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Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Michael Hussey now averages 209 against Kings XI Punjab•BCCI

The abbreviated nature of Twenty20 is supposed to bridge the gulf in quality between sides, but there was no hiding the vast difference between the weakest batting line-up in the tournament, and perhaps the strongest one. After being sent in, Kings XI Punjab lost all ten wickets; Chennai Super Kings chased down 139 without losing any in an embarrassingly one-sided contest in Mohali.Australia’s Shaun Marsh, still nursing an injury and not expected in India at least for a few more days, can’t come soon enough to shore up a batting unit seriously lacking quality. With no renowned Indian batsman in the line-up, the star turn is provided by the ageing Adam Gilchrist and the 35-year-old David Hussey.Not much can be expected from Gilchrist five years after his international retirement, and one year after he said he had played his last match of competitive cricket. As in the first game of the season, Gilchrist played a few vintage shots that had fans reminiscing about his free-swinging batting, but again he perished cheaply, picking out Michael Hussey at a deepish leg gully in the third over.With Mandeep Singh holing out to square leg, and Manan Vohra heaving a half-tracker from Ravindra Jadeja to the man at deep midwicket, David Hussey needed to put in a big performance. He began well, with a series of eye-catching off-side boundaries, and with the help of some butter-fingered fielding from M Vijay and a cameo from Gurkeerat Singh, Kings XI moved along to a reasonably decent position of 106 for 3 after 14 overs.That’s when it all went wrong for Kings XI. R Ashwin’s carrom ball had Hussey slicing a catch to long-off, and an over later Gurkeerat top-edged a sweep to Dirk Nannes at short fine leg. Kings XI’s batting not only lacked in firepower, it lacked in depth as well. Azhar Mahmood is a position too high at No. 6, and the No. 7 R Sathish, primarily in the team as a batsman, has never scored a Twenty20 half-century. The long tail was ruthlessly exposed by Super Kings, as the lower-order perished in a series of big hits that weren’t big enough. The final seven wickets went down for 32 runs.For Super Kings, a team overflowing with batting riches, 139 was never going to be too much of a challenge, on a surface that was true and with a fast outfield to help. Kings XI were also hurt by a dicey third-umpire decision to rule Michael Hussey not-out though there wasn’t much evidence to show he had made his ground. In the next five minutes, Piyush Chawla put down a return chance and Adam Gilchrist fluffed a stumping opportunity in the same over. Hussey and M Vijay were in no hurry early on, taking their time to blunt the Kings XI bowling, before finishing off the match with a series of huge hits.It was an absolute hammering for Kings XI, and particularly humiliating as it was their first home game of the season, and one from which Gilchrist had hoped to “send the crowd home happy”.

