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Dravid rates his display best ever
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We can be best in world: Ganguly
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South Africa post 189-run win Crucial Punjab-AP tie from today SGFI panel releases calendar Punjab, Himachal
settle for draw India-Pak snooker meet at Karachi Sanam
shines on a gloomy day
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Dravid rates his display best ever Adelaide, December 16 Dravid had refused to rate his 233-run knock in India’s first innings and said his effort would be meaningless unless India won the Test. But as Dravid, who made another unbeaten 72 runs in India’s second knock, collected his Man-of-the-Match award for his contribution to India’s epoch-making win, he declared with pride that it was certainly his best Test performance to date. “It is my best Test performance. At the moment I have very few emotions but may be when I have a chance to sit back this victory will mean a lot,” an emotionally choked Dravid said after his side scripted a fabulous four-wicket come-for-behind victory. ‘The Wall’ said he was driven with the desire to win it for his bowlers who had done so remarkably to bundle the hosts out for 196. “You can bat as well as you want to and score as many runs as you want but at the end of the day your bowlers have to take 20 wickets to win the match. They gave us the opportunity and we did not want to let them down.” Dravid, who spent no less than 14 hours at the crease, also said he found it hard to concentrate for so long but was elated that it had all paid in the end. “Batting is a lot about mental concentration as well. It was hard at stages (to keep concentrating). It was hard to re-motivate myself, refocussing on the job. I knew it was going to be just a few more hours of hard work and the job would be done.” And although he knew the Aussies were going to give it their all on the final day, he had a hunch that “it was going to be our day”. “I knew runs would not be easy on the final day. I wanted to stay as long as possible. I thought the other guys could bat around me. We needed to build partnerships. “But the intensity of the Aussies — they just showed why they are such a good side, they were trying so hard right through the day. They kept it really competitive, it was great to be a part of the contest. But I knew it was going to be our day.” The overbearing feeling at the moment was one of tiredness, the stylish middle-order bat said but added he was glad it was finally over with the result being on their side. “I am quite tired, more mentally than physically. It is a happy feeling to just get rid of five days of cricket.” Dravid, who had also played a big role in India’s win against Australia in the Kolkata Test in 2001, felt happy for every member of the team saying “We have been together for such a long time. When such days come through, you feel happy for everyone”. —
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We can be best in world: Ganguly Adelaide, December 16 “We are the second best side in the world at present. If we can win the series, we can be the best,” said Ganguly. “A lot of Australian players are finishing. They would probably go through the rebuilding stage” the Indian skipper said after India’s historic win over Australia in the second cricket Test here. The thrilling four-wicket victory, the first on Australian soil in 23 years, gave India a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series. “I have been in Australia in 1999 as a vice-captain and saw the dressing room then. And I see the dressing room now. It gives me a lot of satisfaction to see the side’s progress in a span of three years.” Ganguly cautioned the world that he had a few tough characters in the side even if they don’t appear so by appearance. “There are some tough characters in the side. They might not look so from the outside, they might appear soft and gentle but they are tough. “They know what it means to win overseas. They know we are unbeaten at home and we have got to take the extra step ahead.” Ganguly said the world just had to see the intensity of his side on the field to realize that “they were doing the right thing the right way.” “Ajit Agarkar must have bowled 30 overs in the first innings. And then came and picked up six wickets on a pretty flat wicket in the second. “The intensity on the field was pretty high, some of the catches we took were outstanding. Couple of catches which Veeru (Sehwag) took were brilliant.” Ganguly said his deputy Rahul Dravid batted like a “God” in this game and he was a sterling example for all the sportsmen in the country. —
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Steve Waugh regrets missed chances
