It was a mere formality, and early on Day 5, Australia hammered in the final nail into the wreckage that has been India's performances abroad since the tour of England. Out of that wreckage, change must come if India want better results.
The rumours of an impending retirement announcement turned out to be unfounded, but only so far as there was no announcement. The decision might well have been taken by at least Dravid and Laxman that Adelaide was their last Test match. If it is, then there is no more to be said, except accord a warm reception and farewell when the announcement is officially made and thank them for such sterling service to Indian cricket. If it is not though, then it makes matters more interesting.
For a start, both Dravid and Laxman have had an extremely poor series while batting. Tendulkar has been relatively better, but on an absolute scale, his numbers aren't really great either. It is worth noting though, that India will not play Test cricket away from home for a considerable period. And in the last Test series that was played at home - against West Indies immediately before the Australia tour - the two batsmen who had the highest averages and run aggregates were, you guessed it, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid.
That, however, doesn't mean the right way forward is to continue to play with the same team since all of India's cricket is in familiar conditions now.
All three stalwarts are in the twilight of their careers and it's better if they go at a time when there is enough space for the ones who will replace them to grow into Test cricket. This is the perennial problem that any country faces when it is blessed with a clutch of great players. Because the players are so good, they last beyond the ordinary playing spans of lesser players. Consequently, the generation of players that comes next has to sit on the fringes during their best years, and there is then, an inevitable downturn in fortunes while the transition happens.
The downturn has already happened for team India and the time to begin the transition, is therefore now. In England, India didn't have their strongest eleven for a match for any Test (thought that still doesn't mean a team should be blanked 4-0 by such huge margins), but in Australia the best possible team was sent and still returned with four equally huge defeats. It's therefore clear enough that change is needed.
It's not a question of whether the new generation will fill the shoes of the three stalwarts as well as the three themselves did. They might not, but then again, they might too. When Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman made their debuts in 1996 nobody could have predicted that they would help Indian cricket rise to such great heights. Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and the rest therefore deserve the chance to try and emulate the men they grew up watching.
And by 'emulate' they must emulate everything. When India won zilch abroad for decades, these men didn't sit back and say, 'Let them come to India, we'll beat them on turners'. They set themselves the goal of making India a force abroad, and to a large extent, they succeeded. And so, while it is the right time for the stalwarts to walk into the sunset, the way they played their cricket, and what they brought to Indian cricket must not be forgotten. They might be going, their legacy should stay.
Saturday, 28 January 2012
Pakistan demand respect from cricket world Abu Dhabi
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq on Sunday said he hoped his team's series win over test cricket's number one side England will earn them respect from the cricketing world after a turbulent period which tarnished their image.
Dogged by off-the-field problems like failed dope tests and lack of discipline, Pakistan cricket hit the lowest ebb on their 2010 tour of England when three of their top players were caught in a spot-fixing scandal.
The then Test captain Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were banned for conniving over the bowlers deliberately bowling no-balls during the Lord's Test against England, and getting paid for that by agent Mazhar Majeed.
Last November all three and Majeed were sentenced to prison terms by an English court.
But since the scandal, Pakistan have fared well both on and off the field under an astute captain Misbah.
Pakistan beat England by 72 runs in the second Test to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, their fourth series win on the trot and eighth win in 14 Tests under Misbah, who took over two months after the scandal.
And Pakistan's resurgence, Misbah feels should earn them respect.
"I think the whole world should acknowledge and accept that Pakistan cricket is coming up, the way our players are performing and they should accept it. Such (negative) things can happen anywhere and we must forget them," said Misbah.
Misbah, 37, stressed his team will build further on the success against England.
"We have put everything behind us," said Misbah, who has led from the front hitting 12 fifties as captain.
"I think whichever team is doing well it should be accepted, our team deserves that and with the self confidence we have, we can do better."
Coach Mohsin Khan, who rather unluckily will be replaced by former Australian batsman Dav Whamore after the series, said these are good days to relish after the bad times.
"I definitely agree with Misbah, we deserve more respect for the performances we have put together," said Khan, a former opener.
"Pakistan cricket has suffered badly in the last two years but the management and the team has done well to transform it."
Khan said the impressive win over England will only improve Pakistan's image.
"A win over the world's top team is the best thing Pakistan could have achieved," said Khan, who was appointed interim coach after Waqar Younis quit the post in September last year.
