 |
|
|
India hold Pak, but lose series
Historic win for Bangladesh
Ganguly’s fate to be decided today
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
England hit by fitness worries, Indians upbeat
Bowlers reluctant to face the Test
Sania may pull out of Doha Open
Japan beat India 6-0
|
|
India hold Pak, but lose series
Lahore, February 22 The result was enough to help Pakistan clinch the series, having taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the six-match rubber by clean sweeping the Indian leg. The hosts squandered a number of chances and allowed India to snatch the draw through a Tejbir Singh goal (65th minute) in the final stages of the match. Earlier, penalty corner specialist Mohammed Imran (16th) had given Pakistan the lead in the first half. Pakistan, a far better side than the visitors in today’s match, were themselves to be blamed for the draw as their strikers threw away several chances in the second half. Shabbir Ahmed, especially, was guilty of missing out on four golden opportunities. Some credit should also go to Indian custodian Bharat Chetri whose anticipation and efforts thwarted dangerous attempts by the likes of Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abassi and Mudassar Ali Khan. While the Indian strikers again fell victim to their weakness of faltering inside the D, Tejbir Singh’s goal came as a breath of fresh air, saving India the blushes of losing to Pakistan for the fourth time in a row. Just five minutes before the hooter, an unmarked Tejbir took the whole Pakistani defence by surprise as he moved with ease to his left inside the D and hit an accurate reverse flick, leaving the rival goalie Salman Akbar and skipper Mohammed Saqlain rooted to their place. Shivinder Singh then failed to bank on a good Rajpal Singh cross from the left as the visitors seemed happy to draw the match. In the first half, Pakistan drew the first blood after getting a penalty corner in the 15th minute. Mohammed Imran’s ground shot beat Chetri comprehensively to give the hosts the early lead. Pakistan showed their better command over attack and pushed India to backfoot. Shakeel Abassi was the most impressive, crafting several moves from the left flank. However, he was unlucky not to score any goal. During the initial moments, his solo effort after getting a pass from fellow striker Shabbir Ahmed was a gem of a move. The bearded attacker displayed tremendous control in taking the ball with one hand from the half line to the Indian D and hitting an on-the-run revese flick. But, the shot went over the bar, much to the relief of the Indians. On another occasion, the Indians were lucky to escape a goal. Dilawar Hussain’s shot from outside the D found a timely deflection by Shabbir Ahmed and the ball went into the net in a flash, only to be disallowed by the umpire. For India, Harpal Singh was good in preventing the Pakistani forwards from inflicting further damage. Both teams would move to Faisalabad for the next match of the series on February 24. — PTI
|
|
Bogra (Bangladesh), February 22 It was Bangladesh’s first ever win against Sri Lanka after 15 previous limited-overs and five Test-losses. Bangladesh has previously only won 10 of its 116 one-day matches, including victories over Australia, India, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. “We bowled well today and batted sensibly,” winning captain Bashar said. “Now we are looking at winning the series, we want to be more competitive,” he added. Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore, who once coached Sri Lanka to a world cup victory, was simply happy. Bangladesh began its innings after restricting the visitors to 212 with the loss of opener Shahriar Nafees (17), who was caught behind by Kumar Sangakkara off Dilhara Fernando. Ashraful and Bashar’s 63-run partnership edged Bangladesh’s total to 154, with Ashraful’s 50 coming off 68 balls with four boundaries. Bangladesh then lost two quick wickets in successive overs, when Bashar (33) was caught at long-on trying to hit one over the boundary off Sanath Jayasuriya, followed by Ashraful (51), who was dismissed in a similar manner by Hasantha Fernando. Aftab Ahmed and Alok Kapali picked up the reins, with a 51 run partnership to tally the score to 206, before Kapali (18) was dismissed by Dilhara Fernando. Khaled Mashud (2) joined Ahmed (32) to complete the 213 runs needed to ensure a historic victory to the cheers of more than 20,000 fans in a packed Shaheed Chandu Stadium. Ahmed’s 32 off 21 balls, with two boundaries and a six, earned him the man of the match title. Bangladesh’s win leveled the three-match series 1-1, with Sri Lanka