India look around
for excuses after yet
another defeat

NAPIER, Dec 29: India ran out of excuses and ‘manners’ at the end of the second one-day international against New Zealand today which they lost by 35 runs to trail 2-0 in the seven-match series. "The wicket was good today, we won the toss, we had everything in our..............more

J&K on verge of defeat

INDORE, Dec 29: Playing a follow-on, Jammu and Kashmir are 11 for no loss after Narendra Hirwani (51/5) helped bundle out the visitors with a first innings score of barely 122 in reply to Madhya Pradesh’s grand total of 562/7 on the second day of a Ranji Trophy league encounter at the Usha Raje cricket ground here. .........more

Sehwag’s century
goes waste as New
Zealand go 2-0 up

NAPIER, Dec 29: Indians finally found a proper batting wicket, Virender Sehwag hit a century, and yet, they handed over the second one-dayer to ...............more

South Africa soar with 10-wicket win over Pak

DURBAN, Dec 29: South Africa cruised to a 10-wicket win on the fourth day of the first cricket test against Pakistan at Kingsmead today, taking .............more

It’s Pankaj Advani’s fourth Jr Billiards title
* J&K’s Umar Humayun and Jaideep enter QFs of senior Snooker qualifiers

By Sanjeev Sharma

JAMMU, Dec 29: It was Pankaj Advani’s fourth consecutive Billiards title after he ..........more

J&K Bank retains
State Football trophy

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 29: Jammu and Kashmir Bank has retained the rolling winners trophy in the State Football ......more

Nazir-first national grade Football referee from J&K

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 29: Nazir Ahmed of Jammu and Kashmir Football Association has became the first national grade referee from the State..........more

Ajit at the top in
Distt Open Chess

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 29: Ajit Kumar was leading with four and a half points after the round fifth was over in the ongoing Jammu District Open Chess Championship currently underway in the premises of .......more

India look around for excuses after yet another defeat

NAPIER, Dec 29: India ran out of excuses and ‘manners’ at the end of the second one-day international against New Zealand today which they lost by 35 runs to trail 2-0 in the seven-match series.

"The wicket was good today, we won the toss, we had everything in our favour," said an apologetic coach John Wright who rushed to the mandatory press conference after his boys failed to turn up, leaving the local and touring Indian media fuming in disgust.

(manager Nathu Ram Choudhary later blamed the local media manager for having never approached them. "We couldn’t have known where the venue was all by ourselves," said Choudhary.)

"Our ground fielding cost us runs, we didn’t go through our overs, the total was achievable and there was carelessness," said Wright. "We are playing well below our potential."

The Indians on this tour have kept media waiting, failed to meet their scheduled appointments and refused to let any of their performer of the day turn up even as they have been busy doing television interviews. There has also been needless secrecy about injuries in the camp.

On the cricket field, the side hardly resembled the bunch which won admiration this year for its new found professionalism, better fielding and desire to play as a unit.

"I would agree (it’s missing). It’s puzzling, I’m trying to work it out myself," said a sorry-looking Wright.

"This is not the team that performed pretty consistently for a period of nine and ten months really. I think we haven’t played with the hunger we displayed early in the year — the hungry attitude, the eagerness, the energy, we haven’t got it back."

But Wright refused to put the poor performance down to too much cricket by the Indians in the past few months. "We have played a lot of cricket but we have got the biggest opportunity just around the corner awaiting us. We are a young side, except for Srinath and Kumble and it shouldn’t be a factor."

"We just have to raise the level of our play to go back to what we have achieved," said Wright.

Wright also did not think the contentious contracts issue has distracted players from performing on the field.

"I’m not aware of any distraction because of contracts. We represent a passionate and proud cricketing nation. Every match is important."

"It’s been a difficult trip in some respects, several players are out of form a little bit but today was a great opportunity — there shouldn’t be any excuses."

Wright also found it "hard to understand" why centurion Sehwag would go for an impossible single off the last ball of the over when he had a chance to claim an entire over to himself thereafter. Sehwag was run out for 108 and the match was effectively over for the Indians at 202 for 7 in the 40th over.

Wright said New Zealand have adopted a specific tactics against the Indian batsmen and it appeared to be paying dividends.

"It’s pretty obvious they are bowling straight and full, and allowing as little room as possible, and that we have to get forward and play," said Wright.(PTI)

J&K on verge of defeat

INDORE, Dec 29: Playing a follow-on, Jammu and Kashmir are 11 for no loss after Narendra Hirwani (51/5) helped bundle out the visitors with a first innings score of barely 122 in reply to Madhya Pradesh’s grand total of 562/7 on the second day of a Ranji Trophy league encounter at the Usha Raje cricket ground here.

