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Spinners cut short Clarke’s fightback
3-star Bhuvneshwar plays it cool after knocking off Aussies
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Can definitely restrict India under 230: Wade
HC raps BCCI for not paying state charges for IPL security
Assam make history, in Vijay Hazare final
No respite: Armstrong faces more lawsuits
Bhupathi-Llodra win Dubai championship
Kerala take on Services in final
I have nothing to prove: Jwala
India using Azlan Shah Cup to develop junior players: Nobbs
Para swimmer Karmakar turns para-cyclist
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Spinners cut short Clarke’s fightback
Hyderabad, March 2
Clarke was rather less ecstatic as he walked back, though he had every reason to be satisfied with his second remarkable innings of the series. If he hadn’t weighed in with 91, and added 145 with Matthew Wade, Australia would have had much fewer than the 237 runs they did after choosing to bat first. As Clarke walked back, he was probably mulling the loss of their last five wickets for 28 runs, all five falling to spin, as Australia slipped from 208 for four to 236 for nine. Once back into the pavilion, he watched his batsmen No. 9 and 10 face Indian spinners with tentativeness and anxiety. For 11 balls, Clarke mulled the goings-on, decided enough was enough and called them back. He had declared the innings at 236. He had allowed the last pair to bat for only 11 balls for one run — quite ironical, for Australia had added 66 runs for the last wicket in the second innings of the Chennai Test. Clearly, Clarke didn’t have much confidence in his final pair here. Yet, the easy decision would have been to let them bat on; by choosing to declare the innings, Clarke wanted to turn adversity into opportunity. He wanted to surprise the Indians; he wanted his two premier pace bowlers, James Pattinson and Peter Siddle, to spit fire at the Indians, blow them apart. He wanted to take out at least Virender Sehwag today. He wanted to seize the moment. That’s an attacking gesture much to be applauded; the minor difficulty with it was that the Australian pacers had time enough to bowl just three overs. Pattinson, beginning with a horrible wide that endangered the man at second slip more than Murali Vijay, gradually picked speed, hitting the 144kmph mark before slowing down in his second over. Clarke would have wanted 12 threatening deliveries from Pattinson, but the big fast bowler sent down only two such; conversely, Pattinson would have wanted at least two overs more to really get into rhythm. Siddle, who shared the new ball with Clarke, was even less fearsome. The aggression and bravery in Clarke’s declaration is unquestionable; its success, though, could be measured only in terms of wickets obtained, or perhaps a batsman bruised. Zero wicket, zero batsmen terrified or hurt — not a success, clearly. Clarke’s move was a desperate throw of dice, for his men had proved inadequate to the task of building up a big score on a track that’s predicted to wear out, play tougher from the third day onward. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who made his debut in Chennai and then saw all 20 Australian wickets snapped up by spinners, make breakthroughs with the new ball. He doesn’t have the pace of the Australians -- though he was consistently faster than Ishant Sharma today -- but he made the ball dart off the pitch dangerously. He spelt trouble for the left-handers at the top of the Australian batting order. To make matters worse for the Aussies, the bounce on the track was somewhat fickle. Thus, Bhuvneshwar had David Warner inside-edging a ball to his stumps; Cowan was trapped LBW — given out in error by the umpire as the ball had pitched outside the leg stump — by one that darted in and kept low; and Watson got a short ball that kept unfairly low and struck him in front of off stump. When Ravichandran Ashwin removed Phil Hughes, Australia were 63/4. Clarke and Wade revived Australia, keeping the Indians at bay for the entirety of the second session. Clarke, playing the best cricket of his life, again displayed his ability against spin. It’s marked with a complete lack of indecision, both in mind and action. His footwork was sure and decisive, the swing of his arms smooth and strong when he choose to hit out. He negated the Indian spinners with ease. The slowness of the wicket induced him to do most of his scoring on both sides of the square — 62 of his 91 runs came in that region.
