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kochi spoil sachin’s party
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Knights keep getting brighter
Gilchrist, Sangakkara all set for a pitched battle
FIH Champions Trophy in Delhi
JN Stadium as football hub
HPCA win
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Set to score 183, Kochi reached the target with one over to spare as Jadeja slammed consecutive sixers off Ali Murtaza to hasten the end. Openers McCullum (81) and Jayawardene (56) had given the Tuskers the ideal platform with a partnership of 128 runs. Tuskers achieved the target with eight wickets in hand. Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar smashed his maiden twenty20 century, a brilliant unbeaten 100 in 66 balls, to pilot Mumbai Indians to an imposing 182 for two. Tendulkar, who carried on his superb form in the World Cup into the T20 League, slammed three sixes and eight fours, and put on a stand of 116 runs in just over ten overs with Ambati Rayudu, who played a blinder of an innings while making 53 in 33 balls with four sixes and three fours. The duo, who had stitched a match-winning partnership in the previous game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, were in absolute command during their rip-roaring second wicket stand after the home team was asked to bat first on a wicket that had bounce and seam movement initially. The second wicket pair joined forces after Tendulkar and Davy Jacobs (12) put on 61 for the first wicket, and were not separated till Rayudu was run out in the last over. Tendulkar went on to complete his first-ever hundred in the T20 league with a four, a six and a single off Vinay Kumar's final ball who gave away a whopping 48 runs in his four overs. Tendulkar started the Mumbai innings, with a brilliant straight-driven four when Rudra Pratap Singh over-pitched. The champion batsman then slashed Vinay Kumar for another four in the second over, Raiphi Gomez mis-fielding at third man. Tendulkar struck two consecutive fours off Vinay in the fourth over to up the run-rate. He was later troubled by Vinay and escaped two close leg before calls off the Karnataka bowler. The aggressive intent of Tendulkar, who was also lucky to see his edged shot off Tissera Perera eluding the leaping wicket keeper Parthiv Patel, was in sharp contrast to his opening partner Davy Jacobs who could not time the ball at all. Tendulkar's positive play helped MI amass 44 without loss at the end of the 6-over Power Play and his contribution was 31 off 32 balls. Jacobs finally hit a boundary off the first ball of the ninth over from Gomez, a pull shot on bent knees, before the Kerala Ranji bowler deceived him with a slower ball and clean bowled the South African batsman. Rayudu, who came into the match on the back of a brilliant unbeaten half century against Royal Challengers Bangalore, slammed the innocuous looking Gomez for sixes off consecutive balls, depositing the ball into the stands, over mid on and extra cover. Then Tendulkar paddle swept the bowler for another boundary to raise the scoring rate. Eighteen runs were taken off the medium pacer in the 11th over as MI jumped to 89 for one and Gomez's figures were an unimposing 3-0-29-1. When Perera replaced the expensive Gomez, Rayudu sent him soaring over the straight field for his third six. Rayudu carted left arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja for two fours to the straight field by coming out disdainfully and smacking the ball before Tendulkar followed suit in similar style. The 14th over cost 14 runs. The duo raised the half century stand in 34 balls and when off spinner Ramesh Powar, who is at home in this Stadium being a part of the Mumbai Ranji team, came on to bowl his first over, he was greeted with a lofted boundary to mid-wicket by Rayudu. Then the talented Hyderabad youngster hoisted the bowler over square leg for his fourth six as MI total surged to 125 for one. Tendulkar struck his first six of the innings with a swivel to swing Vinay Kumar over long leg when the bowler injudiciously tried a bouncer. The bowler was carted over long on by the batting maestro from wide outside the off stump in the same over for a second six, before Tendulkar struck him for a four to long on off the last ball as the 16th over bleded 20 runs. Tendulkar who batted with absolute freedom later hit Gomez for a four and a six in the penultimate over to become the leading scorer in the tournament, overtaking Jacques Kallis of Kolkata Knight Riders. All the Kochi bowlers, barring R P Singh who caught the eye with figures of 4-0-15-0, proved expensive. —
PTI Scoreboard Mumbai Indians Jacobs b Gomez 12 Tendulkar not out 100 Rayudu run out 53 Pollard not out 0 Extras: (lb 11, w 6) 17 Total: (2 wkts; 20 overs) 182 Bowling: Singh 4-0-15-0, Vinay 4-0-48-0, Perera 4-0-38-0, Gomez 3-0-29-1, Jadeja 4-0-29-0, Powar 1-0-12-0. Kochi Tuskers Kerala McCullum b Malinga 81 Jayawardene b Malinga 56 Jadeja not out 25 Hodge not out 11 Extras: (lb 3, w 8) 11 Total: (2 wkts; 19 overs) 184 Bowling: Malinga 4-0-42-2, Patel 3-0-15-0, Murtaza 4-0-37-0, Pollard 3-0-43-0, Harbhajan 4-0-33-0, Sathish 1-0-11-0.
