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India look to finish it off
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SC rejects Srini’s plea to reinstate him as BCCI chief
‘Keep Cook, Bell and Root out of ODIs’
Bolt, Yuvi face off in Bangalore
Manpreet best junior in Asia
National coaches withdraw from World wrestling tourney
Stars in their element
Round 3
Bops-Katarina in quarters
LA LIGA
India atop ICC ODI rankings
Shiv Kapur finishes 14th in Italian
Open
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India look to finish it off
Birmingham, September 1 The visitors have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after 133-run (D/L) and six-wicket wins in Cardiff and Nottingham in the second and third ODIs, respectively. At Edgbaston then, the Men in Blue will be hoping to wrap things up with one match remaining in the series. Their confidence will stem from the simple fact that England have been unable to challenge them in the two matches played so far. On current evidence, in limited-overs cricket, the hosts appear to be a completely different animal than that takes the field in Test cricket. Like every other team, they too are building up to the 2015 World Cup in Australia-New Zealand, but they are beset with problems. A lot of quarters have criticised Alastair Cook's batting at the top of the order but along with Alex Hales, he has put up two fifty partnerships in two games. That isn't the trouble though. His captaincy has been under the scanner and while the 3-1 series win helped silence his critics, even his closest supporters —read Graeme Swann — do not believe that he should lead his country in the World Cup. However, He’s certain to lead England in the World Cup, and England's problems mount from there. Does this mean India's upswing in form in the last two ODIs is a misleading? It could be, since this same team struggled a lot in South Africa and New Zealand, where conditions were more similar to the ones that will be prevailing in the quadrennial event next year. India's openers found it tough to get starts against more disciplined bowling attacks. The middle order couldn't take the subsequent pressure and only Virat Kohli and Dhoni were among the runs in New Zealand. India’s own World Cup plans have been hit by Rohit Sharma's finger injury. This is their last overseas ODI assignment before the tri-series in Australia later in January, a dress rehearsal for their title defence. As such they would have wanted Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan to play all these five matches. While one is out injured, the latter is struggling to string together any semblance of form. In eight matches in South Africa, New Zealand and England, Dhawan’s scores are 12, 0, 32, 12 28, 9, 11 and 16. He is a shadow of the batsman he was in the Champions Trophy last year. It is an intriguing problem for India. The sooner he hits form, the better it will be for India. Live on Star Sport, 3pm
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SC rejects Srini’s plea to reinstate him as BCCI chief
New Delhi, September 1 A Bench comprising Justices TS Thakur and FMI Kalifulla passed an order without referring to the plea made by Srinivasan's senior counsel Kapil Sibal. During the arguments, the BCCI supported Srinivasan, with its senior advocate Aryaman Sundaram contending that the acting president Shivlal Yadav was not in a position to endorse the board's audit report that would be put up for approval before the annual general body meeting by the end of this month. Both Sibal and Sundaram pleaded that it was not advisable to leave the affairs of the Board in the hands of an interim chief for such a long time, affecting the interests of the elected president Srinivasan, who had voluntarily offered to step aside till the completion of the inquiry by an apex court- appointed panel, headed by Justice (retired) Mukul Mudgal. The Bench, however, observed that the Board's accounts would have to be finalised by chartered accountants and the BCCI chief was only required to sign it. The court also did not accept Srinivasan's plea for directing the probe panel to submit a separate report pertaining to the allegations against him so that he could come clean and be back in the saddle. It, however, said the panel was free to submit such a report if it felt it was possible.
