The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Capturing the Cup in images
Here are a few pictures to jog your memory through what has been one of the finest World Cups ever. These images capture some amazing, jaw-dropping action on the field, the shock and joy in the stands when the heavyweights like Spain and Brazil fell, the victors consoling the vanquished and the much talked about biting incident

A to Z: All you want to remember about the World Cup

A Abysmal Asia
The continent's four teams failed to grab a win in Brazil, the first time Asia has gone without a victory at a World Cup since 1990 when United Arab Emirates and South Korea each lost all three group games.

B Bite
Uruguay forward Luis Suarez was slapped with a World Cup record four month ban after sinking his teeth into the shoulder of Italy's Giorgio Chiellini. Suarez initially denied the bite, before backtracking and apologising after FIFA's punishment.

C Cash
Ghana's players wanted their appearance fees for playing in the World Cup right away so President John Mahama flew millions of dollars to Brasilia in order to appease the squad hours before their make-or-break clash with Portugal. Pictured kissing the stacks of cash upon its arrival, Ghana's players lost to the Portuguese and exited at the group stage.

D Dilma
The on-field action in Brazil was amongst the best ever but the problems surrounding the organisation of the tournament were not forgotten. Brazil President Dilma Rousseff, along with FIFA boss Sepp Blatter, were routinely booed when shown in the crowd at matches.

E Embarrassment
A World Cup record defeat, a first loss in a competitive home match in 39 years, it was not meant to end like this for pre-tournament favourites Brazil. The 7-1 semi-final mauling suffered in Belo Horizonte at the hands of Germany plunged a nation into mourning and quickly led to calls for an overhaul of the domestic game.

F Fans
The empty stadiums of the South African World Cup four years ago were never going to be repeated with fans flocking from all over the world to watch the action in Brazil. The majority seemed to come from Argentina, Chile and Colombia. Brazilians also turned out en masse to catch the action, making the 2014 tournament the second most popular in history based on average attendances.

G Goals, goals and goals
The group stages were full of them. The knockout stages less so but still the attacking mindset of the 32 teams resulted in 167 goals prior to the final two matches. Finally, the count went up to 171, matching the record 171 scored in France in 1998.

H Hands of Howard
United States goalkeeper Tim Howard made a World Cup record 16 saves in their last-16 clash with Belgium. It was not enough, though, as Belgium prevailed 2-1 in extra time.

I Invasions
Fans managed to escape security and run on to the pitch in the group match between Germany and Ghana and the last-16 clash involving the United States and Belgium, while an estimated 200 Chilean fans burst into the media centre at the Maracana Stadium before their win over Spain.

J James Rodriguez
The baby-faced Colombian attacker made himself a household name all over the world after his brilliant displays and six goals in their run to a first quarter-final appearance. A mazy run and dinked effort against Japan was bettered by a sensational chest, swivel and volley from 25 metres in the last- 16 win over Uruguay.

K Klose
The ageing Miroslav Klose scored his 16th World Cup goal to surpass former Brazil striker Ronaldo's record of 15. The German striker took the record by scoring the second in the 7-1 thrashing of Brazil in the semi-final.

L Lotto
The relatively small Italian kit maker managed to muscle out some of the major brands in Brazil thanks to Costa Rica's unlikely run. Sales of the Ticos' shirt rose 20-fold after they topped Group D by beating Uruguay and Italy and then edging Greece on penalties in the last 16.

M Memes
Social media and the World Cup were as intertwined like never before. After Arjen Robben's theatrics led to a late penalty against Mexico in the round of 16, fans posted various memes of the Dutch winger lifting an Oscar for Best Actor, competing in Olympic diving, and plunging arms-flailing off the cliffs of Acapulco.

N Neymar
It was all going so well for the Brazilian number 10 who delivered four goals in four games. But his tournament ended at the last-eight stage when he suffered a cracked vertebra after a heavy challenge against the Colombians. His injury led to his team mates wearing 'Forza Neymar' caps before the semi-final with defender David Luiz holding aloft the striker's number 10 shirt before kick-off. It did them no good, though, as Germany smashed them 7-1.

O Oldest
Colombian goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon became the oldest player to take part in a World Cup when the 43-year-old came off the bench in the South Americans' 4-1 win over Japan in Group C.

P Penalties
A record-equalling four matches were settled by penalties in Brazil with Costa Rican enjoying the ecstasy of winning a shootout against Greece to make a first quarterfinal only to lose to the Dutch the same way. Keylor Navas was arguably the goalkeeper of the tournament for Costa Rica but he could not match the two saves by Dutch shootout specialist, Tim Krul, who came on specifically for the spot-kicks as the Europeans advanced.

Q Queen kiss
Mario Balotelli, whose goal helped Italy beat England, said he would aid out his beaten foe by delivering a victory against Costa Rica in their next match. All the striker wanted in a return was a kiss from the British monarch for his efforts. Unfortunately, the former Manchester City striker failed to keep up his end of the bargain as Italy lost the match and England were eliminated.

