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India favourites for 2nd Test: Inzamam
Harbhajan’s exclusion
baffling, says Qadir
Balaji fined for excessive appealing
India lacked hunger on the field
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Uncertainty over Lara, others persists
SA rout Zimbabwe
Rathore shines as India win gold
Jyoti Randhawa finishes joint 12th
Thapar engineers clinch golf title
Sporting blank Vasco 3-0
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India favourites for 2nd Test: Inzamam
Karachi, March 13 “In Kolkata, it will be a new game and both the teams will start fresh. The result (at Mohali) has been tremendous for the spirit of the team but the result doesn’t mean that we will be favorites,” Inzamam told Pakistan’s most watched Indus TV in an interview. “India will once again start at favorites at Kolkata but now they will be aware of our prowess, strength, capacity and fighting skills. As regards Pakistan, the team now realizes that if it can draw the match from a precarious situation, it can also beat the India team,” Inzamam said. Kamran Akmal and Abdul Razzaq featured in a record 184-run seventh wicket partnership to snatch draw from the jaws of defeat in the first Test. Akmal scored his maiden Test century and became Pakistan’s first wicketkeeper to score centuries in both the forms of the game. The Pakistan skipper said the Mohali Test result had further gelled the team together. “It (result) has motivate the team and injected a new spirit. Before the Mohali Test, we were a well-knit family but this result has brought us even more closer. “We made plenty of mistakes by dropping catches and not capitalising on the good starts (on the first couple of days at Mohali). But I am sure that things will dramatically change after the Mohali Test and we should emerge as an improved and different outfit in the matches ahead,” he said. Inzamam also rued the missed opportunities and said had his fielders accepted the catches offered by the Indian batsmen, Pakistan might have taken a shot at the host team. “If we had held our chances on the second and third days, we would have definitely set the Indian team a target on the fifth day. “Frankly speaking, besides dropping crucial catches, we bowled poorly on the second day and allowed the home team to race for 184 for one from 40 overs. Nevertheless, I must give credit to my bowlers to peg the Indians down and didn’t allow them to bat us out of the Test,” Inzamam said. Inzamam was also full of praise for Danish Kaneria who took six for 150. But he admitted that the other bowlers needed to rise to the occasion and give the wrist spinner the required support.
— PTI |
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Sourav inspects pitch at Eden Gardens
Kolkata, March 13 The Indian captain spent a short while near the 22 yards strip at the middle. A source said that Ganguly also asked the groundsmen about the nature of the pitch.
— PTI
Chandigarh (TNS): The Indian and Pakistani teams left the city at 3 pm on Sunday. The players were brought to the Chandigarh airport from Hotel Mountview in two buses.
Four Indian players — skipper Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Ashish Nehra and Gautam Gambhir — had taken a flight soon after the match ended on Saturday. The second Test begins in Kolkata on March 16.
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Harbhajan’s exclusion baffling, says Qadir
Kolkata, March 13 "The Indian team selection was wrong. Harbhajan should not have been dropped. Had he been included in the playing XI instead of Zaheer Khan, India would have won," said the former Pak bowler, known for his lethal googlies. Questioning the Indian selectors' policy of persisting with Zaheer Khan despite the bowler not having performed impressively in recent times, Qadir said "He should be asked to play some first class cricket and improve his performance and fitness. Then only should he be taken back". Qadir, who played 67 Tests scalping 236 wickets, felt that neither Pakistan nor India had put in a proper plan for the Test series, which became apparent at Mohali. "The Indian opening attack of Laxmipathy Balaji and Irfan Pathan should have been backed by the spin resources of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. Pakistan should have included Arshad Khan as the second spinner by leaving out pacer Mohammad Sami who has not been at his best for some time," he said. Qadir, who had a day's halt in the city yesterday en route to Silchar to lead the Pakistan veterans against Indian veterans tomorrow, felt that the Inzamam-led side would benefit if Shahid Afridi was taken in as an opening batsman and Shoaib Maliq came as one down. "Spinner Arshad Khan should be in the team. Younis Khan and Mohammad Sami should be kept out, along with one of the opening batsmen who played in the Mohali Test," Qadir told reporters here.
