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Friday,
April 25, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Delhi meet Tamil
Nadu in semis today Zaheer’s return to bolster Baroda Order to BCCI on Jadeja’s selection Sachin celebrates birthday away from glare
A well-deserved break |
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Adams wrecks Bangladesh Murali threat looms
over New Zealand Crucial East Bengal-Vasco clash today JCT, Tollygunge
split points Sporting ground Air-India 102 golfers for PGA Cup IOB, Punjab cops in semis
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Delhi meet Tamil
Nadu in semis today New Delhi, April 24 Hosts Delhi boast of a virtually full-strength team, barring the absence of pace spearhead Ashish Nehra, and are packed with an array of exciting stroke-makers, including Virendra Sehwag. They also have the psychological advantage of playing at ‘home’ conditions, though Tamil Nadu will be equally at ‘home’ under the scorching sun. Delhi have some cherishable memories of their last Ranji Trophy title clash against Tamil Nadu at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground as in 1991-92, under the captaincy of Kirti Azad, the hosts had lifted the trophy. Though Tamil Nadu trounced Delhi in the quarter-final in the 2001-2002 season at Chennai, despite a dashing knock of 135 by Virendra Sehwag, Delhi are a force to reckon. Interestingly, Kirti Azad is a national selector from Delhi, and had played a vital role in the selection of the Delhi team. Both the teams are well-matched in all departments of the game, as Tamil Nadu too have some exciting young cricketers in the team, who are striving to get into the Indian team. Delhi players Akash Chopra, Gautam Gambhir, Mithun Manhas, Sarandeep Singh and Amit Bhandari will be utilising this crucial semi-final tie to impress the national
selectors. The presence of Virendra Sehwag will of course give a tremendous boost to the Delhi team, but the absence of Nehra, who is recuperating after undergoing an operation on his injured knee in South Africa recently, will be greatly felt, as in this heat, a bowler of his strength and stamina would have been a great asset. But Amit Bhandari, who has been in good nick this season, is there to spearhead the medium-pace department while Sarandeep Singh, just returned from Dhaka, will try to consolidate his position in the Indian team, with his wily spin show. Tamil Nadu are expected to field six specialist batsmen, four bowlers and wicket-keeper Raju Radhakrishnan. Sadagopan Ramesh and L Balaji will strive hard to put on a good show and regain their places in the national team. But the first aim of both the players would be to contribute for the success of their team, instead of gathering personal glory. Teams: Delhi:
Vijay Dahiya (captain), Akash Chopra, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Mithun Manhas, Sarandeep Singh, Varun Kumar, Rahul Sanghvi, Amit Bhandari, Sanjay Gill, Arun Singh, Pradeep Chawla, Siddharth Verma, N S Negi and Harender Chaudhary. Tamil Nadu:
S Suresh (captain), S Ramesh, S Sriram, S Sharath, Hemang Badani, L Balaji, M R Srinivas, Raaju Radhakrishnan, Dinesh Karthick, S Vasudevan, D Dhandapani, D J Gokulakrishnan, S Vasanth Saravanan, S Badrinath, J R Madangopal, R Ramkumar and Vidyut
Sivaramakrishnan. |
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Zaheer’s return to
bolster Baroda Vadodara, April 24 Undeterred by defeat in their first two Ranji Trophy matches against Punjab and Tamil Nadu, Baroda is seeking to draw inspiration from their splendid victories against Assam and Gujarat on this ground which has proved to be lucky for the team for the past two years. Talking to PTI here today, Baroda captain Connor Williams said: “The team’s morale is very high and we are eager to win this match and the final”.
