Page 955 - Sports

Group C: Rajasthan set J&K daunting target of 395

Rajasthan set a target of 395 for Jammu and Kashmir Saturday in their Elite Group C Ranji Trophy Game here on the third day of the encounter. After putting up 379 in the first innings, Rajasthan bundled out Jammu and Kashmir for 204 and later declared the second innings for 219/4, putting together overall lead of 394. Jammu and Kashmir started from their overnight score of 186/7 but were able to add only 18 runs to their tally and eventually were bowled out for 204. For Rajasthan, leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (5-59) starred with the ball as he picked up a five-wicket haul and spun his web around Jammu and Kashmir at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here. In their second innings, Rajasthan opener A V Gautam top-scored with 68, while middle-order batsman Robin Bist (44) and Tajinder Singh Dhillon (49 not out) made notable contributions. However, their first innings hero Chetan Bist, who had scored 159, fell cheaply in the second outing. At stumps on day 3, Jammu and Kashmir were ...

Sikkim record innings victory over Manipur

Manipur skipper Yashpal Singh's century went in vain as Sikkim cruised to an innings and 27-run win against Manipur in a Ranji Trophy Plate Group emcounter here on Saturday. Sikkim, who lost all their eight matches in the National One Dayers, showed remarkable turnaround with their three outstation recruits, as they secured seven points, including a bonus, wrapping up the match inside three days. Uttarakhand and Nagaland also registered bonus point victories over their respective opponents while Meghalaya secured full points against Arunachal Pradesh as all the Plate Group matches got over inside three days. Having shot out for a paltry 79, Manipur resumed day three with 170 runs in arrears in their second innings as Yashpal and Lakhan Rawat made Sikkim wait for their maiden Ranji win with a 112-run third wicket partnership. But once Lakhan was trapped leg before by Padam Limboo, it all went downhill for Manipur as they folded for 266 in 80.2 overs with outstation recruits -- left-arm

Rain plays spoilsport on 3rd day of TN-MP Ranji trophy match

: Rain played spoilsport on day three of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'B' match between Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh here Saturday as no play was possible. Play was called off at 3.45 PM after several inspections without a ball being bowled. Tamil Nadu was zero for no loss in two overs at stumps on Friday in reply to Madhya Pradesh's first innings score of 393, built on Ranjit Patidar's brilliant 196. Test spinner R Ashwin and paceman M Mohammed, who took a hat-trick, scalped four wickets each to restrict MP, who looked set for a huge total at one point. Mohammed's hat-trick included the wickets of Yash Dubey, Patidar and Mihir Hirwani. Brief scores: Madhya Pradesh 393 in 157.4 overs (Rajat Patidar 196, Aryaman Vikram Birla 51, Naman Ojha 45, R Ashwin 4 for 85, M Mohammed 4 for 98) vs TN 0 for no loss. (No play on third day). At Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala 495 for 6 declared in 164 overs (Sachin Baby 147, V A Jagadeesh 113 not out, Jalaj Saxena 58, Sanju Samson 53, Saketh .

Russell yet to join West Indies team for T20I series

Explosive all-rounder Andre Russell is yet to join the West Indies team for their first T20 international of the three-match series against India here at the Eden Gardens.

CK Nayudu Trophy: 'Perfect 10' for Sidak Singh against Manipur

For young left-arm spinner Sidak Singh, it was a dream come true when he claimed all 10 wickets of an innings. Turning out for Puducherry against Manipur in an U-23 match of the Colonel C K Nayudu Trophy, 19-year-old Sidak returned with exceptional figures of 10-31 in 17.5 overs with seven maidens. The match is being played at the CAP Siechem Ground in Puducherry. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh-born Sidak had represented Mumbai in seven T20s, but is now playing for Puducherry as an 'outstation' player. Courtesy Sidak's heroics, Manipur were bundled out for a meagre 71 in their first innings. Of the 10 wickets, three wickets were caught and bowled. Sidak at the age of 15 was the youngest to play for Mumbai after legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who had donned the Mumbai jersey at 14. It is very rare in the history of the game when a bowler takes all 10 wickets in an innings. Veteran India leg spinner Anil Kumble had achieved the feat against Pakistan in 1999 at the Feroz Shah Kotla ..

