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James Taylor is “relishing” the prospect of facing South Africa’s bowling attack at Headingley having been called into the squad for the second Test but is not taking his debut for granted.Unless England change the balance of their side and play five bowlers, which is unlikely, Taylor will earn his first cap at No. 6 after Ravi Bopara became unavailable due to personal reasons shortly before the squad was named on Sunday morning.Taylor, who has been captain of England Lions over the last two years and averages 61.60 from ten first-class matches for them, has long been earmarked as a Test batsman in waiting. But he had seemingly fallen down the pecking order at the start of this season after failing to secure a place in the extended England performance squad and Jonny Bairstow was chosen to replace an injured Bopara against West Indies.However, Taylor led the Lions against the West Indians in May and scored an impressive century at Derby and this week hit his first Championship hundred for his new county, Nottinghamshire, against Sussex. It is actually Taylor’s one-day form that has been more consistent and he has made 345 runs at 69 in the CB40.”Facing South Africa’s bowling attack is always going to be a tough challenge but it’s something that I would relish because getting an England Test call has been my aim from the word go,” he said. “Test cricket is the pinnacle but there was a noticeable step up to division one of the Championship and wickets haven’t been easy to bat on this season”I’ve always backed myself to play at the highest level and even though I’m young I’ve played a lot of cricket and I’ve got a lot of runs behind me. The next goal is to get a place in the eleven and if I get that opportunity I have to take it with both hands. If I get in the team then I have to work hard to get runs and then work harder again to do that consistently.”I’ve always tried to keep my feet on the ground and strive to become a better player and that will always be my mantra.”Taylor’s move from Leicestershire to Nottinghamshire for this season was with the aim of boosting his Test ambitions after getting a brief taste of international cricket last season against Ireland. He has now jumped back ahead of Bairstow while fighting off the challenge of Eoin Morgan and Nick Compton.”I hoped that I would be next in line but I never took anything for granted although I have scored consistent runs in all forms of the game to earn this chance,” he said. “Playing at Headingley would be a very proud moment for me but nothing has happened yet, I’m just one step closer and waiting for the nod and the opportunity to help England to get back into the series.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said that although Kumar Sangakkara’s injury was unfortunate, it was good in a way as it allowed Sangakkara an overdue break from cricket ahead of the World Twenty20 tournament in September. “He hasn’t had a break for nearly two years so if you look at it that way, it’s unfortunate but he gets a deserving break. Hopefully he will get fit for the World Cup [World Twenty20],” Jayawardene said.”Kumar behind the wickets is always the added factor for me as a captain because he sees things and he can analyse them and let me know certain things. It’s a big opportunity for him [Dinesh Chandimal, who is] keeping wickets after a long time.”Kumar Sangakkara felt some pain after being hit by Ashok Dinda but decided to bat on, Mahela Jayawardene said. Sangakkara was on 23 off 29 deliveries when he was struck on the glove by a short ball and went on to make 73 off 95 before falling to Dinda. A scan showed later that Sangakkara had fractured a finger on his right hand, putting him out of action for at least four weeks.”Sanga said that he had pain but he could bat through,” Jayawardene said. “He knew there was pain but it wasn’t really bad when you are in that situation. When [he is] batting in the middle he will bat through, but he did feel it so that’s probably why he didn’t go for big shots. I just told him to just bat through [the innings].”Jayawardene backed his decision to bat first, despite recent results showing that the relaid Premadasa pitch favours teams batting second. Eight of eleven games at the ground since 2011 have been won by the chasing side.”When we put runs on the board it is always easier for a side to put pressure [on the opposition]. Even after being 20 for 3, we ended up with 286. I thought if we had a good start we probably could have scored more runs. I thought we came back into the game when they were 180 for 4 after the [batting] Powerplay. I think the way we bowled in the last ten overs and obviously the lost opportunities [while fielding] probably cost us the game. We had them [under pressure] in certain situations, but just couldn’t finish it off.”With India needing 65 off 44, Sachithra Senanayake, substituting for Sangakkara, dropped Suresh Raina on 19. Raina went on to make a match-winning unbeaten 65. Jayawardene, however, said Sri Lanka’s fielding was largely good. “The ground fielding was excellent except for the couple of fumbles but we will definitely look into it because that’s an area which we take a lot of pride in ourselves – our fielding.”

