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Saturday,
August 24, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Sachin, Saurav hammer centuries Leeds (England), August 23 Sachin Tendulkar hit a magnificent unbeaten 185 to lead a run onslaught by the Indian batting trinity which saw the team posting a mammoth total of 584 for four on the second day of the third cricket Test against England here today.
Chetan Sharma writes ICC Executive Board meeting advanced ‘Door still open for players’ New format to see more competition |
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Big names for US Open Williams, Davenport
advance to semis
Sunil in Davis Cup team Probe ordered into doping fiasco Chhatwinder upset
in semifinal HP offers DSP’s post to Jung
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Sachin, Saurav hammer centuries
Leeds (England), August 23 Captain Saurav Ganguly followed Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in cracking centuries as the Indians made a mockery of Headingly cricket ground’s reputation of being a fast bowler’s paradise. Ganguly scored 128 and put on 249 runs for the fourth wicket with Tendulkar whose 30th Test hundred today saw him go past the legendary Don Bradman in the list of top century makers. Tendulkar, who is now just behind Sunil Gavaskar in that list, has so far hit 18 fours and three sixes as he posted his best score on foreign soil, improving on his 177 against the same opposition at Trent Bridge in 1996. Resuming at their overnight score of 236 for two, India gathered 348 runs today in 83.1 overs with the loss of the wickets of Dravid (148) and Ganguly. As many as 89 of those runs were scored in the last eight overs after the Indian batsmen refused the umpires’ offer of bad light. Keen to accumulate as many runs as possible, both Ganguly and Tendulkar unleashed some blistering shots towards the end of the day which offered the maximum entertainment to the crowd. Tendulkar was on 145 and Ganguly on 80 when light was offered to them. But they chose to continue and then unleashed a flurry of audacious shots that had the Englishman scurrying for cover. It was an amazing display of power hitting by the two batsman despite the light being very poor. Ganguly, who was out for 99 in the previous Test, did not care that he was approaching his century and started batting as if he was playing in the first 15 overs of a one-day match. He began by hitting two successive boundaries off Andrew Caddick and then clobbered whichever bowler he came across. He reached his ninth Test hundred with a boundary off Ashley Giles and then hit two sixes and another four off the next three balls of the over which yielded 23 runs for India. Tendulkar was also in a punishing mood at the other end and looked determined to complete his double hundred before the day. He blasted some unbelievable shots all around the ground, including two huge sixes, as he raced into 180s. With 6.5 overs still remaining in the day when play was called off. Tendulkar could have reached the milestone but for the dismissal of Ganguly whose leg-stump was uprooted while attempting another big hit against Alex Tudor. As V.V.S. Laxman walked in, the umpire offered the light again and this time, the Indian agreed to end the day’s proceedings. Scoreboard India (Ist innings): Bangar c Stewart b Flintoff 68 Sehwag c Flintoff b Hoggard 8 Dravid st Stewart b Giles 148 Tendulkar batting 185 Ganguly b Tudor 128 Laxman batting 0 Extra (b-14, lb-13, w-5, nb-15) 47 Total
(4 wkts, 173.1 overs) 584 Fall of wickets: 1-15, 2-185, 3-335, 4-584. Bowling: Hoggard 36-12-102-1, Caddick 37-5-139-0, Tudor 32.1-10-113-1, Flintoff 27-6-68-1, Giles 39-3-134-1, Butcher 1-1-0-0, Vaughan 1-0-1-0.
