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Thursday,
September 5, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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India look
to break jinx in Sachin’s 100th Test EXPERT
COMMENTS: IAN BOTHAM RUN-UP
TO SACHIN’S 100TH TEST — 2 CHETAN
SHARMA WRITES |
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Pakistan batsmen Saeed Anwar walks through Australian team members celebrating his dismissal during their
Tri-nations match at the Nairobi Gymhana Club on Wednesday.
— Reuters photo
Pete Sampras serves to Tommy Haas of Germany during their match at the
US Open in Flushing, New York,
on Tuesday. — Reuters
photo Bopanna,
Ramaswamy win Irani
out
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India look to break jinx in Sachin’s 100th Test
London, September 4 The massive come-from-behind innings victory in the previous Test has boosted India’s hopes of a series win that has eluded it for 16 long years. England, which won the opening Test at the Lord’s, suddenly find themselves under pressure. The controversy over the ICC contracts is an unwelcome distraction for the Indians but it does not appear to have made a dent in their confidence after the allround performance in the Trent Bridge Test. The visitors are likely to field the same team that squared the series 1-1 with an innings and 46 runs victory. It has been a long wait for the Indians but there can be nothing better than breaking the jinx in the batting maestro’s landmark Test. At 29, Tendulkar will become the youngest ever to play his 100th Test, joining fellow countrymen Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar in a distinguished list. Tendulkar, who scored a magnificent 193 in India’s biggest overseas victory in the third Test at Headingly, said it was one of his dreams to play 100 Test matches for India and hoped his joys would be doubled by a series victory here. “It’s (winning a series abroad) so important because that’s what we’ve been trying to do for so many years,” Tendulkar said. “Now the time has come when we stand a chance to win a Test series but we don’t want to put ourselves under pressure.” In fact, India came close to winning an away Test series on more than one occasion, the most recent being in Zimbabwe and the West Indies last year. But they failed to put it across and the 2-0 win against England in 1986 by Kapil Dev’s team still remains India’s last Test series win outside the subcontinent. But they seem better prepared and more determined than ever to finally make it happen here. They have been improving by leaps and bounds since their 170-run loss in the first Test at the Lord’s. They fought back valiantly to save the second Test at Trent Bridge and then came up with a brilliant team effort at Headingly to record their biggest ever overseas victory in a match that Tendulkar said was “an ideal” one for the Indians. The Indians even held back their celebrations after the win at Headingley till the series victory was achieved. With the pitch at the Oval likely to aid the spin bowlers, India are almost certain to go in with both Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. “I think you’ll find that our combinations will be pretty similar to Headingley. We may look at one or two things but we seemed to get the formula right there,” coach John Wright said. Though he did not say it in so many words, Wright also hinted that Sanjay Bangar, who played a sterling knock at Headingley to lay the foundation for a huge total, may once again be tried as an opener. “I think having Bangar open the batting made the difference and we had a good first day following on from that,” Wright said referring to the previous Test. On the other hand, the fortunes of England have gone from bad to worse. The injury worries have continued to haunt them. Marcus Trescothick, even though he has not recovered completely from a thumb injury, is likely to return to the team for the first time in this series but all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will miss the match to undergo a hernia operation. The England selectors have also recalled Ronnie Irani, who underwent a knee operation a couple of weeks ago to fill the all-rounder’s slot. With the Ashes tour to follow, England are desperate not to end up on the losing side in this series. Their batsmen have been doing the job more or less, but the bowlers have been erratic, especially in the Headingley Test. Except for Irani changing places with Flintoff, the England bowling line-up is likely to remain the same with Matthew Hoggard, Andrew Caddick and Alex Tudor forming the pace attack and Ashley Giles being the lone spinner. Teams (from): England: Nasser Hussain (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Robert Key, Michael Vaughan, Mark Butcher, Alec Stewart, Ronnie Irani, Dominic Cork, Ashley Giles, Andrew Caddick, Matthew Hoggard, Dominic Cork, Alex Tudor. Umpires: David Orchard (South Africa) and Asoka de Silva (Sri Lanka). Match-referee:
Clive Lloyd (West Indies).