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3-star Bhuvneshwar plays it cool after knocking off Aussies
Hyderabad, March 2 Bhuvneshwar had made remarkable debuts in T20 International and One-day Internationals, both against Pakistan. He had got Nasir Jamshed in his first over in T20I cricket, and ended up with three wickets for nine runs in three overs in his debut in Chennai on Christmas day last December. Five days later, he got Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali out with his first two balls in ODIs. He finished that match with two for 27 off nine overs. Incidentally, India lost both these matches to Pakistan. Bhuvneshwar’s Test debut was less astonishing. Last week, Chennai was not the best place in the world for a pace bowler to play his first Test. The wicket was quite soft, a red dustbowl that could move quick bowlers to tears. Indeed, all Australian wickets were taken by spin bowlers. Ishant Sharma and Bhuvneshwar didn’t have a big role to play. They didn’t have even a small role to play — they bowled just 33 of the 226 overs the Indians bowled in Chennai. Bhuvneshwar didn’t even get to bowl in the second innings, in which Ishant too bowled a mere three overs. Three wickets in his second Test, thus, must have quite satisfying for Bhuvneshwar. The mediumpacer, who celebrated his 23rd birthday a month ago, is not a particularly effusive speaker when discussing his performance. He didn’t break into song — which Michael Clarke actually offered to a couple of days ago — when he said it was one of the happiest days for him, a dream come true. “It has always been a dream to play Test cricket for India and when I got my first wicket, I was very happy. It couldn’t get better than this,” he said. How did it feel finding success in his second Test, after the barren spells in Chennai? “In India the wickets are dominated by spinners. If the medium-pacer can take two wickets out of 10, then it’s good.” “In the first hour something was happening in the wicket. I tried to bowl straight wicket to wicket. It worked,” he added. “There was no specific assistance from one particular end. All three wickets were very satisfying, as Warner, Cowan and Watson have been doing well for Australia.” He said his plan for Warner was simple enough. “The wicket is slow and the odd ball was keeping low,” Bhuvneshwar said. “So I just planned to keep it to stumps to get him out LBW or bowled.” Scoreboard Australia 1st innings Extras: 13 Bowling India 1st innings Extras: 1 Total: (0 wkts in 3 ovs) 5 Bowling
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Can definitely restrict India under 230: Wade
Hyderabad, March 2 “These wickets are so different to what we are used to playing on. Any lead will be an advantage at this stage. I feel that if can we bowl well, we can definitely restrict India to under 230. We have got to bowl well enough," said Wade, who scored a valuable 62 and added 145 runs for the fifth wicket with skipper Michael Clarke (91).
About the declaration at the fall of ninth wicket, Wade reasoned, "The main message that we tried sending was let's try and get a couple of wickets tonight." "There was up and down bounce. We felt, if we can get the ball in the right areas, get one to stay low or get one to jump up, we can get a couple of nicks or a couple of leg befores. May be, we can have a couple of wickets tonight. That didn't happen but we are pretty confident that if we hit the stumps enough, we will create enough chances." Wade applauded the Indian bowlers for keeping up the pressure. “They (bowlers) bowled well and the ball was reversing. They got early wickets and then challenged us with every ball they bowled. They will play their role throughout well." About his own innings, the 25-year-old Tasmanian said, "I felt in control today. I felt like my plans against the spinners and quicks came off pretty well. Still, it was pretty disappointing to get out when I did. Myself and Michael had built up a good platform. We lost a lot of wickets in that last session. I was satisfied in a way that my plans worked." Wade agreed that having Clarke for company during their century plus partnership did help him a lot. "It was nice to have him there. He is a very experienced player and captain of our team and a very good player of spin as well. So it was nice to have him there just to bounce a few ideas off here and there. It was nice to have a partnership but it would have been nicer had still we remained at the crease tonight," he said. Wade was quick to defend youngsters Moises Henriques and debutant Glenn Maxwell, who were dismissed cheaply by Ravindra Jadeja. "It would have been nice to get a few more runs going down the order today but Moises played out of his skin in the last Test match and Maxi's (Maxwell’ nickname) first game. I think you will see big runs from those two throughout the tour." He admit that spinners will play a big role tomorrow. — PTI
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HC raps BCCI for not paying state charges for IPL security
