Monday, March 19, 2001,
Chandigarh, India







THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
S P O R T S

Hayden hammers unbeaten 147

Mathew Hayden Chennai, March 18
India’s reinforcement of its spin attack came to a nought as Australian batsmen left the Kolkata drubbing far behind to reach a healthy 326 for three at close on the opening day of the third and final Test here today.
Mathew Hayden acknowledges his century on the first day of the final Test between India and Australia being played in Chennai on Sunday. — Reuters photo

Harbhajan, Dinesh Mongia in 1-day squad
Chennai, March 18
VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh, heroes of the Kolkata Test, have staged a comeback while Punjab player Dinesh Mongia has been included in the Indian team for the first three one-day matches against Australia. 

Mark Waugh writes
The best innings I’ve ever seen
T
he turn of events at Kolkata obviously was very disappointing for me as well as my teammates. Our winning streak came to an end at the Eden Gardens in a Test that was well within our grasp for three of the five days. The fact that we lost from a very strong position makes it that much more disappointing. Having said that, I think the Indians played tremendous cricket to come from behind and win the game.


 

EARLIER STORIES

 

Youhana, Saqlain frustrate New Zealand
Christchurch, March 18
Pakistan and New Zealand seemed destined to play out an excruciating draw in the second cricket Test as the portable pitch yet again proved a bowler’s nightmare today.

SA collapse after good start
Port of Spain, March 18
South Africa collapsed after building a strong position on the first day of the second Test against the West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval.

Sampras, Agassi in Indian Wells final
Indian Wells (California), March 18
For the first time in more than a year, great rivals Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras will meet when they battle for the Tennis Masters Series-Indian Wells title today.

Michael Schumacher celebrates after winning Schumacher wins 6th race
Sepang, March 18
Three-time world champion Michael Schumacher, overcoming a farcical pit stop that lasted more than a minute, won a mishap-laden Malaysian Grand Prix today, beating Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello and capturing his sixth straight Formula One race. 



Michael Schumacher celebrates after winning the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix in Sepang near Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. — Reuters photo

Anand starts campaign with win over Karpov
Monte Carlo, March 18
World champion Viswanathan Anand made amends for his miss in the rapid game and crashed through the defences of Russian Anatoly Karpov in the blindfold game to open his campaign in the 10th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess tournament here on a winning note. Anand, who drew the rapid game, made mincemeat of his opponent in the blindfold to take the first round tie 1.5-0.5.

India rout Egypt 8-0 to enter final
Dhaka, March 18
India stormed into the final of the nine-nation Prime Minister Gold Cup Hockey Tournament with a thumping 8-0 win against Egypt here today.

Chandigarh hockey team felicitated
Chandigarh, March 18
It was a proud moment for those connected with hockey when the Chandigarh junior boys hockey team which won the coveted Junior National Hockey Championship last month at Chennai was felicitated by the Chandigarh Hockey Association at a simple function held today at Sector 18 hockey stadium. Chandigarh has won the nationals for the first time after reaching the final twice before.

Churchill Brothers register 1-0 win
Ludhiana, March 18
Churchill Brothers, Goa, dealt another blow to JCT Phagwara’s aspirations with a 1-0 victory over the mill men in the 14th round of the National Football League at Guru Nanak Stadium here today.

Bagan thrash Mahindras
Kolkata, March 18
Strong contenders Mohun Bagan exploited a sloppy defence to spank Mahindra United 6-0 in the fifth National Football League at the Salt Lake Stadium here today.

Punjab state fencing championships on March 27
Patiala, March 18
The Senior Punjab State Fencing Championships will be held at Jalandhar on March 27 and 28, informed Mr Brahm Mohindra, president of the Punjab Fencing Association. Those desirous of taking part in the championships may contact Mr Shashi Sharma, secretary of the Jalandhar District Fencing Association at Dhogri Finance Corporation, Gali No-4, Mittu Basti road, on March 25.

  • DCW sports

Hamirpur athletic association
Hamirpur, March 18
Mr Diwan Chand Sharma and Mr Punkaj Bhaartiya were today unanimously elected as the president and secretary, respectively, of the Hamirpur District Athletic Association. The elections were held under the chairmanship of Mr Rajesh Sangal.

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Hayden hammers unbeaten 147

Zaheer Khan jumps into the air after dismissing Michael Slater
Zaheer Khan jumps into the air after dismissing Michael Slater in his first over on the first day of the final Test between India and Australia at Chennai on Sunday. 
— Reuters photo

Chennai, March 18
India’s reinforcement of its spin attack came to a nought as Australian batsmen left the Kolkata drubbing far behind to reach a healthy 326 for three at close on the opening day of the third and final Test here today.

