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Champions trophy What’s happening back home doesn’t bother us: Dhoni |
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Saina gears up for title defence
Rafa’s ‘impossible dream’
Vettel’s win marred by marshal’s death in Canadian GP
Woods, McIlroy favourites at US Open
Indian squash team starts with win
AI pip Punjab to win hockey nationals
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Champions trophy
London, June10 True, it’s been only two matches, and one of them was a practice game; yet, the comprehensiveness of the wins in Cardiff, over Australia in the warm-up game and over South Africa in their opening match of the tournament proper, is encouraging. A win over West Indies here tomorrow would almost certainly put India in the semifinals. After two wins in Cardiff, India move to London, to play at the Oval cricket ground. Conditions in Cardiff were good for India — the bowlers shone against Australia, the batsmen against South Africa. It’s going to be tougher for the batsmen here; it’s going to be easier for the bowlers. The previous match here, West Indies vs Pakistan, produced a total of 342 runs in 88.4 overs. It’s going to be difficult tomorrow too — it’s cold and windy and rainy here, and showers are expected tomorrow. It’s summer here, but as West Indian coach Otis Gibson said today, both teams would prefer the temperatures to be up by 10 degree Celsius — as these two teams are “warm-blooded creatures”, as he put it. Yet, both teams would be happy with the place they’re in right now. Wins in their first matches have done that. The winner tomorrow is likely to get through to the next stage. India and West Indies have faced only three times in ODI cricket in England, all three times at the 1983 World Cup, one on June 15, exactly 30 years ago. India emerged 2-1 up in those games, which was the surprise of the year then because West Indians were the giants of the game then, the Indians disinterested novices in ODIs. The cricketing landscape has changed completely in the last 30 years. West Indies did win the Champions Trophy here in 2004, and the Twenty20 World Cup last year, but the notion of them being favourites in any sort of cricket is so outdated now, so 20th-century. India, on the other hand, are currently the world’s current No. 1 outfit in ODIs. The Indians would be very keen to win — they wouldn’t want the match against Pakistan, to be played in Birmingham, to decide their fate in the tournament. India would probably not change their team from the last match. MS Dhoni might wish to have a look at his pace bowlers, who gave away 190 runs in 25 overs to South Africa, and he said today that the pitch here might help the spinners more. Which is a fact — the pitch at the Oval does help the spinners, but the wintry conditions now could it difficult for them to grip the ball, or for the ball to grip the moist pitch. Dhoni doesn’t really have a choice there. India’s batting, despite the tough conditions, would like their chances here tomorrow. There’s one major threat — a very major threat in Kemar Roach —but the Indians have looked good while batting. They recovered from a bad start against Australia, they started very well against South Africa. The batting has been tested by better bowling units, it has passed the test. Shikhar Dhawan scored an audacious century, and the reinvented Dinesh Karthik is reliving the success he had here on the Test tour of 2007; Virat Kohli has been good; MS Dhoni has shown his mind remains unbreakable, despite the storm of controversy over him back home. West Indies have their big match-winner in Chris Gayle — tougher conditions would test him more here. Roach will be the second big threat, and Sunil Narine would face his big test against batsmen who eat spinners for breakfast. Squads
India: MS Dhoni (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Karthik, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Amit Mishra, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Murali Vijay, Umesh Yadav. West Indies: Dwayne Bravo (capt), , Tino Best, Darren Bravo, Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Devon Smith. Today: INDIA vS WEST
INDIES |
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What’s happening back home doesn’t bother us: Dhoni London, June10 Dhoni, though, did lower his guard today when, indirectly and cleverly, media asked him about “dealing with pressure” and “ignoring what’s happening off the field”. In the past, Dhoni has said that he doesn’t read the newspapers or watch news on TV in India; in the UK, it’s infinitely easier to evade the screaming Indian newscasters and unpalatable newspaper headlines. Asked about India’s good show in the three matches they’ve played here, despite the bad publicity back home, Dhoni said there’s no correlation at all between the two. “Well, we don’t get to read any newspapers, so whatever is happening back home is happening back home,” he said. “We are just really doing our practice sessions and we’re doing the best we can.” He himself has dealt well with the situation, as batsman and captain, with scores of 18*, 91 and 27 in the three starts he’s had. How has he managed to remain unaffected by the controversies back home, especially the one involving his own name? “Well, I’ve always said being in the present really helps because it really takes off the things that’s not really in your control,” he said. “If you talk about what’s happening right now, we are busy doing our practice session, we had a team activity yesterday, and we are quite busy doing all that stuff, because those are the things that are really in our control and will really help us improve our game. Being in the present really helps, and that’s something I think most of the individuals, they need to do.” It’s easy to sympathise with Dhoni, and to understand why he can’t answer questions over contentious issues. It’s like walking the tightrope — a misstep and he could land smack in a blaze of controversy. What N Srinivasan said on Dhoni’s silence a few days ago is relevant, too; his words encapsulated the current philosophy of corporate and sports organisations -- on how to manage the flow of information. “These media events are basically goodwill exercises. These are meant for sending goodwill to the team,” he had said.