PTI |
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EXPERT
COMMENTS: IAN BOTHAM The stage is set at The Oval for a wonderful conclusion to the Indian tour of England. The visitors certainly have the momentum on the eve of the crucial Test. The hosts must be thinking they should have won the second Test and also must be aware that they bowled like idiots in the third — not very happy thoughts on the eve of a decider. I would change nothing in the Indian team right now. The winning eleven were the right combination and showed the right amount of flair and attitude at Leeds. Hopefully, we will see more of the same starting on Thursday, with the weather looking promising over the next three-four days. It will be a big day for Sachin
Tendulkar, who will be playing his 100th Test at the Oval. I have been singing his praises since the start of the tour, and am amazed at the criticism he faces after a couple of low scores. He might just score a double hundred at the Oval — I put nothing past
Tendulkar. Besides it being a personal milestone, I am sure that he is aware of how crucial this Test is for India. A win at the Oval would give them their first series in 16 years. Quality players like to leave their mark in crunch games, and I’m sure Tendulkar is no different. The toss will be a big moment tomorrow morning, for the team that wins it will have a huge advantage. As the match progresses there will be turn as well as bounce, the latter getting uneven by the end of Day three. As far as England are concerned, the main debate is over whether or not Marcus Trescothick will play. By the looks of it, he will take the field on Thursday, which means Robert Key will have to sit out. Steve Harmison will also return to the side, with the team management having realised that the attack lacked firepower in the third Test. This means that the bowling attack will have Matthew
Hoggard, Andy Caddick, Alex Tudor, Ashley Giles and Harmison. Ronnie Irani has been released by the selectors, which is a good move as it will give him time to recover from an injury. In fact, I was amazed that they picked him in the first place. Even though Giles will be playing in this crucial Test, I am a little disappointed by the way he has bowled in the series. He seems extremely reluctant to come round the wicket after his Achilles injury. This is something he must sort out soon if he wants to continue at this level. The Oval has always been spinner-friendly, and I hope Giles will make amends here by bowling with some more assurance. If this Test is crucial for India, it’s no less important for England. A win here will not only give them the series, it will also give them the right sort of fillip prior to the Ashes. The atmosphere promises to be magical at The Oval. On both sides, the desire to win borders on desperation. I hope we get a great game, particularly since it will always remain a special one for a very special player.
(Gameplan) |
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RUN-UP
TO SACHIN’S 100TH TEST — 2 Sachin Tendulkar has often reminded me of a veteran army colonel who has many medals on his chest to show how he has conquered bowlers all over the world. Which is why I find it amusing when critics suggest that he plays well only at home. Do they realise that they are talking about a guy who has scored centuries in almost all the Test-playing countries? He only played at the start of his career in Pakistan and has not played too much in either Zimbabwe or Bangladesh – the two new entrants in Test cricket, otherwise I have no doubt he would have reached three figures in these countries as well. As far as I am concerned, he is by far the best I have seen or played against. I must admit that I was not entirely convinced that Tendulkar had something special about him when I first heard about him. It was prior to South Africa’s return to world cricket that the “Tendulkar buzz” was heard around the county circuit. He played a season for Yorkshire, but did not really get going. However, he did score one century in a Sunday league, the re-run of which I saw on television. There was a lot of Sunil Gavaskar in his style, and he also had the balance that nobody else possessed. But these were glimpses of potential and I did not think he would be consistently good for a long period of time. How wrong I was. Tendulkar got better and better with each passing year and today he is the most frightening batsman as far as bowlers across the world are concerned. Everybody is king at home, and scoring heavily in your backyard has never really impressed me. However, Tendulkar has 16 centuries outside India, which is more than half of all his centuries. Many quality batsmen end up with that many centuries in their entire career, so that number is a clear indication that we are talking about a freak player – someone who is as good and as consistent abroad as he is at home. As a bowler you have to have your gameplan ready before bowling to Tendulkar. Sachin looks to leave a lot of balls in the beginning, and as a bowler your best chance against him is in the first 20 minutes. During our team meetings, we often speak about the importance of the first 12 balls to Tendulkar. If you get him then you can thank your stars, otherwise it could mean that tough times lie ahead. Consistency is the factor that makes Tendulkar special. He is often spoken about in the same breath as Brian Lara, but as far as I am concerned, the comparison does not even begin. Lara is not half as consistent as Tendulkar and lacks the discipline of the latter. The left-hander plays in a more loose manner and is not that controlled or patient during the first 20 minutes of his innings. Lara was unbelievable in 1994, but he has never been able to recreate that magic consistently after that. Which is why I rate my dismissal of Tendulkar at Durban in 1996 as the best ball I’ve ever bowled in Test cricket. I remember that over very clearly. Tendulkar had just hit me for two boundaries, but I decided to stick to my outside-the-off-stump line. The ball just nipped back sharply and claimed his off-stump. It was a perfect ball and more importantly exposed a tiny chink in the army Colonel’s armour. Since then we have worked on bowling that ball against Tendulkar and have had some degree of success with it. I don’t know Tendulkar too well, but one of the main reasons for his success is that he is able to motivate himself all the time. He seems to be constantly assessing his game and setting new goals for himself. There’s a certain passion about the game that is unique to him and nothing excites him more than representing his country. At 29, Tendulkar is at the middle of his career and from here on he can score another 15 to 20 centuries, taking him close to the 50-century mark. He will continue to terrorise bowlers for another six to eight years, and hopefully he will be able to keep the motivation going. Great players often decide to retire out of the blue. This is particularly common among those who are family men because they find it increasingly difficult to spend time away from their near and dear ones. I’ve heard that Tendulkar is deeply attached to his children and might face such a crisis. However, like many admirers all over the world, I certainly hope that he succeeds in keeping his focus on the game for many more years. I think he owes it to the game and to his admirers.
