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Pakistan toy with Delhi
Camp gets under way
Former captain Sourav Ganguly jogs around the Eden Garden Stadium during a practice session in Kolkata on Friday. — AFP |
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Guwahati ODI
Vengsarkar’s column
Indian Oil thrash Airlines in finals
Winners Indian Oil players pose with trophy after winning the 24th Indian Oil Surjit hockey tournament in Jalandhar on Friday. — Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma
Rain forces camp indoors
Lakra bows out in quarters
Punjab Police in semis
Vohra, Handa put Punjab on top
Ludhiana players dominate
Rural sports meet begins
Vohra, Handa put Punjab on top
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Pakistan toy with Delhi
New Delhi, November 2 Pakistan used the game for a nice workout and Delhi, understandably, could not match the might of the visitors. Barring Gautam Gambhir, they did not have any big name in their ranks. But Gambhir fell early for four to Umar Gul, and the hosts tottered at 36 for three inside 13 overs before a 91-run stand between Sikhar Dhawan and Rajat Bhatia brought the game back to life. Virender Sehwag was to lead the squad, but he opted out due to the demise of his father. Delhi, riding on the strength of a half century by Dhawan and 75 by Bhatia, posted 213 for 9 wickets in 50 overs, which, however, proved easy target for the visitors. Though Pakistan lost Kamran Akmal in the very first over, Imran Nazir batted with a flourish to give a blazing start to their innings. The tempo of scoring, however, fell for a while when he left after making 34 off 22 balls with six boundaries. One down Salman Bhatt turned things around with a flurry of strokes and did not even bother to complete his century, as he took VRS (voluntary retirement) after making 83 with 13 boundaries and one six, off Chaitanya Nanda, to make way for the young Yasir Ahmed. Though the Delhi bowlers could hardly make any impact on the Pakistan batsmen, it was a dream match for medium pacer Kunal Lal (son of former India all-rounder Madan Lal) as he trapped Kamran Akmal off the penultimate ball of the first over for 5. But more than the contest itself, what attracted the attention of everyone was the huge turnout for the match. With the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) throwing open a few gates at the East and West stands for the spectators to enter free, there was a mad scramble. And the ceaseless flow of spectators eventually forced the DDCA to shut the gates around 1 p.m with around 12,000 spectators jamming the East and West stands of the stadium — without counting those occupying the VVIP and VIP stands, media box and others - and as many spectators crowding outside the stadium seeking entry. The irony of it all was that at the adjacent Ambedkar Stadium, the Durand Cup football match was being played in front of empty stands. If the spectator turnout was an indicator, then the Pak team's tour would be a smashing success though one acerbic wag commented that "this also shows the kind of unemployment prevailing in Delhi". Pakistan did not exert much to tackle Delhi, though they did not treat the tie lightly either as barring Sikhar Dhawan, who made 52 off 81 balls, and Rajat Bhatia, who struck 75 off 106 balls with seven fours and one six off Fawad Alam, none of the other Delhi batsmen could negotiate the Pak bowling effectively. And the visitors also displayed agility and flexibility in the field with three of the Delhi batsmen becoming run-out victims. The dangerous Shoaib Akhtar operated with controlled aggression and proved the costliest, though he was the biggest hit with the spectators. Whenever he came on to bowl for short spells, the stands erupted into a big roar. His first four-over spell cost 12 runs, the second two-over spell 11 runs and the third four-over spell 23 runs for an overall 10-0-46-1, with tailender Gautam Chabra being his lone victim. Shoaib ran with measured steps before throwing the ball in an arc. Sohail was the most economical, as his ten-over spell cost only 25 runs. Scoreboard Delhi: Gambhir lbw b Gul 4 Dhawan run out 52 Manhas b Younis 0 Kohli run out 5 Bhatia run out 75 Tehlan c and b Fawad 7 Bisht c Akhtar b Afridi 2 Chabra c Tanvir b Akhtar 16 Jain not out 14 Sangwan not out 1 Extras: (lb-5, w-12, nb-4) 21 Total: (for 9 wkts in 50 overs) 213 Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-41, 3-41, 4-46, 5-137, 6-157, 7-173, 8-191, 9-200. Bowling: Akhtar 10-0-46-1, Gul 6-0-33-1, Tanvir 9-0-25-0, Younis 6-0-24-2, Malik 6-1-16-0, Alam 9-0-36-1, Afridi 4-0-29-1. Pakistan: Nazir c Bhatia b Bhandari 34 Akmal lbw b Kunal Lal 5 Butt Retired hurt 83 Misbah-ul-Haq c Gambhir b Sangwan 39 Hameed not out 33 Alam not out 10 Extras: (lb 3, w 7, nb 1) 11 Total (for 3 wkts in 42.4 overs) 215 Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-66, 3-182 Bowling: Kunal Lal: 8-0-68-1, Sangwan 9.4-0-61-1, Amit Bhandari 7-1-17-1, Nanda 10-0-36-0, Manhas 8-0-30-0.
