Ahmedabad, May 8
Sunrisers Hyderabad kept themselves in the top-four race as they crushed Rajasthan Royals by 32 runs on the back of an inspiring bowling performance here today.

Hyderabad looked down and out after posting a modest 134 for nine but they came out all guns blazing, forcing their rivals into submission with their fiery bowling, led by young India paceman Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4/14).

Kumar provided the first breakthrough in the third ball of the RR innings and then took three wickets in the 18th over to deny the rivals any sort of comeback. His senior pace colleague Dale Steyn (2/33) took two wickets while Karn Sharma, Moises Henriques and Irfan Pathan took a wicket apiece in a collective bowling effort to bowl out Rajasthan for 102 with one ball to spare.

The result meant that Rajasthan skipper Shane Watson's superb hat-trick went in vain and Hyderabad moved to fifth from seventh in the points table. It was a pathetic batting display by Hyderabad as more than the Rajasthan bowling, it was poor shot selection of the Hyderabad batsmen that let them down.

None of the SRH players, except skipper Shikhar Dhawan (33), applied himself as Watson (3/13) and Rajat Bhatia (3/23) shared six wickets between them.

It was a split hat-trick for Watson as he dismissed Dhawan in the last ball of his first over and then sent back Moises Henriques (9) and Karn Sharma (0) when he returned for his second over later in the innings.

In his last match also the burly Australian had taken three wickets in one over to trigger a KKR batting collapse.

However, Hyderabad made a match out of it with their spirited bowling effort. Both pacers and spinners bowled their hearts out in troubling the Rajasthan batsmen.

Pacers Bhuvneshwar and Steyn were disciplined with their line and length while Karn and Amit Mishra used the spin-friendly conditions to the fullest. — PTI

Scoreboard

Sunrisers Hyderabad:
Dhawan b Watson 33 (20)
Finch c Rahane b Bhatia 9 (10)
Rahul b Bhatia 18 (18)
Ojha b Bhatia 17 (19)
Warner st Samson b Tambe 6 (7)
Henriques c Rahane b Watson 9 (13)
Pathan not out 21 (21)
K Sharma c Samson b Watson 0(1)
Steyn run out 9 (8)
Mishra run out 0 (2)
Kumar not out 0 (1)
Extras (b 5, lb 5, w 2) 12
Total (9 wickets; 20 overs) 134
FoW: 1-37, 2-55, 3-67, 4-85, 5-89, 6-106, 7-106, 8-125, 9-129
Bowling:
Richardson 4 -0 -28-0
Kulkarni 2-0-19-0
Watson 2-0-13-3
Faulkner 4 -0-20-0
Bhatia 4-0-23-3
Tambe 4-0-21-1

Rajasthan Royals:
Rahane c Warner b Kumar 0 (3)
Nair c Ojha b Steyn 12 (9)
Samson b Sharma 16 (16)
Watson c Ojha b Henriques 11 (10)
Binny run out 12 (19)
Smith c Pathan b Steyn 22 (33)
Bhatia c Warner b Kumar 4 (8)
Faulkner c Finch b Kumar 4 (6)
Richardson c & b Kumar 1 (2)
Kulkarni not out 7 (6)
Tambe c Steyn b Pathan 3 (7)
Extras (b 4, lb 1, w 5) 10
Total (all out in 19.5 overs) 102
FoW: 1-0, 2-27, 3-37, 4-41, 5-78, 6-82, 7-89, 8-89, 9-91, 10-102
Bowling:
Kumar 4 -0-14-4
Steyn 4-0-31-2
Sharma 4-0-20-1
Henriques 2-0-11-1
Mishra 4-0-13-0
Pathan 1.5-0-8-1
MoM: Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Cuttack, May 8
Arguably the most dangerous opening batsman ever to play for India, Virender Sehwag has no qualms in stating that his Kings XI Punjab teammate Glenn Maxwell, who has been tormenting bowlers in the ongoing IPL-7, is more destructive than him and even Chris Gayle.

