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Zak’s back, Raina rested
Cricketers Yuvraj Singh, Daniel Vettori and Brendon McCullum arrive in Vadodara for the 3rd ODI on Thursday. — PTI
Kim stays ahead of fancied field
Shiv Kapur in action on day one of the Hero Honda Indian Open golf tournament at the Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi on Thursday. — AFP |
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Australian states woo Indian T20 investors
Ranji Trophy
Hosts Punjab dominate
Air India, IOC earn full points
Mizoram school lifts Subroto Cup
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Jaipur, December 2 The selectors announced two seperate teams for the third ODI in Baroda on Saturday and fourth and fifth matches of the series in Bangalore and Chennai on December 7 and 10 respectively Gautam Gambhir has been retained as the captain of the side for the next three matches, BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan said in a press release after a meeting of the selection committee here. Even though the selectors have called back Zaheer, they have decided to prolong the rest period of four senior players -- regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, who were not considered for the first two matches due to injury concerns. Zaheer makes his way into the team in place of in-form Sreesanth, who has picked up an impressive seven wickets in the first two ODIs and has been rested ahead of the upcoming South Africa series. Zaheer missed the third Test against New Zealand and the first two ODIs of the five-match series after sustaining a groin injury during the second Test in Hyderabad last month. Left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra, who was a late induction in the team for the first two ODIs after Praveen Kumar was down with fever, has also managed to retain his place in the side for the next three matches alongwith Praveen. However, wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha, who retained his place for Baroda match, will hand over the gloves to Parthiv Patel in the last two matches, while R Ashwin will make way for Rohit Sharma. India lead the five match ODI series 2-0 against New Zealand. Indian team for third ODI in Baroda: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, R Vinay Kumar. Indian team for the fourth and fifth ODIs in Bangalore and Chennai: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Parthiv Patel (wk), R Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma. — PTI McCullum not fully fit for third ODI
Vadodara: New Zealand, struggling to stay alive in the five-match rubber, going into the third ODI here against India on Saturday, are sweating over the availability of injured opener Brendon McCullum for the must-win encounter at the Reliance Cricket Stadium. "Brendon's condition is being monitored constantly. He's improving," said visiting team's media manager Ellery Tappin, adding nothing can be said today whether the hard-hitting batsman would be able to take the field in the do-or-die tie on December 4. McCullum's absence due a troublesome back was sorely felt by New Zealand in the first two ODIs at Guwahati and Jaipur which they lost to go down 0-2 in the series in which the last two ties are to be held at Bangalore (Dec 7) and Chennai (Dec 10). The wicketkeeper-batsman, who has given up his glove work in Tests but continues to perform the job in the limited overs game, accumulated 370 runs at an average of 74.00 in the three-Test rubber that New Zealand lost 0-1 against India. |
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Kim stays ahead of fancied field
New Delhi, December 2 Korean Kim Hyung-sung had a pretty decent DGC debut, returning a bogey-free round early on in the day to card a five-under 67, a tally no one matched in the entire day. Compatriot Baek Seuk-hyun followed closely for a long time, one stroke behind, before a set of players ended the day in receding light with similar four-under scores. At the end of the day, five players - Baek, Thailand’s Namchok Tantipokakul, Australian Marcus Both, Jbe Kruger of South Africa and Sanjay Kumar, who kept the Indian angle alive, ended at four-under 68. One assumes it is a good job to promote the more saleable names on the circuit, so it was all over the place that Arjun Atwal, Paul McGinley or Daniel Chopra would really burn the course, but as it turned out, these gentlemen just made the numbers today. McGinley accounted for himself rather well actually, returning a one-under card, which, given that this was his first round on a course well actually, returning a one-under card, which, given that this was his first round on a course which is far from easy is not such a bad deal. As for the rest, Atwal scratched out a par round to be tied on 46th spot while Chopra was at joint 54th with a two-over score. Another man who has had a long love affair with DGC is Jyoti Randhawa, and it looked like he was at it again, as he began with the proverbial bang, scoring a birdie on the first hole. Thereafter, he was steady till the par-4 14th, where he saved another stroke. But then he fell away, just when it looked like another Randhawa charge was on the cards. He dropped a stroke on the 16th and another on the next hole to drop down to par 72, a position that surely didn’t make him too happy. Kim was pretty pleased with his score. The proceedings were delayed by 40 minutes in the morning, thanks to fog, and the elements, if there were any, were against the early starters. That is what makes it even more surprising. What emerged from the whole exercise was the basic lack of form, fitness or practice for the top guns. Atwal, by his own admission, had a ‘rusty’ day, which leaves him with quite a job, even against the modest scoring. But that is what golf is all about. Things change overnight, and the script is as radical as any soap opera. So one is always left at a climax, looking forward to the next day. While the quiet DGC seemingly wasn’t keyed up for drama as darkness closed, there was a sense of drama, to be enacted tomorrow.
