Page 429 - Sports
Gonzalo Higuain retires from international football
Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 31.
The spirit of cricket (Comment: Close-in)
The word "Mankade" has been etched quite prominently in the history of cricket. In 1947, one of India's great cricketers, Vinoo Mankad, ran out Bill Brown in a Test match in Australia for being out of the crease when Mankad was in his bowling delivery stride. Although, Mankad had warned the batsman, even when they played a first class game earlier, the stigma of his action has remained forever. Cricket, has always been looked at as,"a gentleman's game" and the famous phrase commonly used in the English language, "it's just not cricket" for anything that is unfair or dishonest explains it so correctly.
Ronaldo absence gives Kean chance to shine at Juventus
Cristiano Ronaldo's absence through injury could give Moise Kean the chance to shine with Juventus after the teenager's stunning breakthrough with Italy during the international break. Ronaldo looks set to miss the champions next three Serie A games, against Empoli on Saturday, Cagliari on April 2, and AC Milan four days later after picking up a right thigh injury playing for Portugal. The 34-year-old was rested by Juventus in their last Serie A game, after his hat-trick against Atletico Madrid sealed a place in the Champions League quarter-finals against Ajax. And without the Portuguese star Massimiliano Allegri's side suffered their first league defeat this season 2-0 against Genoa. Juventus are still closing in on an eighth consecutive Scudetto with a 15-point gap on second-placed Napoli. And Kean will be hoping to get a chance to showcase his talents for their first game at home against Empoli since their dramatic victory over Atletico in the Allianz Stadium. The 19-year-old won ..
Man City, Liverpool eye home straight as Solskjaer plots top-four finish
Manchester City and Liverpool enter the Premier League home straight this weekend as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes his position in the Manchester United dugout for the first time as permanent boss. With the international break over, City have eight games to retain their title but should they slip up, Liverpool arew poised to pounce and become English champions for the first time since 1990 by winning their seven matches to come. Pep Guardiola's City, trailing Liverpool by two points, can crank up the pressure on Jurgen Klopp's side by winning at Championship-bound Fulham on Saturday. Liverpool have the far harder task of hosting Tottenham on Sunday but know that a win will be a huge step towards the title with a relatively kind fixture list to come, barring a home game against Chelsea. "A season is like that, you constantly prepare a basis for the final weeks," Klopp told Liverpool's official website. "We are now in the final weeks and there will be no interruption anymore, there will ...
McIlroy wins, Tiger falls, Day ousted at WGC-Match Play
Rory McIlroy remained unbeaten, Tiger Woods suffered a critical loss and defending champion Bubba Watson and two-time winner Jason Day were eliminated at the WGC-Match Play Championship. The 64-player showdown featuring the world ranking leaders at Austin (Texas) Country Club starts with three days of group play to determine 16 berths in weekend knockout matches to decide a champion. Fourth seed McIlroy defeated South Africa's 47th-seeded Justin Harding 3&2, eagles at the par-5 12th and 16th and a birdie at the par-4 15th tipping a squared match his way to give him a 2-0 record and group lead. "One of the big things over the last couple of days is I've been happy with how I've responded. I played the shot when I needed to -- I holed the putt when I needed to. "When I sense a little bit of blood I'm taking my opportunities. Whenever I have to step up and hit a shot on top of a guy I've been able to do that really well." McIlroy, who has never trailed in two days, needs only a draw .
Australia's Kieran Govers to conduct short camp for Indian strikers next month
Decorated former Australia hockey player Kieran Govers will be in India next month to conduct a short camp exclusively for the strikers. Govers, an Olympic bronze winner and two World Cup gold medallist, will conduct a short seven-to-eight days camp for the Indian strikers from among the core probables at the SAI South Centre in Bengaluru. The camp is a part of Hockey India's ongoing developmental programme. "Kieran Govers will be here next month for a short camp with the strikers. The camp is exclusively for the strikers. After the strikers' camp, we will also have exclusive camps for defenders and goalkeepers," a source privy to the development told PTI on condition of anonymity. "These camps are part of preparations for the Olympic Qualifiers." A similar camp for strikers of the women's team was held under former Australia player Glenn Turner in Bengaluru in December last year. Govers was handpicked to conduct the camp after legendary Jamie Dwyer turned down an offer, citing ...
