 |
|
|
Indian eves beat
SA, win hockey gold
Neelam, Shakti power to gold Sania pips Rushmi for singles gold
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sania Mirza — rising star on the tennis horizon India not taking Uzbekistan lightly Bhutia’s gesture India draw a blank in shooting Hyderabad
jottings Spectacular closing ceremony
Srinath keen on Aussie tour Nehra not to play Mumbai tie: Wright
Shiv Karan slams 161
WFI selects 30 grapplers
|
|
Indian eves beat SA, win hockey gold Hyderabad, October 30 After a goal-less first half, South Africa shot into the lead through Jennifer Wilson whose deflection off a short corner saw the ball landing in the net. But a penalty corner converted by India's Suman Bala in the 52nd minute brought India back into contention. Goalkeeper Helen Innocent, undoubtedly the hero of the Indian win with a series of spectacular saves especially off short corners, also turned the saviour in the crucial tie breaker. The match, which saw action shifting rapidly initially was dominated by South Africa but as the minutes ticked away, India gained control of the proceedings and ultimately emerged triumphant. Suman Bala's equaliser provided just the right tonic to the Indian team and Surinder, Jasjeet and the diminutive Sanggai Chanu of Manipur weaved patterns in the rival territory. Adline Kerketta and skipper Suraj Lata Devi too gave the South Africans a tough time although a goal eluded them. With the score tied at 1-1, the match extended to extra time but the 15 minutes also failed to produce any result. Then the tie-breaker ensued. Jasjeet Kaur converted the first stroke for India but P. Coetzee's stroke was saved by Helen under the Indian bar. Surinder Kaur converted the second and South Africa's Jennifer Wilson followed suit with another successful attempt. The other scorers for India were Jyoti Kullu and Sanggai Chanu while Subhadra Pradhan's stroke was blocked by South African goalkeeper Caroline
Birt. At least four girls in the Indian team are from Shahbad
Markanda, the nerve centre of women's hockey in Haryana. They include Gurpreet Kaur, Surinder Kaur, Jasjeet Kaur and Suman
Bala.
Korea take bronze A 55th-minute goal by Yuon Hee Lee enabled Korea beat China 1-0 for the bronze medal. Kenya slammed three goals in 19 minutes to register a come-from-behind 3-1win over Kazakhstan for a fifth-place finish. Ghana prevailed over Nigeria with a 5-0 win to take the seventh position. |
|
India, Pak clash for title today Hyderabad, October 30 An India-Pakistan hockey match revolves around passion with a spontaneous overflow of powerful emotions. It is one occasion when patriotism gains precedence over normal life. On the eve of the crucial title clash, guarded optimism appears to be the watchword in the Indian camp. The team under the watchful eyes of coach Rajinder Singh practiced on the adjoining pitch and most of the players went through their paces under the scorching sun. As Rajinder Singh stood in the middle engaged in serious discussion with Viren Rasquinha, Gagan Ajit Singh, Prabhjot Singh, Len Aiyappa, and Deepak Thakur practiced short corners and ball interception. Coach Rajinder Singh appeared worried over the series of missed chances by the forwards in the semifinal against Malaysia. “Had we not missed the chances, the match would not have extended to the tie-breaker,” he said soon after the practice session. Viren Rasquinha, who is nursing a foot injury, skipped today’s practice although he was present at the ground with the rest of the team. Full back Kanwalpreet Singh, who aggravated a hamstring injury in the league match against Pakistan, also had a rest day. Yesterday too he was not fielded in the semifinal against Malaysia although he was brought in during the battle of strokes. “Kanwalpreet is under treatment and a decision regarding his participation in the final will be taken in the morning after assessing his condition,” said Rajinder. However, given his international experience, Kanwalpreet may be fielded briefly, with Harpal coming in as a replacement. In fact Rajinder Singh and Baldev Singh have reposed confidence in the young Harpal from the Namdhari Sports Academy, Sirsa. The youngster, who made his international debut in the match against Egypt in the ongoing Afro-Asian Games, has displayed confidence as a defender. Through effective tackling he has thwarted the designs of some of the best forwards