Page 2064 - Sports
Klopp still backs VAR despite Liverpool's FA Cup exit
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insisted he remained a fan of the controversial video assistant referee system despite his team's bitterly disappointing 3-2 defeat by West Bromwich Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Match referee Craig Pawson used the system no fewer than eight times during an eventful game at Anfield on Saturday, with VAR being trialled in English cup competitions this season. Three of those referrals, all in the first half, proved hugely important as Pawson and VAR Andre Marriner, based in a London television studio, disallowed a West Brom goal, awarded Liverpool a penalty and then allowed an Albion goal to stand. "I think it's normal that it will change things," said Klopp. "Is it nice that West Brom celebrate a goal then somebody tells them it's not a goal? No, but I think it's important if a goal needs to be disallowed, it is disallowed. "Normally after a game I have to explain to you (the media) a defeat which was not deserved because we ...
Kane spares Tottenham from shock FA Cup exit
Harry Kane came to Tottenham Hotspur's rescue after they were just minutes away from a stunning FA Cup defeat away to lowly Newport County yesterday. Fourth-tier Newport, one of several Welsh clubs who play in English domestic football, put themselves in sight of one of the all-time great upsets against eight-time FA Cup winners Tottenham thanks to Padraig Amond's first-half goal. But eight minutes from time, in-form England striker Kane equalised when, after Spurs had won a corner, he tapped in from close range following an excellent flick-on from South Korean Son Heung-Min. And 1-1 was how it finished as League Two Newport survived four minutes of injury-time to hold out for a lucrative replay at Wembley, Spurs' temporary home while their new home ground in north London that will replace White Hart Lane is built. Newport, a massive 72 places behind a Spurs side who are fifth in the Premier League, sparked delirious scenes at Rodney Parade when Amond gave them a ...
Nehwal loses Indonesia Masters final to Tzu Ying
Rio Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal was defeated by world No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying in straight games in the title clash of the Indonesia Masters here on Sunday.Ying beat Nehwal 21-9, 21-13 in just 27 minutes to become the first player from her country to win the Indonesia Masters title.Nehwal did not start on an ideal note as she made some unforced errors to give the lead to the Chinese Taipei shuttler in the beginning of the game itself.The Indian was trailing Ying 3-11 at the first break to not make a comeback again. She lost the first set 9-21.The reigning world No. 1 led the second game with a six-point advantage and finished on 11-5 at the break and claimed the title by winning the second game 21-13.It was World championship bronze medallist Nehwal's first final in over a year following her Malaysia Masters win last year, but she could not break her six-match losing streak against Chinese Taipei's Ying to win her fourth Indonesia Masters.
Pakistan set New Zealand 182-run target
Fakhar Zaman set up the innings as Pakistan, aided by some sloppy fielding, posted 181 for six in the decisive third and final Twenty20 against New Zealand here today. Their cause was aided by three dropped catches, and then by a rollicking late run spree which added 60 runs in five overs at Mount Maunganui. Fakhar scored 46 off 36 deliveries after Pakistan won the toss and made first use of a batsman-friendly track. With the series tied 1-1, a win for Pakistan would not only give them the series but also propel them over New Zealand to number one in the world T20 rankings. Fakhar took aim at the New Zealand quicks and Pakistan had 25 on the board after three overs when Colin de Grandhomme came into the attack. He enjoyed success in his first over, with Ahmed Shehzad caught behind for 18. At the halfway stage, Pakistan were 72 for two with opener Fakhar on 32 off 24 deliveries. He added a further 14 runs before being given out in a debatable decision when Tom Bruce took a
Tye puts brakes on England after fast start
A five-wicket haul by Australia's Andrew Tye ensured England were unable to capitalise on a fast start in their fifth and final one-day international here today. The English, with an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series, were sent in to bat by Australian captain Steve Smith in the first match at the new Perth Stadium. Despite Test captain Joe Root making a typically busy 62, the English did not reach the total that looked possible after a flying start and were bowled out for 259 in 47.4 overs. In front of a sell-out crowd of around 55,000 -- a record for a cricket match in Perth -- the English openers blazed away early in what was a polar opposite to their start in Adelaide on Friday. In that game, the tourists lost five wickets with just eight runs on the board as they suffered their first defeat of the series. They had no such problems on Sunday, with a little bit of luck also on their side. Jason Roy, who led the England charge, was brilliantly caught behind by Tim ...
TN cueist Dilip Kumar eyes glory in international meets
Tamil Nadu's Dilip Kumar has risen to No. 5 in the latest national snooker rankings and believes he needs to keep improving as opportunities to represent India in international events will come due to the climb in ranking. The 29-year-old, who represents Railways, finished fifth in the 85th senior men's National snooker championship in Bengaluru. He lost a close quarterfinal encounter to Sumit Talwar in the tournament. He was happy with his performance in the nationals as it featured all the country's top cueists. "This is my best performance in the senior nationals as all top players took part. My ranking will help secure opportunities to represent the country in international events. I am looking forward to it and also win medals for India," he told PTI. "I previously represented India in the World snooker championship in Bengaluru 2014 and was part of the national side in World 6-Red and team championships at Egypt in 2016. The rise in rankings is a boost for me," he .
