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Tuesday,
August
28,
2001, Chandigarh, India   |
Innings defeat for England
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Tomorrow is National Sports
Day Saurav Ganguly writes Harvinder may be dropped Haas beats Sampras, lifts Hamlet Cup |
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Kunjarani to appeal against ban Mohun Bagan move into final
Third win for Ludhiana eves
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Innings defeat for England London, August 27 At one stage, four wickets fell for nine runs at The Oval as both bowlers added to their career landmarks. Warne, who took three wickets to add to his seven in the first innings, moved above Curtly Ambrose to fifth in the all-time list of Test wicket-takers, while McGrath passed Dennis Lillee to become Australia’s most successful pace bowler. England, resuming on 40 for one and still requiring 169 to make Australia bat again after being forced to follow on, knew they needed to survive for most of the day to avoid losing the series 4-1. Warne and McGrath, however, made a nonsense of that ambition as England’s wickets began to tumble from the fourth over. Mark Butcher was the first to go when, on 14, he prodded forward to the leg-spinner and straight into the hands of Steve Waugh at silly point to make it 46 for two. Moments later, Marcus Trescothick seemed to have been gifted a lucky escape on 24, dropped by Ricky Ponting at second slip off McGrath, but a brutish lifter next ball struck the left-handed opener on the glove and looped straight back to a delighted fast bowler. Almost immediately, it was 50 for four after barely 25 minutes play when England captain Nasser Hussain was trapped lbw for two by a quicker, top-spinning delivery from Warne. Usman Afzaal, who made his maiden half-century in the first innings, joined Mark Ramprakash, who had scored his second test 100. But Afzaal never looked set and, after a series of loose shots and five scratchy runs, he lunged forward and edged a McGrath delivery to Ponting, who atoned for his earlier error at second slip with a brilliant catch. That gave McGrath 356 wickets to Lillee’s 355. Warne became the first spinner and only the sixth bowler in Test history to reach the 400-wicket mark in the first innings. Alec Stewart provided some light relief for the crowd with the first boundary of the morning, driving Warne straight, before Ramprakash hit McGrath on the up through mid-off and then drove him through cover. After a 40-run stand for the sixth wicket, though, Ramprakash became Warne’s 10th victim of the game and 406th of his career, edging the ball firmly to Matthew Hayden in the gully as the spinner began to extract prodigious turn. Stewart hit back with a string of boundaries, 15 coming off a Jason Gillespie over, and he reached lunch on 33 not out, with Andy Caddick, who was out first ball in the first innings, on 10. Australia (Ist innings): 641-4 declared. England (Ist innings): 432. England (2nd innings): Atherton c Warne b McGrath 9 Trescothick c & b McGrath 24 Butcher c S. Waugh b Warne 14 Hussain lbw b Warne 2 Ramprakash c Hayden b Warne 19 Afzaal c Ponting b McGrath 5 Stewart b Warne 34 Caddick b Lee 17 Ormond c Gilchrist b McGrath 17 Gough not out 39 Tuffnel c Warne b McGrath 0 Extras: (nb-2) 4 Total: 184 Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-46, 3-48, 4-50, 5-55, 6-95, 7-126, 8-126, 9-184, 10-184. Bowling: McGrath 15.3-6-43-5, J Gillespie 12-5-38-0, Brett Lee 10-3-30-1, S Warne 28-8-64-4, M Waugh 1-0-4-0, R Ponting 2-0-3-0.
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Stewart says he will not tour India London, August 27 Stewart, who was alleged to have received money from
Gupta eight years ago, has already been cleared of the charges by International Cricket Council’s Anti-Corruption Unit after Gupta, who had made the allegations during his deposition to the CBI, refused to turn approver in the case. However, in an article in the Sunday Times published yesterday Stewart said that he feared the issue would be raked up again and listed this as one of the reasons for opting out of the tour.
