Virender Sehwag lit up the opening day of India’s first Test match in Pakistan for almost 15 years, and afterwards expressed a desire to go on tomorrow morning and become the first Indian to score a triple-century. He also surprised many by saying that he would still prefer to bat in the middle order if there was a vacant slot."It’s my best innings in Test cricket," he said of his 228 not out, refreshingly devoid of doubt at the end of a day of exhilarating batting. "And I would definitely like to go for 300 tomorrow."Sehwag was candid in his assessment of the pitch, saying that it was loaded in the batsmen’s favour, but adding, "You still have to apply yourself to make runs."After a blistering start to the one-day series at Karachi, Sehwag did little of note in the remaining four games. But he said that Test cricket was perfectly suited to his brand of batting. "In one-day cricket, you have to try and play a lot of shots in the first 15 overs. In Tests, you can wait for the loose balls, and it’s easier to hit boundaries." Pakistan learnt that the hard way, conceding a whopping 30 fours and five sixes to him.He added 183 with Sachin Tendulkar, whose contribution to the partnership was a subdued 60, and said that having his hero at the other end had been a big help. "Whenever I made a mistake or played a false shot, he would tell me from the non-striker’s end to just stick around and wait for the loose balls."Sehwag insisted that there were no nerves when he was on 199 for ten deliveries. "I was just waiting for the loose ball," he said, before adding that it was vitally important that he carried on rather than giving it away."At Melbourne [he made a dazzling 195 in five hours on Boxing Day], I got out and the team struggled afterwards," he said. "I knew that if I stayed not out today, it would benefit the side much more."When asked what words he had exchanged with Shoaib Akhtar, he smiled and said, "Nothing much, it was just banter." Shoaib, who went wicketless in 18 overs today, clearly didn’t see the funny side.Sehwag dedicated his innings to his parents and bride-to-be, adding that the innings was even more valuable given that it was India’s first match here in such a long time. "There are four days left," he said, "and if we play well tomorrow, we can win the game." A couple more hours of controlled mayhem will go a long way towards bringing that about.

A week on from Brian Lara’s epic quadruple-century against England in Antigua, and the backlash has begun Down Under. None other than Australia’s captain, Ricky Ponting, is leading a chorus of players and commentators who believe that Lara’s innings was self-centred, and has done the game more harm than good.”It’s hard to imagine an Australian player doing it,” Ponting told AAP, notwithstanding the fact that Matthew Hayden came within 20 runs of doing exactly that against Zimbabwe last October. "It’s generally not the way we play our cricket. Their whole first innings might have been geared around one individual performance and they could have let a Test match slip because of it. They ran out of time in the game – that’s not the way the Australian team plays.”Nevertheless, Ponting conceded that Hayden’s 380 at Perth did involve an exception to the team rule, as he was allowed to carry on batting with the record in sight. "It was a very rare thing, for Matty to be able to bat for as long as he did and go on and make that big score,” said Ponting. “He was given the opportunity to go on and break Brian’s record and he did that. He was going to be given another half an hour, or 20 minutes, to try to get to 400 but unfortunately he got out.”Ponting is one of a clutch of batsmen with the ability to overhaul Lara’s new record, although he was adamant that the team always comes first where Australian cricket is concerned. “Everyone will be chasing it, and it would be nice to be the world-record holder,” he admitted, "but as we’ve seen, it doesn’t necessarily win you a Test match, which is what we’re all about.” Mind you, if Australia’s Test series goes ahead against the weakened Zimbabweans next month, victory will be a foregone conclusion even before any thoughts turn to the record-books.Ponting’s sentiments have struck a chord with the former England captain and leading commentator, Tony Greig. “I’m certainly not raving about the innings,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “I have to praise it for the sheer fact that he stayed in for so long but it wasn’t an innings that you could be in awe of. It was clear he had the record in mind and was just going to keep on grinding it out until he got there. As far as I’m concerned that is not a good way to play the game, especially when you’re the captain. It shows that Brian Lara is not a very good captain.””It gives cricket fans there the chance to be euphoric for a while," added the ABC commentator, Jim Maxwell, "but there are big problems in cricket over there. There’s a lack of discipline, a lack of talent and the wrong people are in charge. Lara has been an inconsistent performer as leader. He’s 34 and this innings will give him more time, that’s all. It’s a shame because there are a lot of people over there who love cricket. But it’s fallen apart.”But Derrick Nicholas, the chief operations manager of the West Indies Cricket Board, had quite the opposite view. “It’s quite extraordinary,” he said. “I was in Antigua when he broke the record. The tributes were coming in from all the [Caribbean] heads of government; the feeling around the whole Caribbean has been fantastic. We believe Brian’s innings will renew interest from children in cricket.”

