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India in driver’s seat
England comfortably placed at tea
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Malik’s term may be extended
Shiv Kapur watches his tee shot as he starts his 2nd round of the BMW PGA Championship at the Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey, south-east England, on Friday. — AFP photo
Parimarjan bounces back
Sania-Chan enter final
Elusive French Open title beckons Federer
Bill Johnston is no more
5 Punjab police players nominated for Arjuna Awards
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India in driver’s seat
Dhaka, May 25 The 29-year-old Jaffer notched up his fourth Test century to lay a solid foundation for the team along with Dinesh Karthik (82 retired ill) as the visitors reached a commanding 326 for no loss at close on the opening day. Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar’s strange decision to put the opposition into bat backfired completely as the Indian batsmen made the most of a placid track at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium to put themselves in the driver’s seat on the first rain-free day of the tour. Captain Rahul Dravid (88) was giving Sachin Tendulkar (9) company at stumps on a day which saw the visitors dominate the proceedings by scoring at a reasonably fast pace, unlike the rain-marred first drawn Test in Chittagong. Jaffer and Karthik provided the foundation by stitching a 175-run opening partnership in hot and humid conditions before both of them retired ill because of cramps. Karthik did not come into bat after the tea break but Dravid sustained the tempo with a flurry of boundaries against the hapless Bangladeshi bowlers who lacked the sting to pose much problems for the batsmen. The home team were made to pay a heavy price for a couple of dropped catches as the Indians accelerated the pace of scoring in the last session which saw as many as 151 runs coming off 37.1 overs. Karthik bravely soldiered on for 237 minutes, executing a dozen boundaries, defying an abdominal injury off a Mashrafe Mortaza delivery and multiple cramps before he had to be helped back to the pavilion by physio John Gloster at the tea break. Skipper Rahul Dravid replaced Karthik after tea and merrily carried on the job of consolidation with a regal knock to take India past the 300-mark. Tendulkar, who came on to the ground after Jaffer too retired due to cramps with the Indian total reading 281, looked cautious and defensive. He was yet to strike a single boundary. India now have the perfect launchpad for a mammoth total to put pressure on the hosts, whose top order had come apart in the first Test. After the disappointment of the rain-truncated opening Test, it was the first full day’s play during the tour with the excellent drainage system in place on the ground making it possible to start the game on time despite last evening’s heavy showers. Bashar’s decision to bowl first looked debatable, as his bowlers could not make much of an impact on the flat track where the ball kept low. Karthik looked confident from the start, though the first boundary from the Tamil Nadu youngster’s blade was a streaky outside edge that flew between the second slip and gully. He unleashed a much improved shot three balls later, picking up a four with a spectacular bowler’s back drive. However, Karthik was lucky to survive in Syed Rasel’s fourth over when he played away from the body and Saqib al Hasan dropped a dolly at second slip. The batsman was then on 10, with the Indian total reading 18. Jaffer, seeming determined to redeem himself, began cautiously, but opened up as the session progressed. The Mumbai opener was severe on anything pitched short or wayward, and got half a dozen boundaries till the lunch break. Resuming at the lunch score of 67 for no loss, the Indian openers were in full flow as strokemaking became easier and runs started coming in a torrent. While 67 runs were scored in the first two hours of the day, 73 runs came of 15 overs in the third 60-minute spell. Jaffer was dropped by left-arm spinner Mohamamed Rafique off his bowling immediately after lunch. The batsman was then on 42. Shortly after Jaffer reached his half-century, there was another personal feat in the next over. Karthik took one ball more than his partner to get to his 50 driving a tossed up offering from Mohammad Rafique to the cover ropes. Scoreboard
India (1st innings) Karthik retd ill 82 Jaffer retd ill 138 Dravid batting 88 Tendulkar batting 9 Extras
(lb-4, w-1, nb-4) 9 Total (no loss, 90 overs) 326 Bowling:
Mortaza 19.4-4-49-0, Rasel 13.4-0-64-0, Sharif 13.4-0-56-0, Rafique 22-2-85-0, Hasan 13-1-33-0, Ashraful 8-0-35-0.
