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‘County cricket counts a lot’
Short on cash, SAI lowers medal hopes from Glasgow games
Jadeja stars in Chennai victory
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I can be a Kallis, says Pujara
Upbeat Bangalore look to steamroll faltering Knights
Jeev hottest putter on the Asian tour
Kakara loses in semis, India finish with one bronze
Ferrer suffers early defeat in Barcelona
Bengaluru set sight on AFC Champions League
champions
league
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‘County cricket counts a lot’
New Delhi, April 23 Fitness has always been a major issue which has killed many an Indian seamer. If a bowler doesn’t want to work hard on it, then it’s easier for him to cut down on pace and focus only on restricting the flow of runs, rather than taking wickets. This can be useful in One-day cricket and the two months of circus and razzmatazz that is the IPL. Test cricket, the pinnacle and ultimate sporting contest, thus becomes irrelevant. Javagal Srinath, who arguably bowled the fastest in a most consistent manner over years for India, and the only Indian pacer to take more than 300 ODI wickets, offered his viewpoint on the subject. “Look, you’ve got to bowl a lot... minimum 600 overs in a year. You need to work on your fitness level. At the age of 22-23, you’ve got to bowl more, so that your body can sustain the workload for the future. That can’t happen with the Ranji Trophy matches,” Srinath said. Srinath said that the fact that Indians don’t play in English county cricket stunts them as bowlers. Indians are very unlikely to play in county cricket in future too because a large part of the county season clashes with the IPL. That’s where the money is, never mind the skill. “You’ve got to play county cricket. That too for at least six months... It's quality cricket that would give you those strong bowling muscles,” Srinath said. “For me, if you do that, then there’s nothing like it. County cricket really helps develop your skill.” Srinath was right in his observation. Zaheer Khan returned a much better bowler following a stint with Worcestershire in 2006. Zaheer was dropped from the Indian team in 2006 following a string of poor performances and fitness issues. He roared back to form and established himself as India’s premier fast bowler after a stint with Worcestershire, topping the Division Two wickets tally with 78 scalps from 16 games. Before playing for Worcestershire, Zaheer had taken 121 wickets from 42 Tests at an average of 36.34 and a strike rate of 65.7. After that, in his next 50 Tests, he’s taken 190 wickets at an average of 30.78, with a strike rate of 56.9. That’s a significant improvement, and Zaheer himself credits his county experience for the skills he added to his bowling. A similar outing with Surrey in 2007 benefited off-spinner Harbhajan Singh tremendously. Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha turned up for Surrey during the 2011 season and even Piyush Chawla scalped 36 wickets and made a significant contribution with the bat playing for Sussex in 2009. BCCI too not keen
Why aren’t more Indian bowlers playing in county cricket? But then, how would that be possible when the Indian cricket board had itself, in 2010, barred players who had not been selected in the senior side or the India A teams from playing county cricket? The pretext was that three months of English summer could take a toll on the players, who already have a busy international schedule. But the same set of rules does not apply for IPL which, ironically, is played in the much hotter Indian summer. The county experience has benefited many Indian players in the past and it could do wonders for new-age pacers Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron, who have had a long history of injury issues. Else there’s every danger that they’d suffer the fate of bowlers like Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra and RP Singh. The three were good prospects but could not manage the workload of top-class cricket and are happy plying their trade in the IPL. When Srinath was asked who he thinks will don the mantle of India’s premier quick bowler after Zaheer, only one name came to his mind. “Mohammed Shami looks good, he is terrific. The more fast bowlers you come up with, the better for Indian cricket.” Those 16 first-class matches for Worcestershire changed Zaheer as a bowler. It’s a pity that Shami or the other young quicks aren’t playing county cricket. |
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Short on cash, SAI lowers medal hopes from Glasgow games
