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lanka’s Tour
Champions Challenge
Cwg 2010
English Premier League
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Challenge ahead is tough: Sukhwinder
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lanka’s Tour
Rajkot, December 14 It will be a big setback for India if the southpaw, who injured his left little finger while fielding in the last T20 match in Mohali, ends up warming the benches even though team management is keen to play him in the series-opener. The return of Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Praveen Kumar, who were not part of the T20 team, has strengthened the hosts’ batting and bowling line-up. It would be interesting to see whether Lanka send Jayasuriya as an opener as captain Sangakkara has already hinted at a different role for the flamboyant left-hander. Lanka would like to take solace that they had beaten India the last time the two teams met at this venue two years ago. Lanka have also beaten West Indies at this venue in the Nehru Cup clash in 1989 while India have faced mixed fortunes. The hosts have won five and lost as many here. However, in ODIs overall played between the two teams in India, the home team has a much superior win-loss record of 25-10 from 37 ties. The head-to-head record also is in India's favour at 60-43 from 113 matches, 10 ending in no-result. Teams (from): India: M S Dhoni (C), S Tendulkar, V Sehwag, G Gambhir, Yuvraj, S Raina, R Jadeja, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Praveen, A Nehra, Pragyan Ojha, Sudeep Tyagi and V Kohli. Sri Lanka: K Sangakkara (C), T Dilshan, D Fernando, S Jayasuriya, M Jayawardene, Kandamby, Kapugedera, Kulasekara, L Malinga, Angelo Mathews, A Mendis, M Muralitharan, Samaraweera, U Tharanga, C Welegedara. 2nd ODI shifted due to security reasons
The Indian Cricket Board today shifted the second one-dayer of the five-match series between India and Sri Lanka to Nagpur after police in Visakhapatnam expressed inability to provide security for the tie in the wake of political crisis in Andhra Pradesh. Agitations are on in Andhra Pradesh over the issue of the formation of a separate Telangana state. “The second ODI of the five-match series between India and Sri Lanka has been shifted to Nagpur. The match will be a day-night affair, and will be played on the scheduled date of 18 December 2009,” BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said. Virat may replace Yuvi
Virat Kohli may replace Yuvraj Singh if the left-hander fails to recover from his finger injury, according to Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. “He’s been injected. We will see how exactly he feels tomorrow before the game and go according to that. He’s part of the series and part of the side. If Yuvi is not playing there is a very good chance Virat Kohli will play,” the Indian captain said today. “We want to win the series. At the same time not being overconfident is also important. We have to be in that phase of mind where you are very confident but at the same time not to cross that line. So we are taking care of the things we need to do including fielding and death bowling,” he added. Sangakkara escapes two-ODI ban
Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara came near missing the next two ODIs against India and escaped with a fine of 40 per cent match fee after his side was found two overs slow in the second Twenty20 International in Mohali. Match referee Jeff Crowe said Sri Lanka was very close to being charged for three overs slow which would have been a serious offence under the new ICC Code and would have led to Sangakkara missing the next two ODIs. Crowe subsequently ruled Sri Lanka to be of two overs short of its target at the end of the match and docked Sangakkara 40 per cent of his match fee while his players received 20 per cent fines. Malinga doubtful
Like India, Sri Lanka are also struggling with injury to at least one key player as their paceman Lasith Malinga was today rendered doubtful for the first cricket one-dayer due to indisposition. The visiting team coach Trevor Bayliss said they were unsure of Malinga’s participation in the series opener. “Malinga is not feeling at his best. We will have to wait and see how he is tomorrow,” Bayliss said.
— PTI Match starts 9 am |
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NZ lift title, India get bronze
Salta (Argentina), December 14 Black sticks replied with a penalty-corner conversion 10 minutes later with Ryan Archibald deflecting on the post. In the 20th minute, New Zealand scored a sumptuous goal with Phillip Burrows, diving full length to deflect a cross from the left, giving his team a 2-1 lead. Pakistan could not penetrate the compact rival’s defense and tried to use long passes but in vain. In the last minute of first-half Rehan Butt pounced on a ball in the crowded circle and acrobatically managed to shoot it out of reach of Pontifex, levelling the scores. In the second half, Kiwi’s went in the offensive with Simon Child, Phillip Burrows and Ryan Archibald, circulating the ball with speed and accuracy. Their best chance was made by Nicholas Wilson, who deflected the ball from close range on the crossbar, but the score did not evolve. Pakistan had chances to shot into lead but wasted three more penalty-corners. New Zealand scored two goals in quick succession in the last five minutes, first by Steven Edwards and then with Phillip Burrows, both at the conclusion of fast offensive moves that swept away the Pakistani defense. India finish with bronze
India overcame a two-goal deficit to eke out a 3-2 win over Argentina and finish with the bronze medal in the Champions Challenge hockey tournament here. Their hopes to qualify for Champions Trophy dashed after the semifinal defeat against arch-rivals Pakistan, the Indian team was trailing 0-2 inside the first half an hour before V Raghunath (35th minute), Gurbaz Singh (54th) and Dhananjay Mahadik (69th) sounded the board to complete the win. The bronze medal game started with both the teams taking their time and gauging each other before going on the offensive. Argentina had lion’s share of ball control and the hosts managed a series of penalty-corner but Indian custodian P Sreejesh was reassuring under the bar. On the second one, Pedro Ibarra collected the rebound but sent his shot in the clouds and finally Facundo Callioni opened the account in the 22nd minute with a shot from a difficult angle. India tried to shift play into the Argentinean half but Callioni hit the target again soon with a spectacular diving deflection. Stung by the quick goals, the Indians pulled up their socks and started to dominate but they could not get close enough to generate a decent chance.
