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fourth test
Clarke and Watson hardly communicate during training
Kotla pitch will be result-oriented: Curator
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I have at times disagreed with Sachin on team strategy: Dhoni
KP to miss IPL due to knee injury
Ponting rules out Ashes comeback
Shikhar batted like Bradman: Cowan
Little on offer for sports in Punjab budget
Police Games: HP vs Punjab in basketball
Mann unveils device to measure green speed
Vani leads with 78, Simi and Rani suspended
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Clarke unlikely for Delhi Test
Skipper misses training session, watches the team practise from the sidelines MS Unnikrishnan/TNS
New Delhi, March 20 Despite losing the series, the Australians practiced in all earnestness, as they want to salvage some pride, and win the fourth Test as a consolation, to avoid a total washout. Opener Ed Cowan admitted as much, when he interacted with the media after the practice session, though he did not give any categorical answer whether the captain will play, or vice-captain Shane Watson will step into his shoes. Cowans said he had spoken to Clarke, and the “best possible medical team is working overtime on his back”. “I don’t know what’s the possibility or probability of him playing the Test but Clarke is confident, because he’s familiar with injury, and deals with it on a daily basis (though he has never missed a Test due to back injury)”, noted Cowan. He said despite the 3-0 walloping suffered by them, the young team have learned a lot from the tour, and the “positives that has emerged from the tour” will stand the team in good stead in the coming years. “If you look at the result, it has been disappointing, but if you look at the bigger picture, it has been really positive to an extent to get the guys up to the speed”, Cowan explained. He said the experience of playing in the sub-continent has been a positive and added to the cricket knowledge of the junior players.”The juniors will feel that it has added to the knowledge base and they can tap it when they come back in four year’s time”, he added. He did not blame the wickets or conditions for their plight. “Rather, the wickets played on beautifully. It’s good batting wickets, if you can get in”. He said what did the visitors in was their inability to convert their starts into big scores while the Indians, particularly the top order, scored big hundreds, which was the prime reason for the visitors flopping miserably. He praised Shikhar Dhawan for his brilliant record-setting 187 on debut, and he equated his batting style to Don Bradman. “He played like Don Bradman. He played as good as anyone I have seen bat in international cricket, and he played every ball on merit”. Cowan said despite the visitors going through a tough phase, with even Clarke doubtful of playing the last Test, they would spare no effort to win the final Test, at avoid the kind of 4-0 lashing India suffered when they toured Australia last year. The Indians are so confident of their craft now that they opted to skip the optional practice session today. The one who impressed the most during the practice session was tall fast bowler James Pattinson, who was seen working up a lot of pace as he unsettled the likes of David Warner and Phillip Hughes. Pattinson, in all likelihood, will be coming in place of Mitchell Starc, who has flown back home to have ankle surgery.
