Page 952 - Sports
Administrators, fans impatient to tweak cricket formats (Column: Just Sport)
Like the poser whether the print media can survive the onslaught from the electronic media there has been speculation over the fate of Test and 50-over cricket in the world of mushrooming Twenty20 leagues.
Indian Arrow take on Shillong Lajong at new 'home'
Young guns from Indian Arrows will be aiming to make a course correction after their opening round loss to Chennai City when they take on Shillong Lajong in an I-League encounter at the iconic Barabati Stadium here on Monday. Cuttack's iconic Barabati stadium will host its first ever Hero I-League game with the All India Football Federation's development side Indian Arrows opting for the Odhisa venue this season as their home venue. The Arrows were resoundingly beaten 1-4 by Chennai City FC and coach Floyd Pinto will look to get their campaign back on track against a Shillong side which also, like them, will be one of the two team having an all India representation this season. Shillong Lajong, however, have put on much better performance compared to their Monday hosts in the two games that they have played in so far. They beat Aizawl FC 2-1 in their opener, before going down to Quess East Bengal (QEB) 1-3 at home. That result, however, did not adequately reflect the effort of the ...
Marquez wins Malaysian MotoGP as Rossi crashes out
Spain's Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) won his ninth MotoGP race of the season on Sunday by taking the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang circuit.
Amittrajit crowned Rally of Arunachal INRC Round 3 champion
Team Mahindra Adventures Amittrajit Ghosh showed great tactical acumen to win the Rally of Arunachal, Round 3 of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) 2018, here on Sunday.
Roma ties 1-1 against Fiorentina
Roma tied 1-1 against Fiorentina, thanks to a goal by Alessandro Florenzi in the 85th minute.
Amittrajit Ghosh wins Rally of Arunachal, Round 3
Amittrajit Ghosh showed great tactical acumen to win the Rally of Arunachal round three of the MRF FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship here on Sunday. Team Mahindra Adventure's Ghosh, who exhibited amazing fightback on Day 1 to rise from ninth to third, enjoyed a much-needed slice of luck as overnight leader Gaurav Gill pulled out of the competition after his car broke down in the sixth stage. He tackled the day's three stages cautiously, finishing second in SS5, third in SS6 and second again in SS7 for a cumulative top timing of 00:57:33.6. It was 5.9 seconds faster than INRC 2's Phalguna Urs and Srikanth, giving them the victory. The Snap Racing pair, who were hot on Gill's tail all of Saturday, didn't have a fruitful second day, managing only two fourth-place and one fifth-place finish in the stages. Phalguna's drive was still good enough to earn his team the INRC 2 win. Former champion Karna Kadur (with PVS Murthy) made a valiant effort, taking the second place in SS6 and ...
Karolina Pliskova pulls out of Fed Cup final
Czech tennis star Karolina Pliskova has pulled out of her team's Fed Cup final clash against the United States after failing to recover fully from a leg injury.The world number eight suffered the injury at the recent-concluded WTA Finals in Singapore that had also affected her movement in the tournament.Taking to Twitter, Pliskova revealed, "I was looking forward to the final very much, but after the examination, my start is not possible." She further wrote, "Our team is strong enough!"The Czech team comprising of Pliskova along with her compatriots Petra Kvitova, Katerina Siniakova and Barbora Strycova had progressed to the finals of the Fed Cup after defeating Germany 4-1 in the semi-finals in April.Marking it the 13th clash between the two nations, the Czech team is slated to face the USA at the Fed Cup Final in Prague later today.
Ruthless South Africa thrash Australia by six wickets
South Africa hammered Australia by six wickets in the first one-day international in Perth on Sunday, with a Dale Steyn-led pace onslaught exposing their batting frailties. Set 153 to win, Proteas' openers Quinton de Kock (47) and Reeza Hendricks (44) helped secure victory with 124 balls to spare, leaving Australia with plenty to ponder ahead of the second of the three-game series in Adelaide on Friday. The hosts came into the clash having lost 16 of their past 18 ODIs and with the reverberations of a ball-tampering scandal this year still hanging over them. Coach Justin Langer was hoping they could put a smile back on the faces of fans in their first game on home soil since the cheating row boiled over in March. But without the banned Steve Smith and David Warner, their batsmen were exposed once again in a stadium full of empty seats. They were bowled out for just 152 in 38.1 overs with Nathan Coulter-Nile (34) and Alex Carey (33) the only ones to offer any resistance. Veteran Steyn .
