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India ready for Aussie onslaught Restricting Indian batsmen key to Aussie success
Advantage lies with mighty Australians |
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Marshall ton in vain as Pak win Punjab-Delhi tie heading for draw Punjab down Delhi by 4 wickets Tripura crawl to 216 for 3
Big time football returns to Punjab Indian Oil win Shastri hockey Punjab cops rout Maharashtra
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India ready for Aussie onslaught
Brisbane, December 3 Skipper Saurav Ganguly, already a target of some pre- match intimidatory tactics, sought to put up a brave front and looked to the first match with guarded optimism. "It is definitely important to win in Australia. It is a test of our abilities. If we do well here it will take our cricket another step forward," said the Indian skipper. "They know India is the only side that has beaten them recently. They know at their back of the mind we can throw up a challenge," he said. But all the brave words of the Indian skipper could fly on the face of Indians who have not won a series outside the subcontinent in 16 years, only three games from 27 Tests in Australia and only six of the past 67 Tests. India suffered routs of 4-0 and 3-0 on their two previous tours to Australia and have not bowled out an Australian side twice in a match Down Under for as long as 17 years. Besides history, statistics also is not on their side. Rahul Dravid averages 15.50 in Australia and has a highest score of 35 from six innings. Ganguly has taken his batting lessons and grinded himself on the nets on the tour so far but the figures of 177 runs from three matches at 29.50 from the last tour inspire little confidence nor does the common knowledge of his dislike for the short-pitched bowling. VVS Laxman played a benchmark innings against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 and on the previous tour, hit a sublime 167 in Sydney but he still averaged only 36.83 from the series. Even the otherwise aggressive Virender Sehwag has been unable to find his feet against the world beaters. —PTI
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Ganguly ready
to face music Brisbane: Indian captain Saurav Ganguly today brushed aside Shane Warne’s comment on his vulnerability to short-pitched bowling, saying he was prepared to face the “chin music” planned by the Australians. Ganguly said it was not unusual for a Test player to be tested with short pitched-deliveries but he has been in international cricket long enough to be able to handle such rising balls.
—PTI
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Restricting Indian batsmen
key to Aussie success During the past week I have been overwhelmed by the positive comments of the general public in response to my intention to retire from international cricket after the Indian series. People of all ages have stopped to have a chat, shaken hands with me or asked for an autograph and I feel humbled by all the attention and accolades that I have received. Keeping a level head and staying grounded has always been the key to success at the top level, and it is now that these principles must be adhered to in order for me to finish as I would like and to also stay focussed on the job at hand. The team is of course the priority and it was the first thing I stressed at our initial team meeting. With the intense media interest of not only the past week but the upcoming month it is imperative that we concentrate on the real issues and not my individual situation. Winning a Test series against a competitive and highly motivated team such as India who have enough superstars to beat anyone on any given day is a task we must immerse ourselves in. Restricting India’s batting line-up I believe will hold the key to the series. Not having McGrath, Lee and Warne presents us with not only a great challenge but it also gives the likes of Williams and Bracken an opportunity to display their talents as well as providing Bichel and MacGill with the chance to enhance their already ever-increasing reputations and statistical achievements. All cricket lovers shouldn’t waste the chance to see a genius in action, because that is what Sachin Tendulkar is, not to mention the brilliance of Rahul Dravid or the aesthetic beauty of V.V.S. Laxman and the competitive nature of Saurav Ganguly. These guys are world-class and are backed up by an ever-improving attack led by Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh — they are as dangerous as anyone on their given day. Brisbane as always will be a magnificent Test match venue which will hopefully help the pacemen on days one and two before becoming a sensational batting pitch before offering turn and bounce towards the end of the match. I’ll be interested to see if all the Indian batsmen use their intimidating three-pound-plus bats that