winning he first by five wickets Monday. The next ad final mach will be played Saturday in Chittagong. Scoreboard Sri Lanka Mubarak c Mashud b Rasel 2 Jayasuriya lbw Rafique 96 Sangakkara c Mashud b Rasel 23 Jayawardene c Bashar b Rafique 5 Kapugedera c Mashud b Kapali 13 Dilshan c&b Kapali 3 H. Fernando lbw Ahmed 3 Maharoof c Bashar b Mortaza 21 Bandara run out 18 D. Fernando c Ashraful b Hossain 13 Perera not out 4 Extras (b-1, nb-2, w-8) 11 Total (all out, 49 overs) 212 Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-72, 3-87, 4-116, 5-122, 6-132, 7-168, 8-187, 9-196. Bowling: Mortaza 10-2-31-1, Rasel 10-2-28-2, Hossain 7-0-59-1, Rafique 10-0-40-2, Kapali 6-0-29-2, Ahmed 6-0-24-1. Bangladesh Omar lbw Bandara 40 Nafees c Sangakkara b D. Fernando 17Saleh lbw Maharoof 6 Ashraful c Bandara b H. Fernando 51Bashar c Kapugedera b Jayasuriya 33Ahmed not out 32 Kapali c H. Fernando b D. Fernando 18 Mashud not out 2 Extras (lb-1, nb-7, w-6) 14 Total (6 wickets, 47 overs) 213 Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-45, 3-91, 4-154, 5-155, 6-206. Bowling: Perera 7-1-30-0, Maharoof 9-0-38-1, D. Fernando 8-0-48-2, Bandara 8-0-42-1, Jayasuriya 9-0-36-1, H. Fernando 6-0-18-1. — AP, Reuters
|
|
Ganguly’s fate to be decided today
Vadodara, February 22 Ganguly, who has been in and out of the team since his infamous spat with coach Greg Chappell last year, is in contention for a berth in the middle-order, which has been thrown wide open following the injury to Yuvraj Singh. The former captain was in the team in two of three Tests during the recent series against Pakistan but with the selectors deciding to revert to specialist opening batsmen, it remains to be seen whether the stylist left-hander makes it to the squad. Chairman of Selection Committee Kiran More said captain Rahul Dravid would be relieved of the opener’s responsibility that he had taken on in Pakistan and regular openers would be given the job. “We have decided to hand over the job back to the specialists,” More said. The former India wicketkeeper, however, refused to reveal further details about the combination that would be fielded in Nagpur.
— PTI |
|
Sehwag fit for Nagpur Test
New Delhi, February 22 Sehwag, who had suffered a shoulder injury and had returned home along with Harbhajan Singh midway through the one-day series, is fit for the March 1 Test match, sources said. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will also available for selection, the BCCI had said yesterday.
— PTI |
|
England hit by fitness worries, Indians upbeat
Vadodara, February 22 Middle-order batsman Paul Collingwood was ruled unfit as he was yet to recover from the back spasm that affected him during the warm-up game in Mumbai last weekend while four other players were reported sick on the eve of the match at IPCL Grounds. Crucially for England, it was their bowling quartet which was laid down by a stomach virus — reverse swing talent Simon Jones and three spinners — Shaun Udal, Monty Panesar and Ian Blackwell. Consequently, the visitors will make a decision on their playing combination on the morning of the match which is the only first-class fixture ahead of the first Test beginning on March 1 in Nagpur. On the other hand, the host team, led by Venugopala Rao, was in vibrant mood. The squad for the first Test is to be announced tomorrow but that has not stopped the talented bunch from being enthusiastic about the opportunity to play against a visiting Test team. The focus would be on Wasim Jaffer and Gautam Gambhir who would be keen to get the specialist opener’s slot while captain Rao gets a chance to restake his claim for a slot in the Indian team. Suresh Raina, who impressed in the one-day series in Pakistan, would be keen to grab the Test vacancy arising from the injury-forced layoff of Yuvraj Singh and the same can be said of Kerala pacer S Sreesanth. — PTI
|
|
|
Chicken on menu during first Test
Nagpur, February 22 “Both the teams will be served delicious variety of chicken both in the hotel as well as in the lunch intervals during the Test,” General Manager of Hotel Pride, which is hosting both the teams, G Bhattacharya told PTI, here today. Both the teams will be arriving here on February 26 from Mumbai. In case of eggs, no half boiled eggs would be served but only hard boiled eggs would be given, he said. — PTI
|
|
|
Bowlers reluctant to face the Test
DURING the Test series against Pakistan, Indian bowling came under severe criticism for its lack of pace and penetration. Surprisingly, by the end of the one-dayers, India could afford the luxury of resting their best bowler Irfan Pathan to give other bowlers a chance.
