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Defensive mindset led to loss: Rajput
Dravid drops in ICC rankings
Symonds may pull out of Pak tour
Yuvi’s attitude ‘upsets’ team
BSF clinch hockey title |
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Bhutia stars in Bagan win
Kolkata, December 30 East Bengal crashed to their fourth defeat on the trot as Baichung Bhutia scored the match-winner for Mohun Bagan in the I-League football match at the Salt Lake Stadium here today.
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Defensive mindset led to loss: Rajput
Melbourne, December 30 India yesterday suffered a huge 337-run defeat to Australia after the visitors were all out for less than 200 runs in both innings of the match and Rajput said the players lacked in self-belief. “They do not have any technical problem. It’s the one in the mind. They need to apply and believe in themselves. Self-belief is very important and it can help you survive in any field,” Rajput said. Rajput denied that Rahul Dravid’s failure in this game would prompt any knee-jerk reaction. He said the former captain could still be asked to open the innings in the second Test. “Dravid opening the innings was a team management’s decision. When we come overseas we see what is best for the team. “Dravid too does not have any technical problem. It’s more in the mind and I am sure he will comeback strongly. I do not think there is any need for drastic changes. We will show some aggression on the ground and more intensity.” Rajput said the management believed in the ability of the batsmen as well as the tremendous record they have in all conditions. “This is a side which has done very well in West Indies, England and India. I am sure our players will come back. “When we start a Test, I think we have to be in a frame of mind where we are positive. The start was very crucial which we never got. It put a lot of pressure on the rest,” he said. Rajput asserted that the team would bounce back in the second Test in Sydney. “There are two strategies in cricket — one to be defensive and the other to be offensive. In the first Test we were a bit defensive,” he added. — PTI
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Dravid drops in ICC rankings
Dubai, December 30 Sachin Tendulkar, India’s top-scorer in the first innings, managed to move up a place to 17th, while Sourav Ganguly, who showed grit in both innings, too, climbed a place to be 18th. Despite the team’s defeat in Melbourne, skipper Anil Kumble finds himself one place up at the fourth slot in the bowlers’ rankings, which has Zaheer Khan static at 13th. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara returned to the top of the batsmen’s rankings for the second time in three weeks after Australian captain Ricky Ponting and South African Jacques Kallis suffered rare batting failures in the Melbourne and Port Elizabeth Tests, respectively. Ponting had entered the Melbourne Test leading runner-up Kallis by one point and third-placed Sangakkara by three. But his contribution of four and three in his team’s victory over India meant he conceded 19 points and has fallen behind the two on 917 points. Kallis also squandered an opportunity to surge to the top when he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings of his team’s 128-run defeat to the West Indies. But he did just enough to hang on to second place on 923 points, an ICC release said here today. Muttiah Muralitharan tops the bowling list. — PTI
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Melbourne, December 30 “I kept it outside the off-stump for him. That was the plan, to be patient to him because we knew he was a patient type of batsman,” said Johnson at the MCG today. “Unfortunately, a dropped catch in the gully and then a catch off a no-ball was disappointing,” he added. Dravid was twice let off on nought in the first innings, both off Johnson, and had trouble in getting the ball off-side the square. In general, he scored at five runs per hour. He ultimately fell to part-time spinner Andrew Symonds after labouring to 16 runs against a miserly spell by Johnson and pace partner Brett Lee. Johnson said he was constantly telling himself not to get overawed by the reputation of the Indian batsmen. “I remember the game in the DLF Cup. I was more excited about bowling with Glenn McGrath at that time. I wasn’t thinking about the reputation of the Indian batsmen,” he said. “I think in this Test I gave it a little more, though. I backed myself and didn’t think much who was at the other end,” he added. Johnson has a good success rate against India. In nine one-dayers against the Indians, Johnson has claimed 19 wickets, including career-best figures of 5-26. In a solitary Test, he has conceded just 46 runs from 28 economical overs and claimed three wickets at 15.33. Johnson was wicketless in the first innings but he believed he had bowled as well as he has ever in his still nascent Test career. “I really thought my rhythm was good in this game, perhaps the best I have ever bowled. I was hitting the areas where I wanted to,” he recalled. Despite going wicketless in the first innings, Johnson was persisted with in the second innings and he claimed three Indian scalps. — PTI
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Symonds may pull out of Pak tour
Melbourne, December 30 "I'm not interested in going into a situation that's dangerous, where people are getting killed and hurt. There's no point in that in my opinion," Symonds was quoted as saying in the 'Daily Telegraph'. "I'm giving it some serious thought. At the end of the day, it's a game of cricket. I take my cricket very seriously and I love playing for Australia but I'm not going to put myself in a situation where I can be harmed. There's no need, not for a game of cricket," he added. Australia are scheduled to play three Tests, five ODIs and a Twenty20 match in Pakistan in March but Bhutto's assassination and the ensuing violence has cast a shadow of doubt over the series. Although Cricket Australia (CA) has asserted that the tour will go ahead as scheduled, Symonds insisted that players are a worried lot and in two minds about going to Pakistan.— PTI