R Recife rain
Torrential rain in the north-eastern Brazilian city led to talk of the Group G decider between the U.S. and Germany being postponed. Pre-match warm-ups for both teams were disrupted because of concerns about the pitch, with players forced to sprint and stretch behind the goal-lines in order to preserve the surface.

SSpain
They arrived in Brazil with ambitions of successfully defending the title they won four years ago and winning a fourth consecutive major championship, but exited the World Cup embarrassingly early following a 5-1 defeat by the Dutch and a 2-0 loss to Chile in their opening matches.

T Technology
Goal-line technology made its World Cup debut with France the first team to be indebted to it when Honduran goalkeeper Noel Valladares knocked a rebound from the crossbar over the line before scrambling it clear.

UUnder arrest
A Rio court approved the detention of a chief executive of a Swiss hospitality company and 10 other suspects, who are believed to have run a scalping ring for World Cup tickets originally allocated to soccer federations and other VIPs.

V Vanishing spray
Another World Cup debutant in Brazil. Referees have been reaching for their canister to spray the white foam on the ground around the ball at a free kick and also 10 yards - or 9.15 meters - away to ensure no defenders encroach.

W Water breaks
Searing temperatures and mid-day kick-offs caused players to wilt in the heat and FIFA approving the first water break. It came after 30 minutes in the Netherlands' 2-1 win over Mexico in the Last 16 in Fortaleza.

X Xherdan Shaqiri
Dubbed the 'Alpine Messi' in some quarters, the Swiss midfielder scored a hat-trick in the Group E win over Honduras. It was the 50th treble in World Cup history and the second of the tournament after Thomas Mueller's trio for Germany in their 4-0 opening win over Portugal.

Y Yuichi Nishimura.
The Japanese referee was at the centre of the first officiating controversy of the World Cup when he awarded hosts Brazil a penalty in their Group A clash with Croatia. The match was level at 1-1 when Fred hit the turf theatrically with Nishimura pointing straight to the spot and leaving Croatia coach Nico Kovac fuming.

Z Zuniga
Colombian defender Juan Zuniga became public enemy number one in Brazil when he carelessly thrusted his knee into the back of the hosts' talisman Neymar, who suffered a cracked vertebra and was ruled out of the World Cup.

Robin Van Persie left Spain stunned with his flying effort. Apart from the aesthetics of the effort, the superb strike struck terror into the hearts of the defending champions and they just collapsed after it.
Despite having his cheek slit open by an Argentine player, Bastian Schweinsteiger was magnanimous enough to say something nice and comforting to a dejected Lionel Messi.

David Luiz's popularity soared world over when he, instead of joining his mates in the celebrations after beating Colombia, walked over to wailing James Rodriguez to console him.
Well, Luis Suarez is as good at biting opponents as he is with the ball. This time his victim happened to be Italy's Giorgio Chiellini. FIFA however wasn’t amused and the striker was banned.

A beaming Chilie fan is smiling from ear to ear as he bids Spain goodbye from the World Cup in the first round itself.
Nothing could convey the shock and horror of the Brazilian fans after the 7-1 humiliation against Germany than these horror-filled eyes.

All eyes on the Lord’s pitch
Both India and England are hoping for a livelier pitch in second Test
Gaurav Joshi

Lord’s groundsman Mick Hunt (centre) talks to MCC Chief Executive Derek Brewer (right) as ECB pitch consultant Chris Wood inspects the pitch at Lord’s in London on Tuesday. —Reuters

London, July 15
The Indian and England teams practised at the Lord’s today, two days before the start of the second Test match. Despite the presence of the superstars, much of the attention was bestowed on the 22 yards of strip on which the match would be played.

But, as was the case against Sri Lanka nearly a month ago, the much talked-about Lord’s pitch remained under covers for most of the day.

The only time the ‘sheeted’ cover was pulled off was for England selector James Whittaker, curator Mick Hunt and ECB pitch inspector Chris Wood to have a look; they had an animated discussion about the level of moisture in the pitch.

The fact that the ‘sheeted’ cover was used rather than the traditional dome covers was an indication that the groundsmen wanted the pitch to hold the moisture for a longer period of time. Although the surface had a green tinge to it, the grass will be trimmed before the match.

The Indian players barely looked at the pitch as they walked past it but once the English team had made their way to the practice session, Peter Moores, the England coach, insisted that the covers be removed so he could take a closer look at it.

Constant monitoring of the track seemed to suggest that England are desperate for a pitch that can assist their bowlers. But given the hot conditions predicted over the next few days, the moisture in the pitch is not expected to last more than a session.

Given the fact the Lord’s pitch is not known for deteriorating, India are unlikely to include Ravichandran Ashwin in the place of Stuart Binny in the playing XI. Even the way the nets session was structured suggested that the Indian team would stick to eleven that played in Nottingham.

Another striking feature of today’s session was the constant watering of the outfield. The lush outfield means that to reverse swing the ball would be a huge challenge. The contest would boil down to which team manages and nurtures the ball better to gain conventional swing.

From all accounts the first session will be crucial — while a team might not win a Test match on the first morning, it could well lose it.

