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Controversies are part of Indian cricket, says MS Dhoni |
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Talented, aggressive: Kohli, Ashwin are new-age cricketers
We want to win for Sanga and Mahela, says Malinga
England women to take on Australia in final
Delhi, Haryana into next round of Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy
indian open
davis cup
City win, trail Liverpool by one point
Hamilton loses out to Rosberg in pole fight
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Dhoni can be first to hold 3 ICC titles simultaneously Subhash Rajta in Mirpur
dhoni, you will win tomorrow… You will win the 2015 World Cup too,” shouted Bashir Khan, an ardent Pakistan fan. The Indian skipper smiled, thanked him, and strode into the stadium for a photo-op with the T20 World Cup Trophy.
A while later, the Pakistan fan was jumping with joy, holding a match ticket in his hand, shouting his thanks to Dhoni, who was busy playing football with the rest of the team. “Dhoni has sent me a ticket for the final tomorrow. He's a great person,” Khan babbled. The other night, after India hammered South Africa in the semifinals, Virat Kohli too sounded overwhelmed by a small but thoughtful gesture by his skipper. "He gave me a chance to hit the winning runs. He said since I had batted so well, it was his gift to me. Scoring the winning runs has its own charm and I am grateful to him for giving me that opportunity,” said Kohli. It's of course no big deal for the Indian skipper to hand out a match ticket to someone or even allow someone to hit the winning runs. What's important is that he actually thought of doing it in the first place; and the import of that thoughtfulness is lost neither on a common fan or a player in the side. In return, they would give their best for him. This knack of getting the players to respond to him wholeheartedly is perhaps the biggest reason why Dhoni stands on the brink of history — he will become the first ever captain to win three World Cups (one in the 50-over format and two in T20Is) if India beat Sri Lanka in the final of Sunday. Dhoni and the team, of course, aren't thinking on those lines, but if the team actually goes on to win, it will be a befitting tribute to his impressive leadership. It won't be an exaggeration to say that having Dhoni in the hot seat will be India's biggest strength against Sri Lanka in the big game. In the format where fortunes swing to extreme ends in a matter of a few overs, the importance of having a cool and experienced campaigner like Dhoni taking the calls can hardly be overstated, especially in a side where more than half the players haven't played in a game as big as this. “I don't think it (big game jitters) will be a factor because over a period of time each one has gone through a phase where they have played a big Test match or a big Tri-series final or some other game. They are quite well trained and have got the experience to control their emotions,” said Dhoni. His confidence didn't look misplaced, for the team looked pretty relaxed on the eve of the game, enjoying the warm-up football session. And that's pretty much all they did in the training session, focusing more on keeping themselves relaxed rather than sharpening their cricketing skills. The Sri Lankans, on the other hand, will have a lot going in their mind. The islanders have made the finals of the World Cup four times since 2007 (twice each in the 50-over and T20 formats), only to finish on the losing side one each occasion. Form and records, of course, have little relevance in the format as fickle as this, yet it's impossible to brush away a record as telling as theirs. "The one thing where we will have an advantage over the other team is that we don't have any baggage. We've not lost many big competitions, there will be no scars with us. We have nothing to lose," said R Ashwin, summing up how tough it would be for Lanka to keep the past off their minds. Besides, the losing finalists of the last edition have Lasith Malinga as skipper, quite inexperienced in this role, after having dropped Dinesh Chandimal, their regular skipper. Not a happy situation to be in, especially when the opposition will have someone like Dhoni calling the shots. Spin is the key
Sunday's contest may eventually boil down to a battle between India's in-form batsmen and the Sri Lankan bowlers, especially spinners. Off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake has been economical while Rangana Herath had taken his team into the semifinals with a stunning performance, taking 5/3 in 3.3 overs against New Zealand. India’s five wins so far have all seemed rather facile; the Sri Lankan bowlers, the dangerous Malinga included, pose them their greatest challenge in the tournament. Points to ponder
