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Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSachin Tendulkar made an aggressive 52 to give India a brisk start•AFP

Their bowling might struggle to defend 289 against Bangladesh. Their batting might not be resilient enough to dominate in all conditions. But in the subcontinent, India are the masters of the chase. And after having knocked off 321 in 36.4 overs in Hobart barely three weeks ago, they completed their highest successful ODI chase, in Mirpur, against Pakistan, who are not exactly a weak bowling side. And leading the mammoth effort was that man Virat Kohli who scored a career-best 183. Forget the obscenities, forget the extreme emotions; with 11 hundreds, including three in his last four innings, Kohli is one of the most complete ODI batsmen in the world now.When a boundary is needed, Kohli is the man. When the singles are needed, Kohli is the man. When a gap is to be found, Kohli is the man. He kept doing all of that for 148 deliveries against Pakistan. By the time he was done, he had hit 23 boundaries and made 183. India had lost Gautam Gambhir off the second ball of the innings. They lost just one more wicket in the next 272. Kohli’s dominance was so complete, it left contrasting support performances from Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma in the shade. It certainly meant Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed’s centuries were in vain, as was their 224-run opening stand, Pakistan’s highest against India, and their second-highest ever.Not losing by a bonus point put Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup; it kept India and Bangladesh dependent on the result of the last league game between the hosts and Sri Lanka, who have been knocked out. A win for Bangladesh will see them go through, as they lead the head-to-head against India in the tournament; any other result will see India qualify.It was Kohli who almost single-handedly kept India in the tournament with a performance so supreme it led Misbah-ul-Haq to call it one of the best ODI innings he had seen. Chasing 330 is tough. Chasing 330 against Pakistan should be as tough as it gets for an India batsman. Kohli could not bother about things such as pressure, even when Pakistan struck gold in the first over when Mohammad Hafeez trapped Gambhir in front.Pakistan were playing five bowlers but India worked around the threat of Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul initially by targeting the others. Tendulkar and Kohli outdid each other in strokemaking. Their second-wicket partnership was worth 133 in just 19.1 overs. While Gul and Ajmal were given the respect they deserved, the shorter lengths of Wahab Riaz and Aizaz Cheema were taken for runs, as was the quicker pace of Shahid Afridi.The 100th century finally done with, Tendulkar was totally unrestrained and went along at a faster clip than Kohli. India found momentum in the third over, Cheema’s first, which went for 12. Kohli began with a violent pull while Tendulkar’s back-foot punch past cover was vintage. Pakistan had just started to suffer for bowling the wrong lengths. Cheema continued to bowl short of a good length, and Tendulkar brought out another vintage shot – a sly guide over the wicketkeeper that flew away for six.Tendulkar and Kohli dealt with the spinners in their own ways when they needed the boundaries. Tendulkar carted Hafeez over midwicket with a slog sweep; Kohli whipped Afridi through the same region.Riaz’s three-over spell put Pakistan under even more pressure. Not only did he bowl short, he kept on targeting Kohli’s pads and the batsman helped himself to several fours on the on side. He ultimately disappeared for 50 in four overs. Hafeez, the lone part-timer used, went for only 42 in nine.Tendulkar, meanwhile, misread an Ajmal doosra after reaching his half-century and ended up edging it to slip, but Kohli was looking nearly unstoppable. What he needed was a sidekick and Rohit rose to the occasion. He took his time before showing his range against spin with a series of cuts, pulls and lofted drives over extra cover. Kohli and Rohit went one better than Kohli and Tendulkar had, as the third wicket realised 172 in 26.2 overs.Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed’s 224-run opening stand had put India under pressure•AFP

