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Big guns unlikely for today’s tie against PM’s XI Laxman coming of age as a player now Pakistan lift U-17 Asia Cup Safin stuns Roddick to reach semis
WFI names squads for coaching camps |
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Football star Feher dies
on pitch
Award for Inder Singh Suraj Lata Devi to lead
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Big guns unlikely for today’s tie against PM’s XI
Canberra, January 27 The Indians have had a rather listless stay in Canberra in the last few days. They did not venture out of their rooms for the first two days, postponed a morning session at the Oval this morning, generally giving the impression it is a game they would rather be happy not playing. It is unlikely that most of the big guns would be seen in action tomorrow and the list of absentees would include captain Sourav Ganguly even though there is a certain sentiment attached with the presence of Steve Waugh as rival captain and this being bigger than a normal festival match. The Indians are not treating this game seriously though Australians are giving it a big billing since it is a traditional fixture and also that Waugh would be around. Waugh, of course, is looking forward to locking horns with the Indians in one final fling at the tourists who almost caused him grief during the Test series. “For me, of course, I thought I’d played my last match against India in Sydney earlier this month, but I guess I have another opportunity to face a very in-form team that no doubt will be looking to maintain its’ successful tour to date,” Waugh said. The home team has four players who recently represented Australia ‘A’ against Zimbabwe. They include South Australia’s Mark Cleary and Shaun Tait, Tasmanian fast bowler Damien Wright and Western Australian Marcus North who smashed a brilliant 115 against the Africans. Victoria’s David Hussey is also expected to provide some fireworks when he makes his way to the crease. His double century against NSW in Newcastle last week was heralded by Waugh as one of the best knocks he had seen in domestic cricket for years. Waugh felt the selectors should be paying close attention to Hussey for higher honours in future. Also around will be chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns who is looking to spot a bowling talent who could get a surprise selection in the Australian squad for the rest of the tri-series. He feels the presence of Waugh would bring that extra effort from the youngsters in tomorrow’s match. “Steve is a player most of these guys would have looked up to as they were coming through the ranks, and I know they will be thrilled to be able to play alongside him.” Teams: Prime Minister’s XI: Stephen Waugh (captain), Marcus North, Cade Brown, Matthew Bradley, David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Chris Hartley, Mark Cleary, Damien Wright, Xavier Doherty and Shaun Tait. India (from): Sourav Ganguly (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Shewag, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Rohan Gavaskar, Parthiv Patel, Anil Kumble, Murali Kartik, Irfan Pathan, Ashish Nehra, Laxmipathy Balaji, Hemang Badani, Sanjay Bangar and Ajit Agarkar. — PTI
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Laxman coming of age as a player now “While the younger players can only blossom under the right circumstances created by providing right coaching, the roles played by the seniors in mentoring and fostering the youngsters also helps the boys to graduate. The youngsters maturing quickly to the same pedestal of the performing seniors indicates the rapid progress of the team”, says Rahul Dravid in an exclusive interview to Javagal Srinath. Excerpts: SRINATH:
One cannot say that you personally didn’t have the ingredients to succeed during the 2000 tour of Down Under. It’s not that you have had a long lean patch in your career. Having had a great series now, what factors would you suspect that let you down the 2000 series in Australia? DRAVID:
During the 2000 series, I was too much aware of the fact that my true cricketing merits would be measured in Australia and it put me in a spot of pressure. Although, I did reasonably well all around the world, I didn’t really know what to except here in Australia then. The experience gained from the last 35 Test matches between 2000 and 2003 has put my cricket in a good light. I have come to understand my own personality better and know how to react to things at different situations. Back in my mind, I am a much more relaxed person now. The dismissal in the first Test at Brisbane didn’t perturb me at all. The atmosphere is very conducive in the team. The strategies to understand the opponents and upgrading our own game with the support of technology, the new belief in fitness regime, the psychological help and many other factors have contributed to the team as well as to my success in this series. SRINATH: Tell me something about your personal role in building the team and the team spirit like understanding the youngsters dilemma in establishing themselves at this level of cricket