Page 1845 - Sports
T20 tri-series opener: Aussies win toss, ask Indian eves to bat first
Australia women cricket team have won the toss and asked India to bat first in the opening match of the T20 tri-series at the Brabourne Stadium here on Thursday.The Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian side would be hoping to get a good start here after being whitewashed by Australia in the just concluded three-match ODI series.They would take confidence from their 3-1 win against South Africa in the five-match T20 series held in the Rainbow Nation.The Aussies, led by Meg Lanning, will, however, be aiming to continue their form and keep the winning momentum going.For India, Spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad has replaced injured left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht in the squad.Veteran fast bowler Jhulan Goswami is also back in the team after missing the ODI series in South Africa and home due to a heel injury.In the batting department, India have Smriti Mandhana, who has hit back-to-back half centuries in the recently concluded ODI would look to continue her good run.Among others, India have Veda ...
In the snow without Neymar, Brazil brace for Russia
Training between mounds of snow without Neymar, Brazil may be forgiven for feeling out of their element as they prepare to face hosts Russia in their penultimate World Cup warm-up. The most expensive football player on the planet is back home, celebrating his sister's birthday with his famous right foot recovering from surgery in a protective boot. But things are deadly serious in Moscow, where the Selecao play on Friday at the Luzhniki Stadium in which they will hope to lift a record sixth World Cup trophy on July 15. Coach Tite will try to make sure his superstars have learned from the unmitigated disaster of their 7-1 drubbing by Germany, whom Brazil play on Tuesday, on home soil back in 2014. That fateful World Cup semi-final four years ago was played without the injured Neymar or suspended centre-back Thiago Silva. Now, as then, Brazil are looking vulnerable in defence and missing their 26-year-old hero. Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar "is a different player. He is one of the .
Johnson, McIlroy upset in WGC Match Play openers
World number one Dustin Johnson and in-form Rory McIlroy suffered shock losses as the World Golf Championship Dell Technologies Match Play opened with a string of uspets on Wednesday. Defending champion Johnson was spent spinning to a 3 & 1 defeat in his opening group game against Austria's Bernd Wiesberger, the world number 56, who is seeded 52nd for this week's tournament at the Austin Country Club in Texas. Meanwhile McIlroy, who signaled his return to form on Sunday with a sensational victory at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, came back to Earth with a thud in his Group Six clash with Peter Uihlein. Uihlein, the 57th seed, took control of the match over the front nine, notching three early birdies to reach the turn at 4-up. A further birdie on the 10th took him 5 up, and although McIlroy staged a superb late rally with five straight birdies to trim Uihlein's lead to two heading to the 17th, the 28-year-old held on to claim a 2 & 1 win. Uihlein later said he was relieved to
Serena out in Miami as Osaka wins in straight sets
Serena Williams crashed out of the Miami Open in the first round here Wednesday, slumping to a straight-set defeat against Japan's Naomi Osaka in the latest setback to the former world number one's comeback. Osaka, who won her first major title in Indian Wells last weekend, was superior throughout and fully deserved her 6-3, 6-2 win in just one hour and 17 minutes. It was Williams' fourth match and second tournament appearance since returning from 13 months maternity leave yet the American's movement and inability to stay in the rallies suggested her comeback could be more arduous than expected. The defeat was the first time Williams has lost her first match at an American hard court championship for 21 years. Williams, 36, may have been unfairly unseeded here due to her lack of action over the past year could have no complaints with the defeat. In her comeback in Indian Wells, she made it through to round three where she fell to sister Venus in straight sets. Taking on Osaka was ...
Thunder Boult destroys England for 58 in first Test
A destructive six-wicket haul by Trent Boult left England in tatters during a first innings that lasted just 20.4 overs in the opening session of the first Test in Auckland on Thursday. At 23 for 8, England threatened New Zealand's most unwanted record of the lowest ever Test score, 26, before they recovered to be all out for 58. At 27 for 9, England's lowest Test innings of 45 -- against Australia in 1887 -- was also in jeopardy. But Craig Overton lashed out at the end to finish unbeaten on 33 to lift England to their sixth lowest total in Test cricket history. Boult cleaned out the top order and had figures of five for nine after his first seven overs before finishing with six for 32. His new-ball partner Tim Southee took four wickets for 25. The pitch for the first day-night Test in New Zealand has a slight green tinge, but not enough to concern the batsmen. Instead they were undone by precision swing and seam bowling that started in the fifth over when Alastair Cook prodded at a ..
Russia launches manned spacecraft to ISS
A Russian carrier rocket blasted off on Wednesday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, sending three astronauts aboard the Soyuz MS-08 spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS).