PTI |
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Tomorrow is National Sports
Day Chandigarh, August 27 The very name ‘Sports Day’ generates a positive feeling. It gives inspiration and is a source enthusiasm for sportspersons. Dhyan Chand’s dedication to sports was immense as in his early days he shaped a branch of a date palm tree into a stick and old rags into a ball to play. But has Dhyan Chand’s love for sports and hardwork inspired the young generation? Do youngsters consider sports just as an additional subject? When our youth celebrate Valentine Day, Friendship Day etc., celebrating Sports Day with fanfare, will certainly not be out of place as large sections of people are associated with sports. Though the Central Government’s apex sports body the Sports Authority of India, was entrusted with the job of publicising the concept of Sports Day, the fact remains that the younger generation continues to remain aloof. On contacting few local schools, it was very clear that the message had not percolated down to the youngsters. Though the Haryana Government for the past few years had been celebrating Sports Day with various state level functions, this year also hockey and other matches have been planned. But still sports experts feel that apart from matches, a sports quiz, debates and awareness campaign with mass participation of parents and children can add to the interest. Very few might be aware that in the USA a national girls and women’s Sports Day is celebrated on February 7 where emphasis is laid on building better human beings with cherished goals. In Delhi, the Afro-Asian Games Organising Committee will be holding the ‘Run for Fun’ with mascot ‘Sheroo’ in an open jeep. Ms Chanchal Surjit Singh, Joint Director, Punjab Sports Department, said SAI used to celebrate this day. Regarding her state’s plan, she said they might go in for hockey matches. Meanwhile, the local regional office of SAI has planned in coordination with the UT Sports Department a football match between Sports Training Centre, Sector 18 eves and Chandigarh Football Academy boys. SAI has also planned to start its fitness centre in its Sector 42 premises which was to be functional in August 2000. Mr JPS Sidhu, Joint Director Sports, UT said they would hold a Run for Fun and all the trainees of different coaching centres had been invited for. Is that enough? Mr DS Bedi, Director of Shivalik Public School, Sector 41, said it was funny to have a football match with girls trainees who were specialists in athletics, volleyball, basketball and hockey. Who will be responsible if any injuries occur during the above match? What is needed is development of new ideas. Carrying on with what we already have is not enough, he says. The National Institute of Sports, Patiala, for years has been celebrating this day by hosting matches in hockey and other sports. Mr GS Anand, Regional Director, SAI, Patiala, said they would be going in for tug of war, volleyball and hockey matches apart from ‘Run for Fun’ and a cultural programme in the evening. Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Badminton Association has come out with the novel idea of launching a talent hunt in badminton on August 29 for children below 10 years. A spokesperson of the
association revealed that 100 children drawn from different schools would be taught fundamentals of the sport besides generating in them the urge to take up the sport. Surprisingly no banner or poster could be seen in any part of the city concerning National Sports Day. Perhaps sports does not fall on the priority list of the UT Administration. |
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Saurav Ganguly writes THE
win at Kandy was a superb one, and one of the better ones I have had the privilege of being part of. For the second time this year, we came back after losing the first Test. It takes a lot of character and mental toughness for it is not always easy to pick yourself up after losing the first Test of the series, especially being written off once again. It’s been a third win outside India in the last 8-9 months and this is a very healthy sign for Indian cricket because a win away from home always has the extra edge when compared to those at home. It is proof of how tough the young boys, who are the future of Indian cricket, are. Kandy is probably the best place in Sri Lanka that I’ve been to. It’s up on the hills and the temperature is probably 8 or 9 degrees below that of Colombo. I must give due credit to the curator for preparing a fantastic pitch, quite different from the slow, low turners of Premadasa. There was plenty of assistance for the bowlers if they put the ball in the right place, and this kept the Test interestingly poised all four days. It was a bit of a gamble to put the Sri Lankans in after winning the toss, because batting on a fourth day pitch in Sri Lanka could always be difficult. But at the same time I knew if we could pick Sanath early, we would put a lot of pressure on the hosts’ batting. The bowlers could have performed a little better in the first innings, because the ball was seaming around. Unfortunately we did bowl a bit short. However, their discipline in the second innings was much, much better and I was extremely happy for Venky after his five-wicket haul. He has had a bit of a tough time in the last couple of years, so it was good to see him come back and bowl so well. He has been a quality bowler and a good partner to Javagal Srinath and his return to confidence will boost our bowling when we travel abroad. Zaheer bowled very well in both innings. Probably the responsibility of leading the attack without Srinath and Nehra has helped him. Chasing 264 on the fourth day was always a difficult task. But we had one message clear among the batsmen — that we are not going to worry about the target, but all look to play a Test innings. It was still a good batting surface. The on-and-off drizzle prevented it from being too dry and worked against the Lankans since Muralitharan could not grip the damp ball properly. The victory was not as easy as it looked. We batted very positively and got to the score in 67 overs with a rate of four an over, which is very brisk for a Test. I was very happy with the way Rahul and I batted. Perhaps the fact that I shaved my moustache and wore mismatched gloves broke the run drought for me! It was great to come back to form in such an important innings for India. Overall it was a satisfying win, especially beating Sri Lanka at home is not easy. The third Test starts at the Sinhalese Sports Club on Wednesday. It is the best pitch in Sri Lanka. The wicket looks hard and it also had a fair bit of grass on it to provide assistance to the seamers. It might start turning from the fourth day because the temperature is very high. This is a crucial Test match. A win here will take Indian cricket forward in a big way because we were a little disappointed when the series was levelled in Zimbabwe. It was a series that we should have won, but having said that we don’t want to put any pressure on ourselves. The team is young and we should go out and play freely and positively.
