S P O R T S

‘Dhoni will bounce back’
Mumbai, August 8
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni may be showing the first signs of buckling under pressure but the wicketkeeper-batsman remains the best man for the job, according to former players. Four short months ago, the 30-year old from the small eastern town of Ranchi was the toast of the nation after he led India to their second ODI World Cup crown after a gap of 28 years.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni throws a ball during a training session at Edgbaston in Birmingham on Monday. — Reuters

‘Dhoni will bounce back’

Mumbai, August 8
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni may be showing the first signs of buckling under pressure but the wicketkeeper-batsman remains the best man for the job, according to former players. Four short months ago, the 30-year old from the small eastern town of Ranchi was the toast of the nation after he led India to their second ODI World Cup crown after a gap of 28 years.

However, a slump in batting form, untidy work behind the stumps and two humiliating defeats to start India’s four-Test series in England have piled the pressure on a man renowned for his calm on-field demeanour. Former India opener Anshuman Gaekwad said it was premature to write off the captain, who led India to the Twenty20 World Cup title in 2007 and had yet to lose a Test series.

“If you just forget these two Test matches... as a captain, as a batsman and as a wicketkeeper he has done marvellously well,” Gaekwad told Reuters on phone. “It must be tremendous pressure for a captain, especially when he does not have his main strike bowler (Zaheer Khan) and batsman (Virender Sehwag),” said Gaekwad, who played 40 Tests and coached India.

India were unable to call on opener Sehwag, coming back from a shoulder surgery, in both Tests while Zaheer left the field on the first day of the series at Lord’s and was later ruled out of the entire tour with hamstring and ankle problems.

Sehwag’s regular opening partner, Gautam Gambhir, missed the second Test with a bruised arm while off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and batsman Yuvraj Singh have also been ruled out for the remainder of the tour with injuries.

India’s number one Test team ranking is also on the line after they fell 2-0 behind to England in a series the hosts need to win by a two-Test margin to leapfrog the tourists.

Dhoni has averaged 12.25 in the two England Tests and 19.40 in the three-match series in the Caribbean in June, and former India wicketkeeper Kiran More believes a lack of confidence was behind the dip in performance.

“I don’t think he has dropped any catches. He has fumbled a bit with the ball. He is not doing a great job definitely,” More told Reuters. “There’s a lot of pressure on him... Not only from wicket-keeping but also from batting and captaincy. All the issues boil down and then you lose some confidence.”

More, however, was confident Dhoni would silence his critics. “I don’t blame him. We are playing against the best team (England)... the commentators and crowd pressure is also there,” he said. “So overall, things are not going well for MS (Dhoni) but he is a strong character and he has always bounced back and hopefully he will fight back.” — Reuters

Low in spirit, India undergo practice

Birmingham, August 8
A dispirited and pensive-looking Indians today underwent a training session at Edgbaston cricket ground here with left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha turning up at the nets after joining the team as Harbhajan Singh's replacement.

As soon as the Indian players, without pacers Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma, trudged into the ground, coach Duncan Fletcher seemed to have suddenly turned pensive as he walked up to the middle and saw a moist and grassy pitch.

The curator Steve Rouse though wrapped his arm around Fletcher and apparently offered a few words of encouragement. The two obviously share a certain bonhomie going back to Fletcher's stint as England coach in last decade.

The tell-tale signs of a team in the midst of an immense crisis after losing back-to-back Tests was apparent in the body language of the players and the team management.

Soon Fletcher's wards converged on to the middle, playing a round of football which lasted a bit longer than such sessions usually do. There were occasional sounds of whoops and shrieks but generally it had the appearance of a dispirited team.

With Praveen and Ishant being kept under the wraps, the Indian batsmen struggled for proper simulation of the fiery attack of England they would come up against in less than 48 hours in the third Test beginning here from August 10.

Three batsmen - Virender Sewhag, Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid - were at once in the nets but they largely had to make do with the Indian spinners, including Ojha who has now joined the Indian ranks, and a couple of strong lads which the host association loaned to the visiting team.

Sachin Tendulkar went through his, by now, customary drill of squaring up to throwdowns. It was the turn of fielding coach Trevor Penny who responded to the great man's call. — PTI

Bresnan likely to be retained for 3rd Test

London, August 8
With Chris Tremlett still recovering from a back injury, pacer Tim Bresnan is set to retain his place in the England team for the third Test starting August 10. Tremlett has admitted that the back injury is still troubling him.

"Every day my injury has felt a bit better. It's niggling a bit. I bowled a couple of times in the week, not at full pace, and it has reacted at times and been a bit sore," Tremlett was quoted as saying by newspapers here. "The next two days will give me the chance to see how I go in training and I'll be monitored to see if I'm fit enough to go into the game," he added.