of rival teams. Devesh Chauhan’s ability under the bar is hardly questionable and skipper Dilip Tirkey is also an able defender. It is the midfield which has to rise to the occasion, according to Rajinder. The Indian attack spearheaded by Deepak Thakur, Gagan Ajit Singh, and Prabhjot Singh is capable of taking on any opposition. For Pakistan, tomorrow’s tie is more or less a grudge match. Having been beaten by India 4-2 in the league tie here the other day, the Pakistanis under the command of Muhammad Nadeem are expected to go all out to grab the gold. However, the absence of penalty corner expert Sohail Abbas will surely be felt tomorrow as no other player can match his skill in conversion of short corners. Rehan Butt has the capability to beat the best of defenders. Another player to watch is international Ghazanfar Ali, who incidentally scored Pakistan’s first goal against Korea in the semifinal yesterday. Muhammad Saqlain and Ahmed Wasim are effective midfielders. Tariq Imran, who replaced Sohail Abbas, is also a stout defender but goalkeeper Muhammad Qasim, who replaced Ahmed Alam, is not unbeatable. Upto the semifinals, Pakistan have conceded eight goals. India’s victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final at Kuala Lumpur is still troubling manager Hassan Sardar and coach Tahir Zaman. India had lost to Pakistan in the league match but had won the final 4-2 whereas in the 25th Champions Trophy played earlier, India had recorded the biggest 7-4 victory over Pakistan in the league tie but had lost to the arch rivals 2-4 in the semifinals. |
|
Neelam, Shakti power to gold Hyderabad, October 30 India also picked up one silver and one bronze to bolster their athletics medals tally to five gold, six silver and five bronze medals. Asian Games champion Neelam J Singh cleared 61.94 metres in her third try to garner the discus gold while Harwant Kaur finished fifth with a best of 53.36 metres in her very first attempt. She just could not go beyond this distance in her subsequent five attempts, the last two of which were fouls. Though Neelam’s career-best is 63.42, she did not have to reproduce that kind of form to hit the gold. Li Yanfeng of China measured a distance of 60.42 metres in her fourth try to wrest the silver while another Chinese girl, Song Aimin, cleared 58.41 to take the bronze. Shakti Singh struck the day’s second gold for the hosts when he hurled the iron ball to a distance of 19.05 metres in his sixth and last try in men’s shot put. Shakti got off the mark with 18.72, but after faring poorly in the second and third throws, gained in confidence to produce a throw of 18.77 in his fifth try which was improved upon to 19.05 in the sixth to ensure the gold, though his personal best is 20.40 metres. While Asian Games champion Bahadur Singh was relegated to the fourth place with a best of 18.68 achieved in his first throw, Navpreet Singh claimed the
bronze for India with an effort of 18.39 in his second try. Lambretchs Burger of South Africa produced his best form in his second throw to measure 18.97 metres to snatch the silver. The day dawned on a bright note for India when Sita Ram kept an even pace to walk to the silver medal in the 10,000m walk with a time of 45:09.4. He finished closely behind Aquanouk Moussa of Algeria who hit the finish line clocking 43:33.4. Samutho Sakghai of Thailand accounted for the silver. In hammer throw, India had pinned some hopes on Pramod Tewari and Rakesh Kumar, but both failed to
reproduce their personal best to end up sixth and seventh respectively. Harmse Chris of South Africa bagged the gold with an effort of 75.67 metres in his fifth try while Dilshod Nazarov of Tajkistan lifted the silver (9.72 metres) in his last try. Haouem Samir of Algeria annexed the bronze. In women’s shot put, India’s N Latha ended up fifth while China claimed the gold and silver through Meiju Li and Fengfeng Li with best efforts of 17.61 and 17.21 metres respectively. In the track events, African athletes dominated to display their unparalled class. Nigerians emerged as the fastest athletes of the meet when they claimed the 100m golds in both the men’s and women’s sections. Nigeria made it a one-two in the men’s 100m when Adetonunbo Oloji Fasuba warded off a still challenge from team-mate Tamu Nosiki Atoridibo to clock 10.15 secs to bag the gold. Atoridibo clocked .5 secs slower to pluck the silver while Suetsugu