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Selectors keep team intact
Broad’s form an ‘issue’ for England ahead of third Test
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Randhir warns against defying Olympic Charter
ranji trophy
Punjab ramps up kabaddi quotient
Big guns to boom in Patiala during Asian Shotgun Championship
Samaraweera’s defiance keeps Sri Lanka in touch
Thilan Samaraweera (R), Suraj Randiv take a run during the third day of their second Test against New Zealand on Tuesday. — Reuters
FIFA closing on goal-line technology
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Selectors keep team intact
Mumbai, November 27 As expected, fast bowler Umesh Yadav, who impressed in the first Test at Ahmedabad but missed the second due to a back injury, was not included in the squad. There was a surprise, though. The BCCI had announced that the selectors would today pick up the squad for the last two Test matches and the two-match Twenty20 series. However, the squad that was announced today was only for the third Test, which would be played in Kolkata from December 5. The BCCI said that the squad for the last Test and the Twenty20 series would now be announced “later”. Several Indian players were seen at the Mumbai airport today, dispersing to their hometowns for a break before they reassemble in Kolkata on December 2. The selectors didn’t respond to the rather virulent criticism the team has faced from the media after their shocking defeat in the second Test. There were indications that India could drop Harbhajan Singh, the team’s second off-spinner, and a leg-spinner could be brought in. This didn’t happen. A question mark had been hanging over the fate of Harbhajan’s close friend Sachin Tendulkar, too. Tendulkar has looked tentative and nervous during his three innings in the series, but he was also retained. Dhoni had said yesterday that it’s not prudent to change your team in knee-jerk fashion. Indeed, India had won the first Test convincingly, and could yet win the series. But not changing the squad also emphasises the lack of world-class players coming through the system, especially in bowling. "The teams for the fourth Test and the T20 International series, will be picked later," BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale said. India lost the Mumbai Test by 10 wickets inside four days and there was intense speculation about squad. Gavaskar, Srikkanth back spin trio
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar backed the national selectors for not making changes to the Test squad in the wake of the crushing defeat against England in the Mumbai match, saying it was not required at this stage. "There are quite a few youngsters who are knocking the doors. India could have tried a few younstgers if they were 2-0 up in the series. We can't make wholesale changes, it creates uncertainty..." Gavaskar said. Meanwhile, former selection committee chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth also defended the to retain the spin trio of R Ashwim, Pragyan Ojha and Harbhajan Singh. "Harbhajan had just come back after one year in wilderness. We cannot just drop him after effectively just one innings. Everybody knows he is yet to get his old form back and he needs to given some more time," he said. I am not surprised that there was no change in the squad. We lost badly but you cannot change the squad on the basis of one bad result. The selectors were right." The former captain said the selectors had sent out a message to the non-performing players by picking the squad for only third Test. Squad: third test |
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Broad’s form an ‘issue’ for England ahead of third Test
Mumbai, November 27 Alastair Cook's tourists yesterday levelled the four-match series with a 10-wicket victory at the Wankhede Stadium, where Kevin Pietersen and the captain's centuries and Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann's wickets were too much for the hosts. Hopes are therefore raised that they can become the first England team since 1984-85 to win a Test series in India. An atmosphere of renewed confidence is evident throughout the team, with the exception of vice-captain Broad - who declared himself fit for the second Test, despite feeling unwell the day beforehand, and then managed only 12 wicketless overs at a cost of 60 runs. England bowling coach David Saker is doing all he can to help Broad rediscover his best form in time for the third Test in Kolkata - a match which could yet instead feature Steven Finn. The latter was today set to test his recovery from a thigh strain, in a three-day match for the England Performance Programme squad against the DY Patil Academy in Mumbai. As for Broad, Saker said: "It is a bit of an issue. "He has not bowled as we would have liked. But he's not the first bowler to come over here and find it hard." Even some of the world's best all-time pace bowlers have struggled, in fact, to be effective in sub-continental conditions. Saker added: "Stuart's not a great yet. He has to learn ways to become great. "If he gets the next Test he has to be ready for it. "During my tenure as bowling coach, I haven't had too many players down in confidence and form. "I hope I can do some stuff over the next few days that can help." England's best win on foreign soil
KARACHI 2000 Going into the last day a draw looked a certainty as was 0-0 in the series. Michael Atherton had ground out his 16th Test hundred to give England virtual parity. Suddenly, after lunch there was a clatter of Pakistan wickets. England needed 174 to win with little time to get them. Pakistan slowed the over rate, night descended, England were groping in the dark, but the umpires insisted on playing on and Graham Thorpe, with an unbeaten 64, eked out the winning runs to hand his side the series. — The Independent |
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Randhir warns against defying Olympic Charter
