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England saved their worst for the last and crashed like a pack of cards to hand Australia a 5-0 win, third time in the Ashes |
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Man who made Poms tremble
Agony for Federer, joy for Nadal
Roger Federer walks between points during his loss to Lleyton Hewitt in the final at the Brisbane International on Sunday; and Rafael Nadal celebrates after beating Gael Monfils in the final of Qatar’s ExxonMobil Open in Doha late on Saturday. AFP
I don’t play cricket for selfish reasons, says struggling Gambhir
Classy Arsenal beat Spurs in FA Cup
Eusebio da Silva Ferreira: 1942-2014
Punjabi varsity emerge overall champs in fencing championship
Jeev to visit physician who healed Vijay, Couples
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England saved their worst for the last and crashed like a pack of cards to hand Australia a 5-0 win, third time in the Ashes
Sydney, January 5 A big clue to how Australia managed that turnaround came when paceman Mitchell Johnson was awarded the Compton-Miller medal as Man of the Series after taking 37 wickets at a shade under 14 apiece over the five Tests. Johnson's ferocious pace again played an integral part in Australia's victory in Sydney but it was no one man show and his fellow quick Ryan Harris won Man of the Match honours after taking five for 25 as England were skittled for 166 on Sunday. “It's very special after the roller-coaster ride, the ups and downs of 2013,” said Australia captain Michael Clarke, who also played in the 2006-7 sweep but clearly not that of 1920-21. “It's been a lot of work to get us where we are today. I said to the bowlers at the start of the series that I thought they were the best attack in the world and I think they've shown that in five Test matches.” Johnson's revival was even more remarkable than that achieved by Australia, turning him from a figure of ridicule for England's travelling Barmy Army into a bowler who struck fear into the touring batsmen. It was his intervention after tea on Sunday that turned what had been a stately progression to victory into another humiliating rout for the tourists. After finally dismissing Chris Rogers for 119 and bowling Australia out for 276, England stumbled to the break on 87 for three chasing a highly improbable 448 for victory. A fifth thumping victory had always looked on the cards after Australia's pace attack tore through England's top order in the first hour of day two. A more spectacular collapse in 11 balls after the second interval on day three made it certain with Johnson dismissing opener Michael Carberry for 43 and Gary Ballance three balls later in the first over. Spinner Nathan Lyon took over for the next over and he dismissed Jonny Bairstow (zero) and Scott Borthwick (four) to reduce the tourists to 95-7 in a matter of minutes. With England's top order failing yet again, Ben Stokes (32) and Stuart Broad (42) provided their country's stiffest resistance down the order but they could only delay the inevitable. Harris bowled them both before performing the coup de grace on debutant Boyd Rankin and the SCG rose to hail the Australia team. “I think today's batting was a culmination of being under the kosh for four and a half games,” said Alastair Cook. “Credit to Australia, I can't even count on how many sessions we won. That's a pretty daunting stat to take but a very realistic statistic.” — Reuters Brief scores: Australia 326, 276; England 155 and 166 (Cook 7, Carberry 43, Bell 16, Bailey 6, Ballance 7, Stokes 32, Bairstow 0, Borthwick 4, Broad 42, Anderson 1no, Rankin 0, Harris 5-25, Johnson 3-40).
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Man who made Poms tremble
Sydney, January 5 There are few cricketers more enigmatic than the quietly spoken and introspective Queenslander, whose fortunes over his test career have mirrored those of his country — in his pomp from his debut in 2007 to 2009, with a steady decline and the occasional brilliant performance since. Recalled for the current series after more than a year in the test wilderness, he buried five years of ridicule from England fans at his sometimes erratic bowling with a barrage of deliveries in excess of 150 kilometres per hour. For perhaps the first time since the retirement of Glenn McGrath, there was fear in the eyes of the English batsmen, particularly those of the tailenders. "I hate to say I told you all so, but I told you all so," Clarke laughed. Man of the Series, who would have thought? Except me and perhaps Mitch.” "To be able to bowl at that pace is one thing, to do it for five test matches, every single innings to be able to back it up is an amazing achievement.” “Mitchell's bowled a couple of spells in this series that are without doubt as good a spell as I've seen in my career. And I've been lucky enough to play with Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee and Shane Warne. "Mitch's spells certainly match the greats, if not better. He deserves all the credit he's received, he's copped a lot of criticism, he's been dropped from the team.”
— Reuters Fast and furious
— Michael Clarke I'm really proud of what they've achieved as a group…they stuck to their guns and, bar maybe a couple of hours in Perth, they were excellent. This is hopefully just the start of good things to
come.
