Page 772 - Sports

Time to bring focus back on cricket: Mithali

Gearing up for the New Zealand tour, Indian women's ODI captain Mithali Raj Saturday stressed on the need to bring focus back on cricket after hogging the limelight for the wrong reasons following a controversial ending to their World T20 campaign. Mithali was in the news after falling out with Ramesh Powar, who was the coach of the team at the recently held women's World T20 in the Caribbean where she was dropped for the semifinal against England. Their spat became public after both wrote to the BCCI and their respective letters got leaked. But the selectors have reposed their faith on Mithali who retained her place in the T20 squad and captaincy for next month's tour to New Zealand. "The way things panned out was obviously not in a very good taste. It affected everybody in a different level, in a different way," Mithali said during a promotional event here. "Now I am sure things are settled and we should give more spotlight on the sport, on the players and in the team." Mithali said

UAE will be India's toughest challenge: Gouramangi

Former India defender Gouramangi Singh on Saturday said hosts UAE will pose a serious threat to the country's group stage campaign in the AFC Asian Cup football beginning from January 5. "I would say UAE would be very strong. Their fans would also come in large numbers. Add to that, the team would be preparing to do well on home soil. I feel that will be our toughest match," Singh said. Indian start their Asian Cup campaign on January 6 when they take on Thailand. They will play UAE on January 10 followed by the match against Bahrain on January 14. "In the two remaining group matches against Thailand and Bahrain, I feel we stand a chance and it would all boil down to the performance on the day," he said. The 32-year-old, who scored India's first goal in the AFC Asian Cup 2011 against Bahrain, believes the positive result against China (0-0) in an international friendly in October will boost the confidence of the players. "Malaysia got a favourable result against Thailand and Bahrain ..

Salah shines to earn Liverpool 2-0 win over Wolves

Mohamed Salah scored the first and set up the second to lead Liverpool to a 2-0 victory against Wolves at Wolverhampton Wanderers in an 18th-round match of the Premier League.

Peru to meet Paraguay, El Salvador in friendlies

Peru will play international friendlies against Latin American rivals Paraguay and El Salvador in March, the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) has announced.

Ellyse Perry hits second WBBL century

Australian woman all-rounder Ellyse Perry scored her second century of the ongoing 2018-19 season of the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) on Saturday.The 28-year-old played an impressive knock of 103* runs off 64 balls which included 10 fours and five sixes as her side Sydney Sixers registered an 11-run victory over Brisbane Heat.Batting first, Sixers got an early jolt as one of their openers Alyssa Healy lost her wickets at a score of two runs. But Perry did not let her side succumb to pressure by doing a commendable job at number three. She helped her side put a formidable total of 166 runs on the board.In reply, Brisbane Heat could only manage 155 runs at the end of the 20 overs.Earlier this month, Perry had smashed the first century of the ongoing WBBL season during their match against Perth Scorchers. The all-rounder has smashed 102* runs off 59 balls which included 14 fours and two sixes.Perry is also the leading run-scorer of the tournament having scored 1785 runs at an average ..

Dortmund widen Bundesliga lead with win over Mönchengladbach

Borussia Dortmund increased their lead in the Bundesliga with a 2-1 victory over second-place Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Real Sociedad's woes continue in loss to Alaves

Real Sociedad once again struggled at home in a 0-1 loss to Alaves, continuing a poor run of form that has left them near the La Liga relegation zone.

Defender Kotal to join ATK

Indian Super League (ISL) outfit Delhi Dynamos on Saturday agreed to a Rs 20 lakh transfer fee from ATK for full back Pritam Kotal.

Cricketer Sanju V Samson marries college-mate in Kerala

Indian cricketer,Sanju Viswanath Samson Saturday tied the knot with college mate and longtime friend, Charulatha in a low-key ceremony here. Close relatives, family members and friends attended the function held at a posh hotel this morning. The 24-year-old wicket keeper-batsman, a member of Kerala Ranji team and representing the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, recently announced his five-years-long affair with Charulatha, hailing from the city. Clad in a yellow 'kurta' and 'mundu' (dhoti), Sanju said he was very happy to marry his close friend with the blessings of both the families. A post graduate in Human Resources, Charulatha looked stunning in a traditional saree and ornaments. Both were college mates while pursuing graduation at the Mar Ivanious College here. The couple would host a reception for friends and fellow cricket team members here in the evening. Hailing from the state capital, Sanju was the youngest player to score a half-century in the IPL

Banned Sharjeel agrees to undertake PCB's rehabilitation program

Test opener Sharjeel Khan, who is serving a five-year ban for his role in a spot-fixing case, has agreed to undertake the rehabilitation program of the Pakistan Cricket Board's Anti-Corruption code in a bid to make an early comeback. The 29-year-old, who was suspended and sent home after the start of the Pakistan Super League in February last year, will be eligible to play cricket again in September, 2019 after the expiry of his ban with half of it suspended. The left-handed opener is said to be keen to get permission from the PCB for relaxation to resume playing club and domestic cricket before the official expiry of his ban next September. "Yes Sharjeel has notified us that he accepts the reasons for the ban imposed on him and is ready to attend the rehabilitation program under the Anti-Corruption Code and fulfil all requirements before his ban expires late next year," a reliable source in the PCB said. He said apparently Sharjeel had during his meeting with the PCB chairman, Ehsan .