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Controversies are part of Indian cricket, says MS Dhoni Mirpur, April 5 “Over the years that I have been the captain I have seen almost everything. There is nothing really that I have not seen in cricket. Controversies are big part of Indian cricket and I have been through all it. There's hardly any good or bad in Indian cricket that happens without my name,” Dhoni replied to a question about how he has internalised the tremendous pressure associated with his job. The skipper said that he likes to keep the pressures associated with his captaincy at the stadium only. “I leave it (the pressure) at the stadium because that's the best thing that I can do. We have seen Indian cricket perform at their best and at the same time we had to go through a lean patch where we had really tough times. I know there are certain things that are in my control. I look to move in that direction rather than thinking or living a thought that's beyond my control and that really helped me. It’s been an interesting time, ups and downs. That's all it's all about - international sport it doesn't matter which game you are playing. It has taught me a lot and it's still a learning curve for me and hopefully it will teach me many more in coming life after cricket,” Dhoni said in a philosophical tone. When asked how was the mood back then in 2007 on the eve of their big final against Pakistan, Dhoni said in sarcastic tone, “Yaar chaar din pehle ki baat humein yaad naahin rahti aur aap saat saal pahle ki baat puch rahein ho (I don't remember what happened four days back and you are asking me about what happened seven years back!). It is very difficult to recall as to what we felt just on the eve of that 2007 final. Obviously, I can say that there was a lot of excitement back then as it is now. We hope it will be an interesting final.” Does he assess his leadership, Dhoni answered in his typical way. “That's not really for me to decide because from outside, you can judge it better than me. I have been given the responsibility and I try to fulfill it to the best of my potential, he said. — PTI
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Talented, aggressive: Kohli, Ashwin are new-age cricketers
Mirpur, April 5 Maybe most of the fans still measure up their new idols against the same template, but the new age stars don't feel obliged to comply with the general perception. They are happy and confident being themselves, always ready to speak their mind. Could someone recall Tendulkar saying he knew how good he was, he knew when to play what shot, or Anil Kumble saying that "I am in such a good space where I pretty much don't practice at all". Of course the two legends knew how good they were, but they would have never mentioned it themselves. Well, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin just don't seem to feel the need to be modest. Welcome to the new, in-your-face generation of the sporting stars who are playing the game by their own rules. Kohli and Ashwin, the real force behind India's domination in the tournament, are leading the charge, unconsciously, against the general perception of a role model sports star. While they don't seem to care much for being politically correct -- be it while answering tricky questions as Ashwin has been, or expressing himself without any exhibition on the field like Kohli -- they pretty much have their own theory and philosophy about their game too. While it's absolutely unthinkable for an old-timer like Sunil Gavaskar to not practice hard enough on the eve of the game -- remember how he questioned the team's work ethic when they missed a couple of training sessions in New Zealand? -- Kohli has his own take on it. This is what he had to say on why he has been taking just a couple of throw-downs, and not batting in the nets, on the eve of every game in this tournament. "Sometimes, I have committed the mistake of just being casual in a net session when I am playing well. I believe with me the case is one bad net session can really disturb me mentally, so I'd rather just play 10 balls, hit the middle of the bat and feel good at a practice session," he explained. "If I am in a good mental space, I can execute my strokes in the game. I know when to hit sixes, when to hit boundaries, so there is no point trying to slog everything in the nets," he said. Interestingly, that sounds so identical to what Ashwin had to offer on his bowling approach. "I feel that I'm probably at the top of my game. When I reach that phase, I pretty much don't practise at all. That's a phase I'm in right now. The ball is landing exactly where I want.” Overconfident? Maybe, but maybe it's time they are accepted as they are, without trying to fit them into a readymade old mould. ‘T20 Ball of the Century’Ashwin bowled an exceptionally deceptive carom ball to bamboozle South African opener Hashim Amla in the semifinal on Friday night. The delivery caught the attention of Australian legend Adam Gilchrist. “T20 Ball of the Century from Ashwin. #baffling #dhonisgotoman,” Gilchrist wrote on his twitter page. The delivery spurred Ashwin on to pick up two more vital wickets -- Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers -- and laid the platform for win.