Scorecard Quinton de Kock led the way for Lions•Getty Images

Lions ended a five-season trophy drought with a tense victory over their northern neighbours to cap off an outstanding season under new coach, Geoff Toyana.They finished second in the first-class competition, were joint winners of the one-day cup and have finally added a second piece silverware to their cabinet since the start of the franchise system nine years ago.For Titans, it was a less-than-ideal farewell to coach Matthew Maynard, who has chosen not to renew his contract with them. Despite having a full galaxy of international stars available to them, Titans were unable to chase down a moderate target as the Lions’ bowlers defended with the tenacity and determination of the animals they are named after.After their batsmen were repeatedly stalled in compiling a total, Lions appeared to have conceded the advantage early on. When Henry Davids and Heino Kuhn began the Titans’ chase with 40 runs in the first four overs, it seemed Lions would once again succumb to their local rivals.But a moment of inspiration in the field changed that. Davids got a thick edge to third man off Hardus Viljoen where Imran Tahir was stationed. Although not known for his fielding, Tahir took a difficult catch and steadied himself as he almost fell over the boundary to take the first wicket.The Lions’ spinners struck three times in the next four overs to claw their way back. Aaron Phangiso had Kuhn and AB de Villiers out lbw while Tahir dealt Farhaan Behardien the same fate.But it was only when Herschelle Gibbs and Roelof van der Merwe were dismissed within three balls of each other, that Lions had a real chance. At 87 for 6, Titans needed to score at 9.8 runs an over for the next seven overs.They still had the one person who could do that, Albie Morkel, up their sleeve. Having left the field after bowling 2.3 overs after turning on his ankle, it was unsure whether Morkel would be able to bat. He appeared uneasy on his ankle and hobbled through his first run but soon found his top gear.He slog swept Tahir for six to announce his intent and formed a dangerous partnership with another big hitter, David Wiese. The latter showed his muscle with a six over mid-wicket but then offered a chance when he skied one to square leg but Sohail Tanvir dropped the chance.Wiese and Morkel posted 35 runs, the second highest-stand of the Titans’ innings, before Wiese was fell on his sword, caught at long-off. With him gone, most of the Titans’ hopes went with him. The last four wickets fell in the space of 11 balls with all of the Lions’ bowlers claiming two apiece. Morkel was the last man out, caught at mid-off against his IPL team-mate Chris Morris’ bowling.It spoke volumes of the improvement Lions have made in their strike bowling department, which for seasons lacked bite but outshone their batting today. Although Titans were without death-bowling specialist Alfonso Thomas, they managed to restrict Lions, especially in the latter parts of the innings. After the hosts scored 67 runs in the first eight overs, they managed just 88 from the last 12.Quinton de Kock’s outstanding form in the competition continued. He finished the competition with 524 runs, the highest-ever scored in this tournament. He opened the batting with his usual carefree aggression.Rassie van der Dussen was happy to play second fiddle while de Kock took on the bowling and eventually got a leading edge back to Roelof van der Merwe to give Titans their first wicket. Lions tinkered with their batting line-up and moved Neil McKenzie up to No. 3.The combination of youth and experience brought just 21 runs before de Kock hit Henry Davids’ first ball of his second over, a full toss, straight down deep midwicket’s throat. The Titans’ captain stalled the Lions’ momentum and it was up to his opposite number, Alviro Petersen, to get it back.Petersen hit Davids into the stands and drove Marchant de Lange through the covers before he tried to do the same to Albie Morkel. Petersen swung, missed and his leg stump was out of the ground.Sohail Tanvir was promoted in an effort to lift the run rate but he could not get going quickly enough. With McKenzie and Jean Symes, he added 41 runs in the last five overs with de Lange proving tough to get away at the end but it proved to be enough.

Justin Langer, the Western Australia coach, will do “everything he can” to stop Michael Hogan joining Glamorgan for the English season.Hogan, a 31-year-old fast bowler, is set for a move to Glamorgan on a two-year deal as a British passport holder. The contract requires him to forego playing as a domestic cricketer in Australia.But Langer is desperate to keep him in Perth, describing him as a cornerstone of the Western Australian attack who could also help mentor the state’s youngsters. “He’s our best bowler,” Langer said. “I am doing everything I can to talk him into staying.”Hogan has taken 117 first-class wickets at 28.57 in his career and has 17 wickets at 27.61 in this season’s Sheffield Shield, where Western Australia sit bottom of the table.Should he make a u-turn it would replicate the decision of Alviro Petersen, the South Africa batsman, who had signed a similar deal with Glamorgan only to decide he would remain as a South African-based player after all.Such recruitment decisions will be analysed by former Somerset director of cricket Brian Rose, who has been appointed to conduct an independent review of Glamorgan.Rose, who left his post at Somerset at the end of last season, will review, among other things, the coaching structure and player development pathway. He will meet key figures from the county and his initial findings are expected by the start of April.”Brian has extensive cricket experience and is widely respected,” Glamorgan chief executive Alan Hamer said. “We are delighted that he has agreed to help with this review, which underpins our respective strategic plans.”Cricket Wales chief executive Peter Hybart added: “We welcome Brian’s involvement and are committed to increasing the numbers of talented young cricketers capable of playing professional cricket for Glamorgan.”

Match facts

January 23, 2013
Start time 1200 (0630 GMT)Ravindra Jadeja has played an important role in both of India’s wins•BCCI

