 |
|
|
Awesome Oz bulldoze India
Kumble blames it on batsmen Ponting mocks meek surrender |
India’s tour of Australia
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Yuvraj cleared of dissent charge Historic win for Windies
Hi-Fliers outplay Veerans Liberals Hockey I-League Sania & Co lose to USA Jeev all set to take on Europeans Soni manager for tri-series
|
|
Awesome Oz bulldoze India Melbourne, December 29 Part one of their mission was accomplished when they won a series in India three years ago. Now at the home of Australian cricket — the MCG — they took a significant step towards confirming their superiority by thrashing the Indians to the tune of 337 runs. They lead 1-0, with three Tests to play. The match was lost by India in three phases. First, the Australian openers denied them ascendancy on the first morning, when conditions helped swing and seam movement. Then, the batting collapsed on a decent second day pitch, before disintegrating on a slightly schizophrenic wicket on the fourth. Thus, India failed to cross 200 in either innings, folding up for pathetic 161 in the second. The outcome was a fait accompli when play resumed on what prematurely proved to be the final day. India had to bat the last 188 overs of a Test on a dodgy, underprepared (because of the rainfall preceding the match) “drop in” pitch to salvage a draw. With five of their seven recognised batsmen exiting in an unprovoked manner, they failed to even register dignity in defeat. Wasim Jaffer attempted an ambitious cover drive against a delivery he could have left alone; Rahul Dravid retreated to the back foot when he could have advanced forward; Sachin Tendulkar played a reckless cut; VVS Laxman cover drove into the air; and Mahendra Dhoni chased a ball well wide of him. Jaffer’s catch took Adam Gilchrist past Ian Healy’s Australian Test record of 395 dismissals (catches and stumpings). Indeed, the former finished the match on 399, only seven victims behind South Africa’s Mark Boucher. Laxman looked businesslike, as he resisted his penchant for onside flicks and instead resorted to straight drives en route to a top score of 43. Both Andrew Symonds (who trapped Dravid leg before wicket with an off-break that turned sharply and kept a bit low) and Brad Hogg got purchase from “roughs” created by the faster bowlers’ footmarks. Yet, the Hyderabadi impeccably despatched the latter to the sightscreen for two fours in an over. Otherwise, only the consistent Sourav Ganguly, with 40, made any impression, cutting and driving through the off-side before Hogg won an lbw appeal against him. The left-hander had just escaped being stumped off the same bowler in what was the only blemish in Gilchrist’s wicketkeeping, which included skilfully standing up to Stuart Clark to prevent Ganguly from stepping out to this brisk medium pacer. The ploy to test Tendulkar’s patience paid off. After two bouncers, the second of which he tried to hook without success, Brett Lee served him one of three-quarter length but a bit wide of the off-stump. The little master’s eyes lit up, but the bounce deceived him. Having struggled to 134 for five at tea, India gave away their remaining wickets for a paltry 27 runs — Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Ganguly succumbing in the space of 10 balls with the score stuck on 157. The target of 499 seemed as distant as the North Pole from the southern hemisphere. Mitchell Johnson was in his element once the ball started reverse swinging, the in-curve having eluded him with the new ball. His three wickets and economy, though, were misleading, for Lee — not at his fastest — and Clark demanded greater respect. The BCCI sent their cricketers on mission impossible. They have had the gumption to engage in a Test with the world champions without match practice in local conditions. The practically empty near-100,000 capacity MCG, that, too, on a holiday, reflected how much the Indians had plummeted in the Australian public’s esteem in a matter of days. Scoreboard Australia (1st innings) 343 India (1st innings) 196 Australia (2nd innings) 351-7 dec India (2nd innings) Dravid lbw Symonds 16 Jaffer c Gilchrist b Lee 15 Laxman c M Clarke b S Clark 42 Tendulkar c Gilchrist b Lee 15 Ganguly lbw Hogg 40 Yuvraj lbw Hogg 5 Dhoni c Gilchrist b Johnson 11 Kumble c Gilchrist b Johnson 8 Harbhajan run out 0 Zaheer not out 0 RP Singh b Johnson 2 Extras (1-b, 6-nb) 7 Total (all out, 74 overs) 161 Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-54, 3-77, 4-118, 5-125, 6-144, 7-157, 8-157, 9-157. Bowling: Lee 14-3-43-2, Johnson 15-6-21-3, Stuart Clark 15-9-20-1, Hogg 17-3-51-2, Symonds 13-5-25-1. Man of the Match: Matthew Hayden
|
|
