Page 105 - Sports

Afghanistan are doing better day by day, says Gulbadin Naib

Afghanistan skipper Gulbadin Naib after losing to India by 11 runs on Saturday said that we are doing better day by day in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and will continue to play on our potential."I think we are doing better and better day by day and this is the team I want to create. But we, unfortunately, missed the opportunity and credit goes to Indian side as they played well in the game," Gulbadin Naib said in the post-match conference.Afghanistan showcased their skills and team spirit against India and gave them a tough fight. The tournament's favourite Indian side was restricted to 224 runs by the Afghani bowlers and then Naib and Mohammad Nabi tried to chase down the total but at last, failed."The good thing is that Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman bowled really well and restricted MS Dhoni from playing big shots. Kedar Jadhav and Dhoni stitched a partnership that took the game away from Afghanistan," Naib said."I think when we chase total like this we need two-three

Yuzvendra Chahal: Our plan was to bowl dot deliveries and to create pressure

Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal stated that team's plan to defend low score was to ball dot deliveries and build pressure on batsmen against Afghanistan on Saturday."I thought that it will turn in the second inning but it did not happen. Our plan was simple to ball dot balls and build pressure on them, it allows bowlers to take a wicket," Chahal said in the post-match conference.Afghanistan's spinner took five wickets in the Indian inning as the pitch was helping the spinner's. With the good bowling performance, they restricted India to a low score."Every match we play we have the same pressure, but this was the first time when we defended a low score. Before this we were scoring 300 plus runs in our previous games," Chahal said."Every team had leg-spinner but they all have a different style. I bowl according to the team's requirement," he added.On defending low total successfully, Chahal said it totally depends on the mindset and if you have a positive intention you can defend ...

India showed too much respect to Afghan spinners: Srikkanth

India showed "too much respect" to Afghanistan spinners and should have batted more freely, said former captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who hailed the "outstanding leadership" of skipper Virat Kohli during the team's 11-run win here. India's famed batting-order failed to counter the Afghanistan spinners on a slow wicket as the Gulbadin Naib-led side restricted the two-time champions to a below-par 224 for eight. With 16 runs to get in the last over, Mohammad Nabi (52 off 55) came excruciatingly close to leading his side to their maiden victory in the tournament before Afghanistan were bowled out for 213. "The wicket was slightly slow but frankly speaking, I think India got a bit stuck in the middle overs and should have played a little bit more freely," Srikkanth, a member of India's 1983 World Cup winning squad, wrote in a column for the ICC. "They gave a little bit too much respect to Afghanistan's spinners because while the Afghans bowled well - especially Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman .

Holder challenges Brathwaite to repeat World Cup ton heroics

West Indies captain Jason Holder urged Carlos Brathwaite to "bring it together more often" after his remarkable hundred so nearly led to a stunning World Cup victory over New Zealand. The West Indies were down and out at 164-7, chasing a target of 292 to beat the Black Caps at Old Trafford. Thanks to Brathwaite's blistering 101 of 82 balls -- his maiden one-day international century -- however, they got to within a six of a win with just one wicket standing. But Brathwaite, trying to hit what would have been his sixth six of a remarkable innings, fell to paceman Jimmy Neesham as Trent Boult took a good catch just inside the long-on boundary off the last ball of the penultimate over. New Zealand won by a mere five runs, a result that effectively ended the West Indies' hopes of semi-final qualification. All-rounder Brathwaite was previously best known for his last-over heroics in hitting four successive sixes off Ben Stokes to see the West Indies to a dramatic 2016 World Twenty20 final .

Brathwaite takes confidence from bitter-sweet World Cup ton

Carlos Brathwaite Saturday said he will take confidence from his valiant 101 that took West Indies close to victory only to lose the World Cup thriller by five runs against New Zealand. Brathwaite set up an exciting game with his 82-ball blitz after West Indies slipped to 245 for nine in their chase of 292 at Manchester's Old Trafford. He smashed five sixes and nine fours for his maiden ODI ton, but fell to paceman Jimmy Neesham in trying to get the winning hit in the penultimate over as Trent Boult took a good catch just inside the long-on boundary. "Obviously bitter sweet. For me personally, for my confidence," Brathwaite told reporters in the mixed zone. "As a result of all the hard work I've been putting in it's finally good that it comes to fruition. "Obviously devastated not to get over the line, but also giving thanks for the performance. Even getting the team into the position we got into before I got out," said Brathwaite, who also took two wickets with his pace ...

