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Final
ODI today
Dravid wants team
to be ‘fearless’
Test series win special: Sachin
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Asia Cup Hockey Paes-Shaughnessy lose in final
Djokovic sets up clash with Ferrer
Indian eves up against Korea
SOAs reject draft sports policy
Three boxers enter final
School Games: Delhi in q-finals
Inter-school hockey meet Korfball meet
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Final
ODI today
London, September 7 The Indians have already made the tour of England memorable by winning the Test series 1-0 after 21 years and an ODI series victory would serve as the icing on the cake. Rahul Dravid and his men have shown tremendous resilience to bounce back from a 1-3 deficit and the hallowed turf of the Lord’s provides the perfect setting for an engrossing battle. The sensational win in the game at the Oval on Wednesday will be a huge morale-booster for India as the batsmen showed character to snatch a win from the jaws of defeat. The seven-batsman strategy paid dividends for the team in the last two matches and it was the scintillating strokeplay by youngster Robin Uthappa, who came in to bat at number seven, which helped India clinch the cliff-hanger at the Oval. The visitors will probably retain the same combination for the summit showdown where the batsmen would again have to play a big role. Dravid knows that the decider will not be a cakewalk for his players who have to show a lot of character to win their third match on the trot. “We got a bit of the rub of the green, but we have shown a lot of resilience after a long tour. (But) it should be a cracker of a game at Lord’s,” Dravid said. He said the side never really gave in despite trailing 1-3 in the ODI series. “We still felt we could win. At 1-3, we knew we’d lost a couple of close games that could have gone the other way,” he said. The opening pair of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly is in great form and India would again bank on the experience of the veteran duo to get off to a flying start. Knowing that the seven-batsman formula has clicked for the side, Dravid would not like to tamper with the combination and prefer to restrict the home willow-wielders with four bowlers, aided by a few part-timers. However, the Indian team management may have to give a serious thought on whether to persist with an erratic Ajit Agarkar, who has proved to be quite expensive right through the series. With Munaf Patel being equally expensive, Dravid could have a look at RP Singh to share the new ball with pace spearhead Zaheer Khan. The spin-tango of offie Ramesh Powar and leggie Piyush Chawala has so far done a decent job for the visitors and Dravid may not like to alter that combination. Fielding, which has been pathetic right through the tour, showed marginal improvement in the last game, but the Indians need to be a lot more sharper in this area. Despite the two consecutive defeats, England captain Paul Collingwood put up a bold face and fancied his chance of putting it across the Indians in the crucial game. “We were put under a lot of pressure, but I was delighted by the way we fought back. When you see a team fighting like that it’s a great thing for a captain,” Collingwood said. “We have to get our heads held high because we know we’ve done good things in the series. We’ve got to prove we’re still playing good cricket, which we are doing,” he said. The injury-induced absence of star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has hit the home team to a great extent. While England have a strong batting line-up, their bowling is the weak link since most of their frontline bowlers are in the injury list. Teams (from): India: Rahul Dravid (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ramesh Powar, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, Rudra Pratap Singh, S. Sreesanth, Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa, Munaf Patel and Rohit Sharma. England: Paul Collingwood (captain), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Chris Broad, Alastair Cook, Andrew Flintoff, Dimitry Mascarenhas, Monty Panesar, Kevin Pietersen, Matt Prior, Owais Shah, Ryan Sidebottom and Luke Wright. — PTI
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Dravid wants team to be ‘fearless’
London, September 7 "Fearlessness as much as experience has proved key this series so we will approach it as we have done the last two games," Dravid said on the eve of the seventh and deciding one-day match. "We really had to fight hard when we had our backs to the wall. We had to script a good comeback from 1-3. After that also I felt that the games were really close a wicket here or a wicket there and the scoreline could have been so different at that stage even. "It has been a good comeback for us in the series. If we can win tomorrow it will be great comeback." To a query about tomorrow's match being the final game at Lord's for himself, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, Dravid was not too keen to talk about it. "You never know what is going to happen in the future. But every time we play here it is a special occasion. The last game of the tour set up very nicely. Some good tough cricket played by both teams. Good competitive spirit. "It is going to be a good occasion coming to this ground and enjoying. We have played some good one-day cricket here we'll have some special memories of that. We'll look at those memories and get some confidence from that." Asked which victory the fans back home would cherish most -- the Test series triumph or the one-day series triumph (if it happens) - Dravid said the habit of winning was more important. "Winning matters, irrespective of whether it's the Test or one-dayers. It's a bit hard to judge too. One-day is followed strongly but we haven't won a lot of Test cricket abroad and winning in England after 21 years is a huge thing for the supporters as well. "Just from the congratulations and the response we've got from back home they are really excited about us winning the Test series." —PTI
