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Rain, rain, do not go away...
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Lanka cruise on the back of Sanga ton
If it’s raining, it’s time to have some fun
Sachin lights up evening for the Glasgow winners
Djokovic falls to Tsonga; Fedex pulls off great escape
Pistorius murder trial ends, verdict on Sept 11
Ivory Coast’s Drogba quits internationals
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Rain, rain, do not go away...
India won the first session of the second day’s play here, but really, it was like a small skirmish won after losing the battle. The removal of Ian Bell, out for 58, was India’s great triumph today – the England No. 4 averages nearly 55 against India at home and had a double century and a 167 against them in 2011, and a 167 in the third Test at Southampton. Bhuvneshwar Kumar started the 44th over with one that pitched on off and came in. The next three balls were pitched outside off, short of a length — Bell left one, got beaten by the next and fell to the last. India celebrated — England were still 12 behind India’s score of 152, it seemed that India could possibly have pushed the door open. But Joe Root and Moeen Ali held India back for around 9 overs and 30 runs before Varun Aaron struck for the third time in the innings — it was bowled around the wicket at the left-handed Moeen. It was full and swinging in and, can you believe it, Moeen seemed to be beaten by pace – that’s a rarity for an Indian bowler. England 170/6. Root is 23 years old and Jos Buttler is 31 days short of 24; Root has already played 20 Tests and shown that he’s a big boy now. Buttler made his debut in the previous Test and made 85 in the one innings he got; he also took six catches. That’s some debut. Buttler has had a bit of a downer this Test – he’s conceded 10 byes and has dropped a catch of Ravichandran Ashwin in India’s first innings. Yet, it can be said with confidence that Buttler, and Root, are potential stars of the England of tomorrow. This was evident in the way they steered England towards a larger lead before and after the lunch break today. The first ball that Buttler received was from Aaron — who has bowled at an impressive 140kmph this innings, his quickest being 148.7kmph; it was full and swinging, and Buttler defended in front of off. That set the tone for the rest of the innings. Under pressure, the two youngsters played with maturity and composure, though the deep mid off India used allowed the two to get some easy runs to get the partnership going. Buttler, watchful initially, hit his first four off Ashwin, driving a full delivery to the left of the man at mid-off. Almost imperceptibly, the runs accrued, and England went to lunch at 201/6. India may have fancied their chances against the youngsters after lunch, but nothing happened. The two attacked Pankaj Singh after lunch; the tall, miserably luckless bowler, who has remained wicketless for the third innings in a row since his debut at Southampton, seemed reconciled to his fate — he now sported a rueful grin on his face each time his appeal was turned down. Rain was forecast for today morning and afternoon. It didn’t keep its morning date. The Indian supporters know that only rain could save the Indian team, and when it duly arrived in the afternoon, they heaved a sign of relief. The trouble is that the Indians were so miserable in their first innings, it must rain for at least two days more for the match to end in a draw. Tomorrow no rain is expected, but the last two days of the match are expected to be wet. The Indians desperately want the Met Office to be accurate. Scoreboard India Vijay c Cook b Anderson 0 Gambhir c Root b Broad 4 Pujara c Jordan b Broad 0 Kohli c Cook b Anderson 0 Rahane c Bell b Jordan 24 Dhoni c Jordan b Broad 71 Jadeja lbw b Anderson 0 Ashwin c Robson b Broad 40 Kumar b Broad 0 Aaron not out 1 Pankaj b Broad 0 Extras (b 10, lb 1, w 1) 12 Total (all out; 46.4 ov) 152 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-8, 3-8, 4-8, Bowling Anderson 14-3-46-3 Broad 13.4-6-25-6 Woakes 10-1-43-0 Jordan 9-4-27-1 England Cook c Pankaj b Aaron 17 Robson b Kumar 6 Ballance lbw Aaron 37 Bell c Dhoni b Kumar 58 Jordan c Aaron b Kumar 13 Root batting 48 M Ali b Aaron 13 Buttler batting 22 Extras (b 5, lb 9, w 4, nb 5) 23 Total (6 wickets; 71 overs) 237 Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-36, 3-113, 4-136, 5-140, 6-170 Bowling B Kumar 18-6-47-3 P Singh 17-2-79-0 V Aaron 16-2-48-3 R Ashwin 13-1-28-0 R Jadeja 7-0 -21-0
