Page 505 - Sports
Ruthless New Zealand look to win Test 'whatever way possible'
New Zealand have pledged a win-at-all-costs approach to the second Test against Bangladesh, starting in Wellington on Friday, as they look to wrap up the series with a game to spare. The wicket is green and tailor-made for the early seamers, with New Zealand promising to continue with their short-ball tactic when it flattens out. "We're looking to win the Test match in whatever way possible. Whatever gives us the best chance that is what we will do," New Zealand opener Tom Latham declared Thursday. Bangladesh, meanwhile, faced further injury concerns to an already fragile batting line-up with Tamim Iqbal under a cloud and Mushfiqur Rahim unlikely to be fit. Captain Mahmudullah described Tamim's issue as "a slight niggle" and accepted that "injury is part of the game". Although neither side has named their match XV, Mahmudullah indicated Bangladesh would make changes given the colour of the wicket and how expensive spinner Mehidy Hasan proved in the first Test. "We are yet to decide ...
Azarenka books Serena showdown at Indian Wells
Two-time Indian Wells champion Victoria Azarenka shook off a slow start to beat Vera Lapko 6-2, 6-3 on Wednesday and set up a second-round meeting with long-time rival Serena Williams. Azarenka, a former world number one now ranked 48th in the world, said she started a little too passive in dropping the first two games against her fellow Belarussian, but roared back to seal the win with ease. She was looking forward to taking on 10th-seeded Williams, who like all the seeds in the combined WTA and ATP Masters event has a first-round bye. The American has won 17 of their 21 prior encounters, but Azarenka won their most recent clash -- in the 2016 Indian Wells final. "Of course it's going to be a very special match for us," she said of their first clash since both became mothers. "We have such a big history, it's going to be really special. She motivates me, she inspires me, she pushes me to be better," Azarenka said of Williams. The opening day of women's main draw play saw highly ...
Swiss great Federer shies away from Superman tag
Roger Federer is still savouring his latest remarkable milestone, but the Swiss great says his 100th career title isn't a sign he's super-human. "The problem is, people always elevate the superstar athlete to like Superman status like we're super-human and all that stuff," Federer said Wednesday as he prepared for his next challenge at the Indian Wells Masters. "I don't see myself like that. Being perfect doesn't exist," Federer said. "Everybody has their flaws. So do I." Federer, owner of a men's record 20 Grand Slam titles, reached the 100-title milestone with a ruthless 6-4, 6-4 dismantling of Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Dubai Championship final last Sunday. Seeded fourth at Indian Wells, he'll launch his bid for a sixth title in the California Desert exactly one week later when he takes on either Peter Gojowczyk or Andreas Seppi in the second round. He could find himself taking on Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, in the third round in a ...
La Liga's Tebas 'very happy' with Premier League link
La Liga president Javier Tebas told AFP he was flattered to be linked with the English Premier League's chief executive position as speculation swirls over the role. Tebas, Spanish league chief since 2013, said he was "very happy" after reports named him as a possible successor to Richard Scudamore, who announced his departure last year. "I'm very happy that a competition like the Premier League thinks of me to be their CEO," Tebas said at the Sportel sport-business convention in Macau. When asked if he intended to quit La Liga for England, the 56-year-old said: "No comment." The Premier League is still searching for its next chief executive after Scudamore's announced successor, TV executive Susanna Dinnage, rejected the appointment in December. The Premier League grew to become a global phenomenon under Scudamore, generating a record ?5.5 billion ($7.3 billion) in the 2016/17 season, according to analysts Deloitte -- 86 percent more than La Liga. Tebas also said La Liga was working .
Shreyas Iyer to lead Mumbai in Mushtaq Ali T20 Super League
Aggressive batsman Shreyas Iyer has been nominated to lead Mumbai in the Super League stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy, which begins in Indore on Friday. Senior batsman Ajinkya Rahane had led Mumbai in the league stage of the domestic T20 tournament, but "he is not available for the knock-out stage", a source in the Mumbai Cricket Association said, ruling out reports that the Test specialist was carrying a niggle. Mumbai and Railways were the two teams that qualified from Group C. Co-incidentally Mumbai played all its league matches in Indore. Young prodigy Prithvi Shaw, Siddesh Lad, Jay Bista and the experienced duo of Aditya Tare and Surya Kumar Yadav have been named in the 15-member Mumbai squad announced on the MCA website. The bowling attack will be spearheaded by pacer Dhawal Kulkarni and comprises Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Royston Dias and Akash Parkar along with spinners Dhurmil Matkar and Shams Mulani. On Friday, Mumbai take on Karnataka in their ...
