CHENNAI, Oct 19: Indian bowlers came up against an unexpected resistance from West Indies as the tourists improved.........more

Gavaskar, Sachin on
ESPN’s ‘Legends of Cricket’

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 19: Legendary Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar are to feature on ESPN’s ‘Legends of Cricket’.........more

Anand, Xu Yuhua
draw first round games

HYDERABAD, Oct 19: Defending champion Vishwanathan Anand and women’s title holder.......more

India-West Indies series
Chennai Test heading
for a result

By Michael Holding

Barring any serious intervention from the elements, this Test match here in Chennai is heading for a result and that is good........more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 19: It was pleasant to see the Indians celebrating the victory of winning gold in the indigenous game of Kabaddi in the 14th Asian Games at Busan in South Korea..........more

Vijay to lead
J&K in Ranji

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 19: The Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association(JKCA) has appointed Vijay Sharma skipper of the Jammu nad Kashmir team for the Ranji Trophy in both one-day and four-day matches.........more

Shiksha Samiti holds
competitions

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, Oct 19: Bharatiya Shiksha Samiti, J&K conducted sports competitions in the Bal Sangam in different age groups at Subash Stadium, here............more

Sports mela at Singhpora ....

DPS skaters excel in CBSE national meet....

West Indies make amends, take 37-run lead

CHENNAI, Oct 19: Indian bowlers came up against an unexpected resistance from West Indies as the tourists improved their batting performance several notches to reach 186 for four in their second innings on the third day of the second cricket test here today.

For a team that failed to cross the 200-run mark in all three previous innings on this tour, West Indies did well to wipe out the 149-run deficit and go 37 runs ahead of the Indian first innings score of 316.

West Indies looked headed for another low score when Javagal Srinath dismissed opener Chris Gayle with the fourth ball of the innings without a single run being scored to raise the prospects of another innings victory for India.

But Ramnaresh Sarwan batted with tremendous determination in two fine partnerships with Wavell Hinds and skipper Carl Hooper to nullify that danger.

Sarwan was batting on 62, his 14th test half-century, at stumps on the third day in the company of Ryan Hinds who was on one.

Wavell Hinds made a breezy 61 while Hooper scored an attacking 46 that marked the resurgence of West Indian batting.

Earlier, the Indian tailenders put up a fine display and added 136 runs for the last five wickets after the home team resumed at their overnight score of 190 for five.

Harbhajan Singh and Srinath produced cameo knocks of 36 and 39 respectively, while wicketkeeper batsman Parthiv Patel chipped in with useful 23 runs.

What was really impressive about the West Indian batting today was the way they negotiated the two spinners - Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh who have done the bulk of the damage to the visitors in this series so far. But far from being bogged down, Wavell Hinds decided to take on the spinners head-on while Sarwan dropped anchor at the other end. Hinds cut and drove with a lot of ease as he stepped up the scoring at the cost of Harbhajan and Kumble who found themselves at the receiving end for the first time in this series.

Kumble was taken for 32 runs from his first six overs while Harbhajan Singh conceded 28 from seven. So much so that Ganguly had to take them out of the attack and bring back Srinath and Zaheer Khan just before tea.

At tea, West Indies were comfortably placed at 90 for one with the fear of an innings defeat almost gone. Wavell Hinds had already raised his ninth half-century, second against India, and was batting on 55 while sarwan was on 29.

The Indians fell back on spin after the break and Harbhajan Singh produced almost instant results when he had Wavell Hinds caught by Ganguly. The 96-run second wicket partnership was the best for West Indies at this venue improving on the 80 by J B Stollmeyer and Clive Walcott in 1948-49.

Just 11 runs later, Srinath claimed the big wicket of Shivnarine Chanderpaul (3) once again raising India’s hopes of triggering a collapse and force an early victory.

But Hooper, who had criticised his batsmen for not applying themselves well enough during the innings defeat in the first test in Mumbai, led from the front as in the first innings and played an aggressive knock.

Once again, the two spinners bore the brunt as Hooper got after them. Kumble was hit for two sixes in an over as West Indies raced towards the 149-run mark.

Sarwan took two runs off Zaheer Khan to bring up his half-century and in the next over Hooper hit Harbhajan Singh for a single to wipe out the deficit.

However, West Indies had gone just 30 runs ahead when Kumble provided the breakthrough. An inside edge went between the bat and pads of Hooper and Patel took a fine catch to send back the West Indian captain.

