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Craig McMillan will face an acid test in the forthcoming days as he struggles to keep his place in the New Zealand Test side. McMillan has had a lean trot in his last eight innings, which included the latest struggle against Australia in the first Test at Christchurch.While trying to analyse McMillan’s problems, Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand captain, suggested a method. “He’s in a situation where if he’s over aggressive it’s frowned upon, and if he’s too defensive it’s frowned upon,” Fleming told . “He’s trying to find a middle ground where it suits him and the team.”There’s a fine line between aggression and recklessness, and Craig’s working hard on the right options. He’s got to have a good defensive technique first, get in, then only he can be the judge of what’s risky and what’s not.”The second Test at Wellington, where the first day was abandoned due to rain, will be McMillan’s 55th and though he averages 38.70, just marginally less than Fleming’s 39.03, he has clearly been short on confidence in the last few months. Also, with James Marshall, Peter Fulton and Ross Taylor trying to force their way into the side, McMillan needed to get some big runs to retain his spot.However, McMillan didn’t think his career hinged on the next few games and added, “I’m 28 so I don’t think the next five years of my career is going to stand on the next month. I think I’ve still got a lot of cricket in me. I look back three knocks ago I scored 60 against them in Napier. For a lot of people that seems to be a long time ago. For Craig McMillan it’s three bats ago.”

Nine players, including the fast bowlers Don Nash, Mathew Inness and Mark Cleary, have nominated for transfers after missing the first round of state contracts. The list is heavy on bowlers as they look for opportunities or ways to reignite domestic careers after injury.Inness had already signalled his intention to move away from Victoria, but Nash, the Blues fast man stuck behind Nicholson, Clark and Bracken, and Cleary, who played only four Pura Cup matches for South Australia last season, are also looking for a change. Scott Brant, Queensland’s left-arm swing bowler, and Michael Clark, the son of Western Australia’s coach Wayne Clark, have struggled in recent seasons with injury and have signed up for the transfer pool’s first round.One name missing from the list was Ian Harvey, who was considering leaving Victoria alongside Inness, Matthew Elliott and possibly Brad Hodge. The states will notify Cricket Australia of a minimum of 14 full-time and three rookie-contracted players by June 17 before the second round of the transfer pool. The squads must be finalised by June 30.Round one transfer pool Scott Brant (Qld), Mark Cameron (NSW), Michael Clark (WA), Mark Cleary (SA), Mathew Inness (Vic), Don Nash (NSW), Steven Paulsen (Qld), Craig Simmons (WA), Liam Zammit (NSW).

The Indo-Aussie rivalry is a modern phenomenon dressed up as an ancient rite. It was borne of mutual necessity in an era when the countries’ natural sparring partners were inadequate or unavailable, and became cemented in cricket’s conscience by that unforgettable duel in 2001. But there could be few cities more appropriate for showcasing this clash of old and new than Bangalore.As India’s equivalent to Silicon Valley, Bangalore is a city so overloaded with technology that the traffic lights are a series of light-emitting diodes, accompanied by countdowns which tell you how much longer you have to keep waiting amid the choking rickshaw fumes. And yet, the roads themselves are still stuck in the dark ages – so much so that the offices of one of the nation’s IT powerhouses is situated right opposite the biggest infestation of potholes in the entire city.Today, the new came into focus an hour or so before the start of play, when Michael Clarke was presented with his Baggy Green cap, in a private but very public group huddle at the corner of the field. And an hour or so before the close, Anil Kumble struck with the juiciest of long-hops to delight his home crowd with his 400th Test wicket. Kumble himself was just 19 when he started out on his journey, at Old Trafford 14 years ago, and just 20 years prior to that the myth of Indo-Australian rivalry was laid in place by Bill Lawry and Co.Except it is not a myth, since the jousts between the two nations – on Indian soil at least – have been marked by some stunning feats in the intervening years. And, as this morning’s toss prepared to get underway, the architect of one of the most memorable of these was back at the crease, and more in command than he had ever been at Madras all those years back.After his epic double-century in the tied Test of 1986-87, Dean Jones was famously placed on a drip after reeling off the field like a punchdrunk boxer, with streaming bloodshot eyes and muscle fatigue screaming out from his every movement. Today, in his new ultra-efficient role of TV main man, he could not have been a picture further removed, as he marshalled the centre of the pitch and ordered back the thronging photographers who, in their eagerness to get the all-important shot of the toss, were casting their shadows onto a good length.The toss itself was an agonising wait, as the coin rolled and rolled and rolled, and all but disappeared down one of those cracks where John Buchanan had sarcastically claimed to have lost a key in the build-up to the match. But eventually, it landed heads, and Michael Kasprowicz, who had been out of shot marking out his run-up, grinned the grin of a seamer reborn. Doubtless he was even more chuffed at the prospect of a day with his feet up.Kasprowicz, of course, was back on favoured territory. It was right here, in 1997-98, that he produced a remarkable spell of reverse-swing, 5 for 28, to skittle India in their second innings, and set up an eight-wicket victory. Admittedly it was a dead rubber, but Australia’s desperation to avoid the whitewash made it a classic. Furthermore, the match had contained a stunning 153 from Mark Waugh, who shrugged off an Indian total of 424 and a particularly nasty gastric complaint to compile one of the greatest innings of his career.At least, that is what one might imagine. Waugh, however, is famous for refusing to be drawn on such matters, even when confronted once again with all the sights and sounds of that day. For he has returned to Bangalore, as the host of one of Australia’s better-heeled supporters groups, where he sat all day long in leathery-faced silence in the VIP enclosure behind long-on.

