بنگلہ دیش کے چار کھلاڑی آؤٹ، محمود اللہ کی نصف سنچری

آسٹریلیا کے شہر ایڈیلیڈ میں کرکٹ ورلڈ کپ کے پول اے کے میچ میں انگلینڈ نے ٹاس جیت کر بنگلہ دیش کو پہلے بیٹنگ کی دعوت دی ہے۔

بنگلہ دیش کی طرف سے محمود اللہ اور مشفیق الرحیم کریز پر موجود ہیں۔ بنگلہ دیش نے کچھ دیر قبل 30 اوورز میں چار وکٹوں کے نقصان پر 139 رنز بنائے تھے۔

تفصیلی سکور کارڈ

محمود اللہ نے 69 گیندوں میں تین چوکوں اور ایک چھکے کی مدد سے نصف سنچری مکمل کی ہے۔

بنگلہ دیش کو پہلے اوور کی چوتھی گیند پر نقصان اٹھانا پڑا جب قیس دو رنز بنا کر اینڈرسن کا نشانہ بنے۔

بنگلہ دیش کو تیسرے اوور میں ایک اور نقصان اٹھانا پڑا جب اینڈرسن نے اپنی دوسری وکٹ لی۔ تمیم اقبال دو رنز بنا کر آؤٹ ہوئے۔

94 کے مجموعی سکور پر سرکار جو بہت عمدہ بیٹنگ کر رہے تھے 52 گیندوں میں 40 رنز بنا کر جارڈن کے ہاتھوں آؤٹ ہوئے۔

معین علی نے چوتھی وکٹ اس وقت لی جب انھوں نے شکیب الحسن کو دو رنز پر آؤٹ کر دیا۔

انگلینڈ کو بنگلہ دیش اور اس کے افغانستان دونوں کو شکست دینی لازمی ہے تاکہ کوارٹر فائنل کے لیے کوالیفائی کر سکے۔

دوسری جانب بنگلہ دیش کو کوارٹر فائنل کے لیے کوالیفائی کرنے کے لیے صرف ایک جیت درکار ہے۔ تاہم بنگلہ دیش کا دوسرا میچ نیوزی لینڈ کے خلاف ہے اس لیے بنگلہ دیش کے لیے یہ میچ جیتنا ضروری ہے۔

لیکن اگر انگلینڈ بنگلہ دیش اور افغانستان کو شکست دے بھی دیتا ہے اور اگر بنگلہ دیش نیوزیلینڈ کو شکست دے دیتا ہے تو انگلینڈ کوالیفائی نہیں کر پائے گا۔

بنگلہ دیش نے چار میچ کھیلے ہیں جن میں سے وہ دو جیتا، ایک ہارا اور ایک میچ بارش کے باعث نہ ہو سکا۔

دوسری جانب انگلینڈ نے بھی چار میچ کھیلے ہیں جن میں سے صرف ایک میں اس کو کامیابی ملی ہے۔

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’اسلحے کا سب سے بڑا خریدار سعودی عرب، بیوپاری امریکہ‘

دنیا میں اسلحے کی خریداری میں سعودی عرب بھارت سے بازی لےگیا ہے اور سنہ 2014 میں سعودی عرب اسلحہ خریدنے والا سب سے بڑا ملک بن گیا ہے۔

اتوار کو عالمی منڈی اور معیشت کے بارے میں تحقیق کرنے والی کمپنی آئی ایچ ایس نے اپنی ایک رپورٹ میں بتایا ہے کہ گذشتہ چھ برسوں سے دنیا میں دفاعی تجارت میں مسلسل اضافہ دیکھا گیا ہے اور سنہ 2014 میں کُل 64.4 ارب ڈالر کی تجارت ہوئی جس میں سب سے زیادہ حصہ سعودی عرب کا رہا۔

آئی ایچ ایس کے مطابق اسلحے کی تجارت میں اس ریکارڈ اضافے کی وجہ دنیا کی ابھرتی ہوئی معیشتوں کی جانب سے فوجی طیاروں کی مانگ میں اضافہ اور مشرق وسطیٰ اور ایشیائی بحرالکاہل کے خطے میں بڑھتی ہوئی کشیدگی ہے۔

سنہ 2013 کی طرح سنہ 2014 میں بھی اسلحے کی فروخت میں امریکہ پہلے نمبر پر رہا جبکہ اس کے بعد روس، فرانس، برطانیہ اور جرمنی کا نمبر رہا۔