Saina, Srikanth enter second round of All England
India's Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth made a winning start to the All England Championship, notching up straight game victories in the women's and men's singles competition here. A former finalist, Saina defeated Scotland's Kristy Gilmour 21-17 21-18 in 35 minutes, while Srikanth took half an hour to dispose off France's Brice Leverdez 21-13 21-11 on Wednesday night. In the next round, Saina will take on Denmark's Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt, while Srikanth will face Asian Games gold medallist Jonatan Christie. "I really enjoy it a lot, it's something every player looks up to and the challenge is even more tougher than regular Super Series events," Saina, an Olympic bronze medallist, said after progressing to the next stage. "Everyone wants to have that trophy but, as I said, you have to play your natural game to be the best and can't really put pressure on yourself that you have to have it. If it is in your destiny you will definitely get it, but the challenge is to give your best ..
3rd ODI: India eye series win in Dhoni's last match at Ranchi
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's final homecoming forms a poignant subplot of an utterly dominant Indian team's quest for an unassailable 3-0 lead in the third ODI against Australia here Friday. A 3-0 lead in the five-match series will be a perfect parting gift for Ranchi's favourite son, who, in all likelihood, will be seen wearing the India Blues for the last time at his home ground. There has been a sense of dj vu every time Dhoni has stepped on to the field in the ongoing series. It reminded many of Tendulkar's penultimate Test series against Australia in 2013, when the cheer from the stands would amplify with each passing match. Something similar has been happening at every ground in this series, with the fans possibly beginning to realise that the legend may not be around when India next play at home. Amidst the emotional side story, the Indian team is grappling with a few teething issues regarding its top-order batting, especially senior opener Shikhar Dhawan's poor form, which has ...
'Asian Cup has helped me become more confident as a footballer'
India full-back Subhasish Bose feels the Asian Cup experience has helped him gain confidence and credits the high-profile tournament for his rich form for Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League.
Neymar slams match referees as PSG lose to Man Utd
Paris Saint-Germain's star player Neymar Jr. slammed referees for poor Video Assistant Referee(VAR) decision as his team suffered a loss to Manchester United 3-1 in a Champions League match."That is a disgrace! and UEFA still picks four guys who know nothing about football to review the VAR decision in slow motion... that handball simply doesn't exist! How do you handball behind your back? Ahh," Neymar posted on his Instagram story following the match between PSG and Man Utd.The referees handed the visitors a penalty kick in stoppage-time after a shot by Diago Dalot of Man Utd hit the arm of PSG's Presnel Kimpembe, which prompted a review with VAR.Marcus Rashford did not make any mistake and he converted the kick on the spot to clinch the victory for Man Utd, eliminating PSG out from the Champions League. Manchester United suffered a 2-0 loss against PSG in the first leg of the knock out stage and they were tasked an uphill battle to change their fortunes, but the team came up trumps .
Obed Mccoy added to Windies squad for last two T20s against England
Windies have added 22-year-old fast bowler Obed McCoy to their T20I squad for the remaining two matches in the three-match series against England.The last two T20I will be played on March 8 and March 10 respectively at St Kitts.McCoy made his international debut against India in October in 2018 and the left-arm bowler has taken four wickets in two ODI's.The player is yet to appear in the T20 and Tests for the Windies.There is a huge change for McCoy to make his debut in the T20 format as Windies all-rounder Andrew Russell pulled out of the series due to an adverse reaction to a medical procedure done in Dubai before he flew to the Carribean according to an official media release by Cricket West Indies.The pacer has been quite impressive in the Carribean Premier League and Global T20 League in Canada picking up 10 wickets from 10 T20 matches so far at an average of 26.80.England defeated Windies in the first T20 of the three-match series by four wickets.Windies take on England in the ..
