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India start as firm favourites
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Dhoni gives thumbs-up to ICC rounding up usual suspects
I was naive, stupid but not a villain: KP
Dhoni wants Rahane to open in World Cup
Windies skip training session
Dutt wants to erase injury doubts
Phelps banned for six months
Michael Phelps
Australian Open boosts prize money
Footage of Bianchi crash emerges
Asiad gold a great tonic: Walsh
Murray advances
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India start as firm favourites
kochi, october 7 It will be India's last home series before the mega event, and they would look to sort out a few gray areas, especially in the opening and the death bowling, before embarking on a much tougher two-month long tour of Australia. The series also gives the No.1 ranked side an opportunity to get their combinations right and test their bench strength. The selection of a 19-year-old Kuldeep Yadav, a chinaman bowler from Kanpur, for the first three ODIs shows the team wants to try out more options before the World Cup. When the series kick off in Kochi on Wednesday, it will be the fourth series between the two nations since 2011. The Calypso charmers last visited India in 2013 for the Sachin Tendulkar's farewell series; it however turned out to be a largely disappointing contest for West Indies lost the three-match ODI series 2-1, and suffered a whitewash in the longer format, losing both the Test matches within three days. On the earlier two occasions too, once in the West Indies and the other time in India, the script was more or less the same. So going by the recent record, India will start as firm favourites against the depleted West Indies who are without their two top match-winners - the talismanic opener Chris Gayle and the mystery spinner Sunil Narine. While Gayle is nursing a back injury he sustained during the series against Bangladesh, Narine has been pulled out of the tour after he was reported for suspect action during the CLT20. And on the evidence of what one has seen in the two practice games - West Indies lost both against India A side- it could be said that the visitors are unlikely to put up much of a challenge to the home side. Coming off a fine ODI series win in England, after the embarrassment in the Test series, India will have their tail up. Against this West Indian side, in home conditions, the Indian batting unit looks pretty formidable. While Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane will open with Rohit Sharma missing out due to injury, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina and Dhoni will take their designated place in the middle-order, followed by Ravindra Jadeja at No.7. With R Ashwin rested and Karn Sharma missing out, it will be interesting to see who partners Jadeja as the second spinner. The surprise inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav, who is yet to make his first-class or List 'A' debut, put a question mark on the otherwise automatic selection of leggie Amit Mishra. Skipper MS Dhoni sounded impressed with the young chinaman bowler, and don't be surprised if you see him in action on Wednesday. Mohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav will compete for three berths reserved for the quicks in the playing XI. While all these bowlers have their strengths, bowling in death overs is still a huge concern. As for West Indies, they will definitely miss Narine, their star bowler. Sulieman Benn, the left-arm spinner, has come in as his replacement, but he has huge shoes to fill and may not trouble the Indian batsmen as much as Narine would have. The visitors are also struggling to find the right opening combination after the experiment with Kirk Edwards failed against Bangladesh. Dwayne Smith is likely to team up with Lendl Simmons for the opening job. But despite the absence of Gayle, there's enough firepower in the West Indian batting unit with the likes of Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard shouldering the responsibility. On the bowling front, West Indies are likely to go with a four-pronged pace attack comprising Jason Holder, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach and Jerome Taylor. LIVE ON STAR SPORTS 2:30 PM
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Dhoni gives thumbs-up to ICC rounding up usual suspects
kochi, october 7 The latest to join the club is West Indies' mystery spinner Sunil Narine. He has been pulled out of the Indian tour to escape a possible ban. Ajmal and Narine, considered amongst the finest exponents of off-spin, are now under a cloud from where they might never emerge; or even if they do return, they may not be the same force as they had been until now. India skipper MS Dhoni, who would be feeling a little relieved at not having to face Narine, welcomed the tough stand taken by the ICC's cricket committee against the bowlers with suspect actions. Though Dhoni did not take any names, he made it clear that a deceitful action is detrimental to the game. “We need to see what is right and what's wrong. What is legal should be allowed, and what's not legal is for the ICC to decide. I feel no undue advantage should be given to anyone. I feel it's a good decision. Otherwise, it's unfair on the bowlers who have clean actions," said Dhoni. “There are a