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Royals run riot Naman Ojha of Rajasthan Royals runs a quick single as Kumar Sangakkara of Kings XI Punjab looks on in Durban on Tuesday. — AFP Daredevils add to Knight Riders’ woes
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Brasa has no magic mantra, but vision
 New Delhi, May 5
Jose Manuel Brasa does not have a magic mantra, but he has the vision to change the fortune of Indian hockey around. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) master coach from Spain has come here with the reputation of coaching his country’s women’s team to the gold at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992. “It does not matter whether you are coaching the women’s or men’s team. What matters is that the coach should be able to take the best out of the players”, Brasa said at an informal media interaction at the under-construction National Stadium here today.
AIFF names 27 players for national camp
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Royals run riot
The picture is crystallising. King’s XI Punjab have to win four of their remaining six matches to be certain of a semi-final berth. Three more victories might also suffice as long as they ratchet up their run rate. This pressure situation has arisen after KXIP nosedived to Rajasthan Royals by 78 runs; an outcome that propelled the latter, last year’s champions to 2nd place in a rapidly revolving league table after they had been languishing in the second last spot. “We bowled very badly,” KXIP’s captain Yuvraj Singh explained. Their game plan after conceding a voluminous total was to post 60 runs in the first six overs, he revealed. The possibility of scoring at 10.60 an over was, of course, punctured by a calamitous start. Zero for one became two for two as medium pacer Singh removed hit and miss openers Sunny Sohal and Karan Goel in that order. It was the third consecutive one-sided contest in the competition. This time it was because the KXIP bowlers failed to exploit a hard pitch which even had a tinge of grass on it. There was purchase to be extracted if you sincerely bent your back. As the hitherto almost anonymous Amit Singh proved with a return of thee for nine in his four overs. More often than not a side chasing 212 in 20 overs are not going to reach their target. KXIP’s best chance of making a match of it lay in Yuvraj opening the batting. As the best limited overs batsman in his unit, the more time he spends at the crease, the better for his team. Besides, he had performed this role quite successfully against Bangalore Royal Challengers on May Day, albeit ultimately in a losing cause. Shane Warne’s confidence in Yusuf Pathan’s off-breaks continues; and the Indian has been consistently justifying the faith placed in him. This time, he clean bowled Simon Katich, no mean batsman. But found his younger brother Irfan more challenging, as the left-hander greeted him with a straight four over his head, which was followed by Yuvraj pulling him to the fence - 12 off this over was the best KXIP achieved. Why KXIP didn’t bat first on a bright and balmy afternoon is also a point to ponder over. Put runs on the board and let the opposition do the running is an old cricketing motto. Moreover, in the absence of Brett Lee, KXIP’s spinners appear to be a better bet than their seamers. As it happened, opener N Ojha was in a murderous mood. Transacting in sixes, he began by dancing down the wicket twice to Ramesh Powar in the very first over to send him sailing into the stands. He later pulled Irfan Pathan, drove a half volley from Yusuf Abdullah to long off before stepping out to loft Piyush Chawla over midwicket for his five sixes. Graeme Smith hit only a solitary six, but soon accelerated past Ojha to post a 44-ball 77. When caught at long on off Powar, the opening pair had hoisted 135 runs off 91 balls for the 1st wicket, which really laid the foundation for the biggest total of the tournament up to now. That Royals reaped such a rich harvest without Yusuf Pathan - normally their quickest run-getter - was testimony to all hands pulling their weight. Ravindra Jadeja, celebrating his inclusion in the Indian squad for next month’s ICC World Twenty20, compensated for Yusuf’s failure with a quickfire 33 off 12 balls. He once went down on his knee to shovel Sreesanth over long on for a maximum. His strike rate was a mind-boggling 275.00. Scoreboard Kings XI Punjab:
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Daredevils add to Knight Riders’ woes Kolkata Knight Riders look so out of their depth as compared to the rest of the field in the Indian Premier League, that it’s no longer amusing. Again, their effort of 154 for three was inadequate, compounded as it was by some typically shoddy out-cricket. Delhi Daredevils predictably won by nine wickets. The victory took them to the top of the table. Ishant Sharma was lively from the word go against Gautam Gambhir, deputising as skipper for the second time in Virender Sehwag’s absence. But with Sharma erring in line and length, his Ranji Trophy teammate and David Warner milked him for 17 in his second over. The promising paceman looks a bit jaded, perhaps from incessant cricket for 18 months; yet early wickets from him are vital for Knight Riders. Skipper Brendon McCullum dropped a dolly to grant Gambhir an escape at 21; but Moises Henriques made amends in the same Ajit Agarkar over by pouching Warner. The openers, though, erected a perfect platform of 60 runs off 6.5 overs. Even victories in all five of Knight Riders’ remaining outings will not guarantee them a slot in the last four. Gambhir’s was a charmed existence. McCullum also missed an easy run out; and then the umpire didn’t cotton on to an unmistakable