Page 2242 - Sports
'Destined Dynamite' wins the Mysore Race Club Plate
'Destined Dynamite (Jockey Suraj Narredu up) won the Mysore Race Club Plate (aboutZ) 1,400 Metres for Category II horses, the main event on the 12th day's Hyderabad winter races held here today. Satheesh trained 'Meritocracy' claimed the Jockey Purtu Singh Parmar Memorial cup, the supporting event of the day. Trainer Arjun Anne and Jockeys Akshay Kumar and F Sweeney scored a double each. Four first favourites obliged in a card of eight events.
Veteran Gambhir, rookie Chandela seize control vs Bengal
Gautam Gambhir was patience personified while unheralded Kunal Chandela showed maturity beyond years as their twin tons took Delhi to a commanding 271 for three against Bengal on the second day of the Ranji Trophy semi-final, here today. With Bengal scoring a below par 286 in their first essay, they are sure to concede first innings lead. The only positive aspect for Bengal was final session where Delhi scored only 51 runs losing three wickets including Gambhir (127 off 216 balls) off Mohammed Shami. Gambhir was an epitome of calmness during his 42nd first-class hundred in company of Chandela (113 off 192 balls), who is playing only his third first-class match. The manner in which Gambhir-Chandela duo humiliated a Bengal attack comprising Shami (23.2-3-83-1) and Ashok Dinda (18-2-86-1) looked pedestrian. The best part about Gambhir this season has been his attitude. He has remain attached with a goal of guiding Delhi with crucial runs yet remained uninvolved like an ...
Injury-laden Mohun Bagan eye win against NEROCA FC
Grappling with injuries, Mohun Bagan will be desperate to return to winning ways when they face debutants Neroca FC in an I-League football fixture at the Saltlake Stadium here today. Star Haitian forward Sony Norde and Ansumana Kromah, who sat out in their 1-1 draw against Shillong Lajong FC, are still carrying niggles and remain doubtful starters, while Arijit Bagui and Azharuddin Mallick have been ruled out. Defender Kingsley Eze Obumneme is serving a suspension after his red card against Shillong Lajong and coach Sanjoy Sen will have task cut out against the debutants who are fresh from two successive wins against Chennai City and Gokulam FC. However, Sen did not want the injuries to be an excuse, especially to that of Yuta Kinowaki who has been ruled out for at least five weeks. "It is a part and parcel of the modern game. Unfortunately this season the injuries are a bit more but we have to make results from what we have," Sen said at the news conference. "We are ...
Smith praises bold selectors after Ashes win
Australian captain Steve Smith has paid tribute to some bold selections after his team regained the Ashes in Perth today. The home team took an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the series with an innings victory over the English at the WACA Ground, despite rain delays and a damaged pitch. Smith said the comprehensive result, which has Australia on track for its third Ashes whitewash in four home series, was vindication for the national selectors for making some imaginative selections. Wicketkeeper Tim Paine was not even keeping for his state side Tasmania when he was named for the first Test at the Gabba, while the recall of 34-year-old Shaun Marsh raised plenty of eyebrows. Then batsman Peter Handscomb was dropped for the third Test, with underachieving all-rounder Mitchell Marsh getting a surprise recall. Paine has responded with polished performances behind the stumps and 130 runs at 43.33, while Shaun Marsh produced a crucial century in the second Test in Adelaide and has 224
Ton-up Nair ensures first innings lead for Karnataka
Vice-captain Karun Nair struck an unbeaten century to put former champions Karnataka in a strong position on the second day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Vidarbha at the Eden Gardens, here today. Nair's unbeaten 148 ensured Karnataka take a vital 109- run first innings lead over Vidarbha. Resuming at the overnight score of 36 for three, Nair hit 20 fours and one six in his stellar knock and batted all the three sessions. Nair thwarted an onslaught from young Vidarbha pacer Rajneesh Gurbani, who returned with his third successive five-wicket haul (5/90). The second Indian to score a triple century in Tests, Nair, found a fine ally in his skipper R Vinay Kumar (20 not out) as the duo batted sensibly amid the ruins in an unbroken 69-run ninth wicket partnership that took Karnataka's lead past 100. At close, Karnataka were 294 for eight when bad light stopped play at 93 overs with three more days left in play. Bowling with a short run-up, South Africa-bound India ..
