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India all set to clinch series
No move to rest Sachin: Chappell
Self belief behind India’s resurgence
Kaif declared fit
England win warm-up match by 52 runs
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Vaughan not worried about batting failures
Gibbs, Boje dropped
Bracken in, MacGill out
Bowling greats at odds over Windies’ chances
Golfer Jamshed Ali dead
Paes-Zimonjic lose
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India all set to clinch series
Pune, November 2 Having taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, India are running high on confidence and it would require a superhuman effort from the Lankans to stop the winning run of their rivals at the traditionally batsman-friendly Nehru Stadium track and keep the series alive. Lanka have failed to click as a team, in total contrast to India, who suddenly seem to have found the winning touch which had been missing over the last season as well as on the previous tours of Lanka and Zimbabwe. The biggest let-down for Lanka in the series so far has been the Big Four — former captain Sanath Jayasuriya, current skipper Marvan Atapattu, left-arm pace spearhead Chaminda Vaas and spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan. None of them have performed to their potential, to a large extent due to the constant pressure applied on them by the hosts. The Lankans are hence due for a match-winning display from at least one of this quartet in what is a do-or-die encounter for them. Jayasuriya has been struggling with his freak shoulder injury and it remains to be seen how the Matara marauder performs with the bat tomorrow. Atapattu has once again looked clueless on Indian soil after his lack of success in this country on previous visits while Vaas and Murali have looked largely ineffective against the determined Indian batsmen. Adding to the Lankans’ batting woes would be the non-availability of their vice-captain Mahela Jayawardene in the crucial match. The right-handed stylist, who seemed to have run into some form when making 71 in the previous encounter in Jaipur, has returned home to get married and is expected back in India in time only for the fifth match of the series at Ahmedabad on November 6. All-rounders Russel Arnold and Tillekaratne Dilshan have been miserable failures so far with both bat and ball. The only saving grace for the visitors has been the form displayed by their wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara who has scores of 43, 27 and 138 not out to his credit. But he has not received sufficient support at the other end, barring the last tie when Jayawardene and the big-hitting Farveez Maharoof helped him set India 299 to chase. Unlike the Indians, who have sent in Irfan Pathan, J P Yadav and Mahendra Singh Dhoni to the one-down slot in the series so far and have succeeded well beyond anyone’s imagination, the Lankan think tank has preferred to use the clean-hitting Maharoof only in the lower order. With Vaas and Murali not as effective as is their wont, it has been left to the likes of Maharoof, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Zoysa and Upul Chandana to rise to the occasion, but they have been mere cannon fodder to the rampaging Indian batsmen. The hosts, in total contrast, are riding a wave of success under the aggressive leadership of Rahul Dravid and form of comeback man Sachin Tendulkar who seems to have rediscovered his glorious touch straightaway since returning to international cricket after a six-month injury lay-off. The Indians have not only overwhelmed the Lankans but have also outthought the visitors in the strategies — the promotion of Pathan at Nagpur and Dhoni, who pulverised the attack to make a record 183 not out at Jaipur, to the number three slot being prime examples. The Indians outwitted the Lankans in the guessing game with both Chappell and Dravid refusing to divulge to the media anything about the batting order on match-eve by saying that it would help the opposition in framing a counter. After the spectacular success of Pathan and Dhoni, especially the latter who waded into the Lankan attack at Jaipur and smashed it to smithereens, it is another guessing game who would come out to bat at number three for India tomorrow. What is certain is that the Lankan bowlers need to get two or three early Indian wickets, as otherwise another caning is on the cards. While the Indian batting has clicked in splendid fashion, the economical as well as penetrative bowling of Harbhajan Singh in the middle overs should not be overlooked. The off spinner troubled the batsmen in all the three matches so far with good support from left arm Murali Kartik in the first two games. The Lankan batsmen have been unable to attack Harbhajan and it would be interesting to see what tactics they adopt here. The hosts have also changed their super-subs constantly in the series and have effectively used the Powerplays too so far, another feather in the cap of Greg Chappell, Dravid and other seniors like Tendulkar. To add to the Indians’ comfort zone is the fact that they have beaten the Lankans on both occasions the two rivals have clashed here — in 1990 and 1999. Another sell-out crowd would witness the clash and unless the Lankans come up with an inspired display in the face of so many odds against them, their fate in the series would be sealed here. Teams (from): India: Rahul Dravid (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Y Venugopala Rao, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Irfan Pathan, Ajit Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Kartik, Jai Prakash Yadav, S Sreesanth, Gautam Gambhir and Rudra Pratap Singh. Sri Lanka: Marvan Atapattu (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillekaratne Dilshan, Russel Arnold, Chamida Vaas, Upul Chandana, Thilon Samaraweera, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan, Dilhara Fernando, Nuwan Zoysa, Dilhara Lokuhettige and Upul Tharanga.