آئی ایچ ایس کی اسلحے کی عالمی تجارت کی سالانہ رپورٹ میں مزید بتایا گیا ہے سعودی عرب کی جانب سے اسلحے کی مانگ میں ڈرامائی اضافہ دیکھنے میں آیا ہے۔ کمپنی کے ماہر تـجزیہ کار بین مورز کا کہنا ہے کہ ’اگر سعودی عرب کے ماضی کے اسلحے کے سودوں کو مد نظر رکھیں تو لگتا نہیں کہ آئندہ سالوں میں بھی اس میں کوئی کمی آنے جا رہی ہے۔‘

رپورٹ میں اگرچہ یہ نہیں بتایا گیا کہ سنہ 2014 میں کتنا اسلحہ فروخت ہوا تاہم رپورٹ کے مطابق سنہ 2013 اور 2014 کے درمیان سعودی عرب کی اسلحے کی مانگ میں 54 فیصد اضافہ ہوا اور سعودی عرب کے آئندہ خریداری کے آرڈرز کو دیکھتے ہوئے کہا جا سکتا ہے کہ سنہ 2015 میں ان سودوں کی لاگت 9.8 ارب ڈالر ہو جائے گی جو کہ اسلحے کی عالمی خریداری کا 52 فیصد ہو گا۔ یوں سنہ 2015 میں عالمی منڈی میں اسلحے پر خرچ ہونے والے ہر سات ڈالرز میں سے ایک ڈالر سعودی عرب خرچ کر رہا ہوگا۔

واضح رہے کہ سعودی عرب اور متحدہ عرب امارات امریکہ کی سربراہی میں قائم اس اتحاد میں شامل ہیں جو عراق اور شام میں دولتِ اسلامیہ کے جنگجوؤں کے خلاف فضائی کارروائیاں کر رہا ہے

دولت اسلامیہ کا کہنا ہے کہ اس کے جنگجو مشرق وسطیٰ میں مغرب کی اتحادی حکومتوں کے تختے الٹ دیں گے۔

بین مورز کہتے ہیں کہ’ جب ہم اسلحے کی عالمی منڈی کو دیکھتے ہیں تو اس میں پہلے دس بڑے خریدار ممالک میں سے پانچ ملک مشرق وسطیٰ سے ہیں۔‘

’مشرق وسطیٰ اسلحے کی سب سے بڑی علاقائی منڈی ہے اور آنے والے دس برسوں میں یہاں 110 ارب ڈالر کے اسلحے کی فروخت ہو سکتی ہے۔‘

سنہ 2014 میں اسلحہ خریدنے والے پانچ بڑے مممالک میں سعودی عرب، بھارت، چین، متحدہ عرب امارات اور تائیوان شامل تھے جبکہ سنہ 2013 میں بھارت کا نمبر پہلا تھا اور سعودی عرب، متحدہ عرب امارات، تائیوان اور چین بالترتیب دوسرے، تیسرے، چوتھے اور پانچویں نمبر پر تھے۔

رپورٹ میں دیے گئے اعداد وشمار کے مطابق سنہ 2014 کے دوران سعودی عرب اور متحدہ عرب امارات نے مشترکہ طور پر 8.6 ارب ڈالر کے دفاعی نظام برآمد کیے جو کہ مغربی یورپ کے تمام ممالک کے کل دفاعی اخراجات سے بھی زیادہ تھے۔ مشرق وسطیٰ کی منڈی میں اسلحے کا سب سے بڑا فروخت کندہ امریکہ رہا جس نے وہاں سنہ 2013 کے 6 ارب ڈالر کے مقابلے میں سنہ 2014 میں 8.4 ارب ڈالر کا اسلحہ فرو خت کیا۔

واضح رہے کہ آئی ایچ ایس کی رپورٹ میں ان رقوم کے اعداد و شمار شامل نہیں جو مختلف ممالک نے بارود، چھوٹے اسلحے، اندرون ملک سکیورٹی اور اپنے خفیہ منصوبوں پر خرچ کی ہیں

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نائجیریا کے اتحادیوں کی بوکوحرام کے خلاف کارروائی

افریقی ملک چاڈ اور نائجر کی سکیورٹی فورسز نے نائجیریا کے شمالی علاقوں میں شدت پسند گروہ بوکوحرام کے خلاف زمینی اور فضائی کارروائی شروع کر دی ہے۔