Day 4 Highlights India’s defeat by 337 runs is their third biggest by runs margin in Test cricket — their biggest two defeats being by 342 runs against Australia at Nagpur in 2004-05 and by 341 runs against Pakistan at Karachi in 2005-06. Ricky Ponting became the third Australian captain and the fourth overall to win 30 or more Tests as skipper. Steve Waugh (41) heads the table, followed by West Indian, Clive Lloyd (36) and Allan Border (32). Ponting is now the only captain in Test annals to have recorded 15 wins in succession — from December 26, 2005, to December 29, 2007. Steve Waugh, with 12 straight wins between October 14, 1999, and December 3, 2000, has the next best record. Australia have now won 15 Tests in succession — their second best winning sequence after their record 16 triumphs in a row between October 14, 1999 and March 1, 2001. Adam Gilchrist caught Wasim Jaffer off Brett Lee to take his 396th Test dismissal and beat the Australian wicketkeeping record set by his predecessor Ian Healy (395). With 399 dismissals, he is now second overall behind South Africa’s Mark Boucher (406). After five years, India have been dismissed under 200 in both innings of a Test — the last occasion being the Hamilton Test against New Zealand in December 2002 (99 & 154). —
PTI
|
||
|
Kumble blames it on batsmen Melbourne, December 29 Kumble did not make any effort to defend his batsmen, who, he felt, did not perform to their potential. “Yes (it’s disappointing), especially after we fought back on the first day after lunch. The first innings was crucial. After we restricted them for less than 350, getting out for less than 200 was disappointing,” Kumble said after the match. The Indian captain said the team should have batted session-wise and tried to hang around to build big scores. “We should have batted in sessions. We lost one wicket before lunch and then lost wickets in a hurry,” he rued. The veteran leg-spinner, however, was satisfied with the performance of his bowlers who grabbed 17 Australian wickets in the match. Kumble, however, was confident that the batsmen would make amends when India meet the hosts for the second Test starting on January 2 at Sydney. “The MCG wicket was difficult to bat on and play your shots. I hope Sydney would be better where ball would come onto the bat.” “With the kind of batting line-up we have, I think it's more of a mental thing than about skill,” he said. Asked if the defeat had prompted the team think-tank to make changes in the squad, Kumble said, “I think it’s too premature to talk about that. We would definitely sit and discuss the game.” Australian opener Matthew Hayden, who was adjudged the Man of the match, said he was delighted to play a crucial role in his team’s victory. “I really enjoyed it. I was looking forward to it...Ponting winning the toss and opting to bat was a good decision. It was important to get a good start and it’s nice have a big one,” he said. —
PTI
|
||
|
Ponting mocks meek surrender Melbourne, December 29 Ponting said the Australian team’s homework on the Indian batsmen was thorough and the hosts would not concede an inch in the upcoming matches as well. “We have not one but five or six plans against each batsman for different conditions and in different scenarios. That’s the beauty of technology. The way our plan came off at the MCG, I would say that we have really been well prepared,” he said after the hosts thrashed India in the first Test today. Ponting said it was extremely satisfying to achieve such a big win against a good Indian side on a wicket which was not a typical Australian strip. “It was a kind of pitch which was more subcontinental type, more foreign to us. Here in Australia we are looking to blast sides out,” he said. “Here we needed to do things differently and I am glad we were able to do it so well. After the first day’s play, the match was 50-50, so to come out with a 337-run win over India in such conditions was extremely satisfying,” he added. Ponting was surprised by India’s meek surrender today and said he was anticipating a tougher response from Anil Kumble’s men. “I was expecting it to be hard work. We knew today was a really hot day and it would have been hard for the boys to come back tomorrow.” “I was particularly worried about Dravid and VVS Laxman as they are able to bat for longer periods of time. We showed discipline and that's why we keep the good results coming in all conditions. If we have to adapt and adjust, we do it well,” he explained. Ponting lavished praise on his bowlers, saying the troika of Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark were successful in unnerving the famed Indian line-up. —
PTI
|
||
|
India’s