Former captain Ramiz Raja said Pakistan have earned respect.
"I think they have earned respect," said Raja, now a widely travelled cricket commentator. "They deserve a lot of praise for the manner in which they have beaten the world's best side, its no mean achievement."
Raja said the whole nation -- embroiled in terrorism, corruption and bad governance -- can take a lead from the cricket team.
"I think the whole nation can take the lead from the sequence of the team's wins. The team has shown more wisdom, sincerity and hard work which people in Pakistan should match in all walks of lives," said Raja.
"No praise is enough for this team which has lifted its image and the way they have beaten the world's best team like toddlers is a great achievement," said Raja.
Dogged by off-the-field problems like failed dope tests and lack of discipline, Pakistan cricket hit the lowest ebb on their 2010 tour of England when three of their top players were caught in a spot-fixing scandal.
The then Test captain Salman Butt and pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were banned for conniving over the bowlers deliberately bowling no-balls during the Lord's Test against England, and getting paid for that by agent Mazhar Majeed.
Last November all three and Majeed were sentenced to prison terms by an English court.
But since the scandal, Pakistan have fared well both on and off the field under an astute captain Misbah.
Pakistan beat England by 72 runs in the second Test to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, their fourth series win on the trot and eighth win in 14 Tests under Misbah, who took over two months after the scandal.
And Pakistan's resurgence, Misbah feels should earn them respect.
"I think the whole world should acknowledge and accept that Pakistan cricket is coming up, the way our players are performing and they should accept it. Such (negative) things can happen anywhere and we must forget them," said Misbah.
Misbah, 37, stressed his team will build further on the success against England.
"We have put everything behind us," said Misbah, who has led from the front hitting 12 fifties as captain.
"I think whichever team is doing well it should be accepted, our team deserves that and with the self confidence we have, we can do better."
Coach Mohsin Khan, who rather unluckily will be replaced by former Australian batsman Dav Whamore after the series, said these are good days to relish after the bad times.
"I definitely agree with Misbah, we deserve more respect for the performances we have put together," said Khan, a former opener.
"Pakistan cricket has suffered badly in the last two years but the management and the team has done well to transform it."
Khan said the impressive win over England will only improve Pakistan's image.
"A win over the world's top team is the best thing Pakistan could have achieved," said Khan, who was appointed interim coach after Waqar Younis quit the post in September last year.
Former captain Ramiz Raja said Pakistan have earned respect.
"I think they have earned respect," said Raja, now a widely travelled cricket commentator. "They deserve a lot of praise for the manner in which they have beaten the world's best side, its no mean achievement."
Raja said the whole nation -- embroiled in terrorism, corruption and bad governance -- can take a lead from the cricket team.
"I think the whole nation can take the lead from the sequence of the team's wins. The team has shown more wisdom, sincerity and hard work which people in Pakistan should match in all walks of lives," said Raja.
"No praise is enough for this team which has lifted its image and the way they have beaten the world's best team like toddlers is a great achievement," said Raja.
Pakistan demolish England by 72 runs to win series
Pakistan also took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. This was Pakistan’s seventh Test series win against England.
Pakistan won the first Test in Dubai by ten wickets. The third Test will also be played in Dubai from February 3.
This is England's first series defeat after being unbeaten in their previous nine since their loss to the West Indies in early 2009 -- a sequence which saw them rise to world number one in the Test rankings in August last year.
Chasing an easy target of 145 runs to win, England were bundled out for a mere 72, their lowest ever total in a Test innings against Pakistan.
Left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman grabbed six wickets for 25 runs in his career best bowling while off-spinner Saeed Ajmal claimed three for 22.
Rehman was ably assisted by off-spinners Saeed Ajmal (3-22) and Mohammad
Hafeez (1-11) in a match which saw spinners dominate from the first day.
England lost their top four batsmen in the space of just 37 balls after an extra cautious start on a difficult pitch.
England captain Andrew Strauss topscored with 32 before he became one of Rehman's victims during his maiden five-wicket haul.
In the penultimate over before tea, Rehman trapped Kevin Pietersen (one) and two balls later bowled Eoin Morgan (nought) to raise hopes of an unlikely win for Pakistan.
Sensing they could only upset their rivals through early wickets, Pakistan opened the bowling with off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez who responded well by catching Alastair Cook (seven) off his own bowling after England had edged cautiously to 21 by the 15th over.