Girona deepens Valencia's woes with 1-0 win in Spanish league
Girona got a solid performance from its keeper and a goal shortly after halftime in a 1-0 victory at Mestalla Stadium over Valencia, which has gone winless in its last four Spanish league matches.
Real Madrid ends winless run, beats Valladolid 2-0
Real Madrid defeated Real Valladolid 2-0 in the La Liga 11th round action, bringing an end to its five-game winless streak in the Spanish league.
World Test championship is step in right direction: David Gower
Former England captain David Gower feels that World Test Championship can revive the interest in the longest format among the fans if marketed in proper manner with practical tweaks. Gower along with former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer and former Pakistan captain Mushtaq Mohammad were participating in a "public conversation" held here on Friday on how to save Test cricket. "There is already a move towards having World Test Championship (in 2019), which I think in the end is good. What the people want is great players doing great things. If you have good pitches, which produce good cricket, people will be interested," Gower said. "If Virat Kohli (given his extraordinary following) says Test cricket is important, then people will listen to him," the former England captain added. Gower feels that market forces should come together to devise a strategy that will bring in more crowd at Test match venues across the globe. "You've got to go to market forces and if need be just open the
India is future boxing powerhouse, says WBO member Leigh (IANS Interview)
Asserting that India has the potential to emerge as a boxing powerhouse, WBO member Jack Daniel Leigh said that the soon to be launched Mega Boxing professional tournament could become just the right platform to help the sport grow in the country.
Inter rout Genoa 5-0 to extend Serie A winning run
Inter Milan thrashed Genoa 5-0 in the Serie A 11th round action to stretch its current winning streak in the Italian league to seven matches.
Djokovic defeats Federer, eyes fifth Paris title
Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic cruised into the final of the ongoing Paris Masters after defeating Roger Federer of Switzerland in their semifinals here on Saturday.In a thrilling three-setter, Djokovic extended his winning streak with a dominating 7-6, 5-7, 7-6 win over third-seeded Federer.Djokovic, who has been an impervious force over the past four months, said, "The quality of his serve tonight was quite amazing, to be honest. His serve was always his weapon. But, you know, tonight he was just hitting the spots beautifully. He was mixing it up," according to the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).The four-time winner of Paris title having reigned in 2009 and 2013-15, will return to the year-end top spot for a fifth time in the ATP Rankings tomorrow.The Serbian is slated to play the Paris Masters Final against Russia's Karen Khachanov later today, which will also see him register a record tie with the current World number one Rafael Nadal on 33 career Masters titles if ..
Australia slump to 152 all out against South Africa
Australia were bowled out for just 152 in 38.1 overs by South Africa in the opening one-day international in Perth on Sunday, with their batsmen collapsing under a pace onslaught. The hosts came into the game having lost 16 of their past 18 ODIs and with the reverberations of a ball-tampering scandal this year still hanging over them. Nathan Coulter-Nile (34) and Alex Carey (33) were the only ones to offer any resistence, with Andile Phehlukwayo the pick of the South African bowlers with 3-33 off six overs. The Proteas opted for a four-pronged pace attack on a fast pitch and after winning the toss and choosing to bowl it quickly paid dividends with Australia soon in trouble. Travis Head got a thick edge to Quinton de Kock off veteran quick Dale Steyn for just one and then D'Arcy Short, in the side for Shaun Marsh who needs minor surgery on an abscess, followed him back to the pavilion for a duck two balls later. Again the dangerous Steyn did the damage, with Short driving a swinging ..
