Shanghai, October 17
Beginning their partnership on a fantastic note, Leander Paes and Jurgen Melzer clinched the Shanghai Masters title with a 7-5, 4-6, 10-5 victory over Poles Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski in the final here today. The third seed Austrian-Indian duo had ended the 20-match winning streak of Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan en route to the summit clash.

Paes, 37, won his second title of the season, and the 44th of his career. The Indian teamed with Lukas Dlouhy to win the Miami Masters earlier in April.

"I have tremendous respect for Jurgen. I think that he's one of the most hard working and talented tennis players I've seen over the past 20 years that I've been on the tour," Paes said after wining the title.

"He's beaten two No. 1's in the same week: Rafael Nadal (in the singles third round), then the Bryan brothers last night. For me it's a big honour to play with Jurgen. Not only is he a Grand Slam champion at Wimbledon this year, but I consider him one of the great talents in tennis and a good guy," Paes added.

"As Leander said, beating two No. 1's in the same week is great. But finishing it off with a title, it's my first title in a Masters 1000 event," said Melzer.

Meanwhile, Britain's world number four Andy Murray romped to a 6-3 6-2 win over Switzerland's Roger Federer to claim the singles title.

The 23-year-old Scot was in impeccable form throughout the one hour 25 minute contest, breaking the third seed's serve four times to dismantle the 16 time grand slam champion and claim his second Masters title of the season. — PTI

Jalandhar, October 17
Holders Bharat Petroleum Mumbai registered an impressive 3-2 victory over spirited Punjab Police, Jalandhar on the second day of the 27 th Indian Oil Servo Surjit Hockey tournament being held at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium here today.

The Bharat Petroleum (BP) men mounted pressure on the rival team right from the word go and got the lead when Gurpreet Singh struck through penalty corner to make it 1-0. In the 24 th minute of the game Punjab Police got the equalizer from the stick of Amit Singh from right flank (1-1). Both teams displayed good hockey skills.

In the 33 rd minute Petroleum men took the lead once again when their star forward Amar Ayamma netted the ball to take the scorline to 2-1. At half-time BP were leading 2-1.

The second half of the game saw Punjab Police consolidating their game and in the 54 th minute Prabhdeep Singh scored from left flank taking the score to 2-2.

However, the Bharat Petroleum players ensured victory in the 61 st minute with a winning goal scored by Hari Prasad 3-2. Meanwhile in another match of the day Army XI defeated Air Asia, Malaysia by 2-1.

Monday’s Schedule

ONGC Dehradun vs Punjab Police, Jalandhar - 4-15 P.M

Namdhari XI Sirsa vs Indian Oil, Mumbai - 5-45 P.M 

Dhaka, October 17
Rubel Hossain grabbed four wickets as Bangladesh completed a sweep with a thrilling three-run victory over New Zealand in the fifth and final one-day international on Sunday.

The fast bowler finished with 4-25 off 9.3 sharp overs as New Zealand, chasing a 175-run target, were bowled out for 171 in the last over. Bangladesh clinched the series 4-0, their first sweep against a major team.

The second match was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain. New Zealand needed eight runs to win in the final over with just one wicket in hand but Rubel, who had taken three wickets in his opening three overs, sparked celebrations in Bangladesh's camp when he bowled Kyle Mills (33). He jolted New Zealand in his first over, dismissing openers Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder in the space of five deliveries.

He then had Kane Williamson caught at second slip by Raqibul Hasan in his third over. Bradley-John Watling was run out, while Ross Taylor was bowled by left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak as New Zealand's top five batsmen failed to reach double figures.