For a man who once claimed to be “semi-bored” with cricket, it is indeed a curious career choice. And an even more curious destination. But suffice to say he was doing little to enhance his appreciation of either, save the occasional solemn nod of approval as Simon Katich began to hit his straps. In fact, the only moment of levity (or karma) for the folks sat around him came when a crow disgraced itself lavishly, right on his shoulder. How they must be longing for Merv Hughes to arrive for the second Test at Chennai.My own attempts at breaking the ice with Waugh were as unsuccessful as the small child with the camera who hovered then fled in fear and tears. It was a full five seconds before his arms unfolded into a limp handshake – this, it was abundantly clear, was not the host with the most, returning to the scene of his triumph, and ready to regale the fascinated with tales of his derring-do.”Nah, not interested,” he shrugged. “I’ve been here for three hours and had a hundred requests already. I’ve nothing to say.” Not to his paid guests (“Oh yeah,” said one, “I did get to meet him at our welcoming dinner at the hotel last night. He said he did well here.”), certainly not to the unpaid guests, and over his dead body to a desperate hack with copy to file.Oh well, you can’t win them all. So I wished him good luck with his next book and we went our separate ways. But it is a tragedy, especially in a country which lauds batsmanship above all other virtues, that someone so graceful on the pitch could be so graceless off it. I guess someone else will have to fill in the blanks in this tale from the Indo-Australian annals.

VVS Laxman served the Indian selectors a timely reminder of his batting prowess, scoring a 111-ball 101 in a practice game between Rahul Dravid XI and Virender Sehwag XI at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Laxman, one of the probables for the squad to be picked for the tri-series in Sri Lanka, helped Sehwag XI score 226 for 8 in 45 overs, but useful contributions from Yuvraj Singh (56), Suresh Raina (38), MS Dhoni (35) and Neeraj Patel (34) helped Dravid XI reach the target in just 32.4 overs.Fourteen players were named in each team in a game meant primarily to give the players match practice. The most notable failure of the day was Rahul Dravid, who was dismissed for a first-ball duck by Lakshmipathy Balaji. Among the bowlers, Irfan Pathan, Amit Bhandari and Sreeshanth took a couple of wickets each for Dravid XI, while JP Yadav put in a solid all-round performance for Sehwag XI, scoring 30 and taking 2 for 24.The teams will play another practice game on Sunday, this one being a benefit match for David Johnson. The squad for the tour to Sri Lanka will be announced on Monday, July 18.

