Tendulkar, Sehwag put
India in command

BLOEMFONTEIN (South Africa), Nov 3: The situation demanded the services of a master and....more

Waugh says South
Africa series will
decide world title

SYDNEY, Nov 3: Australia captain Steve Waugh has said the series against South Africa starting next month would be his team’s biggest challenge.........more

Sourav blessed
with a daughter

KOLKATA, Nov 3: Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly today began a new innings in his life as he became the proud father of a girl child.....more

RANJI TROPHY
Haryana thrash J&K by
innings and 118 runs

ROHTAK, Nov 3: Haryana showed their superiority inflicting a crushing defeat by an innings and 118 .........more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 3: It was a narrow escape for Karnataka at the hands of Indian Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in their crucial last.....more

State Billiards and Snooker Championship
Umar Hamayoon
bags Jr Snooker title

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 3: Umar Hamayoon has become the new State junior Snooker Champion after he defeated his counterpart......more

Jammu Distt Table Tennis Championship
Top seed Ankur
among 7 find berth in
Sub-junior boys QFs

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 3: Last year’s runners-up and now top seed Ankur Sachdev is among seven peddlers who have sailed into.......more

Motor Sports Club felicitates participants of Himalyan rally

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 3: The Jammu Motor Sports Club in a function held here today felicitated the winners and participants......more

 
Chief guest Ranjit Singh Chib (third from left) posing with the members of the J&K team which took part in the Raid-de-Himalyan Motor Rally at Shimla.

Tendulkar, Sehwag put India in command

BLOEMFONTEIN (South Africa), Nov 3: The situation demanded the services of a master and masters were what India produced as Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag pulled their team out of deep woods and placed them in a commanding position on the opening day of the first cricket test match against South Africa here today.

Tottering at 68 for four midway through the first session of play, after South African captain Shaun Pollock had put them in to bat, India were in a near hopeless situation and looked headed for another batting failure.

That is, before Tendulkar and Sehwag came together in a marathon 220-run stand for the fifth wicket to enable India reach a very solid 372 for seven at the end of the day.

In the process, both got hundreds, Tendulkar’s 155 being his 26th test century. He also became the youngest player ever to cross the 7,000 run mark in test cricket.

However, it was Sehwag who was a revealation for the Indians today. His 105 came on in his debut test and was compiled under real trying circumstances.

The stocky middle order batsman from Delhi played a gritty knock that was remarkably in contrast to the explosive innings he is known for in the one-dayers.

Together, the two produced exactly what the doctor had ordered, mixing patience with aggression as they slowly took the initiative away from the South Africans and made their formidable attack look like ordinary stuff.

The same bowlers had earlier in the day wrecked havoc in the Indian top order with some good pace and bounce. Makeshift opener Rahul Dravid, Shiv Sunder Das, V V S Laxman and captain Sourav Ganguly had perished without contributing much to the total and Pollock’s decision of electing to field first was getting justified.

But Tendulkar was too seasoned a campaigner to let the South Africans’ gameplan succeed. He had been in such situations on a number of earlier occasions and once again he rescued his team with a masterly knock.

Immediately after the fall of Ganguly, who was caught brilliantly by a forward diving Gary Kirsten off a well-directed bouncer from Jacques Kallis for 14, Tendulkar took charge and unleashed a flurry of strokes all over the ground as if to send a message that India were down but not out.

Makhaya Ntini was the first one to bear the brunt of Tendulkar’s fury as the maestro dispatched him for three fours in his opening over which fetched 16 runs for India. That was just the starting and Tendulkar maintained the same tempo throughout.

Tendulkar got able company in his look-alike Sehwag who showed a remarkable adaptation to the situation and restrained his usual attacking instincts.

With the maestro in full flow, he could do little but watch in admiration and provide the support that his illustrious partner required. Sehwag performed his task to perfection.

The two took India to 123 for four at lunch break with Tendulkar batting on 43 and Sehwag on 11.

They returned in the second session in a positive frame of mind and went on the offensive right from the start.

Tendulkar quickly crossed his 50 and then produced a flurry of fours to reach his eighties. His 14th four, a classical straight drive, saw him becoming only the second Indian and the 21st player ever to cross 7,000 runs in test cricket. This is his 85th test.

At the other end, Sehwag played sensibly and concentrated hard. He did not attempt anything flashy but occasionally did show glimpses of his brilliance, producing strokes that were in marked resemblance to those of his acclaimed partner at the other end.