murder attacks on low, flat pitches where most shots are played with a vertical swing. In Australia the horizontal shots come into play much more often and a big bat can be hard to manoeuvre and control when playing the cut and hook shots. Ganguly has made no secret of his desire to win away from home and Australia represents his biggest challenge in that quest. He has undoubtedly brought an increased level of mental toughness and a competitive streak to this unit and there are no shrinking violets in his squad. It will be tough Test match cricket played in the right spirit and hopefully somewhere near as that last series in India which was an all-time great tussle. Brisbane holds many memories for me both in terms of success and failure, but the match I most recall was against the West Indies back in 1988. These guys were the Benchmark in terms of skill, aura, intimidation and athleticism and as such we hoped rather than expected to do well. In that frame of mind, one can easily be dominated and dictated to. In my mind I could sense this happening during the match and wanted to make a stand and try and address this imbalance. My chance came through bowling and it coincided with the arrival of Vivian Richard, a man who literally took control of the match just through his imposing body language. Running up to bowl to him, something inside me said, “let him have it”, and so I summoned up my best three bouncers in a row just to give him the message that it was “game on”. The plan almost came off, when I hit him on the back a couple of balls later when he ducked into my slow ball only to be given the benefit of the doubt. It was a gamble and akin to smashing open a hornet’s nest but it felt right and had to be done. That game was also the one in which I reached 90 for the first time only to smash one to Desmond Haynes in the covers off Malcolm Marshall on the last ball before the umpires went off for bad light. At the time I remember thinking, am I ever going to get a hundred, and what is it going to take? Time has flown by since those days of Barramundi and chips for lunch, walking out to bat via the dog track, practice nets on the ground and the masses throwing down mountains of XXXX on the hill, but it still remains a great cricket ground and I can’t wait to lead the boys out on to the ‘Gabba’ for one last time.— Gameplan |
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Advantage lies with mighty Australians
The first Test at the Gabba, which starts on Thursday, will mark the start of the Australian cricket season. Zimbabwe, of course, have already played two Tests, but the one against India will actually herald the cricket summer Down Under. Let’s admit one thing - the Australians at the moment are the undisputed champions, be it the Test matches or the shorter version of the game. But then, India, too, have a tremendous track record when it comes to playing the Australians in India. India have defeated Australia in the last three tours of India. The one played in the 2000 season was the most exciting and satisfactory for India. I am sure, the Australians are itching to settle scores. Yet, there is no doubt that the advantage lies with the Australians on the eve of the match. While the record book clearly suggests that the Indians have never done too well in their previous tours of Australia, the present lot of Aussies are no doubt more experienced and perhaps shade better when it comes to comparing the man-to-man strength. Finally, they have the home advantage. But still, I am hopeful of a good result as I know this Indian team well. They are not only well-prepared, but also have an extremely positive attitude. The overall success in the last two years has brought this change of attitude in the team. Though no one can doubt the resilience-personified Steve Waugh’s ability to play the game for a couple of more years at the highest level, his decision to quit, I have a feeling, is a result of the resolute system of Cricket Australia (CA) than his own choice. The Australian cricket culture has already set such a high standard that it sometimes compels the best to make way for someone equally good even though the former may be at his best. It reminds me of Ian Healy, who, I am convinced, had two good years cricket left in him when an equally good Adam Gilchrist replaced him. Gilchrist, at this rate, will play international cricket for another 10 years. It’s truly an embarrassment of riches. Coming back to Indian team, it may not have done too well in the first two tour matches, but the object of match practice has been served. With Sachin, Laxman and Ramesh getting runs, the batting line-up for the first Test has almost been decided. Veeru opening the innings along with Ramesh will probably leave out Aakash Chopra. With the wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel occupying the No 7 spot, the team can only