Jacques Kallis is racing against time to be fully fit for the opening Test match against Australia at the WACA Ground in Perth, starting on December 16.Kallis has been receiving treatment over the last ten days after a scan revealed a grade 1+ in-substance tear to the common tendon of his left elbow. Kallis had a bowling session at the team’s practice today, under the watchful eye of Shane Jabaar, South Africa’s physiotherapist.”We have explored various forms of treatment to get him ready for the Test match. His response has been slow, but we are still hopeful that he will have a significant enough improvement to allow him to participate in the match,” Jabaar said. “We give him until Friday morning before a decision is taken on whether he will play or not.”

ScorecardDarren Lehmann continued his love affair with interstate bowlers as he posted a quickfire century that pushed his season aggregate to 818 runs and ensured South Australia were in charge after day one. Lehmann, the captain, arrived after Mark Cosgrove collected a breezy 72, which included seven fours in 102 balls, and by stumps he had reached 102 as his side sped to 5 for 358.South Australia ran away in the final session as Lehmann shared a 113-run partnership with Graham Manou (67) and departed with his fourth hundred of the season. Lehmann reached three figures with a square-driven boundary, his 14th of the innings, and he recorded the milestone from his 127th ball.”Everyone looks up to [Lehmann] because he is such a role model and leader,” Cosgrove told . “Him making hundred after hundred is just amazing.”The day began badly for the Redbacks with Dan Cullen ruled out for a month with a broken ring finger on his right hand and Greg Blewett missing because of a thigh strain suffered in Saturday’s ING Cup match against Tasmania. Lehmann won the toss but the Redbacks were in more discomfort at 2 for 28 after Brendan Drew, who was playing his second match, picked up both wickets before Cosgrove steered clear of danger with Cameron Borgas.

Jacques Kallis, the South African allrounder, will miss South Africa’s Twenty20 cricketinternational against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane on Monday.Kallis, who has been troubled by an elbow injury during the Test series against Australia, will be rested along with Andre Nel, Charl Langeveldt and Justin Kemp, said Mickey Arthur, South Afria’s coach.Nel failed to finish the third Test loss at the Sydney Cricket Groundwith a foot problem, while Kemp missed the last two Tests with a shoulderinjury. Langeveldt is set to be made 12th man following a heavy workload in theeight-wicket Test defeat. Johan Botha, the offspinner, has been included in the team despite being reported by the International Cricket Council for a suspect bowling action during the Sydney Test.Arthur said all four players would be available for South Africa’s one-day VB Series opener against Australia at the Gabba on Sunday. The Twenty20 match is the first full 20-over-a-side international to be played in Australia.South Africa Graeme Smith (capt), Johan Botha, Mark Boucher (w/k), BoetaDippenaar, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Garnett Kruger, Shaun Pollock,Ashwell Prince, Jacques Rudolph, Monde Zondeki, Charl Langeveldt (likely 12th man).