— PTI |
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No move to rest Sachin: Chappell
Pune, November 2 “There is no such move (to rest Tendulkar). As long as he's fit and well, he would play. We missed his presence in Sri Lanka,” Chappell said on the eve of the match at the Nehru Stadium. Tendulkar, playing his first competitive event after a six-month injury lay-off, has been in top form and been a major factor in India taking a commanding 3-0 lead. The 56-year-old former Australian batsman, however, said India could not afford to relax. “If we continue to perform as well as we have done over the last three games we would do well here too. But if we don’t do it, we will be in trouble,” he said. The team, led by Rahul Dravid, has made constant changes in the batting order which has brought stunning results but Chappell maintained these were not mere “experiments” but part of a “strategy” to flummox the Lankans. “It’s more to do with strategy rather than experimenting. We want to adapt to situations as they develop and as per the conditions available on any given day,” he said. Chappell also came to the defence of Virender Sehwag who was yet to come up with a big score in the series. He said Sehwag had played a vital role as a partner with Mahendra Singh Dhoni who hit an explosive 183 not out in the last match at Jaipur. “He (Sehwag) played a very important role in Jaipur with his experience and knowledge of the situation to help the youngster (Dhoni). Not every one can score runs in every game,” Chappell said.
— PTI |
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Self belief behind India’s resurgence
It is time to now take a serious note of India. It was all too easy in Nagpur and Mohali but this was the first real challenge they faced in the series. They did not panic or change their approach in the third cricket one-dayer in Jaipur. They came out swinging and showed the surge of belief which is running through their veins.
It is too early but a seriously good team is in the making now. Batting is flexible and is being groomed to adapt to different situations and different slots. Opposition can struggle to plan in advance. Bowling and fielding are both on the mend. India's rise has taken the world by surprise. I feel it has happened because they have built competitions for spots. When a senior pro like Sourav Ganguly cannot find a place, and he would soon I am sure, it brings the hunger back in the team. There is no other magic in this transformation. This is exactly what we ignored in Sri Lanka in recent years. In the mid-1990s, we followed the same route and men like Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene and Chaminda Vaas in due course first became the integral part and then lynchpin of the team. The likes of Dilshan and Russel Arnold were brought in by the old gang. But the past few years have been an antithesis to this theory. The past administration could not look beyond it’s nose and wanted wins at all costs. They dumped long-term planning. We didn’t prepare alternatives for our seniors and are now stuck in the mire. India has done it in three months, we can also do the same if we follow their lead. I believe this theory will get its logical extension when the duo of Rahul Dravid and Greg Chappell choose to rotate the seniors once the series has been sealed, probably in Pune itself. There is talk of resting Sachin Tendulkar and I am in support of it. Tendulkar needs to be looked after properly. A thoroughbred must only run in Derby. You can't ask for his services for everyday routine. Such a theory will keep throwing alternatives and jostling for spots. Anyone who gets the place would approach it with hunger. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not a slogger, he has proper defence. He backs himself both in executing strokes, recall those sixes over long-on with fielders placed for mishits, as well as in shifting gears according to situation. It speaks of a selfless approach. He would still have been a hero after his hundred. But he looked at the bigger goal for the team. Cramp or no cramp, he soldiered on. Such men have invaluable impact in the dressing room. I am disappointed with a few of our tactics. The bowling and fielding have been unimaginative and routine. The attempt in the field should always be to create doubts in batsmen’s mind. In our times, we used to do it by staying put in dressing room and rummaging through those long hours of video of the day’s play. It helped us plan against the opposition batsmen and bowlers. Now technology has improved by leaps and bounds. A click can summon a full dossier on a batsman or bowler. But it is proving of little use. Ideally, a one-day team should have six dependable batsmen, three allrounders and three good fast bowlers who can work well in tandem. Even though Ferveez Mahroof has been taken to the cleaners, I support him. We need bowling allrounders and Mahroof has the making. At the moment he is being defeated by placid pitches and extraordinary Indian batting. It is not as if Sri Lanka has shown no progress. They put up a good total on the board and it came because the two best batsmen of the side — Kumara Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene — fired. But if the team is honest they would admit these two alone have been leading the batting charge in recent months. Others need to pull their weight. This Indian side can only be subdued by 11 charged and committed men, marauding like a hungry pack of wolves. Otherwise, I suspect a 7-0 drubbing, so much has Sri Lanka fallen behind in the present series.