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Harvinder may be dropped Colombo, August 27 Zaheer Khan and Venkatesh Prasad performed magic on the fast and bouncy pitch of Kandy but the visitors might be tempted to play with an extra spinner here if the wicket offers some help to the slow bowlers. Sources in the team management today indicated that either Rahul Sanghvi or Sairaj Bahutule, both of whom are yet to play a match on this tour, might be included in the team in place of Harvinder Singh but a final decision was expected only late in the afternoon tomorrow or on the morning of the match. On their part, Sri Lanka are most likely to give left-hander Michael Vandort his debut match to bolster their batting. Captain Sanath Jayasuriya had blamed his batsmen for the loss in Kandy and Vandort’s inclusion will certainly strengthen their chances. Vandort, who hit a century in the three-day game against India prior to the Test series, would be inducted as an opener which would mean either Marvan Atapattu or Kumar Sangakkara would bat at number six. Media reports here have been critical of the continued presence of Suresh Perera in the team and he is the one likely to make way for Vandort. The allrounder has very little to show for his achievements in the two Tests with captain Sanath Jayasuriya giving him just 12 overs in the first match and five in the next. He could not contribute much with the bat either. He was even reported for suspect action in the first Test by umpire Steve Bucknor and media has criticised the team management for persisting with Perera. The Indians, on the other hand, are bubbling with confidence after their seven wicket win in Kandy. “The win showed we have the depth to deliver even without some of our best players. I could not have asked for more going into the final Test,” skipper Saurav Ganguly said.
PTI |
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Haas beats Sampras, lifts Hamlet Cup Commack (USA), August 27 “It’s a great way to win a tournament again, probably against one of the greatest players of all time,” said the sixth seed Haas, who won his second title of the year. “It makes it more special. I wanted to have a big win over him before he retires.” Despite the loss, the third seed Sampras, who asked for a wildcard here, said he was content with his game leading into the US Open, which begins today in New York. Sampras has lost all three ATP finals he has played this year in Los Angeles, Indian Wells and here. “I feel like I’m ready for the (US) Open,” said Sampras, who will play Julien Boutter of France in the first round. “My body is holding up pretty good. I got my game going this week. Everything is in place.” Sampras, 30, winless since capturing his seventh Wimbledon championship on July 9, 2000, said he was not worried by the drought.
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Kunjarani to appeal against ban New Delhi, August 27 “I was shocked to hear the news. In my 14-year career I have been tested at random all over the world and never ever returned a positive test. All I can say is that somebody is playing games against me,” Kunjarani, who tested positive during tests carried out at the July 12-17 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Jeon Ju (South Korea), said. “I will consult my employers CRPF, my coach and mentor P.K. Mahanand and Sports Authority of India officials and will appeal to the Asian Weightlifting Federation to test my ‘B’ sample,” said a dejected Kunjarani, who has been directed by AWF to return the gold medal in the 48 kg category that she won in Jeon Ju at the earliest. The AWF had told the Indian Weightlifting Federation to ask Kunjarani to submit in writing before Wednesday if she wanted her ‘B’ sample to be tested. She could face a two-year ban if the second sample also showed presence of banned substance. The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award winner, however, admitted she had taken three cups of coffee which contains strychnine, a mild stimulant and ‘Dispirin’. According to the international doping rules, the amount of strychnine in a urine sample should not exceed 12 microgrammes per mililitre. “A cup of Indian coffee contains 3 mgm/ml which still, going by Kunjarani’s account, should have kept the level of the drug below the stipulated limit. And Dispirin does not contain any anabolic steroid,” said Dr P.M.S. Chandran, director of SAI’s medical unit. “She may have taken five cups of coffee which contains strychnine. However, her case is strengthened by the fact that strychnine is a stimulant which does not help weightlifters in any way. It helps reduce fatigue and is generally of use to long-distance runners. ” “If she wanted she could have taken diueretic which helps weightlifters in building muscles and improving performance,” Chandran told reporters. Kunjarani also narrated to reporters another instance which she claimed might have affected the result. “When I was returning with the sample in my hand, I banged in to another weightlifter which resulted in the bottle slipping from my hands.” “The contents got spilled and the bottle, in which I gave a fresh sample, could have got contaminated. I had asked for a change of bottle but my request was rejected,” she said. But, had she mentioned in the mandatory form, filled after the collection of the sample, that she was not satisfied with the process and that she had taken coffee, she could have had a point in her favour, Kunjarani said. “I will talk to the authorities concerned about my future course of action, including returning of the gold medal,” she said. When contacted, SAI’s Executive Director O.P. Bhatia said Kunjarani should write to the game’s international body to seek pardon. “She must have taken ‘Aspro’, a commonly used medicine for cold, which contains strychnine. She may have taken it knowingly or unknowingly.” “Whatever it is, she must write to the AWF seeking pardon and appeal for the ban to be reduced as it is strychnine is just a stimulant which does not help weightlifters in any way,” he said. Mr Balbeer Singh Bhatia, one of the two members of the ad-hoc committee running the IWF, said India’s chances in the Afro-Asian Games would be severely affected by this report. Mr Bhatia said Kunjarani had returned a negative test here on June 8.
