Greater Noida, October 26
Sebastian Vettel has made it a habit of finishing first this season. And there were no surprises on Saturday, as the defending champion zoomed to pole position in the qualifying session of the Indian Grand Prix to put himself in line for a fourth straight world championship crown.

Vettel, fastest in the third practice session in the morning, pressed on in the qualifying session in the afternoon.

The German clocked 1:24.119 to earn his third straight pole position at the Buddh International Circuit (BIC), warding off a stiff challenge by Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg, by 0.752 seconds.

It was Vettel’s 43rd pole of the career and seventh of the season, to declare loud and clear that he would, in all probability, be crowned the champion here, as he just needs to finish fifth or better.

After his brilliant driving, Vettel, who will be going for a third consecutive crown at the Indian GP, repeated his oft-repeated words: “I like this circuit…I like the flow of this track, especially around the the middle sector. It’s challenging with high speed corners.”

He said it was a great result for the team, and he was eagerly waiting for “what the results bring tomorrow”.

“I can’t wait. Until tomorrow, it’s good morning from me”, Vettel said, articulating his desire to be crowned the world champion at one of his favourite circuits.

Vettel was all praise for his machine too. “It has been a brilliant weekend. The car was very good. We did not change much.”

The qualifying witnessed many tantalizing twists and turns, and Lewis Hamilton of Merdedes powered his way, when it mattered the most, to take the third position with a time of 1:24.941. Red Bull’s Mark Webber was pushed to the fourth position at 1:25.047. Filipe Massa pipped his Ferrari team-mate Fernando Alonso to finish fifth.

Alonso, who led the chase briefly, will start the race in eighth slot (1:25.934), two behind Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus.

The Finn sped past his fancied team mate Romain Grosiean on a murky day when the morning session got delayed by 20 minutes due to visibility problem. 

Mallya pins hopes on British Carting champ Jehan Ever since Vijay Mallya acquired Spyker FI team and re-named it as Force India, he has been often asked when an Indian driver would be in the cockpit of the team’s racing car. And that question may be answered sooner than later, after Jehan Daruvala’s victory in the British KF3 Championship. “He still has a very long way to go. But one day, we hope to see him in the cockpit of Force India,” said Mallya, with a big smile on his face. Mallya said F1 was a different ball game, and only those with a capacity for hard work and skill could go up the ladder, as Jehan has proved, by becoming the first-ever Indian driver to win a British Carting Championship. Mallya said Jehan was the brightest talent to emerge from Sahara Force India’s “One From A Billion” programme.

Chennai, October 26
With a defiant Sahara group refusing to furnish the requisite bank guarantee, the BCCI today decided to terminate Pune warriors from the IPL after a meeting of its all-powerful working committee.

The decision to terminate Pune, owned by Sahara, would leave the IPL an eight-team affair for the time being.

“Given Sahara’s continued position that it would not deliver the bank guarantee, the Working Committee unanimously determined to terminate the Sahara franchise agreement while taking whatever action was necessary to protect the BCCI position,” BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.

The Board said Sahara was due to furnish the guarantee of Rs 170.2 crore in March this year but has failed to do so despite five reminders.

“The BCCI Working Committee today discussed the situation regarding default by Sahara Adventure Sports (Sahara) in not submitting the bank guarantee for the the Pune franchise of IPL for the 2014,” the statement read.

“As per terms of this franchise agreement this bank guarantee was due for delivery in March 2013, more than six months ago. Over the last six months, the BCCIs advisors have written to Sahara on five separate occasions (in April, May, June, August and October) requesting that the bank guarantee be put in place, with the final letter being sent on October 8, 2013,” it added.

The Pune Warriors have been on collision course with the BCCI after the Board encashed its bank guarantee for the 2013 season due to non-payment of franchise fee. — PTI

Lahli (Rohtak), October 26
Retirements and farewells are emotional affairs. They invoke a sense of achievement, a sense of fulfilment. It's time to look back and forward, too. But above all, it's time to express gratitude.

At Lahli, the venue for Sachin Tendulkar's probably last domestic game, the Haryana-Mumbai Ranji opener, the sense of gratitude, celebration and sentimentalism is overwhelming. For the locals, it's overwhelming to see Tendulkar playing one of his last few innings in their backyard, right in front of their eye.

