Centurion Bravo leads West Indies dominance

West Indies 355 and 207 for 3 (Bravo 100*, Kirk Edwards 86) lead Bangladesh 231 (Shakib 73, Naeem 45, Fidel Edwards 5-63) by 331 runs

Darren Bravo had to wait 10 Tests to reach his maiden Test ton © Associated Press Enlarge West Indies consolidated their hold over the second Test, moving from a position of control to complete dominance by extending their lead to 331 with Darren Bravo, who reached his maiden international ton in his 10th Test off the last ball of the day, and Kirk Edwards laying the platform to shut Bangladesh out of contention through a stand worth 151. On a track where spinners found some turn and bite, the Bangladesh bowlers let themselves down, were not backed up by their fielders and appeared to be beating a retreat with spread-out fields when the need of the hour was quick wickets and a strong comeback.

The spin-strong hosts would have been encouraged by the assistance the pitch offered Devendra Bishoo and Marlon Samuels in the morning session; West Indies took little over an hour to polish off the last three wickets of the Bangladesh innings. There were rough patches on either side of the crease that the slow bowlers targeted, and they promised a tougher outing for the batsmen in the second innings. The run-out of Kraigg Brathwaite in the first over and the needless, and failed, attempt by Kieran Powell to clear mid-on after a solid start gave Bangladesh hope of limiting the damage to manageable proportions. But Bravo's counter-attack, Edwards' unshakeable determination that only slipped shortly before stumps and a failure to put the pair under pressure cost the home team.

Starting with a packed in-field and catchers close in, the Bangladesh spinners tempted Bravo with flight, aiming at the rough, but were caught off-guard as he responded with aggression. Off his second ball, he smashed Shakib over his head and launched him over the long-on boundary in his next over. Shakib slipped his sliders and Nasir Hossain got some turn but their efforts were inadequate against a calculated Bravo onslaught that put Bangladesh quickly on the defensive. He struck Nasir over mid-on, drove him through the covers and pulled him over midwicket, all in the same over. Soon enough, the field was pushed back, triggering a routine flow of runs to those stationed at long-on and long-off.

His quest for runs prompted Bravo to nick Shakib to Mushfiqur Rahim and then Imrul Kayes at first slip - both chances were spilled, drawing a smile of resignation on Shakib's face. Edwards was content to cede the floor to his partner and rotated the strike comfortably, driving through the V, using the sweep and gradually laying the stage for his second century of the game. He was the recipient of a spate of low full tosses from the Bangladesh slow bowlers but also dealt soundly with those that turned; he drove Shakib twice through the extra cover for four and was equally assured on the back foot, punching him to the boundary despite there being a deep cover. Though not one to take unnecessary risks, he surprised a few when he took on Shahadat Hossain, thumping him over mid-on and clearing the ropes.

Barring a mistimed pull that landed inches short of Shakib at midwicket, Edwards experienced no major hiccups and looked to become the first West Indies batsman in 10 years to score a century in each innings. His pursuit was cut short by a momentary lapse in concentration when he flicked too early against a full delivery from Suhrawadi Shuvo - who hardly spun the ball - and was bowled.

Bravo toned down in the final session, the stream of singles continuing uninterrupted however. Only two fours came off his bat post tea, one a streaky edge off Rubel Hossain - who bowled too short in his return spell - and the other a punch off Shakib past cover. As nightwatchman Kemar Roach kept Bravo nervous company on the day's dying stages, Shuvo gave him an anxious moment when he scraped past the outside edge in the final over but a cut through point off that last ball that fetched him two drew a roar, an animated celebration and eventually tears, summing up the relief of having reached a most cherished milestone.

The reckless top-order approach on the second day, and missed opportunities and lack of effectiveness with the ball on the third, have left Bangladesh facing a formidable challenge of saving the Test, let alone winning it, on a pitch that's getting increasingly trickier.

Team united behind Clarke - Hussey

Michael Hussey is full of praise for Michael Clarke's captaincy so far © Associated Press Enlarge

Michael Hussey, the Australia batsman, has said captain Michael Clarke enjoys the full support of his team-mates and that Australia are headed in the right direction under Clarke's leadership.

Clarke has had a successful start to his captaincy, leading Australia to four straight series wins since taking over from Ricky Ponting. However, he has also been embroiled in the controversy over the dropping of opener Simon Katich, with the latter suggesting Clarke had a role in keeping him out of the team.

"If you want to be part of this Australian team, you've got to go with the captain and we respect the way he wants to take the team," Hussey told AAP. "Even someone like Ricky who has been captain, he's jumping on board as well and it just shows that the guys really do want to play for Australia, we do want to play under Michael and I think we're definitely going in the right direction."

"It's been great for him personally - he's really taken the role with a full head of steam. He's very passionate about the role and he's very clear in how he wants to lead the team."

