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Thursday,
March 14, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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India’s
performance takes deep plunge
Gavaskar comments Hussain
saves England blushes |
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Yuvraj hits century Mongia
helps West score 416 Asian
giants Korea came closest to causing major upsets Mahindras
keep hopes alive C’wealth
Games Gopi’s new goal Punjab
cops upset FC Kochin Srinath,
Uppal win; Sunil loses HOA
chief’s plea on rural sports policy Decks
cleared for Devi Lal stadium
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India’s performance takes deep plunge
Kochi, March 13 After firing in unison in the first two matches, India swung to the other extreme with almost all the batsmen giving a below par showing. Unable even to last their quota of 50 overs, India were shot out for a paltry 191 after electing to bat on a wicket where they had scored more than 300 in both their earlier matches at this venue. The total was too meagre for the bowlers to defend and Zimbabwe comfortably cruised past the target in 44.2 overs with Craig Wishart bringing up the winning runs with a towering six off Dinesh Mongia after the scores had been equalised. Only Mohammad Kaif, who top-scored with 56, and Sanjay Bangar made substantial contributions after the top four batsmen had been dismissed for just 51 runs. But for their 86-run partnership for the fifth wicket, India would have cut a more sorry figure. However, once Bangar was out for 36 in the 34th over, India once again suffered a collapse. Harbhajan Singh made a useful 24 but that was hardly sufficient for India’s cause. Alistair Campbell (71) and Grant Flower (49) then almost put the match beyond India with their 105-run partnership for the third wicket after losing their first two wickets at the total of 39. The pitch, which earlier had a reputation of being more suited to batsmen, behaved in an entirely different manner today. The ball was slow to come on to the bat and bounce was uneven. The Indian batsmen did not help their cause by going for some indiscreet shots.
But the Zimbabwe batsmen were quick to learn from the Indians’ mistakes and did not try anything flashy. They waited for the ball and played mostly on the backfoot. The low asking rate ensured there was no panic at anytime. Indian hopes were raised when they dismissed opener Dion Ebrahim (3) and Travis Friend (15) cheaply but that was about all. By the time both Campbell and Grant Flower fell, Zimbabwe were just 19 runs away from victory. Playing without their star batsman Andy Flower, Zimbabwe never really felt threatened with Campbell and Grant Flower batting comfortably throughout. Campbell, who had a disappointing Test series before scoring a solid 84 in the first one-dayer at Faridabad, produced another fine knock and kept the Indian bowlers at bay. It was only when the total reached 144 in the 34th over, that he suffered a lapse of concentration and went for a big heave against off-spinner Sarandeep Singh, who replaced an injured Anil Kumble in the side, missed the line and was stumped by wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra. India had the consolation of dismissing Grant Flower also after 29 runs when Ajit Agarkar induced an outside edge for Ratra. But with only 19 runs remaining from more than eight overs, a victory for Zimbabwe was only a formality. Skipper Stuart Carlisle and Wishart duly completed the job without much ado. Carlisle hit Zaheer Khan for a boundary in the 44th over to equalise the score and Wishart hit his second six in the next over to give his side a 2-1 lead in the series. Earlier, India had their worst start in the series so far losing four crucial wickets by the 13th over. Mongia, skipper Sourav Ganguly, V V S Laxman and Rahul Dravid, all of whom had shone with the bat in the first two matches, were a flop show today and at least the latter three had only themselves to blame for their failure. Mongia was adjudged leg before wicket to medium pacer Douglas Hondo, playing in place of Andy Flower, in a debatable decision after scoring only four runs. Hondo, playing only his third one-day international, went on to dismiss Ganguly (11), Laxman (20) and last man Zaheer Khan (2) to return career-best figures of four for 37 for which he won the man of the match award. Probably frustrated at not getting a fluent start, Ganguly, in a bid to break the shackles, came dancing down to Hondo but missed the line and was clean bowled. Laxman, oozing with confidence from the two fine knocks of 75 and 52 in this series, started with a characteristic flourish and showed aggressive instincts during his short knock of 20 runs. But he paid