Augusta, April 15
Adam Scott sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to beat Angel Cabrera and win the 77th Masters, becoming the first Australian golfer to capture the green jacket.

Nine months after making bogeys on the last four holes to squander a British Open lead at Royal Lytham and two years after sharing second at the Masters, the 32-year-old from Adelaide on Sunday won his first major title in impressive fashion.

"I don't know how that happened," Scott said. "It seems a long, long way from a couple years ago, or last July when I was trying to win a major."

Scott and Cabrera both birdied the 18th hole to finish deadlocked after 72 holes on nine-under par 279. Each parred the hole again to open the playoff and both had birdie putts at the second playoff hole, the par-4 10th.

Cabrera just missed his 12-footer and Scott followed with his winning putt, thrusting his arms into the air with joy after the ball curled into the cup to signal the end of a journey from Down Under to the top of the golf world.

"It's amazing that it's my destiny to be the first Aussie to win," Scott said. "Just incredible."

It was Scott's second celebration after an emotional 25-foot birdie at 18 in regulation that Cabrera matched with a stunning approach to four feet and a birdie putt of his own.

"There was a split second I thought I had won," Scott admitted. "You never count your chickens. It was time to step up and see how much I wanted it."

Cabrera, the 2007 US Open and 2009 Masters champion, shared a hug with Scott after the final putt.

"That's how golf is," Cabrera said. "I came back. I had my chance to win it. Adam is truly a good winner. He's a great person and a great player and I'm happy for him." Cabrera, a grandfather ranked 269th in the world, would have been the second-oldest Masters champion at 43, trailing only Jack Nicklaus winning the 1986 Masters at age 46.

Australian Jason Day was third on 281, two strokes ahead of world number one Tiger Woods and Aussie Marc Leishman with Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and American Brandt Snedeker sharing sixth on 284. Woods, a 14-time major champion who has never won a major when he did not at least share the 54-hole lead, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open and not won the Masters since taking his fourth green jacket in 2005. The Masters was the only major that no Aussie had won, the Augusta National jinx -- now shattered forever -- including three heartbreaking defeats for two-time British Open champion Greg Norman. Norman took a bogey at the 18th in the 1986 Masters to hand Nicklaus the victory and the next year Norman lost a Masters playoff when Augusta native Larry Mize holed a miraculous chip shot.

In 1996, Norman suffered the greatest last-round collapse in major golf history, leading by six over Nick Faldo only to lose by five to the Englishman. "He inspired a nation of golfers," Scott said. "Part of this definitely belongs to him." Scott and Day shared second in 2011, falling short when South African Charl Schwartzel became the first man to birdie the last four holes to win a major.

Scott, who uses an anchored putting stroke, fired a 69 and Cabrera a 70 in the last round.

Day could only watch Scott and Cabrera make their stunning shots at the 18th hole and ponder what might have been. A day after closing with back-to-back bogeys, Day opened with a birdie and followed with an eagle at the par-5 second, but stumbled back with bogeys at the par-3 sixth and par-4 ninth.

Day ripped off a run of three birdies in a row starting at the par-5 13th to put himself into the lead, but bogeys at the 16th and 17th left him third after a closing 70. Woods, fell eight strokes off the lead before making a late charge that came up short, firing a 70 to share fourth. — Agencies

Augusta, April 15
Australia and New Zealand may be mortal sporting enemies but the two countries shared an historic Masters victory on Sunday with caddie Steve Williams showing Adam Scott the way.

"I'm a proud Australian and I hope this sits really well back at home, even in New Zealand," Scott told reporters with a laugh. "We had the kind of trans-Tasman combo out there with Steve on the bag. With Scott trying to end decades of frustration and deliver Australia its first Masters green jacket, his 'Kiwi' caddie stepped up in the fading light at Augusta National to read the line for a 15-foot putt on the second extra hole of his playoff with Angel Cabrera.

Taking Williams's advice, Scott calmly rolled home the putt to end a pulsating battle with the two-time major-winning Argentine and spark celebrations half a world away. "The putt on 10, I could hardly see the green in the darkness," added Scott. "Really, I was struggling to read it, so I gave Steve the call over.

"I don't get him to read too many putts because I felt like I was reading good. I said, 'Do you think it's just more than a cup?' "He said, 'it's at least two cups, it's going to break more than you think.

"I said, 'I'm good with that.' "He was my eyes on that putt." Williams, who was Tiger Woods's bag-man for 13 of his 14 major wins before an acrimonious split in 2011, leapt into the air as the ball disappeared into the cup and embraced Scott as the gallery erupted around the rainy 10th green.

