Page 672 - Sports
Injured Warner to make early BPL exit
Australian cricketer David Warner will make an early exit from the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) due to elbow pain.The 32-year-old will head back to Australia on January 21 to have his injury assessed, Cricket.com.au reported.Before departing home, Warner will play two matches for his team Sylhet Sixers which are scheduled to be held on January 18 and 19.Earlier this week, former Australian skipper Steve Smith also had to cut his BPL stint short owing to an elbow injury. He underwent surgery to get his elbow fixed and is likely to be out of action for more than six weeks.Smith and Warner are currently serving a 12-month suspension punishment for their role in the massive ball-tampering scandal during a Test series against South Africa in March, last year. The suspension period will expire on March 28.
Mertens beats Gasparyan, advances to Australian Open 3rd round
Belgium's Elise Mertens on Thursday beat Russian Margarita Gasparyan 6-1, 7-5 to move to the third round of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.
Croatia's Coric downs Hungary's Fucsovics in Australian Open
Croatian Borna Coric on Thursday sealed his spot in the third round of the Australian Open after defeating Hungary's Marton Fucsovics in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Ranji Trophy: Kerala beats Gujarat for semifinal berth
: Kerala stormed into the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy with a 113-run win over Gujarat on the third day of the quarterfinal here Thursday. Requiring 195 to win the match, Gujarat was shot out for 81 in 31.3 overs as Basil Thampi (5 for 27) and Sandeep Warrier (4 for 30) wrecked the strong rival batting line-up. Gujarat didn't have the best start, losing opener Kathan D Patel in the sixth over. Patel was bowled by Thampi, who struck a big blow in the last ball of the same over, trapping the prolific Priyank Panchal (3) to leave the visitors at 10 for 2. Left-hander Rahul Shah was the only batsman to offer resistance with a fighting knock of 33 not out (70 balls, 4X4). Gujarat skipper Parthiv Patel, probably the biggest threat for Kerala, was run out for a duck, by his opposite number (Sachin Baby). Dhruv Raval (17) was the only Gujarat batsman other than Rahul Shah to get into double figures as the visiting side struggled on a pitch with variable bounce. The fifth-wicket
TN, SAI enter semifinals of Hockey nationals
: Tamil Nadu and Sports Authority of India posted easy wins Thursday to enter the semifinals of the Arise Steel 9th Hockey India Senior National men's hockey champioship ('B' Division) at the Mayor Radhakrishnan stadium here. The home team beat Sahastra Seema Bal 3-0 to set up a last four meeting with SAI, a 2-0 winner over Maharashtra. In the TN-SSB match, there were no goals in thefirst quarter as the two teams worked hard to break the deadlock. In the fifth minute of the second quarter, the host went ahead through a field goal by Vinod Rayer, the top-scorer for TN in the league phase with eight in his kitty. Muthuselvan put TN 2-0 in front through a penalty corner conversion. Rayer completed the tally in the 41st minute. SSB's efforts to find the net went in vain as the host team's defenders were up to the task. Boby Singh Dhami starred for SAI, scoring a field goal in the 22nd goal and again in the 59th as the team dominated proceedings against Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu .
Australian Open: Naomi Osaka continues her dominant run
Reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka on Thursday defeated Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia to enter the third round of the ongoing Australian open here at the Margaret Court Arena.The 21-year-old continued with her rich vein of form in the tournament and thrashed Zidansek 6-2, 6-4 in the second-round match.The world number four player did not break much sweat in the first set as she looked comfortable with her shots and techniques. The second set, however, saw Osaka struggling on the court. She was trailing 2-4 in the set, increasing Zidansek's chances of making a turnaround.The Japanese number one pumped her game afterwards and clinched the next three games to make a comeback. She closed the match with a smashing second serve to register a win over her unseeded opponent.Up next, Osaka will take on Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei to cement her spot in the fourth round of the tournament.
China says Vice Premier Liu to visit U.S. for trade talks Jan 30-31
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Vice Premier Liu He will visit the United States on Jan. 30 and Jan. 31 for the next round of trade negotiations with Washington, China's commerce ministry said on Thursday.
Olympic hero Phelps says he was scared of water as a kid
He may have been the greatest swimmer ever whose exploits in the pool include smashing almost all world records, but as a kid, Michael Phelps dreaded the water. "I was somebody who was afraid to face the water as a kid, I guess I overcame that fear pretty fast," Phelps, the greatest Olympic athlete, said at an event organised by private equity fund Truenorth here late Wednesday. Phelps, who has had 23 Olympic golds, including the record-making haul of eight at Beijing in 2008, said many children are like him, who are afraid of water, and that a non-profit initiative started by him a decade ago has so far taught 30,000 children about swimming. Speaking about the 2008 games, Phelps said he was programmed to be just perfect during the eight days of pool competitions, which included a strong focus on exactly how much he drinks, swims, eats and sleeps. Phelps recounted he had only 70 minutes between two competitions the 200-metre freestyle and anchoring the US team to a ...