accommodate four regular bowlers. With Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra sharing the major work in the bowling department, Ajit Agarkar should be the ideal foil as the third seamer. The choice will be hard to make between Anil and Harbhajan. If experience is the criterion, than Anil should get the nod, but going by the success rate against the Australians, Turbunator is likely to get captain’s nod. The Australians will certainly miss both McGrath and Warne, but they have found suitable replacements in Nathan Bracken and Andy Bichel. Stuart MacGill automatically comes in as the only spinner. The main reason behind Australia’s elevation to the No 1 spot is the depth of their batting. Adam Gilchrist coming in at No 7 clearly indicates the nightmarish time that they could pose to the opponents. The presence of world record-holder Mathew Hayden, Steve Waugh, Ponting and Damien Martyns speaks volumes about the indomitable Aussie batting line-up. Indian will have to really play well to keep the Aussies at bay. Sachin and Rahul should occupy the crease for longer hours to allow the rest to contribute their bit in building the innings. Individual brilliance cannot win Test matches, as it is imperative for a few batsmen to come to form in time. The opening batsmen have a major role in seeing the new ball off. The judgement of leaving the right delivery to the wicketkeeper is also a key factor. India, I feel, can also cash on the fairly inexperienced Australian attack. Indian bowlers know well enough to keep the ball up to the batsmen. Apart from taking wickets it’s important to check the run flow. Containment could also be a way of taking wickets. The first Test always sets the tone for the series. Indians will definitely want to change the ragged reputation they carry abroad by putting up a brave fight, whereas the Australians will not only be keen to take revenge but also will also try to give their longest-serving skipper a memorable parting gift. Finally the media coverage. It is a regular feature to see some of the critics filling their pens with blood to write the players off before a tour begins. The pundits, who comment on the game will use equally sharp words to the same effect. This destructive criticism might play havoc in the minds of the youngsters and could be detrimental to playing their natural game. I am sure the seniors have already cautioned the younger lot and have asked them to be strong in the mind and ignore such irresponsible comments. After all haven’t they made it to this level on their own merits? I am extremely confident that the Indian team will put their best efforts to match the might of the Australians .On such an arduous tour, let’s get behind our team and lend full-hearted support to the boys.
— Chivach Media
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Subba submits Kale report VISAKHAPATNAM: Inquiry Commissioner DV Subba Rao, appointed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to probe into the alleged bribery scandal involving cricketer Abhijit Kale and national selectors Kiran More and Pranab Roy, has sent his inquiry report to board President Jagmohan
Dalmiya.
Kale moves court Mumbai: Maharashtra cricketer Abhijit Kale today filed an appeal in the Mumbai High Court challenging an order of Pune district court upholding his suspension by the cricket board for allegedly bribing the selectors. Justice Dilip
Bhosale, however, deferred his appeal until Thursday as the report of the BCCI inquiry was awaited.—PTI |
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England taste Murali magic Galle, December 3 Muralitharan reduced England to 97 for two in reply to Sri Lanka’s first innings total of 331. Brought on after the pace bowlers failed to make an impression, Muralitharan (2 for 15) dismissed the opening pair of Marcus Trescothick (23) and skipper Michael Vaughan (24) in the space of 11 runs. Sri Lanka have won six of the eight Tests played in this southern coastal town - including the last five - and has been beaten only once. Scoreboard Sri Lanka (1st innings): Atapattu c Read b Flintoff 29 Jayasuriya c Collingwood
Sangakkara lbw Johnson 71 Jayawardene c
Tillakaratne c Read b Giles 0 Samaraweera c Read
Chandana lbw Flintoff 21 Dharmasena lbw Batty 27 Vaas not out 22 Fernando c Collingwood
Murali c Read b Giles 38 Extras: (b5, lb2, nb1, w1) 9 Total:
(all out, 127.5 overs) 331 Fall of wickets: 1-76, 2-88, 3-132, 4-132, 5-202, 6-238, 7-239, 8-279, 9-291. Bowling:
Hoggard 20-4-49-0, Johnson 17-5-54-1, Flintoff 23-7-42-3, Collingwood 4-0-12-0, Batty 31-5-98-2, Giles 32.5-9-69-4. England (1st innings): Trescothick c Sangakkara
Vaughan b Murali 24 Butcher batting 15 Thorpe batting 20 Extras: (b4, lb5, nb6) 15 Total:
(2 wkts, 37 overs) 97 Fall of wickets: 1-56, 2-67. Bowling:
Vaas 6-1-14-0, Fernando 3-1-21-0, Dharmasena 11-3-20-0, Muralitharan 10-5-15-2, Chandana 7-1-18-0.
