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Friday,
February 22, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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India wrest opening day honours
Gavaskar comments Injured Pollock to miss first Test |
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North Zone meet East
Zone
‘Nothing but gold should satisfy India’
Top boxers for Mishra
memorial Mandi gears up for the big day Annual athletics meet inaugurated
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India wrest opening day honours Nagpur, February 21 First a second wicket stand between skipper Stuart Carlisle and Alistair Campbell and then late order resistance by Travis Friend and Heath Streak kept the Indian bowlers at bay after Zimbabwe decided to take the first strike on winning the toss. Carlisle, who top-scored with 77, and Campbell (57) put on 106 for the second wicket after losing opener Trevor Gripper cheaply for five. But India fought back in the post-lunch session and reduced the visitors to 182 for six before Friend and Streak produced cameo knocks to keep alive the hopes of posting a good total. Friend was going strong on 33 while Ray Price, the only spinner in the Zimbabwean ranks, was on six at stumps. For India, leg spinner Anil Kumble and left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan bagged three wickets each. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who bowled beautifully throughout the day, was unlucky to go wicketless. Zimbabwe started cautiously aiming to keep their wickets intact in the morning session. They succeeded in their goal to a large extent when they took lunch at 60 for one, losing only Gripper who was out at the total of 15. Gripper fended at an outgoing delivery from Zaheer Khan and paid the price with wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta bringing off a good diving catch. Carlisle and Campbell then concentrated on building the innings and even though Campbell showed some aggressive instincts initially, runs came in a trickle for Zimbabwe. Carlisle crossed 1000 runs when he hit all-rounder Sanjay Bangar for a four to reach 15. Bangar, a surprise inclusion in the Indian side after being preferred over Virender Sehwag, bowled an impressive seven-over spell in which he conceded 11 runs. The pair stepped up the scoring in the second session with Campbell doing the bulk of the scoring. One of the three former captains in the side, Campbell reached his 14th Test fifty before Kumble, who was taken for a few runs by the batsman in his opening spell, dismissed him to take his first wicket. Campbell drove Kumble uppishly and the ball went straight to Laxman, who took a good low catch at short mid-off. Zaheer Khan then produced the big wicket when he clean bowled Andy Flower with a perfect yorker. Andy Flower, who has an awesome record against India, could manage only three runs and Zimbabwe lost their third wicket at 125. Just 10 minutes before tea, Zimbabwe lost another wicket, that of Gavin Rennie, who was unable to get away from a well-directed bouncer from Javagal Srinath and scooped a catch to substitute Sehwag in the slips, in the second session and were 165 for four at the break. However, Carlisle hung on to his wicket stubbornly despite being regularly troubled by Harbhajan. Carlisle was unable to read the offie, especially his away going deliveries and was lucky to have survived the edges and snicks. Unable to take it any more, Carlisle lofted Harbhajan in the last over before tea for a four which took him past his previous best Test score of 64. He, however, missed out on his first Test century when he was run out 15 minutes on resumption. Grant Flower (14) and wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu (1) were out in quick succession before Streak and Friend put on 33 for the eighth wicket. Streak showed attacking instincts, hitting Kumble for a couple of boundaries and then lofting Harbhajan straight over his head for a huge six. India took the new ball after 85 overs and Zaheer Khan immediately produced the result when Streak (24) hit his first ball, a half-volley on the leg-stump straight into the hands of a waiting Shiv Sunder Das at mid-on. But Friend hit three successive fours in the same over as Zimbabwe refused to give in. By stumps, Friend and Price had added 21 for the ninth wicket. Scoreboard Zimbabwe (1st innings): Carlisle run out 77 Gripper c Dasgupta b Zaheer 5 Campbell c Laxman b Kumble 57 A. Flower b Zaheer 3 Rennie c sub (Sehwag) b
Srinath 9 G. Flower c Dravid b Kumble 14 Streak c Das b Zaheer 24 Taibu b Kumble 1 Friend batting 33 Price batting 6 Extras: (b-6, lb-11, nb-2) 19 Total: (for 8 wkts, 90 overs) 248 Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-118, 3-125, 4-151, 5-175, 6-182, 7-194, 8-227. Bowling:
Srinath 17-5-47-1, Zaheer 15-3-46-3, Bangar 8-3-20-0, Kumble 26-10-71-3, Harbhajan 24-8-47-0.