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Melbourne, December 30 “Yes, there’s a problem with Yuvraj’s attitude. We will have to have a one-on-one with him in Sydney,” Lalchand Rajput, assistant coach, was quoted as saying by The Age. The daily claimed Yuvraj’s attitude during the Boxing Day Test “infuriated members of the Indian side”. It also went on to say that the left-hander’s “air of indifference”, coupled with his failure with the bat at MCG, might cost him his place in the side, paving the way for either Virender Sehwag or Dinesh Karthik to open the innings. Yuvraj scored 0 and 5 in the match and it was to accommodate him that the team think-tank had decided to open with Rahul Dravid, a move that came a cropper. Yuvraj was also fortunate to escape a fine from match referee Mike Procter for lingering at the crease after Billy Bowden had adjudged him caught behind off Stuart Clark. The 26-year-old again stood his ground after Brad Hogg trapped him leg-before for five in the second innings. He later attended a hearing but was declared not guilty of breach of ICC conduct. — PTI
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BSF clinch hockey title
Nabha, December 30 In the third minute of the fast-paced match, BSF centre half Parkash Karketta sent in a diagonal pass to striker Peter Tirkey who, after collecting the ball, dribbled his way past a horde of defenders. Once he reached the striking circle,he lost balance but quickly recovered to draw out the goalkeeper. With an empty goalmouth in front, he shot home with a deft flick. The goal drew vociferous protests from EME players. They claimed that the ball had not crossed the goal line and that umpire Davinder Singh was wrong in signalling the goal. Davinder Singh and fellow umpire GS Sangha flashed a couple of yellow cards and the goal stood in BSF’s favour. Minutes later, Peter Tirkey once again ran upfront after receiving a pass from the right wing but this time he found himself in a one-to-one situation with the goalkeeper before he lost both his poise and the ball. Tirkey’s weak shot was easily blocked away by the goalkeeper In the second half, BSF built up sustained pressure on their rivals. Minutes into the half, Major Singh fed Parkash Karketta from the left flank. Karketta made his way into the danger area and unleashed a carpet drive which went through the goalkeeper’s legs to sound the board. With time running out for EME, they started attacking and their coach even brought out a man from the centre line to assist the forwards. This move paid dividends as EME scored through the efforts of Raju Lakra to reduce the lead. But this was all the army team could do as BSF slackened the pace of the match.
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Bhutia stars in Bagan win
Kolkata, December 30 Bagan now have 11 points from eight games, while East Bengal have seven from eight. East Bengal survived the first half on their wafer-thin defence largely because of Bagan’s chaotic gameplan. But the inevitable happened in the 61st minute. Douglas sent a cross from the top of the box that Jose Barreto headed for Bhutia to head home unmarked on the far side. — UNI
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Dynamos, Hi-Fliers in semis
Chandigarh, December 30 Dynamos stunned Maratha Warriors 1-0 while Fliers got the better of Sher-e-Jalandhar 2-1 to secure their berths in the top-four. In their six outings, Fliers registered victories in five matches to lead the table with 14 points while Dynamos are in second spot with 12 points from five matches. With the defeat to Maratha Warriors, the Shers remained on five points after five matches. Now, they not only have to win their last match against Orissa Steelers but also their fortune hinges on the performance of other teams to reach the semifinals. Earlier, Dynamos and Warriors put up an equally fast and attacking display but the local team was luckier to survive on the sole goal scored by Sher Singh in the 26th minute. In the ‘D’, Sher Singh got a pass from the left side off Rajpal Singh and flicked from almost zero angle to get the lead. The Warriors team made many clinical attacks in the match, especially in the third quarter in which they forced three penalty corners (37th, 38th and 49th minutess). Kudos to Dynamos alert goalkeeper Baljeet Singh, who did not allow the rivals to capitalise on any one of them. Dynamos forwards Prabhjot Singh, Deepak Thakur and Rajpal Singh again showed a lack of coordination in the striking circle. The team could not get a single short corner in today’s match. Dynamos skipper Rajpal Singh was declared Man of the Match. Meanwhile, former champions Bangalore Hi-Fliers moved into the semifinals beating Sher-e-Jalandhar 2-1 in their final league match. After a goalless first half, Fliers opened their account, converting their third penalty corner in the 48th minute. Len Aiyappa's flick found the net after he had squandered a chance of converting a short corner just a minute before. Shers too, put up a good show but their inability to give final touches to good moves cost them dear. All the short corners (10th, 34th, 37th and 58th), earned by Shers were wasted. In the 67th minute, collecting a pass off Tushar Khandekar, Hyo Sik passed the ball to Sebastian. On the return pass from Sebastian, Hyo Sik doubled the margin. In the dying minutes, Gurvinder Singh directed the ball home to make the score 2-1. Bangalore’s Arjun Halappa was declared the Man of the Match.
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