 |
|
|
India return to winning ways with vengeance
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chennai to host first India-Sri Lanka Test match
Smith leads Proteas back from ODI depths
Pakistan can win Champions Trophy, says coach
Pak golfer take lead
on day one
Goa, Maharashtra in last eight
|
|
India return to winning ways with vengeance
Rajkot, November 9 After bundling out the visitors for a modest 196 in 42.5 overs with a disciplined bowling performance, Yuvraj stole the limelight with a 67-ball unbeaten 79 to steer the Indians home with 15.1 overs to spare and give the hosts a 5-1 lead in the seven-match series. It was another commendable performance by the rejuvenated Indians as they outplayed the islanders in all departments of the game, rendering the contest a lopsided affair. While Yuvraj emerged as the batting hero by notching up his 19th ODI half century, young paceman Rudra Pratap Singh had his moment of glory as he returned with career-best figures of 4 for 35 to wreck the Sri Lankan innings on a good track. Mohammad Kaif, returning to the team after sitting out the first five matches because of an injury, showed no signs of rustiness as he slammed an unbeaten 38. Gautam Gambhir (28), Virender Sehwag (22) and Sachin Tendulkar (19) could not manage to convert starts into big knocks. The two teams would now travel to Baroda for the last match of the series, to be held on Saturday. Having aggregated only 45 runs in four innings so far in the series, Yuvraj answered his critics by cracking an unbeaten 79, that contained three sixes and nine fours. He added 105 runs with Kaif for the fourth wicket. The Lankan batting, which had fired on all cylinders in the previous match, bombed altogether. Only three batsmen went past 20 and more than seven overs of their allotted quota went unutilised. The visitors’ innings revolved around a defiant half century from Tillekaratne Dilshan. The middle-order batsman, man of the match in Sri Lanka’s five-wicket win at Ahmedabad, stroked his way to a fine 59 from only 63 balls with nine fours. Upul Chandana hit a valuable 30 and added 29 runs for the eighth wicket with Dilshan. It was a collective bowling performance from the hosts, who were also brilliant in the outfield. Gambhir once again helped India to get off the starting blocks quickly with a 27-ball 28. Although Tendulkar and Sehwag failed to capitalise on their good starts, Yuvraj and Kaif carried through the momentum to take the team home comfortably. The sudden drop in the Lankan batting form was inexplicable. Although there was a hint of uneven bounce in the first hour, the pitch that resembled a shiny marble soon evened out. Its slow and placid nature took all sting out of the bowling, but the batsmen did not last long enough for Sri Lanka to take advantage of the track. When the Lankans came on to bowl, they struggled to check the Indian scoring rate. The absence of star off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan added to their woes. The Indians experimented again, with Gambhir walking out with Tendulkar to open the innings. Sehwag had played 110 of his 130 one-day innings as an opener and scored 90 per cent of his career runs at that position. All his seven hundreds had come at the top of the order whereas he averaged 16.10 for 322 runs with one half century in other positions. Gambhir went with his natural shot-making instinct to provide a brisk start. He made his intentions clear with an uppish square drive off Vaas in the first over and then collected two fours off successive balls from Dilhara Fernando. Fernando had the last laugh when the left-hander played on to his stumps.
Gambhir hit six fours. Tendulkar found the fence for the first time with a rasping cut off Vaas in the seventh over. In the bowler’s next over, Tendulkar stamped his class with an off-drive and an on-drive, piercing the infield through his timing. But then he mistimed an on-drive off Fernando in the following over for a simple catch to mid-on, his 19 coming off 30 balls and including three fours. But there was no let-up in scoring as Sehwag took the baton and sprinted at frenetic pace. His first boundary was a pull shot to backward square leg off Fernando, which was followed by two scorchers through the point region off Farveez Maharoof. Sehwag’s belligerence came to a premature end when he tried to turn Chandana’s leg spin to the on-side, only managing a leading edge to short extra cover. His run-a-ball 22 contained four fours. Kaif continued to press the accelerator for India with a cover drive off Fernando. But Yuvraj soon took charge as he played his strokes fluently. He clubbed Fernando for a four and a six in one over as India galloped towards victory. He brought up the win with a straight-driven boundary of Sanath Jayasuriya. Earlier, Jayasuriya once again failed to deliver as he played outside the line to S. Sreesanth for a thin inside edge to the wicketkeeper