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Monday,
April 29, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Indians forced to follow on Akram to retire after World Cup Vettori focused on Test series FCI beat PCC by 40
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Greatest upset in World Cup history Asian Games: swimmers undergoing intensive training
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Jeev falters in
final round Director, Sports, for cash-starved PSEB
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St Lucia, April 28 Mongia and off-spinner Sarandeep Singh resisted the Busta XI attack for some time after the Indians resumed at their overnight 73 for seven. They added 50 runs for the eighth wicket in 102 balls to take the score to 122. Sarandeep Singh was out when he guided a Gareth Breese delivery to slip fielder Runako Morton after making 32 with five fours. There was no scoring from either Harbhajan Singh or Tinu Yohannan, who remained unbeaten, but they lasted long enough to enable Mongia reach his half-century. Mongia scampered to his fifty with a quick single against Dinanath Ramnarine. He then hoisted Ramnarine into the long-on stands for a six and swept him from outside the off-stump to mid-wicket boundary to race into his sixties. He was out as the last wicket to Breese in the next over. India fell 287 runs short of Busta XI first innings score of 437. The end came one and a half hour into the morning session. Earlier, what looked as an opportunity for the reserve players to prove their worth turned out to be a major embarassment for the Indians as they found themselves in an extremely sorry state on the second day of their three-day match yesterday. After the bowlers found themselves at the receiving end of a run-onslaught from Busta XI, the Indian batsmen came up with a pathetic performance. Replying to an imposing total of 437 by the home team, thanks to a masterly 175 by Test candidate Wavell Hinds, the Indians had slumped to 73 for seven at close of play yesterday. With just three wickets remaining, it called for a miraculous effort from the remaining batsmen to score another 215 runs required for averting the follow-on. Indeed, the possibility of a humiliating defeat is looming large over the team that only five days ago had posted a historic 37-run win in the second Test against West Indies. The faint hopes of avoiding a follow-on lay on the shoulders of Dinesh Mongia who survived two easy chances to be unbeaten on 25, the highest of the Indian innings so far. Giving him company on the other end was off-spinner Sarandeep Singh on one. Going into the match with the aim of solving quite a few batting and bowling worries, the Indians had nothing going their way. After a none-too-impressive performance from the three spinners, the tourists’ hopes of finding a viable opening partner for Shiv Sunder Das too came a cropper. Mumbai opening batsman Wasim Jaffer, who was expected to bring an end to makeshift openers, was out for a first ball duck. Wicket-keeper batsman Deep Dasgupta, who has had more success as an opener than as a stumper, did no good to his prospects of making a comeback in the third Test and was dismissed for only seven after coming in at number three. Shiv Sunder Das himself did no better. Struggling to find his rhythm on this tour, the diminutive opener from Orissa could manage only 13 before being sent back by Kerry Jeremy. The Indians had lost the first three wickets for only 20 runs. Scoreboard Busta XI (1st innings): Ganga b Kumble 5 Smith b Sarandeep 91 W Hinds b Harbhajan 175 Morton c Yohannan b
Harbhajan 33 R Hinds c and b Kumble 10 Jacobs not out 55 Breese c Laxman b Yohannan 15 Ramnaraine c Sarandeep b
Bangar 15 Jeremy lbw b Bangar 7 Collins lbw b Yohannan 5 Powell b Yohannan 0 Extras:
(b-1, lb-10, nb-11, w-4) 26 Total: (all out, 104.2 overs) 437 Fall of wickets: 1-35, 2-250, 3-303, 4-334, 5-334, 6-391, 7-412, 8-425, 9-434. Bowling: Yohannan 19.2-2-84-3, Bangar 18-1-92-2, Kumble 30-3-112-2, Harbhajan Singh 19-2-58-2, Sarandeep Singh 18-1-80-1. Indians (1st innings): Das c Breese b Jeremy 13 Jaffer lbw b Collins 0 Dasgupta b Ramnaraine 7 Mongia c Powell b Breese 67 Bangar run out 1 Laxman b Ramnaraine 4 Ratra lbw b Powell 0 Kumble c Hinds b Ramnaraine 11 S Singh c Morton b Breese 32 H Singh c Powell b Ramnaraine 0 Youhanan not out 0 Extras (lb-4, nb-11) 15 Total (all out, 68.1 overs) 150 Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-20, 3-20, 4-40, 5-46, 6-51, 7-72, 8-122, 9-123. Bowling:
Collins 15-2-46-1, Powell 11-2-16-1, Jeremy 10-2-16-1, Ramnaraine 23-7-49-4, Breese 9.1-2-19-2.