"The IOC is the supreme Olympic sports body. I did not want to contest the IOA elections in violation of the Olympic Charter", Randhir Singh told The Tribune in an interview. He said his panel still had the numbers to win the IOA elections "but I did not want to go against the Olympic Charter". "I withdrew because of the IOC threat of disaffiliation of the IOA if the Sports Code of the Government of India was implemented in the IOA elections (scheduled for December 5)", Randhir explained. With Randhir Singh withdrawing from the post of president, and covering candidate Raj Chopra also pulling out, Abhay Chautala has been elected unopposed though a formal announcement will be made by the three-member panel only after the withdrawal process is over on Nov 29. With the exit of Randhir, all those who had filed nominations from his panel for various posts have also withdrawn, saving the election panel the tricky issue of applying the Sports Code, following a ruling from the Delhi HC. Randhir said had the IOA listened to the IOC directive that the IOA elections should be held only after clarifying the position about the Sports Code "we could have avoided the kind of embarrassing situation we got ourselves in". He said even the Government had written to the IOC that it was willing to sit together with the IOC and the IOA to sort out the Sports Code tangle before holding the IOA elections, "but the IOA was not willing to listen". Now that the IOA elections will be a consensus affair, the Olympic body will be spared the embarrassment of enforcing the Sports Code, thereby escaping a possible IOC ban. Randhir felt that the IOA will have to tackle the IOC's wrath for belittling the authority of the apex Olympic body.
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Haryana denied victory; HP get 3 points
Nadaun, November 27 But it was Himachal who ran away with three points on the basis of their first innings lead, while Jharkhand had to settle for just one point. In reply to Jharkhand's first innings total of 236, Himachal scored a huge 442 for seven declared, which left the hosts to overcome 206 runs to avoid innings defeat. When stumps were drawn on the final day today, Jharkhand were 244 for two in their second innings with Deepak Chougule unbeaten on 20. Resuming at 27 for no loss with 179 runs more to be scored on the entire day to save innings defeat, Jharkhand adopted a cautious approach. The two overnight batsmen — openers Verma and Vardhan, resuming on 18 and seven, respectively — played with a lot of responsibility and eventually overtook Himachal's lead with their fluent strokes. The duo put on a strong 195-run stand for the opening wicket with Verma hitting a 230-ball 117 (17x4, 1x6) and Vardhan's knock coming off 277 balls, laced with 11 fours. Both the batsmen fell to Gurvinder Singh, who ended with figures of 2 for 86. Brief scores: Jharkhand: 236 and 244 for 2 in 91.3 overs (Akash Verma 117, Manish Vardhan 94; Gurvinder Singh 2/86).; HP: 442 for 7 decl (P Chopra 101, Rishidhavan 128; S S Rao 3/85). At Lahli, Utkarsh Patel and Bhargav Bhatt held their nerves under tremendous pressure to lead Baroda to a thrilling one-wicket win over Haryana in Group B match. Chasing, 132 to win, Baroda were staring an unexpected defeat after being reduced to 108 for nine but Patel and Bhatt stitched an unbeaten 25-run partnership to steer the side home at Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium. It meant that Haryana fast bowler Mohit Sharma's sensational five-wicket haul went in vain and Baroda walked away with six points. The bowlers dominated the fourth and final day of the match as in all, 17 wickets fell. The hosts began their second innings at a comfortable 127 for two but lost the remaining eight wickets with the addition of just 33 runs with Bhargav, Murtuja Vahora and Gagandeep Singh sharing the spoils. They took three wickets each. Baroda would have hoped an easy cakewalk while chasing a modest 132-run target but Mohit Sharma bowled their opener Kedar Devdhar in the very first ball to begin the Haryana defense in style. It got worse from bad for Baroda as soon they were struggling 33 for five. A 37-run stand for the seventh wicket between Saurabh Wakaskar (22) and Gagandeep Singh (24) revived their hopes but run out of the former again turned the tide in favour of Haryana. Brief Scores: Haryana 295 and 160 in 74 overs. (Sunny Singh 57, Abhimanyu Khod 38; Murtuja Vahora 3/31); Baroda 324 and 133 for 9 in 33.5 overs.(Gagandeep 24; Mohit 5/50). —PTI
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Punjab ramps up kabaddi quotient
Chandigarh, November 27 Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who also holds the Sports portfolio, said the Kabaddi tournament would be inaugurated at Bathinda on December 1 and the matches would be held in Patiala, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Doda (Mukatsar), Sangrur, Roopnagar, Chohla Sahib (Tarn Taran), Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Mansa, Jalandhar and Ludhiana. The concluding function will be held at Ludhiana. The inaugural ceremony is expected to be a big bash with actor Akshay Khanna being the main draw and closing ceremony is expected to have Punjab (Pakistan) Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharief as the chief guest. Dignitaries will visit Punjab from several countries for the tournament which would include teams from Afghanistan, Argentina, Canada, Denmark, England, Iran, Italy, Kenya, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, USA including India in Men Section and Canada, Denmark, England, Malaysia, Turkmenistan, USA and India. Sukhbir said in the men’s category the winning team would get Rs two crore, the runners up Rs one crore and the third placed team Rs 50 lakh. In the women's category, the prize money had been increased with the winning team getting Rs 51 lakh, the runners up Rs 31 lakh and the third placed team Rs 21 lakh. Badal said that he has issued directions to ensure that third world cup kabaddi should be totally dope free tournament and the services of NADA has been requisitioned to conduct regular tests on the players and players failing the dope test would be barred for two years besides seizing their prize money.
