Page 740 - Sports
Anushka, Virat ring in New Year in Sydney
Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli have already stepped into the New Year as the couple is together in Australia.The Indian cricket team captain has shared some adorable pictures with wife Anushka and has also wished their fans a wonderful year ahead.He tweeted, "Happy New Year to everyone back home and all over the world, all the way from Australia. Have a wonderful year ahead. God bless everyone."In the pictures, while the 'Zero' star looks ravishing in an off-shoulder dress, her hubby looks dashing in a suit.Earlier in the day, Virat had announced on social media that the two will usher in 2019 in Sydney. He had said, "Off to Sydney. Looking forward to the New Year's Eve with my one and only. @anushkasharma"Celebrities including Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora, Tiger Shroff, Juhi Chawl and Farhan Akhtar, among others also wished their fans for the new beginnings.
Rohan Bopanna, Divij Sharan set to play in Davis Cup
Asian Games gold medal winning pair of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan have been selected for the Davis Cup, scheduled for February 1-2 at the South Club in Kolkata."A meeting of the Senior Selection Committee was held to select the members of the Davis Cup and Fed Cup Teams," the All India Tennis Association (AITA) statement said on Saturday.The other players selected for the Davis Cup India against Italy include Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Saketh Myneni and Sasi Kumar Mukund (Reserve)."To give exposure to young talents, the following players have been included to be part of the camp (January 22-30) and to practice with this squad-Sumit Nagal, Arjun Kadhe, and Siddharth Vishwakarma," the statement added.Legend Mahesh Bhupathi is set to lead the team and Zeeshan Ali will be the coach.For the Fed Cup, five players- Ankita Raina, Karman Thandi, Pranjala Yadlappalli, Prarthana Thombare, and Rutuja Bhosale-have been selected to represent India in Astana, Kazakhstan in the ...
Women National Boxing: Kushboo, Pratibha win; top pugilists receive byes
Delhi boxers Kushboo Tokas and Pratibha shone bright, while Andra Pradesh's Jyoti Gorli also scored a hard-fought win on the opening day of the third Elite women's National Boxing Championships here Monday. Top pugilists, including Pinky Jangra, Nikhat Zarin and Sonia Lather, however, received first-round byes on day one which saw boxers from 31 states and institutions start their campaign at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) here. In the 48 kg class, Kushboo overcame a technically-sound boxer Sabitro Limboo from Sikkim after a split verdict (3:2). The opening bout saw both pugilists going all out from round one as they traded blows, trying to hit the target areas to attract the judges. The second round too was more or less even with both the boxers punching their way to the next round, but what turned things in favour of Kushboo was her fantastic straight ones in the last round. Taking a cue, Andhra's Jyoti also fought well to repeat the score against Anjali Sharma of Madhya ...
Czech Bouzkova rallies back to stun veteran Stosur in Brisbane 1st round
Young Czech tennis player, Marie Bouzkova, bounced back to claim a stunning 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win against Australia's veteran Samantha Stosur in the first round of the Brisbane International here on Monday.
All-round Deepti guides Bengal to maiden women's One-Day League title
Bengal rode on all-rounder Deepti Sharma's heroics to edge past Andhra by 10 runs and clinch their maiden Senior Women's One-Day League title here on Monday.
Lyon lone Kangaroo in Cricket Australia's Test Team of the Year
Cricket Down Under has never seen more lows than in 2018, which is evident from the fact that seasoned off-spinner Nathan Lyon is the lone Kangaroo to feature in Cricket Australia's Test Team of the Year that also comprises the likes of India's Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.
