|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
‘I’ll sit with MS, Fleming and chart future course of action’
Hockey relying too much on Punjab: Pargat
Pak judokas to help India prepare for Glasgow Games
Second-string India squad upsets Bangla skipper
|
|||||||||||
|
Kings battle for final spot
Mumbai, May 29 KKR were coming into the game with a record seven wins on the trot and after leapfrogging two-time champions Chennai Super Kings into the second position. For KKR, the 2012 champions, their performance echoed the belief and confidence of the entire unit. In contrast, KXIP peaked early into the league stage, only to lose their way a bit at the business end of the tournament. Glenn Maxwell had been quiet in the last five matches, while David Miller's bat had also stopped breathing fire. Virender Sehwag found it difficult to come out of his shell and the pace duo of Mitchell Johnson and Sandeep Sharma had lost their touch. So, by the time Qualifier 1 reached its logical conclusion, George Bailey's men were humbled on a humid Wednesday evening. The momentum kept its date with KKR, while the league-toppers were soundly defeated. Momentum matters
So, when the 'Men in Red' square off against the two-time champions Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 2 at the Wankhede Stadium tomorrow, it would be a daunting task for KXIP to outclass the most formidable franchise in IPL’s history for the third time this season. Those who believe that momentum plays a major role in deciding which team has an edge over the others would certainly back CSK after their successful run chase against defending champions Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator last night. The way Suresh Raina and David Hussey forced the Mumbai bowlers into submission would certainly worry the KXIP bowlers and captain. KXIP, this year's surprise package, was the only team that looked destined to make the playoffs through the tournament, and they achieved that with a dominant show in the league stage. They now can't afford to let their hard work go down the drain. KXIP had sailed past Chennai in their two league-phase encounters. It must be remembered that on both the occasions, Maxwell had blasted two 90-plus scores -- 95 in 43 balls in Abu Dhabi in a successful chase of 206, and a 35-ball 90 in Cuttack to power Punjab to an improbable 231-4. Since those evenings, both the teams have covered a long distance in the tournament. KXIP would again be banking on the flamboyance and pyrotechnics of Maxwell, Miller and Bailey, while also hoping for Sandeep and Johnson to rediscover their mojo. Consistently consistent
On the other hand, Chennai would look to exploit the sudden slump in the form of KXIP after they were comprehensively beaten by KKR. Chennai have largely remained consistent in the tournament, barring their three-match losing streak in the later part of the league phase. They then put their campaign back on track against Sunrisers Hyderabad. For them, it has always been a team effort — be it their batting, bowling or fielding. Their batting line-up boasts of several world-class power-hitters — Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, David Hussey, Suresh Raina and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Their bowling strength includes purple cap holder Mohit Sharma and two lead spinners in Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. It's a do-or-die battle for both Chennai and Punjab and the team that handles the pressure better will emerge the winner. Expect a run feast on a placid Wankhede track. |
|
‘I’ll sit with MS, Fleming and chart future course of action’
Mumbai, May 29 Although he has managed to become a permanent feature of Team India's ODI and T20 stable, Raina has not got the attention that his illustrious teammates such Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh have attracted over the years. Just for the record, Raina is the highest run-getter in the IPL (3238 runs in 114 matches) and T20I cricket (922 runs) for India, and is the only Indian to score centuries in all three formats of the game. Keeping India's busy international schedule in mind, starting with the gruelling five-Test series against England, the national selectors decided to rest eight senior players and hand over the captaincy to Raina for the forthcoming ODI series against Bangladesh, which starts on June 15. Raina has been given charge of a team that can be best described as a second-string unit. Yet, the Indian team cannot afford to take matters lightly, even if the opposition happens to be Bangladesh. The Ghaziabad cricketer has made a return to the national squad after he was dropped for India's last ODI assignment — the Asia Cup — owing to poor form. For Raina, apart from a great deal of pressure to prove his leadership skills as well as inspiring a young bunch to perform, it would be an ideal opportunity to cement his place in the ODI squad for the England tour. Challenging series
Raina admitted that the Bangladesh series will be challenging as India had a poor run in the Asia Cup and lost in the final of the World T20 against Sri Lanka in Dhaka. “The upcoming tour of Bangladesh will be important. I will sit with MS (Dhoni) and (Stephen) Fleming to chart the future course of action. I have a young team which is good for me as a captain. For me, a captain is not that important. It's the overall performance of the team which wins you matches,” said Raina, who will be captaining the side for the third time in his career after earlier leading the team in the West Indies and Zimbabwe. “Bangladesh is a strong team at its home ground. We did not win the Asia Cup and lost in the World T20 final too. So, overall, it would be a challenging tour for us. I would have 10-12 days (after the IPL) to plan my strategy for the tour. It's a good opportunity for me before the England ODI series. I am confident that if I will perform in Bangladesh, it will boost my confidence going into the England tour, if selected,” he added. Given that Raina has been working closely with regular skipper Dhoni — as a member of the national side as well as Chennai Super Kings — he would definitely look to implement the leadership skills imbibed from Dhoni, while also bringing his own international experience into play.
