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champions
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Making a political point on cricket pitch
Kirsten bites the bullet, says they choked
CSK players given flats by a bookie, claims Modi
Srinivasan, Dalmiya likely to attend ICC meeting
Saina in quarters of Singapore Open
Messi summoned by judge in tax fraud case
Woods out of action until British Open
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champions
trophy Dominant India hammer Sri Lanka, set up final clash with hosts England on Sunday Rohit Mahajan in England
The Indian juggernaut rolls on. The change of conditions didn’t matter. The change in the nature of the pitch didn’t matter. Sri Lanka were simply crushed and swept aside in the wake of the Indian march. No-hopers when the tournament started, the Indian team put up another stunning performance to reach the final of the Champions Trophy. Their domination was total — with the ball, with the bat. India won by eight wickets, with 15 overs to spare. They face hosts England in the final at Birmingham on Sunday. That would be a tougher contest, against a tougher opponent playing at home, but India would like their chances. That’s what Ishant Sharma said after the match ended when asked if England would be their toughest challenge. “If we play the way we’ve played, I don’t think we need to change anything for the final,” Ishant, the Man of the Match for his 3/33 in nine overs said. Before this match, the tracks that India have played on have been firmer and dryer; there has been greater assistance to the slower bowlers than quick bowlers — why, those pitches could well have been the subcontinental ones transported here. But it was different here. Rain in the morning had made the turf moist and the air heavy; the outfield was slower and the ball struggled to cross the boundary — thus Sri Lanka ran three runs five times, India did that three times. It all made it a tough challenge to merely survive, let alone score runs. It did seem tougher in the morning. Sri Lanka’s batting got knocked out by the Indians, and 181 was woefully inadequate. Opening the innings, Tillakaratne Dilshan remained unbeaten on 18 when the innings ended on 181/8. In between, Sri Lankan batsmen endured difficulties and disaster. Then Shikhar Dhawan, the man of the moment, steered the Indian innings with ease. Dhawan delights
In typically English conditions, Dhawan passed his greatest examination since his astonishing Test debut in the middle of March this year. His 187 on debut, remarkable in itself due to his timing and ease of scoring, did prompt the sceptics to say — ‘Wait, let's see what he can do abroad’. Today it got as English as it could, with rain in the morning, a delayed start to the match, and the threat of showers or drizzle throughout. Dhawan came out through this test by water with flying colours. Dhawan made 68 off 92 balls, with six fours and a six; Virat Kohli then accelerated the chase with 58 off 64 balls, with four fours and a six. India romped home. Dhawan, nerveless yet again, got his first runs in with firm and sure strokeplay. Beginning with firm drive for four through the covers off Lasith Malinga, Dhawan added 77 runs for the first wicket with Rohit Sharma (33 off 50 balls). The partnership ended when Rohit, as is his habit, threw away his wicket with an inadvisable shot — charging down to Angelo Mathews, after perhaps losing his head, Rohit lost his stumps too. Dhawan had a lucky escape, when he was dropped by a diving Mathews at first slip off Nuwan Kulasekara in the ninth over of the innings; Dhawan had made only 18 then. It was a tough catch, but these catches are expected to be taken in international cricket. Dhawan made it count. India and Sri Lanka play very often, but this was a very different sort of contest — this can be gauged by the fact that as many as seven maiden overs were bowled by the Indians. It was a tough track to bat on — it helped the pace bowlers, it had good bounce and carry, and it allowed the spinners to rip the ball and grip the track. Bang on target
Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled nine overs on the trot for 18 runs; Ishant Sharma got steepling bounce and picked up three for 33 off nine overs; R Ashwin took three for 48 off 10; and Ravindra Jadeja gave away only 33 runs in 10 overs, picking up one wicket. The pacers and spinners all shone; if Ashwin gave away a relatively higher number of runs, it was because he was bowling to a plan of targeting the right-hander's leg-stump. Sri Lanka were 41/3 in 18 overs — practically 41/4 actually, because Dilshan had gone off the ground with an injury — and they did well to recover to 119/3, before settling down for 181. They showed fight, but to beat India, they needed much more. Scoreboard India |
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Making a political point on cricket pitch
Cardiff, June 20 Then, during the 18th over of the Indian chase, six men burst into the ground, from different directions. Some of them ran towards the pitch, a few simply lay down on the ground even as the marshals chased them, then sat down on them or secured them and marched them out. It emerged that they were Sri Lankan Tamils or their sympathisers, and were protesting against the “human rights violations” of fellow Tamils in Sri Lanka. Nasser Hussain and Shane Warne, then on commentary on air, dismissed them as “loonies” and a “disgrace”. There had been Tamil protestors in the other venues too, but they had remained off the turf and, consequently, easily ignored. Today the protestors exited the fringes and made the big picture. The intruders were arrested. Indian colours