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We want to win for Sanga and Mahela, says Malinga
Mirpur, April 5 Sunday's final against India will be the last Twenty20 international for both former captains who have played a combined 265 tests and 781 ODIs, totalling 46,000-plus international runs. Malinga sounded determined to make sure the departing duo tasted a World Cup triumph before their exit from Twenty20 internationals. “We all know they are great players of international cricket,” Malinga told reporters. “I'm the captain now (and I'm) very happy to be in that position. They've helped the young players, (including) myself. “We are looking forward to do our best for these two ... We have to do (something) special tomorrow.” India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni also paid tribute to the departing greats. “They've served Sri Lankan cricket for a long time through all formats ... Sri Lanka will miss their presence in the dressing room,” Dhoni said. “They have between them in excess of 650 ODIs and lot of test matches. They got fair bit of experience and Sri Lanka will miss that. “But every good thing comes to an end, they will have to get over it and get someone to fill this space." Malinga confirmed he would lead Sri Lanka in the final even if regular Twenty20 skipper Dinesh Chandimal, replaced by Lahiru Thirimanne in the last two matches, returns to the playing XI. "Chandimal is a good captain and played a few matches. We all know he is an up-and-coming good player. (But) I think Lahiru Thirimanne had grabbed his chance and proved how good he is,” Malinga said. “We all know he is a great player. (To dismiss) every great player, a bowler needs just a single ball,” Malinga said. “I have a good feeling about me and my team that someone from my side will bowl that ball tomorrow. “We need to plan for full 20 overs. They have six-seven good batsmen and we have to think about them all. We won't think about a particular batsman we have to get out,” he added. — Agencies
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England women to take on Australia in final
Mirpur, april 5 Charlotte Edwards’ England side will be hoping to avenge the four run defeat that they suffered against Australia in the final of the competition in Sri Lanka in 2012. England women’s captain Charlotte Edwards said: “We are obviously looking to go one better than we did in Sri Lanka in 2012, and put in a really big performance tomorrow to hopefully win this trophy. It would mean a lot to us as a group of players. We are two very evenly matched teams, and it will all come down to who deals with the pressure of the big occasion to determine who comes out of it as winners.” England go into the final against Australia with the two leading wicket takers so far in the tournament, with Anya Shrubsole, player of the match in the semifinal against South Africa on Friday, on 12 wickets and Natalie Sciver on eight. England’s bowling line-up has also produced four of the best eight bowling performances in the competition to date. England won the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2009 beating New Zealand in the final at Lord’s Cricket Ground. — Agencies STAR SPORTS 3PM Big match We are obviously looking to go one better than we did in Sri Lanka in 2012, and put in a really big performance tomorrow to hopefully win this trophy. Charlotte Edwards, England captain
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Delhi, Haryana into next round of Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy
Mohali, April 5 Haryana finished second in North Zone and qualified alongside table toppers Delhi. Himachal all-rounder Rishi Dhawan (65 off 44 balls) played a blinder to take his team to 146 for nine from a precarious 39 for five. However, Dhawan's effort went in vain. Brief Scores: HP: 146/9 in 20 overs (Rishi 65*; Harshal 3/35, Joginder 2/18, Hooda 2/8), Haryana 148/3 in 19.2 overs (Guntashveer 48, Sachin 39*; Akshay 2/32); Punjab: 144/8 in 20 overs (Gitansh 37*, Mayank 24; Parvez 3/17), J&K: 144 all out in 20 overs. — PTI
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Lee makes his 4th straight India final
