Page 818 - Sports
Germany beat Malaysia 5-3 to book quarterfinal berth in WC
Olympic bronze medallist Germany defeated Malaysia 5-3 in a keenly-contested match to maintain their all-win record and seal a direct quarterfinal spot by topping Pool D at the men's hockey World Cup here on Sunday. Germany finished their pool engagements with a maximum of nine points from three games. Tim Herzbruch (2nd, 59th minutes) and Christopher Ruhr (14th, 18th) scored two goals each while Marco Miltkau (39th) struck the other one for the world number 6 Germans. Malaysia's all three goals came from penalty corner conversions by Razie Rahim (26th, 42nd) and Nabil Noor (28th). By virtue of this win, the Germans joined two-time champions Australia, Olympic champions Argentina and hosts India in the quarterfinals. Asian Games silver medallist Malaysia are all but out of the tournament as they are placed last in Pool D with just one point and an inferior goal difference. Only a miracle can save Malaysia from packing their bags. They can still remain in the fray if the Netherlands ...
Gambhir dismisses rumours of joining politics, open to coaching
The just-retired Gautam Gambhir Sunday categorically rejected rumours around him joining politics but the former India opener indicated he was open to coaching at the big stage. The 37-year-old World Cup winner walked into the sunset by scoring a memorable hundred in his farewell Ranji Trophy match against Andhra at the Feroz Shah Kotla. "Not at all," Gambhir said when asked if he was contesting in the next general elections. "There are rumours which I have heard as well, probably the reason is maybe I take up social issues as well... For me Twitter was always a platform which is very, very important and where I take up social issues. "I am not that kind of a character where I am going to start joking on a platform like twitter as well. For me being a citizen of this country it is my right to take up social issues and that probably is the reason why people thing I am going to join politics but there is nothing of that sort." Gambhir last played for the country in 2016 against England .
Maharashtra take 3 points in drawn game against Mumbai
Hosts Maharashtra took three points on the basis of their first innings lead after their Elite Group A Ranji Trophy game against Mumbai ended in a draw on Sunday. Maharashtra, who had taken a first innings lead of 79, were bundled out for 254 in their second essay with skipper Rahul Tripathi top scoring with 76 at the MCA International Stadium at Gahunje on the outskirts of the city. For Mumbai , Shivam Dubey (3-25) and Shivam Malhotra (3-41) took three wickets each. Mumbai, who are yet to register a single win, were set an improbable 334-run target and ended up at 135 for 5 when the match was declared drawn. Experienced Aditya Tare remained unbeaten on 52 in company of Shivam Dubey (8 not out). Maharashtra opener Swapnil Gugale, who had hit a century in the first innings, was adjourned as the Man of the Match. Meanwhile at Valsad, the Gujarat versus Railways game ended in a tame draw with the visitors grabbing 3 points on the basis of the first innings lead. Railways ...
Ranji Trophy: Delhi-Andhra match end in a draw
The Group B Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Andhra, which is also the last match of veteran batsman Gautam Gambhir, ended in a dull draw at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium here on Sunday.
Bangladesh restrict Windies to 195-9 in first ODI
Skipper Mashrafe Mortaza and Mustafizur Rahman took three wickets each Sunday as Bangladesh restricted West Indies to 195-9 in the first one-day international in Dhaka. West Indies won the toss at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium and batted first on a slow pitch. The visitors were reduced to 127-6 after 40 overs despite opener Shai Hope making 43 off 59 balls. Roston Chase, who made 32, put on a partnership worth 51 runs with Keemo Paul for the seventh wicket to give West Indies some momentum. Paul made 36 off 28 balls with two sixes and a four before he was dismissed by Mustafizur in the final over of the innings. Left-arm pacer Mustafizur finished with 3-35 after fellow fast bowler Mashrafe grabbed 3-30 playing his 200th ODI -- the first Bangladeshi to do so.
