Page 497 - Sports
Indian women gift England 3rd women's T20 match, lose series 0-3
India snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as England beat the hosts by one run in the third and final women's Twenty20 International, completing a series whitewash here Saturday. Chasing England's modest 119 for six, the Indians had only themselves to blame as they were on course to register a consolation win after having lost the first two matches. India needed just three runs from the final over with veteran Mithali Raj well set at the crease on 30 off 32 balls, but the ODI skipper was left stranded at the other end and didn't get an opportunity to face a single delivery in the final over of Kate Cross (2/18). Bharati Fulmali (5 off 13) was guilty of wasting the opening three deliveries of the final over before handing Cross her first wicket, a straight forward catch to Anya Shrubsole at mid-off while trying to clear the in-field. It was an insensible display of batting from the Indian lower-order as new batswoman Anuja Patil too try to go for a big shot in the next delivery ...
Pakistan wants ICC action against Indian team for wearing army caps
Pakistan Minister Fawad Chaudhry has asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take action against the Indian cricket team for "politicising" the game by donning army caps during their third One-Day International (ODI) match against Australia.
Diksha Dagar moves up to seventh in NSW Open
Diksha Dagar continued her upward movement in the Women's New South Wales Open with a sterling third round display that put her in sight of her first Top-10 as a pro outside India. The left-handed Dagar, who has been playing well in Australia in her rookie season, was aided by an eagle on par-5 third hole to card two-under 69 on the heels of a 67 a round earlier. She is placed tied seventh with a five-under 208, five shots behind the leaders, defending champion Meghan MacLaren and Lynn Carlsson, who share the lead at 10-under-par. Dagar's fellow Indians, Amandeep Drall (70) was lying T-32 and Astha Madan (71) was T-34th. It is a rare occasion that three Indian women have made the cut in Ladies European Tour event outside India. Dagar, who has won a pro event while being an amateur on her home Tour of the Women's Golf Association of India (WGAI), eagled the third and then birdied the ninth. She gave away shots on 11th and 13th but made some amends with a closing birdie on 18th. The ...
Lahiri overcomes early woes, makes cut in Florida; Fleetwood, Bradley lead
Anirban Lahiri staged a superb fight back to make the halfway cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a three-under 69 in the second round, here. Lahiri, who was two-over for the first round, seemed to be in serious trouble with a double bogey start that put him in danger of a missing the cut but managed to get to one-under for the tournament, which saw him improve 30 places from Tied-72nd to Tied-42nd. Tommy Fleetwood, using new clubs, landed two eagles enroute to a 66 that put him at nine-under 135 and later Keegan Bradley made six birdies in his 68 to join him in a share of the lead. Fleetwood, a three-time winner on the European Tour, and 2017 No. 1 on Race of Dubai, is looking for his first win in United States. Lahiri shrugged aside the botched-up start by showing tremendous accuracy off the tee thereafter. He birdied the third, but bogeyed the fourth where he hit into the fairway but then went into the rough off the second. Putting all that behind, Lahiri did not put a foot .
Juventus crush Udinese 4-1
Juventus cruised to a 4-1 victory over Udinese in a warm-up for the Bianconeri's decisive Champions League clash next week with Atletico Madrid.
Mark Ramprakash removed as England's batting coach
Former cricketer Mark Ramprakash has lost his job as England's batting coach, with Graham Thorpe expected to take over for the upcoming Ashes series."I have just been informed that I will not be involved in the Ashes series, It has been a huge privilege to support the team over the last five years, I would like to wish all the staff and players the very best of luck for the future," Ramprakash wrote on his Twitter account.Ramprakash worked with the national team since 2014 and recently focused on the Test format whereas Thorpe worked regularly with the ODI set-up.The former England player was supposed to be on contract until the end of summer but he has been ousted ahead of schedule.His last England assignment was the 2-1 series loss against Windies.Ramprakash is the second senior member after Paul Farbrace of the backroom team to leave ahead of head coach Trevor Bayliss's departure in September.
Dhoni rested for remaining Australia ODIs
Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been rested for the remaining two One-day Internationals (ODIs) of the five-match rubber against Australia.
Serena out-guns Azarenka to reach Indian Wells 3rd rd
Serena Williams out-gunned Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-3 in an electrifying clash of former world number ones to reach the third round at Indian Wells. The two raised the temperature on a cold, windy night in the California desert, trading shots from every corner of the court before Williams wrapped things up after two hours and 17 minutes She finished it off in style, with a pair of unreturnable serves. "It was really good for me to kind of fight through that, because literally I had to fight for every point," Williams said. The display worthy of a final came in the second round thanks to Azarenka's current ranking of 48th in the world -- and the bad luck of the draw. The first set alone lasted one hour and 13 minutes. Williams, unable to serve it out at 5-3, was under pressure again at 5-5 but Azarenka was unable to convert five break points. Williams produced three service winners to take a 6-5 lead and broke Azarenka to pocket the set. "She deserved to win," Azarenka said. "She ...
