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Sunday,
January 12, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Shaky Indians post one-wkt win India should have won easily: Saurav Ganguly India’s complacency baffling Thrilling win for Aussies
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Vasco get past KPT in IFA Shield
ITF title for Bulgarian Agassi is champ CRPF lift hockey title 20 countries for shooting meet
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Shaky Indians post one-wkt win
Auckland, January 11 Sehwag cracked a brilliant 112, his second hundred of this series, to bring India within 17 runs of New Zealand’s total of 199 for nine but the visitors lost six wickets in a space of 15 runs to make a complete mess of the easy situation. In a dramatic finish, Ashish Nehra lifted an Andre Adams delivery over mid-wicket and run a single off the penultimate ball of the match to bring India their second successive victory of the seven-match series which the home team has already clinched after winning the first four games. It was a typical example of a nervous breakdown of the Indian batsmen in pressure situation after Sehwag was dismissed at the total of 182 in the 42nd over. The Indians had seven overs to get 18 runs with six wickets in hand. But Yuvraj Singh (8), Mohammad Kaif (7), Sanjay Bangar (1), Ajit Agarkar (0) and Zaheer Khan (0) could not keep their cool and got out one after the other to induce drama where there was none. The nervousness of the Indians was best exemplified in the run outs of Agarkar and Zaheer Khan, who reached the other end without even looking at their partner. It came down to four runs needed from the last over. The usually cool Kaif and Zaheer Khan were dismissed before Nehra pulled Andre Adams over the crowded infield to bring relief on the faces of the Indians. The Indians had earlier displayed their best batting performance of the tour with Sehwag putting up 70 runs for the first wicket with captain Sourav Ganguly and 72 for the second with Rahul Dravid to put the side firmly on path of victory. Dravid was celebrating his 30th birthday today but it was Sehwag who got the gifts from lady luck. Sehwag was dropped twice and escaped easy run out chances on a number of
occasions. In between, a few of his shots landed between the fielders. But he used his luck to maximum advantage and played a belligerent knock that included 11 fours and three sixes. Ganguly played the most comfortable innings of this tour before edging an Adams delivery to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum after making 23 with four fours. His five earlier innings in this series had produced just 20 runs. Dravid played a typical knock of 21 runs before falling leg before wicket to Scott Styris in the 33rd over. Sachin Tendulkar failed yet again, edging a Daryl Tuffey delivery to McCullum after scoring just one run from 15 balls. But Sehwag continued to score with a flourish and reached his century with a four against Kyle Mills. He then lofted a slower delivery from the bowler straight into the stands for his third six. His first two sixes had come against Styris and Daryl Tuffey. New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, who had dropped Sehwag earlier, made amends when he took an outside edge of the batsman in the 42nd over. Earlier, New Zealand were helped by a 80-run fifth wicket partnership between Styris and Lou Vincent and a cameo from Shane Bond in the final overs to reach a near-200 total. Put in to bat on a damp pitch, New Zealand had crashed to 50 for four in the 19th over before Styris and Vincent came up with a fine recovery act. They braved the Indian attack for 20 overs to take the score to 130 before Ganguly broke the partnership by having Styris caught by Bangar. Styris made 42 with seven fours while Vincent remained unbeaten on 53 with three fours and a six.