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Test series win special: Sachin
London, September 7 Tendulkar has played some vintage cricket in the one-day series. So far on this tour, he has smashed 548 runs from his 10 innings, with four 90s, at a strike rate of 84.3. Tomorrow, as Tendulkar walks out on the sacred turf at Lord's he will again be carrying the hopes of an entire nation on his strong shoulders looking to slice a piece of history at the famous venue for himself as much for his team. "It has been a great summer of cricket for the entire team. The victory in the Test series (that broke a 21-year-old drought of a series triumph) was very special," Tendulkar said. "This is my fourth tour of England and we waited for a long time to beat England in England. It was highly commendable and special and I was extremely happy to be a part of it," said the star batsman. "Playing in England is part of your cricketing education just as it is when playing Australia or South Africa. Every country is different and you face different challenges and learn to deal with different wickets and different bowlers," Tendulkar said. His new found jinx of getting out in the 90's may have prevented Tendulkar from adding to his tally of 78 international hundreds. But some of it was his own doing while on other occasion it was the dreaded finger of the umpire. "It happens," was his way of looking at it. The beautiful journey this summer started with India's first-ever victory over South Africa on foreign soil in Belfast where Tendulkar seemed to have rolled back the years batting with customary brilliance befitting the 'master blaster'. — PTI
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Fresh crisis engulfs Pak
Karachi, September 7 The Pakistan Cricket Board took a serious note of the incident which occurred during the team's nets session at the Centurion Park yesterday and as a disciplinary measure told Shoaib to return home by the first flight available. "The decision to recall him has been taken after initial inquiry by the team management in South Africa. But a more detailed probe would be ordered once he returns home," PCB Chief Executive Shafqat Nagmi told PTI. "Shoaib admitted he had struck Asif with the bat and was apologetic but we are treating this incident very seriously," Naghmi said. The incident took place after an initial verbal spat between the two and ended with Shoaib hitting Asif on is left thigh with a bat. Ehsan Malik, the media manager of the team in the World Cup, said Asif had thankfully escaped any serious injury and his X-rays had shown no internal injury. The unsavoury incident comes at a time when the Pakistan team was banking on Shoaib and Asif, who share the new ball, to lift them to a good performance in the Twenty20 World Championships after their debacle in the World Cup at the Caribbean earlier this year. Naghmi said the Board would decide on a replacement soon but sources said pacer Mohammad Sami was in contention to replace Shoaib who had made a return to the side after playing just one Test and four one-dayers in the last 15-months. Malik said the team management had held several meetings since last night to investigate the unfortunate and sad incident and had also been in touch with PCB Chairman Naseem Ashraf. — PTI
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Speedster apologises
New Delhi, September 7 "I am really sorry. I am feeling very bad at the moment. Sometimes you do things in a fit of anger. Once I am back I will discuss the matter with my family and friends and hold a press conference. I will apologise to everyone," Shoaib told NDTV. Shoaib hit Asif on his thigh after the two had a heated exchange during a training session in South Africa following which Pakistan Cricket Board immediately called him back as a disciplinary measure. "Everything happened all of a sudden. I made a mistake but then who does not. I am sorry for what happened but I think I can put the whole thing behind and come back stronger," Shoaib said. "I admit that I make mistakes but the media glare on me is such that everything gets blown out of proportion. The media does not go after everybody, it only targets me. But what has happened has happened and I will try bouncing back as soon as possible," he said.
— PTI
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A long-term ban on the anvil
Karachi, September 7 "The decision to recall him has been taken after an immediate action by the tour management committee. When the team returns a detailed inquiry and disciplinary hearing would be held into the incident and further action can be taken against Shoaib," Ashraf told PTI. Ashraf said the Board backed the tour management's decision to send back Shoaib immediately from the World Twenty20 Championships as the matter was a serious one. "Let him come back and than there will be more action," Ashraf said. Asif escaped a serious injury but Ashraf said what had happened was disgraceful and Shoaib's actions could not be condoned at all. "We don't expect our senior players to behave in this rowdy manner. This incident has badly damaged the image of Pakistan cricket," he said. Shoaib was recalled after he struck Asif with a bat on his left thigh during the team's net session yesterday.
