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Rohit’s bat does
the talking
Pawar set to return as MCA president; BCCI doors open
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Ajmal fires Pak to shock win over SA
Vijender punches past viral fever to dominate in Round 1
Indian Oil, PSB in Surjit Hockey final
Advani to clash with Aditya in Indian Open quarters
World Cup success offers a rare ray of hope to Bosnia
korea Open
Arjun, Mohit sail into national tennis semis
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Rohit’s bat does
the talking
Jaipur, October 17 The Mumbai batsman may have said this in jest, but he wasn’t off the mark at all. There’s perhaps no other cricketer whom the fans and experts have wanted to succeed as desperately as the stylish right-hander. Their anguish and frustration, at times, over his failure to make the most of his talent and opportunities seemed more poignant than that of the batsman. So when he finally scored a big hundred that was long overdue, there was joy and relief all around. An odd hundred for a player who has been around shouldn’t be a big deal, but, in Rohit’s case, it’s significant for it might turn out to be the beginning of the more rewarding career from here on. “I am not going to stop here, this is just the start, got a long way to go,” said Rohit, indicating that he had finally realized his potential and that it’s time he delivered on the promise that everyone had been talking about ever since he broke into the side. There were signs that he had been working towards it since he was promoted to the openers’ slot in the last game against Pakistan last year. He had been getting starts but somehow struggled to convert them into something significant. “I have been trying to play a big knock for some time now…opening is a big responsibility but I am enjoying the new role and looking forward to keep making good contributions,” he said. Now that it has finally come, with the promise of a new beginning, it’s as heartening for Team India as it’s for the man himself. For it gives India a lethal opening pair, a prerequisite for a success in the time when teams are either required to set a total in excess of 300 or chase it down most of the times. It’s no coincidence that India, or for that matter any other team, have had much of their success when they had a strong and stableopening pairs such Sachin-Sourav, Sachin-Sehwag Sehwag-Gambhir. And if Rohit comes good and Dhawan could sustain his awesome form, this pair has the potential to become one of the best for India. Besides, the inform Rohit is good news for Indian Test team as well. With Sachin Tendulkar set to retire next month, a vacancy will open up and Rohit has as good chance as anyone else to grab it. Kohli took the game away
from us, says skipper Bailey
Australian captain George Bailey was at a loss of words to explain his team's "absolutely deflating" defeat against India in the second one-dayer but conceded that Virat Kohli's innings turned the game decisively in the home team's favour. Asked when did he feel the match slipping out of Australia's grip, Bailey said, “The moment Virat came to the crease.” “He started attacking us from ball one but never took any risks which would have helped us come back into the game. He set the tempo and it was smart cricket from him. Basically all three of them (Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma) batted amazingly but it was Virat who took the game away from us. It was pretty awesome." "I think so (about transition phase being complete). They have a formidable batting line-up. Their top seven is a wonderful top seven for ODIs. They batted beautifully," the Australian skipper said.
— PTI |
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Pawar set to return as MCA president; BCCI doors open
Mumbai, October 17 The former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, whose application to contest the polls was rejected by the election officer on the basis of his residential status, had appealed against the verdict but that too was rejected, outgoing MCA chief Ravi Savant said in Mumbai on Thursday. Mr. Munde’s application was rejected by the election officer on Saturday as the address on his electoral registration was Beed after which he filed an appeal which has now been turned down. According to MCA rules, only a Mumbai resident can become a governing member of the cricketing body. Explaining the rationale behind the rejection of Mr. Munde’s appeal, Mr. Savant said that as per a Bombay High Court order of 2006, a person could have residences in different cities, but he is considered to be a permanent resident of only that place where his name appears on the electoral rolls. “Mr. Munde had filed an appeal with which he had attached various documents to show that he has a residence in Mumbai. But that only indicates he has got a residence in Mumbai. But the rule says he has got to be a resident of Mumbai. Whatever was shown to us did indicate he has got a permanent residence in Mumbai. “(But) Bombay High Court has answered in 2006 that a person can be taken safely as permanent resident where he is listed in the voters list. I may have two places (of residence) but to be a permanent resident of one place the criteria is the voters’ list,” Mr. Savant said. Mr. Savant stated that post the development, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is the lone candidate for the MCA presidentship and is all set to be elected unopposed at the biennial polls. “There were two candidates after the last date of withdrawal. Therefore, you can safely say Sharad Pawar is the only candidate left now, so he is unopposed,” he said. — PTI