Opener Matthew Hayden continued his brilliant run to notch up his second century in this series and led his team towards a huge total with a solid unbeaten 147 after captain Steve Waugh elected to bat.

Hayden was ably supported by some good knocks from Mark Waugh (70), Steve Waugh (batting 43) and Justin Langer (35) as the Australians negotiated the spin trio of Harbhajan Singh, Nilesh Kulkarni and debutant Sairaj Bahutule with relative ease.

However, the hosts were themselves to blame for failing to capitalise on a few chances. Wicket-keeper Samir Dighe, another debutant who was a last-minute replacement for the injured Nayan Mongia, was the culprit on two ocassions, which cost the team dearly.

First, he failed to collect a return from Shiv Sunder Das and missed an easy chance to run out Hayden early in his innings — a mistake that proved decisive in today’s play.

Dighe then missed a simple stumping chance against Mark Waugh with the batsman a couple of steps ahead of his crease.

Hayden and Mark Waugh capitalised on their luck and went on to add 150 runs for the third wicket treating every Indian bowler with equal comtempt.

India had fine start to the match when the only paceman in the team Zaheer Khan dismissed Michael Slater off the third delivery of the day and it seemed they were starting from where they left off in Kolkata.

Slater was caught by V.V.S. Laxman in the slips after hitting a boundary with the total on four.

Hayden and Langer played as if nothing had happened and went on the attack from the start. Langer in particular was quite aggressive as he compiled a run-a-ball 35, with six fours and a six, before his attempted cut off Harbhajan Singh landed straight into the hands of Rahul Dravid at first slip.

Mark Waugh, who struggled in the first two Tests, had a tentative start and batted cautiously while Hayden stepped up the steam from the other end.

Hayden, who had scores of 97 and 67 in Kolkata besides a match-winning 119 in the first Test in Mumbai, did not hesitate in using his feet to the relatively inexperienced spinners and hit a flurry of fours and sixes, the fourth six taking him to his half-century.

Australia took lunch at 140 for two and the post lunch session saw a reversal of roles between the two batsmen with Mark Waugh growing in confidence with every stroke.

He too started coming out to the spinners and scored most of the runs in the second session as Hayden spent a silent time in the nervous eighties and nineties.

Bahutule got his maiden Test wicket when Mark Waugh mistimed a drive to be caught by substitute Hemang Badani in the mid-off region. His 70 included seven fours and a six.

Hayden, meanwhile, scored his third Test hundred and went on to compile his career-best knock. His earlier best was 125 against the West Indies at Adelaide in 1996-97.

Steve Waugh played another of his stubborn innings and offered excellent support to Hayden, who has so far blasted 12 fours and five sixes.

The pair has put on 109 runs for the fourth wicket and are still going strong.

The Indian bowling was modest and lacked the sting that won them a stunning victory in Kolkata. Besides, the Australians strategy of taking the spinners head-on also derailed Saurav Ganguly’s gameplan.

Though Bahutule and Kulkarni bowled to a tight line they could not force the batsmen into making mistakes. Harbhajan also bowled well but failed to produce the magic of the previous two Tests.

With just one seamer and only four regular bowlers in the side, the Indians have their task cut out when they seek to bowl out the Australians tomorrow.

Scoreboard

Austrialia (Ist innings):

Slater c Laxman b Khan 04

Hayden batting 147

Langer c Dravid b Harbhajan 35

Mark Waugh c (sub)

Badani b Bahutule 70

Steve Waugh batting 43

Extras: (b-8, lb-9, nb-10 ) 27

Total: (for three wickets) 326

Fall of wickets: 1/4, 2/67, 3/217.

Bowling: Zaheer Khan 15-5-57-1, Saurv Ganguly 2-1-11-0, Harbhajan Singh 26-3-100-1, Nilesh Kulkarni 23-5-67-0, Sairaj Bahutule 16-2-58-1, Sachin Tendulkar 8-1-16-0. PTI
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Harbhajan, Dinesh Mongia in 1-day squad

Chennai, March 18
VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh, heroes of the Kolkata Test, have staged a comeback while Punjab player Dinesh Mongia has been included in the Indian team for the first three one-day matches against Australia. The other members of the team announced by the selection committee Chairman Chandu Borde today are Saurav Ganguly (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Hemang Badani, Vijay Dahiya, Sunil Joshi, Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath, Ajit Agarkar, Robin Singh, Virendra Sehwag.