Chandigarh, April 23 “The funds that have been given to the SAI in the interim budget are woefully inadequate considering it is a CWG and Asian Games year. All the sports federations are asking for more money for athletes' training and exposure trips and there is nothing you can do about it until we have the next government,” said SAI Director General Jiji Thomson. Out of the Rs1219 crore earmarked for sports, Rs165 crore have been kept aside for the National Sports Federations to look after their athletes. Rs160 crore was given to NSFs in the last financial year for the purpose. The figures suggest a stark change in government approach towards the Glasgow Games (July 23-August 3) and the Asian Games (September 19-October 4) in Incheon. A whopping Rs 678 crore were allocated for preparations before India hosted the 2010 CWG in Delhi. “Though the money we have should be enough for athletes' preparations for the two big events, more funds would have made it better. All NSFs want to send their players overseas for training but we don't have money for all of them. I expect the next government to announce a reasonable hike and I hope it happens sooner than later,” said Thomson. Under the circumstances, it would be tough for India to better the performance of the 2010 CWG and Asian Games where it achieved its best ever medals tally. A concept paper of the Sports Ministry had earlier projected 125 medals in the CWG and 75 in Asian Games, compared to 101 and 65, respectively, in the 2010 editions. However, Thomson said the CWG target has been reduced to 75 medals considering the current financial situation and the absence of disciplines such as tennis and archery, which got India 12 medals, including four gold, in 2010, helping it finish second overall. “They don't have archery and tennis in Glasgow and considering the Games are being held in UK, all top athletes are expected to participate. It was not the case in Delhi,” pointed out Thomson. For the Asian Games, however, the SAI expects the tally to increase from 65 to 90 medals and overall standing from sixth to fourth. Thomson also confirmed that India will take part in 13 out of 17 disciplines at Glasgow and 30 out of 36 events at Incheon, adding the priority disciplines for mega-events are shooting, wrestling, boxing, badminton and athletics. A top official of a sports federation said it was highly unlikely that India will repeat the feat of 2010. “There has to be a difference in the outcome when you have been preparing for six months instead of the two and a half years of top quality training you had before the last CWG and Asian Games,” said an official of the Table Tennis Federation of India. — PTI
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Jadeja stars in Chennai victory
Dubai, April 23 On Wednesday, Dwayne Smith, the Chennai Super Kings opener, tore into Faulkner, playing for Rajasthan Royals, smashing him for four consecutive boundaries. Overall, he picked up 24 runs off the Australian in eight deliveries, averaging 300. Maybe it was a sheer coincidence that the West Indian picked up the Australian for the harshest punishment, but the assault must have taken the spectators down memory lane to what happened in the World Cup. And, at least once, they must have thought that the comment still rankled and the West Indians wanted him to continue paying for it. Anyway, the West Indian was one of the heroes of the Chennai Super Kings seven-run win over Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday. While his brisk 28-ball 50 gave Chennai a dream start, it was, however, Ravindra Jadeja who turned out to be the game changer with his 36 runs and a four-wicket haul. First up, he steadied the wobbly CSK ship after the departure of Smith; they were heading for a disaster with half their side back in the dugout for just 74 runs. With his sedate 33-ball 36, he took the side to a decent 140; and then came back to pick up four wickets to derail Royals' chase. Rajasthan Royals, despite making a heavy weather of an achievable target, fought hard towards the end, before being bowled out for 133 on the penultimate ball of the innings. For Royals, Rajat Bhatia played the same role as Jadeja for the winners. He first bowled his four overs for just 13 runs, picking two wickets, and then chipped in with 23 runs. Dhawal Kulkarni gave Chennai a scare with his late charge but a run out on the penultimate ball left him stranded. — TNS
Scoreboard Rajasthan Royals
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I can be a Kallis, says Pujara
