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Board President’s XI make solid start
Haq’s wicket crucial in series: Kaif
Abdul Razzaq finding rhythm
Handling pressure holds the key: Gavaskar
North Zone win by 7 wickets
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Zimbabwe skittled out for 54
Harsh Mankad puts India ahead
Jeev slips to second place at Thailand Open
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Board President’s XI
make solid start
Dharamsala, March 4 It was bright and sunny since morning and a complete day’s play looked a distinct possibility. But suddenly, the weather took a turn for the worse in the afternoon and there appeared a thick cover of clouds. As the light faded, the match had to be stopped. As weather did not show any signs of improvement, the day’s play had to be called off after just 44.5 overs were bowled during the day. When play was stopped, Board President’s XI were cruising along nicely at 91 for one. Pakistan were earlier bundled out for 273 just before the lunch break. Skipper Mohammad Kaif, overlooked for the first Test to be played at Mohali, was batting well on 42, while opener Dheeraj Jadhav was at the crease on 30. Opener Satyajit Parab was the lone batsman to be dismissed. He was castled by seamer Rana Naved-ul-Hasan after the batsman was on 11. Kaif and Jadhav took charge after the fall of Parab’s wicket. Having been at the receiving end from a couple of short-pitched deliveries from fast bowler Mohammad Sami, Kaif retaliated in style, hitting two gorgeous fours and then ran three runs in the same over which cost Sami 17 runs. This included four leg-byes off the pads of Jadhav. Growing in confidence, Jadhav then hit Razzaq for two successive boundaries in his first over. When play came to an abrupt halt, both batsmen were looking in fine nick and had added 74 runs to the total in 85 minutes for the second-wicket stand. Pakistan bowlers struggled on a wicket which had nothing for the seamers. Sami, known to generate good pace despite his slight build and average height, got some of his deliveries to bounce sharply which batsmen were able to evade easily. This was all Sami, who missed most of the Australia tour last month on account of injury, could do in his six-over spell. Razzaq also remained ineffective and struggled for rhythm. He went for 34 runs in 5.2 overs. Rana Naved-ul Hasan bowled a controlled spell and looked the best of the lot. Earlier, Pakistan innings folded at 273. Seamer SS Paul struck in his very first over, removing Asim Kamal at his overnight score. None of the Pakistan batsmen except for all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and young wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal to some extent could stay at the wicket. Razzaq batted untroubled for his scintillating 63, hitting 10 fours and two sixers, while Akmal contributed 34. Part-time bowler Y Venugopal Rao, bowling off-spin, got two more wickets today and emerged the most successful bowler. He finished with a haul of three wickets. Scoreboard
Pakistan (first innings)
Butt run out 21
Umar c Kaif b RP Singh 37
Younis Khan c Jadhav
b Gagandeep 0
Youhana c Parthiv b SS Paul 18
Inzamam lbw V. Rao 35
Kamal lbw SS Paul 43
Razzaq c V. Rao b Neeraj Patel 63 Akmal c Kaif b V. Rao 34
Sami c Dheeraj b V. Rao 0
Rana c Parthiv b Gagandeep 6
Kaneria not out 4
Extras
(b-5, lb-2, nb-2) 9
Total
(all out, 67.3 overs) 273
Fall of wickets:
1-54, 2-55, 3-83, 4-83, 5-155, 6-169, 7-228, 8-236, 9-249, 10-273.
Bowling:
RP Singh 18-5-67-1, Gagandeep Singh 20-5-60-2, Ramesh Powar 4-0-22-0, SS Paul 14-2-60-2, Venugopal Rao 9-1-48-3, Neeraj Patel 2.3-0-9-1.
Board President’s XI (1st innings)
Dheeraj Jadhav batting 30
Satyajit Parab b Rana 11
Kaif batting 42
Extras
(lb-4, nb-4) 8
Total
(1 wicket, 22.2 overs) 91
Fall of wicket:
1-17.