|
|
India thrash SA, warm up for opener
The Hague, May 29 Hit hard by injuries to two key strikers — Ramandeep Singh and Nikkin Thimmaiah — the Indians played the game against South Africa with maturity and sense of purpose. India's three goals came from penalty corner conversion by Rupinderpal Singh (2) and VR Raghunath, while captain Sardar Singh contributed to the scoreline with a field goal. India dominated the proceedings for most part of the match and took the lead at the closing stages of the first half through a penalty corner conversion by Rupinder. The defender sounded the board again in the second half to increase the lead. The South Africans did manage to pull one back from a set piece but the Indian defence stood tall thereafter to thwart any danger to their citadel. Skipper Sardar made the scoreline 3-1 with a field strike before Raghunath completed the formalities with a penalty corner conversion. Speaking on India's performance against South Africa, India's High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans, said: “The first half of the match turned out to be a little slower than expected, but the second half of the game saw a really good performance by the team, where defence also gave an excellent response.” “We are happy to see both Lalit Upadhyay and Yuvraj Walmiki (Ramandeep and Nikkin's replacements) living up to the expectations from their very first match. The team has been preparing for a long time and it's time for the boys to deliver their best. I am confident that the boys will perform well.” India captain Sardar Singh too was satisfied with the outcome of the match. “I am glad the team is showing good results. The good part is that we are all on the same wavelength and are playing with a positive mindset,” he said. “This win will further help in boosting the confidence of every player, especially of Lalit Upadhyay and Yuvraj Walmiki as it was their first game. We are ready to take up more challenges and deliver even better results in the tournament,” Sardar added. India will open their World Cup campaign against Belgium in a tough Group A on Saturday.
— PTI |
|
Hockey relying too much on Punjab: Pargat
Chandigarh, May 29 “Injuries to Ramandeep and Nikkin Thimmaiah have come at a bad time. We will need to put up a really good show to compete with the top teams,” Pargat said. Pargat pointed out that Indian hockey lacks a structured system and there was over-reliance on players from Punjab. “We are not promoting talent elsewhere at the grassroots level as much as we should.” The former India skipper believes that the Indians are still passionate about hockey but a lot needs to be done bring the sport into limelight. “For four years, I have been trying to get a four-nation or a six-nation Cup to Punjab. Hockey India has to allocate this but nothing has come out of it. We have constructed five stadia in Punjab. We have set the stage, we are contributing maximum players, but we have to get events so that our players can compete with top teams,” he said. Meanwhile, former India striker Gagan Ajit Singh, while admitting that the injuries to the two key strikers was a huge blow, said the opener against Belgium would be crucial for India as the latter had improved a lot in the last 2-3 three years. Gagan said India should take one match at a time. “If we make it to the top five, it would be good achievement. In the 2006 World Cup, we finished last at the 12th position,” he said.
— PTI |
|
Pak judokas to help India prepare for Glasgow Games
New Delhi, May 29 Pakistan's 10-woman judo squad, including South Asian Judo Championship gold medalist Humera Ashique, will travel to Patiala in June to train the Indian athletes. Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) secretary Masood Ahmed said that since Pakistan is not fielding a team at CWG due to the conflict between the Pakistan Olympics Association and the government, the athletes will now help the neighbours prepare for the Glasgow event. “Since we can't go, we'll help them as we are South Asian nations anyway, it's a great deal for both parties,” said Ahmed. Ahmed said that the Indian official Mukesh Kumar invited Pakistani athletes to Patiala for the training sessions for 20 days. “It's going to happen next month, we've been invited to Patiala where the Indian squad is preparing,” said Ahmed. — PTI |
|
Second-string India squad upsets Bangla skipper
Mirpur, May 29 “We have a chance to give a reply on the field. There is extra motivation. They haven't invited us yet so if we do well in this series, it sends a message,” added the wicketkeeper-batsman. “I know most of them and have seen them play, but Shakib has played against all of them, so we will pick his brain. In this day and age, it is hard not to have knowledge on a player,” said Mushfiqur. “We have defeated their best team in the past. They have a young team, and despite the standard of the IPL, international cricket is a more difficult stage. And one should not forget that if they lose, India will lose, not India A. The pressure will be on them,” said Mushfiqur.