— PTI
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Bangladesh need a new skipper
If ever there was proof needed that Bangladesh need a new skipper, it was provided when Habibul Bashar opted to field after winning the toss. There was no cricketing reason that one can think of for him doing so, for the pitch was flat, and even if there was a bit of cloud cover, his new-ball bowlers were hardly the type who could move the ball in that kind of weather. Bashar will no doubt get bashed by the media after India finished the first day without losing a wicket, but don’t forget that he would have got advice in the dressing-room too, and it brings forth the next question, as to what kind of tactical advice Bangladesh get. It’s quite apparent that Bangladesh’s limited success in one-day cricket and that too in the World Cup is largely a matter of a good team playing them having a bad day, rather than any special thing that Bangladesh has done. If eyes aren’t opened after this, then we are a myopic nation. There was nothing whatsoever in the pitch to help the bowlers, and so it was a matter of playing oneself in, and that’s what Jaffer did this time around. He is the kind of batsman who will make up for an earlier poor outing by hitting a big one, and once he gets going, it’s tough to stop him, and Bangladesh hardly have the variety to trouble him or for that matter, classier players like Dravid and Tendulkar. Jaffer got a century and then the heat got to him and he had to retire as Karthik had done earlier after raising a 100-plus opening partnership. The way Dravid is batting, and with Tendulkar also keen to make hay while the sun shines, it is doubtful if Karthik will get the chance to resume his innings, and bat and get to his first Test century. Playing in this kind of weather is certainly not a great idea, and no wonder that players are suffering from cramps and dehydration, causing them to retire. That they are also vomiting and throwing up is an indication of the heat and humidity that’s there in this part of the world, and serious thought must be given to playing cricket in this kind of weather. Dravid is a fitness fanatic, but even he would be feeling the heat. Having missed out on a ton in the first Test, and now coming in to bat after rest and recovery overnight, it won’t be a surprise if he makes a real big one. Tendulkar has just come in to bat and so he will be fresher than most. Whether Jaffer or Karthik will resume if a wicket falls remains to be seen, but the Indians may not want to bat again in this game and may look to pile up a huge total and then enforce the follow-on. They have to keep the weather in mind, for with rains around the corner, so to speak, they also need to give themselves enough time to bowl Bangladesh out twice in the game. That may be asking too much of their bowlers, if they have to bowl in consecutive innings after enforcing the follow-on. Hopefully for Bangladesh, the ending of the story will be better than the start, wherein their think-tank let the team and country down with their incredible decision to ask India to bat after winning the toss. — PMG
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England comfortably placed at tea
Leeds, May 25 Earlier, captain Michael Vaughan made a composed return to Test cricket. Vaughan was 25 not out at lunch in England’s 91 for two after opener Alastair Cook (42) was lbw to off-spinner Chris Gayle from the last ball before the interval. West Indies' other success was the wicket of Andrew Strauss, caught behind for 15 chasing a short and wide delivery from Daren Powell. Vaughan, playing at his home ground, had missed England's last 16 Tests because of a career-threatening knee injury and was unable to play in the drawn first test at Lord's because of a broken finger. After winning the toss, Vaughan watched his openers put on 38 for the first wicket. Runs did not come easily and he was stranded on three for 27 balls, before pulling fast bowler Powell to the midwicket boundary. He followed up in the next over with a streaky drive to the right of gully off Jerome Taylor, the first runs he had conceded off the bat, in his fourth over. Vaughan drove the next ball classically through mid-off for a more convincing boundary. Vaughan, gaining in confidence and composure, clipped an in-swinger from Taylor to the leg-side boundary in the next over. Left-hander Cook, who scored 105 and 65 at Lord's, missed Gayle's delivery from around the wicket to ruin his lunch and boost the tourists. Earlier, England made two changes from the first test, bringing in Vaughan for Owais Shah and left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom. Scoreboard
England
(1st innings) Strauss c Ramdin b Powell 15 Cook lbw Gayle 42 Vaughan
not out 92 Pietersen not out 53 Extras (lb-14, w-1, nb-5) 20 Total
(2
wkts; 54 overs) 222 Fall of wickets: 1-38, 2-91. Bowling:
Powell
14-3-59-1, Collymore 13-1-44- 0, Taylor 10-3-50-0, Bravo 11-1-29-0,
Gayle 6-0-26-1. — Reuters
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Malik’s term may be extended