Bowling:
Mohammad Sami 6-0-28-0 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan 8-4-17-1, Abdul Razzaq 5.2-0-34-0, Danish Kaneria 3-0-8-0. |
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Haq’s wicket crucial in series: Kaif
Dharamsala, March 4 Meanwhile, Pakistan vice-captain Younis Khan told mediapersons that contrary to the opinion that Pakistan’s bowling attack was weak, they did have quality bowlers. “We will get to know the truth when the big matches are played,” he said. Asked if his appointment as vice-captain had put additional pressure on him, especially when they were playing against India, he said the only difference was that now that he had got some authority, the players would listen to him seriously. “Otherwise, I’m still enjoying my game and it’s not that I’ve become a big shot. Everything is still the same,” he said. Pakistan’s opener Yasir Hamid said he was looking forward to playing Harbhajan Singh. “I have never faced his bowling. I have played most other Indian bowlers, including Anil Kumble and Irfan Pathan,” he said. “We would be depending on our spinners to get Indian wickets. We always love to play and win in India and the fact that Indians are so passionate about the game makes the series special,” he said. Despite all the hype, said Younis Khan, the feeling was still of calm in the Pakistani camp. “That’s always the case on both sides whenever we play each other. The idea is that we should win and enjoy and the crowd should get to see good cricket,” the Pakistan vice-captain said. “About the outcome of the series, it is difficult to predict and anything can happen. Recently, India beat Australia and surprised everybody. Good cricket should be played and people should enjoy, that is most important,” he said. “All Indian bowlers, including Irfan Pathan, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Anil Kumble, are experienced. However, the Pakistani bowling attack is equally capable and it would be a good contest to watch,” he said. |
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Abdul Razzaq finding rhythm
Dharamsala, March 4 He struggled to find his bowling rhythm in whatever little time was available during the day, but while batting he notched up a scintillating 82-ball 63. Getting into the groove immediately, he despatched the ball to the fence repeatedly with ease. A clean and hard striker of the ball, he hit Venugopal Rao for two mighty sixes. He lost his wicket attempting a lusty strike once again as he was batting along with the number 11 batsman. Razzaq, however, brushed aside concerns about his sloppy bowling. “This is the first match after the Australia tour and I am getting used to the conditions here.” Razzaq remarked that he did not do much of bowling practice after the tour Down Under, adding, however, that he was getting into his bowling rhythm. Not reading too much in Pakistan’s none-too-impressive batting display, Razzaq said it was just a practice game. Refusing to speak much about the wicket, Razzaq said wickets provided for Tests and one-day matches were generally good. “When I went in to bat, gaining some batting practice was in my mind. I am feeling confident after the knock.” Razzaq looked well aware of the job he would be required to do as an experienced member for his team during the series. “Experienced bowlers are not there in the side. I will be required to make extra efforts and I am ready to do that,” he concluded. |
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Handling pressure holds the key: Gavaskar
Chandigarh, March 4 Being able to perform under the pressure any India-Pakistan match brought with it would hold the key to winning the Test, Gavaskar said. Praising Virender Sehwag for being in top form, he said,”
Veeru will set the tone for the series. The ball will carry well on the pitch in Mohali, giving Veeru an opportunity to play his shots. He is one player who brings tremendous excitement to the game.” Commenting on the absence of Shoaib Akhtar from the Pakistan side in the series and its impact on the game, Gavaskar said in a lighter vein that the worst sufferers would be mediapersons, who would have little to write about. Terming cricket to be a funny game, he said the pressure would be on both the teams. “The public on either side will not appreciate their team losing a match. An India-Pakistan match brings its own kind of pressures and the players on the two sides have to learn to tackle it rather than giving in. That is the difference between a winning team and a losing team,” he pointed out. Replying to a question on India being faced with a “weak Pakistan team”, Gavaskar was of the opinion that the “weak team” tag could actually benefit the Pakistanis since it would ease the pressure on them and enable them to perform better. Asked why he did not exploit his bowling skills though he had managed to take a wicket at the fag-end of his career, Gavaskar replied,”
I was a good net bowler since no balls did not matter during practice sessions. In fact, before Kapil Dev, I was the biggest and best bowler India had.” He might have been the top- batsman for India in his hey days, but he did not mind sharing the “Little Master” title with Sachin Tendulkar. “There should be no comparison between players,” he added. |
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Free emergency aid for Pak fans
Mohali, March 4 Announcing the initiative, Mr Ashish Bhatia, director administration, Fortis Hospital, said, “We have decided to extend the medical care beyond the players”. Since its inception in 2001, Fortis Hospital had provided medical cover for all matches held at the PCA stadium. For the Indo-Pakistan match too, fully equipped ambulances would be available at the PCA. A medical team, led by Dr Gurbir Singh, medical superintendent, Fortis Hospital, would be present at the stadium during the Test and match practice sessions of both teams. Dr Jaswant Rai, director orthopaedics, Fortis Hospital, would back the medical team. |
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Special trains for Pakistani fans
Amritsar, March 4 According to information available here, Northern Railways has provided special trains to operate between Attari and Chandigarh on March 6 and 7 to meet the rush of Pakistanis who will enter India by rail and road. Nearly 10,000 Pakistani cricket enthusiasts will land here. Special counters have been set up and additional staff will be posted at the Attari railway station to clear the rush of Pakistanis going to Mohali.
