Kolkata, April 4
Underachievers in the last four seasons, both Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils would look to reverse their fortunes when they kickstart their IPL V campaign against each other at the Eden Gardens here tomorrow.

Both the teams have the right ingredients, which are needed for a perfect Twenty20 recipe, but the biggest challenge before them would be to make winning a habit this season and pose serious threats to the likes of Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Royals Challengers Bangalore.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Brendon McCullum during a training session at the Eden Gardens. — PTI

For Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir, who has been stripped of Indian vice-captaincy, the tournament would mean a lot personally as he would be eager to let his leadership skills do the talking, besides contributing at the top of the order.

The Knight Riders look a far more settled side this time around after roping in former player and New Zealand's explosive opener Brendon McCullum, and their USD 700,000 catch in West Indian offspinner Sunil Narine, who promises to be the one to look out for.

For Trinidad and Tobago in last season's Champions League Twenty20, Narine was at his best scalping 10 wickets and gave away a miserly 4.37 runs per over.

Most top batsmen found it difficult to read the off-spinner and in the Indian conditions Narine is expected to revel alongside Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan, one of the finest all-rounders in the world at the moment.

To add to it, the return of McCullum, who smashed a 73-ball 158 for the Knight Riders in the very first IPL match of season one four years back, is certain to bring smiles back on the faces of the fans of the Kolkata outfit

McCullum is expected to partner Jacques Kallis at the top with Gambhir dropping to the No 3 position. The middle-order will have an in-form Manoj Tiwary, who would be desperate to be prove a point to the Indian team management after having denied a single opportunity during the entire tri-series in Australia and the subsequent Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

In Yusuf Pathan, the Knight Riders have one of the most feared hitters and the team would be hoping for his bat to do all the talking this time around after a fairly quiet outing last year.

Apart from Pathan, the Knight Riders also have a host of exciting all-rounders in Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Rajat Bhatia, Dutchman Ryan ten Doeschate and Shakib.

The Knight Riders also have balanced bowling attack, which will be led by Australian speedster Brett Lee.

Under Gambhir and former coach Dav Whatmore, the Knight Riders looked a far more settled side last season what if they failed to qualify for the final yet again. And Whatmore's successor Trevor Bayliss, who coached Sri Lanka to the World Cup final last year, is regarded as a T20 specialist and he would also look to infuse the winning mantra into the Knight Riders' camp.

"Trevor Bayliss has immense knowledge of the game (T20). The side is looking balanced under him. The biggest secret of this side is every member is enjoying each other's company," Knight Riders' bowling consultant Wasim Akram said.

The Daredevils, meanwhile, would be desperate for a turnaround after finishing last in 2011 with just four wins to their credit. — PTI

Chennai, April 4
Mumbai Indians started off in style as they defeated defending champions Chennai Super Kings by 8 wickets in the opening match of the fifth edition of Indian Premier League.

Chasing a paltry 113 for a win, Mumbai made light work of the Super Kings’ bowling and kept steady with the required run rate. But the only concern for them was Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar walking off injured after he was hit by a rising delivery from Doug Bollinger.

Earlier, captain Harbhajan Singh's decision to bowl first seemed to be spot on as Mumbai Indians bowled out defending champions Chennai Super Kings 112.

The newly-laid 22-yard strip which had some patches of grass on either side turned out to be a nightmare for strokeplayers as most of the home team batsmen failed to check their shots as they were shot out for 19.4 overs.

While MI bowlers stuck to their task, CSK batsmen helped their cause as three of them including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni were run-out. Lasith Malinga (2/16), Pragyan Ojha (2/17) and Kieron Pollard (2/15) all got vital breakthroughs.

Mumbai Indians got the breakthrough in the very first over when Faf du Plessis (3) failed to beat Ambati Rayudu's direct throw after Murali Vijay tapped the ball to extra-cover for a quick single.

Vijay, who has had an indifferent first-class season was not in his element as he failed to clear the field. As he was getting bogged down, left-arm seamer James Franklin's clever change of pace did the trick. — PTI

Chandigarh, April 4
Age is no criteria for brilliance. It has never been, and going by the way Gurjinder Singh is going, it never will be. Gurjinder, a drag-flick specialist from Chandigarh Comets, ended up the joint highest scorer in the WSH with 18 goals, was adjudged the ‘WSH Rockstar’, and went home richer by Rs 1 crore.

