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Stakes high for both teams in Sydney
Important to focus on unfinished task
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Steve Waugh is the real winner India-Aussie rivalry set to
overtake Ashes Ban runners, says Waugh Kapil pens ‘Straight from the Heart’ Punjab move into semifinals Signals outplay Himachal Blue 40 teams for kabaddi tournament Wrestling academy at Jalandhar
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Stakes high for both teams in Sydney
Sydney, January 1 The battle between the two teams has boiled down to the wire and the fluctuating results so far in the series portend a sure thriller in the final Test. Having allowed the hosts to level the series with an emphatic nine-wicket victory in Melbourne, the Indians will be eager not to repeat the same mistakes of the third Test when they squandered an intial advantage to bow down to the world champions. But their star batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s form and a fickle tail continue to be sources of worry for India. India’s quest for their first-ever series win on Australian soil may run into rough weather with the home team keen to maintain their momentum and give captain Steve Waugh a fitting send-off before his home crowd. Waugh did not mince words when he said he would not like to bid farewell to the game on a losing note, reminding his teammates that victory alone will be the perfect parting gift. “I do not want to go out as a losing captain. I did that in my one-day career. I do not want to do that in Test career. That is my main concern,” said Waugh. The absence of pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who has been ruled out because of a hamstring injury, will be a big setback for the Indian bowling attack which has been struggling to contain the mighty Australian batsmen. The Indians may include left arm-spinner Murali Kartik in the playing eleven as the track at the Sydney Cricket Ground could assist the slow bowlers. The Aussies may recall speedster Jason Gillespie who missed the last Test because of a groin injury. Indian confidence may be dented after the Melbourne defeat, but they would have to carry the belief that they can upset the Aussies once again. Although most of the Indian top order batsmen have got some big scores under their belt, the poor form of Tendulkar has been a worrying factor for the visitors. Tendulkar, who has been struggling to get the runs in the series so far, will be under enormous pressure as the hosts have already made it clear that they would try to remain on top of the little genius. Tendulkar will be hoping to start the New Year on a happy note and leave behind the disappointments of 2003. Both the teams rely heavily on their batsmen to deliver the goods and whichever team bats better could ultimately lift the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the symbol of cricketing supremacy between the two nations. India have shown enough character on the tour to earn respect from the opposition as was evident from the effusive praise of the team by Waugh. Australia were back to their natural winning ways with a thumping nine-wicket victory in Melbourne but Waugh was unwilling to admit that the momentum was in his team’s favour going into the Sydney Test. “We have learnt over the last couple of series against India that is has been fluctuating every game and you cannot take anything for granted,” Waugh said. “I don’t know what is going to happen in Syndey, but I know it will be a good match,” he said. Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, humbled by the Melbourne mauling, urged his batsmen who could not build on good starts and the tail which failed to wag to make amends in the final. Ganguly also reminded his teammates that although the conditions in Sydney might suit them, they would still have to fight hard to press for a series-deciding win. “I hope Sydney suits us. But then just favourable conditions will not help our side to win. We won in India but had to fight hard in conditions that suited us.” The wicket at the SCG has raised a lot of debate already. While traditionally it has assisted the slower bowlers, the new drop-in pitch might behave differently. But whatever the nature of the pitch, India’s bowling problems remain unsolved. Hampered by injury-induced absence of Zaheer Khan and ineffective display by Ashish Nehra, Indian team management must be thinking hard for the right bowling combination. Kartik, the left-arm spinner who was flown-in as a reinforcement after regular offie Harbhajan Singh had to pull out of the series due to a finger injury following the first Test, could be fielded at the expense of a paceman but it remains to be seen whether the Railways spinner can make much of an impact. Kartik’s inclusion would provide ample support to old warhorse Anil Kumble who has managed to pick wickets albeit at the cost of a lot many runs. In contrast to the bowling mess that India find themselves in, Australia seem to be coming back to near full- strength with speedster Jason Gillespie likely to resume action in the series tomorrow. Gillespie’s return will inspire confidence in tearaway bowler Brett Lee who did not seem to be in peak form in his comeback match in Melbourne. Lee had a match haul of four wickets and would be wanting to improve on his performance. The batting department of both teams looks more or less in order but unlike the Indians, the Aussies have largely depended on their two in-form batsmen — Rickey Ponting and Matthew Hayden — to do the bulk of the scoring though Justin Langer had a century in the first Test. Teams (from): India:
Sourav Ganguly (capt), Aakash Chopra, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Parthiv Patel, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Irfan Pathan, Ashish Nehra, Murali Kartik, L Balaji. Australia:
Steve Waugh (captain), Ricky Ponting, Andy Bichel, Nathan Bracken, Adam Gilchrist, Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, Justin Langer, Brett Lee, Stuart MacGill, Damien Martyn, Brad Williams. Umpires:
Steve Bucknor (WI), Billy Bowden (NZ) Hours of play (IST) 5.30 am to 7.30 am; 8.10 am to 10.10 am; 10.30 am to 12.30 am.
