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India have a lot on their plate as they move to Sri Lanka for the triangular series. They have a new coach and a new captain; Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly are missing and a few seniors have been asked to prove themselves all over again. Merely winning will not satisfy them. They seek a few critical answers with the 2007 World Cup in mind.It amuses me to see so much of a build up in India over Greg Chappell, the new coach. Everyone expects him to conjure up miracles. Unfortunately, cricket does not work that way. A good team wins because it has worked out a good combination, its wheels are running on a good piston and engine. Just one factor is not decisive. I have seen good teams win even when they have had a bad coach, as bad teams have lost even when a super coach has worked tirelessly. It’s a combination in the park which does the trick.Similarly, Rahul Dravid as a new captain cannot provide all the answers straightaway. He is an experienced guy who has constantly striven to improve himself. But he will miss the experience of Tendulkar and Ganguly, two guys who not very long ago appeared to have a 99-year lease at the batting crease in the one-day context. Dravid is expecting the seniors to show the freshness of youngsters, and the rookies to play with a mature head.It is important for India to find most of these answers in Sri Lanka for two reasons. One, they face Sri Lanka in their own group in the 2007 World Cup. Two, conditions in the Caribbean are largely similar to what exist in Sri Lanka. A good performance will show them they are on the right path.Unfortunately, it will not be easy. Sri Lanka has lost only one of their last nine games at home. In the last five years, India has won just three and lost six one-day matches in Sri Lanka. Most of Sri Lanka’s top forces remain unmoved. Sanath Jayasuriya recently has not been in good touch in one-dayers but the sight of Indian bowlers nearly always gets him going. Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralitharan, as they have showed against an admittedly weak West Indies side, still retain a voracious appetite. These three will ask a few technical questions of the Indian players. Jayasuriya, with all the talk about cramping him up, still finds room to play his on-side strokes or leans back to crunch it through point. Vaas disguises his indippers beautifully and does not need much support from his close-in fielders. A few full-throated appeals for lbw nearly always find the umpire’s approval. As for Murali, it is some wonder that a ‘How-To-Play-Murali’ guide has not attracted a writer or a publisher. They would be assured all the batsmen of the world will queue up to pounce on the offering.I have not seen many young Indian batsmen, or for that matter batsmen worldwide, do a particularly good job of picking up Murali’s wrong’uns. Once you commit yourself, it becomes very difficult to counter him. Vaas too is brilliant in confounding batsmen with movement either way without any discernible change in action. Not to forget Nuwan Zoysa who is as stingy as they come. Zoysa has worked in the shadow of superstars butwithin the Sri Lankan team we know his worth. Jayasuriya as a bowler is not an insignificant force either. All these years, Sri Lanka have been indebted to these four bowling aces. What is the best way to play them? It is something which Dravid and Chappell, and all those young and not-so-young Indian batsmen will have to find out themselves. Should they take them on or simply try to play out the quota of overs from Murali and Vaas? It would be dangerous to go with a pre-conceived notion.A lot depends on the wicket, surface, conditions and the field setting. A good coach and captain should not lose sight of the abetting factors. It was only last year when I predicted that India could win the 2007 World Cup. Since then they have slipped up dramatically. Their consistency is missing and I also believe they are ageing a bit. Look at Australia – advancing years are asking them a few tough questions too. Not that there should be question-marks about VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble’s presence in a one-day side. Without them India would have been too light on experience in Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka are nearly impregnable at home because the conditions suit their composition to the hilt. At the moment, their batsmen are a little untidy but the Tests against West Indies would ease them into a good rhythm for the triangular series. They are a good unit which would look to play to their potential against India. Somehow, they never fail to getinspired at the sight of an Indian team.