Kashyap wants to take up coaching in future
A constant presence at the coach's chair during wife Saina Nehwal's matches, Indian shuttler Parupalli Kashyap says he is eager to take up full time coaching once he retires from the game. But, he said retirement is the last thing he is thinking right now. A former world number 6, Kashyap has set a target of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, though many would feel a tough task for him. Currently ranked at 55, Kashyap -- a 2014 Commonwealth Games champion -- has not reached a semifinal of a top-tier tournament (Super series or Super 500) in close to four years. He reached the 2017 US Open Grand Prix Gold final and also won the Austrian Open International challenge in 2018. "I enjoy coaching and would love to take it forward in future," Kashyap said after recording his fourth win, a sublime 21-11, 21-13 triumph, over Thailand's Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk to enter the quarterfinals of India Open here. "But I am not done yet (as a player). I want to perform this year and make it to the ...
Controversy-hit KXIP look for home advantage against MI
A controversy-laden first two games at their back, Kings XI Punjab will look to exploit familiar conditions in their first home match of the IPL when they take on Mumbai Indians here Saturday. It has been a roller-coaster ride for KXIP, having to endure a controversy involving their captain Ravichandran Ashwin who 'Mankaded' Rajasthan Royals batsman Jos Buttler in their first match, an act which was legal but criticised by some as against the 'Spirit of Cricket'. In their second game against Kolkata Knight Riders, Ashwin's team was penalised for not keeping four men in the 30-yard circle and Andre Russell made full use of the reprieve to take the game away from KXIP. Ashwin and Co. will now look to forget all these unsavoury happenings of the first two games and start afresh in their first match at the PCA Stadium on Saturday. With the tournament still in its early stages and the two teams having won a game each, the balance is not tilted in anyone's favour and the Saturday's tie is ..
I try to control the controllables, says Bumrah; Krunal Pandya calls him legend
Called a legend by his Mumbai Indians teammate Krunal Pandya, India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah says he backs himself to deliver no matter what the situation is and always focusses on his strengths. Bumrah's 3/20 in four overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore was crucial to Mumbai Indians' six-run triumph in an IPL clash here on Thursday. "You go ball by ball and you try to control the controllables. You try to back yourself in the situation," the man of the match winner said in the presentation ceremony. "You don't go too far behind, I was just focussing on my plan and trying to back my strengths. I always try to back myself in any situation and execute the plan to perfection. I have always taken care of my body," added the pacer, who had hurt his shoulder in the previous match but got fit just in time for this game. All-rounder Krunal Pandya was gushing in his praise for the bowler, who is ranked No.1 in the ICC world rankings. "It was a great game. We were in-out throughout ...
Battle of spinners looms at Kotla
Delhi Capitals will be playing on their home turf but there is a possibility that the conditions may turn out to be favourable for the visiting Kolkata Knight Riders when the two teams clash in an IPL match here Saturday. In the last match too, it was Chennai Super Kings who exploited the slow conditions at Kotla better than the home side with their spinners taking full advantage of the track on which batting became challenging as the game wore on. KKR also have a world-class spin bowling attack led by India's premier bowler Kuldeep Yadav. The wily Sunil Narine, along with Piyush Chawla, makes it a very potent attack. Both Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant have been in good form but it remains to be seen if the Feroze Shah Kotla track and the KKR spin trio allow them to free their arms. Pant has made an inspiring start this season with blistering knocks (78 and 25) in the first two games and Dhawan too has been in good nick. Both of them know the conditions well and would require to use
Battered KXIP look to bounce back against MI (Preview)
With the 'Mankading' shadow still hovering over them, a deflated Kings XI Punjab will look to get their house in order when they take on Mumbai Indians in their first Indian Premier League (IPL) home game this season at the IS Bindra Stadium here on Saturday.