A farmer’s son, Gurjinder hails from Sangatpur village in district Gurdaspur. Aged 10, he started playing hockey at Batala’s Cheema Academy and making steady progress shifted base to Chandigarh’s football and hockey centre in Sector 42. “Coming to Chandigarh was a big step for me, but the right one as well. I didn’t have to worry about anything and could focus solely on my game. But, at the same time, I cannot find the right words at times to thank all the people at Cheema Academy, who supported me through thick and thin.

“It was Dr Gurmeet Singh, the director of the academy, who initiated me into the sport. He was always very supportive of my game, and used to always tell me that he would handle everything, and I should just handle my game,” says Gurjinder, talking to The Tribune over the phone from Jalandhar, where he is playing a tournament for IOC.

His coach Sardar Ranjit Singh was also extremely influential in developing his technique at an early stage. “He never let me waiver from my ultimate goal, and I learnt the importance of hard work and endless practice from him.”

Gurjinder has already led the junior Indian team and was considered to be part of a promising future that Indian hockey has been searching for, but the impasse between IHF and Hockey India has meant that he doesn’t know if there is an India call-up anywhere around. “Who wouldn’t want to play for India? It is a dream, and I am hopeful that these issues will be resolved and the players wont suffer,” says Gurjinder.

His strength over the years has been his father Sardar Sarwan Singh. “I share everything with him. He has been the biggest and strongest support base I have. He along with my idol and coach Jugraj Singh are two men I turn to everytime I need a sounding board or a sound advice.”

Talking about his WSH journey, Gurjinder says, “It has been an unbelievable time. I enjoyed myself a lot during the WSH, and I am only too happy that showed in my game as well. The way we lost in the semifinal was obviously a bitter pill to swallow, but such is the nature of the sport. I am sure we will all learn from it as these are the experiences that help a player understand the nuances of the sport.”

The Chandigarh Comets were leading 4-1 in the semifinal against Chennai Cheetahs, before the Chennai outfit stormed back into the game and took the game to a penalty shoot-out. Chennai won the game, but only to be beaten in the final by another north Indian outfit, Sher-E-Punjab.

New Delhi, April 4
Hockey India has expressed its surprise at the announcement of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHA) that India have withdrawn from the Tri-Nation Tournament, scheduled to be held at Lahore, from April 9 to 13.

Hockey India said it had originally received an invitation to participate in a Four-Nation Tournament at Lahore which included teams from South 
Africa, Malaysia, India and Pakistan.

India’s participation in this tournament was approved by the Steering Committee of the Sports Ministry last month and accordingly Hockey India conducted the Selection Trials at Bangalore on March 16 and 17, where the Pakistan-bound team with the captain and vice-captain, were announced. The flight tickets to Lahore were also booked immediately thereafter.

In the meanwhile, the Four-Nation tournament became a Tri- Nation affair with South Africa dropping out. HI said in view of the pending mandatory Ministry of External Affairs and Home Ministry clearances, telephonic conversations took place between HI secretary general Narinder Batra and PHF president Qasim Zia on April 2, where it was decided that if no clearances came before the departure of the team to Lahore, then fresh dates from April 12 to 14 would be considered for this tournament.

The Ministry of External Affairs sent a communication dated April 3, conveying that in view of the security situation prevailing in Pakistan, the visit of the Indian Hockey team would not be advisable unless backed by credible high-level assurances of security from the Pakistan side.

"Hockey India is, therefore, astonished at the unilateral statement issued by PHF secretary general Asif Bajwa stating that India has withdrawn from this tournament, which is in fact incorrect", Batra stated. 

Mumbai, April 4
The Indian Premier League has decided to crack down on chucking and has asked the umpires to apply the relevant laws strictly to deal with bowlers with illegal actions.

The Suspect Action Policy, effective from February 1 this year, has detailed the process for dealing with a bowler who are called by the umpires for chucking during the tournament or is suspected by the umpire(s) and/or match referee for bowling with an illegal action in a match.

"The Umpires and Match Referee, in deciding whether to report a Player under this Policy, should use the naked eye for viewing the relevant Player's bowling action during the Match — either live or on television at normal speed. Slow motion video footage or other technological support should only be used to confirm initial suspicions," a statement issued on the official IPL website stated.