Earlier, India lost overnight batsman V V S Laxman early in the morning, the batsman adding only six runs to his 18.

But Harbhajan Singh and Srinath entertained the weekend crowd thoroughly with their big-hitting taking full advantage of a sloppy West Indian fielding.

Harbhajan Singh, who survived as many as seven chances, put on 51 runs for the seventh wicket with Patel who made a career-best 23. Harbhajan Singh was clean bowled by Mervyn Dillon, the most successful bowler for West Indies with figures of three for 44.

Next batsman Srinath did not spare the bowlers either and hit three boundaries off Jermaine Lawson and a six and a four off successive balls against Gareth Breese. (PTI)

SCOREBOARD

West Indies (first innings) 167.

India (first innings) 316

West Indies (second innings) :

Chris Gayle c Kumble b Srinath 0

Wavell Hinds c Ganguly b Harbhajan 61

Ramnaresh Sarwan (not out) 62

Shivnaraine Chanderpaul c Harbhajan b Srinath 3

Carl Hooper c Parthiv Patel b Kumble 46

Ryan Hinds (not out) one

Extras : (b-9, lb-1, nb-3) 13

Total : 186 for four in 57 overs.

Fall of wickets : 1-0, 2-96, 3-107, 4-179.

Bowling : Javagal Srinath 9-4-16-2 Zaheer Khan 8-3-17-0 Harbhajan Singh 19-4-60-1 Anil Kumble 19-2-74-1 Virender Sehwag 2-0-9-0 (UNI)

Gavaskar, Sachin on ESPN’s ‘Legends of Cricket’

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 19: Legendary Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar are to feature on ESPN’s ‘Legends of Cricket’ (an exclusive 45-minute show featuring greatest cricketers) on October 22 and 25 at 8.30 pm.

Besides these two greats, Ian Botham, Wally Hammond and Imran Khan will also come to closer to their fans on October 21, 23 and 24 respectively during the recently launched ‘Legends of Cricket’ by ESPN Star Sports.

The cricket legends have been selected by a renowned judging panel comprising Ian Chappell, Richie Benaud, Sunil Gavaskar, Dickie Bird, Mike Procter, Michael Holding, Martin Crowe, Wasim Akram, Ian Botham, Allan Border, Sir Richard Hadlee, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Tony Cozier, John Knowles and Robin Marlar.

‘Legends of Cricket’ focuses on the top 25 individual cricketers serialised in a count down to the number one cricket legend of all time, Sir Don Bradman.

Each episode offers a brief on the cricketing legend, his early years, his greatest accomplishments, the high point of his career and the legency he leaves behind. Apart from the rare never-seen before footage, each episode also offers views and comments by the legends on themselves as well as others.

Don’t miss the extraordinary opportunity to get up close to the legends in ‘Legends of Cricket’ only on ESPN every week night at 8.30 pm.

The schedule

Ian Botham England October 21

Sunil Gavaskar India October 22

Wally Hammond England October 23

Imran Khan Pakistan October 24

Sachin Tendulkar India October 25.

Anand, Xu Yuhua draw first round games

HYDERABAD, Oct 19: Defending champion Vishwanathan Anand and women’s title holder Xu Yuhua of China agreed for draws with their respective opponents in the first round of the finals of the second World Chess Cup here today.

Anand, playing blacks, agreed for the draw with Rustam Kasimdzhaanov of Uzbekistan while Xu Yuhua and Antoneta Stefanova of Bulgaria called for truce after a spirited attempt from both the players to gain the upper hand.

"There is no point in continuing when the position leads to nowhere," Anand and Rustam said after the match as they called truce in the 15th move itself with material and space occupancy of both players being nearly equal.

"The way the game was going there could be no other result", Antoneta said after the game which involved a catalan opening and was stretched upto 42 moves.

The Chinese defending champion Yuhua had a slight advantage by having a knight and a bishop against a rook of the Bulgarian who is the highest rated player of this tournament and her pieces were closely knitted.

Anand, playing black in the Caro Kann Line, played with caution while the young Uzbek was on equal terms with Anand and each had a stong bishop and a knight placed at the most authoritative squares which prompted them for the draw.

"It was an unusual line of opening, but I did anticipate that rustam would be adopting this and was prepared for it. He did not surprise me", Anand who had a marathon series of five matches in the semifinals yesterday said.