PTI |
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Gavaskar comments Zimbabwe cricket has been in turmoil especially since Heath Streak resigned as captain on the morning of a one-day game when India were in Zimbabwe last year. The reasons for that were not clear or stark as black or white but it was obvious even then, with all the undercurrents, that could be felt that Zimbabwe cricket was in for some tremors. So it has proved for there has been a change in the captains faster th n those going through the revolving door and Streak is now back as vice-captain. Whether that is a promotion or a demotion is an interesting subject for debate, for after he was replaced as captain after that tour by India, he was an ordinary member of the squad till the recent tour where he is now the vice-captain. Though cricket is not the most popular game in Zimbabwe, the cricket media there must be a trifle disappointed that they did not have to campaign for the removal of the captain for they were going through the door themselves. Fortunately for Zimbabwe they have mostly been touring after that, which means that the pressure from home is not there. Also on a tour, teams tend to get together a lot and thus develop a spirit which is not always there in the home matches. On a tour the squad is reasonably certain to get the opportunities limited to themselves, unlike at home where the selectors can cast their net wider simply due to the members available. Zimbabwe are here under Stuart Carlisle who last year would have been happy if he had played three consecutive matches. The way he batted perhaps gives a clue to his ascension as captain, for there was determination to hang in there and make sure his side has a decent total to defend. The surprise was that Andy Flower failed, being bowled by a fiery Zaheer wanting to show that all those allegations of not being hardworking enough were unwarranted. Flower has scored over 500 runs in the two Tests he played just 15 months ago and his failure brings his average against India down. India took the bold step of going in with five bowlers and dropping Virender Sehwag. Sanjay Bangar’s form in domestic cricket no doubt helped him regain his place after an impressive showing in his debut Test against England. The team certainly looks better balanced and it is good to see the selectors being brave and discarding a player who has become quite a hit with the Indian cricket lovers. Sehwag’s turn will come on a pitch which is likely to help spinners for his off-spin bowling will be considered then. The Indian weakness of not being able to polish the tail was seen again as they allowed Zimbabwe to end up at 248 for eight at close when they had them on the ropes at 194 for seven. Still it is a position from where they can press forward with the batting line-up they boast of. They have a couple of hard tours ahead of them and beating Zimbabwe will help them considerably in believing they can do as well when they tour West Indies and England in quick succession. |
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Injured Pollock to miss first Test Johannesburg, February 21 All-rounder Pollock said today that he had not recovered from a side strain injury he picked up in a domestic game at the weekend. He will be replaced by fast bowler Andre Nel while wicketkeeper Mark Boucher will take over the captaincy for the match at the wanderers which starts on Friday. Middle order batsman Justin Ontong has also withdrawn after sustaining a hamstring injury playing touch-rugby during yesterday’s practice session. “I won’t be playing,” Pollock told reporters. “It’s very disappointing. In fact, it’s one of the more disappointing moments in my varied career. “But I always knew I was up against it. You don’t recover quickly from a side strain injury. It’s one of the worst injuries for a bowler to have. “Obviously I would like to be out there playing for my country. But as a team we’ve got to put it behind us, and I’m confident Mark will be a great captain.’’ Craig Smith, the team physiotherapist, said they were hopeful Pollock would be fit for the second Test in Cape Town in two weeks. Smith said Ontong’s left hamstring strain would require three or four weeks to recover. Pollock said he first felt a twinge in his left side when he fielded a ball in their final limited overs match against New Zealand.