For over two decades, people here have adored him, idolized him and worshipped him as elsewhere. And it's sheer luck that they are getting a chance to see him in action before he walks into the sunset at the end of the Wankhede Test.

The man himself, however, was his usual self - cheerful, enthusiastic and involved with the team. He began his training for the match just like he does for any other game. He warmed up with his teammates, spent some time in the nets, took throw-downs, rested for a while, and then watched Zaheer Khan and Dhawal Kulkarni bowl.

Captains of both sides took turns to deliver speeches that had farewell tones to it. Haryana captain Ajay Jadeja, 42, who is making a comeback to the domestic cricket, said, "Even if my son comes to watch this match, he will be watching Sachin, not me." "It's exciting and emotional for all of us in Mumbai team. We want to do well for him," said Mumbai captain Zaheer Khan.

As for the match, everyone knows who the favourites are. Even though the home team has ambushed heavyweights umpteen times at this venue, they would know Mumbai have massive edge going into the contest.

The wicket here isn't known to be generous to batsmen but the likes of Wasim Jaffer, Abhishek Nayar and Co. have mastered the art of getting any total on any track. What makes Haryana's task even more difficult is that the visitors have come with a purpose; and they have already stated it: to give a fitting farewell to their hero Sachin Tendulkar.

Jadeja captured the mood by saying, "There's obviously been a lot of build-up to this match, and I hope it's a good contest."

Mumbai, October 26
Warnings of a possible terror attack during Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell Test at Wankhede Stadium from November 14 to 18 has sent the security agencies into a tizzy. With 45,000 expected to throng the venue on the occasion, the police have been told not to take any chances.

“We have a security drill in place which will be implemented during the match,” said an official of the state home department.

While the police will be out in full strength in South Mumbai, contingents of the State Reserve Police and Rapid Action Force will be deployed in and around the match venue.

Police say they will ask the residents of high buildings, which allow a clear view of the Wankhede Stadium, to lock their terraces and deny entry to the outsiders.

In the past, too, the police have asked the residents of these buildings to barricade windows overlooking the stadium. However, following a hue and cry from the occupants, the police have settled for stricter patrols and inspections instead.

Mohali, October 26
Even if you aren’t a great admirer of Harbhajan Singh, you will at least give him this — he has been given fewer comeback opportunities than the rest of the out-of-favour India veterans.

While the likes of Virender Sehwag, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir have been offered India A lifelines, the off-spinner wasn’t named in any of these sides. While the more or less overlapping CLT20 may be the reason for that, it essentially confined him to T20 cricket, where he did reasonably well, especially in the IPL.

So even as he prepares for the Ranji opener against Orissa in Mohali, the off-spinner has his sights set on the October 29 selection for the upcoming West Indies tour. “I think I’ve done well in the IPL and the Champions League, I hope it’s taken note of,” said the off-spinner.

It’s of course a little sad to see a veteran of 100 Tests and 400 Test wickets to pin his comeback hopes on T20 wickets, but he can’t be faulted for thinking along those lines. With many making it to the national team on the back of their IPL showings, it’s only fair that he, too, is counting on it, more so when that’s the only opportunity he had been offered in the last eight months or so.

Besides, another disadvantage he had to contend with, compared to spinners elsewhere, is the pacer-friendly wicket at Mohali. With winters setting in, the wicket becomes less and less spin-friendly. ‘It’s of course a disadvantage but then you can’t do anything about it. You’ve got to play on whatever surface is offered to you. Hopefully, I will have a few good spells here and make a comeback.”

“With players as experienced and successful as him, it’s more a question of their state of mind. Right now, he’s feeling good about his game; he’s working hard and should make a comeback sooner than later,” said Bhupinder Singh, the Punjab coach.

Cuttack, October 26
When it comes to generating thrills, watching the rain fall ranks right next to other heart-stopping activities such as watching the paint dry and counting the waves at the seashore.

The residents of Cuttack have been afforded these thrills for the last four days.

Cuttack is called the Millennium City because it is over a thousand years old; the city’s infrastructure seems to be a 1,000 years old, too. It’s definitely antiquated, and the heavy rains have made it burst at the seams.

