India 150 for 6 (Ganguly 45) trail Australia 474 (Clarke 151, Gilchrist 104, Harbhajan 5 for 146) by 324 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Two sensational hundreds, two sensational balls, and a thoroughly ruthless and professional performance helped Australia assume control on the second day of the first Test at Bangalore. With their miracle workers gone, India found themselves staring at defeat, 324 runs behind with only four wickets left.It was a perfect day for Australia. Adam Gilchrist andMichael Clarke dominated the first three hours withsparkling footwork and spanking drives, and then theirbowlers coaxed life out of what had seemed afeatherbed pitch till then. Glenn McGrath showed whatAustralia had missed during their home series lastyear by winkling out two wickets in his first twoovers and Michael Kasprowicz, who won Australia aTest at this ground in 1998, showed how to bowl on aslow pitch by striking two vital blows after India hadsteadied themselves through an enterprisingpartnership between Virender Sehwag and SouravGanguly. Shane Warne then capped a great day for Australia by claiming VVS Laxman with a ball he willcherish: it drifted in, pitched on a perfect spot onleg, and beat Laxman’s prodding bat with sharp turn tohit off.The hope for India lay in an early breakthrough – but itdidn’t come until the last ball before lunch. In thosetwo hours, Gilchrist left the Indian spinners cluelessas he struck a fine balance between caution andattack. He scored quickly, but differently to his usual approach, choosingto go down the ground instead of behind square ashas been his custom. He carted bothAnil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh straight for sixes intheir first overs, and then opened up the field and pushedaround for easy runs. All through the morning, theIndians posted two men on the fence for thesweep, but unlike Matthew Hayden yesterday, Gilchrist didn’tfall for the trap.His first sweep didn’t come until he had 87, a controlled four tolong leg, and his century came up a couple of overslater, with two successive cover-driven fours thatbeat long-off. It wasn’t his usual swashbucklingstyle, but the hundred still came off 103 balls and theIndians just didn’t know where to bowl to him. He fellon the stroke of lunch, to a brilliant return catch,as Harbhajan dived full-length to his right to latchon to one that skimmed inches above the ground (423 for 5).

Gilchrist also played a crucial part in guiding Clarketo his hundred. With three figures in sight, Clarke wasa bundle of nerves early in the day. His first two fourscame through edges, before he survived a hugeleg-before shout against Kumble. With a seven-twofield against bowling that was directed outside off, Clarke swished and missed, changed his gloves,and made frequent forays to square leg between balls.But as soon as he traded his helmet for a baggy greencap, Clarke got to the landmark with a clipped two tomidwicket, becoming the first Australian since GregBlewett in 1994-95 to score a century on Test debut. Thenext 50 runs were made in unfettered style, and hesprayed the bowling to all parts as India’s slowbowlers, especially Kumble, were found wanting.Just after lunch, Kumble was thumped for two fours anda six over midwicket, as Clarke moved his feet withballet-like precision.He fell immediately after reaching his 150 as anattempted cover-drive off Zaheer Khan took the edge andwent straight through to Parthiv Patel (471 for 8). Harbhajan mopped up the tail in next to notime to finish with an expensive five-for – but by then, India were already requiring a mighty turnaround.McGrath struck with the fourth ball of the Indianinnings as Aakash Chopra shouldered arms to one thatdarted back in. Replays showed that the ball might havegone just over the stumps (0 for 1). But the body blowcame in McGrath’s second over as a peach of delivery,pitched outside off and cutting in, sneaked throughRahul Dravid’s defence to crash into the stumps (4 for 2). McGrath had struck twice in six balls, and Dravidleft to a stunned silence at his home ground.Ganguly scythed through that tension with two gorgeouscover-drives that had everyone gasping. He didn’t hold backwhen the ball was dug in short, and rolled his wristswhile executing the pull. At the other end, Sehwag letrip as the cover fielders chased some lashed drives.After bowling one over before tea, Warne returned in the 20th over of the innings. Sehwag immediately made room for himself and the ball teasedthe fielder at short extra cover before escaping thegrasp of the one at mid-off.But the introduction of Kasprowicz provided Australia with the double break. Gangulywas cut in half in Kasprowicz’s first over, as heintelligently varied the pace of delivery as well asthe extent of seam movement. Sehwag chipped a straightone uppishly to midwicket, where Justin Langer leapt up and latched on (87 for 3). And then Ganguly was done in by abrute of a cutter, and only managed to edge it toGilchrist (98 for 4).Until he received that Warne Special Delivery, Laxman looked inregal touch, with a couple of sublime flicks of McGrath andKasprowicz. It took a ripping, accurate legbreak toget him out and India finished the day seeking amiracle of Kolkata ’01 proportions.