(Gameplan) |
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CHETAN
SHARMA WRITES As a player I would never want to be in the same shoes as the Indian team in England. On the eve of a series-deciding Test match, their minds would be wavering, thinking, as much about cricket as the ICC’s controversial contracts. I still remember things were the same on the eve of the third Test also. But even after a gap of two weeks, the deadlock is showing no signs of being resolved. It’s a pity, Indians will be trying to win their first series outside the Indian sub-continent after a gap of 17 years with this controversy troubling them. I was very impressed with the way India won at Headingley and that effort will be wasted if they somehow don’t go on to win the Oval Test and with it the series. They have a very good combination, with the bowlers complimenting the batsmen and all they have to do is to put the controversies behind their back and get on with the game. Come on India, just do it. India’s batting will be their strength in this Test. From the top to bottom, from Virender Sehwag to VVS
Laxman, the top six batsmen have all been among the runs. They would love to play on the Oval wicket, which allows the ball to come onto the bat rather too well. As usual the first session will see the bowlers getting some movement and whichever team bowls first, they have to make use of the conditions. From the Indian point of view, winning the toss and batting first suits them. It was their gameplan at Headingley also but here it will be more potent. If their batsmen apply themselves like they did at
Headingley, it would mean that the two Indian spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh would get to bowl in tandem, in the fourth innings of the match in which the pitch will have dusted a lot. The Oval has a reputation of helping the spinners and this is India’s brightest chance. The match will be a memorable one for Sachin
Tendulkar, who will be playing in his 100th Test. It seems only the other day I was watching a young kid breaking into the Indian team and now he is on the verge of history. He will again be at the forefront of our batting. Who can forget his brilliant century in the last Test? If he continues with the same form, England bowlers beware, because there are
other like Sanjay
Bangar, Sehwag. Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and Laxman to attend to too. I wish the team wins the Test for Tendulkar so that we remember it for a long time. |
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Aussies
complete Pakistan bashing
Nairobi, September 4 Having dismissed Pakistan for 117 in 32.3 overs, Ricky Ponting’s side strolled to their third straight victory in the tournament and their second crushing defeat of Pakistan. Matthew Hayden struck an unbeaten 59 while Damien Martyn struck the winning runs to finish on 20 not out. Pakistan skipper Waqar Younis took the only Australian wicket to fall, bowling Adam Gilchrist for 15 while Ponting retired hurt on 21 with a knee injury. The result was never in doubt once Pakistan were reduced to 48 for seven at one stage of their innings as Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath caused havoc. Pakistan, bowled out for 108 in a 224-run defeat against Australia in their first meeting of the event, lasted just 32.3 overs as their op-order succumbed to a series of rash shots. Pace bowler Lee finished with four for 32 while McGrath was his usual miserly self, taking three for 15 off 7.3 overs. Only a ninth-wicket partnership f 4 between Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar spared Pakistan’s blushes - ul-Haq hitting 39 from just 49 balls including four fours and two sixes. He hit consecutive boundaries off Jason Gillespie before being caught behind next ball to give Gilchrist his 195th one-day international catch. Waqar, batting at 10, hammered 24 including a six off leg-spinner Shane Warne before being bowled by McGrath. Pakistan had won the toss and elected to bat but were soon in trouble when opener Imran Nazir was sent back by Gillespie, caught by Martyn at cover in the sixth over. Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan both fell in the 11th over with the score on 24. Shoaib was caught by Ponting at second slip off McGrath for one while Younis was out for a duck after edging to Gilchrist. Lee bagged his first wicket by having opener Saeed Anwar caught by Warne for 22 and then remove Azhr Mamod and Shahid Afridi as the middle order disintegrated. Warne chipped in to bowl Abdur Razzaq for a duck. Australia and Pakistan will meet again in Saturday’s final. SCOREBOARD Pakistan Anwar c Warne b Lee 22 Nazir c Martyn b Gillespie 7 Malik c Ponting b McGrath 1 Khan c Gilchrist b McGrath 0 M Ul-Haq c Gilchrist b Gillespie 39 Mahmood c Ponting b Lee 4 Razzaq b Warne 0 Afridi c Ponting b Lee 0 Latif c Martyn b Lee 12 Younis b McGrath 24 Akhtar not out 1 Extras: (lb-2, w-2, nb-3) 7 Total: (all out, 32.3 overs) 117 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-24, 3-24, 4-33, 5-45, 6-47, 7-48, 8-68, 9-112. Bowling: McGrath 7.3-2-15-3, Gillespie 8-1-33-2, Lee 8-0-32-4, Warne 9-2-35-1. Australia Gilchrist b Younis 15 Hayden not out 59 Ponting retired out 21 Martyn not out 20 Extras: (w-6) 6 Total: (for one wkt, 19.1 overs) 121 Fall of wicket: 1-32. Bowling:
Akhtar 1.4-0-11-0, Younis 4-0-26-1, Razzaq 7.2-2-46-0, Mahmood 5.1-0-32-0, Afridi 1-0-6-0.