— PTI
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Kapil lashes out at Bindra, Mahendra
New Delhi, September 7 "If someone wants to take out personal vendetta, he can talk whatever crap he wants. Bindra is a frustrated man, talking loud," Kapil said reacting to the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) chief's recent tirade against him. "The board members have egos that are very big. See how shamelessly they hang on to power. Bindra becomes the board president and then remains the president of the PCA for years," Kapil told 'Tehelka'. "In Haryana, Ranbir Singh Mahendra remains in power for nearly four decades, even after becoming the board president. Have you ever heard of an Indian President coming back as Chief Minister of the state," he said. Kapil admitted that ICL was more of a money-making venture but insisted that it was also a good initiative aimed at nurturing young talent. "They blame me for making money. What is wrong if I earn money by joining a professional league? What do these board members do? If a board member goes abroad, he gets almost $ 850 per day, whereas a cricketer like Sourav and Sachin gets a pittance of $ 75. What nonsense is this?" he added. "They wanted to push Sunil Gavaskar against me. Boss, why not get Gavaskar as the Board CEO? Why not make Pataudi the president? Why not get Bedi involved? Do not look Gavaskar only as a batting consultant." — PTI
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Asia Cup Hockey
Chennai, September 7 The hosts remained the lone team to maintain their slate clean among 11 teams and topped the tough six-team Pool B. India gained the maximum 15 points from five matches, a feat which should put them in good stead in the knockout stage. In the other semifinal, Korea, runners-up in Pool B, take on youngster-packed Malaysia, who topped Pool A with three wins and a draw against Pakistan. The eighth-ranked Indians’ performance has impressed one and all. After overcoming China 1-0 in a closely fought tie, the Indians brought out their best against Korea, winning 3-2. The major factor behind these wins was the cohesion and understanding among the players. The hosts, who have scored 46 goals so far in the tournament, gained useful match practice in the remainder of the pool phase while helping themselves to equalling the Asia Cup record for the highest margin of victory when they swamped a hapless Sri Lanka 20-0. The frontline consisting of Prabhjot Singh, who scored the match-winner against Korea, Tushar Khandeker, Rajpal Singh and SV Sunil has done exceedingly well and some of the forays made by them were breathtaking. Ignace Tirkey in the role of a playmaker and William Xalxo in the deep defence have exhibited admirable skills. Veteran Dilip Tirkey has also helped the team in vital moments. The tournament has also provided an opportunity for chief coach Joaquim Carvalho to give exposure to the youngsters on the bench. Drag-flicker Raghunath has also seemed to have found his touch despite his initial fumbles while converting penalty corners, an area where Indians have been found wanting. Raghunath, brought into the team in place of injured Sandeep Singh, succeeded in converting six of the 11 penalty corners in the match against Thailand yesterday which could serve as a morale-booster ahead of the semifinal. On the other hand, Japan would use their pace to make up for the gulf in skills. With their morale high after shocking three-time winners Pakistan, the Japanese are expected to come out with a stubborn performance and thwart the Indians on home turf. In the other semifinal, Asian Games champions Korea start favourites against Malaysia. Malaysia, who have entered the semifinal of a major tournament for the second time this year after being the finalists at the 16th Azlan Shah Cup, should be wary of Korean penalty-corner specialist Jang Jong Hyun, who has already been among a lot of goals. Malaysia should worry about injuries to a couple of players. Shahrun Nabil has been ruled out after he received a deep cut on his right palm, while Kelvinder Singh looks a doubtful starter as he sustained an injury in their encounter against Pakistan. — PTI
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Paes-Shaughnessy lose in final
New York, September 7 The Indo-US pair paid the price for their poor break point conversion rate (1 off 11) to concede the match 4-6, 6-7 after a two-hour-long battle. After losing the first set, Paes and Shaughnessy had a chance to stage a fightback as they grabbed a 5-1 lead in the tie-breaker. However, they squandered four set points to end up as the runners-up and take home $70,000. “We thought we had done enough to win the second set but these two came up with the goods when it really mattered,” said Paes. The 34-year-old Indian won the 1999 and 2001 French Open and 1999 Wimbledon titles with Mahesh Bhupathi, the 2006 US Open title with Czech Martin Damm, the 1999 Wimbledon mixed crown with Lisa Raymond and the 2003 Wimbledon and Australian Open titles with Martina Navratilova. It was the seventh Grand Slam doubles title for 30-year-old Mirnyi, while his 18-year-old partner Azarenka won her first Grand Slam crown as the Belarussian pair became richer by $150,000. — PTI
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Djokovic sets up clash with Ferrer
New York, September 7 Djokovic, the 20-year-old revelation of the year, showed remarkable composure yesterday in defeating Spanish veteran Carlos Moya 6-4, 7-6, 6-1. Ferrer, better-known as a never-say-die claycourter, reached his first Grand Slam semis by brushing aside the challenge of Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. The two have met three times previously with Ferrer holding a 2-1 advantage, although Djokovic won their only hardcourt encounter to date at Indian Wells in March. Red-hot favourite Federer was already through to the semifinals with his straight-set defeat of Andy Roddick late on Wednesday. The Swiss star will take on Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko, against whom he has a perfect 9-0 record including a straight-set win in last year’s semifinals at Flushing Meadows.