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Bangladesh have taken the most significant step yet in their coming-of-age as a Test nation, as the West Indian bowlers were first beaten back and then brushed aside on the final day in St Lucia. Their hero was Khaled Mashud – also known as Pilot – who steered Bangladesh to safety and beyond with his maiden Test century.Mashud’s efforts secured a lead of 336, which enabled Habibul Bashar, Bangladesh’s captain, to declare for the first time in his country’s history. As the West Indians wandered off the field like zombies, Mashud was cheered from the pitch by his team-mates, and slapped on the back by well-wishers. With 29 overs remaining, they were never going to force the victory that the country so craves, but they did everything that could possibly have been asked of them. It was a victory in all but name.In any ordinary circumstances, the finale of this match would have been pretty dull, regardless of Chris Gayle and Devon Smith’s piquant response, in which they clubbed 113 unbeaten runs as the match drifted to its conclusion. But the context alone ensured that could not be the case.Bangladesh had previously avoided defeat in just two of their 28 matches, and both of those owed everything to the weather. But here, in the Caribbean of all places, they not only defied all precedents, but mocked them as well. At one point in the overs leading up to tea, Habibul made as if to declare, but was dragged back into his seat by his team-mates, who were happy just to drink in the moment and wait for Mashud to reach his hundred.Mashud and the Bangladeshi tail batted with such consummate ease in the afternoon session that it was difficult to recall quite how perilous their position had been at the start of play. For the record, they had resumed on 94 for 6, with a fragile lead of 158, and had been four quick wickets away from conceding the advantage in a match that had they had dominated since the second day. But Rajin Saleh produced a fighting 51, before Mashud and Mohammad Rafique carried the team to lunch with an unbeaten 52-run stand for the eighth wicket.Eighty-one runs were added in that first session, and it was a measure of the spirit in the Bangladeshi camp that West Indies did not bowl especially badly. Tino Best, who had prompted last night’s collapse, resumed first thing and immediately found his range in a hostile spell, but was repeatedly beaten back by Saleh and Mashud, who both needed treatment after being rapped on the gloves and forearms in a bruising passage of play.At the other end, Pedro Collins kept the score in check with an immaculate line and gently outswinging length, and Bangladesh needed a considerable amount of luck to keep him at bay. Saleh edged him through gully for four and was then dropped next ball by Chris Gayle to move sheepishly to his half-century, and Mashud later fished a brace of fours through the cordon as well.West Indies made a solitary breakthrough, courtesy of the drinks break, as Fidel Edwards trapped Saleh lbw with his third delivery after the resumption. At 122 for 7, with more than 90 overs left to be bowled, West Indies were back in the hunt, but Mashud and Rafique carried the lead beyond 200 with a resolute partnership, and by lunch, Brian Lara had turned to his part-time spinners, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Gayle, in a vain pursuit of a breakthrough.That marked the end of the West Indian resistance. They were a broken team in the second session, as Lara persisted with the spinners, quite probably in a pointed gesture to the selectors who sent him into the game with four seamers on a featherbed of a track. Not that Rafique and Mashud minded – Mashud in particular had been uncomfortable against the short ball after Best’s barrage, but he gritted his teeth and battled his way to his century.Rafique was eventually caught behind off Sarwan for an invaluable 29, whereupon Tapash Baisya took up the mantle, only to fall on the stroke of tea. But, for the second time in his debut Test, Tareq Aziz rose above his No. 11 status to help out his team-mate. In the first innings he had seen Rafique to his century, this time Mashud was the beneficiary of his watchful approach.At the start of play, Bangladesh’s primary aim had been to keep West Indies in the field until lunch at the very least, thereby insuring against defeat. Now, however, they had earned themselves 29 overs to inflict some psychological scars ahead of the second Test. However, West Indies avoided humiliation, with Gayle in full flow as he flogged the ball to all parts. It was, however, a very hollow and all-too-late riposte.All of this was achieved without the presence of Bangladesh’s inspirational coach, Dav Whatmore. He flew home to attend the funeral of his brother-in-law, and is unlikely to return for the second Test. West Indies might have thought that would be a factor in their favour. They won’t be so sure now.

