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India look to plug loopholes in final
Sehwag needs to bat freely
A tale of two coaches
DD viewers to miss today’s cricket final
New Zealand crush Zimbabwe
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Doubts raised over Kasprowicz’s dismissal
Indian, British MPs’ match on September 7
Sania jumps to 48th place
‘Science of sports’ gallery coming up at Kapurthala
Seven Punjab speed skaters in Indian team
Shooters win two medals
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India look to plug loopholes in final
Colombo, August 8 India, who seemed to be facing several problems, have rarely beaten Sri Lanka in their den, more so in the finals, and for the script to be different this time they need huge improvement in more than one area. India’s top order has been a matter of concern on this trip and the malaise has stemmed from their dashing opener Virender Sehwag himself. The portly batsman has appeared worn out by the pressure of vice-captaincy and the role of a senior leading the rest by example. The matter has not been helped at the other end, where Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, occupying the next two slots, are fighting for their careers. Ganguly now needs a bigger slice of luck than ever before in his career as he aims to shrug off the arm injury suffered during the match against West Indies yesterday and offload the bruising effect on the Sri Lankans, now reinforced with the return of Chaminda Vaas. India’s batting in recent years has revolved around Rahul Dravid, who is hoping that he has exhausted his quota of failures after two indiferent outings in the past week. Dravid needs to be at his very best if the dragon of Sri Lanka is to be slayed in their own territory. Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, after their marathon innings against the West Indies, have eased a few blues in India’s middle order. Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao would be hoping for another chance to show that they belong to this arena. India were tossing with the idea of including two spinners in the final tomorrow. Anil Kumble has looked the part and Harbhajan Singh was always in the scheme of things, not dropped but only rested against the West Indies yesterday. The three left-arm pacemen theory could be tossed into the Indian Ocean tomorrow as the visitors look to take the hosts by surprise. Sri Lanka have their own worries. They are relying too much on their lower order to bail them out and the top order of Sanath Jayasuriya, Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumara Sangakkara, but for an odd occasion or two, have not clicked as a group. Consequently, Tilakratne Dilshan and Russel Arnold, with some cameos from the tail, have come up with enterprising knocks to pull the team out of precarious positions on a few occasions. The strength of the hosts has been their bowling and fielding and they have looked razor sharp in these areas. The return of Vaas will only bolster their bowling attack, even though Nuwan Zoysa, who played his first match of the series against the West Indies on Saturday, was rusty in his first game. Ferveez Maharoof, by dint of his performance with the bat and the ball, will not be touched in the eleven. Muttiah Muralitharan is a big-match player and so are Jayasuriya, Vaas and Atapattu. It is a daunting combination, a quartet which can play a winning hand in any sticky situation. Jayasuriya will look to reinforce his image of a marauder in the eyes of the Indians and then the target of 10,000 runs in one-day internationals will come as a matter of routine. India have twice run Sri Lanka close in the tournament and they would be looking to take that extra step which puts them past the finishing line. It would need an inspired performance from several top-quality players rather than an average modest contribution from them. It is a big moment and India certainly need a man for the moment. Teams (from): India:
Rahul Dravid (capt), Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, M S Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Laxmipathy Balaji, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan, Ashish Nehra, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. Sri Lanka: Marvan Atapattu (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Kumara Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tilakratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Dilhara Lokhuttege, Muthiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, Ferveez Maharoof and Dilhara Fernando. We may play two spinners: Dravid Impressed by Anil Kumble’s performance against the West Indies in the last league match of the tri-series, captain Rahul Dravid said his side might play two spinners in the final against Sri Lanka tomorrow. India have played with three seamers and one specialist spinner in all their matches so far while Kumble played his first game of the tournament yesterday after off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was rested. The veteran leg spinner justified his inclusion in the final eleven by picking up three wickets for 38 runs from 10 overs, prompting Dravid to shower special praise on his fellow state player. “He managed three for 38 from his 10 overs and could have easily captured a fiver in the game. It has given us more options for the final, including playing two spinners,” Dravid said. The Indian captain also fired a salvo at Sri Lanka, saying that the home side would be under pressure to win the final. “They would be under pressure as they are expected to do well. We, on our part, would do best to ensure that there are more problems for them to handle.” Referring to yesterday’s thriller, Dravid said he was indeed worried at one stage when the seventh-wicket