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Big guns to boom in Patiala during Asian Shotgun Championship
Patiala, November 27 The tournament would see many top shooters participate in the championship to be held at the New Moti Bagh Gun Club ranges at village Maine in Patiala. The major countries participating in the second Asian Shotgun Championship are - Kuwait, UAE, Thailand, TPE, Singapore, Pakistan, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Japan, Iran, Oman, Indonesia and Philippines. The championship named as Asian Clay Shooting Championship was started in 1981 and was held in Japan. The Asian Shooting Confederation re-named this Championship as Asian Shotgun Championship and first edition was held in Malaysia. NRAI president Raninder Singh said, "Two teams are already here and we are expecting everyone to reach by Wednesday.". NRAI has received a total of 187 entries for both the competitions. As many as 110 entries have been received from Asian countries for the second Asian Shotgun Championship, while 77 entries for the Grand Prix have been received from Italy, Turkey, Australia, Scotland and India. India has a 23-member team that would take part in the events at NMBGC. Manavjit Singh, Ronjan Sodhi, Mansher Singh and RVS Rathore are the top Indian shooters participating. Bhattakarka Bunnag of Thailand has been nominated as ASC Technical Delegate by the Asian Shooting Confederation. The event would feature five disciplines three each for men and women. The events are men: Trap, Double Trap, Skeet. Women: Trap and Skeet.
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Samaraweera’s defiance keeps Sri Lanka in touch
Colombo, November 27 It meant Sri Lanka still trailed by 187 runs following New Zealand's first innings total of 412, but it was a vast improvement on their position midway through the afternoon session when they had slipped to 128 for six. Samaraweera, a veteran of 77 tests stretching back to 2001, was his usual calm and assured self despite his injury and by the close of play which came 25.4 overs early because of bad light, he had batted for 209 minutes, facing 156 balls and hitting five fours. The unbeaten innings took his tally at the venue to 597 runs at an average of 99.50, including two hundreds. Samaraweera found a willing ally in off-spinner Suraj Randiv as the pair added an unbroken 97 runs for the seventh wicket. — Reuters SCOREBOARD Sri Lanka 1st innings (overnight 43/3) Paranavitana c Wyk b Southee 40 Dilshan b Southee 5 Sanga c Boult b Southee 0 Jaya c Williamson b Boult 4 Mathews c Guptill b Southee 47 Samaraweera not out 76 Jaya c Williamson b Patel 12 Randiv not out 34 Extras: 7 Total: (6 wkts; 86.2 ov) 225 Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-7, 3-12, 4-102, 5-103 6-128 Bowling: Southee 19-3-51-4, Boult 17-5-34-1, Patel 22-3-47-1, Astle 13-2-41-0, Bracewell 13-1-44-0, Williamson 2.2-1-5-0 |
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FIFA closing on goal-line technology
Rio de Janeiro, Nov 27 Football's world governing body said the two systems to be tested during the tournament - Hawk Eye and GoalRef - had been chosen from a list of 11 prototypes, reports Xinhua. "We are going to use both technologies during the FIFA Club World Cup,” the head of FIFA's General Secretary Office. — Reuters
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Thilan Samaraweera defied the discomfort of an injured hand and the threat of the New Zealand attack to ensure Sri Lanka retained a foothold in the second test on
Tuesday.Samaraweera, who had three stitches inserted into the webbing on his right hand on Monday after dropping a catch, made an unbeaten 76 to help steer the home side very slowly to 225 for six by the close of play on the third day.
New Delhi, November 27