Other players who were also discussed during the two and a half hour selection committee meeting were Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Yuveraj Singh, Debashish Mohanty, Venkatesh Prasad, Rahul Sanghvi, Jacob Martin, Nikhil Chopra, Aashish Kapoor, Nilesh Kulkarni, Sriram and Murali Karthik, Borde said.

Borde said the selectors were having an open mind on asking Rahul Dravid to keep wickets also.

Referring to Srinath, he said doctors had informed the board that Srinath would be fit in a couple of days time. Agarkar was also fit, he said.

The first match will be played on March 25 in Bangalore. The second and third match will be played in Pune and Indore, respectively.

The team for the fourth and fifth matches will be selected at Indore, he said. PTI
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Mark Waugh writes
The best innings I’ve ever seen

The turn of events at Kolkata obviously was very disappointing for me as well as my teammates. Our winning streak came to an end at the Eden Gardens in a Test that was well within our grasp for three of the five days. The fact that we lost from a very strong position makes it that much more disappointing. Having said that, I think the Indians played tremendous cricket to come from behind and win the game. It was an exceptional effort to put on such a mammoth total after following on, and full credit to VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid for batting the way they did.

Laxman’s 281 was the best innings I have ever seen played against Australia. I cannot recall a better innings, especially since he was playing against probably the three best bowlers in the world — Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Jason Gillespie. Besides the pressure he was under because of his team’s position - they needed more than 200 runs to make us bat again — he was also under some pressure to come up with a big score. The fact that the match was being played at the Eden Gardens with a large crowd watching must not have made his task any easier. He shouldered his responsibilities remarkably well and hardly played a single false stroke right through the innings. I have seen Brian Lara’s 277 in Sydney, but this knock was played under tougher circumstances and was absolutely faultless.

While playing at the Eden Gardens is a tremendous experience, the venue has not been too lucky for me with two losses in two Tests. The ground has a beautiful surface and the outfield is nice and green, but what makes the Eden stand out is the crowd. I think the number of people who turned up to watch the match on each of the five days must have been some sort of a record. The spectators are quite sporting and are always ready to applaud a good performance from the visiting team.

My stay in Kolkata was also made special by the great time I had in Udayan, a home for the children of leprosy patients. I have been sponsoring a little girl at the home and took this opportunity to see for myself how she was faring. I was curious about the living conditions and well-being of the children. I was very happy to see the girls and boys having a great time and it made me feel good that I was contributing in my own small way to the development of these wonderful children.

Coming back to cricket, as far as my own performance is concerned, I am not too happy with the returns I’m getting. I think I am in good nick, and was disappointed about getting out after I had got set in the first innings in Kolkata. I had fared pretty well in my tour to India in 1998, when I had averaged around 60 after the three Tests. Hopefully, I’ll get a big knock in the final Test to put my team in a winning position.

Chennai has mixed memories for me. I remember scoring a 100 in the World Cup quarterfinals against New Zealand in 1996, but the more recent memory is of the defeat against India in the first Test of our 1998 tour. I did not do too badly in that Test since I recall scoring 60-odd.

We have everything to play for in the Chennai. It is going to be an exciting Test since it will decide the series. While we are disappointed about losing in Kolkata, we must put it behind us. What’s happened has happened and we will try to be positive and upbeat. We simply have to regroup and think of the game as a start to yet another winning streak. That will be the Australian mindset when we take the field at the Chepauk Stadium on Sunday morning. (Gameplan)
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Youhana, Saqlain frustrate New Zealand

Saqlain Mushtaq (L) is all smiles after batting all day to be 98 not out at stumps with compatriot Waqar Younis
Saqlain Mushtaq (L) is all smiles after batting all day to be 98 not out at stumps with compatriot Waqar Younis (R) on the fourth day of the second Test match being played in Christchurch on Sunday. Pakistan were 561-7 at stumps. 
— AFP photo

Christchurch, March 18
Pakistan and New Zealand seemed destined to play out an excruciating draw in the second cricket Test as the portable pitch yet again proved a bowler’s nightmare today.

The fourth day’s play, while remarkably tedious with only a single wicket to fall, was notable for Yousuf Youhana’s 203, ended only by a fluke but much needed caught and bowled by Mark Richardson, New Zealand’s opening batsman.

Pakistan bowler Saqlain Mushtaq was moored at 98 not out and could, if Pakistan declare, miss the chance for his maiden Test century. As he stayed out at the wicket all day, and was particularly over cautious in getting the runs, it will be his own fault. He got just four singles in the last hour on the flattest wicket he will ever bat on.