Bell, promoted to number three after Jonathan Trott was unwell, was all at sea against master spinner Saeed Ajmal and his tentative push went through his legs to hit the stumps. He made only three.
Pietersen, who has been woefully out of form making just 16 runs in the series, managed one more before Rehman trapped him and in the same over had the equally out of form Morgan bowled to dent England's hopes of a victory.
Rehman then accounted for Trott (one) and Stuart Broad (nought) in the same over to leave England 7-68.
Ajmal dismissed Graeme Swann (nought) and Matt Prior (18) to complete his 100 Test wickets in his 19th match before Anderson was caught off Rehman to give Pakistan a sensational win.
England's previous lowest against Pakistan was 130 -- made on two occasions at The Oval in 1954 and Lahore in 1987.
Earlier, Pakistan lost their last six wickets with the addition of 89 runs after resuming at 125-4, with all hopes pinned on Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq.
Rehman's effort overshadowed Monty Panesar's 6-62, in his first Test for 30 months, which finished Pakistan's second innings at 214 in the morning.
Panesar took three of those wickets to finish with his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests.
Azhar Ali (68) and Asad Shafiq (43) added 88 for the fifth wicket before Panesar struck.
But England's decision to take the second new ball as soon as it was due paid rich dividends as Anderson removed the dangerman Ali with a sharp rising delivery which caught the edge and was caught behind by Prior.
Broad then had Adnan Akmal (13) caught by Strauss in the slips off an ambitious drive in the next over as Pakistan wilted.
Rehman (10) and Ajmal (17) added an invaluable 36 for the eighth wicket before Panesar wrapped up the innings by taking the last two wickets.
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
India fight back against Australia’s huge score in final Test
Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke both hit masterful double centuries to drive Australia to 604 for seven declared before their bowlers reduced India to 61 for two at the end of second day of the fourth Test on Wednesday.
Sachin Tendulkar, who had made 12 not out, and Gautam Gambhir, unbeaten on 30, were at the crease at stumps after the in-form Australian pace attack dismissed stand-in India captain Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid.
Clarke, who made 210, and his predecessor as Australia captain Ponting, who scored 221, batted through the morning session for a record fourth-wicket stand of 386 at a sweltering
Adelaide Oval.
They were separated two balls after lunch when Clarke was bowled by Umesh Yadav and three more wickets fell before tea as the Australian batsmen went for their shots on a good batting wicket.
Perhaps mindful that England declared on 551-6 at the Adelaide Oval in 2006 and still lost the Test, Clarke waited until the scored passed 600 after seven overs of the final
session before calling time on the Australian first innings.
Paceman Peter Siddle struck in the first ball of his first over to remove Sehwag caught and bowled for 18 after the opener got the bottom of his bat onto a full toss.
Dravid was bowled for the sixth time in seven innings in the series in the next over, deceived by a Ben Hilfenhaus delivery that struck the Indian on his elbow and hit the stumps.
Already 3-0 down in the series after three emphatic defeats, India had laboured in the field as Clarke and Ponting ruthlessly, and often stylishly, drove home their advantage.
Resuming at 335-3, they passed their own record partnership for Australia against India of 288, which they set in the Sydney test, inside the first hour.
The next mark to fall was the all-time record partnership for the Adelaide Oval, which came when they exceeded the 341 that Eddie Barlow and Graeme Pollock shared in 1964.
Clarke brought up his second double century of the series after his unbeaten 329 in the Sydney Test just before lunch with two runs through mid-wicket, celebrating with his ritual kiss of the insignia on his helmet.
The 30-year-old took 361 minutes and 255 balls to reach the milestone with another imperious display, which included 25 fours and one six.
Ponting was not far behind but was forced to wait nervously over the lunch break for his second double century against India at Adelaide after the 242 he hit in a losing cause in 2003-04.
The sixth double century of his career finally came courtesy of a trademark pull to midwicket for his 21st four in the 459-minute, 357-ball innings and the celebration left no doubt what it meant to the Tasmanian.
Clarke had already departed after being bowled between bat and pad by paceman Umesh Yadav, the first wicket to fall in more than three full sessions.
The stand was two runs short of the Australian record for a fourth-wicket partnership set by Donald Bradman and Bill Ponsford when they made 388 at Headingly in 1934.
Mike Hussey, who had waited six hours and 20 minutes to bat, made a quickfire 25 from 33 balls before a brilliant Gambhir throw ran him out.