As widely predicted in the aftermath of victory in the Champions Trophy, Gus Logie’s tenure as coach of the West Indies is over. The official announcement said that his contract was terminated early by mutual consent.Logie was appointed to the role in 2003 and his contract did not expire until 2005, but in the wake of two comprehensive series defeats by England, even winning the one-day trophy was not enough to save him.”It is no secret that the West Indies Cricket Board is looking for a foreign coach and they have already spoken to a lot of people,” Logie said last week. “Whoever comes in, I hope he gets a lot of support; certainly a lot more than what I was getting. We wanted instant results and if you don’t get that then the knives are always going to be out for you.”I am disappointed. I made a contribution and have been denied the opportunity to work with what has just begun to blossom. A foreign coach will come into this area and will be given the resources and authority I never had to get the job done and this just when results were being seen. I have made a contribution throughout my life to West Indies cricket, and it is time I move on.”Under Logie, West Indies won only four out of 22 Tests, although their one-day record was better, with 20 wins out of 39.Although the timing of the decision of the board might seem inopportune, it wanted to give Logie’s replacement time to settle in ahead of West Indies participation in the VB Series in Australia in January.

England have sent Andrew Flintoff back to the ECB Academy in a desperate attempt to get him fit for the first Ashes Test at Brisbane on November 7.Flintoff’s slow recovery from a hernia operation in the summer has left England with a serious problem ahead of the opening Test, and with their physiotherapist Kirk Russell grossly overworked, it has been decided to give Flintoff intensive one-on-one treatment at the Adelaide Academy.”While Andrew’s recovery programme is running behind schedule, we remain confident he will be able to take part in the Ashes series,” said Duncan Fletcher, the England coach. “We feel the medical team at the Academy are best placed to give Andrew the intensive one-on-one treatment he needs.”Flintoff added: “Hopefully, I will become fitter quicker by having intensive treatment. I certainly still have aspirations and hopes for the first Test. I am definitely not ruling myself out.”A year ago, Flintoff was included in the inaugural Academy squad, but was then summoned to India after a rethink from Fletcher. It shows how far he has come that, within 12 months of being surplus to requirements, he is the pivot without which England cannot function.Two other key cogs in the England machine, Michael Vaughan and Darren Gough, have both been ruled out of the two-day match against Western Australia, which begins at the WACA in Perth on Thursday. They are also unlikely to play in the three-day match against the same opponents that begins on Monday.”Vaughan has a very good chance of playing in the next three-day match against Queensland, starting in Brisbane on November 2,” Fletcher said. “Gough is pretty positive. He has bowled on each of the past two days and there has been no reaction. He is feeling pretty bullish at this stage.”We don’t want to push him too soon. We’ll just have to wait and see. We won’t know whether he is ready for the Test unless he is ready for the Brisbane three-day game.”It looks increasingly likely that England will have to call for reinforcements at some stage, with Alex Tudor the man most likely.”Tudor is at the Academy in Adelaide and otherplayers are around in Australia, practising, and if the injuries don’t work out, we may have to make a decision to bring them in,” Fletcher said.Fletcher also played down his side’s 58-run defeat in the tour opener at Lilac Hill on Tuesday, in which Steve Harmison bowled seven consecutive wides.”We had only been here three or four days and we were not playing our one-day squad and it was our first workout,” he said. “He [Harmison] took a bit of a beating, but he is not even in our one-day bowling squad, and this was a one-day game. He pushed the batters onto the back foot a bit.”

