Page 593 - Sports
Improved India restrict New Zealand to 158/8
Krunal Pandya enhanced his already growing reputation as a steady short format bowler with three important breakthroughs as India restricted New Zealand to a below-par 158/8 in the second T20 International here Friday. The parsimonious Krunal (3/28 in 4 overs) dismissed Colin Munro (12) and skipper Kane Williamson (20) to peg the Black Caps back. In between, Krunal also got the controversial wicket of Daryl Mitchell (1), who fell pray to an umpiring howler, when 'Hotspot' showed a clear inside edge onto the pads. However, Colin de Grandhomme, who has played for KKR in the IPL, then counter-attacked, scoring a blistering 50 off 28 balls, adding 77 runs with Ross Taylor (42 off 36 balls) for the fifth wicket. Once De Grandhomme was sent back to the dug-out by Hardik Pandya (1/36 in 4 overs) and Taylor was run-out, New Zealand's chances of a big total went up in smoke. It was a much-improved performance by the Indian bowlers with Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/29 in 4 overs) removing Tim Seifert ..
Julaniya to replace Bhatnagar as new Sports Secretary
Madhya Pradesh cadre IAS officer Radheyshyam Julaniya will replace Rahul Bhatnagar as the Union Sports Secretary. Julaniya is a 1985 batch officer and was working with his home cadre till now, an official said. Bhatnagar, an officer of the 1983 batch from Uttar Pradesh, has been released by the Sports Ministry and is set to join the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. "I am leaving the Sports Ministry after a satisfying one-and-half years during which we have achieved many a milestones and started new projects," Bhatnagar told PTI. Bhatnagar had also served as Director General of Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the National Anti-Doping Agency earlier. "My main satisfaction is that during my tenure a sporting culture, sporting consciousness has started in the country. The entire sporting ecosystem has changed. Parents all over the country have now started to understand the importance of sports in daily life," he added. Asked whether, he is open to the idea of returning to the Sports ...
During IPL, women's T20 event with maximum 3 teams
From one exhibition match last year, the women's participation in the IPL is set to become a three-team affair spread over seven to 10 days with the Committee of Administrators (CoA) mulling an expansion this year. However, the full fledged women's IPL is still a long shot as, according to an official, the BCCI is finding it extremely difficult to get good investors/team bidders. Last year, the BCCI organised one exhibition match with two teams -- IPL Trailblazers and IPL Supernovas led by Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur respectively. This year, the parent body, currently run by the Supreme Court-appointed two-member CoA, wants to scale it up a bit in order to set the ball rolling for a women's IPL in a few years' time. "Yes, the women's T20 matches will be held this year also. It will be a week to 10 days affair during the men's IPL. Once the BCCI gets clearance from the election commission and Home Ministry on dates, the itinerary will be fixed," a senior board functionary told PTI
Rodrigues lone battle in vain, India Women lose T20I series in last-ball thrill
Warrior in blue, Jemimah Rodrigues played a lone battle but could not save India from going down 0-2 and lose the T20I series to New Zealand at the Eden Park in Auckland on Friday.It was during that 63-run partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Rodrigues that the biggest talking point from the game emerged for India as a flurry of wickets in the middle over ended the touring side's innings on 135 for the loss of six.India could not post a decent target but their bowlers did not give up and took the game into the final over thriller, where the hosts needed nine runs. New Zealand held their nerve just a little better than their opponents and clinched a last-ball win in the second T20I.After losing out the series, Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said: "New Zealand played better cricket than us. Our bowlers deserve all the credit for bowling really well. You need a decent total in the shortest format and we were 20 runs short in total. We need to learn from our mistakes. I hope we win ...
New Zealand women pocket series in last-ball thriller
New Zealand women took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-T20I series after beating India by 4 wickets in a last ball thriller at the Eden Park here on Friday.
Unchanged New Zealand opt to bat in 2nd T20I
New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat in the second T20 International against India at the Eden Park here on Friday.
Indian women lose to NZ by 4 wickets to hand series
A shoddy batting performance by the middle-order saw Indian women lose a nail-biting second T20 International against New Zealand by four wickets and concede the three-match series here Friday. The Indian women had earlier lost the first Twenty20 International by 23 runs in Wellington. Needing a win to keep the series alive, Indian women posted a modest 135 for 6 despite being 72 for 2 after the first 10 overs. Chasing a modest target, New Zealand made a heavy weather of the chase before scampering home off the last ball of the match losing six wickets. "I think we should give credit to our bowlers, it wasn't a good total but still they fought for us. We were 20 runs short, They played better cricket than us. We just need to learn from our mistakes and play better," India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said after the match. Jemimah Rodrigues slammed a 53-ball 72 that included six boundaries and one six but India scored only 63 runs in the back 10 to end up 20 runs short, which became their .
New Zealand win toss, elect to bat against India in 2nd T20
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bat against India in the second T20 International here Friday. Both India and New Zealand are unchanged for the match. Teams: India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant, Vijay Shankar, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (wk), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Khaleel Ahmed. New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Colin Munro, Tim Seifert (wk), Ross Taylor, Daryl Mitchell, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson.