Adelaide, December 16 Conceding it would be a “big ask” for his team to come back and win the four-Test series, Waugh said it was not ruled out either as India had showed after winning the Kolkata Test in 2001. “It is a big ask. But there is no reason we cannot do it. It is a challenge but India did exactly so in 2001,” said Waugh. “We are usually not down at home. Now we are. It would be a great challenge for us (to come back in the series).” The cornered Aussie skipper was ready to take the four-wicket defeat in the second cricket Test here on his chin but regretted the missed chances. “You are allowed to lose a Test match. We have had a pretty good run. We just needed bit more runs yesterday. It cost us the game. If we had got 30-40 more runs which we should have done, we could have been in a position to win the game. “But now we have got to learn (from the mistakes). It is a hard day for us...” And standing in way of an Australian comeback would be a resurgent India whose players were described by Waugh as “mentally and physically much stronger now”. “They showed a lot of character in this match. They are now mentally tough to come back into situations, they have obviously learnt from their last tour. “Their players are mentally and physically stronger. You could judge it by the last series in India when they were 1-0 down and came back to win the trophy.” Waugh termed Rahul Dravid’s innings as “magnificent” and said he was surprised to see the Indian vice-captain concentrate for long hours in torturous heat. “Rahul was magnificent. He has outstanding
technique and played two magnificent innings. “It is very hard to come back after a double hundred, you have spent so much time in the middle and to do it again it is very difficult. “He struggled with his first 20-30 runs today but when he settled down he was very difficult to get with his straight bat technique.” Waugh said the 303-run partnership between Dravid and VVS Laxman “won the game for India” and his team will have to find ways to counter the threat posed by the duo in the remaining two Tests. “We knew there was going to be some big partnership. We just didn’t think it was going to be this big.” “It was that great partnership which won the game for India. We need to find a way to get past that partnership.” Waugh was disappointed with his side’s batting in the second innings and said even 30-40 runs in the second innings could have made the difference. “We didn’t bat well on the fourth afternoon. It cost us the game. If we had made 30-40 more runs, we could have been in a position to win. “We wanted to win, we wanted to set up the game for today. We were attacking, perhaps we could have pulled it back a little.” Waugh also found fault with his side’s effort in the field but said he did not want to take away the credit from India’s performance. “We missed half chances. We took our catches but we did not take half chances” which Waugh said they should have against a “quality side” like India. —
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Dravid, Laxman recreated Kolkata magic THE quality of batsmanship exhibited by the Indian duo of Rahul Dravid and VSS Laxman for the second time in four Tests between India and Australia has been truly extraordinary. Both were able to recreate the magic of Kolkata at Adelaide, and magic it was as they seemed to have some hold over the Australians from the minute they got together at 85 for four. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I’m sure that our bowlers would feel that they could have done a couple of things differently against these two. However, I think it was sublime batting rather than ordinary bowling that saw Dravid and Laxman put on 300-plus so quickly. Gilly bowled well right though the Test and was unlucky not to have got a couple of wickets more. It was a difficult ask for Williams who was playing only his second Test, having to bowl to two of the best batsmen in the world, when they were in prime form. The selectors had picked the best team available for the conditions at Adelaide, and it is to India’s credit that they outplayed their hosts in both departments of the game, that too after conceding 400 runs on the first day. The Australian team is renowned for being deserving champions, but we are also gracious losers, and there is no shame in accepting defeat at the end of such a wonderful contest. In my last article I had mentioned the value of maintaining a good length and not offering width on the Adelaide pitch. The only bowler who did that consistently in the latter half of the match was Ajit Agarkar, and he got good returns for his discipline. The pitch did not deteriorate as dramatically as it normally does at this venue from late in the fourth day, so the Australians will be a little disappointed by their batting effort in the second innings. The Indians on the other hand looked resolute on the last day, but one felt for Gilly and co as well, as this was no regular fifth day Adelaide wicket. Perhaps the overcast conditions on the first day-and-a-half prevented the wicket from breaking up as much as it normally does. It’s not just the Australians on the field who seemed awestruck by the Indians. The media too is excited by India’s performance, and they feel that this win will really spice things up from hereon. Make no mistake, beneath the veneer of graciousness, the hosts must really be hurting. We all pride our near-perfect record at home, and falling behind in a Test series at home is something that has not happened to us in a long time. The gap between this Test and the Boxing Day Test will only add to the hurt and the hosts will come out firing on all