England in India

England reached the safety of stumps on day three in Mohali without loss, but still need 197 runs to make India bat again. Spinner Richard Dawson took three wickets after tea on day three and Matthew Hoggard picked up a third scalp to finally bowl India out for 469 - a lead of 231. Tendulkar reached his 50, off 77 balls, when he tried to leave a delivery outside the off-stump but the ball clipped his bat and went wide of Foster to race away for four. At the end of day 3, Mark Butcher and Marcus Trescothick were at the crease at 34/0.
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South Africa in Australia

Neil McKenzie and Lance Klusener both smashed half-centuries as South Africa won the traditional tour opener against the Australian Cricket Board Chairman's XI.Most pleasing for the South Africans was the re-appearance of Allan Donald. In six overs, broken up into two spells, he took 2 for 42.

The South Africans will play their first serious match over four days against Western Australia from Friday with the first of three Tests against Australia starting in Adelaide a week later. South Africa can replace Australia as unofficial world champions if they win or draw the series.

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Australia must raise their game for the upcoming series with South Africa which will decide the unofficial Test world championship, captain Steve Waugh has said. The Australians hold a narrow lead over the South Africans after their three-Test series with New Zealand ended in a draw on Tuesday but under the complicated scoring system, they have to win to remain on top. "A couple of us were off the boil in the first couple of Test matches, including myself, my batting wasn't good enough," Waugh said.

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Allan Donald has dismissed reports that he is again struggling for fitness ahead of South Africa’s Test series against Australia which starts next week. Donald, who has been blighted by a string of injuries over the past year, recently missed the series against India after aggravating a stomach-muscle injury.

But he told South Africa’s Star newspaper that he would be ready for the first Test at Adelaide which starts on December 14. "I'm feeling really fine," he said. "Everything's been coming out quite sweetly and I feel remarkably fresh. It's just a matter of making steady improvements by the day."

New Zealand in Australia

New Zealand have lodged a complaint with the International Cricket Council about the standard of umpiring in the final Test against Australia in Perth. In a letter, New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden questioned a number of decisions made by Zimbabwean umpire Ian Robinson. He added that New Zealand Cricket hoped he would not receive another Test appointment.

Robinson rejected two critical appeals during Australia's second innings. Television replays showed Australian captain Steve Waugh and all-rounder Jason Gillespie were lucky to survive appeals for catches behind the wicket.

West Indies in Sri Lanka

The West Indies have suffered another blow with two players heading home before the triangular one-day series in Sri Lanka. Spinner Dinanath Ramnarine has suffered a partial tear of a muscle on his left side - a recurrence of the injury that cut short his summer tour to Zimbabwe. And opener Leon Garrick, who only joined the party for the limited-overs portion of the tour, has been diagnosed with a heart ailment. After complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath, Garrick underwent cardiac tests and sick sinus syndrome was diagnosed.

Miscellaneous

Pakistan will play their first Test match since August when they tour Bangladesh early next year. And the West Indies are being encouraged to overcome their security fears and tour Pakistan in February. Pakistan's supporters have been starved of cricket since the World Trade Centre bombings on 11 September, which prompted military action in neighbouring Afghanistan. New Zealand cancelled their scheduled tour of Pakistan as a result and Sri Lanka pulled out of a replacement one-day series because security could not be guaranteed.

The schedule:
5-7 January v Bangladesh A, Dhaka
9-13 January 1st Test, Dhaka
16-20 January 2nd Test, Chittgong
22 January 1st ODI, Chittagong
25 January 2nd ODI, Dhaka
26 January 3rd ODI, Dhaka

SCORES AT A GLANCE

India v England (1st Test) - Day 3
Played at Punjab C.A. Stadium, Mohali, Chandigarh
Toss: India

England: 238 (ME Trescothick 66, N Hussain 85; Harbhajan Singh 5-51)
India: 469 (D Dasgupta 100, Dravid 86, Tendulkar 88, S Ganguly 47; Dawson 4-134, M Hoggard 3-98, 169 overs)
England: 34/0 (Butcher 11*, Trescothick 16*; 20 overs)

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