India move up to 2 in the ICC test rankings

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India played with Sri Lanka in a 3 match test series in India.The 1st match of the series was scheduled to begin on december 2,2005,but the 1st 3 days and more
than half of the 4th day were abandoned due to rain and poor ground conditions.The match began on the 4th day.Sehwag scored 36 of just 28 balls.India were all out for 167.This was India's lowest score against Sri Lanka in tests ever.Chaminda Vaas took 4-20.For Sri Lanka,Mahela Jayawardene scored 71.At stumps on Day5 Sri Lanka were 167-4.Kumble took 3-41.The match ended in a draw,Chaminda Vaas being the man of the match. 2nd test was played at New Delhi which began on 10 December,2005.India won the toss and decided
to bat first.In the 1st innings,Tendulkar scored a century and broke Sunil Gavaskar's record of
34 centuries with his 35.He scored 109.India were all out for 290.Muralitharan took 7-100.Sri
Lanka were all out for 230.Atapattu scored 88.umble took 6-72.India,with a lead of 60 runs scored 375-6 declared.Pathan scored 93 and Sir Dravid scored 53.Vaas took 2-65.Sri Lanka were set a target of 436 runs,but in the 2nd innings they were all out for only 247.Atapattu and Jayawardene scored 67 each.Kumblke took 4-85 and this match became his 9th 10 wicket match.He was named the man of the match for taking 10 wickets in the match.India were leading the series at that time 1-0.3rd test was played at Ahmedabad which began on 18 December,2005.Sir Dravid had to miss this match as he was suffering from gastroentiritis.He has played 96 consecutive tests for India since his debut.In the 3rd test,India won the toss and decided to bat first.India were all out for 398.Laxman scored 104 and Pathan scored 82.Muralitharan and Malinga took 3 wickets each.In their 1st innings,Sri Lanka were all out for 206,Dilshan scored 65.Harbhajan Singh took 7-62.India still had a lead of 191 runs.In their 2nd innings,India scored 316-9 declared.Yuvraj Singh scored 75 runs of just 83 balls.Muralitharan and Bandara took 3 wickets each.Sri Lanka had to make 509 runs to win the match and draw the series,but they fell on 249.Mahela Jayawardene scored 57.Kumble took 5-89.Harbhajan Singh took 3 wickets and this became a 10-wicket match for him.India won the match by a good 259 runs and also won the series 2-0.Harbhajan Singh was named the man of the match while Anil Kumble was named the man of the series.After wiinning this test series,India have moved up to 2nd place in the ICC test rankings pushing England down to 3rd.

Pakistan too good for England

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Pakistan played against England in a 5-ODI series in Pakistan.
The 1st ODI was played at Lahore on 10 December,2005.England won the toss and elected to bat 1st.Strauss scored 94 runs.Flintoff scored 72* and Pietersen scored 56 of just 39 balls.England ended up scoring 327-4.Pakistan gave a good fight but that was not enough to win the game.All Pakistani batsman made good contributions.Salman Butt,Younis Khan,Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik scored 67,60,59 and 50,respectively. Plunkett took 3-51.Pakistan were all out on 285.They lost the match by 42 runs.Strauss was named the man of the match.
After the 1st ODI England was leading the series at 0-1.
2nd ODI was also played at Lahore on 12 December,2005.England won the toss and decided to bat first.England were all out on 230.Plunkett was the only English batsman to cross 50.He scored 56.Shoaib Akhtar took 5-54.Pakistan was set a target of 231 which was not very difficult.
Kamran Akmal,Pakistani wicket keeper scored 102 and took Pakistan to victory.Pakistan won the match by 7 wickets.Akmal was named the man of the match for his match winning innings.
At that particular point of time the series was level at 1-1.
The 3rd ODI was played at Karachi on 15 December,2005.England won the toss and put the opposition on to bat.Pakistan scored 353-6 after 50 overs.Akmal scored 109.This was his 2nd Successive ODI century and the third of his career.Plunkett took 2-61.For England Ian Bell scored 37*.England were all out on 188.Shoaib Malik took 3-29.Pakistan won the match by 165 runs.Kamran Akmal was named the man of the match for his 2nd successive ODI century.Pakistan were leading the series at 2-1.
The 4th ODI was played at Rawalpindi on 19 December,2005.Pakistan won the toss and decided to bat first.Pakistan were all ot on 210.Inzamam-ul-Haq scored 81*.or England,Flintoff scored 40.England were all out on 197.Afridi took 3-34.Pakistan won the match by 13 runs and also won the series 3-1.Inzamam-ul-Haq was named the man of the match.
The 5th ODI was played at Rawalpindi today i.e 21st December,2005.England won the toss and decided to bat 1st.Vikram Solanki scored 49.England ended up scoring 206-9.For Pakistan,Yasir Hameed and Mohammad Yousuf scored 57 and 54,respectively.They scored 200-9 and lost the match by 6 runs.James Anderson took 4-48 and he was named the man of the match.Pakistan won the series 3-2 and Kamran Akmal was named the man of the match.
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Australia maintain their winning run

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Australia played in the 3 match ODI series against New Zealand in New Zealand to defend the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.
The 1st OdI was played at Auckland 3rd December.New Zealand won the toss and elected to field first.Australia scored 252-8 after 50 overs.Ponting scored 63 while Vettori,Styris and Cairns took 2 wickets each.New Zealand were bowled out for 105.Cairns scored 37*.Brett Lee's bowling figures were amazing.He bowled 6 overs and took 3 wickets at the loss of only 5 runs.He was named the man of the match for his brilliant effort.
2nd OdI was played at Wellington on 7th December.Australia won the toss and elected to bat first.Australia scored 322-5 at the end of 50 overs with the help of Andrew Symond's remarkable 156.Michael Clarke scored 82*.Mills took 2-60 after 10 overs.The Kiwi's gave their best to win the match.They were bowled out for 320,just 3 away from victory.Vincent scored 71 of just 49 balls and Mc Cullum scored 48 of just 33 balls.Australia won by 2 runs and Andrew Symonds was named the man of the match.Australia won the series 2-0.
3rd OdI was played at Christchurch on 10 December.New Zealand won the toss and put the opponents on to bat.Australia ended up scoring 331.Hussey scored 88* of just 56 balls.Ponting and Hodge scored 75 and 59,respectively.Martin took 3-65.It looked a one-sided match but wasn't.It is difficult to believe bu New Zealand won this match.Styris scored 101 of just 96 balls and Mc Cullum scored 50* of just 25 balls.New Zealand scored 332-8.They won the match by 2 wickets and 1 over to spare.New Zealand have the lost the series 2-1 but they must be very happy with their performance in the last ODI.Styris was named the man of the match for his match winning 101.
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