The Chairman of the board, Dr Naseem Ashraf said on returning from Abu Dhabi that he had been very impressed with the way young Malik handled the team in his first assignment. “There was clearly a lot of fighting spirit in the side. It was good to see them performing so well so soon after the disappointment of the World Cup,” he said. Ashraf said Malik who has initially been named captain until the end of the year could be appointed on a long-term basis to give him more confidence and support. However, sources in the team also pointed out that Ashraf would also like to have Malik completely in-charge of the side as he was now very much involved in the running of the team. “In Abu Dhabi till before a few hours of the final match, Malik did not know what team was playing. And it is no secret that he was not supportive of the idea to make five changes in the team and squander a golden opportunity to win the series 3-0,” the source disclosed. “It was not Malik’s decision to make the changes this was done on the instructions of the Chairman in consultation with the selectors,” he added. Pakistan awarded caps to Fawad Alam and Najaf Shah and made three other changes in the team that lost to Sri Lanka in the last game on Tuesday. The PCB has already made it clear that in the new cricket setup, the influence and authority of the captain had been clipped in selection matters and now the captain would no longer have the final authority and say in the playing XI. Former captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq was accused by a probe committee of the board after the World Cup of being a dictator and autocratic and of bypassing the selectors at every level. Sources said that vice-captain, Mohammad Asif who was reprimanded by the match referee, Javagal Srinath for rushing onto Sri Lankan skipper, Mahela Jayawardena and sledging him after dismissing him also got a dressing down from the team manager. “The manager, Talat Ali was told immediately after the incident to pull up Asif and the other players and tell them they were expected to behave themselves at all costs,” the source said. Some of the Pakistan team members returned home Thursday from Abu Dhabi with Talat insisting that players had been told to avoid violating the ICC Code of Conduct on the field as they were ambassadors of their country. He said the fielding standards of the team still remained a matter of great concern for the board. “We obviously need to brush up on our fielding drills and work hard on them,” he said. Players will attend a month long training camp in the summer resort of Abbotabad in June to get themselves fitter and improve their fielding drills before the two one-dayers against India and Scotland in July in England.
— PTI
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Kapur tied third, Jyoti seventh
Wentworth, May 25 The 25-year-old Kapur played in the afternoon session, while earlier in the day, Jyoti Randhawa shot a four-under 68 that gave him a share of the seventh place at the West Course at Wentworth Club. Things were however not so good for Jeev Milkha Singh, who stumbled to a 77. England’s Justin Rose stole a march in the world-class field as he shared lead with fellow Englishman Paul Broadhurst after a great first round. Kapur, who finished way down the order last week in Irish Open is recovering from a strained back. His driving was in top condition as he found 13 of the 14 fairways and reached 14 greens in regulation. He started with a bogey on second, but fought back with birdies on fourth and sixth. Then came a double bogey on seventh that threatened to derail his ambitions. However, the tenacious Kapur struck birdies on eighth and ninth and turned in one-under. On the back stretch he birdied the 11th and then found three more in a row. He needed 27 putts for the round. Two late bogeys on the 13th and 15th spoilt what looked like a great card in the making for Randhawa. His first birdie of the day came on the fourth and then he struck three in a row from sixth to eighth and added a fifth on 12th, at which stage he was five-under and looking good for more. The two bogeys set him back before a 17th hole birdie brought him to 68. Birides on last two holes saved Jeev from a complete disaster. He dropped shots on third, sixth and seventh and then a double bogey on eighth, meant he was five-over before the turn. He got a birdie on 11th but dropped a shot again on 12th. A double followed on 16th and he was seven over but birdies on last two holes put him at 125th, giving him some hope of staying on for the weekend. Ernie Els of South Africa, the World Number Five, who helped re-do the layout here, had five birdies over the back nine to post a 68. Finishing alongside Els on four under par were Mikko Ilonen of Finland, Y E Yang of Korea, Alejandro Caqizares of Spain, Jyoti Randhawa of India and Richard Ste rne of South Africa. Ghei slips
Seoul: Caught in windy conditions, Gaurav Ghei managed a two-over 74 to slip to the tied 28th spot even as four Indians made the cut after the midway stage of $600,000 SK Telecom Open golf tournament at the BA Vista Country Club today. The Indian star, who has been having a great run in the last few weeks, is now three-under 141 after coming through a tough day that witnessed strong winds. Among other Indians, Rahil Gangjee hung on to his tied 35th place after returning his second successive card of one-under 71. He is at two-under 142, the same as Amandeep Johl, whose even par 72 saw him slip from overnight 20th to tied 35th. Kolkata-pro SSP Chowrasia just squeezed inside the cut line with a one-over 73 to be even par 144 for two rounds and was tied 61st. The cut came at even par and Digvijay Singh was the lone Indian to fall by the wayside with a 73, which took his total to seven-over 151. — PTI
