Page 420 - Sports
Dhoni's intelligent batting in tough conditions takes CSK to 175/5
Negotiating largely disciplined bowlers on a tricky pitch, skipper MS Dhoni produced a well-calculated half-century as Chennai Super Kings posted 175 for five against Rajasthan Royals in an IPL game, here Sunday. The pitch used in the previous match was a rank turner but today it turned to be a different challenge for the batsmen since it was not conducive for stroke-play and helped pacers initially. Dhoni paced his innings beautifully scoring unbeaten 75 off 46 balls to seize momentum from Royals bowlers who were off to an inspiring start. Dhoni and Suresh Raina (36) added 61 runs for the fourth wicket, pushing the ball around and later the former India skipper raised a 56-run stand with West Indies' Dwayne Barvo, who added quick 27 runs. The dew is already troubling the bowlers and it will be a challenge for the home bowlers to control the ball. Dhoni used his vast experience to read the conditions and mostly worked the ball around to keep the scoreboard ticking. Whenever he got ...
Golf: Rashid, Chikkarangappa finish best Indians
Rashid Khan and Chikkarangappa S. finished as the best Indians at the Indian Open here on Sunday.
One of our worst defeats in IPL: Kohli
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli on Sunday termed their 118-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad as one of their worst losses ever in the Indian Premier League.
Super Cup: Real Kashmir look to upset ATK
Real Kashmir FC would look to upset Indian Super League side ATK when the two teams meet in a Super Cup round of 16 clash here on Monday.
India will win World Cup, says MSK Prasad
Indian Cricket Selection Committee chairman MSK Prasad on Sunday hoped that his team will definitely win the World Cup which is scheduled to be held in England.Prasad while showing his confidence in the India team also said that the squad for the 2019 World Cup will be announced on or before April 20."I had a good 'darshan' of the God along with my family. So far as Indian cricket team is concerned, we will be announcing our team for the World Cup on or before April 20," he said."I am confident that we are going to announce a good team. We have worked on this for almost one and a half years. We have observed all the players, tested good combinations," he said."We are confident that the team we will announce, will definitely win the World Cup to be held in England in 2019," Prasad told reporters during his visit to the temple of Lord Sri Kalahasteeswara at Srikalahasti town.Prasad even appealed the people to use their right to vote as the Lok Sabha elections are approaching. Prasad ...
IPL 2019: Sunrisers Hyderabad win, RCB continue their losing streak
Sunrisers Hyderabad thrashed Royal Challengers Bangalore by 118 runs to register their second victory in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Sunday.Chasing a ginormous target of 232, RCB had a lousy start as half of their squad was sent back to the pavilion by the Hyderabad's bowlers when they had just 30 runs on the scoreboard.Mohammad Nabi, who came in as a replacement for Kane Williamson, showed a wondrous performance as he bundled off four RCB batsmen back to the pavilion in his four overs, and gave away just 11 runs, putting the visitors under immense pressure.Colin de Grandhomme and the youngest player ever to feature in IPL, Prayas Ray Barman, 16, helped Bangalore get a bit closer to the total as they stitched a 51 runs partnership and helped visitors avoid a humiliating defeat.Sandeep Sharma got hold of Barman and then the final four batsmen too joined the other players in the pavilion after reaching a total of just 113 ...
Khawaja propels Australia to 327-7 in fifth ODI
Opener Usman Khawaja missed a deserved hundred by two runs as Australia punished Pakistan in the fifth and final one-day international in Dubai on Sunday. Khawaja was all set for his third hundred this month but fell for 98 which lifted Australia to an imposing 327-7 in 50 overs after they were sent into bat on a flat Dubai stadium pitch. Glenn Maxwell celebrated his 100th one-day international with a thumping 33-ball 70, Shaun Marsh scored 68-ball 61 and skipper Aaron Finch made 69-ball 53 to lead a run spree against a hapless Pakistan bowling attack. It was Maxwell's ten fours and three sixes that helped Australia to 107 runs in the last ten overs. He was finally bowled by paceman Junaid Khan who finished with three wickets for 73. Khawaja, who hit ten boundaries in his 111-ball innings, set the platform with a solid 134-run opening stand with Finch for pair's second hundred run stand in the series, which Australia lead 4-0. Finch was finally bowled by pacer Usman Shinwari, ...