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Jaipur, April 15 Chasing 160 to register their second win of the league after electing to field, Gambhir along with Kallis (80 off 65 balls) added 152 runs for the second wicket -- a league record -- to overhaul the target with nine balls to spare. Gambhir struck 11 boundaries and a six while Kallis' knock was laced with seven hits to the fence and two over it. Manvinder Bisla was run out early into the Kolkata innings but that was the only time Rajasthan tasted success. Having watched Kallis hit three boundaries and a six in double quick time, Gambhir got into the act, sending Nayan Doshi high over long-on boundary for the maximum. There was no looking back after that as the India left-hander smashed rookie Amit Singh for four boundaries in the sixth over. There was no respite for even the great Shane Warne as Gambhir swept and employed the cut against him with ease. The story was similar with Johan Botha. Kallis found the ropes on regular intervals to make his presence felt, but all in all, it was a Gambhir show. The ones pitched up were driven through the packed off-side field, the ones on the pads were dealt with delicate glances and flicks, the short deliveries were pulled and the cut shots were also in view during his whirlwind knock. Earlier, Ross Taylor played a cameo as Rajasthan finished at 159 for four. Taylor, who smashed 35 off 25 deliveries with the help of two sixes and two fours, was well supported by Shane Watson (22 off 13). Watson's 13-ball 22 too, featured two sixes. Put into bat by Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir, Rajasthan were off to a slow start as openers Rahul Dravid and Amit Paunikar struggled to get off the blocks against an attack, bolstered by the return of Australian pace spearhead Brett Lee, at the Sawai Mansingh stadium. Gambhir's ploy to introduce Shakib Al Hasan early worked as the Bangladeshi left-arm spinner accounted for Paunikar who, while trying to hit against the turn, found Jacques Kallis at short third man. A front-foot pulled four off Lakshimipathy Balaji in the day's second over followed by another boundary against Kallis, were the only highlights of Paunikar's brief stay at the crease. One youngster gave way to another as Ashok Menaria joined Dravid at 26/1 in the fifth over. Menaria's arrival provided the much-needed impetus to Rajasthan innings as the gifted right-hander, along with his senior partner, put on 52 runs for the second wicket in exactly seven overs, till Yusuf Pathan disturbed Dravid's stumps. Both Dravid and Menaria played some effective shots during their association, with the later lofting Iqbal Abdullah for a six over deep midwicket. Dravid's departure brought to the crease the in-form Shane Watson but before he could settle down, Menaria offered a return catch to give Pathan his second wicket. From there on, it was upto Watson and Ross Taylor to guide Rajasthan to a challenging score. Watson, on a high after his superhuman effort of 185 against Bangladesh a few days back, signalled his intention when he slammed Shakib straight down the ground for the maximum. Taylor followed suit as he pulled a short Balaji delivery over deep square leg to step up the tempo. Soon a full toss arrived, and it was treated with disdain as the hard-hitting New Zealander whacked it over the gap between deep square leg and deep midwicket, giving the fielders no chance. Watson then took Shakib to the cleaners, hitting him for a six over deep midwicket for a six, before the slow left-armer had him bowled to have the last laugh. — PTI Scoreboard Rajasthan Royals Paunikar c Kallis b Shakib 9 Dravid b Yusuf 35 Menaria c & b Yusuf 27 Watson b Shakib 22 Taylor not out 35 Botha not out 12 Extras: (b-1, lb-6, w-12) 19 Total: (4 wkts, 20 overs) 159 Bowling: Lee 4-0-29-0, Balaji 4-0-31-0, Kallis 4-0-31-0, Shakib 4-0-31-2, Bhatia 1-0-12-0, Abdulla 2-0-14-0, Yusuf 1-0-4-2. Kolkata Knight Riders Bisla run out 1 Kallis not out 80 Gambhir not out 75 Extras: (w-3, nb-1) 4 Total: (1 wkt, 18.3 overs) 160 Bowling: Menaria 2-0-18-0, Singh 2.3-0-26-0, Watson 2-0-18-0, Doshi 2-0-23-0, Botha 2-0-13-0, Warne 4-0-28-0, Trivedi 4-0-34-0.