pair of Runako Morton and Denesh Ramdin were going great guns. “The thought that West Indies could win did cross my mind when the stand began building up. But we had bowling in reserve,” Dravid said. “I am not surprised that Ramdin and Morton succeeded because they have the credentials. The West Indies have performed well on this tour and a few of them have good careers ahead of them,” he added. Dravid said he was not unduly worried when Ashish Nehra came in to bowl the final over with 12 required to win. “Nehra made that over count. He is an experienced cricketer and I didn’t need to tell him about left-arm pace bowling.” Dravid also termed as “special” the efforts of Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif who made 110 and 83 not out respectively, to pull India out of early trouble. “That’s why the effort of Yuvraj and Kaif for us and Renuko Morton and Denesh Ramdin for them was special. They didn’t flag even at the end of their innings.” Yuvraj, who celebrated his century with an emotional outburst, said, “I didn’t do it to anyone else. I was more angry with myself and my frustration came out.
Yuvraj said the wicket was slow but once a batsman got used to its nature, run-scoring was not a difficult proposition.
— PTI |
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Sehwag needs to bat freely
Virender Sehwag is now a matter of concern for the Indians. Nobody doubts him but that does not translate into runs and Indians need that badly. He would have one more chance to atone for his failure in the final of the triangular cricket series against Sri Lanka on Tuesday.
You do wonder if the status of a senior member of the side, as well as being vice-captain, has made him conscious of his role. Sehwag is best when he is carefree. He has not looked normal. Maybe he is consciously trying to bat 50 overs; maybe he does not want to go for booming shots early in the innings. But Indians are feeling the pinch. Suggestions that the new coach might be fiddling with Sehwag’s technique is a whole lot of nonsense. You do not change his technique as you do not ask Sanath Jayasuriya to bat different to his nature. But Sehwag can do a lot if he can just walk in without a care
in the world. V.V.S. Laxman is another story. He is struggling badly. He is one of the seniormost members of the side but in one-day cricket is still finding his feet. He does not inspire the confidence to be a part of the Indian eleven in the final. He does not have that sense of urgency which India presently need. The injury to Sourav Ganguly off a short-pitched delivery would once again raise the old bogey of his weakness. But then the wickets of the subcontinent could help fast bowlers with its own vagaries. Unlike Australia or South Africa, where the ball comes at an even pace and height, the ones in the subcontinent are generally not true. I still carry the image of Ganguly of previous years when he was good at hooking and pulling. Maybe he should start doing it more often once again. Unlike these seniors, Anil Kumble had reasons to be happy with his first one-day match of the new season. He bowled excellently with results to show. He was fired up and now it would be difficult to keep him out of the fray. Harbhajan, too, does not deserve to sit in the shade. I would not be surprised if both spinners are picked for the final. Both are top-quality spin bowlers and can create pressure in tandem. The Indians would be disappointed with their effort in the field. In all my experience of Indian cricket, I can safely say that it has never been a good fielding unit. This issue has plagued Indian cricket for so long. It reminds me that even we did not have the reputation of being fit players. It all changed in 1996 when players were put through the drill and they began to enjoy the experience. Soon the results began to come. It is now a part of Sri Lankan cricket’s culture. The Indians need to address quite a few issues of their cricket if they want to seriously become a force in one-day cricket. To me they look extremely ordinary in the field. The pick-ups are not clean and pure and throws from the outfield are weak. They are still not at their best and are struggling. Some positives have emerged, though, with the middle order finally coming good in a
crunch game. Yuvraj, we all know, is extremely talented but for a variety of reasons he has not been consistent. His hundred against the West Indies on Monday showed how much annoyed he was with his own form. Some of his shots were breathtaking and dispirited the West Indies. Mohammad Kaif was an ideal foil and played an extremely busy innings. He also later fielded under lights, which was a reflection on his fitness. The West Indies go back with the knowledge that they tried as best as they could. Most of them were complete strangers to international cricket and yet had their moments in practically every match they played in Sri Lanka. Their bowling and fielding impressed everyone and by the close of the tour even the batsmen had begun to make handy contributions. We would never know how much difference Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s presence would have made to the small deficit of seven runs which sent the West Indies packing from the tournament. The Sri Lankans, meanwhile, are in the final as a matter of routine and it would take some inspired performance from the Indians to hold them in their tracks. One thing which the Indians should try to take advantage is that the top order of Sri Lanka has not really clicked for them. It has been lower order batsmen who have rallied to wins or respectable scores. The Indians should target the first four batsmen and keep the pressure on the rest of the batting. One thing is for sure, they cannot afford to take their foot off the gas pedal.
