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Greg Chappell, the former India coach, has said that India needs to plan long-term to progress to the next level. Chappell resigned as coach after India’s first-round elimination from the 2007 World Cup.”The Indians must adopt a 10-year plan, spelling out the aims and objectives and go about attaining those goals in a professional manner,” Chappell told . “Any half measures or cosmetic changes at this stage would be like putting Band-Aid on cancer. If you want to be like Australia, you can’t run your cricket like Zimbabwe.”When asked whether India would have fared better if he had the players of his choice for the World Cup, Chappell said that India should have at least made the semi-finals with the players they took to the Caribbean. “I think we should have done much better in the West Indies with the squad we had. We batted poorly against Bangladesh, but we should have still squeezed out a win. History says India’s record in defending low totals has been quite poor. We could have done with a few young legs, but I believe that we still had the ammunition to at least reach the semis.”Chappell said he had enjoyed coaching India despite a controversial two-year term in which he reportedly annoyed senior players by his insistence on blooding young cricketers.”As a coach, it was easily one of the most challenging assignments one could ever hope to have,” said Chappell. “I have loved every moment of it, planning, strategising, analysing… before every tour or series.”I don’t want to get into [the] senior-junior issue again. Look, as a player, you have to keep challenging yourself. When that stops, it’s time to do a quick reality check and take a few hard decisions. I came here to do a job that I have done to the best of my ability. I do not have any vested interests in Indian cricket. I have briefed the Indian board about the issues facing Indian cricket. One of them is youth development. It’s up to the officials to act in the best interests of the game in the country.”Chappell also praised senior cricketers, including Sourav Ganguly, who was ousted as captain and later dropped after a public spat with Chappell in 2005. Ganguly made a comeback during the Test series in South Africa in December.”He [Ganguly] has practised most of what I had preached during the time he was out of the side. Sourav has shown plenty of determination in winning his place back. I hope he continues to work hard on his fitness and score heavily for the team.”Chappell defended the move to bat Sachin Tendulkar at No. 4 despite most of his one-day success coming while opening the innings. “Opening is an easier option in one-day cricket. I felt that the team would benefit immensely if Sachin came in at number four, for he has the experience, technique and the talent to milk the bowling in the middle overs.”On the whole, in spite of all the controversy, Chappell said that he had no regrets about his term as coach and that he “wouldn’t have missed it for anything”.

The India selectors, while picking the one-day squad for the forthcoming tri-series, could face a dilemma between choosing from the present and planning for the future. Conditions in Australia might tempt them to pack their side with experience, but they will also know that it’s the best time to throw a few rookies in the deep end.Rahul Dravid has rediscovered some form in the Tests and would no doubt be an asset in the middle order, but whether the selectors want to look back at this point, having dropped him for the home series against Pakistan, remains to be seen. There’s a case for considering VVS Laxman too, considering the fine form he’s shown in the Tests, but that seems only a remote possibility at the moment.The selectors will also have to take a call on Sreesanth and Munaf Patel, the pair of injured fast bowlers who couldn’t make it for the Tests. Neither has resumed domestic cricket so far, but reported at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) to Dav Whatmore on January 18. Any decision on their selection will not be made without taking into consideration their NCA report. At any rate, reinforcements will be welcome, as the attack has already been depleted with the absence of Zaheer Khan, ruled out because of a heel injury.Most who took part in India’s one-day series against Pakistan will be expected to retain their spots. Robin Uthappa and Rohit Sharma would be expected to make the cut – despite not doing much in the domestic circuit [Uthappa has scored 188 at 26.85, Rohit 191 at 27.28]. The selection of Gautam Gambhir, who has cracked three centuries in the Ranji Trophy [two of them match-winning ones in the semi-final and final] could well depend on the condition of his shoulder. Suresh Raina, S Badrinath and Cheteshwar Pujara could also be considered, especially given their good domestic run.Praveen Kumar, the debutant in India’s last ODI, boosted his chances with a fantastic bowling effort in the Ranji Trophy final, when he took eight wickets in an innings. Irfan Pathan should be the other allrounder while Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik will be the first-choice spinners. Piyush Chawla had made a good case of himself as an allrounder in the earlier half of the season, but has been ordinary in the semi-final and the final, especially with the bat.

