Page 606 - Sports
Bangladesh's Taskin ruled out of New Zealand tour
Bangladesh's tour of New Zealand this month suffered a blow Sunday after pace bowler Taskin Ahmed was ruled out of the series with an ankle injury by the team doctor. Ahmed was recalled into the side's one-day international and Test squads after an impressive show for the Sylhet Sixers in the Bangladesh Premier League Twenty20 tournament. He was the competition's leading wicket-taker with 22 scalps until an injury against Chittagong Vikings on Friday. "Taskin tore a ligament in his left ankle. He will be in complete rest for three weeks and then we will review his situation," Bangladesh Cricket Board physician Debashish Chowdhury told AFP. "He is definitely ruled out of the New Zealand tournament as this kind of injury usually takes a long time to heal," he added. Chief selector Minhajul Abedin said a replacement for Ahmed had not yet been decided. Bangladesh will play three ODIs and three Test matches in New Zealand between February 13 and March 20. Bangladesh failed to win any ...
Hazard impressed by 'unbelievable' Higuain
Eden Hazard believes Gonzalo Higuain's first two goals for Chelsea in Saturday's 5-0 rout of Huddersfield are just the beginning for the Argentine ace, with whom he foresees a potentially lethal partnership in the Premier League run in. The Belgian also scored a double against the Terriers as Maurizio Sarri's men bounced back from a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Bournemouth in midweek that plunged the Italian's future into question. Sarri worked with Higuain when the Argentine scored a record 36 Serie A goals in a single season at Napoli. And Higuain showed why he has a stellar scoring record over the past decade in Spanish and Italian football with two excellent finishes to open his Premier League account. "He's a great striker. He's a bit less of a target man than (Olivier) Giroud, but he can hold the ball, he can play one touches. He's intelligent," said Hazard. "In the box he's unbelievable. He will score more goals." Victory lifted Chelsea back into the top four above Arsenal, ...
Indian women's hockey team shocks Ireland 3-0 in 2nd friendly
Indian women's hockey team dished out a spirited performance to notch up a stunning 3-0 victory against World cup silver medallists Ireland in their second and final friendly to end their tour of Spain on a high here on Sunday. India had drawn the first match 1-1 against Ireland on Saturday. India's attacking prowess stretched the Irish defenders right from the start as the forwardline made potential forays into the striking circle. Navjot Kaur found the first breakthrough for India when she converted a splendid field goal in the 13th minute to help India take a 1-0 lead. An Indian infringement in the second quarter saw Ireland being awarded a PC but it was well-saved by India's defence. In the 26th minute, a timely assist by the experienced Deep Grace Ekka helped Reena Khokar double India's lead to 2-0 ahead of the 10-minute half-time break. India continued to keep up a discipline structure but in the melee gave away a PC to Ireland only minutes into the third quarter. But India's ...
Haryana women wrestlers pick 7 gold in Junior Nationals
Haryana picked up seven freestyle gold to completely dominate the second day of competitions in the Junior National Wrestling Championship here on Sunday. Out of the 10 weight categories in action on Sunday, Haryana wrestlers finished on top of the podium in seven. Anju (53kg), Priyanka (57kg), Anjali (59kg), Tina (65kg), Sonika Hooda (68kg), Nisha (72kg) and Karuna (76kg) won gold in their respective categories. Uttar Pradesh bagged two gold through Neelam (50kg) and Aarju Tomar (55kg) while the remaining category was won by Apoorva (62kg) of Madhya Pradesh. In the team championship, Haryana stood first with 233 points, followed by Uttar Pradesh (161 points) and Maharashtra (96 points).