Asked if the Australian’s top-notch batting reminds him of his heyday, Sehwag responded in negative. “No, no. I was not that destructive. I was a bit, but not that much,” Sehwag said.

Talking about what he likes the most about Maxwell’s batting, Sehwag said, “I don’t think he is worried about his game; he’s more worried about golf and practises more golf than cricket. He just goes out there in the middle, gives his 100 per cent out there and comes back happily with whatever he gets.” The Delhi-based player said Maxwell is more dangerous than the strapping West Indian Chris Gayle. “I think Maxwell. He and Miller… if the two of them get going, it becomes very difficult for the bowling side because if one misses a ball, the other makes up for it with a six,” said Sehwag.

After scoring a 23-ball 30 in KXIP’s big win over Chennai Super Kings in Cuttack on Wednesday, the out-of-favour India opener said the best is to yet to come from his blade.

“The best is yet to come. I am striking the ball well and would like to continue to contribute to the team. I have been scoring 20s and 30s, but now it is time to score like the way Maxwell has been doing. Hopefully, in the coming games I will score big.”— PTI

Chandigarh, May 8
Hockey India has decided to honour the 13 living members of the 1975 World Cup-winning team on May 14 in New Delhi, 39 years after India’s only world title win.

However, Hockey India has forgotten that the team had a coach too, who happens to be one of the world’s greatest ever hockey players, perhaps next only to Dhyan Chand.

India won the World Cup on May 14, 1975. This May 14, HI will honour the 13 living members of the team and present them with a gift of Rs. 1,75,000 each. The 13 players are Ajit Pal Singh, Ashok Kumar, Aslam Sher Khan, Brig. Harcharan Singh, Leslie Fernandez, Varinder Singh, Ashok Diwan, Michael Kindo, BP Govinda, Brig. HJS Chimni, VJ Phillips, Onkar Singh and Kaliah P.E.

But the coach of the 1975 team, Balbir Singh (Sr.) won’t be honoured. This omission seems ignorant at best and churlish and mean at worst. In team sports, a squad wins or loses as one — including the coach.

Happy for others

The 90-year-old Balbir Singh, however, is a man far from petty or churlish —he’s not bothered that he’s been ignored by Hockey India. He is, in fact, delighted that his one-time wards are being honoured for winning the World Cup.

With a calm and happy smile, he says: “It’s very hearting that the World Cup-winning team members are being rewarded for their exceptional performance and hopefully it will act as a motivation for the current team.”

“For me, helping India regain their supremacy in the hockey world was my goal at that time and achieving it, in style, was my reward,” says hockey’s living legend who won three gold medals at the Olympic Games as part of the Indian team in 1948, 1952 and 1956. One of the best centre-forwards in the history of the sport, he scored five goals in the 1952 Olympics final against the Netherlands, which remains a record.

No interference

“In 1975, I agreed to the coaching job only on one condition, that there should be no interference,” he says. “And a year later, when the Indian hockey officials changed two officials of the team, the same squad finished seventh in the Montreal Olympics.”

The current Hockey India officials are perhaps unaware of Balbir Singh’s work and dedication as coach in 1975. During the pre-World Cup coaching camp in Panjab University in Chandigarh, Balbir’s father passed away but he skipped only one coaching session to attend the funeral. The rest of the rituals were performed when he came back to India after the World Cup. Around the same time, his wife slipped into a coma after suffering a haemorrhage. He still would attend two practice sessions and visit his wife, admitted in the PGI, three times a day. Fortunately, his wife recovered very well. When she got well, she asked him: “Where is the World Cup trophy?”

Coaches play a role

“Coaches do play an important role in a team’s behaviour and wins,” Balbir now says, sipping his green tea. “I had to cut short my Canada trip and if I remember correctly, we used to practise day and night despite my family problems. I used to sleep at the hostel with my team. For making them united, we had come up with a common prayer room, to avoid any religious gap between the players. We had a special team anthem — Jo Bole so Sahi Bharat Mata Ki Jai.”

“Then, for the first time, different teams from Punjab and other parts were called to play matches with the World Cup squad. I had a special banner in my ground to encourage the kids: Regaining supremacy in world is our supremacy!”

