|
|
Laxman restores honour KOLKATA, Mar 13: V V S Laxman restored honour to Indian cricket with two superlative knocks in .....more Hooper says Lara GEORGETOWN, Mar 13: West Indies captain Carl Hooper is confident Brian Lara will start making......more Indian team for KOLKATA, Mar 13: Announcement of the Indian team for the third and final test in Chennai, sched.....more This century is close KOLKATA, Mar 13: The stylish V V S Laxman, who scored a brilliant unbeaten 109 to lead the.....more |
|
CGEWCC’s Sports Meet begins NSSO beat ASI by six wkts in inaugural cricket tie Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 13: Annual Sports Meet of the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committee (CGEWCC) began with the..........more Sports
Minister Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 13: Sports Minister, Mr Harbans Singh today held a meeting of various un-recognised and recognised sports associations at the M A Stadium conference hall, here.....more No signs of stopping INDIAN WELLS (CALIFORNIA), Mar 13: With his 30th birthday six months away, Pete Sampras . .....more Ranji Trophy CHENNAI, Mar 13: Tamil Nadu upset the apple cart of six times champion Delhi....more |
 |
|
|
Laxman restores honour to Indian cricket KOLKATA, Mar 13: V V S Laxman restored honour to Indian cricket with two superlative knocks in a day including a scintillating unbeaten century, to take the fight to the formidable Australians at the Eden Gardens here today. The ignominy of India having had to follow on, 274 runs behind, was forgotten in the dazzle that the 26-year-old Hyderabad batsman brought to the wicket in the first innings knock of 59 and an undefeated 109 in the second. India, humbled in the Mumbai test and humiliated here yesterday, had still a long way to go in the second test, being 254 for four at close on the third day, requiring 20 runs to make the Aussies bat again. Laxman, promoted in the batting order, seemed to be in excellent form as he plundered runs at will to notch up his second test century and lead the Indian fight back after the hosts were bundled out for a paltry 171 in their first innings within an hour of play this morning. The hosts recovered from a mid-innings slump which saw quick dismissals of Shiv Sundar Das (39) and maestro Sachin Tendulkar (10) but a rollicking 117-run partnership between Laxman and captain Saurav Ganguly brought some respectability to the Indian effort. At close, Rahul Dravid was giving company to Laxman with seven runs. With the rather long tail, Laxman and Dravid, the last recognised batting pair at the middle, have the responsibility of playing a big innings if the Indians hope to draw the match and prevent the visitors from clinching the series win after a long gap of 31 years on Indian soil. The two Indian openers, Das and Sadagopan Ramesh (30), who had failed to provide a solid foundation in the three earlier innings during the series, faced a torrid time as they began the second innings with both Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie producing a fiery opening spell. The opening pair overcame some anxious moments in the early stages of the innings but managed to put on 52 runs before the left-handed Ramesh returned to the pavilion, falling prey to leg-spinner Shane Warne. Ramesh, who survived some edgy shots through the heavy slip cordon, came back to the comfort of the dressing room immediately after the lunch break as he went forward to Warne but only succeeded in edging to first slip Mark Waugh who latched on to a low catch. Laxman put on 45 runs for the second wicket along with the diminutive das who looked quite comfortable in the middle. The hosts were cruising along comfortably at 97 for one before das perished in a rather unusual manner with Gillespie doing the damage when he was brought back into the attack from the pavilion end after the drinks break. The Orissa batsman knocked off a bail with his back foot, failing to control his balance while flicking the ball to the long leg region. The Indian innings received a major jolt when Gillespie got rid of Tendulkar in the same spell and suddenly the home team’s effort of saving the match looked in disarray. Tendulkar, who was expected to shoulder the responsibility of taking the Indians to safety, failed for the second time much to the delight of the Australians who bowled their hearts out to make early inroads in the Indian innings. The star batsman played at an outgoing delivery from Gillespie, but only managed to edge the ball to Adam Gilchrist behind the stumps, leaving the Eden Gardens crowd in a shock. Tendulkar’s early departure raised fears of another Indian middle order collapse but Laxman and Ganguly took the battle to the opposition camp by playing positively and unsettling the rhythm of the famed Aussie bowlers with a flurry of fours on both sides of the wicket. SCOREBOARD India 1st innings: S S Das c Gilchrist b McGrath 20 S Ramesh c Ponting b Gillespie 0 R Dravid b S Warne 25 S Tendulkar lbw b McGrath 10 S Ganguly c Steve Waugh b Kasprowicz 23 V V S Laxman c Hayden b Warne 59 N Mongia c Gilchrist b Kasprowicz 2 Harbhajan Singh c Ponting b Gillespie 4 Z Khan b McGrath 3 V Raju lbw b McGrath 4 V Prasad not out 7 Extras (lb-2, nb-12) 14 Total (all out in 5 Fall of wickets: 1/0, 2/34, 3/48, 4/88, 5/88, 6/92, 7/97 8/113, 9/129. Bowling: McGrath 14-8-18-4, Gillespie 11-0-47-2, Kasprowicz 13-2-39-2, Warne 20.1-3-65-2. India second innings: S S Das hit wicket b Gillespie 39 S Ramesh c M Waugh b Warne 30 V V S Laxman batting 109 S Tendulkar c Gilchrist b Gillespie 10 S Ganguly c Gilchrist b McGrath 48 R Dravid batting 7 Extras (lb-3, nb-6, w-2) 11 Total (for four wkts, 75 overs) 254 Fall of wickets: 1-52, 2-97, 3-115, 4-232. Bowling: G McGrath 18-7-43-1, J Gillespie 17-4-62-2, S Warne 20-2-87-1, M Waugh 8-1-25-0, M Kasprowicz 12-5-34-0. (PTI) |
