Pakistan's Stocks Rise As India's Fall

Tests played in the last week provide an interesting guide as to Australia's fortunes in this summer which is already underway.

Zimbabwe v New Zealand
With 44 runs required to pull off an improbable 4th innings run chase built on a splendid century by skipper Brendan Taylor, Daniel Vettori and Doug Bracewell removed the bottom half of the innings in five overs to give New Zealand the win. Bracewell took five 2nd innings wickets on debut and Vettori took eight for the match. Its been apparent for some time that New Zealand's batting is good enough but their bowling depends too much on Vettori. This is the Kiwis only Test since January and their next, against Australia in Brisbane as December begins means they will be well underdone.

Misbah Ul Haq

Pakistan v Sri Lanka
Pakistan played for a draw on the last day in Sharjah, content that it would give them the series against Sri Lanka and a continued rise up the ICC rankings. Now only one point behind Sri Lanka, the Pakistanis haven't lost a Test series since their tour of England in the northern summer of 2010. For Sri Lanka it is the reverse, with 14 Tests having passed without a victory, leaving them open to the accusation that they have been unable to bowl opposition teams out since the departure of Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas. Sangakkara was again their star, with 144 and 51 and Dilshan found some form in the first innings, only to fall in all too familiar circumstances in the second. Paranavitana was at his durable best in the second innings, although some might call it outright boring but its the lack of penetration from their bowlers which is the big question mark over their side. On the last day, Herath and Ranjiv had a wicket that was offering assistance and although the last day lost time at the start of the day, they should have been able to make more inroads than the four wickets the found. Mishbah's stock continued to rise as he stood firm  for the last hour and a half to secure the series win.

India v West Indies

Chanderpaul kisses the pitch
after scoring his 100

The West Indies don't play many Test matches in India, with their last victory being 17 years ago and their last match 9 years ago, a game in which Shiv Chanderpaul scored a hundred. Playing at Feroz Shah Kolta in Delta is even more rare, with the last game played 24 years ago, when Patrick Patterson skittled India for just 75 and Viv Richards made a brilliant hundred in the second innings run chase.
In the current match, West Indies made a solid start on the first day, on the back of yet another Chanderpaul hundred, his seventh against India and his 24th overall. He and Kraigg Brathwaite added 108 for the 4th wicket to have the West Indies well placed by stumps. The last five wickets fell in just 17 overs of the second morning and India, through Gambhir and Sehwag, made a rapid start against Fidel Edwards with 39 on the board after just five overs by lunch. 

Rahul Dravid batted with the tail

The attack continued after the break and had reached 89 in the thirteenth over, when a Sehwag drive bulleted back at DJ Sammy, flicked his fingers and cannoned into the bowlers stumps, running Gambhir out. Sehwag went soon after, stumped smartly by Carlton Baugh as he tried to tickle a Bishoo delivery down the leg side and over balanced. Tendulkar was trapped in front of leg stump by a returning Edwards and then Sammy took three middle innings wickets. From there it completely fell away, but for the stoic half century of Rahul Dravid. West Indies took a 95 run lead into their second innings. Ashwin and Ohja took the new ball and dismissed the openers. 
With 17 wickets falling for 283 runs on day two, the match is headed for a rapid result.