Page 982 - Sports
Chris Broad completes triple century of ODIs
Chris Broad Saturday became only the second member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees to reach 300 ODIs when he walked out for the toss in the third match between India and the West Indies here. Even though Broad made his ODI debut as an official in Auckland in 2004, 11 years after Ranjan Madugalle refereed in his opening match in Karachi, the Englishman now trails the Sri Lankan by only 36 ODIs. Jeff Crowe of New Zealand is third on the list with 270 ODIs, while former India fast bowler Javagal Srinath has officiated in 212 ODIs. Roshan Mahanama retired in 2015 after refereeing in 222 ODIs. Broad is presently sitting on 98 Tests and will become the second referee after Madugalle to complete a unique double by reaching the 100-Test mark in the second Test between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Wellington in March 2019. Madugalle also leads Broad 92-89 on a head-to-head in T20Is. A stylish left-handed top-order batsman during his playing days, Broad became an elite match referee ..
Sharma finds a par round, as Finau grabs 3-shot lead at WGC
India's Shubhankar Sharma finally registered a modest round against his name as he carded an even par 72 in the third round of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions here on Saturday. Sharma, who was 80-80 for the first two days, opened superbly from the 10th with three birdies in first five holes, but then had a start-stop-start kind of a round. He dropped a double on 15th and then had back-to-back birdies on second and third. Then again he lapsed with three bogeys in last four holes for a 72. He is presently 76th out of the 77 left in the tournament. Gaganjeet Bhullar (81) had a disappointing day. He was fine for the front nine with one birdie and one bogey, but on the back nine he had five bogeys and two doubles. Meanwhile, Tony Finau had a stunning finish by being the only player to birdie last three holes as he raced to a three-shot lead. Finau was two-over through 12, but birdied 13th and then had three in a row from 16th. Defending champion Justin Rose (70), seeking to ...
Pune ODI: India to bowl first against Windies
India have won the toss and opted to bowl first against the West Indies in the third One Day International (ODI) of the ongoing five-match series here at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday.Following the toss Indian skipper, Virat Kohli said, "It was always the plan. We want the guys that are going to be part of the world cup to play together as much as possible. That's why announced the team for the first two ODIs."Talking about the changes in the team, Kohli revealed, "We wanted Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar) and (Jasprit) Bumrah back for the third. Kedar (Jadhav) just needed to prove his fitness. Umesh (Yadav) misses out. Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) misses out. Shami has been replaced. Bhuvi and Bumrah are back. Khaleel Ahmed gets a game."West Indies captain Jason Holder, on the other hand, said that he wanted to bowl first, adding they have to put up a huge score again."(We) would have liked to bowl first as well. But having said that, it's an opportunity to utilise the ...
Freiburg deny Mönchengladbach a share of Bundesliga lead
Freiburg defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1, preventing the visitors from moving into a tie with Borussia Dortmund for first place in the Bundesliga.
3rd ODI: India win toss, decide to field vs West Indies
India skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to field against the West Indies in the third One Day International (ODI) of the five-match rubber at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) stadium here on Saturday.
India win toss, invite West Indies to bat in 3rd ODI
India captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bowl first against West Indies in the third ODI of the five-match series here on Saturday. Teams: India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rishabh Pant, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Khaleel Ahmed, Jasprit Bumrah. West Indies: Jason Holder (Captain), Kieran Powell, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Shai Hope, Marlon Samuels, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Fabian Allen, Ashley Nurse, Kemar Roach, Obed McCoy.
Jaipur Pink Panther shifts home base to Panchkula from Jaipur
Jaipur Pink Panthers has decided to shift their home leg of Pro Kabaddi League to Tau Devi Lal Indoor Stadium in Panchkula as their home venue -- Sawai Man Singh Indoor Stadium is under construction. The home Leg for Jaipur Pink Panthers will begin on December 14 and will conclude on December 20. "We conducted a joint recce of the venue in Panchkula with Star India Pvt Ltd and Mashal Sports Pvt Ltd to look at the viability of the location before the season commenced," Jaipur Pink Panthers spokesperson Bunty Walia said in a statement. "We will definitely miss the massive cheers from the crowds in Jaipur that the team has received all these years but we support the improvement of the facility that has been taken into consideration. "The construction work increases the seating capacity which will help us and all the other sports to drive more audience to the stadiums and raise motivation among our young athletes," he added. Captain of Jaipur Pink Panthers, Anup Kumar added: "I was a part
Federer battles past Simon to reach Swiss Indoors semi-finals
Top-seeded Roger Federer edged Frenchman Gilles Simon 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors, a hard-court Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tournament.