The USA have missed out in their bid to host matches during the 2007 World Cup, after the eight selected venues were announced in a press conference by the International Cricket Council. Bermuda and St Vincent were the other unlucky bidders, while a second Jamaican venue was also turned down.The USA is a major untapped market for cricket’s development, and Lauderhill in Florida had been widely tipped to host matches. But despite their expansionist aims, the ICC eventually decided to keep the World Cup an all-Caribbean affair, as it anticipated entry problems for players, and since no reassuarances were given to the ICC that travellers would not face problems entering the country. The decision is good news for St Kitts & Nevis, which had expected to be squeezed out in the final decision, but now have the chance to play host at the biggest sporting event ever held in the region.”Based on the strict criteria used for this event, [the USA] was eliminated,” said Ehsan Mani, the president of the ICC, although he added that the Lauderhill ground could still be used to host warm-up matches, along with Bermuda and St Vincent. Mani has been a driving force behind the globalisation of world cricket, although the need to resuscitate the game in the Caribbean was the tournament organisers’ first priority.”For many years, West Indies were the powerhouses of the sport, giving much joy and inspiration to the game around the world,” said Mani. “They deserve this opportunity and honour. There will be some disappointment among those venues not selected, but hosting the tournament is not simply about individual venues, but how the countries unite together to stage the event.”The cricket community is fully supportive of the West Indies and it is confident that the enthusiasm, commitment and energy of the West Indian people will unite with a collective effort to host a most successful tournament in 2007.”The eight venues were selected following a vigorous vetting process by the ICC’s Venue Assessment Team, which took into account various aspects including the stadium, operations, security, medical facilities, spectator facilities, finance, accommodation, political environment, local organising resources, media facilities, communications and marketing support.Teddy Griffith, the president of the West Indies Cricket Board, described the quality of the applications as “outstanding”, and believed they would leave a strong legacy for cricket in the West Indies. “We were highly impressed with the work done and the efforts made by the respective countries,” said Griffith. “The future of cricket in the West Indies can be sustained beyond 2007.”Of the eight venues for the tournament, six will be upgraded to seat an average of 20,000 spectators, while new venues will be built from scratch in Guyana and Antigua. The 2007 tournament will be the biggest World Cup yet, with 51 matches to be contested between 16 teams, two more than played in 2003. There will be four first-round groups, with the top two from each progressing to a new “Super Eight” second-round format.The schedule for the tournament, which begins in April 2007, will be announced at a press conference in the Caribbean on July 13.The venues
Antigua & Barbuda
Barbados
Grenada
Guyana
Jamaica I
St Kitts & Nevis
St Lucia
Trinidad & TobagoThe losers
Bermuda
Jamaica II
St Vincent & Grenadines
USA

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Glamorgan were back in whites for the first time in almost a month yesterday, as they faced Sri Lanka A on day one of a four-day match at Swansea. A strong Sri Lankan team, which has won seven of its nine matches on this tour and drew with West Indies over the weekend, took the upper hand on the first day, bowling Glamorgan out for 169 and ending the day nine runs ahead with seven wickets in hand after half-centuries from Ian Daniel and Jehan Mubarak.Glamorgan won the toss and opted to bat first, but got off to a less than ideal start when Mark Wallace fell to Nuwan Kulasekara for 11 (26 for 1). Kulasekara struck again when David Hemp was caught by Bathiya Perera for 10 (44 for 2), and David Hemp fell soon after, bowled by Ranga Dias for 3. After a rain-affected first session Glamorgan went to lunch at 51 for 3, but a 60-run partnership between Matthew Elliot and Jonathan Hughes raised their hopes in the afternoon.However, the introduction of spin into the attack in the form of Mohammad Suraj sparked a dramatic collapse, as Glamorgan lost their last seven wickets for only 58 runs in 21 overs. The first to go was Matthew Elliot, bowled by Suraj for 48 to break his promising partnership with Hughes (111 for 4). Suraj picked up 5 for 40 with his offspinners, also dismissing Ian Thomas and Hughes before Perera chipped in with the wickets of Robert Croft and David Harrison to leave Glamorgan on the brink at 162 for 8. Suraj wrapped up the innings soon afterwards, with Darren Thomas caught by Daniel for 16 and Andrew Davies trapped lbw for one.Harrison, who has not played since the end of June after being sidelined by injury, opened the bowling and struck with his fourth ball to have Shantha Kalavitigoda caught at slip for a duck as Glamorgan threatened a fight-back. Sri Lanka A were 52 for 2 when Harrison had Malintha Gajanayake caught behind for 19, but Daniel and Mubarak carried them out of trouble with a 57-run partnership. Daniel went to his half-century from 66 balls, but was out soon after, lofting Dean Cosker straight to Harrison at long off (109 for 3).Mubarak brought up his own 50 with a six off Cosker, and had added an unbeaten 69 in partnership with Perera (43*) to put Sri Lanka A firmly in control at stumps.