The Indian flag cost £3 for one, the scarf at £5. Not a big price for Indian supporters, who drove, train-hopped and bussed their way to Cardiff in massive numbers today. The 16,000 capacity ground had quite a few gaps in the stands where people should have been, but the scary reports of rain hitting the ground often and regularly through the day possibly dissuaded many ticket-holders from journeying to Cardiff. The flag-sellers had got their calculations right — most had exclusively Indian flags or merchandise in Indian colours. There weren’t too many Sri Lankans in the stands — the Indians, deprived of opposition to shout down or heckle, were genial, drunk and happy. They had a great time — an Indian monsoon, misty and cloudy, right in the middle of the English summer — and a commanding Indian performance. Dhoni rolls over his arm The remarkable MS Dhoni, seeing the pitch helping his seam bowlers, decided to have a bowl himself. To have a bowl in international cricket is not quite a conceit of his mind — he’s quite a regular bowler in Indian nets, and seems to enjoy it. He’s now bowled 19 overs in international cricket, many of them in “live” situations — ie at times when giving away runs could have proved crucial. He nearly got a wicket today, when the umpire Aleem Dar gave Mahela Jayawardene out LBW to him. Dhoni’s second came back sharply and hit Jayawardene on the pads. Dhoni appealed, and Dar raised his finger; Jayawardene reviewed the decision; it emerged that he had knicked the ball on to his pads. The decision was reversed. Curiously enough, at the Lord’s Test against England, Dhoni had bowled on the second day of the match, and got Kevin Pietersen. Pietersen reviewed the decision, and was given not out. |
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Kirsten bites the bullet, says they choked
London, June 20 Wednesday's heavy Champions Trophy semi-final defeat by England at The Oval, where the Proteas could only score 175 all out in a seven-wicket defeat, was an eighth last-four loss out of nine played in major tournaments. Kirsten, now leaving after two years to be replaced by Russell Domingo, did not offer any clear answers about their mental scars but pulled no punches in his assessment. “We need to be honest with ourselves. I think we did choke the game. We have to accept what it is,” Kirsten told a news conference. He said the “horrible word” had been used in team meetings in an effort to conquer the issue but it remained a “mist”. “It's going to require some really tough individuals to overcome it. I don't know if I've left the team in a better state. Certainly we haven't improved. Maybe it's a good decision I'm leaving,” he said. — Reuters
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CSK players given flats by a bookie, claims Modi
New Delhi, June 20 In a series of tweets, Modi made several claims such as a real estate businessman had tried to acquire IPL franchisee in 2010 but was not allowed by him and that he also gave CSK players flats. Modi though did not reveal the name of the person. “Just been informed from reliable sources 3 players from Chennai Super Kings have been hanging around with a nightclub owner/ real estate ...,” Modi, who is living in London, wrote on his twitter page. “...real estate king who also runs a book and is a big punter had given these boys flats in his new bandra sea face complex, Noida in Delhi,” Modi alleged. — PTI
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Srinivasan, Dalmiya likely to attend ICC meeting
New Delhi, June 20 As things stand now, there are strong indications that both Srinivasan and Dalmiya will be attending the three-day conference along with BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel who will also represent India at the CEO's meet. "We are yet to decide on this issue and anything concrete will only be finalised by tomorrow evening," Dalmiya told PTI today. While Srinivasan has been unavailable for comment, sources in the BCCI indicated that the Tamil Nadu strongman has made it amply clear that he is not ready to back out from the meeting. As far as Dalmiya is concerned, sources close to the CAB President have informed that his travel itinerary is ready and he has already started doing a bit of homework for the meetings beginning from June 23. Senior BCCI officials are of the view that Srinivasan will attend the important meeting where the heads of all cricket boards will be discussing the possibility of uniform implementation of Decision Review System, while Dalmiya will be attending a few other meetings lined up during the conference. "This seems to be the only way out for the Board at this point of time," a working committee member said. Another interesting viewpoint that is making the round in BCCI circle about Srinivasan being adamant on attending the meeting is regarding the post of ICC Chairman, which will come into effect from 2014. The members in the BCCI feel that Srinivasan wants to gauge the mood of the other member nations. — PTI
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Saina in quarters of Singapore Open