Just over five weeks after The Oval was at the centre of one of cricket’s most fractious days, ending with Pakistan forfeiting the final Test against England, the main protagonists return to the scene of the row today to start a two-day hearing into Code of Conduct charges brought against Inzamam-ul-Haq by the ICC.The centre of the imbroglio is the 56th over of England’s second innings on the fourth day. Umpires Billy Doctrove and Darrell Hair, believing that the ball had been tampered with, changed it and awarded England a five-run penalty. Soon after, during tea, Pakistan decided to stage a protest against the decision. Ultimately, the umpires decided that Pakistan’s refusal to play amounted to the Test being forfeited. Cue chaos.Crime and Punishment
Inzamam is facing two charges, of ball-tampering and of bringing the game into disrepute. The former is on behalf of the team; no individual or specific incident of tampering has been highlighted so as captain, Inzamam faces the heat. If found guilty, he faces a fine of between 50 and 100% of his match fee and/or a ban of one Test or two ODIs.The latter charge, of bringing the game into disrepute as a result of not leading his team out to play, is potentially more serious. Again, as captain of a side that refused to play, Inzamam is in the dock and if found guilty, he faces a ban of between two and four Tests or four to eight ODIs.Who’s who
Pakistan: Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shaharyar Khan (chairman PCB) and Bob Woolmer (Pakistan coach). Danish Kaneria, Umar Gul and Zaheer Abbas (team manager) have all provided written statements as witnesses.ICC: Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove, Peter Hartley (third umpire), Trevor Jesty (fourth umpire), Mike Procter (match referee), Doug Cowie (ICC umpires and referees manager).Judge: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lankan ICC chief match referee)Support cast: Both sides are also backed up be legal representation. The PCB hired a UK-based legal firm, DL Piper, to represent them. Madugalle will be assisted throughout the hearing by the ICC’s lawyer David Pannick QC.Evidence m’lord
The PCB has claimed from the very beginning that there is no proof that ball-tampering occurred, that nothing has been captured on video and no single person caught. This, of course, overlooks conveniently that no evidence other than the ball itself and the umpires’ words is needed. Forensic tests on the ball to determine tampering has been suggested while those who have seen the ball – journalists and Pakistan officials – claim that there isn’t sufficient evidence to conclusively say tampering has occurred. The ball was 56 overs old and The Oval historically provides a dry, rough surface. Further, a fair few boundaries – and thus advertising hoardings around the ground – had been tonked.The disrepute charge seems more straightforward. Everyone knows Pakistan didn’t come out to play; though the PCB claimed the protest was meant to last only a few minutes, it lasted nearer 50. Both umpires even went to the Pakistan dressing room to ask Inzamam whether he would come out to resume the Test, to which they received no satisfactory answer and thus decided to forfeit. Mike Procter’s testimony will be of particular interest here, if only to establish whether he knew that the Test had been forfeited when he convinced Pakistan to come out and play eventually.

Anything else I should know?
Quite a lot as it happens. The ICC leaked emails from Darrell Hair in the aftermath of the incident in which he offered to resign for US$500,000. Zaheer Abbas has been replaced as manager of Pakistan since the Oval Test. An initial difference in opinion has emerged between the two umpires on when the ball should have been changed. Pakistan were reported in places to be calling up expert witnesses in the form of Geoffrey Boycott, John Hampshire and Simon Hughes. There is history between Hair and Pakistan; Pakistan have rumbled for some time now about Hair’s officious attitude and claim they complained officially about him last year. Ehsan Mani, ICC president at the time, denies the claim.Decision time
The hearing is to be held over two days, behind closed doors and Madugalle has a maximum of 24 hours after it is over to adjudicate on both charges, which means a decision by Friday. However, the PCB can appeal on behalf of Inzamam and Malcolm Speed, ICC CEO, can do likewise on behalf of the ICC if either party is unhappy with the decision.Exactly what that decision will be of course is difficult to know. That hasn’t prevented though some speculation. Most, including PCB officials, believe that Inzamam might escape punishment for ball-tampering and face a ban for bringing the game into disrepute. Pakistan sees the ball-tampering charge as the more serious one in any case.Privately, ICC officials seem to have acknowledged they are in a no-win situation, especially over the disrepute charge. If Inzamam is found guilty – and it is hard to see, even with mitigating circumstances, how he cannot be – then he has to be banned and the options are for one of between two and four Test matches or four to eight one-day internationals.If Madugalle is lenient, then the ICC will be slammed by many for undermining the tenant that the umpire is the sole arbiter of the laws during a game. If the ban is lengthy – and it is worth recalling that Arjuna Ranatunga was initially slapped with a six-match ban in 1998-99 when he took his side off the field at Adelaide, although that game did resume – then Pakistan are sure to appeal, and the whole affair rumbles on.Any scenario still leaves the question of what to do with Darrell Hair, particularly for the Champions Trophy, unanswered. He seems to think he is officiating there, the ICC is delaying announcing officials for the tournament, India and Pakistan have officially objected to his presence there and the latter, some reports suggest, have threatened greater action – including a possible pull-out – if Hair stands. In other words, this two-day hearing is unlikely to be the last word on the situation.

