Page 2143 - Sports
ISL: Stuttering Delhi Dynamos face table toppers Bengaluru FC
Delhi Dynamos, who are on the brink of being eliminated from the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL), will face an uphill task when they take on table toppers Bengaluru FC here at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday.The home side desperately need a win if they have to keep any hopes for survival as the ISL enters into business end of competition.So not surprisingly their coach Miguel Angel Portugal has declared that his team will treat the match as "a final."When asked about how he'll approach tomorrow's game, Portugal told reporters, "For us now this match is like a final."The fortunes of these two teams couldn't have been different at this stage of the Indian Super League. Delhi Dynamos are struggling to find any form and are currently languishing at the base of the points table. Portugal's side has just managed to get four points from nine games so far.Their last outing at home ended in 3-1 loss to Kerala FC. Bengaluru FC, on the other hand, are leading the league standings, and ...
Lakmal named Lanka vice-captain for B'desh Tests
Fast bowler Suranga Lakmal has been named as the vice-captain of the 16-man Sri Lanka squad for the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, beginning January 31 at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong.It should be noted that Lakmal has been rewarded for his good performances as the team's vice-captain in 2017.Meanwhile, unorthodox off-spinner Akila Dananjaya, who began as T20 bowler, is in line to make his Test debut after being named in the squad.Dananjaya has received a call on the back of his decent ODI performances against India. He also has a creditable first-class record with 98 wickets at an average of 28.31.Batsmen Kusal Mendis and Danushka Gunathilaka have also returned to the squad, while Dhanushka Gunathilaka and Kusal Mendis have also been included for the series against Bangladesh,ESPNcricinfo reported.Left-arm wrist-spinner Lakshan Sandakan and right-arm seam bowler Lahiru Gamage have also been received nods in the squad, ESPNcricinfo reported.Meanwhile, ...
Ramkumar advances in OZ Open qualifiers
Indian tennis star Ramkumar Ramanathan won his second round qualifying match in straight sets, beating France's Gleb Sakharov 6-4 7-6 (12) at the Australian Open qualifiers here today. Ramkumar, seeded 28th, sealed the match by smashing an ace to advance to the third round. He made the best use of his serves, firing an impressive 17 aces in the tie that lasted close to two hours. In the previous qulaifying game, Ramkumar, edged out American Bradley Klahn 6-7(8) 7-6(3) 6-2 to set up a second round clash against the Frenchman.
Gujarat beat Saurashtra by 8 wickets, Baroda defeat Maha
Gujarat defeated Saurashtra by 8 wickets in the West Zone Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 League opener at the SCA Stadium here today. Put into bat, Saurashtra were bundled out for a meagre 133 with Gujarat bowler J K Parmar picking up a 4-wicket haul. Parmar returned with impressive figures of 4-17 and was superbly aided by Piyush Chawla (2-24), Ishwar Chaudhary (2-30), skipper Axar Patel (1-20) and Karan Patel (1-22). For Saurashtra, Vishvarajsinh Jadeja top scored with 48 in 32 balls lacing three boundaries and a six. But Prerak Mankad (20), A V Vasavada (19) and Shaurya Sanandia (18) failed to convert their starts. Chasing 134, Gujarat opener Priyank Panchal smashed 76 in 54 balls, striking 10 fours and a lone six. One dowm B H Merai (35 not out) and Chirag Gandhi (5 not out) took the side home in 18.1 overs, as they grabbed four points. Sanandia picked up the two wickets to finish with figures of 2-25. In the second match of the day, Baroda chased a stiff 178/6 put up by ...
Rajasthan beat Ranji champions Vidarbha
Opener Aditya N Garhwal struck an unbeaten 51 as Rajasthan defeated Ranji Trophy champions Vidarbha by six wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament here today. Opting to bat after the coin landed in Faiz Fazal's favour, Vidarbha scored 131 for eight in the allotted 20 overs. Ganesh Satish top-scored with 39 off 31 balls, while Apoorv Wankhade was the team's second highest scorer with 24 at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. Skipper Fazal contributed 20 and Karn Sahrma made a 17- ball 22. In reply, Rajasthan were off to a brisk start with the openers Garhwal and Ankit S Lamba (26) putting on 42 runs in just over five overs. Garhwal struck three boundaries and a six during his 54- ball knock and along with T N Dhillon, who remained unbeaten on 26, guided Rajastahn to victory with two overs to spare. This was Vidarbha's first defeat in the Central Zone leg of the tournament. In the day's other central zone match, Uttar Pradesh beat Railways by seven
Naiditsch and Karthikeyan to face off at Parsvnath Delhi Chess
Top seed GM Arkadij Naiditsch and GM Murali Karthikeyan will face off in the eighth round of the 16th Parsvnath Delhi International Open chess tournament here tomorrow. Azerbaijan's Naiditsch overcame GM Ziaur Rehman, while Karthikeyan, a two-time former National champion, defeated Vietnamese GM Tran Tuan Minh, rated 2547, to share the lead at 6.5 points after the seventh round. Rehman had the white pieces in an original Reti-kind of an opening where the queens were traded off early in the middlegame to reach a rook vs. two minor pieces endgame. Naiditsch was obviously pressing but it was more or less equal. Suddenly, for no clear reason, Rehman gave up his e- pawn after which it was the end for the Bangladeshi GM. Double National Champion Karthikeyan also had an equal position with the black pieces out of a Kings Indian Defence opening against Vietnamese GM Tran Tuan Minh, rated 2547. Karthikeyan, too, ended up with rook vs two minor pieces, being Tran with his double ...
