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Carl Hooper acknowledged yesterday that the West Indiesplayed straight into their hands by using two spinners inlast week’s first Test against Sri Lanka and signalled areturn to what we know best for the remaining two.But the addition of a third fast bowler, instead of left-armspinner Neil McGarrell, did not involve Reon King who, afterconfusion not out of place in the chaotic world of Caribbeanpolitics, was finally ruled out of contention by what thecaptain called a slight hernia problem.There’s some swelling there and we were not sure Reon wouldbe able to complete the Test, Hooper explained.We saw in the first Test the amount of work the fast bowlerswere asked to do and to play Reon would be a big risk, headded. We’re behind and, if we’re to beat Sri Lanka, we needall three quicks operating.Merv Dillon and Colin Stuart, the only fast bowlers used inthe first Test defeat by ten wickets, sent down 88.4 betweenthem in sweltering heat as Sri Lanka’s batsmen amassed 590for nine declared on Galle’s slow, lifeless pitch.At least they claimed two wickets each. McGarrell had noneand Pedro Collins gained his place over Marlon Black as muchfor the variety of his left-handedness as much as anythingelse.As was the case when Collins played his last Test, inZimbabwe in July, he comes in without a first-class match ontour behind him.The fast bowlers were all more encouraged to find a pitchwith an altogether grassier, livelier look to it thanGalle’s and temperatures, if not humidity, a few degreescooler in the lush green, hillside town of Kandy.Had he been fit or the selectors trusted the local doctor’sopinion more, the third spot would probably have gone toKing.The medical opinion here when he was examined last weekendwas that the hernia was in its early stages and would nothave prevented him playing.He bowled freely in the nets on Monday but, according toSkerritt, reported yesterday that he did not feelcomfortable and did not participate in the final netsession.Yet it is batsmen, not bowlers, who lose matches and it wasthe batting that led to the defeat in Galle with itscollapses after lunch on the second day and an hour-and-aquarter into the last.Taken cumulatively, 15 wickets fell in those two periods for99, nine of them to Muttiah Muralitheran.The crafty little off-spinner has been the key to most SriLankan victories of late and if the West Indies batsmen notBrian Lara alone fail to get the measure of him again, theoutcome will be no different.Muralitheran’s support will be boosted by the return of the6-foot-6 inch Numan Zoysa who returns to the team afterinjury to partner Chaminda Vaas in an all left-handed newball attack.Zoysa has 28 wickets in 17 previous Tests and replacesBuddika Fernando, who went without a wicket in his debut inGalle.Sri Lanka’s recent record is poor on the picturesque ground,owned by adjoining Trinity College, set adjacent to ahillside and expanded for international cricket in the pastfive years to accommodate 10 000 with a main stand and amedia centre.The home team has lost its last three Tests here, to SouthAfrica, England and India, each time after winning the firstin Galle. It has created a superstition among the fans andeven a few of the players have referred to it.The West Indies need whatever help they can get, from anysource, to square the series. But Dav Whatmore, the SriLankan coach, has rightly put the issue into its properperspective.We have to acknowledge our record in Kandy hasn’t been goodbut a cricket match isn’t won by any hoodoo, voodoo orhoroscopes, he said. It is won or lost by what you do out inthe middle.The teams:West Indies: Carl Hooper (captain), Daren Ganga,Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Marlon Samuels,Ridley Jacobs, Merv Dillon, Dinanath Ramnarine, PedroCollins and Colin Stuart.Sri Lanka (probable): Sanath Jayasuriya (capt),Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene,Russel Arnold, Hashan Tillakaratne, Thilan Samaraweera,Chaminda Vaas, Niroshan Bandaratillake, MuttiahMuralithathan and Numan Zoysa.Umpires: John Hampshire (England), E.A.R deSilva (SriLanka).Match referee: Raman Subba Row (England).