The hosts, who declared their innings a little before tea after being aided by three masterly tons, showed sheer magic in their bowling attack when spinners ‘head hunter’ Hirwani and Yogesh Golwalkar took turns bashing up the Kashmiri knights.

Earlier, MP were aided by 131 from Sachin Dholpure, 108 from Amay Khurasia, who played a true captain’s knock, and 102 from Devendra Bundela.

Hirwani and ‘gunner’ Golwalkar finished their wrecking job in 36.5 overs. Sameer Khajuria contributed 35 runs and G P Singh made 24 for the visitors. Hirwani scalped 5 batsmen while Golwalkar claimed 3.

When stumps were drawn at the end of the second day’s one-sided combat, the Kashmiris were 11 without loss.(UNI)

SCOREBOARD

MP first innings

S Dholpure c G P Singh b S Singh 131

N Ojha b S Singh 9

A Khurasia b S Khajuria 108

D Bundela lbw b J Singh 102

A Ali lbw b S Khajuria 48

N Patwardhan not out 54

B Tomar run out 41

S Pandey run out 26

H S Sodhi not out 6

Extras 32

Penalty runs 5

Total in133 overs for 7 wickets 562

(declared)

Fall of wickets 1/18, 2/181, 3/339, 4/434, 5/436, 6/521, 7/552

Bowling analysis: S Singh 27-7-116-2; V Sharma 13-3-046-0; S Khajuria 41-4-146-2; A Salam 19-2-107-0; J Singh 33-6-127-1;

J&K first innings 122

J&K second innings

F Hazari not out 8

V Taggar not out 1

Extras (nb 2, lb 0, b 0) 2

Total in 6 overs 11

Bowling analysis: Y Golwalkar 2-1-10-0; N Hirwani 3-2-01-0; A Ali 1-1-00-0 (UNI)

Sehwag’s century goes waste as New Zealand go 2-0 up

NAPIER, Dec 29: Indians finally found a proper batting wicket, Virender Sehwag hit a century, and yet, they handed over the second one-dayer to New Zealand here today to remain winless on a disastrous tour.

After being ambushed on seamer-friendly strips in the two tests and the first one-dayer all of which they lost, the visitors batted irresponsibly on a good track here to manage only 219 runs against New Zealand’s 254 for nine, to end up losers by 35 runs.

Opener Sehwag put behind his failures on this tour to bat brilliantly for his 108 off 121 balls but he ran himself out at a crucial stage to compound another poor outing for the Indians who fielded badly and whose batting was marked by suicidal tendencies. Another top player Rahul Dravid was also needlessly run out and in the end skipper Sourav Ganguly admitted that the two run outs had cost India the match although his own continued failure with the bat did not help.

For the first time on this tour, Ganguly won the toss and promptly put New Zealand in to bat. The home team did well to post a competitive total on the board with Nathan Astle and Mathew Sinclair putting up 136 runs for the second wicket.

Astle made 76 off 95 balls with five fours and a six while Sinclair scored 78 from 126 balls with four boundaries and a six. Apart from these two, Lou Vincent was the only batsman to have made a significant contribution, scoring 34 off just 32 deliveries.

India lost Ganguly to the third ball of the day, clean bowled by Tuffey for nought.

Sehwag, who struck nine fours and two sixes in his knock, kept the team in the hunt with a few good partnerships but key wickets at crucial junctures saw India releasing their grip on the match.

V V S Laxman edged a catch to wicketkeeper Brendan McCullam after adding 57 runs for the second wicket with Sehwag in which his own contribution was 20.

And when Dravid and Yuvraj Singh fell in quick succession to leave India at 104 for four in the 24th over, Sehwag found an able partner in Mohammad Kaif who batted sensibly to put on 78 runs for the fifth wicket.

Just when the duo looked set to anchor India to safety, Daryl Tuffey, New Zealand’s most successful bowler on this tour, struck by inducing an outside edge off Kaif’s bat for McCullam to take a simple catch. Kaif scored 24 runs.

When Sanjay Bangar was out in the same fashion six balls later after making just four runs, India’s run-chase was all but over since Sehwag was left only with the tailenders to score 68 more runs at more than six runs an over.

Harbhajan Singh played a cameo knock of 16 off 17 balls that included a stunning six over point off Tuffey but that was hardly enough for India’s cause. The tourists, who had been docked two overs for slow bowling rate, lost their last four wickets within a space of 15 runs to be all out in 43.4 over and give a 2-0 lead to New Zealand in the seven-match series.

But Sehwag had the consolation of becoming only the second Indian to score a one-day century in New Zealand, the other being Dravid who made 123 in 1998-99 in Taupo.

