Page 2082 - Sports
Ganguly says Wanderers pitch 'unfair' on batsmen
Sourav Ganguly today said the pitch for the third Test between India and South Africa was unfair on the batsmen and called for ICC's intervention into the matter. "To play test cricket on this surface is unfair ...saw it in NZ in 2003 ...batsman have minimum chance ...ICC should look into it," tweeted Ganguly. India were bowled for 187 on day one with Cheteshwar Pujar and captain Virat Kohli scoring fighting half-centuries. South Africa were for six for one at stumps. The pacers enjoyed bowling on the seaming surface with Kagiso Rabada taking three wickets, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Andile Phehlukwayo picking two each.
FC Pune register come-from-behind win over Jamshedpur in ISL
Gurtej Singh and Emiliano Alfaro scored a goal each in a span of four minutes as FC Pune City scored a come-from-behind 2-1 win Jamshedpur FC in a thrilling Indian Super League match, here today. With the win, Pune are on the top of the table with 22 points from 12 games. While Gurtej scored in the 62nd minute, Alfaro followed it up in the 66th to give the hosts a match-winning 2-1 lead, after being a goal down till the first half. In the 29th minute, Jamshedpur broke the shackles after Brazilian Wellington Priori netted home to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. In the 36th minute, Jamshedpur had the opportunity to make it 2-0, but their Nigerian striker Azuka Izu flicked it wide after being fed by a cross from Brazilian Trindade Matheus Goncalves. The visitors wasted yet another chance when striker Jerry Mawihmingthanga shot above the bar after getting a cross from Priori in the 38th minute. Pune missed a golden opportunity in the additional time of the first half when ...
187 as good as 300 on this surface: Pujara
India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored a gritty 50 in tough conditions on day one of the third Test against South Africa, said it was satisfying to get runs on "one of the toughest pitches he has played on". India were bowled out for 187 but according to Pujara, it was a competitive first innings total. "It is as good as scoring 300 on a normal pitch. It is certainly one of the toughest pitches I have batted on. It was much tougher than one used for the first Test in Cape Town," Pujara told host broadcaster SuperSport. "Overall we batted well. The runs on the board are sufficient and we can bowl them out. There was a lot of deviation and the pitch was initially very slow, but there was enough bounce. There was a lot of lateral movement and a lot of deviation off the cracks." South Africa ended the day at six for one, losing opener Aiden Markram. "Our bowlers are used to bowling good lengths. I am sure they will do the needful tomorrow. It is very difficult to ...
S.Africa reach 6/1 after packing off India for 187 on Day 1 (Roundup)
South Africa reached 6/1 at stumps losing opener Aiden Markram on the opening day of the third and final cricket Test after a collective effort from their bowlers skittled out India for a paltry 187 at the New Wanderers Stadium here on Wednesday.
Rajasthan-Punjab, Delhi-UP to battle for final berths
Deepak Chahar once again impressed with a three-wicket haul to guide Rajasthan to a hat-trick of wins, putting them in final contention alongside Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy here today. In Group A, Suresh Raina continued his imperious form with a third successive half-century in Uttar Pradesh's second win, as they will battle it out with Delhi for the other final spot. Rajasthan have 12 points, while Punjab are on eight as the top two teams will clash in a virtual semifinal at Eden Gardens. With eight points from three matches each, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh will lock horns in another 'knockout' match of Group B at the Jadavpur University second campus ground. Electing to bat, Rajasthan rode on 18-year-old Mahipal Lomror's careerbest 74 (55 balls; 4x4, 4x6) to pile 175/6 before Chahar's tidy 3/27 ensured a 17-run win as Mumbai managed 158/8 in the first match at Eden Gardens. Number four Lomror stitched an 86-run crucial partnership with Chetan Bist (41 off ..
Punjab Royals beat Veer Marathas to storm into PWL final
Defending champions NCR Punjab Royals put up a dominant show to storm into the finals of the Pro Wrestling League, beating Veer Marathas in a semifinal clash, here today. Their star players took a commanding 4-0 lead against Veer Marathas before conceding the first point in the nine- bout tie. Pooja Dhanda then lived up to her new-found reputation of giant killer to down World Championship silver medalist Marwa Amri to seal their place in the final. Pooja began on the wrong foot, losing two points to Marwa in the first period. She, however, bounced back smartly in the next period to turn the contest around. She did one better by pinning the Tunisian and scoring the victory that took Punjab Royals into the title contest. Earlier, in the first clash of the night, Punjab Royals' Ilyas Bekbulatov got his side off to a flying start, overshadowing the Marathas' Amit Dhankar 10-4 in the men's 65kg clash. Ilyas took Dhankar down twice and led 4-0 at the break. In the second ...
