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Tuesday,
August 19, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Five-minute zone holds the key India’s inconsistency hard to explain Hockey team relives Sydney horror Argentina beat Germany 3-1 Kirtley scalps 6 as England level series |
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Big time cricket returns to Pak Anand completes hat-trick Unheralded Micheel lifts PGA crown
Germany not favourites, says Ballack
PSEB upset BSF
Youth basketball meet
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Five-minute zone holds the key for India Amstelveen, August 18 Australian coach Barry Dancer, who would have repeatedly looked at the suspect Indian defence collapse in the last five minutes of a match, would have derived much hope for the crucial pool tie tomorrow even though he admits that it’s difficult to stop the Indians once they are on a roll. “India are tough, very tough. But they are also suspect under pressure. If they are on top, you just cannot control them but under pressure and the opponent could have a match too,” Dancer told UNI. If that is a fact, then Dancer is not far from the truth. But give a chance to Indian coach Rajinder Singh and he would say the same about the Aussies. “We saw them lose 3-5 to Holland yesterday and there are gaps in the defence. But the match is about strengths and not weaknesses. The two teams have both and I think we will play to our strength and that is attack as the Aussies also play an open game,’’ Rajinder said. India, however, does have a worry in Dilip Tirkey’s fitness. But the team maintains that he would be fit on time. He had cramps in the match against Holland and then again in the second match against Germany he took a tight hit on the thigh which sent him to the bench for an ice-pack. It surely is a cause of worry as he is India’s best defender. The rest of the team seems to be in a flow or at least on the way to reaching it. Against hosts Holland, they flowed in the first 60 minutes, dominating midfield and holding possession but faltered when it came to slamming the last nail in the coffin. They paid dearly for that and that is one area where Rajinder would be extra careful. India have a trump card in their forward line or rather cards and the team knows that the Aussie defence is inconsistent and would surely be hoping to cash in on it. The Indian midfield still has not had a good match as yet. Even though a source of worry, the coach looks confident about a revival. ‘’It will come good. We had a good game against Holland till they started scoring but there the forwards also fell back so the midfield had it easy. In the match against Australia, we will be up against a superior midfield but the boys have to be aggressive to take the match to them,’’ he said. From the match point of view, India’s forwards should be flowing with Gagan Ajit Singh, Baljit Dhillon, Deepak Thakur, Dhanraj Pillay and Prabhjot Singh combining well. Since Australia play with an open defence that also moves up, spaces will be provided and the Indians should settle into them early to sustain pressure. But a similar situations also exist for the Australians. The record, of course, is heavily in favour of the Aussies. Australia and India have played nine matches in the Champions Trophy with Australia winning five and India two. Two games have been drawn with Australia leading the scorers tally with 32 goals and 19 for India. With three points in two games, a victory against Australia can set up the Indians for a charge to play in the Champions Trophy final. Australia after their draw against Pakistan and a loss against Holland are on one point. Both the teams will be under pressure and the one who keeps its nerves and doesn’t crack under pressure will come out winners.
— UNI |
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India’s inconsistency hard to explain After the agonising defeat against the Netherlands and a hard-fought victory against a second-string German team, coach Rajinder Singh has to alter his strategy to put India back on track in the elite championship. India’s inconsistency in the first two matches is hard to explain particularly after their superb display in recent tournaments in Sydney and Hamburg. The midfielders have left much to be desired and Rajinder Singh has no choice but to shuffle his midfielders and hope the team regains the rhythm before it is too late. With the midfielders and the defenders being quite disappointing, I think Vikram Pillay should be used in the midfield which has been the area of concern. Ignace Tirkey is not at his best while Viren Rasquinha has not been able to control the ball. There were no intelligent passes from the midfield to the forwards which has frustrated the strikers. The Indians managed to earn full points against the energetic young Germans but it was not a performance which would draw much inspiration. Many would have thought that the Indians would steamroll the
experimental German side, but it turned out to be a different story. What an amazing display by the Germans. They were solid in their trapping, passing, tackling and kept the experienced Indians at bay till the 69th minute of the contest. Obviously, coach Rajinder must be a relieved man after the narrow win but he has a tough job at hand to revitalise the team after an indifferent start to their campaign. The shoddy display in the first two matches has cast a doubt on India’s