— PTI
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Qadir XI beat Kapil XI
Silchar (Assam), March 13 Humayun, brother of Pakistani player Imran Farhat, who came in after the fall of opener Saeed Anwar (4), cut and drove at ease on his way to making 78 in just 49 balls before being stumped by wicket-keeper Sameer Dighe off Kapil Dev (1/21) who bowled with a very short run-up and mostly resorted to spin. Even after a shaky start — Anwar departing with only seven runs on the board — Pakistan veterans reached 123 for four in 21 overs in reply to Kapil Dev XI’s 120. Earlier, Kapil Dev’s decision to bat after winning the toss backfired as his side lost three quick wickets with just 12 runs on the board. A 94-run fourth-wicket partnership between Kanitkar (47) and Gursharan Singh (40) spared the blushes for Kapil Dev XI.
— PTI |
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Balaji fined for excessive appealing
New Delhi, March 13 Balaji was found guilty of excessive appealing by ICC match referee Chris Broad in a hearing in Mohali at the conclusion of the match yesterday. The 23-year-old Balaji, who took nine wickets in the drawn match, was found to have breached level 1.5 of the ICC Code which relates to excessive appealing. “There is no place for this sort of appealing in international cricket. The player has apologised for his actions and I hope that will be the end of the matter,” Broad said in an ICC media statement. All Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee. The charge was brought by umpires Darrell Hair, Rudi Koertzen and TV umpire K Hariharan. Broad reached his conclusion after a hearing attended by Balaji, India team coach John Wright, Hair, Koertzen and Hariharan. For Level 1 and Level 2 breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct, the ICC match referee’s decision is final and binding.
— PTI |
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India lacked hunger on the field
If India could not quite finish the job of winning the Mohali Test, it was because the team did not show the hunger on the field. They didn't have the body language of a winner.
They couldn't have lost from that position. When you worry too much about winning or losing, you stop playing good cricket. Australians are champions because they strive to play good cricket. Other things take care of itself. It will be far too easy to lay the blame on the doors of Sachin Tendulkar for having batted too slowly on the second afternoon. The common refrain is it cost India important runs and time. But if you ask me India still had the right lead and five sessions to clean up Pakistan. They couldn't manage to do it. To blame Tendulkar, or for that matter Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman for that second afternoon, is missing the point. To term it as the turning point of the game is childish. India then were in the process of consolidating their position. They did it and still had adequate time to spare. Three wickets in first four overs was a sensational follow-up. Kamran Akamal and Abdul Razzaq still deserve every bit of praise which is coming their way. They showed the virtue of game's golden lesson: if you play within yourself and don't try to be ambitious, you can work wonders. Razzaq has always played within his limit. Kamran may have been under some pressure for his spot but at least one more settled spot now is only good news for Pakistan. Youngsters must get a reasonable run. When you expect juniors to play like seniors, you are asking for the moon. One must remember one's own young days and then the expectations will be reasonable. I am still worried about Pakistan's line-up. Yaseer Hameed must now be brought back. If a youngster is kept out for too long, he loses confidence. He has been with the squad but must now be played. I am also concerned about Pakistan's medium-pace attack. Mohammad Sami is still not producing results and he continues to have no-ball problems. It happens when he tries to go for extra pace. Razzaq and Naved-ul Hasan Rana too have questions on their ability as Test bowlers. It wouldn't be too bad to bring on the young left-arm pacer Mohammad Khalil in the next game. The stand-out bowler for Pakistan of course was Danish Kaneria. Trust me, we worked very hard on his run-up and line and length. We always asked him to roll his leg-breaks a lot more in order to get the bounce. He now has a great future ahead of him, as does Balaji. How they progress depends entirely on them.