Reuters |
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North Zone meet East
Zone Ludhiana, February 21 Despite the 91-run defeat against Central Zone on Wednesday at Jalandhar, East Zone are still considered a potential threat. East Zone with stylish left hander, Rohan Gavaskar, Laxmi Rattan Shukla, Uttpal Chatterjee and Devang Gandhi in their ranks are a highly competitive side. The North Zone, who trampled West Zone by eight wickets in their first league fixture at Amritsar, have internationals like Vijay Dahiya, Ajay Ratra, Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag and Ashish Nehra. The match is a benefit tie for the former
cricketer, Arun Sharma, who holds a national record in wicketkeeping. The match will start at 9 am. Mr I.J.S. Bindra, President, Punjab Cricket Association, will inaugurate the match. The teams:
North Zone: Vijay Dahiya, Munish Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, Gautam Ghambir, Dinesh Mongia, Yuvraj Singh, Sangram Singh, Virender Sehwag, Amit Mishra, Mittal Minhas, Ajya Ratra, Sonu Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Vaneet Sharma and Amit Bhandari. East Zone: Rohan Gavaskar, Utpal Chatterjee, Debshish Mohanty, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Devang Gandhi, Sanjay Raul, P. Mullick, R.R. Parida, Manoj Dowlkar, Sumit Panda, Rajiv Raja, Z. Zulfi, P. Dass and Satwinder Singh. Jalandhar: Star-studded West Zone will be looking to redeem lost prestige when they clash with South Zone in the Deodhar Trophy one-day cricket match at the Burlton Park cricket stadium here tomorrow. West Zone’s reputation was dented when they lost by eight wickets to North Zone in their opening league encounter at Amritsar on Wednesday. West Zone have a few worries on the bowling front, particularly in the pace department. Ajit Agarkar failed to find his rythm at Amritsar and was hit all over the park. He will need to improve his performance if he is to leave a good impression. Leggie Sairaj Bahutule
bowled a tidy spell in the previous match and will be looking forward to continue in the same vein. South Zone will take the field without the
evergreen and ever dependable all-rounder Robin Singh, who has flown to Trinidad and Tobago, where his father died earlier this week. The experienced Venkatesh Prasad is known to bowl crafty spells mixing and matching his slower ones to devastating effect and Dodda Ganesh will help him shore up matters. |
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‘Nothing but gold should satisfy India’ New Delhi, February 21 India should not just be aiming to reach the semifinals but think in terms of winning the tournament, he said. “I don’t understand why a semi-final place should suffice. Gold is what we should be aiming for. That is what our former great players brought for us. There is no value for silver or bronze,” Ashok Kumar told PTI in an interview here. But was India prepared enough to win the tournament? “I think we will get to know in the first few matches. The first three or four matches are very important... the matches against Japan, Korea and Malaysia. If we can win those games, it will create a momentum which can carry us through the rest of the matches,” said Ashok Kumar, son of legend Dhyan Chand. “It is the World Cup and all the teams are prepared. But the weather conditions will suit us. We will get support from the local crowds except in the match against Malaysia. And the boys will have to ensure they don’t miss any chances.” “It will all depend on how we channelise our efforts on a particular day,” he said. Ashok Kumar, who played a stellar role in India’s only World Cup win so far (in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur), was, however, disappointed with the exclusion of striker Gagan Ajit Singh and midfielder Bimal Lakra from the side. “I don’t understand why these two players were left out. It was entirely unexpected. Gagan Ajit is such a good striker. He was captain of the junior World Cup winning team and as such his morale was high. “If there was one person who could have shared the burden with Dhanraj Pillay in the striking circle, it was him. I think we have left out a very fine player,” Ashok Kumar said. He was also sore with the fact that no reason was given for their exclusion. “If they have any injury, then why not let everyone know about it? Such arbitrary decisions affect the morale and spirit of the team. It could have been avoided,” he said. “And if they were injured, there was no need for taking them to Malaysia before dropping them. They could have been left out here itself.” A great exponent of classical hockey, Ashok Kumar said even another former captain Mukesh Kumar, belonging to the same school, should have been in the team. “He is an experienced campaigner. You need someone like him in the team. “In tournaments like the World Cup, you have to keep thinking about the possible moves and planning strategies. Mukesh would have been the ideal person for this job. He would have been the ideal support for Pillay,” he said. “Look at Pakistan. They have brought Shabhaz Ahmed back at the age of 35. Why can’t we have Mukesh who is younger. “Having a number of junior players is good. But we must not forget that the senior World Cup is an entirely different ball game,” he said.