حکام کا کہنا ہے کہ اس کارروائی کا ہدف نائجیریاکی ریاست بورنو ہو گی۔

چاڈ اور نائجر نے بوکوحرام کے خلاف کارروائی کا آغاز ایک ایسے وقت کیا ہے جب ایک دن پہلے سنیچر کو ہی اس نے عراق اور شام میں سرگرم شدت پسند تنظیم دولتِ اسلامیہ سے وفاداری کا اعلان کیا تھا۔

چارڈ، نائجر اور کیمرون اس سے پہلے بھی بوکوحرام کے خلاف نائجیریا کی مدد کر رہے تھے۔

جمعے کو افریقی یونین نے بوکوحرام کا مقابلہ کرنے کے لیے آٹھ ہزار اہلکاروں پر مشتمل علاقائی فورس تشکیل دینے کی منظور دی تھی تاہم یہ فورسز نائجیریا کے اندر تک جانے کی بجائے جھیل چاڈ کے نائجیریائی حصے کی حفاظت کریں گی۔

بوکوحرام کے خلاف نئی کارروائی اتوار کو شروع ہوئی ہے۔ مقامی افراد اور ایک امدادی کارکن نے فرانسیسی خبر رساں ایجنسی اے ایف پی کو بتایا کہ نائجر اور نائجیریا کی سرحد کے قریب شدید فائرنگ ہو رہی ہے۔

ایک مقامی ریڈیو سٹیشن کا کہنا ہے کہ سکیورٹی اہلکاروں کا دو سو گاڑیوں پر مشتمل قافلہ علاقے کی جانب بڑھ رہا ہے اور اس کے سنیچر اور اتوار کو علاقے میں فضائی حملے بھی کیے گئے۔

نائجیریا اور ہمسایہ ممالک کے فوجی حکام نے بوکوحرام کے خلاف کارروائیوں میں کچھ کامیابیوں کا دعویٰ کیا ہے جبکہ نائجیریا کے حکام کے مطابق بوکوحرام کی جانب سے دولتِ اسلامیہ سے وفاداری کا اعلان کرنا ثابت کرتا ہے کہ یہ کمزور ہو رہی ہے۔

نائجیریا کی فوج کے ترجمان کرنل سمیع عثمان کوکاشیکا کے مطابق بوکوحرام کا سربراہ’ایک ڈوبتے ہوئے شخص کی طرح ہے۔‘

انھوں نے بی بی سی سے بات کرتے ہوئے کہا:’ اس میں حیرانی کی کوئی بات نہیں کہ وہ دنیا بھر میں دیگر شدت پسند تنظیموں سے مدد مانگ رہا ہے۔ بنیادی طور پر وہ صرف بے چینی پیدا کر رہا ہے تاکہ مدد مانگی جا سکے اور یہ کبھی نہیں آ سکے گی کیونکہ ہم جلد ہی نائجیریا میں اس کی سرکشی کا خاتمہ کر دیں گے۔

نائجیریا کی حکومت کے ترجمان مائیک عمری کا کہنا ہے کہ’ بوکوحرام کو مدد کی ضرورت ہے کیونکہ جانی نقصان اور بمباری کی وجہ سے ان کی صلاحیت کو شدید نقصان پہنچا ہے۔‘

تاہم دوسری جانب بوکوحرام کی جانب سے شدت پسندی کے واقعات جاری ہیں اور سنیچر کو ہی شمال مشرقی شہر مائدیگوری میں تین مختلف دھماکوں کے نتیجے کم از کم 50 افراد ہلاک ہو گئے تھے اور حکام نے اس کی ذمہ داری بوکوحرام پر عائد کی تھی۔

شدت پسند تنظیم بوکوحرام نے سال 2009 سے اسلامی ریاست کے قیام کے لیے افریقہ کی سب سے وحشیانہ بغاوت شروع کر رکھی ہے۔ اس نے نائجیریا کے بڑے حصوں پر تسلط قائم کر لیا ہے اور نائجیریا کی سالمیت کے لیے خطرہ بننے کے علاوہ پڑوسی ملک کیمرون کے ساتھ بھی سرحد پر نیا محاذ کھولا ہے۔

حکام کا خیال ہے کہ نائجیریا کے شمال مغرب میں جاری شورش سے پیدا ہونے والے انسانی بحران سے تقریباً 30 لاکھ افراد متاثر ہوئے ہیں۔

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شمسی توانائی سے اُڑنے والا ’سولر امپلس 2‘ دنیا کے سفر پر روانہ