the penalty for chasing a wide delivery outside the off-side from Hondo, giving a simple catch to wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu. India: Mongia lbw b Hondo 4 Ganguly b Hondo 11 Laxman c Taibu b Hondo 20 Dravid c Wishart b Mbangwa 6 Kaif c Wishart b Streak 56 Bangar c Hondo b Marillier 36 Ratra c Marillier b G Flower 3 Agarkar c Streak b G Flower 3 Harbhajan not out 24 Sarandeep c Carlisle b Marillier 3 Zaheer c Marillier b Hondo 2 Extras (lb-7, w-14, nb-2) 23 Total (all out, 48.3 overs) 191 FOW: 1-10, 2-38, 3-49, 4-51, 5-137, 6-147, 7-155, 8-157, 9-169. Bowling: Streak 8-0-27-1, Hondo 8.3-0-37-4, Mbangwa 10-2-31-1, Friend 2-0-10-0, Marillier 10-0-44-2, G Flower 10-0-35-2. Zimbabwe: Campbell st Ratra b Sarandeep 71 Ebrahim b Agarkar 3 Friend b Zaheer 15 G Flower c Ratra b Agarkar 49 Carlisle not out 21 Wishart not out 17 Extras (lb-5, w-5, nb-11) 21 Total (for 4 wkts, 44.2 overs) 197 FOW: 1-13, 2-39, 3-144, 4-173. Bowling: Zaheer Khan 9-1-41-1, Agarkar 10-3-28-2, Bangar 5-0-18-0, Harbhajan Singh 10-1-29-0, Sarandeep Singh 8-1-49-1, Mongia 2.2-0-27-0.
PTI  |
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Gavaskar
comments It really should not be a surprise to regular India cricket watchers to see the way the batsmen approached the task in the third one-day game. Did we not say complacency is the middle name of Indian cricket? When that takes hold, then carelessness is but a step away and that’s what we saw as batsman after batsman threw their wickets away playing absolutely forgettable shots. The biggest culprit was the captain, who in spite of knowing that India had lost the wickets of the in-form batsmen, Mongia and Laxman, with less than 50 on the board, played a horrendous shot which not only left him unbalanced and ungainly looking at the end of it but also left his stumps in disarray. It is not easy for most left-handers to look ugly in playing shots but the Indian skipper managed to look that and it also left his team in a hopeless situation. He has of course played that shot productively in some matches but considering the situation the team was in, it was a most irresponsible one. There was a recovery of sorts as the two youngsters, Kaif and Bangar put their heads down and batted with good commonsense. Bangar, in particular, needed the runs as he hadn’t scored any in the first two matches. It was their partnership which gave India’s total some substance though on a pitch that had a bit more bounce and a quick outfield it was going to be really tough to defend a score under 200. Once there was no rush of early wickets, Zimbabwe could play it coolly for there was no pressure of the run-rate and with Campbell continuing his good form and also lending his experience to the batsman at the other end there were no rush of blood shots that could have derailed the innings. Campbell has had some bother with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union in recent times and he looks determined to put it behind him and he has played with a responsibility that has helped a young inexperienced side to play the way they are and giving the much fancied Indian side a run for their money. Three half-centuries in three matches tells the story. The difference is mainly in the attitude and approach. In spite of the visitors not being used to dust and heat they were enthusiastic and energetic on the field and not only took some fine catches but also dived and skidded around to save valuable runs. The Indians looked listless when they found the Campbell and Flower duo’s partnership taking root and with some of the fielders needed to be hidden there was no pressure on the batsmen as they could take the singles comfortably. As the Indian coach candidly observed the best Indian players (read superstars) are the worst fielders and once they do not contribute in their specialised field of batting or bowling they become a liability to the side. With two matches left, Zimbabwe are in a position to beat India in the series and to prevent that India need to pull out a superhuman effort and not the tired, couldn’t care less one they exhibited in Kochi.
PMG |
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Kumble out; Yuvraj,
Karthik in
Kochi, March 13 The selection committee deferred to March 21 the announcement of the team for the West Indies tour. A board press release said the team would be announced in Mumbai after assessing the performance of the players in the last two one-dayers. Team: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman, Dinesh Mongia, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Sanjay Bangar, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Karthik, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Ajay Ratra, Vijay Bhardwaj, Tinu Yohannan.