lot of bowlers with clean actions like Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra. If you don't have a good action, you have a slight advantage over the others. If you have a suspect action, then you'll have to get it cleared and then come up and play. It's important to keep it (wrong actions) out of cricket.” The Indian skipper said he was fine with the ICC going after the bowlers with dodgy action. "It's a crucial decision and they have to be consistent with it. If somebody has a suspect action, it should be ensured that he goes through the correction process. Once he is clean, he plays,” he added. What about the young spinners who worship Ajmal and Narine as their idols and want to become like them? “I don't think anybody wants to copy a suspect action,” was Dhoni's curt reply. “When it comes to good bowlers, people try to copy. The good ones are those who know their limitations. As a cricketer, if I'm a bowler, I won't like to copy anyone because my strength will be entirely different. To be successful, you've to back your strength,” he said. We need to see what is right and what's wrong. What is legal should be allowed, and what's not legal is for the ICC to decide. I feel no undue advantage should be given to anyone. I feel it's a good decision. Otherwise, it's unfair on the bowlers who have clean
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I was naive, stupid but not a villain: KP
In his no holds barred autobiography, which is due to be out on Thursday, Pietersen recalled his sacking from the team but also hoped for a comeback. “I didn’t always tread wisely. I was often naive and sometimes stupid. I was no villain, though,” he writes. “Cricket is politics. Bad politics. Things change overnight. I believe that the governing body of English cricket could change; I believe it should change. I am happy for now, but I would be happy to come back. Anything can happen in cricket.” The maverick batsman dwelled on his fractious relationship with coach Andy Flower and how his career came to an end abruptly last year. “Contagiously sour. Infectiously dour. He could walk into a room and suck all the joy out of it in five seconds. Just a Mood Hoover. That's how I came to think of him,” he said referring to the former coach. “A clique choked our team... And Andy Flower let that clique grow like a bad weed. The dressing room slowly became the territory of the biggest mouths among the bowlers — and a wicketkeeper. They ran an exclusive club. If you're outside that clique, you were fair game for mocking, ridicule, bullying,” he added. Pietersen was slightly mild in his opinion of skipper Alastair Cook. “I know, though, that while Cooky is a nice man, he is also a company man. A safe pair of hands; he won't rock the boat,” he said. Pietersen said the ECB needed a scapegoat who was, “big, boisterous and annoying...Somebody who left colourful footprints on the pristine white carpets. No way back for Pietersen says Hussain
Former England captain Nasser Hussain said there was “no way back” for Kevin Pietersen. Hussain said he had some sympathy for Pietersen's views, telling Sky Sports: “It really tells you a lot about team spirit ... always there when you're winning but always fades away when you're losing. “A lot of the stuff I've read (from Kevin) this afternoon, I've nodded at and agreed with ... about shouting at players in the outfield. Team spirit is about respect ...what happened in the end was that the respect had gone, between Kevin and his team-mates. ‘Wheels come off’” — PTI |
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Dhoni wants Rahane to open in World Cup
The skipper not only identified some gray areas they need to work on — death bowling, right opening combinations and more options in attack — but he also revealed that he wanted Ajinkya Rahane to open, instead of Rohit Sharma, in the World Cup. “Ajinkya is well suited to open the innings. He opens in the IPL too, and plays well on difficult wickets. He should take up this responsibility. Rohit can shift to the middle-order. Ideally, it's something that suits both of them, and gives the team much more depth. That's the plan," the skipper said. After this, the skipper shifted his focus on to the lack of death bowlers in the side. "Death bowling is a genuine concern for us. That's one area where we need to focus before the World Cup. We don't have too many pacers who bowl quickly and are consistent with their line and length. All good death bowlers have one thing in common -a good yorker. They bowl good yorkers, and mix it up with length bowls or slower deliveries. We're working hard on it; hopefully we'll have it sorted before the World Cup,” said Dhoni. He said the West Indies series is an ideal opportunity to try out new things and iron out the flaws before embarking on the Australia tour. “We want to do a few things in this series. We don't want to go to Australia and say ‘okay, we should have done this’. The long-term goal, defending the World Cup, is crucial. We'll try to make the most of our resources and opportunities,” he said. Talking about the match tomorrow, Dhoni said the toss will play an important role keeping the dew factor in mind. “Based on what we have seen, toss will be vital. There won't be much dew in the first innings. But in the second innings, the spinners will find it a little tough.”