دنیا کے گرد چکر لگانے سے پہلے پائلٹس نے ابوظہبی میں کئی بار ٹیسٹ فلائٹ کی ہے

شمسی توانائی سے چلنے والا ایک ہوائی جہاز پیر کو دنیا کے گرد چکر لگانے کے مشن پر روانہ ہو گیا ہے۔

’سولر امپلس 2 ‘ نامی یہ جہاز اگر اس کوشش میں کامیاب ہو جاتا ہے تو یہ ایک نیا ریکارڈ ہو گا۔

پیر کو گرینچ کے معیاری وقت کے مطابق رات 2:30 پر یہ جہاز ابوظہبی سے روانہ ہوا اور پہلے مرحلے میں عمان سے ہوتا ہوا بھارت پہنچے گا۔

اور اگلے پانچ ماہ کے دوران یہ مختلف براعظموں سے گزرتا ہوا دنیا کے گرد اپنی چکر پورا کرنے کی کوشش کرے گا۔

ایک نشست والے اس جہاز کو سوئٹززلینڈ کے دو پائلٹ آندرے بوریش برگ اور برتروں پیکارڈ وقفے وقفے سے اڑائیں گے اور یہ پرواز کے دوران جہاز کو مختلف شہروں میں روکیں گے تاکہ جہاز کو درکار مرمتی کام کیا جا سکے۔ اسی دوران ماحول دوست 

ٹیکنالوجی کی تشہیر بھی کی جا سکے۔

جہاز رات کو بھی پرواز کر سکے گا

سولر امپلس کے سی ای او نے بی بی سی سے بات کرتے ہوئے کہا ’یہ ایک خاص جہاز ہے اور ہمیں بڑے سمندروں کے اوپر سے گزرنا ہے۔ ہمیں ہو سکتا ہے کہ اس کی پرواز کو مسلسل پانچ دن اور پانچ راتیں جاری رکھنا پڑے اور یہ ایک بڑا چیلنج ہو گا اور ہمارے پاس چین کے اوپر سے گزارنے میں اگلے دو ماہ ہوں گے اور اس کے لیے ہمیں تیاری کرنا ہو گی۔‘

شمسی توانائی سے چلنے والے جہاز کے منصوبے نے پہلے ہی متعدد ریکارڈ بنا رکھے ہیں۔ جس میں 2013 میں امریکہ کو عبور کرنا شامل تھا تاہم دنیا کے گرد چکر لگانا ایک بالکل مختلف منصوبہ ہے۔

اس مقصد کے لیے ’سولر امپلس ون‘ کے مقابلے میں ایک بڑا جہاز ’سولر امپلس ٹو‘ تیار کیا گیا ہے۔

نئے شمسی جہاز کے پروں کی لمبائی 72 میٹر ہے اور جمبو جیٹ کے مقابلے میں بڑے ہیں اور اس کا وزن صرف 2.3 ٹن ہے۔ اس کا کم وزن کامیابی کے حوالے سے اہم ہو گا۔

شمسی توانائی حاصل کرنے کے لیے اس کے پروں پر 17 ہزار سولر سیلز نصب ہیں اور توانائی کو جمع کرنے کے لیے لیتھیئم بیٹریاں بھی نصب ہوں گی جس کی مدد سے جہاز رات کو بھی پرواز کر سکے گا۔

بحرالکاہل اور بحر اوقیانوس کو عبور کرنے کے لیے رات کی پرواز انتہائی اہم ہو گی کیونکہ اس کی اوسط رفتار 72 کلو میٹر فی گھنٹہ ہے۔

جہاز میں پائلٹ کے کاکپٹ کا سائز بھی بہت کم ہے اور یہ 3.8 کیوبک میٹر ہونے کی وجہ سے پائلٹ کو جسمانی مشکلات کا سامنا بھی ہو گا۔

پرواز کے دوران پائلٹ کو وقفوں سے صرف 20 منٹ کی نیند لینے کی اجازت ہو گی۔

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KENZO: ROBOTIC MODERNITY

The clothes were therefore made to cover the body: big shawls swathed over long dresses worn with a head-embracing hood. A deep-blue furry coat with its colourful high boots was another way that the designers expressed protection from the elements. While a more countryside-inspired shade of green created collars, cuffs and patchwork for boots.

The silver pillars moving across the runway as a robotic, changeable set put the Kenzo Winter 2015 show as firmly in the digital age as did the patterns and modern fabrics.

Humberto Leon and Carol Lim have taken the brand back to its roots: the Japanese DNA of founder Kenzo Takada - and his wanderlust.

