GOWTHAM TAKES SIX BUT NZ A TAKE LEAD VS INDIA A

WHANGAREI: India A off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham returned with a six-wicket haul to dismiss New Zealand A for 398 in their first innings on the third day of the third unofficial ‘Test’ here on Sunday. The 30-year-old Gowtham finished with figures of 46.4-10-139-6. At stumps, the visitors were 38/1. Earlier, resuming at 121/3, New Zealand managed to take a 75-run lead — courtesy Cameron Fletcher’s career-best 103. The trio of Tim Seifert (86), Doug Bracewell (55) and Kyle Jamieson (53) also chipped in for New Zealand A with half-centuries. Gowtham drew first blood of the day by dismissing overnight batsman Rachin Ravindra. Other overnight batsman Seifert departed next, following which Bracewell joined Fletcher at the crease. Bracewell’s innings was studded with nine boundaries before he was dismissed by fast bowler

Navdeep Saini. Brief scores: India A 323 & 38/1 trail New Zealand A 398 (Cameron Fletcher 103, Tim Seifert 86; Krishnappa Gowtham 6/139) by 37 runs

Chappell was rigid and inflexible: Laxman book NEW DELHI: Greg Chappell was “rigid and inflexible” in his approach as a coach and didn’t know how to run an international team, former India batsman VVS Laxman has claimed in his book. Laxman, in his recently launched autobiography ‘281 And Beyond’, revealed that under Chappell, team India was divided into factions and there was a serious trust deficit. “The coach had his favourites, who were well looked after, while the others were left to fend for themselves. The team had disintegrated before our eyes,” he wrote. “Greg’s entire stint had been cause for bitterness. He was rigid and inflexible in his approach, and didn’t know how to run an international team.”

Shakib, Tamim return for ODIS against Windies DHAKA: Bangladesh selectors on Sunday recalled Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan to a full-strength squad for the three-match ODI series against West Indies later this month. The pair missed the Tigers’ last ODI series against Zimbabwe in October due to injuries. Squad: M Mortaza (captain), T Iqbal, I Kayes, S Sarkar, L Das, S Hasan, M Rahim, Mahmudullah, R Hossain, M Rahman, M Hasan, N Islam, M Mithun, Msaifuddin, A Hider, A Hoque.