Virender Sehwag said that his goal for the series in the West Indies was a one-day century and two Test centuries. With a 180 in the second Test at St Lucia, Sehwag will now be looking to score a similar big hundred in the next two Tests. “If I have to be a great player, I will have to make big hundreds,” Sehwag told . “If you get out before a century, then it is okay. But once you cross the three figures, it’s your best chance to make an even bigger score for the bowling side is looking to contain you rather than get you out. It becomes easy for batsmen.””One of the things which distinguishes the greats from the ordinary ones is that they don’t give up after posting a century,” Sehwag added, though refusing to be compared to Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Merchant at this stage of his career.With only two centuries in the last 16 innings, Sehwag has come under some criticism and even his position in the side has been questioned. “You have your moments of doubt when you struggle. But I always get motivated by criticism. You actually improve when there is criticism. Your dedication also gets a leg up.”Sehwag did receive advice on his batting from Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar, though he said that he only pays heed to advice that fits his batting. “Gavaskar told me early during the one-day series against England that if I stood on my off stump, incoming deliveries would not trouble me as much. It really helped even though there wasn’t a big score in Goa.”When I speak to Tendulkar, he does not speak on technical issues. He says if only I spent time at the wicket, without worrying about runs, wickets or balls, if I concentrate on playing 50 or 100 balls, then my body will start reacting to deliveries on its own.”Sehwag himself advised youngsters in the team to try and stay on till the end of the innings and not throw their wickets away. “I take delight in their good performances. Team is like a family. If you are not happy with a fellow player’s success, then you are not a family member. Then even your performance will start going down. Young players should get as much credit as some other players get it.”India lost the one-day series against West Indies 4-1 and Sehwag said that now his strategy in one-day cricket is to stay on for 30 to 40 overs, so that the run-rate will hover around five runs an over, putting the team in a position of advantage.Against the short ball, Sehwag admitted he had a problem. “Sometimes you can’t do anything when a ball comes on to your body but it doesn’t happen everyday. On good bouncy tracks, the ball bounces and goes above your head. But in India, or on a track such as St. Lucia’s, you can’t decide whether to face it or leave it. By then the ball hits your bat and spoons up for a catch.”But when facing fast bowlers, Sehwag tries to “put fear in their hearts.” “If he knows that this batsman can hit me for a four or six, your task becomes easier. If you can’t do that to a great bowler, he would soon be all over you,” he said.

