India in Sri Lanka

The team management has renewed its request to the selection committee to send reinforcements to Sri Lanka. The team has specifically asked for Ajit Agarkar.
However the selectors have played down the request saying there was no need for a replacement with just one Test remaining. Besides they argued that Debasis Mohanty was the first reserve and not Ajit Agarkar who is primarily considered for the one-dayers only.
Meanwhile the chairman of selectors Chandu Borde is to fly to Colombo to witness the third and final Test match.

Australia in England

Rain saved England to a considerable extent on the fourth day after being forced to follow on after conceding a lead of 209 runs. When rain stopped play after lunch the home team were precariously poised at 40-1 batting second still needing 169 runs to make Australia bat again.
Michael Atherton was the only man dismissed. The veteran England batsman may have played his last Test innings going by the sentimental wave he gave the Oval crowd as he left the field.

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Australian batsman Mark Waugh needed a few stitches on his hand after he sustained an injury while fielding on the fourth day of the final Ashes Test. Waugh split his webbing while taking a catch and required three stitches.

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A minor row is brewing among the England selectors and players over the tour of India. Senior players like Darren Gough and Alec Stewart have expressed their desire not to be included in the team for the Test series in India as they feel they need a break.
The ECB argues that since the tour has been split with a three-week break during Christmas, which enables the players to be home at that time, there is no question of players needing a break.
Further the ECB fears that by allowing the players to pick and choose their tours it will set a dangerous precedent. The selectors have said that those who refuse to tour India would not be considered for the tour of New Zealand as well.

Miscellaneous

Indian batting star Sachin Tendulkar left for Johannesburg on Sunday night. He will be consulting South African orthopeadic surgeon Dr Mark Fergusson for treatment of his injured right toe.

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Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee justified his government's decision to pull out of the Asian Test Championships (ATC) saying the time was not ripe to resume cricketing ties with Pakistan.
He said cricket matches between the two countries should not be compared to talks between the two countries, as there is a passionate crowd involved as well. It may be recalled that non-clearance from the government resulted in India pulling out of the Asian Test Championships that begin this week.

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The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has banned its former secretary C Nagaraj from holding any post within the KSCA following allegations of financial irregularities. The committee appointed to probe the affair said the KSCA would be filing civil and criminal cases against him.
Nagaraj has served the KSCA for 45 years and was largely responsible for the construction of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Nagaraj was also the honorary secretary of the BCCI from 1991-93.

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The managing committee of the Mumbai Cricket Association has decided to appoint a panel to look into the upgradation of the facilities and seating capacity at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

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Pakistani Shahid Afridi's whirlwind 164 from just 121 balls, with six sixes and 22 fours on Friday could not help his team Leicestershire from going down to Northamptonshire by 202 runs.
Incidentally his hundred had came in 74 balls and shared an opening stand of 233 in 43 overs with Iain Sutcliffe (64).

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The touring New Zealand A side reached the final of the Buchi Babu Tournament at Chennai. Thanks to a hostile bowling by Shane Bond (7-45) the visiting team could defeat Railways in the semi-final for 23 runs.
They now meet the Cricket Association of Bengal in the final. The Bengal team beat Jolly Rovers in the other semi-final.

Brief Scores:

England v Australia (5th Test)
at Oval, London (4th day)
Toss: Australia
Australia: 641-4 decl (M Hayden 68, J Langer 102 retd hurt, R Ponting 62, M Waugh 120, S Waugh 157 not out, D Martyn 62 not out) England 432 (M Trescothick 55, N Hussain 52, U Afzaal 54, M Ramprakash 133; S Warne 7-165) 40-1 (M Trescothick 20 not out, M Butcher 11 not out)

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