MS Dhoni, the India captain, has said the mixed reactions to the BCCI’s decision to host Pakistan in December-January for a limited-overs series have had no effect on the team. “We are professional cricketers,” Dhoni told reporters in Chennai prior to the national team’s departure to Sri Lanka for a five-match ODI series and a T20 international. “The series will have to be played and we have to get ready for it. Sentiment does not play any part since we are taught to be professionals on field.”While many former cricketers welcomed the BCCI’s decision, some, like Sunil Gavaskar and Kirti Azad, were critical, questioning the move – which revives bilateral cricketing ties after five years – due to outstanding differences between the countries since the Mumbai attacks in 2008.The series against Pakistan is part of a hectic new season for India, who host New Zealand after returning from Sri Lanka, play the World T20, then host England and Pakistan. “We have to be positive and we have to understand that we are representing the country. It will be a bit tough because of the hectic schedule but we have to do well against Pakistan also.”The decision was hailed by Imran Khan, former Pakistan captain and now a prominent politician. “I welcome India’s decision to revive cricket with Pakistan,” Imran told reporters in Karachi. “Anything which can bring both the countries to negotiations and normalcy is very good and we must appreciate that.”The prospect of India and Pakistan playing against each other is a good news for international cricket because these matches are followed by millions across the world. The Indo-Pak matches are special because of the high tension and whoever deals with that extreme pressure comes out as the winner.”Pakistan last played a match in India during the 2011 World Cup, in the semi-final in Mohali. The game was attended by the Prime Ministers of both countries. Since then, a Pakistan team, Sialkot Stallions, has been allowed to participate in the Champions League T20 to be held in South Africa later in the year.”That semi-final in Mohali is a good example of the tension and the excitement. India committed a lot of mistakes in that match but they won because Pakistan made more mistakes in comparison.”

Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, has said that the side’s decision to keep the faith in their “core group” of players, including Yusuf Pathan, has been a factor in their strong performance this season. Yusuf, who had a series of low scores throughout this IPL, came good in the first qualifier against Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday, his unbeaten 40 off 21 deliveries crucial in taking Knight Riders to the final.”After we lost to Chennai Super Kings, at Eden Gardens, I was asked why I stick to the core group of players… the answer is, because I want them to believe that I have complete faith in them,” Gambhir said after the qualifier. “Only that can boost them to give their best. That only will make them stand up to these tough challenges. I was also asked why I persist with Yusuf Pathan. I have always said that he is a magical player and that he will come good when it would matter the most. I was proved right today.”Mahela Jayawardene, the Daredevils batsman, said that the partnership between Yusuf and Laxmi Shukla – 56 runs in four overs – took the game away from his side. “In a Twenty20 game, it is tough to say anyone is out of form,” Jayawardene said. “I think there was a great platform for him [Yusuf] to come and play his natural game, which is hitting the ball clean. Our guys bowled a few good yorkers. When they did not hit those zones marginally, he hit a few good [shots]. Laxmi batted really well too. I think his cameo gave Yusuf the confidence to go after our guys.”Gambhir said that after their narrow loss to Kings XI Punjab, Knight Riders could have dropped players, which he was not in favour of. “We could have easily chopped and changed when we lost to Kings XI. We could have easily made harsh decisions but it is important [to] stick to the core group of players and make them believe that everyone backs them. Maybe that’s one of the reasons we have done well.Gautam Gambhir on Yusuf Pathan: “I have always said that he will come good when it would matter the most.”•AFP

