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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan piled on the runs, and another old tormentor – Shahid Afridi – scooped on the misery before Faisal Iqbal, the comeback kid, produced a maiden century of the highest class to shut India out of the Karachi Test. It was only the fourth time that all six top-order batsmen had made at least a half-century and by stumps, Pakistan’s lead had swelled to an insurmountable 518. With two days still to play and no team having made more than 418 to win a Test, Pakistan were perfectly placed to push for the victory that would avenge the series loss on home soil two years ago.India’s bowlers didn’t lack for effort, but they were stymied by their inadequacies and a pitch that was so benign as to make you wonder if it was the same one on which 14 wickets had fallen on the opening day. And with conditions in their favour, the batsmen had no intention of letting things drift, with Iqbal especially impressive in his role as Inzamam-ul-Haq’s replacement. A little over three years ago, he scored a magnificent 83 at the P Sara Stadium in Colombo, against an Australian bowling line-up at its peak. After a lengthy spell on the sidelines and a first-innings failure here, he came up with an innings of similar quality, defending with a straight bat and severe on anything that asked to be hit.Some of the cover-drives he played were just peachy, and the pulls and cuts also exemplified the confidence of a man who believes that he belongs in such an arena. With the sun setting and the bowlers spent, an emphatic pull for four off Kumble took him to three figures, and he received a stirring reception from his home crowd. There was also a hug from Abdul Razzaq, who had played his part with two huge sixes off Kumble during anaccomplished knock of 44.Any hopes that India had of salvaging this game had evaporated much earlier in the morning sunshine, as Younis and Yousuf brought up their fourth century partnership of the series – their fifth in the last five Tests against India. The bowlers toiled 25 overs without reward after Yousuf, who had gone past 5000 Test runs on the second day, set the tonefor the morning with a superb cut for four off Rudra Pratap Singh. Singles were scampered with great ease, and the occasional sloppy effort in the field resulted in singles becoming twos.

There was some swing for Pathan, and also movement off the pitch, but he bowled at such leisurely medium pace that the batsmen were never hustled into a false stroke. Rudra Pratap was a little better and on the one occasion that he tried to surprise Younis with a bouncer, a withering pull sent the ball to the midwicket fence.Younis took just 65 balls for his 50, and when Dravid called on Ganguly to bowl at gentle pace, Yousuf followed suit with a glorious on-drive for four. Thereafter, the runs kept coming, with a nudge here and a cut there, and two gorgeous straight-drives from Yousuf off Zaheer merely emphasized Pakistan’s dominance. For India, playing a game of patience, the wait for a wicket was interminable.It ended only after lunch but by the time Kumble trapped Younis in front, he had taken his series tally to 553, 45 more than the slim pickings he managed in India last year. It might have proved a window of opportunity, but Iqbal came in and batted with such confidence that thoughts of a collapse were soon swept away. He started with a fabulousback-foot punch for four off Ganguly, and then produced a forceful pull over midwicket.Kumble kept plugging away at one end, and was unfortunate not to have Yousuf, when a mistimed drive just cleared Zaheer at mid-on. He had got to within three of his third century of the series when Kumble was again rewarded for his perseverance. The flipper did the trick, and Yousuf departed with 461 runs from the three matches.Afridi arrived to a crescendo of noise, and quickly increased the din with three thumping off-drives. After a delicate late-cut for four, words were exchanged with Kumble, prompting the umpire to step in and have a word. But Afridi played sensibly, tempering his natural aggression, and his approach also seemed to encourage Iqbal, who played two splendidsquare-drives off Kumble. After 92 overs, Dravid had had enough, calling for the second new ball to try and rediscover the magic of the first morning.Instead, he had to watch silently as Afridi went berserk, hammering Pathan for two fours and a six in an 18-run over. By the time he got carried away, much to the Indians’ relief, he had thumped 60 from 46 balls in a blistering cameo that ensured that India would have to score more than they ever had to win a Test match. By stumps, however, even the honourable draw wasn’t an option, unless a few million rain-dances did the trick.

