Sixteen wickets fall on Day one

Stuart Broad and James Anderson hustled Pakistan out for 99, yet England could take only a minor advantage on a hectic first day of the final Test at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Anderson (three for 35) struck in the first over, and there was no let-up from him and Broad (four for 36) after Misbah-ul-Haq had chosen to bat first. But Pakistan, bowled out in mid-afternoon, hit back to have the tourists 104 for six at stumps - despite Andrew Strauss' dogged defiance in a 120-ball 41 not out.

Only number six Asad Shafiq had managed significant Pakistani resistance as England, in danger of a 3-0 whitewash after back-to-back defeats, unleashed Broad and Anderson to devastating effect with the new ball. There was nonetheless an inevitable hollow note for the world number ones, who waved goodbye to this series with their own collapse to 72 all out in Abu Dhabi last week. Anderson began here with the wicket of Taufeeq Umar, for a duck, in the first over with a delivery which straightened off the seam for lbw.

Broad had to wait until his third over when more movement took a faint inside edge to account for Azhar Ali after a fine catch by Matt Prior and a DRS review which overturned Simon Taufel's initial not-out verdict.

Younis Khan then fenced at some extra bounce from Broad and also went caught-behind thanks to Prior, in the wicketkeeper's 50th Test. England could do precious little wrong, and called another successful DRS to have Mohammad Hafeez lbw to Broad even though the batsman appeared to think he had got bat on ball.

When Misbah himself went lbw at the other end - DRS proved no help to Pakistan against Anderson's full-length swing - Pakistan's scorecard already bore a remarkable resemblance to the ones England contrived in the first two Tests. There were to be two more wickets before lunch for good measure.

Adnan Akmal would have been run out after a push to cover for an unwise single, had Eoin Morgan managed a direct hit. But the same batsman was soon deceived by Broad, in his second spell, lbw pushing forward. Graeme Swann broke the run of wickets falling to pace when Abdur Rehman had a swing at the off-spinner and managed only to hoist a gentle skier to Kevin Pietersen at mid-off.

Shafiq kept England at bay for 78 balls, and contributed almost half his team's runs. But he was the second of two more lbw departures, trying to cut a Monty Panesar arm ball, before Pakistan fell just short of three figures. Immediate impressions were that England had bowled well and Pakistan batted especially poorly on a pitch of decent pace, with just occasional seam movement.

But that premise looked ropy as the reply stumbled to seven for two before tea. Alastair Cook chased a wide ball, to be well-caught behind off Umar Gul by a diving Akmal, and then Jonathan Trott fell to the same bowler - lbw to a full-length delivery, and ignoring a DRS option only for Hawk-eye to suggest the ball would have gone on to miss leg stump.

Strauss and Pietersen convinced as England batsmen so rarely have, over the past two weeks, in a third-wicket stand of 57 in which the latter appeared in notably good form. But Pietersen was to become the eighth lbw victim of the day, and world-record 34th for any three-match series.

He was perhaps unfortunate too to see Taufel's decision confirmed by DRS, even though technology indicated the delivery from Rehman (three for 23) - Pietersen's slow left-arm jinx again - would have barely shaved leg-stump.

There was to be an element of bad luck about England's next dismissal too - Ian Bell undone by a Saeed Ajmal doosra, over-balancing only momentarily yet just long enough for the ball to ricochet straight back off the wicketkeeper's gloves just before his foot had slid back behind the crease.

There was still time too before the close of an uncanny day for Morgan to go lbw and Prior bowled to Rehman's orthodox spin.

Meanwhile, England hope Tim Bresnan may be able to fly back to the United Arab Emirates soon, in time for the limited-overs leg of this tour, having had to return home before the first Test because of post-operative elbow pain.

But the seamer's travel plans and availability for one-day international and Twenty20 squads, due to be named after this Test, are still dependent on ongoing fitness checks in Yorkshire.

Victory at last for India

India finally claimed a win on their tour of Australia as an unbeaten half-century from Gautam Gambhir led them to an eight-wicket victory in the second Twenty20 International. After Australia were bowled out for 131, Gambhir anchored the response in Melbourne with 56 off 60 balls as India, who had lost four Tests and one T20 game before tasting victory, chased down their target with two balls to spare.

Australia never really got going, with opener Aaron Finch top scoring with 36 off 23 balls in an innings which contained four run outs.

The hosts were 20 for two after three overs as Praveen Kumar dismissed David Warner and Shaun Marsh, who edged to slip where Virender Sehwag twice juggled the ball before Mahendra Singh Dhoni grasped the chance.