Sharjah, April 23 Pujara, who opens the innings for Kings XI Punjab, has proven himself as a Test performer but is still adjusting to the much faster T20 cricket. “I cannot be flamboyant like (Glenn) Maxwell or (David) Miller, but I can always be a Jacques Kallis who plays proper cricketing shots, but can still score runs at a good strike rate. “This is what I am looking for,” said Pujara. “The basics of cricket remain the same, irrespective of the format you play. You have to hit the cricket ball at the end of the day. I know how to play the cricket ball to the best of my abilities. “My way of hitting may be classical where you try and time the ball. In the T20 format, you are required to hit it harder and find the gaps whenever possible. It is just about fine-tuning your game, rather than making changes in the way you play,” he said, explaining his strategy to get into the T20 mould. “We are happy with the way things have gone. Three out of three is good. Hope we can make five out of five and then continue our momentum in India,” he said. — PTI
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Upbeat Bangalore look to steamroll faltering Knights
Sharjah, April 23 The star-studded Bangalore, which boast of some of the most feared Twenty20 batsmen in their line-up, have won both their games so far. The results have come despite the absence of the destructive Chris Gayle, who has been nursing a sore back. He, however, is expected to be fit for tomorrow`s match. In his absence, the likes of Yuvraj Singh, Parthiv Patel and South African import A B de Villiers have made quite a statement to show that the days of RCB being called a one-man show are over. A slight concern has been skipper Virat Kohli, who is yet to get into the groove, but given his reputation, the lean patch is not expected to last too long. Kolkata too have a good line-up at their disposal and it too has faired well. Even though there aren't many big stars, the likes of Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa have made their presence felt. However, more would be expected of the established players such as skipper Gautam Gambhir and South African legend Jacques Kallis. The form of both these players would be crucial in deciding how far the team manages to progress. Besides, all-rounder Yusuf Pathan will also have to repay the faith that the team has shown in him despite a prolonged struggle for form. RCB have slight edge in the bowling department. Mitchell Starc, Albie Morkel and Varun Aaron stifled the star-studded defending champions Mumbai Indians in their previous match. And the trio would be quite a challenge for KKR to deal with in tomorrow`s game. The KKR bowling, on the other hand, was taken to the cleaners by Delhi Daredevils in their previous game. The likes of Morne Morkel and R Vinay Kumar seemed helpless as Delhi`s batsmen hit them all over the park. KKR’s bowlers will find it hard to contain RCB's destructive-looking line-up. Royals restrict CSK to 140 Rajasthan Royals did a fine job to restrict Chennai Super Kings to a below-par 140. The Super Kings got off to a good start, thanks to a brisk half-century from opener Dwayne Smith. But once he was gone, the Rajasthan Royal bowlers tightened the screws, and made batsmen work a lot harder for their runs. They looked headed towards a disaster after losing half their side, including skipper MS Dhoni, for just 74 runs but Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin helped them reach 140 for 6. — PTI/TNS
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Jeev hottest putter on the Asian tour
Chandigarh, April 23 “I am very happy to have received this award. I have been working a lot on my short game as I was injured for much of the last year and the results are showing,” said Jeev who will be playing Volvo China Open this week, a tournament he won in 2006. “I look forward to playing this tournament every year as it brings back find memories of my win. I am looking forward to shooting some low scores this week,” he added. The Chandigarh professional, who was the first Indian to win on the Asian tour, following which he qualified for the European Tour, was also in the reckoning for the 'Player of the Decade'. He was nominated alongside Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, Thaworn Wiratchant and Korean duo K.J. Choi and Y.E. Yang. Not surprisingly, Team Asia playing Captain and three-time Order of Merit winner, Thongchai, walked away with the award. Lahiri ready to win abroad