tour of Australia If you have to sum up the overall performance of the Indian team during the first Test in Melbourne, it was nothing short of abysmal. All the basics of good hard Test cricket were missing. The batting, supposedly the much-vaunted area of this Indian team, was sadly below par. Rahul Dravid is sadly out of touch and must be in some doubt for the Sydney Test. Sachin Tendulkar looked in very good touch and his first innings knock reminded most of us of the Tendulkar of the 1990s. The rest of the batting showed some glimpses of resistance but overall it was very disappointing. All the talk pre-tour was of taking the fight to the Aussies and not being intimidated. Having just come away from home with a good series win over Pakistan, all of us here in Australia were really looking forward to an exciting and hard-fought series. But going by the first Test, I doubt whether India will live up to those expectations. Unless there is a minor miracle, this series will be another clean sweep for the Aussies. I’m not sure whether South Africa Gary Kirsten, the new Indian coach, has been watching this Test on television but he might be having second thoughts about what he is taking on! Let’s start with the positives. Most of the talk before the beginning of the series surrounded around whether the Indian bowlers would be able to take 20 wickets to support their highly renowned batting. As a sweet surprise, the area that I was most impressed with was the bowling. Anil Kumble was superb throughout the Test, particularly in the first innings, and he received some good support from Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh. They showed enough to me to suggest that the Indian bowling can worry the Aussies and create plenty of chances to bowl Australia out twice. The only thing that might curtail this is the fielding. If India are to challenge this Aussie team, they must take almost every chance that comes their way. And moreover, with the vast and slowish outfields that we have in Australia, the Indian fielders must try and not let the Aussie batsmen convert twos into threes. Then there is the batting. There’s no doubt this Indian batting line-up matches the world champions’ batting order place to place. Just about every player in the top six averages over 50 in Test cricket and they all have at times shown that they can take the fight to the Aussies. If India are able to rotate the strike regularly, something that they lacked desperately in Melbourne, they can get rid of the burden of not keeping the scoreboard moving. For this, the batsmen have to be positive, not just in shot selection but also while running between the wickets. Having come into the Test series short on match practice in the Australian conditions, India now have one Test under their belt. And I hope it will reflect in their performance in Sydney, where traditionally it’s been happy hunting for spinners. India need to show some grit going into Sydney. All of us here in Australia are desperate for a competitive series. So come on India, show some ticker! —
PMG
|
||
|
Yuvraj cleared of dissent charge Melbourne, December 29 The player was charged with breaching Level 1.3 of the ICC Code which relates to showing dissent at an umpire’s decision by action or verbal abuse. Four umpires on duty in the match, on-field officials Billy Bowden and Mark Benson, third umpire Steve Davis and fourth umpire John Ward laid the charges against Yuvraj to an incident on the second day of the Test as he stood his ground after he was given out caught behind off Stuart Clark. While giving his verdict, Procter said, “It was evident that Yuvraj took more time than normal to leave the crease but it was due to the fact that he was shocked at the decision. At no stage he showed displeasure or dissent at the umpire’s decision.” The hearing was attended by the four umpires, India manager Chetan Chauhan, captain Anil Kumble and Yuvraj. — UNI
|
||
|
Historic win for Windies Port Elizabeth, December 29