prospects of breaking the Champions Trophy jinx. The team has to prove that they can still stage a comeback - they certainly have the skill to do so. The communication gap between the deep defenders while marking the opponents inside the striking circle is another factor which needs to be addressed. At this level of hockey the body language is not enough. One such situation saw three German forwards in front of goalkeeper Devesh Chauhan which resulted in their first goal being scored by Bendict Sperling. No Indian defenders marked the Germans which is quite unthinkable. Conceding goals like this will be a major problem. The sooner they rectify this problem, the better it is for the team. Though the German defenders matched the Indian forwards, I will give full credit to Deepak Thakur, Gagan Ajit Singh and Prabhjot Singh. They kept challenging the German defenders and exploited the vacant spaces very well. The authoritative display by these forwards helped India score all the three field goals. Gagan Ajit is turning out to be the star player while Deepak is getting back his confidence. Prabhjot has a lot of skill and the good thing is that he still improving. The trio will have a crucial role to play in the remaining matches. Although the forwards are doing a decent job, the same cannot be said of the midfielders and defenders. Rajinder Singh should shuffle his midfield and bring in Vikram Pillay who is a very good player who needs to be given more opportunities. The coach should also bring the long passes into play particularly from the wings. Most of the attacks will be fruitful when the forwards start playing from these areas. So far, all the field goals in the first two matches have come through this system of play. But this can only be possible when the coach deploys Saini, Vikram Pillay, Viren and Ignace Tirkey in the midfield. Most of these players have not really lived upto their reputation as an individual or in the team system. Rajinder should stress that they play ‘free zone’ hockey with quick passes and joining the attack in the process. This will enhance the rhythm of the game between the forwards and the midfielders. Even in the match against Germany, all the three goals scored by Indians were due to the effort initiated by the midfielders, but they could do that only in the last 10 minutes. It is surprising that captain Dhanraj Pillay and veteran Baljit Singh Dhillon have been nowhere near their best in the two matches. They have lost ball possession quite often. It is true that they had been closely marked, but with their experience they should be able to make a bigger impact. If they can find their best form, the Indian attack will look far more menacing.
— PTI |
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Hockey team relives Sydney horror Chandigarh, August 18 In a span of eight minutes, the Indians
conceded four goals to surrender the huge advantage. The fighting Dutch first struck through Rob Reckers (1-3) while Taeke Taekema boosted the team’s morale with the second goal (2-3). Within minutes Floris Evers restored parity (3-3). Just when the Dutch celebrations over the dramatic comeback were about to begin, Ronald Blouwer provided the icing on the cake with the fourth goal, incidentally the match winner, with about 22 seconds to go for the long
hooter. The Indian camp was dumbfounded, trying to come to grips with the grim reality. However, it was not the first such
experience for players like Dhanraj
Pillay, Dilip Tirkey, Baljit Singh Dhillon and Baljit Singh Saini. On September 26, 2000, India were pitted against Poland in the first Olympics of the millennium at Sydney’s Homebush Stadium. The Indian team, a blend of youth and experience, carried the hopes of millions of hockey fans. The match was of vital importance as a victory over Poland would have taken India into the semifinals for the first time in 20 years. After a barren first half, defender Dilip Tirkey put India ahead with a brilliant effort in the 53rd minute. Families sitting glued to TV sets as also enthusiastic fans gathered inside restaurants jumped with joy. After all India’s entry into the semifinals was only minutes away ! As the seconds clicked away, the Indians tried to face the staunch Polish resistance. With hardly two minutes remaining for the tie to end, Tomasz Choczaj of Poland dashed Indian hopes with the equaliser. Indians back home were literally driven to tears. As were skipper Ramandeep Singh Grewal and his team-mates on the rain-drenched polygrass at Sydney. The Indian team also missed the bronze narrowly in the 24th Champions Trophy at Cologne last year. It is the last five-minute jinx which haunts the Indian team at Amstelveen today. Will Rajinder Singh’s boys maintain the resilience till the last second in the remaining ties ? Only time will tell. |
