Australia will start their limited overs tour of India in Visakhapatnam, which will now host the first T20 International on February 24 instead of Bengaluru after Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) requested for a change of date due to security concerns.
Bengaluru will host the second T20 International on February 27 instead of Visakhapatnam after KSCA wrote to the BCCI about its inability to host the inaugural match due to security concerns.  The date and venue swap was okayed by Committee of Administrators (COA) members Vinod Rai and Diana Edulji.
On February 24, Aero India Show will be held in Bengaluru and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the event, the reason why the police authorities informed  KSCA about their inability to provide security.
KSCA wrote to BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary, who sent it to the COA for approval.
"It was a genuine reason for which KSCA can't hold the match on the specified date (February 24). The acting secretary had ...

Australia tour of India: Dates of Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam T20s  swapped

PTI Automatic

Tottenham left it late again, but Son Heung-min's strike seven minutes from time earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday to leapfrog Manchester City into second place in the Premier League.
Spurs also struck at the death to beat Fulham and Watford in recent weeks to ensure they have kept pace in the league since Harry Kane and Dele Alli were injured.
Mauricio Pochettino's men close to within four points of leaders Liverpool, who are in action at West Ham on Monday, but just as significantly open up a 10-point lead on Arsenal and Chelsea in the race for a top-four finish and Champions League football next season.
In keeping with a season of struggle, Tottenham were forced all the way by a dogged Newcastle, buoyed by a stunning 2-1 win over Manchester City in midweek that carried the Magpies five points clear of the relegation zone.
Club record 20 million signing Miguel Almiron did not have international clearance to make his debut so Rafael Benitez named the same side ..

Spurs strike late again to climb above City

Defending champion Anjali Saraogi will aim to retain her title and better last year's time when she competes in the IDBI Federal Life Insurance Kolkata Full Marathon here on Sunday.
Anjali, the only woman in a team of seven Ultra-Runners who represented India at the 100km World Championships in Croatia in September last year, won the race in 3 hours 30 minutes and 53 seconds.
Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who is the brand ambassador of the meet,  motivated the runners here Saturday.
The Kolkata Full marathon will see participation from over 15,000 runners across  four categories for a total prize purse of Rs 6 lakh.
This edition will also witness several inspirational runners in different categories.
Shubhashis Ghosh, who suffers from a rare heart ailment, will be competing in the 10K run, along with the visually impaired Mohammed Asif Iqbal.
The half marathon category will also have 86-year-old Bylahalli Janardan inspiring the participants.

Anjali aims to defend Kolkata Full Marathon title

China's Li Haotong created history with four eagles in a single round while Sergio Garcia was disqualified for "serious misconduct" on day three of the Saudi International golf tournament here Saturday.
Amidst all the action, India's Gaganjeet Bhullar finally saw putts dropping and shot four-under 66 to get to four-under and Tied-27th, up 31 places from the cutline at T-58th.
Li, starting the day three shots behind, closed eagle-eagle to join overnight leader Dustin Johnson at 16-under. He now plays in final group for the second successive week. Last week, he was penalised two shots as his caddie was deemed to have lined up behind him on the 18th and he tumbled from third to T-12th.
As the 2017 Masters champion Garcia exited before time, the 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed made three trips to the water and scored a 10 on 18th but still carded 72.
The Tour put out a statement, saying, "Sergio Garcia has been disqualified from the third round of the Saudi International powered under .

Li lands four eagles; Bhullar moves up 30 places to T-27th

Santiago Solari has challenged Gareth Bale to hit top form ahead of what could prove a defining period in Real Madrid's season.
Madrid face a double-header against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-finals in the next month, as well as two legs against Ajax in the last 16 of the Champions League.
After Alaves on Sunday, they also play city rivals Atletico Madrid in La Liga before a third Clasico at the start of March. Madrid are 10 points adrift of Barca already and cannot afford to let the gap widen further.
Bale has just come back after three weeks out with a calf injury but his return to the starting line-up is not guaranteed, given his team have won six out of their last seven matches.
"The spotlight is always on Gareth," Solari said at a press conference on Saturday.
"But I see him focused, connected, plugged in.
"I want him to perform how he knows he can, like he did in the Club World Cup and against Roma. He is an important player for us and I think he is determined to do ...

I want Bale to perform how he knows he can - Solari

Punjab & Sind Bank beat Punjab National Bank by a solitary goal while the formidable Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) were held to a 3-3 draw by Hockey Chandigarh.
In Pool A match, Maninder Singh (32', 59') scored twice for Chandigarh while Captain Preetinder Singh (36') scored once. For SSCB, Rajant (45'), AP Siraju (58') and Sayyed Rahim (60') scored to ensure that teams split points.
Comptroller & Auditor General of India (CAG) drew with CRPF 2-2 in a Pool B match.
In the only match that yielded a decisive outcome, Punjab & Sind Bank scored through Parvinder Singh (3'), Gaganpreet Singh (8'), Ashish Sharma (21') while PNB could score twice courtesy Gurjinder Singh (35') and Shamsher Singh (51').
In a Pool D match, Hockey Odisha drew with Canara Bank 0-0.