— AFP
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Marshall ton in vain as Pak win
Faisalabad, December 3 Scoreboard Pakistan: Hameed c Cumming b
Farhat c Marshall b Vettori 91 Youhana c Marshall b Walker 64 Inzamam-ul-Haq b Cairns 25 Razzaq c Marshall b Walker 34 Shoaib Malik c and b Walker 15 Moin c Cumming b Walker 1 Muhammad Sami not out 1 Saleem Ellahi not out 4 Extras:
(lb-1,w-12,nb-3) 16 Total: (7 wickets, 50 overs) 314 Fall of wickets:
1-142, 2-183, 3-236, 4-289, 5-308, 6-309, 7-309. Bowling: Mason 10-0-74-0, Walmsley 10-0-53-1, Cairns 8-0-48-1, Walker 7-0-49-4, Harris 5-0-21-0, Vettori 10-0-68-1. New Zealand Cumming c Moin b Akhtar 10 Jones c Yasir b Razzaq 23 Sinclair run out 32 Marshall not out 101 Harris b Sami 46 Cairns c Shabbir b Sami 9 McCullum lbw Sami 1 Walker st Moin b Farhat 10 Vettori not out 9 Extras:
22. Total: (7 wkts, 50 overs) 263. Fall of wickets:
1-1,2 2-58, 3-81, 4-188, 5-20,6 6-213, 7-226 Bowling: Shoaib Akhtar 7-2-30-1, Muhammad Sami 8-1-22-3, Abdul Razzaq 10-0-50, Shabbir Ahmed 10-1-42-0, Shoaib Malik 10-0-64-0, Imran Farhat 3-0-22-1, Saleem Elahi 1-0-10-0, Yasir Hameed 1-0-13.
— Reuters |
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Punjab-Delhi tie heading for draw Chandigarh, December 3 In fact, Punjab's dismissal for 385 just before the tea on the
penultimate day, was indicative of the outcome of the match. Delhi openers Salil Oberoi and Rajat Bhatia batted with enough resolve and application to deny any success to Punjab seamers during 25 overs that they faced towards the fag end of the day's play. Had Punjab seamers been able to make some inroads in the rival batting, it would have injected some interest in play tomorrow. But as things stand at the moment, a draw looks the only possibility. To be fair to them, Punjab seamers bowled their hearts out in order to claim crucial breakthrough. But a couple of shouts, a couple of them enthusiastic, were all that they could manage. In between the Delhi batsmen played some attractive strokes to score runs. By the time the day's play ended, Delhi were able to virtually wipe out the first-innings deficit. All-rounder Rajat Bhatia was batting on 40, while Salil Oberoi was at the crease on 26. Punjab, starting from the overnight score of 224 for two, lost an early wicket of Pankaj Dharmani, who had batted well yesterday. He went for a drive but ended up edging the ball to second slip where Ajay Jadeja took a comfortable catch. Dharmani could add just six runs to his total and was out after scoring 79. Reetinder Sodhi perished soon
thereafter edging Sanjay Gill delivery behind the stumps without troubling the scorer much. Yuvraj Singh, overnight 106 not out, however, batted confidently and hit a couple of impressive strokes. When he looked set for a big innings, a sudden rush of blood saw him take aerial route. He played a full-blooded hook shot, but Sarandeep Singh fielding at square leg covered a lot of ground and took a well-judged catch to signal the end of an impressive innings. Yuvraj's 138-run knock was studded with 19 well-struck boundaries. Wickets tumbled one after the other after the lunch break. Barring Gagandeep Singh, who made 23 with the help of four fours, none of the batsman could get going. Punjab lost five more wickets after the break as the hosts were bowled out for 385. Seamers Sanjay Gill and Narender Negi toiled manfully to take four wickets apiece, while off-spinner Sarandeep Singh took two.