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Hockey fever in Barog Barog, August 18 In the past two evenings, life came to a virtual standstill in this tiny tourist resort when locals confined their activities in and around TV sets to watch live coverage of India’s matches against Holland and Germany. The Ten Sports channel showing live coverage and highlights of matches from Amstelveen in Holland has kept people glued to TV sets in hotels, restaurants, dhabas and homes. The discussion on hockey has become a hot topic among locals with everybody praying for India depression and agony was writ large after the shocking defeat of India at the hands of Holland on Saturday. However, last evening when Dhanraj Pillay led his team to victory over Germany, it was time for celebration. “It was hard to digest the defeat at the stage when you were leading by three goals,” said a senior employee of Pine Wood Hotel where the Indian team stayed during its camp here. Conceding four goals in the dying minutes clearly showed that the Indian team lack required stamina, quipped another employees of the hotel. “We are eagerly waiting for the Indian team’s clash with Pakistan,” said an employee of Military Hospital at
Dagshai, 7 km from here, where the hockey players had spent more than one hour with patients and hospital staff. “God knows what happens to the team in last minutes of match,” rued an attendant at a hospital. |
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Argentina beat Germany 3-1 Amstelveen, August 18 The South Americans, who lost their opener against Pakistan yesterday by a narrow 5-6 margin, made sure that they pocketed a full three points against a German team that had taken India into the nervous zone before conceding a late match-winner in their first match. Against Argentina, Germany again played a packed defence trying their best to thwart the speedy South Americans and patiently wait for a counter-attack that could develop in the empty areas left free by the over-zealous Argentines. Territorial advantage was with Argentina who exploited it through Jorge Lombi and Mario Almado. Argentina opened through a penalty corner strike by Lombi in the fifth minute. The flick delayed but effective enough to go between goalkeeper and the defender to hit the net. There were chances in between but signs of tiredness in the Argentine legs was evident. But they still did their sporadic runs and it was only wayward finish that came in their way. At the break, Argentina led 1-0. Five minutes into the second half, Argentina got their second when Almada showed his magic weaving through in from the left and flicking on the run, the ball deflecting into goal off a German defender’s stick. Germany had a chance of coming back when they earned a stroke but Alexander Sahmel’s powerful flick beat the goalkeeper but hit the cross-bar and went out. Argentina got the third in the 47th minute when Lombi was right on target with his penalty corner flick, again sending it fast and low to beat the German goalkeeper. Germany, finally, got one back but against the run of play when Niklas Meinert sped into the circle shot and then again picked up the rebound off the goalkeeper to smash in for Germany’s consolation goal. Argentina with the win are on three points with Germany crashing to their second consecutive defeat. — UNI
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Kirtley scalps 6 as England level series
Nottingham, August 18 Kirtley sealed the win by having Mark Boucher caught by wicketkeeper Alec Stewart for a defiant 52, completing Michael Vaughan’s first victory as England captain in his second match in charge. South Africa resumed on 63 for five and Boucher and Neil McKenzie survived the first five overs from Andrew Flintoff and Kirtley without undue alarm. Kirtley, named man of the match, struck first in the day’s sixth over, bowling McKenzie for 11 with a ball that kept low. Flintoff then bowled Shaun Pollock for a duck, the ball rising no more than a few inches off the Trent Bridge pitch before crashing into the all rounder’s stumps. Andrew Hall fell first ball when he slashed Kirtley high to Marcus Trescothick, who held a sharp catch to his right to leave South Africa reeling at 81 for eight. Boucher and Paul Adams added 45 for the ninth wicket, frustrating England with a mixture of watchful defence and bold attacking strokes. Adams was badly dropped by Mark Butcher at second slip off Kirtley. Boucher reached his fifty from 85 balls, batting for over two hours and hitting seven fours, but he lost Adams when the diminutive spinner spooned a simple return catch to Kirtley for 15. Boucher then edged another Kirtley outswinger to Stewart, prompting wild celebrations among the England players, who will travel to Leeds in good heart for the fourth test at Headingley starting on Thursday. SCOREBOARD England (Ist innings): 445 South Africa (Ist innings):
362 England (2nd innings): 118 South Africa (2nd innings): Smith lbw b Kirtley 5 Gibbs c Giles b Harmison 28 Rudolph lbw b Kirtley 0 Kallis b Anderson 13 Dippenaar c Smith b Anderson 1 McKenzie b Kirtley 11 Boucher c Stewart b Kirtley 52 Pollock b Flintoff 0 Hall c Trescothick b Kirtley 0 Adams c & b Kirtley 15 Ntini not out 3 Extras
(lb-2 nb-1) 3 Total (all out, 56.2 overs) 131 Fall of wickets:
1-22 2-28 3-40 4-41 5-50 6-71 7-80 8-81 9-126 Bowling: Kirtley 16.2-7-34-6, Flintoff 17-4-54-1, Harmison 11-2-24-1, Anderson 12-4-17-2.