Sri Lanka 5 for 411 (Atapattu 133, Sangakkara 74, Samaraweera 53*) trail Australia 517 by 106 runs
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Australia have not lost a Test in Queensland in 15 years, which is almost aslong as Joh Bjelke-Petersen – implausibly undemocratic yet unfailinglypopular – spent running the joint. For two hours this morning Sri Lanka, ledby their admirable captain Marvan Atapattu, made slow but steady inroadsinto one of cricket’s safest fiefdoms. Just as slowly, and a little lesssteadily, Australia’s bowlers hit back with two pantomime wickets afterlunch and another after tea. By the end of a tense and twisting third day’splay, prematurely cut off by rain and bad light, Sri Lanka trailed by 106runs with five wickets in hand.Commonsense and recent history dictates that if any side is to win thisintriguing contest, which has spawned 928 runs in three days, it must beAustralia. Before lunch, however, with Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene infull effortless swing, anything seemed possible. Ricky Ponting juggled hisbowlers and shuffled his field, in much the same way Bjelke-Petersen used toshuffle the electoral boundaries when he was in a tight spot. It workedwonders for old Joh but brought only frustration for Ponting, captainingAustralia for the first time on home soil. Seldom were the batsmeninconvenienced, much less imperilled.The history of Sri Lankan batting has mostly been a story of dashers andcrashers, of destroyers and de Silvas. Apart from occasional outbreaks ofdogged mutiny – or dogged Wettimuny, if you want to get really specific -the general philosophy has been to hit out lest you get out.Atapattu is cut from different cloth: hard to distract from the task athand, even harder to dislodge once set. His 133 today was his third hundredin five innings since taking over the captaincy from Hashan Tillakaratne,another resilient type. It would be premature to leap to conclusions – twoof those centuries came against a team masquerading as Zimbabwe’s 4th XI,after all – but he would appear to be grooming this Sri Lankan side in hisown image.Where Tillakaratne could be unflappable to the point of strokelessness,Atapattu exudes a sense of purpose about his patience. This morning he wasscintillating through the covers, severe on anything short and stoic at allother times. So prolific was he on the cover-drive that Ponting, more inhope than inspiration, planted a row of three short covers with the aim ofluring a catch. Atapattu kept his head and the ball along the ground – andhe kept cover-driving too. With yet another clinical snap of the wrists, hebrought up his 15th Test hundred.Much of the pre-play pontificating had inevitably centred on Shane Warne,and whether yesterday’s ominous late spell might mean he stood a better thaneven chance of breaking Muttiah Muralitharan’s world record. Happily fornostalgics, today’s play was televised ad-free throughout Australia on theABC, with Channel 9 preferring to serve up a midwinter’s footy smorgasbord.Kerry Packer, confronted by the vague possibility of his star employee’scrowning moment, might briefly have entertained second thoughts.He needn’t have fretted. Atapattu sat on Warne for the most part and pouncedon anything short, twice cutting him for three and once pulling him forfour. Warne was removed after two overs, brought back on the hour, butlacked verve and variety, turning his legbreak painfully slowly. At theother end Jayawardene looked no less secure, albeit slightly less likely toset hearts aflutter. Sri Lanka, resuming on 2 for 184, went to lunch at 2for 280. If not quite in the ascendancy, they had at least got the better ofAustralia for the fourth consecutive session.Old habits, however, tend to die hard. Two hours of grinding certainty werelargely undone in two overs of blinding recklessness. Glenn McGrath, after atight but rarely testing opening spell, tossed down a slow loosener secondball after the break. Atapattu, the lunchtime barramundi barely digested,caressed it sleepily to gully. Next over Michael Kasprowicz dug in a shortball high outside off. Jaywardene, apparently attempting to swat itcrossbatted over the bowler’s head, succeeded only in hoicking it straightup for a return catch.Tillakaratne Dilshan uncoiled successive pulls for four off McGrath to carrySri Lanka past the target, probably notional, to avoid the follow-on. He andThilan Samaraweera calmly added 65 before post-break madness descendedagain. Dilshan had lunged forward at one of Warne’s sliders just before teaand survived a convincing lbw appeal. Now, with only three runs added, hecharged at Warne, failed to get to the pitch of the ball and drilled itstraight to mid-on, where Kasprowicz juggled a comfortable catch. Victim522; the record hunt was on again.

