S P O R T S

India look for consolation win
Adelaide, January 23
The series is lost and their reputation is in tatters but India will make a desperate bid to avoid a whitewash when they take on Australia in the fourth and final Test here tomorrow, hoping to redeem some of the lost pride. India have already conceded the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after a humiliating innings and 37 runs loss at WACA, Perth last week and the reputation of their top players is almost beyond repair.

Rahul Dravid bats in the nets on the eve of the fourth Test in Adelaide on Monday. Match Starts: 5. 30 am. — AP/PTI

Australia playing with our patience: Sehwag
Adelaide, January 23
He has a reputation of treating opposition bowlers with disdain but India's stand-in skipper and dashing opener Virender Sehwag today said the current Australian attack is the best he has faced as it has tested his patience like none before. Sehwag, who is India's captain for the fourth and final Test starting here tomorrow after Mahendra Singh Dhoni was banned for the team's slow over-rate, has endured a poor run in the series which his side has lost 0-3 already.


Virender Sehwag during a practice session ahead of the fourth Test at the Adelaide Oval on Monday. — AFP

Conditions at Adelaide suit India more: Clarke
Adelaide, January 23
Australia are aiming for a whitewash but that is easier said than done as skipper Michael Clarke today conceded the conditions at Adelaide Oval are more of India's liking even though he expects reverse swing to play a crucial role during the fourth and final Test starting tomorrow.

Williams shock victim at Australian Open
Melbourne, January 23
Five-time champion Serena Williams was sent crashing out of the Australian Open by little-known Russian Ekaterina Makarova today, as Andy Murray had no trouble reaching the quarter-finals.

Jaipreet youngest to make elite list
Chandigarh, January 23
Jaipreet Singh Ghuman an 18-year-old student and a member of the Chandigarh Golf Club did the Club and City proud by making it to the elite list of top 15 in the examinations for Golf Rules Officials held by the R&A at the NGAI, CGA Range here on Sunday.

Rajasthan retain Ranji Trophy title
Chennai, January 23
Rajasthan completed formalities on the fifth and final day as they successfully defended the Ranji Trophy by virtue of first-innings lead against Tamil Nadu, at the Chepauk, on Monday. The match was dead as a contest on the fourth day itself, when Rajasthan managed a huge 326-run first innings lead.

HI shortlists 32 for final camp
New Delhi, January 23
The Hockey India selection committee has pruned down the core group of men probables to 32 players after the five-Test series against South Africa at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium here on Sunday.

India look for consolation win

Australia playing with our patience: Sehwag

Adelaide, January 23
He has a reputation of treating opposition bowlers with disdain but India's stand-in skipper and dashing opener Virender Sehwag today said the current Australian attack is the best he has faced as it has tested his patience like none before. Sehwag, who is India's captain for the fourth and final Test starting here tomorrow after Mahendra Singh Dhoni was banned for the team's slow over-rate, has endured a poor run in the series which his side has lost 0-3 already.

"This is the best bowling attack I have seen, especially Australia. They are not giving easy balls to hit boundaries, they are playing with your patience," conceded Sehwag. Sehwag has scored just 118 runs at 19.67 with one fifty from the series and he is still searching for those boundary-balls from the Australians.

"I think they are bowling in good areas. They are not giving easy balls to hit boundaries. Generally, when I played in the past, I will get a couple of balls in early overs to hit boundaries but against this attack, I hardly get balls to hit," he said. Peter Siddle (17 at 19.58) and Ben Hilfenhaus (23 at 16.00) have invariably got the better of Sehwag in the series and the Indian opener is now inclined to rely on patience to get himself back in the groove.

"I think I have to show some patience. If I show patience, I will get some balls to hit for boundaries. It's a challenge, it's a great bowling attack and everyone is looking forward to do well against them. I am looking forward to do well for whenever you do well against Australia, everyone praises and appreciates your performance," said Sehwag.

As an opener, Sehwag, along with his partner Gautam Gambhir, hasn't given India any start better than 24 in this series. "It's not only the opening. All the batsmen didn't score runs. When you go abroad and score 300-400 runs, your bowlers come in the game and try to get the other team out," Sehwag said.

"It's everyone's responsibility to score runs, especially outside India. Unfortunately, on the last two tours, the batsmen didn't score runs. "Yes, it's important for openers to give good start but sometimes they don't. It's the responsibility of others batsmen to go and score. As a batting unit, we haven't done well. Hopefully, we would do it here," he added.

Sehwag said he could consider going back into the middle order once there is a vacancy in the future.

"Not (in the middle order) in this game. We have a very good middle order. It's only when they retire, then I would think about it. "It also depends on what's the combination and who's the captain and who's going to retire. That's also important." — PTI

Conditions at Adelaide suit India more: Clarke

Michael Clarke feels India will have the advantage due to ‘home-like’ conditions in Adelaide.

Adelaide, January 23
Australia are aiming for a whitewash but that is easier said than done as skipper Michael Clarke today conceded the conditions at Adelaide Oval are more of India's liking even though he expects reverse swing to play a crucial role during the fourth and final Test starting tomorrow. Australia have already pocketed the four-match series with a 3-0 lead after comprehensive triumphs but Clarke has insisted that 4-0 is what his side is focussed on.

"We know these conditions are probably going to suit India a lot more than where we have come from in Perth so we are going to have to be at our best to beat them, that is for sure," Clarke told reporters here today. Clarke said he would be relying on his bowlers' ability to reverse swing to get the better of the visitors who have just pride to play for.