PTI
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Chetan Sharma writes Sachin Tendulkar had his tryst with history today when he scored his 30th Test century, one more than the great Sir Donald Bradman. I, as well as all our countrymen, salute the little master for his achievement. Well done, Sachin. Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 34 centuries is also not far off. There was a lot of pressure on Sachin as his form slid and he was getting repeatedly dismissed with his own mistakes but what an innings this was. As Rahul Dravid showed yesterday, Sachin and Saurav Ganguly too applied themselves well to the task and helped India get to a strong position in the Test match. It has been a very calculated effort from the Indian batsmen and I for one, do strongly feel there could be a miracle waiting to happen in this match. On our 1986 tour also, India had won the Headingley Test and I suppose India have every chance of repeating that over the next three days. They have the time on their hand and with England being demoralised a bit with their fielding and bowling, Indians should go for the kill now. Indians batted fluently today. The English bowling too lacked the bite and I am sure they must have been disheartened with their showing yesterday. It happens sometimes when you don’t pick up many wickets in helpful conditions and then you try extra hard. In the process, you lose direction and that could be the reason why England played without a gameplan today. Nasser Hussain will have a lot of talking to do tonight if England hope to come back in the game. Otherwise they will be in real danger of losing the Test. The golden period of the day was Sachin and Ganguly combining together in the evening session and plundering all the runs. It looked as if no bowler could get them out as they scattered the field with their strokes. It was amazing batting to watch because they didn’t get reckless for a moment yet the runs kept coming. That is the greatest quality of top batsmen and Tendulkar and Ganguly held their heads high today. Dravid was unlucky to be dismissed when he wished for a double century. The ball which got him out was a beauty as Ashley Giles beat him in the air for Alec Stewart to whip off the bails in a flash. But England had to wait to get another wicket as we were treated to a delightful exhibition of batting by both Sachin and Ganguly. Now we are waiting for our bowlers to shine through the cloudy Leeds. I am sure they will spring a surprise or two. |
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ICC Executive Board meeting advanced
Kolkata, August 23 ICC, struggling to solve the issue which has threatened to jeopardise the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka from September 12 to 29, decided to advance the date of the meeting to be held in Dubai. The Executive Board was earlier slated to meet in the desert nation towards the end of next month. “They brought the meeting forward to find a solution to the crisis,” BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya told PTI here. Dalmiya, who would be representing India at the meeting, said he was yet to receive the detailed agenda. The controversy erupted after players of several countries refused to sign the controversial Players’ Terms forms barring them from endorsing products potentialy in conflict with the interests of official sponsors, one month on either side of ICC tournaments. All the affiliate national boards had signed with ICC an agreement which is to remain in vogue till 2007. However, ICC recently offered to limit the agreement to the Champions Trophy after the players, particularly those from India, refused to sign on the dotted line. However, the Australian Cricket Board had announced yesterday that it would send a full-strength squad to Sri Lanka after the 14 selected cricketers agreed to sign the participation contract, subject to the ICC formally agreeing to consult players before concluding future commercial arrangements. Only the New Zealand and Pakistan teams and certain Zimbabwean players had earlier agreed to the ICC terms. The West Indies Cricket Board is expected to meet national squad players soon to discuss the disputed contracts while the English cricketers were also reportedly close to agreeing to a deal. But none of the Indian players, now touring England, had agreed to sign the agreemeent prompting the BCCI to announce a 25-member probables list for the coming tournament. PTI
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‘Door
still open for players’ Kolkata, August 24 “Our door is still open for them,” BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya said here on his return from Bangalore after attending the crucial working committee meeting. Asked whether the board would settle for a second-string side if the star cricketers made themselves unavailable for the ICC Championship, Mr Dalmiya said “naturally”. With the frontline cricketers refusing to sign the sponsorship contract, the board has already drawn up a 25-member probables. .However, it has withheld the announcement of the list.
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New format to see more competition Chandigarh, August 23 Now, finally after all these years the BCCI has finally decided that the 27 teams featuring in the senior national tournament (and the number may go up if the BCCI goes ahead and grants affiliation to the states of Uttaranchal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh in the near future) will be divided into two divisions and the matches will be played on a league-cum-knock-out