Under Clarke, Australia have won against Sri Lanka (Tests and ODIs), Bangladesh (ODIs) and South Africa (ODIs), who they beat 2-1 ahead of the two Test series starting on November 9 in Cape Town. Hussey said Clarke did encourage the team to enjoy their one-day series success, but attention has already turned to the Test series.

"If we can stick together and do the basics for long, long periods of time, which is what Michael's philosophy is, then I think we can definitely come out on top," Hussey said. "It's going to be a huge series ... it's going to be great hard Test cricket which is what we all look forward to, but I'm confident.

"We've got a very important first-class (tour) match coming up in Potchefstroom [on Tuesday]. We've got to make sure we get into Test mode."

Judge permits majority verdict

The judge has given the jury deciding on the alleged spot-fixing trial permission to reach a majority verdict after he was sent a note from them saying they could not agree on "all" the charges.

Before the jury re-entered Court No. 4 at Southwark Crown Court at 15.20, and while the galleries anticipated a verdict on the 19th day of the trial, the judge explained that the jurors were unable to agree on everything. He then issued the following direction to them.

"If you are unable to reach a unanimous verdict on any particular one of the counts then I can take a majority decision from you, which is one on which at least ten of you agree," Justice Cooke told the jury.

The general feeling inferred was that the jury has agreed on some of the charges with either of the two players on trial, but could not reach agreement on both charges for both players. The new guidance from the judge is likely to hasten a definitive verdict, possibly on Tuesday, now that some flexibility has been afforded the 12 jurors.

Former captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord's Test in August last year when they allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed, teenage fast bowler Mohammad Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-determined no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.

All types of scenarios are possible for each charge facing both players. The jury, which was first retired to debate a verdict at midday on Thursday, was consistently urged to reach a unanimous verdict by the judge but having deliberated for almost three days, he has now given them some leeway.

Fidel Edwards leaves Bangladesh in trouble

Tea Bangladesh 86 for 5 (Shakib 30*, Naeem 6*, Fidel Edwards 5-40) trail West Indies 355 (Kirk Edwards 121, Shakib 5-63) by 269 runs
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West Indies took firm control of the second Test riding on the back of landmark performances from the two men named Edwards - Kirk and Fidel. One reached his second Test century to lay the stage for a competitive score, the other blew away the Bangladesh top and middle order with his eleventh five-for. Just as significant to West Indies' primacy, was the almost inexplicable approach of the Bangladesh batsmen. They chose attack over caution during a fiery spell of pace bowling, scored at more than seven an over at one stage but left their team staring at the possibility of conceding a big first-innings lead.

Having witnessed the lack of assistance to seamers on a placid track during their innings, West Indies began with their fast bowlers bowling round the wicket into a top order packed with left-hand batsmen. The strategy was to induce the batsmen into playing on the off side with three slips and a gully in place, and occasionally roughing them up with short deliveries angling in, the short-leg fielder awaiting the chances. What set Fidel Edwards apart was his extra pace. He consistently bowled over 140kph and varied his lengths well. While he was guilty of doling out some short stuff that was punished, he was accurate with his yorkers and generated extra nip with the new ball.

Bangladesh's action-plan was evident as early as the second over, when Tamim Iqbal dispatched Kemar Roach for three boundaries. Roach was more predictable in his expensive spell, and was driven on the up as well as slashed through point. Restraint was in short supply and West Indies would have sensed a chance when Tamim was beaten chasing a wide one in Fidel Edwards' second over. When he got one that angled in and spat off the pitch, he fended it off the face to be brilliantly caught by Darren Bravo who reacted quickly at short leg to snap it with one hand. The aggression didn't die down, however, and both Imrul Kayes and Shahriar Nafees picked up boundaries through cover and point; each was dropped in the gully region, but even that didn't check them.

The approach was in contrast to the way the West Indies openers, Kraigg Brathwaite and Kieran Powell, batted on the opening day, building an innings and seeing off the early threat. The instinct to score produced risky shots and Shahriar's belated attempt to turn the face against Fidel Edwards brought about his demise. Fidel Edwards was proactive in setting the field, getting Bravo to stand exactly where he wanted at short leg and soon enough, the catches followed.

While Roach was taken for runs at the other end, his bruises including a massive six by Kayes over midwicket, Edwards changed his angle to over the wicket against the right-handers. He prised out Raqibul Hasan who played back to a good-length ball that nipped in, and dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim, who prodded at his first delivery that went away, only slightly. His fifth wicket was that of Kayes, who couldn't resist clipping him uppishly, straight to square leg.

The procession to the pavilion at the other end didn't stop Shakib Al Hasan from chancing his arm; he pulled and drove, reaching 30 in quick time though not without a scare. Whether he will continue in the same vein with his side in dire straits remains to be seen.

