasekara soon afterward to give the seamer his maiden Test wicket. Azhar departed after six fours off 164 balls.

Younis and Misbah shared a century stand either side of tea to further frustrate Sri Lanka as it presses for a series-leveling victory.

Younis, who needed 31 deliveries to get off the mark, arrived at three figures just before tea with a drive into the covers for a single.

Sri Lanka delayed taking the second new ball but struck immediately when it eventually arrived, with Welegedara claiming Younis, who was late on a defensive stroke and was bowled by an inswinger at 233-4.

Sri Lanka, without pacer Dhammika Prasad because of a thigh strain which has ruled him out of the rest of the Test, still managed to grab the initiative in the final hour.

Welegedara removed Asad Shafiq (16), who edged to wicketkeeper Kaushal Silva as he prodded tentatively forward to a slower ball.

Then, just before close, Herath trapped Adnan Akmal lbw for 7.

Misbah, subdued for most of his knock, reached his fifty in the penultimate over, off 158 balls. The 37-year-old hit four fours. Abdur Rehman was unbeaten on 3.