Root defends veterans Cook and Broad after Ashes loss
England captain Joe Root defended his underperforming senior players after his team meekly handed back the Ashes to Australia in Perth, here today. Victory by an innings and 41 runs gave Australia an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series, but Root said the English had to be careful not to make hasty decisions based on this series. Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen said one of the opening bowlers needed to be dropped, in an apparent reference to Stuart Broad who returned career-worst figures in Perth. Pietersen's former English team-mate Ian Bell also suggested it was time for former skipper Alastair Cook to retire, having scored just 83 runs at 13.83 in this series so far. However Root backed the pair, along with Moeen Ali and Jimmy Anderson, to continue to be important players for England. "I'd like to think so," Root said when asked if Cook, Broad and Anderson would still be in the team in 12 months. "They've got huge amounts of experience and they do offer a lot to
Ashita, Aaradhana in semis
Top seed Ashita Bhengra and second seed Aaradhana Kasturiraj, both of Tamil Nadu, won in contrasting fashion to reach the girls under-19 semi-finals of the 74th CCI-Western India Open Squash Tournament today. Ashita defeated West Bengal's Tanaya Parakh in straight games, 11-6 11-6 11-5 while Aaradhana rallied to beat Abhilasha Bhasin of Maharashtra 6-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-7. Ashita will next meet 5/8 seed Sparshi Mattas of Goa who upset 3/4 seed Mira Kamat of Maharashtra 11-9, 11-4, 11-8 in a tight match. Aaradhana will face 5/8 seed Radhika Rathore of Madhya Pradesh who halted unseeded Ira Gosavi of Maharashtra 11-4 11-5 11-1 in other quarter finals. In the girls under-17 quarter-finals, unseeded Ananya Dabke of Maharashtra shocked second seed Amira Singh of Delhi 11-6, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10. Top seed Jannia Singh of Chandigarh fought her way to a 11-6, 11-7, 14-16, 9-11, 11-4 win over 5/8 seed Avani Nagar of Maharashtra, in another gripping contest.
'Exceptional' Australia claim Ashes as Smith seeks whitewash
Steve Smith praised his "exceptional" team as Australia reclaimed the Ashes with an innings win over England in the third Test in Perth today, and set his sights on a series whitewash. Australia dismissed England for 218 in their second innings after rain delays and a pitch controversy on the final day in Perth to win back the urn in the last Ashes Test to be played at the WACA Ground. That gave the home side an innings-and-41-run win and an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, having won the opening two Tests in Brisbane and Adelaide. "It's been an amazing couple of weeks," said Smith. "What the boys have delivered has been exceptional. England have had their foot in the door in a couple of games and we've been able to claw our way back to get back in the game, and then keep the foot on the throat." Having confirmed his status as the world's best batsman with a match-winning double century, Smith added victorious Ashes captain to his ever-expanding resume. That .
India play to crush opponents now, will win in SA: Rajput
Former Team India manager Lalchand Rajput feels that Virat Kohli and his men play with a crush- the-opponents approach and that itself would be enough for them to eke out an unprecedented Test triumph in South Africa next month. India will tour South Africa for a three-Test, six-ODI and three-Twenty20 series, starting January 5 and it is being touted as the most challenging assignment so far for Kohli as captain. Speaking to PTI, Rajput, who was the head coach of the Afghanistan cricket team and now coaches the Assam Ranji team, rated India's chances quite highly. "The way the Indian team is playing, they are playing tough cricket. With Virat Kohli being the leader, the aggression which he shows, seems to be imbibed in other players too and they want to win at any cost. They want to crush the opponents," the 56-year-old former Mumbai opener said. Asked for a prediction, Rajput replied "2-1 in India's favour", quite promptly. India have not won any Test series in South .
PTI Exclusive: Don't think Rahane's form is a concern: Ganguly
Ajinkya Rahane's wretched form will not be a big concern for the South Africa-bound Indian team, feels former captain Sourav Ganguly. Rahane has scored only 17 runs in five innings against Sri Lanka at home but his record outside sub continent makes him a vital cog in the wheel. " No, I don't think Ajinkya Rahane's form is a concern as he is a quality player. Virat Kohli, Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Murali Vijay have all been to South Africa. The best thing is that they are going back to South Africa as better players," Ganguly told PTI during an interaction on the sidelines of Ranji Trophy semi-final between Bengal and Delhi. The former captain is impressed with current bowling attack but wants to wait till he watches them in action. "We will find out if this is the best bowling attack or not. They have got pace for sure. Umesh has pace, Bhuvneshwar is in good form, so let's wait," he said. While conditions will determine the playing XI in Cape Town on January 5, ...