Scorecard
At the Wanderers, Western Province Boland only needed to bat once as they beat the Lions by an innings and 26 runs. A first innings of only 241 cost the Lions dearly as they were bowled out for 219 in the follow-on. Vaughn van Jaarsveld saved the Lions from further embarrassment at the hands of their arch-rivals by scoring 80, the only player to convert a good start into a solid innings. Charl Willoughby was again in the wickets, with Alan Dawson also picking up three in the second innings.
Scorecard
In Bloemfontein, the Warriors and the Eagles drew their SuperSport Series match after both captains decided that there was no chance of a result. The Warriors were rescued by an undefeated 120-run fourth-wicket partnership between Arno Jacobs and Mark Boucher, after they had lost three quick wickets in pursuit of 304.The Eagles started the day at 238 for 6, and had added 79 more runs when Nicky was the last man out, eight runs short of his sixth first-class hundred. Together with Johannes van der Wath (48), he had made the game safe for the Eagles with a 107-run partnership and left the Warriors a realistic target in 78 overs. Makhaya Ntini again was the destroyer-in-chief, snaring 4 for 71 to take nine in the match for the Warriors.By losing three quick wickets for 31, the Warriors lost all momentum as they looked to re-establish their innings. Jacobs added 51 to his first-innings 129 to end the match without being dismissed, while Boucher, recently axed by the South African selectors, guided his side through the last 15 overs to finish on 64 not out. The Man-of-the-Match award went to Boje for his efforts with both the bat and the ball.
Scorecard
After coming up short once before this season, the Titans took no chances on a placid SuperSport Park pitch, as they set the Dolphins a target of 266 in 44 overs. By delaying the declaration to allow Zander de Bruyn to get to his hundred, the Titans ensured that they would not suffer a similar defeat again.Losing three wickets in the morning session gave the Dolphins some hope, but an undefeated 116-run partnership between de Bruyn and Albie Morkel almost ensured that the outcome would end in a draw. Declaring at 376 for 5, they set the Dolphins a target of 266.The Dolphins showed some aggression, but to maintain the required rate proved to be beyond them. Imraan Khan, awarded Man of the Match, added a quick 60 but it was never enough to make a game of it. At the close, they had reached 119 for 2 when the game was called off.

Andrew Symonds posted his third century in as many County Championship games since joining Lancashire, but his sustained brilliance could not grab a Division Two victory over Yorkshire. While the sides contested the 253rd Roses match, Symonds made some history of his own at Old Trafford by adding 146 to his earlier scores of 134, 45 and 121.Lancashire, the red roses, had lost 3 for 10 when Symonds arrived at 243, and with Stuart Law (0) and Marcus North (2) also falling quickly he sensibly dug in for his half-century, which came in 106 deliveries. However, he upped the pace soon after and his remaining runs came at around a run a ball in an innings including 19 fours and one six.After Lancashire reached 537 the high-scoring encounter continued as Yorkshire, the white roses, added 6 declared for 323 to their first-innings 417, with Phil Jaques contributing a pair of 14s and bowling his first three overs of the season. The draw means Yorkshire are third with a 2.5-point lead over their rivals in the race for promotion.At Derby, the home side’s win-less season was added to by Essex, who scooted to their target of 337 late on the final day. Michael Di Venuto made small contributions of 27 and 4 in Derbyshire’s 426 and 216, but Jon Moss improved on his first-innings 21 with 74 off 91 balls as his side struggled to set a total. The gap between Derbyshire and Leicestershire at the bottom of the table is 34.5 points.Stuart Clark, who was called into the Australia Test squad before Old Trafford, returned to Middlesex and must have wished he had stayed with the national team. As Sussex rattled to 522, including a century from the Pakistan bowler Naved-ul-Hasan, Clark picked up an unflattering 1 for 109 in 22.4 overs before Middlesex crashed for 128 and 162 to lose in two days. Sussex lead the Division One while their opponents are trying to avoid relegation.Hampshire cruised into the final of the C&G Trophy with an eight-wicket thrashing of Yorkshire at Southampton on Saturday, but it was a quiet match for the three Australians on show. Jaques collected 31 to start the day as Yorkshire made 9 for 197 in 50 overs, Andrew Bichel picked up a wicket and Shane Watson was 11 not out when the winning runs were hit.In the other semi-final Law made 47 as Lancashire folded for 137 chasing Warwickshire’s 236 at Edgbaston on Saturday. Symonds took 1 for 43 off his ten overs but scored only 8 in their disappointing reply.