Younis Khan lbw Kumble 77 (280 for 3)
Mohammad Yousuf lbw Kumble 97 (318 for 4)
Shahid Afridi c Tendulkar b Rudra Pratap 60 (402 for 5)

Tim Phillips, the Essex left-arm spinner, will be out of action until June after undergoing knee surgery. He picked up the injury during a second team match against Surrey last week.”Tim underwent surgery yesterday [Wednesday] to repair damaged cartilage in his right knee,” said Essex physio Mark Thomas. “The surgery went well and he is expected to return to play in six weeks.”Phillips featured in Essex’s opening Friends Provident Trophy match of the season against Kent but is now unlikely to return until around the start of the Twenty20 Cup in mid-June.Elsewhere in the Essex camp there is better news ahead of the four-day match against New Zealand starting on Friday. James Foster has recovered from his thumb injury while Mark Pettini, the captain, is back to full health after missing part of the Championship match against Derbyshire with an eye infection.

Match facts

Saturday, January 2, 2016
Start time 1100 local (2200 GMT)

Big Picture

It took four weeks, but Sri Lanka put together their most comprehensive day of cricket on this tour and suddenly their outlook seems transformed. They lost so badly in Christchurch that this trip to New Zealand was threatening to become the tour from hell. In that handsome Nelson win on Thursday, there were signs it may instead be remembered as a journey of discovery.Chief among the promising new talents is Dushmantha Chameera, who was the third-change bowler when the tour began, but is now taking the new ball. He is not as fast as Adam Milne, but so far seems to have a better knack for taking wickets. Maybe he bowls the bouncer too much and the yorker not enough, but the coaches say he is eager to learn. Angelo Mathews also helped by using him as a strike bowler in the middle overs of the third ODI, instead of saving him for the death.Legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay troubled batsmen on a track that didn’t give him much turn, and Danushka Gunathilaka was poised and powerful at the top of the order. New Zealand will be wise to their weaknesses in their coming matches, however, and the young Sri Lanka players will want to prove they can’t be easily decoded.New Zealand have lost Tim Southee for the remainder of the series, but such is the depth in their bowling that the man replacing him is the bowler of the series so far. Matt Henry’s bustle ruined Sri Lanka’s innings in Christchurch. A slower, lower Nelson surface may draw some of his venom, but Sri Lanka’s batsmen would still probably have preferred it if he had remained outside the squad.Thursday’s match was also the first occasion in which the hosts seemed a little vulnerable. The middle order doesn’t look in great shape with Ross Taylor and Luke Ronchi still searching for good scores. Mitchell Santner is promising, but perhaps he’s not quite ready to be the top spin option.With Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, Martin Guptill and Henry all still playing well, New Zealand have more than enough quality to lock the series up. But they will now have to win on a used Saxton Oval surface that was beginning to resemble the slower, abrasive tracks Sri Lanka often find in their part of the world.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
New Zealand: LWWLW
Sri Lanka: WLLWW
Spot the missing ingredient: New Zealand’s batting has suddenly looked a little less threatening•AFP

In the spotlight

Doug Bracewell hasn’t been New Zealand’s most penetrative bowler, but he has made himself useful with the bat. He has contributed a good score every time he has come to the crease on this tour. Bracewell’s sober 30 from 34 balls on Thursday helped push New Zealand towards 275, after they had threatened to be all out for less than 250. He has been good in the field as well, though that hasn’t always been a strength for him.Aside from one very expensive over to Martin Guptill in the second game, Jeffrey Vandersay‘s introduction to international cricket has so far been smooth. His legbreaks aren’t the most controlled, or biggest-turning, but he appears to be the kind of bowler that likes to outthink batsmen, if he can’t out-skill them. Sri Lanka are facing a minor spin-bowling crisis, as Rangana Herath moves into the twilight of his career. Having picked Vandersay over two more experienced spinners on Thursday, the selectors may feel he is the man to step into Herath’s shoes.