Men's Natl Hockey: Punjab & Sind bank win, Services held

Young hopefuls will look to impress in the three-day warm-up game ahead between Board President's XI and the England Lions ahead of the two-match unofficial Test series beginning here Sunday.
The England Lions have had a tough tour thus far, losing four of the five limited-overs game and will expect to put up an improved show in the longer version.
Led by Sam Billings, who was part of the Chennai Super Kings squad in the IPL last year, the team comprises a handful of players who have featured in international matches.
The lanky Jamie Overton, twin brother of Test player Craig Overton, has performed well on the tour and will look to trouble the host batsmen with his pace and bounce.
Billings has scored runs and led well and would be expected to continue in the same vein as against a varied bowling attack of the BP XI.
The talented young Ishan Kishan leads a young BP XI squad, which includes a number of players who have done well in domestic cricket.
Jharkhand's left-arm spinner Pappu ..

BP XI vs Lions: Chance for young hopefuls to impress

Indian Davis Cup captain Mahesh Bhupathi Saturday rued that tennis had never got the kind of support that boxing or wrestling got from the government, urging them to include men's singles players in Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).
Keeping the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in mind, the sports ministry has included the doubles duo of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan, who won the Asian Games gold last year, have been kept in TOPS scheme.
"I know Rohan and Divij have been approved by TOPS but the singles boys need to get that support. That's the bottomline," Bhupathi told reporters after India's 1-3 defeat to Italy in the Davis Cup Qualifiers at Calcutta South Club.
"The government needs to step up and support tennis. I know they are supporting a lot of sports. They are supporting hockey, wrestling, boxing but tennis has not got that support yet," Bhupathi lamented.
"It's not easy for AITA to support them as they don't have a revenue source of money. I think the government have a lot of schemes .

TOPS should also support men's singles players: Bhupathi

Former champions ATK and Jamshedpur FC will look to keep their hopes for a play-off berth alive when they lock horns in the Indian Super League here Sunday.
Bengaluru FC and Mumbai City have sealed two spots in the play-offs with the two clubs firm on the table. While the third and fourth places are up for grabs and are being contested by four different clubs.
Hosts ATK, who are sixth in the league table with 17 points from 13 matches, are coming off a 1-1 draw against Kerala Blasters while Jamshedpur are placed fifth with 20 points to their credit and are unbeaten in five straight matches.
All eyes will be on ATK coach Steve Coppell as he takes on his former side. The Englishman will rely on Spaniard Edu Garcia whose form will be decisive in Sunday's clash.
Attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzarote will be back in the team after he missed the match against Blasters. The duo of Garcia and Lanzarote form a potent force for the Kolkata side.
Nigerian forward Kalu Uche, who is coming back ...

ATK, Jamshedpur battle to keep playoff hopes alive

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday congratulated Qatar which defeated Japan in the final of the Asian Cup, in a telephone conversation with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, a presidential source said.
Qatar shocked four-time champions Japan 3-1 to win their first Asian Cup title on Friday, three years before the resource-rich Gulf nation hosts the World Cup in 2022.
Erdogan, whose country is a regional ally of Doha, congratulated the emir on "Qatar's success in football and championship of 2019 Asian Cup", the source added.  Qatar and Turkey have reinforced their extremely close ties in recent years.
Doha has been isolated from its neighbours and former allies -- including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain -- since June 2017 over accusations it supports terrorist groups and seeks closer ties with Saudi arch-rival Iran. Doha denies the allegations.
But Ankara backed Doha and was at the forefront of nations to supply the Gulf state with food and ...

Turkey's Erdogan congratulates Qatar on Asian Cup victory: source

India lived up to their reputation in doubles but that was not enough as Italy secured a 3-1 triumph after winning the first reverse singles on Saturday to storm into the first-ever Davis Cup World Finals.
Trailing 0-2 after losing the opening day's singles rubbers, doubles pair of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan kept India's slender hopes alive by beating Simone Boelleli and Matteo Berrettini 4-6 6-3 6-4 in an one-hour 43 minutes battle.
But it only delayed the world number 10 Italy's march into the Finals as world number 37 Andreas Seppi outclassed top-ranked Indian Prajnesh Gunneswaran 6-1 6-4 in 62 minutes in the first reverse singles to render the fifth rubber unnecessary at the Calcutta South Club.
On a career high ranking of 102, Prajnesh had no chance in the first set and though the left-hander gave a better account of himself in the second set a share of 40 unforced errors dashed his hopes.
World number 19 India will now compete in the Zone Group action later this ...