Division One

Sussex enjoyed an astonishing run feast at Lord’s as Michael Yardy and Naved-ul-Hasan put Middlesex to the sword. Yardy passed 1000 runs for the season during his 179 – a fourth century of the season – which spanned 229 balls. Middlesex had steadily chipped out the Sussex batsmen and at 199 for 6 were on course to restrict them. However, Naved-ul-Hasan struck a stunning century – his second in first-class cricket – reaching his landmark from 94 balls. He added 228 with Yardy and by the time Ed Joyce finally prised him out had launched 11 fours and four sixes. Mark Davis ensured the punishment went right to the end for Middlesex with a rapid half-century of his own as the bowlers nursed some painful figures.Stephen Adshead led a superb Gloucestershire recovery after Surrey had reduced them to 1 for 3. Adshead compiled a career-best, unbeaten 148, ensuring Gloucestershire were able to notch four batting points despite their earlier dire situation. Alex Gidman clubbed 84 with 14 boundaries, adding 110 with Adshead, who then received support from James Averis at No. 10 and last-man William Rudge. Azhar Mahmood had began the Gloucestershire collapse but had to be content with three wickets, while Saqlain Mushtaq was expensive on his return to Surrey. Gloucestershire’s fightback was capped when Averis snapped up Scott Newman shortly before stumps.

Division Two

Somerset were thankful for some purposeful lower-order batting to dig them out of a hole after the middle order was dispatched by the Worcestershire attack. Arul Suppiah continued his impressive form with 72 but lacked support as Somerset slipped to 121 for 6. However, Keith Parsons made 34 then the real resistance came from Carl Gazzard and Richard Woodman – an 18-year-old debutant. Gazzard struck a confident 74, adding 89 with Woodman, who remained unbeaten on 46 off 117 balls. The wickets were shared around with Nadeem Malik taking 3 for 63. Stephen Peters – who yesterday fielded sub at Old Trafford – and Stephen Moore played out four overs.Derbyshire ground their way through the opening day against Essex favouring cautious accumulation instead of flashing strokeplay. Their final effort was a mixed result with Steve Stubbings and Hasan Adnan both striking half-centuries but failing to convert into much-needed hundreds. Luke Sutton, the Derbyshire captain, protected his wicket at all costs, so far facing 104 balls for 16. Danish Kaneria again did more than his fair share of bowling by sending down 41 overs and deserved his threw wickets.Yorkshire closed on 324 for 6 in the Roses battle against Lancashire at Old Trafford. For a full report see Match of the day.

Phil DeFreitas
Showed he had lost none of his competitive spirit when he turned out for the PCA Masters XI in the International 20:20 at Grace Road, the place where his career began in 1985. He finished his cricketing days at Leicestershire – having travelled via Lancashire and Derbyshire – after bowling more than 120,000 first-class overs. Even in recent seasons, he continued to run in and complete a heavy workload. He was in his pomp while playing for Lancashire, where he was a part of their run of success in the one-day format, before forming a formidable three-pronged attack at Derby with Devon Malcolm and Dominic Cork. In 44 Tests he took 140 wickets and was the link between the end of England’s success in 1980s and their demise during the early 90s. Wednesday Interview with DeFreitasWarren Hegg
His career was cruelly ended two weeks prematurely in freakish circumstances. A ball from James Anderson bowled James Middlebrook, the Essex offspinner; the ball rebounded towards Hegg, who took a nasty blow on his thumb. The subsequent break meant he finished six victims short of George Duckworth’s Lancashire record of 925. Hegg had been a loyal servant for his county since 1986 and was central to the one-day success they enjoyed during the 1990s. His stunning 81 against Yorkshire in 1995 is still fondly remembered at Old Trafford. His career did not have the conclusion it deserved, as Hegg gave up the Lancashire captaincy at the end of the 2004 following their relegation in the County Championship. He was denied a final outing at Lord’s when Lancashire capitulated against Warwickshire in the C&G semi-final, having fallen at the same stage in the previous four seasons. His international ambitions were hampered because his prime years overlapped with the time when England were trying to cover two bases with their wicketkeeper, invariably returning to Alec Stewart. However, he enjoyed a memorable debut when he was part of the England team which beat Australia by 12 runs at Melbourne on the 1998-99 tour. He toured again in 2001-02, to India and New Zealand, but was overlooked in favour of James Foster.Matthew Maynard
One of the most prolific county batsmen of his generation but he never made the grade at international level. He was labelled a troublemaker, and did himself no favours on the West Indies tour in 1994 when he had little else to do but enjoy the Caribbean life away from the cricket field. However, he is now getting a second chance on the international stage – and has already making a significant impact – as England’s assistant coach. He took the role for the one-day matches of England’s winter in 2004-05 and, following an early season illness this summer, retired from playing and took on a permanent role within the England team. Throughout his career with Glamorgan he was a run machine, instrumental in bringing the County Championship to Wales in 1997.Maynard joins Team England