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Proteas stay afloat as Pakistan bow out
Edgbaston, June 10 Man of the match Hashim Amla profited from a dropped catch before he had reached double figures to score 81. Both teams were under pressure after losing their opening matches and a second defeat would almost certainly mean they could not reach the semi-finals.South Africa captain AB de Villers won the toss and Amla had scored only seven when he slashed a short delivery from Mohammad Irfan to backward point. Umar Amin, who had replaced Asad Shafiq in the Pakistan team, got the fingertips of his left hand to the ball but could not hold on to the chance.amla and Colin Ingram took the total to 53 in the 15th over when the latter was dismissed lbw by off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez for 20 trying to sweep.
— PTI Scoreboard South
Africa Ingram lbw b Hafeeez 20 Amlac Hafeez b Ajmal 81 du Plessis c Malik b Irfan 28 de Villiers run out (Misbah) 31 Duminy run out (Misbah) 24 Miller c Misbah b Junaid 19 McLaren lbw b Shoaib 4 Peterson not out 16 Morris run out 1 Phangiso run out 0 Extras: 10 Total: (9 wkts;50 ovs) 234 Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-122, 3-145, 4-186, 5-195, 6-203, 7-231, 8-234, 9-234 Bowling Irfan 7-1-27-1 Junaid 8-0-45-1 Hafeez 10-0-38-1 Riaz 9-0-50-0 Ajmal 10-0-42-1 Malik 6-0-27-1 Pakistan Farhat b Morris 2 Jamshed c & b Tsotsobe 42 Hafeez c Miller b Morris 7 Malik b Duminy 8 Misbah c Amla b Tsotsobe 55 Amin c Ingram b McLaren 16 Akmal c du Plessis b McLaren 0 Riaz b Phangiso 13 Ajmal c Ingram b McLaren 5 Junaid b McLaren 4 Irfan not out 0 Extras: 15 Total: (all out in 45 ovs) 167 Fall of wickets: 1-4 2-18 3-48 4-86 5-129 6-134 7-148 8-162 9-167 10-167 Bowling Tsotsobe 9-1-23-2 Morris 7-0-25-2 McLaren 8-3-19-4 Phangiso 10-0-50-1 Duminy 7-0-26-1 Peterson 4-0-17-0
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Saina gears up for title defence
Jakarta, June 10 The World number two Indian has been going through a lean patch this season. Though she reached the semifinals of the All England and Swiss Open earlier this year, Saina has not been able to win any tournament since last October. The Olympic bronze medallist also suffered a couple of defeats to lower-ranked players like Yui Hashimoto of Japan in the Indian Open and Juan Gu at the Thailand Open. But the 23-year-old from Hyderabad, who has scripted many memorable wins at the Istora Gelora Bung Karno Stadium here, will look to get her bearings when she opens her title defence against local player Lindaweni Fanetri tomorrow. The 2009, 2010 and 2012 winner has been clubbed in the second half of the draw and is likely to meet seventh seed Chinese Shixian Wang in the quarterfinals if she can get past the two initial rounds. If Saina can get across her old rival Shixian, then she is expected to meet the fourth seeded German Juliane Schenk in semifinals. The top seed Xuerui LI and third seed Yihan Wang of China and the teen sensation Ratchanok Intanon, seeded fifth, who won the Thailand Grand Prix last week, are in the first half of the draw.