for 19. But off the 17 balls he faced, the veteran showed glimpses of his old form, striking four fours via his favourite shots, a slash to third man and square drives through the off side. Upul Tharanga was snared by a rising delivery from Rudra Pratap Singh for 28. Sangakkara (9) failed to fire, edging a simple catch to mid-on off Irfan Pathan. Mahela Jayawardene (14) and Marvan Atapattu (9) fell in the space of six balls, leaving the score at 83 for five. Russel Arnold (8) and Dilshan, whose unbroken partnership of 131 runs had helped the Lankans to their first win of the series at Ahmedabad two days ago, added 35 runs for the sixth wicket before the former failed to beat Kaif’s throw to the striker’s end. Dilshan continued from where he left in the previous match. He clubbed R.P. Singh for two fours on either side of the wicket in the same over before paddle-sweeping Murali Kartik to fine leg. The right-hander even managed to cut the tidy Harbhajan through point and brought up his half century with a square drive off the off-spinner. It needed a brilliant piece of ground fielding from Yuvraj to end Dilshan’s innings. He swooped down on a gentle push from Dilshan at point and broke the stumps at non-striker’s end with a direct throw. It was the third fifty on the trot from Dilshan. Chaminda Vaas (9) played on to Kartik and Maharoof (4), super sub for Nuwan Zoysa, spooned a simple catch to Kaif at short extra cover. Chandana was the last batsman out, bowled playing all over a delivery from R.P. Singh. Scoreboard Sri Lanka: Tharanga c Dhoni
b R.P. Singh 28 Jayasuriya c Dhoni b Sreesanth 19 Sangakkara c Tendulkar
b Pathan 9 Jayawardene st Dhoni b Kartik 14 Atapattu c Sehwag b R.P. Singh 9 Dilshan run out 59 Arnold run out 8 Vaas b Kartik 9 Chandana b R.P. Singh 30 Maharoof c Kaif b R.P. Singh 4 Fernando not out 4 Extras
(w-2, nb-1): 3 Total (all out, 42.4 overs): 196 Fall of wickets:
1-44, 2-56, 3-57, 4-79, 5-83, 6-118, 7-132, 8-161, 9-182. Bowling:
Pathan 7-0-31-1, Sreesanth 8-0-50-1, R.P. Singh 8.5-2-35-4, Kartik 10-1-0-42-2, Harbhajan 9-1-38-0. India: Gambhir b Fernando 28 Tendulkar c Maharoof
b Fernando 19 Sehwag c Dilshan b Chandana 22 Kaif not out 38 Yuvraj not out 79 Extras
(w-3, nb-8): 11 Total (3 wkts, 34.5 overs): 197 Fall of wickets:
1-43, 2-57, 3-92. Bowling: Vaas 7-0-38-0, Fernando 10-1-58-2, Maharoof 4-0-24-0, Jayasuriya 3.5-0-22-0, Chandana 5-0-32-1, Dilshan 5-0-23-0.
— PTI |
|
Sehwag all praise for team
Rajkot, November 9 “We have been experimenting with the batting order as we have a good batting line-up. Different players have been taking up responsibility,” Sehwag said when asked to comment on India’s good show in the series. On today’s seven-wicket win, Sehwag said the comprehensive victory was made possible due to the fact that the Indians outperformed Sri Lanka in all the three departments of the game. “We did well in all the three departments — batting, bowling and fielding. In the end, it was a good show from the boys,” he said. Praising his bowlers, he said, “It was a slow wicket. The ball was not coming on easily to the bat. Murali Kartik and Harbhajan Singh bowled superbly. R.P. Singh, Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan also bowled really well.” Rival skipper Marvan Atapattu said his team did not put enough runs on the board. “Only 190-odd runs were not enough. We lost quite a few wickets early on,” he said. He added that considering the wicket, a total of 240 would have been a competitive score. The Sri Lankan captain said the wicket was dual-paced, but there were no excuses to have lost in such a manner. He said the team missed the services of champion bowler Muttiah Muralitharan. “It makes a big difference to have Muralitharan. We missed him badly. The amount of turn the wicket was taking later on, his presence would have helped us greatly. But he is more important for us in Tests and we want to preserve him for that,” Atapattu said. Man of the match R.P. Singh said he just concentrated on bowling a good line. “The wicket had uneven bounce. I tried to bowl at the stumps and keep a good line,” said the paceman, who returned figures of 4 for 35. “Although this was only my third match, I have been around with the team for quite some time. The seniors have really helped me a lot with their support.” — PTI |
|
Chennai to host first India-Sri Lanka Test match
Thiruvananthapuram, November 9 Mr Nair said that the Lankans will play a warm-up match in Bangalore from November 26 to 28, following a request from the Sri Lankan Cricket Board. After the seventh ODI to be played at Vadodara on November 12, the islanders would return home and come back in time for the warm up match. Though the venues for the Test were decided earlier by the BCCI Fixtures Committee, the order of the venues was finalised today after getting the views of the Sri Lankan Board, Mr Nair said. Before the Lankans come back for the Test series, South Africa would play five one-day internationals against India from November 16 onwards. Hyderabad would host the first ODI, while the second ODI would be held at Bangalore on November 19. The third ODI would be played at Chennai on November 22, while Kolkata and Mumbai would host the fourth and fifth ODIs on November 25 and 28 respectively, Mr Nair said. BCCI AGM on November 29