Former NZ PM beats Obama in extra holes
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Sir John Key beat former United States President Barack Obama in a leisure golf game, recently.In a four-ball game, Team Obama was beaten in a playoff by a team led by Sir John Key, in what was the former president's first visit to New Zealand, American weekly magazine Newsweek reported."[Obama] was relaxed, loved the course and his first glimpse of New Zealand," The NZ Herald quoted Key as saying.After finishing the game at Kauri Cliffs, Key reported that it "came down to the wire" and that it went to extra holes as the two teams were "all square" after 18.He described it as a "great match" but that "Team NZ won on the second playoff hole".The two teams are due to play again on March 22, giving Team Obama the chance to even the scores.Obama, who took up golf in 1997 at a public course in Chicago, received criticism for playing golf during his time as the President of United States.The former president had then insisted that the game offered an escape
Two Americans, one Russian blast off for ISS from Kazakhstan
Two astronauts, a cosmonaut and a ball set to be used in the forthcoming football World Cup in Russia blasted off today for a two-day flight to the International Space Station. NASA's Drew Feustel and Richard Arnold lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for a five month mission in a Soyuz MS-08 under the command of Russian colleague Oleg Artemyev at the expected time of 1744 GMT. All three crew members have been in space before although NASA duo Feustel, 52, and Arnold, 54, have never served on a long-duration spaceflight and have just 40 days in orbit between them. Artemyev, who is commanding a Soyuz craft for the first time, spent 169 days at the International Space Station during his previous mission in 2014. In the build up to the launch, Russian media coverage homed in on Artemyev taking to the orbital laboratory a football that is expected to kick off the 2018 World Cup the country is hosting this summer. "We are taking a ball with us," Artemyev told a pre-flight
Yadav leads Knights to title triumph with blistering knock
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav struck a whirlwind knock of 90 not out as Triumph Knights Mumbai North East today vanquished Shivaji Park Lions by three runs to become the champions of the inaugural T20 Mumbai League tonight. Chasing the challenging score of 182 for 5 put up by the Knights at the Wankhede Stadium, the Lions made a brave effort before falling short at 179 for 8 despite a partnership of 82 in 59 balls between Alpesh Ramjani (48 in 38 balls) and Hardik Tamore (39) resurrecting them from 57 for three just past the power play. Both got dismissed within the space of five balls in the 17th over bowled by medium pacer Vaibhav Singh who ended up with fine figures of 3 for 38. Shivam Dubey nearly pulled the rug from the Knights' feet in the last over, when they needed 26 runs, as he smacked three sixes and one four to bring his side agonisingly close to a victory. The Lions needed four off the last ball from Shashank Singh, who bowled a dot ball to seal the victory. The
Pujara as good as Kohli is Tests: Ganguly
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Wednesday India's Test specialist batsman Cheteshwar Pujara is as good as captain Virat Kohli when it comes to the five-day format.
Rain helps Windies qualify for 2019 World Cup
Rain came to the rescue of the West Indies as they qualified for the 2019 World Cup after defeating defending champions Scotland by five runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method in the ongoing World Cup Qualifier 2018 at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.Scotland, chasing 199 for a place in the World Cup, were 125 for five in 35.2 overs when rain prevented further play.The Windies, after put in to bat first, lost Chris Gayle on the very first ball of the match and then saw Shai Hope return to the pavilion 12 balls later to slip to two for two.Evin Lewis (66) and Marlon Samuels (51) revived their side's innings by adding 121 runs for the third wicket in 168 balls.The Windies innings was wrapped up for 198 in 48.4 overs, with the last eight wickets falling for just 75 runs in close to 18 overs.Safyaan Sharif turned out to be the most impressive among Scotland bowlers as he scalped crucial wickets of Gayle, Hope and Rovman Powell, conceding just 27 runs.Brad Wheal finished with figures
Ganguly hails Pujara, says he's as important as Virat in Tests
Virat Kohli may be the most valuable Indian cricketer at the moment but former India captain Sourav Ganguly today said Cheteshwar Pujara is also equally good and is someone who goes "unnoticed". "Along with Virat Kohli in this team Pujara's record is as good as anybody. He's from that old school of cricket where he will grind you, and win you matches but he goes unnoticed," Ganguly said, heaping praise on the Test specialist. Ganguly was addressing a gathering during the Kolkata book launch of his memoir 'A Century Is Not Enough' which was attended by Pujara. "The best team had the best number three. When India played at its best the best number three was (Rahul) Dravid. When India played at its best away, it's Pujara at number three," Ganguly said. "They actually take the shine off the new ball, allow the stroke makers to make batting easier. He (Pujara) is as important to this Test team as Virat Kohli. But sometimes he goes unnoticed. Look at his Test records, after 57 Tests, he has
Giggs ready to begin journey as Wales coach in China Cup opener
Even though some of the footballers suffered jet leg after a long journey, new Wales coach Ryan Giggs said here on Wednesday that he will try to strike a balance between keeping players fit and getting good results in the China Cup.
