Page 944 - Sports
Foakes debut leads England revival in Sri Lanka Test
Debutant Ben Foakes hit a defiant and unbeaten 87, guiding England to safety -- after Sri Lanka claimed cheap early wickets -- on 321 for eight at the end of the first day of the first Test. The Surrey wicket-keeper batsman, who knows this could just be a one-off chance as Jonny Bairstow regains fitness, came in with England precariously placed on 103 for five on a Galle pitch notorious for low scores. Foakes built crucial partnerships including an 88-run seventh wicket stand with Sam Curran, who made 48, to defy Sri Lanka's bowlers. England elected to bat first in what was Sri Lankan spin legend Rangana Herath's farewell match. The right-handed Foakes steadied the innings reaching his half century early in the final session as the tourists lost just three wickets after lunch. Foakes put on 61 for the sixth wicket with Jos Buttler, who was eventually caught behind off Dilruwan Perera for 38. Left-hander Curran attacked the bowling, hitting one four and three sixes before falling two ..
After Chhetri, skipper Manpreet appeals to fans to watch matches in stadia
If there is an international cricket match in India, the spectators will automatically throng the stadiums and if you are an ardent cricket fan, you might just get lucky to get a ticket after standing in long queues.But it may not be the case with other sports.Just five months ago, Indian football skipper and one of the best soccer players of India, Sunil Chhetri made a heartfelt plea to the country to watch matches in the stadium and support the Indian team.On the same lines, India's hockey captain Manpreet Singh, who will lead India in the upcoming Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup, also urged the avid hockey buffs to watch the matches in the stadium instead of sitting in their homes.In a video put out by the Hockey India on its official Twitter account, Manpreet said, "It is altogether a different vibe when you see the live match in a stadium. When the matches are telecast on television, you can only see a couple of angles and you may miss all the enthralling action. But when you see ..
Kenya averts players' boycott, will compete at World Cricket League
Kenya will compete in the World Cricket League Division Three starting on Friday in Muscat, Oman, after officials secured funds to settle players' allowances.
Could deal with the moving ball but Lara says 'silly little golf balls' flummoxed him
Moving or bouncing, a cricket ball was never a concern for Brian Lara but one of the most destructive batsmen ever ended up with a headache while trying to control "silly little golf balls". "Yes, golf is a weird game. I was capable of dealing with moving and bouncing cricket balls, but this little silly ball, sitting on the ground, gave me quite a headache early on for few years, but taught me how to be disciplined in controlling the ball," Lara told PTI on Tuesday speaking about his love for the game. Lara took to golf in 1994 after he beat Sir Garfield Sober's record of the highest Test knock and has won titles in the Caribbean. Speaking about other cricketers, who have taken to golf, Lara said while Kapil Dev and Jacques Kallis' love for the sport is well known, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting is among the best. "We have been hearing about Jacques Kallis and Kapil Dev, but the best that I have seen is Ricky Ponting. His putting is a little better and he is consistent on ...
Zimbabwe win a Diwali gift for me, says coach Rajput
Zimbabwe on Tuesday recorded their first Test win in five years over hosts Bangladesh, and their head coach Lalchand Rajput says it felt like a Diwali gift to him. "It is a very significant win because even the big Test-playing countries come to Bangladesh and really struggle to beat them on home turf. So beating Bangladesh in Bangladesh is a huge win for us," 56-year-old Rajput told PTI. Brandon Mavuta and Sikandar Raza shared seven wickets between them as Zimbabwe recorded their first Test win in five years as they thrashed Bangladesh at Sylhet by 151 runs. Zimbabwe had won their last Test match when they beat Pakistan at home in Harare in 2013. It was also the first time Zimbabwe clinched an away Test victory since beating Bangladesh in Chittagong 17 years ago in 2001. "I am very happy. It's a Diwali gift for me which the team has given," said Rajput, speaking from Bangladesh. "I had to rebuild the team and then, after losing few matches earlier on, winning a Test ...
I-League: Ten-man Churchill hold Kashmir to 0-0 draw
A ten-man Churchill Brothers held Real Kashmir FC to a goalless draw as history was made at Srinagars TRC ground with the first ever I-League game taking place in the state of Jammu & Kashmir here on Tuesday.