Dave Nosworthy has been appointed coach of Canterbury for the next three seasons starting in September.Nosworthy has coached the Northern Titans, one of South Africa’s six first-class sides, for the last five years, but they decided not to extend his contract at the end of the 2004-05 season. In addition, he has coached the national Under-19 and A teams.”Dave comes highly recommended and impressed the interview panel with his thoroughness of preparation. I’m confident he will do an excellent job,” Richard Reid, Canterbury’s CEO, told New Zealand Cricket.Nosworthy, who beat eight other applicants, takes over from Michael Sharpe.

Division Two

Points TableDurham failed to post a challenging total for Somerset, on another excellent pitch at Taunton, as Somerset cruised to victory by five wickets to retain hopes of promotion. Opening the bowling for Somerset, the left-armer Robert Woodman, who made his debut, bowled a superb length and consistently troubled Durham’s batsmen, particular the left-handers, with late swing. Dale Benkenstein hit an unbeaten 60, and Mike Hussey 43, but Somerset set about the target of 223 with aggression. Man-of-the-match Matt Wood hit an attractive 76 from 80 balls, and despite Gareth Breese picking up two wickets, Somerset walked home with two-and-a-half overs to spare.Leicestershire nearly slipped up against Sussex, but a defiant 92 from Dinesh Mongia saw the home side through by five wickets, with seven balls to spare. Sussex crashed to 44 for 4, but rebuilt through Mike Yardy, 58, and Carl Hopkinson who made 39. Veteran Ottis Gibson took 4-39. Leicestershire in reply then lost 101 for 4, and when Snape was out (102 for 5), Sussex’s score of 186 suddenly looked more than reasonable. Mongia stood firm, however, striking eight fours and a six as Leicestershire moved into second place of Division Two. Despite the loss, Sussex remain top.

Ravi Shastri, the former Indian captain, has said that the media should take into account the positives that have emerged from the so-called truce between Sourav Ganguly and Greg Chappell. As a member of the Indian board’s six-member review committee which last Tuesday prevailed upon the coach and captain to bury the hatchet, Shastri said, “Let me assure you that a lot of thought went into our final decision”.”Those who say we took the easy way out couldn’t be more wrong,” Shastri told the Bangalore-based newspaper . “Our decision was based on cold logic. We discussed the consequences of taking drastic action, and came to the conclusion that this wasn’t the time for punitive action. There is no point acting in haste and accentuating the problem, if any.”Ever since Ganguly, in the middle of the Zimbabwe tour, raised the spectre of a domineering coach and Chappell subsequently responded with an email to the board indicting the captain, there have been widespread speculation and prognoses on the state of Indian cricket.”There is no doubt in my mind that this is the biggest controversy to have hit Indian cricket since the match-fixing scandal in mid-2000,” Shastri continued. “Both on and off the field – and when I say off the field, I refer to the administrative shambles – Indian cricket has hit rock-bottom. We couldn’t have afforded another trial by the media and the public at this stage. That neither Greg nor Sourav has a problem working with each other despite the happenings of the last fortnight is a very positive development.”With Ganguly professing his continuing respect for Chappell, and the committee’s additional carrot which emphasised performance as the sole criterion for eligibility in the team, the coach was provided a dignified exit route. With the entire nation’s attention on him, it is now for Ganguly to perform.”Being part of the media myself, I can state with authority that there is enough food on the table for the media, both print and electronic, to gorge themselves for the next 25 days or so despite the gag imposed by the board on the players,” Shastri continued. “Once the Sri Lanka series starts, however, I think the media should stop feasting and go on a month’s fast, allowing cricket to have its say.”

Ian Bell is determined to silence those who have doubted his ability to perform at international level. Although he hit two fifties at Old Trafford this summer against Australia, Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne held the wood over him: he scored just 171 runs in the five-Test series. He refuses to be disheartened with his summer feats, however. “My confidence and self-belief is the same as it was before I walked out to bat in the first Test at Lord’s,” he told .England’s selectors showed their commitment by including him in the Test squad to tour Pakistan and, despite a poor summer, Bell is confident he has learnt plenty from his first Ashes series. “I feel I’m a better player for what I have been through this summer,” he said. “If you don’t learn anything by playing with – and against – the best bowlers and batsmen in the world, then you have a problem.”He feels the experience of facing two of the greatest bowlers of all time stands him in good stead for the tour to Pakistan in November: “Pakistan is a place where if you can bat well you can score plenty of runs. If you can play spin and get in you can do well. I’m confident I can have a good tour.”Alec Stewart, Bell’s mentor, has recently become his agent and is confident that his young protégé is on the right track. “The experience he has got from the past few weeks in this series will stand him in good stead for the rest of his international career,” Stewart told .”He has grown up as a cricketer, and probably started doing so from the very first ball at Lord’s. He’s going to be a very fine player indeed; there’s something of the Michael Atherton about him.”The first Test between England and Pakistan gets underway in November.