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Gilchrist, Sangakkara all set for a pitched battle
Hyderabad, April 15 One can expect a cracker of a contest at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Uppal tomorrow, as both teams square off after recording convincing victories in their previous matches after not so great starts. Interestingly, for both keeper captains Kumar Sangakkara and Gilchrist, it will be a reversal of roles, as they will be pitted against a side they have captained during the last season. While Gilchrist was Deccan Chargers skipper for the last three editions, Sangakkara had unsuccessfully led the KXIP during their worst ever finish last season. One one side, it will be a test of leadership skills for both Sangakkara and Gilchrist, while on the otherhand, the likes of Bharat Chipli and Paul Valthaty will like to show world that they can consistently come good at the big stage. For KXIP, the match against defending champions Chennai Super Kings after being crushed by Pune Warriors India, may just be the shot in the arm they required after what transpired throughout the last season. All eyes will certainly be on 27-year-old Valthaty who captured the imagination of the nation after his smashing 120 not out off only 63 balls. The Uppal pitch will also help the batsmen, and if Valthaty can get going, the crowd will be in for some entertainment. The 2009 champions Chargers on the otherhand, started off on a disastrous note losing their first couple of matches against the Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. The 33-run victory yesterday would have definitely helped them feel relaxed as they play their second match at home. Karnataka's glovesman Bharat Chipli, who is playing purely as batsman, provided a lot of entertainment for the fans and he will be expected to continue his big-hitting against Praveen Kumar and Co. KXIP will also expect that skipper Gilchrist fires along with big-hitters like Abhishek Nayar, Sunny Singh. — PTI
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Royal Challengers keen to bounce back
Chennai, April 15 After winning a thriller against Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening encounter of IPL by two runs, the CSK were in for a rude shock after having scored 188, when little known KXIP opener Paul Valthaty single-handedly guided his team to a six-wicket in Mohali last Wednesday. Even their opponents RCB, who started their campaign with convincing victory over Kochi Tuskers Kerala, have somewhat lost the plot with back-to-back defeats against Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers, respectively. Both teams will be desperate to get back on winning track in the match that will be played at the Chepauk tomorrow. While batting isn't a concern for CSK as most of the top-order batsmen barring Suresh Raina have had one decent knock in the last two games; but it's the bowling that will be a concern for the defending champions. Dhoni will surely find it as a relief that Australian seamer Doug Bollinger is back. — PTI
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Switzerland, April 15 The other countries to participate in the tournament are the Netherlands, England, Spain, South Korea and Pakistan, besides hosts India. According to the official dates announced by the FIH for nine major events this season and next year, the FIH Women's Champions Trophy will be held in Argentina from January 28-February 5. The FIH Champions Challenge I will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from November 26-December 4. New Delhi will also host the first of the 2012 London Olympics qualification tournaments for men and women from February 15-26. Six men's and six women's teams will battle out for a lone spot each in the 2012 London Olympic Games. Three 2012 Olympic qualification tournaments will have three host nations with a men's and women's tournament running at the same time. The next Olympic qualification tournament will take place from March 14-25, 2012 in Beerschot, Belgium. It will be followed by the third Olympic qualification tournament in Kakamigahara, Japan from April 25-May 6. The trio of joint tournaments is the final opportunity for teams to qualify for 2012 Olympic Games with the winner of each men's and women's event earning a place in London. The teams assigned to the qualification tournaments will not be known until the completion of all of this year's continental championships, which will be after the Pan American Games, scheduled to finish on October 29. Winners of the five Continental Championships earn an automatic berth to the 2012 London Olympics. — PTI
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Monaco, April 15 Melzer broke for 3-2 in the first set when second seed Federer netted the first of a number of easy forehands and the Austrian then immediately saved a break point on his own serve, before taking the set and similarly sealing the second. Federer, who last won a tournament in Doha in early January, had looked on course for a possible final with world number one and defending champion Rafa Nadal, but his build-up to next month's French Open has now suffered a surprise blow. "He did well and played aggressive. He didn't give me many chances. I didn't think I played terrible. It's the first week of play (on clay) so I didn't expect to play my best. It's been a solid tournament,” said Federer. Bopanna-Qureshi advance
Islamabad: The tennis duo comprising Rohan Bopanna of India and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan has advanced into the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo ATP Masters tournament. The Indo-Pak Express, who are making their first appearance in Monte Carlo, showed little signs of nerves as they won the 90-minute match against Eric Butorac and Roger Julien, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3. Qureshi and Bopanna bagan impressively from their very first set. — Agencies |
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JN Stadium as football hub
New Delhi, April 15 Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Ajay Maken, unveiling the "Come and Play" scheme of the Sports Authority of India here today, said the Nehru Stadium and the Talkatora Swimming Pool Complex will be upgraded as Centres of Excellence for football and swimming, respectively.
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Jaipur, April 15
Mumbai, April 15