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India’s third consecutive win in the Tri-nation Under-19 tournament against Australia reduced the hosts’ chances of making it to the finals

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Jul-2013
ScorecardIndia’s third consecutive win in the Tri-nation Under-19 tournament against Australia reduced the hosts’ chances of making it to the finals. After the seven-wicket loss, Australia are placed second in the points table with four points, the same as New Zealand who still have a game in hand.In Darwin, Australia were put in to bat and openers Matthew Short and Tom Leaver put on 59 before Aamir Gani dismissed both of them. The next two batsmen fell in quick succession once Australia crossed 100 by when the run-rate had also been curbed. Jake Doran’s unbeaten 41 and a 25-ball 28 from No. 8 Cameron Valente took them to 191 for 6 and Gani finished with 3 for 25.India were hardly troubled in the chase. Akhil Herwadkar and Vijay Zol scored fifties and put on 107 for the second wicket, taking the team total to nearly 150, but both were dismissed in consecutive overs. Sanju Samson and Mohammad Saif scored the last 46 runs to take them home without much fuss.

South Africa will lose the series if they lose another match, but in bilateral affairs, pressure brings out their best, AB de Villiers said

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Pallekele25-Jul-2013Last year in Sri Lanka, AB de Villiers became the first South Africa captain to own up to choking in high pressure limited-overs games. He used the C word liberally both before and after the tournament as though he’d been instructed to publicly embrace the tag as a means of overcoming the team’s mental woes in major tournaments.Ten months later, de Villiers is asserting the opposite about his side’s ability to triumph when much is at stake. South Africa will lose the series if they lose another match, but in bilateral affairs, pressure brings out their best, de Villiers said.”I believe it’s the other way around in this series,” he said. “When we get squeezed into a corner, we win games. We wake up a bit late in ODI series especially. We lose the first one and the second one maybe, and then all of a sudden, ‘woah, let’s wake up and start playing cricket now’. If we do the basics well for 100 overs we’ll definitely win. I believe in the boys.”De Villiers was also intent on distancing his side from a woeful record in Sri Lanka, despite having lost their first two matches in the series. South Africa have lost their last 11 matches in the country against the hosts, with only one victory to their name. The last ODI series in 2004 was a whitewash, though only JP Duminy and Robin Peterson of the current squad appeared for South Africa then.”I just want to set one thing clear because I see it in TV screens all over – the fact that we’ve lost 11 games in a row here. I haven’t been part of that. I’ve played two games and these are my first two ODIs that I’ve ever played in this country. I don’t really care about what happened in the last nine games,” said De Villiers “People seem to make a big thing of it. I’m not upset about it and I know it’s part of our history, but this team doesn’t need the luggage of the past nine games. All these guys are on their first tour here apart from a guy like JP, who made his debut here last time. We’d like to change that. We’re 2-0 down now and still alive in this series.”De Villiers also called for more application from his batsmen, who between them are yet to produce a score in excess of 30 in the series. Faced with two tall chases – the second of which was revised via a Duckworth-Lewis calculation – South Africa lost too many wickets before the 20th over to mount a serious challenge.”It’s not really because we were being too aggressive,” he said. “We struggled to adapt to the change of the Powerplays. We did really well in the Powerplay, even though we lost a wicket in the first over in both games, we seemed to recover really well. After the Powerplay was done and the field spread, we just lost wickets out of nowhere.”I think there was a lack of awareness from our side – just awareness that we are playing 50-over cricket here, not 20 overs. Maybe for the first 20 overs we need to have more of a Test-match mindset, and from 10 to 20 to really get partnerships going and get stuck into the conditions and all the bowlers. Maybe we’ll give them one spell and look at their second spell to attack. We haven’t really had the opportunity to look at that yet, because we haven’t batted for that long.”South Africa have lost eight of their 15 wickets this series to spin, but de Villiers was confident his side had hatched a plan to neutralise the threat, particularly that of Rangana Herath who is the leading wicket-taker in the series so far, with five dismissals at 8.20.”We’ve been a bit lackadaisical when it comes to playing Herath and we’ve tried to hit him too square,” De Villiers said. “We all know he doesn’t get a lot of bounce. He’s a skiddy kind of bowler, so we’ll try to play him straighter, which we did well in South Africa. He’s definitely handier in his own conditions and maybe he gets a bit more turn. But he’s not a massive threat for us.”

Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad said he was happy with his consistency during the T20 series against Zimbabwe

Umar Farooq25-Aug-2013Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad said he was pleased with his consistency after helping Pakistan win the T20 series against Zimbabwe with a record knock. Shehzad, who is making his third comeback to the national side in four years, hit two successive half-centuries, including the highest ever international Twenty20 score by a Pakistan batsman, to lead the team to their second win in as many days at the Harare Sports Club.”It is important to be consistent and I tried very hard to remain so,” Shehzad said. “In the first few overs, I did not get much strike and could have panicked, but then as my confidence built up, I was able to get on strike more often and hit good shots. Zimbabwe played some good cricket and now we will be looking forward to playing them in the ODIs.”Shehzad, who hails from a street near the Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore, was among a crop of the most promising young cricketers in the Pakistan set-up in recent years, and played at the Under-19 level with the likes of Umar Akmal, Mohammad Amir, Umar Amin, Junaid Khan and Raza Hasan. In last 12 List A matches played between 2007 and 2009, before his debut for Pakistan, Ahmed racked up five fifties and his form caught the attention of the then chief selector, Abdul Qadir. His career, however, has been under scrutiny following discipline issues.On Saturday, Shehzad smashed an unbeaten 98, after scoring 70 in the first T20. He hit six sixes during his innings, but missed out on a historic century, scrambling for a single off the last ball of the innings. He had a slow start and hit just one six in his first 20 deliveries, off Prosper Utseya in the first over. However, he began to accelerate after the wicket of Nasir Jamshed in the sixth over, reaching his fifty in just 42 balls and scoring the next 48 off just 22 deliveries, to finish with a strike-rate of 153.12. The performances helped him move up 41 places on the ICC rankings for T20 batsmen and he is now ranked 18th.Even though the runs came against a 12th-ranked Zimbabwe team that has been overshadowed by off-field issues in recent weeks, Mohammad Hafeez, Pakistan’s T20 captain, said that the batsman had fulfilled an important role for the side.”I am pleased to see Ahmed batting nicely throughout the series,” Hafeez said “We really need someone to hold the innings from the top and he is the one who gave us the result we wanted to achieve.”When Pakistan lost Jamshed for 23, they were 36 for 1 in 5.4 overs at a run-rate below seven. But Shehzad and Hafeez powered on, and shared an unbeaten 143-run partnership for the second wicket to give Zimbabwe a target of 180 runs, much to Hafeez’s delight.”We knew they (Zimbabwe) were very much capable of causing a set back for us, so every game was important for us,” Hafeez said. “We were thinking of getting around 150-160 runs on the board but Ahmed boosted our total and we knew we just had to bowl a disciplined line to clinch the match. The boys are very confident and have started trusting each other, which is something we’ve been trying to develop.”

Fancy beating Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur? Forget it. Royals extended their winning streak at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium to 12, beating the confident Otago by four wickets to keep the semi-final options open in Group A