ScorecardFile photo: Arun Karthik struck two fifties in the game to be named Man of the Match as Assam thumped Delhi•PTI

Assam continued their excellent run, having earned promotion this year, by beating table-toppers Delhi by five wickets in Guwahati. There were only 95 runs away overnight and most of those were knocked over by Arun Karthik (55*), who struck his second fifty of the match. Opener Rahul Hazarika (59) joined him, and those two were the only batsmen to reach the mark in the entire match. Delhi lost all 10 wickets for fewer than 200 in both innings, which proved their undoing. Assam have now vaulted into second place in Group A. With three wins in six games, they are on 22 points, only two behind Delhi’s 24.Vidarbha 247 (Sarwate 50, Tanveer ul Haq 4-60) and 199 for 2 (Badrinath 70*, Satish 61*) beat Rajasthan 216 (Puneed 67, Dobal 51, Umesh 4-45) and 226 (Menaria 76, Saxena 54, Sarwate 5-58) by eight wickets
ScorecardAditya Sarwate, the 25-year old left-arm spinner, is having a fabulous debut season in the Ranji Trophy. His second first-class five-for now takes him to 25 wickets in four games and has also set up Vidarbha’s third win of the season. A target of 199 became a formality with Ganesh Satish (61*) and captain S Badrinath (70*) and hitting unbeaten half-centuries.Sarwate needed only one ball on the fifth day to wrap up Rajasthan’s second innings on their overnight score of 226. He finished with 5 for 58, to finish with seven wickets in the match. Besides him, Umesh Yadav had taken a hat-trick in the first innings.Early wickets were necessary for Rajasthan to pose a challenge to a line-up that features three of the best professionals in the Ranji circuit. Although Wasim Jaffer did not bat, Satish and Badrinath combined for an unbeaten 127 runs for the third wicket to seal the game and consolidate Vidarbha’s place at three on the Group A points table. They have 22 points from seven, same as Assam, who have played only six.
ScorecardHaryana held on for 103 overs in Lahli thanks to Chaitanya Bishnoi’s unbeaten 86 off 259 balls, but the 250 for 4 that they ended up with while following-on was still not enough to match match Odisha’s 529 for 6 declared. Chances of an outright win were high for the visitors, especially after a Virender Sehwag-less Haryana were bowled out for 216 in the first innings in 85.5 overs. But their batting was able to show greater resolve to deny Odisha a second win of the season. Haryana themselves have not had any victories so far and both teams are stuck in the bottom half of the table.Bishnoi, the 21-year old playing his first season of Ranji Trophy, was the common thread that connected three solid partnerships. He added 86 runs in 36.5 overs with Nitin Saini (64), 75 runs with Rohit Sharma (42) in 30.5 overs, 44 runs with Sachin Rana in 18.5 overs and an unbeaten 30 runs with Priyank Tehlan in 11.5 overs to guide his team to relative safety. And clearly, Odisha’s bowlers could not summon the finishing blow: Dhiraj Singh, Suryakant Pradhan and Basant Mohanty bowled 73 overs for only four wickets.
ScorecardThe game eventually petered out into a race for the first innings lead, and Maharashtra who had come into the final day on 290 for 3 did have an opportunity to run down Bengal’s 528 for 9 declared, but were unable to do so. They were reliant on the overnight pair of Rahul Tripathi’s (132 off275 balls) and Ankit Bawne (65 off 143 balls) but once that 156-run partnership for the fourth wicket was broken, Bengal took control.Bawne was bowled by Veer Pratap Singh and the score became 313 for 4. Tripathi fell 16 runs later, then Maharashtra lost their sixth, seventh and eighth wickets for only 11 runs and finally were eventually all out for 406. Pragyan Ojha took 3 for 71. Ashok Dinda, Mukesh Kumar and Aamir Gani picked up two wickets each. Bengal then played out 33 overs with Abhimanyu Easwaran securing his second fifty of the match.

Sky Sports’ Paul Robinson has showered David Moyes with praise following the changes he undertook at West Ham’s Rush Green training ground in preparation for their clash against Wolves.

The Lowdown: Back to winning ways

The Hammers rebounded from a string of winless games with their 1-0 victory over Wolves at the weekend.

Tomas Soucek was the only scorer in the clash as he netted in the 59th minute, securing three points for the Irons, who continue to chase Champions League qualification.

As quoted by football.london, Moyes revealed that changes had been made at the club’s Rush Green training ground last week in specific preparation for their fixture against Bruno Lage’s side.

He further claimed that it was these changes that allowed his squad to flourish.

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The Latest: Robinson’s verdict

Robinson, who regularly features as a pundit for Sky Sports, asserted that these changes are the “the sign of a top-class manager”.