Big Picture

How quickly this series has turned. In the first ODI in Rajkot, India were beaten in conditions that they usually prosper in, and coming on the heels of the series defeat to Pakistan, India’s home one-day prowess was under the scanner. Alastair Cook and Ian Bell had looked masterful as they put on 158, England’s highest opening partnership against India. In the next match, 158 was all what the entire England team managed. In the third ODI, England couldn’t even muster that, keeling over for 155 and were looking more and more like the hapless outfits that suffered 5-0 reverses in their previous two visits.There is talk of this being an inexperienced England side, though their biggest concern this series is the faltering top order which is packed with players who have been around for years. The only significant batting absentee is Jonathan Trott, whose un-flamboyant batting has typically split opinion over his place in the one-day side despite an unimpeachable average nearing 50. In his absence, his value is continuing to grow.India, on the other hand, are now atop the world rankings, and what is traditionally their weaker department – the bowling – has flourished in the previous two matches. The much-derided Ravindra Jadeja has turned in influential performances in both victories, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar has compensated for his lack of pace with movement to trouble the top order. Virat Kohli, the ICC’s ODI Player of the Year, also shrugged aside his indifferent recent form to pocket his first Man-of-the-Match award of 2013 in the last match. One more win will wrap up the series and give some relief to a side that has weathered plenty of criticism in recent times.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
India WWLWL
England LLWLW

In the spotlight

Ajinkya Rahane spent much of the past year carrying drinks, having been part of the Indian squad in all three formats without getting too many matches. Finally, in this series, he has got chances, but has been bowled through the gate early by Steven Finn in the last two ODIs. He will have fond memories of Mohali, though, winning his only ODI Man-of-the-Match award the last time these two sides played here.While not the flashiest of batsman, Joe Root has shown his ability to stabilise the innings when his more experienced colleagues have come up short. On the flat track in Rajkot, he was shunted down the order to allow more expansive batsmen time in the middle, but with the team struggling in the next two games, he took over the steadying role that Trott has perfected.

Team news

England are considering a couple of changes to their XI. They are toying with the idea of bringing in Jos Buttler as wicketkeeper-batsman for Craig Kieswetter, and Jade Dernbach, who now has the unwanted record of being the most expensive among ODI bowlers who have sent down 1000 deliveries, could make way for Stuart Meaker. Steven Finn injured his finger during a fielding drill but is expected to be fit in time for the match.England (probable) 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell,3 Kevin Pietersen, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Samit Patel, 7 Jos Buttler (wk), 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 James Tredwell, 10 Steven Finn, 11 Stuart MeakerIndia are likely to go in with the same XI that served them so well in the previous two victories.India (probable) 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 MS Dhoni (capt &wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Shami Ahmed, 11 Ishant Sharma

Pitch and conditions

England are now left needing to win both the remaining matches in the series, but one consolation is that the next match will be in Mohali, where the track traditionally favours the quick bowlers and the temperatures will be in the mid-teens – conditions which Ian Bell termed as ‘English’.

• In 96 ODIs, Virat Kohli already has 13 Man-of-the-Match awards, which is more than Michael Bevan (232 matches) and Michael Clarke (223 games)
• There have been six ODI hundreds scored in Mohali, but none of them have been made by an Indian

Quotes

“It was a bit annoying for me as I was not getting out making too many mistakes. I got a few good balls in the last series and made a few mistakes in this series. But, I was pretty calm at that point of time. You just got to be composed. “”We have a point to prove, absolutely. We spoke about it. It can be quite easy in this part of the world that if you get on a bad trot, you can let your heads drop and we can’t allow that to creep in.”

ScorecardAmol Muzumdar scored his 28th Ranji century, third behind Ajay Sharma and Wasim Jaffer•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In a match that belongs to the Yadavs, Services’ Suraj Yadav took six wickets to counter Jharkhand’s Ajay Yadav’s five. Services, who lead the table but can still be ousted if this round doesn’t go their way, bowled Jharkhand out for 120 to claim a considerable first-innings lead of 65.Jharkhand were going all right at 87 for 3 – one of those wickets was that of Shahbaz Nadeem – but collapsed after that. Saurabh Tiwary retired-hurt when he hurt himslef running between the wickets, and Suraj took the important wickets of Ishank Jaggi and Rameez Nemat. Jharkhand couldn’t fight the momentum, and Tiwary’s comeback didn’t make much difference either.However, Jharkhand, who need an outright win to give themselves a chance of qualifying, kept themselves interested with two Services wickets before stumps, including that of captain Soumik Chatterjee.
ScorecardAmol Muzumdar brought up his 28th Ranji century, now behind only former team-mate Wasim Jaffer and Ajay Sharma, to take Andhra to a solid 329 in Cuddapah. However, heavy rain cut short their attempt to take a first-innings lead. Kerala were 55 for 2 in reply.This was Muzumdar’s fifth century of this Ranji Trophy, also third in his last three matches, and took him to No. 3 on the run-getters list this season, behind wicketkeepers CM Gautam and Parthiv Patel. Crucially, it involved vital runs with the tail. Andhra began the day at 249 for 7, with Muzumdar on 99, but lost their eight on 253.Muzumdar, though, eked out partnerships worth 34 and 42 with Shaik Basha and DP Vijaykumar. Vijaykumar carried the confidence into the bowling, too, and removed Abhishek Hegde and Robert Fernandez before the rain arrived.
ScorecardAssam, placed third in the table, made progress towards three points with the help of the Dases, Arup and Pallavkumar. Goa began the day at 264 for 3, but Arup Das’ second five-wicket haul restricted them to 381. Overnight centurion Amogh Desai fell on 105, and the rest made only middling contributions.In reply, Assam got off to a solid start.Their openers added 113, and the only blemish was that Pallavkumar Das couldn’t convert his innings into a hundred.
ScorecardA combination of rain, bad light and fog has allowed only 23 overs to be bowled in two days in Jammu. Tripura scored 60 runs for the loss of two wickets in that period. Neither of these teams has a realistic chance to make it to the quarters.