All eyes on Rishabh Pant's World Cup audition
Young Rishabh Pant will strive to seal a slot in the World Cup squad even as India fret about their top-order woes ahead of the fourth ODI against Australia, here Sunday. Providing opportunities to all Cup hopefuls would be on Virat Kohli's mind and the team management is expected to ring in a few changes in the playing XI in the remaining two matches of the series. Mahendra Singh Dhoni seem to have played his last international game in Ranchi and now Pant gets a chance to book his boarding pass for the London-bound flight. In earlier ODIs, Pant had played purely as batsman but with Dhoni being rested, Pant will get a chance to don the big gloves. The Indian playing XI will also have Bhuvneshwar Kumar on Sunday as he replaces Mohammed Shami, who was hit on the leg in his follow through during the third match. Shami completed his spell but since he will be sharing the new ball with Jasprit Bumrah in England, it is natural to give him precautionary rest. "We will have a few changes in ..
It's huge for me as first one is always difficult to get: Khawaja on century
Usman Khawaja termed his maiden hundred in ODI as a huge thing simply because the first one is always difficult to get. Khawaja hit a 104-run knock and shared a 193 run stand with captain and fellow opener Aaron Finch to play a significant role in Australia's 32-run win in the third ODI. "Yeah it's huge. The first one is always hardest - no matter what you're playing. It's obviously a special one. I found the same thing in Test cricket as well as in one-day cricket. I got that 98 before a few years ago, it was frustrating and disappointing, said Khwaja. Australia have won an overseas ODI for the first time since 2017 and Khawaja is absolutely delighted. "Any win you are very happy. That's why we play the game. We love competing and winning against a very good Indian side. It's always nice to do that -especially on their turf. We lost the first two and won the third one. We are still in the series and feeling is good." Khawaja didn't agree with the notion that he finally got measure .
New Zealand-Bangladesh Test washed out for second day
Rain delayed the start of the second Test between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Wellington for the second consecutive day on Saturday. The downpour which had persisted for a day and a half stopped long enough on day two for the covers to be lifted and for the players to start warming up. But as the umpires conducted a pitch inspection, about an hour before an expected start, the drizzle returned, reducing the match to three days at best. A result in three days is not unheard of in New Zealand. In 2001, also at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand only needed 17 overs on the third day complete a victory over Bangladesh by an innings and 74 runs. However, if the rain does not clear, matches have been abandoned in New Zealand twice before without a ball being bowled -- against Pakistan in 1989 and India in 1998, both in the southern city of Dunedin. New Zealand lead the series after taking the first Test in Hamilton by an innings and 52 runs. The third and final Test starts in ...
Wawrinka out-lasts Evans to reach Indian Wells second round
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka made a triumphant return to Indian Wells, rallying for 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-3 victory over British qualifier Daniel Evans to reach the second round. It was a rematch of Wawrinka's four-hour, five-set victory over Evans in the third round of the 2016 US Open -- where the Swiss would go on to claim his third Grand Slam crown. "He's always a tough player to play, for sure," Wawrinka said. "He's mixing a lot, especially on conditions like today when it's windy. With his slice, he feels the ball really well. He's mixing his game, serve and volley, sometimes coming, sometimes not, passing well. "So I'm happy to get through a match like today," he added. Wawrinka, on the rise after 18 months battling injury and recovering from double knee surgery, was runner-up in the California desert in 2017, but missed the combined ATP Masters and WTA event last year. While top seeds led by world number one Novak Djokovic enjoyed first-round byes, 40th-ranked ...
England triumph as Windies crash to second lowest T20 total
West Indies were dismissed for the second lowest ever T20 international total of just 45 as England swept to a 137-win on Friday. Chasing 183 to win, the world champion West Indies just avoided the lowest ever total of 39 made by non-Test Netherlands against Sri Lanka in 2014. Chris Jordan wrecked the West Indies top-order batting as England completed a crushing, series-clinching victory at Warner Park. After Sam Billings engineered an excellent recovery with 87 to lift the tourists to 182 for six, Jordan was almost unplayable in taking four wickets for six runs off three overs with the home side crashing in just 11.5 overs. For England this was their largest margin of victory, in terms of runs, in T20s and gives them the series 2-0 with the final match of the tour coming up on Sunday at the same venue. David Willey, who partnered the rampant Billings in adding 68 runs for the sixth wicket after England were put in, started the rout of the Caribbean team with the critical wicket of ...
Swiss Miss is now a mum
Former world number one and five-time Grand Slam title winner Martina Hingis on Friday became the latest tennis mother after giving birth to a baby girl. Hingis, 38, revealed on Twitter that she and husband Harald Leemann, the Switzerland team's Fed Cup doctor, were now parents. "And then we were three! Harry and I are excited to welcome our baby girl Lia to the world. We are already so in love," tweeted the Swiss star who retired from the sport in 2017. Fellow tennis mothers Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka are still active in the sport. Like Hingis, Williams and Azarenka are former number ones and major winners. They face each other at the Indian Wells tournament later Friday.