Graham Thorpe
A drawn-out retirement process for Thorpe, which began with him announcing in May that he was going to be part of the coaching set up at New South Wales. It ended with him saying he was retiring from all cricket, just as England’s Ashes campaign was hitting full speed. In between, he played his 100th Test, against Bangladesh at Chester-le-Street, and was then dropped from the England team for the first Ashes Test at Lord’s in favour of Kevin Pietersen. Thorpe was always going to call it a day at the end of this summer, but he was not able to do things exactly on his own terms. This should not detract from his superb career with Surrey and England. It is easy to forget, with the national team’s current success, that Thorpe almost single-handedly kept the ship afloat during the 1990s. On the domestic front he scored over 21,000 first-class runs at more than 45 – figures which aptly reflect his talents. His final figures would have been even better if he had been able to concentrate solely on his cricket.England’s middle-order PollyfillaAlan Mullally
It is easy to forget that, during the dark days when England slumped to bottom of the world rankings in 1999, Mullally was a key member in the attack. During the previous winter he had restarted his international career by playing in four of the Ashes Tests before producing consistent performances in the one-day matches. It was in the one-day arena that he really showed his potential, rising to fourth in the world rankings. Unlike many bowlers around the world he found it easier to bowl with the white ball than the red one, often spraying the ball around in Tests while having a brilliant economy in ODIs. He played throughout the 1999 World Cup and was a member of Duncan Fletcher’s first touring squad to South Africa in 1999-2000. However, he was a one-dimensional player and didn’t survive long into the new millennium except for a one-off recall against Australia in 2001. His county career was split between Leicestershire, whom he helped to two consecutive County Championships, and Hampshire where he was one of the early signings by Rod Bransgrove. However his influence began to wane as young players came to the fore and he was forced to concede to mounting injuries towards the end of this season.

Gavin Hamilton
In the days before Andrew Flintoff was given his famous “talking to,” England were involved in their decade-long search for an allrounder. Duncan Fletcher, in his first overseas tour to South Africa, plumped for Hamilton, who had performed commendably for Scotland in the World Cup that summer. He started the tour with runs in the warm-up matches and was thrown in at Johannesburg – where England were 2 for 4 against Donald and Pollock – but bagged a pair and was wicketless in 15 overs. He was one of the few players to be dumped during the Fletcher era after just a single Test – and never came close again. His county career went into a nosedive when he suffered the yips and, although he moved from Yorkshire to Durham, there was never a feeling of longevity about him. However, he has helped Scotland into the 2007 World Cup so still has the chance to extend his international career.Trevor Penney
A Warwickshire stalwart for 17 years, Trevor Penney retired from first-class cricket at the end of the 2005 season to take up a post as Sri Lanka’s assistant coach, where he teamed up with his former county team-mate, Tom Moody. Originally from Zimbabwe, Penney joined the county in 1988 whereupon he embarked on a four-year residential qualification. The time on the sidelines paid off in the early 1990s, when he was an integral member of the most successful Warwickshire team of all time, including the side that won a unique treble in 1994. In all, he played in seven one-day finals, the last coming against Hampshire at the end of 2005. Like his fellow Southern African, Jonty Rhodes, Penney was perhaps best known for his outstanding fielding which, even at the age of 37, remained good enough to earn him a role as one of England’s substitute fielders in the 2005 Ashes campaign. He had been appointed as England’s fielding coach for that series, and is set to make significant strides in that field in years to come.Mark Alleyne
He was a key part of Gloucestershire’s one-day success when they won Lord’s finals as if by habit, and he scored a memorable 112 in the 1999 B&H Super Cup final. But Alleyne was there through the lean times as well, whether it was shoring up the batting or putting in the hard yards with his medium pace. England recognition took some time in arriving, but he certainly didn’t disgrace himself during the 10 matches he played. His best performance came at East London, on the 1999-2000 tour, where he scored a half-century and took three wickets but was unable to prevent a South Africa win.Michael Burns
If ever there was a bits-and-pieces player it was Burns. Through his career with Warwickshire and Somerset he has batted in the top order, bowled medium pace, kept wicket and even captained Somerset when no one else wanted to do it. He played a part in the glory days at Edgbaston in 1994 and 1995 but became a victim of Mark Garaway’s youth policy at Taunton.