and to make sure they don’t slip into the state of inertia. DRAVID: Frankly, all the senior players strive hard to follow the prime values and objectives of the team. I, along with the coach and the captain, try and create the right ambience for the guys. It is an environment where the excellence is promoted and performance is valued. The engine that works at the backdrop of the team is equally important like the contribution of Andrew, John, and Greg. While the younger players can only blossom under the right circumstances created by providing right coaching, the roles played by the seniors in mentoring and fostering the youngsters also helps the boys to graduate. The youngsters maturing quickly to the same pedestal of the performing seniors indicates the rapid progress of the team. Only the performance on arduous tours like this can make one realise the sense of achievement and what it actually takes to maintain those standards. Some of our lads are just 18 or 19 and they handle the pressure amazingly well at this level. SRINATH: You have been doing some strange things like closing your eyes every now and then while batting and it looks as if you have gone into trance state. What exactly do you do ….do you think about your wife?????????? DRAVID: Ha ha ha, you people must have seen it on the television few times. Actually, if at any stage I feel my concentration is wavering and my thoughts are wandering, I just close my eyes to collect my thoughts and focus my concentration on the breathing and also keep my thinking in the present state. I dread to drift into what had happened during the previous deliveries or what’s going to happen in the coming few balls. You have no control on the balls you have already played or the one you would have to play. But you are in complete control on the one you are about to face. A few thoughts like how to celebrate my 50 or a hundred, which is quite normal, comes to my mind and that’s the time I rearrange my thoughts to live in the present and get on with the job on hand. One of the toughest things in sport is to be in the real time events all the time. SRINATH:
Laxman and you strike it well. DRAVID: Well, it’s not only Laxman, I have had a few serious partnerships with Sachin and Sourav as well. But with Laxman, I have played some crucial innings that had direct bearings on the results of the matches and one of them turned out be a historic win. Especially, the Calcutta innings and the Adelaide one would stand tall in the memories. We both have played together from the junior level and having continued playing till now we understand each other well at the centre. During long partnerships, we are quick to notice any lapses in each other’s concentration and keep sending alert signals to one another. Lax is a great player and I respect him a lot. And I think he is really coming of age as a player now. At the same time, the family life, I strongly feel is extremely crucial in one’s development of his career and contribute a great deal towards its relevance. Though the game is little glorified in our country, by the end of the day I have to come back to my family for the reality check. The part played by the family is the same, be it in winning or losing. The environment created by my parents during my formative days in terms of stress on the importance on education, sports and understanding of the basic family values has been instrumental in my little success. I wish all the youngsters have similar run in their childhood for a decent career in any walk of their chosen profession. The balance between the education and sports, the involvement of parents in the kid’s game and the attitude towards life as a whole are some of the significant and sensitive parametres in growing a child’s sports career. SRINATH: Having known you as a cricketer all the while, I completely endorse and agree with the values that you uphold for the game of cricket. Though I sincerely share your sentiments after the unfortunate ball tampering issue and understand the agony that you went through for no fault of yours, I will request you to share your views with us. DRAVID: I cannot make any comment on that particular incident as we are bound by the laws of the ICC. I have expressed my views on the game to the match referee Clive Lloyd. SRINATH: I know that you admire people who are good writers, commentators and the pundits of the game. At the same time, you are subtly repellent to unreasonable ones. To say that for the Indian players the endorsements take priority over the cricket when things don’t go well for India has become a cliché. Those comments come from the players who have played the game enough themselves. DRAVID: I can understand a layman making such comments as emotions run high when we don’t play too well. At the same time, we receive tremendous adulation when we win. This sort of behaviour is understandable in a cricket-loving nation like us. However, it’s important that the people in our own cricketing fraternity understand this and are be careful with their comments and views as those can create a tough situation for the players and their families.