Sporting potential of tribal youths extraordinary: Patnaik
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today hailed the "extraordinary" sporting potential of tribal youths and hoped they would bring laurels to the state and the country. Inaugurating the first Tribal Sports Meet in the state, Patnaik said the objective of the event is to bring out the hidden potential among tribal youths. "Their (tribal youths) sports potentials are extraordinary. They have been performing well in the sports like hockey, archery and athletics," the chief minister said, inaugurating the meet through video conferencing. He pointed out that many from Odisha have become part of the Indian Hockey team and even become captains. "I hope that our tribals will bring pride for the state as well as for the country," Patnaik, who also unveiled the logo for the event, said. There are 62 tribes in Odisha and all of them inherit sports qualities through their traditional culture, said SC/ST Development Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi. The sports meet is being organised .
Jehan Daruvala to continue racing with Carlin in F3
Indian teenage racing sensation Jehan Daruvala will take part in Formula 3 racing with Carlin for a second season in 2018. "It has been a fantastic year racing with Carlin. I am happy to be working with them once again and look forward to a successful year," said Jehan in a statement. "It is great news that Jehan remains for us in FIA Formula Three next season he has been a fantastic addition to the team this year and his results as a rookie have been impressive," Racing director of Carlin, Trevor Carlin said. Early this year, Jehan became the first Indian ever to win a Grand Prix, after he dominated the New Zealand Grand Prix to take the chequered flag style, at the Circuit Chris Amon in Manfeild. "He is already a race winner in the series and no doubt has the ability to add more wins and pole positions to his achievements over the course of 2018," Carlin said. The 2018 season kicks off in May at the street circuit of Pau, in France. The thirty race FIA Formula 3 ...
Churchill eye for first win
Former champions Churchill Brothers would look to snap their four-match losing streak and post their first win when they face Chennai City FC in their opening home match of the I-League here tomorrow. Churchill had a disastrous start this season, having lost all their four matches they have played so far and they desperately need a win when they take the field at Tilak Maidan tomorrow. They were unlucky not to collect a point in their previous match as Willis Plaza's stoppage time goal saw East Bengal collect full points. Earlier, Churchill failed to collect a point against defending champions Aizawl FC. They are now lying at the bottom without a point from four matches. Chennai City FC are one point above Churchill. Churchill coach Alfred Fernandes, who is looking after the team in the absence of sacked Mykola Shevchenko, said his team can bounce back in the league with a win tomorrow. "It's really frustrating to see the team lose in the stoppage time twice. We did well .
Rohit moves up two places to 5th in ICC batsmen rankings
Indian opener Rohit Sharma's third career double hundred in the just-concluded series against Sri Lanka has pushed him up two spots to fifth in the latest ICC ODI Player Rankings among batsmen. It's the first time that Rohit has crossed the 800-point mark as he ended the three-match ODI series which India won 2 -1 with 816 points. Though he has enjoyed a career-high ranking of third in February 2016, he reached a personal high of 825 points after the second match in Mohali when he struck an unbeaten 208, his third ODI double-century. Rohit's opening partner Shikhar Dhawan, named player of the series, too has gained one slot to reach 14th position after aggregating 168 runs including an unbeaten 100 in Visakhapatnam. Dhawan had slammed 68 in the second match, figuring in a 115-run opening stand with Rohit. Virat Kohli, who rested himself from the Sri Lanka series, still leads the batting chart with 876 points, ahead of South African A B de Villiers (872). Among the ...
Perth, Dec 18(AFP) Scoreboard at conclusion of the third
Scoreboard at conclusion of the third Ashes Test between Australia and England in Perth, here today: England first innings 403 Australia first innings 662-9 (dec) England second innings A. Cook c and b Hazlewood 14 M. Stoneman c Paine b Hazlewood 3 J. Vince b Starc 55 J. Root c Smith b Lyon 14 D. Malan c Paine b Hazlewood 54 J. Bairstow b Hazlewood 14 M. Ali lbw Lyon 11 C. Woakes c Paine b Cummins 22 C. Overton c Khawaja b Hazlewood 12 S. Broad c Paine b Cummins 0 J. Anderson not out 1 Extras (lb11, b6, nb1) 18 Total (all out; 72.5 overs) 218 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-29, 3-60, 4-100, 5-133, 6-172, 7 -196, 8-210, 9-211, 10-218. Bowling: Starc 17-5-44-1, Hazlewood 18-6-48-5, M Marsh 3 -1-14-0, Cummins 19.