The Report by Kanishkaa Balachandran01-Oct-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBrad Hodge’s experience made the difference in the end•BCCIFancy beating Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur? Forget it. Royals extended their winning streak at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium to 12, beating the confident Otago by four wickets to keep the semi-final options open in Group A. Royals progressed briskly initially in their chase of a middling 140, stuttered after their middle order fell to rash strokes, before Brad Hodge played the rescue act with an electric 52 to stall Otago’s spirited recovery. Though Royals had already booked their place in the knockouts, there was still some context in this match, for this victory means they will stay back in Jaipur for their semi-final.A further 15-20 runs could have made the difference for Otago. Having scored a mammoth 242 earlier in the tournament, their impressive top order was blown away by the relatively unknown Rahul Shukla. The Jharkhand seamer came in as a replacement for Vikramjeet Malik and in the space of six balls, he proved it to be an inspired selection. Bowling the fourth over, he struck with his first ball, removing Hamish Rutherford’s middle stump as the batsman looked to play across the line. Two balls later, he got rid of the captain Brendon McCullum trapped in front with one that came in. There was room for one more wicket in the over and it came via a bizarre shot by Derek de Boorder.It got worse for Otago when the in-form Neil Broom perished to a top edge off Shane Watson, leaving them reeling at 21 for 4. Otago’s progress in the tournament was orchestrated by meaty contributions by the top order. Now they found themselves in a situation they weren’t accustomed to, and it was up to the lower order to cover the slack.James Neesham gave the innings some impetus with a quick 32, but he was lucky to have been let off on 0, when the umpire Paul Reiffel failed to notice a thick inside edge on the way to the keeper. Nathan McCullum and Ian Butler ensured Otago played out 20 overs, their cameos pushing the score to 139. While it was below par, from 21 for 4, it was an improvement.What Mumbai need to do to qualify

If Mumbai Indians lose, they are knocked out of the tournament and Otago go through

If Mumbai bat first and post anything in the region of 120 to 180, they will need to win by around 48 runs

If Mumbai bat second, and they are chasing 120, they need to win with 37 balls remaining. If they are chasing 180, the balls remaining comes down to 32.

Ajinkya Rahane got Royals off to a rapid start with some exquisite shots through the off side off the seamers. Rahane got his timing and placement perfect, taking Royals to 43 at the end of the Powerplay. Nathan McCullum’s sharp reflexes at point, running backwards to pluck a catch to send back Rahul Dravid, was temporary relief, but Rahane’s was the wicket they needed.The middle order needed to bat around Rahane but Royals put pressure on themselves with some questionable shots. Sanju Samson played on to his stumps and both Shane Watson and Stuart Binny departed quickly edging behind. Rahane passed his fifty but fell chipping a full toss to mid-off. The boundaries dried up and the drought lasted five overs before Hodge released the pressure with a boundary over cover. Two balls later, he slogged a slower ball and got a lucky top edge that cleared the keeper.Hodge ensured at least one boundary off every over. He made room to James McMillan and carved a six over third man and in the same over smashed one over extra cover, beating Neesham’s dive. With 24 needed off the last three overs, it was still even and Ian Butler did well conceding only four runs off the first four balls. Hodge changed the complexion of the over with a six and four off consecutive balls to bring the equation firmly back in Royals’ favour.Dravid later described it as a nerve-wracking period in the game, but it was Hodge’s experience that made the difference.As for Otago’s semi-final hopes, they will wait on the result of the Mumbai Indians-Perth Scorchers match on Wednesday. If Mumbai win, it will come down to a net run rate scenario between Mumbai and Otago.

Debates over the identity of the second spinner, reserve wicketkeeper and reserve batsmen will occupy the minds of the England selectors ahead of the announcement of the Ashes squad on Monday