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Indore, March 4 Chasing the target of 144 runs, North Zone scored 146 runs in 22.5 overs on the fourth and last day. After losing Gautam Gambhir, Akash Chopra and Virender Sehwag with just 46 runs on board, Yuvraj and Mongia added 100 runs for the fourth wicket and took the team to victory. Yuvraj was not out at 60 with seven boundaries and four sixes. Mongia was not out at 52 with nine fours. Central Zone reach Duleep Trophy final
NEW DELHI: Central Zone set up a title clash against North Zone in the Duleep Trophy cricket tournament though they failed to deliver the knockout blow to Bangladesh Board President’s XI on the final day of a league match here today. Central Zone will take on North Zone, who crushed South Zone at Indore, in the final to be held in Nagpur from March 8. Chasing a target of 436 runs, the Bangladesh Board XI were 199 for the loss of six wickets in their second innings when the two captains agreed for a draw after rain interrupted the match a couple of overs into the last session at the Karnail Singh Stadium. Bangladesh Board XI finished their campaign without managing a single point from their two matches. In their first match, the team suffered an innings defeat against East Zone. Earlier, Sanjay Bangar narrowly missed a century when he was out after adding just five runs to his overnight score of 91. Soon the Central Zone second innings also folded up at 230 as they lost the last four wickets with the addition of just 18 more runs.
— UNI, PTI |
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Zimbabwe skittled out for 54
Cape Town, March 4 The Zimbabweans’ paltry total beat their previous worst showing of 63, which was against the West Indies in the 1999-2000 season. In reply, South Africa were 91 without loss at tea after captain Graeme Smith and
A.B. de Villiers surpassed Zimbabwe’s total in only 11.2 overs. Smith was 38 not out and de Villiers was unbeaten on 49. Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat, but were dismissed in just 31.2 overs, with only opening batsman Stuart Matsikenyere reaching double figures when he scored
12. Ntini became only the third South African to reach 200 Test wickets, after Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock, when he dismissed Dion Ebrahim for three. Wicket-keeper Boucher claimed his 300th Test dismissal when he caught Brendan Taylor off Ntini for two. He followed Australia’s Rodney Marsh and Ian Healy into the record books.