Rahane deemed unfit for Super League stage of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy
Mumbai preparations for the Super League stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy has taken a severe hit as their captain Ajinkya Rahane was deemed unfit for the Super League stage of the tournament.Ajit Agarkar who is currently Mumbai's chairman of selectors said that Rahane was just able to manage through the group stage of the tournament but now he needed some rest to recover."He was carrying niggles even during the league phase, which he kind of pushed through when we were in a bit of trouble. But he would not be 100% (for Super League)," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Agarkar as saying.Mumbai topped the Group C in the league stage of the tournament, winning five out of their six matches.Rahane was seen struggling with the bat in the group stage as he was able to put a total of just 58 runs in six matches at an average of 9.67.Agarkar felt that the team would miss the experience that Rahane brings into the team.Rahane's recovery will be closely monitored by his Indian Premier League(IPL) team ..
'Angry' Mueller blasts Loew for 'bad taste' Germany axe
Thomas Mueller said he was "angry" over Joachim Loew's "bad taste" decision to axe him and Bayern Munich teammates Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels from the Germany squad. National coach Loew flew to Munich on Tuesday to tell Mueller, 29, Boateng and Hummels, both 30, that their international careers are over. The World Cup winning trio have earned 246 caps between them. "The more I think about it, the more the way it was done, makes me angry," said Mueller in a two-minute video message posted on his social networks. "The coach's sudden decision obviously left me puzzled. A coach must make sporting decisions, no problem, I do not have a problem with that. "But it's mostly the character of the decision that I don't understand. Mats, Jerome and I are still able to play at the highest level. "The press releases of the German football federation (DFB) and its president (Reinhard Grindel), prepared in advance, were from my point of view in bad taste and showed a lack of ...
FIFA, CONMEBOL condemn alleged sexual abuse of Colombian women players
World football's governing body FIFA and CONMEBOL, South America's top body, hit out at accusations of sexual abuse and harassment in Colombian women's football. The two bodies said in a joint statement, published by the Colombian Football Federation (FCF) on Tuesday, that they "energetically condemn the cases of sexual and professional abuse, violence and/or the violation of women and children's rights." FIFA and CONMEBOL also offered "support" to the FCF to help sanction the alleged offences and prevent further cases. An under-17 national team player, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has accused one member of the coaching staff of sexual abuse from an incident in January 2018. The under-17 team's former physio Carolina Rozo also claims the team's former coach Didier Luna tried to kiss players and touch their bottoms. She said the players kept silent for fear of being kicked off the team. Rozo claims that having rejected Luna's advances in December 2017 she suffered ...
Solskjaer hails United's 'fantastic' history makers
Ole Gunner Solskjaer saluted Manchester United's never-say-die star as they reached the Champions League quarter-finals with an historic 3-1 win over Paris Saint Germain. United became the first team in European Cup history to recover from losing the first leg of a knockout round tie 2-0 at home on Wednesday. Romelu Lukaku scored twice either side of Juan Bernat's equaliser before Marcus Rashford converted a controversial stoppage time VAR-awarded penalty to send United through on away goals. It was an incredible result given United were without the suspended Paul Pogba as well as nine injured stars including Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Ander Herrera. But United interim manager Solskjaer insisted he never doubted his players could do the unthinkable in the last 16 second leg in Paris. "The belief in the boys was just what we hoped for. It was fantastic," Solskjaer told BT Sport. "You always know it is possible. With this club this is what we do. It's Man Utd. It's the Champions
Indian men draw with Iran in chess championship
Grandmaster B Adhiban continued his heroics on the top board to down world junior champion Parham Maghsoodloo before India settled for a 2-2 draw with Iran in the World Team Chess Championship here. Idani Pouya turned out to be the saviour for Iran as he defeated the experienced Krishnan Sasikiran on the second board while Surya Shekhar Ganguly and S P Sethuraman played out draws with Amin Tabatabae and Firouza Alireza on the third and fourth board. The draws meant that the Indian men took their tally up to three points out of a possible four to be in fourth position in the standings with seven rounds still to come in the premier biennial team event of the world. The day belonged to the United States who defeated defending champions China 2.5-1.5. While none of the top American players are here it was a huge team effort that saw them winning on the fourth board where Alexander Lenderman scored over Ni Hua in a fine effort. While Russia scored a regulation 3-1 victory over Egypt, ...
