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Wednesday,
November 6, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Yadav set to make debut Expert comments — Vivian Richards Chetan Sharma writes |
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England ‘can upset Aussies’ Manipur dethrone Kerala, lift Santosh
Trophy Advani to honour Asiad
winners Anand completes
hat-trick PVA mourns player’s death Punjab aquathlon Top seeds bite the
dust Seema Antil to lead Haryana PU in fourth
round
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Yadav set to make debut Jamshedpur, November 5 Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, looking quite upbeat following the convincing 2-0 victory in the three-match Test series, today announced the final eleven that included Yadav. “You will see him on the ground tomorrow,” Ganguly said about Yadav who was also picked for Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka last month but did not get to play a match. “We want to give a chance to new boys like Yadav. He played very well in the Irani Cup match.” The absence of Tendulkar, who has been ruled out of the seven-match series due a hamstring injury, has provided another chance to Laxman to prove his worth in the one-dayers. “Since Sachin is not there, it provides a good opportunity for Laxman to show his class,” Ganguly said about the stylish Hyderabad batsman who is not a regular member of India’s one-day team. Ganguly said Laxman will bat in place of Tendulkar and there will be no change in the batting order. Speedster Javagal Srinath, Sanjay Bangar, who was rewarded with a one-day berth following his consistent performance as a Test opener and left-hand batsman Dinesh Mongia, Tendulkar’s replacement in the 14-member squad, will be the three players left out for tomorrow’s game. West Indian skipper Carl Hooper, on the other hand, was quite excited with the inclusion of batsman Ricardo Powell who is one of the three changes in the touring side for the one-day series. “He is a very talented batsman. He is also a brilliant fielder and a handy off-spinner. I hope he can prove himself,” Hooper said. Hooper did not announce his final team for tomorrow’s game but Powell is almost certain to be included. The newly-laid pitch at the Keenan Stadium, which has a lot of cracks, was the subject of intense discussion with both captains unsure of how it was going to behave. Hooper, who was quite upbeat about his side’s chances following their much improved show in the third and final Test in Kolkata, looked very disappointed with the pitch. “The wicket is very dry with a surprising amount of cracks. I don’t want to say its the worst but I must say that it certainly looks very funny,” Hooper said. Ganguly was more controlled in his reaction. “It has a lot of cracks. But it is not that bad. We have asked the groundsmen to do some good rolling,” he said. Both the captains felt that the one-day series would be more closely contested than the Tests. Recalling the one-day series between the two sides in West Indies earlier this year, Hooper said: “That series was very close. I don’t think this series is going to be any different. We will have a good series.” “This is a different ball game. But I hope we can carry on from where we left at Eden Gardens in Kolkata,” Hooper said referring to his side’s improved performance in the last Test. Ganguly also said that his team was expecting a much tougher contest in the one-dayers even though the players were on a high after winning the Test series. “This is a different series and we have to play well for 100 overs,” he said. The exclusion of Srinath means that Ajit Agarkar would share the new ball with left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra while Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble will continue with their double spin attack. Ganguly did not commit himself when asked whether he would like to bat if he won the toss tomorrow but Hooper said he would definitely like to bat first. Teams: India:
Sourav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Ashish Nehra, Ajit Agarkar, J P Yadav. West Indies (from): Carl Hooper (captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Pedro Collins, Corey Collymore, Cameron Cuffy, Mervyn Dillon, Vasbert Drakes, Darren Ganga, Chris Gayle, Ryan Hinds, Wavell Hinds, Ridley Jacobs, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Ricardo Powell, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan. Umpires: Asoke De Silva (Sri Lanka) and A V Jayprakash (India). Third umpire: I Shivram.