The annual general meeting (AGM) of the BCCI would be held in Kolkata on November 29 for election of office-bearers, Mr Nair said. The AGM’s date was decided after Nair’s meeting had with T.S. Krishnamurthy, the Supreme Court-appointed observer for the BCCI meeting at Chennai yesterday. Other issues on the agenda would be taken up after the election and the meeting would continue the next day if necessary. The board had sent out notice about the meeting to affiliated units along with the direction given
by the observer for the smooth conduct of the elections. — UNI, PTI |
|
Smith leads Proteas back from ODI depths
Johannesburg, November 9 It is a transformation achieved with essentially the same playing personnel, although there have been two changes of coach since South Africa crashed out of the Champions Trophy in 2004, when they lost to the West Indies in a group match. That defeat had sent South Africa tumbling to eighth place on the ICC rankings, ahead of only Zimbabwe and Bangladesh among Test-playing nations. Now they are at number two behind Australia after an unbeaten run of 19 matches, including 12 straight wins. “We have moved forward. There is a lot more confidence,” said captain Graeme Smith. “We went for a lot of young guys. It was going to take time for them to find their feet at the international level. “It is still going to take more time. The guys are starting to feel more comfortable in their own abilities. “We have got some structures right and the guys have really put their hands up, which is often the key thing in pressure situations,” he said. Although there had not been wholesale changes in the team, the emergence of Justin Kemp as the big-hitting successor to 1999 World Cup hero Lance Klusener had been the most significant. Kemp was named man of the series on Sunday after South Africa beat New Zealand 4-0 in a five-match series, with one match washed out. Another player who was not a part of the Champions Trophy team was fast bowler Andre Nel, who together with swing bowler Charl Langeveldt had taken over the bowling task at the end of an innings. Veteran Shaun Pollock’s loss of pace had become a liability in the closing overs, although he remained a key member of the side. Smith had been a key factor. At 24, he was still one of the youngest captains and his inexperience had showed. But he had grown into the role and shown the ability to make critical bowling and field-placing changes. His batting had also improved. It took the left-handed opener 59 matches to score his first one-day international century, but he then reeled off four in eight matches to provide the foundation for big totals. A stint with the English county Somerset this year had helped Smith work on his one-day shot-making. Previously known mainly for his leg-side play, Smith had added some beefy off-side strokes to his repertoire. South Africa had gambled by picking off-spinner Johan Botha, a former seamer who had bowled spin in only five first-class games. “We just want to keep getting better. We face a new challenge in India,” said Smith.
— AFP |
|
Hansda Jhanu hits gold
New Delhi, November 9 On a day when the Korean archers yet again displayed their excellence, hosts India did themselves proud by making a clean sweep in the women’s compound event. Jhanu, who got the better of Manjudha Soy in the semifinals 115-108, outscored Sakro in the final 112-104. Besra entered the final after subduing Bansaralin Dhar 109-108. Dhar downed Soy 107-106 to take the third place. In the men’s individual compound medal round, Vivek Kumar salvaged pride for the hosts by lifting bronze. Shu Cai of China defeated Zamaninejai Reza of Iran 109-108 to bag gold. Cai had set up the title clash with Reza after overpowering Damor Naresh in the semifinals 112-107. Reza edged past Vivek Kumar 116-110 in the other semifinal. Vivek then nudged out Naresh 111-109 to win bronze. In the recurve event, the Koreans made a clean sweep, both in the men’s and women’s section, after battling it out among themselves. Im Hyung Dong pipped Bo Ram Kim 118-112 for gold while Kyung Mo Park beat Cheng-Wei Kuo 115-111 for the bronze. In the women’s individual recurve event, Sung Hyun Park of Korea edged past compatriot Ok Hee Yun 110-108 while Yun Jin Mi defeated Sung Jin Lee 115-113 for third place. The Indian challenge in the women’s recurve event had fizzled out with Rani Laxmi Majhi losing to Park Hyun Sung 159-173, Reena Kumari being tamed by Kwon Un Sil 160-164 and Dola Banerjee losing to Qian Jialing 161-164 in the quarterfinals. In the men’s quarterfinals, Tarundeep Rai licked the dust against eventual champion Im Dong 105-107 while Jayanta Talukdar lost to Bo Ram Kin 108-109. |