SCOREBOARD New Zealand: Fleming c Dravid b Nehra 14 Sinclair b Srinath 18 Harris lbw b Agarkar 0 Cairns b Srinath 13 Styris c Bangar b Ganguly 42 Vincent not out 53 McCullum run out 0 Mills c Dravid b Srinath 0 Adams b Zaheer 2 Tuffey run out 1 Bond not out 31 Extras
(b-4, lb-11, w-2,
Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 199 Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-28, 3-47, 4-50, 5-130, 6-131, 7-134, 8-144, 9-147. Bowling: Srinath 10-2-13-3, Zaheer Khan 10-0-53-1, Nehra 10-1-31-1, Agarkar 8-0-34-1, Bangar 4-0-22-0, Ganguly 8-2-31-1. India: Ganguly c McCullum b
Sehwag c Fleming b Mills 112 Dravid lbw b Styris 21 Tendulkar c McCullum
Singh c Fleming b Harris 8 Kaif b Adams 7 Bangar lbw b Adams 1 Agarkar run out 0 Khan run out 1 Srinath not out 0 Nehra not out 1 Extras
(lb-4, nb-9, w-12) 25 Total (9 wkts, 48.5 overs) 200 Fall of wickets:
1-70, 2-142, 3-159, 4-182, 5-187, 6-194, 7-194, 8-197, 9-198. Bowling:
Tuffey 10-0-46-1, Bond 6-1-20-0, Adams 9.5-0-41-3, Mills 10-1-43-1, Styris 10-1-40-1, Harris 3-0-6-1.
PTI |
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India should have won easily: Saurav Ganguly
Auckland, Jan 11 “We just left it too late. It is not that we have not been in this situation before — we have experienced a few close games — but we should have won this game easily,” said Ganguly after India won the match with one wicket and one ball to spare. Ganguly refused to blame Mohammad Kaif for being at a loss in this situation and said the youngster “can have an off-day”. “It could happen. Kaif is a young fellow. It was a pressure game. There are going to be days when he is not going to do well.” “I just thought if he had to take a chance, he should have taken Harris on. But he has won India games and one needs to give him some time,” said Ganguly. New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming said he was disappointed by the poor form of his bowlers but said it could be because the series had already been decided. “There is a feeling we are coming to an end of a campaign which we have won. The wides and no balls are an indication that the guys are tired after the season’s campaign. “It’s creeping in. The focus has got away a bit.” “We had the opportunity to beat them but it slipped through our fingers,” Fleming said. Ganguly too admitted New Zealand stood a good chance after India slipped from a comfortable 178 for three to a precarious 198 for nine. Ganguly mentioned the last three overs of New Zealand innings when his bowlers were hammered close to 50 runs by New Zealand’s last pair of Lou Vincent and Shane Bond. “We bowled well except the last three overs. We went for quite a few runs. It does not normally happen to us. Zaheer usually is fantastic but Bond hit the ball well.” The Indian skipper praised the wicket and said he was surprised it did not seam all that much. “We thought it would seam a bit more than it actually did. That is why we put five seamers on. But it didn’t do that much. It turned out to be a good wicket. Despite all the rain, the groundsman did a fantastic job.” Ganguly said it was good to hit back the winning streak after losing a string of matches adding “somehow tosses have played an important role in the outcome of the matches”. “Winning the toss is very important in this country. It’s good to get the winning streak back but I kept losing important tosses which made a big difference in the series,” he said. Ganguly for the first time in the seven-match series showed flashes of brilliance putting on 70 runs for the first wicket with Virender Sehwag, the best opening stand for either side in the series. “I was hitting the ball well. I thought today was the best I batted in the series. It had to come good at some stage. I have been around for eight years with some runs behind me.” PTI
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India’s complacency baffling What drama it was. The Indians had been coasting along at one stage, before the age-old problem of complacency crept in. In the end victory was achieved but the match could so easily have swung New Zealand’s way. I still can’t understand how the Indians kept throwing away their wickets when the target was within striking distance. I don’t know what to say about the suicidal run outs. In fact this attitude happened twice in the match as earlier too, the Indian bowlers allowed New Zealand batsmen runs in the closing overs. It appeared as if the New Zealanders would be bowled out for about 150, but those costly overs let them get to 199. Virender Sehwag’s innings was brilliant. He rode his luck but what was so good about him was that he didn’t lose his focus and kept thriving on the chances that came