Perth, December 31
Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna won a thrilling mixed doubles tie to script a brilliant 2-1 upset win over third seeds Czech Republic in the first round of the Hopman Cup mixed team's event here today.

The Indian duo surprised the Czech pair of Lucie Safarova and Tomas Berdych 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(10-5) in the mixed doubles to pocket the match and the rubber after honours were shared in the two singles matches.

Sania and Bopanna began the mixed doubles with an easy 6-3 win in the first set and were heading for a straight-set victory after breaking their opponents in the second. But, the Czech pair came back strongly to win the second set 7-5.

In the decider, the Indian duo held on to their nerves to come out victorious 10-6 and pocket the match in 89 minutes.

''Rohan played unbelievable in the mixed doubles. He was flying all over the court, I literally didn't have to do much,'' Sania said later.

Earlier, Sania gave India a dream start with a clinical 6-2, 6-2 win over Lucie Safarova in 55 minutes.

But, world number 13 Tomas Berdych levelled the rubber with an identical 6-2, 6-2 victory over Bopanna in just 46 minutes to set the scene for the deciding mixed doubles.

India are participating in the 1-million dollar mixed teams championship for the first time as winner of Asian Hopman Cup qualifier last month.

They are placed in a four-team Group B and play Croatia on January 3 and second seeds Spain next day in the round robin league.

Group A comprises France, Australia, United States and defending champions Russia.

Winners of the two groups play in the final on January 5. — UNI

Nabha, December 31
Punjab Police finally put an end to the giant killing spree of dark horses Friends Club, Jagraon, to annex the title in the 31st All-India Liberals Hockey tournament which concluded at the Ripudaman College here today.

In the final, played on day when the sun played hide and seek, Punjab Police tamed a fighting Friends club 2-1 to lay their hands on the coveted trophy for the ninth time.

For Friends Club it was an agonizing end to an ambitious campaign as on the way to their maiden appearance in the final they had put paid hopes of many a fancied outfit.

The Jagraon outfit started the proceedings by getting a penalty corner in the fifth minute of the match which, however, went abbeging when defender Gurpreet Singh failed to trap the ball properly.

The cops, after the first quarter of the match, changed tactics and started putting more emphasis on their wingers Amit Sandhu and Kulbir (senior). This opened up more space for their strikers, particularly Kulbir (junior) to make some flowing runs down the middle.

The winners took the lead when Gurjant Singh, playing as a withdrawn midfielder, sent in a measured pass to Kulbir (junior) who sent the ball home from top of the striking circle.

Hardly had the dust settled down when the cops once again forged ahead with Kulbir Singh (senior) doing most of the spadework. Cutting down his way from the right flank he fed the ball to an unmarked Jagbir Singh who made no mistake in sending the goal into the goal to give his team a two goal cushion.

However, this effort of the cops was quickly neutralized when Friends Club scored off Gurpreet Singh's deflection. This effort, which came more out of a defensive blunder by the cops rather than any slick play by the Jagraon outfit, did bring a discernable spark to the game plan of Friends Club but some good midfield play by the cops kept the Jagraon strikers at bay.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Friends Club, after having substituted a couple of players, attacked with vigour and more than once came within scoring range. A combined move between Kulwinder Singh and Karamjit Singh ended with the later shooting the ball high over the horizontal with only goalkeeper Manpreet Singh in front of the goal mouth. However, midway in the second half, Friends Club started playing some lackluster hockey and it was during this period that their citadel came under tremendous strain. Two successive penalty corners followed for Punjab Police but the Jagraon custodian Gurwinder Singh was equal to the task and both chances went waste for the cops.

Holding a one goal advantage, the experienced Punjab Police players started holding the ball, a tactic employed to frustrate the Jagraon players and finally closed out the contest at 2-1.

The prizes were distributed by Mr Anurag Aggarwal, Member (Finance), Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) in the presence of the members of the Liberals organizing committee and other dignitaries.

Chennai, December 31
India’s Ravi Dixit and Mahesh Mangaonkar won the Scottish Junior Squash Open titles in the boys U-15 and U-13 categories, respectively, at Edinburgh.

Fourteen-year-old Dixit overcame Malaysia’s Cheong Kah Wah after an 80-minute tussle 9-4, 9-4, 8-10, 5-9, 9-6 while Mangaonkar got past Dylan Murray (USA) 9-7, 9-2, 5-9, 9-7.

Saumya Karki was unable to make it a hat-trick for the Indians as she lost 0-9, 4-9, 0-9 to Egyptian Manat Allah Nasser in the girls’ U-13.

Aparajitha Balamurukan defeated Sachika Balvani 9-1, 10-9, 9-0 to win the all-Indian girls U-13 in the third place playoff, a press release from the Squash Rackets Federation of India said here today.

Dixit played flawless squash and won the first two games comfortably against the Malaysian. The third was a much closer affair. Dixit served for the match twice at 8-6 but was unable to convert as Wah recovered to take it 10-8.