Anirban Lahiri's tied tenth place finish at the Malaysian Open, which earned him US$ 50,966, pushed him to the fourth place on the Asian Tour rankings with the earnings of US$ 57,150. With this year's Sail-SBI Open winner Rashid Khan in the third place, with the earnings of US$ 59,637, there are two Indian professionals in the top-five on the 2014 Asian Tour Order of Merit. Though the rest of the year remains to determine the winner, Lahiri feels it is important to get off to a good start on the Order of Merit. “I have been playing well but I just need to be relaxed and patient,” said Lahiri, who has won three Asian Tour titles within India and is looking for his fist win abroad. However, he had an excellent weekend in Kuala Lumpur and seems confident that his next victory is round the corner. |
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Good start for Indian shuttlers
New Delhi, April 23 However, it was curtains for Singapore Open semifinalist Kidambi Srikanth as he went down to Chinese veteran Lin Dan 7-21 14-21 in 32 minutes in a men’s singles first round match. World No. 10 Sindhu faced a tough challenge from Hong Kong’s Cheung Ngan Yi before prevailing 21-15 15-21 21-18 in the opening round match that lasted an hour. Sindhu will next face Hirose Eriko of Japan in the next round. Hirose has a 3-0 record against the Indian. Kashyap and Gurusaidutt registered contrasting victories in their respective men’s singles matches. While Kashyap posted a comfortable 21-14 21-17 win over Goh Soon Huat of Malaysia in 35 minutes, Gurusaidutt fought hard before posting a 22-20 23-21 victory over Phetpradab Khosit of Thailand in a 44-minute contest. In the second round, Kashyap will take on Hsu Jen Hao of Taipei, while Gurusaidutt will clash against another shuttler from Taipei, Wang Tzu Wei. Indian combo of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa cleared the first-round hurdle by getting the better of Singapore duo of Fu Mingtian and Neo Yu Yan Vanessa 21-18 21-15 in the women’s doubles. The match lasted 38 minutes. Jwala and Ashwini will now take on the third-seeded Thai combination of Aroonkesorn Duanganong and Voravichitchaikul Kunchala. However, India’s campaign in the men’s doubles category came to an end after the pair of Akshay Dewalkar and Pranaav Jerry Chopra lost 18-21 19-21 to China’s Zhang Wen and Wang Yilv. Earlier, Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy lost to Malaysia’s Low Juan Shen and Heg Nelson Wei Keat 21-16 13-21 20-22. — PTI
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Kakara loses in semis, India finish with one bronze
New Delhi, April 23 Kakara lost 1-2 to Kazakhstan’s Shalkar Aikhynbay in the last-four stage to settle for a bronze after earlier securing a ticket to the Youth Olympics by going beyond the quarters. The Indian lost the opening round but came back to clinch the second before falling short in the last round to go down in a split decision. “Shyam fought very well. The Kazakh boxer couldn’t quite connect his punches but still a loss is a loss. The only positive is that he managed to qualify for the Youth Olympics,” team’s coach Ramanand said. It is a markedly disappointing show by the Indians, who had brought home a silver and a couple of bronze medals in the previous edition in 2012 in Armenia. India’s last gold medal in the event came in 2010 when Vikas Krishan finished on top. — PTI
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Ferrer suffers early defeat in Barcelona
Barcelona, April 23 The world No. 5, who beat fellow Spaniard Rafa Nadal en route to the semifinals of the Monte Carlo Masters last week, was a long way from his best against a player 50 players below him on the ATP rankings. Gabashvili made precious few mistakes, breaking the second seed four times on his way to victory. “This was one of my best victories, no in fact it is my best ever, beating David Ferrer,” the Russian said. “I went into the game knowing that I had to be steady and controlled which is what I managed to do.” Gabashvili raced into a 3-0 lead in the first set but it appeared as though Ferrer was back on track when he levelled at 3-3. Ferrer, continued to make unforced errors though, and once he went a set behind he looked dispirited. Third seed Fabio Fognini from Italy also bowed out with a whimper, trailing 6-0 4-0 to Colombian Santiago Giraldo when he retired from the second round match. Nadal has dominated the Barcelona Open in recent years having won eight out of the last nine tournaments. He beat fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos 7-6(2) 6-4 in the second round later in the day. Sharapova pleased despite early Stuttgart scare
