England in India

At stumps, on day 3, England were 15/0 -- overall, 131 ahead and in a very good position to try and level the series.

Giles was easily the star for England -- very intelligent use of the crease, lovely flight and loop, bite and turn with his deliveries, and very clever in the way he switched between around and over the wicket at the right time and richly deserving of his second Test 5 wicket haul.
Images | Match report | Scorecard | Statistics

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England's cricket tour will not be affected by a suicide attack on India's parliament in which 12 people died. "The tour will go on," David Clarke, said the England team's media manager in India. "It's a regrettable incident, but it's a political thing and has nothing to do with England's tour of India."

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Spinner Ashley Giles paid tribute to team physio Dean Conway after his five-wicket haul gave England the upper hand on the third day of the Ahmedabad Test. "I've got to thank Dean. He's got me through this. I came close to going home at one point," said Giles.

South Africa in Australia

Of the four series since their rivalry resumed in 1993, Australia have won two and two have been drawn. All have been breathlessly tight, but Australia always won the points of no return: witness, the end of the 1999 World Cup semi-final. Waugh would not be drawn on whether Australia still held a psychological stranglehold.
"I can see the headline already," he said. "I'm confident we play well under pressure. What South Africa do is up to them."
But Waugh did say South Africa had become his favourite opponents. "South Africa is tough and competitive, the way I like to play my Test match cricket."

Miscellaneous

England are to play at 11 different venues over the next decade in an attempt to widen the game's appeal across the country. ECB chief executive Tim Lamb said they wanted to create a "competitive environment" for staging international games. He added: "This will ensure that there are healthy returns from the staging of international cricket to help finance the game at all levels. "Using 11 venues across England and Wales will give more people access to international cricket and will help broaden the appeal of the game."

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South Australian opening batsman Ben Johnson survived a lucky escape to become the first player in three decades to carry his bat through an innings in successive first-class matches in Australia.

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New Zealand have named an unchanged team for the first Test against Bangladesh, which starts in Hamilton next Tuesday. It will be the first time the Kiwis have fielded the same 11 players in successive Tests since a two-match home series against Sri Lanka in 1997 - 39 matches ago.

SCORES AT A GLANCE

India v England - 2nd Test (Day 3)
Sardar Patel (Gujarat) Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Toss: England

England:
407 - 1st Inns
15/0

India: 291/2 (Tendulkar 103, Laxman 75, Giles 5-63)
England: 15/0 (Butcher 5*, Trescothick 10*; 3 overs)

Detailed scorecard: England 2nd innings

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