Gunneswaran, Myneni lead Indian challenge at Chennai Open ATP Challenger
All eyes will be on India's top singles player Prajnesh Gunneswaran in the Chennai Open ATP Challenger tennis tournament, which begins here Monday. The Chennai left-hander has been given top billing in the 64-player singles draw, which has a fair sprinkling of players in the top-200 and Indians eyeing ATP points. India's No.2 Ramkumar Ramanathan will not be featuring in the event as he will playing in a Challenger event in Budapest, Hungary. The 29-year old Gunneswaran is coming off a rather unsuccessful display against Italy in the Davis Cup Qualifier in Kolkata. He would be keen to make amends and head into the long season ahead possibly with a title. Gunneswaran did well to qualify for the Australian Open before falling to Frances Tiafoe in the first round and with his ranking hovering close to the 100-mark, a title-winning run here would prove to be a huge boost after the disappointing losses in the Davis Cup tie. The main challenge for the Indian Davis Cupper is expected to come .
Players standing up in difficult situation a big positive: Rohit Sharma on NZ series
India's stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma believes that the way players stood up in the difficult situations during the course of the five-match ODI series against New Zealand is a big positive for the team.The 31-year-old said that they knew the New Zealand tour is going to be challenging while adding that clinching a series victory on opposition team's home ground is "massive achievement" for them."Coming here in New Zealand and beating them 4-1 is a massive achievement for us. The teams have come here in the past and have struggled beating them on their home ground. They play good cricket, particularly at home. Winning the series is a great take away for us as the last time we came here we were thrashed four-nil," Sharma said at a post-match press conference."We knew it is going to be a challenging tour. It was not easy but again we got to note that every now and then, when we needed somebody to put their hands up they did that. Be it spinners in first three games or pacers. Even ...
Goa to face confident Delhi in ISL contest (Preview)
FC Goa will look to inch closer to the play-off spot when they meet Delhi Dynamos FC in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Monday.
After two consecutive wins, Delhi Dynamos face FC Goa
FC Goa would look to inch closer to the play-off spot when they meet Delhi Dynamos FC in an Indian Super League clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Monday. After going 11 matches without a win since the start of the season, Delhi picked up two wins in their last two games and Josep Gombau's men will want to accumulate up as many points as they can before the season draws to an end. Goa find themselves in the thick of an intense battle to secure a top-four spot and are third in the standings with 24 points from 13 games. Only a point separates them from fourth-placed NorthEast United, although the Highlanders have played an extra game. Goa head coach Sergio Lobera has prioritised outscoring the opposition and will be focused on maintaining a high goal difference. For the second season running, Goa are top of the charts for the number of goals scored. They had 42 goals to their name at the end of the league stage last season and have 29 so far, with five games in hand. "For ...
Messi doubtful ahead of Wednesday's 'Clasico'
FC Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has said star player Leo Messi is slightly doubtful for the first leg of Wednesday's Copa del Rey semi-final against Real Madrid.
Hockey Punjab beat Chandigarh 3-1 in Hockey Senior Nationals
Defending champions Hockey Punjab continued their rampaging run in the Senior Men's National Hockey Championship with a comfortable 3-1 win over Hockey Chandigarh here Sunday. In a Pool A match, Hockey Punjab beat Chandigarh for their third win of the competition, riding on goals from Sukhdev Singh (2th), Ramandeep Singh (25th) and Rupinderpal Singh (41st). For Chandigarh, Arshdeep Singh (11th) scored the only goal at the Madhya Pradesh Hockey Academy here. On the fourth day of the competition, Railway Sports Promotion Board, Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd, Hockey Gangpur-Odisha, Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, Air India Sports Promotion Board, Hockey Haryana and Hockey Karnataka also registered wins in their respective Pool matches. In the other Pool A match, it was Mumbai who secured a 3-1 win over Association of Indian Universities to register their first win of the competition. Goals for Mumbai were scored by Arman Qureshi (15th), Vedprakash Bhatt (42nd) and Pawan Rajbhar (59th),
Ishan Kishan takes BPXI to 134/5 on Day 1
Skipper Ishan Kishan came to the rescue of his side with an unbeaten 40 to enable Board President XI reach 134 for 5 at stumps on the opening day of the warm-up match against England Lions here Sunday. Sent into bat, England Lions declared their innings at 145 for 6 in 60 overs. Ankit Rajpoot did most of the damage for the Board President, returning with figures of 4/22. Sam Hain was the top scorer (40 not out) for the Lions while opener Max Holden contributed 38 runs. Ben Duckett, who has opened for England in Tests, fell to a second-ball duck, leg-before wicket to Rajpoot. Skipper Sam Billings, who enjoyed a good run in the unofficial limited-overs series against India 'A', was also dismissed for a duck. In reply, BP XI was in trouble at 7 for 2, losing Dhruv Shorey (5) and Ricky Bhui (0) before Akshath Reddy (14) and Siddesh Lad (27) steadied the ship with a 35-run partnership. Kishan then took over and stitched useful partnerships with Lad and Priyam Garg (26, 25 balls). Brief ...