There was none of the tasteless gloating from Williams that overshadowed the pair's first victory together in 2011 at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational. Williams crowed that Scott's Bridgestone win was the 'best' of his caddying career, taking a swipe at his former boss Woods.

He later caused further controversy by making a racist remark about Woods before apologising for it. Scott stood by Williams amid the controversy, ignoring calls to fire the New Zealander, and the caddie re-paid the favour in spades on Sunday. — Agencies

Mumbai, April 15
The Supreme Court asked three nationalised banks to deposit Rs 400 crore towards securing the claim of BCCI in a dispute over termination of the Rs 1,600-crore contract between the cricket board and Nimbus Communications, pending the hearing of their dispute on Monday.

A bench of Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Desai asked Punjab National Bank, Indian Bank and the Union Bank of India to deposit the amount within 15 days with the Bombay High Court Registry, which would then remit the money to the bank account of BCCI.The order of the apex court came on a Special Leave Petition filed by the BCCI stemming from the banks` refusal to pay the money to the tune of Rs 1,600 crore under the conditional bank guarantees issued by them towards the contract executed in consideration of the Media Rights License Agreement (MRLA) between BCCI and Nimbus for broadcasting the cricket matches.

Appearing for BCCI, senior advocate C A Sundaram said the matter pertains to a four-year Media Rights License Agreement entered into by the BCCI with Nimbus Communications Ltd in 2009 for telecast of all domestic and international matches played by India at home between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2014.

However, BCCI in December 2011 cancelled the domestic broadcasting rights given to Nimbus owing to a default in payment.

The Board had then sought to encash the guarantees, which was refused by the banks. The BCCI filed suits against the three banks before the Bombay HC which granted the banks leave to defend the suit on a condition that they deposit Rs 400 crore with the high court which would then redeposit the sums with the respective banks. Aggrieved by order, BCCI had moved the apex court contending that that there was no point in redepositing the money. — PTI

Chennai, April 15
Pune Warriors beat Chennai Super Kings by 24 runs at the Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai tonight.

Pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/12), Ashok Dinda (2/34) and Mitchell Marsh (2/35) helped the team register a convincing win against the tournament favourites. For Chennai, Subramanium Badrinath (34), Ravindra Jadeja (27) and Murali Vijay (24) tried hard but fell short of the target (160).

Pune Warriors India, powered by opener Aaron Finch (67 off 45 balls, 10x4, 2x6) and a quickfire 39 off 16 balls by Steven Smith at the end of the innings, reached 159 for five in their 20 overs.

Finch started with a blast right in the first over, striking Dirk Nannes for three fours. He galloped along at a fast pace, though his opening partner, Robin Uthappa, could not quite lift the scoring rate. Uthappa could manage only two fours off the 33 balls he faced in making a sluggish 26.

Brief Scores:
Pune Warriors 159/5 (Aaron Finch 67, Steve Smith 39 no, Chris Morris 2/25);
CSK 135/8 (S Badrinath 34, B Kumar 2/12, A Dinda 2/34).

Mohali, April 15
Barely three matches into the 2013 edition of the marquee event, Kings XI Punjab are already seeking inspirational stuff from its fans for the next year: “What should Kings XI Punjab’s slogan be in 2014?”

Repeated failures early in the tournament might have instilled the importance of having the beginners’ advantage in the team.

But it seems “Aay Hoi Na Gal” is evoking cold response from the fans. It is not just the slogan that needs to be fixed though. The team has many things that need to be sorted out sooner than later. Kings fast need to fix certain problem areas instead of dragging on with the inertia if they want to win from here on.

While the top teams are relying on spinners during the powerplay to choke the flow of runs, Kings XI Punjab have found themselves miserably short of spin options. To compound the matter, their batsmen have fallen in heap time and again, consequently failing to play the full quota of overs. The team is over-reliant on skipper Adam Gilchrist and David Hussey.

Today KXIP VS KKR (4 pm) RCB VS DD (8 pm) live on Set Max

New Delhi, April 15
Having missed the first two weeks of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a fracture on his hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Shikhar Dhawan is hoping to return to action "very soon" and is awaiting a clearance from the NCA.

The 27-year-old left-handed is back in India after spending time with his family in Melbourne.

Sunrisers coach, Tom Moody, tweeted, "we are hopeful it's within the next 10 days." Dhawan suffered the injury during the Mohali Test against Australia last month. That was his debut game and he shot to prominence with a record-breaking 187, the fastest by a debutant in Test history.

Dhawan was ruled out for six weeks after sustaining the injury. "Hopefully I will be able to take the field soon. I just have to get the clearance from NCA. It will be soon, very soon," he had said before leaving for Australia.