Ramprakash axed as England batting coach
Mark Ramprakash will leave his role as England's batting coach amid reports Graham Thorpe is ready to take the job in time for this year's Ashes. Ramprakash had worked with England since 2014 and was focusing on the Test team while Thorpe worked regularly in the one-day set-up. Former Middlesex and Surrey batsman Ramprakash was contracted until the end of the forthcoming season but has been ousted following the arrival of new director of men's cricket Ashley Giles. Ramprakash, whose last England assignment was the 2-1 Test series defeat against the West Indies, tweeted the news on Friday. "I've just been informed that I will not be involved in the Ashes series," the 49-year-old wrote. "It's been a huge privilege to support the team over the last 5 years. I'd like to wish all the staff & players the very best of luck for the future." Ramprakash is the second senior member of the backroom team to leave ahead of head coach Trevor Bayliss' departure at the end of his contract in ...
Constant quest for excellence makes Kohli special: Bangar
With his insatiable quest for excellence, India captain Virat Kohli has raised his game to such a level that even good performances from his teammates at times do not seem to be special, says assistant Sanjay Bangar. Kohli struck another magnificent hundred (123 off 95 balls) against Australia in the third ODI but his teammates could not back him up as India lost the match by 32 runs. Kohli has now got two hundreds and a 40 plus score in the series so far and the inevitable question about over-reliance on him popped up. "It's not that we are over-reliant on one particular individual. However the level that Virat has raised his game to, the performances of other players don't seem to be that special," Bangar said after India's defeat. Asked what makes Kohli such a special player, Bangar said his quest for excellence puts him in a different league. "He's somebody who constantly looks out on an area for improvement and he does that on a regular basis. Probably that's the reason why he ...
Shiva Thapa, Sachin among 6 Indians in semis of Finland boxing tourney
Three-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa (60kg) and former youth world champion Sachin Siwach (52kg) were among the six Indian boxers to enter the semifinals and be assured of medals at the 38th GeeBee Boxing Tournament in Helsinki, Finland. Thapa, a former world championships bronze-medallist, defeated Poland's Dominik Palak 5-0 in his quarterfinal bout on Friday night after getting an opening-round bye. He will take on Russia's Mikhail Varlamov in the semifinals. Siwach got the better of Russia's Tamir Galanov in a 4-1 verdict. The 20-year-old will be up against Kyrgyzstan's Azat Usenaliev in the semifinals. Also making the last-four stage were Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist Mohammed Hussamuddin (56kg), Kavinder Singh Bisht (56kg), Dinesh Dagar (69kg), and Naveen Kumar (+91kg). Earlier, Asian silver-medallist Sumit Sangwan (91kg) and rookie Govind Sahani (49kg) had made the semis on the back of first-round byes. Hussamuddin defeated Russia's Ovik Ogannisian 5-0 to set up a clash .
US women's football team sue federation for discrimination
Twenty-eight members of the American women's national football team has filed a suit against the US Soccer Federation (USSF) for gender discrimination, marking a new phase in a dispute that goes back years.
Dhoni to be rested for last two ODI's against Aus: Coach Bangar
Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar on Thursday said that former skipper MS Dhoni will be not playing in the last two ODIs of the five-match series against Australia."MS Dhoni will not be playing the last two ODIs of the ongoing five-match series against Australia. He is going to take rest after this," Bangar said at a press conference after India lost the third ODI on Friday.In the third match, Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja helped fire Australia in the must-win third one-day international (ODI) of the five-match series against India, setting 313 runs for five at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi.Australia got off to a strong start after being asked to bat. Finch and Khawaja hammered the hosts with their regular boundaries, stitching together a 193-run partnership for the first wicket before India got their much-needed breakthrough as Kuldeep Yadav trapped Australia captain, who missed out on his 12th ODI ton.India could only manage only 281 in 48.2 overs, the credit for
Ranchi ODI: Kohli's ton in vain as Australia beat India by 32 runs
Skipper Virat Kohli's 41st ton went in vain as India conceded a 32-run defeat against Australia in the third ODI here on Friday. Chasing a target of 314 at the JSCA stadium here, Virat scored his 41st One Day International (ODI) century, 25th when batting second, and only his fourth in an unsuccessful chase. Kohli scored 123 on a pitch that had become slow and started to take a turn about 30 overs into the game, as he single-handedly gave India a chance in the chase.Coming out to bat first, Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch helped steady the innings for the guests, as Khawaja's 104 and Finch's crucial 93 took Australia to 313 for the loss for five wickets. Second to bat, the home team saw wickets fall in quick succession, with the scoreboard displaying 27 for the loss of three wickets. Kohli and former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni took India to 86 from a mere 27, only till Zampa bowled out Dhoni. After suffering another major loss, Kohli was accompanied by Kedar ...