Teams news

As the pitch is expected to take more turn in this game, there is a chance Sri Lanka may add a second frontline spinner to the attack. More likely they will keep the same XI and rely on Milinda Siriwardana’s left-arm spin, and Tillakaratne Dilshan’s part-time offbreaks.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Danushka Gunathilaka , 3 Lahiru Thirimanne, 4 Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Milinda Siriwardana, 7 Chamara Kapugedara, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Jeffrey Vandersay, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan PradeepNew Zealand may be without their regular captain Brendon McCullum again, as he recovers from a back injury. If he does return, Tom Latham may be the man to make way. Legspinner Ish Sodhi is likely to play in place of one of the seamers.New Zealand (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum (capt.)/ Tom Latham, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Mitchell Santner, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Doug Bracewell, 9 Adam Milne, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Ish Sodhi

Pitch and conditions

The strip had begun to take good turn towards the end of the third ODI, and will probably become lower, slower and more given to spin still. Sunny Nelson may belie its moniker however, as showers are forecast throughout the day.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand played Sri Lanka in 11 ODIs in 2015. Sri Lanka won only three of those games.
• With Martin Guptill (1489 runs), Kane Williamson (1376 runs), and Tillakaratne Dilshan (1207 runs), this series features each of the top three ODI run-scorers of 2015.

Quotes

“On the whole 2015 was probably a good year, but we’ve got a game the next day, so we won’t be doing too much reflecting.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

A scintillating 81 off 50 deliveries by Nazimuddin briefly threatened an upset but lack of support from the other batsmen allowed Pakistan a comfortable victory over Bangladesh in the Quadrangular tournament. The early loss of fellow opener Tamim Iqbal did not deter Nazimuddin as he dispatched the much talked-about duo of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif to all parts of the Nairobi Gymkhana.Iftikhar Anjum replaced Asif as early as the sixth over but 20 came off his first over as Bangladesh went past 50. The introduction of spin, however, paid dividends for the second time in the match as Shahid Afridi dismissed Aftab Ahmed and Mohammad Ashraful was run out in the following over. While Nazimuddin kept blazing, Afridi picked up another wicket to dry up the scoring from one end.Nazimuddin was finally dismissed by Yasir Arafat after striking eight fours and five sixes, taking with him back to the pavilion Bangladesh’s hopes of victory. Shoaib returned to pick up another wicket in his final over but the Pakistan bowling attack, for the second match running, failed to dismiss their opposition after their batsmen had piled up a huge total.A 76-run opening partnership between Salman Butt and Imran Nazir and some firm hitting by Younis Khan and Afridi helped Pakistan to 191. Put in to bat by Ashraful, Pakistan’s openers adopted aggression from the first ball. The Bangladesh bowlers, especially Mashrafe Mortaza, were bent upon bowling short and were dealt with severely. Pakistan’s 50 came up in the fifth over which was blasted for 21 runs by Nazir, including a brace of fours and sixes. Nazir was eventually run out one short of his half-century but Younis, who dealt mainly in sixes, kept the run rate close to nine an over.The introduction of spin slowed Pakistan’s progress a tad and also brought the wicket of Butt who was cleaned up by Ashraful for 33. Shoaib Malik promoted himself up the order but only lasted six deliveries and scored 10. His dismissal, however, brought the crowd-favourite Afridi to the crease who had yesterday blasted a 50 off 18 deliveries in the previous match.Content with giving Younis the strike, Afridi broke the shackles after being dropped by Ferhad Reza when on 2. A few sixes after Younis’ dismissal (48 off 25 deliveries) gave not only the crowd more to cheer about but also gave Pakistan bowlers yet another solid platform to work with.

Wayne Larkins, the former England batsman, has been spared a jail sentence after pleading guilty, last November, to deception.Larkins and his partner, Deborah Lines, attempted to secure a mortgage against the house of her sick father – Robert Adams – but she had forged her father’s signature, claiming she and Larkins owned the property. They were then granted a £155,000 mortgage for a house in France and Adams, now 78, only realised the scam on noticing his name had been removed from the deeds.Judge Graham Hume Jones, of Taunton Crown Court, issued the pair a 12-month suspended sentence, and said: “Deborah Lines and Wayne Larkins, as a result of your dishonest dealings an elderly man has been caused a great deal of distress and the house he has lived in for a number of years has been put on the line.”Whatever explanation you gave the fact is you were dishonest,” he added. “Both of you were in this together. Wayne Larkins, you could have pointed out the error of your partner’s ways in dealing with the original mortgage.”Lines and Larkins were ordered to pay back £54,000, an amount frozen in their account since they sold the French property.

Rob Key and Andrew Hall laid the foundations for Kent’s victory in what was the first match of the Pro40, following last night’s washout.The pair put on an opening stand of 62 which proved the turning point at Grace Road after they had dismissed Leicestershire for 175.Hall made 31, while Key reached 63. It was then left to Darren Stevens to knock off the runs; he made an unbeaten 42 as Kent cruised home with 37 balls to spare.