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Ajmal fires Pak to shock win over SA
Abu Dhabi, October 17 That left Pakistan to score 40 runs for their overall fourth win over South Africa and take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Pakistan made heavy weather of the small target losing openers Shan Masood (nought), Azhar Ali (three) and Khurram Manzoor (four) in the space of seven runs by the fourth over. Vernon Philander took 2-11 while Steyn had 1-7. Senior batsmen Younis Khan (28) and Misbah-ul Haq (nine) were left to see off the target with Pakistan captain deservedly hitting the winning six.It was AB de Villiers who hit a fighting 90 to help South Africa avoid an innings defeat while Robin Peterson scored a valiant 47 not out but it only delayed Pakistan's win. This is Pakistan's fourth win over South Africa in 22 Tests and also broke South Africa's 15 Tests unbeaten run since losing to Sri Lanka at Durban in December 2011. De Villiers added an invaluable 57 for the eighth wicket with Petersen to carry the match into the final session. Peterson added an invaluable 42 for the ninth wicket with Vernon Philander (ten), much to the frustration of the Pakistani bowlers. Brief Scores: Pakistan 442 (Manzoor 146, Misbah 100) and 45 for 3 bt SA: 249 (Amla 118, Irfan 3-44) and 232 (de Villiers 90, Ajmal 4-74) by 7 wickets. — Agencies
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Lorgat to go on leave to please BCCI?
New Delhi, October 17 The series has already been curtailed after BCCI took exception to the CSA's “unilateral” announcement of the itinerary in July. CSA, desperate to cut down the financial loss that it would incur if the series does not go through, has offered to “send Lorgat on long leave,” a cricket website has reported. According to the report, during the “fruitful” discussion between the BCCI and CSA on October 12, the Indian Board had agreed to play two Tests and three ODIs in the month of December on the condition that "CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat is not involved in India affairs in future”. It is also understood that CSA has also informed the BCCI bosses that they would be working out a plan before the end of the tour to ensure Lorgat is not involved in future dealings with the BCCI,” the report stated. If that happens, the BCCI could agree to play a three- Test series as requested by CSA. — PTI
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Vijender punches past viral fever to dominate
Almaty, October 17 Vijender, who was the first Indian boxer to win a medal at the mega-event (a bronze in the 2009 edition), out-punched his rival 3-0 to make the last 32 to round off a third successive winning day for India. The individual scoreline read 30-27 30-26 30-26 in favour of Vijender, who is aiming to make a strong comeback after being embroiled in a drug scandal, which denied him several weeks of training earlier this year. “I am down with fever, cold and cough ever since I landed here but somehow managed to pull myself today. I am glad that I won but it's just the start,” Vijender told PTI after his bout. “I have been on medication for the last two days. Before today's bout my coaches told me that I should not feel weak mentally no matter how I was feeling physically. So, I just went in with a positive mindset and pulled off the win,” he said. National coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu also praised the boxer's performance. “Vijender gave an exceptional performance against a very tough boxer. The other guy was very aggressive but Vijender caught him with some good uppercuts, that broke him. Later, Viju connected some deft left hooks,” Sandhu said. Vijender has a tough bout next up as he will be facing European champion and world number seven Jason Quigley of Ireland. The 22-year-old Quigley is seeded fifth here and the duo will square off on Saturday. “Let's hope that I recover substantially by then and see how it goes,” said Vijender. It was a typically composed performance by the 27-year-old, a former world number one and the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal (a bronze in the 2008 Beijing Games). “He (Henriksson) was aggressive but I gathered everything inside me in the first two rounds and the strategy worked as I broke him down with uppercuts,” he said. Vijender dominated all three rounds and managed to get unanimous thumbs up from the judges, who are evaluating the boxers not just for the number of punches connected but also their overall ring craft under the new 10-point system. “Our boys have done well under the new rules so far. The absence of headguards has also not been an issue and they have in fact done better without the headguards,” laughed Sandhu. — PTI
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Indian Oil, PSB in Surjit Hockey final
Jalandhar, October 17 The match between the two teams was drawn (3-3) in the regulation time. Prabhjot Singh of the Indian Oil hit the winning strike in the 11th shoot out to record his team‘s entry into the final. Army XI took lead in the 7th minute when S Arumugam scored a field goal. In the 10th minute, Indian Oil’s Roshan Minj scored the equalizer. In the 21st minute, Army XI took lead once again with field goal by Chandan Aind (2-1). In the 28th minute, Army XI struck once again and this time D Muthanna scored (3-1). At half time Army XI was leading by 3-1. Punjab National Bank beat ONGC in the second semifinal. Indian eves won the Friendship Hockey Series as they won two matches and one match was drawn.
