Ind vs Aus, 1st Test: Day 4 highlights

A look at the stats highlights of the fourth day's play in the first Test between India and Australia at Bangalore on Sunday.

- India (360) posted their highest total in the last six Tests, bettering the 329 against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2008.

- Zaheer Khan (57 not out) registered his first fifty in India - his second Test fifty overall - his highest being 75 against Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2004-05. Interestingly, he top-scored for India in the first innings as well as faced most balls (121) than any other Indian batsman.

- Zaheer's previous highest in India was 30 against South Africa at Kanpur in 2004-05.

- Zaheer's outstanding innings is the highest by a Number nine batsman at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, eclipsing the 52 by England's Graham Dilley in 1981-82. Kiran More's innings of 46 against New Zealand in 1988-89 was the previous best by an Indian batsman at number nine position at this venue.

- Zaheer is now the fourth batsman to register a fifty as Number nine batsman against Australia, joining Karsan Ghavri (86 at Mumbai in 1979-80), Kiran More (67 not out at Melbourne in 1991-92) and Harbhajan Singh (63 at Sydney and 63 at Adelaide in 2007-08).

- Zaheer (5/91 + 57 not out) became the third Indian all-rounder to post a fifty and claim five wickets in an innings in a Test match against Australia. Rusi Surti (70 & 53 + 5 for 74) was the first to accomplish the feat in the 1967-68 Adelaide Test, followed by Kapil Dev (3/33 & 5/130 + 56) in the 1991-92 Adelaide Test.

- In the Indian innings, 52 runs were conceded as EXTRAS, which is a new record in the Tests involving India and Australia, eclipsing the 46 conceded by India in Australia's second innings of 369 at Chepauk, Chennai in 2004-05. Australia had twice conceded 45 runs in the shape of Extras in an innings against India - in India's total of 517 for 5 wickets declared at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai in October 1986 and in India's 526 at Adelaide in January 2008.

- 23 leg-byes conceded by Australia is also a record against India, bettering the 21 in India's innings of 526 at Adelaide in January 2008. Similarly, 23 byes conceded by Australia is also a new record in India-Australia Tests.

- The Bangalore Test has so far produced 44 runs, bettering the previous record of 42 in the 2007-08 Adelaide Test.

- Australia, by conceding 52 runs as Extras in India's innings of 360, has equalled their worst ever performance in Test cricket. In England's innings of 309 at Brisbane in 1982-83, Australia had conceded 52 as extras.

- Shane Watson (3/45) produced his best bowling performance in Tests, outstripping his 1 for 25 against West Indies at Brisbane in November 2005.

- Matthew Hayden (13) is without a fifty in his last seven innings in India.

- Hayden, during the course of his innings of 13, became the first Australian to aggregate 800 runs in India - 806 at an average of 53.73 in eight Tests, including two centuries and three fifties.

- Overall, Hayden is the leading run-getter for Australia against India - 1667 at an average of 61.74 in 15 Tests, followed by Ricky Ponting - 1661 at an average of 50.33 in 20 Tests.

- Hayden has averaged 17.25 at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore - 69 in four innings, with a highest of 30 in October 2004.

- Zaheer has now dismissed Hayden six times - in each innings of a Test match twice - Nagpur in 2004-05 and Bangalore in 2008-09.

- Ishant Sharma, for the first time, has claimed six wickets in a Test match (4/77 + 2/27) - bettering his 5 for 73 (3/55 + 2/18) in the 2007-08 Kanpur Test against South Africa.

- Shane Watson (32 not out) registered his highest ever score in Test Cricket, bettering his 31 against Pakistan at Sydney in January 2005.

PCB fear Champs Trophy blow

The PCB fear they could lose the right to stage the Champions Trophy following recent bombings in Karachi and Islamabad.

The tournament is scheduled to be held in the nation from September 11, but several players from Australia and New Zealand have revealed plans to boycott the tournament because of security concerns.

PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf appears confident the event will pass without incident, telling The Dawn: "If terrorists think they can target cricket or stadiums in the country, they are wrong."