Stuttgart: Defending champion Maria Sharapova admits she had a tough opening in her bid to win a third straight Stuttgart WTA tournament title after her three-sets win over Lucie Safarova. Sharapova, who has never lost on her two appearances in Stuttgart after winning the 2012 and 2013 titles, will face Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in Thursday’s last-16 tie after beating Czech Republic’s Safarova 7-6 (7/5) 6-7(5/7) 7-6 (7/2) late on Tuesday. Sharapova had to dig deep having been just two points away from defeat when Safarova levelled at 30-all with the scores at 6-5 in the decisive third set. The statuesque Russian, the sixth seed in Stuttgart, needed three hours, 24 minutes for the 100th clay-court victory of her career. “I hadn’t expected that it would be an easy match,” said Sharapova, three days after her 27th birthday. “There were ups and downs, but the level was good from both of us. The momentum changed hands a couple of times. I’m happy that I’m the winner, because at one stage in the third set I was only two points away from defeat.” Earlier Pavlyuchenkova defeated Latvian qualifier Diana Marcinkevica 6-3, 6-2 to set up her clash with Sharapova for a quarterfinal place. Former world number one Jelena Jankovic, the fifth seed, saved four match points to reach Thursday’s last 16 when she came back to claim a 2-6 7-6(10/8) 6-3 win over German lucky loser Mona Barthel. — Agencies |
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Bengaluru set sight on AFC Champions League
Bengaluru, April 23 India gets a play-off slot for the AFC Champions League and I-League champions Bengaluru FC will have a chance to take part in the continent’s top-flight club tournament. Last year Pune FC lost in the first of the three-round play-off competition. “We want to continue to dream big and want to be the first Indian Club to ever qualify for the AFC Champions League,” Bengaluru FC’ CEO Parth Jindal said. Jindal said the club’s another target is to try and retain the trophy next year also. — PTI
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champions
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Madrid, April 23 The stalemate at the Vicente Calderon, which Atletico coach Diego Simeone believes gives Chelsea a slight advantage in next week’s return at Stamford Bridge, came at a cost for the 2012 winners, however. Goalkeeper Petr Cech was ruled out for the season after hurting his elbow, captain John Terry limped off with an ankle injury and midfielders Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel earned bookings that mean they are suspended for the second leg. Atletico, through to the last four of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in 40 years, dominated their defence-minded visitors and pushed hard for a goal but failed to carve out the advantage they wanted. Back in the Spanish capital for the first time since quitting Atletico’s city rivals Real at the end of last season, Mourinho set out to thwart the home team rather than attack them and the result means his side will be favourites to advance to next month’s final in Lisbon. The Londoners lost Cech when he fell heavily and hurt his right elbow in the 15th minute but neither his replacement Mark Schwarzer nor Atletico keeper Thibaut Courtois, on loan from Chelsea, were genuinely tested in a drab affair. “We had problems before the game, during the game and lost four players, two with injuries and two with yellow cards, but we will fight,” Mourinho said. “Nobody starts a game thinking of a 0-0,” added the Portuguese, who ended his final season at Real without any major silverware after they lost to Atletico in the King’s Cup final. “But the game goes in a certain direction where you feel you have to be safe and not concede, try to score in one of the chances you create. We had three or four corners and two free-kicks in dangerous positions. If we scored one of them the result would have been very good. We didn’t, and we go with a result where everything will be decided at Stamford Bridge.” There was another cracking atmosphere before kickoff at the 55,000-capacity stadium next to the Manzanares river where the fans have been flocking to enjoy what is easily Atletico’s best season in almost 20 years. They are top of La Liga ahead of Real and champions Barcelona, whom they dispatched in the Champions League quarterfinals. Simeone deployed an attacking formation against Chelsea with Diego Costa leading the line supported by Raul Garcia as Diego and Koke provided the creative impetus just behind. Mourinho, by contrast, had containment in mind, with former Atletico captain Fernando Torres alone up front and defender David Luiz in a holding role in a five-man midfield. Mourinho had instructed his players to sit back and try to catch Atletico on the break and they were happy to let the home side have the ball in a first half short on entertainment. — Reuters
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Dubai, April 23