Shingo of Japan claimed the bronze. In the women’s 100, Endurance Ojokolo ran an eletrifying race to post 11.45 secs to win the gold. Lyubov Perepelova of Uzebekistan(11.49) gathered the silver while Delphine Bartile Atangana of Cameroon accounted for the bronze. Madhuri laboured to a sixth-place finish in the women’s 800m which was won by Lwiza Msyani John of Tanzania while in the men’s race, Sudan’s Ismail Ahmed and Peter Deshak Abaih made it a one-two.Tanzania’s Chegere claimed the bronze. India finished fourth in both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays while Sunita Rani, who was listed to run in the 5000m, did not figure in the starting lineup. India fielded Madhuru Gurunule and Pushpa Devi and Aruna Devi but all three went out of the medal bracket early in the race. |
||
|
Sania pips Rushmi for singles gold
Hyderabad, October 30 In the all-Indian summit clash, local girl Sania, who led India to the women’s team gold, overcame a tough first set to carve out a 7-6 (7/6), 6-3 win over her doubles partner and former national champion Rushmi in 78 minutes. The 16-year-old is in line for two more golds as she is slated to play in the women’s doubles with Rushmi and mixed doubles with Bhupathi later in the day. India’s first Wimbledon girls doubles champion Sania, who had an easy semifinal against Philippines’ Czarina Arevalo yesterday, got her powerful forehands and backhands going well and played some delightful shots from close to the net, putting Rushmi under pressure. But 26-year-old Rushmi stuck to her baseline game and engaged Sania in good rallies to make her commit occasional mistakes. The latter, however, improved upon her serves and ground shots in the second set to emerge winner at the packed Fateh Maidan Tennis Stadium. Sania, who had beaten Rushmi in the title clash of a ITF tournament in Indonesia recently, also had a couple of lucky points in crucial stages, including one in the tie-break. “I am really happy that I have won two golds. Let us hope I can get the other two also. I was lucky, particularly down 4-5 in the tie-break when the net chord went in my favour. I really wanted to thank god for that,” she said. Grand Slam champion Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna were made to sweat before beating Sunil Kumar Sipaeya and Vinod Sridhar in three sets in the men’s doubles final to give India its fourth gold in the tennis competition. Bhupathi, the main attraction here along with Sania Mirza in the women’s section, and Bopanna won the first set but dropped the second before recovering in the third to register a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win as the hosts made another 1-2 finish after Sania and Rushmi Chakravarthy won the gold and silver in the women’s singles. In the men’s singles semifinals, Vijay Kannan kept alive India’s hopes of a clean sweep of gold medals as he rallied to quell a strong challenge from Sunday Maku of Nigeria 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to set up a title clash with Johnny Arcilla of the Philippines. Meanwhile, Sania and Rushmi defeated Czarina Arivelo and Patricia Sandos of the Philippines 6-4, 6-0 to enter the women’s doubles final. Arcilla also came back from a set down to score a 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 win over unseeded Sony Kayombo of Cango, who entered the semis by default after India No.1 Prakash Amritraj pulled out of the event. The top seeded duo of Bhupathi and Bopanna failed to play to their potential in the initial stages and made a lot of unforced errors while the latter struggled with his serves. Though they did come up with winners, they were far and few. Third seeded Sipaeya and Sridhar, the under dogs, had nothing to lose and went all out against their superior compatriots and staged a good fight back and should be happy having taken the match to the decider. Bhupathi, holder of four grand slam doubles titles, and Bopanna got off to a flying start breaking Sipaeya’s serve in the first game itself, but Bopanna was broken back in the fourth game. The rivals traded breaks in the next three games with Sipaeya, Bhupathi and Sridhar failing to hold their serves. — PTI
|
|
Sania Mirza — rising star on the tennis horizon Hyderabad, October 30 Tennis has become a sought-after sport here after Sania became the girls doubles champion at Wimbledon. The media exposure that followed her Wimbledon triumph has made her a virtual house-hold name in this city of pearls and a hoary history. She is the new jewel on the city's crown, and a shining one at that. School and college-going children, the elderly,