— PTI |
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Kaif declared fit
Pune, November 2 “The update on Kaif is that he has been declared fit by India physiotherapist John Gloster. He has been cleared to play in the Duleep Trophy tournament,” team media manager Wing Commander Baladitya told reporters here. He was expected to represent Central Zone against North Zone in the Duleep Trophy match at Aurangabad. The Uttar Pradesh player would then be available for selection for the last two one-day internationals against Sri Lanka to be played at Rajkot on November 9 and at Vadodara on November 12.
— PTI |
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England win warm-up match by 52 runs
Rawalpindi, November 2 Defending a modest total of 157 in a minimum of 60 overs on the last day of the three-day match, medium fast bowler Liam Plunkett (4-16) and left-arm spinner Ashley Giles (4-39) combined to bundle out the hosts for a paltry 105 in 36.5 overs. Marcus Trescothick ensured England’s bowlers had enough runs on board to defend with an unbeaten 38 after the tourists resumed at the overnight score of 39 for six. Trescothick, who scored an unbeaten 124 in England's first innings total of 256 for nine declared, entered the fray at the fall of the seventh wicket this morning as the visitors were bowled out for 112 half an hour before lunch.
Local medium fast bowler Yasir Arafat, took five wickets in the second innings for 31 runs to finish the match with a haul of 9-76. The Patron’s XI conceded a 45-run first innings lead when they were dismissed for 211. In its second innings, Test batsman Yasir Hameed and Asher Zaidi compiled a solid 50-run opening partnership before the home team fell to the combination of Plunkett and
Giles. Hameed, dropped on 24 by Kevin Pietersen at mid-wicket, was neatly caught by Andrew Strauss after adding another six to his score, while Zaidi (26) spooned a simple catch to mid-on off Plunkett.
Bazid Khan and Asim Kamal failed to open their accounts as the Patron's XI slid from 50-0 to 65-4 in the space of eight overs. Test discard Faisal Iqbal (2), nephew of former Pakistan captain Javed
Miandad, was caught behind slashing at a wide delivery off Plunkett and the Patron's XI slumped to 71-5. Giles — likely to punish the Pakistan batsmen in the Test series later this month — struck twice in an over. Shahzad Malik played a quicker ball off the left-arm spinner back onto his stumps and Khalid Latif skied an easy catch to Strauss. Captain
Misbah-ul-Haq (14) gave Trescothick his second catch of the innings as the Patron's XI lost eight wickets in the second session and went for tea at a dismal 88-8. Off-spinner Shaun Udal then wrapped up the innings with his four overs after tea. Arafat got a thin edge to wicketkeeper Matthew Prior while captain Michael Vaughan took a diving catch in the slips to dismiss last batsman
Zulqarnain. England will play another warm-up match in Lahore from November 6 before the first Test begins in the eastern city of Multan on November 12. The second Test will be played in Faisalabad from November 20, while Lahore will host the last Test staring November 29. A five-match limited-over series will follow the Tests.