Sindhu, Srikanth crash out in French Open quarters
Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth crashed out in the quarterfinals of the French Open after suffering straight-game defeats in their respective matches as India's campaign ended in the singles events at the BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament here. Third seed Sindhu looked a pale shadow of herself as she lost 13-21 16-21 in 40 minutes against seventh seed He Bingjiao of China on Friday night. It was Sindhu's second consecutive loss at the hands of the Chinese shuttler this year after her straight-game defeat in Indonesia Open in July. By virtue of this win, Bingjiao extended her head-to-head record to 7-5 against the Indian. Earlier in the day, Saina Nehwal yet again failed to crack the code of top seed Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei, losing 20-22 11-21 in another quarterfinal encounter. To make matters worse for India, fifth seed Srikanth gave a good account of himself but eventually lost steam against top seed Kento Momota of Japan. Srikanth fought hard in both the ...
Loftus-Cheek presses Chelsea case as Burnley await
Ruben Loftus-Cheek made a persuasive argument this week to be included in Chelsea's starting line-up at Burnley on Sunday. The reality is, though, the England midfielder has more work to do to convince Maurizio Sarri he is ready for an extended run in the Premier League. A hat-trick in the Europa League victory over BATE Borisov confirmed the potential of the 22-year-old, who enjoyed a successful season-long loan spell at Chelsea's fellow London club Crystal Palace last term. His performances last season were enough to win him a place in Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad, but back at club level, Loftus-Cheek has found himself on the fringes of Sarri's first team and in no doubt the Blues head coach does not yet believe he is ready to slot into the Italian's system. Ever since Sarri arrived at Chelsea in July, he has emphasised the need for his players to understand the defensive requirements of his possession-based game. The coach insisted this would take time, although he clearly ...
'It hurts in the depths of my soul' - Messi absence a disaster for his fanatical fans
Barcelona will miss Lionel Messi on Sunday - his goals, his dribbles, his presence as much as anything - but the angst will be gone with the help of three weeks' rest and a sling. For the fans that came to see him, not the match or the teams, but him, the disappointment will be harder to shake. This will be the first Clasico without either Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo since December 2007, when Julio Baptista's winner was the difference in a 1-0 win for Real Madrid. There have been 35 games between them since. Messi has lit up more than a few - the hat-trick in 2007, the two free-kicks, and that run, leaving five Madrid players for dead, Sergio Ramos twice. In a stall on Carrer d'Aristides Maillol, lining the western edge of Camp Nou, a vendor stands under a collection of red and yellow scarves, behind him pinned up shirts with Messi, 10, on their backs. "We will sell Messi shirts here even 20 years after he retires," he says. "Nothing will change on Sunday." What does a Clasico mean ...
Lukaku hopes clash against former club Everton sparks revival
Romelu Lukaku will come under close scrutiny when he faces former club Everton on Sunday, looking to kick start a season that is rapidly turning into a disappointment for him and his Manchester United team alike. The Belgian international was widely criticised after United were beaten 1-0 at home by Juventus in midweek, extending his goal drought to eight games. The 25-year-old, signed by United from Everton for USD 96 million in the summer of 2017, remains a force of nature on the international stage, having scored five times for his country in just four internationals already this season. At this stage last season he had scored five times in three Belgium games, but he had also netted a remarkable 11 goals in 13 appearances for his club. Lukaku's output for United has dropped off alarmingly this season, with just four goals in his 13 outings for Jose Mourinho's side. Mourinho admitted after the Juventus game that Lukaku was struggling but on Friday at his pre-match press conference .
Paine axed with Finch named Australia's new ODI skipper
Aaron Finch was named Australia's new One-Day captain Saturday ahead of their upcoming series against South Africa, with Test skipper Tim Paine and his deputy Mitch Marsh axed. The explosive batsman is already in charge of the Twenty20 team and takes over from Paine who averaged just 7.2 in Australia's 5-0 ODI series rout by England in June. Spin veteran Nathan Lyon was another notable omission, although Shaun Marsh kept his place despite a dire recent Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates. Alex Carey and Josh Hazlewood were appointed joint vice-captains in a 14-man squad that sees the return of fast bowlers Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins. "It's very exciting. I'm very humbled, very honoured to lead the side and lead Australia," Finch said, welcoming having a bowler as his deputy. "I think it's really important to have the voice of the bowlers there as well... a lot of the time batters are in leadership roles and bowlers are neglected in terms of that and it's ...