Tendulkar unhappy with Dhoni-Jadhav's lack of intent against Afghanistan

Sachin Tendulkar was left disappointed by India's slow batting display against Afghanistan and said the middle-order batsmen, including Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav, lacked positive intent during their tense World Cup clash here. India's famed middle-order failed to counter the Afghanistan spinners as the Gulbadin Naib-led side restricted the two-time champions to a below-par 224 for eight. With 16 runs to get in the last over, Mohammad Nabi (52 off 55) came excruciatingly close to leading his side to their maiden victory in the tournament before Afghanistan were bowled out for 213. A last over hat-trick by Mohammad Shami along with excellent death over bowling by Jasprit Bumrah saved the day for India. "I felt slightly disappointed, it could have been much better. I was also not happy with the partnership between Kedar and Dhoni, it was very slow. We batted 34 overs of spin bowling and scored 119 runs. This was one area where we didn't look comfortable at all. There was no ..

Shami on hat-trick: Mahi bhai said, 'Bowl a yorker'

Mohammed Shami had no second thoughts about bowling a yorker for a hat-trick delivery after Mahendra Singh Dhoni advised the same during India's thrilling World Cup encounter against Afghanistan here. Shami is the second Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in World Cup after Chetan Sharma's feat against New Zealand in the 1987 edition. This is the 10th hat-trick in history of 50-over World Cup. "The plan was simple. To bowl a yorker and even Mahi bhai suggested that. He said, 'Don't change anything now as you have a great chance of getting a hat-trick. It's a rare opportunity and you need to do the same thing. So I did what exactly I was told," Shami told reporters after returning with figures of 4 for 40. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's left-hamstring stiffness brought Shami into the picture and the Bengal pacer accepts that it was a stroke of luck that he was in the playing XI. "Getting a chance in the playing XI is a bit of luck. I was ready that whenever I get a chance, I will have to utilise ..

New Zealand's Boult proud to seal West Indies thriller

Trent Boult said he hoped proud fans back at home would enjoy "diving into their poached eggs" after holding the decisive catch that saw New Zealand beat the West Indies by just five runs in a World Cup thriller. Saturday's day/night match at Old Trafford looked certain to go New Zealand's way when the West Indies slumped to 164-7, chasing a target of 292. And the Caribbean side still needed a further 47 runs when they lost their ninth wicket. Yet the West Indies got to within one hit of victory thanks to Carlos Brathwaite's remarkable 101 -- his maiden one-day international century coming after just a lone fifty in the all-rounder's previous 37 matches at this level. But with six needed to win, Brathwaite launched the last ball of the penultimate over from Jimmy Neesham high into the Manchester sky only for Boult, just inside the boundary rope, to take a well-judged catch at long-on. The win saw New Zealand, the 2015 losing finalists, return to the top of the 10-team table. It also ..

Williamson's 148 trumps Brathwaite's maiden ODI ton as NZ beat WI by five runs

Skipper Kane Williamson continued his impressive run with a second successive century to guide New Zealand to a narrow five-run win over West Indies in a World Cup thriller, despite a fighting maiden ODI hundred by Carlos Brathwaite. Sent into bat, Williamson rescued New Zealand with a career-best 148, steering his side to a competitive 291 for eight after being reduced to two for seven by West Indies in the first over. Chasing the total, Chris Gayle (87) and Shimron Hetmyer (54) cracked fifties but the West Indies were looking down the barrel at 164 for seven in the 27th over. Brathwaite then blasted nine fours and five sixes on way to a 82-ball 101 to take his side close to victory at Old Trafford. Brathwaite smashed three sixes and a four in the 48th over to bring the equation down to eight from 12 balls. He took two runs to complete his hundred but then holed out to Trent Boult at long-on in the last ball of the 49th over bowled by Jimmy Neesham to sink to his knees as West Indies

I was waiting for a chance to play for India, says Mohammad Shami

Indian pacer Mohammad Shami after taking a hat-trick in his first match of the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup on Saturday said that he was waiting for his chance to play for India and showcase his skills."I was waiting for my chance to play in the team and finally when I got, I took a hat-trick. I'm very happy with my performance. Hat-trick happens rarely and that too in World Cup is very rare," Shami said in the post-match conference.The 28-year-old was included in the playing XI as a replacement of Bhuwaneshwar Kumar, who suffered strain in his hamstring in the last match against Pakistan.Shami concluded his bowling with 4-40 figure. He bowled the last over of the game and took a hat-trick while giving away only four runs.Afghanistan required 16 runs in the last over but were all out at 213 and India registered 11 runs victory."My plan was to ball yorker after taking two wickets on the consecutive ball and Mahi(MS Dhoni) bhai also suggested the same, I did the same and got the .