SCOREBOARD Delhi ( 1st innings): 310 Punjab (Ist innings): Ravneet Ricky lbw Negi 25, Yuvraj Singh c Sarandeep Singh b Sanjay Gill 138, Dinesh Mongia lbw Negi 4, Pankaj Dharmani c Jadeja b Bhatia 79, Reetinder Sodhi c Varun b Gill 12, Ankur Kakkar c Jadeja b Bhatia 19, Chandan Madan c and b Gill 31, Amit Uniyal lbw Negi 1, Gagandeep Singh b Gill 23, Navdeep Singh lbw Negi 8, Vineet Sharma not out 7. Extras (b 5, lb 11, nb 16, w 6): 38. Total ( all out in 116.5 overs): 385.
Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-76, 3-240, 4-266, 5-280, 6-319, 7-320, 8-349, 9-362 Bowling: Sanjay Gill 34-1-109-4, Kunal Lal 21-3-79-0, Narender Negi 28.5-6-87-4, Sarandeep Singh 12-1-43-0, Rajat Bhatia 20-6-50-2, Ajay Jadeja 1-0-1-0. Delhi (2nd innings):
Salil Oberoi not out 26, Rajat Bhatia not out 40 Extras ( nb 1, w 1, lb 4) : 6. Total (without loss in 25 overs): 72
Bowling: Gagandeep 10-3-22-0, Vineet 6-0-20-0, Amit Uniyal 6-1-19-0, Reetinder Sodhi 3-0-7-0. |
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Punjab down Delhi by 4 wickets Patiala, December 3 Scores: Delhi: 215 for 9 in 50 overs (Mayank Tehlan 61, Kuldeep Rawat 36, Wilkins Victor 36, V.R.V Singh 4 for 28, Asim Gupta 2 for 28, Hardavinder Singh 1 for 34, Bharat Sharma 1 for 34). Punjab:
219 for 6 in 49.4 overs (Gaurav Gupta 71 n.o, Shiv Karan Singh 27, Bharat Sharma 30 n.o, Rupeetinder Singh 20, Uday Kaul 27, Deepak Rai 1 for 19, Wilkins Victor 1 for 32, Ankur Garg 1 for 31).
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Tripura crawl to 216 for 3 Rohtak, December 3 The visitors added only 175 runs in 90 overs bowled in day’s play to raise their first innings total 216 for three in reply to Haryana’s first innings total of 461 for six declared. An early breakthrough was provided by Saurabh Virmani as he struck in the fifth over of the day to see the back of Timir Chanda as he nicked an outgoing delivery to be caught behind. Haryana (Ist innings):
461 for 6 declared Tripura (Ist innings): Tirtha Roy batting 105, Ritesh Joyswal c Rawat b Vashisht 14, Timir Chanda c Rawat b Virmani 11, Sandeep Dahad c Jitender b Sahu 55, Chetan Sachdev batting 18.
Extras: (b-6, lb-4, nb-2, w-1) 13. Total: 216 for 3 in 102 overs.