— Chivach Media |
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Bangalore, January 27 Set a target of 231 by India, Pakistan romped home in 43.1 overs losing just four wickets. Pakistan thus avenged the defeat they suffered at the hands of India in the league stage. Electing to bat, India started disastrously losing opener Uday Kaul with only four runs on the board. None of the batsmen, barring southpaw Piyush Chawla (51), came up with sizeable contributions as wickets tumbled at regular intervals and India were all out for 230 in 45 overs. Left-arm spinner K Raza Ali Dar was the most successful bowler claiming three for 40 in his eight overs. Riaz Ahmed and Fahad Zaman bagged two wickets each. Pakistan started the chase effectively with openers Mohammad Yasir Arafat (16) and Nazir Jamshaid (31) putting up 52 runs for the first wicket. Though the team lost Nazir at 53 and Rameez Raja at 89, Adnan and Fiaz steadied the innings and enabled the team post a resounding victory. However, both of them survived a chance, when the score was 171. Fiaz was dropped by Prem Prateek at mid-wicket off the bowling of Umesh Kharvi when his individual score was 42 and Adnaan was dropped by R Patil at point, off the bowling of Ravikanth Shukla. Adnan was then on 57. Brief Scores: India 230 in 45 overs (P Chawla 51, Raza Ali 40/3, Fiaz Ahmed 2/44, Fahad Zaman 2/41) Pakistan: 233 for four in 43.1 overs (Adnaan Raza Ali 76 n o, Fiaz Ahmed 63) — UNI
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Safin stuns Roddick to reach semis
Melbourne, January 27 Roddick burst out of the blocks, the US Open champion speeding through the first set in 26 minutes as a nervous-looking Safin committed a string of unforced errors. But former world No 1 Safin hit back with a vengeance to take the second and third sets from a bewildered Roddick, who had previously not dropped a set all tournament. Women’s fourth seed Amelie Mauresmo broke down and wept early in the morning when she realised she would not be able to play her match against Colombia’s Fabiola Zuluaga because of a back injury. Zuluaga got a walkover through to the semifinals — a first for any Colombian, man or woman — where she will meet top seed Justine Henin-Hardenne on Thursday. The Belgian’s superior fitness, patience and self-belief lifted her past a sluggish Lindsay Davenport. Having taken an early 4-0 lead, American Davenport wilted under the Melbourne sun, losing 7-5 6-3. In the men’s field France’s Sebastien Grosjean was struck by the injury jinx. The ninth seed was forced to limp out of his match with Andre Agassi after straining a groin muscle. Agassi had been leading 6-2, 2-0 when Grosjean informed the chair umpire that he could not continue. “You know, it’s not a good way for anything to end,” said fourth seed Agassi after extending his unbeaten run at Melbourne Park to 26 matches. “I would have preferred to finish the match, no question. You just don’t want any match to end that way.”
Bhupathi-Mirnyi knocked out New Delhi: Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi suffered a shock quarterfinal defeat in the men’s doubles. The second-seeded Indo-Belarussian pair lost to the French pair of Fabrice Santoro and Michael Llodra, the fifth seeds, 3-6 4-6, according to information
received here. Bhupathi was playing together with Mirnyi for the first time this year. Having lost the mixed doubles race with Elena Likhovtseva earlier, an Australian Open title continued to elude Bhupathi. Earlier in the day, Sanaa Bhambri entered the second round of the girls singles event, defeating Australia’s Jennifer Elie 6-4, 6-3. Sanaa will play eighth seed Sheng-Nan Sun of China in the next round. In the doubles event, Sanaa was paired with Ayu Fani Damayanti of Indonesia and was drawn against third seeds Marina Erakovic of New Zealand and Ekaterina Kosminskaya of Russia in the first round.
— Reuters, PTI |
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NEW DELHI:
Defending champions Leander Paes and Martina Navratilova advanced to the third round of the mixed doubles championship at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis in Melbourne on Monday. Paes and
Navratilova, the fourth seeds, got a walk over from Argentine Lucas Arnold and Angelique Widjaja of Indonesia in the second round. In the junior championships, Karan Rastogi defeated Indonesia’s Sunu Trijati 6-2, 6-2 to moved into the second round of the boys’ singles event.