— PTI |
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Be clinical, Wright tells players
Sydney, January 1 Wright does not want India to surrender the advantage as they had done in the third Test at Melbourne and “nail situations home” for a historic series win on Australian soil. “If we get to the situation as we did on the first day of the Melbourne Test, we got to nail those situations home,” Wright told reporters during the team’s practice session. India were 278 for one at one stage on the first day of the Melbourne Test before a batting slump helped the home side wrest the initiative and level the series with an emphatic nine-wicket victory. “We have got to be fiercely hungry to achieve and take that step further in this match. We have to be fiercely clinical,” Wright said. The coach wants his side to lift the ground fielding dramatically and for the tail to contribute significantly — the two factors primarily responsible for India’s loss in the third Test. “The lower half of the batting order has to lift. In Melbourne we lost 50 in the field and 50 by way of the tail. “We might have a different tail in this game but the fielding has to be improved. What happened in Melbourne was appalling,” he said. Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik might have to sit out unless and until five bowlers are tried tomorrow at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which has a tradition of assisting slower bowlers. It appears Ajit Agarkar will have either Irfan Pathan or Laxmipathy Balaji, or both, as his fast bowling partners in this game. — PTI
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Important to focus on unfinished task The stage is set for an epic contest between two highly motivated sides, each believing they can win the decider. From a personal viewpoint I’m excited at the prospect that lies ahead not only because it is my farewell Test in front of my family and friends, but because we have a challenge to confront as a side, and that’s when I believe we play our best cricket. It is important for us as a team to focus on the unfinished business of winning the series. It’s going to be a very tough game, so it’s a huge plus for us to have Jason Gillespie up and running in time for the team. Our bowlers did a splendid job in Melbourne, and Dizzy’s return will add an extra dimension to the attack. Our batting can only improve, with Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn all due for a big one. India’s supporters would say that so is Sachin Tendulkar, so it remains to be seen what happens. It’s going to be a tough, winner-takes-all situation, and I cannot think of a better way of ending what has been a completely absorbing series. Many of my favourite cricketing memories revolve around the famous Sydney Cricket Ground. I was first introduced to this great venue by my first cricket coach of the Panania East Hills Under-10 side. It was like landing on another planet the first time I walked through the turnstiles and saw the hallowed turf. We all sat on the hill in our whites eating our Four and Twenty pies, drinking cans of Coke and mimicking the action in front of us, which was a Shield match between South Australia and New South Wales. I was hooked from that moment on and subsequently came back to watch many more state and international matches over the years. The most vivid image I still have is seeing Kim Hughes smash a Bishen Bedi full toss into the top deck of the Members’ Stand which seemed destined to take the clock out. Gaining selection in the development squads in my youth gave me the opportunity to practice at the SCG number two oval and come closer to my dreams of making it out to the main ground. Training occasionally coincided with Test matches and I recall meeting and getting the signatures of Jeff Thompson and Sam Gannon, a moment that was captured by the press, and making it into the papers the next day. The SCG has provided me with many of the defining moments of my career. After struggling to reproduce my form of the 1989 Ashes tour my inconsistency was such that even though I made 48 and 14 against England, I expected, and got, the call from Bob Simpson informing me that my twin brother Mark would ensure that a Waugh was still in the side. It wasn’t long after fighting my way back into the side that I was again under the microscope coming into a Sydney Test. This time I was facing the might of the Windies and batting in the unfamiliar position of number three. Any hundred against an attack containing