Mudgal panel gets
two-month extension
The court granted two more months for the panel to complete the probe and submit its final report by October 31. The panel submitted an interim report to the court in a sealed cover two days ago. "The probe panel has not said anything so far that there is nothing against you (Srinivasan)," the Bench said in response to a contention by Sibal that the committee had not come out with any evidence against his client. "There are loose ends and the probe is on," it noted. The Bench also noted that the Cricket Association of Bihar (CAB) was against hearing Srinivasan's plea for reinstating him as the BCCI chief without waiting for the final report of the probe panel. The SC slated the next hearing for November 10, but granted liberty to Srinivasan to seek advancement if the panel submitted another interim report before that. The panel's preliminary probe had covered allegations of betting and spot fixing, primarily against Chennai Super King's Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan, son-in-law of Srinivasan, and Rajasthan Royals. The panel said that during its investigations it came across allegations against Srinivasan and 12 players which required further
probe. "We are of the considered opinion that the allegations against the 13 persons including N Srinivasan mentioned in the report submitted in the sealed cover should be investigated into by the Justice Mudgal committee," the SC had said in its order. Verma happy with Supreme Court verdict Aditya Verma, the petitioner in the IPL spot-fixing case, has expressed happiness after Supreme Court decided not to reinstate the Tamil Nadu strongman. "The BCCI plea had only one motive – to get Srinivasan back into the board by hook or crook and make him eligible for the post of president for another three-year term in the next AGM later this month. What is going on in the BCCI is highly undemocratic," said. "The BCCI has one-point programme – to look after the interest of one man and not the game. I am happy that the Honourable Court has not reinstated Srinivasan.” — PTI
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‘Keep Cook, Bell and Root out of ODIs’
London, September 1 “England have gone into this series with three orthodox batsmen in top four — Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Joe Root. They are lovely technical batsmen for Test cricket but you should not have all three of them in your One-day team,” Boycott wrote in his column. The legendary batsman said there was a dearth of spinners and a dearth of batsmen who can play the spinning ball in the England team. “It is quite clear why England are struggling in One-day cricket at the moment — they cannot play the turning ball. We are playing the world champions, and we bat like chumps,” Boycott said. Criticising the selection of Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan and Ben Stokes, Boycott said they are all exactly the same, bowling at a similar pace and having no variations. “After the match Cook admitted England selected them because all three can bat. It was a safety-first policy to get England out of trouble with late-order runs if the batsmen failed. We are still thinking in the old fashioned way — pack your batting and bowl fast medium line and length. That only works on seaming, swinging pitches but the next World Cup is in Australia and New Zealand and will not have those types of pitches,” he said. The former captain said that the team must learn to accept constructive criticism from ex-players. "Just look how Cook responded when Graeme Swann made constructive comments about England's one-day team and Cook got his 'knickers in a twist'," Boycott said.
— PTI England need to attack spin: Ganguly
Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly has said that England batsmen need to tackle Indian spinners in a better way if they want to change their fortunes in the limited-overs version. Ganguly opines that the Alastair Cook-led side should change its mental approach. "There are two things I think England are getting wrong when it comes to their One-day batting. They're thinking getting to 300 is a problem. But why? Their mental approach has to change. Why is it that an Indian team can just come over here and get 300," Ganguly was quoted as saying. "The second thing is England's approach to spin. As soon as they see a pitch where spin might play a part, they struggle and they tell themselves they will struggle," he added. Ganguly, who led India to the famous 2002 Natwest final win as the Men in Blue chased down 326 runs, said that Cook and company should attack the Indian spinners if they intend to score 300 plus runs.
— PTI |
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Bolt, Yuvi face off in Bangalore
Bangalore, September 1 While Team Bolt will consist of his best friend Nugent Walker Junior and Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh among others, Yuvraj will have his long-time friend and teammate Zaheer in his team. In a unique format, Bolt and Yuvraj will be present on the pitch to bat throughout their four-over innings. Four runs will be deducted every time a player gets out. The star Olympian is no mug with cricket as he has exhibited his talent in a similar face-off against his fellow countryman Chris Gayle. He had Gayle clean bowled immediately after he was dispatched for a massive six in a T20 match in West Indies. "Something of that sort happens with Bolt against Yuvraj... it will be a great sight and joy for spectators, which they will certainly enjoy," said Nasreen, a representative of the event management company. The champion athlete, whose favourite cricketer has been Pakistan's fast bowler Waqar Younis, has made it known several times that cricket was his first love and he wanted to become a fast bowler. The 28-year-old Bolt, who has a liking for Royal Challengers Bangalore, ran his season ending race recently in Warsaw, Poland, by clocking 9.98 seconds — a record time for the event in indoor stadium. The sprinter, who had planned to hang up his boots after the Rio Olympics in 2016, has now reportedly decided to put it off by a year on his sponsors’ request.