Delhi Dynamos not happy with "inept handling" of Super Cup organisers
Indian Super League side Delhi Dynamos Sunday took a swipe at the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and others involved in the organisation of the Super Cup tournament after they were handed a walkover for the second time. The Delhi-based side reached the quarterfinals of the country's premier knock-out tournament on Saturday after East Bengal did not turn up for the round of 16 match in Bhubaneswar. Earlier on March 16, Delhi Dynamos were handed a walkover after I-League side Gokulam Kerala did not turn up for the qualifying round match of the tournament organised by the AIFF. "Owing to the inept handling of the situation by all concerned, Delhi Dynamos have had to travel to Bhubaneswar for the second time and get a walkover in the ongoing Super Cup. @eastbengalfc failed to show up for their clash," the club tweeted. The tweet did not mention the AIFF but it was clear whom it was directed to. An alliance of I-League clubs had demanded a meeting with the AIFF President Praful Patel
118-run defeat against Sunrisers is one of our worst losses in IPL: Kohli
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli termed Sunday's 118-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad as one of their "worst losses ever" in the Indian Premier League. Jonny Bairstow and David Warner smashed sensational centuries to guide Sunrisers to a comprehensive 118-run win over struggling RCB. Englishman Bairstow struck 114 from just 56 balls while Warner carried his bat for a 55-ball 100 in a record 185-run first-wicket partnership to post a mammoth 231 for two, a total which the visitors defended without any fuss. This was RCB's third loss on the trot in the tournament. "One of our worst losses ever. Literally nothing I can explain. Nothing went right for us from ball one until our last wicket fell in the second innings. We were outplayed in all departments by a quality side. They showed that they are a champion side - they were finalists last time and beat us in the final (in 2016)," a dejected Kohli said after the match. Kohli credited Bairstow and Warner for taking the
Rahane wins toss, asks Chennai to bat; Harbhajan out
Rajasthan Royals skipper Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to field against Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League (IPL) contest at the Chepauk Stadium, here on Sunday.
Standard of umpiring in India Open inconsistent: Gopichand
Chief national coach Pullela Gopichand Sunday questioned the standard of umpiring during the India Open badminton tournament, calling it inconsistent. On Saturday, Indian men's doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy were called twice for service fault by the umpire during their semifinal match against the Indonesian duo of Ricky Karandasuwardi and Angga Pratama, which they lost 12-21 17-21. According to the new BWF rule which was implemented last year, 'the whole of the shuttle shall be below 1.15 metres from the surface of the court at the instant of being hit by the server's racket'. Gopichand said: "I think Sumeeth was a little unlucky yesterday. I think when umpires don't call you in the entire week and they call you on a particular day, I think there's something wrong with the standard of umpiring in terms of consistency." Talking about the performance of the home shuttlers at the India Open, Gopichand said: "Few of the Indians lost to each other so I would have liked ...
Gallacher ends five-year title drought with Hero Indian Open win
Scotland's Stephen Gallacher turned the clock back with a sterling finish, hitting three birdies in the last four holes to win the Hero Indian Open and end his five-year title drought, here Sunday. The 44-year-old Gallacher kept his head and stayed calm to become the second successive player from the United Kingdom to win the Hero Indian Open after Matt Wallace of England. On what is the Mother's Day back in his native Scotland, it was a father and son show in New Delhi, with 18-year-old son Jack caddying for Gallacher this season. "It was great to have him on the bag and Mother's Day as well makes it even more special," said Gallacher. "I have always loved coming to India. I love my curries and to have my son, Jack, on the bag for the win was special. "Last year I played in the final group with Matt Wallace and I enjoyed. I finished seventh last year, so it felt great to get this Trophy this time around," he added. Pawan Munjal, chairman, Hero MotoCorp, gave away the Hero Indian Open
Sunrisers ride to massive win on Bairstow, Warner tons
Jonny Bairstow and David Warner struck whirlwind centuries as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) cantered to a 118-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) clash here on Sunday.
Real Kashmir look to upset ATK in Super Cup
An I-League title contender at one stage before eventually finishing third, Real Kashmir FC would look to cause an upset win against Indian Super League side ATK when the two teams clash in a Super Cup round of 16 match here on Monday. Real Kashmir had an impressive I-League debut season, causing quite a few upsets and given the quality at hand, they will be a tough customer for the Kolkata-based ATK side who have finished sixth in the IPL. Reak Kashmir head coach David Robertson said ATK have experienced players but made it clear that his side can beat any opponent on their day. "It is going to be a very difficult game. They have got highly experienced players. Their budget is multiple times than ours. This season only two teams have beaten (I-League champions) Chennai City. We beat them twice. On our day, we can beat anyone," he said. "I think for us it is a good test for our players and the team to see how far we have come," said the Scottish coach. He also talked about the ...