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Pakistan complete series sweep Lahore, April 28 Malik, who replaced off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, struck 12 boundaries in a 142-ball 115 -- his personal best -- to propel Pakistan to 278 for five from their 50 overs. The injury-stricken visitors were all out for 212 in 45.4 overs. For Malik, adjudged man-of-the-match, it was his second one-day century in 23 games. SCOREBOARD Pakistan: Malik c Butler b Adams 115 Afridi c Horne b Adams 18 Youhana c and b Walker 53 I. Haq c Tuffey b Walker 35 M. Haq c Butler b Tuffey 28 Razzaq not out 22 Younis Khan not out 4 Extras:
(w-2, nb-1) 3 Total: (for 5 wkts, 50 overs) 278 Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-119, 3-191, 4-250, 5-262. Bowling:
Tuffey 8-2-29-1, Adams 8-0-57-2, Styris 9-0-65-0, Butler 10-0-46-0, Harris 5-0-32-0, Walker 10-0-49-2. New Zealand: Nevin b Waqar 2 Horne b Razzaq 28 McMillan c Inzamam b
Sami 38 Fleming b Malik 15 Vincent b Afridi 32 Styris st Latif b Malik 19 Harris lbw b Sami 37
Adams b Malik 1 Walker run out 10 Tuffey run out 0 Butler not out 2 Extras (b-3, lb-10, w-5, nb-10) 28 Total (all out, 45.overs) 212 Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-71, 3-83, 4-121, 5-142, 6-165, 7-169, 8-194, 9-195. Bowling: Waqar 5-1-22-1, Shoaib 4-0-23-0, Sami 8.4-0-42-2, Razzaq 8-0-38-1, Malik 10-0-37-3, Afridi 10-0-37-1.
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Akram to retire
after World Cup Islamabad, April 28 “That’s the plan and I don’t think there can be a better occasion to hang up my boots than the World Cup,” Akram said. “I would love to say my last hurrah against India in the home series. But you don’t always get what you dream of. At the moment, I have decided to quit after the World Cup and unless something strange happens, I am unlikely to appear against India,” the 36-year-old former captain told the daily, Dawn, in Lahore yesterday. Immediately after the World Cup, Pakistan is to host India for three Tests and five one-day internationals from April 7. The tour is subject to approval from the Indian government as cricket relations between the two countries have been stalled after the Kargil War.
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Vettori focused on Test series Lahore, April 28 “It’s very special coming to Pakistan and I hope to give something special and make it a memorable tour for me and for my team,” Vettori, 23, told reporters. Struck by injuries to top players, the tourists have already lost the one-day series but they are hoping to hit back in the Tests and are pinning their hopes on the Northern District spinner. New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming and coach Denis Aberhart have called Vettori their trump card in the two-match Test series, which begins here on May 1. New Zealand’s tour management wanted Vettori to feature in the final one-day match here but selectors back home overruled to give the spinner more time to recover from a back injury which recurred last month. “I know they look to me but I am under no pressure because I am used to being the only spinner in the side,” Vettori said. “I take inspiration from England’s Ashley Giles who did well here a few months back and look forward to doing the same.” Giles took 17 wickets in three Tests to inspire England to a 1-0 win in Pakistan in December 2000, their first series win here for 38 years. “I saw Giles and Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan bowling in Pakistan on television and it encouraged me that I can achieve the same,” said Vettori, who missed the three-Test series against Pakistan back home last year. His 39 Tests have yielded 130 scalps but he is yet to play Pakistan in the five-day game. “When you come to this part of the world you are expected to take a lot of wickets because of the turn that wickets take,” he said.
