Page 419 - Sports
In-form Aussies give Langer 'brutal' World Cup selection dilemma
Australia coach Justin Langer Monday admitted some players will be "brutally unlucky" as he faces a World Cup selection dilemma with the return of Steve Smith and David Warner. The defending champions must name their 15-man squad this month for the tournament in England and Wales and Langer said the make-up was becoming clear on the back of the resurgent team's stunning eight-game one-day win streak against India and Pakistan. "It's actually becoming more obvious by the day to me. The same with the other selectors," he said on the Cricket Australia website. "We know categorically there are going to be one or two guys brutally unlucky not to get selected because they're all going so well... the blokes in the squad at the moment will be praying it's not them." Australia made it eight in a row with a 20-run win in the fifth and final one-dayer against Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday to sweep the series 5-0 after coming from behind to beat India 3-2 last month. Their red-hot form has been ...
'I don't know how I did that': Norris stunned by McLaren finish
Teenage rookie Lando Norris said he had no idea how he managed to finish an impressive sixth to score his first Formula One points in Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix. Norris, 19, confirmed McLaren's continuing recovery from a prolonged slump in form with a determined performance in only his second race. "I don't know where it came from," he said. "The whole race today was more fun than in Australia. "I had better pace than I thought we would have and I enjoyed it. I got knocked down to 12th because of some contact and then got back to P6. It was fun. I could have passed Kimi Raikkonen a couple of laps earlier, but I was trying to be sensible and not take risks. I just used my own initiative." His McLaren team-mate Carlos Sainz was forced to retire for the second successive race after suffering a puncture following an early clash with Max Verstappen's Red Bull as they battled for fifth.
When Dhoni bats, it is difficult for bowlers: Rahane
The Rajasthan Royals (RR) first had the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on the mat at 27/3 and again had the upper hand when they needed 25 off the last 12 balls. But the end result was an 8-run win for the CSK in their Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter at the Chepauk Stadium here. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane made his displeasure known at the end of the game.
Federer refutes Tsitsipas preferential treatment claim
Swiss great Roger Federer has refuted claims by Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas that the most experienced players on the ATP Tour receive preferential treatment from officials. Federer, speaking after landing the 101st title of his career at the Miami Open with a straight sets triumph over defending champion John Isner, strongly disagreed. He acknowledged that umpires might interact differently with players they are more familiar with, but said it didn't amount to preferential treatment. "It's a tough one but what I do feel sometimes is that on the outside courts, more than just preferential treatment to the top guys, they are tougher on the rules," Federer told AFP. "You do something - bang, warning. It's like there is no messing about. "But with the umpires with the top guys on the main courts, I think the umpires know the top guys, they know their problems, they know how they behave and how they will react, so they know what acting stupid or silly means and what normal is. "So because .
Solskjaer defends United tactics after Van Gaal jibe
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes Manchester United back to the scene of his worst result as manager when he visits Wolves on Tuesday, but criticism from Louis van Gaal won't ruffle the Norwegian. Van Gaal made some critical comments in an interview last week in which he claimed only United's results have improved, rather than the style of play, when Solskjaer's team are compared with the group he inherited from Jose Mourinho. It was an observation that seemed to be borne out as United laboured to an uninspiring 2-1 win over Watford on Saturday, Solskjaer's 15th victory in 20 games in charge. But it was also a result that keeps United firmly in contention for a top-four finish, a prospect that looked nearly impossible when Solskjaer took over as caretaker for the sacked Mourinho in December. And, as he prepared to take United back to the scene of their FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Wolves, Solskjaer was happy to launch an impassioned defence of his team's style of football. "Louis is ...
Benzema saves Real Madrid blushes with late Huesca winner
Karim Benzema stopped Real Madrid's underwhelming La Liga season going from bad to worse on Sunday after firing a last-minute winner to hand the European champions a barely-deserved 3-2 winner over bottom club Huesca. Humbled by Ajax in the Champions League and dumped out of the Copa Del Rey by deadly rivals Barca, third-placed Real showed little signs of improvement in Zinedine Zidane's second game in charge but Benzema, subject to rumours he may leave Madrid in the summer for Manchester United, struck with a fine curling finish the to snatch the three points at a sparsely populated Santiago Bernabeu. "We are happy with him and I am going to count on him, now there are nine games left and then we will see what happens. He is a Real Madrid player and I don't think this will change," Zidane said. "You have to accept it. If the people want to come to the Bernabeu to see us so much the better, but I understand that since we are not going to win anything fewer people come." Real move to ..