India women lose 2nd T20 to NZ; concede series
The Indian women's cricket team lost by four wickets to New Zealand in the second T20 International to concede a series-deciding 0-2 lead here Friday. Chasing a target of 136, New Zealand managed to reach the target off the last ball of the game. The third and final match of the series is to be played on Sunday in Hamilton. Brief Scores: India women: 135 for 6 in 20 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 72, Smriti Mandhana 36; Roesemary Mair 2/17). New Zealand Women: 136/6 in 20 overs (Suzie Bates 51, Radha Yadav 2/23).
Emiliano Sala - the unorthodox Argentine striker made in France
He was born in Argentina, made his name in France but lost his life over the English Channel on his way to play for a Welsh club. On Thursday, it was confirmed that a body recovered by British investigators from the submerged wreckage of a plane that went down in the Channel was that of footballer Emiliano Sala. The 28-year-old had agreed to leave Nantes in France for Cardiff in the Premier League for a reported 17 million euros last month. "For me it feels special," the 1.87m-tall Argentine forward had said of his new career. An imposing physical presence but also adept with his feet, Sala was leaving Ligue 1 having scored 12 goals this season. - Little known back home - ========================== That tally also matched his statistics for each of the last two campaigns, and only a certain Lionel Messi has scored more goals this season among Argentine players in the big five European leagues. Despite that, Sala never played for his country and remained little known back in his ...
Valencia late show snatches Copa draw at Betis
Valencia staged another late Cup comeback as Kevin Gameiro's injury-time strike snatched a 2-2 draw with Real Betis in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final at the Benito Villamarin. Betis, playing in the last four for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2005, grabbed the lead in the semi-final, first leg when Loren nodded home after a short corner routine on the stroke of half-time on Thursday. The Seville outfit looked to be closing in on a home final against either Barcelona or Real Madrid when 37-year-old former Spain winger Joaquin scored directly from a corner, but Denis Cheryshev pulled one back for Valencia with 20 minutes to play. Visitors Valencia, having scored twice in injury time to edge out Getafe in the quarters, levelled in the 92nd minute as substitute Gameiro diverted in Rodrigo's low cross. The two teams will meet again at the Mestalla on February 28.
Caicedo fires resurgent Lazio back into Champions League places
Felipe Caicedo scored from the spot as Lazio moved fourth and into the Champions League places with a 1-0 win over struggling Empoli in Serie A. Ecuadorian international Caicedo forced a penalty just before the break and converted from the spot for his second goal in as many games on Thursday, as Lazio warm-up for their Europa League tie against Sevilla and a Coppa Italia semi-final against AC Milan. The Roman side had lost ground after back-to-back defeats to Juventus and Napoli but after last week's win over Frosinone have now 38 points from 23 games, overtaking AC Milan who drop two points behind in fifth before they play Cagliari on Sunday. Eusebio Di Francesco's Roma head for Chievo on Friday looking to build momentum before their Champions League clash against Porto. Behind runaway leaders Juventus, who have 60 points from 22 games, and second-placed Napoli, nine points behind, the remaining two tickets for the Champions League and the Europa League berths remain up for grabs ...
Test cricket is dying: Manohar
ICC chairman Shashank Manohar has said that Test cricket is dying and the World Test championship, which is set to begin after the World Cup, will be able to revive the longest format of the game. "We are trying to see whether Test championship can generate interest. Because Test cricket is actually dying to be honest," Manohar was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo. "So to improve the situation, we are trying ways and means. The (ICC) board directors came to a conclusion that if we start a Test championship, it would keep Test cricket alive and generate more interest in the game. "If you look at the TRPs of the broadcasters, T20 has the maximum TRP. It is because of being the shorter version of the game. Nowadays, people don't have five days time to watch a Test match." The ICC's long-awaited league competition for Test cricket will be contested over two-year cycles. The first edition of the championship is set to begin at the conclusion of the 2019 World Cup and run until April 2021, .
NorthEast win a point after 1-1 draw with Delhi Dynamos
NorthEast United FC were left to rue missed chances, particularly at the end, as they settled for a 1-1 draw against Delhi Dynamos FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash here Thursday. NorthEast United have won only one of their last seven matches but continue to be in contention for a semi-final spot. The point sees them move four points clear of fifth-placed Jamshedpur FC but they have played a game more, while Delhi Dynamos remain eighth. After an even first-half, Marcos Tebar put the visitors in the lead in the 67th minute. Star striker Bartholomew Ogbeche equalled Ferran Corominas in the race for the Golden Boot race by scoring his 11th goal from the spot in the 71st minute. The Highlanders went for the kill towards the end but saw chance after chance go amiss, including a shot from Rowllin Borges which was clawed on to the crossbar by an alert Delhi goalkeeper Francisco Dorronsoro. NorthEast looked to get Ogbeche involved in the game right from the start with several long ...