CWG Contingent: Indian Olympic Assoc to not bear expenses of extra-officials
Commonwealth Games (CWG) Chef-de-Mission Vikram Sisodia on Wednesday informed that the expenses of extra-officials, who are part of the Indian CWG contingent for Gold Coast, will be borne by the individual sports federations and not the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)."The Commonwealth Games contingent is comprised of 222 athletes, 82 officials and 26 extra-team officials," Sisodia told reporters."According to official CWG Federation norms, extra-team officials are allowed with players but their expenses are taken care by individual federations and not IOA," he added.He also informed that if federations are sending parents' of athletes as coaches, then their expenses will also be borne by the federation itself.The IOA has forwarded a list of 222 athletes and 106 officials for clearance from Sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.According to reports, the sports ministry had earlier directed the IOA that it was going to be strict on the CWG contingent size and will not allow ...
Now, cricket to promote road safety campaign
In order to promote Maharashtra state government's no honking and road safety campaign, a cricket match will be organised at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede Stadium on March 24.Former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar also joined the campaign and met state transport minister Diwakar Raut for the same at the Vidhan bhavan.Meanwhile, the cricketer announced that a match between Indian cricket players will be held to promote the campaign.The two teams involved in the match are named 'Horn not Ok please' and 'RoadSafety'."Many former and current cricket players will be part of this match, including Yuvraj Singh, KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Dinesh Karthik, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Panth, Jasprit Bumrah and some Under-19 players among others," Gavaskar said.
Decision Review System to be used in IPL 2018
Decision Review System (DRS) is all set to be implemented in the coming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla confirmed the use of TV replay system in the tournament, while addressing a media conference after announcing that the T20 League has inked a three-year deal with Tata Nexon as its partner.The DRS system will grant each team one chance to review an umpiring decision.With this, the IPL now becomes only the second T20 league in the world - after Pakistan Super League (PSL) - to use the technology.Talking to ANI on the sideline of the event, Shukla also informed that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was awaiting the report from its anti-corruption unit chief to take a further call on Mohammed Shami."We are waiting for the report from BCCI's anti-corruption chief Neeraj Kumar ji, once we get the report then will take a call. We are only concerned about the allegations related to cricket and not his personal life," Shukla ...
KKR hopeful of Russell, Lynn for IPL opener vs RCB
Kolkata Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore today cleared the air about the injury concerns of Chris Lynn and Andre Russell, saying that the two foreign players are expected to be available for the side's Indian Premier League opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 8. "We are expecting Lynn and Russell to play on April 8. They will join the camp," Mysore said on the sidelines of Sourav Ganguly's Kolkata leg book launch of 'A Century Is Not Enough'. Australian Lynn was suffering from a shoulder injury that had ruled him out of the Pakistan Super League, while West Indian hard hitting all-rounder Russell has pulled a hamstring during a match of PSL. Mysore further gave an update on Mitchell Starc's fitness as the Australian speedster has a sore calf. "I think Starc's report was not necessarily very accurate. He is absolutely fine. It's a bit unfortunate with the injuries. All the reports we are getting, they are making very good progress. Fingers crossed." West Indian spinner ...
Golfer Neha takes lead in sixth leg of Hero women's Tour
Golfer Neha Tripathi finished strongly to grab the lead with a 3-under 69 in the opening round of the sixth leg of the Hero womens Pro Tour at the Classic Golf and Country club here on Wednesday.
FC Goa announce squad for Super Cup
FC Goa today left out Moroccan midfield dynamo Ahmed Jahouh and young striker Mark Sifneos from their squad for the Super Cup match against two-time Indian Super League champions ATK on April 3 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The Gaurs lost to Chennaiyin FC in the semi-finals of the Indian Super League and are raring to go for the Super Cup in a bid to bring home the first trophy under Sergio Lobera. Super Cup rules state that only six foreign players can be registered per team to participate in the tournament and as such, the Gaurs have left out Jahouh and Sifneos from the squad. ISL golden boot winner Ferran Corominas and attacking midfielders Hugo Boumous and Manuel Lanzarote will travel to Bhubaneswar with the squad along with Eduardo Bedia, Sergio Juste and Bruno Pinheiro. Having finished the ISL season in ninth place, ATK took on I-league side Chennai City FC in a qualifying battle and they notched up a 4-1 win to book their place in the main draw of the Super Cup. The ...
UTT league to be held in Pune, Delhi, Kolkata
The second edition of the CEAT Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) will be held in Pune, Delhi and Kolkata, it was announced on Wednesday.