Ponting followed soon afterwards when another pull off Zaheer Khan found a leaping Tendulkar on the mid-wicket boundary.
Spinner Ravi Ashwin's carrom ball accounted for Peter Siddle (2) to give wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, standing in for banned India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, his first test catch.
Brad Haddin, who hit a six to open his account, had made 42 not out and shared a 71-run partnership with Ryan Harris (35 not out) when Clarke called them back to the dressing room.
Sachin Tendulkar, who had made 12 not out, and Gautam Gambhir, unbeaten on 30, were at the crease at stumps after the in-form Australian pace attack dismissed stand-in India captain Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid.
Clarke, who made 210, and his predecessor as Australia captain Ponting, who scored 221, batted through the morning session for a record fourth-wicket stand of 386 at a sweltering
Adelaide Oval.
They were separated two balls after lunch when Clarke was bowled by Umesh Yadav and three more wickets fell before tea as the Australian batsmen went for their shots on a good batting wicket.
Perhaps mindful that England declared on 551-6 at the Adelaide Oval in 2006 and still lost the Test, Clarke waited until the scored passed 600 after seven overs of the final
session before calling time on the Australian first innings.
Paceman Peter Siddle struck in the first ball of his first over to remove Sehwag caught and bowled for 18 after the opener got the bottom of his bat onto a full toss.
Dravid was bowled for the sixth time in seven innings in the series in the next over, deceived by a Ben Hilfenhaus delivery that struck the Indian on his elbow and hit the stumps.
Already 3-0 down in the series after three emphatic defeats, India had laboured in the field as Clarke and Ponting ruthlessly, and often stylishly, drove home their advantage.
Resuming at 335-3, they passed their own record partnership for Australia against India of 288, which they set in the Sydney test, inside the first hour.
The next mark to fall was the all-time record partnership for the Adelaide Oval, which came when they exceeded the 341 that Eddie Barlow and Graeme Pollock shared in 1964.
Clarke brought up his second double century of the series after his unbeaten 329 in the Sydney Test just before lunch with two runs through mid-wicket, celebrating with his ritual kiss of the insignia on his helmet.
The 30-year-old took 361 minutes and 255 balls to reach the milestone with another imperious display, which included 25 fours and one six.
Ponting was not far behind but was forced to wait nervously over the lunch break for his second double century against India at Adelaide after the 242 he hit in a losing cause in 2003-04.
The sixth double century of his career finally came courtesy of a trademark pull to midwicket for his 21st four in the 459-minute, 357-ball innings and the celebration left no doubt what it meant to the Tasmanian.
Clarke had already departed after being bowled between bat and pad by paceman Umesh Yadav, the first wicket to fall in more than three full sessions.
The stand was two runs short of the Australian record for a fourth-wicket partnership set by Donald Bradman and Bill Ponsford when they made 388 at Headingly in 1934.
Mike Hussey, who had waited six hours and 20 minutes to bat, made a quickfire 25 from 33 balls before a brilliant Gambhir throw ran him out.
Ponting followed soon afterwards when another pull off Zaheer Khan found a leaping Tendulkar on the mid-wicket boundary.
Spinner Ravi Ashwin's carrom ball accounted for Peter Siddle (2) to give wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, standing in for banned India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, his first test catch.
Brad Haddin, who hit a six to open his account, had made 42 not out and shared a 71-run partnership with Ryan Harris (35 not out) when Clarke called them back to the dressing room.
Pakistan steady after losing openers
Pakistan were 61 runs for two wickets at lunch on the opening day of the second Test against England here at the Sheikh Zayad Stadium on Wednesday.
Batsmen at the crease were Azhar Ali (13) and Younis Khan (6).
After captain Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and decided to bat, Pakistan openers Mohammad Hafeez and Taufiq Umar succeeded again to record a fifty-plus opening wicket partnership.
However, left-handed batsman Taufiq made exit on 16 when Paksitan reached 51 and ten runs later other opener Hafeez also departed for 31.
Batsmen at the crease were Azhar Ali (13) and Younis Khan (6).
After captain Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss and decided to bat, Pakistan openers Mohammad Hafeez and Taufiq Umar succeeded again to record a fifty-plus opening wicket partnership.
However, left-handed batsman Taufiq made exit on 16 when Paksitan reached 51 and ten runs later other opener Hafeez also departed for 31.
