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Clash of teams of moderate means
Struggling RCB to play Rajasthan
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First home victory for Kochi Tuskers
KKR’s past is past, looking forward to future: Balaji
Dilshan appointed as Sri Lanka captain for England tour
IPL for women’s cricket too, says Anjum
Arsenal held by Liverpool
Chetan star for FCI
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Clash of teams of moderate means
On the contrary, whacking the ball with the back of the bat, the handle, even the helmet seems to be getting better results. Equally, bowling long hops seems to be the way to go, since many have been whacked right into the hands of deep fielders. Having said that, one still needs to figure out who will win, and why, when Delhi Daredevils meet Deccan Chargers at the Ferozshah Kotla tomorrow afternoon. Delhi Daredevils return home with something they needed - a win. They got the better of Pune Warriors side led by a rampant Yuvraj Singh. Thanks mainly to David Warner and Venugopal Rao, since skipper Virender Sehwag still seems to be finding the going just a tad tough, despite his 37 in the last game. Sehwag’s evident irritation with the squad he has is quite understandable. There are no other big names in the batting, which is going to be tested every time since the bowling is even less of a challenge. The seam attack of an erratic Morne Morkel, with a pretty ordinary Irfan Pathan and some decent, at best, medium-pace from Ashok Dinda and Umesh Yadav hardly looks daunting; while the spin department has only bits and pieces bowlers, none of whom can be consistent match-winners. Sehwag, Warner, Venugopal Rao and the rest did very well indeed to Pune, but that side too has Yuvraj as the best bowler, so little choose from really. On the flip side, we have Deccan Chargers, who aren’t charging, and haven’t been for a long time. Their first-ever win at home, against Royal Challengers Bangalore, was followed by a fair hammering at the hands of Paul Valthaty and Kings XI Punjab, again at home. One Dale Steyn doesn’t make an attack. The South African is a supreme exponent of his craft, but his support cast of Ishant Sharma, Manpreet Gony and spin of Amit Mishra has not really excelled. The batting is in bits and pieces too, with Kumar Sangakkara still to really find his feet and the rest being erratic. So essentially, we have two sides of equal merit or demerit facing off. One guesses it has to do with the corporate nature of the team owners, who cannot spend wildly like some of the other gold chain-wielding team bosses, with the auditors pulling the cautious chord. That is reflecting on their purchases and the subsequent results this year. One thing is for sure though. No one will see a huge score at the Kotla. In fact, the team batting second would find even these moderate attacks to be formidable. So expect a low-scoring affair. In any case, it’s just one in an array of mind-numbing T20 games. Don’t take it too seriously. Enjoy the show and carry on.
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Struggling RCB to play Rajasthan
Bangalore, April 18 Three defeats in four matches is not a good record to start their campaign and the Royal Challengers Bangalore will be seeking to correct it when they take on Rajasthan at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here. The over-dependency on Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to produce match winning knocks has seen RCB plummet to bottom of the points table. If they have to qualify for the knockout round, every player would have to contribute, be it with the bat, ball or on the field. Thus far, only Kohli and de Villiers have been consistent with the bat, notching up scores in the upward of 30 with great poise. But the failures of Saurabh Tiwary, Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal have accentuated RCB's misery. The fans are as much disappointed as the team owners. From what has been seen of them in the last four matches, RCB's bowling has been rather unimaginative and has come apart at the seam under the opponent's onslaught. Their fielding and catching has been pathetic, manifested in the mostly-reliable Mohammed Kaif spilling a feeble offer from Michael Hussey in the previous game, against CSK. Given the reprieve at eight, Hussey went on to make a match-winning 56-ball 83 not out. To sum it up, it could be said that RCB's show has been way below par. If they are to raise their level of performance, the entire outfit would have to show great character in pulling up the socks and deliver when it matters the most. But unfortunately, this is something that this loosely-knitted outfit has been found wanting in. On the other hand, inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals, who have four points in as many games, have also had their share of downs. — PTI
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First home victory for Kochi Tuskers Kochi, April 18 Brendon McCullum, who made history on this very date back in the 2008 IPL season by scoring an unbeaten 158, which still is the highest score in the IPL, today also hit three massive sixes. But fate did not accompany him much as he was soon dismissed after scoring 47 runs off 33 balls. Parthiv Patel then contributed for his team with four fours and scored 34 runs off 26 balls. Ravindra Jadeja ended the match in style by hitting two outstanding sixes off Ashwin’s bowling. Even though, Ashwin was successful in taking two wickets, yet he could not halt the forceful run of Kochi Tuskers to win the match. Earlier, Suresh Raina scored a 40-ball 50 as Chennai Super Kings could only manage 131 for four against Kochi. Due to drizzle that stopped play for more than an hour, the match was then 17-overs-a-side affair. The stoppage helped KTK as CSK failed to get the momentum going in their favour until Albie Morkel (9 not out) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (14 not out) hit a six each off Ravindra Jadeja's final over. Put in to bat, CSK started on a positive fashion with Michael Hussey (8, 2x4) hitting a couple of boundaries off R P Singh's first over. R P however, had the last laugh when Hussey edged one to Parthiv Patel behind stumps. Murali Vijay (28, 18, 6x4) started on a whirlwind fashion as he hit both Vinay Kumar and R P for some well-timed boundaries. In between a few inside edges also fetched him few lucky runs. It was a Vinay delivery that got Vijay. The ball came in after pitching and also kept low catching the Tamil Nadu opener plumb in-front. Raina (50, 40 balls, 5x4, 1x6) who has had a quiet tournament by his standards till now, showed signs coming back to form. But just when one was expecting Raina to fire all cylinders, rain stopped proceedings with CSK reaching 65 for two in nine overs. When play resumed, Raina and Subramanium Badrinath (19, 17 balls, 1x4) failed to up the ante, although both tried to hit the big shots. After 48 runs were added for the third wicket, Badrinath in a bid to improvise was adjudged leg-before to a Raiphi Gomez delivery that looked pretty adjacent. Although Gomez accounted for Badrinath, Raina hit his trademark lofted shot over deep mid-wicket and then got a streaky four to move to 49. He completed his 50 off 39 deliveries. — PTI Scoreboard Kochi Tuskers Kerala
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KKR’s past is past, looking forward to future: Balaji
Kolkata, April 18 He said the new-look squad with several youngsters and a new captain is looking forward to a good performance in the coming days. "I feel what is past is past. It has no relation with the future. We are new team full of youngsters and a new captain. We are looking forward for a good future," said Balaji in a post match media conference. "We have struck rhythm but we have 10 more matches to go," he said. The KKR performed miserably in the last three editions of the cash rich Indian Premier League, and they are the only team to have never made the semi finals of the tourney. Balaji was at all praise for KKR bowling coach Wasim Akram and said that all the players, especially the youngsters, will gain a lot under the former Pakistani pacer's able guidance. "We all know how helpful it is to have him in the team. It's really an education to work with him and to learn from him, especially in terms of attacking and co-ordination of ball, which is very important for bowlers. Definitely, the next generation of players who are coming up from here will gain a lot. I am sure, lot of good bowlers will come up from here," said Balaji when asked to specify the role being played by Akram. Balaji who picked up three wickets to help KKR bundle the Rajasthan Royals just for 81 marked Shane Watson's wicket as the best among the three scalps. — IANS
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Dilshan appointed as Sri Lanka captain for England tour
Colombo, April 18 "Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is proud to announce the appointment of TM Dilshan as the national captain in all three formats of the game, for Sri Lanka's tour of England in May 2011," a Sri Lankan Cricket (SLC) statement said. The selectors, however, have not named a vice-captain for the tour because "the prospective candidates are nursing injuries, and their availability for the forthcoming tour is still in question." Sangakkara had resigned from the post of Sri Lanka captain a few days after his team's loss to India in the final of the World Cup, their second successive loss in the title clash of the quadrennial extravaganza. A day later, vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene and all the national selectors also resigned from their respective posts. The 34-year-old Dilshan, currently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Royal Challengers Bangalore, had previously led Sri Lanka in two Twenty20 internationals in 2008 and 2009, and also during a five-match ODI series in Zimbabwe in 2010. The big-hitting opener's appointment to the top post ended the speculation over whether he, or the 23-year-old all-rounder Angelo Mathews, would be named as Sangakkara's immediate successor. With exactly 500 runs under his belt, Dilshan was also the highest run-scorer in the 2011 World Cup, surpassing the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, player-of-the-tournament Yuvraj Singh and Sangakkara. Dilshan has till date represented Sri Lanka in 66 Tests and has scored 3990 runs at an average of 42.44, with 11 centuries and 16 half fifties to his credit. In 203 ODIs, Dilshan has accumulated 5456 runs at an average of 36.61, with 160 being his highest score. He has also played 32 Twenty20 Internationals for Sri Lanka. — PTI
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IPL for women’s cricket too, says Anjum
New Delhi, April 18 "There should be an IPL for the women's team also, because we have the potential and BCCI should think about it. They have taken lots of effort in promoting women's cricket across the globe, so this step can add value to women's cricket," Chopra told IANS. "Women's cricket has witnessed improvement with the World Cup, especially T20 tournaments, taking place at the same ground. So I feel that women's cricket is improving by leaps and bounds," she added. Chopra says she promoted the women's cricket team in her own way. "I launched a coffee table book last month, which presented the journey of the women's cricket team," she said. — IANS
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Rafa on seventh heaven