In a span of 20 days, one got to hear and see a completely different perspective of Indian bowling. The outside inference is that while there are quite a few takers for the one-day format, the number is not the same for the
longer version. Even if my reading is half true, it could turn out to be a major hindrance towards Indian aspirations of winning Tests abroad. I know that the present-day world has raised doubts over the supremacy of Test cricket over one-dayers. So it’s unfair to blame the bowlers totally for their attitude. Traditionally, the fast bowlers are an oppressed lot in this part of the world. Bad wickets, hot and sapping conditions and to top it all, the unfair rules giving ungainly advantage to batsmen have made fast bowlers a vulnerable breeding population. To have a strong mindset in the midst of it all is quite an ask. The rising popularity of one-dayers has had a different impact on the minds of aspiring cricketers, especially the fast bowlers. These aspirants grow up with images of successful batsmen and spinners in their mind, not the ones of disillusioned
fast bowlers with fewer achievements. Very soon the fast bowlers, after entering international cricket, realise the ratio of success in a Test match vis-a- vis a
one-day game. Spoils in five-day cricket, which come with excessive toil and dedication, are far too little compared to the work load in one-dayers. A few maiden overs or a couple of wickets during a run plunder will gratify the minds of new entrants in a one-day format. On the contrary, Test matches loads one with more responsibility and demand unflinching commitment. Despite the hard work of bowling spells after spells, there could be no tangible rewards in terms of wickets. Finally, it is the lack of success, which makes the bowlers shun away from Test cricket and show more loyalty to one-dayers. Let us take stock of Indian bowlers who are in contention apart from those already
in the side. Laxmipathy Balaji, the star of the last tour to Pakistan, and Ashish Nehra are away in Australia with the former sorting out his back problem and the latter his chronic hip injury. Then we have VRV Singh and Munaf Patel. Both are strong contenders but have come out of major injuries. There are bowlers like Avishkar Salvi, Shib Shankar Paul, Jesuraj and Vinay Kumar, who are among the wickets. To graduate to one-dayers on the basis of performance in Test matches is acceptable but the reverse is never a great idea. A bowlers’ longing to be in the Test side, along with his performance in the longer version, should be the criterion for one-day selections. In the current set-up, there might be a few who do not want the hardship of Test matches, but prefer the lighter load of one-dayers. The team management must be cautious about such characters while selecting the team. In his heart, Rahul Dravid would surely admit that winning the Test series was more important, if not equally so, than bagging the one-day series.
— PTI |
|
Sania may pull out of Doha Open
Dubai, February 22 The Indian tennis ace played with a strapped right elbow as she went down to five-time Grand Slam champion Hingis 3-6, 5-7 yesterday. “I got my elbow injured while playing in the singles during the Bangalore Open. I have been carrying a few injuries from the past few weeks and that may lead me to pull out of the Doha Open,” Sania said. Asked if the elbow injury forced her to take such a decision, she said, “Probably, I won’t be going to Doha because of the elbow.” Sania, currently ranked at No 36 in the world, applauded the crowd for the support she got from them. “It is unfortunate that I had to run into Martina Hingis in the first round,” said Sania, the doubles title winner at the Bangalore Open last week. Hingis, however, seemed a bit uncomfortable and surprised with the way the crowd cheered for the Indian teenager.