The capitulation to Fidel Edwards followed a spirited fightback from Bangladesh, who limited the damage to 355 after West Indies had controlled the bulk of the contest. Shakib picked up his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests after an acrobatic return catch from offspinner Nasir Hossain ended a threatening stand between Marlon Samuels and Kirk Edwards. A dropped catch from Mushfiqur and some powerful drives down the ground took Kirk Edwards to his century but Shakib saw off Carlton Baugh and Darren Sammy before lunch. He trapped Kirk Edwards in front after the break to retreat to the dressing room with a big smile on his face. It had withered somewhat when he left for the same place at tea.

England 121 for 4 (Pietersen 53) beat India 120 for 9 (Raina 39, Finn 3-22) by six wickets

	Steven Finn looked the part once again for England, as he finished with 3 for 22 © Getty Images Enlarge

England finished a tough tour of India on an upbeat note, as they preserved their world No. 1 ranking in Twenty20 cricket with a hard-earned six-wicket victory in Kolkata. Steven Finn, with 3 for 22 in four fast and accurate overs, was England's inspiration with the ball as they limited India's powerful line-up to 120 for 9 after MS Dhoni had won the toss. Then it was over to Kevin Pietersen, who overcame an anxious start, and a fourth-ball life, to silence a raucous and expectant crowd with a blistering 53 from 39 balls.

Given how poorly England had fared in their 5-0 whitewash in the ODI series, they began the match on a hiding to nothing. However, from the moment they claimed two wickets in the first eight deliveries of the match, they were the team dictating the pace of the contest. Suresh Raina, with 39 from 29 balls, threatened for a time to restore the status quo, as did the Indian spinners who dominated the thrust of their attack. But when Raina dropped Pietersen at backward square leg off R Ashwin in the fifth over of the innings, India squandered the chance to ramp up the pressure that had led to England's collapse of 10 for 47 on the same surface in Tuesday's fifth ODI.

Pietersen's response was far from instantaneous, however. Although he showed no ill-effects from the chipped thumb that ruled him out of the final ODI, the left-arm spin of Ravindra Jadeja helped to limit him to 2 from his first nine balls before a stunning change of approach reaped the richest of dividends. In the space of his next three balls, he dropped to his knees to scoop Yusuf Pathan over his head for his first boundary of the innings, before flipping to a left-hander's stance and butchering a perfect switch hit over the fence at what had been deep extra cover.

Craig Kieswetter had already fallen to a mistimed lofted drive off Jadeja, and when Alex Hales holed out to deep midwicket off Pathan, both of England's openers had fallen with 40 runs on the board. However, Samit Patel's combative hitting proved to be the ideal foil for Pietersen, and their 60-run stand from 46 balls broke the back of the run-chase. Patel played second-fiddle for much of their stand, not least when Pietersen pumped the last two balls of the eighth and nine overs for three fours and a six. But he was not averse to taking the aerial route himself, as he proved when he flogged Vinay Kumar into the stands at long-on.

Typically, the denouement was not without its alarms for England. With 100 on the board, Patel sliced Virat Kohli to cover to depart for 21, and one over later, Pietersen was also on his way - courtesy of a shocking lbw decision from umpire Sudhir Asnani, who was perhaps distracted by another change of stance from Pietersen when he put up his finger for a delivery that clearly pitched outside leg. However, Ravi Bopara got away with a plumb appeal in Raina's next over, as he and Jonny Bairstow sealed the match with 10 balls to spare.

If nothing else, the victory - England's first in an away match against India since 2006 - was due reward for an outstanding month's work from Finn. By trusting in the same virtues of line, length and pace that had earned him eight wickets in the ODIs, he claimed the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane with the fourth ball of the match, courtesy of an outstanding one-handed pluck in front of first slip from Kieswetter, then later returned to remove two dangermen, Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, with consecutive deliveries.

Finn conceded three boundaries in his 24 deliveries, one to Virat Kohli when he overpitched in his first over, and two to Raina - a clean swipe for six, back down the ground, and a rare poor delivery on the pads when he returned to the attack to start the 12th over. The rest of the time, however, his rhythm and accuracy was unrelenting, and it was his key extraction of Raina, who cut loosely to backward point in Finn's third over that was the pivotal moment of the innings. One ball later, Jadeja chopped on for a golden duck, and at 74 for 6 with eight overs remaining, India's habitual acceleration was thwarted.

It wasn't a one-man show from England's bowlers, however. Tim Bresnan bounced back from a disappointing ODI series with a second-ball strike to remove Robin Uthappa for 1, and also cut short a threatening performance from Kohli, who had moved along to a run-a-ball 15 when Alex Hales on the deep midwicket boundary pulled off an excellent running catch inches inside the rope.