— AP |
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Vaughan not worried about batting failures
Rawalpindi, November 2 “This was a practice match and it was not played in a Test match environment. We have the mental resolve for Test cricket,” he said at a press conference after England conjured a 52-run victory against a Patron’s XI today. England’s only stand-out batting performance in the low-scoring game came from opener Marcus Trescothick, who scored 124 and 38, when batting at number nine, without being dismissed. Reserve wicketkeeper Mattthew Prior scored 50 in the first innings. The England captain said that he was not happy with his own batting in the match. He collected just nine runs and said he would spend a lot of time in the nets. “You have to say some of their guys were decent bowlers, who put the ball in the right places and had good pace,” said Vaughan. Vaughan said uncapped pacer Liam Plunkett had a lot of potential. “It is too early to say if he will be in the Test squad,” he said. “We will be happy if they have a similar pitch in Multan because our bowlers are used to bowling on such seaming tracks. But I doubt that will happen. “We would have liked to have got more batting practice and spend more time out in the middle. We did not get many runs, but the bowlers got a good workout in the game. “We will probably play our Test XI in the second practice match in Lahore. But we have not established our Test XI yet,” he said.
— Reuters |
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Gibbs, Boje dropped
Durban, November 2 Gibbs and Boje, who were replaced by Andrew Hall and Albie Morkel, would sit out of South Africa’s fourth one-day international against New Zealand in Durban on November 4. They were given rest after it was disclosed that they would not travel with the team to India later this month for fear of being arrested in connection with match-fixing allegations, convener of selectors Haroon Lorgat said. “It is rather unfortunate, but we needed to face reality, make the tough decisions and look ahead at our tour of India,” he said while announcing the team for the next two matches against New Zealand. “With the Proteas already enjoying an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ODI series, we are now going for a whitewash and therefore, there will be no compromise,” he said. “I am confident that Hall and Morkel will do the job. Ideally, we need to slot in our replacements now, redefine roles in the absence of the two established players and ready ourselves for India,” he added. Veteran spinner Paul Adams might be recalled when the team for the India series would be announced next week. South African squad: Graeme Smith (captain), Jacques Kallis (vice-captain), Mark Boucher, A.B. de Villiers, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince and Jacques Rudolph.
— PTI |
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Bracken in, MacGill out
Brisbane, November 2 The selectors gave left-arm fast bowler Nathan Bracken the nod over MacGill, who would return to his domestic duties for New South Wales and not carry the drinks for Australia in the Test, beginning
tomorrow at the Gabba. That and the extra fieldsman’s duties would be performed by an as-yet undecided local club cricketer, captain Ricky Ponting said. Leg-spinner MacGill, who had bowled in tandem with Shane Warne in Australia’s 210-run win in the Super Test, returned figures of 5 for 43 in the second innings and 9 for 82 for the match against the World XI. The choice between the two was assisted by the Gabba conditions, which were expected to favor seam bowling. “Bracken has got a great record up here and he will bowl well on that wicket,” Ponting said. Bracken (28) had played three Tests, the last against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground in January, 2004. A rib injury to opener Justin Langer brought fellow West Australian Mike Hussey into the side for his Test debut. It would be the first time in 54 Tests — more than four years — that veteran left-handers Langer and Matthew Hayden would not open for Australia in a Test. It would be Australia’s first home Test against a national side since losing the Ashes to England in September. Australian team: Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Nathan Bracken, Michael Clarke, Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, Mike Hussey, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Shane Watson. — AP |
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Bowling greats at odds over Windies’ chances