The Zimbabwe Cricket Union’s (ZCU) drive to improve playing standards for its top players has received support from the South African board.The United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) has invited Zimbabwe Under-23 to play in both the one-day and three-day formats of the South African Airways Challenge – the two top amateur inter-provincial competitions – in the forthcoming season.Further help was offered with Zimbabwe’s captain Tatenda Taibu and the allrounder Andy Blignaut joining up with franchise sides Cape Cobras and Highveld Lions respectively.Gerald Majola, chief executive of the UCBSA, said: “We will introduce these two measures as part of the UCBSA’s commitment to assisting the ZCU to raise playing standards in this time of reformation for Zimbabwe cricket. We both believe that playing in our top amateur and professional competitions will assist the ZCU in this regard.”

Brad Hodge, the Victoria batsman, has said that there is no one more deserving to play for Australia than him. Hodge has replaced Simon Katich in the squad and is expected to make his Test debut in the second Test against West Indies at Hobart on November 17.”It has been extremely hard work and … dedication, it has been a long, hard road and I honestly believe if there is anyone that deserves to play cricket for Australia, it is me,” Hodge told AFP. “Having put the work in and the time, and the dedication and certainly the ambition and drive have been there for a long time, it is just a case of honing your skills. You can’t replace years and years of experience at the first-class level, you get to develop your game and know exactly what you are trying to achieve in the sport.”Hodge has played 167 first-class games and only Michael Hussey (176), who made his Test debut in the first Test against West Indies at Brisbane, has played more first-class matches before being handed a Test cap.”I know how hard it is to get in the side, it has taken me a long, long time and if I get my chance I certainly am not going to be giving it up easily,” said Hodge. “I guess there are a lot of guys in [Sheffield] Shield cricket who want to play for Australia and if they do it as tough as I have done, then they deserve to play for Australia.” Though Australia haven’t named their team for the Hobart Test, Hodge said that he thought it “unimaginable” that the selectors would give him a call-up and name him 12th man. ”I’d be surprised if he [Hodge] didn’t play,” Ricky Ponting told Reuters. ”We haven’t picked the team yet but I’d imagine he’d be a straight replacement for Simon Katich.”Hodge disagreed with all the focus on Australia’s ageing team. “I am only 30. I don’t know why this age bracket seems to be a problem because most of the good players who have played for Australia dominated at 30. Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann and also Matthew Hayden got back in at the age of 30 and dominated so if I can do anything half of what they have done, I will be very happy.”

The future of Headingley has again been thrown into doubt after the local council unexpectedly stalled on financing Yorkshire’s planned purchase of the ground, just two weeks after appearing to come to an agreement.The county has agreed to buy the venue for £12million to comply with one of the ECB’s requirements for grounds wishing to host England matches. But the move depends on Leeds City Council providing a loan of £9million.The financing was expected to be rubber-stamped this week but the council’s executive board has decided it needs stronger guarantees on repayment. Mark Harris, the council leader, said: “It is public funds we are talking about and it would be irresponsible for us to accept what is currently on the table.”In a statement Yorkshire said: “This is a position which the club understands and we shall therefore employ every endeavour on our side to ensure that agreement is reached in the course of the days ahead. Since we have already reached agreement on all matters of principle, the club believes that the remaining points of detail can be resolved quickly and without difficulty.”Yorkshire now face a race against time to secure the financing and complete the purchase of Headingley, which is currently rented from the owners of the adjacent rugby club, by the end of the year. If they do not they will invalidate an agreement with the ECB under which Headingley was assured of the right to host England matches for the next 15 years, provided they took ownership of the ground by 2006. Yorkshire plan to increase the ground’s capacity from 17,000 to 20,000 with significant developments of the Grandstand and Kirkstall Lane ends.