Speaking with Football Insider, he claimed:

“He saw what was going on. He understood what the mood of his players were and how to get them going again.

“It’s so important to have an understanding of how the squad is feeling. You get a sense when things are not quite right. It is strange. It is like a sixth sense.

“Over the past few weeks, results and performances haven’t been what they want. As a player and as a manager you get a feeling. For Moyes to sense that and to mix up training is credit to him.

“I know Moyes is extremely passionate about what he does. He is a workaholic. He works so hard both on and off the training ground. Every minute of the day he is thinking about his team. He is engrossed 24/7. 

“To have that kind of a knowledge and experience in those situations is invaluable. Moyes is a top, top manager.”

The Verdict: Positive signs for the Irons

These changes have illustrated just how necessary it is for Moyes to switch up the side’s tactics and formation every so often, in a bid to rejuvenate the squad.

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However, keeping this up may prove difficult with West Ham’s limited squad depth, which proved to be a talking point during the January window. This issue will be exacerbated by the intense schedule that the Hammers face, which sees them compete in the English top-flight, the Europa League and the Emirates FA Cup.

As a result, this is a positive sign, but it may not prove to be a sustainable practice for Moyes.

In other news: Tom Clark left intrigued by Ben Johnson’s claims

Opener Shikar Dhawan (199) made sure of Delhi’s entrance to the final ofthe Vijay Merchant Trophy (Under-16) tournament after ensuring a 294-runfirst innings lead over Hyderabad on the third and final day of theirsemi-final match at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Ground on Thursday.Resuming at 277 for 5, Sumit Kapoor (19) was just a bystander to Dhawan inthe partnership that was worth 68 runs for the sixth wicket. He was thefirst to be dismissed on the final day, trapped leg before by Amol Shinde.Dhawan however carried on with the scoring before being dismissed one shortof his double hundred, caught by Amol Shinde off Nalin Reddy. During his 10hour and six minute stay in the middle, Dhawan faced 484 balls and punishedthe bowlers for 35 boundaries.Thereafter, the ninth wicket pair of Abhishek Sharma (30) and HimanshuKhullar (34) frustrated the attack to take the Delhi total past the 400-runmark. The Delhi innings finally folded up at 433. Hyderabad in their secondinnings finished at 106 for 1 in 30.1 overs when stumps were finally drawn.Openers Prasanth Peter (52) and Imran Khan (40) put on 85 runs in 24.5overs before Imran was caught by Abhishek Naag off A Sharma. AmbatiTirupati Rayudu (12) and Peter were unbeaten at the end.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is relaxed and raring to go © AFP