— Reuters |
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Big time cricket returns to Pak
Karachi, August 18 The Bangladeshis are leading the return of several foreign teams to terror-hit Pakistan after a 15-month hiatus.
“We are pleased that big time cricket is returning to Pakistan with the series against Bangladesh and (later) South Africa,” Ramiz Raja, chief executive of Pakistan Cricket Board told AFP. “It’s a proud moment for us.” On May 8, 2002 a suicide car bomb blast killed 11 French naval engineers and three Pakistani bystanders outside the Sheraton hotel, where the New Zealand team was staying for a tour that had already been rescheduled in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the USA. The Kiwis packed their bags on the morning of the scheduled Karachi Test and haven’t been back since. Another car bomb attack a month later, this time outside the United States consulate, took 12 Pakistani lives and turned the Australians away. They refused to travel to Pakistan for three-way Test series set for August 2002 and the series was re-located to neutral venues. Pakistan had already been forced to play its home series against the West Indies on foreign shores in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates in February and March 2002, because of US-led war in Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks. New Zealand is returning in November. Five one day matches are scheduled, but it is little surprise that the team has refused to play any of them in Karachi. Arch-rival India had already been staging its own boycott of Pakistan since December 2000 when they were supposed to play three Tests. They also pulled out an Asian Test series in 2001. The combined pullouts meant Pakistan has hosted just four Tests out of a scheduled 14 in the past three years. The PCB’s Raja, who used to captain Pakistan, says Pakistanis’ passion for cricket has survived the lack of home matches. “People in Pakistan are waiting for cricket. I don’t think their interest lessened due to Pakistan playing home series on neutral venues,” he told AFP. Echoing the views of many Pakistani cricket fans and officials, he played down the security risks. “Security was never a problem in Pakistan, it was just a myth,” Raja said. The PCB incurred a reported 20 million dollars in losses. “Organisers of Wednesday’s Test, the first of three against Bangladesh, are deploying stringent security precautions. “The whole stadium and the surroundings will be under the control of para-military troops and police will control the law and order inside the stadium,” secretary of the Karachi Test organising committee Irfan Mirza said. Bangladesh, who said they have no security fears in Pakistan, will also play five one-day matches after the Test series finished on September 3. Pakistan later hosts South Africa for three Tests and three one-day fixes from September 22 until October 28, while the New Zealand teams starts its long-awaited return tour in November. — AFP
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Anand completes hat-trick
Mainz (Germany), August 18 The victory for Anand was sweet as it came the hard way. After being forced to catch up with the world No. 11, following defeats in the opening games on the first three days. Anand proved that when it really matters he delivers in the most prolific fashion. With the scores level at 3-3 at the start of the final day, Anand got the better of the world’s best woman player in both games to take the title for the third consecutive time. Anand had earlier won the 2001 edition against world No. 2 Vladimir Kramnik of Russia while last year world champion Ruslan Ponomariov of Ukraine was on the receiving end. Anand was in his elements yesterday and Polgar proved no match. The Hungarian’s game plan also withered towards the closing stages of the match that proved crucial. Under pressure to level scores after losing the seventh game, Polgar simply could not live up to expectations. Requiring just a draw from the last game, the Indian went on the offensive to win with black pieces. There was not a single draw throughout the match and this one will certainly go down in history as one of the most hard fought Rapid Chess contest. Polgar was caught by surprise by the Indian’s Ruy Lopez opening, a shift from the usual Sicilians that Anand had been playing in this match so far, in the final game. Anand’s second Grandmaster Rustem Dautov of Germany explained the strategy: “We thought playing Sicilian in the last game against Judit would be asking for trouble, and hence went for the Ruy Lopez”. It surely did yield high dividends as Polgar failed to embark on her customary attack against the king, though she did try the same after settling down. Anand maintained the balance he was hoping for with thematic manoeuvres and improved his position on the queenside after getting a firm control. Sensing danger, Polgar went for the attack on the kingside after sacrificing two pawns but the Indian was alert enough to thwart all the threats. The piece sacrifice by white on the 37th move was also declined as black continued his roller-coaster ride. Polgar resigned when she was faced with further loss of material, giving Anand his third victory on the trot. “The final game was very pleasant and at some point it looked like a dream position. This will go down as the most tense rapid match I have played,” said the champion. — PTI
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Unheralded
Micheel lifts PGA crown