Khelo India Youth Games to start from January 9
Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Sunday launched the jersey for the second edition of Khelo India, rechristened as Khelo India Youth Games, which will kick start from January 9-20 in Pune. Building on the success of the inaugural edition, the Minister alongside Khelo India stars Manu Bhaker, Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Saurabh Chaudhary, Lakshya Sen, Esha Singh, Tababi Devi, and Srihari Natraj started the countdown to Khelo India Youth Games with an evocative "#5MinuteAur" campaign. Scheduled to take place at Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune, the Games will see over 10,000 participants from 29 states and seven Union Territories taking part in the two age categories -- under 17 and under 21. In its inaugural edition, Khelo India had a strong message "Kheloge Kudoge Banoge lajawaab" encouraging more kids to play every day, it was an effort towards changing an age-old belief. Building on the core of this message through the #5MinuteAur campaign, the Ministry wants
Ranji Trophy: Jharkhand score thrilling 2-run win over Odisha
Jharkhand bowlers held their nerves as they guided their team to a nail-biting 2-run win over Odisha in the Elite Group C Ranji Trophy game here Sunday. Subransu Senapati played a valiant unbeaten knock of 157 off 321 balls for the visitors, farming the strike beautifully in the company of the last two batsmen, but failed to take his team past the finishing line. Chasing a stiff target of 260, Odisha were reeling at 8-154 when Senapati stitched two crucial partnerships with number 10 Basant Mohanty (4 off 38 balls) and number 11 Dhiraj Singh (7 off 43 balls) to take his side on the cusp of a memorable win. But experienced pacer Varun Aaron (2-57) cleaned up Dhiraj Singh to dash off Odisha's hopes as Jharkhand registered a heart-stopping win after conceding the first innings lead at the JSCA International Stadium. For the hosts, Anukul Roy (4-51) was the main wicket- taker who was ably supported by Aaron, Rahul Shukla (2-43), Ashish Kumar (1-36) and Rahul Prasad ...
Tamil Nadu beat Kerala to register first win of season
Tamil Nadu registered their first win of the season, beating Kerala by 151 runs Sunday in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'B' match at the M A Chidambaram stadium here. The victory and six points renewed Tamil Nadu's hopes after the team had logged only five points from four matches prior to the Kerala game. They are now at fifth place in the standings with 11 points. Kerala are second in the group on 13 points behind Madhya Pradesh (18). Needing 369 to win their third match, Kerala were bowled out for 217 despite half-centuries from Sanju Samson (91) and Sijomon Joseph (55). The two added 93 runs for the third wicket to defy the Tamil Nadu bowlers, who were on the lookout for breakthroughs. Resuming at 27 for 1 this morning, Kerala lost K B Arun Karthick for 33 to a catch by N Jagadeesan off Sai Kishore's bowling. The partnership between Samson and Sijomon Joseph, who showed great resolve, raised Kerala's hopes of pulling off a draw. Left-arm medium-pacer T Natarajan, who was the star for
Harmanpreet, Mandhana smash match-winning fifties in Women's Big Bash T20
India T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her deputy Smriti Mandhana hit blistering half-centuries, helping their respective sides to emphatic victories in the Women's Big Bash League here on Sunday. Harmanpreet struck a breezy 26-ball 56 to help Sydney Thunder Women pile on 192 for 4 from 20 overs against Brisbane Heat Women after electing to bat first. Sydney Thunders then bowled Brisbane Heat out for 164 in 18.5 overs to register a 28-run win at the North Sydney Oval ground. Harmanpreet, who was recently involved in a controversy surrounding the dropping of veteran India team-mate Mithali Raj in the semifinal of the World T20, hit six fours and three sixes in her hurricane innings. She was the top-scorer of her side. Batting at number three, Harmanpreet had two crucial partnerships, first of 41 runs for the third wicket with Naomi Stalenberg (10) and the second of 53 runs for the fourth wicket with captain Alex Blackwell (33 not out). Madhana also top-scored for her side Hobart ...