“My father always said — ‘Duty First.’ I performed the same. It’s amazing to see the Indian flag going up and people applauding as your national anthem is played,” Balbir Singh says.

Award only for players

Does all that matter to the officials? A Hockey India official said: “Following the initiative started few years ago, only players will be awarded under this honour. It’s not that Balbir Singh (Sr.) has not been honoured for his achievements but this time, Hockey India is only awarding the players of the World Cup-winning squad.” A coach builds and leads a team. Sadly, for Hockey India, it was only the winning squad that brought the trophy to the nation.

My father died, and my wife suffered a crippling haemorrhage. I never missed a single session of training. Besides these two mishaps, my two younger sons were to appear in the Higher Secondary and Matriculation Final examinations. For two whole months I did not visit my home which was barely a mile and a half away. I kept shuttling between the university campus where I stayed with the team, and the PGI where my wife lay unconscious. I only took a few hours off from the training camp for the cremation of my dear father. The last rites were performed only after I returned to India after the World Cup Victory. —Balbir Singh Sr, three time olympic champion

Cuttack, May 8
India will embark on a redemption tour to England after the ongoing IPL and Cheteshwar Pujara, who is expected to be the team’s batting mainstay, feels it will be tough for the visitors to switch to Test mode from Twenty20 format.

“It won’t be easy at all,” said Pujara. “But the good thing is, we have two practice games before the five-Test series. We will try to make the most of it. We will obviously have some plans to tackle the conditions,” he said of the tour starting with a warm-up against Leicestershire on June 26.

Besides five Tests, India will play five ODIs and a T20 International during the tour.

In their last tour to England in 2011, India drew a blank as they returned winless from the two-month long trip. India were humiliated 0-4 by the hosts in the Test series, followed by a 0-3 drubbing in the five-match ODI rubber. The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side also lost the lone T20 match.

Considering their showing in 2011, the upcoming tour to England holds great significance for the Indian team. And Pujara said adjusting to the unfamiliar pitches there will be the biggest challenge for the visitors.

“The wickets there are something we can’t have in India and that makes the job really challenging. It is the same for them when they come here and play on spin-friendly wickets,” Pujara said.

“The thing which will give me confidence there is the experience of playing in New Zealand and South Africa where I managed to do alright,” said the 26-year-old Saurashtra batsman, who has a staggering average of 58.92 in 19 Tests.

Pujara has already made a name for himself in the longest format, but time and again he has expressed his desire to excel in all three formats. “I am learning every day in this format (T20). I have spoken a lot to David Miller, Glenn Maxwell and Sehwag on how to improve as a T20 player. I still feel I have a lot of catching up to do in this format.”

“T20 is all about innovation and I am working on new shots, so that I am able to hit the big shots whenever the need arises. I am also working a lot on my strength and fitness. But while doing this, I make sure that it doesn’t affect my natural game,” he said. — PTI

New Delhi, May 8
The turf war between the suspended Rajasthan Cricket Association and the BCCI escalated on Thursday with RCA Deputy President Mehmood Abdi accusing the Board of acting in the most unfair manner to satisfy the “vengeance, hate and prejudicial grudge” carried by N Srinivasan against Lalit Modi.

A day after BCCI claimed that it acted as per rules in suspending RCA after the Modi was elected its President by a landslide margin despite being banned for life, Abdi said the parent body`s actions were baffling.

“The action of the BCCI speaks volumes about its arrogance and disregard for the law of the land and public sentiment, as it has demonstrated with the ban on the RCA in a most unfair and undemocratic manner,” he said in a statement.

“It is completely bewildering that a democratically and duly elected body is destabilised within minutes of it being elected at the whim of the BCCI,” he added. — PTI

New Delhi, May 8
Chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand has set a “realistic” target of reaching the quarterfinals in the upcoming Thomas and Uber Cup Finals. The coach believes that India’s strength, in both the competitions, lies in three single matches.