— PTI |
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A tale of two coaches
Colombo, August 8 Both know a win would set them up for the hectic season ahead in the right frame of mind. Both also realise the failure of their top order is the biggest obstacle in this quest. “We are inconsistent at the top order and are relying on some excellent partnerships down the order,” declares Moody. “Most games in one-day cricket are won by the top order doing the hard work.” Chappell’s views are not dissimilar. “We want our top order to bat big and be there in the final overs to launch a late assault. We don’t want to lose too many early wickets.” Sri Lanka have not yet seen Marvan Atapattu and Kumara Sangakkara, arguably their two best batsmen, hit their straps and Sanath Jayasuriya and Mahela Jayawardene have had only one notable performance each under
their belt. India’s case is worse with Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid — the four big guns, fighting their own demons of form, fitness and pressure of
seniority. It is the opening gambit of Moody and Chappell in their new roles as national coaches and who are crossing each other’s path for the second time this year. Initially, both had applied for the coach’s post with the Indian Cricket Board but it was Chappell who won the vote in the end. Both have set out to look at hidden talents of their adopted countries and are intent on giving youngsters a break in the international arena. Sri Lanka have so far persisted with 21-year-old opener Upul Tharanga, even though he has not done anything of note. They also brought in Pradeep Jayaprakashdharan from outside the 15-member squad after Muttiah Muralitharan pulled out of a game because of back pain. India, too, have tried to give Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao as much chance as possible. “We need to invest in players like Tharanga. He is only 21 but has a lot of talent. We’ve got a lot of confidence in him,” said Moody. “Sometimes, a youthful side shows a lot of spirit and can carry a lot of weight.” Chappell, too, wants a bigger pool of cricketers as he wants to have the bench strength which would serve Indian cricket in the season ahead as well as in the 2007 World Cup. Both want to concentrate on their own games rather than worry unduly about the opposition. While Moody talks about the need to be prepared well, Chappell emphasises the process is more important than worrying about the end result.
— PTI |
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DD viewers to miss today’s cricket final
New Delhi, August 8 This was disclosed before the Supreme Court during the hearing of a petition filed by Ten Sports seeking transfer to the apex court of a PIL pending before the Kerala High Court for grant of telecast rights to DD for the benefit of millions of cricket lovers in India. At the outset of the hearing, the counsel for both Prasar Bharati and Ten Sports told a Bench comprising Justice Ashok Bhan and Justice S B Sinha that the two broadcasters failed to finalise the agreement they were heading for. Senior advocate Harish Salve and P.H. Parekh, appearing for Ten Sports, said a proposal was put forward to DD on July 29 and Prasar Bharati responded only on August 4, which was too late for them to accept. Advocate R. Sharma, appearing for Prasar Bharati, said a proposal was there that Ten Sports would provide to DD, live feed of the final of the tri-series on the condition that the national broadcaster would carry their advertisement without the logo of the private broadcaster. He said in lieu of which Ten Sports would pay Rs 1 crore to Prasar Bharati. However, they failed to finalise this agreement, counsel for both sides said. Zee to air Afro-Asian Cup Zee Sports today announced the successful acquisition of broadcasting rights for the inaugural Afro-Asian Cup cricket competition to be held later this month in South Africa.