Tremlett said he "was desperate to play the last game, but I was pretty honest with where I was." "I had a fitness test and I knew realistically I wouldn't have got through the game. The last thing I wanted to do was let my team-mates down by not being 100 per cent fit and playing," he conceded.

"It's the same for this week. Hopefully my back will improve, but I have to make a fair call on whether I'm fit enough to get through a game. I guess we'll find out over the next few days of training." — PTI

‘Flower, Strauss key to England success’

London, August 8
England Cricket Board's Managing Director Hugh Morris believes the team's brilliant performance against world number one India in the ongoing Test series is a result of coach Andy Flower and captain Andrew Strauss' "outstanding leadership".

Leading 2-0 in the series, England can topple India from the top spot if they win the Edgbaston Test starting August 10. "One of the most important reasons is we have outstanding leadership in Flower and Strauss. They've shown a clear direction and vision to the players and management," Morris told 'BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek' programme.

"A lot of hard work has gone in over the last few years to get us to this position. The short-term target is to win at Edgbaston and what we've got to try and do is sustain it over a period of time," he added.

"Very recently Andy committed his future to England cricket. We always said that after the Ashes and World Cup we would sit down and begin to plot a strategy over the next period of time," Morris said. — PTI

Putting it right with Jeev
Sunil Narula
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 8
A sporting clinic was organised at the Chandigarh Golf Association (CGA) Range here today where Jeev Milkha Singh interacted with young golfers and encouraged them to take up the game. This clinic is part of an initiative launched here where schools are being urged to give more recognition to sports and allot more marks to students who play games.

“I started playing golf at the age of seven and all I can say to you youngsters is to keep practising hard, believe in yourself and stay patient and success will come to you,” said the 40-year-old golfer, who is a big role model for young golfers not only in the city but the whole of India.

Youngsters asked Jeev a range of questions starting from what his routine is when playing on the Tour, which is his favourite golf course, who is his favourite players etc. The ace player answered all questions patiently and even displayed a range of shots for the young players.

“My favourite golf course is the one in Augusta, Georgia, and my all-time favourite player is Fred Couples and of course I regard Tiger Woods as a legend. I have admired Fred all along for the way he has played his golf and has conducted himself on the course. He is 52 years old now but still plays hard and is surely a role model for young players,’’ Jeev told the young golfers.

“While taking part in a tournament, it’s very important to remain focussed and disciplined. As for my routine, I do yoga for about half-an-hour before going to the course. I reach there about one-and-a-half hours before my tee-time. I practice all aspects of the game at the range before teeing off. It’s not possible to do all things right on the course every time. Sometimes you putt well and at other times you hit most of the fairways. At times your shots don’t go as you want them to. But the trick is to remain patient and make the most of the day. Every shot is important. That is the thing to remember,” Jeev told the youngsters.

This initiative of asking schools to give more marks to students who play sports might find a positive response from schools or it might not. But for the young golf players from the area it was indeed a valuable and enriching experience to hear the words of encouragement from a true champion of the sport. Like Jeev said, they made the most of their day.

Scott seals Firestone win
Closes with a five-under-par 65
Wins first WGC title

Akron (Ohio), August 8
Australian Adam Scott held off a bold early challenge from Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa to clinch his eighth PGA Tour victory by four shots at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Sunday.

One ahead overnight, Scott tightened his grip on a maiden World Golf Championships (WGC) title with three birdies in five holes after the turn before closing with a flawless five-under-par 65 to match the day's lowest score.

With Tiger Woods' former caddie Steve Williams on his bag for a fourth tournament in a row, Scott kept his cool on a hot and humid afternoon at Firestone Country Club to post a 17-under total of 263.

The 31-year-old Australian finished in style, sinking a five-foot birdie putt on the 18th green and pumping his fist in triumph before being warmly embraced by Williams. "Today it was on, I stayed so patient," a beaming Scott said greenside. "It was a good round of golf. To win here at this place, and a World Golf Championships title, it's huge."

Asked how much he had benefited from having Williams on his bag, Scott replied, "Are you kidding me? He knows this place better than anyone." Williams, fired by Woods on July 3 after a highly successful relationship dating back to 1999, told CBS television, "I've been caddying for 33 years, 145 wins, and that's the best week of my life."

Ishikawa, at 19 bidding to become the youngest PGA Tour winner in 100 years, bogeyed the final hole for a 69 to finish tied fourth at 12 under with Australian Jason Day (69). British world number one Luke Donald and American Rickie Fowler each birdied the 18th for matching 66s to share second place at 13 under.

Woods, a seven-times champion at Firestone with Williams on his bag, ended an erratic week with a level-par 70 to finish joint 37th, 18 shots off the pace after his first tournament start in three months.

