Ganguly praises bowlers
Indore, March 31
Indian captain Sourav Ganguly praised his bowlers for his side’s thumping 118-run victory over Australia in the third one-dayer played here today.

Sharandeep in; Joshi out
Indore, March 31
Punjab off-spinner Sharandeep Singh will replace left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi in the Indian squad for the remaining two matches of the one-day series against Australia.

Agassi advances to last four Miami, March 31 Australian Open champion Andre Agassi gathered himself from a four-day layoff and a 4-1 deficit to defeat lucky loser Ivan Ljubicic 6-4 6-4 here in a Tennis Masters Series quarter-final. The victory, which came after rain halted the match on Thursday night, advanced the third-seeded American into a semifinal against Australian eighth seed Patrick Rafter here at the $ 6.12 million ATP and WTA event. Jennifer Capriati pumps her fist following her 6-2, 6-0 win over Elena Dementieva during the semifinals at the Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Friday. — AP/PTI photo

JCT, Mohun Bagan split points
Kolkata, March 31
JCT Phagwara dealt another blow to champions Mohun Bagan forcing them to a 2-2 draw in an exciting 17th round match of the National Football League at Salt Lake Stadium here today.

Mahindras meet Vasco today
Mumbai, March 31
Local giants Mahindra United, buoyed by their 4-0 crushing of strong FC Kochin, will take on Goan outfit Vasco in the fifth edition of the National Football League to be played at the Cooperage here tomorrow.

• FC Kochin edge out Salgaocar

• SBT, ITI tie ends in drab draw

Code of conduct runs into rough weather
Patiala, March 31
The eight-point code of conduct recently framed by the Union Sports Ministry, apparently to keep a check on the activities of the National Sports Federation (NSFs), has reportedly run into rough weather due to differences between the NSFs and the ministry on various points envisaged in the code.

‘Hockey achievement ignored’
New Delhi, March 31
Indian star striker Dhanraj Pillay yesterday said that the current Pakistan hockey squad was perhaps the weakest he had played against since 1990.

SRC move up
Kolkata, March 31
Sikh Regimental Centre, Ramgarh, moved into pre-quarterfinals of the 106th Servo Beighton Cup Hockey Tournament as they got the better of Border Security Force (North Bengal) 1-0 at Mohun Bagan ground here today.

Kabaddi tourney
Bathinda, March 31
In the annual kabaddi tournament at Kotfatha, the kabaddi team of Tungwali village got the first prize defeating the Mahiraj team. Mr Sujan Singh, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, Punjab, distributed the prizes.

The master batsman’s grit, determination and brilliance was all in evidence, blasting a great 139 off 125 balls on a wicket that wasn’t easy to bat on as the Australians discovered later being bundled out for 181 against India’s 299 for eight. India won the third of the five-match series by 118 runs with 14.1 overs to spare.

Two other Indians who have tormented the mighty Australians throughout this tour, VVS Laxman (83) and Harbhajan Singh (3 for 37), too made significant contributions to India’s one-sided victory after the loss at Pune three days ago. The off-spinner, along with medium fast Ajit Agarkar (3 for 38), triggered a collapse that saw the Aussies lose their last nine wickets for 79 runs.

Captain Saurav Ganguly’s nightmare continued — he fell for a duck to an atrocious shot, his scores now being 6, 4 and 0 in the three matches. He dropped the dangerous Australian opener Adam Gilchrist off Harbhajan but took a good catch minutes later to get rid of him for the top score of 63.

Man-of-the-Match Tendulkar was on the verge of another milestone — 100 one-day wickets. He could not add to his tally of 98 because Ganguly chose not to bowl him, the captain obviously looking to make some contribution himself which he did by taking one wicket.

The Australians were in chase of the total only as long as Gilchrist was at the crease, the wicket-keeper batsman coming up with a scintillating knock. The match was decisively tilted in favour of the hosts after Harbhajan and Agarkar struck repeatedly in tandem.

Earlier, Tendulkar’s inspired innings put India on top as they put up the highest total on this ground - beating the previous best of 248 by both the teams in the tied match against Zimbabwe - after Aussie captain Steve Waugh put in the hosts to bat.

Tendulkar was at his improvising best using his trademark paddle sweeps and gentle flicks to devastating effect as he combined in a blitzkreig second wicket partnership with the in-form VVS Laxman that fetched India 199 runs.

The maestro reached the 10,000-run mark when he drove Shane Warne to mid-off for a single to move to 34 and went on to complete his 28th hundred in one-day cricket.

Incidentally, it was yet another Indian, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar who was the first to cross this milestone in Test cricket.