Chennai Spartans beat Black Hawks Hyderabad 4-1 in Pro Volleyball League
Naveen Raja Jacob was the star of the show as Chennai Spartans thrashed Black Hawks Hyderabad 4-1 for their first win at the Pro Volleyball League here Thursday. Chennai beat Black Hawks 15-12, 15-12, 15-11, 15-10, 13-15 on the sixth day of the competition. Naveen amassed 16 points (12 spikes and 4 serve points) and was adjudged the player of the match, while skipper Carson Clark led from the front with 12 points (11 spikes and 1 block) for Hyderabad. Kochi Blue Spikers will take on Black Hawks Hyderabad on February 8.
Fed Cup: Ankita wins twice in India's 2-1 win over Thailand
India staved off an unexpected scare from lower-ranked Thailand as Ankita Raina won her both singles and doubles matches to lead the side to a 2-1 win in their Fed Cup opener, here Thursday. Taking the court first, Karman Kaur Thandi, ranked 211, suffered a shock 2-6 6-3 3-6 defeat to Nudinda Luangnam, who is ranked as low as 712 in the world. The onus to bring the team back then rested on country's number one singles player Ankita, who lost the first but regrouped to secure a 6-7 (3) 6-2 6-4 win over Peangtarn Plipuech in the second singles. With scores 1-1, the doubles became the decisive rubber and captain Vishal Uppal fielded both the singles players. The combination of Ankita and Karman then had to battle hard for two hours and 38 minutes to go past the fighting Thai combo of Peangtarn and Nudinda 6-4 6-7(6) 7-5 in a thriller. "I know my opponent was tricky. I have beaten her and lost to her as well. More than my opponent I had to fight mentally the cold which I don't like, and I
Ashwin to lead TN in Syed Mustaq Ali T20 tourney, Murali Vijay
India Test spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will lead Tamil Nadu in the Syed Musthaq Ali Trophy T20 tournament to be held at Surat from February 21 to March 2. Opener Murali Vijay doesn't find a place in the squad announced Thursday. Young all-rounder M S Washington Sundar is back in the team after missing action for a while following an injury during the limited-overs leg of the Australia tour, a TNCA press note said. He has been named vice-captain of the squad. All-rounder Vijay Shankar, who is currently with the Indian team playing in the T20 series in New Zealand after making his ODI debut in Australia, has been picked in the 16-man squad. Murali Vijay, who was dropped after failing to shine in the first two Tests in the series Down Under, had featured in a Tamil Nadu Cricket Association I Division league match on Wednesday. B Indrajith, the captain of the Ranji Trophy side has been named while his twin brother B Aparajith doesn't feature in the team. The squad also ...
India tour is not final marker for World Cup hopefuls: Langer
Australia coach Justin Langer said the injured duo of Steve Smith and David Warner along with a few others can still make it to the World Cup squad even though they are not part of the team selected for the India series. While Smith and Warner are recovering from elbow injuries, the likes of Matthew Wade, Mitchell Marsh, Billy Stanlake too have missed the cut for the India series where Australia will play two T20 Internationals and five ODIs. "Whether you are on this tour or not, there is still going to be spots up for grabs," Langer told Cricket Australia's website. "But the World Cup is going to come up sooner than you know and guys like Steve Smith and Dave Warner are obviously going to bang very hard on the door," the coach reminded. "So there is going to be some competition there, but that's good as there is going to be some guys that need to stay on their toes the entire time and keep playing great cricket every time we play." Langer is disappointed that senior most pacer ...
Sasikumar Mukund upsets No.3 seed Safwat,Prajnesh has it easy
India's Sasikumar Mukund turned a giant killer upsetting third seeded Mohameed Safwat of Egypt in straight sets to storm into the quarterfinals of the Chennai Open ATP Challenger 80 tennis tournament Thursday. In another pre-quarterfinal match, top-seeded Prajnesh Gunneswaran stamped his class outplaying fellow Indian Arjun Khade 6-4, 6-2 to reach the last eight stage. It was the 16th seeded young Mukund who stole the show as he played with lot of confidence to down Safwat, an experienced campaigner, 6-3, 6-4. The 22-year old Mukund started well, serving an ace in his opening game and the two players held serve till 2-all. After recovering from a spot of bother down 15-30 in the fifth game with two aces, the Indian capitalised on a shaky game from Safwat to break serve and then wrapped up the set 6-3. Growing in confidence, Mukund got an early break in the second set and then held serve throughout to secure the upset win to face Brydan Klein of Great Britain. In the other
Taylor, Brunt named in England's Women squad for India tour
Experienced cricketers Sarah Taylor and Katherine Brunt have been named in England's women squad for the upcoming limited over series against India, starting February 22. India and England will play three ODIs, which is part of the ICC's Women's championship, and three T20Is. Taylor and Brunt, who missed England's march to the World T20 final, will fly out with the squad to take part in the ODI series in Mumbai. However, Taylor will head home after the ODI series, while Brunt will be available to take part in the IT20 series. Jenny Gunn, meanwhile, has been given a break from both series after years of touring and will report back in April. Kirstie Gordon and Katie George, however, were unavailable for selection through injury. "We've looked to use as many players as we can to give everyone an opportunity as we head into a busy year. We've included 18 players across the squads and they'll come in and out as the tours progress as we look to improve our strength in depth," England coach