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India scared and scarred? Not any more
SA slammed for drawn Test |
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Jiwanjot gives lifeline to Punjab
The winning Air India team strike a pose after lifting the All-India Sahibzada Ajit Singh Hockey Tournament at the Punjab Agricultural University on Monday. Himanshu Mahajan
Deepika creates two national records
Saina to focus on fitness in 2014
West Ham’s James Tomkins charged with assault
Inter-university athletics championship begins at Patiala
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India scared and scarred? Not any more
Johannesburg, DECEMBER 23 “There was a lot of talk before the series and both the Indian batsmen and bowlers were able to top that in this match with their performance on the field,” Wessels. He was referring to 'scared' and 'scarred', two terms often used in the build-up to this Test series by the Proteas during the preceding three-match ODI series. “The technique displayed by the Indian batsmen was just brilliant. They were excellent. Leaving the ball was a key feature of their innings. Their mental approach in building the innings and the way almost all of them went about constructing the innings, on both occasions, was quite something,” said Wessels. It is very tough to say which side was more disappointed on not winning the game, or maybe, both were equally happy to have walked away with a draw. “You cannot blame either set of batsmen or bowlers. Batting in the first innings was tough and bowlers dominated. Bowling was tougher in both the second innings as the pitch eased out. The Indian bowlers didn't go wrong at all in the fourth innings. South Africa just batted well,” he opined. — Reuters
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JOhannesburg, December 23 Set 458 to win on a wicket with variable bounce, the Proteas needed 16 runs from 19 balls at one stage but eventually fell eight short, having abandoned their chase in the fear of losing their final three wickets and the match. Playing ‘brave cricket’ has become a mantra for this South African team in recent years and has helped them to back-to-back series wins in Australia, a series victory in England and to the top of the world test rankings. But as Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn shouldered arms for the final three overs as boos from the home support rang out around the ground, questions were raised as to where that bravado had disappeared to. Captain Graeme Smith, who was jeered at the post-match presentation, was quick to say that though Steyn and Philander were not acting on team orders, he supported their decision. "Ultimately the guys out in the middle did what they thought was in the best interest of the team," said Smith. “I think we as a team have to support the decision Dale and Vernon made in the middle. The strength of this team is that there are good decision makers. Each guy is mature,” he said. "They've made great decisions over a period of time which have won cricket games for South Africa.”— Reuters
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Jiwanjot gives lifeline to Punjab
New Delhi, December 23 At stumps, Punjab were 177 for three with Jiwanjot batting on 105 and Mandeep Singh undefeated on 29 with visitors stretching their overall lead to 101, having erased the first innings deficit of 76 runs. This was after the Punjab bowlers did well to restrict Delhi to 150 after being bowled out for 74 in the first innings. For Delhi, Virender Sehwag (10) once again failed to get a big score after he was run out failing to beat direct throw from Mandeep. He has so far faced 169 balls hitting 15 boundaries in the process. The weather on the day was far better than what it was on the first day but the ball was still doing a fair bit. But the younger opener was a picture of confidence during his seventh first-class century. This is Jiwanjot’s second ton of the season after his double hundred against Vidarbha. The opener was lucky once when Sehwag dropped him at the first slip off Rajat Bhatia’s bowling when he was on 40. Otherwise, he looked solid and brought up his century with a square cut off Parvinder Awana’s bowling. Jiwanjot shared a couple of vital partnerships — 65 for the second wicket with Uday Kaul (21) and unbroken 74-run for the fourth wicket with Mandeep. Yuvraj (4) again was adjudged leg before of Bhatia’s bowling and was again livid with the decision. Brief Scores: Punjab 74 & 177/3 in 52 overs (Jiwanjot 105*, Mandeep 29*); Delhi 1st Innings 150 in 45.1 overs (Unmukt 55, Rahul 15, Manpreet 3/42, Siddharth 3/49). — PTI Maha in strong position vs Himachal
New Delhi, , December 23 Having bowled Himachal out for 228 yesterday, Maharashtra began the second day on a positive note with a 91-run opening stand between Khadiwale and captain Rohit Motwani. Rishi Dhawan dismissed Motwani in the 27th over to extend his tally in this season's Ranji Trophy to 49, but Maharashtra carried on with a partnership of 70 between Khadiwale and Sangram Dilp Atitkar, who made 49. Himachal fought back with two quick wickets, but Bawne put up stands of 68 and an unbroken 82 with Khadiwale and Chirag Khurana respectively, to lift the home side to 319 for 4 at the draw of stumps. Khadiwale struck 11 fours during his 92, while Bawne's 76 not out included eight fours. Chirag Khurana was giving company to Bawne on 37 at close of second day's play. Brief Scores: Himachal Pradesh: 228 Maharashtra: 319 for 4 in 97 overs (Harshad Khadiwale 92, Ankit Bawne batting 76; Rishi Dhawan 2/105).