New Zealand’s change of captaincy has overshadowed a number of changes in their Test squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa, with the wicketkeeper Kruger van Wyk, the legspinner Todd Astle and the batsman Rob Nicol all left out after being part of the group that toured Sri Lanka. A 15-man squad has been named, with the other change the absence of Ross Taylor, who has decided to take a break from cricket following the captaincy drama.BJ Watling will take the gloves for the two Tests in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, while the batsmen Dean Brownlie and Peter Fulton have earned recalls. Brownlie, 28, was impressive during his first two series against Zimbabwe and Australia last year but was dropped following the tour of the West Indies in August, while Fulton, 33, has not played for New Zealand in any format for three years.There was also a call-up for the uncapped left-arm spinner Bruce Martin, 32, who is the leading wicket taker among spinners in the Plunket Shield this summer with 15 at 31.80. Martin, who plays for Auckland, was second only to Neil Wagner among all wicket takers last season with 37 at an average of 37, and the selectors believe his style of bowling will be of more value in South Africa than the legspin of Astle.”We don’t require a leg-spin option in South African conditions so have left out Todd Astle but he is very much part of our thinking for the future,” coach Mike Hesson said in a statement. “Bruce Martin is a specialist spinner who can bowl a lot of overs and he deserves an opportunity after showing good recent form. Following on from BJ Watling’s good form in Sri Lanka and again while back in New Zealand, he has been selected as the Test wicketkeeper.”Fulton is also back in the Twenty20 squad, having not played a T20 international for nearly four years, while there were call-ups for a number of uncapped players. The left-arm fast bowler Corey Anderson, allrounder Jimmy Neesham, wicketkeeper Derek de Boorder, batsman Colin Munro and fast bowler Mitchell McClenaghan were all included and could make their debuts.Tim Southee and Jacob Oram were not considered for the T20 squad due to the upcoming births of their children, and Andrew Ellis was ruled out with a side strain. The tour begins with a Twenty20 in Durban on December 21, followed by T20s in East London and Port Elizabeth, before the Tests take place in the first half of January. Three ODIs will follow the Tests, but the one-day squad is yet to be named.Test squad Brendon McCullum (capt), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Peter Fulton, Daniel Flynn, Dean Brownlie, BJ Watling (wk), James Franklin, Tim Southee, Doug Bracewell, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult, Jeetan Patel, Bruce Martin, Chris Martin.Twenty20 squad Brendon McCullum (capt), Martin Guptill, Rob Nicol, Peter Fulton, Colin Munro, Nathan McCullum, Corey Anderson, James Franklin, Jimmy Neesham, Derek de Boorder, Mitchell McClenaghan, Doug Bracewell, Trent Boult, Ronnie Hira, Adam Milne.