The good people of Cuttack are sick of the water torture.

The cricketers have felt the same way.

The sun made a brief appearance over Cuttack today, but it was only after ensuring that the fifth One-day International between India and Australia had been abandoned. By then, stray dogs and cats were cavorting on the hallowed turf reserved for the players.

The players, possibly overflowing with a similar animal yearning for physical activity, were sick of being confined to the great indoors of their hotel in Bhubaneswar. One of them, Aaron Finch, came to the ground to relieve the media of their own state of ennui.

So, what did the Australians do yesterday 28 km away in Bhubaneswar, even as a record 175 mm of rain pelted down here in Cuttack?

“Yesterday we had a big table tennis tournament as a squad,” Finch, a sturdy hitter of the ball, said with a chuckle. “A couple of support staff were in there too, the doctor and the chairman of selectors. It was just a bit of fun.”

“There is not a lot you can do around the hotel, with a pool table, a table tennis table… A lot of coffee was drunk,” Finch said.

Did they think and talk cricket, too? Finch said the team is happy with the situation they are in, despite the tedium caused by two back-to-back washouts. The previous match in Ranchi was abandoned halfway, and not a single ball was bowled here in Cuttack. This has turned the series into a five-match contest. “We can’t control the weather, can we? So whether it’s a five-match or a seven-game series, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “The best team is still going to come out and win this series at the end of the day.”

Would they treat the sixth game in Nagpur like a final, to ensure Australia won the series there, rather than in Bangalore?

“We’re very confident that we’re playing good cricket at the moment, and I’m sure India are as well,” he said. “They were in a good position the other night (in Ranchi) when the game was called off, unfortunately. So I think it’s like a mini final series. India have to win two to win the series, we have to win one to win the series. That’s a position that we obviously are happy being in, being 2-1 up.”

But being forced to remain indoors made the team quite unhappy.

“They are quite long days, and very boring days sometimes,” Finch said. “You’re sitting around not knowing what’s happening the following day, whether you’re going to play or not, whether it’s going to be a short game. So it’s just very boring, really.”

Nagpur, and then Bangalore, should bring the teams, the media and the fans some relief.

Dubai, October 26
Slow bowlers Imran Tahir and JP Duminy spun South Africa to a series-levelling innings and 92-run victory over Pakistan on day four of the second Test in Dubai on Saturday.

Tahir (3/98) and Duminy (3/67) were the central figures for the world’s top Test team, whose pace attack was made to look impotent with the wicket offering very little in the way of pace and bounce. With the series squared 1-1, South Africa have now completed 11 away series without defeat, their last loss coming in Sri Lanka in 2006. Asad Shafiq, who hit a career-best 130 to stall the South African victory charge, was the last wicket to fall when he was stumped by AB de Villiers off the bowling of Duminy.

Brief scores: Pakistan 99 and 326 (Shafiq 130, Misbah 88; Duminy 3/67, Tahir 3/98) v South Africa 517. — Reuters

New Delhi, October 26
New national men's hockey chief coach Terry Walsh is looking at a timeframe of five to seven years for the country to regain its lost glory at the world level and feels short term success would be of no lasting use.

“I understand where Indian hockey was and where it is. I also understand how my performance works along with Roelant Oltmans (Hockey India's high performance manager). It's a process and it takes time for the change to come,” said the Australian, who has come here with Oeltmans to witness the last stages of the 48th Bombay Gold Cup tournament being held at the Mahindra Stadium, at a media conference today.

“Always the question is how long? Everybody wants tomorrow, but it's not possible. It probably could be somewhere between 5-7 years to be consistently in the very top of the world,” said the Aussie. “The process is the key part .... it will take quite a few years to consistently get a good result. It's possible to get a short term result but that's not of any use. We are looking for consistency and progression over the next 4-6 years and then beyond.” “It's a process to develop a style that works for Indian hockey players and the style that works primarily for Indian hockey players is the Indian style of hockey. But it must have elements that shore up the defence,” said the Western Australian who is to celebrate his 60th birthday next month. — PTI

Basel, October 26
Federer, a five-time champion in the city of his birth, played a second-set tiebreaker to perfection against the 22-year-old on Friday. 17-time major winner Federer also strengthened his position for a place in the eight-man World Tour Finals starting in London in 10 days.