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Camp gets under way
Kolkata, November 2 The Indian team looked energetic as they walked into the stadium at around 4:30 pm and went through the fitness regime before the nets started. The younger lot, consisting of Rohit Sharma and Pravin Kumar along with Robin Uthappa, looked quite sprightly during the fitness regime. First to bat at the nets were Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, followed by Rohit Sharma and skipper M. S. Dhoni. Later Irfan Pathan and Uthappa batted before the bowlers had their chance. Largely because of the soggy outfield, the CAB authorities put up the nets on the second and third pitch of the Eden Gardens with the first pitch on which the Bengal-Hyderabad match will be played from Sunday firmly covered. One of the nets was used by the spinners where Murali Kaarthik, Rohit and Harbhajan Singh plyed their trade to the batsmen. Manager Lalchand Rajput rolled his arms for off-breaks to Sachin and Sourav. The other net was occupied by the pacers where Sreeshanth, Irfan Pathan, R. P. Singh and Zaheer Khan bowled before Sourav joined them. Along with the Indian pacer, Nigel, an all-rounder from Lancashire minor county, who was signed for local Kalighat Club for the CAB Cricket League, bowled to the Indian batsmen. While Sachin and Sourav looked to be in vintage form cutting, driving and even playing lofted shots with consummate ease, Uthappa was impressive with his bat. Sreeshanth and R. P. Singh bowled with some zing, and Zaheer looked nippy and measured as ever. Murali, in fact, deceived Sachin once to clean up his off-stick. While V. Prasad kept a keen eye over the bowlers, Robin Singh gave fielding practice to the players, that included regular catching, knocking the stumps and slip catching. The Indian team had three notable absentees in Gautam Gambhir, who played the warm-up match against Pakistan today, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh. Before the practice session, Rajput talking about the series said, “ Indo-Pak duels belong to a different level.” Talking about Mohammad Asif’s injury, he said, “No single player has any impact on the series as it is a high-pressure one. Asked to make a statement on the absence of Rahul Dravid and Inzamam-ul Haq, Rajput said, “Ultimately, the results will be decided by the players who take the field. It will be a tough series. Both teams have a 50-50 chance.”
— UNI
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Guwahati ODI
Guwahati, November 2 In an appeal made through advertisements in local dailies here today, the honorary secretary of the ACA(organiser), Bikash Baruah made a fervent appeal to all the sports buffs and organisations, including the ULFA, to extend cooperation for smooth conduct of the match, the first one of the five-match Indian Oil Cup series between India and Pakistan. The ACA official stated that Pakistan team will play its first ever match in Guwahati, the only ODI venue in the North East, and called upon every one concerned, including the proscribed militant group, to extend cooperation for holding of the match sans any hitch. However, the ULFA had not issued any threat to disrupt the cricket match. Meanwhile, the district administration has made elaborate security arrangement for holding of Indo-Pak cricket match. Heavy rush of spectators is expected given that all the tickets have been sold out. Deputy Commissioner Avinash Joshi informed that the city has been divided into seven security zones in view of the cricket match. “All the sensitive areas in the city will be under surveillance and sparks are expected to fly during an India-Pakistan cricket match”, he told newsmen here. Two companies of CRPF personnel will be deployed around the Nehru Stadium Cricket Complex while Assam Police Battalion personnel will be in charge inside the stadium. A Superintendent of Police will be responsible of security in and around the stadium. The Indian and Pakistani cricket teams will arrive in the city on the eve of the match and will be lodged in two separate hotels in the city. Indian Team will be in Hotel Landmark located at the periphery of the stadium while Pakistan team will be hosted in Hotel Brahmaputra Ashok. Two Additional Superintendents of Police will be put in charge of security in both the hotels. Entry to both the hotels will be restricted and special security pass will be required for the purpose.
