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Strong support for Pawar: BCCI
Pak clinch series
Test ends in draw
Members of the 15 Punjab Infantry battalion team with Brig-Gen RMA Merino, Sector Commander (centre), after winning the UNIFIL Inter-Contingent Cross-Country Championship Trophy in Lebanon.
Lahiri stars in title victory
Sasikiran misses title by whisker
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Bangladesh
let off the hook
Chittagong, May 21 Bangladesh, who were staring at follow-on at tea with their innings tottering at 160 for 8, managed to extricate themselves from the tight situation, thanks to a blistering knock of 79 from late-order batsman Mashrafe Mortaza. Mortaza delighted the sparse crowd at the Bir Srestha Shahid Ruhul Amin stadium, plundering seven boundaries and three sixes during his 140-minute stay to stretch the Bangladesh first innings to 238 in reply to India’s 387 for 9 declared. Gaining a first-innings lead of 149, India were 44 for 2 at stumps on a day of high drama. Fourteen wickets fell as the match had its first full day unaffected by rain. Dinesh Karthik (15) and Sachin Tendulkar (24) were in the middle at close of play. With a day’s play remaining, India now are 193 runs ahead. The visitors were in the driver’s seat at tea, as Bangladesh still needed 28 runs to make their rivals bat again. But Mortaza carried the attack to the Indian camp with some lusty hitting, adding 79 runs for the ninth wicket with Shahadat Hossain (31) in only 75 minutes. The pair took Bangladesh past the “magic figure” of 188, as Shahadat Hossain slashed Zaheer Khan over the slips to the fence to take the team total from 186 for 8 to 190 for 8. However, Mortaza was lucky to survive a difficult chance of the previous ball, as he pulled Zaheer to mid-on, but Powar spilled the catch despite bravely diving to his left. The two fired on, taking Bangladesh past the 200 mark, before Tendulkar finally succeeded in separating them with a googly that dislodged the stumps. The Bangladesh innings came to an end soon after, as Mortaza failed to read a yorker from VRV Singh and was bowled. The Indian second innings got off to a double jolt as Wasim Jaffer got a “pair” — following up his first-ball duck in the opening essay with another innings that did not bother the scorer — and skipper Rahul Dravid (2) was also dismissed cheaply. Pacer Shahadat Hossain claimed both scalps. India were then 6 for 2, but Karthik and Tendulkar played out the remaining overs without any more hiccups. It was a heartening sight as the sun came out this morning to dispel the gloom on the field where around 12 hours’ of playing time, including the full day yesterday, was lost due to rain since the first day. India, resuming at 384 for 6, declared their innings after only 11 minutes as they lost Zaheer Khan (0) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36). Anil Kumble, unbeaten on 1 when play ended on Saturday, did not come on to bat as he was struck down by flu, and Zaheer accompanied Dhoni into the middle. Bangladesh pacers Mashrafe and Shahadat Hossain claimed four and three wickets, respectively. Scoreboard
India (1st innings) Jaffer b Mortaza 0 Karthik c Ashraful b Mortaza 56 Dravid c Mashud b Shahadat 61 Tendulkar c Ashraful
b Shahadat 101 Ganguly c Rafique b Mortaza 100 Dhoni c Omar b Mortaza 36 Powar b Rafique 7 Kumble retd hurt 1 Zaheer c Mashud b Shahadat 0 VRV Singh not out 1 Extras
(b-2, lb-8, w-2, nb-12) 24 Total (8 wkts dec, 98.5 overs) 387 Fall of wickets:
1-0, 2-124, 3-132, 4-321, 5-366, 6-381, 7-384, 8-387. Bowling:
Mortaza 24.5-5-97-4, Shahadat 18-1-76-3, Rafique 24-3-99-1, Enamul 15-0-59-0, Saqibul 13-2-29-0, Ashraful 1-0-5-0, Saleh 3-1-12-0. Bangladesh (1st innings) Omar lbw RP Singh 7 Nafees c Tendulkar b Zaheer 32 Bashar c Tendulkar b RP Singh 0 Saleh c Ganguly b Powar 41 Ashraful c Karthik b RP Singh 5 Hasan b VRV Singh 27 Mashud lbw VRV Singh 2 Mortaza b VRV Singh 79 Rafique st Dhoni b Powar 9 Hossain b Tendulkar 31 Haque Jr not out 0 Extras
(lb-1, w-3, nb-1) 5 Total (all out, 68.2 overs) 238 Fall of wickets:
1-20, 2-20, 3-47, 4-58, 5-114, 6-116, 7-122, 8-149, 9-226. Bowling:
Zaheer 15-1-63-1, RP Singh 17-2-45-3, VRV Singh 15.2-5-48-3, Powar 17-1-66-2, Tendulkar 4-0-15-1. India (2nd innings) Jaffer c Bashar b Hossain 0 Karthik not out 15 Dravid c Saleh b Hossain 2 Tendulkar not out 24 Extras
(lb-1, w-1, nb-1) 3 Total (2 wkts, 14 overs) 44 Fall of wickets:
1-0, 2-6. Bowling: Hossain 6-3-18-2, Mortaza 4-1-12-0, Rafique 3-0-7-0, Haque Jr 1-0-6-0.
— PTI
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Test poised for draw
The weather has ensured that India’s dream of winning both Tests in Bangladesh may not come true. Then of course, the old Indian failing of allowing the tail to wag saw that they lost out on the chance to put pressure on the home team by enforcing the follow-on. It’s not the first time that the tailenders have thwarted the Indian team, and unless India finds a genuinely quick bowler or two, it won’t be the last time either. The absence of Anil Kumble from the attack also did not help, for he is one bowler who wraps up the tail pretty quickly with his slow-and-then-quick delivery trick. India had to turn to Sachin Tendulkar, who produced a well-disguised googly to break the stubborn partnership between Mashrafe Mortaza and Shahadat Hussain. It was a partnership for the fans and not for the purists, but it ensured that Bangladesh can breathe easy in this game. It will take an extraordinary collapse by the hosts to lose the game, which with the weather still uncertain, is doomed for a draw. RP Singh was most impressive on this flat pitch, for not only did he get the ball to move both ways, but he also bowled at a sharp pace. In India, we tend to call anybody who comes in with a long run as a pace bowler. So even if he is bowling at 135 kmph speed, he is called a pace sensation. In fact, that is just above medium pace, but certainly not quick. Anybody who bowls consistently over 145 km per hour can be called ‘quick,’ and those who bowl at 150-plus are express speedsters. Unfortunately, India doesn’t have anybody in that category as yet, however much the media might tout their favourites as pace bowlers. VRV Singh has definitely staked a claim to be given the new ball, and it may make sense to have a right and left-hand combo, as it makes life that much harder for the batsmen. Ramesh Powar had to wait a while before capturing his first Test wicket, and he took another one, but he will have a greater role to play in the second innings, when the ball may turn a bit more. Still it looks like a draw, but India need to take the initiative and show that they are looking for a result by giving Bangladesh a tempting target to chase in the final innings. — PMG
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Strong support for Pawar: BCCI
Ahmedabad, May 21 “Our (BCCI) president becoming ICC president is very important. Cricket is the most popular game in India so why not a president from India,” said BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah. “Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and South Africa are supporting Pawar so why should the next ICC president not be from India,” he added. Regarding the parallel cricket league that Zee group had recently introduced and if they needed to take any permission from BCCI before such a launch, Shah said the matter was being looked into. “Since the Zee group had not yet approached BCCI, I cannot say much on that yet,” Shah said. The BCCI Secretary also said that they would make a pool of players comprising 20-25 persons and they would be selected in matches on a rotation basis. When asked about the poor performance of the Indian cricket team in the just-concluded World Cup and if it would affect the popularity of the game, he said, “performance will improve on its own. But now the team is expected to do good against Bangladesh and also against other teams”. Shah was also asked about bowler Munaf Patel’s injury. “He has a back strain and would be inspected by an expert in Mumbai. I think he is injury prone. The selection committee will decide if he is fit to play in the forthcoming series or not,” Shah said.