Inaugural UEFA Nations League sees 55 teams slotted
The draw ceremony of the inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League was held here on Wednesday, with the European football governing body searching for a solution to reduce the number of "meaningless" international friendlies.
Saina, Satwick-Chirag enter second round at Indonesia
India ace Saina Nehwal made a positive start to the new season, edging past China's Chen Yufei in a thrilling opening round match at the USD 350,000 Indonesia Masters World Tour Super 500 tournament, here today. London Olympics bronze medallist Saina, who is coming back from an ankle injury, dug deep into her reservoir to eke out a 22-24 21-15 21-14 win over world no. 7 Chen in a women singles match that lasted an hour and nine minutes here. Saina will face China's Chen Xiaoxin in the next round tomorrow. Young men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also crossed the opening hurdle after beating eighth seeded Japanese pair of Takuto Inque and Yuki Kaneko 21-15 21-17 to set up a clash with Chinese Taipei's Liao Min Chun and Su Ching Heng in the second round. Earlier, Sameer Verma, who recently recovered from a shoulder injury, suffered a 16-21 21-12 10-21 loss to Japan's Kazumasa Sakai in a men's singles match. Men's doubles pair of Manu Attri and B
SA end Day 1 on 6/1 in reply to India's 187 all out
South Africa were six for the loss of one wicket in their first innings in reply to India's 187 all out at stumps on the opening day of the third and final cricket Test against, here today. Skipper Virat Kohli made a fighting 54 while Cheteshwar Pujara scored 50 for India. Kagiso Rabada (3/39) picked up three wickets for the hosts. At the close of play, Dean Elgar was batting on 4 in the company of night watchman Rabada. Aiden Markram was the lone South African wicket to fall to Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/3). Brief Score: India: 187 all out in 77 overs (Virat Kohli 54; Cheteshwar Pujara 50; Kagiso Rabada 3/39). South Africa: 6 for 1 in 6 overs (Deal Elgar 4 not out; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/3).
Batting lets India down again
India's batting woes in South Africa continued as the visitors folded up for 187 on day one of the third Test despite fighting half-centuries from captain Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. Kohli (54 off 106) raised a few eyebrows by opting to bat on a seaming track after going into the final game with an all-pace attack. The captain's bold decision backfired though he was the stand out batsman yet again, negotiating a lethal pace attack with sublime skills. Pujara (50 off 106) provided solid support to Kohli during their 84-run stand, the only significant partnership of the innings that lasted 77 overs. South Africa had the unpleasant task of playing six overs before close of play. Pacer Bhuveshwar Kumar, brought back into the side, proved his worth by having opener Aiden Markram caught behind with South Africa ending the day at six for one. Post tea, India lost six for 73 as after Pujara reached his 17th Test half-century off 173 balls. Pujara added 31 runs with Parthiv
Jo'burg Test: India bowled out for 187 on Day 1
India were bowled out for 187 in their first innings on Day one of the third Test against South Africa here on Wednesday.The South African pacers came on top of the visitors on this seamer-friendly wicket.The bowlers troubled the Indian batsmen right from the outset as they sent back Lokesh Rahul and Murali Vijay in quick succession.A half-century by Virat Kohli (54) and a patient defensive fifty by Cheteshwar Pujara helped India withstand a fast bowling barrage on the first day of the third and final Test against South Africa on Wednesday.Apart from Pujara and Kohli, Bhuvnesh Kumar (30) was the only batsman to reach double digits.The last 6 wickets of Indian team fell for just 43 runs.The Proteas were uncharacteristically sloppy on the field and dropped many chances, but Indian batsmen could not make these chances into something substantial.Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the bowlers took three wickets for 39 runs while Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander and Andile Phehlukwayo got two ...
Roger Federer wishes Nadal a speedy recovery
World number two Roger Federer said that he wished Rafael Nadal well after the Spaniard retired from his Australian Open quarter-final against Marin Cilic with a leg injury.According to Metro, the 36-year-old tennis ace revealed that he sent a message of goodwill to the world number one.After his quarter-final win over Tomas Berdych at Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, Federer said he sent a text message to Nadal before he went to sleep, adding, "I'm happy the news is not terrible. It's not nice to see fellow rival and friend go out like this."Nadal had to withdraw in the fifth set of his quarter-final with Cilic.Federer added, "At this point, I wrote Rafa late last night before I went to bed, it was the last thing I did. I was like "right, I've got to write to Rafa and see how he's doing and that I hoped he was going to be ok with the scan today. I wish him well."The Swiss maestro, who beat Nadal in last year's final at Australian Open, also commented on his rival's new look for this ...
