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Lynn plucks win for Knights
Sindhu, Gurusaidutt make Asian quarters
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Can Indian hockey team better its eighth-place finish at the World Cup?
Against all odds, Roy living his dream
Viru due for big one: Balaji
champions league
Pep admits Real ‘athletes’
too much for Bayern
Sujjan cards 68 in Indonesia
Maria into last 8 in Stuttgart
Moyes ‘proud’ of Man U tenure despite sacking
Big honour for Ghosal
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Lynn plucks win for Knights
Dubai, April 24 Here's how this brilliant piece of work turned the game on its head. Royal Challengers Bangalore needed six runs off the last three balls, being bowled by Vinay Kumar. AB de Villiers pulled the short-pitched deliver to deep mid-wicket. It appeared going for a six, or at least a certain boundary, before Lynn, who had slipped, managed to throw himself up and backward in the air, hold on to the ball, and then crash inches inside the boundary to complete a barely believable catch. The incredible stuff not only sent back the dangerous de Villiers but also left the other batsmen dazed. No wonder, then, they fell two runs short of the victory that looked in their pocket just a couple of overs back. A 151-run target didn't look enough to test the Bangalore batting line-up, especially after Parthiv Patel and Yogesh Takawale gathered 67 for the first wicket before the eight over was finished. Other than this partnership, Bangalore had a 55-run stand between Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli. Yet, they faltered at the finish line. While the Kolkata bowlers and fielders deserve all the credit, the Yuvraj-Virat partnership perhaps will need to cop a little blame for they couldn't get the runs at a fast clip and finish off the game before it slipped into the last over. Besides taking that match-winning catch, Lynn was instrumental in KKR posting a 150-run total with his brisk 45. Jacques Kallis too played an important role with a patient 43. Sent into bat, Kolkata had a disastrous start with skipper Gautam Gambhir falling for a duck, third time in as many matches. An 80-run second-wicket partnership between Kallis and Lynn ensued. When the 24-year-old Lynn walked in to bat, KKR were in a spot of bother, but that did not show in the manner the Aussie straightaway went about his task. RCB's move to introduce Muttiah Muralitharan into the attack in the seventh over backfired as the Sri Lankan veteran was smashed for two sixes by Lynn in his first over. Kallis, on the other end, too got going and the two looked set to take Kolkata to a big total before three quick wickets pegged them back. Robin Uthappa (22) and Suryakumar Yadav (24 not out) took KKR to a decent total. Today’s matches Hyderabad v Delhi (4pm) Chennai v Mumbai (8pm) Live on Sony Six Scoreboard Kolkata Knight Riders Kallis c Takawale b Chahal 43 (42) Gambhir lbw b Starc 0 (1) Pandey c Kohli b Morkel 5 (3) Lynn c de Villiers b Aaron 45 (31) Pathan c Kohli b Aaron 0 (2) Uthappa c Starc b Aaron 22 (18) Yadav not out 24 (18) Vinay c Morkel b Starc 4 (5) Extras:
(b 1, lb 2, w 4) 7 Total: (7 wickets; 20 overs) 150 Fall of wickets:
1-1 2-10 3-90 4-90 5-107 6-129 7-150 Bowling Starc 4-0-33-2 Morkel 2-0-21-1 Aaron 4-0-16-3 Muralitharan 2-0-25-0 Chahal 4-0-26-1 Dinda 4-0-26-0 Royal Challengers Bangalore Parthiv c Lynn b Vinay 21 (19) Takawale lbw b Kallis 40 (28) Kohli b Narine 31 (23) Yuvraj c Pathan b Umesh 31 (34) De Villiers c Lynn b Vinay 11 (12) A Morkel not out 6(5) M Starc not out 0 (0) Extras
(lb 5, w 2, nb 1) 8 Total (5 wickets; 20 overs) 148 Fall of wickets:
1-67 2-67 3-122 4-141 5-145 Bowling Morkel 4-0-34-0 Narine 4-0-17-1 Kallis 4-0-26-1 Vinay 4-0-26-2 Umesh 4-0-40-1 MOM: Chris Lynn |
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Sindhu, Gurusaidutt make Asian quarters
Gimcheon, April 24 World No.10 Sindhu finally overcame Japan's Eriko Hirose 14-21, 21-13, 21-18 for the first time in four meetings in a marathon women's singles match which lasted an hour and 13 minutes. In the last eight clash, the 2013 World Championship bronze medallist will take on Thai Ongbumrungpan Busanan, who beat local third seed Yeon Ju Bae. The Indian can take heart from the fact that she has an unbeaten 2-0 record against the Thai. Gurusaidutt also progressed to the men's singles last eight as he beat Chinese Taipei's Wang Tzu Wei in their first ever match. The Indian won 17-21, 21-13, 21-19 in exactly an hour and will face China's Liu Kai in the next round. Meanwhile, Jwala and Ashwini struck form at the right time as the combine beat Thai third seeds Aroonkesorn Duanganong and Voravichitchaikul Kunchala 21-11, 21-18 in half an hour to advance to the quarter-finals of the continental championships. This is the Indian duo's second win over the third seeds in as many meetings and will next take on Malaysian pair Anscelly Amelia Alicia and Soong Fie Cho. However, it was disappointment for Parupalli Kashyap who went down to Chinese Taipei's Hsu Jen Hao after he lost a close contest 23-25, 17-21 in exactly an hour.