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Windies skip training session
Kochi, October 7 The press conference was scheduled for 1:30 pm start followed by a practice session, but West Indian skipper Dwayne Bravo did not turn up for the briefing as late as 3:30 pm before the Karnataka Cricket Association (KCA) officials formally called off the press meet. When the waiting journalists sought to know the reasons from the KCA officials, they were informed by the West Indies team manager Richie Richardson that they are having continued team management meetings. The Micromax Cup unveiling ceremony, slated for the evening at the Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium, also did not take place as the West Indies skipper chose to remain indoors. Repeated calls to West Indies team official, Philips Snooper, went unanswered while he did not respond to messages either. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials were also in the dark about the Cup unveiling ceremony as they did not receive any official communication from the visiting side for their no-show. Sources say the visitors chose to ignore all engagements over some sponsorship issues.
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Dutt wants to erase injury doubts
Incheon, October 7 Dutt’s world nearly came crashing down last year. In January 2013, just a few months after winning a bronze medal at the London Olympic Games, Dutt fought a Pakistani wrestler in a ‘dangal’ in Punjab. As they grappled and tried to twist each other into submission, Dutt felt a twinge and a surge of pain in his knee. It turned out to be a torn ligament. Wrestlers aren’t alien to pain, but this was very serious — the pain didn’t go, and the prognosis was not encouraging. Dutt was examined by sports medicine experts, and he sought opinion from doctors in Germany and South Africa. Their response horrified Dutt. “They advised surgery, followed by rehabilitation, but they said there was no guarantee that I’d be able to wrestle again,” says Dutt. Then the Mumbai-based Dr. Heath Mathews, a friend to Indian athletes for several years, gave him good news. He told Dutt that the ligament was only partly torn. “He told me that it was possible to treat the injury, and then strengthen it with weight training.” For twelve long months, Dutt trained hard to get fighting fit again. “For one full year, I worked very hard, only in getting my injury treated,” he says. “I actually had feared that my career was going to end, and so it was a blessing that I was able to train to be able to fight again.” Exactly a year after suffering that ligament injury, Dutt resumed practice on the mat. Pushed on by his friend Sushil Kumar, his protégé Bajrang and the national coaches, Dutt gained in strength, got his confidence back. He’s had a great year — he’s won three championships after his comeback, in Italy, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and now the Incheon Asiad. “I was scared, but I could not do anything — there was no way for me other than to work very hard,” he says. Exhaustion at Incheon
But along with the gold medal at Incheon, Dutt got more pain and a serious worry. After the fight with China’s Katai Yeerlanbieke in the semifinals, Dutt had to be helped off. “My calves were suddenly very drained, exhausted,” the 31-year-old says. He says it felt that the lower parts of his legs were “bhar gaye” — feeling perhaps as if they were filled with water or lead. “However, even as they carried me out, there was no way I was going to pull out,” he says. “I was only thinking about how to be able to fight fully well, despite the problem.” Dutt had been trailing the Chinese wrestler before making his move, but he wasn’t worried. “I was confident because I’m generally a good finisher,” he says. Dutt was able to fight strongly in the final too, and he got the gold after a tough contest with Zalimkhan Yusupov. “I had worked really hard for this medal, and I wasn’t going to let it go without a fight,” he laughs. He got the gold, but Dutt has got a worry — he wants to find out why his calves felt so drained in the semifinal and final bouts. In this sport of strength, Dutt can’t afford to feel weak in the legs. He is hoping that that was only a passing problem — was it caused by the fact that in Incheon, he didn’t get the food he’s used to? Or perhaps it was due to having to eat bread, which he doesn’t like to consume? “I need to fix this problem,” he says. “I want to compete and do well in the Rio Olympic Games. I’m still training to strengthen my knees, and I hope I won’t have to undergo any surgery before the Olympics.” |
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Washington, October 7 The arrest last Tuesday marked the second time the 29-year-old Baltimore-area native had been arrested for drunken driving, the first being in 2004. In the first case, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while impaired in exchange for 18 months’ probation. “Membership in USA Swimming, and particularly at the National Team level, includes a clear obligation to adhere to our Code of Conduct,” USA Swimming Executive Director Chuck Wielgus said in a statement. “Should an infraction occur, it is our responsibility to take appropriate action based on the individual case. Michael’s conduct was serious and required significant consequences.” Phelps was arrested last week after speeding and then crossing the double-lane lines inside a Baltimore tunnel, police said, adding he was clocked by radar travelling 135 kph in a 72-kph zone. Documents indicate that Phelps registered .14 percent on a Breathalyzer test after being pulled over. The legal limit for intoxication in Maryland is .08. Phelps apologised for the incident and said on Sunday he was checking himself into rehab for six weeks in order to “better understand myself.” — Reuters