From New Year, first metro coach to be reserved for women across all corridors except Red Line
Starting January 1, the first coach in the moving direction of trains will be reserved for women on all corridors, except the Red Line, to bring uniformity across the network, Delhi Metro officials said Monday. Till now, the first and the last coach in trains were alternately used as 'ladies coach' across various corridors, depending on up and down line. "The first and the last coach at the terminal stations of Line 1 (Red Line-Dislhad Garden to Rithala), Line 5 (Green Line- Inderlok/Kirti Nagar to Brig. Hoshiar Singh), Line 6 (Violet Line- Kashmere Gate to Raja Nahar Singh), Line 7 (Pink Line-Majlis Park to Mayur Vihar Pkt-1 & Trilokpuri-Sanjay Lake to Shiv Vihar) and Line 8 (Magenta Line- Botanical Garden to Janakpuri West) were alternately used as ladies coach on the up and and down lines respectively," the DMRC said in a statement. The new system has been introduced to ensure more convenience to commuters and maintain uniformity among all the metro stations across the DMRC ...
Ranji Trophy: UP, Puducherry register big wins
Uttar Pradesh and Puducherry kept their Ranji Trophy quarter-final dreams alive after decimating Haryana and Manipur, respectively within two days of their Round 8 matches on Monday.
GM Aleksej, GM Kirill start on winning note
Top-ranked Aleksandrov Aleksej and third ranked Stupak Kirill, both of Belarus, recorded victories in their opening round matches of the EKA IIFWL Investment Mangers 4th Mumbai International GM Chess Tournament 2018 here. On the top board, Aleksej (ELO 2590) playing with the black pieces outwitted Indian IM Praveen Kumar (2233) while Kirill (2557) also starting with the black pieces tamed India's Bhambure Shantanu (2223) on the third board to pocket the full point. Meanwhile, the top-ranked Indians in the fray, GM Chanda Sandipan and GM Deepan Chakkravarthy J, ranked 5 and 6 respectively, also enjoyed successful first rounds, a media release said Monday. Sandipan (2555) defeated his compatriot WIM Mahalakshmi M. (2219), while Chakkravarthy (2550) got the better of Bangladesh's FM Mehdi Hasan Parag (2218). Russia's second ranked GM Rozum Ivan (2589) found the going tough against Indias Candidate Master Prraneeth Vuppala (2228) and was forced to a draw and split ...
Bengal women win maiden One-Day League
India all-rounder Deepti Sharma excelled in all the three departments as Bengal pipped Andhra by 10 runs to clinch their maiden Senior Women's One-Day League title here Monday. Deepti, who scored 34 while opening the batting, was also involved in K Jyothi and Saranya Godwal's run out in the death overs to bundle out Andhra for 187. The off-spinner also shone with the ball returning with figures of 3/33 to give them a perfect New Year gift. Sent into bat, Bengal were going steady at 57 for no loss but Paramita Roy and Deepti got out midway into their innings as the Andhra bowling led by C H Jhansi Lakshmi (3/40) snatched the momentum. With wickets falling at regular intervals, Mandira Mohapatra played a crucial knock of 39 from 53 balls, while skipper Jhulan Goswami made a quick 21 off 25 balls. Seamer Shubh Lakshmi (2/29) gave Bengal an early breakthrough by removing opener Jhansi Lakshmi in the fourth over to reduce Andhra to 10/1. But after that wicket, skipper N Anusha (61) built ..
Lewandowski envisages ending career at Bayern
Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski says he envisages finishing his career with the Bavarian club after this summer's talk of a possible transfer for the prolific Pole. "I'm not thinking of changing club. I admit it, this summer it could have been a subject for debate but that's now all finished," Lewandowski said in an interview with German sports daily Bild. "It's very likely that I'll stay here for a long time. I identify totally with Bayern," added the 30-year-old who joined Bayern in 2014 but who was on the radar of both Real Madrid and Chelsea in the summer. Bayern bosses, however, averted a transfer, insisting that last season's top Bundelsiga scorer, with 29 goals, was not for sale. "I have the feeling that since all these rumours and problems were buried, I am once again with all my heart with Bayern, at 100 percent." Lewandowski, however, did urge Bayern to sign up some stars to help their bid for a first Champions League trophy since 2013. The German champions have ...