Graeme Swann's struggles with the ball continued when Raina pumped him for 16 in his first over, but his captaincy was certainly on the ball. Patel fizzed through his first three overs for 13 and bowled a frustrated Manoj Tiwary when he attempted to slog his way out of a rut, while Bopara pulled off some impressive changes of pace to deliver a double-wicket maiden in the 17th over of the innings. Yusuf Pathan missed the change-up after two slower balls and was bowled; two balls later Praveen Kumar had a mow and went the same way.

MS Dhoni, inevitably, was on hand to provide some late resistance as he and Ashwin scalped 25 runs from India's final two overs, but a run-a-ball chase was always within England's grasp - even allowing for the depth of their failings on this most disappointing of one-day campaigns.

Clinical Pakistan complete comprehensive win

Pakistan 403 (Azhar 100, Shafiq 59, Younis 55, Dilshan 3-57) and 94 for 1 (Hafeez 59*) beat Sri Lanka 239 (Sangakkara 78, Ajmal 3-45, Gul 3-78) and 257 (Paranavitana 72, Mathews 52*, Ajmal 5-68) by nine wickets

Saeed Ajmal made sure Pakistan finished Sri Lanka's tail off© AFP Enlarge Pakistan were so clinical in finishing Sri Lanka off on the fourth day that you wondered if this was the same group of players that is known for losing its way in the final furlong. They remained patient and persistent even when fortune didn't favour them or even when a late partnership held them up. The pitch with variable bounce and turn did the rest for them. Pakistan began the day 76 ahead with nine wickets to take, their bowlers shared the early spoils, and then Saeed Ajmal ran through the tail - no mean feat considering their recent travails with lower orders - to register his third five-for in Tests. The fielders turned up too, diving in desperation for every ball remotely within reach and not missing a single catch, and the batsmen made short work of the 94-run target.

Pakistan attacks are reputed to be mercurial and extravagantly talented, but it is an underrated virtue that stood out today - patience. The biggest test of their patience came last afternoon when Kumar Sangakkara and Tharanga Paranavitana enjoyed good fortune with edges not going to hand, and the good deliveries turning out to be too good to take the edges. The bowlers, though, kept it tight and did not go looking for magic balls. The rewards duly came.

They were helped by Sri Lanka's failure to attempt to disrupt their rhythm by hitting out. Some help also came their way from the umpires. Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan fell lbw to decisions you couldn't be sure of, but the balance was restored a bit - so to speak - when Angelo Mathews survived a pretty adjacent call. Mathews went on to delay Pakistan with yet another impersonation of the boy on the burning deck but, as with Paranavitana's fifty, there was no sting in the innings to hurt Pakistan.

The two efforts didn't prove to be the kind of denial that has recently led to Pakistan bowling's wilting. Paranavitana did try to show some intent in the fourth over of the morning when he lofted Abdur Rehman over mid-on for four. Rehman had troubled all left-handed batsmen with his flat trajectory and accuracy, repeatedly hitting the rough outside their off stumps. Soon, though, Paranavitana saw Sangakkara walk back in disgust, and went back into his shell.

Sangakkara's reaction seemed justified. He had taken a big stride in a forward defensive when Rehman got one to turn in extravagantly and hit him half inside the line of off. Even if the umpire Tony Hill adjudicated that Sangakkara was trying to hide his bat behind the pad, the ball turned massively, had a long way to travel, and in all likelihood would have missed leg.

Pakistan now turned the screw tighter. Umar Gul gave Mahela Jayawardene a stern examination with the ball holding its line outside off. Paranavitana hung on grimly against Ajmal's turn. Runs were not even an afterthought. Their partnership added 18 in 11.3 overs. Jaywardene was sent back by a smart bit of bowling from Ajmal. The first big offbreak got Jayawardene trying extra hard to get outside the line of off. To the next delivery, Jayawardene premeditated a paddle from outside off, and Ajmal bowled the quicker offbreak that turns less, and went behind him to knock the leg stump out.

The under-pressure captain Dilshan was outside the crease when a swinging Junaid Khan delivery from round the stumps hit him in front of middle. Again, the ball was moving in and had a considerable distance to travel. In Junaid's next over, though, Mathews padded up to one that hit him just outside off and would have taken off and middle.

Mathews was lucky to survive that, but even though he and Paranavitana defended for their lives, neither got rid of close-in catchers nor did they make the bowlers change their plans. The dangerous wicket-taking delivery with their name on it was lurking around all the time. Paranavitana found his end soon after lunch when Ajmal tossed up an offbreak that finally took a healthy edge and went straight to slip.

To compound Sri Lanka's troubles, the new ball was due then and brought immediate results when Kaushal Silva top-edged Junaid. For a brief period after that Dhammika Prasad took the bowlers on and Pakistan backed off for a while. With Mathews he added 52 at four an over, but Pakistan got the chance to regroup during the tea break.

In the first over after the interval, Rehman cleaned Prasad up with an arm ball. Once again Pakistan had refused to wilt. The tail tried to steal valuable runs in the end, but Ajmal was too good for them. Mathews, who tried to farm the strike but didn't go for the big hits, remained unbeaten.