Kohli was in the zone. He went without a boundary for 32 balls, but still scored 25. In this period, he got to his century, which came with the now-famous emphatic celebration. In this period, Rohit kept getting the boundaries. The asking-rate still crossed eight an over after the 40th over. Kohli went after Gul in the 41st in a flurry of whip, swat, loft and clip. Sixteen runs later, the rate was below seven-and-a-half. He wasn’t done yet. Riaz was greeted with a whip off a yorker, a flick and a drive in the 42nd. Thirteen runs later, the rate was below seven.Though Kohli and Rohit could not hit the winning runs, the game as a contest between India’s batsmen and Pakistan’s bowlers had ended during their partnership.Hafeez and Jamshed had ensured the pressure would be squarely on India going into the chase, with a 224-run opening partnership. After having failed to defend 289 against Bangladesh, India were once again let down by the inability of their bowlers to either strike or contain.India had the opportunity to make first use of the Mirpur pitch, which has been harsher for bowlers in the evening, but Hafeez and Jamshed stroked boundaries at will, against a listless unit, on their way to centuries. Younis Khan, usually not one to worry attacks at the death, smashed 52 off 34 deliveries to lift Pakistan to their second-highest total against India.India’s lack of penetration was evident when MS Dhoni threw the ball to Tendulkar in the 24th over, after having already tried seven bowlers. Five of them had already gone at more than run-a-ball by then, and none, barring Ashok Dinda, had come close to troubling the Pakistan openers.Pakistan had taken control long before that, though, with Hafeez and Jamshed, a burly left-hander in the Graeme Smith mould, playing with assurance and eschewing any desperation.The previous best opening stand for Pakistan against India was 144 between Aamer Sohail and Saeed Anwar in 1996; Hafeez and Jamshed had already rustled up 150 at the halfway mark. Both soon got to their centuries, Jamshed’s being his maiden one in ODIs.The batting Powerplay consumed both batsmen, as they searched for more runs, but Younis and Umar Akmal ensured that Pakistan came nowhere near enduring the kind of middle-order collapse they had had against Bangladesh.Younis has been criticised for being slow in this format, but today he was at ease as the innings neared its close. Orthodox punches and lofts raced for boundaries through the off side. To Pakistan’s misfortune, Kohli would hit them harder in the evening, and for longer.Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Internet rumours that suggested Chris Cairns had been involved in match-fixing during his time with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) had made him “barking” angry, according to his advisor Andrew Fitch-Holland, who gave evidence on the third day of Cairns’ libel action against Lalit Modi.Cairns is suing Modi for defamation over a 2010 tweet that implicated him in corruption. He has vigorously denied claims of fixing. Cairns, the retired New Zealand international, captained Chandigarh Lions in the ICL for three seasons before having his contract cancelled, officially for failing to disclose an injury.Following the meeting with ICL officials in 2008 that led to his dismissal, Cairns became aware of online gossip linking his departure with match-fixing. The rumours had appeared on a “plethora of fan-based websites across the world,” Fitch-Holland said.Although Cairns was concerned about this, Fitch-Holland said he advised that he “did not think it was a good idea to call out the big guns” at that time.”It would have been a disproportionate response to low-level, unspecified tittle-tattle,” he said. However, he contrasted this with the allegations made in Modi’s tweet.”There is a massive difference between that and your client saying it,” Fitch-Holland said, in response to questioning from Ronald Thwaites QC, representing Modi. Fitch-Holland added that he had spoken to major media outlets in the UK during late 2008 to reiterate that Cairns had been sacked by the ICL over an ankle injury.The court also heard from Cairns’ wife, Mel. Describing the moment she asked Cairns if he had been involved in fixing, she said it was “the most horrible question I have ever had to ask”. Cairns had replied “absolutely not”, she said. There were tears in her eyes as she answered Thwaites’ question as to whether she believed him.”When something is said, over and over, accusing the man that you love of something … Of course I want to believe him and I do believe him,” she said.Fitch-Holland was the last witness to appear for Cairns. Later on Wednesday the court will hear evidence from Howard Beer, the former ICL anti-corruption officer, who is appearing on behalf of Modi.