housewives, executives and tennis buffs have all been making a beeline to the cauldron-shaped tennis stadium at Fateh Maidan to watch Sania in action. Long queues outside the stadium sends out the message that Sania is at work inside. She has helped fetch two gold medals for the country in the Afro-Asiad, and this feat has added
lustre to her aura as a rising star on the tennis horizon. Sania was a key figure in India's triumph in the women's team gold medal and she played an encore to down Rushmi Chakravarthi in straight sets to pocket the singles gold medal today. Sania admits that her wins have helped give the game a big boost in this once unique fiefdom of the Nizams. The people who throng the stadium may not be tennis savvy, and Sania admits that most of them have little awareness of the nuances of the game. Most fans are tennis
illiterates, no doubt, which comes out apparent when they make loud notices
at the stroke of serve. Sania is not complaining. The fact that people, particularly students, have been trooping in hordes to watch Sania play, has been a good augury, and a welcome relief from the cricket mania. The stands burst at its seams when Sania took on Rushmi today, with hundreds stranded outside. Though Sania concedes that her wins have helped give the game a big thrust, she is modest
enough to remark that "I don't know whether it is because of my wins, or because of the exploits of Leander and Mahesh (in the international arena)". But she was sure on one thing, that "we need some more champions to come out of India" to make the game a lot more popular. The Andhra Pradesh Government and her agents, Globe Sport, of the Bhupathis, have been sparing no effort to help her realise her dream of making it big in the game. Sania is currently ranked No 396 in the ladies' ranking, but plans to break into the 250 league in the next few months. She intends to train under well-known coach Bob Brett of the USA in Italy for a few weeks in December to hone up her skills. Bob Brett is a former coach of legends like Boris Becker and Goran Ivanesevich. Though there is a marked improvement in Sania's game, particularly her backhand, "which is no more that weak", she still struggles to find her rhythm on her serves. She plans to work on it to make it steady and thrustful. Sania said she was intending to concentrate on her singles, though she has achieved some notable wins in doubles and mixed doubles. Sania in the company of Leander Paes had won the bronze medal in the mixed doubles at the Busan Asiad, and then created history at Wimbledon by winning the girls
doubles. She has now trained her guns on the Olympic Games, though the dream entails hard work. Sania says she needs to firm up not only her serve, but stamia too as she often finds the going tough when the contest gets stretched to the third set. "I am not naturally fast, and can't keep the same pace and momentum in the third set", she said. Age is on Sania's side as she would be completing just 17 years on November 15. With the Andhra Pradesh Government and Bhupathis' Globe Sports going all out to help her realise her dreams, Sania is left to pursue what she is good at — playing tennis — without
worrying about the nitty-gritty of getting where she wants to. Former national champion Vasudev Reddy has been a great help in guiding Sania when she trains in Hyderabad, and she is looked after well when she trains at the Bhupathi village in Bangalore. Not many girls of her age can boast of such good luck, but then success brings along with it all kinds of perks. Sania is reaping the rewards of her quiet and hard toil. After Wimbledon, she won a $10,000 event in Indonesia and is now gearing up for a $25,000 event in Mumbai. That Sania played with a troubling "shoulder, elbow and wrist" and still came up trumps against Rushmi shows the commitment and class she has come to embody. |
|