Mayweather beats Japan's Nasukawa by technical knockout
Floyd Mayweather beat Japanese kickboxing phenomenon Tenshin Nasukawa by a technical knockout on Monday in the first round of a New Year's Eve "exhibition" bout that brought the US boxing superstar out of retirement. Mayweather floored Nasukawa, a kickboxer less than half his age, three times in the first round of the three-round contest before the Japanese fighter's trainer rushed in to stop the fight. The American boxer at first appeared not to be taking the fight seriously, grinning at his opponent and aiming only soft punches at him. But he then demonstrated his power, launching a series of jabs and hooks to the head of the 20-year-old Japanese fighter, sending him to the canvas after just one minute. Sensing his opponent was struggling, Mayweather stepped in for the kill, unleashing a flurry of punches that left Nasukawa reeling again within just two minutes of the bout and facing his second standing count. With the Japanese fighter clearly struggling to stay on his feet, the ...
Sri Lanka cricket rated most corrupt by ICC: minister
Sri Lanka has been rated as the most corrupt cricket nation by the world governing body, the country's sports minister said Monday. The International Cricket Council feels "Sri Lanka's cricket administration is corrupt from top to bottom", Harin Fernando said, adding that he had been shown a confidential report on the matter at a Dubai meeting. A host of scandals have rocked Sri Lankan cricket in recent years including a match-fixing controversy revealed in a sting operation carried out for a TV documentary. The ICC anti-corruption unit has regularly investigated cases in the island nation. The crisis-ridden Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) is to hold delayed elections in February, which were due last May when the term of president Thilanga Sumathipala ended. Sumathipala has been accused of violating ICC rules by holding office despite alleged links to gambling. He denies the charges. "Unfortunately Sri Lanka is being ranked as one of the worst or the top worst country for cricket corruption,"
Sharapova campaign off to tough start in Shenzhen
Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova had a tough start to her 2019 tennis season Monday at the Shenzhen Open, edging out Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky 6-2, 7-6 (7/3). In a battle of former Top 10 players, Sharapova's serve faltered early in the match but she regained composure to take the first set, cheered on by the spirited crowd at the Shenzhen Longgang Sports Center. Bacsinszky put up a strong fight in the second set, claiming the first two games and forcing Sharapova to step up her game. The Russian powered through to take the match in one hour 42 minutes. "It's been a few months since I've been out of playing competitively," Sharapova said in a post-match interview, calling Shenzhen a "warm-up tournament" for next month's Australian Open. "Considering the opponent and everything I had to go through today I think it was a great practice for me." Sharapova, who won the last of her five Slams at Roland Garros in 2014, has endured a disappointing return to the majors since
Bisht slams maiden triple ton; Puducherry rout Manipur inside two days
Former Delhi wicketkeeper Puneet Bisht cracked a maiden triple century, an unbeaten 301, to put Meghalaya on top against Sikkim in their Ranji Trophy Plate Group fixture here Monday. At the close of play on Day 2, Meghalaya were 555/3 with a comfortable 336-run first innings lead. The diminutive 32-year-old toyed with the Sikkim attack hitting 48 fours and one six in his whirlwind knock that came at an incredible strike rate of 102.73 at the KIIT Stadium. Opener Raj Biswa stood tall at the other end with a solid 175 from 321 balls (25x4) as the duo continued their overnight stand to add 433 runs for the fourth wicket. Sikkim batsman Milind Kumar, who scored a century in the first innings, took the only wicket of the day as their bowlers endured a tough outing with Meghalaya scoring at 4.74 runs per over. At the Anantapur Cricket Ground in Andhra, Puducherry rode on Pankaj Singh's eight-wicket match haul to seal a bonus-point victory over Manipur inside two days. They claimed seven ...