24th day Hyderabad Winter races advanced
The Stewards of Hyderabad Race club has resolved to advance the 24th days Races scheduled to be held on Monday (February 12,2018) to Monday (February 5,2018), a Hyderabad Race Club release said here today. "In view of auction sale at Royal Western India Turf Club Limited on February 12, 2018, the Board of Stewards, Hyderabad Race club have resolved to advance the 24th day's Races scheduled to be run on February 12,2018 (Monday) to February 5, 2018 (Monday)," it said.
Chanu's golden touch in dope-free 2017 for Ind weightlifting
Subjected to an astonishing 45 dope tests in the last four years, Mirabai Chanu was the historic success story of Indian weightlifting in a blemish- free 2017 in which the sport managed to stay clear of the dope scandals that have destroyed its credibility in the past. The 23-year-old diminutive lifter from Manipur ensured that weightlifting did not go completely under the radar this year by claiming the country's first World Championship gold medal in two decades. On November 30, Chanu won the women's 48kg category gold at the World Championship in Anaheim, USA, becoming the first Indian in 22 years after Olympic bronze-medallist Karman Malleswari to attain the feat. Malleswari had clinched it twice in 1994 and 1995. For once, a sport more infamous for doping scandals earned its moment in the spotlight courtesy a shy youngster, who was subjected to two dope tests in the space of two days after returning from the world championship. Nonetheless, there was hardly a trace .
Lunch called early in rain-hit third Ashes Test
Lunch was called early without a ball being bowled on the final day of the rain-hit third Ashes Test in Perth today. Showers and overnight water damage to the pitch prevented any play in the first session, raising England's hopes of remaining alive in the series. Australia need just six more wickets to reclaim the Ashes. A draw would mean England can still retain the Ashes with wins in the last two Tests in Melbourne and Sydney. England were 132 for four, trailing by 127 runs with Dawid Malan on 28 and Jonny Bairstow on 14. Strong winds and heavy showers lashed Perth on Sunday night and continued on Monday morning, but the main concern was a damp patch just outside the popping crease at the southern end of the ground. The reason for the damage was unclear, although there was speculation it might have been linked to strong winds lifting the covers. As intermittent showers passed through, and the covers came on and off regularly, WACA ground staff worked feverishly with ...
Windies pin hopes on Gayle force for New Zealand ODIs
The West Indies will hope short-form master Chris Gayle can inspire a misfiring batting line-up in the one-day international series against New Zealand starting on Wednesday. The tourists meekly surrendered with the bat as they slumped to a 2-0 Test series whitewash against the Black Caps, and need a major improvement in the three ODI games. Gayle, arriving fresh from a record-breaking stint in the Bangladesh Premier League, promises to inject the aggression and confidence lacking so far during the tour of New Zealand. He smashed a record 18 sixes in an unbeaten 146 off 69 balls in the BPL final to add to the slew of titles he already holds in the ultra-short form of the game. Afterwards, the 38-year-old told ESPNCricinfo he was "the greatest batsman of all time". His self-assessment may be debatable but New Zealand paceman Lockie Ferguson said the hosts were well aware of the threat the left-hander from Jamaica poses. Ferguson said Gayle would need time to adjust to local
Gerrari Off-roaders crowned JK Tyre-Orange 4x4 Fury kings
Overnight leaders Gerrari Off-roaders from Chandigarh won the JK Tyre-Orange 4x4 Fury jeep race here. The team walked away with winners' prize purse of Rs 2.5 lakh. Kabir Waraich and Gurmeet Singh led on each of the three days to amass 514.5 points to win the title last night. Association of Off-roaders from Nagaland (AON) mustered 398.5 points to take the second place while home team MOCA grabbed the third position to round off a sensational show for the North-Eastern teams. Gerrari's Kabir and Gurmeet were ably assisted by co- drivers Yuvraj Tiwana and Dushyant Khosla as they worked brilliantly as a team to surge ahead on the second ahead day itself.