At stumps on the fourth day Pakistan were 561 for seven, 85 runs ahead of New Zealand’s first innings 476. The real villain in the day has been the lifeless portable wicket on Lancaster Park which has seldom challenged batsmen.

New Zealand’s bowling attack, already depleted when Chris Drum was forced out hurt yesterday, looked weaker when Craig McMillan had problems through the day with his insulin levels.

The lack of variety in the attack was exposed -particularly when part-timer Richardson actually got the only wicket of the day.

With only a day remaining and not even the first innings complete, a draw is the most likely outcome.

However, New Zealand have managed to stage dreadful collapses in the past, and while they can perhaps see no prospect for a victory, Pakistan, with an early declaration could have a chance.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand (1st innings): 476

Pakistan (1st innings):

Farhat c Drum b Martin 4

Ahmed hit wicket b Drum 11

Iqbal c Fleming b McMillan 63

Haq c Fleming b Martin 130

Youhana c and b Richardson 203

Khan c Parore b Tuffey 0

Khan c Martin b Bradburn 28

Mushtaq batting 98

Younis batting 5

Extras: (b-5, lb-8, nb-6) 19

Total: (for seven wickets) 561

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-25, 3-157, 4-259, 5-260, 6-304, 7-552.

Bowling: Tuffey 45-11-144-1, Martin 41-9-153-2, Drum 8-1-21-1, Bradburn 42-10-124-1, McMillan 31-13-47-1, Astle 26-10-43-0, Richardson 9-0-16-1. AFP
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SA collapse after good start

Port of Spain, March 18
South Africa collapsed after building a strong position on the first day of the second Test against the West Indies at the Queen’s Park Oval.

South Africa were all out for 286 yesterday despite a century by Daryll Cullinan, who shared a thrilling 99-run stand with Jacques Kallis.

West Indies were two for no wicket at the close.

The stand between Cullinan and Kallis threatened to put South Africa in control before emergency bowler Wavell Hinds made a crucial breakthrough.

Kallis was in dominant form when he and Cullinan came together after openers Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs had been dismissed in successive overs soon after lunch.

Kallis slammed seven fours and two sixes over long-off against legspinner Dinanath Ramnarine as he raced to a half-century off 77 balls.

With Cullinan striking the ball cleanly as well, runs were flowing when West Indian captain Carl Hooper called on Hinds to bowl for the first time in 16 Tests. Bowling gentle seamers, Hinds dismissed Kallis with his third ball when he held a low return drive. Kallis made 53 off 80 balls.

Cullinan went on to make his 13th Test century, reclaiming the South African record from teammate Gary Kirsten. He made 103 before top-edging a sweep against Ramnarine just four balls after Nicky Boje had fallen in similar fashion. He faced 155 balls and hit 14 fours.

South Africa lost their last eight wickets for 125 runs to the delight of a noisy 20,000-strong crowd.

Kirsten and Gibbs batted well to remain together until the lunch break, although they could score only 61 runs against some impressive bowling, particularly by veteran Courtney Walsh.

Kirsten was out one run later in the second over after lunch, however, when he was caught at second slip off a lifting ball from Nixon McLean. Gibbs went in the next over, bowled off his glove by Walsh. It left Walsh just three short of his 500th Test wicket.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa (Ist innings):

Gibbs b Walsh 34

Kirsten c Hooper b McLean 23

Kallis c and b Hinds 53

Cullinan c Dillon b Ramnarine 103

McKenzie c Gayle b Walsh 9

Boucher c Hooper b Hinds 16

Klusener c Jacobs b Ramnarine 15

Boje c Jacobs b Ramnarine 3

Pollock not out 15

Donald c Jacobs b McLean 0

Ntini c and b McLean 7

Extras: (nb8) 8

Total: (86.5 overs) 286

Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-62, 3-161, 4-189, 5-221, 6-256, 7 -264, 8-265, 9-266

Bowling: Walsh 21-5-47-2 (3nb), Dillon 17-2-74-0 (4nb), McLean 16.5-2-60-3, Ramnarine 18-6-57-3, Hooper 9-1-25-0, Hinds 5-0-23-2 (1nb).

West Indies,(Ist innings):

Hinds not out 0

Gayle not out 0

Extras: (w2) 2

Total: (0 wkts, 1 over) 2

Bowling: Donald 1-0-2-0 (2w). AFP
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Sampras, Agassi in Indian Wells final

Indian Wells (California), March 18
For the first time in more than a year, great rivals Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras will meet when they battle for the Tennis Masters Series-Indian Wells title today.