PTI |
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Order to BCCI on Jadeja’s selection New Delhi, April 24 “He may be considered for playing, if he is found entitled to,” a Bench comprising Mr Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Mr Justice R S Sodhi said while hearing a petition by the dashing batsman, seeking implementation of the Arbitrator’s award in his favour. Former Delhi High Court judge, Mr Justice J K Mehra, had cleared Jadeja of match-fixing charges in an order passed on January 27 and gave Indian board cricket BCCI three months’ time to implement his order. Jadeja’s counsel Vineet Malhotra submitted since the time limit fixed by the Arbitrator for implementing the award is expiring on April 26, a direction be issued to the BCCI to implement the same. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for the cricket board, said Jadeja would be considered for selection if he was found entitled to. Dalmiya mum KOLKATA: Board of Control for Cricket in India president Jagmohan Dalmiya today refused to comment on Delhi High Court’s order that former Test cricketer Ajay Jadeja may be considered for first class cricket if he is selected. Asked to comment on the issue, Mr Dalmiya said, “I have not received any papers on this issue as of now. I would comment only after I learn the details.” However, “If there is a court order, one has to abide by it,’’ the BCCI President added. Delhi High Court today said the former Indian captain may be considered for playing first class cricket if he is entitled for selection. In their order, a division bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and R S Sodhi directed the BCCI in India (BCCI) to file a reply within two weeks to Jadeja’s petition seeking his right to play competitive cricket at all levels in view of arbitrator Justice J K Mehra’s on January 27 in his favour. In the meantime, the Judges said if Jadeja was entitled for selection, he may be considered for playing in the Ranji trophy. It may be mentioned that Ajay Jadeja is now undergoing a five-year ban slapped by the BCCI during January 2000 on match fixing issue. |
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Sachin celebrates birthday away from glare
New Delhi, April 24 At 30, Tendulkar has little to prove in international cricket having shattered one record after another in a career spanning 14 years but the chronological landmark may only be the beginning of a new batting conquest. “All I want to do is to go on and on. It’s hard to imagine life without cricket,” the genius, who has amassed more than 21,000 runs in international cricket, said in a TV interview. Many accomplished batsmen in the world have flourished after their 30th birthday and bowlers the world over must have started wondering what the little genius has in store for them. In a cricket-driven country which has expected Tendulkar to be at his destructive best everytime he walks onto the field, Tendulkar has been the torch-bearer of Indian cricket and often determined the national mood. Bursting on the international scene as a 16-year-old kid on the tour of Pakistan in 1989, Tendulkar captured the imagination of the entire country with his brave handling of Pakistan’s feared fast bowlers. His treatment of legendary leg-spinner Abdul Qadir, who was hit for four sixes in an over which went for 27 runs, became part of a folklore. But that was just the start of one of the most glittering careers in the history of cricket. Tendulkar’s appetite for runs has never diminished since then even though he has rewritten most of the batting records. Carrying the hopes of the entire team, for which he remains an inspiration as well as the senior statesman, Tendulkar has often been the difference between a victory and defeat for India. For his fans, he is a demi-god born to rule the cricketing world. Tendulkar’s shots sends millions into frenzy and an early dismissal is treated as a national disaster. Perhaps, no cricketer in contemporary cricket has to handle the kind of intense pressure that Tendulkar has to cope with but the star batsman has gone about doing his job completely unaffected and has always strove to improve. His records speak volumes of his commitment and the desire to excel, having a Test aggregate of 8811 runs in 105 matches for an impressive average of 57.58. With 31 centuries to his credit, he is only behind Sunil Gavaskar (34) in the list of century makers. PTI
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A well-deserved break After 18 months of virtually non-stop cricket, the Indian players get a well-deserved break from the game. The body is not a machine, and cricketers are also human. The itinerary is packed for the next season, and this break will do the players a world of good. These 18 months have been significant for Indian cricket. There has been good progress made since the tour of England last year, which should serve Indian cricket well over the next few years if this tempo is maintained. What had worked, according to me, is consistency. The team management has been the same, and the core group of players has been unchanged giving a sense of continuity. The previous selection committee did a good job in choosing a blend of experience and youth, and the present selection committee has done better by sticking to more or the less the same set. In the past, new selectors were eager to undo what their predecessors had done if only to score a point, and I am happy to note that that tendency has been sidelined. Of the younger players, I think Yuvraj
Singh and Mohammed Kaif are the two shining lights of the last 18 months. They have come on tremendously in this period, showing grit and a strong urge to win. Virender Sehwag is an outstanding talent and can become a real menace for international bowlers, but he has to do some soul-searching about how to actualise his abundant talent. He should be turning the 30s and 40s into hundreds more regularly. The most heartening aspect of the progress has been the formation of a potent fast bowling attack. Zaheer and Nehra have come along superbly, and if Srinath can give one more year at this performance level, the series between India and Australia this winter could acquire an altogether different dimension. Too often in the past Indian teams have struggled overseas because they lacked the firepower to fight back. Srinath, Zaheer and Nehra — with perhaps Agarkar — can prove to be a handful on
pacy, bouncy tracks even if none of them are as express as Lee or
Akhtar. I must not overlook the contribution of the captain in the team’s good showing. Saurav Ganguly has come a long way since he was first made captain, and has asserted his authority in no uncertain manner. I was happy that he went to Dhaka where he could assess new talent first-hand. Saurav has learnt a few important lessons during the World Cup roller-coaster ride. It is never easy captaining India, but Saurav has held his nerve and shown the flexibility to pick players who will perform rather than those who will just be hangers-on.