Lehmann makes coaching comeback after sandpaper-gate
Darren Lehmann was named coach of the Big Bash League's Brisbane Heat Thursday, his first cricket role since quitting the Australian team over the sandpaper cheating scandal. Lehmann said returning to the Heat, the team he steered to a Big Bash title in 2013, was a chance to "come back to where it all started" after his bruising experience with the national team. "I think you learn a lot about yourself during the dark times and for me it's all about enjoying the game," he told reporters. "I've fallen in love with the game again, so I'm really looking forward to getting back working with some young guys with a lot of talent." Lehmann was Australia coach in March last year when batsman Cameron Bancroft was caught trying to scuff the ball with sandpaper during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. At the time captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner were directly implicated in the cheating plot and all three received lengthy bans. Lehmann later quit, along with much of
'It's a disgrace': Neymar blasts ref after PSG crash
Brazilian star Neymar blasted as a "disgrace" the stoppage-time VAR award of a penalty which gave Manchester United a sensational Champions League last 16 victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. Marcus Rashford converted the last-gasp spot-kick to send United through on away goals after a 3-1 second-leg win in the French capital. "It's a disgrace. They get four guys who don't understand football to watch a slow motion replay in front of the TV," Neymar, who was injured and watched the game from the stands at the Parc des Princes, wrote on Instagram. PSG coach Thomas Tuchel said he sympathised with Neymar's frustrations. "Sometimes you use words you take back a few hours later," said Tuchel. "You see how badly he wanted to help us.
PSG coach Tuchel refuses to blame VAR after 'cruel' Champions League exit
Stunned Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel said his side's Champions League exit at the hands of Manchester United on Wednesday was "cruel" but refused to blame the match officials after the late VAR-awarded penalty that decided the tie. "I am a big supporter of VAR and I stay a big supporter of VAR," said Tuchel, who looked white as he spoke to media after PSG's 3-1 defeat at the Parc des Princes in their last 16, second leg. Having won 2-0 in the first leg last month, the French side wobbled in the return but were still going through until Slovenian referee Damir Skomina gave a stoppage-time penalty for a Presnel Kimpembe handball in the box, after reviewing the images. A Diogo Dalot shot had struck Kimpembe, and Marcus Rashford duly converted from the spot, as United went through on away goals. "From my point of view I watched Dalot take the shot. I saw the ball flying straight from his foot and for me it was clear that it was going way over the bar," said Tuchel. "There are ..
Telles penalty edges Porto past Roma in extra time
Alex Telles converted a VAR-awarded penalty deep into extra time as Porto defeated Roma 3-1 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals following a tense 4-3 win on aggregate. Francisco Soares nudged Porto ahead with a simple tap-in on 26 minutes, but Daniele De Rossi equalised from the spot before half-time after Eder Militao chopped down Diego Perotti on Wednesday. Moussa Marega restored the lead on the night for Porto early in the second half to level the tie as he struck in his sixth successive appearance in Europe. An additional half-hour was required to settle an encounter that looked to be heading for a shootout before Telles tucked home from the spot on 117 minutes after a tug on Fernando by Alessandro Florenzi was spotted upon review. "It was not just me that scored the penalty, it was the whole team. The Dragao, the full stadium, made me feel at ease. It was a very good energy," said Telles. "We've got to accept it, even if the way it happened is terrible to accept," Roma ..
'We can go all the way,' says Solskjaer after United's last-gasp PSG stunner
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his side "can go all the way" in the Champions League after Marcus Rashford's dramatic stoppage-time penalty gave them a stunning 3-1 win away to Paris Saint-Germain as they improbably reached the quarter-finals on away goals. A seriously depleted United looked to have given themselves too much to do after losing 2-0 in the first leg of their last-16 tie last month, yet a Romelu Lukaku brace in the first half at the Parc des Princes gave them hope on Wednesday. Even so, Juan Bernat had netted in between for PSG, and it looked as though the French side would stumble on until the drama at the death. Slovenian referee Damir Skomina awarded a spot-kick after reviewing the images when he had been alerted of a possible handball by PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe in the box. Rashford duly beat Gianluigi Buffon from 12 yards, as United won a European tie after losing the first leg at home for the first time in their history. "We always ...