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Advani to clash with Aditya in Indian Open quarters
New Delhi, October 17 History-making Mehta became only the second Indian cueist after Advani to reach the quarterfinal of the world ranking snooker event when he put it across World No.18 Williams 4-2 in a dramatic pre-quarterfinal finish. Advani had brought India on to the global map of snooker by storming into the quarterfinals of the Welsh Open earlier this year. The match between Advani and Mehta holds a lot of significance as it would be for the first time the two Indian cueists will be up against each other on the professional tour and whoever wins this evening will progress to the semi-finals of the ranking event, another first for India. In the morning session, Advani had notched up a hard-fought 4-3 win over World No.12 Stuart Bingham. Being made to play a 10am match after a long and intense game the previous night, Advani lived up to his reputation of overcoming adversity, closing out a worthy opponent Bingham in the decider of the best-of-seven frames. Battling and getting the better of World No.11 Mark Allen's challenge till 11pm yesterday, Advani, an eight-time world champion, had to be back on the table in less than 12 hours against one of the toughest competitors in the fray. Advani started well with a break of 53 to capture the first frame convincingly. Bingham, the dangerous customer that he is, responded with a fluent 110 break levelling the match 1-1. — PTI Result
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World Cup success offers a rare ray of hope to Bosnia
Sarajevo, October 17 The scenes of utter joy provided a stark contrast to the brutal 1992-95 siege of the Bosnian capital, which produced some of the most harrowing images of a conflict that claimed the lives of around 100,000 people in a former Yugoslav republic that remains hostage to nationalist and political interests. Finally it was an opportunity to release an outpouring of elation for Bosnians, who reached their first major football tournament as an independent nation when Tuesday’s 1-0 win in Lithuania booked their ticket to next year’s finals in Brazil. Donning national team shirts and wrapped in flags and scarves, Sarajevo inhabitants and those who poured into the city from other parts of the country celebrated the historic success as a seemingly endless motorcade blocked streets once littered with victims of snipers and mortar shells. “This is a lesson to everyone in Bosnia what can be achieved with hard work, persistence and talent,” Austrian diplomat and High Representative of Bosnia Valentin Inzko said in the Lithuanian capital Kaunas after the joyous national team mobbed their coach Safet Susic. “This victory reaches beyond the boundaries of sport and it is a message to all good-willed people in the country that a better future is possible. The citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina can be proud of their national soccer team,” he added. Nearly two decades after the conflict, Bosnia remains a dysfunctional country marred by ethnic divisions, political instability and economic hardship, with the bickering of rival Serb, Muslim and Croat leaders slowing down its progress towards the European Union. A US-brokered peace deal silenced the guns but created a system of ethnic power-sharing so unwieldy that the process of governing often grinds to a halt, stifling recovery and reform in a country where 28 percent of the population are unemployed. The prospect of playing in the World Cup has, in the short term, put aside worries about delayed wages and low pensions, and instilled hope that politicians can follow in the footsteps of the national football team, a rare beacon of light and unity. “This victory means everything to me,” 51-year old physician Sanja Mandic said, as jubilant youths flocked towards the giant fan zone in downtown Sarajevo, where the team joined supporters in late night celebrations. “I love them so much, they are the only bright thing in our lives and a glimmer of hope in these terrible times.” — Reuters Impressive achievement
With a football pyramid resembling a house of cards and devoid of any real quality, Bosnia owes its impressive achievement to exiled household names such as Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko and Stuttgart forward Vedad Ibisevic. It was no surprise that the top scorers in the qualifiers carved out the winning goal with Dzeko setting up Ibisevic to score from close range much to the delight of 5,000 Bosnian fans, who vastly outnumbered the home faithful in Kaunas. “This is fitting reward for all the hard work we have done in the past four years since I took over and I think that we deserved to go through after scoring 30 goals in 10 games,” coach Susic said. “All credit to the players and also to our fantastic fans, who made this possible.” |