Dhawan's ODI debut, which took place three years ago, was a forgettable one. Depsite the presence of stalwarts like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir at the top of India's batting order, Dhawan never lost hope of representing India in Test cricket. It finally came after he was chosen ahead of the Sehwag and Gambhir. — PTI

Havana, April 15
Last Saturday, Fidel Castro met former Argentine football star Diego Armando Maradona in a meeting that was described by local media as "fraternal".

Maradona reached Havana on Friday night from Caracas, where he had paid tributes to former Venezuela president Hugo Chavez, and met with the Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro.

In Havana, Maradona and Castro had a pleasant meeting. It was a "lively and fruitful exchange between two old friends," said a statement issued in the Cuban capital.

Cuba’s Granma daily also published photos taken by one of Castro's sons.

Castro, 86, turned over Cuba's presidency to his brother Raul in July 2006 after falling ill, and his public appearances since then have been rare.

Castro and Maradona have shared close ties since Maradona's first visit to Cuba in 1987. Maradona had made several such trips in a Cuban hospital to treat his cocaine addiction and other health problems. — Agencies

New Delhi, April 15
Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal says the draw at the upcoming Yonex Sunrise India Open badminton tournament is tough and that it would not be a cakewalk for the shuttle queen.

Stating that her first-round opponent, Belaetrix Manuputi of Indonesia, has been showing impressive form, Saina said: “The draw is quite tough, it is not easy. In the first round itself I am playing with an Indonesian player who is doing really well. But I am preparing hard to win the Yonex Sunrise India Open Superseries.”

The world No. 2, however, said that she is determined to give her 100 per cent.

“Every tournament is tough. It’s a Superseries event and all the top players will be playing in the Yonex Sunrise India Open, but I am looking forward to put my best feet forward,” said Saina. The Hyderabadi said she would look forward to having her fans and parents in the crowd during the tournament, to be held at the DDA Squash and Badminton Stadium (Siri Fort Complex), from April 23-28.

“It’s special because it’s held in Delhi. Lots of home fans will be there to cheer me up and at the same time my parents can come and watch me. Youngsters will also get a chance to learn from the senior players.”

Meanwhile, national coach Pullela Gopichand was hopeful that the host nation will come up with an impressive show. “Preparation is pretty decent and I think we had the time post-All-England and Swiss Open. We have the Asian Championship coming up this week and the experience will help us in the Yonex Sunrise India Open,” the former All-England champion said. “I think we are getting closer each time and hopefully Saina will be able to get us that coveted thing. We also have (World No.7 Parupalli) Kashyap who is doing well. I feel all the players have emerged stronger in these years not only in singles but also in doubles events. Somebody will win us the Yonex Sunrise India Open Superseries title.” — PTI

Monte Carlo, April 15
Andy Murray has insisted that the No. 1 ranking was “not something I think about on a daily basis”, but as he prepares for his first claycourt tournament of the year at the Monte Carlo Masters he knows that the next eight weeks are likely to be vital if he is to replace Novak Djokovic at the summit.

By his own standards Murray had a moderate claycourt season last year, when he was troubled by a back injury, while Djokovic reached three finals. The upside for Murray is that the 2013 clay campaign gives him an outstanding chance of making up ground in the rankings, particularly as Djokovic has fitness issues.

The world No. 1 hurt an ankle eight days ago while playing in the Davis Cup and although he has been practising here since Friday, he said it was by no means certain that he would be fit to play his opening match on Wednesday. He admitted he would not be making such strenuous efforts to compete if he did not live just down the road from the Monte Carlo Country Club.

Murray, who will meet the Dutchman Robin Haase or France’s Edouard Roger-Vasselin in his opening match after a first-round bye, has a tough draw. Though the world No. 2 is seeded to meet Djokovic in the final, in order to get there he might have to beat Stanislas Wawrinka, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Rafael Nadal, seeking to win the title for the ninth year in a row.

Nevertheless, Murray goes into the claycourt season in much better shape physically than 12 months ago. A back problem, which had troubled him since the start of 2012 and forced him to withdraw from the Madrid Masters, led to his having eight pain-killing injections before the French Open, where he suffered severe back spasms.

“I’ve felt much better the last few days than I did coming into Monte Carlo last year,” Murray said. “I think it’s something that will always be with me. [I need to do] the right exercises, have the right treatment, the right amount of rest and not do anything silly or play other sports. I used to play a lot of football and golf. I’ve stopped all of that now and the back has been better.”

Although Murray’s results on clay last year were modest as he struggled with his back, his performances in 2011, when he reached the semi-finals here, in Rome and at Roland Garros, showed what he is capable of on the surface he finds the most challenging.

“It’s the movement that’s been the thing I’ve needed to improve most on the clay, and I feel like I’m moving better this year,” Murray said. “I feel good.”

