Page 732 - Sports
India 177/2 at tea on day one of Sydney Test
Opting to bat, India were 177 for 2 at tea on the opening day of the fourth and final Test against Australia here Thursday. Cheteshwar Pujara and captain Virat Kohli were batting on 61 and 23 respectively at the break. Brief Scores: India: 177 for 2 in 52 overs (Mayank Agarwal 77, Cheteshwar Pujara 61 batting; Josh Hazlewood 1/27, Nathan Lyon 1/47).
WADA athletes body seeks Russia ban over missed deadline
The World Anti-Doping Agency's Athletes Committee demanded Russia be hit with new sanctions over its failure to meet a crucial deadline to hand over data from its drug-tainted Moscow laboratory. In a statement posted on WADA's website, the agency's committee representing athletes challenged the organisation to declare the Russians non-compliant following the missed deadline. "We are extremely disappointed that the December 31 deadline imposed on Russia by WADA has not been adhered to by the Russian authorities," the statement read. "We now expect that following the process recommended by the CRC (Compliance Review Committee) that Russia will be declared non-compliant. Only this action will be suitable and appropriate in the view of the athletes. "Anything less will be considered a failure by WADA to act on behalf of clean athletes." WADA is set to consider the next step in the long-running saga at a January 14-15 meeting. The end-of-year deadline was set in September, when WADA lifted
'Fighter' Djokovic into Qatar quarter-finals after scare
Novak Djokovic admitted he had to "fight" to come back from a set down to beat world number 36, Hungary's Marton Fucsovics at the Qatar Open. The world number one survived a huge scare to eventually triumph 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 Wednesday and admitted his opponent was "very close to the win". "For the first two sets he was the better player," said two-time Qatar Open champion Djokovic. "He played really well, smart, changing up the rhythm and the pace of the ball and moving me around. "I was kind of in a corner and I had to find my way and fight my way through." The match lasted exactly two hours, which was twice as long as the Serb spent on court in his first round stroll against Damir Dzumhur, where he lost just three games. A backhand winner eventually secured victory for Djokovic but the result was in doubt for a long time, with the Serb only breaking Fucsovics in the tenth game of the second set to ensure the match went into a final set shootout. Djokovic added: "I knew his qualities and
'We need you': Djokovic backs 'legend' Nadal to return from injury again
Novak Djokovic said that sport needed "legend" Rafael Nadal to make another comeback after it was announced that the injury-plagued Spaniard had withdrawn from his season-opening tournament in Brisbane. Nadal said that he would not play in Brisbane because of a left thigh strain, prompting yet more fears over the 32-year-old's long term future in tennis. Nadal, who claimed his 17th Grand Slam title at Roland Garros last year, has not played a competitive match since September. He also lost the world number one ranking to Djokovic, whose battles with the Spaniard are one of modern sport's greatest rivalries. "He has done the comebacks for so many times in his career that you always believe that he can do it again," said Djokovic after reaching the Qatar Open quarter-finals on Wednesday. "He has a very physical style of tennis which obviously is putting a lot of load and pressure on his joints, on his knees. "Sport needs Rafa, no question about it. He is one of the greatest legends of ..
Liverpool will drop points, says Man City boss Guardiola
Pep Guardiola is convinced Premier League leaders Liverpool will drop points between now and the end of the season as the Manchester City boss prepares for Thursday's huge title clash with the Reds. Guardiola's City side have been unable to keep pace with unbeaten Liverpool despite their own blistering start and sit in third place, seven points behind Jurgen Klopp's outfit ahead of their crunch meeting at the Etihad Stadium. Liverpool have dropped just six points so far this season and come into the match on a nine-match winning streak in the league, but Guardiola is confident they will make mistakes amid a heavy domestic and European schedule. "We are there, still with a lot of games to go and I think everyone will lose points this season, even Liverpool, because there are a lot of competitions," he told reporters on Wednesday. "They have been incredible ... scoring four or five goals in every game. They are solid behind and in front." Guardiola feels his own team deserve credit for .
Former FIFA referee Alex Vaz dies
Former FIFA referee Alex Vaz, who was also referees' instructor, died at his residence here on Wednesday evening after a prolonged illness. He was 84. Vaz was a renowned match official who asserted his authority on the football field and commanded respect from players, team management and officials. "Alex was a very good referee, one of the best in the country. He was mostly assigned to officiate in the finals of major tournaments," recalled former India captain and coach Shabbir Ali. Vaz was also an able administrator and served as the president of the Bombay Referees' Association and the Mumbai Schools Sports Association. He was also associated with other sports like athletics and volleyball. Vaz was also a teacher at the Holy Name High School in Colaba and Alexander Girls High School at Fort in Mumbai. He is survived by two sons and two daughters, according to a media release. The funeral service is scheduled to be held on Friday, the release added.