He stands provisional seventh as he heads into a Saturday semi-final with Canadian Vasek Pospisil, who beat Ivan Dodig 7-6 (13/11), 6-4. Federer could qualify for London if he wins a sixth title in Basel on Sunday, according to ATP calculations.

Federer was pleased to be finding some consistent form after one of the poorest seasons of his career. He began with a wobble on Friday and was forced to save five break points in his opening service game. "It was very important to win in two sets," said Federer. — PTI

Barcelona, October 26
Neymar stole the show from the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale when the Brazilian's strike set Barcelona on the way to a 2-1 win over Real Madrid in Saturday's 'Clasico' at the Nou Camp.

Barca landed a blow in the title race when Neymar scored a clinical goal in the 19th minute before substitute Alexis Sanchez netted with a brilliant chip 11 minutes from time in the 167th league meeting between the bitter rivals. Jese came off the bench to pull a goal back in the first minute of added time but it was little more than a consolation for Real, who were outplayed for long periods and slip six points behind the champions with 10 matches played. Unbeaten Barca's victory puts them on 28 points, ahead of third-placed Real at the top of the standings. —Reuters

BRIEFLY

Mumbai
Air India to meet Indian Oil in Bombay Gold Cup final
Star-studded Indian Oil and Air India would meet in the final of the 48th Bombay Gold Cup Hockey Tournament tomorrow. In the semifinals today, IOL overwhelmed local super league champions Western Railway 7-1 while AI rallied to edge out Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited 3-2 after trailing 1-2 in the first half. Indian Oil rode roughshod over the local railmen in the first semifinal and took a commanding 4-0 lead before Western found their mark for the first and only time in the game. Ebullient striker Prabhjot Singh scored two late goals for Indian Oil while fullback V Raghunath also scored a brace of penalty corner goals. The second semi final between AI and BPCL was a hard-fought affair in contrast to the first and the airmen prevailed when ex-international Samir Dad scored the match-winner in the 60th minute.

New Delhi
Decision to amend constitution unlikely in GBM
Faced with the International Olympic Committee’s stern directive to bar charge-framed persons from contesting elections, the Indian Olympic Association meets here tomorrow in a special General Body Meeting which, however, is unlikely to take any final decision. A top IOA official said that tomorrow’s special GBM may not take a final decision on IOC’s diktat to amend the constitution by October 31 and hold elections before the end of this year but may see some officials expressing views that it’s futile to continue confrontation with the world body. With the IOC unyielding in its stance to ban tainted officials from contesting elections, a section within the IOA now wants to end the impasse as any further delay may impact on the country’s preparations for next year’s Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

Bhubaneswar
Selection camp for Tata Football Academy
A two-day coaching-cum-selection camp will be organised here for recruiting best soccer talents from the state into the prestigious Tata Football Academy (TFA). The camp will be held at Unit VI playground on October 28 and 29. The candidates need to bring documents regarding age certification, a Tata release said. Reputed coaches from TFA and UK-based Sheffield’s United Football Club will be conducting the assessment and trials. — PTI

Patiala
Indian shooters win 37 medals in Tehran
Indian shooters won 37 medals (9 Gold, 12 Silver and 16 Bronze) in the 6th Air Gun Shooting Championship in Tehran, Iran. Kapil Kumar (10m jr. men), Samarjit Singh (10m youth men), Malaika Goel (10m youth women) and Sanjeev Rajput (50m rifle prone men) won individual gold medals. India had sent a big contingent of 65 shooters in senior, junior and youth categories. This was the most successful competition from Indian perspective. — TNS

Bangalore
Petroleum Minister Moily upset with BAI
Union Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily today said that his Ministry was concerned about the way the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has treated the ace shuttle Jwala Gutta. The Minister had met Jwala, who is an employee of the Bharat Petroleum Company, on the issue of BAI’s disciplinary action against her for alleged indiscipline and shot a letter to the Sports Minister Jitendra Singh on October 23, requesting him to intervene and solve the impasse amicably. — PTI