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August 3, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Sehwag’s blitzkrieg puts India in final
Virender Sehwag delivers to his potential Sachin, Prasad for Test
series England pace attack hits back, stuns Aussies Venus Williams in third round |
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India rally to hold Malaysia
2-2 Nomination of LDBA office-bearers
questioned Volleyball team for Tehran Ace of Aces tennis
championship Fatehgarh Sahib cagers win
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Sehwag’s blitzkrieg puts India in
final Colombo, August 2 Sehwag’s blitzkrieg 100, that contained 19 fours and a six, enabled India overhaul New Zealand’s 264 for seven comfortably in 45.4 overs to ensure a meeting with Sri Lanka in the final on Sunday. Sehwag’s hundred, the sixth fastest in limited overs cricket, outshone the brilliant knock of 108 by Nathan Astle which saw New Zealand pile up the highest score of the tournament after electing to bat. Faced with a daunting task of scoring at 5.3 runs an over against the Kiwis, who had beaten them comprehensively in the previous two matches, India produced their best batting performance with the opening pair of Saurav Ganguly and Sehwag putting up 143 runs in 23 overs. That stand really set the stage for India’s win — their third straight in the series after they had lost their opening three matches, with the later batsmen capitalising on the foundation to cruise home with ease. The victory put India in the second spot with six points, behind Sri Lanka who have already qualified for the final with four wins and eight points. New Zealand, with two wins, were knocked out. India have defeated Sri Lanka in the previous two matches in this series. The Indians, who had floundered in the first 15 overs in all the previous matches, were off to a flying start with Sehwag in a terrific touch. New Zealand, who expected India to make a cautious start to their run-chase, were in for a shock when Sehwag unleashed a flurry of boundaries, punishing every bowler with equal contempt. The flow of runs started in the sixth over when Sehwag hit Kyle Mills for four fours including three in succession. He followed it up with four boundaries and a six in the 11th over by Darryl Tuffey. That trend continued till the first 15 overs and by then Sehwag had accumulated 17 fours and a six. The best thing about Sehwag’s knock was that all his shots were clean hits and there was no element of slogging. Except for a snick that flew to the third man boundary, Sehwag was in total control of all his shots. Sehwag raced to his fifty in just 29 balls with 12 boundaries. In the next few overs, he was in his 80s leaving Ganguly, who took his time to settle down, far behind. Eyeing his maiden one-day century, Sehwag slowed down a bit, as the clueless New Zealanders heaved a collective sigh of relief. Ganguly also started to time the ball better and scored a couple of boundaries against Vettori to boost his confidence. Sehwag survived a scare on 96 when wicketkeeper Adam Parore missed a simple stumping chance off Vettori in the 21st over. The right-hander from Delhi did not give the Kiwis another chance and duly completed his hundred with a quick single off Vettori. He, however was out in the next over when an inside edge off McMillan crashed on to his stumps. India suffered another setback in McMillan’s next over, with V.V.S. Laxman getting clean bowled without opening his account. With two quick wickets, New Zealand started hoping for a comeback which however was not allowed by Ganguly and Rahul Dravid who has been India’s most consistent batsman in the series. The Indian captain was looking much more comfortable by now and he played a few of his trademark shots on the offside. A copybook cover drive off Astle in the 29th over saw Ganguly reach his 40th one-day fifty off 85 balls that contained six fours. However, the manner in which he gifted his wicket away put a blemish on his otherwise fine knock. When there was no need for any innovation and runs were coming pretty easily for the Indians, Ganguly attempted an outlandish sweep, a stroke that doesn’t come naturally to him, against Harris and lobbed the ball high in the air for Fleming to take a simple catch at backward sqare leg. Ganguly’s 64 came off 103 balls and contained seven fours. Dravid, who has played the role of sheet anchor on so many ocassions, once again got down to his familiar role and ensured that the task was completed without any further loss of wickets. He was in complete command during his 56-ball unbeaten knock of 57 which was studded with six fours.