Punjab enter PWL final
Defending champions Punjab Royals went a step closer towards retaining their title as they produced a dominant show to storm into the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) final at the Siri Fort Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday night.
TN men, Rlys women clinch titles at National basketball meet
Tamil Nadu and Indian Railways emerged triumphant in the men's and women's sections in the 68th Senior National Basketball Championship here today. The Tamil Nadu men beat Services 94-86 in a well contested final with Rikin Pethani leading the way with 25 points. Tamil Nadu had beaten a strong Punjab team 90-72 in the semifinal late last night. In the women's final, Railways outplayed Chhattisgarh, winning 100-71 to regain the title. After a close first quarter, the Railways looked in control as they kept scoring regularly. For Railways, captain P U Navaneetha with 30 points was the top scorer while Poonam Chaturvedi (27 points) did the bulk of the scoring for Chhattisgarh. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami presided over the valedictory after the women's final and gave away the prizes to the players.
India all out for 187
India were all out for 187 on day one of the third and final Test against South Africa here. Brief scores: India all out 187 in 77 overs (Kohli 54, Pujara 50; Philander 2/36, Rabada 3/39).
Disciplined S.Africa bundle out India for 187 on Day 1
South Africa rode on a disciplined bowling effort to skittle out India for a paltry 187 in their first innings on the opening day of the third and final cricket Test at the New Wanderers Stadium here on Wednesday.
Young batswoman Jemimah Rodrigues all set for SA tour
Mumbai's batswoman Jemimah Rodrigues, who is the youngest one to be named in Indian women's squad for the tour of South Africa, has said that her hard work of years has paid off.The Mumbai Under-19 skipper earned her place in the women squad on the basis of notable innings in the Challenger Trophy and spectacular 163 runs in the Inter-State women's Under-19.Talking to media, Rodrigues, 17, said, "Everyone has supported me really well and they have not made me feel like I am a new girl or the youngest one in the team. They have gelled up well with me. Yes, I am a bit nervous, but at the same time I am excited too".Confident Rodrigues added, "I have been working really hard for many years. Even last year, I had good performances in the U-19. But in the senior level, I wasn't performing, so this time I was working even harder with my dad and my coaches, trying to improve on areas that I was failing in last year"."I was preparing for the Challengers because I had my performances backing ..
Platini takes corruption appeal to human rights court
Disgraced former France star Michel Platini has appealed against his suspension from football for corruption to the European Court of Human Rights. "It's a question of honour for me. I want to be granted justice," the 62-year-old former UEFA president told today's edition of Le Monde newspaper. Platini was originally suspended for eight years FIFA in 2015 over a two million Swiss francs payment he received from the world football governing body for consultancy work, a transaction that also saw former FIFA president Sepp Blatter handed a long ban. Platini's sanction was reduced by two years on appeal and then reduced again to four years by another appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But a further appeal in the Swiss courts failed and his suspension is due to end in October 2019. "This appeal is consistent with what I've always said: I have done nothing wrong and I'm determined to exercise my full rights and to prove my innocence," added Platini, a dashing ...
Germany with France, England draw Spain in new Nations League
World champions Germany will face France and the Netherlands while England were today drawn with Spain and Croatia in the new UEFA Nations League designed to replace friendlies. Italy will seek to restore pride after their failure to reach this year's World Cup when they take on Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal and Poland, while Wales will play Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. UEFA have devised the format to counter criticism of meaningless international friendlies. The top-ranked teams, such as Germany, are in League A and the lowest in League D. The final League A group is comprised of Belgium, Switzerland and Iceland. The matches will begin in September this year, with a 'final four' of the winners of the four League A groups held on June 5-9, 2019 to determine the winner. The competition will initially be contested across 16 groups and gives a chance to the four top-ranked teams that have not qualified for the European Championship to have another chance. They will ..
Tri-series record helps Ireland gear up for ICC World Cup qualifiers
Ireland has made a thumping start to their preparations for qualifying in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup by winning the tri-series against Scotland and UAE in Dubai.The six-match series at the ICC Academy provided game-time for Ireland and Scotland ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018, which will begin from March 4 in Zimbabwe, and for the UAE in preparation for the ICC World Cricket League Division 2, which will be staged in Namibia from February 8.Ireland head coach Graham Ford said, "During the tri-series, the lads made good progress with most of the batsmen finding good form. It was particularly pleasing to see the top order converting starts into big match winning scores"."It was good to come away with four victories, however, the lads do realise that there is still plenty of hard work to be done and that they will have to be at their best to enjoy success at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier which will be a highly competitive event", he added.Ireland completed a ..