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Sachin eyes mount 15K
Kumble on ICC panel to solve WADA row
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European tour
The Ashes
Nehru Cup
Selangor Masters
Anil brings laurels in judo
Spikers create history
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New Delhi, August 6 “Sunil Gavaskar has told me that I have to get to 15,000 runs. He said he would be angry with me and would come and catch me if I didn’t. I admire him so much and to score that many would be a terrific achievement, but that is not the only aim,” he said, adding that “to win the World Cup in 2011” is his another ambition. Australian captain Ricky Ponting, 34, is close to Tendulkar’s Test mark with 11,193 Test runs so far. Tendulkar, earlier described as second best cricketer after Don Bradman in the history of the game by Wisden, said that if anyone comes close to his style of batting is his teammate Virender Sehwag. “I would say Virender Sehwag comes closest to my style,” he said. Australian great Bradman saw himself in Tendulkar and the Indian batting legend was also the only modern player to figure in his all-time XI. Tendulkar admitted that thinking of life without cricket after retirement scares him. “It’s a scary thought. It has been there for my whole adult life, it will be difficult, I have been around for a long time, I can imagine when I finish I will long to face just 10 more balls but you have to move.” He, however, said time has not come yet to hang his bat. “I will know when it is the right time, I won’t have to be dragged away. I am the person who will make the decision and I will know whether I still belong.” Tendulkar also revealed how he endured pain while batting in the recent past. “I always play in pain, all the time. I played with a broken finger for the last three months, but you know when pain is manageable or not, and most of the time I can do it. I can still do what I did when I was 25 but the body is changing, so your thought process has to change too. I have had to change how I think, which is about taking less risk,” he said. — PTI
Test cricket not dying
Even as quite a few players have sounded the impending death-knell of Test cricket in the wake of the huge popularity of Twenty20, one of the game’s icons, Sachin Tendulkar, has said he does not fear for the health of the game’s most traditional form.
The master batsman likened Test cricket as the main course in a meal and Twenty20 as its dessert and said that one cannot survive on just the latter part of a meal. “There is no way Test cricket is dying. Twenty20 cricket is the dessert and you cant survive on that. Who wants to eat only desserts? Test cricket is my main course, with all the meat and vegetables, and then it is nice to have Twenty20 as a dessert,” Tendulkar said. The master batsman, who has earned crores in endorsement deals over several years, said he worries about the runs he would get and not about signing of lucrative contracts.
— PTI |
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Kumble on ICC panel to solve WADA row
Dubai, August 6 Tim Kerr, the chairman of the ICC’s Anti-Doping Panel, will head the International Registered Testing Pool (IRTP) working group which also includes ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat. Lorgat formed the panel to resolve BCCI concerns about the implementation of the ‘whereabouts’ requirements of those elite international players selected in the IRTP, so that such players are able to comply in full, the ICC said in a statement. Even though nothing was finalised about the panel’s first meeting, the group would report back to the ICC Board at the earliest possible opportunity, it said. Incidentally, Kumble is the cricketer representative on WADA’s Athlete Committee as well. BCCI President Shashank Manohar hailed the move and said, “The BCCI is a willing partner in this process.” “It’s good to be part of the working group and to try and understand what the issues are and resolve them and move forward,” Kumble said. — PTI
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European tour