Unstoppable Mbappe kills off Toulouse resistance
Kylian Mbappe fired Paris Saint-Germain to their eighth straight Ligue 1 win with a stunning goal that earned the champions a 1-0 victory at Toulouse on Sunday and kept them miles clear at the top of the league. The 20-year-old World Cup winner crashed home his 27th league goal of the season, his seventh in as many league games, with 16 minutes left as he continues to shine in the absence of the injured duo Neymar and Edinson Cavani. "We had to wait, be patient and in the end we won with Kylian's speed," said PSG skipper Marquinhos. "It brought a great deal of joy to our fans, I'm sure of that." PSG now have 80 points, 20 ahead of second placed Lille with a game in hand to boot. Coach Thomas Tuchel said he was delighted that the runaway leaders have not been tempted to take their foot off the gas. "Many of our players were away in the international break and there was a bit of fatigue in some of them," said the German. "It could have been tempting to relax, especially with the lead we
Napoli run riot in Rome to pull clear of Inter Milan
Napoli ran riot in Rome on Sunday with a 4-1 victory which pushed Roma out of the European places and consolidated second place for Carlo Ancelotti's side in Serie A ahead of Inter Milan who fell 1-0 at home against Lazio. Juventus closed in on an eighth consecutive Serie A title with on-form teenager Moise Kean scoring the only goal against Empoli on Saturday. Napoli -- a massive 15 points behind -- have almost no chance of winning the title for the first time since 1990 with nine games to go, but have now a ten-point cushion on third-placed Inter. Lazio, with a game in hand, moved up to fifth, three points behind AC Milan who occupy the final Champions League berth and also fell 1-0 to Sampdoria. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic sealed the three points for Lazio after 13 minutes in the San Siro. "It's a heavy defeat against a direct rival," said Inter coach Luciano Spalletti. "We controlled the game for long periods, but were unlucky to waste our chances and then go behind, allowing Lazio ..
Wanted a partnership after early wickets: Dhoni
Coming in to bat at 27/3, the stage was set for a typical MS Dhoni innings at the Chepauk Stadium here and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper did not disappoint as he hit a patient 75 off 46 balls to help the team put on 175 in their 20 overs. The end result was a 8-run win for the lions in their den.
IPL 2019: Ajinkya Rahane fined for slow-over rate
Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane has been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Chennai Super Kings.Rahane has been fined Rs 12 lakh as it was Rajasthan's first offence of the season under the IPL's Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, an IPL statement said.Rajasthan lost their third match by eight runs against Chennai, who registered their third consecutive victory in this season on Sunday.The Rahane-led side will host Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 2 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
IPL 2019: Persistent Chennai Super Kings beat Rajasthan Royals
Chennai Super Kings registered their third consecutive victory in the ongoing 12th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) as they thrashed Rajasthan Royals by 8 runs here on Sunday.Chasing a total of 176, Rajasthan had a substandard beginning as they gave away three wickets swiftly on just 14 runs.Steve Smith and Rahul Tripathi then provided succour to Rajasthan by forming a 61-run partnership giving the host a bit of relief after a puny start. Both the players later became victims of Imran Tahir.Ben Stokes and Krishnappa Gowtham then came out to bat but Gowtham too was sent back to the pavilion quickly, bringing Jofra Archer to the field. Both the players played some stormy shots which brought the match to a stage where Rajasthan needed 12 runs off 6 balls.Bravo bowled a stunning spell restricting the hosts to 167 runs helping his side win the match by 8 runs.Earlier, Rajasthan won the toss and decided to bowl first. Chennai came to bat but espied a very quick blow in the name of ...
IPL 2019: Chennai clinches thriller vs Rajasthan
Chennai Super Kings rode a valiant innings by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and dominated with both bat and ball to defeat Rajasthan Royals by eight runs in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Sunday.
Dhoni's intelligent batting in tough conditions scripts CSK's 3rd win on trot
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's well-calculated half-century in challenging conditions turned out to be game-changer as Chennai Super Kings won their third match of the season with a eight-run defeat of Rajasthan Royals, here Sunday. The pitch used in the previous match was a rank turner here but on Sunday it turned to be a different challenge for the batsmen since it was not conducive for stroke-play as the ball was stopping a bit. Dhoni paced his innings beautifully, scoring unbeaten 75 off 46 balls to lead his side to a competitive 175 for five, seizing momentum from Royals bowlers who were off to an inspiring start. The Royals needed someone to play a Dhoni-like innings but none took that responsibility and they could manage 167 for 8, suffering their third defeat in as many matches. Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer took the chase deep with their fiery 44-run stand but Dwayne Bravo bowled a brilliant last over, defending 12 runs that Royals needed to score to claim the win. Dhoni used his vast .