Marquez wins Malaysian Moto GP after Rossi's crash
Newly-crowned world champion Marc Marquez clinched his ninth victory of the season after Valentino Rossi crashed during the 16th lap of the Malaysia MotoGP, here. Starting the race in seventh place after being penalised in the rain-hit qualifying round on Saturday, Marquez grabbed the second position early even as Rossi produced a dominating show to emerge as the leader. With just four laps to go, Rossi slipped at the first turn of the 16th, allowing Marquez to take control over the proceedings. Marquez had sealed his world title in October in Japan. His Honda team mate Dani Pedrosa ended at a creditable fifth place, 6.190 behind him as Repsol Honda sealed the constructors' title. Marquez, who had crashed out of the Australian GP, secured the win with a timing of 40.32.372mins, while Rossi finished 18th in the end, 58.288s behind the Spaniard. "I was feeling good towards the end and was trying to catch Valentino but when I saw him make that unfortunate mistake, I calmed down and just
Indiscipline will not be tolerated during WC: Pakistan hockey coach
Pakistan hockey coach Hassan Sardar has sounded out a warning to his players, saying indiscipline will not be tolerated during the World Cup in India. Pakistan players are gearing up to play in India for the first time after the unsavoury incident during the Champions trophy, when they took off their shirts and made obscene gestures after winning their semi-final clash against India. The FIH had suspended two players Muhammad Tousiq and Ali Amjad while Shafqat Rasool was let off with a warning. Hockey India had ruled out Pakistani players' participation in future editions of Hockey India League (HIL) after the incident. "Behavioural aspect is very important for me and I have told the players that there will be straight action if any incident of indiscipline happens. I hope their behaviour will be exemplary this time," Sardar told PTI Bhasha in an interview from Karachi. "I am told that players were provoked by the spectators otherwise they would not have done that. I am sure my ...
Jayant Yadav to lead India's Emerging Teams Asia Cup squad
Haryana all-rounder Jayant Yadav has been named captain of the Indian side for the Emerging Teams Asia Cup which is slated to be held in Sri Lanka from December 2 to 17.The 15-member Indian squad was announced on Sunday by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after the Junior Selection committee meeting held in Kolkata.Yadav made his Ranji Trophy debut at the age of 21 against Gujarat, where he yielded six wickets to contribute to his team's victory. He then made his one-day international (ODI) debut for India in October 2016 against New Zealand, and a month later, made his Test match debut against England in November. He was also the first batsman to score a century after entering the field at number nine.The 28-year-old played 42 first-class matches and picked up 117 wickets before he made his Test debut for India.The following is the complete squad for the Emerging Teams Asia Cup:Jayant Yadav (C), R D Gaekwad, Atharva Taide, Ankush Bains (WK), Deepak Hooda, Prab Simran .
Five-goal Inter back second in Serie A, Florenzi rescues Roma
Inter Milan crushed Genoa 5-0 to reclaim second spot in Serie A on Saturday ahead of next week's Champions League blockbuster against Barcelona in the San Siro, but Roma needed a late Alessandro Florenzi volley to snatch a 1-1 draw at Fiorentina ahead of their midweek trip to CSKA Moscow. Luciano Spalletti's Inter notched up their seventh straight Serie A win to move three points behind champions Juventus, who host Cagliari later on Saturday, and equal on points with Napoli who eased past Empoli 5-1 on Friday. Top scorer Mauro Icardi was rested with an eye towards Tuesday's game in the San Siro after Inter lost 2-0 to Barcelona in the away leg. But the team shrugged off the absence of their skipper as Roberto Gagliardini scored in either half. Portuguese midfielder Joao Mario capped an impressive individual performance by scoring the fourth goal and setting up three others, including for Matteo Politano and fit-again Radja Nianggolan. "We're ready to play Barcelona," said Spalletti. I
Nishikori replaces injured Del Potro at ATP Finals
Kei Nishikori will compete in the ATP Finals in London following the withdrawal of Juan Martin del Potro due to a right knee injury. The Japanese player joins Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Alexander Zverev, Kevin Anderson, Marin Cilic and Dominic Thiem at the elite eight-player event, which starts on November 11. Del Potro, who reached a career-high ranking of number three earlier this season, injured his knee while competing at the Shanghai Masters last month. "It's frustrating for me not to be able to compete in London," said Del Potro. "It's a very special tournament and I've tried everything possible to get my knee better. The rehabilitation is making good progress but I need more time." Nishikori, 28, will be making his fourth appearance at the season finale, having reached the semi-finals in 2014 and 2016.