TCM |
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A well-deserved break After 18 months of virtually non-stop cricket, the Indian players get a well-deserved break from the game. The body is not a machine, and cricketers are also human. The itinerary is packed for the next season, and this break will do the players a world of good. These 18 months have been significant for Indian cricket. There has been good progress made since the tour of England last year, which should serve Indian cricket well over the next few years if this tempo is maintained. What had worked, according to me, is consistency. The team management has been the same, and the core group of players has been unchanged giving a sense of continuity. The previous selection committee did a good job in choosing a blend of experience and youth, and the present selection committee has done better by sticking to more or the less the same set. In the past, new selectors were eager to undo what their predecessors had done if only to score a point, and I am happy to note that that tendency has been sidelined. Of the younger players, I think Yuvraj
Singh and Mohammed Kaif are the two shining lights of the last 18 months. They have come on tremendously in this period, showing grit and a strong urge to win. Virender Sehwag is an outstanding talent and can become a real menace for international bowlers, but he has to do some soul-searching about how to actualise his abundant talent. He should be turning the 30s and 40s into hundreds more regularly. The most heartening aspect of the progress has been the formation of a potent fast bowling attack. Zaheer and Nehra have come along superbly, and if Srinath can give one more year at this performance level, the series between India and Australia this winter could acquire an altogether different dimension. Too often in the past Indian teams have struggled overseas because they lacked the firepower to fight back. Srinath, Zaheer and Nehra — with perhaps Agarkar — can prove to be a handful on
pacy, bouncy tracks even if none of them are as express as Lee or
Akhtar. I must not overlook the contribution of the captain in the team’s good showing. Saurav Ganguly has come a long way since he was first made captain, and has asserted his authority in no uncertain manner. I was happy that he went to Dhaka where he could assess new talent first-hand. Saurav has learnt a few important lessons during the World Cup roller-coaster ride. It is never easy captaining India, but Saurav has held his nerve and shown the flexibility to pick players who will perform rather than those who will just be hangers-on.
TCM |
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Adams wrecks Bangladesh Chittagong, April 24 Jacques Rudolph (15) and Boeta Dippenaar (16) were the not out batsmen at close. Earlier, Adams’ effort of five for 37 was supplemented by pacemen Allan Dawson and Makhaya Ntini, who chipped in with two scalps each as Bangladesh once again failed to put up an impressive effort. Bangladesh have lost 16 of 17 Tests since their entry into the Test arena more than two years ago and have a 0-2 record against South Africa. The Bangladesh batsmen showed only a brief resilience in the first session, after which they wilted to a disciplined bowling-attack and were bowled out just under an hour after tea. Scoreboard
Bangladesh (1st innings): Omar lbw b Dawson 28 Hossain c Boucher b
Bashar c Gibbs b Dawson 60 Ashraful c Dippenaar b
Khan c Rudolph b Adams 13 Kapali c Boucher b
Mahmud b Ntini 6 Salim not out 16 Baishya c Dippenaar b
Haque b Adams 1 Murtaza st Boucher b
Extras (nb-6, w-1) 7 Total
(all out in 65.3 overs) 173 Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-97, 3-100, 4-124, 5-125, 6-126, 7-136, 8-144, 9-147. Bowling:
Pollock 11-2-22-1, Ntini 17-4-45-2, Dawson 13-3-37-2, Willoughby 12-5-32-0, Adams 12.3-2-37-5. South Africa (1st innings): Smith c Salim b Baishya 16 Gibbs c Salim b Murtaza 17 Rudolph not out 15 Dippenaar not out 16 Extras
(b-8, nb-12) 20 Total (for 2 wkts, 22 overs) 84 Fall of wickets:
1-38, 2-41. Bowling: Murtaza 6-1-43-1, Mahmud 5-2-8-0, Baishya 6-3-12-1, Haque 4-2-6-0, Kapali 1-0-7-0.