When Ntini, who had gone for 36 runs off his first four overs, returned for his second spell, Sehwag thrashed him for three fours. The first was through the gully, the second went scurrying through the covers while the third, off the last ball of the over, was a perfect straight drive which would have done Tendulkar proud.

Sehwag was then subdued for some time only to explode again, this time in a Jacques Kallis over, and fetched three more boundaries.

In the meanwhile, Tendulkar, who hit an astonishing six over the third man off Kallis, reached his century with a two in the first over of Lance Klusener. And to celebrate the ocassion, he produced a powerful square cut which headed straight to point boundary and the next ball was fetched from outside the off-stump and dispatched to the mid-wicket fence.

Just before tea break, Sehwag, who spent a considerable time on 48, reached his fifty with a beautiful on-driven boundary. At tea, India were 255 for four with Tendulkar going strong on 132 and Sehwag on 52. The second session produced 132 runs in 29 overs without any loss of wicket.

Tendulkar’s majestic knock finally came to an end about half an hour into the final session with a catch to Neil McKenzie in deep midwicket. Tendulkar spotted a short delivery from Ntini and went for a big hit but couldn’t time it perfectly. His dismissal brought to an end to a record fifth wicket stand for the Indians on foreign soil. His knock came in just 184 balls and contained 21 fours apart from a six.

Sehwag, on 62 when Tendulkar was out, suddenly started eyeing his century and decided to go for it before it was too late. Some crackling cover drives and classic straight drives saw him quickly moving into the nineties.

His reached his hundred with his 18th boundary, a glorious cover drive off Klusener in the 80th over. He hit one more four before missing an incoming delivery from Pollock and being bowled. Sehwag became the 11th Indian and the fifth player in the world this year to score a century on debut. (PTI) SCOREBOARD

India 1st innings:

S Das b Hayward 9

R Dravid c Kallis b Pollock 2

V Laxman c Boucher b Hayward 32

S Tendulkar c McKenzie b Ntini 155

S Ganguly c Kirsten b Kallis 14

V Sehwag b Pollock 105

D Dasgupta not out 29

A Kumble c Boucher b Kallis 6

Extras (lb-7, nb-6, w-7) 20

Total (for 7 wkts, 90 overs) 372

Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-43, 3-51, 4-68, 5-288, 6-351, 7-372.

Bowling: Pollock 24-6-90-2, Hayward 18.2-4-64-2, Kallis 22-6-87-2, Ntini 14.4-1-71-1, Klusener 6-1-32-0, Boje 5-1-21-0. (PTI)

Waugh says South Africa series will decide world title

SYDNEY, Nov 3: Australia captain Steve Waugh has said the series against South Africa starting next month would be his team’s biggest challenge.

Waugh’s world champions face New Zealand in a three-test series starting in Brisbane on November eight then host South Africa for three tests in December and January.

South Africa, second to Australia on the World Championship rankings, will host Australia for a further three tests in February and March.

"Playing South Africa is obviously our biggest challenge," Waugh was quoted as saying in the Sydney morning Herald newspaper today.

"If we can beat them over the course of the next six tests, home and away, people will definitely say we are the number one side."

"At the moment the South Africans probably think their side is number one and we think we are number one."

"The jury is still out."

Waugh said South Africa, led by all-rounder Shaun Pollock, were an extremely disciplined side and that Pollock ranked alongside Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath as an outstanding, world-class player.

"If you are going to beat them, you are not going to beat them convincingly," Waugh said.

"You’ll have to wear them down."

"They play a tough brand of cricket and don’t give much away."

"It’s a big series in that regard and we are looking forward to it."

Australia’s world record winning streak of 16 matches came to an end in their 2-1 series loss in India in march.

Waugh’s team won 4-1 in England in August, their seventh successive Ashes series triumph.

Australia were in no danger of being complacent about the coming series against New Zealand, Waugh added.

(REUTERS)

Sourav blessed with a daughter

KOLKATA, Nov 3: Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly today began a new innings in his life as he became the proud father of a girl child.

As the Indian team bravely countered the South African speedsters, his wife Dona gave birth to the baby at a private nursing home near the Ganguly residence in the Southern outskirts of the city.

"Yes, Sourav has become a father. The baby was born in the evening," an elated family member of the elegant left-hander said.