PTI |
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Hussain
saves England blushes
Christchurch, March 13 Hussain’s 106 dwarfed the scoring efforts of his team-mates and salvaged a wretched position for England to finish with 228 after they had lost four wickets in a calamitious morning session. Hussain was the last man out after a near six-hour vigil at the crease out to a lbw decision, one of several dubious ones on the first day of the three-Test series. At stumps, New Zealand were nine for one in reply with nigtwatchman Daniel Vettori on four and Matthew Horne yet to score. Matthew Hoggard finished the day off well for England when he got the wicket of Mark Richardson in the six overs to stumps trapping him lbw for two. Hussain’s 10th century in his 67th Test came in 325 minutes off 244 balls with 14 fours. The next highest score was Mark Ramprakash with 31. If not for Hussain, England would have been reduced to paltry total on a portable pitch, which gave early zest for Kiwi strike bowler Chris Cairns. Hussain gave one chance on 52 when rival skipper Stephen Fleming misjudged an easy waist-high chance at slip off paceman Chris Drum shortly before afternoon drinks. The England skipper made Fleming pay dearly for his costly fumble. With Cairns zeroing in on line and length, New Zealand got instant reward for winning the toss and sending Nasser’s team into bat on a greenish pitch. Cairns, rationed in short bowling spells to get around a back problem, struck three times to have England wallowing at 46 for three before the tourists fought back to 87 for four at lunch. Cairns dismissed Marcus Trescothick and Mark Butcher for ducks with his third and fifth balls in a sensational opening spurt. Hussain came to the crease in the first over and helped settle the early clatter of wickets. Opener Michael Vaughan was hitting out and crashed sixes off Cairns and Chris Drum before he was out for an adventurous 27. Scoreboard England (1st innings): Trescothick c Parore b Cairns 0 Vaughan c Parore b Cairns 27 Butcher c Butler b Cairns 0 Hussain lbw b Drum 106 Thorpe c Fleming b Drum 17 Ramprakash c Parore b Astle 31 Flintoff lbw b Astle 0 Foster lbw b Drum 19 Giles c Drum b Butler 8 Caddick lbw b Butler 0 Hoggard not out 0 Extras: (b-1, lb-10, nb-9) 20 Total: (All out in 81.2 overs) 228 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-0, 3-46, 4-83, 5-139, 6-151, 7-196, 8-214, 9-226 Bowling: Cairns 15-4-58-3, Drum 20.2-8-36-3, Butler 16-2-59-2, Astle 18-10-32-2, Vettori 9-1-26-0, McMillan 3-1-6-0. New Zealand (Ist innings): Richardson lbw b Hoggard 2 Horne batting 0 Vettori batting 4 Extras: (lb-1, nb-2) 3 Total: (1 wkt, overs 6) 9 Bowling: Caddick 3-2-2-0, Hoggard 3-1-7-1. AFP |
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Yuvraj hits century
Faridabad, March 13 Vikram Rathore reached his hundred driving medium pacer Shabuddin through covers. The former India opener, however, was dismissed soon after when he holed out a simple catch at mid wicket off left arm spinner Sriram. Vikram stayed at he crease for 280 minutes and added 163 runs for the second wicket with Yuvraj. The left handed Yuvraj then took over and smashed the South attack to all over the field. He reached his 100 with the help of 14 fours and three sixes. His 150 came in 360 minutes and contained 21 fours in addition to the three sixes. So far the young batsman has struck 23 boundaries during his 400-minute vigil in the middle. Yuvraj added 110 runs for the third wicket with Manhas who made 44 with the help of eight fours. Scoreboard: South Zone: (Ist Innings) 168 North Zone: (Ist Innings) Chopra b Suresh Kumar 37, Rathore c Vijay Bhardwaj b R. Sriram 104, Yuvraj batting 163, Manhas c R. Sriram b R.V. Ch Prasad 44, Shafiq batting 27.