— PTI |
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Manpreet best junior in Asia
Chandigarh, September 1 “It's a big achievement for me. This award has given me a lot of confidence. I want to excel at the senior level. I want to become the best player in the world,” said Manpreet, who was named the 'Junior Player of the Year' by the Asian Hockey Federation on Sunday. Manpreet, who belongs to Mithapur, Jalandhar, said the news came as a big surprise. “I had no idea that I was nominated for the award. I found out from Hockey India,” said Manpreet, who is currently in New Delhi, attending the national camp for the Asian Games. In the last few months, Manpreet, who captained India in the Junior World Cup last year, has become a key player in the senior team. At the Glasgow CWG, when Sardar was suspended for the semifinal against New Zealand, Manpreet rose to the occasion and led India to a memorable win. “The CWG silver was a big deal for me. It was my first big medal. The match against New Zealand was very important for me, and the support and praise I got from the coach, teammates and even the media was overwhelming.” Manpreet, one of India's most versatile players, is aware of his changing role in the team and his coach Terry Walsh's growing confidence in him. “Our hard work is starting to pay off. The team is becoming a unit and our understanding with the new coach has improved,” said Manpreet. Manpreet added that the team was working hard towards winning the Asian Games gold. Manpreet is being touted as the next star player for India and the award is just another evidence of his great potential. But 'Korean', as he is known amongst friends, is not letting the award go to his head. He is enjoying his moment, humbly accepting all the praise. “Many of my seniors from Mithapur and Jalandhar have been messaging me, congratulating me. My coach and senior teammates told me they have high hopes for me.” What about his Punjab mates?
“They have been teasing me, telling me I've become a big shot now. They want a party, but only after the Asian Games.” |
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National coaches withdraw from World wrestling tourney
New Delhi, September 1 A wrestler knows that nothing can match the kind of experience which he gets at the World Championships and that experience can be used for winning medals at the CWG, Asian Games and even Olympics. But, when it comes to Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), it seems they know precious little about the importance attached to the event, which has emerged as a happy hunting ground for Indian grapplers over the years. If sending a second-string team to the World Championships wasn't enough, the WFI has decided against sending chief national coaches to Tashkent for September 4 to 18 event to prepare team for “more important” Asian Games. For the WFI, Asian Games is a premier multi-sporting event and the World Championships in the same calendar year can take a backseat. It has been learnt that WFI has withdrawn the names of Vinod Kumar (men's chief national freestyle coach), Kuldeep Sehrawat (men's chief national greco-roman coach) and Kuldeep Malik (women's chief freestyle coach) from the list of coaches and officials travelling to Tashkent. The WFI, instead, has planned to send foreign coaches — Vladimir Mestvirishvili (freestyle), Emzar Makharadze (Greco Roman) and Roin Doborjginidze (female) to the World Championships. The development has resulted in no Indian coaches travelling with the team in all three categories. “The major issue with foreign coaches is language barrier. We hardly understand English, that too, with their heavy accent. What would a wrestler do when he needs to express his viewpoint to the coach or discuss a technique? Also, most of the wrestlers are not very comfortable with foreign coaches,” a wrestler, who is part of the freestyle team, told The Tribune. When contacted, Vinod Kumar said an arrangement has been worked out where national coaches will travel to the Asian Games and foreign coaches to the World Championships. “For us, Asian Games is the main target, that’s why we selected a ‘B’ team for World Championships.” |
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Stars in their element