Russell misses WI nets, suspense over availability

Star all-rounder Andre Russell was forced to skip the West Indies team's practice session on the eve of their first T20I against India after missing a connecting flight from Dubai. The Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder was conspicuous by his absence as a 13-member West Indies squad led by Carlos Brathwaite sweated it out under lights this evening. "No comments (on Andre Russell). There will be an official update," West Indies media manager told media at the news conference. Russell was slated to arrive on November 1 along with other T20 specialists like skipper Carlos Brathwaite. "Seven players including Brathwaite arrived via London on November 1. Russell was to come via Dubai. But I heard he missed the connecting flight," local manager Moin Bin Moksud told PTI. "He's yet to join the side but he may join the squad late in the night or tomorrow morning," he said. The 30-year-old last featured in the Afghanistan Premier League representing Nangarhar Leopards on October 9 but was not ...

Delhi Dynamos eye first win against in-form Jamshedpur FC

Delhi Dynamos will look to gather their first three points of the season when they host an in-form Jamshedpur FC in the Indian Super League here Sunday. The visitors come into the game unbeaten so far and on the back of a 4-1 win against FC Goa. Dynamos have been struggling, having lost their last two games and winless in six so far. Head coach Josep Gombau trained with the full squad at his disposal for the first time this season. Rene Mihelic, Bikramjit Singh and Adria Carmona returned from injuries after having missed the last match against NorthEast United. Gombau's side have dominated proceedings but it is in the latter stages of the game where they have faltered. The side conceded twice in the final 10 minutes against the Highlanders, while conceded late goals against ATK and FC Pune City as well which denied them an opportunity to pick up more points than what they got in these three games. "I am happy because this is the first time I have all the players at my disposal and can

Harmanpreet happy with the bowlers' progression

Indian women's team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has stated that the team has shown drastic strides of progress in its bowling department ahead of the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup, on Saturday.The 29-year-old all-rounder, addressing a press conference, ahead of the marquee event, said, "Our coach has worked on our bowling unit in these couple of months. We are happy with the way our team bowling is progressing now."When questioned about the team's strength, Harmanpreet said that they will get positive results if the squad plays as a unit.While talking about the conditions prevailing in the Carribean, Harmanpreet commented, "The last time that we played here, wicket was favourable for batsmen. But wind would be a major factor. Playing as per wind condition will help put a good total on the board. If we bowl on the areas where wind is blowing, we'll be able to restrict the batsmen. I think it will help both sides, whether you are batting or bowling. I think if planned ..

PSG top Lille 2-1 to stay perfect in Ligue 1

Kylian Mbappe and Neymar powered Paris Saint-Germain to a 2-1 victory over Lille, lifting the hosts to 36 points, 11 more than second-place Lille.

India squad announced for 2020 Women's Olympic qualifiers

The Indian senior national women's team will travel to Myanmar for the first round of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualifying tournament later this month, the squad for which was announced on Saturday. Coach Maymol Rocky named the final squad of players that will make the trip to Yangon. Over the last two weeks, the players were camped in Mumbai as they prepared for the task ahead. A total of 10 teams will move forward to the second round and if the Indian team is to progress, it will be a remarkable achievement for the women's team, which has never crossed the first hurdle at Olympic level in the past. Talking about the team, Rocky said, "The girls are ready and looking forward to play. We will enter the tournament with a positive mindset among the players as well as the entire staff. "Our aim is to go through to the next round and we are looking forward to that. We need to qualify and I'm confident that we will do so." She added, "I expect all the girls to rise to the occasion and give a

Vinesh Phogat comes out in support of #metoo movement

Star wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Saturday backed the #Meetoo movement that has been sweeping through India, saying the country must find ways to prevent sexual harassment of its women. Phogat, however, said that she has not experienced any kind of sexual harassment in her career. "There could be such cases in sports also, I don't know but I have not faced any kind of such harassment in my career. I also feel that my sport of wrestling should not have these kind of issues," Phogat, who won gold in both Asian and Commonwealth Games, said during a discussion at the Ekamra Sports Literary Festival here. "The women who are coming out are courageous. When you (woman) want to bring out these kind of things in the open, many a times your family will stop you from doing, fearing your reputation will be harmed. The country should be able to deal with these of kind of issues on women," she added. Vinesh also said that she does not want to be known as a cousin of "Dangal" wrestlers, who featured in

Great platform to test others in Dhoni's absence: Rohit

India's stand in captain Rohit Sharma on Saturday said that Mahendra Singh Dhoni was rested for the T20 series to give others a chance and see what they have got to offer keeping in mind the 50-over World Cup next year.