New Zealand were in danger of falling below their lowest one-day total of 64 after being reduced to 20-5, but skipper Daniel Vettori (43) and all-rounder Grant Elliott (59) added 86 runs for the sixth wicket. — PTI

Scoreboard

Bangladesh
Kayes lbw b Vettori 34
Nafees lbw b McKay 11
Siddique c Vettori b Mills 10
Hassan b Vettori 6
Hasan c Williamson b Elliot 36
Rahim b Elliot 29
Mahmudullah lbw b Vettori 19
Sohrawordi c McCullum b Mills 3
Razzak c McCullum b McKay 2
Islam not out 5
Hossain c Watling b Mills 2
Extras (b-1 lb-7 w-9) 17
Total (all out; 44.2 overs) 174
Bowling: Mills 8.2-0-36-3, McKay 9-0-34-2, Bennett 8-1-29-0, Vettori 10-0-32-3, N. McCullum 5-0-27-0, Elliot 4-2-8-2

New Zealand
McCullum c Shakib b Rubel 4
Ryder lbw b Rubel 4
Watling run out 1
Taylor b Razzak 3
Williamson c Roqibul b Rube 0
Vettori c Shafiul b Shakib 43
Elliot c Rubel b Sohrawordi 59
McCullum b Shakib 4
Mills b Rubel 33
McKay lbw b Razzak 0
Bennett not out 0
Extras (b-6 lb-1 w-13) 20
Total (all out; 49.3 overs) 171
Bowling: Shafiul 5-0-23-0, Rubel 9.3-1-25-4, Razzak 10-2-34-2, Mahmudullah 7-0-18-0, Shakib 10-1-35-2, Sohrawordi 8-0-29-1 

Kochi, October 17
The first one-dayer between India and Australia was today called off without a ball being bowled due to heavy rain here.

Incessant rains for the last few days resulted in a wet outfield and fresh downpour in the morning, forced match referre Chris Broad to abandon the match. The umpires inspected the conditions at 9:00 am but found the areas near the bowlers run-up and a few parts near the boundary lines quite damp.

They were scheduled to carry out a second inspection at 11:00 am but after the fresh drizzle hitting the port city at around 10:20 am, Broad decided to abandon the opening encounter.

The officials were of the view that with all the water already on the field, it was impossible to play. Though, it was not raining at the time of toss, but the wet outfield caused due to persistent rain in the last few days, delayed the start of play at Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium.

Groundsmen were making efforts to make the field dry for play but the heavy downpour again meant covers were brought back on the ground.

Both India and Australia players were indoors at the hotel and it was decided that after second inspection of the pitch and outfield by match referee Broad, they would be asked to leave the hotel for the ground.

The teams now travel to Visakhapatnam for the second one-dayer on October 20. The organisers have decided to refund the cost of tickets bought by the 30,000-odd spectators. Kochi has been witnessing heavy downpour since last Thursday which washed out the practice sessions of both the teams.

The Indian and Australian team members had reached here on Thursday after the second Test in Bangalore, which the host won. India had also won the first Test at Mohali. — PTI 

New Delhi, October 17
Legendary all-rounder Ian Botham "loved every second" of the public spat between Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting as he feels the "turmoil" in the Australian camp has enhanced England's chances of winning the Ashes next month.

“Oh, yes, I've heard all about Warnie and Ricky Ponting and I'm loving every second of it," Botham told 'The Sunday Telegraph'. “That is turmoil, and the more turmoil Australia are in, the better it is for us. It's great when the Aussies start whingeing among themselves.

“I don't blame Warnie for what he said and I don't blame Ricky for his reaction. But something obviously isn't right down there for it to happen in the first place," Botham added.

Legendary spinner Warne had questioned Ponting's tactics during the Bangalore Test against India, especially the use of spinner Nathan Hauritz during the match.

Subsequently, reacting to Warne's comments, an upset Ponting said, "Every field Nathan (Hauritz) had, was as per his request. That's the field he wants to bowl with, unfortunately it doesn't appear that Shane would take his time to ask anyone about it; he has his opinion out in the public at the moment. It's a personal opinion, I guess." He went on to add, "The thing about international cricket is that different people say different things at different times. We don't agree with all of them. There is no doubt that we will face some criticism having lost, it would have been nice if he was more informed before making such comments".

Botham said he could not believe that there were knives thrown at the Australian captain before the start of the Ashes series.