Rochester (USA), August 18 It was a stunning end to a nerve-wracking final few holes as Micheel and Campbell went head to head as they looked for their first ever US PGA Tour win. “I can’t really believe this has happened to me,” said an emotional Micheel, who is to become a first-time father in December. “A month ago I was playing to save my card.” Micheel admits that victory was the last thing on his mind when he arrived at Oak Hill Country Club this week. Micheel, Campbell and South African Tim Clark were the only players to finish under-par on the daunting Oak Hill course. Micheel’s win made him the fourth first-time major winner this season and he became the first player since John Daly in 1991 to win the PGA Championship at his first attempt. Micheel moved atop the leaderboard on Friday and never gave it up. He began the final round sharing the lead with Campbell at four under-par. Micheel looked to be firmly in control when he took a three-shot lead at the short par-4 14th as Campbell struggled. But a hole later, his lead was reduced to one as Campbell struck back with a birdie while Micheel carded a bogey. In a three-hole shootout, Micheel held his nerve to write himself into the record books. Campbell knew it was all over when Micheel hit his approach to the 18th. “That was a great shot. It’s nice having just a kick-in for the win. That would probably be the best shot I have ever seen under pressure,” said the 27-year-old Campbell, playing in only his second season on the tour. It was little-known Clark who looked the biggest danger at one time as the 27-year-old from Durban began his final round by firing three straight birdies to move within two of the lead. Clark went out in three-under 32, but his inward nine began with three bogeys and suddenly his charge was over. Germany’s Alex Cejka made a move and although he ended up as Europe’s top finisher in fourth place, the 33-year-old, a winner on the European tour, never really threatened to dethrone Micheel. It was a miserable day for world number two Ernie Els. Former US Open and British Open champion Els was unable to get anything going early and he carded three straight pars before getting a birdie at the par-five fourth but Els immediately gave it back with a bogey at the sixth. — AFP Birdies at eight and nine put Els level par for the championship and back in contention. But bogeys at 10 and 12 derailed any chance of staging a closing-hole charge. Masters champion Mike Weir saw his chances of winning his second major of the season all but vanish when he reeled off five straight bogeys to plunge down the leaderboard.
Agony for Woods Tiger Woods not only failed to win a major golf crown for the first time in five years, but the world number one staggered to his worst major showing and poorest pro total on American soil. The eight-time major champion stumbled home with a three-over par 73 here yesterday in the final round of the 85th PGA Championship, spending much of the round and the week blasting out of deep rough at Oak Hill Country Club. “It’s frustrating,” Woods said moments after signing his scorecard. “I’m so happy right now I’m done.” Woods ended the year’s final major tied for 39th place, his worst major finish as a professional. The previous low mark was a share of 29th at the 1997 and 2001 PGA Championships. His 12-over par 292 was his worst four-round total in any US event since the 1996 US Open, when Woods was a 20-year-old amateur firing a 294 to share 82nd. Woods called Oak Hill the toughest course he has seen. The 27-year-old American finished tied for 15th at the Masters, 20th at the US Open and fourth at the British Open.
— AFP
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Germany
not favourites, says Ballack Berlin, August 18 “I don’t think we belong to the favourites,” he added. Teams like France, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy are ahead of us. “We are in a difficult phase. The younger players need to adapt and that will take time. I also believe that the teams I’ve just named have more in-depth strength than we have.” Germany, who have won the European championship three times and reached the final of last year’s World Cup, top their qualifying group for Euro 2004 but have failed to really impress so far.
— Reuters |
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Roddick lifts title Cincinnati, August 18 After surviving to take the win yesterday, Roddick’s first concern was to wish his father, sitting in the stands, a happy birthday. The 20-year-old Roddick, who will move to number one in the ATP Champions race on Monday, is the player to beat these days, having won three titles on the hardcourt summer circuit in the US — Indianapolis, Montreal and Cincinnati.— AFP
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PSEB
upset BSF Chandigarh, August 18 PSEB had a good chance to consolidate the lead in the 75th minute when they were awarded a spot kick after Jasbir was brought down inside the box. However, Sarabjit missed the penalty. The second goal for PSEB was scored by Jatinder Singh. Tomorrow RCF will meet Punjab Police at Kapurthala.
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Youth basketball meet Ambala, August 18 He said Senior State Basketball Championship (men and women) would also be held next month. The selection trials for the district team would be conducted at Police Lines basketball ground in Ambala City on August 29. |
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Nottingham, August 18
