4th ODI Live Score card of India v Sri Lanka at Kolkata!

The 2-1 scoreline is not unexpected given the way India have pushed Sri Lanka to the brink in all but one game - a Twenty20 - played in the limited-overs leg of the tour. But now, with the home team missing two match-winners, a hurting Sri Lanka have a realistic chance of leveling the series.

This will be the first time since MS Dhoni's debut in 2004 that India play an ODI without him and Yuvraj Singh. Dhoni has often said that missing Yuvraj is a big blow, so how India cope with the loss of their captain and best batsman in ODIs in addition to Yuvraj will be crucial.

But there is always fear - especially among bowlers - of another injury around the corner. Three of them have shouldered the burden of carrying their respective attacks: for the hosts, the experienced duo of Harbhajan Singh (187.2 overs bowled so far) and comeback man Zaheer Khan (131) are in need of breaks. On the other hand, Sri Lanka thrust the rookie Chanaka Welegedara (126 overs) into the forefront on his first major series and he will be longing for a breather at the business end of a testing tour. This is the start of another busy season for India and there isn't much time to think ahead. Wrapping up the series in Kolkata will allow India to rest weary players ahead of the Bangladesh tour starting January 4. Sri Lanka also feature in the tri-series that kicks off that tour but, needing to win both their remaining matches in India, cannot afford the luxury of rotation.

The pitch, one that's expected to play slow and low in the latter half, will favour India's spinners who found rhythm and confidence in Cuttack. Chilly temperatures, the dew factor and a slow-paced track mean that the bowlers will need to produce another special performance. With bitter cold and early morning fog expected to have a telling impact in Delhi, the venue for the fifth match, India will be keen to wrap up the series here. Article by Cricinfo

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Live Score card of India v Sri Lanka of the 1st ODI

At 40, challenges still exist for Sanath Jayasuriya. The Sri Lankan team management, led by captain Kumar Sangakkara, has decided to push Jayasuriya down the order to make better use of the allrounder. Jayasuriya admitted it was a "big challenge" for him to return to the position where he had started his career.

"Since 1995, I have not opened unless I was coming back from an injury. So it is a big challenge, which for the last 15 years I haven't faced," Jayasuriya told Cricinfo on the eve of Sri Lanka's first ODI in Rajkot. "But I have taken up the challenge and I will work hard to perform." Article by Cricinfo.

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Live Score card of New Zealand vs Pakistan of the 2nd test!

The 2nd day of 2nd Test Match of the Pakistan tour of New Zealand is scheduled in between Pakistan and New Zealand today played at Basin Reserve, Wellington 4 December 2009.

It's a venue that Pakistan's bowlers have enjoyed more than any other side over the last two decades, and they celebrated the Basin Reserve's 50 Test in fitting style, destroying New Zealand's top order with another clinical performance which left them superbly placed to level the series. After extending their first innings to 264, thanks largely to Kamran Akmal's enterprising 70, the bowlers immediately got down to business, exploiting the conditions and the huge flaws in the techniques of the New Zealand batsmen, bundling them out for 99 and extending their overall lead to 229 by close of play.

Save for a brief four-over period when New Zealand took the last three Pakistan wickets and a little period just before close of play, the day belonged entirely to the visitors. Mohammad Aamer did his by now customary trick of taking a wicket in his first over (is he the new first-over specialist after Daryl Tuffey?) and consistently bowled in the mid-140s kph, Mohammad Asif operated in his usual channel around off and seamed the ball both ways, Gul was the perfect first-change bowler who offered the New Zealanders no respite, while Danish Kaneria befuddled the lower order with his bag of tricks. Article by Cricinfo

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