AFP |
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Pete Sampras outlasts Tommy
Haas; Kuerten goes down to Safin
New York, September 4 Four-time US Open champion Sampras outlasted third seed Tommy Haas of Germany 7-5, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 7-5 here yesterday to reach the quarterfinals of the year’s final major championship. Next in Sampras’ path is Andy Roddick, the hard-serving 20-year-old American who idolised Sampras since boyhood. Roddick rallied to beat Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Tomorrow’s other quarterfinal will match two unlikely contenders — Grand Slam quarterfinal debutant Fernando Gonzalez of Chile and Dutchman Sjeng Schalken, who reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal in 29 tries at Wimbledon. Schalken, seeded 24th, ousted Brazil’s Gustavo Kuerten 6-3, 7-6, (8/6), 6-7, (5/7), 7-6 (7/4) while Gonzalez, seeded 28th, dispatched France’s Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-2, 6-3. Sampras fired 27 aces and 82 winners to capture his 200th Grand Slam match, the third-most all time, and sustain his hopes of a third consecutive trip to the Flushing Meadows final. Sampras had a more blistering response for Britain’s Greg Rusedski, who sneered after losing to Sampras on Monday that Haas would surely win because Sampras was a step and a half slower and nowhere near as strong as his glory days. In the fourth set, Sampras hit a backhand volley winner to seize a match point on Haas’ serve and the German double faulted to end the match after three hours and five minutes. In the women’s section world No 1 Serena Williams and reigning champion Venus Williams edged closer to making the US Open women’s final another Grand Slam sibling showdown while other Americans moved into position to block their path. Reigning Wimbeldon and French Open champion Serena Williams, wearing her black skin-tight “cat-suit”, beat Slovakian 11th seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-2 setting up a Friday semifinal against fourth seed Lindsay Davenport. Williams draws added incentive from bitter memories of a 4-6, 2-6 loss to Davenport in a 2000 quarterfinal here when she was the defending champion. Serena Williams, who turns 21 later this month, lost to her older sister Venus in last year’s US Open final but avenged the loss by beating Venus in this year’s Wimbledon and French Open finals. Second seed Venus Williams struggled past 14th seed Chanda Rubin 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 into a quarterfinal against sixth seed Monica Seles, who beat Martina Hingis 6-4, 6-2 to deny the Swiss star a seventh consecutive semifinal trip. Seles beat Venus Williams in the Australian Open quarterfinals and Hingis gives Seles a chance at pulling the upset and spoiling the family reunion final. “Against me she was dictating pretty much the game,” Hingis said. “She beat Venus in Australia but Venus has gotten better since then. You can’t compare my game right now to Venus’.” Davenport, who underwent right knee surgery in January and has played only five events in 2002, rallied to beat 61st-ranked Russian teen Elena Bovina 3-6, 6-0, 6-2. Davenport has reached the semifinals in 13 of her 17 most recent Grand Slam starts. Kuerten, who missed two months this year after right hip surgery, was unseeded here after being the top seed last year — a US Open first. But he showed his skill by ousting second seed Marat Safin of Russia in the second round. Gonzalez (22), reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, firing 15 aces and 39 winners past Clement to win in one hour and 47 minutes. Gonzalez also won their only prior match last month to open an ATP Masters semifinal run at Cincinnati.
AFP |
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Bopanna, Ramaswamy win
Chennai, September 4 In the first round matches late evening, Davis cupper Rohan Bopanna, hitting more consistently from the baseline, outplayed compatriot Shivang Mishra 6-2, 6-2 in straight sets, dropping just four games. Bruthans too brooked no challenge from another Indian, Rishi Sridhar except for sometime in the first set, before winning 6-4, 6-2. Ajay Ramaswamy stayed in contention with an easy 6-3, 6-4 win over Ireland’s Sean Cooper while Igor Branisa ended the run of another Indian qualifier Kedar Tembe, who put up a strong resistance in the second set, dragging it to tie-break. Igor won 6-4, 7-5 (4).
UNI |
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Irani out London, September 4 Irani only made his return to competitive action on Sunday following an operation on his right knee but claimed yesterday he was fit enough to withstand the Test.
AFP |
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