cylinders at Melbourne. We were all also keen to give our captain Steve Waugh a winning farewell, and all the guys will try their level best to ensure just that in the next two games. It is now upto India to defend their 1-0 lead in the series, but Australia is going to really make it hard for them. I have also got back to cricket from Friday onwards, with a game against Victoria. I bowled with pretty pace in the first innings, and was pretty handy with the bat as well. It’s been a good comeback, and my ankle has held out well. The only setback has been a stomach bug, but it is nothing too serious. I have another three-day Pura Cup game before the two back-to-back Tests against India. If I am picked for all three, it will be four straight games in three weeks. I’m keen to get as much cricket behind me as possible, but it is upto the selectors to decide on whether or not I need another game before the third Test. The series is at half-way point, and things are beautifully poised right now. This is just the intermission, and the climax at Melbourne and Sydney promises to be heart-stopping. The victory may hurt us in the team, but for the cricket follower, it certainly has set things up nicely. —
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Cricket-crazy nation celebrates win
New Delhi, December 16 Political leaders, sports administrators and former cricketers saw the “spectacular victory” as the first step towards achieving greater goals as they congratulated Sourav Ganguly and his men for their feat. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee joined former players in lauding the win which gave India 1-0 lead in the four-match Test series. “I send my hearty congratulations to the Indian cricket team for its spectacular victory in the Adelaide Test. This first win in Australia after 22 years is the result of great team work and inspiring tenacity in the face of a seemingly impossible task,” Vajpayee said in a statement here. Legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar, who led the team that last beat Australia in their backyard in 1981-82, said today’s win was just the first step towards achieving even greater goals. “The objective has to be to win the series. India is a good team but it will be called great if the series is also won,” Gavaskar, who is in Australia as a commentator, said. Former dashing Indian batsman and junior team coach Sandeep Patil said the win endorsed V.V.S. Laxman’s statement just before the start of the Test series that the “Australians are not unbeatable.” “It is a fantastic performance by the whole team. I am particularly happy that the players believed in themselves especially after Laxman had made a statement to the Aussie media just before the start of the series that Aussies can be beaten,” he said. “In fact, it brought back fond memories of the 1981-82 series when we beat Greg Chappell’s Aussies. I really wish I was there with the boys to share the moment,” said Patil, who had scored an attacking 174 at the same venue — Adelaide —22 years back to fashion an Indian win. Former Test player Anshuman Gaekwad said that the victory should make every Indian proud. “We should take pride in the win. Indians excelled in all the departments — batting, bowling and fielding — and that augurs well for the future of the game in the country”, he said. National selector Kiran More said the victory was “badly needed” and added that India should continue in the same vein to win the series. Former captain and dashing opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth was elated over India’s “increditable win.” BANGALORE: Describing India’s historic victory in the second test against Australia as “fabulous”, chairman of the cricket selection committee Syed Kirmani today advised Sourav Ganguly and his men to put in a consistent performance in the remainder of the four-Test series. “It was a brilliant performance and fabulous victory. We are proud of it. Consistency needs to be preserved in the next few games”, Kirmani told PTI here. He said India’s remarkable win was marked by “combined efforts in all aspects, a positive attitude and application”. —
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South Africa post 189-run win Johannesburg, December 16 The tourists were dismissed for 188 having been set a victory target of 378. Chanderpaul held firm for more than two hours, facing 91 balls and hitting 13 fours, but West Indies were on the rack when paceman Shaun Pollock had him caught by Andre Nel at fine leg in the eighth over after lunch. Scoreboard South Africa
(Ist innings) 561 West Indies (Ist innings) 410 South Africa (2nd innings) 226-6 declared West Indies (2nd innings) Hinds b Ntini 0 Ganga lbw b Ntini 10 Drakes b Ntini 6 Sarwan lbw b Pollock 8 Lara b Pollock 5 Chanderpaul c Nel b Pollock 74 Jacobs b Nel 25 Gayle c Boucher b Nel 26 Dillon b Ntini 7 Collymore lbw b Pollock 0 Edwards not out 0 Extras (b-10 lb-6 nb-11) 27 Total (all out, 51
overs) 188 Fall of wickets: 1-5 2-18 3-25 4-41 5-43 6-141 7-168 8-176 9-188. Bowling: Pollock 17-6-31-4 (nb-8), Ntini 14-4-53-4 (nb-2), Nel 13-3-49-2 (nb-1), Kallis 4-0-21-0, Peterson 3-0-18-0. —