Third seed Sampras snuffed out seventh-seeded Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov, storming back from deficits of 2-5 and 1-4 to score a 7-5, 6-4 victory in Saturday’s first semifinal.

Fourth seed Agassi overcame a stiff challenge from sixth-seeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who is 10 years his junior, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, to claim his place in the final.

In a seesaw match in which both men had trouble holding serve and finding consistency on their groundstrokes, Agassi prevailed by breaking the 20-year-old Hewitt in the final game when the sixth seed dumped a forehand into the net to end a long rally.

“It was an uncomfortable match for both of us,’’ said Agassi. “I don’t think either of us played well. It was pretty choppy.

“Nobody had any feel for how to step it up and start executing their game.’’

Sampras shook off a slow start and put together impressive runs of five straight games to close out each set against the frustrated Olympic champion.

Today’s final between Agassi and Sampras will be the 30th time the two old American warriors have faced each other, with the 29-year-old Sampras holding a 17-12 advantage over Agassi.

“We could play in my backyard and I would love it,’’ Agassi said of the great rivalry. “To play a big match in the final, it’s truly just a memory waiting to happen.’’

The pair last clashed in the semifinals of the 2000 Australian Open, a five-set thriller which propelled Agassi to the second of his three Australian crowns.

“That was incredible,’’ Agassi said. “The standard of tennis was pretty special.’’

The two former top-ranked players own 20 Grand Slam titles between them and have been playing each other since grade school, when they met in a junior tournament in Northridge, California.

He came in from Vegas, his whole family came down,’’ Sampras recalled. “He beat me. It’s amazing where we are now. Our careers have been pretty damn good.’’

Agassi recalled sampras as someone who was always playing “up” in divisions that included children older than he was.

“I remember seeing him with a two-handed backhand, just a counterpuncher, running down balls and pushing,’’ Agassi said. “I beat him something like 6-2, 6-3.”

Thirteen of their 29 meetings have come in finals, including in 1995 here, when Sampras crushed Agassi to successfully defend his title in his last Indian wells final appearance.

When asked about their long history, however, Sampras names as “classics” two Grand Slam finals in which he overwhelmed the Las Vegas showman.

“At ’99 Wimbledon, that was the best tennis I’ve played and he forced me to do that,’’ Sampras said of that straight sets triumph on his favourite court.

“The ’95 US Open finals, we both played quite well,’’ he recalled of a match in which Agassi had been the hot favourite. “It’s a good match-up. No question it should be some good tennis.”

Agassi has been the superior player so far in 2001, winning the Australian Open and reaching the San Jose final two weeks ago. Sampras will be playing his first final of 2001, but he doesn’t feel like the underdog entering Sunday’s contest.

“I feel like I’m still the strong favourite each week I play,’’ Sampras said. “This year, he’s obviously been much more consistent and has played better. I feel just as much pressure playing Andre tomorrow or playing him five years ago.” Reuters
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Schumacher wins 6th race

Sepang, March 18
Three-time world champion Michael Schumacher, overcoming a farcical pit stop that lasted more than a minute, won a mishap-laden Malaysian Grand Prix today, beating Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello and capturing his sixth straight Formula One race.

David Coulthard, who briefly led after a series of spinouts and a tropical storm wreaked havoc early in the race, was pushed back to third in his McLaren-Mercedes, confirming the dominance that Ferrari has established over the sport since winning its first driver-constructor’s double since 1979 last year.

Neither rain, two aborted starts, a comedy-laden pit stop, two Ferraris skidding off together and even Schumacher being forced to drive a back-up car could keep the German from his 46th career victory, five shy of the all-time record of 51 by Alain Prost.

Schumacher’s sixth straight victory left him three short of the record nine set by Ferrari’s Alberto Ascari in 1952-53. The German ace started from his 34th career pole position, second behind the 65 established by the late Ayrton Senna.

“It’s great being somehow dominant, but we know that won’t be the case for every race,” Schumacher said. “It was special conditions, special circumstances. And we made the most use of it.”

Fourth place went to Heinz-Harald Frentzen in a Jordan-Honda. Ralf Schumacher, Michael’s younger brother in a Williams-BMW, pulled up fifth ahead of Mika Hakkinen, whose two-year hold on the world championship was ended by Schumacher last year.

