It was billed as the contest between India’s batsmen and Pakistan’s pace attack. In the end, it turned out to be a fairly one-sided contest, as – save Umar Gul’s magnificent display at Lahore – the Indian top and middle order had the answer to almost everything that Pakistan’s fast bowlers threw at them.The spotlight has mostly been on Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and co, but the surprise packets of the series were the raw and inexperienced Irfan Pathan and Lakshmipathy Balaji, who easily outshone their more famed counterparts from the Pakistan line-up. As the table below indicates, the Indian duo were runaway winners, taking ten more wickets at a considerably lower average and a far better strike rate.

Meanwhile, Anil Kumble took care of the spin department for India, but Danish Kaneria didn’t do too badly either, with seven wickets in two Tests at a reasonable average.

The key to the Indian batting was their ability to string together huge partnerships once they got starts. They had 12 stands of over 50, and on seven of those occasions they went to on convert those into century partnerships. Pakistan couldn’t even manage half that number. Interestingly, the third wicket stand was the most prolific for both teams, but there, as in partnerships for most other wickets, the Indians were a shade better.

One of the few contests where Pakistan did end up with the upper hand was the Shoaib v Tendulkar battle. Shoaib nailed his man twice in the one-dayers and once in the Test series, while Tendulkar only managed a total of 86 runs against him. That’s a stat which should give Shoaib license to gloat for the next couple of years.

Click here for the Test averages of both teams.S Rajesh is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo.

Departmental and bank teams may be confined to playing in one-day games only in Pakistan’s next domestic season. In the ongoing drive to regionalise the game by the board, a local newspaper has reported that in an upcoming major policy meeting, the PCB will look to drastically reduce the role that departments and banks play by having them participate in the national one-day tournament only. As the report pointed out, this move is likely to leave hundreds of players unemployed.The structure of Pakistan’s domestic game has been through many changes with some analysts claiming no two consecutive seasons have ever had the same structure. But not since Majid Khan’s unsuccessful attempts to banish departments from the game altogether in the mid-90s has the change ever been as radical as this one might be. The report, in , quotes a source as saying, “Work is going on behind the scenes to just restrict the departments and banks to a one-day competition. And there is every likelihood that this new proposed domestic format could be put for discussion and formal approval at the advisory council meeting planned for June 4 at Lahore.”Rashid Latif, the former Pakistan captain, and an ardent supporter of the continued involvement of departments in the domestic game, also warned of drastic consequences. “Be prepared for the worst, because no departments or banks will then be prepared to spend millions on maintaining their cricket teams, and on employing cricketers who will then be rendered jobless and face problems balancing their cricket career and ambitions with their livelihood.” Other ex-cricketers have criticised the move as well. One argued: “The board, like Imran Khan, appears to have developed a romantic concept about regionalising the domestic structure and then attracting thousands to the stadiums to watch their respective cities play.” He continued, “What will happen is that cricketers would be rendered jobless and still no one would turn up to watch domestic matches.” Given the shockingly sparse crowds for the recent Test series between India and Pakistan, this argument holds some weight.This news comes in the light of the PCB’s recent announcement that it is planning to offer cricketers who play for regional teams six-month professional contracts for next season. In the season just gone, the PCB paid every player who appeared in the region-based Quaid-e-Azam Trophy up to Rs. 60,000 for two months. A player employed by a bank, on the other hand, will be paid between Rs.10,000-15,000 a month, but crucially, this will be an annual contract, and that will provide players with financial stability.The success, or otherwise, of the regional game has always hinged on finances and professionalism. A dearth of sponsors and resources have meant that prior to the season just gone, players were paid daily allowances only for appearances for their region. Recently, the allowance has been Rs.1,000 per day, although in the past it has been as low as Rs.100, and in the absence of any salary or contract, it has precluded the regional game from developing. Departments, in contrast, have offered the prospect of a job and a monthly salary, as well as a developed infrastructure where players can at least work on their games and not worry about making ends meet.Wisden Comment
If the PCB can provide the financial impetus to kickstart the regional game – and the series against India should at least set them on their way – then perhaps there is hope. But while regional associations – who should be providing the finances for the regional game but are currently embroiled in a running battle with the PCB – remain financially dependent on the board, the prospects of a long-term professional regional set-up remain dim. The PCB will not always be as flush with money as it is now. In which case if the report in is to be believed, sidelining departments so quickly on the back of an unexpected windfall may yet prove a risky move. On June 4, we will be in a better position to assess the future of Pakistan cricket.