But they have worked the spirit in such a way that even moss green, layered outerwear could only be from the twenty-first century.

This season was intriguing because for all the urban suggestion of those hologram pillars, the storyline made the collection seem more rugged, as if coming from a primordial land.

The outfits often looked from the Eighties in their size - back to this era of clothes with a confident sweep of a silhouette. But again, there was not a retro drop in Kenzo's modern fashion blood.

"Their abode is in the wild - we explore togetherness through camaraderie, ceremony and protection," the duo said in their programme notes.

This duo has taken Kenzo to a new place, appealing to a young, up-to-date audience. But their links to the original collections are profound.

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Suzy Menkes at Paris Fashion Week: Day Six

Fat, fuzzy, felted flowers on a bold dress, zebra stripes, mismatching bodices and bras half clasped, half open at the back - could this really be Céline, the dream closet filler for every hardworking, dynamic modern woman?

The effect of seeing on the orange and white tiled runway, models, often quite simply dressed - but carrying strings of fur bobbles or with whimsical animal drawings on the blouses - brought two responses: shock and excitement. Phoebe Philo, the go-to designer of the twenty-first century, had set herself a real challenge, and it was invigorating to see her striving.

"I'm just trying to work out glamour that I find intriguing - it was like hyper-heightened glamour, and how that can work for the very practical," said the designer backstage. 

"There are lots of questions - the whole process was very questioning,'' she continued. "When is it too much? When is it not enough? When is it authentic? When it didn't feel authentic, it just didn't seem to work. So I wanted to go quite far into it and then pull back. It was a real push-pull, push-pull."

It is rare to hear a designer talking about their process. Phoebe took the sleek severity of her tailoring - and then made an arm semi-detached, or perhaps removable, at the shoulder. There were still plenty of sleek pieces, not least the infamous onesie, sliced knife-sharp to follow the body loosely, with a big bold bag on the shoulder. The Céline woman has always been purposeful.

But it was the nature of the show that seemed so different. Phoebe has added a touch of the oddball before - like the furry slippers that set off a major footwear trend. (This time they were lattice sandals.) She has sourced wild prints from Africa and countered them with the polished serenity of her tailoring. But never before have her clothes seemed so literally undone.

Some effects were charming: animal drawings on a satin blouse as just the thing to soften a workday wardrobe. Creatures in prints and a little gilded animal hanging on a neck chain were those little touches - like Phoebe's collar jewellery in the past - that make her beloved by women who want to bring their femininity into the world of work.

But will clients be prepared for something quite so "unravelled" - to use Phoebe's own word? We can be sure that buyers will be both picky and wary of this deconstruction. They are more likely to choose the designer's streamlined offerings. But backstage she said, "there is this natural thing that happens with luxury goods when everything becomes superb. "

The fact that Phoebe is constantly questioning herself about her work, updating it and taking risks - even big risks - is part of her strength, and why the Céline show is always unmissable. 

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Bangladesh face choice between Imrul, extra spinner

The debate over picking an extra spinner or a batsman continues for Bangladesh after Mashrafe Mortaza suggested the team was thinking of including a spinner against England in Adelaide, before adding that Imrul Kayes could also play.

Imrul arrived in Adelaide three days before the match as Anamul Haque's replacement and two net sessions may not quite be the best preparation for a crunch match. But Mashrafe has regularly maintained his preference for an extra spinner, and since Bangladesh have conceded two consecutive 300-plus totals, left-arm spinner Arafat Sunny looks like the best option among the remaining specialist bowlers. On the eve of the England match, Mashrafe also reiterated a point he made after their win over Afghanistan: Bangladesh will not consider a win as the only reason to stick to the same line-up.

"There is a chance [to play another specialist spinner] like there was in the previous game," Mashrafe said. "We put together a team considering the conditions, the batsmen's confidence and the team combination. I have felt the need for an extra spinner in the field. But sometimes conditions don't suit it, or the combinations don't allow an extra spinner. We will try to select our best team, one that won't be easy for England.

"I had said in an earlier press conference that continuing with a winning combination in these conditions is not a suitable concept for us. It is not possible for us to balance a team on these wickets. We have to make a team which the opposition has a tough time dealing with.

"(Imrul Kayes) just arrived yesterday but batted in the nets. Of course he could play. We are one opener short due to injury. I would hope that he plays confidently. This is a good opportunity for him. He wasn't in the World Cup team and possibly didn't even think of playing this time. But now he has a chance, so he can show that he has the ability to do well."

