Ahmedabad, Nov 20 - India were 341 for four in their second innings against Sri Lanka at tea on the fifth day of the first cricket Test here Friday.

Sachin Tendulkar was batting on 55 and V. V. S. Laxman at 28 as India took tea with a slim lead of seven runs at Motera's Sardar Patel Stadium.

Sri Lanka declared their first innings at 760 for seven in reply to India's 426. (IANS)

London, Nov. 20 : Pakistan cricket captain Younus Khan, who opted out of the New Zealand series citing need for rest, has announced his availability for the forthcoming Australia tour.

Khan told media persons during a press conference here that he has already informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about his decision.

Khan, however, declined to comment on queries whether he would return to the team as captain, saying: “ It would be decided in due course of time.”

Karachi, Nov. 20 : Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt has said there is slim possibility of controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar returning to international cricket.

“Shoaib is already 34, and with a history of fitness problems, is unlikely to make a comeback,” a website reported Butt as saying in response to a query whether the recent liposuction surgery would enhance the right-arm pacer’s changes of a comeback for the forthcoming Australia tour.

Ahmedabad, Nov 20 - India were 256 for three in the second innings at lunch on the fifth day of the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka here Friday.

Gautam Gambhir was batting on 105 and Sachin Tendulkar on 22 as India reduced the deficit to 78 runs. Sri Lanka had declared their first innings at 760 for seven in reply to India's 426. (IANS)

London, Nov 19 : English county club Middlesex have signed up Adam Gilchrist for next season's Twenty20 Cup and are now looking to get Sachin Tendulkar on board as well.

Tendulkar is mulling over the offer to form a dynamic partnership with Gilchrist at the top of the order. But Tendulkar needs an approval from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) but the Middlesex chief executive, Vinny Codrington is hopeful of signing up the player soon.

Melbourne, Nov 19 : Australia included left-arm fast bowler Doug Bollinger in the 12-man squad for the first Test against the West Indies at the Gabba, Brisbane, from Nov 26.

Bollinger replaced Stuart Clark and it was the only change the selectors made in the squad that played the last Ashes Test in England.

Karachi, Nov 19 : Less than a week after withdrawing from the ongoing tour of New Zealand, Younis Khan indicated that he would be available for the series against Australia that will begin with the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.

Younis, Pakistan's regular captain, also announced that he would soon be appearing in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy - Pakistan's premier first-class cricket tournament - to regain his form that deserted him in the Champions Trophy in South Africa and a three-match one-day series against New Zealand earlier this month.

Karachi, Nov 19 : Pakistan's cricket chief Ijaz Butt has ruled out the return of controversial pacer Shoaib Akhtar to international cricket.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman said Shoaib is already 34 and with a history of fitness problems is unlikely to make a comeback.

Butt was responding to a query whether Shoaib's decision to undergo liposuction would boost his chances of a comeback for the Australia tour next month.

Butt said Pakistan has a number of young fast bowlers to choose from and that makes Shoaib's chances of a comeback "very remote".

Karachi, Nov 19 : Eminent Pakistani cricket umpire Aleem Dar Thursday said the new umpire referral system will help minimise errors.

The Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) in which each side is allowed two unsuccessful challenges per innings in a system similar to that used in American football and tennis will be used for the first time in the Test series between New Zealand and Pakistan, starting Nov 24 in Dunedin.

The decision was made after a Dunedin-based company agreed to supply the ball-tracking technology.

Ahmedabad, Nov :  India were 190 for two in their second innings, trailing by 144 runs against Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the first cricket Test at Sardar Patel Stadium here.

Gautam Gambhir (74) and nightwatchman Amit Mishra (12) were at crease at stumps. Virender Sehwag (51) and Rahul Dravid (38) were the wickets to fall.

Sri Lanka declared their first innings at 760 for seven, that gave them a lead of 334 runs. Mahela Jayawerdene (275) and Prasanna Jayawerdene (154) were involved in a record 385-run stand for the sixth wicket.19.(IANS)

Lahore, Nov. 19 : The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) depleting bank account is set to get a boost through a 12.5 million dollar compensation for not hosting 14 matches of the 2011-World Cup because of security concerns.

According to sources, the PCB and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have mutually agreed to settle the World Cup hosting issues.

Ahmedabad, Nov 19 : Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir gave a good start as India made 77 for no loss in the second innings at tea after Sri Lanka declared their first innings at 760 for seven on the fourth day of the first cricket Test here Thursday.

Sehwag was batting on 47 and Gambhir on 28 as India went into the tea break still trailing Sri Lanka by 257 runs. Sehwag and Gambhir were in command and hit the fast bowlers with ease as 77 runs came up in just 16 overs at Motera's Sardar Patel Stadium.

Ahmedabad, Nov 19 - India were 77 for no loss in the second innings at tea against Sri Lanka on the fourth day of the first cricket Test here Thursday.

Virender Sehwag was batting on 47 and Gautam Gambhir on 28 as India went into tea with a deficit of 257 runs at Motera's Sardar Patel Stadium here. Sri Lanka declared their first innings at 760 for seven in reply to India's 426.

Melbourne, Nov 19 : Cricket Australia has picked Doug Bollinger ahead of fellow pacer Stuart Clark for a spot in the 12-man squad for the first Test against West Indies at the Gabba starting next week.

Experienced batsman Mike Hussey retains his spot while Shane Watson will open the batting with no recall for young gun Phil Hughes.

“The squad includes only one change from the side which played the last Test of the Ashes series in England,” Chief selector Andrew Hilditch said.

Melbourne, Nov 19 : Australian vice captain Michael Clarke is being forced to receive daily treatment on his troublesome back to be ready in time for next week’s opening Test against the West Indies at Gabba.

The Australian vice-captain scored 106 for NSW in just under four hours in the Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania at the SCG.

Clarke said his body had responded well after he was forced to sit out almost two months of action because of his recurring back problems.

Ahmedabad, Nov 19 : Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene has become only the seventh batsman in Test cricket to score six or more double hundreds. He made 204 not out against India in the first Test.

Jayawardene, who notched up a second double hundred against India, said that it was like any other century that he had scored in the past.

Ahmedabad, Nov 19 - Sri Lanka declared their first innings at 760 for seven, in reply to India's 426, shortly after lunch on the fourth day of the first cricket Test here Thursday.

Mahela Jayawardene made 275 while Tillekaratne Dilshan (117) and Prasanna Jayawardene (154 not out) struck a century each at Motera's Sardar Patel Stadium. (IANS)

Melbourne, Nov 19 : Former Australian pace legend Jeff Thomson believes Shane Watson’s surprise role as a Test opener is an insult to opening batsmen across the country.

Selectors named Watson as Australia’s opener for next week’s first Test against the West Indies at the Gabba.

Thomson delivered a typically blunt assessment of Watson’s role as an opener, insisting it was “ridiculous”.

The Courier Mail quoted him as saying that specialist openers around Australia had every right to be angry.

London, Nov. 19 : All-rounder Paul Collingwood has said that his best is yet to come despite becoming England''s most capped one-day player today when he faces South Africa in his
171st one-day international. He will overtake former captain and wicketkeeper Alec Stewart.

He reckons that the current England team has the potential to become the finest of his career.

Ahmedabad, Nov 19 - Sri Lanka piled up 708 for five in the first innings, in reply to India's 426, by lunch on the fourth day of the first cricket Test at Motera's Sardar Patel Stadium here Thursday.

Mahela Jayawardene was batting on 267 and Prasanna Jayawarnede on 134 as Sri Lanka took lunch with a huge lead of 282 runs. (IANS)