Finch took the role of aggressor, hitting successive boundaries off Kumar before being run out, and he was swiftly followed by captain George Bailey in similar fashion, with Ravi Jadeja key to both dismissals.

David Hussey hit Suresh Raina for a big six to bring the first 10 overs to a close with Australia on 69 for four.

Jadeja then showed his value as a bowler, dismissing David Hussey caught and bowled for 24 off 29 balls.

Matthew Wade then played a couple of big shots to reach 32, but the last five Australia wickets fell for 12 in the space of 14 balls.

Sehwag hit a typically breezy 23, including the only six of the innings, before hitting a full toss from Brad Hogg straight to Shaun Marsh at extra cover, but at 43 for one India were already on their way.

Gambhir added 54 with Virat Kohli (31 off 24), who then edged behind off Mitchell Marsh, leaving captain Dhoni to see the side home.

"It's always good to be on the winning side," Dhoni said on Sky Sports 2.

"A good start is what we always look for. It was a very good effort from the bowlers and equally well played by the top four batsmen."

Australia captain Bailey added: "Four run outs is the big difference. Whoever fields best usually wins these games.

"Unfortunately we were well short with the bat."

The two sides now move on to the Commonwealth Bank Series, a tri-series also involving Sri Lanka.

Woolf attacks ICC

The International Cricket Council have been criticised for putting the interests of their full members first and for treating the development of the global game as a "secondary" aim. The criticism was made in a report by Lord Woolf into the governance of the ICC, which the sport's world governing body commissioned.

The report makes a total of 65 recommendations for change at the ICC, including greater representation on the board for non Test-playing nations, the appointment of independent directors and changing the constitution to prevent anyone serving on a national board to also sit on the ICC board.

A section of the report reads: "Currently the ICC reacts as though it is primarily a members club; its interest in enhancing the global development of the game is secondary. "In today's environment this is not an acceptable situation. Cricket is a global game and there is a need for global governance. If the ICC is prevented from developing, promoting and protecting world cricket, public opinion will be increasingly critical of the members of the ICC board who are responsible for this....To avoid this requires the existing members to be open and to put the interests of the global game ahead of their own short-term parochial interests.

"This may be seen as involving the surrender of what are perceived to be long established privileges of members to the ICC. Whether they are perceived or real they should be given up." The report recommends nations be split into two categories - those with full membership and those with associate membership - rather than the current three, which also includes a group of nations classed at affiliate level. The ICC have already agreed to adopt a proposal by Lord Woolf to have a board chairman and a separate president from 2014 onwards, splitting the role currently filled by the president alone.

A chairman will lead the board, while the president's function will become an ambassadorial one. However, there will be no decisions on the key recommendations of the independent governance review until at least the next board meeting in April.

Australia cruise past india

Australia continued their recent dominance over India today with a resounding 31-run victory in the first Twenty20 international staged at Sydney Olympic Park. In front of 59,659 fans - a new record attendance for a single day's cricket in New South Wales - a hard-hitting half-century from rookie wicketkeeper Matthew Wade propelled the hosts to a competitive 171 for four after India won the toss and elected to bowl in overcast conditions.

The tourists lost four quick wickets early in their run chase and never recovered, struggling to 140 for six to trail 1-0 in the two-match series. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni top-scored with 48 not out off 43 deliveries, but it was too, little too late for the visitors. Dan Christian (two for 35) and David Hussey (two for 4) were the multiple wicket-takers, while in-form veteran Brad Hogg (one for 21 off four overs) was arguably the pick of the Australia bowlers.

India lost Virender Sehwag (four), Gautam Gambhir (20), Virat Kohli (22) and Rohit Sharma (zero) to slump to 52 for four in the eighth over. Sehwag lasted four deliveries before he edged a Brett Lee thunderbolt to David Hussey at slip. Gambhir looked dangerous before spooning a catch to Mitchell Marsh at cover off Hussey to depart for 20, while Kohli was gone moments later when he was well caught by David Warner on the boundary off Hogg. The wickets continued to tumble when Rohit Sharma was bowled by Hussey for a duck three balls later.

And when Suresh Raina was clean bowled by Christian for 14, victory was all but assured for the hosts despite Dhoni's late cameo. Earlier, Wade made the most of his selection, smashing a brilliant 72 off 43 deliveries. He blasted five fours and three sixes before he was bowled by Raina in the 15th over, shortly after play resumed following a 20-minute rain delay. Hussey added a valuable 42 off 30 balls, including three towering sixes, after Warner earlier whipped the bumper crowd into a frenzy with a rapid 25 off 14 deliveries.