Monaco, April 18 The top seed, whose victory here last year made him the first man in the professional era to triumph in the same tournament six times in a row, showed few signs of letting his grip on the trophy loosen, despite a generally scrappy display. "King of Clay" Nadal first broke in the third game when his compatriot netted, but Ferrer struck back immediately with his own break of serve, thanks to an exquisite drop shot in the final of the first claycourt event of the European season. However, Ferrer's joy was short-lived with Nadal breaking next game and winning the first set before seizing the initiative in the second with a superb passing shot only to be broken in the eighth game and then hitting back for 6-5. He leapt into the air with delight when Ferrer hit the net to seal his victory in one of the world's most glamorous spots. "It's perhaps the best tournament in the world," Nadal beamed after picking up a trophy he virtually owns. "I congratulate David on his good start to the year and wish him well. For me today is very special, to win here seven times is much more than a dream. I could never have imagined it." Ferrer defeated an injured Nadal in the last eight of January's Australian Open but this time the world number one, who beat Fernando Verdasco in the principality last year in another all-Spanish final, was too strong on his forehand. Nadal won every claycourt event he entered last year and few would bet against him repeating the feat this season, with the defence of his French Open title due next month, after trips to Barcelona and the Masters events in Madrid and Rome. The 24-year-old has arguably not been at his very best this week at the beachside event, and was pushed hard by Andy Murray in Saturday's semi-final, but even the odd problem with his serve or failure to kill off a point have not cost him. Novak Djokovic beat Nadal in his previous two finals on hardcourts this year but he pulled out of this tournament with a knee injury, robbing fans of the chance to see whether the Serb could threaten the Spaniard on his favoured clay surface. Roger Federer lost in the quarter-finals when the Swiss had seemed on a collision course towards the final with his great rival Nadal, but fourth seed Ferrer put up a decent fight instead with his family watching from the sun-kissed galleries. Other notable spectators at the Monte Carlo Country Club were Prince Albert of Monaco, who had a knockup on the courts before play, and U2 singer Bono, while a super yacht was anchored in the bay just below one of tennis's most idyllic venues. "Generally I'm happy, I'm happy with my game," Ferrer told reporters. "I was a bit sad about certain moments." — Reuters
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‘Nadal is everywhere at the same time’
Monaco, April 18 Ferrer was only joking but given world number one Nadal was not even close to his best this week and still only dropped a set, such outlandish statements are not so laughable. Nadal is also only 24 and has amassed a record 19 Masters titles. His dominance on clay has put him on course to win every claycourt event he enters this year just like in 2010. "Rafa is incredible on clay, he is everywhere at the same time," fellow Spaniard Ferrer, who fought manfully in the 6-4, 7-5 defeat, told reporters. "Maybe if Rafa is injured I have a chance (next year)." Ferrer was even asked if Nadal might never lose again on clay, another prediction which is not so ludicrous unless Novak Djokovic can transfer his recent hardcourt hold over Nadal on to the red stuff. "He is not a machine, he can lose but he is world number one and the best player in history on clay," added fourth seed Ferrer, who let five break points go begging but won two. With Nadal's French Open defence on the horizon after he plays at Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, world number two Djokovic will have to quickly get over the minor knee injury which ruled him out this week and find a way to hurt the Spaniard on clay. Nadal's own struggle with injuries is one obvious way in which he can be toppled but he denied playing the non-mandatory Barcelona tournament next week could be too big a risk. "I'm happy about my calendar, if I'm wrong, let's see," he bristled in a news conference. "The positive thing is I didn't play perfectly and I won." Nadal sits so deep behind the baseline he can hit the ball at the top of the bounce, important in claycourt play.” — Reuters
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London, April 18 Second-placed Arsenal thought they had won it when Dutch striker Robin van Persie slotted home in the eighth minute of injury time only to see Dirk Kuyt reply from another penalty with the last kick of the game. The 12 minutes added on for treatment of a head injury to Liverpool's Jamie Carragher were a complete contrast to normal time, which featured precious few chances. Arsenal, who are trailing leaders Manchester United by six points with six games remaining, were left to rue a series of missed chances after Laurent Koscielny hit the bar with a header and Van Persie had a goal ruled out for offside. "It was difficult for us to create chances because they defended very deep. Overall they defended well, like most of the Premier League teams that come here, they don't really come out," manager Arsene Wenger told reporters. "We will have to give everything to the last game of the season and see if it is our year or not. It is about winning games. We are on a 15 match unbeaten run but recently we have not taken enough points." — Reuters
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Chetan star for FCI
New Delhi, April 18 Scores Tedco: 193 for 7 (Sandeep Tyagi 54, K K Upadhyay 28, Rajesh Kumar 24, Prashant Awasthi 24, Bharat Awasthi 3 for 21, Vishu Tomar 2 for 34). FCI: 196 for 5 (Chetan Sharma 86, Rajinder Bisht 35, Anuj Chaudhary 2 for 35, Upadhyay 2 for 38).
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When you come across a tournament like the Indian Premier League, it is a bit difficult to try and figure out the technical aspects of a game or the form book. Things change way faster than any other ‘normal’ tournament
Kolkata, April 18
New Delhi, April 18