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Crucial Punjab-AP tie from today Chandigarh, December 16 Mumbai are at the top in Elite Group “A” with 18 points and are guaranteed a spot in the semifinals. The Railways are next behind at the second spot with 10 points. Punjab and Andhra Pradesh with identical six points in their kitty are at the joint third place. If Punjab have to keep their hopes alive in the championships, even a fruitful outing in the match against Andhra Pradesh at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium which gets under way tomorrow will not be enough. Even an outright victory against the visitors—though it is too premature to talk of a victory as even a ball has yet not been bowled in the match—will not guarantee the hosts entry into semifinals. For Punjab to keep its campaign alive in the championship, a lot depends on the how the Railways fare. Another favourable result, if achieved by the Railways, will only harm the cause of Punjab as well as Andhra. The consolation for the hosts is that the Railways have to play remaining two away matches against tough opponents Mumbai and Baroda. For Punjab the next and the last match of the league phase is against the reigning champions Mumbai. To earn a good result against the champion side would be a much more difficult proposition as compared to any other side. So, all the efforts of the hosts would be directed to ensure maximum points in the match starting from tomorrow to get their campaign back on the rails. For Punjab their batsman led by Dinesh Mongia are in good form. Yuvraj Singh, skipper Mongia himself, Ravneet Ricky, Reetinder Sodhi and Pankaj Dharmani all have good knocks under their belts in the previous matches. In fact, Mongia, who started the campaign with two big hundreds in first matches, would only be too keen to have another knock under his belt to make the task of the side easier. Yuvraj Singh, with knocks of 80 and 138 in the two matches that he has played so far, would look to carry on the good form further. In the bowling department, seamer Gagandeep Singh has been impressive. With two five-wicket hauls in his bag, the pacer has a rich haul of 19 wickets in the championships so far. For the hosts to make a match of it, the other bowlers would have to give an improved display. The hosts would rely on the likes of former India wicket-keeper M S K Prasad, Gynendra Rao, I G Srinivas and Venugopal Rao to lend solidity to the batting, while Shahabuddin with 19 wickets in his kitty, would spearhead the bowling. Shahabuddin, also with two five-wicket hauls, is the leading wicket-taker of the side. Punjab coach Bhupinder Singh revealed during the practice session that Ankur Kakkar, the centurion of the last match, was indisposed and was doubtful for the crucial match. Munish Sharma was likely to be inducted if Kakkar was found unfit to play. Keeping in view the nature of the Mohali track, he said seamer Vineet Sharma would be included in place of off-spinner Rajesh Sharma. Both the teams were at the nets in the afternoon to have a feel of the prevailing conditions. They are expected to go all out to grab the initiative provided weather permits an uninterrupted play during the next four days. |
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SGFI panel releases
calendar Chandigarh, December 16 Dr Rupa Saini also stated that the Sports Authority of Gujarat, Directorate of Sports Maharashtra, Directorate of School Education Tamil Nadu, Directorate of Public Instruction, Karnataka, and West Bengal School Sports Association had also applied to the committee for conducting the National School Games in their respective states. Competitions which have been held under the supervision of the committee include football, judo, wrestling, cricket, kho-kho, handball, basketball, and hockey. The disciplines of badminton, tennis, swimming, and waterpolo have been allotted to Gujarat while Karnataka have been allotted kabaddi (boys and girls). Competitions in basketball and volleyball for both boys and girls are scheduled to be held in Chennai from December 28 to January 2,2004, while Maharashtra will host the gymnastics and rhythmic contests at Thane from January 11 to 17. Madhya Pradesh will play host to kabaddi (u-19 boys and girls), cricket(u-19 girls), baseball (u-17 boys and girls) , throwball(u-19 boys and girls), and softball(u-14,17, 19 boys and girls) in December and January. Competitions in athletics (all age groups) and yoga will be held at Jalpaiguri from January 10 to 15. Those interested in conducting competitions in other disciplines can contact Dr Saini and the same will be allotted on first- come first-served basis. The convener has also informed that the Directorate of Education, Delhi, had neither applied and nor had they been allotted cricket (u-16 boys), chess (u-14, 17, 19 boys and girls), handball (u-14,19 boys and girls) , basketball (u-19 boys and girls), wrestling (u-14,17,19 boys), lawn tennis (u-19 boys and girls), baseball (u-19 boys and girls) and judo (u-14,17,19 boys and girls). Competitions in cricket (u-16 boys), handball (u-19 boys), basketball (u-14, 17, 19) and judo (u-14, 17, 19 boys and girls) had already been conducted by the Education Department, Punjab, with approval from the committee, Dr Rupa Saini added.