Extras: (b2, lb2, nb7, w1) 12. Total 387 for 3. Fall of wickets: 1-6 Bowling: Venkatesh Prasad: 30-9-75-0, S. Shahbuddin: 22-3-89-0, R.Sriram: 24-3-73-1, R.V. Ch Prasad: 11-2-39-1, Vijay Bhardwaj: 11-3-35-0, Hemang Badani:
01-0-8-0. UNI |
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Mongia helps West score 416
Rajkot, March 13 Central replied with 154 for four in their first innings with skipper Gagan Khoda batting on 76 off 134 balls with 11 fours and Kulmani Parida was batting on eight at stumps. West resuming at the overnight score of 286 for five, went for quick runs and Mongia, who was batting on 17 yesterday, and Sairaj Bahutule (batting 7) put on 74 runs for the sixth wicket in 139 minutes off just 92 balls. First to go was Bahutule. After making 35 off 92 balls with four fours, the Mumbai leggie was caught by Jyoti Yadav in the slips off medium pacer Harvinder Singh. Ramesh Powar (17) hung around for some time and after adding 34 runs for the seventh wicket with Mongia perished being caught by Harvinder Singh in the deep off leg spinner Narendra Hirwani. SCOREBOARD West Zone (Ist innings): William c Jalani b Hirwani 74, Jaffar b Harvinder 122, Kanitker c J. Yadav b Hirwani 0, Merchant c J. Yadav b K. Parida 32, Kambli c Gaud b Parida 6, Mongia not out 70, Bahutule c J. Yadav b Harminder 35, Powar c Harvinder b Hirwani 17 Buch c T. Singh b Hirwani 13, I. Pathan c Jalani b Parida 11 Patel c Gaud b Parida 5. Extras: (b-6, lb-12, nb-13) 31 Total (all out, 126.3 overs) 416 FOW: 1-173, 2-176, 3-252, 5-254, 5-264, 6-338, 7-362, 8-379, 9-402. Bowling: Harvinder Singh 20-3-69-2, S Srivastav 10-2-36-0, K Parida 35.3-5-96-4, N Hirwani 39-1-137-4, J Yadav 20-8-51-0, T P Singh 2-0-9-0. Central Zone (1st innings): J.P. Yadav c Kambli b Pathan 42, G. Khoda batting 76,
T.P. Singh c Kanitkar b Powar 1, Y. Gaud c Mongia b Bahutule 1, R. Ali b Pathan 14, K. Parida batting 8
Extras (b-4, lb-4, w-1, nb-3) 12 Total (for 4
wkts, 47 overs) 154 FOW: 1-75, 2-84, 3-115, 4-141. Bowling:
L Patel 8-2-46-0, I Pathan 16-3-49-2, R Powar 16-6-37-1, S Bahutule 7-2-14-1.
PTI |
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Asian giants Korea came closest to causing major upsets Kuala Lumpur, March 13 Playing well is the domain of many. Playing well when it really matters is the domain of but a few. Germany, Australia and the Netherlands emphasised this once again at Kuala Lumpur and deservedly captured the top three positions. Two decades has seen hockey transform and evolve into a completely different ball game but the top echelon has remained unchanged. There have been few better examples of ruthless professionalism and unflinching work ethic. At Kuala Lumpur the threat did persist. Asian giants Korea and Pakistan till the very end, appearing the most likely to succeed in their bid to dislodge the top three. But when in a corner, the big three were able to pull out that extra bit of pace, a tucked away ploy and, of course, the killer punch. Korea came closest to causing a major upset when they fought toe-to-toe with Germany in the semifinals and later let the Netherlands off the hook after having them on the ropes for most part of the bronze medal clash. Deprived of a bronze by a last gasp equaliser and a golden goal, Korea showed signs of establishing a permanent place in the top echelons of world hockey. Pakistan rode on the guile of the mercurial Shahbaz, a ferocious half-line and some scorching penalty corner conversions. In the face of some controversial umpiring decisions at critical times in the game against Germany, both teams maintained their composure on the field though there remained a residue and an unfortunate suspicion of bias. A few matches in World Cup 2002 would stay etched in memory. The pool match between Germany and the Netherlands, which witnessed breathtaking pace, both teams running at each other for the entire duration of the game and displaying skills of sublime variety. The semifinal between Australia and the Netherlands also set up rip-roaring stuff, the Netherlands finding the typically open hockey of Australia, as well as the weather, too hot to handle. Both matches epitomised the game as it exists in its present avatar - quick ball-rotation in defence, lightning shift from defence into attack and dribbling skills at maximum speed. The propensity to strike at goal from any angle once inside the circle was also in evidence. The final match too saw an exciting display of speed -Germany keeping their best for the end, outmanoeuvering Australia in the second half. The ‘no off-side’ rule was introduced five years ago to facilitate better flow and a glut of goals. Whether the end objective has been met remains a matter of debate but this rule has certainly influenced the tactical outlook of teams. It has, in fact, encouraged an over-cautious approach and teams invariably push as many players as possible behind the ball in defence. A defensive wall in front of the circle, reminiscent of soccer, makes the entry into the circle by dribbling extremely difficult. Artistic build-up through stick skills and short passes have therefore made way for long, sharp hits into the circle searching for a deflection. From inside the circle too, the strike across the face of the goal to the far post and out of the reach of the goalkeeper for a colleague to deflect home has become a very