Tendulkar and Laxman began cautiously prefering to score through singles and twos after Rahul Dravid, coming as an opener with Ganguly dropping himself down the order, was the first man to be dismissed for 15.

Tied down by some accurate bowling and good fielding by the Australians, whose field placings were bang on target, the hundred of the innings came only in the 24th over.

Both got past their half-centuries with a four each and opened the floodgates after that. They improvised a lot with Laxman deciding to go over the top while Tendulkar scoring boundaries fluently through paddle sweep shots, mostly against Damien Martyn and Andrew Symonds.

The Indian batsmen were so much in command that Shane Warne, who did not bowl particularly bad, was taken for 60 runs in his 10 overs as India’s second hundred came in just 64 balls and the score looked to go beyond the 350 mark.

India were cruising along at 231 for one in the 38th over when Laxman, egged on by Tendulkar to run faster, was found short of his crease while taking the second run. That started a collapse and Ganguly, looking to resurrect his form with a big hit, was caught off the third ball he faced by Michael Bevan for a duck to give Fleming his second wicket.

Hemang Badani, who hit his maiden one-day hundred in the previous match at Pune, was also run out while going for a second run which Tendulkar refused right from the start. The left-hander made 23 including the innings’ only six off Warne and a four.

Dinesh Mongia, Ajit Agarkar and Vijay Dahiya fell in a heap after Tendulkar miscued a hook shot off a rising delivery from McGrath to hole out to Fleming. In the end, the Indians fell one run short of the 300 mark, losing the last six wickets for the addition of just 53 runs, and set the visitors a target of 300 at exactly six runs an over.

Tendulkar, who already had the highest number of centuries in the limited-overs game, attained this landmark while on the way to his 28th hundred, sixth against Australia, here today.

The genius now has an aggregate of 10,105 runs from 266 matches, in which he batted only 259 times, with an average of 42.63 and a strike rate of 82.60.

The nearest to him in aggregate is his former teammate Mohammed Azharuddin with 9,378 from 334 matches at an average of 36.92.

Among current batsmen, the following are the nearest to him: Aravinda De Silva (Sri Lanka) 8430 runs, Mark Waugh (Australia) 8245, Saeed Anwar (Pakistan) 7757 and Inzamam-ul Haq (Pakistan) 7636.

Speaking to presspersons after the match, Sourav said: “We bowled very well and we also knew what we were doing. It was a very disciplined bowling performance.”

Sourav also had special praise for Sachin Tendulkar, who became the first bastman in the world to score 10,000 one-day runs. “It is a fantastic achievement.”

On his going down the batting order, Sourav said it was in his mind since yesterday and added that when they came to the ground he had told Rahul Dravid that he might open.

Sourav also said that any player has to go through a bad phase in his career and hoped that he would soon come out of it. “However, the important thing is that we are winning, if we were not, it would have felt worse,” he added.

On whether the loss at Pune was an abbreration, Sourav said that the Australians are a very good side and they are capable of bouncing back. “Anytime they would come back at us,” he added.

On the slight controversy at the toss Sourav said he was just asking the match referee Cammie Smith which side was head and which tails. “Is it not right to ask something you do not know,” he counter questioned the scribe who had asked him the question.

Steve Waugh, the Australian captain felt that they did not bat good enough to win the match.

On asked whether this was the biggest loss against India, Steve said that it does not matter whether one lost by one run or 200, a loss is a loss.

Steve ruled out that the rotation policy was responsible for the defeat. “We are looking at long-term and the results would be seen during the World Cup and the upcoming Ashes tour to England and not today,” he added.

Steve Waugh said that there was always resistance to change, but they were looking at the bigger picture and not what happened today. “We want to give chance to younger players to handle pressure situations like today’s,” he added.

Steve Waugh said that 300 was a realistic target especially the way they started. “We had our chances but we did not take those chances. While chasing such a huge total we are bound to lose wickets,” he said.

On what this tour has taught them, Steve replied they had experienced losing which they had not for quite some time. “It is a good realistic check to have lost a couple of matches,” he added.

Sharandeeep would be the only change in the 14-member Indian squad, cricket board secretary Jaywant Lele told reporters here today.

Team: Saurav Ganguly (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman, Hemang Badani, Dinesh Mongia, Yuvraj Singh, Vijay Dahiya, Ajit Agarkar, Robin Singh, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Sharandeep Singh.

Lele also announced India’s other engagements this year which will begin with a tour to Zimbabwe from June 2 to July 3. They will then tour Sri Lanka from July 16 to September 3 followed by South Africa from October 15 to November 20.

Pollock hit 106 not out as South Africa, who had been sent in, reached 454 all out. It was the highest total in matches between South Africa and West Indies. Left with four overs to bat out before close of play, West Indies scored seven for no wicket.