Debutants Real Kashmir held to goalless draw by Churchill Brothers
There was no encore in store and debutants Real Kashmir had to be contend with share the spoils with Churchill Brothers following a goalless draw in their first-ever home game of the I-league here Tuesday. A few days after a terrific start to their maiden season in the country's top-flight, when they stunned defending champions Minerva Punjab FC in their own den, Real Kashmir entered the game as the fancied team. But former champions Churchill Brothers, reduced to 10 men, are a fancied outfit and managed to stave off a spirited challenge by the hosts at the TRC Polo Synthetic Turf Ground. Real Kashmir could not register three points after being denied twice by the woodwork, once in each half. Robertson chose to stick to the starting XI that earned him the three points against Minerva Punjab. While Petre Gigiu made a single change to the side that drew 2-2 against Chennai City as Lamgoulen Gou Hangshing started ahead of Vinil Poojary. It was a competitive start to the game as both ...
Manu-Sumeeth knocked at China Open
In a major setback, Indian men's doubles pair of Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy was knocked by Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark in straight sets in their Round of 32 here, on Tuesday.Indian campaigners suffered an unexpected 16-21, 25-27 defeat at the hands of their Danish opponents.Astrup and Rasmussen made a blistering start by putting pressure on the scoreboard with some aggressive points.Indians, however, were quick enough to make a comeback but their effort went in vain as their Danish counterparts regained their influence and ended the first set in their favour 21-16.As the match moved into the second set, Attri and Reddy turned the tables with their neck-to-neck smashes. The opponents again broke the momentum of the home team and showed the doors with a 27-25 win.The World number three PV Sindhu crushed Evgeniya Kosetskaya of Russia in women's singles event, while women's doubles pair of Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa lost to Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto ..
Manu-Sumeeth knocked at China Open
Astrup and Rasmussen made a blistering start by putting pressure on the scoreboard with some aggressive points
Espanyol climb to 2nd spot in La Liga with win against Athletic
Espanyol vaulted over three other clubs to go second in La Liga with a 1-0 win over struggling Athletic Bilbao.
Zimbabwe thrash Bangladesh for long-awaited Test win
Brandon Mavuta and Sikandar Raza shared seven wickets between them as Zimbabwe recorded their first Test win in five years with a thumping 151-run victory over Bangladesh on Tuesday. Debutant leg-spinner Mavuta claimed 4-21 and off-spinner Raza's 3-41 as hosts Bangladesh were left chasing 321 runs on the fourth day in the northeastern city of Sylhet. Wellington Masakadza, another debutant, also shone with two wickets as Zimbabwe made quick work of Bangladesh's lower order, dismissing the hosts for 169. Left-arm spinner Maskadza took the final wicket of the innings, sending Ariful Haque for 38 as Zimbabwe notched their first Test win since beating Pakistan in Harare in 2013. It is also the first time Zimbabwe has clinched an away Test victory since beating Bangladesh in Chittagong 17 years ago in 2001. "I am ecstatic. I thought the guys went out and worked really hard to apply themselves," Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza said in the post match presentation ceremony. Zimbabwe sensed
Foakes lifts England to 199-6 at tea in S. Lanka Test
Debutant wicketkeeper-batsman Ben Foakes led England's revival after the tourists lost half their side for 103 on day one of the first Test against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Foakes, batting on 49, put on a crucial 61-run sixth wicket stand with Jos Buttler, who made 38, to resist a persistent Sri Lankan spin attack in Galle. England were 199 for six at tea with Sam Curran, on 14, batting alongside Foakes. The pair have put on an unbeaten 35-run partnership. Off-spinner Dilruwan Perera has taken three wickets so far, while retiring Rangana Herath claimed his 100th Test scalp at Galle after sending back England skipper Joe Root in the opening session. Only two other bowlers have achieved 100 Test wickets at the same ground -- Herath's compatriot Muttiah Muralitharan who achieved it at Galle, Kandy and SSC Colombo, and England paceman James Anderson at Lord's. Herath notched up the milestone when Root came down the wicket and missed after a breezy 35. Root had steadied England when the ...