Warner misses training ahead of first ODI
Australian vice-captain David Warner missed the training session on Saturday ahead of the opening Gillette ODI series against England. Warner was absent from the Australian training on Friday as well."I think he's OK, he was having a bit of a gastro issue yesterday," cricket.com.au quoted captain Steve Smith.Warner was present at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday, walking laps, but didn't take part in the training session.However, the Australian management is confident that the star opener will play the first ODI on January 14."He turned up here today and walked the oval a few times. He said he'll be fine so I don't think there'll be any trouble there," Smith added.Warner is the latest player to be struck down by illness, joining teammates Steve Smith and Patrick Cummins, as well as England captain Joe Root, who have all been affected by stomach problems since the Boxing Day Test.
Returning Djokovic can't wait to relight the 'fire'
Six-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic says he's excited to be back after a long injury-enforced break, admitting he has missed the "fire and passion" of competitive tennis. The Serbian former world number one has been out of action for six months, and while he enjoyed having his first real break since turning professional, he is ready to get back to business. "I'm just glad to be back playing tennis, having an opportunity to compete yet again in the big tournaments. I've missed it," he said Saturday at Melbourne Park. Djokovic has been sidelined with an elbow injury that had been progressively getting worse over the past few years. He said it got to the point where the pain on his serve was becoming unbearable, with a sustained period of rest the only cure. "It hasn't been 100 percent yet healed. But right now it's at the level where I can compete, and every day is getting better," he said. "Throughout the tournament, I don't know how it's going to behave. ...
Former champion Wawrinka confirms Australian Open start
Relieved former winner Stan Wawrinka confirmed today he will play the Australian Open, saying his knee is holding up well but he was still feeling pain. The three-time Grand Slam champion hasn't played since Wimbledon in July after surgery and pulled out of an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi late last month, casting doubt on whether he would be ready. He admitted it had been a race against time, but said he was confident enough to take the court next week against first-round opponent Ricardas Berankis. "For me, I think the fact that I'm here and I'm going to play the first one, it's a big victory," he said after a week of intense practice in Melbourne against Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and others. "It's the best that I could have dreamed when I had the surgery -- to be here sitting in front of you and to say, 'Okay, I'm going to play the first match'. "That's something really good from my side, especially from the knee." The Swiss star, who has dropped down the rankings .
Nadal ready despite lack of Aussie Open lead-up
Top seed Rafael Nadal starts the Australian Open next week for the first time in his career without playing a warm-up tournament, and no uncle Toni by his side. But the Spanish star said Saturday he feels good and his motivation remains strong. Nadal, who is gunning for a 17th major title but only his second Australian Open crown, was hampered by a knee injury at the tail-end of the 2017 season. It forced him to skip the lead-up Brisbane International this month, and he has only had a one-match workout at the exhibition Kooyong Classic in Melbourne ahead of the Grand Slam starting Monday. Yet he is unfazed and raring to go as seeks to go one better than last year when he lost an epic Melbourne Park final to Roger Federer. "Is the first time I am here without playing an official match in my career. It's a new situation for me. But I feel good," said the 31-year-old, who played his first Australian Open in 2004. "I feel that I had a good week-and-a-half of practices. I ...
Even without Williams, Aussie Open women's field still tough
With no Serena Williams in the draw at the Australian Open, there's certainly an opportunity for another women's player to go on a surprising run and emerge as a first-time Grand Slam champion, as Sloane Stephens and Jelena Ostapenko did last year. Just don't describe the first Grand Slam of the year as "more open" than usual. "Whenever I get asked that question, it always comes across in really kind of an almost negative way instead of acknowledging how many great players we have," Johanna Konta, who reached the semifinals of Wimbledon last year, said in her pre-tournament news conference Saturday. "The depth in women's tennis I really do believe in the last few years has gotten so strong," she added. "There's no straight sailing to the quarters or semis. It doesn't exist." Stephens agrees the Australian Open field is still extremely tough, even with Serena Williams, the defending champion and 23-time major winner, skipping the tournament as she continues her recovery .