However, an unnamed official told The News the PCB believe the tournament could be shifted and are mentally gearing up to "swallow the bitter pill".

He said: "It would be a huge setback for Pakistan cricket and I'm sure the ICC is aware of it.

"We didn't leave a stone unturned.

"We promised foolproof security, involved the government at the highest level, used diplomacy, upgraded our facilities.

"But if they still take away the Champions Trophy from here then it would be very unfair."

Sri Lanka are possible alternative hosts for the tournament, but South Africa too would be prepared to hold the event.

"If requested by the ICC, and we agree on the terms and conditions of hosting the tournament, we will," Gerald Majola, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa, told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"ICC host agreements are very onerous, so you don't want to accept certain terms if you don't have time to do everything they ask for. We have to sit down with them and go through everything, and negotiate new terms," he added.

The ICC are expected to make a decision after they receive an independent security report next week.

ICC to vote on Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's cricketing status should become clearer on Thursday as the ICC discuss the matter on the second day of their meeting.

The controversial issue was set to be debated Wednesday but it is thought it was pushed back to the end of the two-day meeting to prevent it impinging on other matters.

Outgoing ICC president Ray Mali decreed Zimbabwe should be discussed following the recent decision by South Africa to sever bilateral links with their neighbours.

England followed South Africa's lead and the British Government also outlawed the Zimbabweans' scheduled tour of the country next year.

It is thought a vote on whether Zimbabwe retain their full member status within the ICC will be taken at the end of the meeting, but the Asian bloc's opinions will be vital.

It will take a two-thirds majority to force expulsion and that would be avoided if, as expected, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka all side with Zimbabwe.

That would leave England with a potential problem over next year's World Twenty20, which they are due to host and for which Zimbabwe have been placed in Group A.

In other matters, reports have also claimed the result of the controversial fourth Test between England and Pakistan at The Oval could be changed.

England were declared the winners after Pakistan were deemed to have forfeited the match by umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove.

Pakistan had refused to return to the field after being accused of ball-tampering by Hair.

Now, after a campaign by Pakistan, the result could be declared a draw meaning England's series win would be recorded as 2-0 rather than 3-0.

India feel the heat against Sri Lanka

India face a stern test as they take on Sri Lanka in a crucial Asia Cup encounter on Thursday to ensure a place in Sunday's final.

After having lost the match against Pakistan by eight wickets on Wednesday, India have two options ahead of them. The first being an outright win and the second, a close loss to the Lankans so as to ensure that a Pakistan victory over Bangladesh on Friday does not upset the present favourable net run rate ratio.

While it would be best for India to register a win, former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram reckons Sri Lanka have the edge.

"India is playing two matches in two days, while Sri Lanka have got two day's rest. They have the edge," he told Mobile ESPN.

Akram said the teams had now understood the true nature of the wicket at Karachi and had realised that the wicket did not deteriorate for the team batting second.

He said a "score of 300 is chaseable, so a score in the range of 320 to 340 will be a safe score".

"It's a true test of good cricketers on these flat tracks, especially the bowlers," he added.

Cricket expert Harsha Bhogle said the outcome of the match "will depend a lot on the approach the Lankans take".

"It is to be seen whether they do play all their seniors. The general feeling is that Jayasuriya will play, but the Lankans may also relax a bit and try out a few things," he said.

However, Bhogle also believed that the Lankans might want to head in to the final with a win over India.

"They have had a break and they have another two days before the final. So they are very well placed to field their best 11. And nothing better than a win over India, going into the final," he said.

The expert commentator said that India had been "erring on the side of caution" by fielding more batsmen and having only four specialist bowlers.

"India have a few problems to sort out. They might now play an extra bowler in the place of Yusuf Pathan. They've allowed all teams to get 280 plus scores. India might go the other way and play the extra bowler," he said.

He reminded that all of Pakistan will be "barracking for Sri Lanka" and therefore, for India, "a win is imperative".