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Rahul DravidOn his team’s approach to the game
We’re really happy with the way we played at Multan. But we can’t afford to relax now. They will try and come back very strongly, and we have to be ready for that.On the build-up to the second Test
We have concentrated on our preparation. The pitch looks very firm, and there should be good bounce and carry. But it’s going to be the same for both teams. If the conditions suit their quick bowlers, chances are that our seamers will also do well, provided they bowl in the right areas.On the likely composition of the team, and especially the bowling component
We have selected a squad of 13, and will finalise the 11 only tomorrow. Ashish Nehra is in for Zaheer Khan, and we’re very happy with the way Ajit [Agarkar] has bowled over the past few days. One reason we didn’t pick him for Multan was because we felt he hadn’t had enough bowling hours. Balaji and Irfan [Pathan] have also been bowling well. Nehra is a quality performer on tracks that help him.On the team’s injury woes
Injuries are part and parcel of international cricket now. You can work very hard on your fitness, but you need luck too. Ashish’s injury, the split webbing, that had nothing to do with lack of fitness, it was just bad luck.On the absence of crowds for the Test series
It’s always nice to play in front of packed stadiums, and we had that for the one-day series. But I guess the Tests don’t attract the same following.On how India could take advantage of Pakistan’s nervousness to establish a firm grip on the match
If we can have a good first day, with bat or ball, like we did at Multan, they will be under real pressure.On the significance of the toss
We won the toss at Multan and made it count. Otherwise, it’s not really a factor. Just winning the toss doesn’t win you games.Inzamam-ul-HaqAbout the pressure on his side
We are playing a home series, so there is a lot of pressure. We didn’t play well in the opening game, and we know we have to do better here.On whether he was allowed a look at the pitch – a reference to his perceived tiff with Andy Atkinson, who is supervising preparation of the pitches used in this series
They showed me the pitch (laughing). It’s a sporting one, and will help our fast bowlers.On the bowlers, who bowled so poorly in Multan
They didn’t bowl to their potential, and they know that. The Indian bowlers bowled a good line and length, and on the stumps.On the importance of the toss
There will be some initial movement, but I don’t think it will affect the final result. Test matches have to be won over four or five days.On whether his batsmen too need to take extra responsibility after a poor second-innings showing in Multan
Look, a Test match is a team effort. Batsmen or bowlers alone can’t win you games.On what he has said to his side ahead of the match
We know we have a tough task to come back. But we’re looking ahead. Looking back will only have a negative effect on the team.On Kamran Akmal, who replaces the injured Moin Khan
He has played both Tests and ODIs before. He’s a very talented young player, and we hope he will take his chance.On Imran Nazir, who is part of the squad
He has performed well in the first-class games, and I’m in favour of giving chances to such people.On why his bowlers haven’t been getting the ball to reverse swing
I think it’s just a question of our bowlers having one good session.On his statement that Pakistan’s bowlers weren’t world class
Look, what I meant was that former greats like Wasim [Akram], Imran [Khan] and Waqar [Younis] have in the region of 400 wickets each. These bowlers need time and performances to reach that level.

The South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) has named a thirteen-man squad for the ING Cup clash against the Queensland Bulls to be played this Saturday, February 8 at Adelaide Oval.The game will see Callum Ferguson and Lachlan Stevens make their debut for the Redbacks.Ferguson, 18, is a Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy graduate and a member of the South Australian Under-19 squad. The stylish right-handed batsman already has scored 451 at an average of 41 for Prospect this season, including 151 against West Torrens in round two.Ferguson’s figures in the second XI (ACB Cup) competition this season include a 108 not out against the Western Australian second XI in October.Stevens, a left-handed batsman and slow left-arm orthodox spinner, captains the Adelaide Cricket Club and has amassed 541 runs at an average of 45, and has taken 30 wickets in the Grade competition so far this season.The 24-year-old last year made the move from Queensland to South Australia to continue pursuing his first-class career. He has represented Australia in the Under-19s and is a graduate of the Queensland Academy of Sport.Bowling all-rounder Mick Miller returns to the one-day side, following the departure of Mark Harrity from the State competition.

Greg Blewett (c)	Mick Miller
Mark Cleary	Paul Rofe
Mark Cosgrove	Mike Smith
Callum Ferguson	Lachlan Stevens
Mark Higgs	Shaun Tait
Ben Johnson	Brad Young
Graham Manou

A 13th man will be named on the morning of the match.The ING Cup game starts at 9.30am, with gates opening at 8.30am. Tickets are available from the Adelaide Oval gates.

