Page 2201 - Sports
Alonso, Massa, Button pay tribute to Schumacher
Former Formula One counterparts Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa and team-mate Jenson Button have paid tribute to legend Michael Schumacher on the fourth anniversary of his horrific accident
ICC U-19 CWC: England, Windies reminisce successes
The West Indies will look to emulate Pakistan by winning back-to-back titles at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup when the 12th edition of the tournament will be held in New Zealand from January 13 to February 3.Shimron Hetmeyer, who led the side to victory in Bangladesh two years ago, is egging the Windies team to bring back the cup again, as is pace bowler Alzzari Joseph, who was also part of that team and is now a member of the senior national side.On the other hand, England pace bowler Liam Plunkett reminisces his time during the 2004 edition, when the 1998 champions reached the semifinals.He remembers the top players of the time and advised players to be competitive and look to learn something from the tournament.He speaks about how it gives players the chance of learning to adapt to different conditions and how it helped the careers of a whole generation of players that he has played with.Reflecting his views on the tournament, Plunkett, who played the prestigious tournament in
A year of controversies for Indian sport (2017 in Retrospect)
Cricket was not the only game in India which was embroiled in controversy in 2017. There were several others as well that had their fair share of colourful moments both on and off the field.
Ashton Agar roped in to Oz squad for SCG Ashes Test
Left-arm spinner Ashton Agar is in line to play his first Test on home soil after being named in the 14-man Australian squad for the fifth Ashes match against England, beginning January 4 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).The 24-year-old has been roped at the expense of fellow left-armers Steve O'Keefe and Jon Holland. Agar is most likely to join forces with Nathan Lyon in a two-man spin attack at the SCG.Agar, who was forced to miss the start of the JLT Sheffield Shield season due to fractured finger in October, was Australia's second-choice spinner behind Lyon in their most recent Test tour to Bangladesh.Having guided Perth Scorchers to a stunning victory over Melbourne Renegades in their last Big Bash League (BBL) clash, Agar had earlier said that he was bowling better than he ever has in the longest format of the game.Mitchell Starc, who is in race to prove his fitness in time for the final Ashes Test, has also been retained in the squad against England, cricket.com.au ...
Bhambri gets easy opener against Kadhe; Cilic gets bye
India's top singles player Yuki Bhambri got an easy season-opener against wild card entrant Arjun Kadhe while tournament-favourite Marin Cilic and defending champion Roberto Bautista Agut got first round byes at the Tata Open Maharashtra. Bhambri, ranked 116 in the world, had reached the second round when the ATP 250 event was played in Chennai in January 2017. Bhambri had ended the year strongly with a title win at the Pune Challenger and a semi-final finish at the season- ending Bengaluru Open while Kadhe re-joined the Pro circuit only this year after graduating from Oklahoma University and is ranked a lowly 608. The 25-year-old Bhambri, who shocked Gael Monfils at the Citi Open, may run into eighth seed and world number 81 Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the pre-quarterfinals. For Ramkumar Ramanathan, another wild card Indian, was today drawn to meet Roberto Carballes Baena, ranked 106 in the world. If Ramkumar, who is ranked 148, manages to cross the first round hurdle ...
Djokovic withdraws from Qatar Open
Serbian Tennis star Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the next week's Qatar Open due to his ongoing elbow injury.The defending champion has now indicated serious doubts about his participation in the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open.The 30-year-old was set to make a return in Abu Dhabi this week but was unable to play because of his six-month injury-layoff.A statement made by Djokovic on his personal website read, "Unfortunately, the situation with the elbow has not changed for better since yesterday. I still feel the pain. Therefore, I will have to withdraw from ATP tournament in Doha."He added, "However, after the thorough consultations with the medical team, we decided to keep up with the therapies and elbow treatments.""Only when I'm 100% ready to play, I will be able to come back. I hope it will be soon," he said.The 12-time Grand Slam winner has not played a competitive match since his withdrawal from the Wimbledon quarterfinal against Tomas Berdych due to ...
Chelsea want Hazard, Courtois to stay
Chelsea Football Club head coach Antonio Conte has asserted that he wants his goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and star forward Eden Hazard to renew their contracts and stay with the London club.
Krstajic is Serbia football team's new coach
Former star Mladen Krstajic has been appointed Serbia's new football team coach on a long-term basis after taking the helm as interim manager.
Vinicius will be Real Madrid idol: Carlos
Former Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos has claimed rising Brazilian footballer Vinicius Junior will become an idol to many with the Spanish giants.
Adaptable Smith the Ashes bane of England
Steve Smith says he has been adapting his quirky batting to keep ahead of England's bowlers and is working on getting even better after a stellar Ashes series. The Australia skipper has dominated England's bowlers so far, amassing 604 runs in six innings at an astonishing average of 151. He again proved the bane of England when he batted out the entire last day to secure a draw in the fourth Test, denying the tourists -- who have lost the first three Tests and the Ashes -- a face-saving win. Smith has shown immense levels of concentration and application, facing a total of 1,258 balls for his two unbeaten centuries in Brisbane and Melbourne, and his Test- best 239 in Perth. "I've had to work really hard but I feel like my game's in really good order," Smith said. "I'm adapting to each of the bowlers, I'm changing my plans to them and how they're trying to get me out," he added. "Hopefully, I can just keep working and keep getting better as well." Smith's career Test ...