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Murali threat looms over New Zealand
Colombo, April 24 Five years ago, New Zealand squandered a first-Test victory to succumb to a 1-2 loss in their last tour to Sri Lanka as the batsmen were foxed by Muralitharan’s treacherous tweakers. Muralitharan’s 19-wicket haul in three Tests dashed New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming’s dream of winning a Test series in Sri Lanka, and the ace spinner says he wasn’t even in his prime then. "I’ve added more variety to my spinning art in recent years," says Muralitharan, who is the country’s highest wicket-taker with 437 dismissals in 73 Tests and is aiming to overhaul the 500-mark this year in Tests against New Zealand, the West Indies and England in the pipeline. Contemporary cricket’s most bewildering yet controversial spinner, Muralitharan says he’s prepared to give up playing one-dayers to chase this dream. All this isn’t good news for Black Caps’ skipper Fleming, who returns to Sri Lanka in prime batting form but aware of the enormous challenge of taking on the Asian team in its own backyard. AP
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Crucial East Bengal-Vasco clash today
Kolkata, April 24 East Bengal have 14 wins, four draws and two loses from 20 outings, while Vasco have 10 wins, seven draws and two loses from the same number of outings. East Bengal have 46 points in their kitty, while Vasco have 43 points from the same number of outings. Vasco, who flew here yesterday and practised only for a day under the scorching sun, will have to go all out for a victory or else the next match against Mahindra United would be reduced to a formality. Vasco need a win desperately to be equal on points with East Bengal, provided the latter loses their last match against Salgaocar on April 28. The championship will then be decided on goal average if both the teams have equal points. East Bengal still holds the edge with 40 goals in their favour and 20 against, while for Vasco it is 38 in favour and 16 against. Both sides take the field tomorrow with full force and the match promises to be a cliff-hanger with the transfer season on and each player trying to showcase his calibre. Vasco’s Brazilian striker Marcos Perriera, with 15 goals in his kitty so far, reportedly signed an agreement with Mohun Bagan last night and will play in the maidan next season. So he will surely try to prove himself against arch-rivals East Bengal. Vasco coach Derek Perrera said his players were in high spirits and will do their best to grab the opportunity in the offing. With Marcos and his countrymate Rui Wanderly moving down both flanks, Vasco looked a formidable force in the last two encounters in which 13 goals by this Arlem-sponsored squad were pumped in against HAL and ITI. In the first leg, Marcos levelled in the second half after East Bengal were leading via an Alvito D’Cunha goal. The Brazilian striker duo of Vasco is given much respect by local coach Subhas Bhowmik. With Rozario Ramos in Vasco goal and Savy Dias, Franky Barreto, who had played in the city before, Angelo Colaco and Jules Alberto in defence, Derek is happy with his team. ‘’We are in shape to inflict damage on the rivals,’’ he said. Coach Subhas Bhowmik also geared up to ensure not to have any more hiccups on way to securing the title. He has made sure that every small chinks in the defence is well sealed with Douglas D’Silva, Nigerial Suley Musah, Dipak Mandal and M Suresh doing the marking for the Marcos-Rui duo. UNI
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JCT, Tollygunge split points