PTI |
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Mohun Bagan move into final Chennai, August 27 In the finals to be played on August 30, the 10 times champions from Kolkata would take on Dempo Sports Club, Goa. Despite not being given much breathing space in the attack as their star striker Brazilian Barreto Ramires and Nigerian Abdul Lateef Seriki were effectively marked, Bagan conjured up the lead in the 39th minute through Barreto and stretched it beyond the reach of Mahindra United in the 23rd minute of the second half to put bagan in the finals of this prestigious tournament for the 14th time. While Barreto’s gem of an effort came of a free kick after seriki was tripped by Surukumar Singh outside the box, the other one was superb. Off a pass from middle, Seriki moved in and crossed to James Singh who provided the finishing touches with elan. James celebrated it with a piggy-back ride on Seriki for few yards after slotting the ball home.
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Woods wins toughest playoff fight Akron (Ohio), August 27 Woods and Furyk each completed 72 holes at 12-under par 268 here yesterday, then staged an epic showdown over seven tension packed holes, each escaping near-certain defeat repeatedly with a $ one million prize at stake. “It was fun to compete like that, where you were tested to the absolute utmost,” Woods said. “Now I understand why most golfers are grey and balding — they have to go through things like this.” The Americans staged the longest US PGA playoff since Bob Gilder won on the eighth extra hole at the 1983 Phoenix Open. It was the longest two-man duel since Lee Elder beat Lee Trevino in eight holes at Milwaukee in 1978. “To play 25 holes, it’s a long day,” Woods said.
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Third win for Ludhiana eves Ludhiana, August 27 Ludhiana now have six points from three matches. With one match to play against holders Jalandhar slated for tomorrow, they have enhanced their chances of winning the trophy. Ludhiana eves dominated the proceedings throughout today. Amritsar team with internationals Kulwinder and Rajbir in their ranks failed to put up any resistence to their rivals who exhibited great mobility and perfect
execution. Though Kulwinder succeeded in blocking Ludhiana’s tall spiker Kiran, she was unable to stop Rajni who gave a splendid performance to score 22 points. Rajni was ably assisted by Mandeep Kaur who chipped in with 10 points. The main scorer for Amritsar was Rajbir Kaur who accounted for 10 points. In the second match of the day, the Rest of Punjab defeated Punjab Juniors 62-51 to push them to the fifth spot. The Rest of Punjab played an aggressive game from the word go and never allowed their opponents to settle down. The Rest of Punjab were leading 41-30 at half-time. Harsimran (22), Damandeep Kaur (16) and Jasjot (12) were the main contributors for the Rest of Punjab’s win. For the losers the notable scorers were Harminder (14), Jasjit (15 and Amit Prashar (12). In the afternoon session, Gurdaspur eves beat the Rest of Punjab. This match was only of academic interest as both the teams were already out of title contest. In the matches played late last evening, Jalandhar eves scored a facile 68-29 victory over the Rest of Punjab after leading 29-10 at half-time, Ludhiana eves overpowered Gurdaspur 75-49 with main contributions for the winners coming through Kiran (15), Mandeep Kaur (25), Manpreet (10) and Kamal (12) and BSF men thrashed Punjab Juniors 98-61 after establishing 69-39 lead at the breather. |
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Sangrur win Sangrur, August 27 Sangrur scored the required runs in 23 overs. Hitesh and Rohan scored 29 and 20 runs, respectively. Sachin took two wickets for Mansa. Sangrur will play their next match at Bathinda on August 28. Meanwhile, trials to select district teams for the Katoch Shield and the under-14 inter-district championships will be held on August 29 at 9 a.m. at the War Hero’s Stadium. |
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Karnataka
win Sangrur, August 27 The tournament was inaugurated by Mr Sarvjit Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Sangrur. The tournament has attracted record entries this year with 24 teams in boys and 20 in girls sections participating in the subjunior event. |
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