Mumbai, March 2 A division bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar also questioned the BCCI as to why it had defaulted on payment to the state for security services it had received during IPL season 4. The court observed that the state's treasury was suffering in the blame game of BCCI and IPL. The bench was hearing a PIL filed by one Santosh Pachlag regarding non-payment of over Rs 5 crore to police for security provided for IPL matches played in Navi Mumbai's D Y Patil stadium in the previous seasons. The bench pulled up BCCI saying, "The cricket board has disputed its liability to pay the amount as demanded. We fail to understand why the issue has remained unresolved for such a long time." "If the board had sent requisition to provide adequate security, it would be primarily responsible to pay the amount as demanded, to the extent regulations and norms set up by the state authorities." The court further observed that the state exchequer should not be made to suffer on account of disputes between the stakeholders inter se and particularly when best security arrangements were provided during the event, on request made by the board. On BCCI's plea, the court gave it an opportunity to make representation to the state authorities on or before March 4, which, in turn, shall take appropriate decision on it, in accordance with the law. Next hearing has been fixed for March 13. The petition said, “Six matches were played at the D Y Patil stadium between March 12 and April 25. In all, 3,345 policemen were deployed at the stadium. “Navi Mumbai police, on November 8, 2010, sent a bill of Rs 5,65,26,238 to BCCI. However the cricket body paid Rs 47,53,000.” — PTI
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Assam make history, in Vijay Hazare final
Mumbai, March 2
Opting to ball, Assam first dismissed Kerala for 197 in 48.5 overs and then overwhelmed the target with five wickets in hand and 24 balls to spare. Assam will take on Delhi in the summit clash tomorrow. Delhi beat defending champions Bengal by six wickets in the first semi-final earlier in the day. Off-spinner Gokul (3/30) and fast bowler Pritam Das (3/38) picked up three wickets apiece, while Arup Das (2/32) accounted for two top-order batsmen to help Assam bundle out Kerala under the 100-run mark after skipper Abu Nechim Ahmed elected to bowl. Only three Kerala batsman managed double digit scores with opener VA Jagadeesh top-scoring with a fighting 89 off 109 balls. Besides Jagadeesh, Raiphi Gomez (51) and Rohan Prem (34) were the other contributors with the bat for Kerala. Chasing the modest target, Assam were in for early jolt as they lost their first three wickets for just 28 runs before Tarjinder Singh (49) and opener Pallav Kumar Das (37) steadied the ship with a 72-run fourth-wicket stand. Just when it seemed Assam were in control of the proceedings, Pallav and Tarjinder departed in quick succession to make things difficult for the North-East team. But Gokul and Jamaluddin Syed Mohammad stitched unbeaten 75 runs for the sixth wicket to guide Assam home. Brief Scores: Kerala: 197 all out in 48.5 overs (V A Jagadeesh 89, Raiphi Gomez 51; Gokul Sharma 3/30, Pritam Das 3/38); Assam: 200 for 5 in 46 overs (Gokul Sharma 52 not out, Tarjinder Singh 49; Prasanth Parameswaran 2/25, S Sandeep Warrier 2/25). — PTI
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No respite: Armstrong faces more lawsuits
The Acceptance Insurance Company and Tailwind Sports Corporation sued Armstrong on Friday, claiming he committed fraud by concealing his use of performance enhancing drugs during the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Tours, Xinhua reports. Acceptance is seeking a $3 million repayment of bonus paid to Armstrong for his first three Tour victories. Previously, he already faced lawsuits from the government, Texas insurance company SCA and British newspaper Sunday Times. Armstrong was stripped of all competition results from August 1998 including his seven Tour titles last year after the US Anti-Doping Agency's investigation showed he played a key part in a sophisticated doping program on his US Postal Service team. After years of denial, he finally made an admission of doping in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey in January, in which he said he used a combination of blood-doping transfusions, blood-boosting EPO and testosterone throughout his career. Armstrong is also involved in a lawsuit with an insurance company that paid him $12.1 million in bonuses for winning several Tours. Another lawsuit in which he is a defendant was filed by a British newspaper, asking for him to repay the $1.5 million after he sued the paper. — Agencies
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Bhupathi-Llodra win Dubai championship
Dubai, March 2 Nadal to meet David Ferrer in Mexican Open final
Acapulco, Mexico: Rafael Nadal continued his domination over countryman Nicolas Almagro Friday to book his spot in the Mexican Open final against three-time defending champ David Ferrer. The 26-year-old Nadal, who is seeking his 52nd career ATP Tour title, defeated Almagro 7-5, 6-4 in their one hour, 48 minute semi-final. Nadal has now reached his third-straight final after missing seven months. — PTI |
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santhosh trophy After nine years, hosts look to regain title by trumping reigning champs
Kochi, March 2 Services coach Sajith Kumar feels that the fitness level of his wards coupled with the knack of scoring late goals gives them the edge over the fancied hosts. Kerala coach M.M. Jacob is of the opinion that massive home support alongwith the appetite to regain the coveted title after nine long years makes his side the favourites."We played really well in the second half of regulation time as well as extra time. It is fascinating to see how the boys regrouped in the last quarter of the match scoring two goals in the space of nine minutes to clinch the match for us. I think this spirit can win us the title and after the semifinal win, I can assure you that the boys are highly motivated and raring to go," Kumar said. "Kerala are a god side and the crowd will be behind them from the first whistle. But we will think that the crowd is cheering for us! That way it works and I have told the boys that," added Kumar smiling. Jacob on the other hand feels that the strong home crowd will be a huge morale booster added to the desire to win the Santosh Trophy after a gap of nine years. "It has been