Braxgata (Belgium), August 6 India had lost the first encounter 3-6. India brought back goalkeeper Adrian D’souza, Sardar Singh, Rajpal, Gurvinder Chandi and Bharat Chhikara into the starting lineup yesterday, while Sandeep also recovered from flu to take the field. The match began on an aggressive note as India tried to break the ice in the second minute, but Chandi’s attempt was padded away by Belgium custodian Vincent. Belgium earned their first penalty corner two minutes later when Sardar Singh playing as the freeman, committed a defensive error. Resultant flick struck VS Vinaya leading to a penalty stroke which was converted by Boon to give Belgium the lead in fourth minute. India fought back soon but couple of attempts for the equaliser by SV Sunil and Shivendra Singh were off the target. However, Hari Prasad found the mark in eighth minute to level the score. Belgium were back on their toes and sparkled with off-the-ball running and overlaps. Their efforts soon paid dividends as a faulty clearance by Sandeep was intercepted by Charlier who beat D’souza from the top of the circle to give Belgium the lead again in 11th minute. The tally was further increased after seven minute after Jeff Thys got past both Vikram Pillay and Gurbaj Singh and beat D’souza low to his right. India regrouped themselves and initiated onslaughts to reduce the margin. However, penetrations from Sunil and Rajpal Singh bore no fruit as Belgium captain Xavier Reckinger and Vincent stood tall. However, India scored their second goal in the 32nd minute when Sandeep sank a penalty corner to the right of Vincent. Bharat Chhikara missed an open chance immediately after the break when he failed to latch to a Rajpal cross. India, trailing 2-3 during the breather, again lost an opportunity midway in the second half when Chandi missed after a Sunil setup, but Rajpal Singh made amends as he flicked past Vincent from a penalty corner in the 55th minute. India’s match winner came from their last penalty corner after Chandi was fouled in the 64th minute. Sandeep fired home with aplomb to round off the tally. The final Test shall be played on Friday. — PTI
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The Ashes
Flintoff, who has said this will be his final Test series, led England to glory with the ball in their 115-run second Test win at Lord’s and then top-scored with the bat in the drawn third Test at Edgbaston. But all the while he has been struggling with a right knee injury which has so far required several pain-killing injections during this series. He batted during practice here on Wednesday but did not bowl. The party line from England has been that Flintoff won’t play unless he is “fully fit” but the term can mean different things to different people and it would be a big decision for the likes of the England selectors, England captain Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower to leave Flintoff out “We’re expecting him to play because that’s what he has done over the last three Tests,” said Australia all-rounder Shane Watson. Uncapped South Africa born batsman Jonathan Trott is in a 14-man squad as are left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom, who began his career at Headingley with Yorkshire, and fast bowler Stephen Harmison. “If Fred (Flintoff) can’t play, Trott is an option to bat at No 6 then we balance the bowling attack thereafter,” said Flower. But while England’s quicks have been a threat when the ball is swinging, they have a much reduced force when overhead conditions have not been helpful. Australia, who have not been behind this far into an Ashes series since England’s victorious tour ‘Down Under’ in 1986-87, have issues of their own. They have yet to take 20 wickets in a match this series although whether they will recall experienced fast bowler Brett Lee, who has not played in the first three Tests of this series because of a side injury, remains to be seen. In-form batsman Michael Clarke has an abdominal problem, although he is expected to be fit after scoring hundreds in the last two Tests. Meanwhile, wicket-keeper Brad Haddin hopes to be back despite missing the third Test with a broken finger. Both Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson have proved expensive with the ball, as was Watson at Edgbaston, but Australia may decide to do without off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and play an extra quick. Ponting is desperate not to become the first Australia captain in more than a century to be a losing skipper on two tours of England. This match will be played out against a backdrop of a building site at the Kirkstall Lane End of the ground where work on the new pavilion will be delayed during the Test. Of greater concern to Australia, after an Edgbaston Test where effectively two days were lost to bad weather, will be the ability of the outfield to cope with any rain.