“The players who are there in the KKR dressing room are there because I have complete faith in them. Whoever sits in the dressing room, I completely back them. That is why they are part of KKR.”Everyone has been talking about Yusuf and Manoj Tiwary, but the way Manoj batted in Mumbai, those 40 [41] runs he made were as important as any runs in the tournament. I have always mentioned that those small contributions make you win games. For me Shukla’s contribution [24 not out off 11] made the difference [in the qualifier]. It is not about someone getting 60 or 70 at the top of the order. It is about someone who comes lower down the order or someone like Rajat Bhatia who can bowl two-three overs at a good economy-rate.”When asked about Brett Lee missing out on the playing XI, Gambhir said that no one was bigger than the team. “It is about the best XI that is going to go out and win the game for us. It is not about Brett Lee. It is not about individuals. From me to Jacques Kallis to no one. If I feel that I am not hitting the ball well and there is someone else who can do the job for KKR, I will be the first one sitting out. It will always be about KKR when I am [in charge].”Brendon McCullum, the Knight Riders wicketkeeper and former captain, called Gambhir an “outstanding” leader, saying that he had led from the front. “He is very soft-spoken in the changing room and around the group, and on the field he leads through performance and through actions,” McCullum told . “Technically, he has been very good and has used Sunil Narine incredibly well and he has got a lot out of the other guys as well. He has been excellent as a captain so far.”Gambhir, McCullum’s opening partner, has been Knight Riders’ best batsman by some distance this season, making six half-centuries compared to the three fifties the rest of his batsmen have scored in all. “He has been hitting the ball as well as anyone in the tournament,” McCullum said. “I, from the other end, try to give him strike – that is probably the reverse of the roles that we thought of at the start of the tournament. I can’t take credit [for] the partnerships where he has played beautifully and made my work easy, and I just try to hang in around and get him on strike.”

Sreesanth, the India fast bowler, will be out of action for five months as he needs two surgeries on his toes. He hasn’t turned out for India since the Tests against England last August, and has only played one first-class match since, before picking up a toe injury.Sreesanth had opted against going for surgery in December, instead preferring ayurvedic treatment. He had originally hoped to be fit in time for the CB series in Australia earlier this year, and had said at the end of February that he was looking forward to playing again in three weeks.He had initially travelled with Rajasthan Royals this season before heading to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore for his rehabilitation late last month. Royals had hoped that he would be back with the team after a week at the NCA but they will now have to do without the fast bowler this season.The news of Sreesanth’s injury comes a day after their allrounder Kevin Cooper was ruled out of the tournament due to a fractured knee.

Match facts

March 16, 2012
Start time 1400 (0800 GMT)How many more failures can Sachin Tendulkar afford?•Associated Press

Big Picture

The worry for Bangladesh is that a lot of their chief weapons fired in the tournament opener, Pakistan played below par, yet Bangladesh still lost. Their two world-class batsmen – Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan – got half-centuries, their rising star Nasir Hossain made a substantial contribution, and their left-arm spinners were miserly. There was even the bonus of a three-wicket burst from one of their medium-pacers. There is still room for improvement, of course, but Bangladesh’s tendency in recent months has been to underperform rather than exceed expectations, and it is hard not to feel they have already produced their performance of the tournament.India cannot afford to think that way, but even without Virender Sehwag around to call Bangladesh “ordinary”, they will be confident they can handle whatever the home team throws at them. The 2007 World Cup upset apart, India have been dominant against Bangladesh, their batsmen collecting plenty of runs against an attack suited to India’s strengths. The challenge for India, perhaps, will be to put in a tight performance with the ball and in the field, rather than just rely on their batsmen to outscore Bangladesh. They started the Commonwealth Bank series with some impressive performances in the field but a familiar profligacy and sloppiness set in as the tournament progressed. With a long stretch of subcontinent cricket ahead of them, India will be hoping their spinners can start exercising the same sort of control over the opposition as they did in the home series against England and West Indies last year.

Form Guide

(most recent first)
Bangladesh: LLLLW
India: WWLLL

In the spotlight

Forget the hundredth hundred, Sachin Tendulkar was not even able to go past 50 in the CB series, and averages 18.62 in eight ODIs this year. That is the kind of poor form that should put any player under pressure to keep his place, even if it is Tendulkar. He did not look too tense at India’s optional training session on Wednesday, but cannot ignore his lean run of form. Weaker opposition and familiar conditions offer perhaps his best opportunity to get a big score. He has never scored an ODI hundred against Bangladesh and will want to change that so he can go in to the high-profile match against Pakistan with some confidence.Mashrafe Mortaza’s four-wicket haul against India in the 2007 World Cup remains one of the most memorable performances by a Bangladesh bowler in an ODI. Unfortunately, Mortaza’s career has not quite followed the trajectory many though it would after that game, with a slew of injuries keeping him out of action for long periods. His latest comeback, at the age of 28, could be one of his last opportunities to contribute to Bangladesh cricket. He started well against Pakistan, giving away just 13 runs in a five-over first spell, but was taken apart by Umar Gul at the death.