effective route to a goal. The World Cup winner for Germany also came off such a move with Oliver Domke sliding in to slot home. The grace and languid elegance of the weaving dribble was only fleetingly visible from players like Shahbaz, certainly a loss for hockey. Australia’s Troy Elder, the player of the tournament, had some stiff competition from some other outstanding performers and his team-mate Brent Livermore was just as outstanding in the central mid-fielder’s role. Top scorer Jorge Lombi of Argentina proved that age has not dulled his flair, as was the case with the exceptionally gifted Shahbaz Ahmed, whose periodic bursts of stick work kept Pakistan in contention and gave the crowd great thrill. Tien De Nooijer, the attacking mid-fielder from the Netherlands, was just as pleasing and bore a lot of the workload for his team. Jamie Dwyer, the young forward from Australia, impressed with his dash and ability to strike at goal. Wasim Ahmed, the diminutive left-half of Pakistan has matured into an attacking left-half and displayed poise even in tense situations. For leadership and field presence, Florian Kunz stood tall in Germany’s deep defence though he may not have been outstanding at all times. In goal, Australia’s Lachlan Dreher and Pakistan’s Muhammad Qasim were the pick of the lot. Baljit Dhillon and Dhanraj Pillay could have fallen into the outstanding bracket with better support from their team mates. It was, however, good to see the younger players of the Indian team, sponsored by Castrol, come good towards the end of the tournament. Hosts Malaysia need special kudos for superb organisation of the gruelling 72-match tournament. The nine matches that each team played in the 14-day tournament qualifies as hockey’s most gruelling test. FIH President Elsvan Breda Vriesman’s announcement of reverting to the old 12-team format emanated from the harsh experiences of both players and organisers and was met with great relief. The host team also managed a creditable eighth position finish and kept the crowd always interested. There could be no better ambience than an appreciative and disciplined crowd and this was a feature of Kuala Lumpur 2002. Training technology is reaching unbelievable levels and analysis and strategy have progressed remarkably. Coaches Bernhard Peters of Germany, Barry Dancer of Australia and Paul Lissek, the coach of Malaysia, impressed with the handling of their teams. India will have to make a paradigm shift in this area if they have to seriously offer a challenge. Germany emerged deserving winners of World Cup 2002 as were the other medal winners Australia and the Netherlands. They have adapted continually to changes in hockey, always staying a step ahead.
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Mahindras keep hopes alive
Margao (Goa), March 13 Both the goals came in the first half, through Jules Alberto in the 31st minute for Mahindra while Bolaji M Olibiye levelled it in the 43rd minute. With this drawn match, Salgaokar came on par with Kolkata’s Mohan Bagan and Vasco Sports Club with 28 points. Salgaokar could have won the match had they utilised the gilt-edge opportunities before them especially when Mahindra were reduced to 10 players. However, the goals continued to elude them. In an evenly balanced play, Salgaokar came with a good move in the first half when Alvito D’Cunha from the right flank crossed to well-positioned Sunday Seah but he failed to control the ball and wasted an easy chance. Mahindra, who desperately needed a win to be in contention for the title, played their hearts out and shot into the lead in the 31st minute of the first half through Jules Alberto from zero angle of a well-measured pass from the right flank by Antony Pereira. Salgaokar rode back into the game and restored parity to Bolaji following flag kick by Alvito D’Cunha two minutes before the breather 1-1. Bolaji’s power packed right footer found the net.
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C’wealth Games Gopi’s new goal
Hyderabad, March 13 In an informal chat with reporters at Petroleum Sports Control Board meet here, Gopichand, who returned yesterday after he failed to defend his All-England title by losing in the second round, said, “I am disappointed but one cannot expect too much out of me as it takes at least three months for a fracture to heal”. “I had very little time for training and I could not give 100 per cent due to the restrictions imposed to safeguard my injured ankle,” Gopichand said, adding that he did play some nice shots in the first game which he won. “My strategy in the second game was to play cool, show endurance and play out the opponent’s patience. But he was strong and I could not play the attacking shots to my liking as I could not jump for the smashes which resulted in a loss,” he said, expressing disappointment. But that is how things were, said the badminton champion, and expressed hope of playing competitive games while nursing his injury as he could “not abandon one for the other”. On future plans, Gopi said he would play a couple of tournaments but concentrate on Commonwealth Games to be held at Manchester, UK in July. Besides the Commonwealth, Gopichand said he would play the Japan Open slated for April 3 to 7 and be in Singapore in June. Some other events were yet to be included in the calendar, he said.