The IPL has also circulated a list of players who (a) either were on the Warning List at any time in the previous Season or (b) have been reported in BCCI domestic cricket for a suspected illegal bowling action and (c) in either case have not been Cleared by the Committee (the "Initial List"). — PTI

Colombo, April 4
Under-pressure skipper Andrew Strauss and fellow opener Alastair Cook hit gutsy half-centuries as England made a confident reply to Sri Lanka's 275 in the second Test here today.

The left-handers compiled a 122-run partnership as England combated Sri Lanka's pace and spin attack to reach 154-1 by stumps on the second day at the P Sara Oval here.

Strauss, under fire for his batting and leadership skills, roared back to form with 61, before he attempted to cut off-spinner Tillakaratne Dilshan and edged a catch to the wicket-keeper in the final session.

It was his best score on England's forgettable Asian sojourn so far this year, in which they were routed 3-0 by Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates before losing at Galle in the first Test. Cook returned unbeaten on 77, but was fortunate to be still there after Lahiru Thirimanne floored a sharp chance at forward short-leg off Rangana Herath when the batsman was on 20.

Jonathan Trott was the other batsman at the crease, on 15, as the tourists trailed by just 121 runs on the first innings with nine wickets in hand. England's batting finally prospered in a match they must win to level the series and retain their number one ranking.

Even a draw will see Strauss' men slip to second spot behind South Africa.

Strauss showed no signs of strain after falling for 26 and 27 in the first Test, which Sri Lanka won by 75 runs to take the lead in the short two-match series. — AFP

Patiala, April 4
Living upto their reputation, five-time World Champion MC Mary Kom, World Champion L Sarita Devi and Pooja Rani have topped the list of Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) to put up the Indian challenge in the first and the sole Olympic qualifier for women boxers- AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships scheduled to be held at Qinhuangdao, China, from May 9 to 20.

While Mary Kom (51 kg), Sarita Devi (60 kg) and Pooja Rani (75 kg) outclassed their fellow players during the three-day trials held at National Institute of Sports in Patiala, for the Olympic Weight Division, other players who have been selected for other weight divisions include Pinky Jangra (48 kg), Sonia Lather (54 kg), K Mandakini Chanu (57 kg), Meena Rani (64 kg), Neetu Chahal (69 kg), Jenny (81 kg) and Kavita (+81 kg).

Talking to The Tribune in this regard, coach D Chandra Lal when contacted in this regard said the girls were in their best form ever. "Though we could manage only two medals during the last World Championship, but the recent Asian Championship results has acted as a catalyst for these girls. They have defeated their counterparts by much bigger margins in this championship which it itself talks about their form. They are in fray again and i am confident that all three players in the Olympic division will qualify for London," added the coach.

Brig PK Muralidharan Raja, Secretary General of the IABF, when contacted informed that it is for the very first time in history that women boxers will be competing at the Olympic Games, which in itself makes it a historic moment. "With 24 quotas places up for grabs, the seventh edition of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships is sure to be highly competitive. The top eight boxers in each category will qualify for the London Games. Which essentially means all quarter finalists in the Fly weight (51kg), Light weight (60kg) and Middle weight (75kg) will win an Olympic quota place," he added.

Barcelona, April 4
A double by three-time world footballer of the year Lionel Messi inspired holders Barcelona to a fifth successive appearance in the Champions League semifinals after a 3-1 win over AC Milan on Tuesday in their quarterfinal second leg clash and win by the same scoreline on aggregate.

Messi's brace of first-half penalties took him to 51 Champions League goals — at 24 the youngest to achieve this landmark - and a total this season of 14 breaking the previous record held by himself and Ruud van Nistelrooy of 12.

Andres Iniesta's well-taken goal early in the second-half wrapped up the match and they will face Chelsea or Benfica in the semifinals as they bid to become the first team to retain the trophy since the 1992/93 season.

Antonio Nocerino had pulled a goal back for Milan to level briefly in the first-half but in the end there was no stopping Barcelona emulating the great Real Madrid side of the 1950's in reaching five successive semifinals.

A fired up Messi, who has been the top scorer in the Champions League for the past three seasons but had only scored once before against Italian opposition, had three chances inside the first ten minutes. — AFP