George Dobell21-Sep-2013Debates over the identity of the second spinner, reserve wicketkeeper and reserve batsmen will occupy the minds of the England selectors ahead of the announcement of the Ashes squad on Monday.While it is possible to predict, fitness permitting, nine of the 11 that will represent England in the first Test in Brisbane, the choice of the remaining members of the squad is as open as it has been for several years. Several players face agonising disappointment or great elation.There is little prospect of England picking two spinners in any of the Tests in Australia. While there was a time when such a scenario was a possibility in Sydney, those days have largely gone. When Australia beat Sri Lanka there in January, their spinner, Nathan Lyon, claimed only two wickets.So the second spinner in the Ashes squad is there in case Graeme Swann suffers injury. Whoever is selected must be capable of performing the role of lone spinner for England in an Ashes Test.The experience of Simon Kerrigan at The Oval illustrates what a hard task that is and how small the pool of candidates remains. While James Tredwell is the type of character – calm, low-maintenance and reliable – that this England management favour, his record in red-ball cricket this season is modest. He has taken only 13 wickets at a cost of 55.76 in the Championship. The form of other experienced players, the likes of Gareth Batty, is similarly modest.Kerrigan’s debut is likely to deter England from considering a similarly untried spinner in Australia. While the likes of Scott Borthwick and Moeen Ali may well be included in performance squad that will shadow the full team for part of the tour, it would be asking a bit much to expect them to fill-in for Swann just yet. Borthwick, the Durham legspinner, is an attractive option, but he does not, at this stage, offer the control England require from their Test spinner.With Kerrigan, for now, out of the picture, Monty Panesar may be the best available reserve to Swann. So long as his off-field issues – and the England management will need assurances about his mental fitness to tour before committing to him – can be controlled, Panesar has the experience and qualities as a bowler to warrant selection. Besides, it may be that a prolonged return to the England camp revives his spirits. Taking him would be a risk, but England are not flush with options.Indeed, the difficult of the second-spinner selection highlights a major issue: the excellence of Swann continues to mask deficiencies within the reserves of England’s spin bowling. His eventual retirement will leave a gaping hole.England have far more options when it comes to selecting a pack of fast bowlers. While Stuart Broad and James Anderson are certainties, Tim Bresnan is also highly likely to be included, possibly as a 17th man, with a view to him regaining full fitness in the opening weeks of the tour.Boyd Rankin, too, looks certain to travel. Rankin’s pace and hostility in the ODI series against Australia was impressive and, as he relaxes in the England environment, will only grow. He just could prove to be a key player in the Ashes.The final two fast-bowling spots could be taken by Steven Finn and Graham Onions. While Onions would be, in essence, providing injury cover for Anderson, Finn remains a player of great potential who could come into the side if required. Realistically, though, the trip would prove a chance to work with the England fast bowling coach, David Saker, for a prolonged period.That would see Chris Tremlett and Chris Woakes missing out. Woakes enjoyed a respectable Test debut at The Oval and might yet prove himself a decent No. 6 but his style of bowling is not particularly well suited to Australian pitches. Tremlett, sadly, has lost the pre-injury nip that made him such a dangerous player.There could be a couple of batting allrounders in the squad. Ben Stokes, by virtue of his extra pace with the ball, his excellent fielding and his ability with the bat, would be a fine utility player and could balance the side by batting at No. 6. At 22, he is a player in development and there will be times when he frustrates but his all-round talents are obvious and he may prove worth a prolonged period of investment. Ravi Bopara, now rehabilitated, has a strong case for inclusion and could add a few economical overs if required.The last time England embarked on an Ashes tour, in 2010-11, they did not take a reserve opener. Nick Compton remains the outstanding candidate for the role, but it may be that his reaction to being omitted earlier in the summer has damaged the relationship between him and the England management. Other options include Varun Chopra, Sam Robson and Luke Wells but all are untried at this level, while Michael Carberry has endured a modest season against the red ball. With Joe Root still adjusting to the demands of opening in Test cricket, however, it would be quite a risk not to take some back-up.The position of reserve wicketkeeper may prove equally contentious. Several players have made a case for inclusion – Steven Davies, Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler among them – but England have invested time in the development of Jonny Bairstow and may well feel that, with his ability to bat and field in several conditions taken into account, he is a decent utility squad member.Possible England squad: Alastair Cook, Joe Root, Nick Compton, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Ben Stokes, Matt Prior, Jonny Bairstow, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Graham Onions, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Boyd Rankin, Monty Panesar.