Yorkshire Phoenix demolished Warwickshire Bears for 59 in 15.2 overs to win their Norwich Union Division One day-night match at Headingley by the substantial margin of 175 runs.It was Warwickshire’s worst ever effort in one-day league cricket, dipping below the 65 they scraped together against Kent at Maidstone in 1979.But Warwickshire did well even to reach 59 after slumping to 12 for six in the first half-dozen torrid overs from Chris Silverwood and Steven Kirby.Silverwood, who finished with four for 21, began the slaughter by having Neil Carter caught behind off the second ball of the innings and the next was a yorker which knocked back Mark Wagh’s middle stump.Kirby, not to be outdone, weighed in by finding the edge of Nick Knight’s bat before having Dougie Brown pouched in the slips by David Byas.The debacle continued as Silverwood bowled Mike Powell with another yorker and Kirby wrecked David Hemp’s stumps.Kirby suffered from bowling three no-balls, the resulting free hits being belted for a six and two fours but he still boasted career-best figures of three for 35 when withdrawn from the attack after five overs.The running out of Trevor Penney ended a brief Warwickshire recovery and after Silverwood had bowled Ashley Giles, Ryan Sidebottom finished off the match in daylight by dismissing Keith Piper and Vasbert Drakes.Earlier, Matthew Wood cracked a career-best 68 to guide Yorkshire to their formidable final total of 234 for six.The opener put on 68 in 19 overs for the second wicket with Anthony McGrath, who was playing in his first game since recovering from a groin operation, and then 63 in ten overs for the third wicket with Australian Darren Lehmann.Wood batted steadily for 38 overs before he was caught at mid-wicket by Knight off Drakes, having hit six fours off the 107 balls he received.McGrath (30) and Lehmann (39) both played some good shots but the best knock came from Gary Fellows who plundered 40 from 24 balls with five fours and a six.Fellows smacked Giles for a six and two fours off consecutive balls in an over which gave away 20 runs.Carter, Drakes and Giles each picked up two wickets for the Bears but their most economical bowler was Mo Sheikh whose nine overs cost him only 28 runs.

Spurs’ record signing Roberto Soldado is set to stay at the club, after a rather poor two years in North London. Having arrived in a £26m deal from Valencia, Soldado seemed sold-out of ideas.

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to hand the Spaniard a lifeline seems an odd one, with an over-reliance on 31-goal star Harry Kane a problem last year. Could this be the biggest mistake to come out of White Hart Lane this summer?

In their quest for all things Champions League, Spurs have not exactly set the world alight in the transfer market. Toby Alderwiereld, Kieran Trippier, Dele Ali and Kevin Wimmer have arrived at the club, with only Belgian star Alderwiereld and former MK Dons star Dele Ali likely to provide competition for the Argentine’s starting XI.

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The focus this year appears to be on shifting the deadwood out of the club. Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chirches, Paulinho and Younes Kaboul have left the club this year. Midfield man Benjamin Stambouli somehow did enough to win a move to Ligue 1 giants PSG. Yet Soldado has survived.

The lack of activity is perhaps understandable, considering the £100m wasted following the sale of Gareth Bale back in 2013.

However, the Lilywhites must be in the chase for the Champions League, and Pochettino must know the consequences of not qualifying. Chairman Daniel Levy is not exactly lenient.

With fellow top four hopefuls Liverpool strengthening their squad sufficiently, Spurs are at risk of being left behind. Shipping Soldado out may not solve all of their problems, but it is a start. Linked with a £12m move to Villarreal, at least re-couping some of the fee shelled out to him can go towards a replacement.

Seven strikes in 51 games is not good going. The former Spanish international works his socks off, but as Radamel Falcao showed us last year, that is not always enough. The high pressing system employed by the former Southampton boss would surely suit a younger replacement, not a 30-year old who has failed to live up to expectations.

Harry Kane has rightly earned the right to be considered the starting striker at the club, and with his service, the North Londoners can boast the most prolific Englishman in the league last year. However, a long season gets even longer with a Europa League campaign thrown into the mix, and Spurs need options.

Holding on to the hope Soldado will rediscover his La Liga form is an admirable notion. Is it a realistic one? Probably not.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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In Pochettino, Tottenham have opted for a stylish young manager to drag them away from the rigid Andre Villas-Boas era, one who will field a vibrant young side. In keeping their Spanish stinker, they are holding on to a forgettable period in their history.

Selling Soldado will not solve every problem dragging Tottenham away from the top four spots. However, it will represent a complete departure from the Villas-Boas era, as they enter a new dawn.