Mental health issues sideline Aussie cricket young gun Pucovski
One of Australia's most promising young batsmen Will Pucovski will be sidelined from cricket for an indefinite period due to mental health issues, officials said. The 20-year-old smashed a superb 243 for Victoria against Western Australia last week, putting him on the radar of Test selectors. But he was left out of their Sheffield Shield clash this week against New South Wales. In a statement late Friday, Victoria team management said he was "currently receiving treatment for a mental health-related illness". "Will is a terrific young player and we need to do what's best for him at this time," said Cricket Victoria general manager Shaun Graf. "We'll continue to work with our medical staff to determine the best training and preparation plan to support Will at this time." According to local media, Pucovski has a history of concussion, including three last season. The talented right-hander's double century made him only the ninth player in Sheffield Shield history to score 200 before his
Tygart attacks WADA over 'backroom' deal to reinstate Russia
US Anti-Doping Agency chief executive Travis Tygart said that athletes had lost confidence in WADA following the decision to lift the ban on Russia's anti-doping agency. The World Anti-Doping Agency reinstated Russia in September, paving the way for Russian athletes to return to competition across all sports. Tygart attacked the move when it was first announced, and pulled no punches when repeating his condemnation of the global anti-doping body. He suggested that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was too close to WADA and that athletes' confidence in their system was now "in tatters". "The process was a secret, backroom deal. The process itself stunk, and the decision itself too," Tygart told AFP on Friday. His comments triggered an indignant response from WADA, who flatly denied his claim that there was anything untoward about the procedure. "The process was signposted at every turn, it was clearly communicated in a transparent way and the decision was reached following due
Stokes wants to put court case behind him as he eyes Ashes and World Cup
Ben Stokes hopes his on-field performances as an England all-rounder are what he will be remembered for by the cricket public rather than a late-night street brawl last year. Stokes was acquitted of a criminal charge of affray at a trial in August following the incident outside a nightclub in Bristol, southwest England, in September 2017. But Stokes has still been charged with bringing the game into disrepute by the England and Wales Cricket Board Both Stokes and England team-mate Alex Hales, who was with him during the altercation but did not face a criminal charge, are now due to appear before a cricket discipline commission (CDC) in December. Stokes, however, wants to focus on the future ahead of a packed 2019 where England will both stage the World Cup and face arch-rivals Australia in a home Ashes series. "Look, it's all about looking forward now," Stokes told the BBC in Colombo ahead of a one-off Twenty20 in Sri Lanka Saturday. "We've got a huge summer coming up with the Ashes ..
BCCI announces squads for T-20Is against WI, Aus tour
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced the Indian teams for the three-match T-20I series against West Indies and the three-match T-20I series and the four-match Test series against Australia to be held later this year.Opener Rohit Sharma, who led India to victory in the Asia Cup 2018, will be the captain for the Men in Blue in the upcoming T-20I series against the Caribbean side. The first T-20I will be played on November 4 in Kolkata. Rohit also gets a call-up for the Tests against Australia.The most noteworthy exclusion is that of former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has been dropped for the T-20I series against both the West Indies and Australia. This is the first instance in his international career that the mercurial wicketkeeper-batsman from Ranchi has been dropped from a series.The 37-year-old has featured in 93 of the 104 T-20I matches that India has played since his debut in 2006, scoring 1487 runs at a strike rate of 127. Additionally, he ...
Dhoni dropped from T20I squad; Parthiv, Rohit back for Oz Tests
Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on Friday dropped from the Indian T20I squads for the three-match rubber against the West Indies and also the subsequent three T20I matches against Australia.
Shuttler Saina crahses out of Denmark Open
Star Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal crashed out of the Denmark Open as she lost to World No. 1 Tai Tzu Ying in the quarter-final match here on Friday.
Dhoni dropped from T20 squads; Virat rested for Windies T20s
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on Friday dropped from India's Twenty20 squad for the home series against the West Indies and the crucial away assignment against Australia, signalling a possible end to his run in the shortest format. In the other major decision, skipper Virat Kohli was rested from the T20 series against the West Indies and Rohit Sharma named the stand-in captain of the side after a late-evening meeting of the MSK Prasad-led selection committee here. The committee said that Dhoni, the 2007 World T20-winning skipper, has been "rested" and India are now looking to fill in the second wicketkeeper's slot. But when asked if Dhoni's career in T20s is over, Prasad said, "Not yet". "We want to try out other keepers for the second keeper's slot," said Prasad. The two keepers in the two T20 squads announced Friday are Rishabh Pant and Dinesh Karthik. The three T20s against Australia will get underway from November 21, followed by a four-Test series and three ODIs. With Dhoni playing ...