The Malaysian came out strong in the fourth, hitting some brilliant winners and took an 8-1 lead. But Dixit fought back, taking six points in a row with some splendid short kills but ultimately lost the game.

The fifth was close with both players going neck and neck. At 6-6 Dixit hit a backhand drop into the nick and a forehand drive clinger on the next rally to earn another match point 8-6 but Wah scored with a volley nick. Dixit managed to pull it back again and won it with a forehand drive.

There was more joy for the Indian contingent when top seeded Mahesh Mangaonkar lifted the boys U-13 crown. Mangaonkar used all his experience to down the 11-year-old American who ran for every ball. — PTI

Sydney, December 31
Tailender Michael Mason hit the last ball of the match for four to give New Zealand a thrilling one-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their second one-day match at Queenstown today. Mason drove Sri Lankan spinner Sanath Jayasuriya over his head for a boundary to help New Zealand finish with 228 for nine in reply to Sri Lanka's 224-7 as the home side squared the five-match series.

Kiwis needed just one run off the final over but with James Franklin unbeaten on 45 at the non-striker's end, Mason was left with the responsibility.

The number 11 batsmen failed to score off the first five balls from Jayasuriya, including a gifted waist-high full toss outside off-stump, before dancing down the pitch and chancing his arm off the last delivery.

New Zealand always looked to have the match in control until a late stutter with the bat.

They restricted the visitors to 224-7 despite a fine 89 off 122 balls from Kumar Sangakkara, 31 from Chamara Silva and 29 from Farveez Maharoof.

James Marshall (50) and Brendon McCullum (32) provided New Zealand with the perfect platform to chase victory with an opening stand of 57 before Muttiah Muralitharan struck three times.

Franklin, 26, came in with the score on 141-6 and began cautiously until he was forced to take on the senior role once the last recognised batsman had gone. Franklin, who has a Test century to his credit but had never made more than 29 in his 45 previous one-day-internationals, batted with the perfect mixture of poise and aggression to get his team across the line.

Scoreboard
Sri Lanka
Tharanga c Taylor b Mason 23
Jayasuriya b Mason 1
Jayawardene b Gillespie 4 
Sangakkara run out 89
Atapattu b Vettori 22
Silva c H. Marshall
b Franklin 31
Dilshan c Taylor
b Gillespie 8
Maharoof not out 29
Vaas not out 9
Extras (lb-3, nb-1, w-4) 8
Total (7 wkts, 50 overs) 224
Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-14, 3-50, 4-102, 5-176, 6-177, 7-192.
Bowling: Gillespie 10-0-46-2, Mason 10-1-50-2, Franklin 10-0-46-1, Adams 10-0-42-0, Vettori 10-0-37-1.
New Zealand
J. Marshall run out 50
McCullum lbw Maharoof 32
Taylor run out 15
Fulton lbw Muralitharan 2
Vettori b Malinga 19
McMillan c Jayawardene
b Muralitharan 2
H. Marshall c&b Dilshan 29
Franklin not out 45
Adams lbw Muralitharan 6
Gillespie c Maharoof b Vaas 11
Mason not out 4
Extras (lb-5, nb-4, w-4) 13
Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 228
Fall of wickets: 1-57, 2-87, 3-91, 4-121, 5-126, 6-141, 7-175, 8-194, 9-223.
Bowling: Vaas 10-0-46-1, Malinga 10-0-53-1, Maharoof 8-0-40-1, Muralitharan 10-1-31-3, Jayasuriya 5-0-28-0, 7-0-25-1. — Reuters

Durban, December 31
“The boys have let us down,” said a gruff hotel manager after India lost the second Test against South Africa on Saturday. It was the disappointment of a man who has now witnessed an Indian surrender in two out of three Tests in this metropolis with nearly 10 lakh people of Indian origin.

He stressed that South Africans of Indian extraction support India whenever they play. It was touching loyalty, considering the fact that their lineage in neck of the woods alone dates back to the 19th century.

Indeed, he refused to give any credit to the South Africans for the victory. He blamed the Indian batsmen. He was not prepared to accept that the hosts had bowled brilliantly and that the conditions at critical junctures were most helpful to fast bowling. He was convinced India could have blocked it out.

Actually, India lost the match progressively. To start with, they allowed the home side to score another 300 runs after rocking them back at 28 for three in the 1st innings. Similarly, in the second venture, South Africa recovered to 265 for eight from 143 for six. Misfortune also intervened. The clouds gathered both times India batted, thereby making it tougher than might otherwise been the case. The South Africans celebrated their success at the hotel bar.

There is a deep malaise afflicting the Indian batting, which demands a searching examination. In the third and final Test starting on January 2, Gautam Gambhir should enter the frame as one of the openers. It’s a tough call as to who between Virender Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer should get the chop. In the medium and longer term, Greg Chappell and the Indian selectors must scout every Ranji Trophy squad for replacements to the ageing and increasingly non-performing stalwarts.