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Clarke and Watson hardly communicate during training
New Delhi, March 20 Peeved at being dropped from the playing XI of the third Test in Mohali after not completing a presentation on team performance, Watson went back home as his wife was due to give birth to their first child. The ‘Proud Dad’ was back in action during the training session but what was eminently noticeable was the distinct lack of communication between Watson and captain Michael Clarke during the two and half hour session. The skipper, who is suffering from back spasms, is a doubtful starter as he didn’t take part in the training session but not for once did one find the two having a long chat with each other which normally a captain has with his deputy. Even during the customary net session, Clarke was having a session with the physio when Watson batted for around 35 minutes facing both pace and spin. While Watson had a bit of discussion with Mickey Arthur, who instructed the spinners Glenn Maxwell and Xavier Doherty to bowl to a particular line, the vice-captain was engaged in a long chat with the young Steven Smith. Call it pure ‘co-incidence’ but Clarke dropped in at the adjacent net area only after Watson was done with his session. It was like ‘Exit Watson’ and ‘Enter Clarke’ when Watson went back into the main stadium as Clarke came out to check his boys training. There have been rumours of possible differences between the two but both have denied any fallout and maintained that they are good friends. While most of the Australian players were busy at the net area, Watson alone, with the assistant coach, was seen taking slip catches inside the main stadium. The normally eloquent Ed Cowan produced a ‘dead bat’ when asked about the possibility of Watson leading the team in Clarke’s absence. “At the moment, Shane is not captain of the team,” was Cowan’s curt reply. “There are expectations that the vice-captain will step up if the captain is injured but Shane is a good player and a good leader,” Cowan added what seemed like an afterthought. Asked about what has changed in the dressing room from start of the Mohali Test and lead upto this match, Cowan replied, “The event in Mohali provided a bit of solidarity in the team. “It proved that if you are in, you are in. And Shane has shown that he wants to be a part of it. The team is happy to have him back as he is one hell of a player.” — PTI
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Kotla pitch will be result-oriented: Curator
New Delhi, March 20 “The wicket is hard, there are a few cracks, but it will be a result-oriented wicket”, Venkat Sunderam told The Tribune at the Kotla today. He said the soil of the Kotla wicket was very good, which has a binding quality, and therefore to make it a spin-oriented wicket was difficult. “The wicket will be a mix of spin and space. A little bit of spin, and it should have pace and carry”, continued Venkat. He said his team of curators had to toil hard to make not only the main ground smooth and even, but even the practice wicket has been given a nice makeover. “The Australians were very happy with the practice wicket. You can expect good cricket in the fourth Test, and it should last the distance”, Venkat added. He said how the wicket will behave will depend to a large extent on the weather. For, if it gets cloudy or rainy, then the pacers will have a good outing. Though some grass has been left on the wicket, the curator said he will take a call whether to retain it or not, later. “We don’t want too much grass on the wicket. It has some grass, we will keep it for now. But it will be a fair wicket, nevertheless”, added Venkat. With the Ferozeshah Kotla ground being the home venue of the Delhi Daredevils’ team for the coming IPL matches, the ground has got a facelift, with the green and fast outfield giving it a billiards-top look.
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I have at times disagreed with Sachin on team strategy: Dhoni
New Delhi, March 20 Dhoni said he used to have on-field discussion with Tendulkar on team strategy and would not mind disagreeing with his senior colleague even before he was made captain. “Tendulkar is my sporting hero and because of the aura he carries, I still have difficulties speaking up to him outside a cricket field. But on field, I always give my honest inputs about team strategy,” Dhoni said. “Tendulkar and I used to discuss team strategy on the field. If I am convinced I would even disagree with him and it happened quiet often. I think my honesty has paid dividends when he recommended me for captaincy. He might be thinking that I have learnt in quick time on different aspects of the game and team strategy,” he said. “Even if I was not made the captain, it was a huge thing that Tendulkar had recommended my name for captaincy,” the Indian captain said at the launch of a book titled ‘Tendulkar: the Cricketer of the Century’ written by New Delhi-based journalist Vimal Kumar. Dhoni revealed that when he met Tendulkar for the first time more than 10 years back, he could not speak to him but ended up serving the veteran batsman drinks on the field. “I think that was in a Duleep Trophy match in Pune in 2000-01 or 2001-02 season. Suddenly, he asked me ‘can I have a drink also?’” “That was my first meeting with Tendulkar, my idol. I did not speak any word to him and ended serving a drink to him,” Dhoni said. — PTI