Sarri admits new striker needed as Chelsea frustrated by Saints
Maurizio Sarri admitted Chelsea need attacking reinforcements after they wasted a chance to cement their place in the Premier League's top four with a 0-0 draw against struggling Southampton. Sarri's team remain in fourth place, but they are now just three points ahead of fifth placed Arsenal in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League. It was a frustrating evening for Chelsea, who dominated possession but lacked any cutting edge, maintaining a worrying sequence for Sarri. His side failed to score for the third time in their last five Premier League games at Stamford Bridge, raising more questions about Chelsea's need for a top-class striker in the January transfer window. "The club knows my opinion. I think we need something else for our characteristics," Sarri said Wednesday when asked if he would consider recalling on loan forwards Michy Batshuayi and Tammy Abraham. Quizzed on the possibility of signing a new forward, he made it clear the responsibility lies with ...
Solskjaer wants to stay as Man United boss
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer joined Matt Busby in the Manchester United record books in his team's 2-0 win at Newcastle and admitted he does not want to leave the club in the summer. The United interim manager, in charge until the end of the season when he is scheduled to return to his Norwegian club Molde, has now won his first four games in charge. In United's history, only the legendary and iconic Busby has matched that achievement and Solskjaer celebrated enthusiastically with his club's travelling supporters after goals from Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford secured the win. "I don't want to (leave)," said Solskjaer on Wednesday when asked about his future beyond this season. "It is such a great bunch of players, a fantastic atmosphere. But it is the next game, the next game and I am doing my job for as long as I am here." United will now move on to much tougher challenges, starting with the Premier League visit to Tottenham a week on Sunday. But, given the manner of Wednesday's victory,
Lukaku saves Solskjaer's perfect record as Chelsea fire blanks
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United made it four wins out of four in the Premier League, beating Newcastle to close the gap on fourth-placed Chelsea, who were held at home by Southampton. United have been transformed since their former striker replaced Jose Mourinho, scoring 12 goals in his first three games in temporary charge but were forced to dig deep to emerge with a 2-0 win against a disciplined Newcastle side at St James's Park on Wednesday. The victory leaves them in sixth spot in the table with 38 points, just three behind Arsenal and six adrift of Chelsea. Substitute Romelu Lukaku broke the deadlock just 38 seconds after coming on midway through the second half, pouncing after Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka had spilled a fierce Marcus Rashford free kick and Rashford himself made sure of the points in the 80th minute. Manchester United bossed possession but a resolute Newcastle defence kept clear-cut chances to a minimum, prompting Solskjaer to throw on Lukaku and .
Sydney Test: India 69/1 against Australia (Lunch Report)
India were 69/1 at lunch on the first day of the fourth and final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here on Thursday.
India reach 69/1 at lunch on Day One of fourth Test
Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal put on 59 runs for the unbroken second wicket as India reached 69 for 1 at lunch on day one of the fourth and final Test against Australia here on Thursday. At the Sydney Cricket Ground, Agarwal was unbeaten on 42 runs, while Pujara was batting on 16 not out at the end of 24-over morning session. This was after India won the toss and opted to bat. Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin did not pass the fitness test this morning and was ruled out of the match. The visitors then made two changes, with Lokesh Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav coming in for Rohit Sharma and Ishant Sharma. Australia too made two changes with Peter Handscomb and Marnus Labuschagne replacing Aaron Finch and Mitchell Marsh. Mitchell Starc (0/27) and Josh Hazlewood (1/17) got the proceedings underway, with the Indian openers making a streaky start. Things did not change much for Rahul (9) despite missing the Melbourne Test, as he edged twice in the first four balls faced only for the
Scoreboard at lunch on the opening day of the fourth and final Test between India and ...
Scoreboard at lunch on the opening day of the fourth and final Test between India and Australia here Thursday. India 1st Innings: Mayank Agarwal batting 42 Lokesh Rahul c Marsh b Hazlewood 9 Cheteshwar Pujara batting 16 Extras: (LB-2) 2 Fall of Wickets: 1/10 Bowling: Mitchell Starc 9-0-27-0, Josh Hazlewood 8-3-17-1, Pat Cummins 5-1-17-0, Nathan Lyon 2-0-6-0.
Sydney Test: India opt to bat against Australia
India skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bat against Australia in the fourth and final Test of the series at the Sydney Cricket Ground here on Thursday.