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Can Indian hockey team better its eighth-place finish at the World Cup?
New Delhi, April 24 Every top team goes to the World Cup with the sole aim of lifting the trophy, but that's not the case with the Indian team as the coach is only looking for an improved show from his wards. Even current and former India players are not giving the team much of a chance at the World Cup after the preparatory tour to Europe ended in disappointment for the 21-member squad. India defeated Leiden Hockey Club 7-0 and drew 3-3 with HGC Hockey Club before losing 1-2 to Belgium, and 2-4 and 1-2 to The Netherlands in their remaining build-up games. Nonetheless, India did show a lot of promise in parts, like in the fifth and final build-up game against The Netherlands, which the visitors lost 1-2 after leading the hosts for good 46 minutes. Against Belgium, the Indians were aggressive in the first half but conceded a goal against the run of play. They did equalise in the second half but let Belgium score the winner the very next minute. It's true that the Indian team is in a rebuilding phase and even Walsh had admitted after taking over the reins that he can't produce overnight results. But how long would the rebuilding process take? This question becomes pertinent given that the World Cup, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Champions Trophy are lined up this year. India have lost seven and drawn two of their 11 matches since Walsh's appointment as head coach. In the World League Final in January this year, India lost 0-2 to England, 1-3 to New Zealand, drew 3-3 with Germany, lost 2-7 to Australia, beat Germany 5-4 and lost to Belgium 1-2. For India and Walsh, anything better than their last edition's finish in the World Cup would truly be a “big bonus”. “The preparatory tour was good as it was important to get acclimatised to the conditions there. We worked on our forward line and defence positioning,” midfielder Gurbaj Singh told The Tribune. “We also tried to improve on our defence, which has been a problem for us, and how to convert short corner passes into goals. Another area we need to work on is our fitness level. These are some flaws which we need to iron out before the World Cup.” “We have to give our best shot in the World Cup so as to take that confidence forward going into the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. We are looking at a top-6 finish at the World Cup,” added Gurbaj. Dhanraj Pillay, former captain of the Indian team, did not sound too optimistic about India's chances at the World Cup and said the visitors should look to finish as high as possible. “Indians should play competitive hockey and try to finish in the top-6. If they can't achieve that result, then I must say Indian hockey is at the mercy of god,” Dhanraj said. “Indian hockey players are playing laptop hockey these days because a foreign coach makes them sit in a hall and shows them the videos. It's better to make them learn those playing techniques in the ground and improve their fitness level,” he added. |
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Against all odds, Roy living his dream
Kolkata, April 24 The 16-year-old Roy, who lives in Sonagachi, a red light area in Kolkata, with his mother and 11-year-old sister, grew up playing barefoot football and watching his favorite team Mohun Bagan play. And today, this breakthrough has come as a result of an initiative which the age-old Kolkata club is part of. Roy is a member of the Mohun Bagan Kolkata Goalz team, which he joined two years ago at Rabindra Kanan Park, situated near the locality in which he lives. Kolkata Goalz is a community-based football training initiative of English Premier League, British Council, Kolkata Police, Kolkata Municipal Corporation and All India Football Federation. Roy will be visiting Manchester United for 15-days training under the watchful eyes of the youth coaches of the club. He was spotted by Manchester United scouts in a school football tournament. “I am elated at this unique opportunity and I must thank my mentors, coaches, friends and last but not the least Kolkata Goalz,” an elated Roy said. Its prime objective is to impart social bonding and values among the young kids of the under-privileged society and to bridge the gap between the community and police through the beautiful game. After joining the Kolkata Goalz team he realised his ambition of playing football under professional coaches of the Mohun Bagan club. And now, he looks set to realise bigger dreams. “We feel proud with the success of Rajib, who will not only cherish his success to be the part one of the biggest clubs of the world but will also be a role model for over 1,000 youngsters who are part of the Kolkata Goalz project,” Mohun Bagan said in a statement. “Mohun Bagan and Kolkata Goalz family wishes him luck and hopes that he will be to able realise his dreams,” it added.