IPL auction: Jaydev Unadkat most expensive Indian player at Rs 11.5 crore
Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat became the costliest Indian player in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction 2018 after Rajasthan Royals emptied Rs 11.50 crore to buy him.He has now taken over opener K L Rahul and middle-order batsman Manish Pandey, who bagged bumper deals of Rs 11 crore each on the first day of the auction.In a bidding war between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Royals snapped up Unadkat after the two franchises backed out.The pacer played for Rising Pune Supergiant in the last edition and grabbed attention after claiming a hat-trick.Royals also spent Rs 6.2 crore to pick Karnataka off-spinner K. Gowtham.Gowtham scalped 34 wickets in the Ranji Trophy and was part of the Mumbai Indians earlier.Australian Andrew Tye was picked for Kings XI Punjab for Rs 7.2 crore.Right-arm off-spinner Washington Sundar was sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for Rs 3.20 crore.Meanwhile, Under-19 bowler Shivam Mavi was bought by Kolkata Knight ..
BCCI may expand selection panel: COA chief Vinod Rai (IANS Interview)
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may soon expand its three-member selection committee in a bid to strengthen the process of identifying prospects for the Indian team from domestic tournaments.
India suffer heartbreaking loss to Belgium after shootout
India suffered a heartbreaking loss to Belgium via penalty shootout after holding the World No. 3 side to 4-4 in regulation time in the final of the Four-Nations Invitational Tournament's second leg here. It was Felix Denayer, Sebastien Dockier and Arthur van Doren who scored for Belgium in the shootout. Tanguy Cosyns (41), Cedric Charlier (43), Amaury Keusters (51) and Felix Denayer (56) scored during regulation time. For India, Ramandeep Singh (29, 53), Nilakanta Sharma (42) and Mandeep Singh (49) were the goal scorers before the shootout. Earlier in the day, Japan beat hosts New Zealand 4-1 in the shootout for bronze after holding the Black Sticks to 1-1 in regulation time. The final between India and Belgium was yet another goal-fest with both teams testing each other hooter-to-hooter. It was a steady start for India as they were made to work hard to keep the ball. The Belgian attack meanwhile kept Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh busy through the first quarter with as ..
Australian Open: Bopanna-Babos lose final
The Indo-Hungarian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Timea Babos suffered defeat in a three-set thriller of the mixed doubles final against Mate Pavic and Gabriela Dabrowski in the Australian Open here on Sunday.
Wozniacki's long, hard road back to the top
Caroline Wozniacki said "nobody knows" how much hard work and sheer guts she had to put in before realising her Grand Slam dream. Twelve years, 67 weeks at world number one, 149 Grand Slam matches, three major finals and countless disappointments were all made worthwhile on Saturday night when she was crowned Australian Open champion. An epic 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-4 win against Simona Halep in a near-three hour match in brutal heat and humidity also elevated her back to the top of the world rankings after a six-year hiatus, the longest gap in history between spells at the top. "Honestly, nobody knows how much work, dedication you put into it," she told reporters with the winner's Daphne Akhurst Memorial Trophy by her side. Following Wozniacki's second Slam final in New York in 2014, where she lost to Serena Williams, her fitness and form went on the slide. Many observers believed she was finished and would retire, but the determined Dane had other ideas. "All I could tell ...
Bopanna-Babos pair ends runner-up at Australian Open
Rohan Bopanna and his Hungarian partner Timea Babos frittered away a one set advantage, going down to Mate Pavic and Gabriela Dabrowski in the Australian Open mixed doubles final here today. The fifth-seeded Bopanna and Babos lost 6-2 4-6 9-11 to the Croat-Canadian pair of Pavic and Dabrowski, seeded eighth, in a match which lasted one hour and eight minutes. Bopanna and Babos dominated the opening set, helped to a great extent, by their erratic opponents, who conceded seven break points. The Indo-Hungarian combine converted two of those chances to claim the early advantage. However, Pavic and Dabrowski roared back into the match in the second set. Their serve was flawless and pair did not concede a single break point. It was Bopanna and Babos' turn to become erratic now and they were broken once by Pavic and Dabrowski before drawing level. The two teams headed to a tie-breaker from here and after a gruelling contest, Pavic and Dabrowski emerged triumphant. Interestingly,
Suresh Raina returns to T20I squad for SA series
Middle-order batsman Suresh Raina has been named in the Indian squad for the three-match T20I series against South Africa.The All-India Senior Selection Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 16-man squad for the T20I series on Sunday, which will be played after the completion of the ODI series.Virat Kohli will lead the side, while Rohit Sharma will be the vice-captain.The first match of the series will be played on February 18 at Johannesburg followed by the second match in Centurion on February 21 and the concluding match on February 24 in Cape Town.India squad for T20I series: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma (vc), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur.