Pitch and conditions

The pitches in Mirpur have been better for batting in the evenings, but the first two matches have been won by the team batting first. The slowness of the pitch in the afternoon did have its effect on India’s innings against Sri Lanka, though, with Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli looking to work the ball around rather than score boundaries. The dew in the evening may also affect the Bangladesh spinners, and with India having proved recently that they can chase pretty much anything, MS Dhoni may be tempted to deviate from his bat-first policy.

Teams

After Ravindra Jadeja’s poor performance in India’s first match, Yusuf Pathan may get an opportunity in the second. India may also consider bringing in Rahul Sharma for either R Vinay Kumar or Praveen Kumar, who were both expensive against Sri Lanka, but Dhoni has always preferred having three medium-pacers in the side. Manoj Tiwary still awaits his opportunity after scoring a century in the last ODI he played for India, but it is hard to see who could replace in the XI. Rohit Sharma did not get an opportunity in the first game, Suresh Raina showed signs of returning to form and Virat Kohli will not want to miss a game being in the form he is in.India (probable): 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 MS Dhoni, 6 Suresh Raina, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 R Ashwin, 10 R Vinay Kumar, 11 Praveen KumarMushfiqur Rahim defended the decision to play just six specialist batsmen against Pakistan, so will probably go in with the same strategy.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Nazimuddin, 2 Tamim Iqbal, 3 Jahurul Islam, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Shakib Al Hasan, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Nasir Hossain, 8 Abdur Razzak, 9 Mashrafe Mortaza, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Shahadat Hossain

Stats and Trivia

• Virat Kohli averages 152.00 in four ODIs against Bangladesh, with two centuries. He has the opportunity to become the first India batsman, and the fifth overall, to score hundreds in three consecutive ODIs
• Though MS Dhoni has received criticism for his Test performances, in ODIs, since the World Cup, he averages 99.85 in 16 innings, with nine not outs helping his average

Quotes

“The spinners have struggled so far, but they have to try and do a better job. If they’re trying hard, I’m happy.”
“Australian tracks were really good for the seamers because of the extra bounce, but here [in the subcontinent] compared to other countries you have to mix it up more, bowl slower balls and use variations.”
Edited by Tariq Engineer

Graeme Smith, South Africa’s Test captain, will undergo surgery on his left ankle that has been troubling him with chronic pain over the previous two months. The decision was arrived at after consultation with Cricket South Africa’s ankle specialist, who detected an impingement syndrome of the ankle, South Africa team manager Mohammad Moosajee said.”Graeme went to see CSA’s ankle specialist in Cape Town on Friday and he confirmed that the best management of the chronic pain in his ankle is surgery,” Moosajee said in a CSA release. “The recovery period after such a surgery usually takes eight to ten weeks, and he will subsequently not be able to represent Pune Warriors at the 2012 edition of the Indian Premier League in India.”The surgery will be performed next Tuesday, to allow Smith enough time to make a full recovery in time for South Africa’s tour of England in July. “My ankle has been troubling me for some time so it will be a relief to have it repaired, especially looking ahead to the crucial year of cricket ahead,” Smith said.”I’m very disappointed to be missing out on the IPL this year. I was looking forward to my second season with Pune Warriors, especially after my knee set me back last season.”Smith had played four games in the 2011 IPL, before an injury to his right knee – picked up during a collision with his team-mate Rahul Sharma while fielding against the now defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise – ruled him out. He eventually underwent surgery on the knee last July.