Match facts

November 9-13, the Gabba
Start time 1000 (0000 GMT)

Big Picture

Can AB de Villiers prove his batting powers will be unaffected by a longer term role as wicketkeeper?•Getty Images

So Australia has a dossier on the South Africa team. So what? One of the trends of 21st century international cricket is that battles between nations now contain so few elements of the unknown. It should not be forgotten that these two sides played each other over a pair of uproarious Test matches only a year ago in Cape Town and Johannesburg, the series shared 1-1. Between then and now Australian and South African players have shared dressing rooms at the IPL and the Champions League, opposed each other again at the World Twenty20 and tried to prepare as best they can for a Test series with only one warm-up fixture in most cases.But the lack of secrets to be divulged ahead of the first Test does not detract from the prospect of another meeting between two teams to have produced some of the most memorable Test encounters of recent times. South Africa’s first visit to the Gabba in 49 years offers the prospect of plenty that is hair-raising, mainly for batsmen up against six of the world’s best fast bowlers, but spectators too. Graeme Smith’s side is settled and well grooved, their XI set in near enough to stone from the moment their plane touched down in Sydney last week. Smith himself is fired by the desire to ensure South Africa’s hold on the ICC’s top spot is not as fleeting this time around as it had been in 2009.Australia, meanwhile, seek further proof of their rejuvenation. The Test team has not played together since April, and they may be forgiven for blinking just as much as the rest of the world at the fact they have the chance to unseat South Africa from their perch atop the rankings. The fact they have a chance of doing so is the best indicator of how far the team has developed under Michael Clarke’s captaincy since the 2011 tour of Sri Lanka, as over that period the team has won three series, drawn two and shown the importance of incisive bowling to cover for a top six that on paper cannot match South Africa’s. Line these two sides up and the visitors look to have a clear advantage. But contests between these teams have never been decided that way.

Form guide

(Most recent first)
Australia WDWWW
South Africa WDWDW

In the spotlight

Called on to take the gloves in unfortunate circumstances in England, AB de Villiers’ back grew stiffer with each match, and his batting contributions were handy rather than dominant. He has had more time to rest and prepare for taking the gloves in this series, and will be eager to prove that as wicketkeeper he can still make the kinds of scores that marked him as one of the world’s best and most dangerous batsmen.David Warner has escaped much of the scrutiny attached to his opening partner Ed Cowan, but with only one half century in his past eight innings needs to prove his hyper aggressive methods can work consistently at Test level. West Indies and England both did well against Warner earlier this year by pursuing a rigid line and length angled across him towards the slips, while the opener’s tendency to get involved in verbal confrontations will also have been noted by South Africa. Shane Watson’s injury leaves Warner the most senior batsman in the Australian top three.

Team news

Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon are duelling for two spots. Hilfenhaus led the attack with Peter Siddle last year but has only played one first-class match since April. Starc has been a dominant Twenty20 bowler but is still coming to grips with the red ball. Lyon has few wickets behind him entering the Test and forecast Gabba rain may keep the pitch fresh and the pace bowlers dangerous throughout. Ricky Ponting has shrugged off a hamstring niggle.Australia (possible): 1 Ed Cowan, 2 David Warner, 3 Rob Quiney, 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Michael Clarke (capt), 6 Michael Hussey, 7 Matthew Wade (wk), 8 Peter Siddle, 9 James Pattinson, 10 Ben Hilfenhaus/Mitchell Starc, 11 Nathan Lyon.South Africa’s team is settled, and likely to be unchanged from the XI that defeated England at Lord’s to take the series and top spot on the ICC’s rankings.South Africa (possible): 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Alviro Petersen, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Jacques Kallis, 5 AB de Villiers (wk), 6 Jacques Rudolph, 7 JP Duminy, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Morne Morkel, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Imran Tahir.

Pitch and conditions

The Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell jnr. has predicted a slightly drier surface than that prepared for last year’s Test against New Zealand, increasing the likelihood of a fifth day finish and the involvement of the spinners. However some cloud and rain is predicted over the next five days, and Clarke admitted on match eve he was now considering four quicks more seriously.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa will retain top spot on the ICC Test rankings with a drawn series. Australia will claim top spot from them with a series win
• This is South Africa’s first Test match at the Gabba since 1963
• Michael Clarke needs 55 runs to go past Neil Harvey, another fleet-footed batsman, on Australia’s all-time list of Test run scorers