In what is their first big foreign tour in two years, India find themselves in a strange situation – all square with the prospect of a greentop awaiting them on the first morning at the National Stadium in Karachi. If the blades do retain their length and if the ball darts around alarmingly, the whole series could be decided within the space of a session. Yet, it’s India’s medium-pace attack that has shown more promise through the series and there is no reason to not trust them to finish off the job when it comes down to the crunch.India have taken some aggressive decisions throughout the series – opening with Rahul Dravid at Lahore, choosing five specialist bowlers at Faisalabad – and have looked like a side that aren’t too paranoid about losing. They also appeared a relaxed lot ahead of one of their biggest tests in recent times – not scheduling practice yesterday and beginning today’s session with a round of fun and games. Karachi may be Pakistan’s cricketing fortress (they have lost here just once) but India seem least perturbed.Having been disappointed with the pitches at the two previous venues, Dravid appeared upbeat in the pre-match press conference. “It looks a very good pitch, might do a bit initially, but should be a very good wicket as the game goes on,” he said. “It is different to the ones we played in the last couple of Tests, but I feel that while it might help the bowlers a bit more and it might have a little bit in it early on, it will then pan out into a good batting pitch. Hopefully, we will have a result here, and it will go the way of the team that plays the better cricket for five days.”India named their 13-man squad on the eve of the match. As expected, Gautam Gambhir, Wasim Jaffer and Parthiv Patel were left out. Dravid added that the toss might not make such a vital difference, hinting that the team management might not be thinking of accommodating an extra batsman. With their 210-run partnership at Faisalabad, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Irfan Pathan showed that they can handle the simmering pressure of an India-Pakistan contest and India may decide that they don’t require additional batting cover. “Our batsmen give us a lot of confidence and experience,” he added. “They have had success and scored hundreds in different parts of the world and under different conditions in the last four or five years, and we are confident we can play in any conditions given to us.”India’s crucial decision will probably revolve around the bowling attack. At Faisalabad, Rudra Pratap Singh and Zaheer Khan had impressive bursts in trying conditions while Pathan went from pedestrian to probing as the game wore on. Ajit Agarkar, Dravid said, had recovered from his hamstring injury and considerable grass on the pitch may actually tempt India into using all four, with Anil Kumble being the lone spinner.”I think under the conditions, our bowlers have done admirably well,” Dravid continued. “It has been a challenge for them, and I think they have gained and learnt a fair bit. RP Singh, Zaheer and even Irfan in that spell on the final day showed encouraging signs. The way you motivate them on flat tracks is to tell them that they will benefit from what they have learnt from bowling on flat pitches when they bowl in more helpful conditions.”India will be well aware of another option, picking an extra batsmen who will provide them with a medium-pace option. Sourav Ganguly is yet to play a single innings in this series and, as always, it’s tough to rule out another comeback. Around 16 years ago, a 16-year-old boy played his first Test on this ground and began a new era in Indian cricket. Dare we suggest it, but is another era about to come to an end? Maybe, but as always, maybe not.

Pool AShoaib Malik’s stellar allround performance helped Sialkot Stallions to a comfortable eight-wicket victory against Rawalpindi Rams. After being asked to bat, Rawalpindi collapsed spectacularly after Mohammad Wasim had clobbered 74 off 48 balls. From 129 for 1, Malik ripped through the line-up with 5 for 13 from three overs to restrict them to 163 for 7. Chasing 164 to win, Malik scorched 50 from 31 balls with four sixes and three fours, and Shahid Yousuf hit 68 off 42, to lead Sialkot to 165 for 2.Karachi Zebras won their match against Peshawar Panthers by virtue of having lost fewer wickets after both teams were tied on 160 at the end of 20 overs. Half-centuries from the openers, Khurram Manzoor and Ashraf Ali, and Hasan Raza’s 29-ball 46 boosted the Karachi’s score to 160 for 3 after they had won the toss. Rafatullah Mohmand top-scored with 49 off 29 in Peshawar’s chase but even though they drew level on 160 for 7, the fact that they lost more wickets cost them the match.Mohammad Hafeez hammered 59 off 29 ballsas Faisalabad Wolves overhauled Multan Tigers’ total of 122 in just 7.3 overs at Karachi. Imran Khalid took 2 for 12 in four overs and Saeed Ajmal chipped in with 3 for 33 as Faisalabad dismissed Multan for 122 in the 19th over. Hafeez clubbed four sixes and six fours as Faisalabad’s chase began in explosive fashion. Asif Hussain’s 37 included three sixes and four fours as they galloped to 123 for 2 with 12.3 overs to spare.Pool BMaking their Twenty20 debut this season, Abbottabad Rhinos won their second consecutive match with a seven-wicket victory against Quetta Bears. After winning the toss, Quetta were restricted to 142 for 5 of which Shoaib Khan contributed 67. Shakeel-ur-Rehman was the best of Abbottabad’s bowlers, taking 3 for 30. Ali Naqvi sealed the victory with a 27-ball 41 as Abbottabad coasted to 144 for 3 in the 17th over.Riding on quickfire top-order contributions, Karachi Dolphins completed a five-wicket win against Islamabad Leopards. Bilal Asad top-scored for Islamabad with 51, as they posted a sizable total of 183 for 6. Irfanuddin bowled superbly for Karachi, taking 4 for 20 in four overs. In the chase, Faisal Iqbal blitzed 42 off 25 balls and received support from Khalid Latif (30) and Fawad Alam (32 not out) as Karachi edged home with four balls to spare.Lahore Lions’ bowlers restricted Hyderabad Hawks to just a 110 for 9 and allowed their batsmen to complete an easy seven-wicket win. Imran Tahir took 2 for 11 from four overs and together with Ali Azmat (3 for 15) and Taufeeq Umar (2 for 12), strangled Hyderabad to a below-par score. Kamran Akmal struck an unbeaten 47 to lead Lahore to 111 for 3 in the 18th over.