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Australian states woo Indian T20 investors
New Delhi, December 2 After Cricket Australia (CA) approved private ownership in its expanded Big Bash League in October, Cricket NSW and Cricket Victoria have turned their focus on the game's financial hub and expect Indian industrialists to add cricket to their overseas investment portfolio. “If Tata (Motors) can acquire Jaguar, if Indian companies can make heavy investment in mining in Australia, why not in Australian cricket?” asked Jamie Stewart, Managing Director of the Commune Sports and Entertainment, which is seeking Indian investment for NSW and Victoria. "It's going to be a win-win situation for the Indian companies. This is going to be a marriage of entrepreneurial spirit and cricket establishment," the former Australian first class cricketer told Reuters in an interview. "We have already met some 14-15 individuals and the response is pretty good. Most of them have an abiding passion for cricket. We are looking for investors with a passion for the game and the financial resources to meet the investment commitment." Stewart said the $4 billion Indian Premier League (IPL) had revolutionised the game but the Australian model provided a window of opportunity for Indian industrialists unable to invest in the lucrative competition. "If you look at IPL, India's top 10 corporate houses-except Reliance Industries (which owns Mumbai Indians)- are not represented. NSW and Victoria certainly give them a chance to get involved in Twenty20, which is the fastest growing sport in the world." "There is a scarcity value to it as well. Beyond IPL, investment options are not manifold. There are lots of guys who rue not taking the plunge in IPL. This is a window of opportunity for them." Stewart's admiration for the IPL notwithstanding, the Indian extravaganza has become embroiled in legal and political wrangles. Its high-flying commissioner Lalit Modi has been suspended over financial irregularities and two franchises — Punjab and Rajasthan — had their contracts terminated while new entrant Kochi's fate hangs in balance. Existing franchise owners are not happy either, painting a rather gloomy picture of the league. Stewart rules out a similar chaos in Australia. “No one can question the integrity of Cricket Australia and the investors would be given a lot of confidence. It is an entity run by professionals with large level of expertise and experience.” — Reuters
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Punjab takes control after strong batting
Bhubaneswar, December 2 The hosts were 25 for no loss at stumps with Natraj Behera (17) and Paresh Patel (8) at the crease. Dharmani scored 103 runs before being retired hurt while left-handed Kaul came up with a knock of 118, the best effort from his side. The two overnight batsmen shared a 187-run stand for the fourth wicket after resuming the day at 277 for three. Dharmani left the field when the score was 406 for three and Kaul too departed soon after being caught by Biplab Samantray off his own bowling. Dharmani's 225-ball knock was laced with 14 shots to the fence while Kaul's was a rather sedate innings that came off 310 balls with 11 fours. Brief Scores: Punjab 1st innings: 550/7 declared in 166 overs. (S Kanwar 104, U Kaul 118, P Dharmani 103; B Mohanty 4/97) Orissa 1st innings: 25/0 in 8 overs. (N Behera 17 batting, P Patel 8 batting). Karnataka fall behind
Dharmasala: Left-arm pacer Sreenath Arvind and Stuart Binny wreaked havoc with the ball to bowl out Himachal Pradesh for 199 before the home team bounced back to reduce Karnataka to 73 for four in their second essay in the Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match here today. Arvind (4/50) and Binny (3/22) broke the backbone of Himachal innings, accounting for seven opposition batsmen after the hosts were off to a decent start in reply to Karnataka's modest first innings score of 254. At stumps on day two of the four-day encounter, an outright result is very much on the cards with Karnataka losing four of their top-order batsmen in the second innings for just 73, thereby ensuring an overall lead of 128 runs with six wickets in hand and two full days play still remaining. Young Manish Pandey (26) and Amit Verma (20) were holding the fort for Karnataka in the second innings with an unbeaten 40-run stand after they were reduced to 33 for four at one stage. Left-arm medium pacer Mohinderraj Sharma, who returned with a five-wicket haul in Karnataka's first innings, continued his fine showing with the ball, accounting for two rival batsmen giving away 18 runs, while Vikramjeet Malik and Rishi Dhawan scalped a wicket each. Earlier resuming their first innings at the overnight score of 1/0, Sangram Singh (21) and Hemant Dogra (45) gave a solid start to Himachal with a 71-run opening stand before Arvind and Binny dismantled the hosts with four quick wickets within a span of eight
runs. Binny, who saved Karnataka yesterday with a brilliant 109, carried on his batting form onto the field and was on the verge of registering a hat-trick in the 21st over with back-to-back wickets of Bhavin Thakker and Vinit