Twelve more councillors have been elected unopposed as directors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board

Mohammad Isam07-Oct-2013Twelve more councillors have been elected unopposed as directors of the Bangladesh Cricket Board. As a result, there won’t be any election for directorship in category 2 of councillors in the October 10 board elections.This segment of the elections was to determine the directors from the Dhaka clubs, 58 of whom would hold voting powers as councillors. Already, seven directors have been elected unopposed from category 1, those of the districts and divisional councillors.Enayet Hossain Siraj, Afzalur Rahman Sinha, Ahmed Iqbal Hasan, Mahbubul Anam, Jalal Yunus, Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan, Gazi Golam Mortuza, Tanzil Chowdhury, Nazmul Karim, Najib Ahmed and Shaukat Aziz are the directors-elect from the Dhaka clubs. They are also members of a panel led by Nazmul Hasan, the incumbent BCB president.Meanwhile, Hasan has withdrawn as a councillor and has been appointed as a BCB director in the National Sports Council quota. Ismail Haider Mallick and Ahmed Sajjadul Alam are the other directors from the quota.Three directors’ position from category 1 will be contested while the only director’s post in category 3 will be contested by two former Bangladesh captains, Gazi Ashraf Hossain and Khaled Mahmud.They will be voted by 45 councillors of category 3 which consists of the educational boards, armed forces and others.

A round-up of the Dhaka Premier Division matches played on November 22, 2013

Mohammad Isam22-Nov-2013Gazi Tank Cricketers consolidated their position at the top of the Dhaka Premier Division Super League with a six-wicket win over Prime Bank Cricket Club. It was their ninth win, keeping them two points ahead of Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club, Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club and Mohammedan Sporting Club, who are on 16 points.It wasn’t an easy ride for Gazi Tank, however, as Prime Bank threatened to post a total higher than the eventual 247 for 8. Prime Bank’s Saikat Ali and Shehan Jayasuriya added 81 for the third wicket after which Ravi Bopara did the bulk of the scoring. The England batsman made 95 off 81 balls with five fours and as many sixes. Saikat made 60 off 98 balls with four boundaries and a couple of sixes. Arafat Sunny took three wickets while there was one each for Rubel Hossain, Mahmudullah, Naeem Islam jnr and Ashar Zaidi.Gazi Tank’s chase was built on partnerships: 48 for the first wicket between Imrul Kayes and Aftab Ahmed, 37 for the second wicket between Aftab and Eoin Morgan and another 31 for the fourth between Morgan and Gazi Tank captain, Mahmudullah. The Gazi Tank captain and a belligerent Ryan ten Doeschate then took them home with an unbroken 127-run stand with both batsmen scoring brisk fifties. Ten Doeschate was the star of the show with six sixes in his 60-ball 68.Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club leapt to second place with a dominating six-wicket win over Prime Doleshwar Sporting Club in a high-scoring match.Mushfiqur Rahim and Steven Crook struck hundreds as Dhanmondi successfully chased down a challenging 305-run target with four overs to spare. Mushfiqur, the club captain, was unbeaten on 145 off 118 balls with 12 fours and five sixes while Crook slammed seven fours and six sixes in his 84-ball 100. The pair added 189 runs for the fourth wicket, effectively winning Dhanmondi the game.Earlier, Joshua Cobb’s 123 and Dawid Malan’s half-century set up a big total for Doleshwar. Cobb’s 130-ball innings was laden with ten fours and five sixes and he added 132 runs for the fourth wicket with Malan.Mohammedan Sporting Club made light work of Kalabagan Cricket Academy’s challenge, beating them by 76 runs at the Fatullah Cricket Stadium.Samit Patel turned in an all-round performance, scoring 86 and taking 3 for 25 to win the Man-of-the-Match award. Samit’s innings, along with contributions from Asghar Stanikzai (38) and Rahmat Shah (33), helped Mohammedan make 226-9 in 50 overs. Left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam took three wickets.KCA’s reply, however, wasn’t good as they were bowled out for 150 runs in 40.1 overs. Opener Avishek Mitra scored 51 – the only big innings – as Patel’s three wickets sunk them further. Rahmat Shah’s leg spin fetched him two wickets.