|
Pakistan can win Champions Trophy, says coach
Lahore, November 9 “I won’t say that my team will win the gold or the silver medal in Chennai. But I count my team among title contenders,” Asif told The News. Pakistan would join Olympic champions Australia, world champions Germany, defending champions Spain, Holland and India in the elite hockey event from December 10 to 18. Bajwa said after Rabo Trophy triumph his players can beat the best team in the world. “The Rabo Trophy title was a big confidence booster for my boys and they should believe that they can beat the best in the world,” the coach said. A good showing in Chennai would also boost the preparations for the 2006 World Cup in Monchengladbach in Germany, the coach said. Pakistan has not won any major title for a decade after winning both the World Cup and Champions Trophy in 1994 except for winning the eight-nation Rabo Trophy in Amsterdam in August this year. An 18-member squad will be named on November 19 from among the 33 players called for camp-cum-trial in Lahore beginning tomorrow. The team would leave for Chennai on December 5. — UNI |
|
Pak golfer take lead
on day one
Bangalore, November 9 At the end of the first six matches played on a ‘Foursome alternate shot’ format, the visitors led by 3.5-2.5. Pitted against a much stronger Indian side consisting of Simarjeet Singh and Gaganjeet Bhullar, the Pakistani duo of Vaqas and Tariq pulled off a superb win. The home side did begin well winning the opening hole but immediately lost the advantage on the next one. Simarjeet pulled one back for India on the third as the home side consolidated the lead on the sixth to go 2-up. After a bout of fluctuating fortunes, in which the host managed to gain the upper-hand, Pakistan, represented by their talented pair drew parity on the 11th. From then it was a real fight as both teams displayed some superb fighting skills till the 16th with the score still all-square. It was on the 17th that the Indians faltered when Simarjeet failed to drain a 8-footer par putt where as their counterparts managed a good up and down from 70 yards with Tariq draining a 15-footer. With one-up and one hole to go, the defending champions won the final hole to take a full point.
— UNI |
|
Goa, Maharashtra in last eight
Kozhikode, November 9 The three-time champions had scored with 33 goals in the three matches without conceding one and would now fancy their chances for the title. Assam and Uttar Pradesh had already qualified for the next round. It was Anthony Pereira who started the scoring in the eighth minute off a Nickolas Rodrigues’ pass after Sikkim missed a golden opportunity to score in the opening minute when Bir Bahadur Singh misjudged a pass from Milan Lepcha. From then on, there was no looking back for the Goans as they netted goals at will, scoring five in each half, that included a hat-trick from the mercurial Climax Lawrence (36th, 45th and 85th minutes) and a brace from Joaquim Abranches (66th and 83rd minutes), who substituted Freddy Mascarenhas, probably to give him sufficient rest ahead of the hectic schedule in Kochi. The 35-yard free-kick from Rodrigues (32nd) was the most impressive of the goals scored. Even as Sikkim’s Anil Pradhan was booked for tackling Clifford Mirranda five minutes before the breather, Steve Lepcha was red-carded for slamming the ball at Mirranda, who neatly hit the resultant penalty kick. Nicholau Borges (48th) smashed a cross from captain Samir Naik who came on to score one in the 76th minute. At Thiruvananthapuram, former champions Maharashtra moved into the quarterfinal league, blanking Orissa 4-0 in a Cluster III match. Orissa, needing only a draw to qualify, played a defensive game, but proved no match to Maharashtra. Paresh Shivalkar, Soccer Velho and Abhishek Yadav (2) were the scorers for the winners. After a goal-less first half, Maharashtra
controlled the match, keeping possession for most of the second session. Nice interplay between forwards Steven Dias and Shivalkar resulted in the first goal in the 48th minute, with the latter finding the target with a diving header. Seven minutes later, Velho netted the second goal off a fine cross from Shivalkar from the right flank. Yadav sealed Orissa’s fate, increasing the margin in the 66th and 71st minutes. Maharashtra finished with seven points and Orissa had six from three matches. Maharashtra would play last year’s semifinalists Services in Group III of the quarterfinal league, beginning in Kochi on November 11. In Cluster VIII, Nagaland and Andhra Pradesh crashed out of the tournament after playing out a 1-1 draw. After a goal-less first half, Andhra Pradesh went into the lead in the 69th minute through Mohammed Fareed. But Nagaland equalised through Leipakchao.
— PTI |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