Balance that Pandya creates is crucial for team: Dhawan
Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan Thursday said suspended fast-bowling all-rounder Hardik Pandya is "crucial" for the team's balance but rejected suggestions that the side was struggling for a fifth bowler in the ongoing ODI series against Australia. India take on Australia in the series-deciding third and final one-dayer here on Friday. There are bound to be changes to the team composition in the light of Khaleel Ahmed and Mohammed Siraj failing to impress in the first two matches. Dhawan came out in support of the two young pacers, but added that the presence of an all-rounder in the side is imperative for balance. India are missing Pandya owing to the provisional suspension imposed on him for sexist comments on a TV show, condemned as "inappropriate" by skipper Virat Kohli. "The balance that Hardik (Pandya) creates when he's in the team is very crucial for our team," Dhawan acknowledged in the pre-match press conference here Thursday. "Even when Kedar (Jadhav) plays, the overs of ...
Aussies call Adam Zampa, Billy Stanlake for series decider against India
Australia on Thursday included spinner Adma Zampa and pacer Billy Stanlake in their team as they announced their playing eleven for the final ODI of the ongoing three-match series against India.While Stanlake has been called as a replacement for Jason Behrendorff, who has been ruled out of the match due to back soreness, Zampa was included after Nathon Lyon was dropped from the team.Lyon's omission came two matches after he had replaced Zampa in the side to play the opening match of the ongoing ODI series.Before the announcement, Australian skipper Aaron Finch had said in a press conference that Lyon's performance has been impressive but not getting wickets is something that did not happen."I think he's been really impressive. Obviously not getting a wicket, he'd have liked a bit more return for that. When he keeps bowling that well, he will get rewarded eventually," Cricket.com.au quoted Finch, as saying.Talking about their final match against India, Finch said that it has been a ...
TT star Kamal fancies Olympic medal in 2020 (IANS Interview)
Having formed a mixed doubles combination with Manika Batra, veteran table tennis star Achanta Sharath Kamal is eyeing a medal at the Tokyo Olympics next year.
After Smith, now injured Warner to return home midway from BPL
Australian opener David Warner, who is working towards a return to international cricket after serving a ball-tampering ban, has picked up an elbow injury during his ongoing stint with the Bangladesh Premier League. Warner will leave the tournament early to have his injury assessed, joining his former skipper Steve Smith in the injured list. "While the extent of the injury remains unknown, Warner will continue to play for the Sylhet Sixers before he departs, meaning he will feature in matches on the 18th and 19th," Criocket Ausyralias official website 'cricket.com.au' said in its report. Smith, who is also serving a 12-month ban for his role in the infamous ball-tampering scandal in South Africa last year, has already undergone a surgery on his right elbow after returning home and is expected to be out of action for at least six weeks. Warner will be returning to Australia next Monday to have his injury assessed. Both Smith and Warner's 12-month bans end on March 28 and the duo was ...
Saina enters quarters of Malaysia Masters, runs into Okuhara next
Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal Thursday entered the women's singles quarterfinal of the Malaysia Masters with a straight-game win over Hong Kong's Pui Yin Yip here. Saina, seeded seventh, took 39 minutes to tame Yip 21-14 21-16 in her second round encounter. Saina will play second seed Nozomi Okuhara of Japan in the last-eight stage of the first Super 500 tournament of the year on Friday. World no. 9 Saina holds an 8-4 overall head-to-head record against Okuhara, which includes back-to-back wins over the current world no.2 in the last two tournaments -- last year's Demark Open and the French Open. If Saina manages to go past Okuhara, the Indian might run into fourth seed Carolina Marin, who is placed in her half of the draw. Later Thursday, seventh seed Kidambi Srikanth will take on Vincent Wing Ki Wong of Hong Kong in a men's singles second round match, while Saina's husband Parupalli Kashyap will be up against sixth seed Anthony Sinisuka Gingting of Indonesia. In women's doubles, .
Injured Olly Stone ruled out of Windies tour
England pacer Olly Stone has been ruled out of their upcoming tour to West Indies owing to a back injury.The 25-year-old was diagnosed with a bone injury to the left lower back when he underwent a medical Test. Consequently, he is set to return home for further treatment. His replacement in the team will be announced, later.The report was confirmed by England Cricket on their Twitter handle."Injury News: A scan has revealed that Olly Stone has sustained a bone stress injury to his lower back and he will return home from the Caribbean this week ahead of further tests in the UK. A replacement will be named in due course," they wrote.Fast bowler Stuard Broad expressed disappointment over Stone's injury and hoped that the right-arm bowler would be back in the team soon."It's hugely disappointing. He felt a sharp pain in his lower back the other day and that's a sign of a bone reaction. He's a fine bowler and I'm sure we'll see him in an England shirt soon," ICC quoted Broad, as ...