PTI SCOREBOARD New Zealand: Sinclair c Badani b Zaheer 3 Astle c Sehwag b Nehra 108 Fleming st Dighe b Yuvraj 66 McMillan c Sodhi b Yuvraj 4 Vincent b Nehra 45 Nash c Nehra b Zaheer 0 Harris not out 1 Parore lbw b Nehra 0 Vettori not out 2 Extras: (lb-16, w-18, nb-1) 35 Total: (7 wkts, 50 overs) 264 Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-166, 3-182, 4-247, 5-259, 6-262, 7-262. Bowling: Zaheer Khan 9-0-59-2, Nehra 9-1-30-3, Harbhajan Singh 10-1-46-0, Sehwag 3-0-26-0, Ganguly 6-0-23-0, Sodhi 4-0-27-0, Yuvraj Singh 9-0-37-2. India: Ganguly c Fleming b Harris 64 Sehwag b McMillan 100 Laxman b McMillan 0 Dravid not out 57 Badani not out 35 Extras (b-4, lb-1, w-4, nb-2) 11 Total (3 wkts, 45.4 overs) 267 Fall of wickets: 1-143, 2-146, 3-179. Bowling: Tuffey 6-1-37-0, Mills 3-0-26-0, Nash 4-0-29-0, Vettori 10-0-56-0, Harris 8-0-39-1, Astle 6-0-26-0, McMillan 8.4-1-49-2. |
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Virender Sehwag delivers to his potential Colombo, August 2 And when he delivered to his potential, the Delhi batsman did it in style, plundering boundaries at will and hammering the sixth fastest one-day century ever in one-day internationals. After 14 matches and a dozen innings until today, there was just one 50 to his name and his highest score in the current one-day series was 33. And India had conceded 264 to the New Zealanders in a tournament in which they struggled to chase any score beyond 200. But under such tremendous pressures Sehwag chose to excel. “I just played my natural game. I played my shots... It was certainly my best innings where I played positively,” the shy all-rounder, who was declared the man-of-the-match, said. Sehwag took the Kiwi attack by the scruff from the very beginning. His 50 came off 29 deliveries but fell short of the two fastest Indian half centuries, those of Ajit Agarkar and Kapil Dev. The high point of his 68-ball century was four consecutive boundaries and a six in the 11th over by Darryl Tuffey. Sehwag hit 19 boundaries and a six in all. Undoubtedly, it was his knock which shaped India’s seven-wicket victory against New Zealand and ensured them a place in the final alongside Sri Lanka. Sehwag’s employers, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, were prompt in announcing a cash incentive of Rs 1 lakh for his efforts. Indian skipper admitted it was one of the best one-day knocks he had seen. “It was unbelievable,” gushed Ganguly. “He played a superb knock... It was a big target to chase but he made it look so easy.” “Also the later batsmen backed up well. I did not want to get out and leave the task on the younger lot but they did well to see us through. Rahul (Dravid) played a beauty as well. Badani too looked in good nick,” Ganguly said. “It was good to see the batsmen back in form before the final,” he
said. PTI |
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Sachin, Prasad for Test series Mumbai, August 2 The inclusion of Tendulkar, who is to undergo a bone scan on August 10, is, however, subject to fitness. In case he is unable to provide his services, then Jacob Martin will replace him in the team, cricket board secretary and selection committee convenor J. Y. Lele told reporters here. The selectors have made eight changes from the one-day squad which is playing in the on-going triangular series in Lanka, with New Zealand as the third team. The players who are dropped are medium pacer Ashish Nehra and middle order batsman VVS Laxman (due to injury), Virender Sehwag, Amay Khurasia, Yuvraj Singh, Reetinder Singh Sodhi, Ajit Agarkar and medium pacer Debashis Mohanty. The nine players included for the Test series are Sachin Tendulkar, Shiv Sunder Das, Mohammed Kaif, Javagal Srinath, Sairaj Bahutule, Harvinder Singh, Sadagopan Ramesh, Dinesh Mongia and Venkatesh Prasad. The team: Saurav Ganguly (capt), Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, S. S. Das, Hemang Badani, Sameer Dighe (wk), Mohammed Kaif, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Sairaj Bahutule, Rahul Sanghvi, Harvinder Singh, Sadagopan Ramesh, Dinesh Mongia, Venkatesh Prasad and Harbhajan Singh. Selection committee chairman, Chandu Borde, told reporters that Karnataka stalwart Prasad was brought back as he was more experienced than Mohanty while Kaif could be used as the third opener if required. When asked about the Indian skipper Saurav Ganguly’s behaviour on the field in the on-going triangular series where he was suspended for one match and then fined 75 per cent of his match fees in the next, Borde, said “I cannot comment on that but I only hope that he will try and improve his behaviour on the field in future”. The meeting that lasted for three hours also discussed Mumbai’s Vinayak Mane, Baroda’s Connor Williams and Sanjay Bangar for the third opener’s slot but settled for Kaif. “Now it is left to the team management to use him either as a middle order batsman or as the third opener,” Borde said. “Ajit Agarkar has not been performing well recently so he has been dropped while left hander Dinesh Mongia’s past record in the domestic circuit helped him clinch a place,” Borde added. “Das and Ramesh come in as openers automatically while Harvinder Singh did quite well in Zimbabwe and we thought he should get another chance in Test matches,” the former Indian Test star said. On the injuries to various players, Lele said, Sports medicine expert, Dr Anant Joshi, would certify Tendulkar’s fitness on August 10 while Nehra would be out of action for two months with a groin problem and Laxman would undergo a knee operation and will be out of action for six weeks.