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FCI beat PCC by 40
runs Ropar, April 28 In the final FCI defeated PCC, Patiala by 40 runs. Batting first after winning the toss, FCI piled up 177 runs for the loss of nine wickets in the allotted 35 overs. Thanks to some useful contributions by Rajinder Bisht (32), Amarjit Kaypee (22), Sanjeev Sharma (22), and Gaurav Bambi (20). For PCC, Patiala, Lakhbir Lakha, Sukhwinder Tinku and Rajiv Sarhadi took two wickets each. In reply, the Patiala team was bundled out for 137 runs thanks to fine bowling by Pankaj Thakur, who took four wickets for 26 runs. Sanjay Sharma and Ved Parkash took two wickets each. For PCC, Patiala Sanjay Mahajan scored maximum 42 runs followed by Sukhwinder Tinku (30) and Harikishan Kali (23). Brief scores: FCI: 177 for 9 in 35 overs Rajinder Bisht 32, Amarjit Kaypee 22, Sanjeev Sharma 22, Gaurav Bambi 20, Lakhbir Lakha 2 for 20, Rajiv Sarhadi 2 for 23, Sukhwinder Tinku 2 for 35. PCC, Patiala:
137 all out in 31 overs. Sanjay Mahajan 42, Sukhwinder Tinku 30, Harikishan Kali 23, Pankaj Thakur 4 for 26, Sanjeev Sharma 2 for 20, Ved Parkash 2 for 28. Pankaj Thakur was declared man of the match while Sanjay Mahajan was adjudged the best all-rounder of the tournament. |
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Greatest upset in World Cup history Paris, April 28 An unknown quantity before the tournament kicked off, little was expected of the team from Kim Il-Sung’s reclusive Stalinist state when they arrived at their training camp in Liverpool. Viewed with a mixture of curiosity and hospitality by their English hosts, most discussion focused on the team’s diet of spicy kimchi and soy sauce. In football terms they were there strictly to make up the numbers, providing useful target practice for their group 4 opponents Russia, Chile and Italy before making a brisk return to Pyongyang. After all, the Koreans had only qualified for the World Cup by default, breaking an Asian and African boycott to secure a place at the finals via a play-off in Phnom Penh against Australia. North Korea’s opening match provided no hint of the heroics that would come later. Outmuscled and overawed by Russia, the ‘Red Mosquitoes’ were comfortably swatted aside 3-0. Defeat liberated the minnows however. More adventurous North Korea gave a good account of themselves in their next game, a last-gasp equaliser earning them a 1-1 draw with Chile. The point earned against the Chileans meant that against Italy in their final match, North Korea would have to win to qualify for the next round. Against a star-studded Italy side containing the likes of Gianni Rivera and Sandrino Mazzola they were given no chance. In fact, the no-hopers from beyond the 38th parallel created problems for their opponents, their speedy forward play stretching the lumbering Italian defence. On 42 minutes, Korea’s positive approach got its reward. Pak Doo-Ik dispossessed Rivera and sped towards goal before unleashing a powerful cross-shot which left Italian ‘keeper Albertosi beaten, North Korea 1 Italy 0. Despite attempts to claw back from the deficit, Italy were unable to break down the Koreans. They finished the game in shame, having resorted to a series of professional fouls in a vain effort to disrupt the underdogs. Korean players later remarked that they were mystified by the Italians’ descent into skullduggery: the concept of the professional foul was utterly alien to them. At the final whistle, Korea’s players collapsed in tears, overwhelmed at having pulled off an extraordinary result as cries of ‘Ko-re-a’ rang out around the stadium. Italy’s players, dumped out of the competition, returned to Rome to be splattered in a hail of rotten tomatoes. There was more to come from North Korea in the quarterfinals against Portugal. The Koreans raced into a dramatic 3-0 lead only for Eusebio to inspire a miraculous comeback, the Portuguese winning 5-3. What happened to North Korea’s team on their return to the ‘hermit kingdom’ has been the subject of conflicting reports. According to the British makers of a documentary film ‘The Game of Their Lives’ due to be screened for the first time later this year, the North Korean squad returned to a hero’s welcome, feted by the state propaganda machine.