Bopanna-Babos lose Australian Open mixed doubles final
Ace Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna and his Hungarian partner Timea Babos were defeated in the Australian Open mixed doubles final by Croatia's Mate Pavic and Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski here on Sunday.The fifth-seeded Indo-Hungarian pair won the first set 6-2 but the match went for a tie-break after Pavic and Dabrowski levelled the match on one set each.Bopanna and Babos lost the match 6-2, 4-6, 9-11 in the decider.It was Bopanna's third major final and second mixed-doubles title clash.
Kohli credits belief for third Test turnaround
Indian skipper Virat Kohli says his team never lost faith in itself despite the criticism that came with consecutive Test losses to South Africa, crediting this belief for the turnaround that gave the visitors a consolation win here. "We don't think like people on the outside. When things don't go well, we as a team don't say 'oh we should have done this' or 'we should have done that'. That's the easiest thing to do. I can say or write anything about anyone," Kohli said after the 63-run win here after two heavy losses in the first two Tests. "But when you're in there, facing their bowling attack on that sort of a wicket, and then when you decide to bat first, you need to be sure. You need to have belief in yourself. "So, we certainly back ourselves as a team and that's something we have done throughout this tour. Yes, we were disappointed things did not come together in the first two games but we are really proud of this effort," he added. Kohli and Co. had received a ...
Magician Tai Tzu proves Saina's nemesis again
Saina Nehwal suffered her seventh straight defeat to world no.1 and old nemesis Tai Tzu Ying, going down in the summit clash of the USD 350,000 Indonesia Masters here today. Playing the final of an international tournament after a year, Saina, who is coming back from an ankle injury, failed to lift the veil of deception put by Tai Tzu and went down 9- 21 13-21 in 27 minutes in a completely lop-sided final. Tai Tzu has now defeated the former world No.1 Indian nine times in their last 10 meetings. Saina had enjoyed early success against the Taiwanese till 2011 but the Indian has beaten her only once at the 2013 Swiss Open ever since. The World No.12 was no match for Tai Tzu, who toyed with Saina with her supreme agility and deceptive returns. The Indian also committed too many unforced errors. Tai Tzu looked very sharp from the word go and jumped to a 10-2 lead early on. Saina grabbed a point after dominating a rally but the Taiwan player entered the break with a ...
RR break bank again to buy Unadkat, Gowtham
Indian fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat claimed a Rs 11.5 crore deal with the usually thrifty Rajasthan Royals even as South African pace ace Dale Steyn went unsold on the second day of the IPL players' auction here. The Royals, known for their wise spending, splurged some more to also clinch Karnataka off-spinner Krishnappa Gowtham for Rs 6.2 crore. Unadkat became the costliest Indian buy at the auction so far with his price skyrocketing to Rs 11.5 crore from a base price of Rs 1.5 crore after a bidding war between Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. Rajasthan Royals, however, had the last laugh. Unadkat was sought after because of his specialist T20 skills and the fact that he took 24 wickets at 13.41 for Rising Pune Supergiant last season. Royals had also made the auction's most expensive buy yesterday, picking up England all-rounder Ben Stokes for Rs 12.5 crore. Their another costly purchase was offie Gowtham, who was sold for 31 times his base price of Rs 20 ...
Jaydev Unadkat most expensive Indian at IPL auction
Young pacer Jaydev Unadkat became the most expensive Indian player at this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) auction when he was bought by Rajasthan Royals here on Sunday.
Australian Open: Federer eyes 20th Grand Slam
Defending Champion Roger Federer will target his 20th Grand Slam as he faces Croatia's Marin Cilic in the Australian Open title clash here on Sunday.World number two Federer entered the Australian Open final for a record seventh after his South Korean opponent Hyeon Chung retired hurt in the second set of their semi-final clash.If Federer wins the finals, it would be his sixth Australian Open title.Meanwhile, Cilic, 29, will be aiming his second major title here.The Croat entered the finals after destroying Britain's Kyle Edmund's dream of playing a first Grand Slam final.Cilic thrashed Edmund 6-2, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 to become the first Croat to reach an Australian Open final.
Now we have the result to back our belief: Kohli
India skipper Virat Kohli has said his team's belief stayed in tact when others doubted them and the favourable outcome in the third Test was a result of that unflinching belief. Kohli and Co had received a lot of flak after losing the opening two Tests. "A lot of people didn't have belief in us but as a team we knew that we were very close in the first two Tests too. We knew that if we played better in pressure-situations than them, then we would win," he said after the 63-run win at the Wanderers yesterday. "And we did that in this Test match. This win was very important from our and the Indian team's point of view, and we were determined to win this match," he added. Despite the losses, Kohli said his team never lost faith and always backed themselves. "We don't think like people on the outside. When things don't go well, we as a team don't say 'oh we should have done this' or 'we should have done that'. That's the easiest thing to do. I can say or write anything ...