— PTI |
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Organising Committee beefs up numbers
M.S.Unnikrishnan Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 14 Chairman of the Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi said the workforce had been ramped up, by taking people with “relevant industry experience”. “We have total clarity in the management structure, with each functional area having separate heads”, he assured the Commonwealth Games Federation Co-Ordination Commission (CoCom) meeting here today. “Vice-chairman Randhir Singh is in charge of the 23 sub-committees of the Organising Committee to make it functional, and meet the deadlines of the tasks defined for each committee.” Kalmadi said the CoCom would find “considerable progress” in all areas since its last visit in May 20009. He said the CoCom meetings were good opportunities to introspect and review what needed to be done to achieve “milestones and timelines. He said the finances were under control too, with revenue from sales of television rights exceeding expectations. “Against projected revenues of $30 million, we have already secured deals worth $42 million”, he informed the meeting. CoCom chairman Austin Sealy of Barbados assured the Organising Committee and the Government of India and the host city of Delhi his team’s full support. This was the sixth meeting of CoCom and secretary in the Ministry of Sports Sindhushree Khullar did some plain speaking when she requested CoCom to assist in the organising of the Games as a lot of time had been spent in explaining things, instead of getting on with the task of ensuring that the Games were conducted well. The three-day meeting will conclude on Wednesday evening after which CoCom would present its report to Commonwealth Games Federation president Michael Fennell. The CoCom delegation comprises Bruce Robertson (Canada), Sharad Rao (Kenya), Lisa Hindson (Australia), Perry Crosswhite (Australia), Chris Jenkins (Wales), Gideon Sam (South Africa) and Mike Hooper (CEO, Commonwealth Games Federation).
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Arsenal inflict more suffering on Liverpool
London, December 14 Arsenal’s first league win at Anfield since 2003 lifted them to third in the standings and inflicted Liverpool’s sixth defeat of a dismal campaign in which they have also failed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages. Leaders Chelsea and second-placed Manchester United both dropped points at home on Saturday and Arsenal climbed to third on 31 points, six behind Chelsea and three adrift of United with a game in hand. Liverpool, who also failed to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, stayed seventh on 24 points having lost six games out of 16, four more league defeats than they suffered all last season. The home side made Arsenal look ordinary in the first half and could have scored more than their solitary Dirk Kuyt goal with Fernando Torres missing a glorious chance and Steven Gerrard having a decent penalty claim turned down. Brazilian fullback Fabio Aurelio's excellent delivery from a central free kick on 41 minutes caught out goalkeeper Manuel Almunia whose weak palmed clearance fell kindly for Kuyt to poke the ball home from eight yards. — Reuters
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Challenge ahead is tough: Sukhwinder
New Delhi, December 14 India defeated Maldives 3-1 via penalty shootout in the summit clash yesterday to claim their fifth crown. Last year, a full strength Indian senior side under the captaincy of Baichung Bhutia had lost to Maldives 0-1 in the final. Sukhwinder, who will be in charge of the under-23 side in the AFC Challenge Cup in February-March in Sri Lanka and 2010 Asian Games in China, said the challenge ahead was tough but the boys could deliver the results. “The challenge ahead is tough but these boys can bring the results considering what they had done in this tournament. The boys did an extremely wonderful job despite the odds against them and continued the process of winning. I am very happy,” he said. The former JCT coach, who was also at the helm of affairs when India won the SAFF Championship in 1999, said the boys would be rewarded by the AIFF for winning the title. “The AIFF had promised Rs 10,000 to each player for winning every group match and Rs 25,000 for winning the semifinal against Bangladesh. The team has also got $50,000 as winners cheque. May be AIFF would announce more,” he said.
— PTI |
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fracture to Yuvraj Singh’s finger has left India a trifle worried as they go they go into the opening cricket one-dayer against Sri Lanka here tomorrow with a question mark on the availability of the dashing left hander.