Scorecard

Nick Jewell and Brad Hodge continued their outstanding form and gave Victoria a healthy first-innings lead against New South Wales. The pair built a 181-run second-wicket partnership and pushed past the Blues’ total of 249, helping Victoria reach 4 for 316 at stumps.Jewell’s 112 was his second century in three matches, while Hodge’s 88 moved him past 500 runs in the Pura Cup season and he now trails only Western Australia’s Chris Rogers in 2006-07. Hodge joined Jewell at 1 for 84 after Nathan Bracken enticed an edge behind from Lloyd Mash on 52.Jewell’s innings took nearly six hours and ended in the final session when he was bowled by Bracken having hit 13 fours and one six. Hodge recorded the same boundary tally before he was caught behind off Matthew Nicholson.Cameron White made 8 and gave the debutant fast bowler Scott Coyte his first Pura Cup wicket but David Hussey (22 not out) and Andrew McDonald (19 not out) extended the home team’s lead to 67 runs. The game is a crucial one for both the Blues and the Bushrangers, who sit third and fourth on the competition table.

Troy Cooley, who earlier this week was appointed bowling coach to Australia, has spoken of his disappointment of the ECB’s decision not to offer him a two-year extension to his contract. Cooley requested the deal in May but, he claims, the ECB would only offer a one-year appointment.”I would have been happy to stay with England – but May was really the time to have settled it,” Cooley told The Guardian. “By the time I got around to negotiating with them [the ECB] again, towards the end of the Ashes, other people were talking to me.”Cooley is widely acknowledged as the man responsible for turning England’s bowlers into a world-beating force; in joining the England coaching set-up in 2003, with fellow Australian Rod Marsh at the helm, England’s status as a world-class side regained prominence, culminating in winning the Ashes this summer.Both Marsh and Cooley have now returned to their homeland, but Cooley was quick to state that salaries weren’t part of his decision to leave: “The money was not a huge factor, though I do believe in a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. I am an Australian, though, and at some stage, I suppose, I was always going to return,” he said. “It’s happened sooner than I expected, but it’s a great opportunity.”It’s been a fantastic journey and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, not only helping the bowlers to perform as a unit but also playing a part in the setting up of what is now a very impressive fast-bowling programme.”

The Indian Premier League may have eased several restrictions on media coverage for the forthcoming event but the Editors Guild of India has condemned the clause that prevents news agencies from supplying pictures to cricket-specific websites.The Guild has also come down hard on the limitations imposed on television news channels, one that has prompted all the outlets to put their coverage on hold.”[The Guild] regrets that the news agencies have been barred from supplying pictures to one set of subscribers, namely standalone specialised websites, as the news agencies should have the total freedom to supply news and pictures to all their subscribers,” KS Sachidananda Murthy, the Guild secretary-general, said in a release. “The Guild notes that the news agencies are in negotiation with the IPL organisers to remove this clause also from the terms and conditions.”Similarly the sole telecast rights license has put new conditions on giving feed to news television channels. These are not acceptable, and the Guild fully supports the stand taken by the News Broadcasters Association.”Meanwhile the News Media Corporation, which reacted to the fresh guidelines on Tuesday, is set to discuss the issue on Wednesday evening. As of now, though, they feel the restrictions are unacceptable. “As the Guild has said, the terms remain unacceptable,” Barry Parker, the South Asia bureau chief of Agence France-Presse (AFP), said.

Scorecard
Chris Rogers was 16 runs short of a double-hundred as Western Australia made a fine start to their Pura Cup match against Victoria, ending the day at 359 for the loss of two wickets. Opening the batting, Rogers put on 60 with Justin Langer, the captain who passed 8000 Pura Cup runs before he was caught for 25 off the fast bowling of Andrew McDonald.After lunch Shane Warne turned the pressure on Shaun Marsh and he joined Langer after contributing 37 to the 68-run partnership for the second wicket. However, it was Warne’s only breakthrough as Rogers and Marcus North destroyed the Victoria attack.Rogers, who survived a dropped catch from David Hussey on 72, shared a fine stand of 231 with North and the pair both raised centuries. North, the vice-captain, finished unbeaten on 103 as the Warriors controlled the opening day.