Pandey fires India A to series win in New Zealand
Captain Manish Pandey led from the front with an unbeaten 111, firing India A to a series-clinching victory over New Zealand A in the second unofficial ODI of the three match series here Sunday. For the second game in a row, India won the toss and opted to field. George Worker (99) and Will Young (102) steered New Zealand A to a competitive 299 for eight. India A, who had comfortably chased down 309 in the series opener, made short work of the 300-run target this time, getting home with five wickets in hand and an over to spare. Pandey remained unbeaten with five fours and three sixes while the other contributions came from Shreyas Iyer (59) and Vijay Shankar (59), who both scored their second straight half-century. The final game of the series will be played here on Tuesday. India A openers Shubman Gill (25) and Mayank Agarwal (25) got starts but failed to convert for the second game in a row. Iyer and Pandey then shared a 90-run stand for the third wicket to set the tone for the ...
Dozens of Boca, River fans arrive in Madrid ahead of Copa Libertadores final
Dozens of Boca Juniors and River Plate fans have landed in the Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas airport in the Spanish capital without incident, on Sunday.
Record-breaking MP cricketer idolises Sachin; eyes Ranji title
Young Madhya Pradesh batsman Ajay Rohera, who created history by slamming highest first-class score on debut, idolises master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and says he will try to quickly get over the euphoria surrounding his feat and focus on scoring more runs for his team. Opening for Madhya Pradesh, the 21-year-old scored an unbeaten 267 against Hyderabad in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B game here Saturday. Rohera's knock is a world record for highest first- class score on debut. The record was earlier held by former Mumbai stalwart Amol Muzumdar, who had hit 260 versus Haryana at Faridabad in 1994. Talking to PTI Sunday, the young batsman said he will not keep thinking about his name being etched in the record books and going forward try to keep things simple while batting. Rohera said his dream is to see Madhya Pradesh win the prestigious domestic cricket tournament, a title which has eluded them till now. "I will make a fresh start in coming matches. Now, my world ..
PSL 2019: Mohammad Hafeez appointed as Lahore Qalandar captain
Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has been appointed as the captain of the Lahore Qalandars ahead of the upcoming fourth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).The announcement was made on the official Twitter handle of Lahore Qalandar where they congratulated the player for the appointment."Congratulations to @MHafeez22 on becoming #LahoreQalandars Captain For #PSL2019 #DamaDamMast," they wrote.Hafeez thanked the team management for giving him an opportunity and hoped of achieving the desired results."Thank u Rana brothers & @lahoreqalandars management to give me an honour to lead their side in #PSL2019 , In shaa Allah we all together wil get the desire results this season , #WilMakeOurFansHappy Aameen," he tweeted.Hafeez recently bid adieu to the Test cricket saying that he wants to focus more on the limited-overs format especially the 2019 cricket World Cup. His last Test series came against New Zealand which Pakistan lost 1-2. He has played a total of 55 Test matches ...
Want tailenders to show bit more application, says Bangar
India's batting coach Sanjay Bangar want the tailend batsmen to show a bit more application than what they did in the second innings on the fourth day of the opening Test match here on Sunday.
Umpires need to be more watchful of no-ball deliveries: Ricky Ponting
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting believes that on-field umpires are not watchful enough of the no-ball deliveries being bowled in a match. He said that this particular trend is "not right" for the game of cricket.The comment came in the backdrop of an incident that happened during Day 4 of the ongoing first Test between India and Australia at the Adelaide Oval. During Australia's innings, on-field umpire Kumara Dharamsena raised his finger when opener Aaron Finch was dismissed by pacer Ishant Sharma but the replays showed that the bowler had overstepped while delivering the bowl. This resulted in Finch getting a reprieve from the third umpire.Ponting said that Sharma was about six-inches over the crease and the mistake was so obvious to be noticed by the on-field umpire but the same did not happen."I've said this for a lot of years; I honestly don't think the umpires look at the front line anymore. Some of the ones we've seen today . he was 4-6 inches over the line. I don't ...
