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Younis guides Pak to victory
Gavaskar appalled at cricketers’ attitude
Sachin to miss ODIs on Windies tour
Kiwis in trouble
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Gillespie’s maiden ton lifts Aussies
Ponting fined for dissent
Saleem Malik restrained from playing
Vinod, Uttam share lead in Hero Golf
Ganguly, Ghate are national champions
Sania, Shikha to play singles against Philippines
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Younis guides Pak to victory Abu Dhabi, April 18 The comprehensive defeat, which came barely three days after they capped a 5-1 drubbing of England, left India looking mediocre and also exposed their vulnerability in both batting and bowling. After scampering to 197 all out in 50 overs, Rahul Dravid’s men watched helplessly as their archrivals surpassed the modest target in 48.3 overs riding on a splendid 71 not out by Younis Khan. As Kamran Akmal (24 not out) hit the winning runs, a four off S. Sreesanth, the large number of Pakistani supporters at the Zayed Stadium erupted in joy, waiting as they have been since the last six years to see their team tame India in the desert kingdom. A Pakistan victory was never in doubt once Inzamam-ul Haq (40) and Younis, the captain and his deputy, got together to string an 86-run partnership, studded with breathtaking shots which had more to do with their abilities than the bowlers' inefficiencies. Inzamam struck four fours in his 73-ball knock while Younis, the perennial Indian nemesis, slammed four fours and a six off 96 balls to assert once again Pakistan’s superiority over India at neutral venues. That India came into the match on the back of 17 wins and just 5 defeats counted for little as Pakistan showed it was performance on the day that mattered and not previous glories. With the next match slated for tomorrow, Indians would have hardly any time to recoup and ensure they do not sign off what has otherwise been a remarkable season on a losing note. Chasing the modest target, Pakistan were off to a steady start with openers Shoaib Malik and Imran Farhat milking runs at will against a wayward Indian new ball attack. Farhat picked Pathan for special treatment, slamming the left-hander for three fours in an over to throw him completely out of gear. But Sreesanth worked up a good pace and was rewarded when he had Malik caught by Dravid in the slips for 12 to give India their first breakthrough and reduce Pakistan to 42 for one. Ajit Agarkar (2/33) then removed Farhat with a perfect yorker that shattered the stumps of the batsman. Farhat made 30 off 41 balls with the help of five fours. India squandered a golden opportunity to dismiss Younis Khan when an off-colour Pathan failed to flick the ball on to the stumps after receiving an accurate throw from Yuvraj Singh from point, the batsman being yards away from the crease. Thriving on the chance, Younis took the Pakistani score to 146 before Inzamam was dismissed, caught by Venugopala Rao off Ramesh Powar in the 37th over. But by then Pakistan were already heading towards win, needing just 52 runs for victory in 13 overs. Pakistan lost Mohammad Yousuf just three runs later but India’s fate was already sealed. Earlier, India appeared a pale shadow of its recent regal self, unable to come to terms with either the conditions or the opposition. There were no signs of their recent inspired performances as they were bowled out below the 200-run mark in exactly 50 overs. Had it not been for Rao and Raina, who rescued the team from a pathetic 72 for 4, the Indians would have cut even a more sorry figure. The duo shared a crucial 64-run partnership for the fifth wicket after Indian captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and elected to bat. There was an ominous ring to the way the Indians gifted away their wickets on a track which had no devils in it. As many as four batsmen were run out while another four were caught while attempting ambitious shots. Shoaib Malik was the most impressive among the bowlers, taking 3 for 40 including the prized scalp of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (3). India were off to a sedate start as the Pakistani new ball bowlers maintained a tight line and length. The perseverence of the bowlers paid when Robin Uthappa, hero of India's last one-dayer at Indore, was out to a soft dismissal. Scoreboard India Uthappa c Yousuf b Naved 12 Dravid run out 20 Pathan run out 26 Yuvraj c Akmal b Anjum 7 Raina c Anjum b Afridi 40 Rao not out 61 Dhoni b Malik 3 Agarkar c Anjum b Malik 12 Powar c Anjum b Malik 5 Harbhajan run out 3 Sreesanth run out 0 Extras
(lb-3, w-5) 8 Total (all out, 50 overs) 197 Fall of wickets:
1-25, 2-47, 3-65, 4-72, 5-136, 6-149, 7-171, 8-180, 9-196, 10-197. Bowling:
Asif 8-1-24-0, Naved 9-0-51-1, Anjum 7-1-24-1, Razzaq 6-1-13-0, Afridi 10-0-42-1, Malik 10-0-40-3. Pakistan Malik c Dravid b Sreesanth 12 Farhat b Agarkar 30 Younis not out 71 Inzamam c Rao b Powar 40 Yousuf c Dhoni b Agarkar 1 Akmal not out 24 Extras
(lb-15, w-7, nb-1) 23 Total (4 wkts, 48.3 overs) 201 Fall of wickets:
1-42, 2-60, 3-146, 4-149. Bowling: Pathan 9-1-46-0, Sreesanth 9.3-2-34-1, Agarkar 10-0-33-2, Powar 10-1-27-1, Harbhajan 10-1-46-0.