— PTI |
|
Vettori steers Kiwis to victory
Sydney, February 22 The Kiwis looked to be heading towards certain defeat when they collapsed to 13 for four chasing 201 for victory after the touring side made 200 for nine from their 50 overs. But Peter Fulton (49) and Brendon McCullum (45) steadied the New Zealand innings before Daniel Vettori steered the home team to victory with eight overs to spare and gave them a 2-0 lead in the five-game series. Wavell Hinds had earlier scored a defiant half century to rescue the West Indies from a disastrous start but received little support from his team-mates. Hinds made 76 off 88 balls, almost more than double the next best, after the tourists had slumped to 60-4 in the 22nd over. Hinds struck six boundaries and one massive six as well as sharing a 70-run partnership with Runako Morton (39) to revive the innings. After being sent into bat, the West Indies began their innings at a crawl, scoring just 10 runs off the first 10 overs. Opener Chris Gayle faced 16 balls without scoring before he was bowled around his legs by fast bowler Shane Bond, who conceded just two runs from his first six overs and finished with the impressive figures of two for 28. Michael Mason also captured two wickets, James Franklin, left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori and super sub Jeetan Patel collected one each and the other two wickets fell to run outs. The New Zealanders, who won the first match in Wellington by 81 runs, made an extraordinary start to their reply. They chalked up 10 runs off the first five balls then lost four wickets for three runs from the next 15 deliveries, losing openers Jamie How (no score), Lou Vincent (five), Nathan Astle (two) and Stephen Fleming for a duck. The Kiwis were in deeper trouble when Scott Styris was out for 10 with the total on 49 before the middle-order saved them. Fulton struck six boundaries from 77 balls, only to fall one run short of his half-century and McCullum smashed five fours and one six. Vettori joined McCullum at the crease with 81 still required for victory. McCullum was run out with 60 still needed but Vettori kept his cool to guide his side to victory and hit the winning runs with a boundary to bring up his fifty. Scoreboard West Indies Gayle b Bond 0 Ganga c McCullum b Mason 7 Morton c Astle b Vettori 39 Sarwan c McCullum b Mason 14 Chanderpaul b Franklin 17 Hinds c McCullum b Bond 76 Smith run out 19 Ramdin not out 11 Bradshaw b Patel 5 Edwards run out 2 Extras (b-4, lb-2, nb-3, w-1) 10 Total (9 wickets, 50 overs) 200 Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-10, 3-37, 4-60, 5-130, 6-158, 7-184, 8-197, 9-200. Bowling: Franklin 10-2-28-1, Bond 10-4-23-2, Mason 8-1-32-2, Styris 6-0-51-0, Vettori 10-1-28-1, Astle 4-0-18-0, Patel 2-0-14-1. New Zealand Vincent b Bradshaw 5 How lbw Edwards 0 Astle c Hinds b Edwards 2 Fleming lbw Bradshaw 0 Styris c Gayle b Taylor 10 Fulton c Ramdin b Lewis 49 McCullum run out 45 Vettori not out 53 Franklin not out 14 Extras (lb-8, nb-4, w-14) 26 Total (7 wickets, 42 overs) 204 Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-13, 3-13, 4-13, 5-49, 6-120, 7-141. Bowling: Edwards 10-1-40-2, Bradshaw 10-2-31-2, Taylor 5-0-40-1, Smith 3-0-18-0, Gayle 8-0-38-0, Lewis 6-0-29-1. — Reuters
|
|
Japan beat India 6-0
Yokohama, February 22 The embarassment at the Nissan Stadium was complete when the Japanese forward line literally toyed with the totally spent Indian defence. The result must have brought back unhappy memories of the 7-0 drubbing handed out by the Japanese in the World Cup qualifiers last year. India take on Yemen in their next qualifying match at New Delhi on March 1 and Indians would have to ensure that they get a good result so that they can hope for third position in the pool which also has Saudi Arabia. — PTI |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
In video: Sania Mirza loses in first round of
Dubai Open. (