Difficult part is to wait for your turn to bat, says Kedar Jadhav

India's batting all-rounder Kedar Jadhav finds it "difficult to wait for his turn to bat" but realizes that he has no option but to show his utility in the limited time that he gets out there due to a star-studded top-order. In the three completed World Cup games, Jadhav didn't get to bat against South Africa and Australia, while playing just eight balls against Pakistan. It becomes a challenge to always perform in short span of time and Jadhav is the first one to admit that. "The most difficult part is to wait for your turn, and it's like you get to bat so many deliveries, may be once in a tournament. It has been like this from the time I started playing for India and our top order has been very good since last four years," Jadhav said after scoring a patient 52 against Afghanistan on a slow Hampshire Bowl track. Afghanistan was one game where Jadhav got to play 68 balls and spend around an hour and half (88 minutes) at the crease. "It's very less time that I get to spend in the ...

There's no secret to our qualifying success, say McLaren

British rookie Lando Norris denied McLaren had a secret upgrade after claiming fifth on the grid Saturday for the French Grand Prix. The 19-year-old driver impressed with his driving and his post-qualifying cool as he deflected jibes from Renault's Daniel Ricciardo, who qualified eighth. The Australian heaped praise on rivals McLaren and said: "We got beat by the two McLarens and they have a little update they told no-one about, I think! "It's impressive their pace and we couldn't match it." Norris outpaced his more experienced team-mate Carlos Sainz to claim his best grid position. "As a team, we have done very well. I am sure the others are going to be hard to beat, but we are ahead of our direct rivals, who we need to be. "I heard the rumours from Renault saying we have a secret upgrade -- well, we weren't expecting anything at all, to be honest, and it has turned out better than we expected." McLaren's improvement signals a surge in form this year after several seasons in the ...

Fairytale return for Murray as he reaches doubles final

Former world number one Andy Murray's dream return continued on Saturday as he and Feliciano Lopez progressed to the doubles final at Queen's, beating the defending champions in the semi-finals. The 32-year-old, who is making his first competitive appearance since what he termed "life-changing" hip surgery, and his partner Feliciano Lopez came through 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 10-7 against John Peers of Australia and his Finnish partner Henri Kontinen. "It was a good match. We obviously had some chances to finish it in the second set," said Murray. "I'm very happy to be in the final." Murray, who said he felt zero pain in his hip but that his back was stiff and his arm tired from serving, said he had not expected to get this far. "I didn't have high expectations at all," he said. "Yeah, I think things have probably got a little bit better maybe with each match, as well. "I didn't expect to be playing in the final, no, that's for sure." Murray, who was surprised to hear Maria Sharapova had ...

Bumrah's spell made the difference: Afghanistan captain Gulbadin

Captain Gulbadin Naib termed Jasprit Bumrah's two-wicket burst in the 29th over as the actual game-changer after Afghanistan suffered an 11-run loss to India in a tense World Cup clash here. Bumrah took two wickets in three balls in the 29th over as Afghanistan slipped from 106 for 2 to 106 for 4 and that had a big impact in the game, despite Mohammed Nabi's fighting half-century. The India pacer also bowled a splendid 49th over, conceding only five runs. Couldn't Nabi have attacked a bit earlier considering Mohammed Shami and Bumrah were supposed to bowl the death overs? "Credit goes to Bumrah's spell (referring to 29th over). He is world's No 1 bowler and (naturally) he bowled really well. Shami also bowled really well in the last over. Najib and Rashid made mistakes but credit goes to the Indian bowling side," Gulbadin said at the post-match media conference. Even his teammate Rahmat Shah during an interaction at the mixed zone blamed the defeat to his and Hashmatullah Shahidi's ...

Agony for Australia as Norway, Germany reach World Cup quarters

Germany cruised through to the quarter-finals of the women's World Cup on Saturday while Sam Kerr was one of two Australian players to miss from the spot as Norway dumped out the Matildas on penalties. Norway won 4-1 in a shoot-out following a 1-1 draw in Nice in the last 16 late on Saturday, and the 1995 winners go through to a last-eight tie against England or Cameroon. Those sides clash in the first of two matches on Sunday, just before hosts France take on the Brazil of Marta, the World Cup's all-time leading scorer. France and England are among the tournament favourites and will both hope to avoid the fate of Australia, who had been eager to go far but could not get the better of a Norway side who have impressed despite being without their biggest star, Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg. Norway had taken the lead through Isabell Herlovsen in the first half, but Ante Milicic's team forced extra time when Elise Kellond-Knight scored direct from a corner seven minutes from the ...