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Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, the suspended IPL franchises, are likely to wait for the proceedings of Sunday’s IPL governing council meeting before finalising their future courses of action.The management of both Super Kings and Royals have been regularly meeting their respective legal teams over whether or not to file a review petition against the Justice Lodha panel’s ruling, which bars them from being a part of the IPL’s next two editions.A Royals insider revealed that they would prefer to wait for the BCCI’s immediate reaction to Tuesday’s verdict before deciding whether to challenge it or not. He also hoped that following Sunday’s governing council meeting, the BCCI would convene a meeting with both the franchise representatives to brief them on how they intend to tackle the impasse.Even the Super Kings management is unlikely to make up their mind before Sunday’s meeting, especially since the India Cements Ltd supremo N Srinivasan is to return to his hometown Chennai from Europe only on Saturday.Justice RM Lodha on Thursday clarified that the BCCI still had the right to terminate franchise agreements of both the franchises, even though the panel’s punishment was meted out on behalf of the BCCI to the two team owners. Legal experts believe terminating both the franchises is the most viable option for the BCCI.Still, the BCCI is unlikely to take a drastic decision in Sunday’s meeting. According to a governing council member, Sunday’s meeting will be more about “taking stock” than “taking hurried decisions”. He revealed that from the discussions he had been having with the BCCI hierarchy, he feels the board is in no mood to act without carefully considering all the legal implications of each of their possible actions.IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla, on the other hand, told various media outlets that the BCCI running both the franchises for two years by forming an independent group of former cricketers was an option under consideration. However, multiple BCCI officials ESPNcricinfo spoke to laughed the concept off, saying it was “impractical” and could lead to “numerous conflict of interest” issues.

The future of the West Indies A-team tour of Zimbabwe was thrown into more doubt with a statement from Keith Mitchell, the Grenada prime minister, that in his view it is not safe for the side to travel.”The West Indies A team has many very young players who need to be developed in a nurturing environment. I am not convinced that given the instability existing in Zimbabwe that this tour will provide this kind of environment. I am sure that the parents and guardians of these players will be concerned about them touring Zimbabwe.”Mitchell stated that while he understood the need for the WICB and the ICC to broaden the appeal of cricket by taking games to as many countries as possible, player safety should be one of the most important considerations in deciding on venues.Cricinfo has learned that the WICB is still calling round players trying to get them to join the tour, although given that an announcement of the squad has still not been made, despite assurances last week that it would be, there remain questions as to whether the board has enough players.The mood among the West Indies players is reportedly one of suspicion about the board’s motives, and that was not helped when Bruce Aanensen, the WICB chief executive, described them a few days ago as “incompetent”.

Alex Blackwell will be out of action against New Zealand in October © Getty Images

Allrounder Alex Blackwell has been ruled out of Australia women’s forthcoming home series against New Zealand in October due to a knee injury.Blackwell ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee during a training session with New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground on July 15. She will undergo surgery next week, and will miss the entire tour, comprising a Twenty20 fixture at Brisbane on October 18, followed by a five-match one-day series.Speaking to reporters, Blackwell admitted that the injury was a huge setback, but added that it would only encourage her to try harder to make a strong comeback.”It’s very disappointing to be injured and know I’m going to be watching from the sidelines as I’ve been training hard over the past three months in readiness for the season,” she said. “My priority now is to go through the rehabilitation process, stay positive and make sure I come out the other side fitter and stronger and ready to play cricket as soon as I can.”Blackwell, a medical student, was recently named the 2005 Australian University Sport Outstanding Athlete of the Year.