The sources said both the mother and the baby were well. (PTI)

RANJI TROPHY
Haryana thrash J&K by innings and 118 runs

ROHTAK, Nov 3: Haryana showed their superiority inflicting a crushing defeat by an innings and 118 runs on Jammu and Kashmir on the third day of the North Zone Ranji Trophy league match here today.

Resuming at the overnight score of 16 for one, the visitors, who were trailing by 281 runs, were bowled out for 179 run in their second innings.

The visitors were forced on the defensive once Haryana posted 410 in their first innings. In reply, J and K were bundled out for 113 and forced to follow on. Haryana proved too strong for their opponents as J and K’s second innings too was cut short rudely at 179.

Overnight batsmen Raju Sharma (57, 12x4) and Kanwaljeet Singh (71, 6x4) were the only batsmen who could add substantial runs to the J and K total as other batsmen, except Dhruv Mahajan (26), failed to negotiate Haryana bowlers. Four of the batsmen - Ranjit Bali, Ashwani Gupta, Vikrant Taggar and Jagtar Singh - were out for zero.

Haryana’s S Vidhyut ended with a rich haul of 6 for 24. (PTI)

50th All India Police Hockey Championship
Narrow escape for Karnataka, as quarter-finals
line-up drawn

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 3: It was a narrow escape for Karnataka at the hands of Indian Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in their crucial last league encounter in Pool-B. However, Karnataka’s two goals lead in the first half helped them in holding ITBP 2-1 and subsequently finding berth in the knock-out round of the quarter-finals of the ongoing 50th All India Police Hockey Championship at K K Hakhu Stadium, here today.

Both Karnataka and ITBP had six points to their tally out of two wins each and it was like final for both of them in the pool qualifying round.

Now, in the quarter-finals, Karnataka will face the defending champion Punjab Police in the tomorrow first match at 8 am for the semi-finals berth. Hosts Jammu and Kashmir which topped the pool and found berth in the quarter-finals in style will meet Delhi at 1.30 pm to defend their last year’s position. In other quarter-finals, BSF will take on SSB, while CISF will be playing against last years runners-up CRPF.

Earlier, in the final league round match, Karnataka had a tough time against ITBP, especially in the second half. ITBP sleuths played a quite brilliant game in the second half with full dominance over the opponents, but could not cover-up the earlier lead taken by Karnataka.

Karnataka men, who were unable to give finishing touch to their moves in an attempt to add to their tally, were hitting here and there in haste.

Same was the case with ITBP sleuths, who comparatively had got more chances to score, but their lack of coordination and alert goal-keeper guarding the Karnataka post repulsed the attacks.

In the last 15 minutes game, ITBP got four penalty corners, but they failed to convert them into a goal.

Earlier, Karnataka made good beginning taking two goals lead within first 20 minutes game. First goal was scored by N P Laxman Rao of Karnataka in the 10th minute, followed by the second in the 18th minute by Rakesh M Jadav through penalty corner. After the breather Karnataka concentrated more on the defence, which proved dangerous for them when ITBP managed in reducing the margin in the 50th minute.

Finding ITBP in an aggressive mood making move after move to equalise the score, Karnataka came out of their territory and started hitting hay way in order to push ITBP frontline out of the striking area.

In other league encounters Madhya Pradesh outplayed Gujarat 2-1 to finish at number three in the Pool-C. First goal was scored by Gujrat in the 26th minute through penalty corner by Shalesh M Desai. Madhya Pradesh after the breather leveled the score in the 39th minute through T Minz and later took the lead in 69th minute when Pravesh Pandey made a field goal.

SSB also won its scheduled match against Tamil Nadu to emerge winner of the Pool-D with nine points out of three wins. Tamil Nadu scored the first and last goal through S Sampath (2nd) and M Kanan respectively. From SSB Ksh Shyamba Singh (24th and 42nd) converted two penalty corners into the goals, while Sanjit Singh and Gunamani Singh scored field goals in the 53rd and 60th minutes respectively.

To finish at number two position in Pool-D, Uttar Pradesh trounced Chattisgarh 6-1. Only goal from Chattisgarh came through Anthonis Tiga in the 25th minute. From Uttar Pradesh Kamal Kotwal made two goals (45th and 66th), while Dhirendra Pratap (23rd), Kilash Nath (31st), Mohd Sageer (58th) and Mohd Javeed (67th) were other scorers.

In other scheduled league matches, BSF defeated Orissa 2-1, while Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand tie ended in 1-1 draw.