MCG pitch the villain in rare Test draw
Rival captains Steve Smith and Joe Root were critical of the lifeless Melbourne pitch after the fourth Ashes Test today, only the second draw in the showpiece Boxing Day Test in 20 years. The drop-in pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was unforgiving for bowlers, with a total of 1,081 runs scored and only 24 wickets taken over five days. The flat, unresponsive pitch drew a barrage of criticism, with claims it was not a worthy wicket an occasion as big as a Boxing Day Ashes Test match. Australia skipper Smith, who scored an unbeaten 102 on the final day to play out for the draw, said something had to be done about the state of the MCG pitch. "It hasn't changed over five days and I'd say if we were playing for the next couple of days it probably wouldn't change at all either," Smith told reporters. "It's got to find a way to have some pace or bounce or take some spin or do something," he added. "Obviously we saw a reasonable amount of reverse swing throughout the game ...
England's character to get face-saving Test win - Root
England was again denied a win in their troubled Ashes series here today, but skipper Joe Root says it is all eyes on a face-saving win in the final Test in Sydney. The tourists were in the box seat for much of the Boxing Day Test, bowling out Australia for a below-par 327 on an unresponsive MCG pitch and then taking a 164-run innings lead on the back of Alastair Cook's herculean unbeaten 244. It was only the mastery of Steve Smith who kept England at bay, batting out the entire last day with an unbeaten 102 for a draw to leave the tourists still without a win in four Tests. The hosts have already clinched the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series ahead of the fifth Test in Sydney next week. Root won't countenance anything but victory in Sydney to finish the Test series, bedevilled by off-field troubles. "Disappointed that we couldn't quite crack it open today but we tried absolutely everything and the efforts and work- rates from all the guys was there all ..
Smith hits ton as fourth Ashes Test ends in draw
Skipper Steve Smith scored an unbeaten century in the second innings as Australia and England played out a draw in the final day of the fourth Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) here on Saturday.
Smith's ton frustrates England as MCG Test ends in draw
Australia skipper Steve Smith frustrated England bowlers with yet another blistering century as the fourth Ashes Test ended in a draw for the Joe Root-led side here on the fifth day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Saturday.Resuming at yesterday's score of 103-2, Smith brought up his 23rd Test century to bat out a draw for Australia in the last day of the fourth Ashes Test and preserve the hosts' 3-0 lead in the five-match series over England.Smith notched up an unbeaten knock of 102 runs off 275 balls, including six boundaries, to help Australia declare their second innings at 263 for four and take a lead of 99 runs before the captains of the two sides agreed to end the match midway through the final session.The Australian skipper was well supported by David Warner, who pulled back an 86-run knock in the second innings to add to his first innings blistering knock of 103 runs.Along with Smith, Mitchell Marsh also remained unbeaten, his knock of 29 off 166 deliveries kept ...
Colombian midfielder Moreno leaves Shanghai Shenhua
Colombia's Atletico Nacional have announced the return of their former player Giovanni Moreno from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.
Brazilian midfielder Wendel set to join Sporting Lisbon
Sporting Lisbon has beaten off competition from a host of European rivals by signing highly-rated Brazilian midfielder Wendel, according to widespread media reports.
Smith century secures Ashes Test draw with England
Steve Smith scored his 23rd Test century to bat out a draw for Australia in the fourth Ashes Test and deny England their first win of the series in Melbourne on Saturday. The Australia skipper stonewalled the English bowling attack to remain unconquered on 102 for his third century of the series when the Test was called a draw late on the final day. Smith joined the legendary Don Bradman as the only batsmen to score centuries in four consecutive Melbourne Tests. He also joined Ricky Ponting as the only batsmen in Test history to have made six centuries in a calendar year on multiple occasions. Australia only lost two wickets on the fifth day but coasted through after lunch to finish on 263 for four with Mitchell Marsh not out on 29. The hosts have already clinched the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series ahead of the fifth and final Test in Sydney next week. It was just the second drawn Boxing Day Test in 20 years, although there was criticism of the ...
Melbourne, Dec 30 (AFP) Scoreboard on day five in the
Scoreboard on day five in the fourth Ashes Test between Australia and England in Melbourne on Saturday: Australia first innings 327 (D. Warner 103, S. Smith 76; S. Broad 4-51) England first innings 491 (A. Cook 244 not out, J. Root 61; P. Cummins 4-117) Australia second innings (overnight 2-103) C. Bancroft b Woakes 27 D. Warner c Vince b Root 86 U. Khawaja c Bairstow b Anderson 11 S. Smith not out 102 S. Marsh c Bairstow b Broad 4 M. Marsh not out 29 Extras (b4) 4 Total (4 wickets; 124.2 overs) 263 Fall of wickets: 1-51 (Bancroft), 2-65 (Khawaja), 3-172 (Warner), 4-178 (S. Marsh) Bowling: Anderson 30-12-46-1, Broad 24-11-44-1, Woakes 26-7-62-1, Curran 20-6-53-0, Ali 13.2-2-32-0, Malan 8-1-21-0, Root 3-2-1-1.
A watershed year for Indian badminton (2017 in Retrospect)
Indian badminton in 2017 continued to move northwards, dishing out one stunning performance after another, especially with the men's shuttlers earning respect on the global stage.
India rises, Kohli rises higher; run-machine rules 2017
The eyes of the world turned to India but cricket's habitual record-breaker, Virat Kohli, remained the cynosure of her eyes as his exploits, bit by bit, put in shade the frenzy around the FIFA U-17 World Cup and feats in other big-ticket sporting events. Run-machine Kohli was at the forefront of a spectacular streak of wins that further enhanced his aura of invincibility, while providing succor from administrative wrangling that reared its head sporadically. Looking back, the Indians had rubbed their hands in delight at the variety of marquee events at home the sporting calendar of 2017 offered, and they now look forward, with optimism and anticipation, to a challenging 2018. Fans rejoiced the victories of P V Sindhu, and the ones by her rapidly rising fellow shuttlers led by Kidambi Srikanth, the men and women's hockey teams continental triumphs, and not to forget the maiden outing of a few spirited footballers in a global meet. Many enjoyed the successful return of ...