— PTI |
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Wellington, March 13 The world’s top-ranked side cruised to their victory target of 133 in less than 32 overs with a day to spare after bowling out New Zealand for 131 before tea. The match had been in the balance at the start of the fourth day with the Kiwis 10 runs in front and all their second-innings wickets intact. The fast bowlers ripped through New Zealand’s top order with Jason Gillespie capturing three for 38 and Glenn McGrath and Michael Kasprowicz bagging one wicket each. Leg spinner Shane Warne then destroyed the tail, taking five for 39 from 14 overs to notch his 29th five-wicket haul in Tests and sail past 1,000 first-class wickets in his career. Scoreboard New Zealand (Ist innings): 433 Australia (Ist innings): 432 New Zealand
(IInd innings): Cumming lbw b Gillespie 7 Fleming lbw b McGrath 17 Marshall b Warne 22 Vincent lbw b Gillespie 4 Astle b Kasprowicz 21 McMillan c Katich McCullum lbw Vettori lbw b Warne 23 Franklin not out 5 O’Brien lbw b Warne 0 Martin lbw b Warne 0 Extras
(b-1 lb-1 nb-1) 3 Total (all out, 50 overs) 131 Fall of wickets:
1-20 2-30 3-34 4-71 5-78 6-87 7-121 8-127 9-131. Bowling: McGrath 14-7-19-1, Gillespie 12-2-38-3, Kasprowicz 10-3-33-1, Warne 14-3-39-5. Australia (IInd innings): Langer not out 72 Hayden c Cumming Ponting not out 47 Extras: (nb-1) 1 Total
(1 wkt, 31.3 overs) 135 Fall of wicket: 1-25 Bowling:
Martin 8-0-27-0, Franklin 5-1-26-0 (nb-1), Vettori 13.3-0-55-1, O’Brien
5-0-27-0. — Reuters |
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Uncertainty over Lara, others persists
St John’s (Antigua), March 13 The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) insisted that Lara, vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Fidel Edwards, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith and Ravi Rampaul will remain exiled from the 22-man squad. The seven players all have individual contracts with Cable and Wireless, a rival company of the board’s main backers Digicel. “The Board will commence inspection of certain contracts pertaining to Cable and Wireless contracted players which were provided late on Friday by Cable and Wireless,” said a statement by the WICB. “The purpose of the Board’s inspection is to ensure that the contracts do not impose on the players any obligations which could cause them or the WICB to be in breach of the sponsorship contract which has been executed between the WICB and Digicel. “While the examination is in process, the players who hold personal endorsement contracts with Cable and Wireless - Bravo, Edwards, Gayle, Lara, Rampaul, Sarwan and Dwayne Smith - will not be considered for selection to the West Indies team until the Board satisfies itself as to the nature of those contracts.” The seven players were originally left out of the squad last week because of fears that their individual deals were incompatible with the board’s official backers as the four-month dispute dragged on. The first Test against South Africa gets underway in Guyana on March 31. “Based on commitments received from all 22 players invited to make themselves available for selection for the series, the tours to the Caribbean by South Africa and Pakistan will proceed as planned,” added the statement. “The selectors will be instructed to name the squad for the first Test on Thursday March 17 and those selected will assemble for the pre-tour camp scheduled to commence on Wednesday March 23.” The spokesman also tried to reassure fans in the Caribbean about the strength of the team to face the tourists. “The Board’s primary consideration is what is best for West Indies cricket and its future,” the statement added.
— AFP |
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Centurion, March 13 Zondeki, playing in his second Test, took his maiden five-wicket haul with figures of six for 39 from 14.3 overs. Zimbabwe were dismissed for 269 in the first innings, to which South Africa replied with 480 for seven declared.
Ashwell Prince scored 139 not out and put on a record 142 runs for the seventh wicket with Nicky Boje, who scored 82.