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Rory handily placed after late flourish
Seoul, October 17 The 24-year-old Northern Irishman, who has slipped to sixth in the rankings after a turbulent year both on and off the course, carded a one-under 70 at the OneAsia Tour event as he continued his search for an elusive first victory of the year. Japan tour regular Jang Ik-jae returned an error-free 67 to take the lead at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club near Cheonan, south of Seoul. Twice major winner McIlroy dropped a shot at the third before rallying with a birdie at the next hole. He then made a double-bogey at the par-three 13th after finding water. “I wasn’t very comfortable with the tee shot,” he said. “I took a long time to get settled over it and then just didn’t make a very good swing. Some of the pin positions out there today were brutal, just cut on slopes and very hard to get close to them, and when you did get close you left yourself very tricky putts.” McIlroy ended his round in style with birdies at the 14th, 17th and 18th. “I felt I was a little rusty after the four weeks off but I battled back nicely and to end up under-par for the day wasn’t too bad,” he said. — Reuters
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Arjun, Mohit sail into national tennis semis
New Delhi, October 17 Arjun proved too good for second seed PC Vignesh, knocking him out in straight sets 6-2 6-1. Arjun has been on a roll, but the way he dominated Vignesh came as a surprise with the Andhra boy failing to pose any serious challenge in the one-sided affair. The big-serving Mohit had to overcome some hiccups before prevailing over Mukund Sasikumar 6-3 7-5. Fourth seed Chandril Sood, who got the better of Delhi boy Saurabh Singh 6-2 7-5, will face Arjun in the semifinal. Mohit will be up against veteran Nitten Kirtane, who ousted Punjab boy Gurinder Singh 6-3 6-2. In the women’s singles, top seed Shweta Rana continued with her winning ways and accounted for Mahitha Reddy, but not before going through some anxious moments in the first set. Shweta won 7-6(6) 6-1, and will take on fourth seed Sharmada Balu, who came through in three sets against third seed Eetee Maheta. Sharmada, with better court craft and consistency, emerged victorious 7-6(5) 2-6 6-2 after an engaging battle. Second seed Prerna Bhambri, the biggest threat to Shweta in her quest for the title, toyed with veteran Rushmi Chakravorthi 6-3 6-2 to glide into the semifinal. The defending champion will take on sixth seed C Sai Samitha, who hit back after losing the first set to oust Asian junior champion Snehadevi Reddy 2-6 6-3 6-1.
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Rohit Sharma thought about it for a little while, smiled and then broke into a hearty chuckle. “You guys seemed to be more frustrated than I was (with himself),” he joked, when asked how relieved was he with his big hundred?
The Mumbai batsman may have said this in jest, but he wasn’t off the mark at all. There’s perhaps no other cricketer whom the fans and experts have wanted to succeed as desperately as the stylish right-hander.
Almaty, October 17
Indian Oil, Mumbai, finally gained entry into the finals by defeating Army XI in a thrilling semifinal match decided on penalty shootouts (11-10).
The match between the two teams was drawn (3-3) in the regulation time. Prabhjot Singh of the Indian Oil hit the winning strike in the 11th shoot out to record his team‘s entry into the final.
New Delhi, October 17
Flares and fireworks lit up the Sarajevo sky as thousands of inhabitants flocked to the city’s streets to celebrate deep into the early hours of Wednesday morning in recognition of Bosnia’s successful World Cup campaign.
Wily spinner Saeed Ajmal took four wickets to fire Pakistan to a seven-wicket win over world number one South Africa in the first Test in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. The off-spinner (4-74) was superbly supported by left-arm paceman Junaid Khan (3-57) and fellow spinner Zulfiqar Babar (2-51) as South Africa collapsed to 232 in their second innings on the fourth day at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