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Lanka cruise on the back of Sanga ton
Galle, August 8 Sangakkara remained unbeaten on 102 off 218 balls, having hit 13 fours in his 10th century against Pakistan while Jayawardene was batting on 55. The pair have added 108 runs for the third wicket, the 18th century partnership between them, with the hosts still trailing Pakistan by 199 runs. Sangakkara brought up his century shortly before the early tea break. The 36-year-old left-hander as well as Jayawardene, who quits Test cricket after the two-match series against Pakistan, survived strong lbw appeals to deny the tourists any success in the rain-shortened 85 minute afternoon session. Jayawardene, on 11, did not offer shot to a ball from Junaid Khan and was given out by the umpire but after he called for a review the replays showed the ball was missing the off stump and he was given a reprieve. The only wicket to fall in the morning session was that of opener Kaushal Silva, who was out for 64. Jayawardene, playing his final Test at this venue, walked out to an explosion of firecrackers and guard of honour given by local schoolboys. — Reuters Brief scores: Lanka 252 for 2 (Sangakkara 102 batting, Silva 64, Jayawardene 55 batting); Pakistan 451
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If it’s raining, it’s time to have some fun
Manchester, August 8 As it rains, the commentators struggle to fill the empty spaces in their verbal lives, even as recordings of old matches are played for the viewers on TV. Those still in good throat, like Sanjay Manjrekar, break out into song. ‘Raat kali it khwaab main aayi’, croons the former India batsman, who is a great fan of Kishore Kumar and can belt out a mean tune himself at a short notice. Along comes Mark Fletcher. Fletcher, Manjrekar informs us, was the captain of a club he used to play for in England. The club is called the Chorleywood Cricket Club. “He never really listened to me, you know,” says Fletcher, who was then captain and secretary of Chorleywood. Now he’s moved up the power structure of the mighty Chorleywood, which is based in Hertfordshire — we’re in the presence of the President of Chorleywood! “We’re into our 200th year, you know,” informs Fletcher — he doesn’t want you to go home with the impression that Chorleywood is in merely the 195th year of its existence. “I always say that those were the best times of my life,” says Manjrekar. “We used to play only on the weekends. Great memories!” Managing it well Dr Redhills Baba is an excellent man — the media manager of the Indian team is a very obliging and efficient gentleman. Dr Baba evidently loves cricket — he loves it enough to neglect his reportedly booming practice back home in Chennai in order to be able to work with the Indian team. He takes his job very seriously — he’s often seen helping the players during practice or warm-up, fetching the bat for someone or the other, often chasing after the football with boyish enthusiasm to return it to the players. Dr Baba is not trained in the intricacies of the job – but he does run possibly the best managed press box in India, back in Chennai. During the recent Anderson-Jadeja fracas, Dr Baba put in his best efforts to ensure that the team’s viewpoint did not come across to the press — though this might have been a bit counterproductive, because India didn’t win the public relations battle on this issue. Ravindra Jadeja was allegedly shoved by Anderson, yet it’s Jadeja who is booed every time he comes on to bowl, often heckled when the ball merely trickles over in his direction in the field. Jadeja was allegedly the aggrieved party, and judicial commissioner Gordon Lewis, who looked into the matter, noted in his report that Jadeja had been pushed; yet, Jadeja has become the villain of the piece — some effective media-management could possibly have prevented that. Pakistani journalists remember Dr Redhills Baba with affection — the kind man was at hand when a Pakistani journalist developed sudden back spasms during a One-day match in Chennai in late 2012. “Good man,” says the affected journalist, who’s now fully recovered and lives a useful life..