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New Delhi, March 20 “I have started preparing for the IPL season 6," said Yuvraj, who plays for Sahara Pune Warriors in the IPL. Yuvraj's comments came on on Wednesday. The Yuvraj Singh Foundation, which is the initiative of the champion cricketer to spread awareness about cancer, has partnered with Victorinox, the legendary Swiss Army knife manufacturer since 1894, to come up with the special edition of Swiss knifes. "The Victorinox YouWeCan knife conveys a spirit of reliability and versatility and I feel it is a fitting tribute to the cause of Yuvi Foundation. All that I would like to say is if Yuvi Can, YOU CAN," said the 31-year-old from Chandigarh. Yuvraj, who fought the dreaded disease himself before successfully returning to international cricket, said," Having faced a testing time against cancer, I believe that no matter how hard the battle is, one can overcome it through self-determination." We (the foundation) has partnered with ISC (Indian Cancer Society). YouWeCan is spreading its wings and we are making efforts to aware people about the cancer," he added. Asked about the fourth India-Australia Test beginning on Thursday, Yuvraj refused to comment on it. "Today is not the occasion," was all he said in his reply. The knife has been made available on 'flipkart.com' as an e-commerce partner for the first 45 days prior to the official launch. Every special edition knife would be coming with an autograph of Yuvraj embossed on the knife's blade. Virat to start charity foundation for underprivileged kids
Star batsman Virat Kohli on Wednesday announced the launch of his charity foundation to help the underprivileged kids. The organization will be known as Virat Kohli Foundation. "It (Foundation) has been in my mind since very long time. But I was going through transition phase, so could not start off with the venture. Now, I feel it's the right time to get on with it," Virat told reporters during a promotional event to announce a football match between Bollywood stars and cricketers. "I know it takes time but I think I have matured enough to start an organisation for children who cannot afford education or play any sport," he said. "If I am able to inspire kids to achieve something, that will be my biggest achievement," the 23-year-old said. Virat said the organisation has plans conduct events to raise funds for the charity. Kingfisher employees ask BCCI not to allow RCB in IPL 6
Frustrated over not getting salary for last 10 months, Kingfisher Airlines employees on Wednesday asked the government to prosecute promoter Vijay Mallya and threatened to disrupt IPL matches. "If Gopal Kanda, promoter of MDLR airlines, can be prosecuted for suicide of an employee why can't the government prosecute Vijay Mallya for suicide of the family member of his employees," said Santosh Gautam, president of Kingfisher Airlines Maintenance Association. The protesting employees have urged RCB players to boycott Mr Mallya's team. They have asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) not to allow RCB to participate in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL). They also threatened to disrupt IPL matches of the Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB), the team owned by Mr
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KP to miss IPL due to knee injury
New Delhi, March 20
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Pietersen experienced knee pain while fielding in preparation for the four-day game in Queenstown ahead of the Test series, which has failed to resolve satisfactorily. “Recent scans confirm an injury to the right knee with bone bruising and possible cartilage damage to the kneecap. The 32-year-old will return to the UK for further investigations and specialist review,” ECB said on its website. Pietersen will not available for the English side in the third and final Test against New Zealand starting Friday at Auckland. “The injury is likely to require ongoing assessments and a six-eight week period of rest and rehabilitation. Pietersen has therefore been withdrawn from all cricket including the Indian Premier League,” it added.Daredevils will take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening encounter of the sixth edition of the IPL on April 3 at Eden Gardens. In 2011, Pietersen had missed the entire season for Deccan Chargers and was sold to Delhi Daredevils in the 2012 season without having played a single game for the Chargers. Gambhir may miss a few matches
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders might miss the services of their captain Gautam Gambhir as the senior opener is down with jaundice.Gambhir, who was in contention to replace an injured Shikhar Dhawan in the fourth Test against Australia, underwent a few blood tests and jaundice was detected ruling him out of the match starting on Friday. As of now, he might require rest for a period of three weeks in order to get back in action. There is a possibility that South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis or New Zealand’s wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum might lead KKR in Gambhir’s absence. McCullum has already had an experience of leading KKR during the disastrous second edition in South Africa where they finished at the bottom of the heap. But Kallis, if fit and available, will be the seniormost player and someone who is respected in the KKR ranks. — PTI |