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Asian Games: swimmers undergoing intensive training New Delhi, April 28 Lack of competition has made many of the swimmers rusty and out of shape. The Asian Age Group Championship is scheduled to be held in China from August 26 to 28 while the Asian Games will be held in Pusan (Korea) from September 29 to October 15. The top swimmers in the country had nothing much to during the past six months following the decision of the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) to skip the National Games held in Punjab late last year, due to lack of heating facility at the swimming pool for the games, even
though it was biting cold in Punjab then. The SFI also subsequently cancelled the senior national championship slated to be held in Delhi, though this time, a combination of factors led to the cancellation. But the top swimmers are determined to make up for the lost time as they are going through intensive training sessions, which will continue till the departure of the squad for the Asian Games. “The Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports have been very kind enough to sanction a six-month, non-stop coaching camp for the swimmers”, disclosed national swimming coach K.V. Sharma, who is also the administrator of the Talkatora swimming pool. National coach K.V. Sharma said out of the 59 swimmers called for the camp, 50 have turned up. Promising swimmer Rahan D’Souza of Bangalore has gone to Australia for training while Rehan Poncha, another talented swimmer from Karnataka, has been busy with his exams. Interestingly, the swimmers who have been found to be in ship-shape are those from Karantaka, as they did not slacken their practice programme even during the lean season. The swimming camp is being held under the watchful eyes of new foreign coach, Otto Kovacs of Hungary, and his Hungarian assistant Adam Nemeth. Otto Kovacs claims to have been part of the Hungarian swimming squad for the Atlanta Olympic Games, though he was not part of the final team of coaches who went to Atlanta. Otto Kovacs says he has 10 years of experience behind him as the Hungarian national coach, and his most famous disciple is Bela Szabados, who had won a bronze medal in the individual medley relay at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and a gold in the 200m free style in the world championships in Athens. Otto Kovacs said his favourite discipline was the 200m, as he himself was the Hungarian champion and record holder in the 100 and 200m events. The foreign coach has found some of the probables very talented, though there is a vast gap in the fitness level of the swimmers. Some of them are in good shape, and others are not. Kovacs said he needed at least a month’s time to separate the grain from the chaff, and presently, he is engaged in putting the swimmers through a rigorous grind day in and day out to get them back into to top physical and mental shape. “There will be a six-month non-stop camp”, revealed national coach K.V. Sharma. He said the swimmers are being put through intensive training sessions. A modern gymnasium has been reserved exclusively for the use of the swimmers, and they have also been provided with the most modern “swimming bench” to simulate their swimming strokes. A high-level team from the Sports Ministry and the SAI have recommended air conditioned rooms and bottled mineral water for the campers — luxuries never before accorded to the swimmers, who had always to fight for getting even the bare necessities. But all that is past. This time, the Government is determined to ensure that the swimmers bring some medals from the Asian Age Group championships and the Asian Games. K.V. Sharma said India’s thrust area is in events like free style relays (4x100 and 4x200, both in men and women), 50m free and 50m fly, and 100 and 200m fly. Ten sessions of hard training are being imparted every day, and if a session is missed, two are added to make up for the lost time. The last time, India had won a silver in water polo and gold in diving, besides some other medals, in the Asian Age Group Championships. Mr Sharma said the best swimmers will be shortlisted after trials in Delhi on June 16. Then the swimmers will leave for Chennai to participate in the junior national Championship to be held there from June 19 to 29, while the seniors will be put through selection trials for the Asian Games. From Chennai, the swimmers will travel to Hyderabad for a four-week coaching camp to be held at the newest pool in the Andhra capital, created for the forthcoming National Games. From Hyderabad, the swimmers will return to Delhi, and continue training here till their departure for the Asian Games at Pusan. Most of the probables called for the camp belong to Karnataka, Maharashtra, Serivices and Police. Other states have only negligible representation. Haryana’s promising swimmer and State record holder Anil has been added to the camp. The foreign coaches will be assisted by K.V. Sharma, Brij Kant (Police), Tapan Panigrahi (SAI, Pune), Padmanabh Rao (Karnataka), Satish Suri (SAI, Delhi), B Deb Choudhary (Bengal), K.C. Das (SAI, Gandhinagar), and one more coach to be nominated by national coach
K.V. Sharma. |
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Jeev falters in
final round New Delhi, April 28 According to information reaching here from the par-71 Sports Shinko Country Club in Hyohgo, Japan, Jeev made a birdie on the second hole, but they dried up thereafter. He made a bogey on the fourth to make the turn at even-par. On the back nine, he had bogies on the 11th, 12th and 18th as he finished the day at three-over 74. That gave him an aggregate of three-under 281 for the tournament. “I am very disappointed with the way I finished the tournament. Nothing worked for me today. But I am feeling very confident with the way I played the first three days and am now looking forward to the next event,” said the 30-year-old Indian. The tournament was won by Dean Wilson of the USA with a tally of 11-under 273. Wilson started the day with three birdies in the first three holes.
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Director, Sports, for cash-starved PSEB Patiala, April 28 Ironically, the process of appointing a Director (Sports) has been initiated when sports activity in the board has virtually come to a halt due to the management’s decision to clamp a ban on the recruitment of sportspersons. Various trade union leaders and a large section of employees have questioned the wisdom of the management in creating the post of Director as the board is not only taking austerity measures with lightning speed but is also trying every trick to pay salaries to its employees. The appointment is being criticised since an officer of the rank of Deputy Director (Sports) is already working on a permanent basis. |
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