Lendl Simmons and David Miller were the big winners in the Caribbean Premier League 2016 draft on Thursday in Barbados, going first and second overall to fetch top tier $160,000 contracts. Simmons went to the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots, having represented Guyana Amazon Warriors in 2015, while Miller was snapped up for the first time by a CPL team going to the St Lucia Zouks second overall.Miller will team with Shane Watson to fill the void left by Kevin Pietersen, who opted to withdraw himself from the CPL for this season. Sohail Tanvir’s pick at fifth overall by Guyana essentially meant he and Simmons made a straight swap between teams. Chris Gayle (Jamaica Tallawahs), Dwayne Bravo (Trinbago Knight Riders) and Kieron Pollard (Barbados Tridents) were all retained by their franchises in the first round.The six designated marquee overseas players were all taken in the second round beginning with AB de Villiers by the Tridents. He was followed by Martin Guptill, who will switch from the Patriots to the Amazon Warriors for 2016. Brendon McCullum went next to the Knight Riders, Kumar Sangakkara to the Tallawahs, Watson to St Lucia and Faf du Plessis rounded out the marquee picks going to the Patriots.Hashim Amla was taken by the Knight Riders in round four, one pick ahead of Big Bash player of the tournament Chris Lynn by the Amazon Warriors who represented the Tallawahs in 2015. Adam Zampa, who had a breakout season in the BBL with Melbourne Stars to fetch both an Australian call-up and an IPL contract with Rising Pune Super Giants, was taken in the sixth round for $60,000 by the Amazon Warriors.Besides Lynn, other players on the move were Samuel Badree and Brad Hodge, who were swapped up in consecutive rounds by the Patriots; Shakib Al Hasan, who went from the Zouks to the Tallawahs after being taken in the third round; David Wiese, from the Amazon Warriors to the Tridents; and Umar Akmal, from the Amazon Warriors to the Knight Riders; and Dwayne Smith from the Tridents to the Amazon Warriors.Among the overseas CPL veterans in the auction pool who went undrafted were Shahid Afridi, Misbah-Ul-Haq, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Johan Botha. However, Michael Hussey managed to fetch a $90,000 price tag in the fourth round from St Lucia Zouks. He’ll be teammates with Morne Morkel, who was taken in the seventh round for $40,000.One more player that caught most attendees off guard was Kieran Powell, who fetched a $10,000 price tag in round ten from the Patriots. Powell, 25, last played for West Indies in June 2014 and had declared his interest in January to pursue a career in baseball. He recently had a tryout attended by several scouts at the IMG Academy in Florida. However, he did not secure a contract with any Major League Baseball franchise.Ramnaresh Sarwan was also a surprising name plucked in the final moments of the draft going with the first pick in the 15th round to the Knight Riders for $4000. Sarwan last played any form of competitive cricket with Leicestershire in 2014 and hasn’t played any regional cricket in the Caribbean since the 2014 Nagico Super50 with Guyana.Six Associate players were taken in the final round of the draft, all of them representing USA and Canada. The Patriots retained Canada offspinner Nikhil Dutta, who debuted for them last year, and the same went for Florida batsman Steven Taylor with the Barbados Tridents. Canada batting allrounder Nitish Kumar went with the second pick in the final round to the Zouks, followed by fast bowling allrounder Timroy Allen to the Tallawahs, wicketkeeper Hamza Tariq to the Knight Riders and fast bowler Ali Khan to the Amazon Warriors.St Kitts & Nevis Patriots: Lendl Simmons, Faf du Plessis, Samuel Badree, Brad Hodge, Thisara Perera, Jonathan Carter, Krishmar Santokie, Evin Lewis, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kieran Powell, JJ Smuts, Devon Thomas, Shamarh Brooks, Tino Best, Jeremiah Louis, Nikhil DuttaSt Lucia Zouks: David Miller, Shane Watson, Darren Sammy, Michael Hussey, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Morne Morkel, Fidel Edwards, Derone Davis, Eddie Leie, Keron Cottoy, Shane Shillingford, Delorn Johnson, Kyle Mayers, Keddy Lesporis, Nitish KumarJamaica Tallawahs: Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara, Shakib Al Hasan, Andre Russell, Imad Wasim, Lasith Malinga, Rovman Powell, Chadwick Walton, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Andre