ISL: Delhi Dynamos' Pritam Kotal set to join ATK

India international Pritam Kotal will join two-time Indian Super League champions ATK next month after Delhi Dynamos agreed to a transfer fees of Rs 20 lakh from the Kolkata-based club. The defender, who is currently in Abu Dhabi to take part in the upcoming AFC Asian Cup, will join his new team in the January transfer window starting next month, following the international break. Kotal, who was signed by the capital-based side in the ISL draft ahead of the start of season 4, represented Dynamos 24 times in the tournament, scoring a goal each in both the seasons. His impressive performances during the 2017-18 season saw him being handed over the captain's arm-band at the start of the 2018-2019 season under new coach Josep Gombau. The defender was a mainstay in the side and also scored his only goal of the season against ATK in Dynamos' 2-1 defeat to Steve Coppell's side earlier in the season. The Indian International has agreed personal terms with the Kolkata based side and will join .

Uncapped Dane Paterson replaces injured Philander in Proteas Test squad

Uncapped South African player Dane Paterson has been named as a replacement for pacer Vernon Philander, who has a fractured finger, for their upcoming first Test of three-match series against Pakistan beginning December 26.Announcing this, South Africa's selection convener Linda Zondi said that Paterson has been bowling consistently well in the domestic circuit for a long time and that they have been looking at him for a long time."We have been looking at him for some time. He is a bowler who has performed on the domestic scene consistently for a long time and he will be our back-up for the first Test," ICC quoted Zondi, as saying.Like Philander, young pacer Lungi Ngidi is also not a part of the Pakistan Test series as he has been ruled out of action till February owing to a knee injury. Consequently, South African team is left with three pace options in Duanne Olivier, Kagiso Rabada and Dale Steyn. Paterson is likely to be behind these three in the order of preference.Paterson has ...

Breakthrough year for Neeraj, Hima but familiar dope shame hits Indian athletics

Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's obsessive pursuit of excellence and a new-found sprint sensation in Hima Das gave Indian athletics audacious Olympic hopes but familiar dope shame kept things in perspective in an eventful 2018. If 2016 announced his arrival on the world scene with a junior world record, the 20-year-old Neeraj emerged as a serious Olympic medal contender with a series of impressive throws which fetched him a gold each in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. The dashing six-footer from Khandra Village in Panipat rose to celebrity status, breaking his own national record twice during the year. The last one of 88.06m won him a gold in the Asian Games and catapulted him to the world's elite. If Neeraj was the cynosure of all eyes, Hima also carved out a slice of history by becoming the first Indian woman athlete to win a gold at the world level. She clinched the top spot in the women's 400m final race in the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championships in Finland. No ...

I-League: Indian Arrows beat Gokulam Kerala FC 1-

A 66th-minute goal by Amarjit Singh helped the Indian Arrows stun eighth-placed Gokulam Kerala FC 1-0 in their Group stage match of the ongoing 12th edition of the I-League here at the Barabati Stadium on Friday.The victory is the second one of Floyd Pinto's team in the tournament. With this victory, the Indian Arrows have jumped up a place to be in the 9th position, while Gokulam Kerala FC are placed eighth in the points table.The game began with hosts Indian Arrows in their traditional sky blue while visitors Gokulam Kerala FC in Maroon. Bino George, head coach for Gokulam Kerala FC today started with an amped up attack through new recruit Rohit Mirza. Gokulam Kerala FC as expected started on an attacking note, but the Indian Arrows stood strong enough in front of goal.On the contrary, the hosts made their way past into the Kerala box quite a few times, but their lack of creativity in finding the finishing touch eluded them of any lead. Rahul KP, Boris Singh, Rahim Ali played ...