— PTI |
|
‘The king’ gains momentum
Paris, May 29 The eight-times champion from Spain applauded his 20-year-old opponent after being tested on court Philippe Chatrier more than the scoreline suggested. "His ball is so high he was able to hit strong he has completely everything to become a champion," said the world No.1, who for the first time arrived at Roland Garros having lost three matches on his favoured clay this season. "I think today I played a solid match, I knew that if I didn't I would be in trouble." He briefly was in the third set when Thiem, who stunned world No. 3 Stan Wawrinka in the second round of the Madrid Masters this month, broke and held serve to open a 3-1 lead. His booming inside-out forehands briefly put Nadal in trouble as the Spaniard eyeballed his opponent. But Nadal won the remaining games, ending the contest on his second match point when the Austrian sent a forehand long. Nadal is on a quarterfinal collision course with last year's runner-up and compatriot David Ferrer. Fifth seed Ferrer, one of three men to beat Nadal on clay this season, wasted little time in demolishing Italian Simone Bolelli 6-2 6-3 6-2. Murray outclasses Matosevic
Seventh seed Andy Murray outclassed Australia's Marinko Matosevic 6-3 6-1 6-3 to reach the third round, conceding only seven games in a two-hour masterclass. The pattern was set in the first game as Murray broke serve and he went on to dominate a player appearing in the second round of a grand slam for the first time. Matosevic hung on grimly in the opening set and did have a chance to level when he was 0-40 ahead on Murray's serve in the eighth game but he failed to take his chance and was never close to his opponent again. In the absence of the Williams sisters, 15th seed Sloane Stephens raised American morale by easing past Slovenian Polona Hercog 6-1 6-3 to reach the third round. Sixth seed Jelena Jankovic proved strong on serve to hold off Japanese Kurumi Nara, who collapsed in the second set in a 7-5 6-0 defeat by the Serbian who is a three-times semi-finalist in Paris. Former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, the Russian 27th seed, laboured to a 7-6(5) 6-3 win over Italian Camila Giorgi.
— Reuters Mirza-Black advance; Bopanna-Qureshi out
Fifth seeds Sania Mirza and Cara Black breezed past their first round opponents while Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi were shown the door in the men’s doubles event. Mirza and Black beat Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova and Israel's Shahar Peer 6-3 6-3, while Bopanna and Qureshi lost 3-6 4-6 to Jonathan Erlich and Marcelo Melo.
— PTI |
|
Rooting against the home team in soccer-crazed Brazil
"Never before has the World Cup incited these feelings of hatred among Brazilians," said Ugo Giorgetti, a prominent filmmaker and football commentator. "There are people who love football, who love Brazil, but are cheering against the team like they've never cheered before." The "Brazil haters" stand in sharp contrast to the typical caricature of Brazilian fans decked out in green and yellow face paint, chanting and screaming for their team to the rhythm of pounding samba drums. "I'm cheering for Holland," said Marco Silva, a 33-year old consultant from the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. "If Brazil is champion, all the corruption around the tournament will be forgotten. The country won't wake up." Most Brazilians will indeed rally behind the team as it seeks a record sixth World Cup victory, but the government is worried critics will take to the streets in the tens of thousands and hurt the country's image. This week, angry protesters banged on the bus as players left Rio de Janeiro for training camp. Detractors say the World Cup — with its overpriced stadiums, delayed or undelivered infrastructure projects and potentially embarrassing organizational problems — has done more harm than good by taking funds away from social programs and more important investment projects. For them, a swift end to Brazil's run in the tournament would help the country refocus on more pressing needs and maybe even stoke political change. "I and many people I know are rooting for Brazil to lose early, though not everyone is open about it," said Edson Alves, a 52-year old chemist and lifelong football fan. "It's sad, but right now I'm thinking more about Brazil the country and not Brazil the football team." Alves, like many others rooting against the team on social media, is a harsh critic of President Dilma Rousseff, who has cast the World Cup as a golden opportunity to showcase a modern Brazil. He hopes a defeat in the Cup will weaken support for Rousseff ahead of her re-election bid in October. Germany keeper Neuer, Lahm start training
St. Martin (Italy): Germany keeper Manuel Neuer and captain Philipp Lahm kicked off their belated World Cup preparations on Thursday with light training after missing the start of the camp through injury. Neuer did not do any goalkeeping training and only some light running as he races to recover from his shoulder injury in time for the start. There was more good news for coach Joachim Loew with Lahm training in part with the team for the first time on Thursday as he also recovers from a foot injury.
— Reuters |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Sao Paulo, May 29