Kolkata, April 24 The visitors, down by a first half goal, rallied brilliantly in the second half, pumping two quick goals. Tollygunge Agragami levelled the score in the dying moments. The local side went up when striker Ashim Biswas booted home in the eighth minute of the play from an advance of Sandip Das defeating JCT goalie M Mohammed. With this, Biswas scored his tenth goal in the National Football League. Stung by the reverse, JCT coach Sukhwinder Singh withdrew his veteran striker I M Vijayan in the second half and fielded energetic Hardip Gill who scored two quick goals. Hardip levelled the score in the 65th minute from a cross from Joe Paul Ancheri. Ten minutes later the substitute again banged home defeating Tollygunge goalie Arindam Ghose. Hardip’s shot ricocheted off Ghose and rolled into the net. When the play looked almost in favour of JCT, Tollygunge striker Akeem pushed into the net from Ashim Biswas’ pass. After the 21st round, JCT collected 35 points and Tollygunge 23. UNI
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Sporting ground Air-India
New Delhi, April 24 Foreign recruits gave the Kolkata club the upper hand right from the start. Coach Mohammed Habib chose to play the 4-3-3 combination attacking in short bursts. That was the game the international players — Liberian Eugene Gray and Nigerian Awal Ibrahim played with great finesse. The crowd-puller Sporting took time to settle down before starting to take control. The tempo picked up in the second-half. In the 54th minute, an unmarked Gray got a free ball off a melee which rebounded from the airmen’s custodian Rajat Guha. Gray’s right-footer went like a bullet with an hapless Guha beaten all ends up to make it 1-0. In the 62d minute, L Akbar Singh floated in a juicy volley to a waiting Ibrahim at the top of the box. The Nigerian’s header sailed through the right corner of the net and it was 2-0. However, it was not all lost for the airmen. They made one good foray in the 67th minute when Anthony Fernandes scored of a Naushad Moosa header with goalkeeper Imran Khan out of charge. It was 2-1. Sporting played with short passes and combined well upfront in the counter-attacks. They were aided by a resilient Imran under the bar. In the 83rd minute Guha foiled an attempt that could have given the Kolkata side their third goal. The airmen also missed a sitter when in stoppage time Fernandes failed to convert a golden chance. UNI
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Salgaocar
post 4-2 win
Margao, April 24 Salgaocar, who had beaten Indian Bank by an identical margin in the away match, scored all the goals in the second half through Sebastiao Endro (52nd), Climax Lawrence (60th, 75th) and substitute Alex Ambrose (76th). The goals for Indian Bank were scored in both halfs by K G Joseph (27th) and J Ananda Vasan (70th). The first half was a drab affair, where lot of scoring chances went
abegging. PTI
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102 golfers for PGA Cup Chandigarh, April 24 Giving this information to newspersons Mr S.K. Sharma, President of the Punjab Golf Association, said Harjinder Singh Kang would defend the title he won last year. But the competition in the ladies section would not have the ladies golf icon Irina Brar who is suffering from injuries. In her absence the field would be led by Parneeta Garewal. Prominent among the participants will be Jaskirat Dullet, Suman Puri, Gaganjit Bhullar and Ajitesh Sandhu. The tournament is being conducted for amateurs: Men (with 09 and below handicap), ladies (18 and below handicap), boys (16 and below handicap) and girls (20and below handicap). The championship will be decided on gross score. Fiftyfour men, 12 ladies, 30 boys and six girls will be taking part. Mr Partap Singh Bajwa, PWD (B and R) Minister, Punjab will give away the prizes on April 26. |
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IOB, Punjab cops in semis Mumbai, April 24 IOB got the game against Tisco in the first quarter itself and built a cushion of 15 points which the losers could never bridge. A 49-65 loss notwithstanding, Tisco showed they were men of steel indeed by fighting back later in the competition. In their match, Punjab Police defeated Vijaya Bank 77-51 with consistent performance from their players. Parminder Singh Sr played a crucial role in the victory scoring 18 points for his side.
PTI
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