Times have changed. The first time India were crowned world champions, back in 1983, they had 77 days off between the World Cup final and their next international fixture. On Saturday, they begin a series against Australia just four days after their thrilling five-run win in the ICC World Twenty20 final. Those four days included a five-hour motorcade through the streets of Mumbai, a public reception at the Wankhede Stadium, a quick visit home (in some cases) and one practice session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.India have a new captain who must motivate his team for the first of the dozen ODIs they will play over the next six weeks. Mahendra Singh Dhoni also has to figure out just how much India need to switch gears from their successful Twenty20 approach.Gautam Gambhir, prolific in the Twenty20 games but uncertain when slotted at No. 3 in the 50-over version, might be better off adopting the same tactics as he did in South Africa. Though he opened there, he will probably bat at No. 3 tomorrow. The return of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid means India have to decide whether to retain Dinesh Karthik or local boy Robin Uthappa if they opt for seven batsmen. In this scenario Irfan Pathan, man of the match in the Twenty20 final, may not fit in as the fourth seam bowler, especially given how well Sreesanth bowled against Australia recently. Zaheer Khan will return, and the recalled Harbhajan Singh will be handed the opportunity to prove that he belongs.Australia’s pride was dented in South Africa and this is a chance to prove that was a blip. A hamstring injury has ruled out Ricky Ponting for the first few games but stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist has been successful here before, leading Australia to a rare Test series win in the subcontinent in 2004, when Ponting broke a thumb before the tour.Australia, through a combination of retirement, injuries and impending fatherhood, are set to make six changes for their first ODI since the World Cup final. There are spots up for grabs for Adam Voges, James Hopes and Ben Hilfenhaus, the three rookies. Each has tasted international cricket but has yet to be given major opportunities. Voges, with runs for Australia A in Pakistan recently, is likely to take Michael Hussey’s place and Brad Haddin could find a spot down the order.Australia’s reliance has been on pace recently but the sole spinner included could be a handful on Indian surfaces. Brad Hogg may be on the wrong side of 36 but he’s an underrated spin bowler and has featured in two World Cup-winning sides. He didn’t get a game in South Africa and was itching to have a go here. “We’ve been training for four months and we’re professionals. I don’t have any excuses, first game or last game. I’ve tried to prepare in every best way I can and hopefully I can do well,” he told . “Definitely I’m looking to get into the Test side. Hopefully I can do well and dish up those chances, get into the contest and have a tussle against a quality side. I’m ready to rock and roll.”The surface looks to be a batting track but there’s good bounce here for the pace bowlers, as evident during the Afro-Asia cup here in June. The last time Australia played India here in November 2003 frenetic hundreds from Gilchrist and Ponting carried them to 347 and a 61-run victory.Off the field, there’s an incredible buzz surrounding the match. Tickets for one-day matches are hard to come by at the best of times; India’s success has merely increased the anticipation. There was a good crowd to watch Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, Zaheer and Ramesh Powar practice at the ground. As Ganguly batted and Tendulkar took catches from a young club cricketer, the big screen at the ground played a repeat telecast of the Twenty20 final. There was a neat juxtaposition of Ganguly being bowled, in real time, and behind him, larger than life, Gambhir driving Mohammad Asif imperiously through the covers.Back, one more time, to 1983: The next time they faced West Indies after that balmy June evening, India were walloped. They’ve just knocked Australia out of the Twenty20 tournament, and you can bet Australia will look for revenge. And India? Well they’ll just be keen to prove the times really have changed.Teams:India (likely): 1 Sourav Ganguly, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Rahul Dravid, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk), 7 Dinesh Karthik, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Sreesanth, 11 RP Singh.Australia (likely): 1 Adam Gilchrist (capt/wk), 2 Mathew Hayden, 3 Brad Hodge, 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Andrew Symonds, 6 Brad Haddin, 7 Adam Voges, 8 Brad Hogg, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Mitchell Johnson, 11 Stuark Clark.

‘I could improve still, but I was happy today’ © Getty Images

He might have been criticised for being over the hill at the start of the tournament but Glenn McGrath’s performances over the last two matches have shown what a well-oiled machine he is. Having turned in animmaculate ten-over spell that wrecked New Zealand’s top order, McGrathadmitted that he was well on his way towards reaching peak form.”The criticism didn’t affect me at all,” he revealed matter-of-factly atthe end of a thoroughly satisfying day. “To me it is all about how I feelI’m going. If I feel I’m progressing then that is all that matters. I cameover here and also in Kuala Lumpur to improve each game I played. I havedone that and I will keep doing that. By playing in this series and atKuala Lumpur, I have put a piece of the puzzle together.”It’s feeling pretty good at this moment. I could improve still, but I was happy today. We have a few more games before the Ashes. We will hopefully have a good game on Sunday and when we then go to Australia, I shouldn’t be too far away from being 100%.”Both captains had no doubt that McGrath’s spell, one where he wentstraight through with 3 for 22 in 10 overs, made the difference. Headded that giving McGrath the new ball in the last two games haddefinitely brought a spring in his stride. “I think every one of the guyswill like to bowl with the new ball,” Ricky Ponting admitted. “If I was a bowler, Iwould also like to be bowling with the new ball. We experimented a bit andin the conditions we played the other couple of games we thought the ballmight swing more than do anything off the seam. He’s not one of thebiggest swingers of the ball but one of the best seamers around. Thosewere ideal conditions for him here. We have seen the form he is in at themoment. It’s probably going to be hard to get the new ball out ofhis hand.”Despite starting the tournament on a sluggish note, both McGrath andPonting had come good in the previous two knockout games. Ponting admittedthat having men with experience had been the clinching factor. “Thesenior players in big tournament are crucial. You don’t want to go into these sort of events with anyone in the team who hasn’t played a few games. Big games are generally won by people who have been there and done it all before. If you look back to our last couple of World Cup campaigns, we had a really good mix of experience and youth around the squad. That is crucial as you saw tonight; the oldest player on the park comes out and wins theMan-of-the-Match award. He knew exactly what he had to do. He has done itall before and that is crucial to the team.”Ponting also didn’t discount the efforts of Australia’s other herotonight, Andrew Symonds. He chipped in with a handy 58, just when NewZealand had fought back well into the game, and played a role with theball as well. “He will be in my world XI every time,” Ponting asserted.”He is a terrific one-day player and to walk out the way he did today andmake the fifty was outstanding. It was exactly what we needed at thatstage. He is the best fieldsman in the world as well.”Daniel Vettori’s fighting fifty helped New Zealand stage some sort ofrevival but Ponting revealed that he wasn’t overly worried at any stage.”I always felt comfortable we were going to win because the run-rate wascreeping up all the time. Those guys had to take some risks but fullcredit to New Zealand for fighting all the way through. I told my boysthis morning that to beat this side you have to knock them over becausethey bat down the order. Dan and Jacob [Oram] played beautifully and itgot them somewhere back into the contest again but it was always going tobe a miracle if they won. That is what you expect of New Zealand.”