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Parimarjan bounces back
Kirishi (Russia) May 25 On a day that witnessed five out of six games ending in draws, Negi was the lone winner. This was a good turnaround performance by the 14-year old after losing the previous game against tournament leader Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia. The win also helped Negi to bridge the gap between him and the leader as the Indian took his tally to 5.5 points to be joint second along with World Junior champion Zaven Andriasian of Armenia and these two are now half a point adrift of the leader. With just 3 rounds remaining in the category-12 tournament according to FIDE charts, IM Avetik Grigoryan of Armenia and GM Yuriy Kuzubov are the only threat to lead positions with 5 points apiece. Even though the race for the title will hot up, Nepomniachtchi holds the edge over others with his half point cushion and only one GM -- Sergei Zhigalko of Belarus -- left to play. Parimarjan also has to meet Zhigalko besides Russians Eduard Gorovykh and Ivan Popov. It was a Sicilian defense by Safarli Eltaz as black that gave Negi a tangible advantage in the opening despite as many as three pieces changing hands inside the first fifteen moves. As the middle game arrived, Parimarjan was left with better piece co-ordination and he nurtured his position well to reach a better endgame. Winning a pawn, Negi kept his opponent’s pieces in check and when Safarli tried further complications, he lost another pawn and never recovered. The game lasted 52
moves. — PTI
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Sania-Chan enter final
New Delhi, May 25 Sania and her new partner Yung-Jan Chan of Taipei overcame stiff resistance from Mervana Jugic-Salkic of Bosnia and Italian Romina Oprandi to win 6-7 (3/7), 6-0, 10-5 in their semifinal match. Sania and Yung-Jan were leading 5-1 in the opening set after breaking their opponents in the first game of the match but squandered the advantage by allowing Mervana and Romina to rally back to level scores 5-5 and stretch the game into the tie breaker. Sania won her fourth WTA doubles title at the Morocco Open at Fes, Morocco, partnering Vania King of America last week.
— PTI
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Elusive French Open title beckons Federer
What he doesn’t have is a French Open title. However, there’s no shortage of people queueing up to tell him how to secure that elusive honour. What has always been mission impossible for the likeable Swiss is how to inflict a first ever Roland Garros defeat on nemesis Rafael Nadal. He has solved part of the mystery himself by beating the Spaniard for the first time in six clay court meetings in the Hamburg Masters final last Sunday. “I played fantastic and I really got the feeling in the end I had figured out how to play him,” said Federer after his 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 win brought Nadal’s 81-match winning streak on clay to an end. “But I have to be very careful not to get too carried away.” Federer may have learned crucial lessons from seeing Lleyton Hewitt push the Spaniard all the way in the semifinals in Germany. “Nadal is the best player on clay, no doubt about that,” said the Australian who took the first set in their last four clash. “He is extremely tough. There are no cheap points against him. You’ve got to go out there and beat him. When he is front-running, he is one of the best in the business.” Hewitt intentionally forced the pace and came to the net although the inevitable fall-out was 43 unforced errors compared to Nadal’s 25. Most observers believe that if Federer is to beat the two-time defending champion, and clinch a title which would make him just the third man to hold all four Grand Slam titles at the same time, he needs to repeat his Hamburg formula. There he made a conscious effort to shorten the points; only seven points lasted 10 strokes or more. He was also keen to attack the Nadal forehand. But the Swiss is right not to get too confident. By common consent, the clay court in Hamburg is a markedly different beast to the Philippe Chatrier court at Roland Garros. The German surface is much slower and the bounce lower. Furthermore, Nadal, who has already won the Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome titles on clay this year, admitted that he was exhausted by the time the Hamburg final arrived. Federer split with coach Tony Roche after his shock second round exit in Rome but one man he won’t be calling for advice is former triple French Open champion Mats Wilander. The Swede accused Federer of being “frightened” of facing Nadal after the Spaniard cruised to a 6-4, 6-4 win in the Monte Carlo final. “Nadal is left-handed, he is able to find Federer’s backhand all the time in the serve and it’s not a good mix,” Wilander said after the final. “Nadal is one of those young guys who really is not afraid of anybody, it doesn’t matter if his name is Roger Federer and he has won 10 majors or whatever, Nadal is just not afraid.” But Wilander offered some hope to Federer even before the Hamburg turnaround. “I think on paper Federer might be the favourite (to win the French Open) because he will be really focused on winning Roland Garros,” added the Swede. “He knows time is running out to win Roland Garros. He is not going to win it three times and I think he knows that. He’s going to win it once, maybe twice, and I think this is the year to do it. “If Nadal does not go through, Federer will win the French Open.” Federer arrived early in Paris. Interestingly, he already had Nadal on his mind as he chose to hit with France’s world number one junior Jonathan Eyserric - like the Spaniard, a powerful left-hander. Faces tough draw