|
Hooper says Lara finding his touch GEORGETOWN, Mar 13: West Indies captain Carl Hooper is confident Brian Lara will start making big scores again. Lara hit 47 and 45 in the first test against South Africa —dismissed just as he seemed to be getting into his stride. Lara’s frustration was evident on Monday as he walked back to the pavilion after driving the ball straight into the hands of Shaun Pollock at short extra cover in the second innings. "I suppose it is a bit disappointing, but the positive sign is that he looks as if he is getting his touch back and perhaps he will get a three-figure score in (the second test in) Trinidad," said new skipper Hooper. Lara, told that he has to put in time and effort in the nets more consistently, returned to international cricket last year after resigning the captaincy. He averaged 26.55 in last year’s series in England and 32.10 in Australia, a figure improved by his magnificent 182 in Adelaide. Hooper said that his team put safety first in the first two sessions yesterday. "We had to be very cautious at the start. We have a fairly long tail, so we didn’t want to lose early wickets and then find ourselves struggling to get a decent score," Hooper said. They finished 258 runs ahead with six wickets left. (REUTERS) |
|
Indian team for Chennai test to be announced today KOLKATA, Mar 13: Announcement of the Indian team for the third and final test in Chennai, scheduled to be made today, has been put off by a day. The national selectors were scheduled to meet here today to finalise the team but decided to defer the deliberations by a day, apparently to gauge the form of the players in the second innings of the ongoing second test. "The selectors will sit tomorrow, the fourth day of the current test, and finish the job of picking the squad," Cricket Board secretary Jaywant Lele told reporters. All the five members of the selection committee, chaired by Chandu Borde, were in the city and watched the third day’s play as the Indian batsmen staged a spectacular fightback against the mighty Australians. (PTI) |
|
This century is close to my heart: Laxman KOLKATA, Mar 13: The stylish V V S Laxman, who scored a brilliant unbeaten 109 to lead the Indian fightback, said the century was close to his heart as it was made under challenging circumstances. "This innings is close to my heart because of the position we were in... It was done in a challenging situation against a top class bowling attack’’, Laxman told reporters after the day’s play. Incidentally, Laxman’s maiden test century was also against the Australians in Sydney where he scored his career-best 167 in the 1999-2000 series. "Scoring a century against Australia is always satisfying as they have one of the best bowling attacks in the world. It’s a great challenge playing against them. They play good, tough cricket," he said. The 26-year-old Hyderabad batsman said the century was also special as it was his first ton since making a comeback to the national squad in the current series. Laxman said he felt comfortable batting at number three where he has been batting since childhood. "I bat in that position for both Hyderabad and South Zone. The number three is my lucky position," he said. Laxman, who showed his hunger for runs by scoring a fifty in the first innings while all other batsmen failed, said coach John Wright and captain Saurav Ganguly informed him of his elevation in the batting order after he returned to the pavillion at the end of India’s first essay. Team manager Chetan Chauhan, who was also present at the press conference, butted in to say the team management discussed with him whether he was willing to bat higher up the order. "He said yes," Chauhan added. Laxman said the first hour’s play tomorrow would be very crucial as the Australians would definitely take the new ball. "If me and Rahul (Dravid) manage to put on a good partnership, we can take a 200 or 225 run lead and put the Aussies under pressure". The stylish batsman said though the wicket was on the slower side, the ball was turning a lot. "If we can post a good total in the second innings, it will be difficult for them," he said. Asked which Australian bowler troubled him the most, Laxman said "everyone bowled well. They are class bowlers without exception". Laxman, who completed 1000 runs when he reached 75 in the second innings, praised last batsman Venkatesh Prasad for holding his end up in the first innings, saying "it gave us the boost to play well in the latter innings". Prasad and Laxman put on a valuable 42 runs for the last wicket in the first knock. "He played with a lot of guts and enthusiasm and gave me lot of strike," Laxman added. (PTI) |
|
CGEWCC’s Sports