Tom Moody: ‘Our main focus is the 2007 World Cup’ © Getty Images

Tom Moody, Sri Lanka’s latest Australian coach, has been given a wider mandate than his predecessors to revamp the island’s coaching structure at the national and grassroots level, with the aim that Sri Lanka can win the 2007 World Cup and are able to be consistently rated as one of the top three Test nations in the world.Sri Lanka’s previous foreign coaches have had limited input into wider development issues and have often been left frustrated by a general lack of clout over even minor team issues. But Moody, the highest-paid coach in Sri Lanka’s history with a pay packet estimated to be US$150,000 plus expenses, has been assured a freer rein to build for the future.”Tom’s primary focus will be as head coach of the national team but he will also be looking at the structure of our coaching system in the island which we believe needs to be reviewed,” Tryphon Mirando, the interim board secretary, said at a media briefing. “We have already had a very healthy discussion about the long-term future and Tom will be working very closely with everyone so we can be champions again.”Moody produced an accomplished performance in front of the Sri Lanka media for the first time, sidestepping the predictable politically-slanted questions from some journalists relating to the recent cricket board crisis with ease. His theme was building for the future and putting in place the support structures necessary to properly harness the talents of the national team in particular and the island as a whole.”I am very excited and honoured to be Sri Lanka coach,” Moody announced. “I am ambitious and this [an international post] is something that I have been striving for. I am now looking forward to working with some of the world’s best players and taking the side forward. I will be the head team coach but I will also closely monitor the A team and the under-19 team and look into coaching at the grassroots.””Our main focus is the World Cup in 2007 and the journey we are started now is geared towards a successful campaign in the West Indies,” he added. “We will sit down with the senior core of the players when I return to review how the game is being played now and the likely conditions to formulate our strategies. Fortunately, we have plenty of time up our sleeve to come up with strategies that can help us win that tournament. In Tests, our goal is to look at a consistent place in the top three and to do that we need to maintain the side’s home form and improve performances overseas.Moody has also been given the freedom to build a new back-room support staff for the team. CJ Clarke is the current physiotherapist and is contracted until the 2007 World Cup, but there is no fitness trainer any longer after the failure of the previous administration to renew Shane Duff’s contract at the start of the year. A full-time assistant coach – possibly one of the leading local coaches like Rumesh Ratanayke or Roy Dias – is also on the cards.”I am in favour of having a quality support team to give the players the best chance possible of performing at their best,” commented Moody. “It may be worthwhile looking at an assistant coach and that is something we will look at in addition to the physiotherapist and fitness trainer. With regard to specialist batting and bowling coaches, as an experienced allrounder, I feel confident of being able to handle both of those areas. If I feel we need additional support, for example a dietician, we will address that when the need arises.”Moody promised innovation, but not technology for the sake of it: “I am familiar with all the new technologies that are being used now in the game and we will also be introducing new technologies into the coaching process, but it is also important to stick to the basics and we will not cloud the players in technology. If we can use technology to develop the players then fine.”Potentially Moody’s greatest frustration in the coming months could be selection, which has been a recurrent and consistent source of controversy over the years. Moody, who met Lalith Kaluperuma, the new chairman of selectors, on Wednesday afternoon, will not have an official vote but hopes that his opinion will be sought and valued: “It is important that the captain and coach have a close relationship with the selectors as it is important that we get the best XI out of the park.”Moody leaves for England on Thursday afternoon to re-join Worcestershire before returning on June 18 to start training and planning for the home series against West Indies, which starts on July 15.

Match abandoned due to rain
ScorecardRain stopped barking and finally took a bite out of the series, with the fourth one-dayer in Dunedin being called off, and a replay scheduled for the next day. The replayed game will be a day game that begins at 12pm local time (11pm GMT).Play looked likely for a while when Graeme Smith won the toss yet again and put New Zealand in to bat. But rain washed the ground minutes before play was to begin. South Africa had their fourth success with the coin, but the rain ensured that there would be another toss tomorrow.South Africa’s inability to use the conditions – and the form of a rejuvenated New Zealand side – has resulted in two losses on the go. New Zealand’s victory in the third ODI came after the bowlers pegged back South Africa during the middle overs, and even inspired batting by Shaun Pollock could only take his team to the precipice of victory. An injury sustained during the game kept him out of today’s team, and Lance Klusener was his replacement.For New Zealand, the third match was an eye-opener. Michael Papps showed everyone what the fuss was about when he scored his first fifty and played a vital role in giving his team its first significant start of the series. And then their bowlers caged the batsmen. South Africa’s bowlers, barring Pollock, were made ineffectual and they failed to live up to the reputation that preceded them to New Zealand. It was a U-turn from previous expectations.

The Western Australian Cricket Association selectors today announced the Western Warriors team to play Tasmania in a Pura Cup match in Hobart on February 5-8.The team is:Justin Langer (Captain), Mike Hussey (vice-captain), Jo Angel, Ryan Campbell, Beau Casson, Michael Clark, Murray Goodwin, Shaun Marsh, Marcus North, Chris Rogers, Callum Thorp and Brad Williams.The Warriors are in Adelaide this weekend for a crucial ING Cup limited-overs match against the Southern Redbacks on Saturday, February 1.This entire match will be televised live on Channel Nine, from 7am (Perth time) on Saturday.The team travels to Hobart on Sunday morning, February 2, to prepare for the four-day Pura Cup encounter with the Tigers.