ICC opens online portal for public screening requests of 2019 WC
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday opened an online portal for parties interested in staging ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 public screening events. The portal provides a registration gateway and the guidelines, permissions and licence fees for staging a public screening event.Public screening events are classed as any commercial or non-commercial event where the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 matches are made available for viewing by an audience, at locations which do not normally broadcast sporting events, such as beaches, parks, recreational areas, army bases, embassies and oil rigs.Head of Media Rights Broadcast and Digital Aarti Singh Dabas, said, "These screenings will offer companies not usually involved with the broadcast of cricket, the unique opportunity to get involved with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 and connect with their consumers through one of the biggest sports events in the world. And the opportunity to do so has been made simple through the launch of ...
Dhoni getting back in touch a good sign for team: Shikhar Dhawan
Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan believes that former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni getting back in form is a good sign for the team as his calming nature gives confidence to other players as well.The 33-year-old said that it was great to see Dhoni performing well in both the ODIs of their ongoing three-match series adding that he is happy that the wicket-keeper batsman is getting back in touch. Dhawan also praised right-hand batsman Dinesh Kartik who played a knock of 25 runs off 24 balls in the last ODI against Australia.Speaking at a press conference, Dhawan said, "It was great to see a good team performance in the last one day match against Australia. The way Dhoni played in both the games is really great. I am very happy that Dhoni is getting his touch back. A player of his stature, who plays the game with so much calmness, gives so much confidence to other batsmen. It is very important for us.""Even Dinesh (Karthik) played a very good knock in the last game. So the good ...
Latham, de Grandhomme back as NZ name strong squad for India ODIs
New Zealand on Thursday brought back Tom Latham and Colin de Grandhomme in the team in its bid to field the strongest possible squad for the ODI series against India starting next week in Napier. Both Latham and de Grandhomme were rested during the 3-0 clean sweep of Sri Lanka, but were included in the 14-member squad for the first three ODIs of the five-match series starting on next Wednesday. Skipper Kane Williamson and pacer Trent Boult, who were rested for the lone Twenty20 against Sri Lanka last Friday, are too named in the squad along side fit-again Mitchell Santner. Santner made his comeback in the lone Twenty20 against Sri Lanka after being sidelined by injury for 10 months. New Zealand coach Gary Stead said the squad had been selected keeping in mind two priorities -- first planning for the World Cup and secondly to give the Kiwis the best possible chance of winning the series against world no.2 India. "Our two main priorities have been to select and prepare a squad capable ..
Southampton rocked as Derby win FA Cup shoot-out
Southampton's dismal season hit a new low as the Premier League strugglers were dumped out of the FA Cup by second tier Derby after a penalty shoot-out. In a third round replay heavily influenced by the latest controversy over the use of VAR, Ralph Hasenhuttl's side blew a two-goal lead in the closing stages at St Mary's. The tie finished 2-2 after extra-time on Wednesday, with Derby winning 5-3 on penalties. Having avoided falling behind when VAR dubiously ruled out a goal from Derby's Craig Bryson in the first half, Saints went ahead through Stuart Armstrong's 68th minute header. Nathan Redmond doubled their lead with a cool finish two minutes later. Both Southampton goals were also referred to VAR, but the drama with the video assistant wasn't over. Derby got one back with 14 minutes left when Harry Wilson's free-kick went straight in and was allowed to stand by VAR despite Southampton's claims that several Rams players were offside. Just six minutes later, Martyn Waghorn headed ...
England fast bowler Stone ruled out of West Indies tour
England pace bowler Olly Stone will miss the tour of the West Indies after suffering a back injury. Stone has been hampered by stiffness in his lower left back since taking part in a practice session on Sunday. The 25-year-old went for scans in Barbados that confirmed the extent of the injury was serious enough to rule him out of the Tests against the West Indies. Stone had hoped to make his Test debut in the three-match series, but the Warwickshire seamer will have to wait for his maiden five-day appearance. "Following the result of scans, Olly Stone has sustained a bone stress injury to the left lower back. He will return home from the Caribbean later this week and have further tests in the UK," a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board said on Wednesday. Stone impressed with his speed and hostility during four appearances in England's one-day series win against Sri Lanka in October. But the back problem is the latest injury blow for Stone, who saw his promising career ...
De Villiers says 'time is right' to play in Pakistan
South Africa's AB de Villiers hopes his involvement in this year's Pakistan Super League will encourage the world's best players to return to the country. Pakistan have had to play most of their 'home' games in the United Arab Emirates since a 2009 attack on Sri Lanka's team bus in Lahore, although the West Indies did tour Pakistan in April last year. But former Proteas captain De Villiers will become arguably the most high-profile overseas cricketer to play in Pakistan for a decade should he, as planned, feature in two fixtures in the PSL, a domestic Twenty20 tournament, in Lahore on March 9 and 10. "I felt that I had this opportunity to maybe make an impact to help international cricket return to Pakistan," he told the BBC World Service's Stumped programme. "I was reluctant to go a few years back, when we were all a bit worried, but I feel the time is right to go back there." "I'm hoping to go there and have some fun and show the whole world that Pakistan is safe to travel to ...