England face one-Test shoot-out in Auckland after washout

Captain Alastair Cook was backed into a corner by Cyclone Sandra, and had no option but to enforce the follow-on two days ago; yet he still ended up with a soggy stalemate in the second Test after just 35 overs were possible on Sunday, and then a long-predicted washout settled the issue yesterday.

This was a near mirror image of the draw in Dunedin last week.

There, rain wiped out the first day before England suffered an inexplicable first-innings collapse and then battled back with centuries from openers Cook and Nick Compton second time around.

In Wellington, rain held off until the last two days after Compton and this time Jonathan Trott piled up centuries and then, following their 254 all out at the first attempt, it was the hosts’ turn to show resilience.

The upshot is a potential decider at Eden Park, starting on Friday, and both captains appear satisfied with that knife-edge scenario.

“It’s now a one-match Test series,” said Cook. “Let’s hope we’re set fair for five days, and we can actually get a result.

“Both sides will just want to play five days in a one-off match – and the best side will win.”

Cook acknowledged England have so far got no more and no less than they have deserved.

“In Dunedin, we were behind the eight-ball because we didn’t bat very well for two sessions,” he said. “Then we did well to fight and hold on to that game.

“In this game, we played some really good cricket... but the weather didn’t allow us to win. I don’t think we’ve been too far off.”

His opposite number Brendon McCullum expressed a similarly rational view, and was enthused too by the possibility of a rare series win against England.

“We dictated the first Test; England held on and showed some fighting qualities – and we held on and showed fighting qualities in this one,” he said.

“Both teams will be reasonably comfortable that it’s 0-0 and it’s all to play for.

“We see it as a great opportunity to clinch a series win against England – which is something we’d all hold very fondly.”

Having failed to defend their Barbados Twenty20 Cup title, Yorkshire conclude their pre-season tour this week with a pair of two-day games that will serve as useful preparation for the County Championship programme.

They face Northamptonshire today and tomorrow and Nottinghamshire on Friday and Saturday.

Both fixtures take place at Windward CC as Yorkshire edge towards their Championship opener against Sussex at Headingley (April 10-13).

Nottinghamshire won the Twenty20 Cup final by seven wickets against Derbyshire.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni paid tribute to the batting effort which led India to a series victory over Australia.

The home side beat the tourists by six wickets in Mohali to go 3-0 up in the four-match series, as they chased down their fourth innings target of 133 with ease.

Dhoni hit the winning runs, three consecutive fours, and although he was keen to praise the team, he had a special mention for Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan, who put on 289 for the first wicket in the first innings. Dhawan’s 187 was the highest score by an Indian on debut, and the first Test hundred by a debutant Indian opener.