Fall of wickets: 1/30, 2/53, 3/180 Bowling: Joginder Sharma 19-7-37-0, Sumit Narwal 12-2-27-0, Gaurav Vashisht 29-16-52-1, Saurabh Virmani 12-2-27-1, Pradeep Sahu 23-6-55-1, Ishan Ganda 7-3-8-0. |
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Big time football returns to Punjab Chandigarh, December 3 According to Arjuna awardee Inder Singh, secretary of the Punjab Football Association, the four matches scheduled for this month will be played in the afternoon commencing at 2 pm. After the match against East Bengal, JCT are scheduled to meet Goa's Salgaocar SC on December 14; Dempo SC on December 20 and Vasco on December 23. The National Football League commenced on November 28 and the first match was played between Mohun Bagan and debutants Mohammedan Sporting at Kolkata. In all 132 matches will be played in two phases. The first phase will end on January 22, 2004. The cities hosting the NFL ties are Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Fatorda (Goa) and Ludhiana. Of the 12 teams participating in the eighth NFL carrying a prize money of over Rs 1 crore, five are from Goa and four from Kolkata. From north India, JCT Phagwara are the only team in the NFL. The Punjab Football Association has chalked out plans for holding JCT's second phase ties at Ludhiana under floodlights. Initially there were plans to hold all 11 matches under floodlights but the fall in night temperature coupled with fears of fog forced the organisers to alter the plans. “We do not want interruption in the league due to fog and hence decided not to play the December matches under floodlights,” Mr Inder Singh told The Tribune today. |
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Indian Oil win Shastri hockey New Delhi, December 3 Ironically, Deepak Thakur was a ‘marked man’ throughout the match as the experienced Indian Airlines defence did not allow him much leeway to manoeuvre inside the box. No wonder, Indian Oil could not translate many goal-bearing opportunities, including five penalty corners, into goals. After sharing two goals at the end of the regulation time, the match went into extra time, and five minutes after play Indian Oil earned their sixth penalty corner, and off it, Deepak Thakur made no mistake. Bikramjeet Singh guided the ball towards Deepak Thakur, who positioned himself in front of the goal, to slot the ball in, dodging the stretching hands of Jagdish Poanppa under the Indian Airlines bar. On paper, Indian Airlines looked very formidable, with all their players being either senior or junior internationals, including four Olympians and several World Cup players, though the names of two of their star players, Dhanraj Pillay and Dilip Tirkey, had been struck off the playing squad at the last moment. On the other hand, the Indian Oil team mostly comprised of junior internationals, with custodian Devesh Chauhan and Deepak Thakur being the only two Olympians in their ranks. Indian Airlines, living up to their intimidating reputation, jumped into the lead just seconds after the start of play when V.S. Vinay’s short pass was latched on by Olympian Mukesh Kumar on the right flank before relaying it to Arjun Halappa inside the dee, who sent the ball home with lightening reflexes (1-1). But Indian Oil were in no mood to play second fiddle and the ball kept moving from one end to other. And ten minutes into the match, international Prabhjyot Singh, a consistent scorer, made a solo dash towards the goal area before reverse-flicking the ball into the goal (1-1). |
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Punjab cops rout Maharashtra Jalandhar, December 3 Meanwhile, in the last leg of the league matches, Orissa defeated Delhi 5-0 while Andhra Pradesh lost to SSB 2-3. Earlier, in the first quarterfinals, favourites Punjab Police, with the help of four goals by Baljeet Singh, ousted Maharashtra 10-0 to keep their hopes alive in the championship. Policemen dominated the proceedings throughout the game and opened their account in the seventh minute of the first half through a penalty corner conversion by Baljeet Singh (1-0). Baljeet Singh struck again in the 12th minute to again convert a penalty corner (2-0). In the second half, Punjab Police came with full confidence and the lead was further consolidated in the 48th minute, when Kanwalpreet Singh made no mistake in converting a penalty corner (3-0). In the 52nd minute, Gagan Ajit Singh took control of the ball and scored a field goal from the left flank (4-0). Baljeet Singh again converted a penalty corner to improve the tally in the 53th minute (5-0). Then it was the turn of Gagan Ajit Singh, who scored two field goals in the 56th and the 65th minute of the game (7-0). In the 66th minute, Baljeet Singh easily dodged the defence to score a field goal (8-0). Kanwalpreet Singh and Prabhdeep Singh scored a goal each in the end to complete the tally. |
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Anil breaks mark Hamirpur, December 3 |
Swimming trials Ludhiana, December 3
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Brisbane, December 3