New
York, September 1 Former World No. 1 Wozniacki had her fourth round match with Maria Sharapova halted briefly by the heat rule but it was the fifth-seeded French Open champion who wilted under a blazing sun, falling 6-4 2-6 6-2. Later, rain interrupted Federer's clash with Marcel Granollers before the five-time U.S. Open champion came back from a set down to crush the Spaniard 4-6 6-1 6-1 6-1 and storm into the fourth round. Gilles Simon and Spanish fourth seed David Ferrer sweated it out under a midday sun, the 26th seeded Frenchman posting the first big surprise in the men's draw with a 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-3 win. A stormy day finished off with another upset on Arthur Ashe Stadium court as 17-year-old Swiss sensation Belinda Bencic swept past ninth-seeded Serb and former world number one Jelena Jankovic 7-6 (6) 6-3. “It was always a dream to play on this court,” said Bencic, who is coached by Martina Hingis's mother Melanie Molitor. “I watched it as a kid and I always dreamt about playing here.” Next up for Bencic is another giant-killer in China's Peng Shuai. The doubles specialist eased into the last eight with a 6-3 6-4 win over 14th-seeded Czech Lucie Safarova. The departures of Sharapova and Jankovic leave only World No.1 Serena Williams, Canadian seventh seed Eugenie Bouchard and Wozniacki as the surviving members of the women's top 10. Wozniacki beats Maria Wozniacki showed great grit in battling past Sharapova as the punishing conditions turned the match into a battle for survival. The 2009 U.S. Open runnerup is training to run the New York marathon later in the year and appeared better equipped to cope with the soaring temperatures and stifling humidity that took the players off court. After play resumed, Wozniacki turned up her own heat on the five-time grand slam winner in the third set. Serena in quarters Two-times defending champion Serena Williams rode her big serve to a 6-3 6-3 victory over Kaia Kanepi of Estonia to advance to the quarterfinals. Williams won every one of her first serve points in the opening set, including six aces, as she pounded in 63 percent of them and never faced break point in the set. Barring Ferrer's upset, the men's top 10 seeds remain intact, with sixth seed Tomas Berdych and seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov both advancing. Gael Monfils mowed down Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-2 6-2.
— Agencies |
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Men: Marin Cilic beat Kevin Anderson 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4, Gilles Simon bt David Ferrer 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-3, Grigor Dimitrov bt David Goffin 0-6 6-3 6-4 6-1, Gael Monfils bt Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-2 6-2,Roberto Bautista bt Adrian Mannarino 7-5 6-2 6-3, Dominic Thiem bt Feliciano Lopez 6-4 6-2 6-3,Roger Federer bt Marcel Granollers 4-6 6-1 6-1 6-1, Tomas Berdych bt Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-3 6-2 6-4 Women (Round 4): Belinda Bencic bt Jelena Jankovic 7-6(6) 6-3,Caroline Wozniacki bt Maria Sharapova 6-4 2-6 6-2, Sara Errani beat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-3 2-6 6-0, Peng Shuai bt Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-4
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Bops-Katarina in quarters
New York, September 1 Sixth-seeded Bopanna and Srebotnik defeated the Spanish-South African pairing of Anabel Medina Garrigues and Raven Klaasen 6-3 6-4 in a contest which lasted an hour and five minutes. Therefore, the quarterfinal will have an Indian on both ends of the court as Bopanna and Srebotnik will square off against top seeds Sania Mirza and her Brazillian partner Bruno Soares. In a rather lop-sided match, Bopanna and Srebotnik took merely half an hour to clinch the opening set after converting two of the three break points they earned. The Indo-Slovenian team had a markedly better second serve percentage and the pair sent down 10 winners against its rival's five. The second set was a tad more competitive but Bopanna Srebotnik were still the better of the two combinations. They once again broke Garrigues and Klaasen twice to seal the issue in their favour.