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Ponting rules out Ashes comeback
Hobart, March 20
The 38-year-old former captain, who retired from international cricket last November, led the Sheffield Shield with 875 runs at an average of 87.50, including an unbeaten 200 in a recent match. His side Tasmania will host the first-class final beginning on Friday against Queensland. “International cricket has long passed me by,” Ponting said, predicting Australia could “put up a good show” in the fourth and final test against India after three consecutive defeats. He signed a two-month contract with English county Surrey and will be in England when Australia builds up for the Ashes series. Ponting will also play for Mumbai Indians in the Twenty20 Indian Premier League this year. Ponting scored 13,378 runs in 168 tests at an average of 51.85. He is third on the all-time test run-scorers’ list behind Sachin Tendulkar and Raul Dravid. Meanwhile, Mike Hussey confirmed on Wednesday that he was happily retired, saying he was flattered by comments from Australia coach Mickey Arthur that he’d welcome him back into the test team. Hussey was still at the top of his game when he retired in January after 79 tests. “It’s extremely flattering,” Hussey said. “But I’ve moved on and I really don’t want to be back in that pressure-cooker environment, particularly leading into the Ashes. It’s going to be an extremely stressful time for all the boys.” Both Hussey and Ponting have been mentioned as possible saviors for the test team, which was rocked by the suspensions of four players for the third test in India and fell behind 3-0 in the four-match series. — PTI
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Shikhar batted like Bradman: Cowan
New Delhi, March 20 “A few little things had crept in. I had a few conversations with the coach and the captain and the manager about those little things and I’m sure a few other guys did as well. It wasn’t just, ‘right, this is the moment’, there had been a build-up and there always comes a time where there is a breaking point and that happened in Mohali. But now it feels there is some solidarity behind the team moving forward and we’re excited by that unity and why it has been created.” About the team unitiy, he said, “We have been unified by what happened in Mohali and there is no doubt the tough decisions needed to be made if we aspire to be the best team in the world, which we do,” Cowan said. “There had to be some tough decisions. It showed immense courage by the leadership group to make those decisions and the group is right behind that. It feels as though we have come together behind that and we feel quite buoyed by the concept of moving forward together.” The opener however remained non-committal about the availability of skipper Michael Clarke, who is down with back spasms. “I have just spoken to him. He basically said that best possible medical team is working overtime on his ‘back’. It’s a condition that he has had for a long time. It’s a day-to-day proposition. I don’t know what is the possibility or probability of him playing the Test but he’s (Clarke) is confident. Because he is familiar with it (injury) and deals it with on a daily basis.” Despite a 0-3 hammering so far and the possibility of a 0-4 defeat, Cowan expectedly harped on the “positives” that has emerged from this tour. “No doubt, if you look at the result, it has been disappointing but if you look at the bigger picture. It’s been really positive to an extent to get the guys up to speed. The experience of playing in the sub-continent has been a positive and has added to their cricketing knowledge. The juniors would feel that it has added to the knowledge base and they can tap it when they come back in four years’ time.” Cowan accepted that not scoring big hundreds like the Indians, has been the one of the prime reason for team’s disastrous show in the three Test matches. “I think the wickets played on beautifully. It is a good batting wickets, if you can get in. The difference has been that their guys have converted the good starts into match-winning knocks while including myself, we have go out in 30’s, 40’s or 80’s. Their players have gone onto score 200’s and 180’s. That’s a part of the cause as guys at our end didn’t go onto score huge.” PTI
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Little on offer for sports in Punjab budget
Patiala, March 20 They feel that apart from announcing Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Centres of Excellence in Sports — to be located in Mohali with four regional centres of excellence in sports at Bathinda, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar — the government has not proposed any concrete plan for the uplift of sports in the state. Though they have welcomed the setting up of these centres for training players for international level, most of the coaches feel that the government should have laid more emphasis at the grassroots level. They believe that that is the only way coaches and trainers would be able to raise the skills and fitness of sportspersons to a position where they could think of representing the country. Speaking to The Tribune, PR Sondhi, the former coach of the Indian wrestling squad, said these centres of excellence would be successful only when we start nurturing talent from school-level. “Making sports a compulsory subject cannot serve the purpose since