The BCCI’s working committee has rejected the key recommendations of the Woolf report concerning the restructuring of the ICC, the Indian board president N Srinivasan has said. This is the first formal response from any national board to the recommendations – made public ten days ago – and, given the BCCI’s dominant position in world cricket, could render the report a non-starter for all practical purposes.”The working committee discussed all the main recommendations of the report submitted to the ICC by a committee headed by Lord Woolf. The working committee was of the opinion that these recommendations were not acceptable and rejected it,” Srinivasan said after the meeting in Chennai. “The working committee was in particular not agreeable to the changes in the structure of the management of ICC that had been proposed.”Srinivasan, however, did not specify which of the several recommendations of the Woolf report the BCCI was opposed to.The suggestions of the review are not binding on the ICC, which will examine it at the next board meeting in April.The ICC’s independent governance review, headed by Lord Woolf, had called for sweeping changes in the administration of cricket and the functioning of its governing body. It recommended a restructuring of the ICC’s executive board to make it more independent and less dominated by the bigger countries and also a re-examination of the rights and benefits of the Test-playing Full Member nations, calling for measures to increase transparency in dealings by the ICC and its members.The most important recommendation concerned revamping the ICC’s executive board, its top decision-making body, to reduce the numerical strength of the Full Members and to offset their influence by bringing in independent directors, in keeping with best corporate governance practices.The board currently comprises the heads of all Full Member nations, three representatives from the Associates and Affiliates and the ICC’s president, vice-president and chief executive. Woolf’s plan incorporated five independent directors – three from within the game and two from outside to bring in diversity of opinion and experience – with voting rights and the additional stipulation that they should not be in a minority. It suggested that the Full Member nations eventually have four representatives, and the Associates two, with the chairman, president and chief executive making up the desired dozen.It also suggests that an ICC director should not concurrently hold any leadership or executive post with their home boards. For example, N Srinivasan is currently both an ICC director and president of the Indian board but, if the recommendations are accepted, he can’t retain both posts. As for independent directors, they must not have recently held positions of authority on any member board or any commercial body that has had significant contractual relationships with the ICC.

Match facts

January 20, Kimberley
Start time 1430 (1230 GMT)Graeme Smith is under increasing pressure to score in ODIs•AFP

The Big Picture

It’s that time of the series, when you wish there was a mercy rule. South Africa have already ensured their trophy cabinet will have an addition, and Sri Lanka are empty handed in a fourth consecutive series since the 2011 World Cup.After losing the World Cup final, Sri Lanka have endured a miserable nine months on the field, although they are talented and hard-working side. Despite spending nearly eight weeks in South Africa, their batsmen have not got used to the conditions or the opposition. Their bowlers have lacked the killer instinct possessed by the merciless South African attack, and the area of their game that needs the most improvement is the fielding, where the lack of energy has been alarming.That said, Sri Lanka have improved in every ODI and will feel it’s about time they were good enough. The sports ministry has asked for an inquiry into their poor performances and Tillakaratne Dilshan will have to motivate his players to put in two good showings before they head home to face the music.With the prize already won, South Africa will want to show they can maintain their intensity. The next two matches offer them a chance to test new combinations and give the reserves a run.

Form guide

South Africa WWWLWSri Lanka LLLLL

Watch out for …

Graeme Smith probably has two more innings to save his one-day career. With Alviro Petersen showing signs that he can take his Test form into the fifty-over format, and Hashim Amla set to return from paternity leave at the end of the series, the axe is hovering over Smith. He has shown a lack of confidence at the crease and has not been able to get going. He needs to soon to prolong his limited-overs career.At 24, Angelo Mathews appears to have an inordinate amount of responsibility. Not only is he Sri Lanka’s vice-captain but he also has to play the role of leading allrounder. He hasn’t starred in either role so far. What is evident is that he has the ability to, and has two more opportunities to show South Africa his skills.

Team news …

South Africa are spoilt for choice, particularly in the bowling department. Dale Steyn will be rested for the remaining matches and Wayne Parnell will play. Vernon Philander may get the nod ahead of Morne Morkel, but Johan Botha is unlikely to replace Robin Peterson. The batting line-up will remain the same, with the No. 4 position flexible.South Africa: (probable) 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Faf du Plessis, 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Robin Petersen, 9 Wayne Parnell, 10 Morne Morkel/Vernon Philander, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe.Mahela Jayawardene has been ruled out for the next few weeks with a back injury. Lahiru Thirimanne will play in his place, although his position in the line-up has not been decided. Sachithra Senanayake has arrived in South Africa and trained with the team, but Sri Lanka are yet to decide if two spinners is a viable option at this venue.Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Dinesh Chandimal, 5 Lahiru Thirimanne, 6 Angelo Mathews, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Dhammika Prasad