A Thomas/Uber Cup tie consists of three singles and two doubles matches. India have drawn Germany, Malaysia and South Korea in Group C in the Thomas Cup, while they are bracketed alongside Thailand, Canada and Hong Kong in Group C in the Uber Cup.

“Realistically speaking, our first target would be to get to the quarters,” said Gopichand. “In the Thomas Cup, we should look at three straight singles wins against South Korea. Against Malaysia, we would look at two singles and one doubles and against Germany we can look at all three singles and have a chance in both the doubles too. In the Uber Cup, I think we have a chance in third singles and second doubles with PC Thulasi or Arundhati Pantawane.”

“Our strength is singles. It has been tough to select the team for the singles as there is very little difference between the players,” added Gopichand, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan earlier this year.

India will host the finals of the prestigious Thomas and Uber Cup for the first time to decide the world’s strongest men and women’s teams. The country had hosted Thomas and Uber Cup preliminary stage matches in 1988, 2000 and 2006.

Gopichand said the momentum will play a key role in India’s success in the tournament to be held at the Siri Fort Sports Complex from May 18-25. “In team matches, the momentum is very important. If we go 2-0 up in a tie, then the pressure is on the opponent but if you are 0-2 down, your morale will be low. So it will be important to start well to get the momentum. If you get a big win on Day 1, then your morale is really high for the next two days,” said the former All-England champion. Asked about home advantage, Gopichand said, “Team matches are different. Home court could be an advantage and disadvantage too. Pressure could work both ways.”

Badminton Association of India (BAI) has organised a week-long training camp for the Indian shuttlers. Gopichand, however, felt that it will ultimately depend on how the Indian shuttlers perform on the match day.

“All of them want to perform. They have the desire to perform. How much you are able to control your nerves, push and not feel the pressure on the court is what is important. All of them are very serious and focused and want to do well.”

Gopichand also credited the Indian Badminton League (IBL) for helping the shuttlers prepare as a team for the prestigious championship. “The level we are looking at is the highest in the world. I don’t see our players expecting easy matches. They have played pressure matches in the IBL. They have played as a team in the IBL and that experience will be helpful,” he said.

New Delhi, May 8
It's sometimes refreshing to see Terry Walsh's ability to look at things as they stand. The national hockey team’s chief coach doesn't believe in making false promises, just a practical approach. For him, setting short term goals for the Indian team to somewhat get closer to the European style of hockey would be of no lasting use.

Walsh knows that to be successful, a lot more than skill is required. It's the culmination of many factors that makes the process work.

How long, is always the big question in terms of results.

"Look, to get this group to where you want them physiologically will take two years to really harden their body and make them play on that international scene. Many of these guys have been playing for a long time on the international scene and they have hardened their bodies, but some of the others haven't. It's difficult both physically and stretching them mentally. It’s part of the whole process and the guys are working very hard. You have to wait," said Walsh.

"We are looking for consistency and progression. If you understand the difference between playing the European and Asian styles of hockey, you will know that we have not played any European hockey continually, except for the World League Final in January. You have to start living, breathing, feeling, watching all the games that take place whether it's the European League or the Dutch League, which we hadn't looked at. You have to immerse that European style of playing, and that's different from coming here and training morning to afternoon," Walsh told reporters ahead of the team's practice session here on Thursday.

The men's hockey team is undergoing rigorous training drills under the watchful eyes of Walsh and High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans at the National Stadium as part of their preparations for the World Cup.

Walsh seemed confident about India's chances at the World Cup and said the boys have the self-belief to succeed at the highest level, which was missing three months back. "Players have that self-belief which they did not have three months ago. It was significantly better than what we were at the World League Final. The European tour was part of the significant development. That has taken us to another level," said Walsh.

The former Australian centre-forward said the European tour did a lot of good to the confidence of the Indian players. "Most people rate tours in this country on success, in terms of results. It’s not always the case. It's about exposure and finding out what resources do you have. I would be happy winning games that are important to me rather than on tours.”

“With less than 3 weeks left to the World Cup, there are many focus areas during the preparations like introducing new techniques, putting in place strategies keeping the opponents in mind. We are also completely focusing on the development and improvement of each player."