Indulkar, only to be denied by Himachal skipper Paras Dogra (15). For Himachal, Hemant Dogra (45), wicket-keeper Manvinder Bisla (33) and Rishi Dhawan (28) were the notable run-getters but it was not enough for the hosts to cross the 200-mark. Brief Scores: Karnataka: 254 and 73 for four in 31 overs (Manish Pandey 26, Amit Verma 20; Mohinderraj Sharma 2/18). Himachal
Pradesh: 199 all out in 54.4 overs (Hemant Dogra 45, Manvinder Bisla 33; Arvind 4/50, Binny 3/22). Haryana
dominate
Ghaziabad: A brilliant six-wicket haul by Bhuvneshwar Kumar could not save the day for Uttar Pradesh as Haryana overhauled the home team's first innings total and scalped three wickets at stumps on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match here today. Resuming at overnight score of 84 for no loss, Haryana openers Nitin Saini (66) and Rahul Dewan (76) completed their respective half centuries but Kumar's fierce spell helped UP to restrict the visitors to 272. Kumar broke the 109-run partnership between the openers, trapping Nitin in front of the wicket and then had Sunny Singh (30) caught behind by Amir Khan. Kumar came back again to haunt
Hayana, removing opener Dewan caught by Amir. — PTI |
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Aussies drop Johnson
Adelaide, December 2 Hilfenhaus is under pressure after taking the wicket of Strauss on the third ball of the Gabba Test but then going wicket less in his ensuing 50
overs. Ponting said a final decision on Australia's XI would be a tough one.
"Hilfy's strengths are his ability to swing the new ball, he's a very consistent bowler and bowls in good areas to tie batters down," Ponting said on Thursday. "Ryan's strengths are that he has played much of his cricket here (at the Adelaide Oval), he's probably slightly quicker in the air, he hits the wicket harder than Ben does and probably he's the better reverse swing bowler for later in the game. "Ben did a terrific job for us in the India in conditions that will probably be similar to what the wicket will be like here, particularly over the last couple of days. "It makes that decision a pretty difficult one which is why we need a fair bit of time to think about it." Blewett said Hilfenhaus should get another chance unless the tough conditions in Brisbane had taken too much of a toll on the Tasmania swing bowler.
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Hosts Punjab dominate
Amritsar, December 2 Punjab won the final of hockey u-14 boys after beating Uttar Pradesh 2-1. Both the teams managed to make moves from time to time. It was left out Pawandeep Singh of Punjab who score the first goal in the 20th minute. Eleven minutes later his team mate center forward Palwinder Singh hit the another goal to take the team score to 2-0. At 59th minute right out Sushil Kumar of UP scored the solitary goal for his team. Punjab handball girls u-17 team also won the final from Haryana 14-8 while Delhi secured third position after beating Kerala 17-11. In handball u-17 boys Punjab routed Delhi 21-14 while Gujarat managed the third position after beating Haryana 24-22 in a pulsating contest. Punjab players had already clinched majority of the finals. The home team won finals of softball in u-17 (both boys and girls), and u-14 ( both boys and girls). Similarly, in Kho-Kho u-19 boys, hosts stood winner. |
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Air India, IOC earn full points
New Delhi, December 2 In a closely-fought match, Air India, who took the lead through Len Aiyappa, had to ward off a fighting ONGC to eke out a narrow victory. Aiyappa struck again to restore their lead after Gurvinder Chandi had equalised for ONGC. Chandi also put them ahead 3-2, and Vivek Gupta pulled up the score 3-3 but Yuvraj Walmiki and Virendra Lakra scored to give full points for Air India. IOC too had to bring out their best to tame Army XI as their 2-0 lead, gained through goals from V Raghunath, was wiped out by the Defence players. But Deepak Thakur and Raghunath packed a punch too many for the Oilmen to ensure them full points. Ignace Tirkey, Arumugam and Poovanna were the scorers for Army XI. |
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Mizoram school lifts Subroto Cup
New Delhi, December 2 A 45th minute penalty kick by Lalrempuia game Mamit High the win. Lalrempuia was also adjudged the best player of the tournament. Danapur goalkeeper Hemant K. Gope was adjudged the most promising player fetching them cash prizes and an ungeared scooter each. |
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Jaipur, December 2
There were really few surprises at the Delhi Golf Club today, the first day of the Hero Honda Indian Open. One would really have been quite impressed if those who were being touted as champions actually came good right from the first tee. In any case, like any sport, the winner is the guy who wins on the last day, so this was just setting out the starters, with the main course reserved for the weekend.