Andrew Hall’s contract has not been renewed by the Titans Cricket Franchise, meaning that he is now a free agent in South African cricket.Hall, 28, has played 10 Tests and 43 one-day internationals since 1998-99, and was one of South Africa’s stars on their tour to England last year, when he took 16 wickets with his medium-paced bowling and contributed a Test-best 99 not out to their victory at Headingley. He is currently plying his trade with Worcestershire, the county that has become his second home.”It is most unfortunate that we have not been able to agree terms with Andrew Hall and his agent,” said Brandon Foot, the chairman of the Titans’ board of directors. “We have been in protracted, but inconclusive, negotiations for a sustained period of time.Hall is perhaps the only cricketer to have been shot at point-blank range during a mugging, and lived to tell the tale. “Andrew is a wonderfully courageous cricketer who performed admirably for the Titans during the recent Pro-20 Series,” added Foot. “We wish him everything of the best in his future endeavours.”

Mumbai have been slotted in the tougher of the two groups for next season’s Ranji Trophy campaign. Railways, Delhi and Karnataka, traditionally strong teams, were also drawn in the same Elite Group. Bengal, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh complete the roster. Tamil Nadu, the runner-up last year, were slotted in the other group.The groupings were announced when the fixtures and programme committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India met in Mumbai on Thursday. MP and Maharashtra, the two teams to have gained promotion from the Plate Group to the Elite Group last season, were slotted in different groups.The groupings for the Plate Group were also announced with Haryana, Vidarbha and Rajasthan in the same pool. Rajasthan and Kerala were the two teams to have been relegated to the Plate group last year.Ratnakar Shetty, the joint secretary of the BCCI, said that the domestic one-day tournament will be held in January.Shetty also confirmed that the Under-19 domestic tournament would follow the same format of the Ranji Trophy, with Elite and Plate groups. However, the games will be three-day affairs with 15 teams in Elite Group and 12 teams in Plate Group.Ranji Trophy Groupings for the 2004-05
Elite Division
Group A
Mumbai, Bengal, Railways, Delhi, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya PradeshGroup B
Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Baroda, Maharashtra and PunjabPlate Division
Group A
Orissa, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Saurashtra and BiharGroup B
Haryana, Tripura, Goa, Services, Vidarbha and Rajasthan

Ahead of the Old Trafford Test, Michael Vaughan went out on a limb and admitted that he agreed with those who were referring to Andrew Flintoff as the world’s best cricketer. Flintoff has played only one Test on his home ground, and is guaranteed a hero’s welcome when we takes the field against West Indies in the third Test.Vaughan didn’t hold back when asked about the man who has averaged 47 with the bat and 30 with the ball in his last 16 Tests. “At the minute he’s on the crest of a wave, he’s playing exceptionally well,” said Vaughan. “People talk about him being a powerful hitter, but not a lot of people mention what a good technique he has.”The crowd here will obviously go mad when he goes out to the wicket, but he’s got to try to control his emotions and if he can do that, the way he’s playing he’ll get another big score.”Flintoff’s ability to belt the cover off a cricket ball was never in doubt, but in recent times, he has tempered that with commendable discipline. Where he once got out going for one shot too many while playing to the gallery, he now plays himself in before causing the bowlers grief. Evidence of that was served in the second Test at Edgbaston, when he slammed an audacious 167 to inspire another rout of the West Indies.Vaughan was in no doubt that increased restraint had made Flintoff a more lethal proposition. “That’s the progression of Freddie over the last year,” he said. “A year or so ago, he’d be the first to admit when the crowd roared he’d try and hit the first ball out of the ground for six, get 20-odd and then get out.”He’s learned a hell of a lot from that and his experiences. Someone mentioned the other day that he’s the best cricketer in the world at the minute and I’m certainly not going to argue with that.”For Vaughan, the cherry on top has come in the shape of Flintoff’s bowling. With an ankle injury restricting him to short bursts, he has been used as a strike bowler, rather than in the tourniquet role that he used to perform. And at Edgbaston, it paid rich dividends, with Flintoff accounting for both Brian Lara and Ramnaresh Sarwan. Of course, the true test of his calibre will come next summer, when certain visitors arrive wearing baggy green caps.

John Dyson, Sri Lanka’s coach, has praised his team for their growing mental resilience after they turned around a first-innings deficit to complete an emphatic victory in the opening Test against Pakistan at Faisalabad last weekend.Earlier in the year, Sri Lanka had watched in frustration as Australia showed off their legendary mental toughness by overcoming first-innings deficits in three consecutive Tests to complete a series whitewash, the first by any team in Sri Lanka.Dyson sensed that those defeats had made the team tougher. An AFP report quoted him as saying, “We have learnt from our defeats against Australia as we were in an awkward position at Faisalabad and we fought our way out of it. We had a good series against Australia and they beat us. I think we played very good cricket but they are a good enough team to fight out of awkward positions and win the match. I am pleased that the boys have shown they are able to do that too.”I think we fought back well from the position of 9 for 3 and our batsmen, led by [Thilan] Samaraweera, fought well to give us a chance to set up the rest of the match,” he said. “Sanath Jayasuriya’s innings was absolutely fantastic and is the sort of innings you look for from your champion player.”Dyson was now hopeful that the winning momentum will be continued in the final Test at Karachi which starts on Thursday. Sri Lanka are now looking for a hat-trick of series wins in Pakistan after victories on their previous tours in 1995 and 1999.A series win in Pakistan would be memorable, but Dyson was anxious for the team to prove itself outside the subcontinent. “We have identified that winning outside Sri Lanka is necessary to raise the profile of Sri Lankan cricket and we must also play well in England, Australia and South Africa.”