For a few moments Warne, perhaps sensing it was now or never, looked his oldself. He mixed his flight and varied his pace; his drift, more importantly,had re-materialised. The new man Romesh Kaluwitharana, playing his firstTest in a year, appeared temporarily dumbstruck but soon settled, using hisfeet industriously and adding a vital 66 runs with Samaraweera.It felt like an important innings for Samaraweera who, until today, averaged71 at home and only 18 away. Unlike his skipper he scarcely drove at all,preferring to wriggle inside the line and alternately hook over square legor spoon over third man. By stumps, light-footed and inventive, he was notout on 53, his first Test half-century abroad.And so for the second time a Test match in Australia’s tropics extends to afourth day. A result one way or the other still looks a fair possibility,despite the blustery rain and gloomy light – another first on this Top EndTour – which cajoled the players off the field 21 overs early.Ah, the Queensland weather. There’s one thing even Bjelke-Petersen couldn’tfix.

Somerset stage their biggest match of the season so far when they take on county champions Surrey in the fourth round of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy at the County Ground in Taunton tomorrow.Whilst the Cidermen have won three out of their four championship matches and are currently top of Division Two their one-day form has been disappointing, and they have been successful in just one of their five National League starts.However they won their C and G third round tie against Scotland by an overwhelming margin, and have every intention of returning to Lords for the final at the end of August so Surrey will be aware that their trip to the west country will be anything but easy.On the contrary the last time that the two sides met in the competition four years ago at the semi final stage it was the Cidermen who had the last laugh thanks to a fine 114 from Jamie Cox that won him the `Man of the Match’ award and a miserly 4 for 43 in his ten over spell from all rounder Keith Parsons.1999 was Cox’s first season with Somerset, but the Tasmanian told me that the cricketing giants from the south east who are table topping in the top flight of both the county championship and the National Cricket League hold no fear for him."During the time that I have been with the county Surrey have never beaten us in a one day cricket match so we have every reason to feel confident going into tomorrow’s game. There’s nothing I would like more than to be in the final of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy at the end of this season. It’s every cricketer’s dream to walk out at Lord’s in front of a full house, " he said.Tickets for tomorrow’s big match have been going well and the county are expecting a large crowd, but they will be available on the gate, however the advice is to get to the ground in plenty of time to avoid disappointment.The match is being televised and because of this no parking will be available on the ground. However alternative parking arrangements have been made in Victoria Park, which is only a five minute walk from the County Ground, and will be well signposted.Chief executive Peter Anderson said: "This is a huge match for us and we are hoping that all of our followers across the south west will turn out in numbers to support us. To win the C and G again is one of our two objectives this season, but first of all have to beat Surrey who will be fielding a side packed with international cricketers so this will be a game that nobody will want to miss."

Ian Ward dominated the Glamorgan bowling with an aggressive 63 from just 65 balls when Surrey were finally able to begin their reply to Glamorgan’s 258 all out at a rainy and windswept Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.Play did not start until 3.30 when 40 overs were scheduled but two interruptions for rain reduced that still further before Surrey closed the second day on 140-1 from the 39 overs Glamorgan commendably sent down in exactly two hours’ playing time.Ward and Michael Carberry began confidently against Glamorgan’s opening attack of Steve Watkin and Darren Thomas although it was Ward who did most of the scoring and displayed an attractive range of strokes, especially on the offside.He reached his half-century out of the 68 runs on the board with his ninth bounadry, a classical straight drive off Adrian Dale, from only 48 balls and added two more fours before Watkin got one to move back into him and rattle his stumps.Mark Butcher and Carberry then took up the cause, Carberry striking boundaries off both Watkin and Robert Croft while Butcher effortlesly drove Dean Cosker through extra cover for four to maintain the tempo.At the close, Surrey trailed by 118 runs but, more importantly, they were just 60 short of the one point they still need to be mathematically certain of avoiding relegation.