Misbah, who had made all the correct moves this match, right from the team's selection to the bowling changes, took the lead role in the huddle with what seemed like an impassioned speech. Not sure if he told Mohammad Hafeez he wanted Sunday off, but the opener came out in a positive mood with just 23 overs to go in the day. The ball still misbehaved, but after two fours in the first over and a huge six in Rangana Herath's first over, you knew Hafeez had had enough of this heat. Azhar Ali joined the fun when he lofted Dishan over long-off. All in all, it was a pretty fine way to bring up their first Test win over Sri Lanka in five years, in the anniversary week of their maiden Test victory.

Azhar ends century drought, sets up Pakistan's lead

Pakistan 281 for 4 (Azhar 100, Younis 55, Misbah 40*, Dilshan 2-48) lead Sri Lanka 239 by 42 runs 

Azhar Ali enjoyed Misbah-ul-Haq's calming influence in the nervous 90s © AFP Enlarge

Azhar Ali joined Chetan Chauhan, Ken "Slasher" Mackay and Mike Brearley among others as specialist batsmen with 1000 Test runs and no centuries, but spent only 37.1 overs in their company, reaching a maiden Test hundred in his 11th foray past 50. In the process he helped Pakistan recover from the loss of their openers early on the second day and, with support from Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq, laid the platform for a substantial first-innings lead.

The Sri Lanka bowlers toiled honestly for the best part of the day, but all they could manage was to slow down Pakistan's march towards the lead. Pakistan's run-rate might have been similar to their attempt in the first Test, which played a role in the eventual draw, but this was completely different from that go-slow. For starters the intent was obvious on the first evening, when the openers raced to 42 in nine overs. Then Suranga Lakmal's outswing early and the quick loss of the openers to Dhammika Prasad made them put their heads down.

Crucially both the big partnerships featured acceleration. In the first 12.3 overs of their stand leading up to lunch, Azhar and Younis had added just 31. By the time they had batted 27 overs together, the partnership read 75. When the two were separated three minutes before tea, they had put together 117 in 39.5 overs. Azhar and Misbah added only 18 in their first 10 overs together; in the next 10 they scored 45.

By then, though, the new ball had been taken, we were in the final hour of the day, and Azhar was 14 short of his century. He went from 86 to 90 with a thick edge over the slips. Over the next 30 balls he faced he sucked you into the drama of a man trying to reach that elusive century. He hit short-and-wide deliveries and half-volleys straight to the fielders, he jumped out to spin to recover just in time, he ran anxiously, he smiled, he agonised. Misbah kept telling him, in Punjabi, to do it in singles.

Azhar finally attempted a paddle sweep on 98, the ball hit the keeper's pad, deflected towards third man, and Azhar started to celebrate as he turned for the second run, giving the umpire Tony Hill no chance to even consider the possibility of byes. The replays of course were inconclusive, but it was just as well because he would soon be given lbw off an inside edge, with his score still 100.

Azhar could be forgiven for taking the focus off the rest of the game for the last 11 overs of the day, during which only 26 runs came, if not for a full year of solidity he has brought to the middle order, for today's work alone. When he and Younis came together on this new-ball pitch, the ball was still seaming around a bit and two wickets had fallen in 2.3 overs. Sri Lanka, though, couldn't have been entirely happy at that time. Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene had dropped both the openers off successive deliveries from Lakmal, costing the side 11 runs and more importantly six valuable overs with the new ball.

The wickets had come nonetheless, and both the dismissed batsmen had been troubled consistently by the movement. Mohammad Hafeez, though, was unlucky, falling lbw to a ball headed down leg. The man responsible for both the dodgy lbws in the day was Hill, but the rest of his day was a big improvement on a horror first Test. He was alert enough to warn Prasad twice for running onto the danger area, and rightly rule against a caught-behind appeal off the bowling of Dilshan. Azhar's bat had hit the ground creating the sound, but in live time he looked in real trouble.

Azhar was 32 off 82 then, and had been through a nervous moment or three. Twice he had tried to hit spin over the infield but found mid-off and mid-on on the bounce. Lakmal's mix of yorkers and short bowling asked questions too in the post-lunch session. On one occasion Azhar fended with his eyes off the ball. In comparison Younis remained almost inconspicuous, falling seamlessly into his defend-nudge-sweep routine against the spinners, striking at around 50 per 100 balls without seeming to make an effort. He played both the regulation and paddle sweep well, not letting Rangana Herath and Dilshan bowl where they would have wanted to.

Turn, though, wasn't Pakistan's main concern. It was the nibble in the morning and the slight reverse in the afternoon that asked questions. For strange reasons, though, Dishan tried his best to get the reversing ball changed. Equally strangely, Rangana Herath prematurely moved over the wicket, which allowed Azhar to open up by helping himself to free runs on the leg side.