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Australian Open boosts prize money
Melbourne, October 7 Winners of both the men’s and women’s singles final will take home Aus$3 million, Tennis Australia said. Unveiling the refurbished Margaret Court Arena, which now has three-retractable roof stadiums — the most of any Slam venue according to organisers — officials said they were hoping to engage the rapidly increasing tennis audience in Asia. In 2014, China registered the highest single rating broadcast of the Australian Open with almost 20 million viewers. — PTI
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Footage of Bianchi crash emerges
Tokyo, October 7 The 25-year-old Frenchman was said to be “critical, but stable” after surgery in the wake of the terrifying smash on a rain-soaked Suzuka circuit on Sunday. Criticism grew Tuesday of race organisers, with former world champion Alan Prost weighing in to declaim errors that led to the crash. The spectator film, posted on YouTube, shows his out-of-control Marussia slamming into the back of the yellow recovery vehicle, sparks flying as the body of the car slides underneath its raised rear end. The impact, which appears to be at around Bianchi’s helmet height, shears off the air intake cover that hangs over the back of the driver’s head. Formula One has regularly been rocked by debate over open-top cockpits, which offer drivers little head protection. In slow-motion, the video appears to show Bianchi’s helmet rebounding violently off the heavy lifting vehicle, which is bounced into the air by the force of the impact. The vehicle was trying to remove Adrian Sutil’s stricken Sauber, which had crashed at the same spot on the circuit a lap earlier. Prost told Europe 1 radio that the removal truck should never have been there. “The entry of this crane (onto the circuit) without the safety car is totally unacceptable. It’s a real mistake that should not be repeated,” he said. “A mistake has been made, that’s obvious. Who made the mistake, I’m still not entirely sure. Was it the race director or the marshals on those bends? Someone must have made the decision to remove Sutil’s car.” Bianchi has traumatic brain injury: FamilyBianchi remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital after suffering a traumatic brain injury, a joint statement by his family and the hospital said on Tuesday. “Jules remains in the Intensive Care Unit of the Mie General Medical Center in Yokkaichi. He has suffered a diffuse axonal injury and is in a critical but stable condition,” the statement read. — PTI
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Asiad gold a great tonic: Walsh
New Delhi, October 7 Walsh said the medal in Incheon is an “indicator” of the team’s progress. “The situation now is very delicately balanced. We have moved to a better place with the team than what we were a year back,” the Australian said. “It was much-needed. The gold was a great tonic. But the real question from here on is sustainability and improvement. The need of the hour now is to make some aggressive strategy.” Walsh said a strong development programme from the grassroot level is a must if India wants to achieve consistency in their performances. “The present group of players are very good but the real issue is longevity. You need to have development programmes for sustainability and longevity. There needs to be accountability which I am sorry
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Shanghai, October 7 Murray, ninth in the race to London as he seeks to break into the elite top eight who will play in the season-ending ATP Finals in November, overcame Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-1 7-5. The Briton broke his opponent three times to run away with the first set but was broken twice in the second and had to dig deep to avoid a decider and set a second-round clash with Jerzy Janowicz. Chinese wildcard Wang, who mainly plays in Challenger or Futures tournaments, recorded a 7-6(5) 6-4 first-round win over Italian Fognini on the Grandstand court to huge cheers from the shocked home crowd. The 22-year-old showed few nerves as he continued to pound aggressively for the lines against a flat Fognini, who offered little in the closing stages of the match and seemed happy to get off court as quickly as possible. Nadal to play despite appendicitis
Rafa Nadal will play despite being diagnosed with appendicitis which will require a surgery, the world No. 2 said on Tuesday. The Spaniard went to hospital on Sunday after complaining of stomach pains and was given antibiotics which seem to have worked as the 28-year-old, after two days of resting in his hotel room, had a 45-minute practice. — Reuters |
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kochi, october 7
Incheon, October 7
Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, was suspended for six months by USA Swimming on Monday following his recent arrest on a drunken driving charge. Phelps, who recently returned to top-level competition after a two-year retirement, will also not be allowed to represent the United States at the 2015 FINA World Swimming Championships in Russia next August, USA Swimming said in a statement.
Tokyo, October 7
Shanghai, October 7
london, october 7
kochi, october 7
Tendulkar may attend Air Force Day parade
Ramiz says laws needed to save unique ‘doosra’