India close in on 5-0 sweep over England

MUMBAI  - World champions India stayed on course for a clean sweep of the one-day series against England with a six-wicket win in the fourth match here on Sunday.

Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina hit half-centuries as the hosts made light of a bad start to overhaul England's modest 220 all out in the 41st over of their innings in the day-night match.

Raina smashed 80 off 62 balls and Kohli made an unbeaten 86, the pair having put on 131 for the fourth wicket after India were reduced to 46-3 in the 14th over.

Another win in Tuesday's final one-dayer at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata will give Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men a resounding 5-0 series win over Alastair Cook's struggling tourists.

The emphatic victory was set up by the bowlers who shot England out for a modest total in India's first match at the Wankhede stadium since winning the World Cup final against Sri Lanka in April.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shattered the top order with 3-38, before 21-year-old debutant fast bowler Varun Aaron polished off the tail with 3-24 on a slow wicket.

Tim Bresnan top-scored with 45 and Kevin Pietersen made 41, but five England batsmen failed to reach double-figures after Cook won the toss and elected to bat.

"We want to finish the series on a high, but we will have to play good cricket again in Kolkata to win," Dhoni said, when asked if a 5-0 scoreline was on his mind.

"Overall the team has performed very well in the series. With so many young players in the side the fielding has been good. Varun bowled quick and that's one thing we are looking for."

Cook rued his team's low total that cost England the match.

"We fell short again," he said. "A lot of our top order got in. It's been quite similar all through this tour. In Indian conditions, once you get in, you've got to get a 70, 80, 90.

"We kept losing wickets, and 220 was not enough. I can't fault the desire and commitment from the lads in training, but we're just not performing.

"We've got one more left and we're desperate to try and get a win," the England captain said.

The tourists went into the match with with a new-look attack that included 21-year-old Durham leg-spinner Scott Borthwick and 22-year-old Surrey fast bowler Stuart Meaker.

The two youngsters, who replaced Graeme Swann and Jade Dernbach, went for a combined tally of 104 runs in 17 overs.

Fast bowler Steven Finn dealt two early blows when he bowled Parthiv Patel and Gautam Gambhir in successive overs to leave India on 21-2 by the eighth over.

It soon became 46-3 when Meaker had Ajinkya Rahane caught behind, but Kohli and Raina settled in to deny England another quick breakthrough.

NZ beat Zimbabwe to clinch ODI series

Harare: Martin Guptill smashed 105 to steer New Zealand to a four wicket win over Zimbabwe in the second one-day international on Saturday.

Guptill faced 121 balls and cracked nine boundaries as the Kiwis overhauled Zimbabwe's total of 259-8 to clinch the three match ODI series.

New Zealand finished on 261-6 off 48.2 overs.

Guptill put on a 157-run second wicket partnership with Brendon McCullum (87), aided by dropped catches from Zimbabwe.

Earlier, Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor scored an undefeated 107 to become the first Zimbabwean to score back-to-back hundreds in international cricket.

The third and final one-dayer is on Tuesday at Bulwayo.

Rudolph back in SA Test squad after 5 years

Johannesburg: Left-handed batsman Jacques Rudolph was on Saturday recalled to the South African Test squad for a two-match series against Australia next month.

Two uncapped players, leg-spinner Imran Tahir and all-rounder Vernon Philander, were named in the 14-man squad for the series, which starts in Cape Town on November 9. The second match will be in Johannesburg from November 17.

Selection convener Andrew Hudson said Rudolph would open the batting with captain Graeme Smith.

"His experience and current form make him an asset to the Proteas and at the age of 30, he has plenty of good years of cricket ahead of him."

Rudolph has played in 35 Tests but his most recent appearance was against Sri Lanka in 2006. He then lost his place and opted for a Kolpak contract with English county Yorkshire.