Bairstow, Warner show demolish Sunrisers by 118 runs
Jonny Bairstow and David Warner smashed sensational centuries to guide Sunrisers Hyderabad to a comprehensive 118-run win over struggling Royal Challengers Bangalore in an Indian Premier League match here Sunday. Englishman Bairstow struck 114 from just 56 balls while Warner carried his bat for a 55-ball 100 in a record 185-run first-wicket partnership to post a mammoth 231 for two after being put into bat. Bairstow punished RCB with 12 fours and seven sixes while Warner hit five fours and as many sixes in his 55-ball knock. With a gigantic target to eclipse, RCB needed a rollicking start but the visitors' chase never got going as they kept on losing wickets to be bundled out for 113 in 19.5 overs. It was RCB's third consecutive loss in the tournament, while Sunrisers registered their second win out of three games this season. Playing his first IPL match this season, Afghan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi did the early damage as he picked up three quick wickets -- two in his second over -- .
Axelsen beats Srikanth to win India Open 2019
Viktor Axelsen dashed Indian hopes with a 21-7, 22-20 win over Kidambi Srikanth at the India Open 2019 final, here on Sunday.
I have put my injury behind, says Axelsen after winning India Open
Former world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark Sunday said he has finally put his ankle injury behind him following the title win at the India Open here. After winning five titles, including the World Championship and BWF Super Series Finals in 2017, Axelsen had to undergo an ankle surgery early last year, which forced him to miss the All England Championships. He recovered to win the Indonesia Open Super 1000 but has struggled in the second half of the year. The former world no. 1, however, made a promising start this year with a title win at the Barcelona Spain Masters and a final appearance at the All England before claiming the India Open crown. "Now I can say that I have put the injury behind me," Axelsen told reporters after defeating Kidambi Srikanth in straight games in the final Sunday. "It has taken a lot of time and Srikanth here knows how an injury can take a toll and how long it takes to comeback to normal fitness and level of play. So I am just happy the way I came ...
Sri Lanka Test captain arrested after traffic accident
Sri Lankan Test cricket captain Dimuth Karunaratne has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after an accident in the capital, police said Sunday. Karunaratne, 30, was taken into custody following the pre-dawn accident that resulted in the driver of a three-wheel taxi being taken to hospital. "We have released him on personal bail, but he was asked to be in court on Monday for a magisterial inquiry," a police spokesman said, adding that his vehicle was detained. The incident comes as Sri Lankan cricket officials mull who to name as captain of the one-day squad for the World Cup hosted by England and Wales from May 30. Karunaratne, who led Sri Lanka to a stunning Test series victory against South Africa last month, had been in the frame to lead the one-day side as well. Sri Lanka's cricket board said it would investigate the incident. "Sri Lanka Cricket will also follow the due process as per his 'Player Contractual Obligation' ... and conduct an inquiry
Fallen giant Lisicki eyes unlikely Wimbledon comeback
The 2013 Wimbledon finalist Sabine Lisicki has said she is hoping to make an unlikely return to the All England Club this summer after a dramatic decline in recent years. Lisicki, 29, has battled a string of injuries and plummeted to 298th in the world rankings since losing the Wimbledon final in straight sets to Marion Bartoli. She was knocked out in the first round of Wimbledon in 2017, and failed to qualify in 2018. Yet in an interview with Bild on Sunday, the German tennis star said that she is determined to return to the biggest stage. "I have unfinished business at Wimbledon, and it would be great if I can be there this summer," said Lisicki. She will return to WTA tour action this week, having been granted a wild card for the Charleston Open. Though she will turn 30 in the autumn, the German insisted that she is not too old to make a comeback. "There are plenty of good players who are older than 30 and are celebrating the biggest successes of their careers," she said. Lisicki ..
India Open 2019: Kidambi loses to Axelsen in finals
Srikanth Kidambi lost the opportunity to bag his second India Open 2019 men's singles title as he faced a 7-21, 20-22 defeat from Danish player Viktor Axelsen during the grand final at KD Jadhav Indoor hall here on Sunday.In the first set, Kidambi looked helpless as the world number four dominated and concluded the set by 21-7 to have an easy win.The second set too started off in a similar manner as Axelsen took the lead but Kidambi regained some momentum and took a lead of one point 16-15 and continued with his good performance to have a two-point lead 20-18.But Axelsen made a strong comeback, won four back-to-back points to wrap up the game and clinched the title off Kidambi's hand by winning the second set as well by 20-22.In 2015, Kidambi faced Axelsen for India open finals but that year, Kidambi overpowered Axelsen to win his first India Open title.The prize money for the winner this year is USD 350,000.