Junaid Khan, the Pakistan fast bowler, who sustained a knee injury during the recently-concluded England series, will not be available for the Asia Cup when the new selection committee chaired by Iqbal Qasim sits tomorrow to pick the squad. PCB sources have indicated that Junaid is likely to be out of action for three weeks.ESPNcricinfo understands that Junaid picked up the injury during training ahead of the second Twenty20 in Dubai. MRI scans revealed a fracture of the patella. Junaid had played a total of three matches on the tour – one Test, one ODI and one Twenty20 – and accounted for just one wicket.Junaid, 21, who graduated from the same Under-19 batch that Mohammad Amir came from, is also a left-arm fast bowler but his fledgling career has been hurt by injuries in the last few months. Incidentally Junaid was picked for the England series after he had freshly recovered from the abdominal tear he picked during the ODI series against Sri Lanka last year, which ruled him out for six weeks.

Anjum Chopra has been appointed captain of the India women’s team after being out of international cricket for nearly two years. She will lead the team on their tour of the West Indies in February and March, taking over from Jhulan Goswami, who has been captain since 2008. Chopra, a left-hand top-order batsman, last captained India in February 2003, and has been in and out of the side since 2007.”I’m humbled by the faith shown in me,” Chopra said. “But it comes with a lot of responsibility. Leading the side anywhere is a challenge.”Chopra’s recall comes after India finished bottom of the table in both the ODIs and Twenty20 internationals in the NatWest Women’s Quadrangular series in England last summer. They will play five Twenty20 games, with the first on February 18, and three ODIs in the West Indies and Chopra said the focus would be on preparing for the Women’s World Twenty20, in September 2012 in Sri Lanka, and the Women’s ODI World Cup, which will be played in India in 2013.”The first target is the West Indies tour. Then we all know there are World Cups both home and away coming up. We’re moving towards that. This tour provides us with the perfect chance to go out there and work on our shortcomings ahead of the T20.”The make-up of the team has changed since Chopra was last captain – the current India coach, Anju Jain, was once her opening partner – but she said it would not feel strange returning to the role. “The only difference would be that the woman sitting next to me [Jain] was once my fellow opener but now she dons a different role. Back then Jhulan and Mithali [Raj] just about got into the team, but now things have changed.”Chopra has supplemented her cricket career with television appearances – she was a pundit on the IPL’s official pre and post-match shows in 2011. She said, however, that she never stopped focussing on playing. “I’ve never been away from cricket. I’ve never forgotten the fact that I’m doing commentary because I’m a cricketer. I never went away from playing the sport. Since I’ve been doing television for almost 10 years, people think I’ve retired. ‘You’re still playing?’ they ask. I don’t know why that happens. And I can’t be worried about what people think.”When West Indies toured India in January 2011, both the ODI and Twenty20 series went down to the last game, with India winning the ODIs 3-2 and the Twenty20s 2-1. Chopra said she anticipated another hard battle. “It’s definitely going to be a good series. Last time, when they were here, the games were pretty close. West Indies have improved a lot in the last year or so. There will be good competition.”

ScorecardRob Nicol smacked 101 not out off 57 balls•Getty Images

Powered by a blistering ton from Rob Nicol, Canterbury chased down a target of 203 rather comfortably against Auckland at the Colin Maiden Park, in what was essentially a dress rehearsal for the HRV Cup final on Saturday. Auckland’s Azhar Mahmood, too, scored a century, but it went in vain as Canterbury knocked off what was the highest total in this season’s HRV Cup with three balls and seven wickets to spare.Canterbury’s decision to bowl looked to have backfired when Mahmood, opening Auckland’s innings, teed off. He hit three sixes and 10 fours to bring up a hundred in 61 balls – the third ton of the season overall. He was particularly supported by his captain, Gareth Hopkins, who made 42 off 28 as Auckland finished on 202 for 4.The Canterbury openers, Nicol and George Worker got the chase off to a fine start, putting on 85 in under eight overs. Worker fell for a rapid 44, but Nicol was unstoppable: he hit nine sixes during the course of the innings to finish on 101 not out of just 57 balls and nullify Mahmood’s effort. His unbeaten 101 is the joint second-highest individual score in this edition of the HRV Cup. Canterbury would have strolled home much sooner had it not been for left-arm spinner Ronnie Hira – he went for a very respectable 23 runs in 3.3 overs, and picked up two wickets.