When asked if yesterday’s taxing games could be the reason for the early draw, Anand said "the game was still very raw and my knight and his bishop were very strongly placed though no material was involved. We thought there was no point in continuing and agreed to split the point".

Rustam said "I offered the draw as the position was equal and would continue to be even after some more moves."

Anand, who tries for a draw in majority of the cases whenever he plays black, said "I really want to win while playing black pieces but had no chance and the game transposes into a situation where we agree for a draw".

After the regular opening moves, where both the players tried to gain control over the central squares and shared the space equally, the game shifted to equal exchanges to gain positional superiority.

Judicious placements and exchanges had left the material equal on the board with Anand having a strong bishop and rustam holding a powerful knight and the pawn structure being protected on one hand and giving enough room for the movement of major pieces.

The truce call came from the Uzbek immediately after both sides castled.

The duo would be the playing the final round on tomorrow with Anand having the advantage of being with white pieces. (PTI)

India-West Indies series
Chennai Test heading for a result

By Michael Holding

Barring any serious intervention from the elements, this Test match here in Chennai is heading for a result and that is good. Test cricket’s reputation and popularity was being seriously damaged in the not too distant past by too many drawn games. So, two Test Matches in the series and two results, good but not so good. Not so good because of the nature of the pitches that have been prepared for the contests.

Ever since my arrival here in India, I have heard a lot of talk about the effort to improve the standard of pitches in the country. To that end, pitches around the country had been dug up and replaced with the type of soil that when properly prepared, would encourage pace and bounce.

All this had to do with the well know fact that India’s record away from home is diabolical and the major contributing factor was that on the subcontinent in general and India in particular the pitches are slow and low. Growing up on such a diet the cricketers couldn’t cope on pitches in other parts of the world that do encourage pace and bounce.

Well, Mumbai certainly wasn’t an example of what one was told to expect and Chennai is even worse. Excuses have been put forward, even by myself on TV that the pitches, having been recently re-laid are not quite ready for a Test match, but I have had to rethink this idea having seen the pitch here in Chennai.

But for a piece of mismanagement by the ground staff here, I would have continued to entertain that view. That mismanagement, however, allowed some seepage through the covers of a fair amount of water on four areas of the pitch during preparation.

Interestingly enough, those are the best looking areas on the playing surface, having been properly watered and rolled. That leads me to believe that the state of the pitches has not been by chance. Spare the water and dust the pitches.

India may very well win this Test as well as take an unassailable lead in this three Test series but they are only fooling themselves again and are not doing themselves any favours for when they travel abroad to play other Test Series. Someone, somewhere has the right intention, otherwise there would be no need to go to the trouble and expense of replacing the squares around the country but so far that intention is not getting through to all concerned.

Apart from India not helping their cause in respect to their away record, the game itself and the spectators are being short changed. Good cricket is produced on good pitches and with all respect to Messrs. Hooper, Breese and Ryan Hinds, they do not have the credentials to have a batsman of the caliber of a Sachin Tendulkar, scratching around at the crease like a blind man trying to cross the road in downtown Mumbai by himself, in the middle of the day, especially on a pitch in only it’s second day of use. (TCM)

It was pleasant to see India winning Kabaddi gold: Kuldeep

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 19: It was pleasant to see the Indians celebrating the victory of winning gold in the indigenous game of Kabaddi in the 14th Asian Games at Busan in South Korea.

This feeling was expressed by Indian Amateur Kabaddi Federation observer in the Asians and general secretary of the J&K Amateur Kabaddi Association, Mr Kuldeep Singh on his return from the South Korea recently.

Kuldeep said that atmosphere was charged with happiness and joy, especially when India defeated arch rivals Pakistan in the last league tie.

He also attended the Asian Amateur Kabaddi Federation elections wherein Indian’s J S Gehlot was elected as president.

Kuldeep, who is also joint secretary of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, disclosed that new rules, including the bonus line, discussed in the meeting held at Busan, have not yet applied for the international competitions on the pleas from Nepal, India and Bangladesh sought more time to get used with new amendments.

Chief Manager with the Citizen’s Co-operative Bank Ltd., Jammu, Kuldeep had all praise for the Bank’s administration for extending all possible help in making his tour a success.

With this, Kuldeep has became first sportsman in the field of Kabaddi from J&K who has represented India in various international competitions including SAF Games.