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Vengsarkar’s column
Mumbai, November 2 BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah told UNI over phone today that though nothing has yet been decided, the board is considering a ban on selectors, specially Vengsarkar as he is the only selector who writes for newspapers. A BCCI source further said that at present there is no bar on a selector from writing a column, but any decision to the contrary can be taken when the board's office-bearers meet here on November 11. Significantly, there appears to be a conflict of interest on the issue as the agency which syndicates Vengsarkar's column also represents the commercial interests of some other Indian cricketers, including one-day and Twenty20 captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
— UNI
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Indian Oil thrash Airlines in finals
Jalandhar, November 2 The first half saw ace forward Deepak Thakur failing to score on a difficult try at the goal in early minutes of the game. Prabhjot Singh too missed a good try as his attack on the Airlines’ goal was foiled by Sandeep Singh. Though the star Indian Oil players got their chances later, but the forward line up of Deepak, Prabhjot, Rajpal Singh and Bharat Chhkara displayed their skills and put pressure on the opposite team throughout the game. The first half saw both the teams attack and defend effectively in the first half, keeping the pace of the game fast, right from the beginning. The second half saw the teamwork of the Indian Oil forwards take over as they did not let Airlines team up of greats like Dhanraj Pillay, and national team captain Parbodh Trikey surpass them. Raghunath and goalkeeper Baljit Singh saved goals as they foiled crucial attacks from their opponents. Raghunath scored the first goal for Indian Oil in the 53rd minute of the match converting a penalty corner and Deepak Thakur compensated for his miss earlier in the game with a goal in 65th minute. Raghunath stopped Sandeep Singh’s attack in the penalty corner in the 56th minute, while the Indian Oil goalkeeper Baljit stopped another penalty in the 49th minute of the game. The game was not without some friction as Bharat Chhkara was shown the green card in the 44th minute and Inderjit Singh had to go out of the field on a yellow card. Lazrus Barla of Indian Airlines was too shown the yellow card by the referee.
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Inglorious end to a glorious career
London, November 2 From the moment her parents named her after the great Martina Navratilova she appeared destined for a journey that would change the face of women's tennis and make her rich beyond her wildest dreams, but also provide plenty of heartache. Born in Slovakia, Hingis moved to Switzerland after her parents divorced and began ripping up the record books. Despite not being a powerhouse like the prodigious Williams sisters who soon joined her on the road to stardom, Hingis grew out of junior tennis by the time she was 14. At the 1995 Australian Open, already tipped as a future world number one, the 14-year-old became the youngest player to win a match at a grand slam. The following year she became the youngest Wimbledon champion, aged 15, when teaming up with Helena Sukova to win the women's doubles. A few months later she announced herself on New York by reaching the semi-finals of the U.S. Open singles. The Swiss Miss, as she was nicknamed, was clearly in a hurry. In 1997 she appeared almost unbeatable, winning her first 37 matches on her way to 12 titles, including the Australian, Wimbledon and U.S. Open crowns. Her victory in Melbourne at the start of the year made her the youngest grand slam champion of the century and by the end of it she was undisputed world number one. She added the 1998 Australian Open title to her collection before the first storm clouds appeared on the Hingis horizon in 1999. By February 2003 she had hung up her rackets. Her third consecutive Australian Open title in 1999 would prove to be her last grand slam singles crown. Her gleaming smile was replaced by floods of tears and tantrums at the French Open the same year. She was booed during the final against Steffi Graf, the fans infuriated by her stalling tactics and underarm serves. Hingis hardly endeared herself to the Parisians by labelling French player Amelie Mauresmo ''half man''. At Wimbledon a month later she lost 6-2 6-0 in the first round to 129th-ranked qualifier Jelena Dokic, the cloak of invincibility now in tatters. She still ended 1999 as number one but her U.S. Open defeat by Serena Williams was a taste of things to come as the slender Hingis began to struggle with the big baseline hitters. Off court she labelled Serena and Venus ''big mouths'' while in 2001 she stirred up a racial storm with comments about the sisters in Time magazine. The years of physical punishment on tennis courts also began to take their toll. She needed ankle surgery in 2001 and 2002 and in 2003, at the tender age of 22, Hingis decided that tennis was no longer for her, announcing her retirement from the sport. Horse riding proved a touch tame for such a fierce competitor though and she could not stay away. In 2005 she made a brief comeback at an obscure tournament in Thailand, losing in the first round. She then announced that she would return to full-time tennis in 2006. Cynics thought the game had moved on, that her subtle skills and tactical wizardry would be no match for the powerhouse tennis of Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin and the Williams sisters. However she reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and took the mixed doubles title, her 15th career grand slam. Amazingly she ended the year back at number six in the world, having won trophies in Italy and India. Hingis notched her 43rd career title this year in Tokyo but injuries returned. She missed the French Open and looked a pale shadow of her former self at Wimbledon where she almost lost to British qualifier Naomi Cavaday. Her final match came in Beijing in September, losing to local player Shuai Peng. After all the highs it was a sad way to bow out.