— PTI
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WFI names squads for coaching camps Chandigarh, January 27 The nine-member senior Greco Roman style wrestling team will participate in the Dave Schultz Memorial International Female Wrestling Tournament to be held at Colorado spring from February 6 to 8 and thereafter a practice camp from February 9 to 26. The team comprises Mukesh Khatri (55 kg), Ravinder Singh (60 kg), Gurwinder Singh (66 kg) and Sanjay (74 kg) and also Andrej Malina (foreign coach), Gian Chand (Coach), Ved Prakash (referee), Dr Raminder Singh (Doctor) and Rajinder Gupta (Manager). The 12-member senior Free Style team will be participating in a practice camp in Bulgaria, from January 24 to 30 and first qualifying tournament from January 31 to February 1, 2004. The team comprises Yogeshwar Dutt (55 kg), Sushil Kumar (60 kg), Ramesh Kumar (66 kg), Anuj Chaudhary (84 kg), Rakesh Patel (96 kg) and Palwinder Singh Cheema (120 kg), Kirpa Shankar Patel (55 kg), Vladimer Mestvirishivilli, (coach), Joginder Singh (coach), Sukhbir Singh (referee), D.K. Pathak (doctor) and V. Bhaskaran (manager). Twelve-member senior female wrestling will participate in the Dave Schultz Memorial International Female Wrestling Tournament to be held at Colorado Springs from February 6 to 8. The team comprises of Shumel (48 kg), Neha Rathi (51 kg), Alka Tomar (55 kg), Anita (59 kg), Geetika Jakhar (63 kg), Kiran Sihag (67 kg) and Sonika (72 kg), Balbir Gulia and Ms Chingshubam Anita Devi will be coaches, while Pawan Kumar Gupta will be referee, Fatima Bano the Masseur and Prem Kumar manager of the team. |
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Football star Feher dies
on pitch Lisbon, January 27 The 24-year-old Feher, who had come on as a substitute after 60 minutes, was rushed to hospital but died shortly afterwards. He had just been sanctioned in injury-time for time-wasting after Portuguese giants Benfica had taken a late 1-0 lead over Vitoria Guimaraes in a league match.
— AFP |
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Kalmadi heads team to Pak Chandigarh, January 27 |
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Pak kabaddi team arrives Amritsar, January 27 However, according to sources due to the non-availability of proper documents they could not get clearance. The team crossed over to India at 3.55 pm today. The players, therefore, failed to participate in the first scheduled match of kabaddi World Cup at Jalandhar which started today. |
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Award for Inder Singh Phagwara, January 27 Punjab Social Welfare Minister Joginder Singh Mann presented a trophy, a shawl and a scroll to Inder Singh. He is honorary secretary of the Punjab Football Association. He had played for Leaders Club Jalandhar, from 1960-1974 and was the captain for a decade. He was in the Indian team that played in the Asia Football Cup in Israel. He played in the prestigious Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur from 1969-1973 and in the Asian All-Star team from 1968-1976. Later, he played for JCT. Phagwara. He was the highest scorer in the Santosh Trophy held in Punjab at Jalandhar in 1974. Inder Singh also captained the Indian team in 1969, 1972, 1975. |
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Suraj Lata Devi to lead New Delhi, January 27 The Japanese and Malaysian teams have already arrived, and Korea, China and other teams are expected to arrive today and tomorrow. The 18-member Indian team named by the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation here today is: Helen Mary and Dipika Murty (both goalkeepers), Suman Bala, Kanti Baa and Binita Toppo (full baks), Sumrai Tete, Suraj Lata Devi, Subhadra Pradhan and Masira Surin (all half backs), Surinder Kaur, Mamta Kharab, Saba Anjum, Jyoti Sunita Kullu, Shanggai Ibemhai Chanu, Adline Kerketta, Jasjeet Kaur, Manju and Pushpa Pradhan (all forwards). |
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Taekwondo competition
Ambala, January 27 Prerna, Kamaljit Singh, Abhishek, Piyush, Pankaj Dogra, Deepak Semwal and Rinku Kumar have won gold medals in their respective weight categories. The silver medal winners include Ankit and Saurabh Kumar.
TNS
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