PTI |
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Expert comments
— Vivian Richards As the TVS Cup one-day series starts in Jamshedpur tomorrow, I can’t help feeling that the Kolkata Test has really improved the morale of the West Indies team. They had come to Kolkata two down in the series, and they stemmed the rot by playing some excellent cricket, proving that the team had character. This draw comes after six or seven consecutive overseas defeats, so one can imagine how important it was to perform well in Kolkata. A loss in Kolkata would have seriously dented the morale of the West Indies team, so full marks to the guys for coming back so well. Having said that, one-day cricket is a different ball game, and the visitors have to look ahead at the grueling seven-match series now. It is a crucial series as we will be looking to identify the individuals who will do duty for the West Indians in the World Cup a few months from now. We hope to find the players who along with Brian Lara, who should be fit by then, will form the nucleus West Indian team. Most of the players were part of the Test series, and the three new entrants we have are Vasbert Drakes, Corey Collymore and Ricardo Powell. The former is a useful all-rounder who was part of the team in South Africa while Collymore was seen during India’s one-day series in the West Indies and is a good one-day bowler. Indian fans will remember Powell for the superb knock he played against India in a tournament final in Singapore a few years ago. Sadly, that knock was not followed by too many opportunities for the young man, since he invariably used to come in when there were only a few balls left in the innings. This series will be a crucial one for Powell because he has to prove that he has the talent as well as the mental ability to compete at this level. The Indians will be without their star batsman Sachin Tendulkar for the one-dayers, and while the West Indians could heave a sigh of relief, I don’t think they should feel that the Indians are a lesser side in his absence. A few summers earlier, the absence of the little genius would have had a telling effect on the Indian team. Things are a little different today because while he still is the prized wicket, the Indian team has proved that they can perform even when their star player has had a bad day at the office. One just has to look at the NatWest Trophy final at Lord’s to realise that there are many players in the Indian team who can be match-winners. As the two sides go into the TVS Cup, I think the nature of one-day cricket will ensure a more even contest than the Test series. More importantly, West Indies have improved in their one-day performances in the recent past and hopefully will continue the trend here. (Gameplan) |
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Chetan Sharma writes Though the Test series was absolutely one-sided except perhaps the Kolkata match, the seven game one-day series will be a lot interesting than what many people would imagine it to be. India have played fantastic one-day cricket recently, on the tour to England and then the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, but I for one would never rule out the chances of West Indies. My belief stems from the fact that the visitors have a couple of exciting batsmen in their ranks who can bat with fluency while their bowling can also be restrictive. I think if they play disiciplined cricket and hold their catches, they have the capability to run India close. I am not saying they will beat India but at least if they can show some fight, it will be good for them and the spectators. They will be looking forward to the return of Ricardo Powell with great interest. Three years ago in Singapore he slammed the Indian bowlers but hasn’t quite matched that performance after that. I am sure Powell will not disappoint his fans in West Indies. He will be Carl Hooper’s most marked man in the series. Their bowlers will be led by Mervyn Dillon as he is in good form having bowled well in the Tests. If he can make early inroads in tomorrow’s first one-day international, pressure will be on the Indian batsmen straightway. But coming to the Indian team, this is a very important series with the World Cup not far away. Sachin Tendulkar has pulled out of the series but it gives a chance to Dinesh Mongia to impress the selectors again. Other than him, I think most of the Indian players know that they will be in the team for World Cup and they will look to further boost their confidence. Players like Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh have to continue with their excellent performance and I feel J P Yadav could also be tried as a pinch-hitter at the top because he is also a useful allrounder and India will need to add an all rounder to their side for the World Cup. I think there was a case to allow Rahul Dravid to rest from his role as a wicket keeper and Parthiv Patel could have been given a chance to prove himself in the one-dayers too. Dravid has played so much cricket recently and with this series and the tour to New Zealand also coming up, he should have been played only as a batsman here. |
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England ‘can upset Aussies’ Brisbane, November 5 Despite failing to win any of their four lead-up matches and struggling with a mounting injury toll, Hussain said England could cause an upset. “Australia hasn’t seen the best of the England cricket team for a long while,” Hussain told reporters. “If we had won every (warm-up) game it wouldn’t have meant anything going into Thursday.” Hussain added: “Nearly all the players have been successful against Australia. “The key for the whole team and the whole squad is how we are on Thursday and Friday. If Australia sees the same old England they will be very confident.”