“If someone feels like they're making a constructive point that he feels is right, he's entitled to his opinion.

Warnie is one of the best cricketers who ever lived, so why shouldn't he be able to say what he thinks? "Whether it's Ricky Ponting or anyone else, he's allowed to speak his mind. But then Punter is allowed the right of reply. Like I said, this is all great for England," Botham said.

“What's going on down there? Keep it going.

“I think it's great they're all squabbling and arguing and telling each other what they should be doing. Someone says let's do this and someone says, no let's do that.

“Someone says we should be going this way and someone else says we should go the other way. It really is brilliant.

Keep it up boys, I'm loving it." The Warne-Ponting disagreement made big news in England for 24 hours. It also portrayed that Australian cricket team is at an all-time low and falling apart.

When Botham was asked if he was confident that England would win their first series in Australia since 1986-87, Botham said, "I'm not worried about England at all." "There's not one thing I can come up with that gives me any concern. England are in great shape. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Ducati’s Casey Stoner on way to victory in the Australian Grand Prix MotoGP on Sunday. — AFP

Thought of quitting once, says CWG medallist
Chandigarh: Teenager Ashish Kumar, who fetched India's first gymnastics medals in the Commonwealth Games by clinching a bronze and a silver in the just-concluded event, had thought of quitting the sport at one stage. The 19-year-old gave India its first medal since the beginning of the Commonwealth Games in 1930 in Gymnastics. After the bronze, he also followed it up by winning a silver in the vaults category. — PTI

ED may book Modi under more stringent charges
New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate is likely to book former IPL chairman Lalit Modi under the stringent Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which gives the Directorate the power to arrest and attach properties. Official sources said the game changer for ED, which is probing Modi under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), was the FIR filed by BCCI secretary N Srinivasan. The ED is studying the FIR, filed for alleged misappropriation of funds to the tune of Rs 470 crore, to find out whether the provisions can be used for booking Modi under the PMLA, they said. — PTI

FIFA to probe graft charges
Berne: World soccer's governing body FIFA said on Sunday it would investigate a newspaper report that two members of its executive committee had offered to sell their votes in the contest to host the 2018 World Cup. Britain's Sunday Times newspaper said the offers had been made to its reporters who were working undercover and posed as lobbyists for a consortium of American private companies. The report said Nigeria'a Amos Adamu was filmed asking for money for a personal project and that Oceania Football Confederatinon president Reynald Temarii from Tahiti wanted money for a sports academy. FIFA will decide on Dec. 2 in Zurich which countries will host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The choices will be made by the 24-strong executive committee "FIFA has already requested to receive all of the information and documents related to this matter (the Sunday Times report), and is awaiting to receive this material," FIFA said in a statement. — Reuters

Mediate leads Portugal Masters
Portugal: Rocco Mediate with a score of 13-under maintained a steady lead over rest of the field going into the final round of the Portugal Masters golf tournament in Vilamoura. Member of Europe’s Ryder Cup winning team England’s Ross Fisher (in pic) also headed into the final day on Sunday with a chance of finishing in the top ten. — Reuters

Taj a hit with foreign athletes
Agra: "This is incredible! I can't express my feelings! I have seen and read all this in books but being here and seeing it, it is fantastic!" This is how Kenyan men's marathon gold medallist John Ekiru Kelai reacted on seeing the Taj Mahal. Kelai was not the only Commonwealth Games athlete to be mesmerized by the imposing 17th century marble monument to love. Out of the 350 or so foreign athletes and officials who travelled on the last of the nine special train journeys to Agra, the Kenyan was perhaps the most euphoric. Kelai said the day-long trip to Agra was the best experience he had in India after the Oct 3-14 Games. And he was more than willing to appreciate the hospitality of the Indian authorities. "The trip was great, the food was also very nice. I saw a lot of goodwill and hospitality of the Indian people," the athlete told IANS. Athletes from Malaysia, Britain and Gambia -- among the many countries represented on the train -- thoroughly enjoyed the experience of the Taj, India's biggest tourist draw. — IANS