PTI |
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USA capture ‘hair-raising’ skeleton gold
Salt Lake City, February 21 Belarus pulled off a major upset in ice hockey, defeating
Sweden’s “Dream Team” of National Hockey League stars 4-3 to
reach the semifinals. The mighty Czech Republic also went out 0-1 in
the game of the day to Russia. And in treacherous conditions in the
mountains, Janica Kostelic of Croatia was crowned queen of alpine
skiing after winning the slalom. Third generation Olympian Jim Shea
won the men’s skeleton beating Austrian Martin Rettl, second, and
Gregor Staehli of Switzerland third. Shea’s father competed in
nordic combined at the 1964 Innsbruck games and his grandfather Jack
won two speedskating golds in 1932 at Lake Placid. In the women’s
event, making its debut as a medal event, Tristan Gale, (21) beat
compatriot LeaAnn Parsley with Britain’s gold medal hope Alex
Coomber third. Norway’s 4x7.5km biathlon relay victory produced a
record fourth gold medal for Bjorndalen, who won individual biathlon
golds over 20 km, 10 km and in the 12.5 km pursuit. Only one Winter
Olympics competitor has won more, American speed-skater Eric Heiden, who won five at lake placid in 1980. “The team gave me a good lead, and this win is really one for them. We’ve worked hard for this all year,” said
Bjorndalen (28). Raphael poiree of France came in third to take the bronze behind Frank Luck of Germany, the team who have won the relay gold medal on the past three occasions. In a heavy snow fall, Kostelic of Croatia built on her victory in the women’s combined to clinch gold in the slalom. Ahead of Laure Pequegnot of France and Anja Paerson of Sweden.
Pequegnot had taken the lead as the 20-year-old from Zagreb prepared for her second and last run.
In speed skating, Germany’s Anni Friesinger set a world record to win the 1,500 metres with compatriot Sabine Volker second. Jennifer Rodriguez of the USA took third. Friesinger won in 1min 54.02 seconds, slashing 0.36 seconds of her old mark. It was the sixth world record in eight speed-skating events so, far at the high-altitude Olympic Oval here.
The two German medals pushed the nation’s medals total to 31 - a record Winter Olympics haul for any country.
In ice hockey, Sweden, the 1994 Olympic champions, were stunned by their 3-2 defeat to Belarus in the quarterfinals.
They were the only unbeaten and untied squad left in the tournament after blitzing the Czech Republic 2-1, Canada 5-2 and qualifier Germany 7-1 in the group stage. Russia ousted reigning champions the Czech Republic 1-0 in another quarterfinal and booked a semifinal berth against the USA, who breezed past Germany 5-0 in another quarterfinal. Belarus will play either Finland or Canada in the other semifinal.
In curling, Britain defeated strong favourites Canada in the semifinals of the women’s curling and will take on Switzerland in the final today. The Swiss defeated the USA.
Norway and Canada will meet in Friday’s men’s final after defeating Switzerland, the Olympic champions, and world champions Sweden, respectively.