Michael Kasprowicz says the West Indian bowlers could make an impact © Getty Images

Michael Kasprowicz believes West Indies’ unknown fast-bowling contingent might spring a surprise this month. Kasprowicz, the Queensland fast bowler who was left out of both Super Series squads after the Ashes, said he was looking forward to seeing the tourists during Thursday’s four-day tour-match at Allan Border Field in Brisbane.”We hear that there’s a lot of pace with their bowlers,” he told . “They’re a little shorter than what the West Indian teams of the past have been. Everyone’s pretty keen to see what their bowling will contain for the [Test] series. They’re coming into the games sight unseen and they could provide some impact.”West Indies face a tough workout against a Queensland side boasting eight players with international experience, including Matthew Hayden and Shane Watson. The opposition is only one problem for Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who believes the squad needed another tour match before the first Test at the Gabba on November 3.Chanderpaul plans to name a full-strength side for the warm-up fixture, but will wait until shortly before the match to finalise the line-up. “We want everybody to have a go and there is [only] one game before the Test match,” he said. “You want everybody to have a shot at it and a little bit of time before the game.”Giving the bowlers a lengthy run will be a crucial goal for West Indies, but showers and storms have been predicted for Brisbane on Thursday. “We have a bunch of young fast bowlers who are pretty sharp so it’s a good group of guys to pick from,” he said. “Fidel Edwards is pretty sharp. He bowls at over 90mph and he’s also a wicket taker along with Jermaine Lawson. Tino Best is pretty sharp and also takes wickets. Corey [Collymore] is one of our best bowlers.”Queensland squad Jimmy Maher (capt), Matthew Hayden, Martin Love, Shane Watson, Andrew Symonds, James Hopes, Chris Hartley, Chris Simpson, Andrew Bichel, Ryan Le Loux, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Kasprowicz.West Indies squad Shivnarine Chanderpaul (capt), Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin, Tino Best, Fidel Edwards, Jermaine Lawson, Daren Powell, Corey Collymore, Marlon Samuels.

Mohammad Kaif: ‘The conditions have been hard for everyone. Even if you’re just standing on the field, you start sweating’© AFP

On returning to the side despite having been tagged a one-day player for so long
I was feeling good, and I did quite well in England, where I made two 50s and also batted higher up the order. I’m making my comeback after three years.On why he was in so much distress
I was cramping up. I don’t think I drank enough water. I’d had viral fever in Bangalore, and I think it was a combination of two things, weakness and dehydration.On what he considered an achieveable fourth-innings target
It depends, it’s hard to say. Our spinners are bowling well and Zak [Zaheer Khan] chipped in with a crucial wicket at the end. We’ll be looking to chase 100, or maybe even less.On the pitch and the conditions
It’s quite slow and low. The spinners are getting turn and bounce. The conditions have been hard for everyone. Even if you’re just standing on the field, you start sweating.On how he approached the innings
It was important to remain patient. I had a crucial partnership with Parthiv Patel. But the conditions were not easy.On India’s lower-order batting
In the first Test, Irfan [Pathan] and Parthiv batted really well. We’ve been putting a lot of effort in. Against teams like Australia, it’s always a close contest, and the team needs every run it can get.On his run-out
It was quite funny to be honest. I was a little lost, unable to concentrate.On whether Australia raised any objection to his having a runner
They were a little confused about whether to allow a runner or not. But I told them that I was not completely fit, and that I was cramping up.On getting Gilchrist at the fag end of the day’s play
It was a great wicket to get. He’s a player who can change the game at any stage. He made that hundred in Bangalore and has done well in these conditions. It will definitely help us to have new batsmen at the crease tomorrow.