The $ 100,000 series, comprising three matches, has been officially recognised by the International Cricket Council.
The rights, which cover the Indian sub-continent, are the first bagged by the channel for telecasting cricket.
— PTI
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New Zealand crush Zimbabwe
Harare, August 8 It was New Zealand's biggest win in their Test history, surpassing the innings and 185 runs success against Pakistan in Hamilton in 2000-01. New Zealand declared their first innings on their overnight score of 452 for nine and dismissed Zimbabwe first time round just after lunch. It was Zimbabwe's second lowest total, beating by five the 54 they were bowled out for by South Africa in Cape Town in March. The home side were then dismissed for a second time with eight overs remaining in the day's play. It was only the second time in test history that a team has been bowled out twice in one day, following the 58 and 82 India made against England in Manchester in 1952. New Zealand's left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori went into the match with 196 wickets and took four for 28 to become the third New Zealander after Richard Hadlee and Chris Cairns to reach 200 test wickets. Left-arm fast bowler James Franklin took three for 11 in Zimbabwe's first innings, claiming his three wickets in the space of four deliveries. Medium pacer Chris Martin took three for 21. The Zimbabweans were undone by the sharp pace of Franklin and his new-ball partner, Shane Bond, who is playing his first test after two years on the sidelines because of injury. Opener Brendan Taylor scored 10 and Stuart Carlisle was 20 not out, but the rest failed to reach double figures. The home side played with more circumspection in their second innings and reached tea on 37 for two only to collapse after the interval to lose their last eight wickets for 46 runs. Hamilton Masakadza made an attractive 42, which stuck out amid the debris of an innings in which debutant Neil Ferreira's 16 off 90 balls was the only other noteworthy score. Heath Streak became Vettori's 200th victim when he was trapped in front for three to make it 90 or seven. Vettori ended the match when he had Chris Mpofu stumped by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum for the second time today. Scoreboard New Zealand (1st innings) 452 for 9 declared Zimbabwe (1st innings) 59 Zimbabwe (2nd innings) Ferreira c Fleming Taylor c Vettori b Franklin 0 Ebrahim b Martin 8 Masakadza c&b Vettori 42 Wishart c Fleming b Bond 5 Carlisle c Fleming b Bond 0 Taibu c Fleming b Martin 4 Streak lbw b Vettori 3 Mahwire not out 4 Cremer c Marshall Mpofu st McCullum Extras
(lb-8, nb-6) 14 Total (all out, 49.5 overs) 99 Fall of wickets:
1-5, 2-14, 3-53, 4-76, 5-80, 6-84, 7-90, 8-90, 9-99, 10-99. Bowling:
Bond 11 - 8 - 10 - 2, Franklin 10 - 2 - 19 - 2, Styris 2 - 0 - 3 - 0, Martin 8 - 5 - 16 - 2, Vettori 13.5 - 4 - 28 - 4, Astle 5 - 0 - 15 - 0.
— Reuters |
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Doubts raised over Kasprowicz’s dismissal
Sydney, August 8 However, when Kasprowicz was held down the legside by wicketkeeper Geraint Jones off fast bowler Stephen
Harmison, England levelled the series at 1-1 with three matches to play. But the Australian media have raised doubts over Kasprowicz’s dismissal which handed England their euphoric victory. The Australian newspaper said doubts emerged when enhanced television replays indicated Kasprowicz’s right hand was not in contact with the bat when Harmison’s final delivery brushed his glove. “Although nobody could justifiably criticise New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden for noticing the technicality amid the flurry of movement and cauldron of pressure that accompanied the final act, it did provide a suitably intriguing end to a memorable game,” The Australian said. The Sydney Morning Herald showed close-up pictures of Kasprowicz ducking away from Harmison’s short-pitched delivery and circling the ball which it said struck the batsmen’s right hand which was not attached
to the bat. “Slow-motion replays appear to reveal that the No. 11’s right hand was not in contact with his bat at the precise moment the ball brushed against it,” the SMH said. “Cricket rules state that a glove can only be considered part of the bat when contact is made ‘between the ball and any part of a glove worn on the striker’s hand holding the bat.’ “Had Kasprowicz been given not out, would Australia have pulled off the most remarkable of victories? We will never know.” Kasprowicz said it would be tough to put his dismissal out of his mind, adding that he would probably be thinking about it for the rest of his life. “Afterwards there’s maybe a sense of pride, but initially there’s disappointment to get that close. In a lot of ways it’s cruel ... to get that close and to just miss out in the end.”