Munaf Patel is almost certain to be recalled for the next Test. He is rapid and a proven wicket-taker. Besides, fresh legs in back-to-back Tests make sense. Assuming Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan are fully fit - and there is no indication they are not - VRV Singh is likely to be rested.

It is doubtful if the South Africans will present the Indians with a turner. The clay at the Newlands ground in Cape Town is reputedly softer than the one at Kingsmead. Therefore, the wicket could be slower, but perhaps not devoid of grass.

The all-white Natal Cricket Association was formed in 1890. In 1961, the non-whites founded the Natal Cricket Board. Cricket played under the auspices of each was segregated until freedom from apartheid, when the two merged to become the KwaZulu Natal Cricket Union, who govern the lovely Kingsmead ground.

Dennis Done, a former sports editor of the Mercury newspaper here, who has covered cricket at Kingsmead for 57 years, said the tradition of serving Natal chicken or lamb curry at lunch at this ground has existed since time immemorial. He swears it was as “chilly hot” before integration as it is now - mild and tasty for Indian palates! Even such hospitality - and a majority of Indian cricketers are most at home when provided with sub-continental cuisine - could not charge the tourists to save the Test.

After India’s stirring win in the first Test at Johannesburg, Durban Indians had triumphantly declared the only insecurity for the Indians in their city was from the turbulent law and order situation. Indeed, gun fire rent the air less than 100 yards from the players’ hotel the night before the test. What Rahul Dravid’s men weren’t warned about - though they knew - was the possible ambush by a certain Makhaya Ntini!Non-performing stalwarts should be put out to pasture

Kolkata, December 31
City police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee, who narrowly lost to Jagmohan Dalmiya in the election for the Cricket Association of Bengal president earlier this year, today once again announced his candidature for the post.

"I have received positive response from most of the affiliates and that is why I have decided to contest again," Mukherjee told newsmen here.

Mukherjee had lost a keenly contested election to Dalmiya in July this year.

The announcement by Mukherjee came four days after Dalmiya announced his resignation from the post. — PTI

Melbourne, December 31
Australia will start their Ashes whitewash campaign on Tuesday with speculation rife in the media that opener Justin Langer will draw curtains on his international cricketing career.

Langer said last week that he was not ready to hang his boots but reports said today that the left-hand opener might join Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne in announcing his retirement.

The 36-year-old shares Australia's most prolific opening partnership with Matthew Hayden and have a joint account of 5,574 runs at an average of 51.61.

His father Colin Langer said in media that his son would not carry on playing for the country if he did not feel like.

"He's been privileged to play for the country for 104 Test matches," Colin was quoted as saying in the Sunday Age newspaper.

"The way he has gone about his career has been a thrill for his family. The biggest highlight for me has been the way he has gone about his business as a cricketer.

"To see the effort that had to be put in, the effort no one really sees. To see what he has done to try to get fit for this series, it's just been unbelievable, the physical effort, the time he spends with his batting coach. People don't see all that, but we do.

"He has worked hard with the ability he had. He has had to work so hard to get where he is."

Australian coach John Buchanan said only Langer, who has kept himself out of the media glare since Australia's victory over England in the Boxing Day Test, can tell whether he would quit.

"He's Mr Respect. That's what he's all about. Respect for the game, respect for your teammates, respect for yourself," Buchanan was quoted in Sun Herald newspaper.

"He's a tremendous character to have within the team, with a set of values which he admired for. He believes in all the traditions of the game - and really, in many ways, he's the epitome of the baggy green cap," he said.

Langer will be playing his 105th Test match in the final Ashes clash. — PTI

Gulmarg, December 31
A week-long snow festival at the world famous tourist resort of Gulmarg in Kashmir has come to an end.

The festival, orgainsed by the Tourism Department, witnessed several sporting events in both boys' and girls' categories. 

The seven-day festival had commenced on December 25 with the snow cycling event in which Shakeel Ahmad bagged first position while Muzaffar Ahmad and Riyaz Ahmad finished runners-up.

The cycling event was followed by snow scooter and sledge races.

In the sledge race, Mohammad Subhan bagged the first position while second and third places went to Ghulam Mohammad and Abdul Khaliq respectively. 

In the snow scooter event, the first, second and third positions were separated by a fraction of a second. While Mehrajudin bagged the first position, Gul Mustafa finished second and Abdul Aziz Dar bagged the third prize.

The 14 km Down Hill MTB race from Gulmarg to Tangmarg was won by Riyaz Ahmad Wani while Muzamil Mehraj and Tariq Ahmad Khan bagged second and third positions, respectively. 

The boys' race was won by Shuhaib Tariq while Fayaz Ahmad and Showkat secured second and third places respectively. 

Bushra Khan won Gold in slalom girls' race while Ishrat Majeed and Amina Afzal bagged second and third positions respectively.

About 100 participants took part in the cross-country skiing, the last event of the festival. The event was won by Tashi Landuk of Ladakh while Tashi Garson and Zakir Hussain finished second and third respectively. — UNI