Cricket: Taylor signs off in style
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Your support makes all the difference.AUSTRALIA'S skipper Mark Taylor inspired his team to a consolation win in the third Test over India - and then claimed the victory showed his team should not be written off as has-beens.
The win in the final Test in Bangalore meant the Australians could save some face, despite losing the series 2-1. "We are still capable of winning," Taylor said. "We basically had one bad match, the second Test in Calcutta where we lost by an innings. There was an equal contest for three days in the first Test, and now this victory in the final Test."
Taylor, who signed off the series with an unbeaten 102, will return home today. Steve Waugh will take over for the three- nation limited-overs series against India and Zimbabwe starting on Wednesday.
Mark Waugh, who made an undefeated 153 in the first innings, was again in fine form, ending with 33 not out. Michael Slater, with 91 in the first innings, made 42 in the second.
Earlier, the Queensland pace bowler Michael Kasprowicz set up the victory by taking five for 28 from 18 hostile overs. His victims included both the Indian danger men, Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammed Azharrudin.
Tendulkar, with 177 out of India's first innings of 424, departed for 33 to a fine one-handed catch by Kasprowicz off his own bowling as he tried to check a front-foot drive. Azharrudin, followed soon after on 18, beaten by an inswinging yorker which uprooted his leg stump.
Meanwhile, in Pretoria, Allan Donald broke the backbone of the Sri Lankan first innings with an outstanding spell of fast bowling as the visitors were bowled out for 303 at tea on the second day. Donald took 3 for 15 in a 33-ball spell after lunch as Sri Lanka crashed from 227 for 4.
The middle-order batsman Hashan Tillakaratne batted courageously for two minutes under three hours to compile a stubborn 55 before being the last man out. Tillakaratne, anchoring the lower order and with the help of tailenders Muttiah Muralidharan and Ravindra Pushpakumara, added 48 runs for the last two wickets.
Donald began the Sri Lankan slide in the third over after the lunch- break. Arjuna Ranatunga was contentiously judged leg before wicket for 73 runs by the Pakistan umpire Javed Akthar. Ranatunga failed to add to his lunch score and lasted 10 balls after the break.
Three overs later, Donald bounced out Romesh Kaluwitharana for nine and then had Pramodaya Wickramasinghe caught at third man off a sliced drive. In between, the medium paceman Jacques Kallis trapped the left-hander Nuwan Zoysa leg before and the captain Hansie Cronje claimed Tillakaratne to end the innings.
Donald and Cronje shared the bowling honours with three wickets apiece, while Makhaya Ntini had to settle for the two wickets - Sanath Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva - he claimed on the first morning.
Sri Lanka, resuming the day on 165 for 3, made slow progress to 227 for four at lunch on the second day at Centurion Park.
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