— Agencies |
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Sociedad stun Real Madrid, Barca sink Villarreal
Bracelona, September 1 But the home side fought back quickly. Inigo Martinez swept home a cross at the far post after 35 minutes and Zurutuza was left unmarked to head the second Before halftime. After the break Zurutuza and substitute Carlos Vela took further advantage of defensive lapses to seal a convincing win for Sociedad over the European champions. “I am very sorry because I don’t like that my team played like that,” Real coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters. “In the first half hour we did very well. We have to think about this and change quickly what went wrong afterwards,” the Italian added. “It is not easy to evaluate the game because there were two, the first half hour where we showed good concentration and then the other hour when we were very bad. We thought the game was finished.” Earlier, substitute Sandro Ramirez slotted home eight minutes from time to continue Luis Enrique’s winning start as Barcelona coach with a 1-0 victory over Villarreal. Barca were frustrated by opponents who defended well but the introduction of fit-again forward Neymar for the final half hour gave them an extra attacking edge. It was Lionel Messi, though, who opened up the Villarreal rearguard with a cross along the goalline that was turned in by Ramirez to lift Barca to the top of the table on six points from their opening two games. Enrique played the promising Munir El Haddadi, who scored last weekend, ahead of Neymar in Barcelona's starting line-up. With Andres Iniesta sidelined by a knee injury, Rafinha played in midfield rather than veteran Xavi who is set to have a fringe role in the team this season. Barca had the majority of the ball but struggled to find space going forward against a well-organised Villarreal side and it was only following Neymar’s entry that the chances began to build up. Messi, who suffered a hamstring strain, hit the post with a free kick from the right of the area in the first half but Barca were also lucky when Jeremy Mathieu turned a cross onto an upright. Tomas Pina and Messi again hit the woodwork for either side midway through the second half before Neymar found Messi, who looked up and picked out Sandro to score and give the Catalan side the three points. Atletico Madrid beat Eibar 2-1. — Reuters
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An unassailable lead in their pocket, India would look to clinch the One-day series against England by putting up another dominating display when the two sides square off in the fourth cricket One-dayer here tomorrow.
The visitors have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after 133-run
(D/L) and six-wicket wins in Cardiff and Nottingham in the second and third ODIs,
respectively.
The Supreme Court today rejected N Srinivasan's plea for reinstating him as the BCCI president, notwithstanding the ongoing inquiry into the allegations of his connivance in betting and spot-fixing in the Indian Premier League
(IPL). A Bench comprising Justices TS Thakur and FMI Kalifulla passed an order without referring to the plea made by Srinivasan's senior counsel Kapil
Sibal. During the arguments, the BCCI supported Srinivasan, with its senior advocate Aryaman Sundaram contending that the acting president Shivlal Yadav was not in a position to endorse the board's audit report that would be put up for approval before the annual general body meeting by the end of this month.
New Delhi, September 1
Baking heat, rain and the threat of lightning all forced stoppages in play at the U.S. Open on Sunday but Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki marched on through a day of wild weather and upsets.
Former World No. 1 Wozniacki had her fourth round match with Maria Sharapova halted briefly by the heat rule but it was the fifth-seeded French Open champion who wilted under a blazing sun, falling 6-4 2-6 6-2.
Men:
Marin Cilic beat Kevin Anderson 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-4, Gilles Simon bt David Ferrer 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-3, Grigor Dimitrov bt David Goffin 0-6 6-3 6-4 6-1, Gael Monfils bt Richard Gasquet 6-4 6-2 6-2,Roberto Bautista bt Adrian Mannarino 7-5 6-2 6-3, Dominic Thiem bt Feliciano Lopez 6-4 6-2 6-3,Roger Federer bt Marcel Granollers 4-6 6-1 6-1 6-1, Tomas Berdych bt Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-3 6-2 6-4
Walker Irfan training for Asiad in Dharamsala
Super League: PP, Dalbir boys play out a draw
Chandigarh: