Akram says his team now feels as a single unit

GWALIOR, Jan 25: Pakistan’s two key players Salim Malik and Ijaz Ahmed were less than fuly fit but there was ‘nothing serious’ and will be ready for the first test starting at Chennai from January 28, team manager Shahryar Khan today said.

Salim Malik, who struck 122 with Wajatullah Wasti and Saeed Anwar as runners in turns, was suffering from a mild thigh strain while Ijaz Ahmed, the in-form batsman who did not play in the tour opener against India ‘A’ which ended here as he was running high temperature, had recovered from the fever.

Expressing happiness with the way the team was made to ‘feel welcome’ during its stay here, Khan attributed the lack of consistency in batting to "too much one-day cricket’ which left the players not mentally prepared.

‘The team is now feeling as a single unit,’ he said after Pakistan had landed in India in the midst of the raging betting and match-fixing controversy back home.

‘The team members visited the Scindia School here and he himself umpired a match for a brief while, he added.

He announced that only himself, captain Wasim Akram, coach Javed Miandad and the assistant manager would be making press statements during the tour.

‘We will have a press meet on arrival at every city’ and the press will be met at the end of matches, he said. Individual interviews with players will not be entertained, he added. (PTI)

Controversy over Inzamam’s ‘ton’

GWALIOR, Jan 25: The controversy over Inzamam-ul-Haq being stranded on 98 as Pakistan applied declaration in the first innings against India ‘A’ has taken a queer turn with the Indian Cricket Board trying to make up for the visitors’ faux pas by deciding that the batsman had indeed completed his century.

Pakistan manager Shahryar Khan told reporters on the last day of their tour-opener here today that BCCI had informed his team management that it will indeed be 100.

We have been informed by BCCI, after discussion with umpires, that it will be 100 and not 98. It was lack of communication between scorers. It was very clear he got to his century and it was missed, he announced.

When asked how this could be done when the scorers and the umpires had informed reporters that there will be no change in the scoreboard, Khan said it will be officially adjusted, adding that Board representative Amrit Mathur had informed him of this change.

On how the adjustment could be made, the ex-diplomat quipped: It doesn’t matter if he does not get the hundred. We will make a protest at the end of his career, if he ends up with 99 first class hundreds.

But Mathur, when asked for his comments said I am nowhere in the picture, adding that the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) will make any announcement to be made. (PTI)

Malik hits 122, tie drawn

GWALIOR, Jan 25: Veteran Salim Malik struck a workmanlike 122 for Pakistan’s second century of the tour-opener and India A’ lost their way in their second knock before the three-day tie ended in a draw here today.

Malik, coming into the tour embroiled in controversy over betting and match-fixing, put those worries behind and thrived on lethargic fielding by the Indians, including a life when on 94, to crack 122 as Pakistan made 272 in their second innings before being all out midway through the post-lunch session.

Left-handed opener Sadagopan Ramesh then struck a confidence-boosting half-century (56) ahead of the first test in Chennai, where he and India A’ skipper V V S Laxman (11) are expected to open the innings. But the top-order including Ramesh, failed to show application as they were reduced to 111 for five when play was called off with 10 of the 15 mandatory overs yet to be bowled.

The 34-year-old Malik followed upon Yousuf Youhana’s first innings knock of 124 with an equally valuable century (122 - 225b, 18x4, 1x6, 278 m) and raised 148 runs for the sixth wicket with Inzamam-ul Haq to help the visitors recover from an embarrassing 23 for five yesterday.

Haq, who was denied century when skipper Wasim Akram applied declaration with the batsman on 98 in the first knock, again failed to reach the three figures as he played on to exciting Bengal all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla when on 96 (140 b, 188m, 16x4).

Both Haq and Malik played punishing shots off medium-pacer D Ganesh and slow bowlers off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and left-armer Rahul Sanghvi, apart from pleasing cuts to ensure that the visitors were not pushed onto the backfoot in their tour-opener.

Pakistan, at 171 for six at lunch, did not declared once Malik completed his century by carting Sanghvi, who had dropped an easy return catch in a forgettable showing, over long-on for a six.

Medium-pacers D Ganesh, who finally removed Malik and struck twice in three balls to hasten Pakistan innings to a close, and 17-year-old Bengal all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla stole the bowling honours with four wickets each.

Karnataka paceman Ganesh, looking for a return to the national side reaped rewards for a more disciplined effort in the second innings to return figures of four for 78 off 25 overs (6/145 in the match).

Shukla, who triggered the collapse with Ganesh yesterday, struck in the very first over he bowled as Inzamam-ul Haq played on, going for a wild drive without moving his feet, and ended up with an impressive haul of 19-8-38-4. He had a match haul of six for 127.

The spinners were hardly impressive on the hard wicket and came in for severe punishment from both Haq and Malik and Harbhajan, looking for a more benigh pitch at Chepauk, and Sanghvi had one wicket apiece.

The Pakistan team, with four of the India A’ members included for the first test, travel to Chennai via Delhi.

SCORECARD:

Pakistan: (first innings) 334 for 6 declared

India: (first innings) 276 all out

Pakistan: (second innings) Saeed Anwar c Saba Karim b Dodda Ganesh 4 Wajahtullab Wasti b Laxmi Ratan Shukla 0 Moin Khan c V V S Laxman b Ganesh 2 Yousaf Yohama c Narih b Shukla 0 Inzamam-ul-Haq b Shukla 96 Mushtaq Ahmad c Karim b Shukla 8 Salim Malik c Deveng Gandhi b Ganesh 122 Wasim Akram c Sitangshu Kotak b Rahul Savghvi 6 Saqlain Mushtaq b Harbhjan Singh 14 Waqar Younis lbw Ganesh 0 Shoiab Akhtar not out 2

Extra: (lb 5, nb 13, b, w) 18

Total: 272 all out in 83 overs

Fall of wickets: 1/5, 2/6, 3/8, 4/23, 6/171, 7/198, 8/258, 9/258

Bowling: Dodda Ganesh 25-7-78-4 Laxmi Ratan Shukla 19-8-38-4 Harbhajan Singh 21-4-72-1 Rahul Sanghvi 18-3-79-1 India A’ (second innings): S Ramesh c Naveed Queraishi b Mushtaq Ahmad 56 V V S Laxman c Moin Khan b Waqar Younis 11 Devang Gandhi c Moin Khan b Wasim Akram 4 Amay Khurasia c Moin Khan b Shoiab Akhtar 9 Jacob Martin not out 20 Sitangshu Kotak lbw Saqlain Mushtaq 1 Saba Karim not out 0

Extras: (lb 1, nb 8, b 1, w 0) 10

Total: 111 for five in 30 overs

Fall of wickets: 1/30, 2/50, 3/70, 4/96, 5/103

Bowling: Waqar Younis 8-0-40-1 Shoiab Akhtar 6-1-19-1 Wasim Akram 5-1-16-1 Mushtaq Ahmad 7-0-26-1 Saqlain Mushtaq 4-1—8-1. (UNI)

North beat South Zone in Deodhar trophy

JAMSHEDPUR, Jan 25: An unbeaten 86 by S Sharat went in vain as South lost by 42 runs against holders North Zone in the limited overs Deodhar Trophy Tournament at Keenan Stadium here today.

Chasing a victory target of 277, south could manage only 234 for nine in their allotted 50 overs.

South were never really in the chase with wickets falling at regular intervals after opener Daniel Manohar (20) and Arun Kumar (23) put on 38 runs for the opening partnership. The side appeared to be in deep trouble when they lost five top order batsmen for only 80 and despite a fight back by the later batsmen, South fell well short of the target.

S Sriram (20) and Sharat added 45 runs for the sixth wicket, while the seventh-wicket partnership between skipper M S K Prasad and Sharat added 43 runs. Sharat’s faced 123 balls to score 86 in 166 minutes which included five boundaries.

Earlier, electing to bat first after winning the toss, North Zone opener Ashu Dani and skipper Vikram Rathore gave a solid start helping their side to score 276 for nine.

While the opening partnership fetched 90 runs, Dani notched up 39, with five hits to fence.

Navjot Singh Sidhu, who walked in after Dani’s dismissal, stitched a 64-run third-wicket partnership with Pankaj Dharmani (26) which was followed by a 57-run fifth-wicket partnership with Mithun Minhas (26).

Sidhu’s 83 came off 90 balls with four boundaries and two sixes. D Vasu took three for 54, while H Ramakishen bagged two wickets.

Brief scores: North Zone 276 for nine (N S Sidhu 83) South Zone 234 for nine (S Sharat 86 not out). (PTI)

Agassi, Kournika out as Melbourne loses stars

MELBOURNE, Jan 25: The Australian Open lost two of its brightest stars today when former champion Andre Agassi crashed back to earth and Russian teenager Anna Kournikova’s lucky run came to an end.

Seventh seed Mary Pierce moved ruthlessly through the fourth round, teaching Kournikova a tennis lesson with a 6-0 6-4 win on Melbourne Park’s centre court.

Vincent Spadea — described by Agassi last year as a journeyman — scored his biggest career win to advance to the quarter-finals with a 6-1 7-5 6-7 6-3 win over the fifth seed.

Spadea’s win over Bookmakers’ favourite and 1995 champion Agassi leaves only three seeded players in the men’s singles.

On the women’s side, former champions Steffi Graf and Monica Seles shone brightly to set up a quarter-final that rekindles one of the great rivalries of modern tennis.