A report in The Standard claims that the five-year ban handed down to Maurice Odumbe was recommended by presiding adjudicator Ahmed Ebrahim, a retired Zimbabwean supreme court judge, and not, as first thought, by the Kenyan Cricket Association.Odumbe was banned following a hearing in July which found him guilty of associating with known bookmakers. At the time it was widely reported that the KCA had pressed for the punishment. But The Standard published Ebrahim’s confidential report.”Far from shouldering this responsibility [ as Kenya’s captain], Odumbe has shown himself to be dishonest and devious in his behaviour in relation to the game of cricket,” Ebrahim said in his findings. “He has been callous and greedy in the way he has conducted himself. There is no suggestion that he was in desperate straits and in dire need of money because of some serious difficulty which may have befallen him.”Odumbe has exhibited no remorse. He has not indicated any intention to mend his ways. Instead, he has chosen to cast doubts on the honesty and integrity of people who have despaired of his behaviour. The penalty provided for his `illegal’ conduct in terms of the ICC Code of Conduct is a minimum ban of two years or a maximum of a life ban.”He has not been found guilty of `match-fixing’ but, as I have indicated, his conduct was outrageously reprehensible,” concluded Ebrahim. “In my view, a five-year ban would meet the justice of the case and I so recommend.”The ramifications of the evidence given by Katherine Maloney, Odumbe’s estranged wife, continue. It was her testimony which proved so damning to Odumbe, and which resulted in ICC Anti-Corruption officials again visiting Nairobi last week as part of an ongoing investigation.

Nayan Mongia, the former India Test wicketkeeper, has announced his retirement after being dropped by Baroda.”I had already written a letter to the Baroda Cricket Association on December 14 expressing my desire to retire from first-class cricket,” Mongia told reporters on Tuesday at his home in Vadodara, “but the shocking decision prompted me to take the step. I was playing well and there was no reason to exclude me from the team. I was dropped from the team even though I had a fitness certificate.” In five innings this season, Mongia has failed to reach fifty once.Mongia, who turned 35 on Sunday, played in 44 Tests with a highest score of 152 against Australia in the one-off Test at Delhi in 1996-97 when he opened the batting. His last Test was the epic victory at Kolkata also against Australia in March 2001, when India won after following on. Mongia’s lowest point came when India’s Central Bureau of Investigation questioned him over his alleged involvement with bookmakers, although he was later cleared of all involvement.Mongia mostly played for Baroda and West Zone, on the Indian domestic circuit.In 183 first-class matches, starting in November 1989, he made 353 catches and 43 stumpings, and scored over 7000 runs.

ScorecardDay 4
Bulletin – Australia clinch the series
Verdict – Hope and resistance
Roving Reporter – ‘How can you not love this team?’
The Big Picture – Hameed in the firing line
Day 3
Bulletin – Martyn makes it Australia’s day
Verdict – The unique Mr Gillespie
News – Razzaq taken to hospital
The Big Picture – Closing in
Day 2
Bulletin – Martyn resists Pakistan’s charge
Verdict – The power of the counterpunch
The Big Picture – Goodbye Darren
Day 1
Bulletin – A Youhana special on Boxing Day
Verdict – Loosening the shackles
Commentary – A resounding riposte
Roving Reporter – The Once A Year Day
The Big Picture – Youhana falls
The Big Picture – Gillespie strikes
Preview package
Preview – Australia seek 300th win
News – Inzamam ruled out

The State Shield game between Auckland and Canterbury was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to heavy rain around Eden Park’s Outer Oval. The match had been built up by the Auckland Association as a tsunami relief fund match but it never looked like getting started.As a result of the abandonment the Auckland side, which has been such a top performer in the four-day competition, ended the first half of the State Shield without a win. The two other games to complete the fifth round of matches are scheduled to be played on Sunday.As cricketers around the country have honed their card-playing skills,caught on the books they had put aside to read or taken up a moreexciting game, like chess, the rain has once again marred matches.Long-time followers of the game cannot remember a more disruptive weather influence in their memories. The good news for the Sri Lankans who went home as a result of the tsunami is that they were lucky they didn’t stay to play as they may well have ended up playing on weather-affected strips like those India had to play on two summers ago.