From the time Azhar paddled Herath's over-the-stumps line for four, he scored 62 off 119 before reaching his 90s, a big improvement on his strike-rate otherwise. The fast bowlers were now tired, the ball was old, and the sense of adventure got the better of Younis, who reached his fifty with a six before playing Dilshan on in the penultimate over before tea.

Misbah started cautiously, broke free with a six over midwicket, and then found the accumulation mode. He was the calming voice during Azhar's nervous 90s, and now holds the responsibility of batting Sri Lanka out of the game, at a pace that allows Pakistan enough time to win the match.

Jury retires to consider verdict

The judge presiding over the alleged spot-fixing trial at Southwark Crown Court involving Pakistan players Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif has retired the jury to decide upon verdicts.

Justice Cooke completed his summing up at about midday on Thursday, the 17th day in the trial, and offered some guidance to the 12-person jury who will decide the fate of the two players.

"The only satisfactory verdict in a criminal trial is a unanimous verdict," the judge said. "I do not want to hear anything about majority decisions at the moment." The judge may consider a majority verdict, though, should there not be a decision within several days.

He added: "There is no set time for a verdict. You can take as short a time or as long a time as you need within reason. There is no pressure on you. If you do not reach a decision today, I shall send you home and you can come back tomorrow."

Former captain Butt and pace bowler Asif face charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord's Test in August last year when they allegedly conspired with agent Mazhar Majeed and teenage fast bowler Mohammad Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.

What should I apologise for? - Gayle

The fight between Chris Gayle v the WICB has lasted innumerable rounds © Associated Press Enlarge

Chris Gayle has asked the WICB to "state clearly" what it wants him to apologise for, after the board had said the batsman would be considered for West Indies selection only if he retracted his statements about the board and its officials.

"They need to come clear and say what Chris Gayle should apologise for, and what should Chris Gayle retract, what are the terms, really and truly," Gayle told the Caribbean Media Corporation. "So they need to make it clear, rather than stating just one particular thing and leaving the public to speculate again, and just make this one big issue which I'm tired of, so they need to just cut it out now."

Gayle also said he thought the WICB was "playing mind games" and that he would address their demands at the end of the Regional Super50 in Guyana, where he is leading Jamaica's campaign.

"I received a message about the apology at a team meeting the day before we [Jamaica] had to play the Leewards Islands here [last Thursday] in the middle of a regional tournament," Gayle said. "I think they [WICB] are playing mind games with Chris Gayle. I have told them that I want to focus on winning this tournament for Jamaica and I will deal with the apology issue at the end of this competition.

"I don't think the board wants to solve this issue. This needs to be closed as soon as possible and they need to be clear on what I should apologise for. State what in the interview I need to retract or apologise for."

On October 20, the WICB had issued a statement saying, "Having received reports and reviewed correspondence between Chris Gayle and the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Team Management and taking into consideration public statements made by Gayle with regard to the board and its officers, the board requires that Gayle withdraws his comments in order to be considered for selection to the West Indies team."

Relations between Gayle and the board had broken down after he gave an interview in April to a radio station during which he was scathing about both the board and coach Ottis Gibson. After attempts at reconciliation failed, and Gayle was left out of the squad for the home series against India, he released a public statement, in which he traced the beginning of the dispute back to 2009, when, he said, Hilaire had cast doubts on his ability to captain the team.

Gayle has not played for West Indies since the 2011 World Cup. Since then he has been an integral part of Royal Challengers Bangalore's squad in their IPL and Champions League Twenty20 campaigns, finishing as the leading run-getter in the IPL. His impasse with the board had escalated to a level where the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government had become involved.

West Indies are currently touring Bangladesh, after which they will go to India to play three Tests and five ODIs.

Persistent bowlers make it Pakistan's day

Pakistan 42 for 0 trail Sri Lanka 239 (Sangakkara 78, Welegedara 48, Ajmal 3-45, Gul 3-78) by 197 runs 

Sri Lanka only half-recovered from Umar Gul's early burst© AFP Enlarge

On the 59th anniversary of their first Test win, Pakistan's fast bowlers moved on sensationally from the demoralising fielding debacle in Abu Dhabi, but the spinners didn't enjoy such good fortune. Even though Misbah-ul-Haq took three slip catches off the quicks, Taufeeq Umar dropped Kumar Sangakkara on 27 and Younis Khan reprieved Rangana Herath off the first ball he faced. Consequently 73 for 5 became 154 for 6, and 154 for 8 turned into 239 all out. However, the early damage was so severe that the day still belonged to Pakistan, especially because the openers brought the deficit under 200 in the nine testing overs bowled at them.