Dhoni's absence is opportunity for Rishabh: Rohit

India captain Rohit Sharma is confident that young Rishabh Pant will use the upcoming T20 series against West Indies as an "opportunity to express himself" in the absence of the talismanic Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Dhoni, whose batting form has been on the wane, is not a part of the shortest format presenting Pant with a golden chance to consolidate his place in limited overs cricket. Not to forget that senior pro Dinesh Karthik also get a fresh lease of life despite a career plagued by inconsistent form. "Dhoni has been such a massive player for us, over the years. His experience in the middle will be missed but again Rishabh (Pant) and Dinesh (Karthik) have great opportunity to come and perform and show what they are capable of as well. It gives them an opportunity to express themselves," Rohit told mediapersons on the eve of the game. Even though India will be playing the T20 format, Rohit termed the three-match series as an extension of the ongoing World Cup preparation. "We cannot ..

Frankfurt go 3rd in Bundesliga with win over Stuttgart

Frankfurt made the most of their match against last-place VfB Stuttgart, winning 3-0 to move into the third spot in the Bundesliga.

SAFF U-15: Indian colts steamroll Nepal, grab bronze

Thlacheu Vanlalruatfela scored the winner as the Indian U-15 side came up trumps against Nepal with a 1-0 scoreline in the bronze medal match of South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U-15 Football Champion played here at the ANFA Complex in Kathmandu.There were no fierce exchanges until 10 minutes into the game as both the teams struggled for possession. None of the teams were able to penetrate the defense and get a shot at the goal.However, it was Vanlalruatfela who turned the tables on the opponents in the 18th minute. He forced a wide strike aimed which was thwarted in a one on one challenge against the keeper. Unperturbed, the youngster showed great composure in a rebound attempt and fired the ball into the back of the top net.After this, the Indian side, while dominating the proceedings, kept the ball with them, preventing their rivals from gaining the possession for long. The hosts, in a dire attempt of goal, took a rare long-range effort in the 39th minute, which was ...

National coach fears Peru may be suspended from FIFA

Peru national football coach Ricardo Gareca has said that he is "very concerned" FIFA may suspend the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) if the Andean nation's Congress passes a law undermining FIFA's authority over the FPF.

Napoli demolish Empoli 5-1

Dries Mertens had a hat trick to lead Napoli 5-1 over relegation-bound Empoli in the opener of the 11th round of the 2018-2019 Serie A season.

Thiem ousts defending champion Sock to reach Paris Masters semis

Austria's Dominic Thiem rallied to defeat defending champion Jack Sock 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 and advance to a Paris Masters semi-final showdown against Russian rising star Karen Khachanov, who upset fourth-seeded German Alexander Zverev.

VVS Laxman launches cover of autobiography '281 and Beyond'

Veteran cricketer VVS Laxman has launched the cover of his much-awaited autobiography, "281 and Beyond" via Facebook livestream in association with Star Sports. The tell-all book, which will hit the stands on November 19, is co-written by sports journalist R Kaushik. Claiming to be a "candid, reflective, and deeply insightful", the autobiography, as per Laxman, was in his mind since he retired from the international cricket. The book tells a "unique yet normal" story of a sportsperson of the country, he said during the cover launch yesterday. The title of the book has been borrowed from the "Hyderabad stylist's" fabulous series-turning innings of 281 against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 2001. "The turning point in my life was the 281 knock. In the book, I have spoken about what led me to play the match and how I was able to get fit in time for the match... my batting with Rahul Dravid on the 4th day, how we built that partnership and more. "I think that Test series taught us a ...

'Yo-Yo' test should not be sole criteria for team selection: Kaif

Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif Saturday said that the 'Yo-Yo' fitness test cannot be the "sole criteria" for picking players, calling for a more balanced approach in team selection. The Indian team has set 16.1 as the Yo-Yo test benchmark for the past couple of years and any player failing to clear the test is not selected. "Fitness is important as we have that the fielding standard of the Indian team has improved a lot. But there should be a balanced approach," Kaif said at the Ekamra Sports Literature Festival here during a panel discussion on the topic 'The Secularist and Cricketer'. "If a player is scoring runs and taking wickets, dropping him solely on the basis that he could not pass the 'Yo-Yo' is not good," said Kaif, who was one of the fittest players of his time. The most recent example was Ambati Rayudu, whose national comeback after nearly two years was stalled when he failed to clear the Yo-Yo test despite scoring 600 plus runs in the IPL. Subsequently, Rayudu ...