— Reuters |
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Rathore shines as India win gold
New Delhi, March 13 Rathore and Sodhi shot 173 out of 200 with Rathore accounting for 93/100 and Sodhi hitting 80/100. Rathore received the gold badge for getting the highest individual score while Russel Mark (Australia) and Moraad Ali (India) took the silver and bronze, respectively. Silver medallists Australia had a total tally of 169/200 with Russel firing 90 out of 100 and Tom Turner hitting 79/100. England won the bronze with a score of 166/200. Walton Smith hit 82/100 while Wathen S shot 84/100. “It’s a great feeling to win a team gold for India after the Olympic silver”, Rathore said in a press statement. He said he would be focusing on key competitions like the World Shotgun Championships at Lonato (Italy) in May and the World Cup Shooting final in Dubai in November. Rathore had won a silver medal in the double trap shooting event at the Athens Olympic Games to become the first Indian to win an individual silver medal in the Olympics after Independence. Rathore, who has now been promoted to the rank of Lt-Colonel, was decorated with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2004. Meanwhile, Indian teams also picked up gold medals in women’s sport rifle three position and men’s rapid fire pistol today. In rifle three position, Anjali Vedpathak Bhagwat (570) and Kuheli Gangulee (564) tallied 1,134/1,200 to clinch the gold ahead of Malaysia (1,125) and Australia (1,122). Honours in rapid pistol went to Pemba Tamang (565) and Ram Kishan Yadav (558) who totalled 1,123/1,200. Australia (1,100) and Canada (1,080) ended up with silver and the bronze, respectively. The women’s air pistol team missed the gold by a whisker. Shweta Chaudhry (389) and Sarvesh Tomar (374) ended with a total of 763/800 to settle for the silver behind Australia (764). Malaysia with 746 points won the bronze. India now have won a total of 13 medals — six gold, five silver and two bronze medals.
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Jyoti Randhawa finishes joint 12th
Doha, March 13 Swede Henrik Stenson, leader after three rounds, stumbled on the back nine and then despite a heroic charge just failed to catch up with the champion in the event joint-sanctioned by the European and Asian tours. Els had won the Dubai Desert Classic with an eagle on the 72nd hole last Sunday. Randhawa finished best among the Indians, jumping from tied 22nd to tied 12th, to add to the joint 11th he had in Dubai last week. Jyoti, accompanied by his wife, Tina, had a two-under for the front nine and then had three birdies on the return journey, but there were also two bogeys, including one on the tough par-3 17th for a day's score of 69. Arjun Atwal faded on the last day with a three-over 75 for final round. From six-under he fell to three-under 285 and a tied 20th place after being tied for sixth at the end of 54 holes. He had just one birdie and four bogeys on a disappointing day.
— PTI |
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Thapar engineers clinch golf title
Chandigarh, March 13 The foursome scored 111 points in the tournament played on the stableford system with the Punjab Engineering College team comprising Nirmal Singh, Rajneesh Ahuja, S.S. Bhutter and S. C. Kholi finishing second with a tally of 104 points. Third placed were the golfers from the CME, Pune, who also secured 104 points. The team comprised Brig A.S. Gill, Col Sardul Singh and Col B.S. Goraya. In the individual event D.S. Malhotra clinched the title in the under-70 section and S. S. Virdi was the winner in the above-70 section. This was the first time that 120 engineering members of the golf club had converged on the club premises for the golf event sponsored by Singla Construction,
Chandigarh. In the putting event for ladies, Mrs Bhutter was declared the winner. Mrs Sodhi, and Mrs P. Sethi, finished second and third, respectively. Addressing the engineers Mr
S.M.S. Sandhu said the tournament would be made into an annual feature. He was hopeful that more engineering golfers would take part in the event next year. Mr Ravi Sandhu, Secretary, PWD, Punjab, who was the chief guest, gave away the prizes. |
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Karachi, March 13 Players from both teams displayed poor temperament as they regularly objected to umpiring decisions which hampered the momentum of the match. The players also got engaged in physical contact with each other besides passing remarks at each other. The umpires also did not really assert their authority and showed just two green and two yellow cards. Both teams finished the match with 10 players when Vickram Kanth was given marching orders in the 52nd minute while Imran Khan was told to leave the field in the 58th minute.
— PTI |
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Sporting blank Vasco 3-0
Margao, March 13 For the winners, Joseph Pereira scored in the 12th and 61st minute along with Alvito Rodrigues finding the back of the net in the 37th minute. Kolkata: State Bank of Travancore paid for missed chances and went down by a solitary goal against Tollygunge Agragami in a ninth National Football League match here today. Ghana’s Suley Musah scored the all-important goal in the 28th minute from a neat back pass by Surajit Bose.
— UNI, PTI |
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