AFP |
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Army Red dethrone Air
Force Jalandhar, February 21 Army Red put their rivals under pressure from the word go. Air Force, on the other hand, started on a slow note and were unable to control the pace of the match. Kamal Horo and Avtar Singh dashed in the rivals citadel repeatedly but it was striker Jaswinder Singh who netted the ball with a beautiful reverse flick from an acute angle giving the lead to Army Red (1-0). A brave effort by Harjeet Singh went in vain as his scoop sailed high over the bar. Maintaining the pressure, Avtar Singh converted a penalty corner and consolidated the lead making it 3-0. Coming back into the game, Air Force strikers earned a penalty stoke. Balbir Singh made no mistake in taking advantage to it to narrow the gap (1-2). Avtar Singh scoop the ball into the net towards the fag end of the first half to encrease the lead to 3-1. After the lemon break, Air Force gained their second penalty stroke and Pardeep Singh beat the goalkeeper to make it 3-2. Army Red struck the last goal through Avtar Singh, who converted a penalty stroke to complete the tally (4-2). |
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Top boxers for Mishra
memorial Chandigarh, February 21 Mr Jerath told newsmen here last night that 30 teams from all over the country had already confirmed their participation in the five-day championship for senior division. Competitions will start at Skating Rink, Sector 10, at 3 p.m. Mrs Indu Mishra, widow of Mr A.K. Mishra, will inaugurate the championship. Mr Jerath said the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation had deputed Olympian and Arjuna Awardee M. Benu as its observer. The teams participating in the championship are Assam Rifles Shillong, Meghalya, Assam Police, Steel Plant Rourkela, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tisco, Southern Railways, Madhya Pradesh , Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Border Security Force, Pondichery, Maharashtra, Uttranchal, Delhi State, Power Centre Delhi, PEPSU, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab Police, Orissa, Goa, Northern Railway, Karnataka, West Bengal, Chandigarh Green and Chandigarh Yellow. Each team has been allowed to field eight boxers of any weight class of their choice. Last year Assam Rifles, Shillong were the overall winners, while Haryana boxers were runners-up. |
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Mandi gears up for the big day Mandi, February 21 The week-long rain proved to be a blessing in disguise as it helped the grass grow more green with glimpses of spring to follow. The Padal Stadium has been given a facelift and all the buildings in the backdrop have been painted afresh. The entire stadium also has been refurbished. By the state government had provided Rs 20 lakh for dressing rooms and other facilities. Two giant scoreboards have also been set up. The pitch is according to international standards and the entire ground has been fenced with steel pipes. For the first time the entry has been restricted and tickets have been priced at Rs 200, Rs 100, Rs 50 and Rs 30. Special galleries have been made for the VIPs, press among others. Tight security arrangements have been made by the police. The Padal Stadium has a seating capacity of 10,000 and the tickets are being sold like hot cakes. A large number of tickets have been purchased by fans from adjoining districts. The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, will watch the match and distribute the prizes. Star players Hemang Badani, Rohan Gavaskar, Sadagopan Ramesh, Debashish Mohanti, Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh are star attractions of the match. The match will offer an opportunity for fringe players to stake their claim for a Test place even as the top players are engaged in the first Test against the visiting Zimbabwe team at Nagpur. Ambala, February 21 In 200 m (Men), Samrat was first, Sarabjit Singh was second and Varun Nagar was third. In 200 m (Women) Bharti was first, Gurpreet was second and Mamta Nagi was third. In 800 m (Men), Yusuf Ali was first, Surender Kumar was second and Nar Singh was third. In 800 m (Women), Bharti was first, Suman was second and Naresh Bala was third. In shot put (Men), Dinesh Kumar was first and Paramjit Singh was second and while Amit Kumar and Jaswinder Singh were third. In shot put (Women), Gurpreet was first, Naresh Bala was second and Tarkeshwari was third. In high jump (Men), Amit was first while Sanjeev and Sudesh were second and Narender Goel was third. In long jump (Women), Gurpreet was first, Tarkeshwari was second and Seema Rani was third. In three legged race (Women), Naresh Bala and Tarkeshwari were first, Savita Yadav and Seema Rani were second and Suman and Bharti were third. In three legged race (Men), Mohinder and Gurcharan were first, Amandeep Singh and Inderjit Singh were second and Anil Kumar and Sukhvinder were third.
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Kournikova loses Dubai, February 21 |
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