as such the students are studying physical education since many years. Rather, the government should identify schools which are doing exceptionally well in any particular sport and sanction grants for making them specialised centres for that particular sport,” he said. Santosh Dutta, secretary of the District Boxing Association and treasurer of Punjab Amateur Boxing Association, said the Punjab government was ignoring the basic need of sports and sports organisations in the state. “They don’t sanction any grants for the sports associations in Punjab, following which many associations find it difficult to send teams to participate even in national championships,” he added “We are all the time busy looking for sponsors who could pay for the travelling costs our or players. How can we deliver good results?” he asked. “The Punjab government should at least bear the travelling and TA/DA expenses of the players when they go to compete in tournaments because in the end, these medals are for Punjab and not for the associations.” “So, the government should try and strengthen the existing sports centres rather than establishing new ones. It should allot some funds for smoothening the players’ participation in events.” “Sample this: the boxing centre at Multipurpose School, Ptaiala, has produced more than 45 international boxers till date but they don’t have any government support,” Dutta added. “Like any other school, the diet given to day boarders is not even enough for having three meals a day.” Dejected with the budget, international archer Parveena Kumari feels the government should have formed a concrete sports policy, including providing jobs to talented sportspersons based on their performance at various levels. “Though they have given good jobs to a few players, there are many other international players who still await jobs,” she said. “They should rather streamline the entire process and chalk out transparent criteria as to what kind of job will be provided after a player achieves a particular goal,” she added. “Only when players are secure about their career would they be able to improve their performance.” “Secondly, though the government announces scholarships and cash awards for various players, they are not giving them regularly following which players have to await their due for months and sometimes for years,” added international player Harkirat Singh Dhillon.
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Police Games: HP vs Punjab in basketball
Dharamsala, March 20 The other teams that have qualified for the quarterfinals in basketball after the league matches held today include BSF, CRPF, and police teams from Maharashtra, J&K, Haryana and Kerala. In the handball event, CISF, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Punjab, ITBP, Andhara Pradesh and CRPF teams have qualified for the quarterfinals. The handball team of BSF today filed an appeal against the result of match played between them and Himachal. There was dispute during the match as the BSF team protested against alleged biased decision of the match referees. The appeal of the BSF team was, however, rejected by the jury today and Himachal Police were the winners.
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Mann unveils device to measure green speed
Chandigarh, March 20 This putting unit, backed by nearly two years of research, has been tested at the Chandigarh Golf Association for the last six months. This advancement in golf technology will help players card lower scores as it takes guesswork out of putting, say the promoters of the invention. “More than 80 percent of professional golfers achieve only about 60 percent of their putting potential during competition,” said Mann. “And an amateur golfer will achieve even less.” “With this aid, they can improve to a large extent,” said Mann.
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Vani leads with 78, Simi and Rani suspended
Panchkula, March 20 Regarding the two-shot penalty yesterday he said, “A player has to be physically present at the tee before tee off. It is a player’s responsibility. I got a call on the course that a player was late to tee off and a breach of rule had occurred and I have to act on it. Nothing very spectacular about it. I have seen it happen many times on the PGTI tour. But Smriti was not ready to give in her card and she started shouting and being aggressive and Rani Sonti supported her. The scorers’ area has a decorum and we have to maintain it.” Smriti confirmed that “we did not play for personal reasons.” Both players have been handed a one tournament suspension for unruly behavior. Saaniya Sharma, Neha Trathi and amateur Gursimar Badwal tied for second place with a total of 157.
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Australian captain Michael Clarke stood talking to coach Mickey Arthur as the rest of the players went through a two-hour practice session, indicating that he was still battling a back injury, and may not lead the side, trailing 0-3, in the fourth Test against India, starting at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground here from Friday.
Punjab and Himachal basketball teams would face each other in the quarterfinals of the All India Police Games being contested here. The match is scheduled for tomorrow morning after both the teams qualified for the quarterfinals today. In the matches held today, Himachal Pradesh Police defeated Uttar Pradesh.