Pitch and conditions

Although the ground staff left some grass on the Kimberley pitch, the sun will probably bake it into a flat wicket by match time. Temperatures are hotter than in Bloemfontein and both sides can expect to sweat.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have won five out of five matches in Kimberley and they chased in all of them. In their only game against Sri Lanka here, in 2002, South Africa won by 8 wickets.
• In ten matches at this venue, the fast bowlers have taken 99 wickets at 30.56, while spinners have only 17 wickets at 58.11.

Quotes

“The training has been fantastic but sometimes there is more value in not training. There is no exact science. We feel there is a bit of fatigue in the dressing room.”
.”When you are playing against a team like South Africa, who are playing really good cricket, it’s difficult for us to get on top.”
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Australia’s captain Michael Clarke has said the first two days of the first Test against New Zealand were called off in conditions that were not dangerous, and believes a clearer distinction must be drawn between light that is potentially harmful to players and light that is merely difficult.Clarke spoke with the umpires Asad Rauf and Aleem Dar at the end of the first day, asking them if that standard would be maintained throughout the match. An identical light meter reading brought the teams off on day two with blue sky still visible above the Gabba, prompting Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland to take up the issue with the ICC.Test cricket’s ongoing health is hurt by the hasty decisions to interrupt play, and Clarke agreed the players could have stayed on the field in Brisbane for longer on each of the first two days.”It’s a tough one. You set a standard with day one and then that’s how it stays for the whole Test,” Clarke said after making 139 on day three. “I think we as players need to be told to understand a little better what we’re trying to do. If we say we’re going to play on until it is dangerous, then you can keep going a little bit longer.”As a batsman it is the hardest time to bat, no doubt when you come in, it’s overcast, the lights are on and have taken effect. But is it dangerous? Probably not. So it is a tough mix but what has happened in South Africa and here is you set your standard on day one, so you get your light meter and say ‘this is what we’re going to go to’ and you stick with that throughout the game. I like the consistency, but it is about to what level we’re going to take it.”Clarke has found rich vein of form – his century was his third in six innings – and he has also been encouraged by the progress of the team, which has gradually overpowered New Zealand over the course of three days.”A little bit of luck goes a long way and helps, but most importantly a really good day from us, from the team,” Clarke said. “Ricky [Ponting] yesterday was outstanding and would’ve been disappointed not to make a hundred, Brad Haddin outstanding and our tail wagged as well. James Pattinson looked really good, picking up an important wicket. So very nice personally to make some runs, but more importantly for our team we’re in a really good position in this Test match.”Ponting’s 76 was another instance of the former captain failing to go on to a century – he has now gone 29 Test innings without one, but it was his second consecutive healthy score following his 62 in the second innings in Johannesburg.”I thought he batted really well in South Africa in that second innings, and he continued on from there, so he’s brought some momentum home with him, and it was really nice,” Clarke said. “I thought that ball today was going to just get over leg stump and I tried to use the referral. I’m sure he’s disappointed he didn’t make a hundred, but he’s not far away, that’s for sure.”Similarly encouraging was Haddin’s 80, after he was elevated to be vice-captain in the absence of Shane Watson. Not so long ago Haddin was being interrogated ferociously about his future.”I think he took a lot of satisfaction out of the second innings in South Africa, no doubt he felt like he was under pressure, needed to perform and he’s been working hard for a while now,” Clarke said. “I think it was a real positive for him, and then coming into the summer he’s trained hard and his confidence is back up.”You see how he played, that’s how Hadds plays at his best and there’s going to be times he gets out playing his shots, but when he’s positive in his mind and attacking in the way he plays, I think that is when he has the most success. Hadds is a senior player and a leader in the team, so he doesn’t need a c or vc beside his name, he knows he’s a very important senior player in the team, and he responds to that consistently. It is an extra bonus he’s been given the vice-captaincy, but it won’t make any difference if he hasn’t got that.”