Sizzling tons by Sehwag and Dravid on Day1

India 329/3 (V Sehwag 173,R Dravid 104) at Stumps

An excellent first day for the No.1 side! India end on 329/3 at Stumps on Day 1. Sehwag led the way with his blistering knock of 173. Dravid looked good and smashed his 30th Test ton. Once they departed, Tendulkar(13*) and Laxman(7*) looked to play for stumps, which was pretty sensible. As far as the Kiwis are concerned, they had a tough day at the office and if not for few quick wickets tomorrow morning, expect India to dominate with their star-studded batting line-up.

India Batting 1st innings

• Gautam Gambhir:b Jesse Ryder:21(41)
• Virender Sehwag:b Daniel Vettori:173(199)
• Rahul Dravid:b Chris Martin:104(227)
• Sachin Tendulkar:Batting:13(47)
• VVS Laxman:Batting:7(29)

NewZealand bowling

• Chris Martin:16-2-52-1(3.25)
• Hamish Bennett:15-2-47-0(3.13)
• Daniel Vettori:28-3-69-1(2.46)
• Jesse Ryder:10-1-44-1(4.4)
• Jeetan Patel:13-1-79-0(6.07)
• Kane Williamson:8-0-31-0(3.87)

Batting:runs(balls)

Bowling:Overs-Maidens-Runs-Wickets(economy)

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Mathews and Malinga drive Srilanka home

Sri Lanka 9 for 243 (Mathews 77*, Malinga 56, Doherty 4-46) beat Australia 8 for 239 (Hussey 71*, Perera 5-46) by 1 wicket

Angelo Mathews and Lasith Malinga produced one of the great one-day international fightbacks to clinch an improbable victory for Sri Lanka, extending Australia's losing streak to six international games since July. The visitors seemed destined for a humiliating loss when they crashed to 8 for 107 chasing 240, but Mathews and Malinga kept fighting, spurred on by noisy support from a crowd dominated by Sri Lankan fans.

The Duo made the highest ninth-wicket partnership in ODI history, beating a 27-year-old record set by Kapil Dev and Syed Kirmani at the 1983 World Cup, and the 132-run stand left Australia's confidence in tatters. Malinga belted his way to his first one-day half-century and Mathews played the guiding hand with a wonderful unbeaten 77 as the pair raced towards their target with plenty of time to spare.

Earlier Thisara Perera's five-wicket haul ensured Australia's total wasn't too imposing but Michael Hussey at least gave the hosts a competitive score, and eased a small amount of the pressure on him in the lead-up to the Ashes. Sri Lanka will fancy their chances of chasing down Australia's 8 for 239 but they would be disappointed to have let the hosts escape from a shaky 4 for 88 after a triple-strike from Perera.

XJ Doherty(Australia) in his debut ODI took 4 wickets with economy of 4.60 and impressed everyone.Man of the match was given to Mathews(Srilanka) for his stunning and impresive 77 at critical stage

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South Africa hang on for win

South Africa 228 for 9 (Amla 119*, Shoaib 3-39) beat Pakistan 226 for 9 (Fawad 59*, Morne Morkel 4-47) by two runs

They fell apart again at the death but ultimately a hundred from Hashim Amla and four wickets from Morne Morkel were just about enough to sneak South Africa home in the third ODI in Dubai. A second death-overs meltdown in two games let Pakistan come within two runs, but a 2-1 series lead was secured.