Should have tried something different, says Kidambi after India Open final defeat
Srikanth Kidambi enunciated that he did not try anything different which became the cause for his defeat in the India Open 2019 men's singles grand finale that helped Danish player Viktor Axelsen to dominate and clinch the title here on Sunday."I have not played anything differently and I think that was the reason I lost, I should have tried something different," Kidambi told reporters during the post-match conference.Axelsen subjugated Kidambi in the first set and the latter looked tenuous as the former won the set by 21-7. Axelsen continued his domination during the second set as well but Kidambi gave a tough fight this time around but not enough to win the set consequently Axelsen won the second set by 22-20 as well as the title.Accessing his performance, Kidambi opined that, "I was a little slow, gave him too many chances to attack but I think I came back well in the second set but he was a little brave in the end to pull out those point in such a way.""For me, I am just very ...
Hamilton wins Bahrain Grand Prix after Leclerc heartbreak
Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton took advantage of Ferrari new boy Charles Leclerc's wretched misfortune on Sunday when he claimed a dramatic victory for Mercedes in the Bahrain Grand Prix. The five-time champion, who looked to be heading for second behind the 21-year-old Monegasque, gained the lead with 10 laps remaining when Formula One's new star, who claimed a record-breaking pole position for Ferrari on Saturday, was hit by engine problems. As he slowed, Hamilton hunted him down to claim his first win of the season, his third at the Bahrain International Circuit and the 74th of his career ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Leclerc came home third as the race finished behind a Safety Car, following the spectacular late exit of both Renaults at Turn Two, ahead of Max Verstappen of Red Bull. "It happens," said a calm Leclerc afterwards. "It's part of motor sport. It's a very hard one to take, but I am sure we ...
Prayas called to say sorry after match: Father
Prayas Ray Barman, who on Sunday became the youngest player to make an Indian Premier League (IPL) debut when he turned out for Royal Challengers Bangalore, apologised to his father first thing after the game in which his side lost crushingly
Hamilton wins Bahrain Grand Prix as Leclerc suffers heartbreak
World champion Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday as Charles Leclerc saw his hopes of a maiden victory shattered by his misfiring Ferrari. Hamilton claimed victory under the safety car in front of Mercedes teammate Valterri Bottas, who won the season-opener in Australia, with pole sitter Leclerc taking third place. Sebastian Vettel, in the second Ferrari, was fifth just behind Max Verstappen in a Red Bull.
Dhoni's 75 help Chennai reach 175/5 vs Mumbai
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's valiant effort guided Chennai Super Kings to a challenging 175/5 against Rajasthan Royals in an Indian Premier League clash here on Sunday.
Youngest IPL debutant Prayas managing RCB and CBSE tests at same time
Managing class 12 CBSE exams and becoming the youngest IPL debutant at the same time can be a difficult task, but Royal Challengers Bangalore leg-spinner Prayas Ray Barman just did that. Having conceded 0/56 runs from his four overs, the Bengal teenager may not have passed the RCB test with flying colours but his only solace was the entire bowling unit failed as a whole against the assault of the Jonny Bairstow (114) and David Warner (100 not out) as Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 231 for 2 en route to a massive 118-run win. Just a couple of days ago, Prayas, who studies commerce at the Kalyani Public School in Kolkata and was to appear for his Economics paper, on Sunday hit the headlines by becoming the youngest IPL debutant at 16 years and 157 days. The previous youngest was Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb-ur-Rahman at 17 years and 11 days for Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2018. RCB next play Rajasthan Royals on April 2 and the very next day he will again be back in Kolkata for his Entrepreneurship
IPL SCOREBOARD: CSK vs RR
Scoreboard of the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings, here Sunday. Chennai Super Kings: Ambati Rayudu c Buttler b Archer 1 Shane Watson c Archer b Stokes 13 Suresh Raina b Unadkat 36 Kedar Jadhav c Buttler b Kulkarni 8 MS Dhoni not out 75 Dwayne Bravo c Kulkarni b Archer 27 Ravindra Jadeja not out 8 Extras (LB-1, NB-1 WD-5) 7 Total (in 20 overs for 5 wickets) 175 Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-14, 3-27, 4-88, 5-144. Bowling: D Kulkarni 4-0-37-1, J Archer 4-1-17-2, B Stokes 3-0-30-1, S Gopal 3-0-23-0, K Gowtham 2-0-13-0, J Unadkar 4-0-54-1.