ScorecardJonny Bairstow continued his rich run of form•Getty Images

Jonny Bairstow is, by his own admission, in the form of his life, and for Yorkshire’s hopes of retaining the County Championship it is just as well.On a day of dramatic contrasts, his outstanding 108 from 139 balls was as cloudless and uncomplicated as the late-evening sunshine that replaced the torrential thunderstorm that struck midway through the afternoon session.With 15 fours, each as emphatic as the next, he provided ballast and acceleration in equal measure as, between them, the other 11 wickets that fell on the first day at Edgbaston mustered 105 runs from 262 deliveries.Chris Wright led the line for Warwickshire with 5 for 40 in 16.2 overs before Ryan Sidebottom, with a pair of those prodigious inswingers that have so long been his trademark, struck back with a vengeance for Yorkshire with two scalps in the first three balls of Warwickshire’s reply.Varun Chopra, the Warwickshire captain, fell shouldering arms for a first-ball duck, a scalp that Bairstow was even able to claim as his own, after predicting to his team-mates that the wicket was about to fall. His soothsaying will, he later claimed, cost him a round of drinks in the bar, but that is nothing compared to the tab that his team-mates owe him for digging them out of a hole.There was nothing especially threatening in the conditions when Andrew Gale won the toss for Yorkshire and chose to bat. But with Oliver Hannon-Dalby and Wright finding prodigious movement from the outset, survival appeared to be a complicated business.Bairstow arrived in the 12th over of the day with his team already in considerable strife at 26 for 3. Wright had claimed both of the first two wickets to fall; Will Rhodes, who was trapped on the crease by an inducker and bowled for 10, and Jack Leaning, who squirted a thick edge to Jeetan Patel at third slip having flashed the first ball of the same over through the cordon for his only scoring shot.Hannon-Dalby, who found extravagant new-ball movement in the early cloud cover, was then rewarded for his perseverance as Gale, the Yorkshire captain, flashed a lifter to Chopra at first slip for 1.Though the introduction of Boyd Rankin offered temporary respite as his ten overs were dispatched for 50 runs, the spin of Jeetan Patel was a misleading panacea. Alex Lees had seen off the new ball with some patience, but lost the plot in Patel’s first over as he gave the offie the charge and was stumped by the length of the A38(M).Aaron Finch provided Bairstow with the closest thing to a sidekick, as he finished up as Yorkshire’s second-highest scorer with 28, an innings that seemed forever one shot away from either ruin or a breakthrough. Rikki Clarke ensured it was the former by trapping him lbw to end a fifth-wicket stand of 74, whereupon Tim Bresnan, whose last partnership with Bairstow had been worth a cool 366 up at Chester-le-Street, became Clarke’s second victim, well caught by the stand-in keeper, Peter McKay, who was a late replacement after Tim Ambrose was struck down by a stomach complaint.The 20-year-old McKay did spill the one clear-cut opportunity that Bairstow offered, in the final over before lunch, as Wright induced a strangle down the leg-side that bobbled out of his glove as his elbow hit the turf. He made amends for that miss, however, with a fine one-handed take in front of first slip to send Steven Patterson on his way for 11, after Hannon-Dalby had ended a streaky innings from James Middlebrook, via a snick to Clarke at second slip.Bairstow looked set to be stranded on 94 overnight when, shortly before 5pm, the heavens opened with a downpour so biblical it lacked only the plague of locusts. However, not even the skies can limit his current form. There are three Yorkshire batsmen in England’s Ashes squad already. On this form, few would argue with a fourth joining the fray before the series is done.

New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Mills and allrounder Jacob Oram have been declared fit and will be available to participate in the Indian Premier League, which begins on April 18.Mills and Oram had missed the third Test of the home series against England because of a knee and hip injury respectively but both players passed fitness tests in Christchurch on Tuesday.”We both passed with flying colours so we’re getting packed and getting ready to go to India,” Mills told Radio Sport. “I have the feeling it’s [IPL] going to be a really intense competition. It’s all the best players in world cricket coming together. They’re not going to slacken off. We get the feeling it’s going to be around a long time and that it is going to expand.”Mills will fly to India on Friday to join the Mohali team while Oram will head to Chennai where he will play alongside his former captain Stephen Fleming. The other New Zealand players involved in the IPL are Daniel Vettori (Delhi), Scott Styris (Hyderabad), Ross Taylor (Bangalore) and Brendon McCullum (Kolkata).Vettori, Oram, McCullum, Mills and Taylor will play four Twenty20 games for their franchises before joining the New Zealand squad on their tour of England on May 1.