Anderson charged for allegedly abusing Jadeja

London: England fast bowler James Anderson was today charged for allegedly abusing and pushing Ravindra Jadeja immediately after they left the field for lunch on the second day of the first Test against India last week. Anderson has been charged under Level 3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel by India team manager Sunil Dev following the alleged incident. If proved guilty, Anderson will face a ban of two to four Tests and four to eight ODIs. According to an ICC statement, it is alleged that this was a continuation of a verbal altercation between Anderson and Jadeja as they were walking off the field. In response, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it has notified the ICC of its intention to lodge code of conduct breaches against Jadeja. Anderson denies the accusations made against him. — PTI

Paddlers leave for Glasgow, hope to repeat 2010 heroics
Sabi Hussain
Tribune News Service

Sharath Kamal India table tennis player

New Delhi, July 15
Chief table tennis coach Bhawani Mukherjee and ace paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal expect the 10-member Indian contingent to repeat the Delhi Commonwealth Games heroics at the forthcoming Glasgow Games.

The Indian squad will leave tomorrow for Glasgow and, for a team which has the right mix of experience and youth, it would be another chance to bring home more medal glory from the quadrennial event which has always been India’s favourite hunting ground.

India produced their best ever CWG tally in 2010, winning a men’s doubles gold (Sharath Kamal and Subhajit Saha), silver in women’s team event and three bronze.

“We have a gold medal chance in the men’s and women’s doubles events. I am also expecting medals in the team events. In the men’s singles, Sharath should win at least a bronze. So, I am expecting our paddlers to again come good,” Mukherjee told The Tribune.

Mukherjee, however, said that much would depend on the Indians getting favourable draws. “It’s the most crucial aspect in an event like CWG. In the men’s doubles, we are expecting favourable draws for the pairs of Soumyajit Ghosh/Harmeet Desai and Sharath/Anthony Amalraj.”

Mukherjee said Sharath remains the best bet in the individual competition and, as for doubles, the country has high hopes from the pair of Ghosh/Desai. “In the women’s section, I have high hopes from the trusted pair of Poulomi Ghatak and Madhurika Patkar. The women’s team has had good practice stints first in China for about a month and then at Patiala.”

Sharath, who is considered to be one of the best table tennis players India has ever produced, exuded confidence of winning medals in all three events – men’s singles, doubles and team championship. Sharath said he has a dual role to play – winning the medals and inspiring the young team with his performance.

“Most of the players are new in the side. I know I have to inspire them by my action, by winning medals. It goes together for me,” he said.

Sharath, the 2006 Melbourne CWG gold-medallist, said his stint in the Bundesliga for the club Borussia Duesseldorf in Germany has helped him. “I achieved my career best world ranking of 38 just two months back thanks to playing for in Germany. My game has improved a lot in the last two years,” said the world No. 44.

Sharath said Singapore, England and Nigeria will throw tough competition to the Indians. “Singapore is very tough. They are getting more and more Chinese players to play in their team.”

Squad

Men: Sharath Kamal, Soumyajit Ghosh, Harmeet Desai, Anthony Amalraj, Sanil Shetty

Women: K Shamini, Manika Batra, Madhurika Patkar, Poulomi Ghatak, Ankita Das

BRIEFLY

Ecstatic Berlin crowds welcome their team home
Berlin: About a million jubilant Germans welcomed their triumphant national football team home to Berlin on Tuesday, many waving flags and banners saying “We are all World Champions!” as they basked in the nation’s fourth World Cup win. “Without you we wouldn’t be here,” coach Joachim Loew told the fans, many of them holding red posters with the words “Thanks Boys”.

Speculation over Dutee’s gender test after AFI axe
New Delhi: Young sprinter Dutee Chand’s last minute exclusion from the Indian athletics team for the upcoming Glasgow CWG led to speculation over the outcome of the gender test she reportedly underwent recently in Bangalore. Athletics Federation of India (AFI), however, said that Dutee was not picked as she did not reach the qualifying standard. But, it’s certain that Dutee was dropped at the last minute as her name was there in the list given earlier in the day to some top AFI officials, including Secretary C K Valson.

Indian cagers go down to Asian champions Iran
Mumbai: India went down fighting to defending champions Iran in the 5th FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China, today. After being 12 points ahead at one point, India conceded the advantage in the third quarter and went down 49-62.

Ojha scores another ton to take India 'A' ahead
Brisbane: In-form Naman Ojha struck a brave ton while No.10 batsman Umesh Yadav made 90 to not only pull India 'A' out of trouble but also give the visitors a valuable lead after the third day's play against Australia 'A' in the second unofficial Test. Ojha, who had scored a double ton and a century in the first match, hit 110 runs to help India 'A' notch up 501 in response to the hosts' first innings score of 423.

Athletics team for Glasgow CWG pruned to 33
New Delhi: Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has decided to prune the number of track and field participants in the upcoming Glasgow CWG from the original 41 to 33, leaving out controversial triple jumper Renjith Maheswary and the six-member men's 4x100m relay team. — Agencies