basis.The new format will also have a system of promotion and relegation every year. This move should bring in more competition in the game as the top teams of the different zones as also the favourites whipping boys in the various zones will be taking on teams of similar strength in the groups they are placed. One-sided matches should be a thing of the past. However, to make the system a total success, the BCCI will have to lay down certain parameters as far as playing conditions are concerned. Although the format does not spell it out, it is obvious that the BCCI’s current system of home and away matches for all teams will be followed when the system does take-off. But to give both contesting teams even terms the board’s pitch committee must ensure that the pitches made available for all the matches should be sporting. It makes no sense if the teams travel hundreds of kms and are then asked to play on pitches which are loaded strongly either in favour of the batsmen or bowlers. Secondly, the board must have a system in place to monitor the travel plans of all the teams. All teams must travel by air, specially in cases where they have to travel outside their respective zones. As it is the new system is bound to sap the energy of the players given the vastness of the country and the number of
mathes they will have to play every season and it make no sense if they have to travel by rail to distant places. In any case the board is flush with funds and it should be in a position to pay for the air travel. Now that the BCCI allows all teams to employ two professionals it will not be a bad idea if all the weaker teams (those playing in the plate division) are asked to employ two professionals as allowed by the rules of the board. This will enable the team to pull up their game and give better performances. The new experiment of the BCCI must have the backing of all the teams. This move should see keener competition in the national cricket championship and everything should be done to tone up Indian cricket. |
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Big names for US Open
New York, August 23 Defending champion Lleyton Hewitt heads the field but with eight different winners in the last nine Grand Slam events, there is no clear favourite in New York. Hewitt’s form since winning Wimbledon last month has been patchy with a first round defeat in Toronto, a finals appearance in Cincinnati and a third round loss in Indianapolis. The Australian is eager to open his defence, however. “I think it’s obviously going to be a bit of a buzz for me, going back to a place that has changed my life in a lot of ways,’’ he said. “I really look forward to getting back there.” “The U S Open holds a very special place for me, being the first place I really performed well in a Grand Slam.’’ The player who ousted Hewitt from Indianapolis and went on to win the title, Greg Rusedski, certainly will not be underestimating the dynamic baseliner. “I think it’s so hard to do what he’s accomplished,’’ said the Briton, a US Open runner-up in 1997. “He’s the youngest player to be number one, he’s won two major championships already, he’s got a game where he has to work from the first ball to the last. He beats you with one extra step and one extra shot. “It’s his consistency week in and week out that sets him apart, and his competitiveness. “He is the favourite to repeat in New York along with Andre Agassi, but it’s another story having to come and defend a slam, to win it back-to-back. “Right now you’d have to say it’s Hewitt, Agassi, Carlos Moya depending on how quick the courts are at the US Open. “There are very few serve and volley players who are doing well. Maybe I can be one of the dark horses.’’ Moya beat Hewitt in the final of Cincinnati earlier this month and, having put a nagging back injury behind him, is intent on making up for lost time. “I’m healthy...I’m fit...I know when this happens I can be a dangerous player,’’ he said when asked of his chances in New York. “But I don’t know if it is good to set a goal. Because what I learned this year is that you just have to enjoy on court and when you have the bad moments, you have to think that the good ones are going to come soon. “I’ll just do my best and I’ll fight and give 100 per cent.’’ Another player eyeing the silverware is Britain’s Tim Henman, still seeking a Grand Slam breakthrough. Seeded fifth this year, he said: “I’ve got to believe in my game and go out there and see what happens. “Certainly this year, with the way I’ve played, it’s my best chance. But it’s no good talking about it now. I’ve got to get out there and do it on the court.’’ Pete Sampras’s preparation for the Open, a title he has won four times and where he has been runner-up for the last two years, has hardly been encouraging, but he still believes he has what it takes to add to his record 13 Grand Slam titles. “You have to remember who I am and where I’m playing next week,’’ he said. “The US Open is where you shine, and that is where I hope to shine. “My goal is to win another major and, hopefully, destiny will be on my side.” Reuters
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Williams, Davenport advance to semis New Haven, August 23 Williams, who took less than an hour to pound Granville into submission, is trying to capture her fourth straight title in this event. Davenport, the second seed, stayed on course for a finals re-match with a 7-6 (9/7) 6-3 victory over French sixth seed Amelie Mauresmo. In the semi-finals Davenport will face Anastasia Myskina, who downed former world No 1 Martina Hingis 6-7 (2/7) 6-4 6-0. Hingis the fifth seed, was competing in just her second tournament after surgery to repair torn and damaged ligaments in her left ankle and ran out of steam against the unseeded Russian, who had never made it to the quarters in three previous appearances here. It was all Haas after that. The German, who reached the semifinals of his last three tournaments, broke the Argentinian twice again in the decisive set to secure the match on a service winner. In other matches yesterday, Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan, cruised into the last eight with a 6-4 6-1 dismantling of Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic. Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela eliminated American Jan-Michael Gambill 7-5 7-5 and Spain’s Alex Corretja outlasted Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden 5-7 6-4 6-3. Also advancing into the quarterfinals was France’s Paul-Henri Mathieu, who bounced Pete Sampras on Tuesday. The Frenchman saved one match point en route to a 2-6 6-3 7-6 (7/5) victory over Spain’s Alberto Martin. AFP