Brisbane, November 2 One-time wicket-taking world record-holder Walsh believes the West Indies can surprise by winning a Test in Australia, something they haven’t done since February 1997. “Definitely, I think the way they’ve started (the tour) would have given them a lot of confidence,” Walsh said yesterday. “It’s the first time this team has played together in about two or three tours because of politics (over sponsorship). “These guys have a chance to gel here, and I am sure that they are going to play some good consistent cricket. They are up against the best team. It is going to be hard but if you want to make a mark you have got to play against the best.” Holding, another former West Indies great, disagrees and forecasts the Caribbean tourists will be drubbed 3-0 by Ricky Ponting’s side, determined to prove they are still world cricket’s top team after losing the Ashes to England last September. “People do not like to hear the truth, but this group does not possess the right attitude to win Test matches,” Holding said this week. “I am concerned about their general focus. They aren’t focused on their game enough. They are not focused on representing the Windies enough.” The Windies are the last touring team to win a series in Australia, winning 2-1 in 1992-93, but they were spanked 5-0 by the Australians on their last visit Down Under in 2000-01. The one-time powerhouse of world cricket have fallen on hard times and are looking to recapture lost glories under the coaching of Australian Bennett King, who went to the Caribbean last year with the pedigree of coaching Queensland and the Australian Cricket Academy. “I think you will see a change in their fortunes sometime, but certainly it's quite young in their development,” King said this week. The Windies had the better of Queensland in the warm-up four-day tour match here last weekend. Marlon Samuels was the stand-out with his highest first-class score of 257 and best return of five wickets with his off-spinners. The Caribbean tourists have brought along an armoury of hostile quicks, led by Jermaine Lawson (50 wickets in 12 Tests at 27.84), Fidel Edwards (45 wickets in 17 Tests) and Tino Best (26 wickets in 12 Tests). Walsh likes what he sees in 23-year-old Edwards from Barbados. “He could be a handful if he can get things right,” Walsh said. West Indies (from): Chris Gayle, Devon Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (captain), Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Dinesh Ramdin, Tino Best, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards, Jermaine Lawson, Corey Collymore.
— AFP |
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Golfer Jamshed Ali dead
Kolkata, November 2 Jamshed, the country’s first caddie-turned-professional golfer to make it big in the game, succumbed to the disease at the Thakurpukur Cancer Hospital around noon. The golfer had been released from the hospital after a dose of chemotherapy three weeks ago, but was readmitted after his condition deteriorated. Jamshed, who got the coveted Arjuna Award in 1978, had made a name for himself in the 1970s and early 1980s by performing superbly in all India tournaments. At a time when the game had limited scope in the country, Jamshed put up decent performances in the fairways of Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, besides winning the Dunlop Open twice in Chennai, and emerging champion in tourneys in Delhi and Mumbai. Born in a locality close to the Royal Calcutta Golf Club — one of the golfing hotspots in India — Jamshed started off as a ball boy and soon graduated to a caddy. He played his maiden golf tournament in 1969 while still in his teens and thereafter started a successful journey with the golf stick. In the late 1970s, Jamshed landed a temporary job with an oil company that was looking for someone to coach its top executives, but the job did not last long. With no source of steady income to sustain his family and apathy from the government and the golfing fraternity, Jamshed knocked on the doors of the media in August this year in a last-ditch effort to get financial help for his costly treatment. A sustained campaign by the media led to help coming in trickles, but by then the resident of the south Kolkata slum was already nearing the end of his life.
— PTI |
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Paes-Zimonjic lose
New Delhi, November 2 Paes and Zimonjic yesterday went down in three sets, losing 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 2-6. However, the duo had qualified for the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai in fifth spot. The encounter was a close contest, with the first set going to a tie-breaker, in which the Israelis prevailed 7-5. Paes and Zimonjic came back strongly in the second set, taking it 6-2, but could not maintain the momentum in the decider, losing it 2-6.
— PTI |
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Karate competition
Ambala, November 2 A number of students from different schools participated. Coaches from New Delhi, Faridabad, Noida, Ladwa and
Kurukshetra were present. Among boys, in 20-25 kg, Saransh was first, Deepesh was second, while Ujjwal was third. In 25-30 kg, Panth was first, Adwitiya was second and Parmeet was third. In 40-45 kg, Himanshu was first, Chandrashekhar was second and Manpreet was third. In 45-50 kg, Aman was first, Shubham was second and Rachit was third. In 50-55 kg, Mayank was first, Vishal was second and Ishan was third. Among girls up to 20 kg, Bhavya was first and Parmika was second. In 20-25 kg, Ritu was first, Shruti was second and Surbhi was third. In 35-40 kg, Navdita was first and Pooja was second. In 40-45 kg, Kadambari was first and Arshi was
second.
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