Meet begins Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 13: Annual Sports Meet of the Central Government Employees Welfare Coordination Committee (CGEWCC) began with the inaugural of the cricket competitions at the MA Stadium, here today. In the opening match, National Sample Survey Organisation(NSSO) defeated Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) by six wickets to advance into the second round. Batting first, ASI set a target of 131 runs in the allotted 20 overs for the loss of six wickets, which NSSO chased losing four wickets in the 17.3 overs. S K Mantoo was the main scorer from ASI with 32 runs with the help of four boundaries, while B R Mani contributed 28. For NSSO, Sham, A S Jamwal and S P Sharma shared one wicket each. Batting second, S K Sharma guided NSSO’s splendid six wickets victory with his brilliant 48 runs contribution including six hits to the fence. Upinder Dhar took two wickets, while Shuban and Balbir Singh shared one each from ASI. S K Sharma was declared as man of the match for his match winning innings. In all, ten teams from different Central departments are taking part in cricket on the knock out basis. Dr B R Mani, incharge J&K Circle of ASI, is the sports incharge of the Committee. He also declared the meed open. Others, present on the occasion were Messrs Shashi Jamwal(SAI), Dr Naresh, secretary, CGEWCC, S P Sharma of NSSO and Balbir Singh Jamwal of ASI. Meanwhile, the competitions in the events of Badminton and Table Tennis will start from tomorrow at the Indoor halls of the M A Stadium. Besides, these events, competitions were also held in Chess, Carrom and Volleyball. |
|
Sports Minister holds Sports Assos’ meeting Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 13: Sports Minister, Mr Harbans Singh today held a meeting of various un-recognised and recognised sports associations at the M A Stadium conference hall, here. In the three-hour long meeting, Associations highlighted their problems with regard to the financial assistance from the State Sports Council and the lack of infrastructure at the coaching centres. Stress was also laid on the cooperation between the State Sports Council, Department of Youth Services and Sports and the Sports bodies for better results. It was also demanded that the Government should appoint more and more coaches for the coaching centres other than Jammu and Srinagar districts. The meeting, besides the Sports Minister, was attended by the Secretary, State Sports Council, Sheikh Fazal Ahmed and Vijay Bakaya, Principal Secretary, Education. |
|
No signs of stopping as Sampras nears 30 INDIAN WELLS (CALIFORNIA), Mar 13: With his 30th birthday six months away, Pete Sampras has no plans to slow up the pace of his long-running and highly successful tennis career. "Most guys at 29, 30, have historically stopped," said the third seed at the 4.5-million-dollar Masters series. "But you look at the great players in other sports - Jordan, Gretzky, played till they were 35, 36." "I could do that. I’ll see where I’m at over the years. It’s still young. 29, 30 this year. I’ve got a lot of good years left in me." Sampras can take heart from rival Andre Agassi, a year older, who has been playing his best game since turning 29 and celebrating that year by winning two Grand Slams. "I still love playing. I love competing. I love the challenge of the young guys coming up. You still have that motivation and that drive to be the best," said Sampras, a first-round winner Monday. Sampras admitted his 1999 disc injury at the U.S. Open alerted him to the importance of preventative maintenance on his body. "That woke me up a little bit. That was an eye-opener for me to be a little bit more conscious of my body, doing the proper things, the preparations. Up until that point, you can get away with it when you’re 20, but when you hit 29, 30, your body changes a little bit. "When I hurt my back, it was like, oh, that was pretty serious. Kind of opened my eyes to being a little bit more disciplined with my conditioning and my health." (DPA) |
|
Ranji Trophy CHENNAI, Mar 13: Tamil Nadu upset the apple cart of six times champion Delhi to virtually book their place in the quarter-final of the Ranji Trophy Cricket Tournament. On the penultimate day of the five day pre-quarterfinal match here today, Tamil Nadu did not enforce a follow on and made 278 for four in 82 overs in their second innings. Earlier, Delhi, who were 354 for eight overnight, were required to muster another 39-runs to avoid a follow-on, but fell short of the target by 28 runs, being dismissed for 365. Tamil Nadu have an overall lead of 505. The highlight of the day, however, was a fine 144 by left handed Sharath and his 197 run stand for the third wicket with Hemanth Kumar, who made 87 (six fours and a six). Sharath had hit 18 fours and two sixes. Harender Chabourdhury making his exit, run out at overnight score of 60, spelt doom for the visitors when they resumed their innings this morning. He swept Mahesh to square leg and Bhadrinath swiftly threw the ball to the bowlers end for Mahesh to do the rest. His overnight partner, Amit Bhandari was clean bowled by Shrinivas for 20 and Robin Singh (Jr) made three. Shrinivas remained the chief wicket taker with 4 for 111 while S Mahesh took 3 for 102. (PTI) |
|
| home | state | national | business | editorial | advertisement | sports |