Pat Cummins to be rested for final two ODI's against Pakistan
Australia's leading fast-bowler Pat Cummins will miss the remaining two ODIs against Pakistan and he is set to return to Australia to rest ahead of the World Cup.Australia have already secured the series against Pakistan after winning the third ODI, and looking at the packed schedule of the team (World Cup and Ashes), the Aussies are taking no risks with their star player and he will fly back to Australia as a precaution, cricket.com.au reported.Cummins missed the first two ODI's of the five-match series against Pakistan and he only played in the third ODI in which he was able to take three wickets as Australia grabbed an unassailable 3-0 series lead.The 25-year-old bowler joins Jhye Richardson in returning home early as the latter injured his shoulder in Sharjah.Australia will now only have three frontline quicks to choose from for the final two ODI's- Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jason Behrendorff and Kane Richardson.The exit of Cummins will now give a chance to likes of Coulter-Nile, ...
I felt like Broad when Yuvi walloped me for three successive sixes: Chahal
Royal Challengers Bangalore spinner Yuzvendra Chahal said he felt like Stuart Broad when Mumbai Indians' veteran swashbuckler Yuvraj Singh smashed three sixes in one of his overs. Yuvraj struck Chahal for consecutive sixes in the 14th over of the match which Mumbai won by six runs on Thursday night. "When he (Yuvraj) hit three sixes, I felt like Stuart Broad," Chahal said referring to the six consecutive maximums in the 2007 T20 World Cup that Yuvraj had hit off Englishman Broad. However, Chahal managed to get Yuvraj off the fourth delivery of his over, caught by Mohammad Siraj in the deep after he had scored a quick-fire 23 off 12 balls. "You know he is a legend batsman and I backed myself. I had to bowl a bit up, might be a chance to get him out because it is a smaller ground. So that time, I thought of bowling my best delivery and he got sixes. That you cannot help and hence I bowled a wider googly," he told reporters in post-match session. On September 19, 2007, in a World T20 ...
Bumrah more mature, Pandya also stepping up: Rohit Sharma
Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma feels pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Pandya keep raising the bar for excellence with every game they play. Mumbai edged past Royal Challengers Bangalore by six runs in their IPL clash on Thursday night and Sharma was lavish in his praise for Bumrah, who picked up three wickets, and Pandya, who scored 32 off 14 deliveries. "I think Bumrah is more than mature now. Yes, his performance keeps growing everyday. He is a very dedicated individual and takes his game very seriously. He is quite regular with his work ethics," he told reporters in the post-match press conference here. Bumrah's three wickets came off 20 runs which proved cucial in restricting RCB six short of the 187 runs put up by Mumbai Indians. Sharma said Bumrah gave a crucial breakthrough by sending back RCB captain Virat Kohli, who was going great guns along with AB De Villiers at one point of the match. "Bumrah is very smart. We know the class of Virat ...
Smith, Warner 'paid price', says cricket chief as boycott threat revealed
Australian cricket chief Kevin Roberts insisted the return of Steve Smith and David Warner will not disrupt the resurgent team as a report on Friday revealed senior players threatened a boycott in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal. One-year bans slapped on the former captain and his deputy for their part in the scandal dubbed "Sandpaper-gate" expired overnight and the pair are free to play at state and international level again. Warner was widely seen as the instigator of the plot during the third Test in Cape Town last year to use sandpaper to alter the ball, with rookie opener Cameron Bancroft carrying it out and Smith turning a blind eye. The Sydney Morning Herald reported Friday that star bowlers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon all intended to pull out of the fourth Test in South Africa if Warner was not removed from the team. Citing multiple sources, it said "the revelation highlights the extent of the fracture within the dressing-room in the ...