Quotes

“We know how good South Africa is and respect them for it but we also know we can beat them. We are confident in our ability to beat anyone, anywhere, any time if we play at our best.”
“We have looked at areas that we can exploit within the Australian team as they would do with us. We feel that if we can put pressure on them in certain areas then we can make some plays in those big moments, that is ultimately what the Test series is going to boil down to.”
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Liam Plunkett has been given permission to talk to other counties. He has a year to go on his Durham contract but has played only one Championship match this season after losing form and confidence.”Liam has a year on his contract but the 28 day notice clause has been implemented to give him the opportunity to speak with other counties,”a club spokesman told ESPNcricinfo.Plunkett is not the only unsettled senior player at Durham. Ian Blackwell, who also has a year to go on his contract, is currently on loan at Warwickshire, while Steve Harmison, another man who is contracted next year, is back in the club’s second team having had a loan spell at Yorkshire.”It’s been a frustrating year for Liam,” Durham coach Geoff Cook said. “We have spoken to him and asked him what he wants to do with his future. If he feels there might be better opportunities elsewhere we wouldn’t stand in his way.”Plunkett was charged with drink-driving earlier this year and is currently injury having played just once in the County Championship this season. He has taken 10 wickets across nine Twenty20 and five CB40 matches. He has played nine Tests for England, taking 23 wickets at 39.82. His record across 29 ODIs is better, with 39 wickets at 33.87.

ScorecardAustralia A made a solid start as they chased 224 for victory against Durham after another day dominated by the ball at Chester-le-Street. The home side earned a lead of 38 before stumbling to 49 for 5 in their second innings, but a robust 62 from Ian Blackwell, the first half-century of the match, set a demanding total.However, in 13 overs before bad light brought an early close Ed Cown and Liam Davis added 56 – 44 of which came in boundaries – after the top order failed to convince in the first innings. Australia A had resumed on 111 for 6 and Nathan Coulter-Nile fell to the fourth ball of the day and, after a stand of 41 between Tim Paine and Mitchell Starc, the last three wickets fell for seven.Australia A’s pace bowlers were soon making inroads. Starc had Mark Stoneman, the Durham captain for this match, caught behind and Alister McDermott added two more scalps to the four he took on the opening day including that of Ben Stokes.Blackwell, though, responded with the most free-flowing innings of the match as he crunched six fours and three sixes in a 63-ball stay. He added 86 in 19 overs for the sixth wicket with Michael Richardson to push the lead towards 200.Jon Holland, the left-arm spinner, broke through in his fourth over and he claimed two further wickets to help end Durham’s innings. Coulter-Nile, who was a late addition to the squad after James Pattinson was injured, also ended with 3 for 32.

The two most prolific wicket-takers in international cricket are expected to be part of a cross-town rivalry in Melbourne this season, after Muttiah Muralitharan confirmed he would play for the Renegades in the Big Bash League. Muralitharan, 40, will be based at Etihad Stadium in the Docklands and Shane Warne is likely to head back to the MCG to play for the Melbourne Stars again, although his return is yet to be confirmed.It will be Muralitharan’s first taste of Australian domestic cricket after he signed for Victoria in the Big Bash in 2009 but was forced to withdraw due to a conflict with Sri Lanka’s international schedule. Last season, he chose to play for Wellington in New Zealand’s domestic Twenty20 competition instead of the BBL, but he was keen to test himself in Australia this year.”I wanted to play one season in Australia and the opportunity from the Melbourne Renegades was there so I took it with both hands,” Muralitharan said. “Last year I watched [the BBL] from New Zealand and it’s a good standard of players and a competitive tournament.”I think it will be interesting to play against [Chris] Gayle because he’s one of the best batsmen in T20 and I played with him at the Royal Challengers Bangalore [in the Indian Premier League]. It will be good to play with him or against him. I think Shane is a great bowler and I’ve always admired him. I’ll try to do well and he’ll try to do well for his team.”Gayle has not yet been announced as a signing by any of the eight teams this year but he is expected to feature in the tournament, having been a major drawcard for the Sydney Thunder last season. Muralitharan is the fourth international player to be signed for the BBL this year, after Daniel Vettori (Brisbane Heat), Owais Shah (Hobart Hurricanes) and John Botha (Adelaide Strikers).Muralitharan will do much of his work on a drop-in pitch at Etihad Stadium, which he said might help his cause. “Sometimes the drop-in pitches can assist the spinners so that might help me,” Muralitharan said. “There’s a big Sri Lankan community [in Melbourne] so hopefully they can come and watch.”Attracting Muralitharan will be a valuable boost for the Renegades, who have lost key batsmen Brad Hodge and Glenn Maxwell to the Stars. Teams have until Friday next week to sign at least 14 players, and must finalise their 18-man squads by the end of November.