Pollock and Donald shared a stand of 132 for the ninth wicket, a South African record against the West Indies and the highest ninth wicket partnership in Test matches in Bridgetown.

West Indian captain Carl Hooper, who had criticised his team’s fielding after the first day’s play, saw two straightforward chances go down from both century-makers, Daryll Cullinan (134) and Pollock.

Cullinan’s escape was relatively inexpensive, with the batsman adding only 12 more runs after offering a simple chance to Brian Lara at deep midwicket off Hooper.

Pollock was dropped when he had 45 when he steered Courtney Walsh to slip where Chris Gayle could not hold a regulation chance. The incident happened three balls after tea when the partnership with Donald was worth 56. The innings continued almost until close of play as Pollock decided to grind it out as long as possible.

It was Pollock’s second Test century and his second in four matches after he made 111 against Sri Lanka at Centurion in January. In both innings he batted at number nine. Yesterday he batted for four hours, faced 196 balls and hit 13 fours. He went from 75 to 100 in only 14 balls, including a burst of three successive boundaries against Mervyn Dillon.

The victory, which came after rain halted the match on Thursday night, advanced the third-seeded American into a semifinal against Australian eighth seed Patrick Rafter here at the $ 6.12 million ATP and WTA event.

“It’s a really enjoyable matchup for the sake of all the different ways you can play this great sport,” Agassi said. “It’s an opportunity to see the best in their fields, me on the baseline, him at the net. He’s one of the best serve and volleyers the game has ever known. He is a great competitor.”

Agassi, 9-4 lifetime against Rafter, hopes to play for his fourth title here tomorrow against the winner of the semifinal between Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt, the seventh seed, and American Jan-Michael Gambill.

Agassi, off to his best start since 1995 at 20-2, won a all 15 net points he had and had only 12 unforced errors to 27 for Croatia’s Ljubicic, who led 3-1 when the rain hit and stretched the edge to 4-1 before Agassi roared back.

“I came out yesterday and it was real tough,” Agassi said. “I had a quick one Monday. Then I had a walkover. I was four days no matches. I was concerned about that and I didn’t know Ljubicic’s game too well. I wasn’t able to find my rhythm out there. I got it together today and was executing my shots well.”

Had the rain not saved him, Agassi said he might have had a tough time advancing.

Agassi, who captured a Tennis Masters Series crown earlier this month at Indian Wells, won the final five games of the first set and rode an early break to victory in set two, raising his record here to 41-11.

Ljubicic, who only made the main draw when Dutchman Richard Krajicek withdrew with a right elbow injury, missed his chance to become the first lucky loser in an ATP semifinal since he did it last year at Sydney.

Hewitt enters the semifinals after a semifinal berth at Indian Wells. The 20-year-old who won the Sydney title has a Masters Series best showing of second last October at Stuttgart, losing to Wayne Ferreira in five sets.

Gambill, off to his best season start, has reached the quarter-finals in eight events this season, failing only with a fourth-round Australian Open defeat. He won earlier this month at Delray Beach.

In the women’s section Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati overpowered Russia’s Elena Dementieva 6-2 6-0 to reach the finals.

Capriati advanced to today’s title match against third seeded American Venus Williams, the reigning Wimbledon, US Open and Olympic champion who won here in 1998 and 1999 but missed last year’s event with wrist tendinitis.

Williams won her only prior meeting with Capriati here in 1997, in the early stages of Williams’ career and Capriati’s return after youth burnout.

“I don’t remember a lot from the match actually. I haven’t really thought yet what I am going to do against her. I am just going to play my game. I have the confidence. She is just another player on the other side of the net and I am not going to have any fear,” Capriati said.

Capriati has won 10 career titles but none in her home state of Florida, coming as near as the 1990 Boca Raton final and the 1992 semifinals here.

“I think I’m playing now the greatest I have ever played,” Capriati said. “Each match I just get stronger and gain more confidence. Everything is working for me. I have a real all-around game and I do feel I can beat anybody.”

She has won 17 of her past 19 matches, including her first Grand Slam crown, a runner-up finish at Oklahoma City and a semifinal berth at Scottsdale.

“I owe it to just keeping my condition and really being eager,” Capriati said. “I like the feeling so much of winning that I want to keep it going as long as I can.” One day after her 25th birthday, the American star swept the final 10 games of the match, which had been scheduled Thursday but was postponed by rain.

“I really wanted to be able to give myself this gift,” Capriati said. “I thought I’d do it on my birthday. But this is sweet enough.”

Capriati finished off the triumph when the rising Russian teen who serves as her practice partner netted a forehand.

After holding league leaders-East Bengal to a 2-2 draw earlier on Thursday, JCT, who are languishing at the bottom, displayed another fine performance today.