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Misbah, Strauss expect heavy workload for bowlers
Rival captains Misbah-ul Haq and Andrew Strauss expect tough work for bowlers on a batting-friendly pitch at Abu Dhabi Stadium where the second Test starts on Wednesday.
The two Tests played here were drawn with three double hundreds and two centuries, and the last one saw Pakistan letting Sri Lanka off by dropping seven catches in the second innings. Pakistan also drew with South Africa here.
But despite that Pakistan have edge with off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in good form, having taken a career-best 7-55 during his 10-wicket haul which helped his team win the first Test by 10 wickets in Dubai inside three days.
"Ajmal got 10 wickets which created so much pressure on England so I think that is really an edge for us but at the same time I think the nature of the pitch here will make it tough to get 20 wickets," said Misbah on Tuesday.
Misbah urged the bowlers to stick to discipline and basics.
"I think you have to come out hard and just bowl a disciplined line and bowl according to the weakness of the batsmen, and just try to exploit the conditions but I think it will be really really tough to get wickets here," said Misbah.
Misbah said his team was ready for a backlash from England, who have not lost a Test series since January 2009.
"There is no doubt that England, being the world number one team, will try their 100 percent best and stage a strong comeback. We are ready for them," said Misbah, who has not lost a series since taking over as captain in October 2010.
Pakistan were likely to retain the winning combination, but if the pitch seems to offer initial pace they could replace paceman Aizaz Cheema with left-armer Junaid Khan.
England will wait on the fitness of paceman Chris Tremlett who has a sore back.
England captain Andrew Strauss agreed that the pitch looked good for batting.
"At the moment it looks a very good wicket, there's no doubt about that. We are expecting it to be very good wicket for batting," said Strauss, whose team has not lost two Tests in a row since beaten by South Africa in July 2008.
England have also managed to win just three times after going down 1-0 in a three-match series.
And Strauss realised it would be a tough challenge.
"It's a big challenge for us and one I personally really looking forward to. We clearly let ourselves down at Dubai, we got to hold up our hands and say there are no excuses for that," said Strauss who will open with Alastair Cook in their 100th innings.
About his own batting form which saw him dismissed for 19 and six in the first Test, Strauss said he hopes to overcome the slump.
"It's obviously disappointing and certainly not getting runs in the last game was disappointing for me but having been around the Test match scene for a while now I know form ebbs and flows and one innings can completely change both your perspective and others' perspective in how well you're playing.
"I do think I've been hitting the ball well and hopefully that means there's a nice recipe in place to go on and get a big score," said Strauss, who has scored only one hundred in the last 30 months, at Brisbane in 2010.
When asked whether Ajmal's bowling action, questioned by various quarters after the Dubai Test, could threaten the sense of harmony between the two teams, Strauss said: "Maybe, but you're not going to hear any discussion about it from us.
"It's not an issue for us, it's not something we're concerned about, we're far more concerned about coming onto the pitch and winning this game."
The third and final Test will be played in Dubai from February 3 to 7. Both teams will also play four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals.
The two Tests played here were drawn with three double hundreds and two centuries, and the last one saw Pakistan letting Sri Lanka off by dropping seven catches in the second innings. Pakistan also drew with South Africa here.
But despite that Pakistan have edge with off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in good form, having taken a career-best 7-55 during his 10-wicket haul which helped his team win the first Test by 10 wickets in Dubai inside three days.
"Ajmal got 10 wickets which created so much pressure on England so I think that is really an edge for us but at the same time I think the nature of the pitch here will make it tough to get 20 wickets," said Misbah on Tuesday.
Misbah urged the bowlers to stick to discipline and basics.
"I think you have to come out hard and just bowl a disciplined line and bowl according to the weakness of the batsmen, and just try to exploit the conditions but I think it will be really really tough to get wickets here," said Misbah.
Misbah said his team was ready for a backlash from England, who have not lost a Test series since January 2009.
"There is no doubt that England, being the world number one team, will try their 100 percent best and stage a strong comeback. We are ready for them," said Misbah, who has not lost a series since taking over as captain in October 2010.
Pakistan were likely to retain the winning combination, but if the pitch seems to offer initial pace they could replace paceman Aizaz Cheema with left-armer Junaid Khan.
England will wait on the fitness of paceman Chris Tremlett who has a sore back.
England captain Andrew Strauss agreed that the pitch looked good for batting.