ages since we last won the Santosh Trophy. We came very near most of the times but lost our way." Kerala has finished on the wrong side of a 1-2 scoreline when the two teams last met in the Santosh Trophy semifinals last year in Orissa. "Our boys are much better prepared this time and the home support is a big advantage. I have always maintained that the crowd in this part of India is terrific and that will work for us, I am sure. We will definitely beat them. I may sound overambitious but I like saying that. We believe in that. We can beat them." Both the outfits though are likely missing the services of their key strikers. Kerala`s R. Kannan is doubtful after an an ankle injury, while Farhad of Services is certain to sit out after picking up a knock in the semi-final against Maharashtra. "We have players who can fill the void. Lalian Mawia played so well last night scoring two goals. He along with Dhanji, who is a very versatile footballer, can form a formidable strike pair. Yes of course Farhad will be missed. He was the top goal getter last season. But we have to deal with such situations," the Services coach maintained. Kerala coach though was optimistic about Kannan`s recuperation before the all important match. "He is injured but I think he will be fit in time. He is doing well and is a key player for us. I have my fingers crossed," he said. — PTI
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I have nothing to prove: Jwala
One half of the World Championships bronze medal-winning pair, Jwala had taken a break after the London Olympics and for the last two months, has been working out to get back in shape for All England, where she will pair up with 20-year-old Prajakta Sawant and the experienced V Diju in the women's and mixed doubles category respectively. "Coming back after a long break is difficult so I am not expecting too much from myself at the moment. I am taking it easy," Jwala said. "I have been training for the tournament. I missed the German open which I wanted to play first but its okay. The mixed doubles draw (at the All England Championship) is good. We should win the first two rounds. We have never lost against the Polish pair in the second round. So I am positive." "Moreover, I don't have to prove anything to anyone after a long successful career. So, I will look to just play for myself," said Jwala, who along with Diju will start her mixed doubles campaign against Peter Kaesbauer and Isabel Herttrich in the first round. The 29-year-old will be pairing with Prajakta Sawant, a talented young player, who has been involved in a legal tussle with chief coach Pullela Gopichand, in the women's doubles competition. — PTI
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India using Azlan Shah Cup to develop junior players: Nobbs
New Delhi, March 2 With an aim to build a strong reserve pool, India has fielded its development squad for the Azlan Shah Cup and rested six of its senior players, including regular skipper Sardar Singh. And Nobbs said the main idea behind the decision to field an under-strength team was to prepare the youngsters for the FIH Junior World Cup to be held in India later this year. "We had some objectives in mind when we selected the team for the Azlan Shah Cup. Our main aim is to build a strong team for the Junior World Cup, and we can achieve that only by giving as much international exposure as possible to the junior players," Nobbs told PTI before leaving for Ipoh, Malaysia. "It is also a good opportunity to draft in some junior players as they are the future of Indian hockey. It will also create a healthy competition for places in the team. "Mandeep's (Singh) performance in the Hockey World League is a prime example of the fact that junior players need development. Mandeep found international hockey lot tougher than Hockey India League. He has got talent but require development," he said. Nobbs said junior team coach Baljit Saini will also be accompanying the team for the Azlan Shah Cup. Nobbs said with a long season ahead, it was also imperative to give rest to some of the already-exhausted senior players. "The other objective behind the decision to send the development team was to give rest to some senior players, who are either exhausted or are carrying injuries, because we have a busy schedule ahead," the Australian insisted. Apart from India, arch-rivals Pakistan, Australia, Korea, New Zealand and hosts Malaysia are the other participating nations in this year's Azlan Shah Cup to be played from March 9 to 17. Asked about the strength of other teams in the tournament, Nobbs said, "I really can't say anything as I don't know the composition of other teams. But I expect most of the teams will send their development squad." The India coach said acclimatising to the hot and humid conditions in Malaysia will be a big challenge for all the participating nations. "It will be tough for all except Malaysia. It will be tough for us to suddenly play under 35 degree Celsius from 20 degree. But we have six days in hand to get used to the conditions," Nobbs said. — PTI
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Para swimmer Karmakar turns para-cyclist
New Delhi, March 2 The loss of swimming could be the gain for cycling as there is no age bar for para-cycling unlike in swimming where athletes beyond 33 cannot participate. And Karmakar is ready to cash in on the opportunity as the Haryana-lad is determined to recreate the magic as a para-cyclist during the races. — PTI
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Kochi, March 2
After his three-wicket haul with the ball, Gokul (51) scored an unbeaten half-century to guide Assam to the historic win at the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.
Washington, March 2
Hyderabad, March 2