— PTI |
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Viru due for big one: Balaji
Abu Dhabi, April 24 While the Australian stole the limelight with knocks of 95, 89 and 95, Sehwag looked a pale shadow of himself managing scores of 19, 2 and 30. Balaji said one “special knock” will turn things around for his former India team-mate. “We are waiting for a special knock from Viru (Sehwag). So far we have been overrun by Maxwell. But it's amazing to have Maxwell in the side. He is a great talent but we also should not forget the contributions of (David) Miller, (Cheteshwar) Pujara. It is very important for us to believe in ourselves as a unit,” Balaji said from Abu Dhabi. “Definitely he (Sehwag) has got starts but we are longing for a big innings from him. He is such a player who can change the complexion of the game on his own and if he and Maxwell can fire together it will be a treat to watch. I feel it (a big knock) is not far away and it will come over the course of the tournament,” he said. Kings XI witnessed a dream start having won all their games so far, but Balaji warned his team-mates against complacency. “Definitely a great start to the season. There is no mantra as such we just tried to keep it simple. We did nothing extraordinary but of course we have got extraordinary players to deliver, especially Maxwell and some of the big hitters.”
— PTI |
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Benzema strike gives Real advantage
Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in first leg
Madrid, April 24 Bayern dominated possession in the semifinal, first leg at the Bernabeu without posing much of a threat to the home goal and Benzema’s 19th-minute effort means Real will have the advantage going into next week’s return in Munich. Despite the victory, Real may live to regret not converting a couple of clear chances in the first half when Champions League top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria both produced wasteful efforts. Bayern almost equalized late on but Mario Goetze was denied by a brilliant Iker Casillas save. It was a losing return to Spain for Bayern coach Pep Guardiola, who mostly got the better of Real in four trophy-laden seasons in charge of their arch rivals Barcelona between 2008 and 2012. With Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti in his first season, Real have high hopes they can finally claim the elusive 10th European crown they have been chasing since their last triumph in 2002. There was an electric atmosphere at the arena before kickoff and the home fans unfurled a huge banner proclaiming their status as “Kings of Europe”. However, it was the current champions and five-times winners who bossed the early stages with the Real players clearly under instructions to sit back and try and hit Bayern on the break. The opening goal came from exactly that scenario. Toni Kroos had a shot blocked in the Real penalty area and the home side picked up possession and poured forward. Ronaldo played Fabio Coentrao in on the left and his low cross evaded the Bayern defence and found Benzema waiting at the far post to tap into an empty net. Real were lifted by the goal and while Bayern were still enjoying long periods of fruitless possession the home side had two more clear chances on the breakaway. Ronaldo sliced a shot high and wide when well-placed in the 26th minute and Di Maria found space in the area four minutes before the break but blasted his effort over the bar. Real were first to threaten in the second period thanks to an error in the Bayern defence and Ronaldo raced clear on the right and forced a fine diving save from Manuel Neuer with a low shot. The Portugal captain has a record-equalling 14 goals in the Champions League this season and was clearly hungry to set a new best and Neuer again had to be alert when Ronaldo cracked a low shot towards the corner in 68th. Bayern huffed and puffed, with Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery probing down wither flank, but there was no way through the massed ranks of Real defenders. The Bundesliga champions enjoyed a good late spell and Goetze might have done better when left unmarked 10 metres out but Casillas was equal to his shot. In added time, Bayern claimed a penalty after Xabi Alonso dispossessed substitute Thomas Mueller when he was about to shoot but referee Howard Webb waved away their furious protests. — Agencies
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Pep admits Real ‘athletes’
too much for Bayern
“Madrid have athletes. They are footballers, but they are real athletes,” said the former Barcelona boss after suffering his first defeat in eight games as a coach at the Santiago Bernabeu. “It is easy to say we need to play more vertically, but the quicker we move the ball forward, the quicker it comes back and that can be very dangerous for us.” Bayern enjoyed 63 percent of the possession, but failed to create many clear-cut opportunities as Madrid defended in numbers. And Guardiola expects more of the same when his side try to turn the tie around on home soil at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. “I think the next game will be exactly the same. We need to control their counter-attacks, but it is a question of finding the right balance. “Madrid are a complete team and it is true that not scoring away from home makes the tie very difficult. “However, we will be at home, with our fans behind us, and we will give everything to reach the final.” Real boss Carlo Ancelotti admitted he didn't like having to relinquish control of the ball for large spells to the Germans. However, just as in Madrid's Copa del Rey victory over Barcelona last week, the Italian believed his side had played to their strengths. “I don't like to give up the ball. It is clear that you cannot control the ball for the whole game, but especially against Barca and Bayern it is very difficult to control it.