his way. Some of the shots he played were out of the world and I think now opposing captains will have to look at ways to stop his cut slash from fetching him runs. He hits the ball hard so what he needs to do is to pick the right ball at the right time. Sehwag will be very crucial to India’s World Cup campaign in South Africa. I am sure he will relish batting on those pitches, which will be true in pace and bounce. He is the one for important matches and if he can keep his cool, he would do no harm to his own reputation and India’s chances. Javagal Srinath is in the form of his life. What a series he is enjoying and full marks to him for keeping the Indian flag flying even though age is not on his side. Srinath has once again shown that there is no substitute for experience. Well done but don’t relax in the World Cup. India are now 2-4 down and if they are able to win the last match, the end result of 3-4 would at least give some consolation to their fans. It would also mean that Indians close the series on a winning note, which should augur well for their morale. |
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Thrilling
win for Aussies
Hobart, January 11 In a hectic finish, young all-rounder Shane Watson held his nerve and helped restrict England to 264 for seven wickets from their 50 overs as they attempted to pass Australia’s 271 for four wickets. Australia’s total was built on an unbeaten 101 by Man of the Match Damien Martyn. He was helped by Michael Bevan’s 52 and Jimmy Maher’s 49 not out. The Australian total looked inadequate as England openers Marcus Trescothick (82) and Nick Knight (85) put on 165 runs to give England a marvellous platform. But as soon they were parted, wickets fell regularly and momentum was lost as spinner Brad Hogg took three wickets. In the final overs, captain Nasser Hussain still threatened to hit England to victory. But medium-pacer Watson conceded only four runs while taking the wicket of Alec Stewart in the 48th over. Then, in the final over, he clean-bowled Hussain for 43 to assure victory. Australia were hampered by the loss of spearhead Glenn McGrath, who left the field with a back strain after bowling seven overs for 31 runs. There was no immediate indication of the seriousness of the condition. In Australia’s innings, number four batsman Martyn hit a boundary from the last ball to complete a century. After winning the toss and batting, Australia recovered from the loss of three early wickets to set the tourists a tough target. Martyn finished with an unbeaten 101 (10 fours) from 114 balls, while fifth-wicket partner Jimmy Maher hammered 49 from as many deliveries at a sell-out Bellerive Oval. Handing out savage punishment to the England attack, the pair smashed exactly 100 runs in 61 minutes. The batting fireworks came after Australia had been precariously placed early. Scoreboard Australia: Gilchrist lbw Anderson 2 Hayden c and b Harmison 21 Ponting c Stewart b Anderson 15 Martyn not out 101 Bevan b Blackwell 52 Maher not out 49 Extras: (lb-9, w-22) 31 Total:
(4 wkts, 50 overs) 271 Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-25, 3-53, 4-171. Bowling: Caddick 10-0-54-0, Anderson 10-1-40-2, Harmison 8-0-58-1, Irani 9-0-55-0, Collingwood 3-0-14-0, Blackwell 10-1-41-1. England: Trescothick c sub b Martyn 82 Knight b Bichel 85 Blackwell c Gilchrist b
Hussain b Watson 43 Shah c Ponting b Hogg 8 Collingwood c Maher b
Stewart c Martyn b
Irani not out 3 Caddick not out 2 Extras:
(b-2, lb-2, w-2, nb-6) 12 Total: (7 wkts in 50 overs) 264 Fall of wickets:
1-165, 2-189, 3-193, 4-209, 5-211, 6-252, 7-262. Bowling: McGrath 7-1-31-0, Lee 10-0-65-0, Watson 8-0-36-2, Bichel 10-0-39-1, Hogg 9-0-55-3, Martyn 6-0-34-1.
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NZ 123 for 2 Rohtak, January 11
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SAFF FOOTBALL
Dhaka, January 11 The Bhutanese, playing their first international match after getting FIFA membership in 2000, were helpless against the Maldives attacks, led by striker Ali Umar. India meet Afghanistan
India’s quest for a hat-trick of titles received a setback against Pakistan in their first match yesterday and the team will be determined to gain full points by putting it across unfancied Afghanistan tomorrow. But injury worries to two key players Alvito D’Cunha and Subhas Chakraborty proved to be a big jolt for the team which came here without the services of four top players, including star striker Baichung Bhutia. Coach Stephen Constantine was hopeful that the two injured players would be fit for tomorrow’s game. Constantine hinted that there could be a few changes in the stating line-up tomorrow though he did not divulge his plans.