India not taking Uzbekistan lightly Hyderabad, October 30 “Yes, we will miss him,” said coach Stephen Constantine even as he talked at length about Indian football with special focus on the Afro-Asian Games. Flanked by Baichung Bhutia and IM Vijayan at Hotel Green Park here today, Constantine said every game was difficult but “I don’t care who is in the final as long as we are there.” While stating that deep defender M. Suresh was doubtful for tomorrow’s tie, he said the final decision would be taken tomorrow. Jatin Bisht may also have to undergo a fitness test, according to team sources. Referring to Uzbekistan, Constantine said they had a tradition of playing strong football. “Any Uzbek side is tough. Their team is going for the under-20 World Cup. It is obviously not by accident. Hence, I am not surprised that they are in the final here,” said the Indian coach, who has also trained the English national side. Skipper Baichung Bhutia also said Uzbekistan were not easy to beat. But as far as Indian football was concerned, things had changed. “We are also a good team. It will be tough,” he said. Assistant coach Aloke Mukherjee, who is also the coach of Mohun Bagan, said there was complete harmony in the team and the players were charged up to sign off on a memorable note. Stephen Constantine denied that the soggy ground conditions were an advantage to India as claimed by the Uzbekistan coach. “It’s the same for us, and same for them. I too would prefer a dry ground. It all boils down to how you adapt to the ground conditions,” he said. Striker IM Vijayan, incidentally on his swan song, admitted that Baichung Bhutia had offered to relinquish captaincy in his favour which he declined. “I only want gold, not captaincy,” he said even as Constantine said he did not want to force it on him. Referring to tomorrow’s tie, striker Vijayan said: “I’ll try to give my best. The Afro-Asian Games have been my best experience. I have scored five goals.” Skipper Bhutia, when asked whether the team faced any pressure, said “pressure is always there but we’ll try to handle it.” On conceding three goals in the semifinal against Zimbabwe, Stephen Constantine said when the team was 4-1 up, they were already thinking about the next game but unfortunately “we did not have the same discipline after the 4-1 lead.” “But this team is good. Everybody needs to support the boys. Look at the TV channels. They telecast only cricket or hockey. It is scandalous. No matter what happens tomorrow, the team deserves all credit. You Indians should be proud of it.” Talking about lessons learnt from the games, Stephen Constantine said he was happy with the quality of competition. “For us any team that we play outside the region is a good experience. There is no point playing against countries like Bangladesh where we don’t learn anything. We need to play against teams like Uzbekistan and Malaysia,” he said. When asked whether he had any substitute in mind for Vijayan after his retirement, he said he had two or three boys in mind. “But I want 10 Vijayans, 10 Bhutias and 10 Ancheris,” he added. Sephen Constantine also hit out at some former internationals who had been criticising the team’s performance. “The ex-players who have been telling me how bad these boys are should now leave by the back door,” he said.
|
|
Bhutia’s gesture Hyderabad, October 30 However, Vijayan preferred not to accept the offer as, according to him, he did not want to create bad vibes. This was later confirmed by national coach Stephen Constantine who said he too did not want to force anything on Vijayan. Incidentally, Bhutia and Vijayan have been representing India for the past several years. At present Bhutia plays for East Bengal while Vijayan is with JCT.
— TNS |
|
|
India draw a blank in shooting Hyderabad, October 30 Jian Qiu of China picked up the gold with a score of 1267.6 while Vyacheslav Skoromnov of Uzbekistan annexed the silver,totalling 1259.7 points. Jin Nam Hyung of Korea lifted the bronze, scoring 1241.2 points. Subbaiah had finished fifth after the qualifying rounds with scores of 97,94, 97, 98 (386) in prone, 93, 93, 97, 98 (381) in standing, and 96, 94, 93, 95 (378) in kneeling for a grand total of 1145. In the medal round, he had scores of 9.0, 9.2, 9.4, 9.0, 8.8,9.6, 10.0, 7.7, 10.3 and 9.6 for a total of 92.6 which proved inadequate to vye for a medal as four others had returned far superior scorecards. Jian Qiu was way ahead with a score of 1168 (391, 384 and 393) in the qualifying round, and he consolidated his position in the medal round with scores of 9.2, 9.1, 10.1, 10.4, 10.5, 9.6, 10.6, 9.5, 10.2 and 10.4 which got him a total of 99.6 in the final round. |
|
Hyderabad