Chasing 389 to win the first Test, South Africa were dismissed for 260 after tea on the fourth day to hand West Indies victory by 128 runs. Edwards took 3-37, with Taylor claiming 3-66. It was West Indies’ first away Test win against opposition other than Zimbabwe or Bangladesh since they beat England by an innings and 93 runs in Birmingham in June, 2000. West Indies resumed their second innings on 146-8 but were soon bowled out for 175, left-arm spinner Paul Harris taking both wickets to finish with 4-35. South Africa slumped to 20-3, with pacer Daren Powell beginning the slide when he trapped Herschelle Gibbs (0) lbw. Jacques Kallis (85) and AB de Villiers (60) put on 112 runs for the fifth wicket. A stand of 67 for the ninth wicket between Andre Nel (34) and Dale Steyn (33 not out) provided the South Africans with temporary respite. The second of the three Tests starts in Cape Town on January 2. Scoreboard West Indies (1st innings) 408 South Africa (1st innings) 195 West Indies (2nd innings) 175 South Africa (2nd innings) Gibbs lbw Powell 0 Smith c Ganga b Edwards 11 Amla c Ramdin b Edwards 8 Kallis c Ramdin b Edwards 85 Prince c Gayle b Taylor 10 De Villiers c Samuels b Taylor 60 Boucher b Taylor 13 Harris b Bravo 0 Nel c Ramdin b Sammy 34 Steyn not out 33 Ntini c Powell b Samuels 1 Extras (lb-4, w-1) 5 Total (all out, 74.5 overs) 260 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-17, 3-20, 4-45, 5-157, 6-183, 7-190, 8-192, 9-259. Bowling: Powell 14-2-47-1, Edwards 13-3-37-3, Taylor 18-1-66-3, Bravo 16-2-63-1, Sammy 7-0-29-1, Samuels 6.5-1-14-1. — Reuters
|
||
|
Hi-Fliers outplay Veerans Chandigarh, December 29 The win not only helped Hi-Fliers lead the table with 11 points but also enhanced their chances of making it to the semifinals. With their fourth defeat in as many matches and no point in their kitty, the Veerans are virtually out of contention. The Hi-Fliers maintained their dominance even after conceding the first goal. Raghunath converted a penalty corner in the 14th minute to give the Veerans a 1-0 lead. Len Aiyappa extended the lead through a penalty stroke which his team earned while taking the first penalty corner. Aiyappa’s drag-flick brushed the shoulder of defender Raghunath and the umpire had no hesitation in pointing to the dreaded spot. Aiyappa converted the stroke to make it 2-1. However, the lead did not deter the Veerans, who got their second goal in the 49th minute. Skipper Adam Sinclair directed the ball into the post after collecting a beautiful pass off Suresh from the top of striking circle to make the score 2-2. Cheeyanna rose to occasion once again with a timely charge in front of the goal. Sunil got the ball before the Veerans goalmouth but could not hit it properly as goalkeeper Sreejesh intercepted him. Cheeyanna appeared in a flash and pushed the ball into the net to make it 3-2 in the 56th minute. Hari Prasad sealed a 4-2 victory in the 69th minute for the Hi-Fliers via a move initiated by South Korean You Hyo-Sik, who took the ball from the centre line to the rivals’ striking circle through a solo effort. Dodging the custodian, he scooped the ball to Hari, who netted it successfully. Cheeyanna was declared the Man of the Match. Steelers win In another match, Orissa Steelers beat Maratha Warriors 4-2.
Roshan Minz drew first blood for the Steelers in the seventh minute. In the third quarter, four goals were scored in six minutes — Warriors in 57th and 62nd minutes and Steelers in 58th and 59th. After the barren second quarter, Steelers extended the lead through Shakeel Abbasi in the 50th minute. Abbasi, positioned on the goalmouth, directed a long pass off Sunil Ekka from the left flank to make it 2-0. Warriors reduced the margin in the 57th minute on getting their first penalty corner. Dutch Looijem made no mistake while executing a fierce drag-flick. But the very next minute, Abbasi netted another goal to give his team a 3-1. Damandeep Singh and Birender Lakra combined well, exchanging passes to dart into the Warriors’ circle again. Damandeep finished the move successfully in the 59th minute. Three minutes later, Warriors converted a penalty corner through Looijem again. Abbasi got the Man-of-the- Match award for putting up a marvellous display. |
||
|
Liberals Hockey Nabha, December 29 In the semifinals, BSF dashed the hopes of Ropar Hawks 3-0, while EME downed Punjab Police 6-5 in the tie-breaker. The experience and expertise of BSF finally surfaced as they managed to notch up a convincing win against the youngsters of Ropar Hawks who till today had a wonderful run in the tourney. Starting off on an optimistic note, BSF sounded the board in the third minute when winger Saranjit Singh collected a loose ball near the centre line and slowly treaded his way in the striking circle where he lost balance but still managed to score. Today’s star performer for BSF was striker Peter Tirkey, who repeatedly caught the rival defence napping with his solo runs down the middle. He was well assisted by wingers M.Lakra and Manpreet Singh, who created enough space for Tirkey to move upfront. Midway into the second half, Major Singh fed Tirkey with a measured pass and the striker took no time to sound the board to herald his team’s second goal. Saranjit was once again in the thick of things when he collected a bouncing ball and controlled it before sending the ball home off a reverse flick.