That the successful completion of regulation catches came as a huge relief in the morning tells the story. Three days after they had been ground into the Abu Dhabi dust thanks largely to their own fielders, Umar Gul and Junaid Khan somehow found the heart to create opportunity after opportunity once again. It was a new-ball pitch, and the two hit the seam with regularity to take five wickets in the first session.

Both teams misread the track to an extent. Pakistan dropped the big-hearted Aizaz Cheema in favour of left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman. Expecting a flat track, Sri Lanka chose to bat first. As it turned out, with the ball seaming around in the first session, Gul and Junaid had to make up for the absence of the third seamer with 10-over spells before lunch, including a wicket in the last over of the session.

The Sri Lanka top order was left with the task of seeing the new ball off. While not quite a demon, the pitch had enough seam and variable bounce in it to keep the Pakistan fast bowlers in business. True to their nature, they exploited every bit of life on offer. Gul got the ball to swing into the left-handed top three, and on the odd occasion got it to seam away after shaping up to swing in. The variable bounce was obvious from how two early edges didn't carry to the cordon, and how on two occasions Gul missed out on lbws because of extra bounce.

The top order bar Sangakkara came up short. Both Lahiru Thirimanne and Tharanga Paranavitana made the instinctive correction of planting the front foot across to cover the movement, leaving them prone to the balls moving in. Thirimanne survived one such shout because of the height, but was trapped dead plumb immediately after. Paranavitana played himself into a shell before finally playing a reckless cut off Gul. At first slip, Misbah held the ball close to his chest. Finally someone other than the wicketkeeper had taken a catch in 178 overs of bowling.

More chances would soon come. Mahela Jayawardene got the classical Gul delivery that angled in, pitched short of a length, drew him into the shot, then held its line, and took a healthy edge. Misbah was there to accept the low catch again. Dilshan played a loose punch outside off to give Misbah his third. Junaid's contribution to the dismissal cannot be overstated, though. In his sixth over, he went round the stumps, angled the ball in, making Dilshan play, and the open face did the rest.

At 45 for 4, after six overs each for the new-ball bowlers, Pakistan would have wished they had Cheema to bowl first change. In his absence, Gul and Junaid put in the extra hours. After Gul's unbroken 10-over spell, Junaid came back to trouble Mathews from round the stumps. Even as Mathews walked down the track to counter the movement, both his edges were beaten repeatedly until he nicked Junaid to Adnan Akmal, the only catching man Pakistan haven't had to worry about.

In between, Sangakkara played a rare loose shot, an uppish square-drive off Ajmal, but Taufeeq was late to attempt a high catch to his left at backward point. Missing his partner in crime from the first Test, the injured Prasanna Jayawardene, Sangakkara had no option but to score as many as possible before he was left stranded. He scored 49 of the 76 runs that came during his time after lunch.

Even though Rehman trapped the debutant keeper Kaushal Silva to end a 54-run partnership, the pitch had settled down and the ball had become soft. Pakistan stopped trying to get Sangakkara out, but at the same time they were lousy enough to forget to bring the field up for the last ball of an over. Sangakkara gladly retained the strike, but exposed Dhammika Prasad to Saeed Ajmal for four balls of the next over. Prasad had no clue which way Ajmal was turning the ball, and despite a customary drop from Mohammad Hafeez, a thick edge from him was accepted by Akmal. Sangakkara took a risk against the first ball of the next over, but holed out to long-on. It could have become three wickets in four balls, but Younis Khan let through a low chance from Herath.

The highest partnership of the innings, 75 for the ninth wicket, followed. Chanaka Welegedara and Herath fought bravely after tea, taking blows on their bodies, and putting behind them the plays and misses. Welegedara in particular drove well through the covers, hooked Gul for a six during a heated over, and slogged Abdur Rehman for another even as he fought cramps. He added 48 to his career 67 runs. Ajmal, though, kept coming at them, and made sure Sri Lanka were again dismissed inside the first day.

Spinners condemn England to 5-0 whitewash

India 271 for 8 (Dhoni 75*) beat England 176 (Jadeja 4-33, Kieswetter 63) by 95 runs 

MS Dhoni bludgeoned England into submission before his spinners sealed the whitewash © AFP Enlarge

England chose a particularly humiliating route to their second 5-0 whitewash in consecutive ODI tours of India, as they allowed their resolve to collapse twice in one match - first with the ball, as MS Dhoni walloped 75 not out from 69 balls to take his series tally to 212 runs without loss - and then with the bat, as they squandered a 20-over scoreline of 129 for 0 to lose all ten of their wickets for 47 runs in exactly 100 deliveries.

India's stars with the ball, as in the first match of the series in Hyderabad, were once again the spinners, Ravindra Jadeja, who claimed 4 for 33 in eight overs, and R Ashwin, 3 for 28 in nine. They joined forces with the part-timers Manoj Tiwary and Suresh Raina, to choke England's innings in a sea of slogs and dot-balls. Of England's last nine batsmen, only Samit Patel (18) and Graeme Swann (10 not out) reached double figures. The rout was sealed with 13 overs to spare when Steven Finn top-edged an Ashwin carrom ball to the keeper and triumphant captain, Dhoni.