— PTI |
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Rafa’s ‘impossible dream’
Nadal wept as he watched the Spanish flag being hoisted above Roland Garros after his 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over compatriot David Ferrer had made him the first man to win the same Grand Slam title eight times. But after missing the Olympics, the US and Australian Opens to rest his suspect left knee following his stunning second round exit at Wimbledon just under a year ago, Sunday's triumph seemed far off on the horizon as he rested up at his Mallorca home. "It's very emotional. It's a very important victory for me," said the 27-year-old, who now has 12 Grand Slam titles, the same as Roy Emerson, but five off the record held by Roger Federer. "It's a great personal satisfaction and I am only here because of so many people. It's difficult to compare other years but it's true that this is very special for me. "Five months ago, we never dreamed about this. I would have thought it would be impossible. But we are here, it's incredible, fantastic." Nadal has now won seven titles from nine finals since he returned to the tour in February, steadily building up his strength with victories in Sao Paulo, Acapulco, Indian Wells, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome before his crowning glory in the cold and drizzle of Paris. It was his 57th career title and his record for 2013 reads 43 wins and just two defeats, against unheralded Horacio Zeballos in the final at Vina del Mar in his first tournament back and Novak Djokovic in the Monte Carlo Masters final. He now has 59 wins out of 60 ties in Paris, making him the tournament's most successful match winner. Nadal admitted his time off tour caused deep soul-searching and some very low moments where his tennis recovery, if not his devotion to the gym, was limited. "I am a positive guy, but doubts are part of this life. People without doubts are arrogant because nothing is clear in this world. I had to work as hard as I could to be back here," he added. The key to getting back on the court, said Nadal, was staying off it for large parts of his Mallorca retreat. “I don't feel fitter than before. I feel like I was fitter in other parts of my career. But that's normal because I didn't practice as much as I did in the past. "In the past eight weeks, my practice has been my matches. I don't know how we did it to be back here. My movement when I came back was very bad but after a few weeks, I started to move well with the right intensity and the tennis was there."
— Agencies |
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Vettel’s win marred by marshal’s death in Canadian GP
Montreal, June 10 The worker was killed after being run over by a mobile crane that was removing the Sauber of Esteban Gutierrez from the side of the track after he crashed in the closing stages. Vettel, oblivious to the unfolding tragedy, captured his first Formula One victory on North American soil and extended his overall lead in the championship to 36 points over Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who finished second. Lewis Hamilton, who had won in Montreal three times before, was passed by Alonso seven laps from the end but made it a podium of champions by finishing third for Mercedes. Vettel, cruising to his 29th career win with little resistance, took the chequered flag 14.4 seconds clear of Spaniard Alonso. “It was a great race and I had a great start, which was important,” Vettel said. “Finally we got our first win, it's off the list now and it was great to win.” Vettel's Australian team mate, Mark Webber, came fourth, and set the fastest lap, after his front wing was damaged when he collided with Dutch rookie Giedo van der Garde's Caterham. Germany's Nico Rosberg crossed the line fifth.Hours after Vettel's win, the sport's governing body (FIA) announced the death of the marshal, which overshadowed a relatively incident-free race.
Results
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Special One is now the 'Happy One'
London, June 10 “If I have to choose a nickname for this period, I would choose ‘the Happy One’,” he declared. “I am very happy.” “Time flies. It looks like it was a couple of days but it was nine years ago when I first became manager,” he said after entering the room to a barrage of camera flashes. “I have the same nature, I am the same person. I would describe myself as a very happy person. It is the first time I arrive in a club where I already love the club. Before I had to build an emotional relationship and I only came to love the club a little later.” Mourinho won the 2005 and 2006 Premier League titles in his first spell with the west London club but departed in 2007. It was widely reported that he had suffered a breakdown in his relationship with billionaire owner Roman Abramovich, a claim the Portuguese was keen to play down. “I read and I kept listening I was fired, I was sacked, we had a complete break of relationships,” he said. “That was not true. Many people didn’t believe in that, but it was mutual agreement. At the time we thought it was best for both me and the club. Of course it was a sad moment, but I don’t regret that decision.” Since leaving Chelsea, Mourinho spent two years at Inter Milan where he won two Serie A titles, the domestic cup and the Champions League before moving to Real Madrid, where he won a La Liga title and a King’s Cup. The Portuguese has never spent more than three years managing at a single club, but he hopes to at least see out his four-year deal with Chelsea. “Yes, and now I’m prepared for that,” he said when asked if he wanted more stability in his career. “Before I wasn’t. I had always this kind of mentality. I have a contract for four years. I hope to go on the last day of that contract. If the club then wants me to stay, I’ll be more than happy.” Mourinho inherits a side which again qualified for the Champions League, after finishing third in the Premier League last season. They also won the Europa League but are in need of some restructuring if they are to overhaul northern giants Manchester United and City. After a difficult final season at Real Madrid, where Mourinho failed to win a major trophy, he will at least enjoy the support of fans who adored him when he was first at the club. He expects the pressure to be to greater, however, second time around. “I have more responsibility as the expectations are higher because people know what I can deliver.”