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Manipur dethrone Kerala, lift Santosh Trophy Imphal, November 5 The promising yongster W Tomba Singh produced the golden goal early in the extra time after both the teams were locked 1-1 at the end of the scheduled time in a match which saw fortunes fluctuating from one side to the other till the very end. Spurred on by a vociferous home crowd, the hosts shot into the lead as early as the sixth minute of the contest with the diminutive L Tikken Singh finding the target. But the Keralites bounced back by finding the equaliser through Abdul Naushad just three minutes before regulation time. Tomba Singh’s golden goal in the fourth minute of extra time sent the 25,000 home fans into raptures as Manipur fulfilled a long-cherished dream of winning the trophy for the first time since 1941. Kerala players immediately protested against the golden goal awarded to Manipur arguing the ball instead of directly landing in the net had instead hit the top of the net and rebounded. The Kerala players were seen pleading with the referee to disallow the goal even as television replays confirmed it be a legitimate one. Strengthened by the services of outstation players like Moni Tombi Singh, Bijen Singh and James Singh, the dimunitive and fast moving Manipur forward line combined well to launch furious onslaughts on the tight Kerala defence right from the word go. Four-time winners and five-time runners up Kerala were in for a shock as the Manipur forwards ripped apart their defence. Manipur who dominated the proceedings in the first half, shot into the lead in the sixth minute, much to the delight of the capacity crowd. A long throw-in from Uttam Kumar saw Tikken Singh heading it in (1-0). Playing in the 4-3-3 formation, Kerala, who were impressed as the most balanced and compact team in the championship, however, failed to keep their momentum going today. The final scoreline betrayed the level of play Manipur produced as the ball was totally in the Kerala half for most of the time in the first half while in the second half Kerala took advantage for a bare 10 minutes. The home team could have gone in to the lead in the second minute and then again in the fifth but James Singh, Rennedy Singh, Bijen Singh and Bungo Singh missed easy chances despite having only the goalkeeper to beat. Kerala’s first shot at the Manipur goal was in the 11th minute when their star forward Sylvester Ignatious, who had a miserable final, shot side of a good free kick from top of the box. Vinu Jose, a key Kerala defender in the middle who has rarely been porous, was totally off-colour faltering under pressure from the Manipur attacks. But Manipur were also guilty of messing up chances. Bijen Singh, top scorer of the tournament with 10 goals, shot wide once in the first half. Bijen was also guilty of missing at least three more easy chances in the second half. Manipur custodian Noren Singh, hero of the semi-final victory against Goa, again stood up to the task effecting a brilliant save off a good header from the hardworking forward Aseef Saheer. In the 32nd minute, Manipur could have virtually sealed the match in their favour by taking a 2-0 lead but Bijen Singh was again the culprit as he shot wide off a beautiful Tomba Singh cross. In the second half, Kerala seized the initiative for a while and it seemed that the Manipur defence had become exhausted. In the 79th minute, Kerala’s dependable defender Mohammed Shafeeq came near scoring but his powerful shot just missed the target. Manipur held on to the lead till the 87th minute. However, a defensive lapse on the part of Manipur skipper Ratan Singh saw the opportunistic Shiv Kumar give a through pass to substitute Abdul Noushad who lobbed the ball on top of Noren Singh’s head in the 88th minute to level the score 1-1. It did not take long for Manipur to create history. Four minutes into the extra time, the stadium burst into ecstacy when W Tomba Singh, receiving a pass from the midfield, raced down and outwitted some Kerala defenders before unleashing a powerful right-footer for the golden goal. The ball landed at the top corner of the left post with Kerala custodian Purushothaman beaten completely.
PTI |
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Advani to honour Asiad
winners Chandigarh, November 5 Mr M.S. Malik, Director-General of Haryana Police cum-Chairman, organising Committee of the games, said that Mr L.K. Advani, Deputy Prime Minister of India who will be the chief guest during opening ceremony on November 7, would give away the prizes to medal winners, while Khel Ratna Abhey Singh Chautala, president, Haryana Olympic Association, will preside over the closing ceremony. A sum of Rs 10 lakh would be given to gold medal winners, Rs 7 lakh to silver medal winners and Rs 5 lakh to bronze medal winners of Asian Games held at Busan recently. Haryana has earmarked a sum of Rs 1.9 crore for this purpose. The organising committee has also decided to honour outstanding police sportspersons of different police organisations, who have won laurels for the country, Mr Malik said. Nearly 3500 players, officials and others will be seen in action. Reception centres have been set up at Delhi, Bahadurgarh and Bhiwani for the assistance of the sportspersons and distinguished guests likely to be at Bhiwani from all over India during the meet. A special clinic would be conducted for umpires, referees and technical officials. An exhibition depicting photographs of sportspersons of Haryana police of yesteryears has also been arranged. Players of international repute like Kunjarani Devi, Sanamacha Chanu and Pritam Kumar in weightlifting, Krishan Kumar and Palwinder Cheema in wrestling, Akram Shah and Bhupinder Singh in judo and several other sportspersons in other disciplines would be seen in action. |
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Anand completes hat-trick New Delhi, November 5 The NIIT Brand Ambassador has over the last three months won the Eurotel title in Prague in May, followed by the Chess Classic of Mainz title in July and the World Cup in Hyderabad in October and now the Corsica Open. In the final against Karpov, former FIDE world champion, the Indian lost the first game but bounced back to win the next and send the match into a play-off. They drew the next two before Anand won the last two games played in the blitz format. The 32-year-old Anand, who ironcially had lost the FIDE world championships final to Karpov in the rapid games tie-breaker back in 1998, has now beaten the 52-year-old Russian in their last two finals at Eurotel Championships in Prague and Corsica.