"At the moment it looks a very good wicket, there's no doubt about that. We are expecting it to be very good wicket for batting," said Strauss, whose team has not lost two Tests in a row since beaten by South Africa in July 2008.
England have also managed to win just three times after going down 1-0 in a three-match series.
And Strauss realised it would be a tough challenge.
"It's a big challenge for us and one I personally really looking forward to. We clearly let ourselves down at Dubai, we got to hold up our hands and say there are no excuses for that," said Strauss who will open with Alastair Cook in their 100th innings.
About his own batting form which saw him dismissed for 19 and six in the first Test, Strauss said he hopes to overcome the slump.
"It's obviously disappointing and certainly not getting runs in the last game was disappointing for me but having been around the Test match scene for a while now I know form ebbs and flows and one innings can completely change both your perspective and others' perspective in how well you're playing.
"I do think I've been hitting the ball well and hopefully that means there's a nice recipe in place to go on and get a big score," said Strauss, who has scored only one hundred in the last 30 months, at Brisbane in 2010.
When asked whether Ajmal's bowling action, questioned by various quarters after the Dubai Test, could threaten the sense of harmony between the two teams, Strauss said: "Maybe, but you're not going to hear any discussion about it from us.
"It's not an issue for us, it's not something we're concerned about, we're far more concerned about coming onto the pitch and winning this game."
The third and final Test will be played in Dubai from February 3 to 7. Both teams will also play four one-day and three Twenty20 internationals.
Jayawardene named captain after Dilshan quits
Tillakaratne Dilshan resigned as Sri Lanka's cricket captain in all three forms of the game on Monday following the team's disastrous tour of South Africa, officials said.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) named former captain Mahela Jayawardene -- who led
the side to the World Cup final in 2007 -- as skipper for next month's triangular one-day series in Australia, also featuring India.
Dilshan, 35, took up the captaincy on a series-to-series basis after Kumar Sangakkara stepped down following Sri Lanka's defeat in the 2011 World Cup final against India.
Sri Lanka lost both the Test and one-day series in South Africa, though they recovered a measure of pride with victory in the final two limited-overs games, the last on Sunday.
Under Dilshan, Sri Lanka lost Test and one-day series against England, Australia, Pakistan and South Africa.
While Dilshan's own batting form suffered during his reign, he led the team to a historic Test win in Durban this year -- Sri Lanka's first on South African soil.
There was no immediate comment from Dilshan, who has so far scored 4,662 runs in 77 Tests and 5,896 runs in 224 one-day internationals.
His replacement is part of an ongoing shake-up after the national team's recent poor run abroad against South Africa and Pakistan.
Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage last week named a four-member selection panel headed by Asantha de Mel, a former national player, and gave them one year to put the team in order.
Australian coach Geoff Marsh and team manager Anura Tennakoon are also tipped to be replaced, local media reported over the weekend. Marsh was appointed in September 2011 for two years.
Former South Africa coach Graham Ford is due in the island on Tuesday to replace Marsh, the state-run Daily News said Monday.
Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) named former captain Mahela Jayawardene -- who led
the side to the World Cup final in 2007 -- as skipper for next month's triangular one-day series in Australia, also featuring India.
Dilshan, 35, took up the captaincy on a series-to-series basis after Kumar Sangakkara stepped down following Sri Lanka's defeat in the 2011 World Cup final against India.
Sri Lanka lost both the Test and one-day series in South Africa, though they recovered a measure of pride with victory in the final two limited-overs games, the last on Sunday.
Under Dilshan, Sri Lanka lost Test and one-day series against England, Australia, Pakistan and South Africa.
While Dilshan's own batting form suffered during his reign, he led the team to a historic Test win in Durban this year -- Sri Lanka's first on South African soil.
There was no immediate comment from Dilshan, who has so far scored 4,662 runs in 77 Tests and 5,896 runs in 224 one-day internationals.
His replacement is part of an ongoing shake-up after the national team's recent poor run abroad against South Africa and Pakistan.
Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage last week named a four-member selection panel headed by Asantha de Mel, a former national player, and gave them one year to put the team in order.
Australian coach Geoff Marsh and team manager Anura Tennakoon are also tipped to be replaced, local media reported over the weekend. Marsh was appointed in September 2011 for two years.
Former South Africa coach Graham Ford is due in the island on Tuesday to replace Marsh, the state-run Daily News said Monday.
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