— PTI |
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Gavaskar appalled at cricketers’ attitude
New Delhi, April 18 “I can’t see the problem, these players are turning out for their countries, it’s an honour to represent your country. I would be willing to sweat 365 days in a year for India. Those who can’t stand the heat should stay out,” Gavaskar said on a television programme. The former Indian captain was reacting to recent reports of a possible strike by international cricketers if the ICC did not reduce the number of matches. “We’re frustrated, we’re concerned and we’re disappointed the ICC and the member countries aren’t abiding by principles that are supposed to be abided by in the scheduling of tours,” Tim May, the president of the Federation of International Cricketers Association, was quoted as saying in the Australia media. “It’s a revenue-raising frenzy. It’s pushing the players into a position where they’re just going to say, ‘No, it’s too much, we’re walking away from this,” May said.
— PTI |
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Sachin to miss ODIs on Windies tour
New Delhi, April 18 The Mumbai batsman, however, has left open his availability for the four Tests, a decision which he expects to make on May 10 when his fitness is to be assessed, according to Board sources. The first Test begins on June 2 in Antigua. The Indian team is scheduled to depart for the Caribbean on May 12 and the squad for the tour is to be picked in Mumbai on Thursday. Tendulkar, who underwent a shoulder operation in London on March 27, was advised a 26-day rehabilitation programme. The sources said the batsman was progressing steadily but would be part of the Test squad only if he recovered fully. “Tendulkar’s chances of making the Test team is dependent on his recovery and the final assessment of his progress to find his full range of his shoulder movement, graded increases of the strength and control of the shoulder and scapulae will be done by May 10,” the sources said. Meanwhile, the selection committee, the sources said, has more or less decided the 16-member team for the five limited overs games.
— PTI |
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Kiwis in trouble
Centurion, April 18 Steyn, playing in his fourth Test, took three for 35 on a day shortened by bad light and drizzle. He offered steady support to paceman Makhaya Ntini, who took four for 41 today for nine wickets in the match. Opener Hamish Marshall stood firm on 24 not out when play ended nine balls after tea. Daniel Vettori was 18 not out. “We only need three more wickets and it only takes three balls, and the way the deck is playing it could be the first three balls tomorrow morning,” Steyn told a news conference. South Africa resumed their second innings on 280 for nine and were dismissed for 299 in the eighth over of the day. Scoreboard South Africa (1st innings) 276 New Zealand (1st innings) 327 South Africa (2nd innings) Smith lbw Martin 7 Gibbs c Styris b Franklin 2 Dippenaar c Fleming Kallis c Vettori b Styris 62 Prince c McCullum De Villiers c Franklin b Oram 97 Boucher b Mills 21 Pollock lbw Vettori 10
Boje c McCullum b Astle 31 Steyn not out 7 Ntini lbw Vettori 16 Extras
(b-12, lb-2, nb5) 19 Total (all out, 98.1 overs) 299 Fall of wickets:
1-8, 2-19, 3-42, 4-73, 5-140, 6-194, 7-205, 8-270, 9-276. Bowling:
Franklin 14-2-60-2, Martin 24-6-64-1, Mills 21-5-57-1, Oram 17-3-44-2, Vettori 15.1-0-42-2, Astle 5-1-15-1, Styris 2-0-3-1. New Zealand (2nd innings) Marshall not out 24 Fulton c Boucher b Ntini 4 Mills c Dippenaar b Ntini 0 Fleming c Kallis b Steyn 6 Styris c Boucher b Steyn 2 Astle c De Villiers b Ntini 2 Oram b Ntini 2 McCullum c Dippenaar Vettori not out 18 Total (for 7 wkts, 30 overs) 98 Extras