For the first two-fifths of the innings, England's progress could hardly have been more serene. Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter saved their best performances of the series for the very last gasp. Kieswetter brought up his half-century from 49 balls - and England's 100 with it - with a savage carve through the covers off Varun Aaron, and Cook was scarcely any tardier, reaching his own milestone from 51. For the majority of their stand, England were consistently 20 runs ahead of the required rate, without having needed to take any risks whatsoever.

The innings, however, was derailed by the extra pace of Aaron, who came round the wicket to extract Cook's off stump for 60 from 61 balls - the exact same score he had managed in the first match at Hyderabad. Eight balls later, Kieswetter followed suit for a run-a-ball 63, as Jadeja pinned him lbw on the front foot, and suddenly the innings was wide open.

Bell, playing in his first match of the series after Kevin Pietersen had been ruled out with a chipped bone in his thumb, scratched around for 2 from six balls before snicking Ashwin to the keeper, and three balls later, all hope had been truly lost when Jonathan Trott, England's likeliest middle-order ballast, pushed loosely at Jadeja and edged a simple chance to slip for 5.

In Jadeja's next over, England's innings went even further off-track, as the overawed Jonny Bairstow tried hit his way out of trouble but instead skidded a thick outside edge to Ajinkya Rahane at backward point. Ravi Bopara squandered the chance to be a hero when he was bowled round his legs for a 16-ball 4 by Raina, and Tim Bresnan - so often England's most combative tailender - confirmed the general air of surrender when he chipped a loose drive off Tiwary for a fourth-ball duck.

Long before the final indignity, England had already blown their best chance to salvage some pride in the series thanks to another scruffy fielding performance which undermined another superb display of fast bowling from England's only shining light of the series, Finn. From a comfortable 71 for 0 after 15 overs, India slumped to 81 for 3 in the subsequent bowling Powerplay, with Finn sparking the loss of three wickets for no runs in ten balls with a brilliant double-wicket maiden.

First to go was Gautam Gambhir for 38, in near-identical fashion to his dismissal by Finn at Mumbai, as a lifting delivery outside off nipped off the inside edge and into the stumps. Then, after welcoming Virat Kohli with a series of excellent deliveries in the channel outside off, he bowled him with a final-ball beauty that zipped off the seam and crashed into off stump as the batsman offered no stroke.

Four balls and no runs later, and Tim Bresnan was into the act as well, as Kieswetter atoned for an earlier drop with a soaring leap to his right to cling on to a flying edge. A second consecutive maiden for Finn was then followed by an equally frugal first over from Bopara, and India's collapse should have been four wickets for one run in 25 balls when Swann at second slip dropped an absolute dolly off Suresh Raina.

India needed no further invitation to make England pay. Raina was eventually run out for 38 from 46 balls when his bat bounced in the crease as a direct hit came in from square leg, but it was the crunching hitting of the irrepressible Dhoni that left England's prospects in the dust. He saved his most savage assault for the new boy, Meaker, whom he battered for a massive six over wide long-on in a penultimate over that went for 21. Patel fared scarcely any better in the 50th of the innings, in which a further 18 runs were scalped.

By the end of it all, Dhoni had added 330 ODI runs since England last dismissed him at The Oval in September, and his personal dominance was a perfect reflection of a series in which the tables of the summer had been emphatically turned.

Amir and Majeed involved - judge

Justice Cooke began his summing-up of the alleged spot-fixing trial and directed the jury to deliberate for a verdict on the basis that agent Mazhar Majeed and teenage fast bowler Mohammad Amir were "involved in spot-fixing".

The judge began his speech at about 3.45pm on Tuesday afternoon on the 15th day of one of the biggest controversies in cricket history. He told the jury he expects to take all of Wednesday to complete his overview of the evidence. Defendants Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif sat in the dock, listening intently, both smartly dressed in suits but without ties.

"You can proceed on the basis that Majeed and Amir were involved in the spot-fixing at Lord's, as all parties agree that is the case," the Judge said. "But don't be concerned by their absence from this trial."

He went on: "You should return true verdicts according to the evidence. Don't let sympathy enter your verdicts and don't speculate on what you might have heard outside of this courtroom. You should base your decision on the evidence alone and draw inferences, which I mean by drawing common sense conclusions."

The prosecution completed its closing speech on Monday afternoon, before Butt's legal counsel had their closing split into two days. Asif's defence, which was the shortest presentation of the three of about 90 minutes, ended on Tuesday afternoon.

Former captain Butt and fast bowler Asif face charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord's Test in August last year when they allegedly conspired with Majeed and Amir and other people unknown to bowl pre-planned no-balls. Butt and Asif deny the charges.