nick. Thus reprieved, he duly completed a 50, following which he was put down again by Henriques. The dew notwithstanding, the turf was not that slippery. Morne van Wyk opened with McCullum, who has been bobbing up and down the order, emphasising the unsettled situation in the Knight Riders’ camp. Last year, Saurav Ganguly recorded the highest run aggregate for his side; and other than McCullum’s famous 158 not out, posted the next best innings that of 91. The former Indian captain’s strike rate of 113.68 was not the hottest. At his age, it’s best to make him open, as Sachin Tendulkar (strike rate of 106.82 last season) is doing. The expectations of McCullum have been unjustifiably high. This time, though, he delivered to a certain extent – 35 off 29 balls, with the assistance of three over boundaries, one of these audaciously over extra cover, giving himself room to play the shot. But where batsmen in other teams have been scoring at 1.5 to two runs per ball, this was comparatively pedestrian stuff. Top scorer for Knight Riders in the tournament with his 74, van Wyk demonstrated greater urgency since compiled this off 48 balls before Ashish Nehra knocked back his middle stump. That was Nehra’s only scalp; but he gave away just 23 runs. On paper, Pradeep Sangwan was more successful with figures of two for 29; his victims being McCullum caught hooking and the otherwise consistent Brad Hodge. But in a format where economy is of the essence, leg spinner Amit Mishra rerstricting runs to no more than 18 in his four overs could not be ignored. Scoreboard Delhi Daredevils:
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Brasa has no magic mantra, but vision
New Delhi, May 5 “It does not matter whether you are coaching the women’s or men’s team. What matters is that the coach should be able to take the best out of the players”, Brasa said at an informal media interaction at the under-construction National Stadium here today. Brasa, along with FIH president Leandre Negre and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi visited the National Stadium, which will be the venue for the 2010 World Cup hockey as well as the Commonwealth Games. Negre, who was very impressed with the stadium, which was constructed for the inaugural Asian Games in 1951, observed that it will be one of the best hockey stadiums in the world. “We are very happy, it’s a wonderful stadium.” he said. Negre, who was making his second visit to Delhi in the span of a month, reiterated his stated position that India should put its hockey house in order soon, by bringing the men’s and women’s hockey associations under a unified body, and then only the country would be allowed to host the World Cup. Presently, hockey is being run by the IOA Ad Hoc Committee, after KPS Gill was divested of the authority to run the Indian Hockey Federation. Negre said the game would be served better only under a unified body, and not under the present ad hoc arrangement. He said he had been assured by Kalmadi that a unified hocky association would be formed “very soon”. Brasa said he was “very happy, really very happy” to take over the reigns as the chief national coach of the Indian hockey team. “I have found all the doors open. Everybody wants to help improve Indian hockey, particularly Kalmadi”, said the coach, flashing a big smile. The Spanish coach said he would give thrust to the development of the players. He said he would have a definite say in the team selection, but would not go for wholesale changes. He also did not intend to change the style of Indian hockey. “Asian style is attacking hockey, while the Europeans play defesive hockey. India must not stop their attacking hockey. It’s their best weapon”, Brasa noted. He also praised the Indian players “as the best in the world, skill-wise”. |
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AIFF names 27 players for national camp
Chandigarh, May 5 The I-League made its presence felt in the selection as champions Churchill have three players, Kolkata giants East Bengal six, Mohun Bagan five and Dempo also have five players in the list. Mumbai-based Mahindra United have four players, Mumbai FC have one while Phagwara-based JCT FC have three players. The 16-day camp has been organized keeping in mind the 2011 Asian Cup. The team for the Olympic/Asian Games is yet be finalized and its schedule will be out separately. Even as these 27 gear up for another chance of donning the national colours, two glaring omissions have been of JCT’s mid-fielder Baljit Sahni and striker Balwant. The two had been selected for the last national camp, and while Balwant missed out at the last moment due to an accident, Baljit had performed extremely well and his performance had been lauded by the coaches too. The two will be hoping that with more names still to be added to the list, their disappointment will be short lived.
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The picture is crystallising. King’s XI Punjab have to win four of their remaining six matches to be certain of a semi-final berth.
Kolkata Knight Riders look so out of their depth as compared to the rest of the field in the Indian Premier League, that it’s no longer amusing. Again, their effort of 154 for three was inadequate, compounded as it was by some typically shoddy out-cricket. Delhi Daredevils predictably won by nine wickets. The victory took them to the top of the table.
Jose Manuel Brasa does not have a magic mantra, but he has the vision to change the fortune of Indian hockey around. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) master coach from Spain has come here with the reputation of coaching his country’s women’s team to the gold at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992.