(lb-2 nb-5) 7 Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-5, 3-17, 4-23, 5-26, 6-28, 7-73. Bowling:
Ntini 11-2-41-4, Steyn 14-4-35-3, Pollock 5-1-20-0. — AFP |
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Gillespie’s maiden ton lifts Aussies
Chittagong, April 18 Six days after narrowly avoiding a humiliating defeat by the Test minnows, normal service was resumed for the world's best side with Gillespie unbeaten on 102 alongside Mike Hussey on 93 at tea on the third day. Gillespie's knock, which began when he came in as night-watchman towards the end of the opening day's play, helped the tourists amass 364-3 in reply to Bangladesh's paltry 197. The Australians, already 167 runs ahead with seven wickets in hand, looked keen to ensure that they did not have to bat a second time in the match, the final game in the series. Gillespie made the most of his promotion in the batting order, smashing 17 fours during his 300-ball knock to improve his Test best of 54 not out against New Zealand at Brisbane in 2004. He brought up his unlikely but well-deserved ton in style by driving left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak for a four through the covers just before the tea break. His partner Hussey helped himself to some easy runs against a pedestrian bowling attack, hitting 14 fours off 120 balls, and putting on 154 runs for the unbroken fourth-wicket stand with Gillespie. Gillespie played through the rain on Monday when only 22.4 overs could be bowled. Resuming on 28 in a team score of 151-2, he dropped anchor at one end with overnight partner Ricky Ponting hitting out confidently at the other. Skipper Ponting, 19 overnight, scored 52 off 92 balls with four fours and a pulled six over the square-leg fence off paceman Shahadat Hossain, before he was run out. Gillespie sent his captain back after playing the ball towards gully and a direct throw from Razzak at the bowler’s end had Ponting stranded in no-man’s land. Gillespie and Ponting, who made an unbeaten 118 in the second innings to guide his team to a three-wicket win in the opening Test in
Fatullah, put on 90 runs for the third-wicket. Scoreboard Bangladesh (1st innings) 197 Australia (1st innings) Hayden c sub b Rafique 29 Jacques c Nafees b Rafique 66 Gillespie batting 102 Ponting run out 52 Hussey batting 93 Extras
(b-6, lb-10, w-4, nb-2) 22 Total (3 wkts) 364 Fall of wickets:
1-67, 2-120, 3-210. Bowling: Mortaza 18-3-62-0, Hossain 26-3-107-0, Rafique 34-10-79-2, Razzak 27-5-81-0, Saleh 3-0-12-0, Ahmed 3-1-7-0.
— AFP |
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Ponting fined for dissent
London, April 17 Ponting was found guilty of dissent by Match Referee Jeff Crowe in a hearing after the second day’s play on Monday, the ICC said in a release.
— PTI |
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Saleem Malik restrained from playing
Karachi, April 18 The former middle-order batsman had expressed his willingness to take the field in the four-match series but was not permitted to play by the Pakistan Cricket Board. “As Saleem had been banned from playing all forms of cricket (international, domestic and club cricket), we could not consider the former player for the series,” Chairman of Pakistan Seniors Cricket Board, Fawad Ijaz Khan, was quoted as saying by The News. Malik was found guilty in the Justice Qayyum Report which investigated the match-fixing allegations in 2000.