Michelle Catherina takes sole lead in international women GM tourney
Chennai's P Michelle Catherina defeated Chandreyee Hajra in the tenth round to take the sole lead in the Velammal-AICF Women International Grandmaster Round Robin Chess tournament here Sunday. Divya Deshmukh, the overnight leader, remained in second spot despite going down to compatriot Aakanksha Hagawane. Catherina had won her maiden Women Grand Master norm on Saturday. In other games, top seed International Master Munguntuul Batkhuyag of Mongolia went down to her countrywoman Uuriintuya Uurtsaikh while Colombia's Franco Valencia Angela stunned higher rated Osmak Iulija of Ukraine. Results: Round 10 (Indians unless specified): Osmak Iulija (Ukr) 6.5 lost to Franco Valencia Angela (Col) 3, Nakhbayeva Guliskhan (Kaz) 4.5 drew with V Varshini (3), Uuriintuya Uurtsaikh (Mgl) 4.5 beat Munguntuul Batkhuyag (Mgl) 6. Olga Babiy (Ukr) 6 beat Saloni Sapale (4), Aakanksha Hagawane (6) beat Divya Deshmukh (7), Chandreyee Hajra (2) lost to Michelle Catherina (7.5).
Ranji Trophy: Saurashtra reduce Vidarbha to 200/7 on Day 1
Vidarbha were 200/7 at stumps against Saurashtra on the first day of the Ranji Trophy final at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) stadium here on Sunday.
Saurashtra take Day 1 honours in Ranji final against Vidarbha
Skipper Jaydev Unadkat removed run-machine Wasim Jaffer with a gem of a delivery as Saurashtra dominated the opening day of the Ranji Trophy final by reducing defending champions Vidarbha to 200 for seven here Sunday. It proved to be a good toss to lose for Saurashtra, who succeeded in removing the most impactful Vidarbha batsmen -- Jaffer (23) and captain Faiz Fazal (16) -- cheaply. Saurashtra bowlers, especially Unadkat (2/20) and his pace colleague Chetan Sakariya (1/13), kept the rival batsmen on a tight leash. Unadkat was consistently accurate with his nagging line and length while Sakariya swung the ball and troubled the batsmen with movement. The defending champions struggled to create partnerships and had it not been for the 57-run seventh-wicket stand between Akshay Wadkar (45) and Akshay Karnewar (31 batting), they would have been in more mess. The batsmen were too circumspect, save Ganesh Satish (32) and Wadkar, who went for their shots in their small yet crucial innings. .
Tandon wins Seattle Open title
Indian squash player Ramit Tandon defeated Egyptian Mohamed El Sherbini in the finals to win the Seattle Open, a PSA challenger squash Tour event here. The top-seeded Indian, who rose to his career high ranking of 58 in the latest February list, won 11-4, 11-7, 2-11, 11-2 on Saturday for his first PSA title in the new year and fourth title overall in his career. Tandon was fluent right through till the final and his only moment of hesitation came in the third game. Superior choice of strokes held the Indian in good stead besides the flourish in the finishes upfront. The Egyptian clawed one back before Tandon sealed the issue with another superlative effort in the last game.