No grass effect: Italy beat India 3-1 to make World Finals

New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham Saturday heaped praise on Mahendra Singh Dhoni, saying that "you don't have the game won until you have him out."
Before the ODI series in Australia, questions were raised over Dhoni's waning abilities with the bat but he silenced his critics with three back-to-back half-centuries.
Before missing out on the third and fourth ODI against New Zealand due to hamstring injury, the 37-year-old scored an unbeaten 48 and behind the stumps, he remains as sharp as ever.
"His record speaks for itself. He is a fantastic player. I know there were some noises in the Indian media if he should be in the World Cup squad or not. He has got that calm demeanour in the middle-order. When you are bowling to him, you know you have not got the game won until you get him out," said Neesham ahead of the fifth ODI.
Talking about the final game of the ODI series, the New Zealand all-rounder, who is back after recovering from a hamstring injury, said he expects the ball to do 

You haven't won the game until you get Dhoni out: Neesham

From a record-breaking Qatar forward born who just couldn't stop scoring to a reluctant Kyrgyz sex symbol, AFP takes a look at five players who lit up the Asian Cup:
- Float like a butterfly -
==========================
Qatar's Almoez Ali scored an eye-popping record nine goals at a single Asian Cup, surpassing Iran legend Ali Daei's tally of eight in 1996 with a wonder strike in Abu Dhabi that sparked a 3-1 upset over Japan in the final.
The baby-faced striker had plastic bottles and shoes pelted at him after scoring in Qatar's 4-0 semi-final victory over hosts UAE, but had the last laugh as the 2022 World Cup hosts went on to lift the Asian Cup for the first time.
The Sudan-born Ali had been under investigation by tournament organisers after Emirati football officials lodged a protest over his eligibility. He was cleared to play in the final hours before kickoff and scored an outrageous overhead kick before walking off with the player of the tournament award for good measure.
- ...

Baby-faced assassins, hunky pin-ups light up Asian Cup

Tennis Australia accused firebrand Bernard Tomic on Saturday of deliberately trying to sabotage the nation's Davis Cup team in a nasty spat with captain Lleyton Hewitt and withdrew all support for him.
Tomic launched an extraordinary attack on two-time Grand Slam champion Hewitt during the Australian Open last month, saying "no one likes him any more" while claiming he had ruined the national tennis system.
He alleged there were deep divisions in the Australian men's game.
Hewitt responded by washing his hands of the player, alleging he had been blackmailed and physically threatened by the combustible 26-year-old.
Tomic's father John then said he planned legal action against Hewitt over an incident he claimed occurred in 2010 when his son was a Davis Cup debutant.
Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley said he was "deeply disappointed with the ongoing disrespect from Bernard and his father".
"Lleyton is right to say Bernard will not be considered for Davis Cup. Bernard does not meet the ..

Tennis Australia slams Tomic for 'deliberately damaging' Davis Cup

Japan captain Maya Yoshida promised the Blue Samurai would come back stronger after suffering a shock 3-1 defeat by Qatar in the Asian Cup final.
A moment of magic from Qatar striker Almoez Ali after just 12 minutes stunned Japan in Abu Dhabi on Friday, before a brilliant second from Abdelaziz Hatim and a controversial late penalty gave the 2022 World Cup hosts a historic first Asian title.
A distraught Yoshida blasted Japan's naivety after the game but refused to make excuses.
"It's difficult to describe how it feels," he told AFP. "We were too passive, a bit naive and made so many mistakes. We conceded two goals at the beginning of the game which we shouldn't have -- we simply weren't good enough.
"But they played well and deserve to be champions," added Yoshida. "No excuses, we move on."
Japan briefly threatened to get back into the game after Takumi Minamino pulled a goal back on 69 minutes, only for Uzbek referee Ravshan Irmatov to award Qatar a penalty after a video review for a 

'We move on' - Yoshida defiant after Asian Cup heartbreak

Opener Dimuth Karunaratne was stretchered off in a neck brace after being hit by a bouncer Saturday as Sri Lanka chased a massive Australian first innings total built on the back of three centuries.
In overcast conditions, the home team resumed day two of the second Test in Canberra on 384 for four and extended their lead to a massive 534 for five when skipper Tim Paine declared.
At stumps, Sri Lanka were 123 for three in reply with Kusal Perera on 11 and Dhananjaya de Silva not out one.
Paine's declaration looked premature given the ease with which Sri Lanka's openers weathered the new-ball attack led by under-pressure Mitchell Starc.
On a flat Manuka Oval track conducive to batting Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne saw off some lightning quick deliveries and a bouncer barrage and had built an 82-run stand before disaster struck.
Playing in his 58th Test, Karunaratne was 46 not out when a rising Pat Cummins ball appeared to glance off his shoulder and onto his helmet, close to the ...