— Darren Lehmann, coach |
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Agony for Federer, joy for Nadal
BRISBANE, January 5 World number six Federer, who had led their rivalry 18-8 before the final, looked to have turned the match his way after recovering from a slow start but Hewitt responded to claim the title in a little over two hours. “To beat possibly the greatest player in the final means a lot,” Hewitt said. “It’s not an easy tournament to win. In the first set I was seeing the ball like a football. Didn’t really matter where he served I was on it.” Federer had seven break points in the third set but failed to convert any of them as Hewitt ended a 15-match losing run against his fellow 32-year-old. Despite the disappointment Federer remained hopeful for this month’s Australian Open. “I was able to sort of serve better overall, more consistent this week than I have in a long time — so that’s very good,” Federer, who had not dropped serve before the final, said. “I needed a bit more confidence to play well and hopefully win the tournament and so forth. I have a clear idea what I need to work on and I have a clear idea where my mind and body is at.” Federer can scarcely have opened a match in worse touch. He hit 22 unforced errors in the first set, lost three service games and performed a complete air-shot off one attempted backhand service return. Hewitt did not lose a point on his first serve in the opening set, making just three unforced errors as he took command with his trademark precision. Federer improved markedly in the second set, coming back from 0-40 down to capture the Australian’s serve in the ninth game and then served out to love to take the set. Despite Hewitt’s serve being far more consistently under threat in the third set he secured the only break in the fourth game when Federer hit a forehand wide. Then, showing the resolve that made him a two-time major winner, the Australian held firm to secure his first ATP title in Australia since winning in Sydney in 2005. A perfect start
Qatar: Rafa Nadal began his year in perfect fashion with a three-set victory over Frenchman Gael Monfils in the Qatar Open in Doha on Saturday as he warms up for this month’s Australian Open. Spain’s world number one put down an ominous marker for the year’s first grand slam by claiming his 61st career title with a 6-1 6-7(5) 6-2 win over flamboyant Monfils in the desert city. The triumph took Nadal past American Andre Agassi into eighth spot on the all-time list of ATP Tour title winners and helped him extend his lead at the top of the world rankings over Novak Djokovic who opted not to play this week. “Every victory is important and the title today means a lot to me. It is the first time in my career that I am able to start the season with a victory. That’s always important,” Nadal said after adding Qatar to his long list of successful venues.
— Reuters |
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I don’t play cricket for selfish reasons, says struggling Gambhir
New Delhi, January 5 “I have never played cricket for selfish reasons like scoring 800-900 runs on flat tracks to make a comeback. It's up to an individual and I am not one of those guys who would back out from competition.” “Delhi needed outright wins and I insisted on playing on green-top at the Roshanara rather than on a flat track. Had I played on a flat track, I could have got close to 900 runs. I have never ever played cricket that way with such selfish motives,” Gambhir said. The 31-year-old scored 578 runs in the Ranji Trophy this season with a top score of 153 at the Roshanara on a green top against Haryana just before the Test squad to South Africa was announced. With the team for New Zealand also announced, Gambhir has taken the decision to chin-up and is ready to fight his way back. “It's a reality that I am not in the team to New Zealand. I wish all the 16-17 guys best of luck for the tour. As I have maintained that I don't play for comebacks, I play the game because I still have that hunger to perform. I want to be part of the team that wins a Test series in England and Australia. This is what drives me on as in my 54 Tests, we only won a series in New Zealand and drew in South Africa,” Gambhir said. He also didn't wish to comment on skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's take that he is the No 3 opener in the country now. “Frankly, I don't know whether I am 1, 2, 3 or last. I know that my job is to score runs and I will continue to do that. Someone asked me what exactly is a finished product, I said that no one ever is a finished product. We strive to improve everyday," Gambhir said. “I am an intense person on the field. I always want to win as it matters to me a lot. That's why I never like to lose the focus or intensity,” he explained. The veteran of 54 Tests and 147 ODIs doesn't want to look too far ahead. “Look I don't know what's in store tomorrow and 2015 World Cup is too far ahead. I would like to think about Vijay Hazare Trophy and then about IPL,” he said.