PTI |
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England pace attack hits back, stuns Aussies Nottingham, August 2 In overcast conditions and on a pitch with bounce and movement, Andrew Caddick, Darren Gough and Alex Tudor produced a telling riposte after England had been shot out for 185 in 52.5 overs. Glenn McGrath, who captured five for 49 with another incisive display of seam bowling, seemed to have put Australia on top but England seized their chance for the first time in the series. Australia, already 2-0 up in the series, appeared to be making smooth progress in reply to England’s modest total until they slumped from 48 without loss to 105 for seven when bad light ended play with four overs remaining. Alex Tudor began Australia’s collapse by removing Matthew Hayden for 33, before Darren Gough dispatched Michael Slater (15) and Ricky Ponting (14), and Andrew Caddick took the key wicket of captain Steve Waugh for 13. When Tudor came back for a second burst he got rid of Mark Waugh (15) and then Caddick, working up pace and finding the rhythm that makes him irresistible, fired out Damien Martyn and Shane Warne in three deliveries. McGrath, with his relentlessly probing length and line, started England’s troubles by accounting for skipper Michael Atherton with the second ball of the match and he went to take five wickets in a Test innings for the 20th time, all his victims here being in the top seven in the order. England’s only defiance came from opener Marcus Trescothick, who pulled powerfully and drove handsomely in making 69 from 93 balls, and Alec Stewart, who scored 46. However, their last seven wickets tumbled for 68 in a collapse that has become a familiar feature of their batting in this five-Test series which Australia lead 2-0. SCOREBOARD England (Ist innings): Atherton c M Waugh b McGrath 0 Trescothick c Gilchrist b
Gillespie 69 Butcher c Ponting b McGrath 13 Ramprakash c Gilchrist b
Gillespie 14 Stewart c M Waugh b McGrath 46 Ward c Gilchrist b McGrath 6 White c Hayden b McGrath 0 Tudor lbw b Warne 3 Croft c Ponting b Warne 3 Caddick b Lee 13 Gough not out 0 Extras (b-1, lb-9, w-1, nb-7) 18 Total (all out, 52.5 overs) 185 Fall of wickets:
1-0, 2-30, 3-63, 4-117, 5-142, 6-147, 7-158, 8-168, 9-180. Bowling: McGrath 18-4-49-5, Lee 6.5-0-30-1, Gillespie 12-1-59-2, Warne 16-4-37-2 Australia (Ist innings): Slater b Gough 15 Hayden lbw b Tudor 33 Ponting c Stewart b Gough 14 M.Waugh c Atherton b Tudor 15 S.Waugh c Atherton
b Caddick 13 Martyn c Stewart b Caddick 4 Gilchrist not out 4 Warne lbw b Caddick 0 Lee not out 3 Extras (lb-3 w-1) 4 Total (for 7 wkts. 33.3 overs) 105 Fall of wickets: 1-48, 2-56, 3-69, 4-82, 5-94, 6-102, 7-102. Bowling: Gough 11-3-31-2, Caddick 12-4-39-3, Tudor 8.3-3-24-2, White 2-1-8-0.
Reuters
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Venus Williams in third round San Diego August 2 Defending champion Williams, seeded second to world No. 1 Martina Hingis, won this event as part of her 35-match win streak last year. Williams won her third career Grand Slam crown at Wimbledon and claimed other titles this year at Miami and Hamburg. She needed only an hour to advance. Williams said getting off to a good start was important, but defending her crown is even more vital after her failure to do so last week. “I don’t like to lose.” She said. “I never envision myself losing when I come into a tournament. But when I do lose a match, I can’t believe it. I’m walking to the net, shaking hands and I don’t have a win. It takes a lot more to settle in because I lost the match. Not that I lost. I ran out of time.” Australian and French Open champion Jennifer Capriati, seeded third, defeated Japan’s Shinobu Asagoe 6-1, 6-1 in 47 minutes in her first WTA competition since losing to Belgium’s Justine Henin in the Wimbledon semifinals. Capriati took a week off after Wimbledon and a loss she said looking back might have been affected by fatigue. “I was disappointed more because I had that match,” she said. A winner here in 1991 and 1992, Capriati has reached at least the semifinals at eight of 10 tournaments this year and is ranked a career-high No. 2. Capriati said her purpose against Asagoe was “to win every game, win every point and play the best I could. Playing on hard court feels good. It definitely is my best surface, I’m comfortable on it.”
