Page 1974 - Sports
Centurion ODI: India opt to bat first in dead-rubber
India have won the toss and opted to bat first in the dead-rubber sixth and final ODI of the six-match series against South Africa at the SuperSport Park here on Friday.After winning the toss, Indian skipper Virat Kohli said, "As a batting unit, we want to embrace the pressure of chasing. We want to get used to the mindset and get out of the comfort zone and want the bowlers to get used to a situation they might encounter in a crunch game."South African stand-in skipper Aiden Markram, on the other hand, said that Supersport Park pitch is always a good one to bat on and, therefore, they are looking forward to put out the perfect game today.As far as Playing XI is concerned, India have made just one change in the squad. Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been rested and Shardul Thakur has been called in his place.Meanwhile, the home side are going with four changes. Chris Morris, Imran Tahir, Khaya Zondo and Farhaan Behardien have returned to the side.An upbeat India, who had earlier scripted a ...
East London T20I: Indian eves elect to field first against Proteas
The Indian women cricket team won the toss and opted to field first in the second T20I of the five-match series against South Africa in East London on Friday.India would be looking to ride the wave of momentum to double their lead in the series.Earlier, India registered a thumping seven-wicket win over South Africa in the high-scoring series opener in Potchefstroom.Opener Mithali Raj contributed with an unbeaten 54 - her third successive fifty in T20Is - to marshal India's chase of 165.En route to her half century, she struck six boundaries and a six in 48 deliveries.Opener Smriti Mandhana made 28 while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur failed to score any runs.Jemimah Rodrigues and Veda Krishnamurthy hit 37 apiece.On bowling front, off-spinner Anuja Patil picked two wickets for 23 in her four overs to pin down South Africa's batting line-up.The Harmanpreet Kaur-led side played with four debutants in the series-opener to test their pool ahead of the 2018 World T20, starting from November in ...
India elect to bowl in sixth ODI
India skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and put South Africa in to bat in the sixth and final One-day International at the Supersport Park here on Friday.
F1: Ravenol partners with Sahara Force India
Sahara Force India on Friday announced a partnership with high-quality lubricants specialists Ravenol ahead of the 2018 Formula One season.
Australia set record run chase to beat Black Caps
Australia completed the highest run chase in Twenty20 history to beat New Zealand by five wickets and maintain their unbeaten record in the T20 tri-series in Auckland on Friday. In a roller-coaster match, the Black Caps set an imposing target of 244 on the back of opener Martin Guptill's century but the Australians overhauled it with seven balls to spare. A combination of Eden Parks short boundaries and a flat pitch produced a batsman's paradise that frustrated bowlers from both sides and set records tumbling. Australia's total of 245 for five exceeds the previous record chase of 244 scored by India against the West Indies in 2016. The unlucky Guptill also became international T20's highest run-scorer after making 105 off 54 balls. It took his international T20 career total to 2,188 runs, surpassing compatriot Brendon McCullum's 2,140, with India's Virat Kohli the next highest on the all-time list with 1,956. Guptill's 49-ball century was New Zealand's fastest T20 ton and the team ...
Changes in Pakistan team necessary: Inzamam post NZ drubbing
Inzamam-ul-Haq, chief selector of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has admitted that there is an immediate need to make changes in the team after his side slumped to a 0-5 defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the recently-held ODI series.The Sarfraz Ahmed-led side rose from nowhere to clinch the prestigious ICC Champions Trophy in June last year before the side went on to register a 5-0 series win over Sri Lanka in the United Arab Emirates later in 2017.However, Pakistan failed to continue the momentum and went down to a humiliating 0-5 away series defeat against the Black Caps last month.Reflecting on the same, the chief selector and former Pakistan cricketer said that while the changes in the team are necessary, there is also a need to play more one-day cricket at both domestic and international level."When a team lose a series 0-5, changes are necessary. At the same time, I would say that we also need to play more one-day cricket at domestic and international level as we have ...
KP is most focused, professional person, says coach
Kevin Anderson's new coach Brad Stine of America has heaped praises on the South African tennis star's professionalism.Stine's comments came after top-seeded Anderson survived a three-set thriller to move into the third round of the New York Open.The US Open runner-up, who was playing his first match at the tournament after getting a first-round bye, bounced back from a set down to clinch a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) win over American Ernesto Escobedo in the second round in New York.Following a split with his previous coach Neville Godwin in November, Anderson had hired new coach Brad Stine from the 2018 season.Stine, who had coached former world number one Jim Courier during the mid-90s before also mentoring Sebastien Grosjean and Byron Black, described Anderson as the most focused, intense and professional person."Kevin is probably the most focused, intense, professional person I've been around since Jim Courier. What he demands from himself and what he expects from his team when he's at ..
Jagdish finishes a poor 103rd as India's Winter Olympics campaign ends
India's Jagdish Singh today finished a dismal 103rd in the mens 15-km free cross-country skiing race at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics here, bringing down curtains on country's familiar disastrous show in the quadrennial Games. The 26-year-old Jagdish, who was making his Olympic debut, clocked 43.03 minutes while crossing the finish line at the Alpensia Cross-Country Skiing Centre to end his race at 103rd out of 119 competitors. Jagdish's time was 9:16.4 minutes slower than Switzerlands Dario Cologna, who took his third straight Olympic gold with a time of 33:43.9. Norways Simen Krueger (34:02.2) won the silver while Denis Spitsov (34:06.9), an Olympic Athlete from Russia, took home the bronze. The Indian, who trains at the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) at Gulmarg, was around 40 seconds slower than the leader in the initial 1.5 km mark but the gap widened as the race progressed. At the halfway mark, Jagdish was 4:28 minutes slower than the leader and the time gap went on ...