For much of an intriguing afternoon, the tournament came down to a head-to-head between Scott and Ishikawa before the 19-year-old's challenge faded over the closing stretch. Ishikawa came close to eagling the par-five second after unleashing an exquisite three-iron to within five feet of the cup. However, his first putt slid past and he had to settle for a tap-in birdie. — Reuters

Compound archers win silver
Gagan K. Teja
Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 8
The Indian women Compound archers created history of sorts by winning the first-ever medal in a World Cup Series. A team of Punjab archer Gagandeep Kaur, Jhanu Hansda and Manjusha Soy won silver during Stage 3 of the World Cup that concluded at Ogden, USA, on August 6. They lost to the host nation by 10 points in the final.

Interestingly, though the Indian Compound squad had won various medals during the Asian Grand Prix Championships, they had never managed to enter even the semi-final during this series.

Talking to The Tribune from Ogden, Gagandeep said she was thrilled with her achievement.

"Though I would have certainly loved to win gold as the entire archery fraternity had set their eyes on us for the sole gold medal during this tournament but I am certainly not disappointed. I am glad that we have improved upon our performance. Winning a medal in the World Cup is a great feeling."

Back home her parents are equally excited about her achievement. Her father Jasbir Singh said her daughter had made him proud. "I certainly had no idea that she would actually make it so far. We have not been able to get over her Commonwealth haul yet and this World Cup medal comes as a pleasant surprise," he added.

SAFF U-16 football
India-Pakistan to clash in final

Kathmandu, August 8
India colts set the SAFF under-16 championship alight as they sent hosts Nepal crashing out of the tournament at the Dashrath Stadium here today to set up a mouth-watering summit clash with arch-rivals Pakistan.

In a gripping encounter, India registered a 4-2 win via a penalty shootout in the second semifinal of the day to book their place in the final to be played on Wednesday.

Group A winner Pakistan progressed to the final after registering an emphatic 2-0 win over Bangladesh in the first semifinal. In the match between India and Nepal, both the teams were locked at 1-1 after the regulation time. It was the home side, who drew first blood in the 20th minute with Rishi Thapa scoring off a goal-mouth melee. Substitute Nitin Jyal restored parity at the stroke of the final whistle to bring India back into the match.

Both the teams started the match on an aggressive note. India colts were up to the task right from the outset. Striker Vanlalduatsanga's shot was saved off the line by the rival goalkeeper while few minutes later, his shot from inside the box could only found the Nepal custodian. — PTI

Sherwood win soccer tourney
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 8
Sherwood College, Nainital, won the 1st All-India Sant Singh Memorial soccer tournament for boys played at Pinegrove School, Dharampur, Himachal Pradesh. In the final, which was played under floodlights, Sherwood defeated hosts Pinegrove School 5-0 in a match that the visitors dominated thoroughly.

Tabish scored two goals for Sherwood while Yash, Aneesh and Rohan contributed one goal each. The Sherwood boys kept the momentum going right from the beginning and scored at regular intervals denying Pinegrove any success. The Pinegrove boys tried their level best to make a comeback but were denied any opportunity by the winners.

The top scorer award went to Rohan Yadav of Sherwood while Mansher Singh of Pinegrove was adjudged the best defender. The best goalkeeper award went to Gurjai Singh of Pinegrove, while Saurav Hamal was declared the player of the tournament.

Kids have a tee party
Ruma Kat
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 8
Golf’s emergence as a new passion for many in India is amply visible here in Chandigarh where there are three golf courses and a state-of-the-art stand-alone range, all within a radius of a few kilometres. Little wonder then that young golfers from the area are teeing off with a vengeance and sparing no effort to excel on the course.

Twelve-year-old Kartick Digvijay and 10-year-old Chinmaya Mahajan are two such players from the city who have been playing golf here for the last three years and have won several tournaments. In fact, Kartick just won the 2nd CGA Junior Tournament (C-Category) played at the Panchkula Golf Club on Sunday. Chinmaya finished third in the same.

“Of course, I want to be number one like Tiger Woods,” says Kartick. A student of Class VII in Bhawan Vidyalaya School, Sector 26, he was first brought to the course by his father, who gave him an option to choose a sport - either tennis or golf. “I attended a camp here at the course when I was nine years old,” he says. “From there on, I’ve loved this game. Now I come to practice here for four to five hours every day.”

Their coach Mahesh Kumar sees a bright future for these kids. “I see a lot of potential in these kids and they will become very good golfers. They will soon start playing in national junior tournaments,” says Mahesh, who is a Level-A coach at the CGA.

“Kids as old as four have started holding putters here and they have all the support from their parents and of course from us. This game is really growing in India and soon we will have many more top golfers,” says Mahesh.

This is a good news, keeping in mind that golf is going to make its debut as a medal sport in the Olympics from 2016 (Brazil).

Chinmaya is a student from Vivek High School and he feels that the short game is very important. “I want to concentrate more on putting and chipping and my coach is really helping me with that,” says Chinmaya. These kids already seem to have mature heads on young shoulders.

Advani crashes out of National Championship