Yogi inaugurates Bharat Ratan Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday hailed former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his foresightedness and yearning to work for people's welfare. He was speaking at the inauguration of the Bharat Ratan Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium.While delivering a speech on the occasion, Yogi congratulated the promoters of the stadium, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association and the people of the state on the inauguration of the stadium, adding that the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) stadium "gives birth to a host of possibilities in the state".On the naming of the stadium, Adityanath elucidated: "I thought of the person who gave a new identity to UP and Lucknow. We are close to the Shaheed Path, which was built because of Atal Ji. Imagine the state of daily commute in Lucknow had the Shaheed Path not been constructed.""It was his (Vajpayee) foresightedness and yearning to work for the welfare of the people that ramped up infrastructure development ...
Shuttler Sindhu advances at China Open
Star Indian shuttler P.V. Sindhu defeated Evgeniya Kosetskaya of Russia to advance to the next round of the China Open here on Tuesday.
Adityanath inaugurates international cricket stadium in Lucknow
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the 'Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium' here on Tuesday.
Aizawl FC to host Neroca FC in I-League tie (Preview)
Aizawl FC is all set to take on neighbours Neroca FC in the I-Leagues second Northeastern derby at the Rajiv Gandhi stadium here on Wednesday.
PV Sindhu enters second round of China Open
Indian ace shuttler PV Sindhu crushed Evgeniya Kosetskaya of Russia on the opening day of the Fuzhou China Open in straight games.The 23-year-old disposed of Kosetskaya 21-13, 21-19 in a match that lasted 29 minutes to enter into the second round of the tournament.Sindhu dominated right from the start of the game. She raced ahead of her opponent and registered a convincing 21-13 win in the first game.As the game entered into the second set, the Russian shuttler made a strong comeback. However, Sindhu, while maintaining momentum, conceded a 21-19 to defeat her Russian counterpart.In the women's doubles event, Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa crashed out in their Round of 32 earlier today.Indian campaigners Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy are slated to face Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark in their Round of 32 of the men's doubles event later today.
China Open: Sikki Reddy-Ashwini Ponnappa crash out on opening day
In a major upset, Indian ace shuttlers Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponnappa crashed out on the opening day of the Fuzhou China Open on Tuesday.They lost out to Shiho Tanaka and Koharu Yonemoto of Japan in their Round of 32 of the women's doubles event here at Haixia Olympic Sports Center.The duo suffered a 19-21, 21-15, 17-21 defeat in a match that lasted 70 minutes.The Japanese pair looked strong right from the opening game after they raced ahead of Indian campaigners in the initial game. Reddy and Ponnappa, however, fought back hard but the effort was not strong enough to chasm the point gap. Eventually, the opponents registered a convincing 21-19 to win the first game.In the tight second set of the match, Indians improved their performance as they didn't let the opponents hit back. Without wasting much time, the home duo clinched the second set 21-15 and took the game to the deciding round.Now in the crucial deciding game, the opponents again dominated and showed the door to Indians ...
Boca Juniors begins preparations for Copa Libertadores final vs River
Boca Juniors, who defeated Tigre over the weekend at La Bombonera Stadium with a squad made up of reserves, returned to practice, preparing to take on rival River Plate in the Copa Libertadores final.
Raza strikes as Zimbabwe march towards long-awaited win
Off-spinner Sikandar Raza claimed three wickets as Zimbabwe zeroed in on their first victory in five years against Bangladesh in Sylhet on Tuesday. Kyle Jarvis and Brendon Mavuta also chipped in with a wicket apiece as Zimbabwe reduced the hosts to 111-5 by lunch on the fourth day of the first Test. Bangladesh, chasing a record target of 321 runs in the fourth innings, resumed play on 26-0 but within half-an-hour had lost their first wicket, with others following quickly. Play started 30 minutes early to make up for lost time after bad light brought a premature end to day three, with Bangladesh still needing 295 runs on a wearing pitch. The home side -- whose best run chase was 217-6 against the West Indies in 2009 -- started collapsing once Raza reviewed a leg-before appeal against opener Liton Das. The umpire gave Liton not out but a TV replay indicated the ball would have hit the stump after pitching outside off -- ending Liton's innings on 23. One down, Mominul Haque dragged a ...