Hakkinen, in a McLaren-Mercedes, was the last driver to win a race before Schumacher began his winning streak at the Belgian Grand Prix last year. AP
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Anand starts campaign with win over Karpov

Monte Carlo, March 18
World champion Viswanathan Anand made amends for his miss in the rapid game and crashed through the defences of Russian Anatoly Karpov in the blindfold game to open his campaign in the 10th Amber Blindfold and Rapid Chess tournament here on a winning note. Anand, who drew the rapid game, made mincemeat of his opponent in the blindfold to take the first round tie 1.5-0.5.

Grandmasters Peter Leko of Hungary, Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria and defending champion Alexei Shirov of Spain became early leaders in this 11-round 22-match tournament with comprehensive 2-0 victories over their respective opponents.

The players play one rapid and one blindfold game in every round. The rapid game starts with 25 minutes with 10 seconds added after each move while in blindfold the addition is 20 seconds.

Playing black in the rapid game, Anand opted for the queen’s Indian defence and the game was a repetition of the one he played against GM Jan Timman of Holland in the last round of the Wijk Ann Zee tournament last year.

Anand played the opening moves in a blitzkrieg mood and Karpov’s success in this game was not losing like Timman did! Anand had no problems once the queens got traded and a balanced endgame arose after the 25th move where the peace treaty was signed. 
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India rout Egypt 8-0 to enter final

Dhaka, March 18
India stormed into the final of the nine-nation Prime Minister Gold Cup Hockey Tournament with a thumping 8-0 win against Egypt here today.

India, who won all their three matches at the league stage to top Group A, pumped in goals at regular intervals as the hapless Egyptians had no clue to the aggressive hockey by the Asian powerhouse. The winners led 4-0 at the half-time.

Skipper Baljit Singh Dhillon, Arjun Halappa and Deepak Thakur scored a brace each while star striker Dhanraj Pillay and Radhakrishnan scored the other two goals.

Pillay, who threatened the rival penalty area with alarming frequency, was declared the man-of-the-match.

He opened the account for India in the 15th minute and Dhillon made it 2-0 five minutes later. Goals by Halappa (25) and Thakur (34) within the next 15 minutes ensured a healthy 4-0 lead for India at the half-time.

Egypt tried counter-attacking in the second half but in vain as Dinesh Naik and Dilip Tirkey stood like rock in the defence.

The Indians continued with their goal rampage with Dhillon (41), Thakur (45), Halappa (67) and Radhakrishnan (70) taking the match beyond the Egyptians.

India will take on the winner of the second semi-final, slated later today, between Japan and Pakistan on Tuesday. PTI
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Chandigarh hockey team felicitated
Our Correspondent

Chandigarh, March 18
It was a proud moment for those connected with hockey when the Chandigarh junior boys hockey team which won the coveted Junior National Hockey Championship last month at Chennai was felicitated by the Chandigarh Hockey Association at a simple function held today at Sector 18 hockey stadium. Chandigarh has won the nationals for the first time after reaching the final twice before.

Olympian Balbir Singh wished for the senior team also to bring glory to Chandigarh hockey.

Chandigarh had outplayed Mumbai 3-2, with the golden goal scored by Mangra Munda. One of the players recalled that when they had surprised Uttar Pradesh 1-0 in the quarterfinals then it was said that they (city team) the has beaten a team from a place as big as a country.

Many former Olympians Dharam Singh, T.S. Bawa, Sukhvir Grewal and Sukhbir Singh Gill also graced the occasion. The boys were given track suits, trousers, wrist watches and cash prize of Rs 2000 each. Hockey lovers, Praveen Jain and Deepak Bhatia announced a sum of Rs 50,000 every year to the CHA for welfare of players for the next five years.

The team which won the meet:
Jitender Kumar (captain), Baljeet Singh, Maninder Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Bharat Kumar, Mandeep Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Inderjit Chadha, Rajpal Singh, Amardeep Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Sarbjeet Singh, Cyral Ekka, Gurpreet Singh, Mangra Munda, Ramanvir Grewal, Prabhjot and Gaurav. 
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Churchill Brothers register 1-0 win
Amardeep Bhattal
Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 18
Churchill Brothers,Goa, dealt another blow to JCT Phagwara’s aspirations with a 1-0 victory over the mill men in the 14th round of the National Football League at Guru Nanak Stadium here today. After the two teams wasted several chances in a keenly fought tie, international Francis Silveira capitalised on a gentle lob off striker Igor Shkvirn’s header to aim a quick shot past JCT custodian Arvind Kumar who was left clueless at one end. The move followed a counter attack by JCT late in the second half which could have resulted in a goal but the advancing Hardip Gill was pulled by the arm by Churchill’s Jaspreet inside the box and surprisingly the infringement was overlooked by referee PK Bose. With pleas for a penalty going unheeded, Churchill were quick to hit back with a counter attack which culminated in Silveira’s decisive goal in the 80th minute.