—AFP |
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Nehru Cup
This will be the second edition, after it was revived last year, but 14th overall. Nehru Cup carries a total prize money of $1 lakh, with $40,000 going to the winners and $20,000 to the runners-up. The third-place winners will earn $10,000 while $500 will be awarded for each victory. And each man of the match will carry a handsome cash prize of $300. The teams in the fray are hosts India, last year’s runners-up Syria, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, Palestine and Kyrgyzstan. All India Football Federation (AIFF) secretary-general Alberto Colaco said Palestine replaced Thailand, as the latter were trying to field an under-19 team. “The Nehru Cup is an A-grade tournament for national teams, and we were not ready to accept a second string. Hence Palestine came in for Thailand”, added Colaco. Vice-chairman of the organising committee Subhash Chopra, who is also the president of the Delhi Soccer Association, said the tournament were to start on August 18, but had to be deferred by a day, as the stadium would be used for the Independence Day function on August 15. He said the Delhi Government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had promised that the ground would not be spoilt, and would be fit for the Nehru Cup from August 19. A total of 10 matches will be played under flood-light. The group matches will be held from August 19 to 24, and after a break of two days, the semifinals will be played on August 27 and 28. August 29 would be a rest day, followed by the third-place and title matches. The teams have been divided into two groups. India, Palestine and Lebanon are in Group A. Syria, Sri Lanka and Kyrgyzstan form the Group B. AIFF acting president Praful Patel, who is also the Union Civil Aviation Minister, said it was due to the tireless efforts of former AIFF president Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi that the prestigious tournament could be revived, as getting sponsorship for soccer was a difficult task. Patel said the Nehru Cup, a “most prestigious” tournament, was an opportunity to enhance the standard of Indian soccer.
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Selangor Masters Gaganjeet Bhullar carded an even par 71 and barely managed to make the cut at three over 145 as 40-year-old Gaurav Ghei of Delh led the Indian pack at four under 138 to occupy the tied eighth slot at the midway stage of the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters at Petaling Jaya in Malaysia today. Asia’s rising stars 18-year-old Noh Seung-yul of Korea and Thailand’s 20-year-old Kiradech Aphibamrat shared the lead with their two-day total of seven under par 135 in the $3 lakh Asian Tour event. The 21-year-old Kapurthala lad just could not tame the tricky greens as he teed off from the 10th hole. Birdies on the 11th and 16th and a bogey on the 14th saw him take the turn at one under 34. Bhullar continued to falter in the back nine conceding three more bogeys on the fifth, sixth and eighth against two birdies to finish with a par 71 card and a two-day tally of three over par 145, just remaining in contention for the remaining two rounds. Gaurav Ghei, who turns 41 on September 25, jumped up the leaderboard from overnight’s 34th slot to be tied eighth at the midway stage. Teeing off from the 10th hole, Gaurav fired four birdies (11th, 13th, 14th and 17th) and conceded two bogeys to be two under par 33 at the turn. The seasoned Delhi golfer played a flawless two under 34 back nine for a four under 67 card and a two-day tally of four under 138. Gaurav said he had a good game today. “I could have done much better had I not missed birdies on the fifth and sixth. On the fifth I hit my drive into the trees and on the sixth I got a really good second shot, but my pitch went over the greens.” Gaurav has not had a good season, his best being tied 16th in Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open.
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Anil brings laurels in judo
Chandigarh, August 6 “It was a nerve-wrecking climax to emerge in tops from a strong field of about 1,350 participants from nearly 40 countries,” Anil said. This 30-year-old heavyweight champion has 11 golds, six silver and six bronze medals in his bag. “I have worked hard for this. I have always believed that I could do this and am happy to have done it,” he said while thanking his coach Rameshwar Dutt for continuously guiding him on the path to success. |
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Spikers create history
Chandigarh, August 6 Playing in just its first top level second round playoffs, India continued to be the surprise team. With the victory, India advanced to the tournament’s semifinals as Pool E’s second seed. Saturday’s semifinals matches are Pool F winner Brazil facing India and Pool E winner Argentina taking on Cuba. Gurinder Singh was India’s ace spiker by scoring 26 points out of 67 attempts followed by Naveen Raja Jacob who scored 20 points. “The boys played an excellent game. They were calm, composed and confident. In-fact I was nervous today. In comparison to the facilities that foreign teams have we are nowhere close but we have come a long way,” India coach Kumara said.
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