McCarthy, Jonathan Foo, Alex Ross, Kesrick Williams, Nkrumah Bonner, Garey Mathurin, Timroy AllenTrinbago Knight Riders: Dwayne Bravo, Brendon McCullum, Sunil Narine, Hashim Amla, Umar Akmal, Kevon Cooper, Sulieman Benn, Colin Munro, Anton Devcich, Ronsford Beaton, Nikita Miller, Javon Searles, William Perkins, Yannick Cariah, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Hamza TariqGuyana Amazon Warriors: Sohail Tanvir, Martin Guptill, Dwayne Smith, Chris Lynn, Rayad Emrit, Adam Zampa, Jason Mohammed, Christopher Barnwell, Veerasammy Permaul, Orlando Peters, Assad Fudadin, Anthony Bramble, Paul Wintz, Steven Jacobs, Steven Katwaroo, Ali KhanBarbados Tridents: Kieron Pollard, AB de Villiers, Shoaib Malik, Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Rampaul, David Wiese, Robin Peterson, Raymon Reifer, Ashley Nurse, Wayne Parnell, Akeal Hosein, Imran Khan, Kyle Hope, Navin Stewart, Kyle Corbin, Steven Taylor

If England’s cricketers need any counselling after a traumatic first day of the Ashes, then they should look no further than a certain member of their own camp. Ashley Giles’s career seemed dead in the water last summer, as he struggled to recover from a long-term hip injury, and when he did finally make it back into the team, a year to the day since his last outing, his selection ahead of Monty Panesar was universally panned.But it was ever thus with Gilo, and once again he took these indignities on the chin, wheeling away impassively to provide a rare semblance of control for his team. Eighteen overs for 51 plus the solitary wicket of Damien Martyn was hardly riches, but compared to some of the other returns on day one of the series, it was a comeback of Sinatra proportions.”It was fairly satisfying,” Giles demurred afterwards. “It’s been a difficult year, and I was nervous this morning. It’s almost a year to the day since I last played a Test match. But it was great to be out with the boys, and there’s no better ground or atmosphere to play in.”Giles’s selection, though widely speculated upon in the build-up to the match, still came as something of a surprise. He has not played any first-class cricket since the tour of Pakistan this time last year, and was even overlooked for England’s final warm-up match at Adelaide last week. “I take it as a huge compliment,” he said. “Monty played at Adelaide, I’ve been out of the team, and this is probably the most hyped Ashes series of all. But I was overjoyed last night to get picked for the side.”His selection was billed as negativity but, at the age of 33, Giles revealed he was still capable of learning new tricks, as he came in closer to the stumps with a remodelled action, and even ventured around the wicket on occasions. It was the second time in his career he had tinkered with his action, having deconstructed it on the tour of Bangladesh in 2003-04, with less immediate results. “I’m still in that match learning mode,” he admitted. “I was surprised my first ball bounced!”I’ve tried to get a bit closer around the wicket, be more consistent around the wicket and be more attacking but my pace is something I need to work on,” he added. “Because I’ve changed the angle of delivery I need to get my pace from other areas. I am still learning a lot about my action in matches. I hope it will develop and the action will get better and better.”Giles admitted that Panesar’s success had spurred him on in his rehabilitation. “It gives you a bit of a hurry-up,” he said. “I’ve always wanted and tried to get better, and it’s good competition. This last 12 months has given me the opportunity to work from a blank canvas. Having not bowled for such a long period I decided not so much to change things as improve things. At one stage I didn’t think I’d play cricket again, so it’s worked pretty well.”The two rival spinners hadn’t had much to say to each other before the match, however. “We haven’t spoken a lot,” said Giles. “Last night, Monty said good luck, I said hard luck, that’s all you can do. I’d back Monty all the way if he’d played ahead of me. But having been through what I’ve been through this year, I didn’t want to give up my cricket yet. I’ve got to work bloody hard.”The same could be said of the England team as a whole, but Giles was adamant they weren’t down and out just yet.”Things didn’t go as well as we’d have liked, but there’s plenty of spirit in this England camp. We’ll come out fighting and if we can get a couple of early wickets, we can get right in among them.”