— PTI
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Tiwary to undergo operation in UK
Kolkata, May 21 Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Prasun Mukherjee today said renowned orthopaedic surgeon Andrew Wallace would conduct the operation at King Edward Hospital. The entire expense for Tiwary’s treatment will be borne by the BCCI. “I have spoken to board president Sharad Pawar, who felt that a promising player like Manoj should get the best possible treatment,” Mukherjee said. Tiwary is expected to return by May 30 and undergo physiotherapy and have rest for eight to 12 weeks before he can play again. Tiwary, a member of the Indian team to Bangladesh for the ODI series, had to return after getting injured during fielding practice on May 9. — PTI
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Abu Dhabi, May 21 Scoreboard
Pakistan Butt c&b Bandara 74
Nazir b Fernando 17 Hameed c&b Bandara 50 Yousuf run out 37 Malik b Bandara 27 Akmal c Dilshan b Maharoof 38
Afridi c Bandara b Maharoof 1 Razzaq b Fernando 16 Sami b Maharoof 22 Gul not out 0 Asif not out 5 Extras
(lb-5, w-17, nb-4) 26 Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 313 Fall of wickets:
1-45, 2-143, 3-167, 4-207, 5-233, 6-237, 7-277, 8-308, 9-308. Bowling:
Perera 10-2-67-0, Fernando 10-0-71-2, Maharoof 10-0-65-3, Bandara 10-0-56-3, Dilshan 10-0-49-0. Sri Lanka Tharanga c Nazir b Afridi 48
Kapugedera b Sami 20 Warnapura lbw Asif 5 M. Jayawardene b Asif 61 Silva c Razzaq b Afridi 21 Dilshan lbw Malik 10 P. Jayawardene lbw Afridi 1 Maharoof c Butt b Sami 17 Bandara c Hameed b Gul 11 Fernando not out 2
Perera b Gul 0 Extras (b-1, lb-7, w-5, nb-6) 19 Total
(all out, 39.5 overs) 215 Fall of wickets: 1-37, 2-49, 3-113, 4-153, 5-172, 6-176, 7-188, 8-205, 9-215. Bowling:
Asif 10-0-59-2, Sami 6-1-27-2, Gul 3.5-0-38-2, Malik 10-0-46-1, Afridi 10-0-37-3.
— AP
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Test ends in draw
London, May 21 Earlier, the West Indies, set 401 to win, were 42 for no wicket before light drizzle forced the players off the field. The rain was still falling at the scheduled lunch interval, with no letup in sight. Chris Gayle, who did not get off the mark in the two overs play in West Indies’ second innings yesterday after receiving a painful blow in the groin from Steve Harmison, was on 24, while Daren Ganga had scored nine. After Harmison had bowled four overs for 15 runs from the Nursery End, acting captain Andrew Strauss called up left-arm spinner Monty Panesar into the attack.
Panesar, who returned his best Test figures of six for 129 in the West Indies’ first innings 437, paced out his run but the rain was falling and umpires Rudi Koertzen and Asad Rauf decided to take the teams off the field. Scoreboard
England (1st innings) 553-5 dec West Indies (1st innings) 437 England
(2nd innings) 284-8 dec West Indies (2nd innings) Gayle not out 47 Ganga not out 31 Extras
(b-4, lb-3, w-3, nb-1) 11 Total (without loss; 22 overs) 89 Bowling: Harmison 8-1-21-0, Plunkett 11-1-48-0, Panesar 3-0-13-0.