Since returning to South Africa at the end of his contract, Rudolph has been in prolific form with the Titans. He was the leading scorer in the domestic four-day competition last season and has been in prolific form this season, hitting 568 runs in three matches at an average of 94.66 with a double century, a century and three fifties.

Pakistan leg-spinner Tahir qualified for South Africa at the beginning of the year and was one of South Africa's outstanding bowlers at the 2011 Cricket World Cup. His selection in the Test side was widely expected, although the current spin bowling incumbent, left-armer Paul Harris, is also in the squad.

Pace bowler Philander topped the domestic four-day bowling averages in the past two seasons.

The squad includes batsman AB de Villiers who is recovering from a broken hand. He will have to pass a fitness Test.

South African squad: Graeme Smith (c), AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher (wk), JP Duminy, Paul Harris, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Sangakkara's 211 saves Sri Lanka

Kumar Sangakkara hit his eighth double hundred to all but ensure Sri Lanka avoid defeat in the first Test against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi stadium on Saturday.

The 33-year-old left-hander made 211 and together with Prasanna Jayawardene, who was unbeaten on 110 - his fourth Test hundred - steered Sri Lanka to 6-434 at tea on the fifth and final day, an overall lead of 120 after overturning a 314-run deficit.

Sangakkara finally fell in the last over before tea, when he was trapped leg-before by the part-time leg-spinner Azhar Ali for his first wicket in Test cricket but not before he had frustrated Pakistan for almost two sessions.

Sangakkara batted for 651 minutes, faced 431 deliveries and hit 18 boundaries during an epic knock.

Sangakkara flicked paceman Aizaz Cheema to fine-leg for his 18th boundary to reach his double hundred after 604-minutes of defiant batting.

Together with Prasanna, Sangakkara added 201 for the unbroken sixth wicket stand, erasing the previous best of 169 in Pakistan-Sri Lanka Tests for this wicket between Kamran Akmal and Yasir Arafat at Karachi two years ago.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq employed all possible means but the Sangakkara-Prasanna pair did not served up any chances. Prasanna reached his hundred with his 11th boundary, an uppish drive off spinner Saeed Ajmal.

He has so far hit 12 boundaries during his supplementary knock.

Resuming at 5-298 Sri Lanka survived the morning session unscathed as the overnight pair of Sangakkara and Prasanna kept Pakistan's three-pronged pace attack at bay to take their team to 5-364 at lunch.

Prasanna, dropped by substitute Wahab Riaz off Gul on 11 - one of six catches Pakistani fielders dropped on Friday - hit Aizaz Cheema and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal for consecutive boundaries to help Sri Lanka erase the deficit.

Sangakkara, whose wicket is crucial for both Pakistan and Sri Lanka then came into his own hitting Ajmal for an exquisite cover drive to the ropes.

Pakistan used all five bowlers but were left to rue the missed chances of Friday which could spoil their chances of taking the lead in the three-Test series.

The second Test starts in Dubai on October 26, while the third will be played in Sharjah from November 3.

1st Test: Sangakkara keeps sloppy Pak at bay

Abu Dhabi: Kumar Sangakkara put his wealth of experience on show with a pugnacious unbeaten hundred to keep Pakistan's victory bid on hold in the first Test on Friday.

The 33-year-old left-hander notched 161 for his 26th Test hundred to help Sri Lanka, trailing by 314 runs in the first innings, reach 298-5 in their second knock at close on the fourth day at Abu Dhabi stadium. They need only 16 runs to make Pakistan bat again, and will look to bat out at least two of the three sessions on the fifth and final day to salvage an unlikely draw.

Sangakkara found an able ally in Prasanna Jayawardene (25 not out) to fight off the second new ball, with which paceman Umar Gul struck with the first delivery to remove Angelo Mathews (22). The Sangakkara-Jayawardene stand for the sixth wicket has so far yielded 65 runs.