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Sunil in Davis Cup team
New Delhi, August 23 The Indian challenge will be led by cup veteran Leander Paes and top doubles player Mahesh Bhupathi with Ramesh Krishnan as the non-playing captain. Upcoming youngsters Harsh Mankad and Rohan Bopanna take the other two spots in the squad which will face world No 1 Lieyton Hewitt and co. Sipaeya replaces Prahlad Srinath in the only change in the team which beat New Zealand 4-1 in the Asia-Gceania group I tie in Wellington in April. “Sunil had the talent right from the beginning...he is only 19-years old. There was a slump in his form in between but he has won tournaments in recent months,” said Shyam Minotra, chairman of the All-India Tennis Association selection committee. “We leave it to the captain to decide on whom to play. It will be entirely his selection,” Mr Minotra said. Mr Minotra attributed the delay in the selection of the team to the time needed in verifying the eligibility criteria of Prakash Amritraj who lives in the USA. The ITF rules, however, prevent Amritraj from playing for India, he said. Lleyton Hewitt, Mark Philippousis, Wayne Arthurs, Scott Draper and Tood Woodbridge from the Australian team led by non-playing captain John Fitzgerald. PTI
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Probe ordered into doping fiasco
New Delhi, august 23 She said the two doping cases had lowered the “national prestige” and stringent action will be taken on the two athletes — Krishnan Madasamy and Satheesha Rai — to ensure that such malpractices were not repeated in future. The two lifters will be given an opportunity to present their case before a panel consisting of Secretary-General or Director of Indian Olympic Association, Director General of Sports Authority of India and Joint Secretary (Sports) in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The enquiry panel will also include Executive Director (Teams) of Sports Authority of India, a medical expert from the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, and two eminent sportspersons. The report will also recommend what action should be taken on the athletes so that such incidents do not occur in future. While Madasamy had been stripped of his three silver medals in the 62-kg category during the Games, the Commonwealth Games Federation confirmed yesterday that Rai had been disqualified and stripped of his medals for failing the dope test. Rai, who claimed two gold medals and a bronze in the 77- kg category, tested positive for strychnine, a prohibited substance under the International Olympic Committee’s class of stimulants while Madasamy had tested positive for the banned nandrolone. PTI
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Chhatwinder upset in semifinal
Chennai, August 23 Karnataka’s M V Abhay Prakash stole the thunder upsetting Chhatwinder (Chandigarh) 7-6 (2), 6-4 in a 104-minute contest, keeping the ball in better than the hard-hitting Chhatwinder. He also slammed down three aces in the tie-break that enabled him to edge out his more experienced rival. This was Abhay’s first entry into the final in under-18 section. The two traded service breaks in the first set till 4-4, after which both held serve till 6-6 forcing a tie-break. In the second set, it was 3-3 on serve but Chhatwinder broke Abhay in the seventh game. Abhay broke back in the eigth and again in the 10 game to wrap up the match. New Delhi: Fourth seed Vijay Kannan tamed top seed Rohan Bopanna in the semifinals of the $10,000 ITF Futures Tennis Tournament here on Friday to set up a final clash with Sunil Kumar Sipaeya. Bopanna, keen to avenge his loss to Kannan in the final of National Grass Court Championships earlier this year, found Kannan’s game too good in the second and third sets as he went down after winning the first set 7-5, 4-6, 4-6. Kannan will take on fifth seed Sipaeya. PTI, UNI
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HP offers DSP’s post to Jung Shimla, August 23 The offer came from Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal when the shooter, who won two gold and three silver medals in Manchester, called on him here. Mr Dhumal said he would also consider giving hockey player Sita
Gossain, member of the gold medal winning team in the Games, a state government job. Stating that the climate in Himachal was suitable for developing international standard infrastructure for shooting, Mr Dhumal said the government had already identified the land for the purpose. |
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Satinder
Sharma for Champions Trophy Chandigarh, August 23 Satinder has also officiated in the junior World Cup in Australia, and the Champions Challenge International Hockey Tournament at Kuala Lumpur last year besides other international tournaments. |
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Chanderappa
wins Patiala, August 23 Chanderappa lifted 207.5 kg in the squat, 105 kg in the bench press and 230 kg in dead lift to accumulate a total 532.5 kg. He was followed by P.Suresh of Kerala with a total of 520 kg. P.Suresh broke the existing national record in the bench press event by lifting 125 kg. Sandeep Thambre of Maharashtra stood third.
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HS Bhullar dead Chandigarh, August 23 Besides, his wife, he leaves a son and two daughters, who are all doctors. Mr Bhullar, who retired from the Punjab Government, was also a well known sports compere and commentator.
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Marketing show Chandigarh, August 23 Seven cricketers will be seen in the company’s advertising campaigns.
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