jottings It is Ramzan and a period of fasting for the Muslim community here. Timings for Iftar (5.52 pm) and Sahar (4.50 pm) are carried by prominent dailies like the Deccan Chronicle. Dates are in demand and handcarts selling the ripened fruit can be seen on all roads. It is with this fruit that fasts are broken although there is heavy rush for beef and mutton in the evenings. *** The Umoja musical group from South Africa comprising 41 members, which is scheduled to perform at the closing ceremony of the first Afro-Asian Games here, has already cast a spell on the Hyderabadis. The troupe has 20 dancers, 10 singers, eight drummers, and two
narrators. Umoja is the story of South African music from the tribal era to the modern world. “Our culture is so similar. I hope Indians enjoy our show,” said Sheila Okonji, co-producer, while talking to The Tribune yesterday. Umoja means ‘spirit of togetherness’ she explains. *** Tennis has been hit at the Afro-Asian Games. Surging crowds at the SAAP Tennis Complex, Fateh Maidan, today where India’s Sania Mirza clinched the gold, kept policemen on their toes. Since Sania hails from Hyderabad, a massive response was not unexpected. At one time when the situation at the stadium seemed to be going out control, policemens’ batons kept emotions in check. Fearing a stampede, the organisers allowed specators to enter the stadium in small groups. *** Some of the large advertisements on city roads are not only aesthetically designed but also eye-catching. One large ad by Hutch showing a boy being followed by a dog reads: “Where ever you go, our network follows” leaves a lasting impression. Amardeep Bhattal
|
|
Spectacular closing ceremony HYDERABAD: As the curtain is all set to come down on the first Afro-Asian Games with just two more days of competitions remaining, a spectacular closing ceremony is in the offing at the Gacchibowli athletics stadium here on November 1. As in the opening ceremony, it is going to be a dazzling extravaganza of colour and festivity. The mood of celebration, along with the coming together of the continents of Africa and Asia, who have produced many sporting legends, is also to be aptly reflected. Realising that all this would be incomplete without the participation of children, who are the sportstars of tomorrow, the organisers have again made them, besides dancers, a vital part of the celebration. The participation of the audience is also being ensured. The spectators will be provided with interactive kits containing a cap and a scarf with the games mascot ‘Sheroo’ (lion) along with an African mask and the tricolour.
— UNI
NIMS in spot The medical team at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical sciences (Nims) is gasping for breath with a beeline of athletes, officials and delegates of the Games flocking the hospital right from day one. Hyderabad’s reputation in offering the state-of-the-art medical facilities and treatment seems to have instantly attracted the attention of the participants, particularly those from the African countries where medical treatment is excruciatingly expensive. From dog-bite to tooth-filling — for which, in fact, there is no provision at NIMS but still being arranged to keep up Hyderabad’s name as a good host — there have been several complaints and no one is disappointed. The medical team, which has about 240 doctors, has been doing its best to keep the guests in good humour. A doctor said one participant wanted to have a shaving kit. “That was promptly arranged though there was no provision for such things.”
— UNI
Japan dominate Except when South African Lauren Sparg upset Atsumi Yamada to win the gold in the 50m butterfly race for women, Japan swept away the African challenge for the second consecutive day to claim five of the six gold medals at stake on Thursday. Swimmers from the Land of the Rising Sun emerged winners in the men’s and women’s freestyle 100m, 200m backstroke and the 50m butterfly stroke for men as curtains came down on the pool. The Japanese swimmers, who drew the admiration of all at the Gacchibowli acquatic complex, finished on top of the table with the maximum number 14 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze medals to total 20 medals while the South Africans, whose squad included the one-legged wonder Natalia Du toit from Cape Town, finished in the second position with eight gold, nine silver and eight bronze medals. They got the maximum number of 25 medals.