— AFP
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Indian, British MPs’ match on September 7
New Delhi, August 8 The British Parliamentary cricket team, Lords and Commons Cricket, will be taking on the Indian Parliament team at Reigate Priory in a return match following the Lords and Commons match in Delhi in January this year. On that occasion the Indians were victorious by six wickets with two balls to spare. Three former Test stars guided them to victory, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Chetan Chauhan and Kirti Azad. It is likely all three will be playing again. Lords and Commons will be captained by Reigate MP Crispin Blunt. The match is being sponsored by Veetee Rice and will raise funds for the Lords and Commons Cricket India Scholarship and the Chance to Shine campaign. The Lords and Commons Cricket India scholarship will provide education for promising young cricketers in India, keeping them in school longer than their family circumstances would otherwise permit, and the Chance to Shine campaign is working to bring cricket back to state schools in England. |
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Justin Gatlin sprints to easy victory
Helsinki, August 8 “I had more left in the tank,” Gatlin said of his season’s best time. Now, the American will go for the 200m title and the 4x100m relay to emulate the feat of compatriot Maurice Greene in 1999. Performing on a tender ankle, Olympic champion Carolina Kluft fought back to beat France’s Eunice Barber in the heptathlon and retain her world title. The Swede, who strained her jumping ankle on the eve of the seven-event competition, capped a thrilling weekend by coming back on the final bend of the closing 800m and overtake Barber to clinch the title. She fell to the ground and held her taped left ankle, savouring a famous victory. She won with 6,887 points, followed by Barber with 6,824. Ghana’s Margaret Simpson took bronze. Kluft lost badly in the first two events but overtook the 2001 champion yesterday and crossed the finish line of the 800m to the rousing cheers of the Nordic crowd at the 40,000-capacity Olympic Stadium. Under a setting sun that gave the skies over the stadium a golden glow, and with the national flags hanging limp on their staffs for the first time all day, Gatlin had the ideal conditions to shine. He promised he would have broken the world record if needed, but his dominance was such that he could coast over the final metres and finish .11 seconds slower than the mark of Asafa Powell, who was out with a groin injury. His winning margin was the largest in the 22-year history of the championships. In 1987, Carl Lewis beat Ray Stewart of Jamaica by .15 seconds. The absence of the injured Powell is the only question mark which will now hang over Gatlin’s performance. Yesterday, Powell also withdrew from the Jamaican relay team. Frater tried to make up for Powell’s absence, and getting a silver for Jamaica was a major surprise. Collins of St Kitts and Nevis had been struggling all season, but he proved again he was the man for the big occasion, sneaking through for bronze. In a Baltic battle, double Olympic and defending champion Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania needed a championship-record throw of 70.17 metres in the discus on the last attempt of the competition to win. That bettered the mark of Estonia’s Gerd Kanter by 1.60 metres. On a good day for Jamaica, Trecia Smith won the triple jump with a leap of 15.11 metres, beating Yargelis Savigne of Cuba and Anna Pyatykh of Russia. Like the 100m, the triple jump was affected by injury. Tatyana Lebedeva, the double defending champion, withdrew at the last minute because of an Achilles problem. The heptathlon battle between Kluft and Barber lived up to all the hype. After Kluft overcame a painful ankle and rallied to put herself back into contention for the gold on Saturday, she swept past Barber in the long jump. Kluft jumped a season’s beat 6.87 metres, edging Barber by 12 cm. In the javelin, Kluft again set a season’s best with 47.20 metres. Barber was expected to do much better but only managed 48.24. It set up the thrilling 800m and extended Kluft’s winning streak to 13 heptathlons. |
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Andy Roddick lifts title
Washington, August 8 Roddick won $ 74,250 and his fourth crown of the year at the $ 600,000 US Open tuneup event, but playing against a healthy Blake for the first time in two years brought Roddick even greater joy.