2018-19 BBL: Jason Sangha draws inspiration from Joe Root

Australian cricketer Jason Sangha, who recently became the youngest player to score a half-century in the 2018-19 Big Bash League (BBL), credit England Test skipper and his teammate at Sydney Thunders Joe Root for inspiring him.The 19-year-old, who stitched a 40-run partnership with Root during their match against Melbourne Stars, said batting with the Englishman was a calming factor for him."Joe's been amazing. Joe's taken me under his wing and I've absolutely chewed his brain. I was just soaking it all in really . I was batting with one of my idols Joe Root, so it couldn't really get better really for a BBL debut," Cricket.com.au quoted Sangha, as saying."I loved it. Joe was batting with me, he was just very calming, keeping my nerves down. I was just so excited. He was very good, we kept talking about making sure we go deep (into the innings)," he added.The teenager also revealed that T20 cricket is more of a challenge for him as he comes from a red-ball cricket background. He, ...

Nothing tests players like Test cricket, says Dravid

Indian men's U-19 cricket team coach Rahul Dravid encourages his players to play Test cricket, as it is the most "testing" form of cricket in his view.The former Indian cricketer said that he always tells his players that playing Test cricket is the greatest form of satisfaction in the game.The 45-year-old, however, added that not all players are into Test cricket, as they prefer shorter formats like T20 and ODI formats of cricket. Dravid said that these are also the skillful forms of the game."I always tell them (Under-19 players) you will get the greatest satisfaction is playing in Test cricket. Test cricket is the hardest form of the game. Nothing tests you like Test cricket. Over a period of five days, you are tested physically, mentally, technically, emotionally. So that's the challenge. I tell U-19 kids that if you want to be challenged to your then test cricket is what you should try and play," he said."If you don't play Test cricket, there are other forms of the game, as well.

Former players slam ICC's Perth pitch rating

Former Test cricketers Mitchell Johnson and Michael Vaughan have slammed the ICC for giving an 'average' rating to the Perth Stadium pitch, which hosted India's second Test against Australia. Match referee Ranjan Madugalle on Friday rated the pitch at Perth Stadium as 'average', the lowest pass mark provided by the ICC when they assess the pitch and outfield of Test grounds. Australia had defeated India by 146 runs on the fifth and final day of the second Test at the Perth Stadium. "Nothing wrong with it. It was exciting to watch a contest between bat and ball for a change and not these dull flat tracks being served up constantly. I'd actually be interested in knowing what a good pitch is? Hope for another exciting test at the MCG," Johnson wrote on his twitter handle. Vaughan also took to Twitter to criticise ICC's decision. "And they wonder why Test Match cricket is struggling .. Was a tremendously exciting pitch which had a bit for everyone .. Should be more like this IMO..." The ..

Australian Open to have final set tie breaks

The Australian Open is going to have final set tie-breaks from its upcoming 2019 edition.According to the new rules, the final set will be decided after six-games-all with the longer of the tiebreak formats which means that the first player to get ten points after 6-6 would be declared as the winner.Tournament director Craig Tiley said that the decision was taken after extensive consultation with those associated with the game. A ten-point tie break at six-games-all gets approval as this format is expected to give fans a special finale to epic contests, Tiley added."We asked the players - both past and present, commentators, agents and TV analysts whether they wanted to play an advantage final set or not, and went from there," Australian Open official website quoted Tiley, as saying."We went with a 10-point tiebreak at six-games-all in the final set to ensure the fans still get a special finale to these often epic contests, with the longer tiebreak still then allowing for that one ...

Mitchell Johnson criticises Perth's 'average' rating decision

Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson does not seem to have agreed with International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision to give 'average' rating to Perth Pitch, where his side and India played their second Test of the ongoing four-match series.Taking to his official Twitter account, Johnson said that there was "nothing wrong" with the pitch, adding that it was exciting to see the contest between bat and ball in the match "for a change.""Nothing wrong with it. It was exciting to watch a contest between bat and ball for a change and not these dull flat tracks being served up constantly. I'd actually be interested in knowing what a good pitch is? Hope for another exciting test at the MCG," Johnson wrote.Former England cricketer Michael Vaughan also expressed surprise over the decision and termed the Perth pitch as "tremendously exciting.""And they wonder why Test Match cricket is struggling .. Was a tremendously exciting pitch which had a bit for everyone .. Should be more like this ...

Bayern Munich power duo Rummenigge and Hoeness consolidate power

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge will remain at the helm of German champions Bayern Munich alongside Uli Hoeness until at least 2021 after the former striker was given a two-year extension as chairman. "Our most important task in the years to come will be to continue to develop Bayern so that it remains one of the best clubs in Europe," Rummenigge said on Friday after thanking the board and club president Hoeness for their support. Hoeness himself was on Tuesday given a four-year extension to his term as head of Bayern's supervisory board. He said Rummenigge had "brilliantly proved his qualities over the past 16 years" and added: "We are sure that he is exactly the right man to take Bayern along the path to success in the years to come." Bayern have won the past six Bundesliga titles but face a fight to retain their crown this year as Borussia Dortmund head into the winter break top of the table. The Bavarians struggled early in the season under new coach Niko Kovac but have begun to find form ..