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Swann’s bombshell plunges England to new depths
London, December 23 The departing off-spinner, who has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket with immediate effect, was careful to name no names when he used the description, but it was widely interpreted as being about players in the England team. With media and former players pondering who he could have been referring to, Swann replied via Twitter to one of them — Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan — to correct the misconception. He wrote: “MichaelVaughan don't jump to conclusions Vaughney. I wasn't talking about the England dressing room or anyone in it.” Swann has never been frightened to speak his own mind about the sport he loves and the characters he has met in it. In his autobiography 'The Breaks Are Off', for example, published two years ago at the start of an England one-day international tour of India, he caused a stir with his appraisal of Kevin Pietersen's lack of aptitude for captaincy. In Swann's estimation, Pietersen was “never the right man to captain England” - a position the mercurial batsman held only fleetingly before he and coach Peter Moores both lost their jobs at the start of 2009. He left others to draw their own conclusions when he said: "Some people playing the game at the minute have no idea how far up their own backsides they are. "It will bite them on the a*** one day, and when it does I hope they look back and are embarrassed about how they carry on." Swann, 34, is behind only Derek Underwood as England's most prolific wicket-taking spinner — with 255 victims in his 60 Tests. Asked to reflect on his own career, Swann said, “I hope my legacy is someone who always enjoyed it, who always played with a smile on his face — sometimes a snarl when the fielders mis-fielded,” he said. “Since I got back in the England team, I've treated every day like a lottery win. “It really annoys me when people take it for granted and get above their station - because they shouldn't. “It's the most privileged thing any man can do. I hope people will look back and say, 'Yeah, he did always play with a smile on his face and enjoyed himself'.” Not easy for an Indian to retire like Swann: Bhajji
Harbhajan Singh feels that for an Indian cricketer, the decision to quit doesn't happen overnight as the pressures and demands are much higher. “I don't know what were the conditions that prompted Swann to take such a huge decision but it doesn't happen like that for an Indian cricketer. I am not comparing the pressures and rigours but if any Indian cricketer takes such a decision, he will be under intense media scrutiny which at times can get very difficult," Harbhajan said. — PTI |
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Air India ground Punjab Police
Ludhiana, December 23 After the match was tied at 4-4, penalty shoot out decided the fate of the winning team. Air India drew the first blood in the eighth minute through a field goal scored by Joga Singh. Nine minutes later, they conceded a goal when Satvinder Singh of Punjab Police stunned Air India custodian to make it 1-1. The Mumbai outfit surged ahead in the 30th minute as Barinder Lakra found the target, much to the chagrin of Punjab cops (2-1). They failed to maintain the lead time as Punjab Police restored parity (2-2) in the 36th minute as skipper Rajpal Singh sounded the board. Air India went into the lead once again through a field goal scored by Aggan Usag in the 48th minute. Punjab Police, down but not out, went all out for the equaliser. Air India wilted bty conceding two goals in quick succession (54th and 58th minutes). Varun converted a penalty corner, while Rajpal scored a field goal to put Punjab team into the lead (4-3). Punjab cops enjoyed the lead as they managed to keep their opponents at a bay till the last minute. Just a few seconds before the long whistle, Air India forced a penalty corner off which Parmodh Tirkey scored the equaliser (4-4).
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Deepika creates two national records
Jamshedpur, December 23 World Cup Silver medalist Deepika established a new national record each in the 70 meters and 60 meters events en route to winning the gold medal. A Delhi Commonwealth Games gold medalist and a cadet of Tata Archery Academy, Deepika eclipsed the previous best of 330 points out of 360, set up by Chekrovolu Swuro (SPSB) at the 32nd Sahara Senior National Recurve and Compound Championship at the same venue here in January 2012, by scoring 333 points out of maximum 360 in the 70 meter distance. — PTI
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Saina to focus on fitness in 2014
Mumbai, December 23 “If I look back now I think I played a lot. Next year, I will make sure that I skip a few tournaments and focus on my fitness and perform my best in a tournament," Saina told reporters at the prize distribution of the All India Ladies and Junior Girls Amateur Golf Championship. The London Olympics bronze medallist, who is currently ranked No.8 after starting the year as the world No.3 in women's singles, said it will take her at least a month to reach her peak fitnesss level. "It will take time. I actually had put on a lot of weight also in between. So that really affected my movement. Now I am coming back to my good (level). I am feeling quite fit," said the 23-year-old Hyderabadi shuttler. “It might take one more month to come back to the best of my fitness but I will make sure that I keep maintaining it during tournaments," she said. Saina said her performance during years, when there were major events like the Olympics or Asian Games, had been good in the recent past which was an encouraging sign as in 2014 there were the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland followed by the Asiad in Incheon. “2010 and 2012 were good. So it is good that those years when there was the Olympic Games, Asian Games or Commonwealth Games, were good. It is a good sign. This year wasn't that good. Next year, I will try by working on my fitness,” she said. — PTI
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West Ham’s James Tomkins charged with assault
London, December 23 The 24-year-old Tomkins was arrested after police were called in the early hours of Sunday morning to a club in the county of Essex, east of London. Essex Police say "officers arrived and arrested James Tomkins before charging him with one count of assaulting a police officer, one count of resisting arrest and one count of being drunk and disorderly in a public place.” UK teenager dies during Under-14 football match
A 13-year-old promising footballer in Scotland mysteriously collapsed and died on the field during a match. Jamie Skinner was playing for Tynecastle FC's Under-14 team at the Saughton Astro pitch in Fernieside town when he collapsed yesterday. Desperate attempts by paramedics to revive him failed. The cause of the death has not yet been ascertained, the BBC reported. — Agencies |
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Inter-university athletics championship begins at Patiala
PATIALA, December 23 Results: (men section): 400 M.H. Binu Josh (MGU Kottayam), Jugraj Singh (GNDU Amritsar), Anish Rehman (Kottayam), Ramashankar (DDU Gorakhpur), Kartik K. (Calicut University), S.Marvin (Anna University), C.Binu (Madras University), Anmoldeep Singh (Punjabi University), M.Kartik (Madras University. — TNS
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The South African team was jeered by their supporters when they aborted the chase with just 16 more to get in three overs, and three wickets in hand. — AFP
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