If Imrul is picked he would either open with Tamim Iqbal or bat at No 3, which would mean Bangladesh will continue with eight batsmen as they have done in the last three games. Leaving Soumya Sarkar out may not be feasible as he offers a medium-pace option and is more than a safe fielder, apart from also being an opener. However, Sarkar has not yet had a convincing performance.

Mashrafe said the batsmen had gained confidence after their win against Scotland, their highest ODI chase, but admitted that small mistakes and the drop in fielding standards had affected the confidence of the bowlers.

"From the bowling point of view, we have made small mistakes. Maybe it is a confidence issue. We dropped a few catches against Sri Lanka so had there been the odd wicket for the bowlers, they would have taken the confidence forward. If we can return to our bowling rhythm, this will be a good game.

"It will be a flat wicket. There will be plenty of runs here. I feel we can make runs here. We have chased 319 against Scotland so if we have to do it against England, it might be a little harder. Still I feel 270-280 will be a good score. All our batsmen are confident - Shakib, Mushfiqur, Tamim."

The Bangladesh captain said he can relate to England's situation, where they need to beat two lower-ranked teams to have a chance of making it to the last eight. He also said that England would be raring to avoid an early elimination, but stressed that his team is prepared and confident of making it into the quarterfinals.

"It is only natural for a team to get out of their bad patch and, if England are feeling that way, they would also want to get through it," he said. "When we played against Afghanistan, we were under a lot of pressure. It can be quite confusing if they consider themselves under pressure against a team ranked below them. We can do very well if we take the early chances.

"The equation [for us] - beat Afghanistan and Scotland and one of the big teams - remains as it was before the tournament started. It will depend on how we play tomorrow. The real challenge ahead of us is to get out of the group stage. We are all quite confident. A bit of pressure is normal, because about 160 million people back home are waiting on us to give them joy."

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Vinay rues missed opportunity by batsmen

He had become only the sixth pace bowler to have earned 300 wickets in Ranji Trophy. With his third five-for of the season, he had moved within striking distance of ending the season as the leading wicket-taker. Still, Vinay Kumar hardly smiled during his post-match interaction. Instead, the Karnataka captain rued the opportunity missed by his top-order batsmen.

"If we had lost only one or two wickets it would have been great. But in such low-scoring games the opposition comes hard at you. The same thing happened against Mumbai [in the semi-final] when we were all out for 202. If you get one-two wickets early you get momentum. Hopefully we can break that momentum tomorrow and start fresh," Vinay said after the first day of Karnataka's final against Tamil Nadu.

"We could have left a few balls and Manish [Pandey] also got out for one bad shot. It is a low-scoring game. The mindset is different after getting the team out for a low score. The batsmen tend to relax a bit and maybe that is why we lost one or two wickets. Unfortunately, [KL] Rahul came out [retired hurt], otherwise he would have handled the new ball."

On a day that saw disciplined pace bowling and lacklustre batting from both the sides, Karnataka dug themselves into a hole with four of their top five batsmen dismissed attempting strokes that could have been avoided. It resulted in them reeling at 45 for 4, in reply to Tamil Nadu's 134. This was the sixth time the defending champions had lost four wickets for a double-digit score this season.

The only solace for Karnataka going into the second day's play would be that Rahul, who is making his first appearance in a Ranji final, will be "fine tomorrow," and will be able to bat. "Because of the slide, he went towards the slope and pulled a hamstring," Vinay said.

The opener, fresh of a maiden Test hundred in Sydney and a triple century, the first for Karnataka, first pulled his hamstring while attempting to stop a ball at the third-man boundary in the 60th over of the day. Twenty minutes into his innings, Rahul stretched the left hamstring again while running a single, and decided to return to the pavilion.

Rahul's wicket could well turn out to be the decisive factor between a close first innings and a decisive lead.

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Clarke shrugs off latest selection issue

Australia's captain Michael Clarke hinted at some confusion within the team over Shane Watson's omission and rapid recall from the World Cup team across games against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, and said a squad mentality would be critical should the national selectors continue to shuffle their deck according to the prevailing conditions.

Watson was left out against Afghanistan and appeared likely to be on the sidelines for some time when his prime No. 3 spot in the batting order was handed over to Steven Smith. But a dry SCG surface and the decision to choose Xavier Doherty instead of a third seamer pitched him back into the team in the recently unfamiliar role of a No. 6 batsman, where he prospered alongside Glenn Maxwell.