New Delhi, May 8
Olympic bronze-medallist MC Mary Kom is among the 19 women boxers selected for the core group of probables for this year's Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

The list was prepared after a selection trials held at the IG Stadium here from May 6 to 8 under the supervision of the ad-hoc committee.

While Mary Kom and six other boxers were selected in the the 51kg category, seven were picked in the 60kg division and four in the 75kg weight category.

Meanwhile, the ad-hoc committee also requested the Sports Authority of India to continue the camp till the Asian Games in all 10 weight categories to enable the core group to train with the best.

The selection trials for the men's core group probables in all ten categories will start tomorrow at NIS, Patiala.

Madrid, May 8
Rafael Nadal remained on course to retain his Madrid Masters title with a comfortable 6-1 6-4 win over Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen on Thursday.

Nadal looked in fine form as he took nine of the opening 10 games to move 6-1 3-0 in front. Nieminen then briefly threatened a comeback as he broke back and even had break points at 4-4 in the second set, but Nadal held on before sealing victory when the world No. 57 fired long in the next game.

Next up for the 13-time Grand Slam champion is a meeting with sixth seed Tomas Berdych after the Czech came through in three sets against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 3-6 6-3 6-2.

Serena Williams also maintained her quest for a third consecutive Madrid Open title with a 6-2 6-3 win over Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro. Williams was broken twice in her opening three service games, but Suarez Navarro was unable to consolidate the break and once the American moved ahead 4-2 she saw out the set comfortably.

Madrid, May 8
Real Madrid's La Liga title challenge was left hanging by a thread after a late Humberto Osorio header earned Real Valladolid a 1-1 draw and Cristiano Ronaldo suffered an injury on Wednesday.

Real, hoping to keep the pressure on Atletico Madrid at the top of table, remained in third place, four points behind their city rivals and a point adrift of Barcelona with two games to play.

The match started badly for Real when world player of the year Ronaldo hobbled off with a suspected hamstring strain. They went ahead, however, when Sergio Ramos, celebrating the birth of son Sergio on Tuesday and his 400th Real appearance, swept home a free kick after 35 minutes.

It was not enough, though, as relegation-threatened Valladolid levelled when Osorio nodded home with five minutes left. — Reuters

London, May 8
Manchester City moved to the brink of the Premier League title with an emphatic 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday as Edin Dzeko scored twice to leave them needing just a point from the final game of the season.

Dzeko's double midway through the second half relieved the pressure that had gripped the Etihad Stadium and late strikes by Stevan Jovetic and Yaya Toure, his 20th of the season, secured a comfortable victory.

City, who brought up 100 league goals for the campaign, realistically need just a point from Sunday's home game against West Ham United to win their second league title in three years.

Manuel Pellegrini's side moved two points clear of Liverpool at the top of the table but, with a superior goal difference of 13, a draw would be enough for City to be crowned champions while Chelsea's title hopes are over.

BRIEFLY

Agassi picks Nadal over Federer as all-time best
Singapore: Andre Agassi has picked Rafael Nadal ahead of Grand Slam record-holder Roger Federer when asked to choose the best player in tennis history, a report said on Thursday. The American, putting a new slant on one of the sport’s great debates, said he prefers Nadal because the Spaniard has thrived in an ultra-competitive “golden age of tennis”. “I’d put Nadal number one, Federer number two,” the eight-time Grand Slam-winner told Singapore’s Straits Times in an interview. “Federer separated himself from the field for four years. He separated himself from (Andy) Roddick and (Lleyton) Hewitt,” Agassi added. “Nadal had to deal with Federer, (Novak) Djokovic, (Andy) Murray in the golden age of tennis. He has done what he has done and he’s not done yet.” Conventional wisdom ranks Federer ahead of Nadal, as the Swiss holds a record 17 Grand Slam titles against 13 for the current world number one. But Nadal has a convincing 23-10 head-to-head record against Federer and is one Australian Open victory away from becoming only the third man to win all four Grand Slam titles twice. “He has won multiple (majors), every single one (more than once) except the Australian Open — and give him another year on that,” Agassi said. “It’s just remarkable to me what he has done, and he has done it all during Federer’s prime.”