Curtly Ambrose is worth remembering especially when the ‘whisper’ was that if I did not produce the goods I would be playing Shield cricket once again. I also remember that particular century for my defiant gesture to the press box and my subsequent dismissal a few balls later, thus teaching me a valuable lesson – to concentrate on my job and let the actions do the talking. Watching opposition players excel at the SCG has also provided lasting memories. As three stand outs I would rate Lara’s 277 for pure skill and shot placement, Haynes’ 143 for footwork and execution against spin and Darren Gough’s hat trick. The SCG is one of the most intimate venues in the world when filled to capacity. It feels like the crowd is almost on top of you and the noise level multiplies greater than at any other ground. The members’ stand is one of the most aesthetically pleasing to view as it represents the history and traditions of the past. Of course I can’t talk about my career at the SCG without mentioning last year’s century against England.
— Gameplan
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Steve Waugh is the real winner Absolute and unyielding consistency, enduring efforts and above all, great leadership are some of the salient features of the arguably the best captain Australia ever had — Steve Waugh. Taking over the reigns from Mark Taylor a little late in his career ‘Tugga’ as Steve is fondly called, didn’t have much to do in terms of building the team, as he always had the advantage of having highly talented match-winners like of Shane Warne, Ricky Pointing, McGrath and Mark Waugh in the
squad. To those who are aware of Steve’s passions for playing and enjoying the game, it is still a mystery whether his exit was announced on his own terms or was simply forced on him. The world will miss Steve Waugh, but its much more the other way round. Steve, as I know him, is really going to miss the great game of cricket. A good 18 years of cricket with five years as the invincible leader is too much for any player to stay away from the game. But then, all good things must come to an end. If Steve has accomplished most of it as a player and as well as a captain of the Australian team, there is one thing that might leave him pondering for the rest of life: beating Indians in India. Steve came into international cricket as a mediocre cricketer and was even ignored on a few occasions from the Test and one-day sides because of his ordinary averages. A man resilience personified, Steve came back strongly not only to become the world’s most capped Test player, but also to become the second highest scorer in the history of world cricket. The high point of his career may be winning the 1999 World Cup, but his contribution as a player is more evident in the Test cricket where his average is as impressive as 51.25. Though overshadowed by the grace and elegance of his twin bother Mark Waugh, he was the epitome of commitment and determination. The world has hardly witnessed the Waugh twins communicating on and off the field but the adage “blood is thicker than water” proved true when Steve stood firmly stood by his brother during Mark Waugh controversies. During the Calcutta Test in the 1998 series, the Australians were reeling at 5 for 3 when Steve walked in. Since I was the wrecker-in-chief, he came straight up to me and gave a mouthful after facing a series of short pitch deliveries. By the end of the day, Steve said to the media that taking on the fast bowlers brings the best out of him. Not many batsmen would dare to endorse his way of tackling fast bowlers. The now famous Curtly Ambrose versus Steve Waugh tug of war in 1998 is the ample evidence of his guts in handling fast bowlers. Indian batting Icon Rahul Dravid has emulated Steve Waugh and is an ardent admirer of his qualities. The final Test in front of his home crowd at Sydney will be the swan song for this great cricketer The .SCG is the perfect venue to bid adieu irrespective of the result of the match. However, the team would not only be ready for an emotional farewell but would want to gift the departing captain a series win. By winning the Adelaide match, Indians have the opportunity to win the series, which, if accomplished, will be a historic one. Even levelling the series by drawing the final Test will see the Indian team in a different light altogether. Only surrendering the series to the hosts will be disastrous for the tourist. The SCG known to be a spinners paradise and the contradicting reports of things not being