Warner produced a massive switch-hit six off Ravi Ashwin in the third over and followed up with another huge six down the ground to get the hosts off to a flyer. Travis Birt (17) picked up where Warner left off, hammering Vinay Kumar down the ground for six to bring up Australia's half-century. But the Tasmanian's promising knock ended when he hit an Ashwin full toss straight to cover off the final ball of the 10th over. Wade continued to throw the bat, bringing up his fifty - and Australia's hundred - with a six off Ravindra Jadeja before rain stopped play in the 15th over. Hussey kept the scoreboard ticking over with a six over cow corner at the resumption to move the hosts past 150 before he was bowled by Rahul Sharma late in the innings.

Lara superior to Tendulkar, Ponting: Chappell

West Indian batting legend Brian Lara's knowledge of how to amass big scores at rapid rate without putting his wicket at risk makes him a "superior" batsman of his era than Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting, writes former Australian captain Ian Chappell. Chappell said Lara's remarkable feat of scoring the only 400 in Test cricket, a triple century and seven double centuries, probably highlights an area where Lara was better than the senior India batsman Tendulkar and former Aussie skipper Ponting.

"There's no argument Ricky Ponting deserves to be mentioned with Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara as one of the three most dominant batsmen of the era. But who is the best of that trio? "Lara is the world record-holder with a Test score of 400 and, next to Bradman, he's the scorer of the most "big" centuries in Test cricket. He has the only score of 400 in Test cricket, a triple century and seven double centuries. That's a remarkable feat, especially when you consider neither Tendulkar nor Ponting has a triple century.

"This probably highlights an area where Lara is superior to the other two players under discussion; his knowledge of how to amass big scores," Chappell wrote in his column for 'Daily Telegraph'. Chappell said Lara had an innate knowledge of which bowlers to target in order to score quickly and which ones were the most likely to endanger his existence. "He would score quickly in spurts and steadily at other times. Fully capitalising on this knowledge, he was able to achieve huge scores. Because he didn't put his wicket at risk by trying to score at a rapid rate when the best bowlers were fresh, he was able to maintain a fast run rate by feasting at the opportune times.

The method of respecting best bowlers when they are fresh helped Lara accumulate runs quickly, feels Chappell. "This method also allowed him to maintain a similar run rate from the beginning to the end of his career, something that not even Bradman was able to achieve. Consequently, Lara was able to perform the most remarkable feat of all; he reclaimed the world record for the highest score in Test cricket 10 years after originally setting the mark," said Chappell. Chappell said he loved the way Lara handled the spin attack.

"I loved the way he played spin bowling and I admired his determination to always do it his way. If you told me I could pick just one of that trio, I would take Lara." He said it would be a "mistake" to exclude the former West Indian skipper from the conversation, debating who was the best of the trio. "In a classic case of out of sight out of mind, the now retired Lara hardly ever enters the conversation these days. To exclude Lara is a mistake."

While conceding that Ponting will never reach the statistical peak of Tendulkar, Chappell said that the experienced campaigner impressed with the strength of his mind. "While the world has watched and waited anxiously for Tendulkar's 100th international century, Ponting has quietly beavered away in the background restoring his reputation with persistent practice and hard-earned runs in the middle. "The fact that those runs were increasingly more convincing in Adelaide, and he was able to push on to score a double century, have turned the conversation from "when will he retire" to, "how long will he play on?" "Ponting will never reach the statistical peak of Tendulkar, but while the "Little Master" continues to stumble with the defining century in sight, often because of a mental aberration, Ponting impresses with the strength of his mind," he said.

Dhoni ready to quit Test captaincy for a better replacement

Facing severe criticism for his unimpressive captaincy and performances in Test cricket, under-fire Mahendra Singh Dhoni has offered to quit the leadership role in the longer format of the game if the BCCI feels there is a better replacement waiting in the wings.

Dhoni said if somebody could do a better job than him in Tests, then he will be more than happy to step down as captain for the sake of the team.

"It (captaincy) doesn't belong to anyone. It's a position I hold, and it's an added responsibility. I always like to do well till I am in job but it's not something I want to stick to. If there is a better replacement, he can come in," Dhoni said on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday's first Twenty20 game Australia.

"At the end of the day, you want India to perform. If there is someone who can do a better job, captaincy should be given to him. It's not something you have to cling on to," said Dhoni as speculation grew over his Test future both as a batsman and captain.

Dhoni now has lost seven straight Test matches abroad as captain and as a batsman, his stocks have really fallen low on foreign pitches.

While he made 220 at 31.43 from four Tests in England, he scored 102 from six innings of three Tests at 20.40 on the present tour.

"The responsibility was given to me three-and-a-half years ago. I am trying to fit into the shoes, get along with the team and perform well."