As for the world rankings Murray insisted: “I’m not preparing this week to try to get to No 1, I’m preparing to try to win Monte Carlo. That’s a big challenge for me.”

— The Independent

Chandigarh, April 15
Australian Adam Scott became the first man from his country to win the Masters after he holed a 12-footer on the second playoff hole to win his first Major championship and the prestigious green jacket. There have been numerous near misses by Australians at the Masters, the most memorable was in 1996 when Greg Norman lost an eight stroke lead to finish second. However, Scott was in command of his game and his nerves all week and made a deserving champion.

Scott has been ‘knocking on the door’, as the saying goes in professional golf. He bogeyed the final holes of the 2012 Open Championship at Royal Lytham last year, and it became almost unbearable when he missed a seven-footer on the last hole to get into a playoff with the eventual winner, Ernie Els.

However, it was a different Adam Scott in action at the Masters all weekend. He made just one bogey on Sunday, on the first hole and then went on to make make four birdies to finish at nine-under-par for the week. Angel Cabrera, who was playing behind him, tied this score and missed a birdie opportunity on the last hole, hence getting into a playoff and giving Scott a chance for the title - one that he did not miss.

“It is a well deserved win for Scott and I am sure all his countrymen applaud this achievement,” said Uttam Mundy, PGTI Director, who saw Scott in action at the Open Championship last year.

Making equally big news all week were the penalties awarded to Tiger Woods and Chinese amateur Guan Tainlang.

Tiger was penalised two strokes after he took a wrong drop which was reported after he completed his round. A lot of players felt he should have been disqualified, as Tiger himself commented in a post-round interview that he took his drop further from where he played the first shot. However, according to the ruling committees, since the ruling had been “viewed and accepted” before he signed his card, he was let off with a two-shot penalty, a provision for which lies within the rules of golf.

Before Tiger, Guan Tianlang came under the scanner when he was handed a two-stroke penalty on the 17th hole on day two by European Tour referee John Paramour. However, the 14-year-old Chinese still made the cut with his two round total of four-over-par, becoming the youngest player to make the cut at the Masters.

“It is tough luck that he got penalised and that too on the 17th hole when he had almost completed his round and was on the way to making history. However, I am sure it a lesson learned and he will never be slow again in his career,” said Chandigarh professional Jeev Milkha Singh.

Jeev has left for Japan to play the Token Hommate Cup. “I always enjoy playing in Japan and am looking forward to this week,” he said.

BRIEFLY

Umesh engaged to fashion designer
Amidst the hectic schedule, India and Delhi Daredevils pacer Umesh Yadav got formally engaged to Delhi based fashion designer Tania Wadhwa in a quiet ceremony in Nagpur. Umesh, who is an important member of the Daredevils set-up took a day off from the team's training schedule in Bangalore to fly back home for the engagement. The 26-year-old will marry Tania on May 29 once the IPL gets over. "We met in Delhi and then our friendship grew... and then I proposed her. We decided to get married after a year's courtship and our families agreed," Umesh said after engagement. While one expects 'Lady Luck' to help him perform better in IPL, Umesh and Tania definitely wouldn't mind a 'Cricket Honeymoon' if he gets selected for the Champions Trophy. — PTI

London
Women can’t compete in F1: Stirling Moss: British racing legend Stirling Moss does not believe that women are mentally tough enough to compete in Formula One, despite the presence of female test drivers and team principals. “I think they have the strength but I don’t know if they’ve got the mental aptitude to race hard, wheel-to-wheel,” Moss told BBC radio. Only five women have ever raced in Formula One and only one has scored a point. Italian Maria “Lella” Lombardi started 12 races in the 1970s and scored half a point with Brabham. Her compatriot Giovanna Amati was the last woman to enter an F1 race but failed to qualify for three races in 1992.

New Delhi
RCA beat Sethi Sports: Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) defeated Sethi Sports by 27 runs in the All-India Om Nath Sood Cricket Tournament today. Scores: RCA: 235 for 5 (Saurabh 47, Ankit 45, Chetan 40). Sethi Sports: 208 (Kuldeep 66, Rubal 3/47, Hardik 2/22).

New Delhi
Chandigarh boys win junior hockey title: Chandigarh defeated Punjab 2-1 to lift the 3rd Hockey India Sub-Junior Men National Championship (North Zone) title at Sonepat today. Punjab took lead in the 20th minute through a field goal by Kawaljit Singh. But just three minutes later Manjinder Singh scored the equaliser for Chandigarh. In the second half, Chandigarh controlled and dictated the pace. And finally a field goal by Harmeet Singh in the 64th minute helped his team emerge victorious. — Agencies