It’s like an impossible dream come true, but unless Adrian Barath is watching, listening and learning from all that is going on around him during a hectic few days in London, he may just become another one of those many talented but inconsistent performers in this long, nightmarish period in West Indies cricket.The 17-year old must be the envy of millions right now. A special guest of batting legend Brian Lara, he is experiencing the life of the sporting superstar in one of the most fashionable and historic cities in the world. From the luxury hotels to the VIP treatment every step of the way to the lavish receptions in exclusive company, it surely seems too good to be true for the Presentation College schoolboy who still has another three seasons to go at under-19 level.For all the disappointment of seeing West Indies capitulate once again on Sunday, the no-contest out in the middle in the first ODI against England may have actually been a distraction from rubbing shoulders with many of the former and contemporary greats of the game in one of the executive boxes at Lord’s. Coming a day after he sampled the Centre Court atmosphere from the extremely privileged position of the Royal Box while watching defending Wimbledon women’s singles champion Amelie Mauresmo in action, Barath already has enough experiences to fill several pages in a “What I did on vacation” essay.But for a young cricket fanatic who aspires to join the ranks of the immortal heroes of the West Indian game, the best of it all comes tonight when he sits alongside his hero in exalted company at a glittering gala function in the Lord’s Long Room honouring Lara’s record-breaking contribution to the game.You can only imagine what it must be like for him. Unless he is super cool (that title already belongs to Chris Gayle, so it would have to be something else) or supremely confident in his own ability to blaze a trail of glory in time, it can almost be intimidating to indulge in old talk with the likes of Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar or observe from close quarters as the Australian champion legspinner and Indian batting maestro laugh and joke in the midst of an unending succession of anecdotes recalling on-field duels and off-field antics with Lara.But for all of the gilt-edged opportunities for autographs and photographs that will become cherished mementoes or expensive memorabilia in years to come, the real value of this star-studded evening will come from absorbing all that these outstanding performers have to say about the game. Much of it will seem like foolishness and general old talk.However, in between, he should be able to get a feel of the personalities behind the imposing auras and staggering achievements, an understanding of the degree of self-belief and the burning desire to excel that have propelled these players to heights that everyone else can only aspire to.

Sometimes, all it takes are a few words in a receptive ear to make all the difference. In an era when the evidence is there in black and white in a succession of scorebooks that listening and learning are not very high on the list of priorities among current Caribbean cricketers, Barath would have committed that same cardinal error if enlightenment from the function came only in an understanding of the irrelevant, nonsensical intricacies of hoity-toity table manners.These are the moments that can change a young man’s life, in either direction. Already hailed in some quarters of a local media desperate to anoint a successor to Lara as our next great batting gift to the world, Barath has a very long way to go to even begin to approach the dizzyingly high standards set by the players he admires most. But, significantly, he has the considerable benefit of youth on his side, so the challenge for him is to make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as part of the greater goal of fulfilling long-term objectives and not joining the majority of the mindless crowd who continue to live fast and loose, only to recognise the folly of their ways when it is too late.Not everyone gets the chance to be a VIP guest of Lara or Dwight Yorke or Ato Boldon or Stephen Ames. But wise words and sincere counsel are also available at the more modest and anonymous levels of the home environment. Although the perspective of having excelled at the highest level is an invaluable one, there are certain fundamental truths that have never changed, whether batting in the nets at Presentation College or in front of a full house of 90,000 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.In a culture that almost automatically ranks anything external as better than the homegrown variety, well-meaning advice is often dismissed on the basis of the adviser not having the track record of achievement to suggest that any credibility should be attached to what he or she is saying. Yet when you read many of the stories of the great achievers in all sports, there is almost always reference made to the invaluable contribution of some ordinary but well-respected person – parent, coach or mentor – on the road to greatness.Very few ever achieve such greatness, but once we are prepared to listen and learn, we won’t have to rely on the generosity of a sporting superstar to inspire us to previously unattainable heights of excellence.