Dhoni had earlier dropped hints during the Test series that he might leave Test cricket altogether by 2013 to make himself available the 2015 World Cup.

"It's two years to 2013. I don't know whether I would still be alive! There would be IPL, Champions League, back-to-back series. It's not a calendar you can decide in advance or if there is a lot of rest", Dhoni said.

"I would have to decide by 2013 but it's two years away. I can't say in 2014 that I am not playing next World Cup and give a player of 25-odd matches (a chance to prove)," he said.

Dhoni, however, made it clear that his journey as a Test cricketer was far from over but believed the decision was not entirely in his hands.

"I am still on my way (through the journey). I haven't reached anywhere. But it's not an individual who decides, it's others who decide whether you are good enough or not.

"As a player, I am giving my 100 per cent. I am still doing what I was doing. Test cricket is real cricket, but I am not discarding other formats. Every format has its own challenges," he said.

The India captain made a tongue in cheek remark about the dressing room, which according to him is humming with the noise and bubble of the youngsters -- much in contrast to the staid, sober and solemn environment when the seniors were around.

"Our one-day squad looks very different. It's lot more noisy and lift the dressing room atmosphere. People pull each other's legs and it's more lively. It's very, very different," he said.

"It's like you have come from Kishore Kumar to Sean Paul! It's that kind of difference. It's very noisy. It's a very different generation of players.

"As for me, I keep adjusting. A mix of everything is good. From classical to rap music of latest version," he said.

Battered India hoping for a turnaround in T20 opener

Their reputation bruised and battered after the humiliating loss in the Test series, India will be desperate to turn their fortunes around and restore some pride in the limited overs matches, starting with the first T20 against Australia on Wednesday.

The Indians slumped to their lowest ebb in the longer version of the last week when Australia mauled the visitors by a 4-0 margin in the Test series.

The drubbing at the hands of Australia was also the current ODI world champion team's eight straight overseas Test defeat following the series loss by identical margin in England last year.

But with some fresh legs -- Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary, Praveen Kumar, Irfan Pathan, Parthiv Patel, Ravidra Jadeja and Rahul Sharma -- joining the team for the limited overs matches, Mahendra Singh Dhoni would be hoping for lady luck to smile on him in the first of the two T20 matches ahead of the tri-series, featuring hosts Australia and Sri Lanka.

With India's famed batting line-up failing miserably in the Test series, there is a scramble for early berths in opening Twenty20 match at the ANZ stadium.

There is competition for each spot in the team, especially after the debacle in the Test series.

The opening duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have time and again failed to give India a good start in the Test series.

To add to it, skipper Dhoni himself has looked a pale shadow of his former self with the bat as well as his leadership qualities.

But though there is little threat to their positions in the playing eleven as of now, the trio knows it better that it is high time for them to perform or make away for youngsters like Manoj Tiwary and Parthiv Patel, who are waiting in the wings for their opportunity.

Talented Rohit Sharma is at last expected to get a match after spending the entire Test series on the sidelines. Apart from Rohit, the middle-order will have Raina, Virat Kohli and Dhoni with Ravindra Jadeja will play the role of an all-rounder.

India's bowling department will be led by Zaheer Khan. He is expected to have Umesh Yadav and Praveen Kumar for company, even as left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan stands with an outside chance because of his batting abilities and experience of playing in Australian conditions.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is expected to spearhead the spin department in Jadeja's company.

But all said and done, one thing that stands against India is their record in T20 format.

India lost three straight games each in the super league stage of the two consecutive T20 World Cups in England and in West Indies in 2009-10 and young batsmen were exposed big time against the short-pitched deliveries.

The Indians were all out on most occasions, despite having a galaxy of batting stars in their ranks.

But thankfully for the Indians, the present Australia T20 squad, under George Bailey, does not have menacing fast bowlers. There is neither Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus nor Ryan Harris in the team. The only one with some credentials is veteran Brett Lee, who has long retired from Test cricket.

But young James Faulkner is an unknown entity and is said to be a good left-arm fast bowling all-rounder of Tasmania.

Still, Daniel Christian is highly spoken of and Clint McKay has had a few impressive performances in the recent Big Bash League (BBL).

Australia's biggest advantage going into tomorrow's match is that most of their players can fulfill dual roles.

Out-of-form Shaun Marsh will possibly get one last opportunity to show some spark tomorrow after his repeated failures in the Test series, which led to his omission from Australia's ODI team.

Shaun's brother, the big-hitting Mitchell Marsh, is also expected to play tomorrow and will provide Bailey with an all-round option.