— UNI |
|
Kolkata, October 30 Asked whether he would hang up his boots if he had to stay off the Aussie tour, Srinath said: “That’s very right. If I cannot go Down Under, then I’m retiring. However, my availability for the tour depends on my knee.” He said his knee was improving, but “slowly.” “It has remarkably improved over the last couple of months. I’m planning to play a local game next week in Bangalore which will enable me and the doctors to assess the strength of my knee,” India’s most successful pace bowler in the post Kapil Dev era said. “Playing for the country is the greatest motivation for me and that’s my motivation for the tour,” he said. On his post-retirement plans, Srinath said: “It’s a very big question. After playing top flight cricket for 13 years, it definitely will bring a void in life. I’ll have to sit and think what I can do.” Srinath said the issue of getting a bowling coach for the national team could be discussed at various fora. “If at all a bowling coach is taken, it has to be somebody with an overall knowledge of the game.” Asked whether he would like to don the mantle of bowling coach after retiring from the game, Srinath quipped “this is something worthwhile to consider.” Srinath, however, expressed confidence about the performance of the Indian pace department in Australia, saying the country now had a good bunch of fast bowlers. “Ashish (Nehra) will be fit. Zaheer is there. L. Balaji is playing well, though it was a sad sight watching him on such a flat surface as Mohali,” Srinath said. “During the last three years, the Indian teams have been completely different from the sides in the past. The present lot is completely different. Our side is definitely strong,” he said. He also did not think that the docile pitches at home would be a hindrance for the pacers to perform on fast, bouncy Australian tracks. “After bowling on dull tracks on Indian soil, in Australia they will get wickets on which the ball bounce and swings. That’s the real incentive for a fast bowler to deliver.” Srinath said he was very optimisic of the country’s future fast bowling prospects. “We now have a battery of fast bowlers, thanks to the efforts of organisations like the MRF Pace Foundation. Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan are good prospects. I hope they convert their potential to seal their place in the Indian team for long,” he said. Asked how he rated Balaji and Salvi, Srinath said he hadn’t seen them much in action, except on the lifeless home strips. “But I think while Balaji is quicker, Salvi bowls to a good line and length. They have the potential to serve the country for long.” — PTI
|
|
Nehra not to play Mumbai tie: Wright
Mumbai, October 30 Wright, speaking to media persons, explained that Nehra had shown a desire to be included in the squad. ''Therefore Andrew Leipus (the physio) and me forwarded his request to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and they agreed.'' Wright, however, made it clear that Nehra would not be playing the Mumbai match, though he might be included in the playing XI in later matches. Nehra has been on the injured list with an ankle injury since the World Cup in February-March, and out of the squad since then. The Indian coach also expressed the need to be cautious against Australia following their thumping victory at Faridabad against the Kiwis. ''The world champions are smarting after the defeat in Gwalior. They will be looking for revenge and will come back hard at us. We will have to be on our guard.'' Wright was also all praise for the captaincy of Rahul Dravid but stated that they wanted Saurav Ganguly back at the earliest. ''I spoke to Saurav this morning and he is happy that he is out of the hospital. We are hoping that he comes back as soon as possible.'' Rahul Dravid had also echoed the same sentiments earlier saying that it was Saurav who was the captain and he is just a fill-in. ''He (Saurav) deserves the captaincy and I hope he comes back soon,'' Dravid had said. When asked whether Yuvraj Singh, who has been in terrific form in the one-dayers, would continue to bat higher up in the order, Wright said that it would be decided by the team management depending the situation. Meanwhile, the Indian team had a good work out this evening and the Aussies are expected to have a net tomorrow morning. The Australians may not get a chance to practise under the Wankhede stadium lights.
— UNI |
|
England on top as Bangladesh collapse Chittagong, October 30 That left them 233 runs behind England, who suffered a collapse of their own earlier in the day, losing their last five wickets for 13 runs as they were bowled out for 326.
The 22-year-old Clarke trapped Hanaan Sarkar (28) lbw, shuffling across his stumps, on the last ball of his fourth over and then got Alok Kapali, fending a bouncer to gully, off the first ball of his fifth. England had earlier slumped from 313 for five as Chris Read (37), Nasser Hussain (76), Richard Johnson (6), Martin Saggers (1) and Ashley Giles (6) fell within 13 overs. Paceman Mashrafe Mortaza claimed a career-best four for 60.