Lucy Pearson
She was the fast-bowling spearhead of the England women’s team for almost a decade. She announced her retirement in April after missing the semi-final of the World Cup with a stress injury in her left ankle, and returned to her day job, teaching English Studies at Solihull School near Birmingham. As England’s leading wicket-taker in recent years, she became only the second woman in over 70 years of Test cricket – and the first for nearly 50 years – to take 11 wickets in a Test against Australia, at The Bankstown Oval in February 2003, with 7 for 51 in the first innings and 11 for 107 in the match. Her final international career statistics are impressive. In 12 Test matches, she took 30 wickets at 29.36, and in 62 one-day games she took 68 wickets, at an average of 22.97 and an economy rate of 3.09.Clare Taylor
Clare Taylor was one of the most successful bowlers in the women’s game. She became the first England player to take 100 international wickets in 2002 and was the second highest wicket-taker overall at the World Cup in 2000. She played 16 Tests and 105 ODIs, was made a Member of the British Empire in 2000 for services to cricket and was also part .of the England side that won the 1993 World Cup at Lord’s. She was also a talented footballer too, having represented Liverpool Ladies as well as playing in the football World Cup.Also retiring
Paul Grayson (Yorkshire, Essex, England), Andy Pratt (Durham), Rob Turner (Somerset)Some of the most recognised umpires are also leaving the game: David Shepherd, Merv Kitchen, Alan Whitehead and John Hampshire are all hanging up their coats.

Kent have released their veteran seam bowler, Alamgir Sheriyar, and allowed the opening batsman, Michael Carberry, to talk to other counties.Sheriyar was the first player to make a loan move when he joined from Worcestershire last season but, like Carberry, his first-team opportunities were limited at Kent. Carberry joined Kent from Surrey in 2003 and made just 27 first-class appearances for the county, scoring three hundreds.Kent also announced contract extensions for Min Patel, Martin Saggers, James Tredwell, Robert Ferley and Joe Denly. Wicketkeeper Richard Piesley, 19, has been released.

Rahul Dravid
On the pitch
It looks a good wicket. Too much was made of the pitch at Kolkata and I thought we didn’t bat well enough. Hopefully we will bounce back here but we have to take into account the dew factor that will play a role later on.On the Kolkata crowd
Luckily I was not fielding on the boundary line like others who had to put up with the abuses. I told the others jokingly that we are in good company, in the company of the great Sunil Gavaskar who too had to face a similar reception in Kolkata along with the 1983 World Cup winning team. If that side could get booed, I think we’re doing something right.On the form of his batsmen and pressure ahead of the game
We’d like to get off to good starts. Sachin [Tendulkar] has been looking really good at the nets and tomorrow he will be playing in front of his home crowd. We’re confident that he will get it right soon. There’s always pressure going into any game. South Africa have never won a series in India and there is pressure on them too. Both teams will be facing similar pressures.About the lop-sided nature of the games and the dew factor
The last three games have been one-sided contests with the side that’s bowling first dominating the game. The initiative has been taken away early and it’s been tough for the other team to come back. Maybe the dew factor has to be looked into and assessed. Converting day-night games into day games could be an option in the long-run.On the overall performance of the team since the start of the Sri Lanka series
We began the series against Sri Lanka on a very low ebb but the journey over the last few weeks has been great. It will surely be a period where we learnt how to become a better team. We need one big last effort tomorrow to level this series, but even if we don’t manage it we have done well. We played some tough cricket and I’ve been very happy with the spirit and atmosphere in the side.Greg ChappellOn whether they will continue to experiment
We will keep trying different things in different games. Sometimes they will look normal, at other times may look out of the ordinary. It’s a long journey to the 2007 World Cup and we would continue to do what needs to be done irrespective of what others think.On the benefits of playing a strong team like South Africa
It’s a very good thing that we have been challenged by a team like South Africa who play very good cricket. It’s a great challenge and a big learning experience for all of us. The benefits of this series would be seen in a few months or within the year. They are a good team and have come here on the back of a 20-match winning streak. We have come off a poor run in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. It’s not much use playing against weak teams and feeling content about winning.On Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag
I am very happy over Tendulkar’s comeback from injury. He has coped well with the work load. He’s been playing for 17 years and still has the same enthusiasm and the keenness to improve. He’s got great work ethics. Sehwag has had one good game like most others too. It will be helpful to him in the long run to bat in the middle order too. His batting has improved enormously, but we have not seen the best of Virender Sehwag yet, not by a long mile. He’s still in the development process. He’s ready to reach another new level, a higher one as batsman.