Pakistan A 262 for 3 (Bazid 74, Misbah 65*) beat Kenya 260 for 8 (Tikolo 121, Modi 55) by 7 wickets with 7.2 overs to spare
Scorecard

A 97-run third-wicket stand between Bazid Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq ensured that Pakistan A nailed down a competitive target and qualified for the finals – against India A – in the triangular one-day series in Nairobi. Kenya may have felt they had enough runs on the board after Steve Tikolo hit a magnificent 121 to guide them to 260, but Bazid (74) and Misbah (65 not out) led the run-chase as Pakistan A eventually won comfortably, by seven wickets with more than seven overs to spare.In a match which both teams needed to win to qualify for the finals, Kenya won the toss and, after a wobbly start, got back on track when Tikolo and Hitesh Modi added 130 for the fourth wicket. They came together after Kenya had slumped to 59 for 3, losing Kennedy Otieno, Ravindu Shah and Malhar Patel. Both were eventually run out, and Kenya lost their way somewhat thereafter.Pakistan’s top-order batsmen all got starts. Kamran Akmal (36) and Naved Ashraf (41) got the team off to a fluent start, and while both failed to convert their starts into something more substantial, they had at least ensured against early hiccups. Bazid and Misbah then built on that with a vital partnership in the middle overs, while Faisal Iqbal provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 32, to ensure a fourth encounter against India A, against whom they have lost all three matches in this tournament.

If Darren Lehmann is seeking publicity for his new book, he could not be doing a better job. The title is Darren Lehmann: Worth the Wait, but today he was wondering whether his half-century was worth the gait as he tore his right hamstring. He could be playing his last Test.The return of Ricky Ponting is now days away and the tour’s big decision – Michael Clarke or Lehmann – may have been made with a hastily taken second run. With back-to-back matches Lehmann has little time for recovery. Perhaps it is one he does not want to make.When the praise from Clarke’s first Test settled, Lehmann pulled out the incredible line that he was prepared to give him his own spot when Ponting arrived. It was definitely the view of a committed team man, yet it was also good public relations, and raised his profile. Adam Gilchrist insisted it was not a retirement decision, but a couple of former players, including the ex-Victoria wicketkeeper Darren Berry, hinted that this series would be Lehmann’s last.A sick mother, the death of his friend David Hookes and a young family are reasons why home appeals more than hotels. Lehmann also has the satisfaction of playing 23 Tests after waiting almost a decade – hence the book title – between a 12th-man appearance, and his first innings against India in March 1998.Before the third Test of this series he had scored 67 runs, but he quickly showed his batting value, whether crabbing across the crease or driving strongly, and doubled his tally. After the pressure of the past three weeks, the hamstring tear had a comical element, and Lehmann couldn’t help but chuckle between winces.Matthew Hayden hulked out to act as a runner but Lehmann’s movement was restricted and he was dropped by Sachin Tendulkar before falling to a late cut off Murali Kartik. It was a slow walk to the treatment table with a couple of head shakes. But with Damien Martyn, whose play was breathless, he had raced Australia away from a limping period during which three wickets fell for 19 runs. Using quick acceleration, the pair upped the run rate for the second session to almost five an over.Relaxed by his match-saving century at Chennai and a Singapore mini-break, Martyn looked like the shotmaker of his youth. In Chennai his first lofted shot was the six to bring up his century. Here he went over the top before reaching fifty, as he took three boundaries from one Anil Kumble over. There would be 13 more fours and a towering six before he mis-hit one on 114.Under this pressure India, who were desperately missing the sick Harbhajan Singh, flagged, and Lehmann and Martyn charged through 148 runs. Lehmann departed shortly before tea; Clarke symbolically replaced him, making another high-energy contribution. The future appears bright, and although this chapter is too late for the book, Lehmann’s career might be worth reading about.Peter English is the Australasian editor of Wisden Cricinfo.