Queensland have given Shane Watson a boost in his bid to be an international top-order batsman with Jimmy Maher dropping from opener to No. 4 in the first-class arena this season. Maher is in his final campaign as the Bulls captain and has reduced his duties further to encourage the state’s emerging talent and Watson, who has signalled his desire to replace Justin Langer in the Test team.”It will be a tremendous opportunity for Shane to state a case for international honours,” Maher said of the move. “It also gives the young guys in the squad – Ryan Broad, Greg Moller, Chris Simpson etc – better opportunities.”However, Watson will have to wait for his first match of the home season as he recovers from a hamstring injury sustained during the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa. He is expected to be available for the games against New South Wales starting on October 24.Watson’s unavailability means Maher will open with Broad in Wednesday’s season-opening FR Cup fixture against Tasmania at the Gabba. Maher, who intends to continue as a batsman for a couple of years, wants to ensure a smooth transition when the squad’s large group of experienced players starts to stand down.”When I came into the squad I knew what was wanted of me and the Mahers and the Loves may not be around for a long time,” he said. “It’s best while we’re still here that we’re able to offer advice.” Martin Love is due to come back in November following two knee operations.One player who will benefit from Maher’s move is Broad, who impressed when posting 111 against Stuart MacGill on a final-day SCG pitch at the end of last season. Broad will play his third one-day match against the Tigers and was relieved Maher was dropping down the Pura Cup order.”I’d heard the rumours,” he said, “but it’s great that it’s official.” The Bulls will announce the side for Friday’s Pura Cup match against the Tigers on Wednesday.Tasmania’s bowling attack has been struck by injuries to Damien Wright and Luke Butterworth while Ben Hilfenhaus is on national duty. “They have stitched us up a few times in the last few years and the boys aren’t happy,” Maher said. “Now with Hilfenhaus out, let’s see how good their depth is.”Mark Divin, the allrounder, is in line to make his one-day debut two seasons after moving from the ACT. Chris Duval, who is originally from South Australia, is eyeing a first-class debut on Friday as he joins Brendan Drew, Brett Geeves and Adam Griffith in providing cover for Hilfenhaus.Queensland FR Cup squad Ryan Broad, Jimmy Maher (capt), Clinton Perren, Aaron Nye, Michael Buchanan, Craig Philipson, Chris Hartley (wk), Nathan Reardon, Chris Simpson, Ashley Noffke, Grant Sullivan, Andy Bichel.Tasmania FR Cup squad Michael Di Venuto, Tim Paine (wk), Michael Dighton, Travis Birt, George Bailey, Daniel Marsh (capt), Dane Anderson, Mark Divin, Xavier Doherty, Brendan Drew, Brett Geeves, Adam Griffith.Tasmania Pura Cup squad Michael Di Venuto, Tim Paine, Michael Dighton, Travis Birt, George Bailey, Daniel Marsh (capt), Sean Clingeleffer (wk) Mark Divin, Brendan Drew, Chris Duval, Brett Geeves, Adam Griffith.

Adam Gilchrist was weary but not exhausted. His baggy green, sweat-lined and with a desperately faded coat of arms, was more ragged than its owner. Relieved and happy that his Test career was over, he had been sad enough at tea that he bawled his eyes out to his team-mates.At the back of the Adelaide Oval’s indoor centre his large family watched him say goodbye. A baby squawked a couple of times and Gilchrist choked up when thanking his wife and children for sticking by him. The extended members of the clan huddled beside the television cameras and were partly responsible for him walking away. Over the past couple of years the new additions made him understand how much his life had moved on.A simple dropped catch of VVS Laxman on the opening day was the sealer. The moment of clarity arrived between the ball hitting his gloves and the ground. He quickly looked up at the replay on the big screen.”It made me realise in the ensuing 10 or 15 minutes that that’s it,” he said. “I’m not moving quite as well as I have, not just on the field but in training and my fitness. I just realised I didn’t have the absolute desperation that you need to continue to maintain your standards.”Gilchrist’s wicketkeeping, which he felt he had to defend throughout his career because of the high-quality work of his predecessors, had slipped over the past month. “I don’t think anyone in this room has missed the fact that I did miss a few chances this series,” he said. “It was bugging me and I couldn’t understand why.”He was enjoying the team, the change in leadership, the new players and was thinking of retiring from one-dayers to extend his Test career. Everything changed with the sound of a ball bouncing out from two gloves. After 96 Tests, a world record 416 dismissals and 5570 runs, he has finished.There were so many groups of people waiting for him throughout the day that he must have felt like a bridegroom. India’s batsmen and Australia’s fielders lined up on the ground in the morning, allowing Gilchrist to run through them, a reception which was repeated for the final session. Two catches were added to his tally and he was ecstatic as his team-mates converged.Stumps were called early and there was no rush to grab a wicket, but there was an urgency to reach