— PTI |
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Wawrinka conquers Chennai
Chennai, January 5 The top-seeded Swiss, playing his 500th ATP Tour match, outclassed the 52nd-ranked Frenchman 7-5, 6-2 in the 90-minute final at the Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium. It was the fifth career title and the second in Chennai for 28-year-old Wawrinka, who emerged from the shadows of his renowned Swiss compatriot Roger Federer with a top 10 finish last year. The morale-boosting win ahead of the year's first Grand Slam in Melbourne, starting January 13, earned Wawrinka the winner's purse of $72,490 and 250 ranking points. Seventh-seeded Roger-Vasselin received $38,180 and 150 points.The first set lasted an hour as both players held serve till the 10th game, before Wawrinka broke through in the 11th with a backhand cross-court shot that left Roger-Vasselin stranded.The Frenchman, playing only his second final in a 12-year career, lost his serve in the opening game of the second set and then again in the fifth game before Wawrinka served out the match with an ace. Wawrinka won the title without dropping a set during a bruising week in which six players, including second seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia and third seeded Fabio Fognini of Italy, were sidelined due to injury. A seventh player, defending champion Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia, withdrew before the tournament began due to a heel injury. – AFP
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Classy Arsenal beat Spurs in FA Cup
London, January 5 Arsenal joined fellow top-tier sides Everton, Southampton, Stoke City, Crystal Palace, who won 2-0 at West Bromwich Albion, and Cardiff City, 2-1 victors at Newcastle United in their first outing under new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, in progressing. But seven-times winners Aston Villa crashed 2-1 at home to third tier Sheffield United in their third round tie. Cup holders Wigan Athletic, relegated from the top flight last term, were held to a 3-3 draw by League One (third tier) MK Dons, while losing finalists and league title favourites Manchester City drew 1-1 at second tier Blackburn Rovers. West Ham humiliated by Forest; Chelsea win
West Ham United's woes intensified as the Premier League club were thrashed 5-0 by second tier Nottingham Forest on Sunday, increasing the heat on manager Sam Allardyce. Forest's Jamie Paterson netted a hat-trick in the humiliating rout. Chelsea showed their fellow Londoners how to negotiate a potentially tricky Cup tie in the east Midlands, winning 2-0 at second tier Derby County with second-half goals from John Obi Mikel and Oscar while Sunderland also came through 3-1 against Carlisle. Liverpool revenged last season's Cup defeat by Oldham Athletic, winning 2-0 at Anfield with Iago Aspas scoring his first goal for the club.
— Reuters |
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Eusebio da Silva Ferreira: 1942-2014
Lisbon, January 5 The death of the charismatic striker, who was idolised throughout the Portuguese-speaking world and considered one of the game’s greatest players was confirmed by former club Benfica and the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). The Portuguese government declared three days of national mourning and many fans paid homage by visiting an iconic statue of him erected next to Benfica’s Luz stadium, leaving flowers, scarves and other tributes. Eusebio, whose full name was Eusebio da Silva Ferreira, was European Footballer of the Year in 1965 but won global acclaim a year later at the World Cup in England, where his nine goals helped Portugal reach the semifinals. He earned 64 caps and scored 41 goals for Portugal, records that stood for almost two decades.
Eusebio helped Benfica to 11 Portugues championships and later served as an ‘ambassador’ for the club. He scored more than 300 league goals for the Lisbon outfit. “The news caught us by surprise brutally, because there are men who should never go away,” a Benfica statement read. “The life of Eusebio is the patrimony of everyone who loves football.” As news of Eusebio’s death spread, tributes began pouring in from the football family. FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on his Twitter page: “football has lost a legend but Eusebio’s place among the greats will never be taken away.” Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who overtook Eusebio last year to go to the top of the country’s list of top marksmen and trigger a debate on who is the best Portuguese player of all time, shared a picture of him and Eusebio on Twitter. “Always eternal Eusebio, rest in peace,” read the caption. — Reuters Black Panther
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Punjabi varsity emerge overall champs in fencing championship
Patiala, January 5 Jain University, Bangalore, with 10 points, emerged second in the men’s category, while Anna University, Chennai, with six points finished third. In the women’s category Punjabi University (35 points) were declared the runners-up and Panjab University, Chandigarh, with 4 points were declared the second runners-up. Results
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Australia obliterated England's batting in a shade over 31 overs to claim a thumping 281-run fifth Test victory with more than two days to spare and seal only the third 5-0 sweep in the long history of Ashes series on Sunday.
The triumph at a sunbaked Sydney Cricket Ground completed a remarkable turnaround for Australia, who were in disarray after being swept themselves in India and going down 3-0 in England to lose a third successive Ashes series last year.
BRISBANE, January 5
New Delhi, January 5
Mitchell Johnson has been adjudged the Player of the Series for the second time in Tests — the first instance being vs South Africa in 2008-09.
Nicknamed the ‘Black Panther’, Eusebio was a European Cup winner with Benfica in 1962 and played in three other finals, including the loss to Manchester United at Wembley in 1968.
Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly advised temperamental Bengal pacer Ashoke Dinda to “concentrate” on doing well for the state team in the upcoming Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Railways rather than grumble about not getting a national call-up. “Dinda should concentrate on his performnace now. His immediate task should be to do well in the Ranji quarter-finals. If he performs well, he will again get a call-up to the national team," Ganguly replied when asked about Dinda's recent comments that he wants to leave Bengal. The 41-year-old's suggestion to Dinda was that he should keep patience and wait for his turn. "A player has to pass through various phases of life. But he has to keep patience and carry on". Ganguly praised pacer Mohammed Shami's performance in Tests.
— Agencies