Injury-hit Sri Lanka suffered a major setback on Saturday when Marvan Atapattu, the captain, was ruled out of the ongoing one-dayers as well as the upcoming Tests against Pakistan.”Marvan aggravated the injury while fielding in the first match on Friday and the medical staff have advised us to rest him for the one-dayers as well as the Tests,” Lalith Kaluperuma, Sri Lanka’s chief selector, told AFP. Atapattu’s back injury added to Sri Lanka’s woes as Sanath Jayasuriya (thigh), Chaminda Vaas (side strain) and Ruchira Perera (hamstring) are already nursing injuries.Atapattu, who sustained the injury during the tour of Australia in January, aggravated it on Friday. Recurring back problems have frequently kept him on the injured list of late.The selectors will not name a replacement for Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene, the vice-captain, will lead the side.The remaining one-dayers will be played on Sunday and Wednesday with provisions for reserve days after the opening match was abandoned due to rain. Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka will be happy for the extra days as neither is an automatic qualifier for the Champions Trophy yet. Both teams desperately need wins under the belt, and rained-out matches will not help anyone’s cause. They will be followed by two Tests in Colombo and Kandy.

India A 269 for 6 (Rohit Sharma 62, Uthappa 52, Dhawan 52) beat Pakistan A 235 (Bazid Khan 87, Umar 51) by 34 runs
Scorecard

India A outplayed Pakistan A in all departments of the game to secure a convincing 34-run win in the EurAsia Series in Abu Dhabi.After producing a powerful batting performance to post a challenging 269 for 6, the Indians dismissed Pakistan for 235 in the day-night encounter at the Sheikh Zayed stadium. The win meant India topped Group A after the first phase of the league stage with two wins from as many matches. They will now play the second and third placed teams of Group B – hosts UAE and Ireland – in the second phase.Bazid Khan stood tall among the ruins with 87 for Pakistan, who had the consolation of gaining a bonus point from the match.Earlier, India A’s top order batsmen fired in unison to to prop up the Indian total.After Robin Uthappa and Shikhar Dhawan put up a century opening stand, captain Venugopala Rao (45) and Rohit Sharma (62) consolidated with another strong partnership. Uthappa and Dhawan each made 52, but the latter at a quicker rate.Their left-right combination kept the Pakistani attack at bay while stitching 100 runs for the first wicket from inside 17 overs. The stand was broken when Dhawan tried to step out to offspinner Mohammad Hafeez (2 for 46) and was beaten by a wide delivery to be stumped in the 17th over.Uthappa went back five overs later, the umpire belatedly upholding a leg before appeal by leg spinner Mansoor Amjad (2 for 49).Rao and Sharma added 86 runs for the third wicket with the captain making a composed 45 off 74 balls.