Gilchrist. He waved, he hugged and walked off first, his team-mates staying on the field and applauding in a gesture that was symbolic of the months ahead. They will miss him for many reasons.After speaking for 20 minutes about his highs and lows a group of first-aid workers cheered and waited for his autograph. He was looking forward to celebrating with his family, friends and team-mates, and trying to finish the dressing-room speech he had to stop when overwhelmed by emotion.The camaraderie, passion and pride of the side were the things that stood out most during his 12 years in international squads. “The way that legacy is passed on is the most glaring strength in Australian cricket,” he said, “and I’m certain I’m seeing it happen in other countries as well.”In a career of so many individual and collective medals he chose another group moment as his best. Australia hadn’t won in India for 35 years when he was thrust into the captaincy after Ricky Ponting broke his finger during the 2004 Champions Trophy. “From that moment on I started to get nervous and had a few self doubts and considered not taking it on,” he said. “To captain that team for the bulk of the series and be part of the leadership group that constructed that was the highest point and greatest achievement of my career personally.”The magnificent 149 in the 2007 World Cup final sealed a third successive trophy and the drawn-out nature of the tournament weighed heavily on Gilchrist. Five days before he left for the Caribbean his third child was born. As the event wore on he was lonely and a long way from home. “That was one of the most difficult parts of my career, getting through the World Cup,” he said. “To pick myself up [for the final] was very special.”Australian audiences have another six weeks to say their goodbyes as he joins the CB Series circuit. He wants to excite people, but when he sensed the crowd’s demand for something special in his final Test innings he fell to a loose shot on 14. “If I keep thinking I’m going to entertain,” he smiled, “I’ll get knocked over very easily.”Gilchrist’s international career began as a specialist limited-overs player and he was pleased it would wind down in the same format. “I’m thrilled the way it’s gone, that I didn’t pull out of one-day cricket and then extend my Test career,” he said. “One-day cricket gave me a chance to make a statement to the selectors and to the world. That filtered into Tests. To now play the last part of my career in one-day cricket, I am so excited about it.”Having thanked his coaches, a group of close team-mates and those who had supported him since he was child, Gilchrist was almost ready to go to his family. They exited first and he followed slowly, being interrupted at almost every step. In March he will re-join them for good.

Close Australia 7 for 372 (Symonds 154*, Warne 4*) lead England 159 by 213 runs
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details

In the space of two sessions on the second day at Melbourne, the most closely fought contest of the summer was transformed into the stage for the biggest rout yet, as Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds flogged the final vestiges of resistance out of England’s demoralised bowlers. After coming together with their side in all sorts of trouble at 5 for 84, Hayden and Symonds compiled a gargantuan partnership of 279, the sixth-highest sixth-wicket stand in Test history, and second only at the MCG to Bradman and Fingleton’s immortal alliance of 346 in 1936-37.It was an uncompromising onslaught, conducted by two burly Queenslanders whose best performances have more than just a hint of the bully about them. Each man was made to struggle early on – Hayden survived on his wits (and the whims of umpire Rudi Koertzen) during a dogged examination from Matthew Hoggard last night, while Symonds, facing his acid test as a Test No. 6, needed 21 balls to get off the mark before lunch today. But once their eyes were in and their pink-handled blades began to swing, England found they had no place to turn whatsoever.Hayden was eventually caught behind off Sajid Mahmood for 153 after seven hours of merciless accumulation. It was his highest score against England since his brutal 197 at Brisbane in 2002-03, when he was in his absolute pomp as a batsman, and it was his fifth century in six appearances at the MCG, an amphitheatre of a ground that appeals to his gladiatorial instincts. Symonds, meanwhile, registered an emotional maiden Test hundred that he completed with a monstrous swipe for six off Paul Collingwood and a gleeful leap into his partner’s arms. His relief was tangible after 11 Tests in which he had failed to convince either himself or his detractors that he has what it takes at this level.By the close, however, Symonds was still ruling the roost on 154 not out – a total that was more than twice as many as his previous highest in Tests, 72, on this same ground last year against South Africa, when Hayden was once again his partner-in-crime. The anxiety he had betrayed in his early loose swishes against Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff was replaced by a loose-gaited swagger that he himself had recognised as the missing link in his bid to transform his domineering one-day form into the Test arena. Fourteen cudgelled fours and a six later, he had achieved his single most cherished ambition.