Ramkumar loses way after raising hopes of an upset win
Ramkumar Ramanathan's serve deserted him at crunch moment as he missed out on a memorable win against world number 45 Malek Jaziri and crashed out of the Tata Open Maharashtra here. Staying solid on his service games was key to Ramkumar's fight but he served four consecutive double faults across two games to lose 7-6(6) 6-7 3-6 after battling hard for two hours and 46 minutes late Wednesday night. India's singles challenge ended with Ramkumar's defeat. After winning the first set, Ramkumar squandered three break points in the second set, allowing the fourth seed Tunisian to claw his way back in the match. Despite serving much better than Jaziri, the 24-year-old from Chennai ended up on the wrong side Jaziri, who beat then world number 4 Grigor Dimitrov and world number seven Marin Cilic in the 2018 season, struggled with his first serve as Ramkumar's unrelenting returns made it difficult for him. Jaziri committed eight double faults. Beating world number eight Dominic Thiem at Antalya
Srikanth, Sai Praneeth shine as Bengaluru beat Delhi in PBL
Skipper Kidambi Srikanth and B Sai Praneeth put up a strong show as Bengaluru Raptors defeated former champions Delhi Dashers in a Premier Badminton League Season 4 match here on Wednesday. With this, Srikanth continues his unbeaten streak this season, having won all three of his matches so far. In the first rubber of the game, Bengaluru's Sai Praneeth met his Pullela Gopichand Academy training partner HS Prannoy, who represented the Delhi franchise. When the match started, it was evident that Prannoy, already hobbled by a right knee injury, wasn't at his best. Facing breathing issues, the Indian national champion had a hard time stringing together points. Sai showed beautiful control of the shuttle to build a 6-2 lead. It was only after the mid-game break that Prannoy started showing signs of resurgence and drew level at 10-10 before Praneeth dashed his hopes with a 15-12 scoreline. Having gone down 8-10 in the second game, Prannoy found his second gear to explode to 13-10. With the
TN men open with win over Punjab in senior national volleyball
Tamil Nadu opened its campaign on a victorious note, defeating Punjab 3-0 in the men's section of the 67th Senior National Volleyball Championship here Wednesday. The hosts scored a hard-fought 27-25, 25-21, 26-24 win over Punjab on the opening day of the event. In the women's section, the mighty Railways beat Haryana 25-13, 25-13, 25-7 to begin its title defence in style. The men's match turned out to be a neck-and-neck affair with both the teams fighting hard in all the three games, but Tamil Nadu edged out the visitors in the end. Results: Women: Railways beat Haryana 25-13, 25-13, 25-7. Men: Tamil Nadu beat Punjab 27-25, 25-21, 26-24.
Chung knocked out; Simon, Anderson made to work hard
Second seed Hyeon Chung frittered away a handsome lead to suffer a shock exit from the Tata Open Maharashtra while top seed Kevin Anderson and defending champion Gilles Simon had to dig deep to beat their respective opponents, here on Wednesday. Latvian Ernests Gulbis erased a 0-4 lead to knock out world no. 25 from South Korea 7-6(2) 6-2 in the second round. Later, South African Anderson had to give his all before prevailing 7-6(2) 7-6(6) over Serbia's Laslo Djere in two hours and eight minutes. Anderson will now fight it out with seventh seed Jaume Munar, who sent packing qualifier Simone Bolleli 7-5 6-0. Ranked 93, Illya Ivashka of Belarus stretched world number 30 Simon, who had to grind his way to quarterfinals with a 6-7 (3) 6-2 6-1 after battling hard for two hours and 31 minutes. Third seed Simon, who usually has effortless movement had to run a lot on court with Ivashka returning almost everything. Also advancing to the quarterfinals was fifth seed Benoit Paire, who defeated .
Fadnavis condoles Achrekar's demise
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condoled the demise of celebrated cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar Wednesday, saying his contribution to the sport was unparallelled. Achrekar focused on harnessing his wards' natural talent rather than imparting bookish knowledge, the chief minister said. Apart from cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, Achrekar shaped the careers of players such as Vinod Kambli, Chandrakant Pandit, Ajit Agarkar and PravinAmre, Fadnavis noted. Achrekar (87) died here following age-related ailments earlier Wednesday.
Pak's Haris Sohail ruled out of remaining South Africa tour
Pakistan batsman Haris Sohail has been ruled out of the rest of the ongoing Test series with South Africa after sustaining an injury to his right knee.Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that they will name a replacement, if any, at a later time, International Cricket Council reported.Pakistan succumbed to a six-wicket defeat in spite of Haris' replacement Shan Masood's impressive 65 runs off 120 balls in his side's second innings at Centurion in South Africa.Haris' dropping is a major blow for his side, as he has scored hundreds against both Australia and New Zealand during Pakistan's Tests in the UAE last year.A 0-1 down Pakistan is set to meet South Africa for its second Test in Cape Town, beginning from January 3.
Liverpool coach praises Man City ahead of EPL clash
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp on Wednesday praised Manchester City ahead of the two teams' highly anticipated clash that could prove decisive in the hunt for the English Premier League (EPL) title, as leader Liverpool leads third-placed Manchester City by seven points.