Singapore, June 20 However, all other Indians in the fray lost their respective second round matches to bow out of the competition. The world number 2 Indian shuttler took a little more than an hour to pack off the Japanese 16-21, 21-16, 21-9 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The 23-year-old from Hyderabad will next take on Lindaweni Fanetri of Indonesia in the last-eight stage. Both Saina and Hirose started on equal footing in the opening game and it was a neck-and-neck battle till 14-14 before the Japanese girl opened up a slender two-point lead. She then successfully managed to keep the Indian at bay by maintaining a healthy gap to wrap up the game in her favour. Saina bounced back in the second game and surged ahead to 4-1 but Hirose clawed back with five straight points and opened up a 6-4 lead. Thereafter though, the game was seen tilting from one end to another and the two were tied at 12-12. Saina then successfully broke free and eventually moved up to 20-16 before taking the match to the decider. The third game was a cakewalk for Saina as her opponent ran out of steam to let the Indian register an easy win. In the men’s singles meanwhile, Sai Praneeth B went down fighting 11-21, 21-17, 16-21 to Wei Feng Chong of Malaysia in a second round match. Sai Praneeth, who had stunned world No 4 Yun Hu of Hong Kong in his opening round match, could not repeat Wednesday’s performance as he lost in a contest that lasted 53 minutes. India’s campaign also ended in both mixed doubles and men’s doubles events. While the men’s doubles pair of Pranaav Jerry Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar lost to the sixth seeded Korean duo of Baek Choel Shin and Yeon Seong Yoo 14—21 19—21 in 33 minutes, Arun Vishnu and Aparna Balan were outplayed by Indonesians Praveen Jordan and Vita Marissa 10—21 18—21 in just 27 minutes in the mixed doubles. — PTI
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Brazil, Italy make it to the semifinals
Fortaleza, Brazil, June 20 Neymar met the ball at a difficult height after Mexico defender Francisco Rodriguez failed to properly clear a header and showed great technique to volley the ball left-footed past Jose Corona in the ninth minute. He brought the crowd to its feet again in stoppage time when he slipped between two Mexican defenders and crossed for substitute Jo to score easily. Earlier, 21-year-old said on Facebook that he had been "inspired" by the protests which have rocked Brazilian cities in the last few days. Brazil, who have won both Group A games without conceding a goal, dominated the first 20 minutes but Mexico, who have lost their two matches, came close to an equaliser several times. The game went ahead against the backdrop of demonstrations outside the stadium with protesters demanding "health, education, not corruption." On the field, Brazil produced an electrifying opening with Neymar, who was at the heart of many of the quick counter-attacks, rifling another shot over the crossbar. In the second half, Brazil attacked only in fits and starts, one of their best chances falling to Hulk who played a delightful one-two with Neymar but then spoiled it by firing wide. A thrilling come-back
Recife: Substitute Sebastian Giovinco tapped in a late goal to secure Italy a thrilling 4-3 win over Japan on Wednesday and a semifinal berth. Giovinco slotted home the winner in the 86th minute after latching onto a cross in the area, capping a pulsating contest that saw the Azzurri edge ahead with three consecutive goals after trailing 2-0 before halftime. Shinji Okazaki nodded a lovely, glancing header past Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon from a Yasuhito Endo free kick to level at 3-3 in the 69th minute, and Japan tried desperately to respond to Giovinco's late score in a frenetic finish but to no avail. Italy might consider themselves lucky after starting poorly and benefiting from an own goal by Japan defender Atsuto Uchida. Japan began confidently and had their first goal in the 21st minute when Keisuke Honda slotted home a penalty kick. They doubled their lead in the 33rd minute after the Italian defence missed a high ball and it fell to Shinji Kagawa who hammered it home. Italy equalised, with goals from de Rossi and an own goal by Uchida, and took the lead from a penalty. Okazaki's goal gave Japan renewed hope, but sloppy defending opened the door for Giovinco to grab the clincher. — Reuters |
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Messi summoned by judge in tax fraud case
Madrid, June 20 Earlier in the day, Spanish media reported that an examining magistrate had brought official charges against the Messis but a writ showed the two had been summoned to give evidence. The magistrate has accepted a complaint from the Catalonia tax crime prosecutor, who has accused Barcelona's World Player of the Year and his father of defrauding the Spanish tax office of more than 4 million euros. — Reuters
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Woods out of action until British Open
Toronto, June 20 Woods had been suffering minor discomfort before last week’s US Open at Merion, where he aggravated the problem and was seen wincing and shaking his left arm on several occasions. “I was examined after I returned home from the U.S. Open, and the doctors determined I have a left elbow strain,” the American said in a statement on his website. “I have been advised to take a few weeks off, rest and undergo treatment. I’ll be ready to go for the British Open and I’m looking forward to playing at Muirfield.” The 14-times major champion was a big favourite to win the U.S. Open but poor putting and iron play left him 12 shots behind winner Justin Rose. Woods had been scheduled to play in the June 27-30 AT&T National at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland, where he triumphed last year to move past Jack Nicklaus into second place on the all-time PGA Tour winners’ list. The July 18-21 British Open at Muirfield in Scotland is the third of golf’s four annual major championships. — Reuters
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The Indian juggernaut rolls on. The change of conditions didn’t matter. The change in the nature of the pitch didn’t matter. Sri Lanka were simply crushed and swept aside in the wake of the Indian march. No-hopers when the tournament started, the Indian team put up another stunning performance to reach the final of the Champions Trophy.
London, June 20