Pierce, the 1995 open champion, was in similarly bright form to set up a quarter-final against world number two and defending champion Martina Hingis, whom she has beaten five times in their nine previous meetings.

Hingis battled the heat and a determined 16th seed Amanda Coetzer of South Africa on an outside court before emerging a 6-3 6-7 6-1 winner.

Pierce was never in distress against 12th seed Kournikova, a 1997 Wimbledon semifinalist who twice received courtside treatment for a right shoulder injury during the second set. (REUTERS)

Old foes Graf, Seles to meet at open

MELBOURNE, Jan 25: Steffi Graf and Monica Seles today revived one of the great rivalries of modern tennis when the former champions set up a quarter-final meeting at the Australian Open.

Graf and Seles — the winners of eight Australian Open titles between them — breezed through their fourth round matches on a hot Melbourne Park Centre court.

Tenth-seeded Graf, champion in Melbourne from 1988-90 and again in 1994, overpowered unseeded Austrian Barbara Schett 6-1 6-1 in a 47-minute fourth-round romp.

Seles followed her old foe onto court and spent exactly the same amount of time there, working only slightly harder to oust 14th seed Sandrine Testud of France 6-0 6-3.

Graf and Seles dominated women’s tennis through the late 1980s and early 1990s but have not met in a Grand Slam Tournament since the German beat Seles in straight sets in the 1996 U.S. Open final.

Graf also won an emotional U.S. Open final in 1995, which marked Seles’s return to big-time tennis from a 27-month absence after she was stabbed by a crazed Graf fan during a change of ends at the Hamburg Open.

Tennis fans will never know how many matches the pair might have played were it not for the stabbing.

The last time they met in Melbourne was in the 1993 open final, Seles winning in three sets to cap three successive Australian titles. She added another title here in 1996 to make it four titles in four appearances.

The sixth-seeds win over Testud took her unbeaten run in Melbourne to 32 matches.

Graf holds a 9-4 advantage over Seles in overall matches between the pair, although the Grandes Dames of tennis are locked at three apiece in their six Grand Slam finals against each other stretching back to Seles’s 1990 French Open win.

Graf has climbed back up the world rankings to number eight after an injury-prone 1997 and 1998.

Graf, 29, showed glimpses of her formidable old self against unseeded Baseliner Schett, who came into the tournament with good recent form and upset fourth seed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in the second round.

Graf completely demoralised the Austrian, who surrendered her serve five times and offered up a welter of unforced errors.

I think the last two matches, I didn’t play up to my potential and today...I just went out there and I just had a better attitude, said Graf.

Seles, too, was back to her old self as she lost only five points on the way to clinching the first set against Testud in 17 minutes.

The world number four Seles looked a little less formidable in the second but the Frenchwoman never posed a serious threat. (REUTERS)

Tendulkar, Malleswari get Padma Shri

NEW DELHI, Jan 25: Ace cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and former world weightlifting champion Karnam Malleswari are the two sportspersons to be honoured with the Padma Shri in this year’s Republic Day awards.

The awards, to be presented to them by President K R Narayanan at a later date, are in recognition of the services rendered by the two champions in their respective disciplines.

For 25-year-old Tendulkar, this honour comes as a climax to an outstanding year of achievements on the field and recognition off it.

An Arjuna Awardee much earlier, Tendulkar was the receipient of the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award’, the highest honour the Government can bestow on a sportsperson, last year.

Fast developing into a one-man army, on whose performances depend the fortunes of the Indian cricket team, Tendulkar achieved the distinction of becoming the scorer of highest number of runs, 1,894 in a calender year in one-day cricket last year, at the rate of 80.87 per outing.

During the same period, he became the first batsman in the world to cross the 20-century mark in the shorter version of the game.

In just six tests last year, Tendulkar scored three centuries to have a career aggregate of 17 ‘tons’. The highlight of his scintillating performance last year was his demolition of the dreaded Australian leg spinner Shane Warne who later confessed that the little Indian gave him ‘nightmares’.

For the record, in 64 tests, Tendulkar has scored 4,820 runs at an average of 54.77 with the help of 20 half-centuries besides the 17 hundreds.

In 211 one-day internationals, he has hit up 7,801 runs for an average of 42.40. The 204 innings he played include 43 fifties and 21 centuries - the 143 he hit in the Sharjah Cup semi-final against Australia last year being the highest.

World champion in her category in 1994 and ,95, Malleswari was the Asian champion in 1997.

Also a recepient of the Arjuna and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awards, Malleswari opened India’s medal account in the Bangkok Games last month by winning a Silver medal in the women’s 63 class.

Contacted on phone at her home in Yamuna Nagar (Haryana), Malleswari told PTI that she considered the honour as a recognition of the toil she had put in over the years.

This shows that hard work even in a non-glamourous sports like weightlifting will not go unrewarded, she added. (PTI)