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India rally to hold Malaysia 2-2
Kuala Lumpur, August 2 India twick came from behind to equalise but could not find a winner. All the four goals came off penalty corners with Mohammad Madzli and Maninderjit Singh finding the target for the hosts and Dilip Tirkey and Daljit Dhillon sounding the board for India. Title favourites Australia beat defending champions Pakistan 5-3 earlier in the day while Sydney Olympic silver medallists South Korea downed England 2-0 Malaysia attacked from the very beginning and earned three penalty corners in the first 11 minutes, the third resulting in a goal. After foxing the Indian defenders with some fine passing, Madzli fired past goalkeeper Devesh Chauhan to give Malaysia the lead. The Indians were restricted in the mid-field in the first 15 minutes after which they started raiding the rival penalty area. They earned three penalty corners in the 15th, 17th and the 30th minute but failed to capitalise. India finally found the equaliser in the 32nd minute through their fourth penalty corner. Dilip Tirkey’s powerful shot beat the Malaysian goalkeeper Roslan and India went into the breather with a sigh of relief. Indians found the going tough in the second half too with the forwards being very effectively marked by Malaysian defenders. But there was no let up in the Indian efforts. Bimal Lakra and Ignace Tirkey tried hard to build some moves in the midfield but their attempts were nullified by the alert Malaysians. Even Dilip Tirkey came up with the risk of leaving the defence open. His hard shots found the stick of Deepak Thakur, who however, was unable to convert the moves into goals. Slowly Malaysia came back into the game and took control and forced three penalty corners in the 46th, 55th and 57th minutes. The 57th minute penalty corner resulted in a goal when Maninderjit Singh’s shot touched the goalkeeper’s pads and crossed the goal-line. With Malaysia leading 2-1 and the Indian forwards looking a bit tired, it seemed that the hosts would hang onto the lead. But in the 63rd minute, India found the equaliser off their fifth penalty corner. Dilip Tirkey’s shot rebounded off the goalkeeper’s pads and Daljit Singh Dhillon was right on target with his flick. India took another attempt at the goal in the 66th minute but Mukesh Kumar’s shot was wide off the mark. Malaysia threatened to steal the match-winner in the last minute with two penalty corners but the Indians defended well to earn a hard fought draw and a point.
India next play Germany on Friday. PTI
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Nomination of LDBA office-bearers
questioned Ludhiana, August 2 It is pertinent to mention here that these members had pleaded for holding of elections of the association which had been due for a long time and also for tabling the income and expenditure accounts for approval. It was also alleged that instead of facing the general house, the outgoing office-bearers of LDBA had decided to sabotage the democratic process to avoid the
election. They maintained that realising lack of support of majority in the executive body and shirking from holding and
facing elections, a few office bearers of the LDBA had come up with the idea of selection against election. They alleged that no ‘agenda’ was ever circulated for any such meeting to select office bearers and no meeting with’ requisite quorum’ was ever held. Their most important demand of tabling income and expenditure account of the association for the past two-and-a-half years had altogether been ignored. And the entire exercise of selection of
office-bearers for an unprecedented and hitherto unheard period of three years for which there was no provision in the constitution of LDBA was in fact intended to escape responsibility of tabling the account , they alleged. |
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Volleyball team for Tehran New Delhi, August 2 The team: Vedera Ravikanth Reddy (captain), K.J. Kapildev, Tom Joseph, Shijas P. Mohammed, Joby Joseph, Amir Singh, Raghuveer Singh, Malleneni Sri Rajesh, Yejju Subba Rao, Kishor Kumar, Rajeev R. and B.P. Aman. Standbys: Sanjay Kumar and Sasidharan Nair. Officials: Gopichand Ghelot (head of delegation), Syam Sundar Rao (head coach), Chander Singh (coach), M.H. Kumara (trainer) and P.K. Jaganathan (referee). |
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Ace of Aces tennis
championship Chandigarh, August 2 This new pattern of tournament, which is very popular in Europe and the USA, is gaining acceptability here also and entries have started pouring in from far-off cities like Delhi, Amritsar and Shimla, according to the organisers, Total Tennis Academy. The contest will be in various age groups like men, women, boys under 10, U-12, U-14, U-16, U-18 and girls U-14 and U-16. The tournament will start at 4 pm with the inauguration of new grasscourts at the YMCA. Entries close on August 4 at 3 pm with Mr Arvind Noel, secretary-general, YMCA, Chandigarh. There will be special prizes for the fastest servers in all age groups even if he or she does not reach the finals. |
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Fatehgarh Sahib cagers win Mandi Gobindgarh, August 2 In the inaugural match Fatehgarh Sahib outplayed Sangrur 60-45 in a tight match. For the first 20 minutes Fatehgarh Sahib cagers looked like a battered side, down on morale and fighting for survival as Sangrur notched up point after point to lead 18-9 in the second quarter. However, Fatehgarh introduced Harmandeep Singh, who garnered 10 successive points, including two three-pointers, to bring the match on an even keel. Ravinder Singh ably assisted Harmandeep. Down 24-30, Sangrur lads did try to do something innovative but hardly scored the much needed points. Slowly Fatehgarh Sahib lads managed to increase the lead with Sunil and Amandeep virtually sounded the death knell for Sangrur lads. |
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