— Reuters |
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Woods, McIlroy favourites at US Open
Chandigarh, June 10 Other players to watch out for include Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Phil Mickleson and Matt Kutcher, Justin Rose and Brandt Snedeker, the latter three are currently ranked fourth, fifth and sixth in the world respectively. And the spectators will have a lot more to look forward to at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore. Kutcher, Rose and Snedeker will play together as will the three former world number ones — Lee Westwood, Luke Donald and Martin
Kaymer. The course is in excellent shape inspite of heavy rain in the Philadelphia area, resulting from the tropical storm Andrea. Furthermore, the most vulnerable area, the second smallest green (11th ) on the course has survived the flooding. It is also a famous site because this is where legendary golfer Bobby Jones sealed his Grand Slam in 1930, winning the U.S. Amateur on the 29th hole. The par-70 layout has been lengthened to play 6996 yards long. Most players in the US Open field will be hot from the action on the PGA Tour. On the European Tour Joost Lueten won the Lyoness Open in Austria last week. It was also a good week for Delhi’s Shiv Kapur who finished tied tenth at nine-under-par after completion of 72 holes. He is now looking forward to working on his game alongwith Italian coach Alberto Binaghi who has been credited for the successes of brothers, Eduardo and Francesco
Molinari. “I have known him for a while and had practiced at his academy in Italy last season. He has good knowledge about the short game, an area where I have not been doing well,” said
Kapur. Gaganjeet Bhullar, the other Indian professional in the field, finished 45th at two-under-par. The Asian Tour is back in action with the Queens Cup in Thailand. Chandigarh’s Ajitesh Sandhu, Abijit Sngh Chandha and Sujjan Singh will participate in the tournament. |
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Scrappy Brazil beat France 3-0
Porto Alegre, June 10 Second-half goals from Oscar, Hernanes and Lucas gave the under-fire Confederations Cup hosts a timely pre-tournament tonic in the city where coach Luiz Felipe Scolari built his reputation. Brazil, who ended a six-match, 21-year winless run against France, had gone into the game under enormous pressure after only one win in six outings since Scolari returned for a second stint in the job last November. While the result, if not the performance, will give Brazil some relief, France were left to face the long flight back from their brief South American tour reflecting on their fourth defeat in five matches this year and their fifth in 11 outings under Didier Deschamps.
— Reuters |
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Heat smash Spurs to level NBA Finals 1-1
Miami, June 10 It was a total team effort from Miami, and they needed it with LeBron James (17 points) not at his explosive best. Four other Heat players stepped up to reach double figures — Mario Chalmers top scoring with 19. San Antonios ‘Big Three’ of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan combined were just 10 for 33, with Duncan’s 3-13 shooting his worst in an NBA Finals game. “They outplayed us,” said Duncan, “We didn’t play well, we didn’t shoot well and I know I played awfully.” After a first half that mirrored the tight nature of Game One, with San Antonio’s Danny Green scoring four of four three-pointers, Miami broke away in the third and headed into the final quarter with a 75-65 lead. League MVP James was strangely ineffective on offensive, however, managing just eight points on three of 13 shooting through three quarters and missing a couple of routine lay-ups. However, he came alive late in the third and carried a more aggressive approach through the fourth as Miami finally produced the offensive power that was the hallmark of their form until the Finals. “When I was struggling offensively, my team mates continued to keep it in range and we even had the lead,” said James. Game Three is on Tuesday in San Antonio. — Reuters |
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Indian squash team starts with win
New Delhi, June 10 The opening day finished with a thriller when eighth seeds India were forced to fight back from a match down to beat Argentina 2-1 at the 24th staging of the event since 1967. Mahesh Mangaonkar settled the issue in his team's favour with a 3-1 victory over Leandro Romiglio.
— PTI |
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AI pip Punjab to win hockey nationals Pune, June 10 They went ahead 5-0 before Deepak Thakur scored for Punjab in the 54th minute. Punjab looked jaded and could manage only two goals, both scored by the experienced Thakur. For Air India, veteran Sameer Dad scored two goals. — PTI
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It’s the worst of times for Indian cricket, it’s the best of times for Indian team; if this sounds contradictory, well, that’s what Indian cricket is most of the times. The hideousness of the scandals of the IPL, the infernal gloom that has hung over Indian cricket for the last several weeks, have been dispiriting. Club cricket has been shown to be venal and corrupt; cricket for country has provided the antidote over the last few days here.
Paris, June 10