Flower expects England to fight

Andy Flower's England will fight to the last in the Middle East, and beyond, even if they are playing only for pride and damage limitation in the first instance next week.

Their collapse to 72 all out, a record Test low against Pakistan, at the Zayed Stadium means England are not only in danger of a 3-0 series whitewash in Dubai but could also therefore lose their number one status by the time they next return to five-day cricket.

Flower will not sanction that sort of talk as he tries to ensure his charges confront the frailties so evident in the 72-run second-Test defeat on Saturday.

Time is short for the likes of Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen and Eoin Morgan to work out - before the start of the last Test on Friday - how to play Asian spin effectively in these alien conditions.

But Flower is sure of one thing: that no one in his squad will fail for the want of trying.

"We're very proud of representing our country," he said.

"We take our job very seriously and we all feel responsible for this result.

"It's also our job to get it right."

The solution, especially with a packed schedule of tough subcontinental engagements in the offing for much of the next 12 months, is to dig in and come back for more.

"We aren't going to just lie down and give up. That is one option, and it is not an option we are going to take.

"We're going to fight as hard as possible.

"We're going to fight to learn as quickly as possible, and we expect to go into the third Test and get ourselves into a winning position again."

England have scaled the heights of Test cricket under the guidance of Flower and captain Andrew Strauss; yet they, like so many of their compatriots before them, have been conspicuously slow learners when it comes to cracking Asian conditions.

There was nothing new, apart from an extra shade of embarrassment in the manner of the latest collapse, in England's defeat in Abu Dhabi.

"It was a wake-up call no one wanted to get - not to that degree," said Flower.

"We realise that we haven't been very skilful in dealing with that type of cricket."

Even so, after England had failed to deal this time with the left-arm spin of Abdur Rehman rather than the off-spin of Saeed Ajmal - as was the case in the first-Test defeat in Dubai - Flower made a point of congratulating the opposition.

"It's also right to praise the Pakistan team for what they have done," he said.

"They beaten us fair and square. They have beaten us properly in two matches.

"They have fought hard and worked hard at their game, and in a way I'm very happy for them.

"It's good for their cricket and it's good for their country."

Marsh out of tri-nations

Shaun Marsh has been dropped from Australia's squad for the first three matches of the tri-nations one-day international series against India and Sri Lanka.

Marsh, who has struggled for form since rejoining the test side following injury, is replaced by Queensland batsman Peter Forrest, who will make his international debut.

"Shaun Marsh is obviously disappointed with his own form in recent weeks and is out of the side but remains in our thinking for the future while he works at state level - as they say, class is permanent but form can be temporary," chairman of selectors John Inverarity said.

Paceman Ryan Harris was also selected to the 14-man squad, while Matthew Wade replaces the rested Brad Haddin as wicketkeeper.

Inverarity the squad was a "talented mix of experienced and proven performers with young players not yet experienced at international level."

Mitchell Marsh, younger brother of Shaun Marsh, has been selected for the third ODI squad.

With Haddin rested and Shane Watson still injured, a vice captain to skipper Michael Clarke is yet to be named.

The tri-nations series will start on Friday with Australia playing India in Melbourne, and will finish on March 2.

A best of three finals series will be played between the top-two teams from March 4-8.

Hussey eyes number one spot

Batsman Mike Hussey has underlined Australia's determination to reclaim the number one Test ranking from England, revealing his side speak about it "every day".

Australia sit fourth in the official rankings after completing a 4-0 series whitewash over India in Adelaide this week.

It was a fourth consecutive series without defeat for Australia since Michael Clarke took over as skipper following their 3-1 Ashes humiliation 12 months ago.

At that stage Australia had slumped to fifth place but under Clarke, and new coach Mickey Arthur, they have hinted at a renaissance.

Young names such as James Pattinson, David Warner and Patrick Cummins have helped fuel Australia's improvement, with the 36-year-old Hussey revealing they were now fully focused on displacing England at the top.

"There's no hiding our ambition in the wake of our 4-0 Test series win over India," Hussey wrote in his column in Perth newspaper The Sunday Times.

"We want to reclaim the world number one mantle from England.

"How often do we talk about it? Every day."

Despite that Hussey conceded Australia still had plenty of work to do if they were to bridge the gap to England.

That was exposed in three innings defeats in last year's Ashes, and with just 18 months until the sides next meet, Hussey knows the jury is still out on his side.

"This series has been a great stepping stone for us, but as captain Michael Clarke and coach Mickey Arthur drill into us every day - it's the beginning of a journey," he wrote.

"India was ranked the number two Test team in the world so it's been a noteworthy performance.

"But we know there's a huge improvement to be made if we're to conquer the old enemy next year in England."