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PVA mourns player’s death Ludhiana, November 5 In a press note issued here, Mr Raj Kumar, general secretary, Punjab Volleyball Association (PVA), said a meeting of the association was held today with Mr M.S. Bhullar, DGP, Punjab and president , PVA in the chairwhere the members expressed shock over the untimely demise of the rising star. |
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Punjab aquathlon Ludhiana, November 5 Triathletes in the subjunior category will compete in the 400 m swimming, 3 kms running and in the junior section, competition will be in for 750 m swimming and 5 km running while in the senior men’s and women’s section, the participants will take part in 1.5 km swimming, 40 km cycling and 10 km running without any halt. On the basis of their performance during this championship, the Punjab teams will be finalised for their participation in the forthcoming National Aquathlon Championship to be held at Chennai on November 16 and 17 and the 32nd National Games slated to be conducted at Hyderabad from December 12. |
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Top seeds bite the dust New Delhi, November 5 Qualifier Yew Ming Si from Malaysia played a highly tactical game to outduel topseed Mustafa Ghouse 6-7 (7/9) 7-6 (7/4) 6-3 in three hours and 30 minutes in a first round match. Third seeded Sunil Kumar Sipaeya seems to have struck a bad patch as he made an early exit once again, going down to Pavel Lobanov of Russia, a player ranked 368 positions below him at 898, 1-6 1-6. Another Russian, Pavel Ivanov, who won at Chandigarh, ousted fourth seed Vijay Kannan 6-4 4-6 6-4 to continue his splendid run while qualifier Kedar Tembe shut the door on fifth seeded Nitin Kirtane 6-4 6-2. Another star player, although unseeded, to bite the dust was Davis Cupper Harsh Mankad who could not withstand the superior fire power of Juraj Hasko. The Slovak, ranked as high as 507 as against Mankad’s 807, is the second seed here and also reached the semifinals last week. Another Slovak Boris Borgula, the sixth seed, and Manoj Mahadevan, the eighth seed, were the other two seeds to move into the second round. Borgula accounted for Anton Kokurin of Uzbekistan 6-1 6-1 while Mahadevan overcame wildcard entrant Saurabh Singh 6-3 7-5. Jan Masik, seeded seven, had made it to the second round yesterday beating lucky loser Vijayendra Laad 6-3 6-1. Yew Ming Si was out of the ordinary. At 23, Si, who was the number two for Illinois State college in the USA till last year, might be a few years behind his peers in turning pro, and his demeanour too seemed to reflect a laid back approach. But when he came out of the court after three and a half hours, he hardly broke a sweat and his clothes were as fresh as from the wardrobe. And there was purpose in whatever he did. For instance, he had two different racquets, one with higher tension to make powerful returns and the other for his beautiful kick-serves. His was a deceptive craft, and he “liked to mix it up a bit”, he said later.
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Seema Antil to lead Haryana Panchkula, November 5 Men: Surinder Singh, Satpal Shrikant, Sunil Kumar, Nasib, Rajesh Kumar, Ramesh, Surinder Singh, Sandeep, Naresh Kumar, (all of Hisar) Ashok Kumar, Anne, Ram Niwas, Govind, Govind, Dharmender, Sandeep, Parveen Kumar, Devinder Singh, Sunder Singh, Madhu Kumar, Sombir, Vikram Om Narain, Bhagirath (all of Bhiwani), Anil Kumar, Minish Kumar, Jaspinder, Manjeet Singh (all of Kurukshetra), Sunil Kumar, Rajesh Kumar (Sonepat), Anil Kumar, Sandeep (Jhajjar) Manoj Kumar (Rohtak), Randhir Singh, Malkhan Singh (Faridabad), Ramphal, Rajesh Sihag (Haryana Police). Women: Mamlesh, Sukhdeep Kaur, Kamalpreet, (Ambala), Seema Antil, Kiran (Sonepat), Savita, Promila, Savita (Rohtak), Manju Rani, Mamta Rani, Kavita Rani, Anju Rani (Panchkula), Sonu, Suman, Pooja, Aplesh, Babli, Kanu Priya, Renu (Hisar), Arju Rani (Rai), Gurpreet Kaur, Meena, Neelam (Sirsa), Phoolwati, Ravina Antil, Meena Chikara, Renu, Renu Joon (Jhajjar), Suman Rani (Bhiwani), Ritu (Gurgaon). |
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PU in fourth
round Chandigarh, November 5 In the matches played today, PU got the better of DD University, Gorakhpur 13-9, Kurukshetra University outplayed HP University, Shimla 14-13, GND University beat GGD University, Bilaspur 12-3 while MD University, Rohtak trounced SK University, Dumka 16-1. |
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Jamshedpur, November 5