Rayudu, Pandya power India to 35-run win in fifth ODI for biggest ever series win
India claimed their biggest series win on New Zealand soil, overcoming a disastrous start to earn a hard fought 35-run win in the fifth ODI here Sunday. The 4-1 scoreline is the best that india have achieved in New Zealand across formats since they stated touring the country in 1967. At 18 for four, India were heading towards another sub-100 total before the middle-order batsmen fought back to post a fighting total of 252. The 98-run stand for the fifth wicket between Ambati Rayudu (90 off 113) and Vijay Shankar (45 off 64) was the highlight of the middle-order fight back. Hardik Pandya's 45 off 22 balls also went a long way in India posting a challenging target and his two wickets later on showed why he is such an important member of the team. New Zealand batsmen, including skipper Kane Williamson (39), squandered their starts in the chase but the home team remained in the contest until Jimmy Neesham (44 off 32) was dismissed in the 37th over. His freak run out, which was effected by
Wellington ODI: India beat Kiwis, clinch series
India defeated New Zealand by 35 runs in the final ODI to clinch the five-match series here at the Wellington Regional Stadium on Sunday.Defending a total of 252 runs, Indian bowlers finished the match in the 45th over as they bundled out the entire New Zealand team for 217 runs.Making a slow start to their innings, New Zealand lost their openers Colin Munro (24) and Henry Nicholls (8) at the score of 37. It was Indian pacer Mohammed Shami who sent back the openers and gave India some early breakthroughs.In-form batsman Ross Taylor was the next batsman to come in but after scoring one run, he also departed back to the pavilion. Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya bowled a length delivery and trapped Taylor in the front of the wickets.Following Taylor's dismissal, skipper Kane Williamson and Tom Latham built a 67-run partnership to stabilise the New Zealand innings. The partnership was broken when Kedar Jadhav picked up Williamson's wicket.At this time, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was ...
We came together well as a team: Rohit Sharma
Stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma showered praise on his team after India defeated New Zealand by 35 runs to clinch the five-match ODI rubber 4-1 here on Sunday.
Tewatia, Mandeep star in DY Patil A title triumph
Led by Rahul Tewatia's all-round show and Mandeep Singh's brilliance with the bat, DY Patil A defeated Reliance One by seven wickets to lift the 15th DY Patil T20 Cup here. The final, played at the Dr D Y Patil Stadium, ended late Saturday night. Reliance One posted a huge total of 180-6 in their 20 overs thanks to handy knocks by Nikhil Naik (53) and Anukul Roy (50 not out), a media release said Sunday. For DY Patil A, Tewatia with 3-21 was the best bowler on view. In their chase, DY Patil A were well served by Mandeep's unbeaten 78 off 51 balls with seven boundaries and two sixes. Mandeep first added 79 runs for the third wicket with Shubham Ranjane (39) and then a further 52 with Tewatia for an unbroken fourth wicket stand. DY Patil A pocketed eight lakh rupees plus the trophy, whereas Reliance One had to settle for a runner-up trophy and a sum of Rs five lakh. Meanwhile, DY Patil B's Aman Khan was voted as the player of the tournament and he also bagged the award for
Pakistan women's team beat WI by 12 runs in 3rd T20I
Pakistan women's team Sunday notched up a 12-run win over West Indies in the third and final match to end its three-match T20 international series on a high. Batting first, the home side rattled up a good total of 150 runs and than restricted the West Indies women's team to 138 for eight in the allotted 20 overs at the Southend club. The win came as a big relief for the Pakistani players as it was their first T20 international win over the West Indies after 2011/12 and ensured that the visitors didn't complete a clean sweep of the series. The West Indies team had won the first two matches with the second one going into a super over decider. The two teams now travel to Dubai to play a ODI series that is part of the ICC's qualifiers for the World Cup. Nida Dar led the charge for Pakistan with 53 runs, while Umaima Sohail (28) and Aliya Riaz (24 not out) contributed as well. In reply, West Indies -- the former World T20 Champions -- struggled to get going against the spinners as only ...