— PTI |
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Vinod, Uttam share lead in Hero Golf
Chandigarh , April 18 Feroz Ali, who crash-landed in Chandigarh , did not hit a single ball until he teed it up this morning and returned a card of four-under 68 to share the third spot with four others – Mukesh Kumar, Rohit Chaudhary, Binod Pandey and Arjun Singh. Four players —Ranjit Singh, C. Muniyappa, Jaiveer Virk and Pappan — were tied for the eighth position. Local challenger and defending champion Harinder Gupta played a level-par round to be tied for the 25 th postion. The 25-year-old Vinod Kumar played a flaw-less game on his front nine while notching up birdies on the second, fourth, seventh and eighth, courtesy his fine putting, coupled with some brilliant iron-play. The longest putt came on the par-3 eighth where he holed from 20 feet. The Delhi lad saved a brilliant par on the par-4 fifth where his second shot hot a tree and ricocheted. He then made a par from that position. Taking the turn at four-under, Vinod dropped a shot on the par-4 12 th where he three putted. On the easy par-5 13 th , he overshot the green on his second shot but yet he finished with a birdie. He saved one more stroke on the par-5 16 th where he missed an eagle from just outside the green. “I could have gone even lower had I not missed some of the makeable putts,” said Vinod after the round. “My hitting has been good, especially in the recent past,” he added after having hit 15 greens-in-regulation and making 28 putts. Uttam Singh Mundy, who belongs to Chandigarh but is based in Kolkata, was four-under after the first seven holes making birdies on the odd holes. The 36-year-old Uttam failed to make an up and down from the bunker on the par-3 eighth, mainly due to the loose sand in all the bunkers that hampered the players from hitting a perfect shot. With a similar shot on the 11 th , Uttam had a similar result. However, Uttam resurrected his round with consecutive birdies on the 13th and 14th, the last one with a 14-feet effort. He saved one more stroke on the penultimate hole to be five-under for the day. “I could have finished well but after this round I am not complaining. Both my bogeys came from the sand bunkers. I could not guess the strength of the shot and my clubs stuck in the sand,” said Uttam who made 27 putts for the day while hitting 16 greens in regulation. Top scores after 18 holes (Pro): 67 Uttam Singh Mundy, Vinod Kumar; 68 Binod Pandey, Rohit Chaudhary, Arjun Singh, Feroz Ali, Mukesh Kumar; 69 Ranjit Singh, C Muniyappa, Jaiveer Virk, Pappan; 70 AS Lehal, Shamim Khan, Amardip Malik, Mohd. Salim, Vishal Singh, Rafick Ali. Amateurs: 72 Gaganjeet Bhullar; 74 HS Kang. |
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Ganguly, Ghate are national champions
Visakhapatnam, April18 Woman Grandmaster Swati Ghate of the Life Insurance Corporation won the women’s section with ease after drawing her 19th and final round game with second finisher Women International Master Mary Ann Gomes. The third place went to WGM D. Harika and these three will now represent the Indian team in the next women’s chess Olympiad along with Grandmaster Koneru Humpy, who has been given a direct seeding in the team. Among men, Grandmaster Sandipan Chanda (PSPB) retained his second spot with a comprehensive victory over erstwhile leader IM Deepan Chakravarthi in his final round game. The third place went to Jharkhand’s Diwakar Prasad Singh, who has been labelled the (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni of Indian chess following his extremely impressive performance here. The top three will join the elite group of Viswanathan Anand, Krishnan Sasikiran and P. Harikrishna in the Olympiad to be held in Turin, Italy, next month. In case anyone opts out, fourth finisher GM Abhijit Kunte will come in the team.
— PTI |
Sania, Shikha to play singles against Philippines
New Delhi, April 18 Against Philippines, world number 180 Shikha Uberoi will play the opening singles against 16-year old Denise Dy, ranked 1112. Sania, India’s number one player with a world ranking of 40, faces the 673rd ranked Czarina-Mae Arevalo in the second singles. Coach and captain Enrico Piperno said he chose to play Sania, who is carrying injuries to her wrist and elbow in the serving arm besides an hyperextension of the lower back, so as to give her some valuable match practice ahead of the crucial encounter against Chinese Taipei. “Ideally I would have liked not to play Sania against Philippines, but she has not played a match in the last 10 days,” Piperno told PTI from Seoul. “Thursday’s tie against Chinese Taipei is the key because they have two top-200 players. So I told Sania that it would be better for her to get some match
practice.” — PTI |
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