Indian skier Jagdish Singh finishes 103rd in Winter Olympics
Indian skier Jagdish Singh finished a disappointing 103rd out of 119 athletes taking part in the 15 km free cross-country skiing event of the 2018 Winter Olympics here on Friday.
Lokomotiv beats Nice in Europa League
Russias Lokomotiv Moscow defeated Frances Nice 3:2 in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Leagues round of 32 at the Allianz Riviera stadium here.
World Cup trophy tour to include stop in Colombia
The trophy that FIFA has been presenting to World Cup champions since 1974 will arrive in Colombia on April 3 as part of a global tour, the organisers said.
Spartak Moscow lose to Athletic Bilbao in Europa League
Russias Spartak Moscow lost 1-3 to Spains Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of the UEFA Europa Leagues round of 32 at Moscows Otkrytiye Arena stadium here.
Yuki Bhambri enters Chennai Open finals
Indian tennis star Yuki Bhambri advanced into the finals of the Chennai Open Challenger with a straight set win over Lee Duck-hee of South Korea at the SDAT Tennis Stadium here on Friday.Bhambri eased past the South Korean 7-5, 6-2.Earlier, he booked his place in the semi-finals after defeating Japan's Yasutaka Uchiyama 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.He will next face either Jordan Thompson of Australia or Pedro Martinez of Spain in the summit clash.The 25-year-old is a former junior number one and winner of the 2009 Australian Open Junior Championship.He is the first Indian to win the junior Australian Open title and fourth Indian in history to capture a junior singles title at a Grand Slam championship.
Seoul footing record tab for North Korea at Olympics Seoul footing
How much was it worth to Seoul for hundreds of North Koreans to attend the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics? Try USD 2.5 million. According to South Korea's Unification Ministry, that's the record amount the nation has allotted to pay the bills of more than 400 North Koreans at the Winter Games. Only 22 of those people were athletes. The Norths performers -- a 140-member orchestra with vocalists and dancers, an all-female 229-member cheering squad and a demonstration Taekwondo team -- have been a major attraction at and around the games. That's because their presence itself is seen as a sign of eased tensions after a rough year and because of the exotic appeal they have due to the general isolation of their country.
Hanyu dazzles, Shiffrin flops on day of Olympic drama
Japan's defending champion Yuzuru Hanyu produced a stunning short programme to surge into the lead in men's figure skating as Mikaela Shiffrin's bid to retain her slalom title started with her vomiting and ended in heartbreak at the Pyeongchang Olympics today. A day after she staged an astonishing comeback to win the giant slalom, American ski star Shiffrin finished fourth in her strongest discipline after being sick at the start gate in her first run and initially complaining of virus-like symptoms. After the slalom was won by Swedens Frida Hansdotter, the 22-year-old Shiffrin said that she was pulling out of Saturdays super-G. The Olympics in South Korea has been victim of a health scare with more than 200 people falling victim to a debilitating norovirus, including two Swiss athletes. Initially Shiffrin said the vomiting "almost felt like a virus kind of puking", but later she said that she was well and had been scratching around for an excuse for her below-par performance. "I dont
Guptill ton sees Black Caps run amok in Australia T20
Century-maker Martin Guptill became the highest-scoring player in Twenty20 international history as New Zealand pummelled Australia's attack to set a 244-run target in the fifth match of the T20 tri-series today. Guptill plundered nine sixes and six fours to score 105 off 54 balls as New Zealand finished on 243 for six after winning the toss and electing to bat at Eden Park. It took Guptill's international T20 career total to 2,188 runs, surpassing compatriot Brendon McCullum's 2,140, with India's Virat Kohli the next highest on the all-time list with 1,956. Guptill's 49-ball century was New Zealand's fastest T20 ton and the team total of 243 equalled the highest ever posted by the Black Caps. He received sterling support from fellow opener Colin Munro, who also took advantage of Eden Park's short boundaries to smash 76 off 33 balls. In all, New Zealand's innings included 18 sixes and 14 fours. Australia are unbeaten so far in the series and will need to be at their best to overhaul ..
British IOC member sent home after altercation with security guard
A British member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) involved in an altercation with an Olympic security guard has apologised for his actions and left the country, the organisation's spokesman said on Friday.
Schoepf extends contract with Schalke till 2019
Austrian international Alessandro Schoepf has penned a contract extension ahead of schedule, the German Bundesliga football club announced.
Dortmund beat Atalanta in Europa League
Michy Batshuayi's brace helped Borussia Dortmund move 3-2 past resilient Atalanta Bergamo at the first leg of UEFA Europa League's last 32.
Partizan hold Plzen in Europa League knockouts
Serbia's FK Partizan and Victoria Plzen of the Czech Republic played to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the knockouts of the UEFA Europa League here.