Sabi Hussain Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 5 World No. 1 Chong Wei faced his toughest opponent yet in world No. 7 Chinese Du Pengyu, but prevailed 21-17 19-21 21-14 in 72 minutes. Defending champion Chong Wei pulled through with his experience to remain on course for his third India Open crown, having won it in 2011 and 2013 too. Chong Wei had beaten his final opponent, world No. 2 Chen Long, in the All-England final last month to win the title for a record third time. However, Long had handed Chong Wei four consecutive defeats in their earlier face-offs before the Malaysian reversed the trend at the All-England. Long defeated Denmark’s world No. 4 Jan O Jorgensen 21-15, 21-23, 21-19 in the first semifinal. Long found the going tough against a charged up Jorgenson, who pushed his opponent to the wall before he ran out of steam. The Chinese won the first game rather comfortably, but Jorgensen changed gears in the second game and showed admirable tenacity and retrieving skills to claw his way back. Both gave very few opportunities to each other to manoeuvre, but Long survived some close line calls to clinch the decider and sail into the final. Chong Wei, playing in one of the last matches of the day, was made to work hard by Pengyu. The two enthralled the spectators with some breathtaking shots. Chong Wei had a 11-1 head-to-head record against the Chinese but, for a brief while, it looked like Pengyu would cause an upset. His range of strokes unsettled Chong Wei, but the Malaysian got better and better at net play and hit some powerful smashes to seal a place in the final. In the women’s singles semifinals, Olympic champion and world No. 1 Li Xuerui beat her compatriot Liu Xin 21-12 21-13 in 32 minutes to book a summit clash with world No. 2 Shixian Wang, also of China. Shixian defeated her countrymate and world No. 3 Yihan Wang 15-21 21-7, 22-20 in less than an hour. In the women’s doubles, the Chinese pair of Yuanting Tang/Yang Yu will lock horns against the Korean duo of Ha Na Kim/Kyung EunJung in the final tomorrow. In the men’s doubles, China’s Liu Xiaolong/Qui Zihan will take on Denmark’s Mathias Boe/Carsten Mogensen.
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With doubles win, it’s advantage India
Busan, April 5 Bopanna and Myneni prevailed 7-6 (4), 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-3 to give India a 2-1 lead after day one had ended 1-1. “Great effort and win by @rohanbopanna and saketh to get the doubles point and give us a 2 1 lead. way to go boys. #DavisCup #TeamIndia,” tweeted team member Sanam Singh after the match. Singh had lost his singles match on Friday. Pairing up for only the second time in their careers, Bopanna and Myneni staved off the challenge posed by Hyung-Taik and Lim in a see-saw battle which became lop-sided by the fourth set. India are now on the verge of beating South Korea for the first time in an away tie. They also have a chance to improve on the overall head-to-head record between the two teams, which stands at 3-6 in favour of the hosts. The last time the two teams played was in 2013 when the Koreans beat India 4-1 in New Delhi in the absence of top players, who had boycotted the tie. In the reverse singles matches on Sunday, it would be up to Somdev Devvarman, who had won his singles match on Friday, to take the team through. India came into this tie after beating Chinese Taipei 5-0 while the hosts had got a bye in the first round. — PTI
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City win, trail Liverpool by one point
London, April 5 A Rickie Lambert penalty cancelled out Yaya Toure's early goal from the spot, but late strikes to Samir Nasri and Edin Dzeko meant the 2011-12 champions went into the break with a two-goal lead, an advantage they extended through Stevan Jovetic with nine minutes left. City moved to second place with 70 points, one behind Liverpool who play West Ham United on Sunday. Chelsea, with 69 points, can move past them both if they beat Stoke City later on Saturday, although City currently have a match in hand on both their fellow title chasers. The result was harsh on eighth-placed Southampton who were threatening going forward before they conceded the two quick goals after leading scorer Jay Rodriguez fell awkwardly on his right leg, forcing him to leave on a stretcher. — Reuters.
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Hamilton loses out to Rosberg in pole fight
Manama, April 5 Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo took third 0.866 seconds behind Hamilton. The Briton lost his chance to take pole from Rosberg when he made a mistake at Turn 1 on his final qualifying lap. Williams' Valtteri Bottas was fourth ahead of Force India's Sergio Perez, the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen and McLaren's Jenson Button. — Agencies
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Dhoni,
England women will play against Australia in the final of the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday.
Charlotte Edwards’ England side will be hoping to avenge the four run defeat that they suffered against Australia in the final of the competition in Sri Lanka in 2012.
PCB unhappy with Shahid Afridi’s comment