|
||
|
I-League Kozhikode, December 29 The Punjab team drew first blood through captain Sunil Chetri’s header in the 24th minute after a Marcos pass, before hardworking Baljit Singh Sahni sealed the match in the 68th minute. The home team made several forays into the JCT citadel in the first 15 minutes of the game, but the sturdy defence thwarted their attempts. Viva felt the absence of star striker Wisdom Abbey due to an injury and Tutu George following two yellow cards. Viva Kerala will next take on Air-India in its next home match here on January 10. Margao: Sporting Clube de Goa cashed in on Air-India goalkeeper Raju Ekka’s blunder to score their first win in the eighth round of the I-League at the Nehru Stadium here on Saturday. The only goal of the match was scored in the 40th minute by Man-of-the-Match Elijah Obagbemiro, whose harmless free kick dropped in front of the custodian and found the net. Sporting now have six points from eight games, while Air-India remained on seven. —
PTI
|
||
|
Sania & Co lose to USA Perth, December 29 In the women’s singles, Sania put up a fight before going down 3-6, 6-4, 3-6 against Meghann Shaughnessy in two hours and 12 minutes, giving the USA 1-0 lead in the Group B encounter. Bopanna hardly troubled Mardy Fish and gave up 2-6, 4-6 in the men’s singles, handing the opponents an unassailable 2-0 lead. Playing for pride in the inconsequential mixed doubles tie, the seventh-seeded Indian pair carved out a 6-4, 6-4 win. India next play sixth-seeded Australia, represented by Alicia Molik and Peter Luczak, on Tuesday. — PTI
|
||
|
Jeev all set to take on Europeans Chandigarh, December 29 He showed his class and seemed to be peaking at the end of the 2007, which should hold him in good stead next season. During a brief one-day stopover in Chandigarh, Jeev had talked about concentrating on playing rather than winning an event. Asia’s 2008 Royal Trophy will be held on the greens of the Amata Springs Country Club in Bangkok from January 10 to 13. Last year, Jeev had held on to his own game despite a romp by a powerful European side that is seeking a third title in as many attempts. The 35-year-old Chandigarh golf icon battled back to halve both of his team assignments last year before losing his singles event, aiding in a 12.5-3.5 thrashing by the Europeans. Despite the loss, Jeev’s experience in team competition is proven, having faced the unbeaten European duo of Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, who are in the European team. “Both 2006 and 2007 were memorable years for me and the victory at the Royal Trophy 2008 would be the perfect start to making next year another one to treasure,” Jeev said. “Both Lee and Darren are obviously the sort of players we need to learn from in order to overcome the Europeans,” he said, adding that “What we need to do is make sure we communicate the way they do. That is the essence of team golf.” After playing in the Desert Classic tournaments in Abu Dhabi on the European Tour, Jeev will line up with England’s Lee Westwood and Nick Dougherty in the Johnnie Walker Classic at the DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurgaon, to be held from February 28 to March 2. A host of internationals will also be in the fray, including Adam Scott, the 2005 JW Classic winner, world No. 10 Vijay Singh, world No. 22 Ian Pulter, who recently won the Dunlop Phoenix Open in Japan, and Colin Montgomerie, who in partnership with fellow Scot Marc Warren won the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China.
|
|
Soni manager for tri-series Mumbai, December 29 He will take over from Chetan Chauhan who is at present the manager of Team India for the Test series. The tri-series will be played from February 3 to March 7. —
UNI
|
|
Hindustan Club win 2-0 New Delhi, December 29 |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Three minutes later, the equaliser came through Cheeyanna, who after receiving a long cross from Arjun Halappa in front of the goalmouth, dodged defender Vikramjit Singh and the custodian to level the score.