same anymore there leave the team to think hard whether to go with three seamers or two spinners. I firmly believe that on wicket which is known to keep low as the match progresses, a third seamer can be more effective than a spinner. The head of the department of the Indian spin attack, Anil Kumble can be very well supplemented by the likes of Sehwag and Sachin. A three pronged pace attack will be the right combination for India’s quest to script history. In the end, it is the brutally honest Australian cricketing culture that would see the exit of Steve Waugh. It has happened to many cricketers in Australia before and people can still say Steve Waugh had the longest run. This Sydney Test has all the ingredients to become the most interesting one. The result is obvious — Steve Waugh is the real winner, be it in win or defeat. —Chivach Media |
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India-Aussie
rivalry set to overtake Ashes Sydney, January 1 “The platform is there,’’ Waugh told a news conference on the eve of the deciding Test with India. “The last two series have been phenomenal. India are going to be a very strong force in world cricket for a long time to come.’’ While the Ashes has lost some of its aura in recent years with Australia racking up a record sequence of eight series wins, Australia’s clashes with India have rapidly grown in stature. India produced possibly the greatest comeback in Test history when they recovered from a seemingly hopeless position to win their last series in India 2-1. Their current four-match series being played in Australia, has been just exciting with the teams locked at 1-1 heading into the final Test. Waugh, whose retirement has added to the significance of the occasion, said the Border-Gavaskar trophy which the two countries play for, was quickly becoming one of the sport’s great prizes. “There’s no reason why India and Australia can’t really get something special in the future together,’’ Waugh said. “The Border-Gavaskar trophy will hopefully be as famous as the Ashes one day.’’
— Reuters |
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Ban runners, says
Waugh SYDNEY: Injured batsmen should be prevented from using runners, Australia’s retiring captain Steve Waugh said.
“I don’t think you should have runners as a batsman, bowlers, when they get injured, don’t have any help,’’ Waugh told reporters today. “I think batsmen if they get injured, they’ve got to play their shots or get out. “There’s a lot of confusion when runners get on the field, and over whether the guy is actually injured.’’ Waugh, who is retiring from international cricket after the final Test against India starting tomorrow, made an unbeaten 157 against England at the Oval in 2001 when he batted injured.
— Reuters
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Kapil pens ‘Straight from the Heart’ New Delhi, January 1 The book has been divided into many sections, with Kapil Dev jotting down with candour, “Life is All About Learning”, in his preface. Other chapters include “Life is Quite a Leveller”, “Sanctity of Memories”, “Records are Made to be Broken”, “Love Makes You Go Round”, “Rearview Renders the Mirror Image” and “Fatalism of Fame” and an annexure on “Kapil Dev’s XI” and Milestones. Kapil notes that what constitutes success is “talent, perseverance and self-esteem”, adding that a “bowler should have a superb rhythm, and a captain becomes a great captain when he can make the best use of limited talents in times of stress and strain”. Kapil, who was adjudged the Wisden Cricketer of the Century, in 2002, has been described as the “Jewel of Indian cricket” by former Indian cricket captain Bishan Singh Bedi while MAK Pataudi observes that Kapil is a “fine example to the millions who see in his career the possibilities of fulfilling their own ambitions”. Sunil Gavaskar, under whose captaincy Kapil played stellar roles, both with the bat and the ball, in several Test matches, says “the cricketing world will be grateful for the joy he has given to the spectators all over the world with his uninhibited approach. And Indian cricket, in particular, can with pride tell the rest of the world it produced a cricketer called Kapil Dev”. Vivian Richards, the former West Indies cricket captain, notes that “Indian cricket is about spirit, enthusiasm and passion. And Kapil Dev is the man who more than anyone else portrayed that”. Fred Trueman pays the ultimate compliment to Kapil when he observes that “Not for a long time have I seen so much cricketing