Paul Farbrace, Sri Lanka’s former assistant coach, is again in the reckoning for the position of Sri Lanka’s national coach, after he intimated a renewed interest in the job

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Dec-2013Paul Farbrace, Sri Lanka’s former assistant coach, is again in the reckoning for the position of Sri Lanka’s national coach, after he intimated a renewed interest in the job, Sri Lanka Cricket has said. Farbrace had initially applied, but withdrawn his candidacy early in the process, and though the board did not name him among the two shortlisted men for the job, it has nevertheless asked him to come to Sri Lanka for an interview, on Monday.SLC secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said Farbrace had made known his interest to chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya, whom Farbrace had worked with during his stint as Sri Lanka’s assistant coach from 2007 to 2009. The coach selection process has meandered since the vacancy was advertised in September, after a deadline extension and talks with several high-profile coaches failed to yield a strong field of candidates.”After we extended the deadline for the application process, probably Farbrace thought we would not consider him and withdrew,” Ranatunga said. “He has told Sanath that he is interested again, so the committee that selects the coach recommended that we ask him to be available for an interview.”Ranatunga said the board had not altered the remuneration it offers for the position, despite the low pay having been a dealbreaker for several prospective coaches, but he said SLC was open to reviewing its offer if it encounters an outstanding candidate.Current assistant coach Marvan Atapattu, and Mark Davis, were the shortlisted candidates but the board has not been convinced either man can perform the role, particularly over the next 16 months. There are doubts over whether Atapattu can establish total control over a side in which former team-mate Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene are senior players, and Davis has never coached a first-class side.Currently the coach of Yorkshire’s second XI, Farbrace had previously said he had a “strong affinity for Sri Lanka” as well as good relationships with many of the players he coached during his time with the Sri Lanka team. He joined Yorkshire in 2012 and the club said that they had “reluctantly” allowed Farbrace to discuss moving on.”We have given permission for Sri Lanka Cricket to speak to Paul,” Yorkshire’s chief executive, Mark Arthur, said. “We were approached last week and … we have reluctantly agreed for Paul to travel to Sri Lanka next week to open talks with the Sri Lanka Cricket Board.”Paul has done a tremendous job in developing the exciting talent that is starting to come to fruition at the club. Over the past couple of years, he has been an integral part of our success in developing players for first-team cricket. It would be a great shame to lose someone of Paul’s talent but we are well aware of his own personal ambitions.”Sri Lanka’s current coach Graham Ford chose not to renew his contract, and will finish his tenure after the tour to the UAE, in late January.

A round-up of the third day’s play from the final round of Group B matches in the Ranji Trophy 2013-14