South Africa were exceptional for 42 overs in defending 229. Pakistan had just lost Abdul Razzaq, they needed 76 on a sluggish, boundary-shy surface: game over. But Morkel, Rusty Theron and Lonwabo Tsotsobe lost their minds, nerves, lengths and lines. Fielders began to drop catches as Wahab Riaz, of all batsmen, smashed an 11-ball 21 and, with Fawad Alam, pillaged 56 runs in the Powerplay. Ultimately, despite a panic-stricken last over from Theron, Pakistan just didn't have enough batsmen. Alam remained unbeaten on 59, valiant but not deal-sealing.Before that, Morkel and Tsotsobe had opened with sterling spells. The visitors have made light of Dale Steyn's absence, mainly because Tsotsobe has had a fine series. He is uncomplicated, using the natural left-arm angle well and has subtle changes in pace. If he hasn't bowled an outstanding spell that will stick in the mind, neither has he bowled a poor one. Today was no different.Having Morkel at the other end, bowling with unspeaking meanness, helps. Morkel gave nothing away for long, not on width, not on length; both the pace and bounce added to an unceasing atmosphere. One over to Younis Khan was particularly good, five dot balls which left him nowhere to go but out, and he was, off the last ball.

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Ntini announced retirement from International Cricket

Makhaya Ntini, the South Africa fast bowler, has announced his retirement from international cricket but will continue representing domestic sides. Ntini will be given a farewell during the Twenty20 international between South Africa and India at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on January 9, when he will make his final appearance for South Africa.An emotional Ntini, fighting back tears, announced his decision at a press conference in Johannesburg on Tuesday. He reflected on his journey from being the first black African cricketer to play for South Africa in 1998 to becoming one of the nation's premier bowlers.

"It has been a wonderful journey for me to represent my country," Ntini said at his retirement press conference in Johannesburg. "I have so many great memories, which I will carry with me for the rest of my life. My career is by no means over; it just means that internationally my time has come to hang up my boots. Domestic cricket is thriving at the moment, and I want to be a part of the set up, as a player, for as long as possible."

Ntini said he made his decision "two months ago" but only announced it on Tuesday because he has been in meetings with Cricket South Africa over his future. "I was in Port Elizabeth and thought it's time to call it a day. I can't keep waiting to end something when I don't know when it's going to end. I didn't want to be pushed out of the game."

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Pakistan steal win in 2nd ODI

Pakistan 289 for 9 (Razzaq 109*, Afridi 49, Alam 48) beat South Africa 286 for 8 (Ingram 100, Amla 65, Duminy 54) by one wicket

An outrageous 72-ball 109 from Abdul Razzaq dragged Pakistan to a series-levelling target of 287 against South Africa, one ball and one wicket left.It was scarcely-scriptable and only when Razzaq hit his tenth six in the last over, slogging Albie Morkel over midwicket to climax an unimaginable orgy of power-hitting, was a Pakistan win even worth contemplating; until then he had played to a backdrop of impending, imminent doom. To even get to that point needing 14 was a feat because for 99 overs Pakistan looked a distant second best; a solid, now-to-be-forgotten century from Colin Ingram, hands from Hashim Amla and JP Duminy and the continuing refusal of Pakistan's top order to turn up, the distinct story till then.Shahid Afridi and Fawad Alam had tried gamely to make something of the disaster of 70 for 4 in the 19th over. The spinners were on, Afridi was around so inevitably some fun was had. When Afridi went in the 30th, the score at 136, still the best they could hope for was an honourable scrap.Razzaq began quietly, expressive as a stone, and even a dance-down six off Robin Peterson four overs after Afridi left felt decorative. Alam, meanwhile, was getting bogged down by his own inability to clear a field. But South Africa relaxed, the pair stuck at it. Alam suddenly got going and Razzaq smoked a couple more sixes. By the 40th over, at 200 for 5, theoretically it looked possible - in this age of Twenty20 at least - even if, in reality, it didn't feel gettable.But for once, Pakistan timed their Powerplay right and when Johan Botha was taken for 11 in the very first, a little tension crept in. Only a little though, for Alam went soon, Morne Morkel bowled two fine overs, there was the inevitable run-out and even though Razzaq had reached his fifty, it was done and dusted.The 47th over, bowled poorly by Charles Langeveldt, was pivotal. Razzaq launched a sequence of length balls for three sixes in his favourite areas - flat-batted over extra cover, high over long-on and down the ground. Eighteen runs but no expression. Wahab Riaz's run-out off the last ball was merely collateral damage as 53 from 24 became 33 from 18.

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