PTI
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Vasco get past KPT in IFA Shield
Kolkata, January 11 The local outfit surged ahead in the first half through Amar Pyne, but lost the way in the second session after central defender Bejoy Pal was given the marching order for receiving his second yellow card booking in the first minute post the breather. Taking advantage of the reduced strength of their rivals, the Goans scored through Riston Rodgrigues, Minino Fernandes and substitute Nitin Pradhan to log full points from the Salt Lake Stadium tie. Vasco, who finished goal-less in the lung opener against Tata Football Academy, now have four points from two matches. KPT, who played enthusiastically in the first half repeatedly attacking from the right, shot into the lead in the 38th minute when Pyne headed into the corner of the net from a Bastab Ray cross from the right. Port Trust maintained their lead till the lemon break, but suffered a severe jolt when they were reduced to 10 men soon after the breather as Pal, who was earlier booked in the first half for an offence, was cautioned by referee S Yasin for delaying in taking a free kick. But as the player argued, the referee showed him the yellow card for the second time forcing him to leave the field. Seizing the opportunity, the Goans upped their ante and Rodgrigues restored parity as he headed from close a cross from Brazilian Rui Wanderlay in the 50th minute. The Goans snatched the lead eight minutes later with Wanderlay again in the picture as he essayed a fine back pass to Minino Fernandes who slotted home an angular right footer. Continuing the onslaught, Vasco put the issue beyond Port when Shanta Singh centred from the right in the 77 minute to an unmarked Pradhan, who replaced Agnello Gomes in the second half to make the score 3-1. The day’s second outing played under lights in the Salt Lake Stadium ended goal-less with both Indian Bank and Churchill playing a fast game. Churchill who played with nice short passes had the bulk of ball possession and carried more number of raids in the opponent territory.
PTI |
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ITF title for Bulgarian
Lucknow, January 11 Enev, who qualified for the final beating India’s Davis cupper Harsh Mankad in a tough match yesterday, dominated proceedings right from the word go for a 6-2, 6-2 win. The Bulgarian displayed aggressive tennis to steamroll his opponent in 55 minutes. Enev broke Iwabuchi in the third game of the first set and raced to a 4-1 lead before taking it with a comfortable 6-2 margin. It was the same story in the second set. After the scores were tied 2-2, Enev went on to finish the game at 6-2 to win the title. Enev pocketed $ 1300 while Iwabuchi romped him with $ 900. Eneve later termed today’s match as an easy one but admitted that his encounter with Mankad yesterday was really “tough”. The Bulgarian said he would play in both the next legs of the tournament. The doubles title was annexed by the Indonesian pair of Handoyo and Suwandi who beat Iwabuchi and Kim 6-4, 6-3.
PTI |
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Agassi is champ “I felt pretty good about the standard of tennis today,” Agassi said of his test against Grosjean, known for his quickness and shot-making skills.
AP
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CRPF lift hockey title Kota, January 11 CRPF, who won this title for the second, earned a cheque for Rs 40,000 for their winning effort while the runners-up received Rs 25,000. CRPF who had stunned fancied Indian Airlines in the semifinals yesterday, gave another inspiring display and controlled the proceedings most of the time. The bank men failed to get their act together as they were under pressure for most of the time. Though the bank men beefed up their defence, they could not prevent CRPF from scoring the goal in the 28th minute. CRPF striker capitalised on the defensive lapse and with a crisp shot sent the ball home even before bank goal keeper Shamsheer could react. CRPF maintained their domination in the second session while surprisingly the bank forwards looked subdued. Though they did make few forays into the CRPF territory they never looked threatening. Ten minutes into the second session, CRPF earned a stroke. Mukesh Kumar made no mistake in converting it (2-0) and that effectively sealed the match in favour of CRPF. PSB earned three penalty corners but failed to make use of them. UNI
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20 countries for shooting meet New Delhi, January 11 |
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Auckland, January 11
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Melbourne, January 11