Gujarat beat Saurashtra by 8 wickets
Gujarat defeated Saurashtra by 8 wickets in the West Zone Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 League opener at the SCA Stadium here today. Put into bat, Saurashtra were bundled out for a meagre 133 with Gujarat bowler J K Parmar picking up a 4-wicket haul. Parmar returned with impressive figures of 4-17 and was superbly aided by Piyush Chawla (2-24), Ishwar Chaudhary (2-30), skipper Axar Patel (1-20) and Karan Patel (1-22). For Saurashtra, Vishvarajsinh Jadeja top scored with 48 in 32 balls lacing three boundaries and a six. But Prerak Mankad (20), A V Vasavada (19) and Shaurya Sanandia (18) failed to convert their starts. Chasing 134, Gujarat opener Priyank Panchal smashed 76 in 54 balls, striking 10 fours and a lone six. One dowm B H Merai (35 not out) and Chirag Gandhi (5 not out) took the side home in 18.1 overs, as they grabbed four points. Sanandia picked up the two wickets to finish with figures of 2-25. Brief Scores: Saurashtra (133 all out, Vishvarajsinh Jadeja 48, J K Parmar ..
Djokovic looks forward to trying out 'new serve' at Australian Open
After sitting out most of 2017 tennis season with a career threatening injury, former World No.1 Novak Djokovic has spent the last six months reassessing his serving technique.
Gavaskar questions India's team selection for 2nd Test
Former captain Sunil Gavaskar today questioned India's team selection for the second cricket Test against South Africa, saying opener Shikhar Dhawan's "head is always on the chopping board". India made three changes to their playing XI, with KL Rahul replacing Shikhar Dhawan and Ishant Sharma coming in for Bhuvneshwar Kumar, whose three-wicket burst in the first morning of the opening Test rocked the hosts. Wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha was ruled out due to a strain and Parthiv Patel was included is his place. Gavaskar said: "I think Shikhar Dhawan is the 'Bali ka Bakra' (scapegoat). His head is always on the chopping board. He just needs one bad innings and he is out of the team. "I also don't understand why Ishant came in for Bhuvneshwar when he had taken three wickets on the opening day at Cape Town. Ishant could have replaced Shami or Bumrah but leaving him out, I don't understand." India were thrashed by 72 runs in the first Test against South Africa at Cape ...
S. Africa reach 78/0 till lunch on Day 1
South Africa got off to a fine start in the second cricket Test against India, reaching 78/0 in their first innings till lunch on the first day at the SuperSport Park here on Saturday.
Late fight keeps Asia ahead of Europe; Lahiri, SSP lose again
Team Asia produced another inspired performance to maintain a one-point advantage over Team Europe after the second day of the EurAsia Cup golf tournament here today. Asia battled successfully in the latter half today to win three matches in a row and keep their nose ahead at 6 to 5 at the end of foursomes matches. It is the first time Asia heads into tomorrow's singles with a lead, which while being slender is a massive mental boost for them. Asia won three and halved one match on first day, and the two teams won three each on second. The teams now face off each other in 12 singles, with local Nicholas Fung going out first against Alex Noren and Asia's clutch putting star, Li Haotong takes on Irishman rookie Paul Dunne in the closing match. An ecstatic Arjun Atwal, Asia's captain said, "I have said from the beginning that this team is capable of winning and I have believed in them. They have shown that they have big hearts and a great game. They are all champions and ...
Bayern beat Leverkusen 3-1 in German Bundesliga
Bayern Munich started with a victory into the second half of the football season after two second-half goals were enough to end Leverkusen's unbeaten run at the opener of the 18th round in Bundesliga.
South Africa ease to 78/0 at lunch on flat pitch
Opener Aiden Markram scored an unbeaten fifty to guide South Africa to 78 for no loss at lunch on the opening day of the second cricket Test against India here today. At the break, Markram was batting on 51 not out, while Dean Elgar was unbeaten on 26 runs as the duo made good use of an easy-paced pitch here after skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bat. Opening the innings, Elgar and Markram started watchfully against the new-ball pairing of Jasprit Bumrah (0-25) and Mohammed Shami (0-23). Shami looked off-colour in his first spell once again, just like in Cape Town, conceding 23 runs off his four overs. The new ball bowlers failed to create any chances, and Ishant Sharma (0-12) came on as first-change in the 8th over. He immediately troubled Elgar and continued to do so throughout his first spell. Hardik Pandya (0-15) too didn't trouble the batsmen after coming on to bowl in the 13th over. By the 20th over, when R Ashwin (0-2) was introduced into the ...
Ex-Shanghai Shenhua striker Riascos rejoins Vasco da Gama
Former Shanghai Shenhua striker Duvier Riascos has rejoined his former team Vasco da Gama on a free transfer, the Brazilian football club said.
South Africa 78 for no loss at lunch on Day 1
South Africa were 78 for no loss at lunch on the opening day of the second cricket Test against India here. Openers Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar were batting on 51 and 26 respectively. The hosts, who lead the three-match series 1-0, elected to bat after winning the toss. Brief scores: South Africa 1st innings: 78 for no loss in 27 overs (Aiden Markram batting 51, Dean Elgar batting 26).