Clarke has long avoided commenting on selection, ever since he excused himself from a formal role on the panel in the first half of 2013, but his rueful laugh and long sigh at the start of a response to questions about the Watson shuffle said as much as any words could about the sequence of the past few days. The coach Darren Lehmann and the selector on duty Mark Waugh waited until match day to conclude that Watson and Doherty would play.

"I'm not going there," Clarke said before making a fishing gesture. "The selectors pick the players, and my job is to try to get the best out of the 11 players. So no chance am I getting hold of that hook. I thought the selectors made it pretty clear that they were horses for courses in regard to selection today, they went for the extra experience with Watto in the bowling department only playing two frontline fast bowlers, so that was a big part of why they made that call ... but good question.

"I thought Shane played really well. His batting was how we know Watto can bat. He's got amazing power and I think he played a big part in helping set the game up, that partnership with Maxy and him. Then he held his nerve under pressure with the ball as well. That was a real test for us out there, as games continue to move forward we're going to be under pressure and I felt the way all the bowlers held their nerve today was exceptional."

Consultation between a captain and the selectors has long been a point of discussion in Australian cricket. Ricky Ponting had no formal selection role but seldom got a team he did not prefer, but since he stepped down from the panel Clarke has been at odds with Lehmann, Waugh, Trevor Hohns and the chairman Rod Marsh more than once. Asked whether he needed a more open line, Clarke answered carefully.

"I think it's exactly how it's been since I stood down from being a selector," he said. "It's been very consistent the whole way through. I think when I was a selector there was a lot more stuff over email and the phone in regard to communication but since I've stood down it's been exactly the same.

"It's the squad that wins you tournaments, not just the 11 players. We had a completely different team in Perth and we made a world record score. So whatever 11 players the selectors decide to pick for the conditions and against the opposition, everyone will be ready to play."

The summer has been a vexing one for Clarke, and having made his first substantial score since suffering the hamstring injury that required surgery after the first Test against India in early December, he also spoke at some length about his dealings with the media. It was in response to a broader question about how he managed to handle the stress of this season.

"I don't feel stress from what people write or say," he said. "It might have taken me a few years but I think I've slowly learned to ignore a lot of it and laugh at a lot of it, and I think that's probably the only reason I'm still playing this game at the highest level. When I was a lot younger I probably took a lot more to heart. I think I'm pretty honest with a lot of the journalist who I feel are out of line or criticise me for something that's not true.

"I'll generally front the journalist and ask why it's been said and voice my opinion, as I'm sure a few of the journos in this room have experienced. But I also understand that people have jobs to do, they have to sell newspapers, there's channels on TV that are fighting for viewers. So I understand and respect that's part and parcel of sport at the highest level, and I think if you cannot take it personally that's been the best thing for me. Sometimes it's hard but you've got to do your best."

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Maxwell's hundred trumps Sangakkara's