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Sachin lights up evening for the Glasgow winners
New Delhi, August 8 It was an occasion to felicitate the Glasgow Commonwealth Games medalists — they were the stars of the evening. But what made the evening even more memorable for them was the presence of Sachin Tendulkar in their midst, his humility, and an inspirational speech from him. The maestro, along with Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, gave away the prizes to the winners. Tendulkar's presence at the function was an icing on the cake for the athletes, for nobody knew he would hand out the prizes to them. Understandably, most of them were awestruck and excited as they collected their prizes from him. Parupalli Kashyap, the badminton star who ended India's 32-year-long wait for gold in men's singles competition, kept chatting with Tendulkar on the dais even as the announcer called upon others to receive their prizes. Tendulkar made time for the function even as his elder brother Ajit, the biggest influence on his life, underwent a bypass surgery at Jaslok hospital. "Not always everyone will like you. There will be obstructions but the energy should always be focussed on doing right things. As sportspersons, your performance will be analysed and criticised. But one thing the outsiders can't judge is the satisfaction you get when you give your 100 per cent," he said while addressing the athletes. The impromptu speech had a message in it — accept everything with humility, stay humble and grounded. "Chase your dreams, but with humility. Follow the path which brings praise to you. Try to become a good person, if not a good athlete. Everything in life is temporary except the person you are," he said.
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Rory soars into lead with eagle
LOUISVILLE (USA), August 8 British Open champion McIlroy, the pre-tournament favourite heading into the year's final major, holed out from 30 feet just off the front edge of the green to cover his outward nine in three-under-par 33. That left him two strokes in front of the chasing pack at eight under overall, with Americans Steve Stricker, Ryan Palmer and Kevin Chappell, and England's former world No. 1 Lee Westwood tied for second. Swedish world No. 4 Henrik Stenson was three strokes off the pace, having covered his first 10 holes in level par. McIlroy had made a scrappy start at a rain-sodden Valhalla Golf Club where play was suspended for 45 minutes earlier in the day. He struggled for accuracy off the tee and dropped a shot at the 12th where he found a bunker with his approach. However, the 25-year-old Northern Irishman swiftly responded by sinking a 12-footer at the 13th and a 16-footer at the 15th to get to six under. Though he squandered another birdie chance at the 16th, where he missed an eight-foot putt, he reached the turn in spectacular style with his eagle on 18. Veteran Stricker, who has played a limited schedule on the PGA Tour for the past two years, surged into contention with four birdies on his front nine, capped by a 30-foot putt at the 17th. Out in four-under 32, Stricker then parred the 10th to remain at six under for the tournament, level with Palmer, who was even for the day after 14 holes. The players faced the prospect of a marathon 'stop-start-stop-start' day at Valhalla with further thunderstorms expected and up to an inch-and-a-half of rain forecast for Friday. Play was initially halted 45 minutes before McIlroy was set to start the second round, having opened with a five-under-par 66 on Thursday to sit one stroke off the pace. Westwood, Chappell and Palmer led the year's final major after firing six-under 65s in the first round, though both Westwood and Chappell were among the late starters on Friday. The cut was projected to fall at even par, leaving players such as Tiger Woods and 2011 champion Keegan Bradley with ground to make up if they are to advance. — Reuters American Crane pulls out with back problem
American Ben Crane became the third player to withdraw from the PGA Championship due to back issues when he pulled out before his tee-off time in the second round on Friday. The 38-year-old, a five-times winner on the PGA Tour who was competing in his ninth PGA Championship, had opened with a three-over 74 on Thursday. Crane's exit follows the withdrawals of veteran David Toms, on Tuesday, and world No. 6 Matt Kuchar, on Thursday, who both cited back issues. |
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Djokovic falls to Tsonga; Fedex pulls off great escape
Toronto, August 8 A day of high-drama began under a bright morning sun with South African Kevin Anderson startling third seeded Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka 7-6(8) 7-5 and ended in the late evening chill with 17-time grand slam winner Roger Federer out-lasting big hitting Croatian Marin Cilic 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-4. Federer began the nearly three hour marathon on Thursday as a 32-year-old before leaving the Rexall Tennis Centre having turned 33 and the only one of the top seeds to survive a day of upsets that included Wimbledon champion Djokovic. Fourth seeded Czech Tomas Berdych also had his Canadian visit come to an end with a 3-6 6-3 6-4 loss to veteran Spaniard Feliciano Lopez. French 12th seed Richard Gasquet was also a third round casualty, forced out of the tournament with abdominal pain, giving Andy Murray direct passage into the quarterfinals. Sixth seed Milos Raonic, the last Canadian standing, kept hopes of a home grown winner alive riding the support of a boisterous crowd to a 6-3 4-6 6-4 victory over Frenchman Julien Benneteau. Fifth seed David Ferrer also moved on with a 1-6 6-3 6-3 win over Croatia’s Ivan Dodig and will face Federer in the quarterfinals. Serena shines, Maria out