Women's BBL: Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana score record half-tons
Indian women cricketers Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur scored record half-centuries for their respective teams in the ongoing fourth edition of the Women's Big Bash League on Sunday.While Mandhana scored 50 off 24 balls while playing for her team Hobart Hurricanes, Kaur reached the fifty-mark in 23 balls for Sydney Thunders. Both the fifties were fastest ever for their teams, ICC reported.Kaur's innings included three sixes and six fours while Mandhana smashed 13 fours to reach the score of 69 in their match against Melbourne Stars.The overall record of scoring the fastest fifty ever belongs jointly to Ash Gardner of Sydney Sixers and Lizelle Lee of Melbourne stars, who both smashed the fifties off 22 balls during the last season of the league.Women's Big Bash League commenced on December 1 and will go on till January 26.
We did it in Dubai, we can do at Adelaide too: Lyon
Australia have drawn inspiration from a miraculous draw against Pakistan two months ago and will be going for a win on day five of the first Test against India here on Monday. Lyon has said that the day five wicket at the Adelaide Oval will still be good enough to bat on, and that the hosts can press on to chase the 323-run target set by India. They finished day four at 104-4, with Shaun Marsh, Travis Head and Tim Paine the last three recognized batsmen remaining. Australia had pulled off a miraculous draw on the final day in Dubai and Lyon was confident that it could be repeated on Monday. "I think the pitch has quickened up a little bit and is doing a lot less for the seamers. It's definitely spinning and they've got a world-class spinner. So it's going to be a great challenge for our batters out there with two left-handers, with R Ashwin spinning away," said Lyon, who took 6-122 in the second Indian innings. Usman Khawaja had scored a match-saving 141 against Pakistan on day five ..
Afghan football chiefs suspended over sex abuse on women's team
Afghanistan has suspended five officials including the president of the country's football federation over allegations of sexual and physical abuse against the national women's team, officials said Sunday. The decision comes days after President Ashraf Ghani ordered the attorney general to conduct a "thorough investigation" into what he called "shocking" claims of abuse by male officials against members of the women's team -- allegations that were first reported in Britain's Guardian newspaper. "The attorney general's office has suspended... the president of the football federation, his deputy, the federation's secretary general, the head of goalkeepers and the head of provincial coordinators," Jamshid Rasuli, spokesman for the attorney general, told AFP. "To conduct the investigations thoroughly, collect evidence and to ensure justice, the team of prosecutors decided to suspend these people," he said, adding that all the suspended officials were male. The Guardian cited what it ...
It's now about crossing line, were expecting more from lower-order: Bangar
Indian assistant coach Sanjay Bangar Sunday highlighted the lower order collapse as one of the areas the team can improve going ahead in the Test series against Australia and said it is now about "crossing the line". The visitors lost their last seven wickets for 73 runs, and the last five for 25 runs, as they were bowled out for 307 runs in the second innings of the opening Test at the Adelaide Oval. Chasing 323, Australia finished day four at 104 for four. Bangar said the expectation was of another 25 runs from the lower order, which collapsed as soon as Rishabh Pant holed out after an attacking innings. "We were expecting atleast 25 runs. That's an area where we are continuously looking to improve. And we hope the lower order, especially number 9, 10 and 11 show more application than they did today," he said. "When Rishabh Pant walked in we were 260-odd. Immediately he released the pressure and gave us those quick 30-35 runs. Once he had put us in that position, we expected that ...
India's Prathamesh Maulingkar wins Mister Supranational 2018
Goa's Prathamesh Maulingkar has created history by becoming the first Asian/Indian to win this year's Mister Supranational title in a competition held in Poland. The 27-year-old defeated 37 contestants from all over the world in the final round to win the coveted title. Having worked hard for three years to clinch the title, Prathamesh is "super happy" but says he could hardly believe when his name was announced as the winner. "I was surprised when they announced my name as the winner. And then when Gabriel Correa handed over the winner's trophy and put that sash around me, it was the most incredible feeling. I knew I had it in me but frankly, the win was unexpected," Prathamesh said in a statement. The third edition of Mister Supranational 2018 pageant took place on December 9 in Krynica-Zdroj, Poland. At the same pageant, Mister Supranational Poland was adjudged first runner-up, Mister Supranational Brazil was adjudged second runner-up and Mister Supranational Thailand was announced