Ricky Ponting has hinted that Australia will make changes to their side for the second Test at Chittagong which starts on Sunday. A number of players looked jaded during the Fatullah Test and there are concerns over the fitness of Shane Warne and Brett Lee in particular.”We have to look at it pretty closely,” Ponting told reporters. “The last thing we want now are guys going into the second Test match that are fatigued and come up with an injury that could put them out for a long period of time. If you’d been in our dressing room and seen how fatigued and exhausted some of the players are I think everyone would be quite surprised.”Australia will train on Saturday before making any final decisions, but Dan Cullen is on standby should the selectors opt to rest Warne, who is suffering from a sore shoulder, and Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Bracken could be brought in for the weary Lee and Stuart Clark.”We are going to have a really good look at a few of the guys,” Ponting explained. “Actually that was on the cards coming into the first Test. I was a little bit worried about a couple of our fast bowlers in particular with the workload they had during South Africa.”Shane had a very heavy workload as well and as you can see from this game he has come through with an injury but he was able to bowl pretty well in the second innings. So we have to monitor him and see how he pulls up, we have Bracken and Cullen who have flown out early.”We will give the guys a few days now to go back and do nothing and see how they pull up closer to the start of the Test match.”He added: “If you had been in our dressing room and seen how fatigued and exhausted some of the players are I think everyone would be quite surprised.”

A couple of days before the first one-day international, as the Indian team went through their paces at different parts of Kingston’s Chedwin Park, Mohammad Kaif and Ian Frazer were involved in an animated session on the concrete pitch at a remote corner of the ground.With the help of balls of different colours, shapes and material, Frazer delivered some fast short-pitched stuff on the jagged surface. Kaif decided to battle the pace and uneven bounce with a slightly open, two-eyed stance. Frazer would have none of it: “Go back to your original stance,” he hollered. And everytime Kaif veered even slightly to open out, Frazer kept urging him to change it. “Focus on the ball, don’t panic,” Frazer continued. “When you wait for the ball to come to you, you have more time than you think. Watch the ball carefully, but don’t glare at it.”Frazer later understood why Kaif was changing his stance. “It’s just one of those things batsmen try to do from time to time,” Frazer told Cricinfo. “I told him that it wasn’t the stance that was preventing him from scoring runs. It was the same original stance that helped him score so many runs, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be scoring again without resorting to a new stance.”In the practice game at Montego Bay, Kaif appeared far less fidgety than he had in recent months. He stood side-on and stuck a few gorgeous drives en route to a confident 49. In the first one-dayer at Kingston, he followed a similar approach, and though he rode his luck, surviving two dropped chances, the new-found confidence, for the first half of the innings at least, was there for all to see. “Only when you’re not batting well do you start analysing your technique,” said Kaif a day after the game. “You don’t think so much about your technique, bat-swing and head position when you’re in form. All you’re doing is watching the ball, everything else falls in place. When you’re not doing well is when all these things come into your mind. I changed a bit, it helped.”Kaif was glad he could get back his groove and looked to cash in for the rest of the series: “I’m happy I’ve got a good start in the first two games I’ve played. I wanted to stay till the end yesterday, and did just that. It’s good I didn’t panic. As long as I’m in the West Indies, I hope to carry on. You’ll see a different Kaif from now on.”

Rangana Herath and Marvan Atapattu have been named in Sri Lanka’s 20-member squad for the Test series against South Africa and the tri-series involving India and South Africa in August. Jehan Mubarak and Nuwan Kulasekara are the only players from the squad that toured England in June to miss out.Ashantha de Mel, the chairman of selectors, said that the squad of 20 was selected with the 2007 World Cup in mind. “We think this will be the nucleus of players from which the final 14 will be selected for the World Cup,” said de Mel. “That is why we have included Atapattu even though he is not available for the Test and one-day series. There maybe a few changes to the squad as we go along.”de Mel said that in the absence of Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene will be asked to continue as captain for the Test and one-day next month. “Marvan is recovering from a back operation and he is not likely to be fully fit until the Champions Trophy tournament in October. Mahela will be asked to continue until such time Marvan recovers.”Under Jayawardene, Sri Lanka drew the Test series in England 1-1 before winning the one-day series 5-0.Squad: Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Marvan Atapattu, Michael Vandort, Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera, Farveez Maharoof, Chaminda Vaas, Ruchira Perera, Dilhara Fernando, Lasith Malinga, Malinga Bandara, Muttiah Muralitharan, Rangana Herath, Nuwan Zoysa, Prasanna Jayawardene