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Punjab, Himachal
settle for draw Patiala, December 16 Although the weather were good today, overnight rains on Monday ensured that the outfield remained soggy which effected the play today. The umpires called off the match without a ball being bowled on the last day today. The hosts, by virtue of the first innings lead in all the four matches they played in the league phase, have now topped the points table from North Zone and have reached the all-India knockout stage slated to be held at Vishakapatnam. The performance of Amritsar all rounder Munish Bhatia, who garnered as many as 12 wickets, including a 7-wicket haul in this match, has been a gain for Punjab. The young left-handed batsman who bowls medium pacers failed to get enough opportunities to showcase his immense talent as a batsman. Amritsar’s Bharat Loomba also impressed and took 13 wickets. Others who shone were opening batsman Sunny Sohal, who ended the tournament with a whopping average of 82 from four innings, Ravinder Singh scored 230 runs and middle order batsman Sumit Sharma has 231 runs under his belt. Skipper Ankur Jund took nine wickets with his off-spinners while keeper Sarabjit Singh, who was a member of the India under-15 team which played in the Asia Cup at Sharjah in December last year, gave a good performance to end the tournament with 15 victims. |
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India-Pak snooker meet at Karachi Chandigarh, December 16 According to Alok Kumar, the India versus Pakistan championship is a very healthy step towards normalising relations between the two countries. Such an exchange of sportspersons as well as other personalities should become a regular feature. This will provide a meeting ground for the ordinary citizens of both countries and help us understand each other better, he said. |
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Sanam shines on a gloomy day New Delhi, December 16 Sanam Singh then moved up in the boys under-18 singles without taking the field as his opponent Ranjeet V.M. of Tamil Nadu played truant. Early morning rain upset the calculations of the organisers as the drenched courts could not be readied for a timely start to the matches, despite their best effort. Only around half of the scheduled 95 matches could be completed despite stretching the programme well into the evening. There were not many surprising results in the men’s singles though former national champion Vasudev Reddy was shown the exit gate by Gurmehar Singh of Delhi. Reddy had won the first set and was trailing in the second at 6-4, 2-4 when the match was called off last evening. But when the contest resumed today morning, Gurmehar Singh charged in with his guns blazing to post a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory. In another incomplete match carried over to this morning, eighth-seeded Parantap Chaturvedi stunned veteran Rishi Sridhar of Tamil Nadu in straight sets. The players had shared two sets last evening, but Parantap played a steady game today to wrest the third set and win the match. Second seed Vishal Punna of Andhra Pradesh was pushed around a bit by Raja M Purav of Maharashtra on the heavy court, soaked with rain water, in the first set. But once Punna got a ‘feel’ of the atmosphere, he revelled in the ambience to rush past Raja in the second set to post a 6-4, 6-0 victory. Sixth-seeded Kamala Kannan had to strain a lot to beat Ritesh Chitlangia of Rajasthan 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 while fourth-seeded Ajay Ramaswamy of Maharashtra disposed of fellow-Maharashtrian Saurabh Kohli at 6-2, 6-4. In other men’s matches, Amod Wakalkar defeated Venkateshan V 6-2, 6-2 and Vijayendra Laad did away with Aditya Madkekar 6-4, 6-2. In the women’s singles, fourth-seeded Sanaa Bhambri moved up but eighth-seeded Goutham Sheetal made an early exit. Following are some of the other results: Women’s singles: Sanaa Bhambri b Deepa Chakravarti 6-0, 6-1; Geeta Manohar b S Nagaraj 6-4, 6-4; Parul Goswami b Goutham Sheetal 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1; Kartik Bhat b Chirashanthi Rajur 7-5, 6-2. Girls singles: Punam Reddy b Madanala M 6-1, 6-3; S Gangotri b Sanjana Kapur 6-0, 6-1. Boys singles: Navdeep Singh b Sandeep Kumar 6-0, 6-0; Aditya Madkekar b Jitender Mehlda 6-3, 6-1; Saurabh Kohli b K Raju 6-3, 6-0; Vivek Shooken b N. Venkateshan 6-4, 6-4; Rupesh Roy b V.J. Prashanth 6-4, 6-0, Bishoi J.b. Vikram Menon 6-2, 6-3; S P. Gupta b Rohan Gide 6-1, 6-3 and A. Dutta b L.S. Basskar 6-2, 7-6 (7-3).
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East Bengal taste maiden triumph Kolkata, December 16 Ending his long goal-draught, star striker Baichung Bhutia scored the winner in the last minute after new Brazil recruit Cristiano Junior drew level from a penalty just before the breather to bring home full points amid cheers of the home crowd at the Salt Lake stadium. East
Bengal now have five points from four matches while Churchill remained
on seven points from four outings. — PTI |
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