“We almost lost him last year,” Roddick said. “We were all worried and concerned about his well-being. Selfishly, as a friend, it’s great to have him back out here.” Blake’s fourth career ATP final yesterday was his first since 2003 at Long Island after coming back from an illness called Zoster that affected his hearing and vision last year as well as causing temporary facial
paralysis. Roddick, the 2001 winner here, improved to 6-0 in ATP matches against Blake, whose only ATP crown came here in 2002 when he beat Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan in the final.
— AFP |
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Sania jumps to 48th place
New Delhi, August 8 Sania also becomes the first Indian since Ramesh Krishnan to break into the top 50 in world rankings. Vijay Amritraj was ranked 16th in July, 1980, while Ramesh Krishnan was ranked 23rd in 1985. The highest ranking occupied by an Indian woman before Sania was 134 by Nirupama Vaidyanathan in 1997. Leander
Paes’ highest-ever singles ranking was 73. — PTI |
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‘Science of sports’ gallery coming up at Kapurthala
Kapurthala, August 8 India’s first “Science of Sports” gallery, coming up at Pushpa Gujral Science City in Kapurthala, will help visitors find answers to such questions through various interactive exhibits that are likely to be put up here soon. Being set up with an aim to make the youth understand various scientific principles involved in different sports and help them improve their performance, the gallery will enable the visitors test their skills in sprinting, kicking, batting and climbing while enjoying virtual thrill of the games. Giving details of the various exhibits that were being planned for the gallery coming up in the second phase of the Science City, Dr R.S. Khandpur, Director-General, said about Rs 2.5 crore were being allocated for the purpose, of which Rs 1.5 crore were likely to be spent on the building and the rest on the manufacture of various interactive devices. Dr Khandpur said the gallery would have interactive devices for stamina testing, grip testing, flexibility testing, reaction time and vertical jumping. “Learning will be fun for all the students especially when they will be able to snowboard down an artificial mountain, ski down treacherous slopes and jump over sandy dunes”, he said. A big section of the gallery would be devoted to cricket, explaining the principles involved in the game, the Director-General said. “One will also be able to test his abilities as captain, bowler, batsman, fielder and umpire through various exhibits explaining probability in tossing of the coin, axis of rotation involved in spin, centre of percussion on bat, formation of trajectories while catching a ball and motion analysis while acting as an umpire.” There will also be a separate play zone for children in the age group of 3-7 years where they would be able to crawl beneath arches, practise to throw rubber balls in a small pitching cage and exercise on a special scales equipment, Dr Khandur said, adding that he had borrowed some concepts from Carnegie Science Centre through its official website and Ontario Science Centre during his recent visit to Canada. |
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Seven Punjab speed skaters in Indian team
Chandigarh, August 8 Mr Pradeep Ganeriwal, President of the Roller Skating Federation of India (RSFI), speaking from Kolkata , said 11 team members were from Andhra Pradesh, seven from Gujarat and four from
Karnataka. Shubham Dev Minhas is the lone player selected from J&K, while Deepanshu Saini is from Haryana. Mr Ganeriwal said the final camp for the speed skaters would be held at Delhi Public School skating rink , Ghaziabad, from August 10 to 23. |
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New Delhi, August 8 This was the first international medal in the three-position event for Gagan, whose favourite event is air rifle in which he has won many international medals.
— UNI |
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