The fact that it was achieved in such uncompromising circumstances was even more of an accolade than any of the runs he accumulated. By the time Adam Gilchrist had fallen for 1 late in the day, caught swishing at Mahmood (from round the wicket inevitably), Symonds and Hayden’s stand of 279 was worth more than the match’s other 16 wickets (245) had managed between them.Three of those wickets had fallen in a lively and, for England, uplifting morning session. After resuming on 2 for 48, Australia went to lunch teetering at 5 for 111. Quick wickets had been their requirement in the early overcast conditions, and it was the captain, Flintoff, who obliged in the seventh over of the morning. Ricky Ponting, who had been tied down by some tight and attacking bowling, attempted a wild and uncharacteristic pull to a delivery miles outside off stump, and sent a top-edge spiralling to Alastair Cook at wide mid-on.Ponting was gone for 7, only his second failure in seven innings this series, and when Michael Hussey – whose lowest score of the series had been his unbeaten 61 in the run-chase at Adelaide – was bowled through the gate by a Hoggard inswinger for 6, England were right back in contention. Steve Harmison then struck with his second ball as Michael Clarke grazed a leaping off-stump delivery to the keeper, but that was as far as England’s momentum would take them.England’s efforts remained unstinting, but their luck was seriously lacking, with Monty Panesar especially unfortunate to be denied when Symonds, on 52, was struck on the back pad plumb in front of middle. Umpire Koertzen, who has been in a non-giving mood since shaving off his Father Christmas beard, was not convinced. In the same over, Panesar was deposited by Hayden into the Southern Stand for a straight six, as Australia’s biggest hitters began their bloodletting.

Short cuts

Play of the day
Andrew Symonds’ launch of the Paul Collingwood delivery into the members’ area at mid-on to bring up his first Test century. He had waited 96 runs for his opening six – it will always be memorable.Ball of the day
Steve Harmison’s second effort of the innings to remove Michael Clarke. It angled in and moved away enough to collect Clarke’s edge, but it was his only success of the day.Good day
The National Breast Cancer Foundation is benefiting from every run Matthew Hayden makes during the series and each boundary Andrew Symonds pounds during this Test. During the first innings they have earned $3060 through Hayden and $1600 from Symonds.Bad day
Gray-Nicolls, the bat sponsor of Hayden and Symonds, which is paying out the money.Appeal of the day
Monty Panesar jumped, skipped, hopped and pleaded with Rudi Koertzen to win an lbw decision off Matthew Hayden on 131, but the umpire didn’t budge. Koertzen was right this time, but should have raised his finger when Symonds was sweeping on 52.Numbers of the day
Day one of the Test earned a new record for Channel 9 in Australia with 1.68 million people watching England being dismissed for 159. The crowd for day two at the ground was 75,770, about 20,000 short of capacity, and the disappointing turnout in the members’ area has allowed the Melbourne Cricket Club to relax its entrance regulations.

The two champagne bottles found in Bob Woolmer’s room were passed on to him by Mushtaq Ahmed, Pakistan’s assistant coach, who had left them in his hotel room, according to Pervez Mir, Pakistan’s media manager during the World Cup.The possible significance of the champagne emerged earlier in the week with a report in suggesting that Woolmer may have been poisoned by weedkiller after traces were found in his stomach and on a champagne glass.Mir told the Pakistani TV channel ARY, with whom he is employed, that Talat Ali, the Pakistan manager, was a witness to the bottles being passed on to Woolmer in the team hotel in Jamaica.Mushtaq, in Lahore on a brief visit, reacted sharply to the development, explaining to reporters later that there was nothing in the incident and that he had already explained the position to the police. Mushtaq revealed that the the bottles were given to him by a friend for the team’s liaison officer. They were left in his room as the liaison officer was not around at the time.”In the meantime, Bob came to my room to inquire about my health since a ball had hit me in the face during nets on the same morning,” Mushtaq said. “Woolmer asked me for the bottles and I gave him since the liaison officer was not there and I am not fond of liquor at all. The entire incident happened in front of some players who were sitting in my room when Bob came.”Mir, who had been questioned by the Jamaican police along with members of the Pakistani team before they were allowed to fly back home, said that he had not spoken to the police about the bottles. He maintained that Mushtaq would have given the bottles to Woolmer in “the best of spirit and as a matter of goodwill”.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) refused to comment on Mir’s statement, saying that it had no official communication from the Jamaican authorities. When contacted, Talat Ali said that he could not understand all the speculation surrounding the case. “All I can say is that this is a police case and we all recorded our statements with the police in Jamaica. Saying anything on this issue will only add fuel to [the] fire.”Mir said he did not know who the guests of Pakistani origin were and was not sure whether Mushtaq knew them. He added that journalists were stretching the issue too far and reiterated that the police had not questioned him on this issue.