Australian cricket selection at its lowest: Ganguly
Former India skipper Sourav Ganguly rated the current Australian selection process as the "lowest ever" while responding to ex-captain Steve Waugh's predicted playing XI for the fourth and final Test, starting Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Rao's 7/82 helps Chhattisgarh dismiss Karnataka for 418 in Ranji Trophy
Seamer Pankaj Rao returned with a seven-wicket haul to dismiss Karnataka for 418 before Chhattisgarh reached 121-3 at stumps on the second day of the Group A Ranji Trophy match at Alur on Monday. Rao, who had ended the first day with good figures of four for 38, picked up three more scalps on day two to end up with excellent figures of seven for 82. After centurion D Nischal (107) was dismissed on the first ball of the morning on Monday, R Vinay Kumar anchored the team, hitting an unbeaten 90. In reply, Chhattisgarh made a disastrous start as they were reduced to 25-3 in 7 overs before Amadeep Khare (43) and Harpreet Singh (53) doled the visitors out of the woods by stitching an unbeaten 96 runs partnership for fourth wicket. The visitors are trailing Karnataka by 297 rns with seven wickets in hands. Earlier, Vinay stitched 53-run partnership with Abhimanyu Mithun (17) for ninth wicket and then added 68 runs with Ronit More for the last wicket. Resuming at an overnight score of 272 ...
Prajnesh knocked out of Tata Open Maharashtra
A rusty Prajnesh Gunneswaran was far from his best and was knocked out of the Tata Open Maharashtra, losing in straight sets to American Michael Mmoh, here Monday. The game which earned him impressive results in the 2018 season was nowhere to be seen as he lost 5-7 3-6 to his American opponent, ranked 103, in one hour and 14 minutes. Steve Darcis, who is coming out of a long injury lay-off, knocked out sixth seed Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3 6-4 to create first upset of the tournament while Russia's Evgeny Donskoy accounted for eight seed Spaniard Pablo Andujar 6-3 5-7 7-6(6). It has been a decent venue for Prajnesh as he made two Challenger level finals here -- one just weeks back but free-flowing unforced errors never let him dictate the points. He lost the very first game of the match and struggled to win two points together. He broke back in the sixth game during which he played the point of the match. Mmoh dictated the points and dropped the ball away from Prajnesh, who though ...
Serena Williams beats Maria Sakkari in Hopman Cup
American tennis star Serena Williams defeated her counterpart Greek player Maria Sakkari in straight sets in the Hopman Cup singles encounter on Monday.The 23-time Grand Slam champion beat Sakkari by 7-6(3), 6-2."It is great to be back out in match day, and it is great to be back out here. I love playing in Australia. Some of my best memories are here. It was my first match back (today), she played unbelievably. Maria (Sakkari) is super young and such a good player," Women's Tennis Association (WTA) quoted Williams, as saying."I was making a lot of errors. I was like, 'It is ok, it is your first match and you will get better.' I just kept trying to think that," she said.However, Williams along with fellow American Frances Tiafoe lost to the Greek duo of Sakkari and Stefanos Tsitsipas by 1-4, 4-1, 2-4 in the mixed doubles.
Andhra 207 for 3 in reply to Hyderabad's 271
Andhra replied strongly making 207 for 3 in 76 overs after dismissing Hyderabad for 271 at stumps on day two of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B match here Monday. Opener C R Gnaneshwar led the way with a solid 65 after K V Sasikanth's five-wicket haul helped the host restrict Hyderabad to 271. Riding on half-centuries by Himalay Agarwal (59) and captain Akshat Reddy (57) and a cameo by No11 Mehdi Hassan, Hyderabad, overnight 226 for 7, added a further 45 runs. Gnaneshwar and D B Prashant Kumar (32) provided a good start for Andhra and put on 58 runs. T Ravi Teja got the first wicket for the visitors' when he dismissed Kumar. Gnaneshwar and Jyothisaikrishna (38) were involved in a 62-run stand for the second wicket to push Andhra forward. After the fall of Gnaneshwar, Jyothisaikrishna and Ricky Bhui added 46 runs. Jyothisaikrishna's exit brought K S Bharat together and they ensured the team suffered no further losses. Brief scores (at end of day 2): Hyderabad 271 all out ..