Karunaratne stretchered off as Sri Lanka chase big Australia total

Sri Lankan opener Dimuth Karunaratne was in "no danger" after being stretchered off in a neck brace following a nasty hit from a bouncer by Pat Cummins in the second cricket Test in Canberra on Saturday.
Playing in his 58th Test, Karunaratne was 46 not out when the rising ball glanced off his shoulder and onto his helmet, close to the neck area.
He slumped to the ground, dropping his bat as Australian players ran to assist.
A doctor and physio sprinted onto the ground and called for more medics and after some 10 minutes he was put onto a stretcher and taken off the field on a golf buggy before being sent to hospital for checks.
Coach Chandika Hathurusingha said he was "in good spirits" and in "no danger".
"It was a bit scary at the start the way he fell back, but he was okay throughout, he was talking to the umpires and the physio," he said after play ended for the day.
"It hit on the back of the neck so he is being assessed."
Cricket Australia said he complained of pain in the neck ..

Sri Lanka's Karunaratne 'in no danger' after bouncer hit

Living up to their reputation in doubles, Indian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan bounced back from one-set down to beat Italian combination of Simone Boelleli and Matteo Berrettini and stay alive in the Davis Cup Qualifiers here Saturday.
In the must-win rubber, Bopanna and Sharan upped the ante by breaking newcomer Berrettini in the fourth game of the second set before sealing the issue 4-6 6-3 6-4 in an one-hour 43 minutes battle at Calcutta South Club.
Making a comeback for the first time since 2012, southpaw Sharan complemented senior pro Bopanna and wrapped it up with a forehand volley winner in the end.
Down 0-2 after losing their two singles rubber in the opening day, India will now look to make amends in the two reverse singles.
"We had good understanding and kept fighting," Sharan said giving credit to his senior partner.
Playing his third Davis Cup match, the Delhi lad said: "Yes, there was pressure playing for India. But it felt normal having Rohan by my side. I ...

Davis Cup: Bopanna-Sharan win doubles to keep India hopes alive

Former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has regained full fitness and will play the fifth and final ODI against New Zealand, India's assistant coach Sanjay Bangar confirmed on Saturday.
India and New Zealand will meet for the final ODI at the Westpac Stadium here on Sunday.
Although the visitors have sealed the series 3-1, they will look to bounce back after the eight-wicket defeat in the fourth ODI where they were bundled out for a paltry 92.
India's most experienced ODI player was out of the last two games with a hamstring injury.
"Yes, he is fit and will be playing the fifth ODI," Bangar told reporters on the eve of the game.
The 37-year-old won the man of the series award in the recent three-match ODI series against Australia after scoring three fifties.
He continued in the same vein in the ongoing series against New Zealand, scoring an unbeaten 33-ball 48 to take India to 324-4 in the second ODI.
Dhoni's experience in the middle order was missed when India suffered a collapse in the .

Dhoni declared fit for fifth ODI

Assistant coach Sanjay Bangar believes India's batting collapse in the fourth ODI was an "aberration" and reposed faith on the middle-order, saying it has mostly delivered whenever put in a tough situation.
India's batting came a cropper in the Hamilton game as they were dismissed for their seventh lowest total of 92.
However, Bangar said it was an one-odd failure.
"The middle order has rose to the occasion many times and delivered. Yes some situation has been trying but it is not that the middle order hasn't performed," Bangar told reporters ahead of the fifth ODI against New Zealand here Sunday.
"When required, more often than not whenever it has been put in a situation, it has delivered, may be the last game was an aberration," he added.
Bangar explained his point by giving example of games -- Cuttack (India vs England, Jan 2017), Indore (India vs SA, Oct 2015) and MCG final (India vs Australia, Jan 2019) -- where the middle order contributed to win matches.
"...if they (top order .

Last game was an aberration, have faith in middle-order: Bangar

Pushed out of their comfort zone by some incisive swing bowling in challenging conditions, a jolted India will gain confidence from Mahendra Singh Dhoni's return as they aim to finish the five-match series against New Zealand on a high.
India's most experienced ODI player was out with hamstring injury during last two matches and his return couldn't have been timed better after their inexplicable collapse for 92 in Hamilton.
A 4-1 margin will look much better than 3-2 but it will be easier said than done at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
The windy condition here could just be the shot that Trent Boult would need as he again marks his run-up.
And that's where Dhoni's presence will be a factor in that middle order which still isn't rock solid if skipper Virat Kohli isn't around.
Assistant coach Sanjay Bangar confirmed that Dhoni is fit and available for the game.
Dhoni's calmness in anchoring the innings will be priceless and young Shubman Gill might make the way in the playing XI as ..

Page 1130 -