Praveen comes in for injured Zaheer
Mumbai: Defending champions Mumbai Indians have roped in Uttar Pradesh swing bowler Praveen Kumar as the replacement for the injured Zaheer Khan for the remainder of their campaign in the Indian Premier League. MI skipper Rohit Sharma tweeted Kumar’s picture in the team’s jersey and said, “Welcome mate, good to have you.” A team official also confirmed the development and said the India discard joined the team today and practised at the nets.

New Pak coach Younis slams his detractors
Karachi: Pakistan’s new head coach Waqar Younis has lashed out at former players and critics who have questioned his appointment by the PCB. While former skipper and ex-PCB director general Javed Miandad has termed chairman Najam Sethi’s new appointments as unconstitutional, former chief selector Mohsin Khan has directly hit out at Waqar’s appointment. Waqar, who is due to take charge in June, said in his defence that he had applied for the head coach position as per the requirements of the Pakistan board. — Agencies

Red Bull give Vettel new chassis for Spain
Barcelona: Sebastian Vettel (in pic) will have a new Red Bull chassis for Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix in a switch that could give the quadruple Formula One champion a boost even if the team said it was unrelated to his lack of form so far this season. Chief designer Rob Marshall told the Red Bull website on Wednesday that the change, replacing the central tub that the driver sits in, had been scheduled at the start of the season. Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who has outqualified his German team mate in three of the four races so far, is expected to have a new chassis some time in July.

All Saints College cagers win Honoria tournament
Solan: All Saints College (ASC), Nainital, beat hosts Lawrence School, Sanawar, in the final to win the Honoria Basketball tournament in Lawrence School today. Right from the start, ASC pushed Sanawar into a defensive mode. While ASC led 13-8 at half time, the Sanawar girls bounced back in the second half by reorganising their attack through well-coordinated passes and narrowed the lead to 26-22. However, ASC quashed the home team's challenge and in the end won by 13 points.

India drop two places to 147 in FIFA rankings
New Delhi: Missing a game since March this year, India dropped two places to 147 in the latest FIFA rankings released today. Wim Koevermans' boys have been missing football action but they have managed to hold on to their continent ranking on 25th spot, though jointly with Singapore, who are also placed 147th in the world chart. India have played only one match this year, when they were held 2-2 by Bangladesh in a friendly encounter on March 5. Afghanistan (128) are the highest-ranked side in the sub-continent while Iran are on top of the Asian heap with an overall ranking of 37 followed by Japan (47) and Uzbekistan (53). — Agencies

Ludhiana boys beat Patiala in Punjab State Basketball 
Ludhiana: Gurwinder Singh scored 18 points as Ludhiana Academy thrashed Patiala district 50-32 on the third day of the 65th Junior Punjab State Basketball Championship at Bhaini Sahib today. In the girls’ section, Ludhiana district beat Kapurthala district 50-18, with Kulwinder Kaur scoring 16 points and Aman scoring 12 points for the winners. In another match, Smriti scored 16 points as Amritsar district beat Jallandhar 57-28.

Van Gaal wants to be Man United manager 
London: Louis Van Gaal said on Wednesday he wants to be the new manager of Manchester United. “I would love the job,” the Netherlands boss, speaking at the start of a three-day Dutch World Cup training camp,” said on Wednesday. “I hope that I shall be the one,” added van Gaal, who also said United were the “biggest club in the world”. The 62-year-old has long been the leading candidate to become the next full-time manager since United sacked David Moyes.

Worker killed at Brazil World Cup stadium
Brasilia: A worker at a World Cup stadium in the Brazilian city of Cuiaba was killed in an electrical accident on Thursday, temporarily halting construction of the stadium and adding to woes in the rushed preparations for the tournament. Muhammad-Ali Maciel Afonso, 32, was the eighth worker to die at Brazil’s World Cup arenas. — Agencies