— Reuters |
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Harsh Mankad puts India ahead
New Delhi, March 4 Prakash was leading 6-3, 2-3 when it started drizzling again and referee Nao Kwatei of Japan finally decided to suspend the match, which will be resumed tomorrow morning before the doubles contest. Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will take on Wang Yu Junior and Zhu Ben-Qiang in the doubles after Prakash and Wang are through with their unfinished tie. Prakash was lucky that rain interruptions got in the way as Wang was getting sharper and better in the second set. But there was something to cheer for captain Leander as his gamble of playing Harsh Mankad, instead of taking the field himself, paid off well as Harsh put up a confident display to outsmart Sun Peng, ranked 334 compared to the Indian’s rating of 357. Harsh’s almost flawless serve, chip and charge and nice down-the-line winners and double-fisted returns baffled his well-built Chinese opponent. Harsh’s ability to fire ace after ace —he had 10 in all — came as a revelation which helped him pull out of tight situations. Sun Peng served well, too, but his failure to rush to the net for the kill did him in as Harsh charged forward for drop shots and net volleys to catch his opponent on the wrong foot. Harsh also invariably won the rallies which were few, with perfect down-the-line shots, or sliced backhands. Harsh was well on course for victory when he broke Sun in the second game, after winning the first, to take a 2-0 lead in the first set. But he was broken in the third, and then the players held their serves till the 10th game to lock the score 5-5. Harsh then held his serve in the next game by saving two break points, and broke Sun again in the 12th to wrest the first set in 44 minutes. In the second set, the turning point came when Sun was broken in the fourth game after it went to deuce thrice. Thereafter, it was easy for the Indian second seed as his serve-and-volley game served him well, and he won the set in style with an ace, the set lasting 35 minutes. The uneven bounce of the newly relaid grass court gave no clue to Sun as how the ball would move and Harsh made use of this confusion by rushing to the net to put away the ball beyond the reach of the Chinese player. In the third set, Harsh was fully in control and could have wrapped up the match quickly, but he allowed Sun to save two break points to hold serve in the third game though he was finally broken in the fifth and seventh game to race to victory in 31 minutes. Prakash Amritraj’s USP was his powerful serve-and-volley game and he got off to a blistering start, winning the first game 40-love, with an ace to boot. And when he broke the wiry Wang Yu Junior in the second game to lead 2-0, the match seemed to follow the script. Prakash was mostly in control as he raced to a 6-3 victory in the first set. However, in the second, Wang Yu Junior began moving with a lot of flexibility and even charged at the net to effect sliced backhands and drop volleys, to put Prakash in a spot. With the score tied 1-1, and Wang about to serve, it started drizzling. The covers were quickly brought in, and there was an hold-up of one hour before the match could re-start. Wang and Prakash then won a game each to tie the score 2-2, and when the Chinese was about to serve again, it started drizzling. One more hour was lost to rain, before the covers were removed to resume the tie. Wang held the fifth game to lead 3-2 but rain came again. This time, the tie was put off to tomorrow. Prakash will have to bring out his best to subdue Wang, who is listed to play in the doubles too. |
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Melbourne, March 4 When the lights signalled the start of the first session for the new season, Karthikeyan roared out of the pit lane in his gleaming yellow Jordan and set off around the twisting Albert Park circuit for the ride of a lifetime. The only problem for the 28-year-old from Chennai was that his hasty exit was a little too quick for the officials. He was clocked leaving the pit lane at 86.2 kmph exceeding the allowable speed limit of 80 kmph. He was found guilty of speeding and race stewards fined him $ 6,750. ‘’I was pushing very hard,’’ Karthikeyan said. ‘’Now I just need to calm down a bit because I was under pressure to perform,’’ he added. Karthikeyan managed just six laps in the first 60-minute session when an oil leak forced him back to the team garage. The problem was fixed and he completed another 29 laps in the second session, setting the 19th fastest time overall. ‘’After resolving Narain’s oil leak, everything went smoothly,’’ Jordan sporting director Trevor Carlin said. ‘’We are very happy with the progress he is making,’’ he added. Karthikeyan would become the first Indian to start in a Formula One Grand Prix after a long and sometimes difficult road to the top. He had spent most of the past eight years in British Formula Three and the Nissan World Series after two failed attempts to break into the big league. — Reuters
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Jeev slips to second place at Thailand Open
New Delhi, March 4 While Jeev fired a second round 69 for a tally of 10-under 134, rookie Shiv Kapur followed up his opening round of 70 with a 68 to tie fourth at 138. Harmeet Kahlon, who shot his second straight round of 70, was tied-sixth at 140. According to information received here, Australian Scott Barr led the field at 11-under 133 after returning a second round card of 68. Jeev’s outward journey was error-free, with birdies on the third, followed by two more on the seventh and eighth. Kapur started with a birdie, but dropped a shot on the third and another on the sixth. Birdies on the seventh and eighth were followed by another bogey on the ninth.
— UNI |
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Abdul Razzaq ranks among the best all-rounders in the world. When on song he can make a mockery of even the best bowling attacks. He has often proved destructive in the slog overs and has the ability to change the course of the match in just a couple of overs.