— Reuters |
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Rain forces camp indoors
Kolkata, November 2 The action would now shift to the well-equipped Pankaj Gupta indoor cricket coaching centre housed in the Eden Gardens, according to Cricket Association of Bengal Joint Secretary Samar Pal. The indoor facility has three nets, besides a swimming pool and a modern gymnasium. "The ground is wet. The conditions are not suitable for outdoor practice," Pal told PTI. Meanwhile, the cricketers have started arriving in batches for the crucial camp ahead of the upcoming series against Pakistan. Fielding coach Robin Singh and pacer S Sreesanth were the early birds. Master blaster Schin Tendulkar and skipper M S Dhoni reached the city in a Mumbai flight this morning and were escorted under heavy security cover to the team hotel in the southern part of the city. Offie Harbhajan Singh also reached the city on a flight from Delhi.
— UNI
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Lakra bows out in quarters
Chicago, November 2 Lakra lost 6-17 to Asian bronze medallist Yang Li in the feather weight category at the University of Chicago's UIC Pavillion yesterday. The Army boxer struggled from the start and was unable to garner a single point in the first two rounds as Li established a six-point lead. The Indian finally opened his account in the penultimate round, scoring four but his opponent had widened the gap to a massive nine points by then, making it impossible for Lakra to catch up in the final round. India are currently tied for the 18th spot at the biggest, toughest and, according to AIBA President Dr Ching- Kuo Wu, the "best ever" world championship, with nine points. India had sent an eight-member team, comprising this year's national champions, for the event but only Lakra managed to book a berth for Beijing 2008 by reaching the last-eight stage.
— PTI
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Punjab Police in semis
Gangtok, November 2 The tie-breaker ended in a 4-4 draw, forcing the game to be decided in a sudden death. Both teams also scored their first sudden death penalty shots. In the second sudden death, Apparao Chiman’s shot was blocked by Punjab goalie Paramjit Singh, while Sandeep Singh ensured his team’s maiden entry into the last four with a deft placement.
— UNI
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Vohra, Handa put Punjab on top
Patiala, November 2 Brief scores: Haryana (1st innings): 102 all out Punjab (1st innings): 264 for 4 declared (Manan Vohra 118, Mohit Handa 100 n.o) Haryana (2nd innings): 39 for 2 (Aditya Kaushal 15).
— OSR
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Ludhiana players dominate
Ludhiana, November 2 In the boy’s section, Everest Public School scored an emphatic victory (77-46) in their last encounter in the super league phase, over Dr Hari Singh Sewak Senior Secondary School, Kotkapura. In the girl’s section, Khalsa Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, in the last round robin league match, beat Government Senior Secondary School, Amritsar, 54-44. The winners collected four points from two matches to romp home as winners.
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Rural sports meet begins
Karnal, November 2 Sarban Singh, commissioner of the sports and youth affairs, Haryana, inaugurated the meet. Results: High jump: Sandeep (Bhiwani) - I; Gurpreet (Sirsa) - II, Shotput: Sandeep (Bhiwani) - I; Seema (Sirsa) - II, 800 m: Ashiwani (Sonipat) - I; Varsha (Hisar) - II, 100 m: Neelam (Sonepat) - I; Pooja (Hisar) - II.
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Vohra, Handa put Punjab on top
Patiala, November 2 Brief scores: Haryana (1st innings): 102 all out Punjab (1st innings): 264 for 4 declared (Manan Vohra 118, Mohit Handa 100 n.o) Haryana (2nd innings): 39 for 2 (Aditya Kaushal 15).
— OSR
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