With today’s defeat, JCT remain positioned at the bottom with seven points while Churchill Brothers’ tally has gone up to 19 points from five victories and four draws.

The ding-dong battle for supremacy was indeed a treat for the large Sunday crowd which at times grew boisterous as action shifted from one side to another in rapid succession. Both sides displayed strong determination but JCT’s anxiety was palpable as they muffed some easy chances in their bid to grab the initiative. Churchill Brothers, trained by Uzbekistan’s Grigoryi Tsevtein, kept up constant pressure through Uzbeki striker Igor Shkvirn, Andre Requena, Francis Silveira, Noel Wilson, and Jose Colaco with the roving Somatai Shaiza coming in to bolster the attack late in the second half. In the defence, the stout Osumanu Husseini along with Hayder Farooq were outstanding as was skipper Edward Ansah under the bar.

Having realised that it was now a battle for survival, JCT went all out from the kick-off and in the very fourth minute a flighted ball by the promising Jaswant for Ram Pal saw the latter lifting it high over the Churchill defence but the onrushing Hardip Sangha failed to connect. This was followed by another attempt by Sangha but his long ranger from 30 yards was off the mark. Soon after, Hardip Gill, who had advanced into the box, found himself sandwitched between two defenders.

A counter attack by Churchill Brothers saw Igor Shkvirn putting Andre Requena in possession but unluckily Requena’s power-packed shot struck the horizontal. This was followed by Hardip Gill’s attempt from close range but despite being in a one-to-one situation with the goalkeeper, Gill failed to beat him. Later, Hardip Sangha also made an unsuccessful attempt as Osumanu Husseini thwarted the move. Shortly before half-time, Sangha was stretchered off following a collision with Husseini. In his absence, Hardip Gill tried to make amends but failed on two occasions. First he failed to capitalise on a Ram Pal pass and shot straight at Edward Ansah and then his long ranger struck the upright.

The second half witnessed a strong Churchill resurgence as Jose Colaco cut in from the left following Igor Shkvirn’s measured pass but his crisp left footer struck the horizontal. JCT also had a good chance thereafter but Jaswinder missed a sitter following a cross from the left and his shot from hand-shaking distance was wide off the mark.

With the experienced Somatai Shaiza joining the fray in place of the injured Jose Colaco, Churchill Brothers’ attacks became sharper. In the 70th minute, Igor Shkvrin had a clear view of the goal but in haste he shot straight at Arvind Kumar under the JCT bar.

Five minutes later, JCT’s Jaswinder again missed a sitter after having successfully trapped the ball inside the box. With a clear view of the goal, he only managed to shoot high over the bar.

Towards the end of the second half, JCT’s Jaswant, who otherwise had a good game, was replaced by Jaspreet who wasted a golden chance after Churchill goalkeeper Ansah had advanced out of charge. However, he failed to beat only one defender to let the opportunity slip out of his hands.
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Bagan thrash Mahindras

Kolkata, March 18
Strong contenders Mohun Bagan exploited a sloppy defence to spank Mahindra United 6-0 in the fifth National Football League at the Salt Lake Stadium here today.

Bagan’s Brazilian striker Jose Ramirez Barreto pumped in three goals and the other striker R.C. Prakash chipped in with one while Mahindra gifted the home team with two self-goals in a ridiculously one-sided encounter.

The glamour club, who were stunned by lowly State Bank of Travancore (SBT) 2-4 in the last league match, raised their game by several notches in a bid to claim full points and consolidate their position on the points ladder.

With this emphatic victory, Mohun Bagan have now secured 25 points from 14 outings while Mahindra United have 14 points to their credit from as many outings.

The green-and-maroon brigade capitalised on the defensive lapses to take a 3-0 lead by the interval. PTI
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Punjab state fencing championships on March 27
Our Sports Reporter

Patiala, March 18
The Senior Punjab State Fencing Championships will be held at Jalandhar on March 27 and 28, informed Mr Brahm Mohindra, president of the Punjab Fencing Association. Those desirous of taking part in the championships may contact Mr Shashi Sharma, secretary of the Jalandhar District Fencing Association at Dhogri Finance Corporation, Gali No-4, Mittu Basti road, on March 25.

The events that will be held in the meet are Sabre, Foil and Epee for Men and Foil and Epee for Women. The meet will also act as trials to select the Punjab Fencing that will take part in the 31st National Games to be held in Punjab in September.