"I think reverse swing will play a huge part in this Test. It always does. The ground is in great nick so the outfield will keep the ball newer than I have seen it in the past. But I think as the day goes on, especially in the heat, you will see a lot of reverse swing," said Clarke. Considering the spin-friendly conditions, Mitchell Starc will do the duty as the 12th man making way for off-spinner Nathan Lyon in the XI.

"It's probably as close to Indian conditions as you're going to get in Australia. So as a batting unit, we have been working on that in the nets. We have faced a bit of reverse swing and fair bit of spin. So I think our preparations have been spot on," Clarke said.

Having made his decision to persist with Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus in the Test, Clarke explained his reasons for it as well. "We think that's the best XI to give us every chance to win this Test. I think the experience of the other three quicks will play a big part in these conditions.

"The wicket looks really good and I think besides the reverse swing, it will also keep up and down. Those three guys can certainly bowl at the stumps quite consistently so if it does go up-and-down, that brings the lbw and bowled into the game," Clarke explained.

"In my opinion it was about picking the best XI to win the Test. I have said that from the start, that we want to win every Test match that we play and this series is no different. "I guess winning the last two Test matches in less than five days has helped everyone as well recover so all the guys are fighting fit and ready to go."

Hilfenhaus, strangely, hasn't enjoyed too many great days in Adelaide and there's a feeling Siddle could be tired by the workload of playing eight successive Tests. "I'll bet you it's better than his record at the MCG where he had a horrible record and we picked him there and he got five-for.

"I'm really confident Hilfy's at the top of his game, bowling really well and can adjust to whatever conditions he faces. He's a very good bowler with the new ball but he's also very good at bowling straight if the wicket is slow and low and he's got great control with reverse swing as well. He'll play a big part in this Test," he said. "Hopefully what he (Siddle) has produced in the first three Tests would continue. I think he has bowled beautifully. It's a great Test for us as a team in what are going to be tough conditions to take 20 wickets." Clarke also backed Lyon, who has picked up just two wickets so far.

"I definitely have a lot of confidence in Lyno. I would hate to put that sort of expectation on him. I would love to see him go out and perform like he has done for Australia since his debut," Clarke said. — PTI

Williams shock victim at Australian Open

Ekaterina Makarova celebrates her victory over Serena Williams in their fourth round match of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday. — AFP

Melbourne, January 23
Five-time champion Serena Williams was sent crashing out of the Australian Open by little-known Russian Ekaterina Makarova today, as Andy Murray had no trouble reaching the quarter-finals.

An out-of-sorts Williams struggled through the first set and dished up a host of errors as she was well beaten 6-2, 6-3 by the world number 56, who is now into her first grand slam quarter-final.

China's Zheng Jie was also beaten 6-2, 6-1 by Italy's Sara Errani to end the country's singles interest on Chinese new year's day -- and a day after Li Na's tearful defeat to Kim Clijsters.

Williams's exit blows a giant hole in the women's draw with Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova, the 2008 champion in Melbourne, among the potential beneficiaries on her side of the draw.

Defending champion Clijsters also suffered an ankle injury during her win over Li which could hinder her progress.

Earlier Murray took the easy route to the last eight when Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin retired injured.

Under blazing sun Murray, seeking Britain's first grand slam title since before World War II, was always in command and he led 6-1, 6-1, 1-0 when Kukushkin pulled out with a hip muscle injury on 49 minutes.

The truncated match ended an entertaining run by Kukushkin, inevitably dubbed "Borat" by the British press, who won an oddball encounter in the previous round to become Kazakhstan's best male grand slam performer.

"It's so hot on the court," said Murray.

"It's obviously good for me that I got to conserve a bit of energy. It's tough for him -- it's his first fourth round in a slam, and he's obviously struggling." — AFP

Jaipreet youngest to make elite list
Tribune News Service

Rajasthan retain Ranji Trophy title

Rajasthan players celebrate with trophy after winning the Ranji Trophy final in Chennai on Monday. — PTI

Chennai, January 23
Rajasthan completed formalities on the fifth and final day as they successfully defended the Ranji Trophy by virtue of first-innings lead against Tamil Nadu, at the Chepauk, on Monday. The match was dead as a contest on the fourth day itself, when Rajasthan managed a huge 326-run first innings lead.

Rajasthan walked away with a winners' cheque of Rs 2 crore while Tamil Nadu got half that amount.

With only academic interest left in the match, Rajasthan declared at 204 for five in the second innings, leaving Tamil Nadu to bat out a few mandatory overs which would have ended the drudgery. The match was called off after the hosts had managed eight runs for the loss of two wickets in 13 overs. The man who has turned a bunch of 'also-rans' into a gutsy domestic outfit is undoubtedly Hrishikesh Kanitkar.

With back-to-back domestic titles under his belt, Kanitkar will certainly now be remembered as one of the finest domestic captains in recent times rather than a 'one-shot wonder' which has been his claim to fame for past 12 years.

Kanitkar, who became a journeyman cricketer six season back when his own state Maharashtra dumped him, though, admitted that the title should be attributed to "a bit of luck and loads of hardwork" that his boys put in.

"It's an amazing feeling. At the group stage, we had a few results going our way. We won a few matches and then a combination of favourable results got us in the knock-out. We played superb cricket after that," Kanitkar stated at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Brief Scores:

Rajasthan 621 (Saxena 257, Chopra 94, Srinivas 4-192,) & 204 for 5 dec (Bist 92, Prasanna 3-31).

Tamil Nadu 295 (Karthik 150, Rituraj 4-76) & 8 for 2 (Gajendra 2-5). — PTI

HI shortlists 32 for final camp
Tribune News Service