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jan-2014
ScorecardSaurasish Lahiri picked up 10 wickets in the match•ESPNcricinfoOffspinner Saurasish Lahiri’s seven-wicket haul set up a thrilling four-run victory for Bengal against Tamil Nadu, helping the team all but qualify for the knockout phase. Unless Baroda manage to miraculously beat Rajasthan in Jaipur, Bengal’s berth is safe. Bengal’s exact position in the Group B standings will be determined after the end of the UP-Railways game in Lucknow.Starting the third morning at 102 for 1, it took just four overs for TN’s chase of 185 to start unraveling as Lahiri trapped S Badrinath in front for 21. Lahiri followed that up soon after with the big wicket of Dinesh Karthik, who was out for 62 off 148 balls. TN were comfortable in spite of Karthik’s wicket with the score at 125 for 3. The match turned on its head, however, in the twelve-over period between the 61st and 73rd overs, as TN lost six wickets for 27 runs to slide from 131 for 3 to 158 for 9.Lahiri took five of those wickets, dismissing Baba Indrajith, L Balaji, Vijay Shankar, Ramaswamy Prasanna and Rahil Shah. Arnab Nandi further set TN back, dismissing Baba Aparajith, who had compiled a patient 33.With a knockout place on offer, TN’s last-wicket pair of Malolan Rangarajan and Aushik Srinivas dug in, with the latter utilising a dropped chance. But with TN five runs away from the target, Writtick Chatterjee had Rangarajan out lbw for 11 to complete an edge-of-the-seat finish.
ScorecardUttar Pradesh’s bowlers went wicketless on the third day as Railways’ batsmen, Arindam Ghosh and Mahesh Rawat struck up hundreds to push their side’s score to a commanding 460 for 4 in Lucknow.While UP’s chances of qualifying for the knockouts received a small boost due to Baroda’s performance against Rajasthan, their bowlers couldn’t manage a single breakthrough, as Ghosh and Rawat stretched their stand to 294 runs. While Rawat finished unbeaten on 163 off 222 balls with 23 fours and two sixes, Ghosh was not out on 167 off 354 balls with 21 fours and a six.Read the full report of Rajasthan v Baroda here: Rajasthan on top despite Gagandeep seven-for

South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has said he is eager to win the Durban Test for the retiring Jacques Kallis, and “whatever it is” that is necessary for that to happen, the team will do it

Firdose Moonda in Durban27-Dec-20130:00

Was Kallis better than Sobers?

Jacques Kallis told Dale Steyn a week ago the Durban Test match would be his last. Steyn didn’t believe him.”He always lies to me, he always jokes around about things like that, so I didn’t think it was true,” Steyn said. “Then, when the announcement came, I knew he was being serious. It’s terribly sad.”Steyn is “quite close” to Kallis so the news was as much, if not more, of a shock to him, than to everyone else, including the Indian camp. M Vijay confirmed they were stunned by having “two legends retire in the space of two months”. Like Morne Morkel, who said his ankle recovered an extra 10% when he realised Kingsmead was his last opportunity to play alongside Kallis, Steyn quickly understood the best way to honour Kallis would be to send him off with victory.Rain washed out the morning session on day two and with the surface being sluggish, there remain concerns that there won’t be enough time for a result though. “There are three days left, so I hope we can get a result, especially for Jacques,” Steyn said. “We will do everything in our power to try and win it for him. We were on the edge of winning in Johannesburg and then we didn’t, but rather than go 1-0 down there, we stand a chance of winning the series here.”Steyn was one of the two men, Philander being the other, who made the decision not to go for glory at the Wanderers. Like Smith explained afterwards, South Africa did not want to risk losing and give themselves no chance of a series win in Durban. Kallis, it seems, wanted the same.”He sat down and had a little talk with us and said he didn’t want to play his last Test in Durban and for it to fizzle out and be a draw,” Steyn said. “So we have to do whatever it takes. Whatever it is, whether we have to score quickly, take 10 wickets again, whatever, we’ll do it.”Steyn already showed his commitment to the cause with the way he bowled. After going wicketless on day one, he showed better intent today and took three wickets apiece in his opening and closing spell to ensure India did not run away with the first innings. Smith and Alviro Petersen have also demonstrated that feeling. They scored at over four runs to the over as South Africa looked to build quickly.Kallis has not had the opportunity to contribute much yet, although the catch he took at slip off JP Duminy’s bowling will be an important memory from this match. It was his 200th grab and put him second on the all-time list of catches in Test cricket, below Rahul Dravid, from whom he is also 114 runs away on the run-getters charts. Despite the records that beckon and the emotion of the match, Steyn said Kallis is not feeling any tension. “In the change-room, he is more talkative than he has ever been,” he said. “I think he is really enjoying his last moments in whites. Obviously he will still be around for the one-dayers but he is really making the most of his time left in Tests and we will do everything we can to give him a victory in his last Test.”