The England chairman of selectors David Graveney has given his backing to Geraint Jones, the England wicketkeeper, ahead of the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s on Thursday.England’s choice of wicketkeeper has again come under scrutiny following a superb hundred from Chris Read, who Jones replaced in 2004, in England A’s warm-up match against the touring Pakistanis. In his last ten Tests, Jones has reached fifty just twice and averages a mere 19 – some distance behind an already meagre career average of 26.67.”We have selected Geraint Jones, because we believe he is the best wicketkeeper,” Graveney told Sky Sports yesterday. “What he brings to the team is what we want at the present time. Geraint Jones is our man, and we will give him our full support.”Read, though, has plundered runs heavily in domestic cricket: since 2003, he has amassed 2357 runs for Nottinghamshire and England A at an average of over 50. Graveney and Geoff Miller, both selectors, were at Canterbury to see Read’s unbeaten 150 but the notable absentee was Duncan Fletcher. It was Fletcher who initially stated his preference for Jones when Read, so faultless with the gloves, struggled with the bat during his 11 Tests and was famously bowled by Chris Cairns’ slower ball.”Chris has done really well,” Graveney added. “It has been said that he does not get enough runs – but since he was left out of the team he averages 50 in the first-class game. He got a fantastic hundred at Canterbury.”

Tasmania 7 for 197 (Dighton 58, Krejza 3-45) beat New South Wales 9 for 193 (Bradstreet 45, Griffith 3-43) by three wickets
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Tasmania clawed their way to a three-wicket victory over New South Wales in the ING Cup match at Newcastle on Sunday. The Tigers reached their target of 194 with 11 balls to spare, despite the best efforts of the debutant spinner Jason Krejza and Stuart MacGill.George Bailey showed a cool head as he came in at No. 6 to lift the visitors over the line. after the openers Michael Dighton and Michael DiVenuto had cruised to 0 for 74 off 14 overs before MacGill was introduced.Dighton looked like he would lead the Tigers to a bonus point, but he holed out, trying to loft MacGill over the fence just once too often. Then a rash shot soon after by the promising wicketkeeper-batsman David Dawson handed the Blues a glimmer of hope.Krejza, the youngest member of the side, then dismissed one of the finest players to wear the sky blue. Michael Bevan’s first knock against his old state ended on 15 when he mis-hit a full toss straight to midwicket for Krejza’s first wicket in the domestic competition.

After Luke Butterworth’s departure for 6, Tasmania edged within 14 runs of the target before Krejza struck again, dismissing Damien Wright. But the visitors survived the pouring rain to register their second win from two outings.The Tasmania quick Adam Griffith was Man of the Match for his devastating three-wicket opening spell, and it was only Shawn Bradstreet’s resistance (45) in the middle order that stopped New South Wales from registering a paltry total.

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Scotland finally recorded their first victory of the season at the eighth time of asking, as Colin Smith and Cedric English combined to sink Durham in a rain-delayed encounter at The Grange.After being asked to bat first, Durham were restricted to 189 for 7 in their allotted 41 overs. Gary Pratt top-scored with a steady 48, while there were two wickets apiece for Yasir Arafat and Asim Butt.In reply, Scotland made a dreadful start, slumping to 44 for 4 after Shoaib Akhtar had terrorised the top-order, but English and Smith combined with a cool 146-run partnership, to guide Scotland home with 10 balls to spare. Smith was the aggressor, thumping 10 fours in his 83-ball 79, while English dropped anchor to excellent effect, with 53 not out from 91.It was Durham’s second defeat at the hands of Scotland – they also succumbed at Scotland’s very first attempt in May 2003 – but it was an untimely setback this season, as victory would have carried them to the top of the table. Instead Yorkshire and Middlesex share top spot on 20 points, with Durham slipping back to fourth.