Montreal: Serena Williams cruised into the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup with a 7-5 6-4 win over Lucie Safarova, while sister Venus ousted Angelique Kerber as the Montreal tournament lost more high seeds on Thursday. Petra Kvitova, ranked No. 2 and playing in her first event since winning her second Wimbledon title, fell 6-4 1-6 6-2 to Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova while fourth seed Maria Sharapova was beaten 6-2 4-6 6-2 by Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro. Serena will now face Caroline Wozniacki. — Reuters |
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Pistorius murder trial ends, verdict on Sept 11
PRETORIA, August 8 Judge Thokozile Masipa will now analyse more than 4,000 pages of evidence before delivering her verdict on September 11. The defence says Pistorius shot Steenkamp through a locked toilet door in self-defence, believing she was an intruder, and that therefore he should be acquitted. State prosecutor Gerrie Nel has spent the trial, which began in March, portraying Pistorius as a gun-obsessed hothead who deliberately shot Steenkamp, 29, four times as she was taking refuge in the toilet after an argument. Cutting through months of complex evidence and testimony, Nel ended proceedings by returning to his core argument. “His intention was to kill a human being. He’s fired indiscriminately into that toilet. Then m’lady, he is guilty of murder. There must be consequences,” Nel said. Defence lawyer Barry Roux said during his own wrapping-up that psychological evidence had proven the track star had a heightened fight response because of his disability and was in a terrified and vulnerable state when he shot Steenkamp. — Reuters
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Ivory Coast’s Drogba quits internationals
CAPE TOWN, August 8 “It is with much sadness that I have decided to retire from international football,” the 36-year-old said on his website. The Chelsea forward was a fixture in the national side for 12 years, playing in three World Cups and twice helping the team finish runners-up at the African Nations Cup. “These past 12 years in the national team have been full of emotions. From my first call up to my last match I have always tried to give my best for my country,” Drogba added. “I am very proud to have been captain of this team for eight years and to have contributed to placing my country on the world stage of football.” Drogba, who was brought up in France, was an emerging striker at Guingamp when he won his first cap against South Africa in 2002. He played in eight international tournaments but never as part of a winning team. “I cannot convey enough thanks to the fans for all the love and support. All my goals, all my caps, all our victories are for you; I love you,” Drogba said. “I also owe much gratitude to my team mates; I wish you all much success for the future.” — Reuters
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Kumar Sangakkara struck his 37th test hundred as he and his retiring team mate Mahela Jayawardene powered Sri Lanka to 252 for two wickets before rain washed out the final session on day three of the first test against Pakistan on Friday. In reply to Pakistan's first innings total of 451, Sri Lanka were cruising when rain forced an early tea and a subsequent heavy downpour ensured not another delivery was bowled at the water-logged Galle International Stadium.
A bit of wet is never unexpected and never too unwelcome at an English cricket ground — it leads to great jollity and merriment here. Heavens open, play stops, but it’s a signal that fun has moved off the ground – the sturdier spectators lead the stampede towards the beer counters.
Double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, a legend in his own right, touched his feet, table tennis star Achantha Sharath Kamal shook hands with him for longer than usual while squash ace Dipika Pallikal couldn't get enough of him.
It was an occasion to felicitate the Glasgow Commonwealth Games medalists — they were the stars of the evening. But what made the evening even more memorable for them was the presence of Sachin Tendulkar in their midst, his humility, and an inspirational speech from him.
Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga handed world No. 1 Novak Djokovic a 6-2 6-2 third round defeat on Thursday as the Rogers Cup was rocked by upsets.
The murder trial of Oscar Pistorius wrapped up on Friday with the prosecution making a final plea for the South African athlete to “face the consequences” of shooting dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