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Punjab cops upset FC Kochin Jalandhar, March 13 The match was played on a slow pace with none of the players of either team managing to enter the striking area. The first half of the game was rather monotonous lacking in spirit vigour. After 20 minutes of play Punjab Police attacked the rival defenders from the left flank but custodian Ali Abubaker of Ghana stopped the frail kick by Gurinder Pal Singh. After two minutes F.C. Kochin retaliated with little effect. The right-footed kick by V.P. Shaji was quite a distance from the target. After the breather, the game was much the same with some minor changes by Punjab Police as Gurpreet Singh was substituted for Harish Sharma. The last 20 minutes of the game was in favour of hosts Punjab Police as they raided frequently. The policemen hit back two minutes later but all their efforts went in vein. However, they managed to put pressure on the defenders of F.C. Kochin. The 35-yard kick taken by Harnek Singh touched the goalie’s hand and just bounced over the bar thus creating a little tension. The regular efforts by the policemen paid off in the last five minutes. Medio Kuldip Singh gave a pass to substitute Gurbinder Singh who hit and defeating Ghana custodian Ali Abubaker. Even in the last minute, wanting to consolidate their lead Punjab Police attacked again as Sher Singh dribbled pass numerous defenders finally to kick the ball over the goal post. Punjab Police triumphed with a solitary goal. |
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Srinath, Uppal
win; Sunil loses Chennai, March 13 With all eight quarterfinalists spotted in the singles category, Uppal had rather an easy win over Marian Leysek of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3; while Srinath got the better of a fighting Sonchat Ratiwatana of Thailand 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3. However, eighth-seeded Rohan Bopanna suffered a shock defeat to Israeli Deri Meir 5-7, 4-6. Vijay Kannan lost to Branislav Sekac of Slovakia 3-6, 7-5, 4-6; while Sunil Kumar Sipaeya, who went down to Mohamed Dakki of Morraco 4-6, 2-6, were the other Indians to bite the dust. David Sherwood (Eng), Tomar Suissa of Israel and Jakub Hasek of the Czech republic were the overseas players to make it to the last eight.
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HOA chief’s plea on rural sports policy Chandigarh, March 13 The policy provides for mobilisation of funds through various government of India sponsored schemes and that of the Haryana Government for promotion of sports in the rural areas. The policy also contains the procedure for involvement of rural masses, including women, children and the youth for running and maintenance of newly prepared and built up sports infrastructure upto block level. The HoA proposes that the state government should plan to provide mini stadia in all the 114 blocks. The policy also provides for a mini stadia in a cluster of the five villages having population of above 10,000. It is proposed that it should be the primarily duty of village panchayat to ensure providing space for a play field measuring minimum six acres. Such play fields would be converted into mini stadia, providing facilities for three to four games. Financial assistance would be provided by the government. |
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Decks cleared for Devi Lal stadium Sohna (Gurgaon), March 13 The last of the procedural hump of getting clearance from the state Cabinet has been overcome with regard to transfer of about eight acres of land from the Haryana Roadways for the stadium to the concerned authorities in the district. The administration is ready with the blueprint of the project and awaits a convenient date for laying the foundation stone of the stadium by state Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala. A senior functionary of the state government said that the foundation stone would be laid soon. The district administration has already procured an architectural design for the proposed stadium. The sports complex will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 25 lakh. The state and the local bodies will pool their resources for construction of the project. The stadium will be used as a nursery for raising and nurturing talents in rural sports like wrestling, kabaddi and volley ball. Incidentally Devi Lal was a skillful wrestler. |
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It
really should not be a surprise to regular India cricket watchers to see
the way the batsmen approached the task in the third one-day game. Did
we not say complacency is the middle name of Indian cricket? When that
takes hold, then carelessness is but a step away and that’s what we
saw as batsman after batsman threw their wickets away playing absolutely
forgettable shots.
Christchurch,
March 13