Plans to resume cricket contact between India and Pakistan, even if below full international level, have been welcomed by the International Cricket Council.The two Asian countries have said Under-19 and A matches will be the first contact between the sides in either country.ICC president Ehsan Mani said he was hopeful the lesser matches would be a stepping stone to the resumption of full international contact between the side nations.”India and Pakistan on the cricket field is one of the world’s great sporting rivalries. When these teams met in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, the passion that the match generated, and its ability have a positive impact on people in both nations was apparent.”Cricket, like all sport, has the capacity to promote understanding and generate goodwill and I would urge the political leaders in both countries to allow the game of cricket to assist in building relations between these two nations rather than being used for a political purpose,” he said.

Shaun Pollock was grinning from ear to ear after his side had thumped India by nine wickets in the first Test at Goodyear Park on Tuesday. That he took 10 wickets in the match, the first time he has done so in 59 Tests, was an added reason to celebrate. Pollock was of the view that his team had done remarkably well to recover from the opening day thrashing to come back in this manner and still win the game in three and a half days. Excerpts from an interview:Q: It has been a long wait for you, to get 10 wickets in a match…A: Yeah, it has been. I have been close to it a couple of times, but a few frustrating things have happened. It came to a point when I thought someone was against me.Q: The South African fight-back was remarkable in this game…A: If you want to win, you have got to learn to win in every condition. I think to fight back from 380 down and to come back as we have is a credit to us. It was a difficult situation in which we found ourselves in the first innings, but the boys fought back and they batted superbly. That’s what it is all about, to turn things around and come out on top.Q: Lance Klusener’s hundred couldn’t have come at a better time for your team…A: It must have been frustrating for the Indians, having got us six down. It allowed us to get a lead of 184, and they were four down before they were past our score. And we knew that hopefully we could get the lower order quickly.Q: Did you expect the game to end so quickly?A: I didn’t expect it to end so quickly. I thought the game would go till tomorrow. The guys did a good job. We knew that if we could get some early wickets, we could put pressure on them.Q: Do you think you have the same kind of support from your bowlers at the other end?A: I think there has been a bit of difficulty there. We haven’t played a lot of four-day cricket. The guys are probably a bit rusty. The players who just got back into Test cricket took some time, but then they were better in the second innings. The wicket was also a good one, and you knew that the way it was bouncing, you wanted to keep as many men as possible in catching positions, and that left gaps in the field.Q: Any impressions of the innings Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwagplayed on the first day?A: Sachin played very well. He is one of those batters who dominate at the crease. The margin of error is very small. He really picks on a bad ball. Sehwag was marvellous too, to get a hundred in his first Test innings.Q: What is your impression of Makhaya Ntini? Do you think he remains a potential match winner?A: I think it is important for us to have Ntini. He is a strike bowler, and there is always a place for a strike bowler. I think, in world cricket, fast bowlers have always dominated, no matter what the conditions and the wicket are, and he did a good job. He is back in the new set-up, and it takes a while to settle down totally, but I thought that, for a first game, he did pretty well.Q: Klusener did not speak to the media after his hundred. Is it part of his preparation to skip press conferences?A: Lance is Lance. That’s what probably I can say.Q: How did the wicket play in this first Test?A: I think this was the kind of wicket at Bloemfontein where you could put a lot of pressure on the batsmen. There was quite a bit of grass, and that was the reason I decided to field first. It was important for us to get 20 wickets. We knew the wicket would get better as the game went on. But then, this wicket always had something in it for the bowlers, right till the fourth afternoon, if you could put it in the right place and bend your back a bit…Q: Your batting performance was quite in contrast to your bowling effort…A: It was short and sweet, wasn’t it.Q: Herschelle Gibbs, it seems, has now a long future in this South African team…A: He is a gem for us. He bats with real freedom. He is a pleasure to watch when you sit there. He has come a long way, and he has really stepped up the gear.