Hamilton tells Ferrari: 'Focus on racing, not appealing'

Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a chance to poke fun at rivals Ferrari on Saturday, suggesting they need to concentrate more on their racing than the complex appeals system of Formula One. After searing to his record 86th pole position on an afternoon of sizzling heat at the Le Castellet circuit, in the process helping secure a 63rd front row lockout for Mercedes at this weekend's French Grand Prix, the defending five-time world champion was in a playful mood. He said he had arrived late on Thursday evening, after attending a memorial event for fashion designer Karl Lagerfield in Paris, and was concerned that he was out of kilter with his normal weekend routine. But that worry, he said, was wiped away on Friday once he had learned that Ferrari's new evidence in their bid to overturn the result of the Canadian Grand Prix depended mainly on an analysis video made for Sky Sports. "When I arrived in the morning, I heard it was Karun Chandhok's video that was the new evidence and I was pretty ...

Federer to meet Goffin in 'special' 13th Halle final

Roger Federer said it was a "special" feeling to reach the final of the ATP event in Halle for a 13th time after beating Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-3, 6-3 in Saturday's semi-final. Federer is chasing a record-extending tenth title at the pre-Wimbledon grass court event this year, having suffered a surprise defeat to Croatian Borna Coric in last year's final. "It is very, very special. I am glad I got another chance this year, because last year I really didn't know if I would ever play another Halle final," he said. World number 43 Herbert, 28, struggled in his first-ever meeting with 20-time major winner Federer, who is hoping to win a ninth Wimbledon title next month. The straight-sets victory provided welcome respite for the Swiss star, who was forced to battle through gruelling three-set encounters with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Roberto Bautista Agut earlier in the week. "I feel in a similar situation to last year. I was perhaps more tired last year because I had played in Stuttgart the .

Uruguay and Chile set for high-stakes Copa America clash

Fireworks could be in store when reigning champions Chile and record 15-time winners Uruguay meet in the Copa America on Monday at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium. It will be the fourth edition running of the oldest continental competition in international football in which the South American rivals meet and memories are still fresh of the controversy surrounding their stormy 2015 clash. Uruguay, then the reigning champions, finished the quarter-final encounter in Santiago with nine men after Edinson Cavani and Jorge Fucile were given their marching orders in a 1-0 defeat. Cavani's dismissal was the most controversial as he received a second yellow card just after the hour mark for flicking a hand into Chile defender Gonzalo Jara's face. Cavani, though, was left incensed as Jara had appeared to shove a finger up the forward's backside prior to his reaction, and his misdemeanour went unpunished. Uruguay defended doggedly after that but fell to a Mauricio Isla winner 10 minutes from ..

Brazil's Lionel Messi: a six-year-old dreaming of meeting his hero

Lionel Messi has played football since he was born but now he hopes to realize a dream: to meet his namesake and five-time Ballon d'Or winner. The six-year-old from Alvorada, a suburb of Porto Alegre, is waiting at the gates of the Beira Rio stadium alongside his mother Lisiana Maier, hoping to speak to Barcelona and Argentina superstar Messi. He's wearing a Barcelona shirt and boots with Messi's name stitched into them. "His name is Lionel Messi. He loves football and really admires the way Lionel plays. We paid tribute to him by giving him this name," Maier told AFP. Argentina play guests Qatar in the Copa America in Porto Alegre on Sunday in a must-win match where the loser is sure to be heading home early and even the winners aren't certain of qualifying for the knock-out stages. The Maier family may not get another chance to introduce their son to his namesake. "Since I play and my husband too, he was already playing with a ball from inside my tummy," said Maier. The young ...

Clinical, ruthless Brazil please coach Tite

Brazil coach Tite praised his team's effectiveness as the hosts stormed into the Copa America quarter-finals as Group A winners following Saturday's 5-0 thrashing of Peru. Brazil had been jeered by their own fans in their opening two pool matches -- a 3-0 win over Bolivia and 0-0 draw with Venezuela -- but it was all cheers in Sao Paulo as they secured top spot. "We were creative, precise, clinical and effective," enthused Tite. "It was one of the best" matches during his reign in terms of keeping the ball and getting in behind the defence, he added. And he recognized that it was the Selecao's fast start that made the difference, taking the lead after just 12 minutes through Casemiro. "Since we scored in the first half we had to maintain that tempo," he said. "We kept the same attitude and we were still creating chances in the 47th minute of the second half." The game was over as a contest by half time after further goals from Roberto Firmino and Everton. A Dani Alves strike early in .