Scoreboard England (1st innings): (overnight 237 for four) Trescothick c Rahman
Vaughan c Mashud b Mortaza 54 Butcher b Rafique 6 Hussain c Mashud b Mortaza 76 Thorpe b Mortaza 0 Clarke c Sarkar b Mortaza 55 Read c Saleh b Enamul 37 Giles lbw b Rahman 6 Johnson c Mashud b Rahman 6 Saggers lbw b Rafique 1 Hoggard not out 0 Extras
(b-8 lb-5 nb-5 w-7) 25 Total (all out, 135.3 overs) 326 Fall of wickets:
1-126, 2-133, 3-134, 4-134, 5-250, 6-313, 7-313, 8-321, 9-326. Bowling:
Mashrafe Mortaza 28-11-60-4, Mushfiqur Rahman 18.3-5-50-2, Khaled Mahmud 23-8-46-1 (w-5), Mohammad Rafique 37-15-63-2, Enamul Haque Jnr 23-4-81-1, Alok Kapali 4-0-12-0, Rajin Saleh 2-1-1-0. Bangladesh (1st innings): Sarkar lbw b Clarke 28 Omar c Vaughan b Johnson 2 Bashar c Butcher b Hoggard 18 Saleh not out 24 Kapali c Butcher b Clarke 0 Rahman not out 16 Extras
(nb-5) 5 Total (4 wkts, 38 overs) 93 FoW:
1-6, 2-44, 3-61, 4-63 Bowling: Hoggard 13-0-42-1 (nb-5), Johnson 10-3-26-1, Clarke 7-4-7-2, Saggers 6-2-16-0, Giles 2-1-2-0.
— Reuters |
||
|
Shiv Karan slams 161 Patiala, October 30 When play resumed today morning the visitors took three early wickets to reduce the hosts to 73 for 4. However, local lad Shiv Karan and Chandigarh southpaw Uday Kaul (41) combined well to put on 104 for the fifth wicket. Shiv Karan, whose knock included 29 boundaries, was also engaged in 97-run sixth wicket partnership with skipper Gaurav Gupta, who scored 28. Brief scores:
Punjab (1st innings) 292 all out (Shiv Karan Gill 161, Uday Kaul 41, Gaurav Gupta 28, Pardeep Sahu 4 for 64, Sachin Rana 2 for 75, Saurav Bali 3 for 49). Haryana (2nd innings):
14 for no loss. |
||
|
Hisar, October 30 WFI sources said that the federation had picked these grapplers on the basis of their performance at the recently concluded trials at Aurangabad, Patiala and Delhi. The selected grapplers are: girls (freestyle) team: (38 kg: Neetu (Uttranchal), 40 kg : Geeta ( Haryana), 43 kg : Rachna (Haryana), 46 kg Guddi (UP) , 49 kg Romila (Manipur) ,52 kg :Sunita (Haryana), 56 kg : Sarmit (Manipur) , 60 kg : Geeta (Uttranchal), 65 kg Rajni (MP), 70 kg: Meenakshi (Haryana). Boys free style: 42 kg Sunil (Delhi), 46 kg Yogesh (Chandigarh) 50 kg: Rohtas (Tamil Nadu), 54 kg: Krishan (Delhi), 58 kg: Randeep (Haryana), 63 kg: Ankit (Uttranchal), 69 kg: Sombir (Haryana), 76 kg Sandeep (Delhi), 85 kg: Ravinder (Assam), 100 kg, Neveen (Delhi). Boys greco-roman: 42 kg: Sandeep (Maharashtra), 46 kg Harkishan (Punjab), 50 kg Luxman (UP), 52 kg Anurag (Haryana), 58 kg Bajrang (Orissa), 63 kg: Ranbir (Haryana), 69 kg: Ajay (Delhi), 76 kg Manoj (sscb) 85 kg Darshan (Goa), 100 kg, Surander (Tamil Nadu). — PTI
|
||
|
Punjab rural games Sangrur, October 30 |
||
|
PU campus champs Patiala, October 30 For the winners, playmaker Amarpreet Singh played well while pivot Udgeet Verma complimented his efforts to enable their team romp home in the closely fought finish final. |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | National Capital | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
In video: Indian coach says Ganguly is keen to get back to cricket.
(