In fact they should have earned full points from this outing. But after leading 2-0 till the 57th minute, they succumbed to the pressure and settled for a draw conceding two goals in the second half.

The point they gained today would definitely help them wriggle out of the noose of relegation.

JCT after surviving initial Bagan onslaughts took the lead against the run of play through striker Sukhjit Singh in the 26th minute while forward Hardeep Gill made it 2-0 with a piledriver from distance seven minutes before the breather.

Stung by the reverse, Bagan, with their medio Basudev Mondal scheming most of the attacks, reduced the margin through a penalty converted by Lolendra Singh in the 57th minute (2-1) while striker Amar Ganguly restored parity for the hosts in the later part of the second half (2-2).

Inspite of sharing points, Bagan remained at the second spot of the league table with 32 points from 17 matches. League leaders East Bengal continued to remain at the top with 35 points from 16 outings. With one point collected today JCT’s points tally in the national league rose to 12 after 17 matches.

Inspite of three of their regulars — Rennedy Singh, R.C. Prakash and R.P. Singh — remaining busy in pre-World Cup camp, Bagan linkmen Lolendra Singh, Basudev Mondal and Debjit Ghosh dominated the midfield and produced a series of raids to rival forte.

But the absence of Brazilian striker Jose Barreto, who had to sit out today after being shown two yellow cards earlier, proved telling as their frontliners failed to finish those moves.

On the other hand, JCT, who won the title in the inaugural year of the national league, adopted same strategy like against East Bengal in the last match which paid good dividends. They slowed down the pace of the match after Bagan started on a fast note and then struck from counter attacks. But their defenders failed to hold the pressure in the second half and had to be contended with one point.

With Basudev Mondal and Lolendra Singh moving in tandem, Bagan came near scoring in the 10th minute but striker Amar Ganguly off a nice pass from Naushad following a move initiated by Basudev Mondal wasted the opportunity.

To the dismay of all Bagan supporters, it was JCT which took the lead in the 26th minute after remaining subdued all through till then. Following a counter attack, JCT forward Jaswant Singh passed the ball to Sukhjit Singh near Bagan box. Sukhjit after collecting the ball neatly took a turn and found the target with a rasping drive which beat Bagan keeper Rajat Ghosh Dastidar hands down (1-0).

The former India captain, who was felicitated by the Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey Tournament Society for being conferred with the Padma Shri Award, said that he would have been happy if his home state-Mumbai would have taken the lead to honour him.

“I was also surprised by the non media attention to our victory over Pakistan in the final of the Prime Minister’s Cup at Dhaka”. It is always special when an India-Pakistan fixture is played and victory is cherished, Pillay added.

“This is not the first time that the hockey team’s achievements have been ignored. It happened in 1998 when we won the Asian Games gold medal after 32 years. There was nobody to receive us at the airport”, he said.

Pillay who made his debut for the country in the Lahore World Cup in 1990 said that he would continue to play for the Malaysian champion club side BSN this season too. He said though he had an offer from his former side Stutgart in the German Bundesliga too, he had preferred to renew his contract with the Malaysian outfit.

He was of the opinion that he still had a few years of international hockey left and was optimistic of a good showing by India in the years to come under the stewardship of coach Cedric D’Souza.

Talking about the Pakistan team, the 32-year-old veteran from Pune felt that they were severely handicapped with a weak pair of full backs. “Sohail Abbas is an excellent converter of penalty strokes but lacks the depth of a sound defender”, he said.

Comparing the current Pakistan team with the ones he had played against in the nineties, he felt that their forward line also lacked the thrust and penetrative firepower. “Those days with Shahbaz, Tahir Zaman, Wasim Feroze and Qamar Ibrahim were spellbinding”, the three time Olympian felt. He further added that Pakistan needed rock solid defenders like Qazi Mohib and world class custodians like Shahid Ali Khan.

Pillay, who is the only hockey player to be decorated with the prestigious Rajiv Khel Ratna Award also said the present Indian team had great potential with a good bunch of youngsters being groomed at various small and junior tournaments. “Their blending with the seniors was evident at Dhaka”, he said. Speaking at the felicitation ceremony former Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president Ashwani Kumar compared Pillay with the legendary greats of the Indian forward line like Rup Singh, K.D. Singh Babu, Balbir Singh and Udham Singh.

The winners will now play South Central Railway on April 2 next.

The all-important goal was scored by outside left Baljit Singh in the 27th minute for the SRC.

The army men had a slight edge over their rivals while BSF tried hard to thwart the attack lining up a strong defence at the early stage. The army men could have scored more goals had not the BSF custodian a Haque saved the team at least thrice.