Bumrah bowling outstandingly, he is legend: Krunal
After conceding 31 runs from his last 2 overs against Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians pacer Jasprit Bumrah came back with a bang against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Thursday as he finished with figures of 3/20 from his four overs. While one of his three scalps was none other than RCB skipper Virat Kohli, the more impressive fact was that he gave away just 1 run off the 17th over.
Federer books Shapovalov showdown in Miami
Roger Federer will make Denis Shapovalov's dream come true on Friday after the Swiss booked a Miami Open semi-final against the Canadian starlet with a ruthless 6-0 6-4 destruction of Kevin Anderson. Shapovalov, who beat fellow young gun Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-2 to reach his third ATP Masters semi-final, grew up idolising and studying the 20 time Slam-winning Swiss legend who once again rolled back the years with a sublime show at Hard Rock Stadium. This will be their first meeting and one the Canadian, who will break into the top 20 when the rankings are released next week, cannot wait for. "It's a match up I have been looking forward to my whole life, a high stakes match against your idol. It's just a dream come true," said Shapovalov. "I will try and approach it like any other game, try and enjoy it, give it my all. It will be a difficult match but I am just happy to have a chance to play him." Federer may have been the 19-year-old's hero but he's attempted to learn from .
Contributing to the team's victory makes you feel better: Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch, the Australian skipper is riding high as his team has won six consecutive ODI matches in a row and his form has been exceptional in the ongoing series against Pakistan recording scores of 116, 153* and 90 in the three matches.The captain on Thursday said that contributing to the team's string of wins makes him feel better."Winning is the most important thing and being able to contribute to that with the bat is obviously important, and it makes you feel better, you do not lose as much sleep worrying about a lot of the stuff that occupies your mind as a captain [and] really worrying about your own form, your own technique, things that could go wrong. At times you get into quite a negative frame of mind when things aren't going your way," International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Finch as saying.The captain was going through a bad patch as he recorded just one fifty-plus score (93 in the third ODI at Ranchi) in the recently concluded series against India. He said that ...
Lucian Goian's investment in Indian culture has helped our team: Amrinder Singh
Mumbai City FC may have lost the semi-final 2-5 to FC Goa in the recently concluded Indian Super League (ISL), but the team's goal-keeper Amrinder Singh on Thursday said that Lucian Goian, the manager of Mumbai FC, takes a lot of interest in Indian culture, which, in turn, has helped the side tackle pressure."He is so much invested in the Indian culture now that he has started to pick up the language quite often. That helps a lot when we are in clutch situations on the pitch," he hangs out with me a lot off the field. So he has picked the Punjabi language through the songs. It was a huge surprise for me when I first saw him singing along to a Punjabi song," All India Football Federation (AIFF) quoted Amrinder as saying."At the end of last season Goian promised me that he would sing the Indian National Anthem on the pitch one day, and he did it, it did not take him long. He kept his promise," he added.The goalkeeper said that the team is hungry to record more impressive performances ...
Roger Federer storms into Miami Open semi-finals
Tennis maestro Roger Federer displayed his trademark game on the court as he won 6-0, 6-4 against the sixth seed Kevin Anderson in the quarter-finals of the Miami Open on Thursday (local time).Federer was seen playing with an attacking mindset, bringing his 'A' game to the tennis court, displaying cheeky net skills and crafty slices from side to side. This proved too much for Anderson, who was not able to replicate his 2018 Wimbledon comeback.The Swiss only landed 38 per cent of his first serves, but he was able to defend his second serve without any problems. The Swiss tennis star easily won the first set in 26 minutes.Anderson seemed to have recovered from the 26-minute opening set and the 0-6, 0-2 deficit, breaking Federer to get back on serve at 3-3 in the second set.But the pressure piled up once again on Anderson at 4-4, and after a marathon 14-minute game, Federer showed his craftiness once again and he was able to take the second set 6-4.As a result of this win, the ...