— Agencies |
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Sujjan cards 68 in Indonesia
Chandigarh, April 24 “I have been working hard on my game and am happy with my round today. I hope I can maintain this rhythm over the next three days,” said the Chandigarh professional. He birdied the first, fourth, sixth, tenth, 11th, 12th, 14th and 16th holes. Sujjan tied five other players for third place while Rashid Khan, Anirban Lahiri, Arjun Atwal and Rahil Gangjee all carded a two-under-par 70. SSP Chowrasia finished the day with a 71, one ahead of Jyoti Randhawa who completed his round in level-par, shooting a 72. Himmat Rai was a further stroke behind at 73 alongside Digvijay Singh and 19 others. Meanwhile, Jeev Milkha Singh's carded a four-over-par 76 at the Volvo China Open at the Genzon Golf Club in Shenzen. He carded nine straight pars, bogeyed the first, birdied the third but dropped a stroke on the fourth and finished with a string of bogeys on the seventh, eighth and ninth holes. Gaganjeet Bhullar shot one-under-par 71 in the first round and Shiv Kapur carded 73. |
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Maria into last 8 in Stuttgart
Madrid, April 24 The four-time Grand Slam champion looked solid enough on serve, with just five double-faults to eight by her opponent and she had Pavlychenkova under constant pressure with her booming returns. Her opponent in the quarterfinals will be Polish top seed Agnieszka Radwanska who proved too good for Roberta Vinci, winning 6-3, 6-2. Kei Nishikori into Barcelona quarters
Japanese Kei Nishikori eased into the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open on Thursday with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Kazakstan's Andrey Golubev. Rafael Nadal began his bid for a record ninth title at the Barcelona Open on Wednesday with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 defeat of Albert Ramos with his chances also boosted as four-time finalist David Ferrer crashed out.
— Agencies |
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Moyes ‘proud’ of Man U tenure despite sacking
Manchester, April 24 “During this period of transition, performances and results have not been what Manchester United and its fans are used to or expect, and I both understand and share their frustration,” the 50-year-old Scot said in a statement. “I have always believed that a manager never stops learning during his career, and I know I will take invaluable experience from my time as United's manager. “I remain proud to have led the team to the quarter-finals of this year's Champions League.” — Agencies Moyes’ ‘Chosen One’ banner removed
The last visible evidence of David Moyes' miserable reign at Manchester United was removed on Thursday as the infamous 'The Chosen One' banner was taken down from the Stretford End at Old Trafford. Stretford End Flags are considering donating it to the National Football Museum in Manchester. “It's something we're going to think about carefully. We may offer it to the National Football Museum or auction it off for charity,” the group's co-founder Andrew Kilduff said. |
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Chris Lynn took one of the most spectacular catches ever taken on a cricket field, on Thursday. While the breathtaking catch in itself was an event to remember forever, the victory it snatched for the Kolkata Knight Riders from the jaws of certain defeat made it even more special.
It's just over a month to go before the Indian men's hockey team will head out for the World Cup to be held at The Hague, Netherlands, from May 31 to June 15.
The Indian team had finished eighth in the last edition of the quadrennial event and going by its recent run of form, it would be a tall order for the Sardar Singh-led side to better its record and finish somewhere among the top-6 nations.
Madrid, April 24