ability vested in one man. Kapil Dev, whether batting, bowling or fielding, has been a spectator’s delight”. Gundappa Viswanath calls Kapil a “phenomenon”. “How else can one define this champion performer who hails from a country where fast bowlers’ lives at the top have been very, very short?”, he adds. Richard Hadlee, whose Test bowling record Kapil Dev overhauled to take his place under the record sun, says “Kapil Dev has now moved into the annals of cricketing immortality—a leading wicket-taker in the history of the game. This is a marvellous achievement because it has required dedication, skill, technique and the will to keep going and bowling in more often than not trying and tiring conditions”. What Clive Lloyd said of Kapil Dev’s record was that “The work was hard, but what a record”. Kapil Dev made his first class cricket debut in 1975, still two months away from his 17th birthday, for Haryana, and took six wickets for 39 runs. And his international cricket debut was against Pakistan at Faisalabad in 1978. Kapil can be credited with transforming Indian cricket’s spin oriented scenario to fast bowlers’ domain. A tearaway quickie, with a side-on action, Kapil combined control over line and length with an amazing ability to move the ball both ways. He became the first bowler to capture 434 Test wickets and scored 5248 runs off 131 Test matches, which he played virtually non-stop, barring just one break for non-cricketing reasons. |
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Cuttack, January 1 Opener Amardeep Soanker’s half century and Binwat Singh’s 44 in the second innings helped the visitors clinch the win. For Punjab, Sandeep Sawal took five wickets conceding 29 runs, Rajesh Sharma claimed three giving 29 runs and Love Abliesh and Amardeep Soanker took one wicket each. Brief Score: Orissa 1st innings: 232 all out in 86.5 overs Punjab 1st innings: 238 all out in 73.5 overs Orissa (2nd innings): 158 all out in 39.1 overs Subrat Behera 89, Gobind Mullick 13, Priyabrata Pradhan 17; Sandeep Sawal 5 for 29, Rajesh Sharma 3 for 29. Punjab (2nd innings): 154 for 2 in 39.2 overs Amardeep Soanker 51, B Singh 44 Pravat Nayak 2 for 63. — UNI
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Signals outplay Himachal Blue Mandi, January 1 In another match ITBP outclassed Punjab Armed Police 2-0. The day’s first match played between Signals and Himachal Blue tilted towards Signals in the third minute when Lakra netted the ball for a 1-0 lead. Himachal lads got the second jolt soon when Rakesh sounded the board in the eighth minute for a comfortable 2-0 lead for Signals. The Himcahal boys built some pressure and managed to bounce back in style when Aashish punched the ball in the net. At half time the scores were 2-1. After the breather, Himachal lads tried hard to equalise displaying good hockey but their dreams were shattered when Ghanshayam of Signals netted the ball in the 31st minute of the second half. Signals won the match 3-1. EME Jalandhar dominated Himachal Red right from the beginning and opened their accounts in the opening minutes of the match when Rajvir Singh scored a brilliant field goal. Himachal team gave tough fight all through the match but failed to net the ball. Bhangra of EME was shown a green card, the first in the tournament. Jalandhar lads failed to convert a penalty corner in the 35th minute of the first half. In the 59th minute of the second half Mandeep Singh scored the goal for a 2-0 win over Himachal boys. |
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40 teams for kabaddi tournament Ludhiana, January 1 The winners in the open category will be richer by Rs 50,000 while the runners-up will receive a cash prize of Rs 25,000. The title winners and the runners-up in the one village section will get a cash prize of Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000, respectively. In the 62kg category, the winners will pocket a cash prize of Rs 6,100 while the losing finalists will get Rs 4,100. Similarly, in the national style, the winners will receive a cash prize of Rs 6,100 and the second position holders will get prize of Rs 4,100.
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Wrestling academy at Jalandhar Sangrur, January 1 To begin with about 150 young wrestlers from Panjab will be selected, who will attend a coaching camp at Jalandhar from January 10 to April 10. |
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Pak hockey team returns Amritsar, January 1 |
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