— AFP
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Indian eves up against Korea
Hong Kong, September 7 So far, the going has been good for the Indians, who have registered huge wins over Malaysia (6-0), Thailand (16-0) and Singapore (16-0) before going down to world number five China 2-4 in a see-saw battle in the pool stage. With nine points from four matches, India ended up as second behind China in the five-team Pool A. For 13th-ranked India, the clash against the eighth-ranked Korea is likely to be a battle of nerves, skills and power. The onus to drive the holders into the final will rest on the reputed strike quartet of Surinder Kaur, captain Mamta Kharab, Jasjeet Kaur and Saba Anjum, who have struck a majority of the 40 goals scored by the team. The Indian defence, which has hardly been challenged and conceded only two goals till now, will also have an important role to play against an attacking side like Korea, who toppled sixth-ranked Japan in the pool stage to come out on top.
— PTI
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SOAs reject draft sports policy
New Delhi, September 7 Speaker after speaker, including some ministers representing their states, while condemning the new draft sports policy, said it was an out-and-out intrusion into the state subject, adding that the state Olympic associations "were capable of handling things themselves". IOA Secretary General Randhir Singh reiterated in his opening remarks that the Ministry was making such efforts that will be of no use to anyone, particularly the athletes, as most of the items in the spots policy were impracticable for application. Randhir Singh, who is also the vice-president of the Commonwealth Games Federation, felt concerned about the way India were preparing for the 2010 Games. IOA president Suresh Kalmadi, making his point loud and clear, said: "We are in the process of consulting all national sports federations, state Olympic associations and sportspersons about the sports policy. The process should be over by this month-end and we would be meeting the Sports Minister in the first week of October. I have already written to Mani Shankar Aiyar, saying once we are through with the process we will meet him".
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Chidi stars in Dempo win
Ludhiana, September 7 Chidi, who did tireless work throughout the encounter and repeatedly rattled the Chirag citadel, found the target towards the end of the first half and then added two goals in the second half to complete the rout. Dempo, who won the Federation Cup in 2005 at Bangalore, began forays into the rival territory right from the kick-off. However, they could not breach the defence initially. Chirag United, too, made attempts to match their opponents but their moves failed to acquire any dangerous proportions. Six minutes before half-time, Chidi trapped a pass from Roberto Silva and dodged two defenders and also beat Chirag goalie Arindam Ghosh to put his team in the lead. Dempo consolidated the lead in the 80th minute when Chidi initiated a move in the midfield, ran down to barge into the penalty area and sent a powerful grounder. He pumped in one more goal four minutes later to complete his hat-trick. Churchill oust Salgaocar Trailing by one goal, Churchill Brothers made a fine comeback to outplay three-time Federation Cup winners Salgaocar Sports Club 4-1 tonight. Salgaocar drew first blood in the 15th minute when Baba Tunde Badmus scored with a long-rang angular shot. In the 34th minute, Churchill’s Odafe Onyeka Okolie, the top scorer in the National Football League earlier this year, gave a parallel pass to Stephen Mbanyan, who was quick to send the ball into the goal to level the score. Four minutes into the second session, Churchill surged ahead when Odafe scored his team’s second goal. They went 3-1 up in the 56th minute through Robert Lalthlamvana. Mbanyan again found the target in the 85th minute. Saturday’s fixture: Quarterfinal: Mahindra United vs Sporting Clube de Goa (7 pm).
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Three boxers enter final
New Delhi, September 7 Umesh Yadav (46kg), Vikas Yadav (48kg) and Vipin Kumar (50kg) scored easy victories against their opponents in the semifinals. Umesh outpunched Grigoriy Nikolaychuk of Russia 21-10, while Vikas thrashed Louie Byrd of the USA 28-16. Vipin’s domination against Sang Min Lee of Korea in the semifinal was such that the referee had to stop the fight in the second round when Vipin was leading by 15 points. Vipin sets up a title clash against England’s Gamal Yafai, while Umesh is up against Elvin Isayev of Azerbaijan.— UNI
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School Games: Delhi in q-finals
Srinagar, September 7 Punjab, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and hosts Jammu and Kashmir have already made it to the quarterfinals. For Delhi, Deepak scored two goals in the - 8th and 11th minute - of the game while Rohit netted the third goal in 53rd minute. Tamil Nadu defeated Gujarat by a solitary goal while Bihar beat Chhattisgarh 2-1. Goa trounced Jharkhand 6-1 in another match of the day at the Bakshi Stadium here.
— UNI
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