DCW sports

The first DCW Baisakhi Sports Festival will be held at the DCW stadium here from April 5 to 17, informed Mr Arun Kumar Jund, sports secretary of the DCW.

Competitions will be held in basketball, kabaddi and cricket (Under-15) events. The festival is being organised by the newly formed DCW Sports, Cultural and Welfare Club.

Meanwhile, Mr Sukhdev Singh has been elected president of the newly formed Diesel Component Work (DCW) Sports, Cultural and Welfare Club at a meeting held here today. Other office-bearers are: vice-president — Mr Baljit Singh: general secretary — Mr Ranjit Singh; treasurer — Mr Charanjit Singh Mann; PRO—Mr Bharti Maria.

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Hamirpur athletic association
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, March 18
Mr Diwan Chand Sharma and Mr Punkaj Bhaartiya were today unanimously elected as the president and secretary, respectively, of the Hamirpur District Athletic Association. The elections were held under the chairmanship of Mr Rajesh Sangal. Mr Rajeev Verma, joint secretary of the state association, and Mr Kuldip Sharma, NIS judo coach, represented the association and the state government as observers.

The following are the other office-bearers: Patron-in-Chief — Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, patrons — Mrs Urmila Thakur, Mrs Anita Verma, and Mr Kuldip Singh Pathania, Senior Vice President: Mr Vijay Kumar, Vice Presidents: Mr Kuldip Guleria, Mr Sanjay Thakur, Mr Suresh Kumar, Mr Sandeep Dhadwal and Mr Ashok Thakur, joint secretaries: Mr Anil Kumar, Mr Pavan Verma and Mr Narendra Attri; cashier: Mr Jagdeep Chandel; press secretary: Mr Arun Rana. 
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Pritam selected
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, March 18
Pritam Saini of Karnal is among the three skaters selected by the Indian Roller Skating School (IRSS) to take part in the third African Inline Skating Championship to be held in Pretoria, South Africa from March 21 to 26, according to Prof A. Grecco, principal of the IRSK.
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 SPORTS BRIEFS

SYMONDS MISSES FLIGHT
SYDNEY: Cricketer Andrew Symonds is in doubt for Australia’s upcoming series with India after injuring his shoulder just hours before he was due to fly out. Australian fast bowler Nathan Bracken also missed the flight to India on Saturday after losing his passport. Symonds and Bracken were among five Australian one-day specialists chosen to bolster the Test squad for the five-match limited-overs series. The remaining three — Michael Bevan, Darren Lehmann and Ian Harvey — all boarded their flight as scheduled. Reuters

GOLDEN DUCKS
SYDNEY: Gilchrist’s first ball dismissals in both the innings at the Kolkata Test might have been crucial to Australia’s defeat but it would help to bring smiles on the faces of a few Aussies. A Primary Club of Australia found itself richer by $ 19,500 as a result of the three golden ducks scored by the Aussies in the match, two by Gilchrist and one by Warne, Sydney Morning Herald reported on Sunday. The Golden Duck Club, which helps handicapped sports people, requires its members, numbering 1300, to pay $5 for each golden duck achieved by an Australian batsman in a Test. The qualification for the club is to have had a golden duck — out first ball. However the Australian captain found himself in an all together different “club”. Steve Waugh joined former Australian captains, Kim Hughes and Jack Blackham as the only captains in Test cricket to have the dubious distinction of losing a Test after forcing the opposition to follow-on. PTI

KAPTAN WINS
CHENNAI: The 30-year-old Kaptan Singh of Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) and Sonali Patil of Maharashtra on Sunday won the men’s and women’s title of the 10th Senior National Triathlon Championship, respectively. Kaptan, gold medallist at the Asian Triathlon Championship held in Seoul a couple of years back, pushed his team-mate and former champion Subhash Nirmale to the second slot to win the championship for the second consecutive time with a timing of one hour 48 minutes 16.80 seconds. Nirmale clocked 1:51:44.52 while Akhil Sheikh (SSCB) came third with a timing of 1:55:53.12. In the women’s section Sonali Patil belonging to the Kreeda Prabodhini School Pune, clinched the gold by relegating V. Radha of Tamil Nadu to the second spot. K. Kalpana of Tamil Nadu came third. PTI

UNPAID FINES
KARACHI
: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has filed a suit for recovery of fines imposed on three cricketers — former Pakistan captain Salim Malik, Akram Raza and Ata-ur-Rehman. The suit has been admitted and the Lahore civil court fixed April 18 as the date of hearing. ANI
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