— Agencies
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‘Teamwork did the trick’
Jalandhar, May 21 “Our next target is to qualify for the Champions Trophy and the Olympics,” he said. Talking about the team that got a medal (bronze) for the country after nearly one year, Prabhjot, who was in the city today, said this time not only former players but also the youngsters gave their best. “Quite contrary to the notion of weak bench strength, this time even the reserve players did well. Those who were short-listed as extras had tremendous potential and played well whenever a chance was given to them,” he added. “Earlier, it was our weakness to concede goals during the last minutes of the match. This time, we scored the maximum goals during the dying minutes, be it against Argentina or Korea,” said Prabhjot, for whom the high point of the tournament was defeating China 5-4. “Even the fitness level of the team was great and everyone played for the full 70 minutes with the same vigour. The team also preferred to remain on the offensive throughout the match.” Talking about the weaknesses of the team, the forward said low rate of conversion of penalty corners was the biggest drawback, besides missing some golden chances to score a field goal. “At the camp beginning on Wednesday at Bangalore, we would be concentrating on penalty-corner conversions. Stress would also be laid on other drawbacks by watching videos of the matches played during the tournament,” he added.
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15 Punjab win UN run
Chandigarh, May 21 Troops of 15 Punjab Infantry Battalion Group, also known as INDBATT-9, defeated their nearest rival by a wide margin of 79 points, according to information received at Army Headquarters. The battalion is deployed in southern Lebanon on a peacekeeping mission as part of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The cross-country run, held yesterday, featured men from the elite special forces of several countries. The 10-km route traversed through semi-mountainous terrain and gravel tracks involving gruelling uphill running of 4 km towards the finishing point. The “Flying Sikhs” of 15 Punjab proved their mettle by winning the team as well as individual events. The spearheads of the individual event were Sep Balwinder Singh, Sep Taljinder Singh and Sep Kulwant Singh, who secured the first three positions. Two officers, Lt-Col H S Guleria and Capt Mukesh Dogra planned and executed the training programme for the team.
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Kuala Lumpur, May 21 India were crowned champions with a combined score of 294 from Anirban (69-74) and Jasjeet Singh (72-79). The second spot went to Australia with a total score of 295 (Ray Beaufils 70-76 and Rudi Bezuidenhout 76-73), while the Philippines returned a 296 (Jay Bayron 75-74 and Michael Peter Alejandro 72-77) for the third place. Lahiri, however, narrowly missed out on a top-spot finish in the individual category as he lost to Singaporean Goh Kun Yang in the final round. Lahiri scrambled his way to a two-over-par 72 in the third round and opened a four-shot lead. He hung on despite winds blowing at 30 mph on the third day. The 19-year-old, who is currently the number one amateur golfer in India, led the tournament from the start. His first three rounds of 69, 74 and 72 gave him a handy four-shot lead but Goh played a brilliant 67 on final day to race ahead of the Indian, who managed a three-over 73. Among other Indians, Raj Randhawa (74, 79, 72, 71) was 10th, Jasjeet Singh (72, 79, 73, 74) was tied 15th, Gagan Verma and Saurabh Bahuguna were tied 40th, while Suman Puri and Simarjeet Singh shared the 46th spot. — PTI
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Sasikiran misses title by whisker
Sofia, May 21 The title was Sasikiran’s for the taking as he led the field since the start of the second half and a mere draw would have given him the crown. But the Indian let it go out of his grasp as he succumbed after a hard-fought struggle against the Bulgarian GM. For Topalov, who has been in top form in the closing stages of the category-20 event, it was his third title on the trot on home turf. Topalov ended with a tally of 5.5 points after the final round, half a point ahead of his nearest rivals. It turned out to be a four-way tie for the second spot in the six-player double round-robin event with Sasikiran, Gata Kamsky of the USA, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan and Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu of Romania on a par with five points each.
Negi shares lead
Kirishi (Russia): World’s youngest Grandmaster Parimarjan Negi did well to hold world junior champion Zaven Andriasian to a draw in the fifth round of the World Youth Stars chess tournament here yesterday. With six rounds still to come, Parimarjan retains joint lead with Andriasian on four points and these two are now followed by top seed Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia on 3.5 points.
— PTI
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