Playing his 101st Test, Sangakkara took the fight to the Pakistani bowlers, adding an invaluable 153 runs for the second wicket with opener Lahiru Thirimanne, who made a career-best 68.

Walking into bat after Sri Lanka lost opener Tharanga Paranavitana off the very first ball of their second innings on Thursday, Sangakkara batted with resolve as Sri Lanka, resuming at 47-1, reached 125-1 by lunch.

Pakistan then hit back by dismissing Thirimanne soon after lunch, run out after the opener tried to take a second run but failed to beat a throw from the fine-leg by Azhar Ali.

Seven runs later, Mahela Jayawardene (four) played on to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal before paceman Junaid Khan bowled skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan through the gate for nine, leaving Sri Lanka at 191-4.

Despite losing partners, Sangakkara kept his cool, hitting Khan for his 11th boundary to reach the three-figure mark, his sixth against Pakistan. He has so far hit 16 boundaries off 295 balls.

Sangakkara said it was one of his best hundreds."It would have been nice had I got it in the first innings but it was a tough fight and one of my better hundreds," said Sangakkara. "But there is still work left and if we don't lose a wicket, perhaphs we are able to put some pressure back on Pakistan."

"Anything between 100 or 150 would be a fantastic lead, let's see tomorrow, we want come out fighting again. I feel fantastic and great, once you bat and do the hard work for the team its great."

Pakistan spilled as many as six catches, three off Thirimanne, which helped Sri Lanka fight back. Khan, who destroyed Sri Lanka with 5-38 in their first innings of 197, was the unlucky bowler on three occasions as Mohammad Hafeez grassed two regulation catches in the slip off Thirimanne when he was on 40.

Much to Khan's disappointment Younis Khan held a sharp edge off Sangakkara but the catch was disallowed by the umpires as the ball had bounced before getting into the hands of the slip fielder.

Pakistan again let off Sangakkara when Younis failed to hold onto a sharp edge when a Saeed Ajmal delivery surprised the left-handed batsman, then batting on 56.

Pakistan also let off Prasanna when substitute fielder Wahab Riaz failed to catch a miscued hook off Gul when the batsman was on 12.

The two remaining Test matches in the series, shifted to neutral venues over security fears in Pakistan, will be played in Dubai (October 26-30) and Sharjah (November 3-7).

1st Test: B'desh end Day 1 at 255-4 vs WI

Chittagong: Opener Tamim Iqbal scored a steady half-century and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim remained unbeaten on 68 to help Bangladesh reach 255-4 at stumps on Friday's opening day of the first Test against West Indies.

Resuming at 165-3 after tea, Bangladesh lost Shakib Al Hasan, the only wicket in the final session, but Rahim batted confidently to ensure that the hosts enjoyed a solid start at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium. Shakib (40) was caught by wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh off Marlon Samuels (2-67).

Bangladesh were 74-1 at lunch but lost two more wickets in the second session as West Indies tried to break through the hosts' top order.

Rahim collected his total from 144 balls that included five boundaries. He remained unbeaten along with Naeem Islam, who was not out on 8 at the close of play.

Iqbal collected his 52 from 141 balls that included five boundaries before he was caught by Kraigg Brathwaite off Samuels with Bangladesh on 110.

Skipper Darren Sammy (1-43) trapped Raqibul Hassan lbw on 41 in the 56th over.

Earlier, Bangladesh made a good start to justify their decision to bat first by moving to a creditable 74-1 at lunch.

Opener Imrul Kayes scored 10 before becoming the only player dismissed in the opening session, caught by Baugh off Ravi Rampaul.

Shahriar Nafees reached 21 before retiring hurt when a bouncer from Fidel Edwards struck him on the face after slipping through the grille of his helmet.

Nasir Hossain and Mohammad Ilias Sunny are making their Test debuts for Bangladesh.

West Indies named Baugh as wicketkeeper, replacing Denesh Ramdin, who was behind the stumps in a limited-overs game between the sides.