Roger Federer faces a tough task in his bid to win the French Open for the first time. The Swiss, dreaming of capturing the only Grand Slam title to have eluded him, was drawn today in the same half as several dangerous opponents, including former champion Juan Carlos Ferrero. He could also run into Tommy Robredo, Marat Safin, Ivan Ljubicic, Nikolay Davydenko, David Nalbandian, Guillermo Canas and Fernando Gonzalez. Twice defending champion Rafael Nadal, the world number two, was handed a far easier draw for the claycourt tournament starting on Sunday at Roland Garros. Top seed Federer will start with a relatively easy match against little-known American Michael Russell and should not be challenged in the next two rounds. From the fourth round, however, things are likely to get a lot more complicated for the elegant 25-year-old as he could meet Spaniard Ferrero, the 2003 champion. If he survives that, a possible semifinal clash against Chilean Gonzalez could be on the cards. Nadal will start against unheralded Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro and has a smooth passage through to the fourth round, in which he could meet Australian Lleyton Hewitt. Former champion Carlos Moya of Spain and American Andy Roddick, seeded third, could then stand in the muscular 20-year-old’s way before a possible semifinal encounter with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, seeded sixth.
— Reuters, AFP
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Bill Johnston is no more
Johnston, a left-arm medium-pace bowler from Victoria, played 40 Tests for Australia between 1947 and 1955, taking 160 wickets at 23.91. Cricket Australia said he died in a Sydney nursing home late yesterday. His death leaves five surviving members of the 1948 team that toured England unbeaten - Arthur Morris, Neil Harvey, Sam Loxton, Bill Brown and Ron Hammence. Cricket Australia chairman Creagh O’Connor said Johnston was an “invincible” on the field during his distinguished 40-Test career, and a gentleman off the field. “Those of us fortunate enough to have known Bill will remember him as a good companion, well-humoured, passionate about cricket and always willing to share his knowledge,” O’Connor said. “However, to cricket fans he will always be remembered, rightly, as a member of Sir Donald Bradman’s legendary Invincibles, and as a left-armer who took a lot of wickets quickly and economically.” “His cheery tail-end batting also had its moments, including a quirky statistic that gave him a batting average of 102 during a tour of England in 1953.” Johnston captured 554 first-class wickets at 23.35, and was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1949.
— AFP
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5 Punjab police players nominated for Arjuna Awards
Jalandhar, May 25 The players are: Rajwinder Kaur Gill (4x400 relay), Jagdish Bishnoi (javelin), Harpal Singh (boxing), Kanwalpreet Singh (hockey) and Gurwinder Singh (wrestling). Talking to The Tribune, DGP-cum-Director Punjab Police Academy (Phillaur) and vice-president, Punjab Olympic Association, R. S. Gill said they have sent the list to the All India Police Control Board wherein the list would be again scrutinised. “The players have been selected on the basis of their performance and achievements in their respective sport,” said Gill who is also the Chairman of Punjab Police Sport Promotion Council. “The board usually receives the lists from the various state police departments and paramilitary forces. The final authority rests with them to nominate the players for the award. Thereafter the list is again sent to the Centre from where the final selection of the players for the award is made. The last date of the list to be submitted with the Centre is May 31,” he added. “We are hopeful that our players would make it to the final list,” said Gill. Out of the selected five players, Rajwinder is an Assistant Sub-Inspector while the others are Inspectors. Jagdish, Gurwinder, Kanwalpreet and Harpal are recipient of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award. Rajwinder bagged a silver medal during the Commonwealth Games (2006) and gold medal in the Asian Athletic Championship (2005). Jagdish bagged a gold and bronze medal in the Asian Athletic Championship, besides a gold medal in the SAF games. Boxer Harpal Singh is national champion for the past 12 years. He bagged a silver and a bronze medal in the Asian Boxing Championship and a silver in SAF games. Kanwalpreet participated in the Hockey World Cup (2002, 2006) besides bagging a gold medal in the Asia Cup and Junior World Cup. Gurwinder has remained national champion for the past eight years. He also bagged a silver medal in the Asian Wrestling Championship. Till date, 31 players from Punjab Police have been bestowed with the prestigious Arjuna Award. |
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Dhaka, May 25
Gavaskar writes
Karachi, May 25
Paris, May 25
Sydney, May 25