A young punk scored a punkish first century - the fastest by an Australian and one ball slower than the fastest by anybody at a World Cup, a master scored a classic third consecutive hundred - the first man to do so at a World Cup, there were five supporting half-centuries, but eventually the Sydney runathon was decided by Australia's superior bowling and fielding under pressure.Glenn Maxwell finally got that hundred he has been promising to take Australia to 376, butKumar Sangakkara's masterclass kept Sri Lanka in the game until Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews were eliminated - Chandimal injured and Mathews out to a slower bouncer from Shane Watson - in the 42nd over with 94 runs still required.Matches between Test sides have been pretty formulaic this World Cup: bat first, score 300, win easy. Pakistan have bucked the trend by winning with 230 on the board, and Sri Lanka have shown 300 can be chased. With Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan in form, a 130-run stand in just under 20 overs told Australia this was not going to be an easy win. In the middle overs, though, Australia's two gun bowlers, Mitchell Starc and James Faulkner, and Mitchell Johnson created enough pressure to take key wickets at the right times. Don't go by the 64-run margin, this match was much closer. When Chandimal and Mathews counterattacked, this World Cup record chase was not far out of reach.There is another World Cup record that is an endangered species. Every time Maxwell walks out to bat with overs to spare, a flurry of record-holders must watch from behind their couches and through the cracks between their fingers. It's a minor miracle Kevin O'Brien's record of the fastest hundred in a World Cup still stands. Maxwell might have missed out by one ball, bringing the hundred up on the 51st ball, but his knock was the difference between 320 and 376 after two mini wobbles - one at the top that reduced them to 41 for 2 and then the wickets of half-centurions Steven Smith and Michael Clarke in one go and just before the batting Powerplay. Watson scored arguably the most inconspicuous 67 off 41 with Maxwell taking centre stage.The most instructive moment of Maxwell's innings was perhaps near the end. He was on 99 off 49. Still with a chance to trickle one around the corner and register the joint-fastest World Cup hundred. Also with the knowledge that he had missed out on that elusive hundred at least four times in the past. He looked to nudge Lasith Malinga, missed a slower ball, ran what he thought was a leg-bye, but saw umpire Ian Gould in no hurry to raise his leg. Greater batsmen with many more centuries to their name than Maxwell have snuck in a single at such moments, but Maxwell seemed to instruct to Gould he hadn't hit it. The leg-bye was finally signalled.Obviously it has been frustrating for Maxwell to have not scored that hundred, but he wasn't going to bring up his first in an underhand manner. Probably if you are in the form that Maxwell is, you know you are going to bring up that opportunity every other time you bat. When he came in to bat, with Smith and Clarke having fallen in the space of five balls, Maxwell had no business batting the way he did. This was the time to rebuild. Maxwell, he just watched six deliveries to get a hang of the conditions and chipped the seventh over mid-off for four, and reverse-swept the eighth for a single.Apart from that reverse sweep, which surely is text-book stuff in Maxwell's book, the initial parts of his innings were classic. He saw Tillakaratne Dilshan bowling with mid-off up, kept chipping him over the man in the 35th over, hitting two, a four and a six. There is a theory about Maxwell's batting that he doesn't bat according to the merit of the ball but to the field set. He is extremely confident that he can pull off any shot, but he fashions them to miss the field. This innings was a big testimony to the idea: there was no brute hitting involved, just clever placement of balls where the fielders weren't.To outsiders the shots Maxwell played in order to miss the fielders seem risky, to him they are routine. Legspinner Seekkuge Prasanna was the second bowler to experience it. First he saw Maxwell flick him over square leg for a six without bending his knee at all. Then came the reverse-flick in the same over, the 37th. In the next over Malinga bowled a yorker with a strong leg-side field, which Maxwell drilled over extra cover.Prasanna in the 41st over saw more of it with Maxwell toying around with the deep fielder on the leg side. He beat him to his left first with a reverse sweep, then to his right with a delayed regulation sweep, and then again to his left with a slog sweep. The fastest hundred remained on the cards throughout with Malinga beginning the 45th over with Maxwell on 96 off 47.One of the best bowlers at the death, Malinga denied him the boundary ball twice in a row, sending him off strike with his score 99 off 49. Then came the leg-bye. Only after Maxwell brought up the hundred, sparking wide celebrations, did everybody realise that Watson had made a successful comeback to the side. Watson had himself galloped along to 53 off 31 by then. That in turn had put to shade the rebuilding effort by Smith and Clarke from the early blip, a 134-run stand that underlined the importance of solid batsmen sandwiched between two sets of power hitters.The 37-year-old Sangakkara, though, did all he could to usurp that innings. Dilshan began the Sri Lanka riposte with six fours off a Johnson over. Sangakkara followed it up with more classic batting. There might have been the odd ramp here or there, but the two batted traditionally, keeping abreast with the rate until Faulkner - a party pooper if ever there was one - intervened. He and Johnson strung together a spell of play where four runs came off 14 balls. The pressure was on, somebody was going to take a risk, and Faulkner was there with a perfect slower legcutter when Dilshan did, beating him comprehensively and trapping him leg-before.Under more pressure Mahela Jayawardene took a risky single and Clarke - who had earlier dropped Dilshan - hit the middle stump from mid-off. Faulkner then produced another clever slower ball to prise out Sangakkara after he had enthralled the capacity crowd split down the middle when it comes to loyalties. Sri Lanka refused to lie down and take the beating. Chandimal and Mathews began to hit everything in sight, but Johnson came back to impart pressure again. Chandimal injured what looked like his hamstring, tried to keep running despite it, but had to eventually give up. Mathews' fight came to an end soon, and with three Starc overs remaining there was just too much to go.In a match where 688 runs were scored in 96.2 overs, Starc's figures read 8.2-29-2. Between them, he and Faulkner went for 77 in 17.2 overs and claimed five wickets. That was where the game was broken. Australia were now almost assured the second place in their group, and were headed for a likely quarter-final against Pakistan in Adelaide.

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