The dashing opener who had struggled on this tour so far, played a balanced knock today. He restrained his big-hitting tendencies during the initial part of his innings and concentrated hard on getting a partnership going with Laxman.

It was only after he had crossed his half-century that he opened up to play some big shots. Repeatedly coming down the track to spinner Daniel Vettori, he hit the bowler for 13 runs in an over including a four and a six over long-on.

He also hammered Paul Hitchcock for an astonishing six over point region as he raced into his nineties. He brought up his fourth one-day century with a boundary to the third man. Earlier, New Zealand rode on the good innings from Astle and Sinclair and an inept fielding performance by the Indians to post a good total. Astle lived dangerously but ensured that the team recovered from the early jolt. Sinclair was let off twice, with Dravid missing a catch and a stumping chance against Harbhajan Singh when the batsman was yet to reach his 40s.

The duo took the score 146 in the 33rd over before India struck back by dismissing Astle and Craig McMillan in quick succession. Astle pulled Ganguly straight into the hands of Zaheer Khan at deep mid-wicket while McMillan fell Leg Before Wicket to Srinath after making just five runs.

Sinclair and Vincent then put on run-a-ball 42 runs for the fifth wicket which took New Zealand to 199 in the 43rd over. Sinclair became the lone victim of Harbhajan Singh, giving a catch to Dravid while attempting a reverse sweep. The two teams now move to Christchurch for a day-night game on January 1. (PTI)

South Africa soar with 10-wicket win over Pak

DURBAN, Dec 29: South Africa cruised to a 10-wicket win on the fourth day of the first cricket test against Pakistan at Kingsmead today, taking them to within one match of claiming the world’s top ranking. Pakistan were bowled out for 250 in their second innings, adding 32 runs for their last two wickets, leaving South Africa with 44 to win. Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs took South Africa to a comfortable win against a Pakistan attack that was without captain Waqar Younis, who did not take the field after being struck on the right forearm while batting. Unless Pakistan win the second and final test which starts in Cape Town on Thursday, South Africa will be world test champions. They will overtake Australia an the International Cricket Council test log, which is decided on average points gained in series. Facing a hopeless situation, the Pakistan tailenders went for their shots today, starting the day 11 runs ahead with two wickets standing. Kamran Akmal hit two fours before being caught behind off Makhaya Ntini for 29 off the last ball of the first over of the day. Although the new ball was due, South Africa did not take it until Mohammad Sami slogged a six over long-on off Ntini in the fifth over.

In Ntini’s next over, waqar missed a pull and was hit on the right forearm. He was in visible pain and required treatment on the field before he continued batting.

He top-edged a six over wicketkeeper Mark Boucher three balls later but was out in the next over when he skied Shaun Pollock to midwicket, where Gary Kirsten held a good, sliding catch.

All five South African bowlers took two wickets, with Pollock taking two for 29 to return the best figures.

In the absence of Waqar, Pakistan opened the bowling with fast bowler Mohammad Sami and off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.

There was no immediate word on the extent of Waqar’s injury but if it should keep him out of the second test, Pakistan would be without their leading three fast bowlers.

Wasim Akram was not available for the tests and Shoaib Akhtar withdrew from the tests because of a knee injury. Shoaib was said to have returned home but arrived in Durban while the test was on to attend a show by Bollywood film stars.

Pakistan gave a disappointing performance, with their batsmen in particular letting them down. Inexperienced openers Taufeeq Umar and Salim Elahi put on 77 and 50 for the first wicket in the two innings but the side’s senior batsmen failed. (AFP)

It’s Pankaj Advani’s fourth Jr Billiards title
* J&K’s Umar Humayun and Jaideep enter QFs of senior Snooker qualifiers

By Sanjeev Sharma

JAMMU, Dec 29: It was Pankaj Advani’s fourth consecutive Billiards title after he trounced Sourav Kothari of West Bengal with the help of highest 171 break of the tournament in his third and last final league engagement in the 27th Junior Billiards National Championships at Hari Niwas Palace Hotel, here this evening.

To win the Billiards title, Pankaj cracked two over hundred breaks (171, 117) and two breaks of 90 and 81 making it a big 1292-667 victory. Making 171 points break, Pankaj has overcome Sourav’s earlier finish of 170 and his own 167 in the earlier knock-out round.

Second place went to Rishab Thakker of Maharashtra, who punished Brijesh Damani of West Bengal severally in his last league match 1055-708. Rishab, who win two matches and lost one, struck over hundred break once (121) and two other of 90 and 86. Third position went to Sourav Kothari of West Bengal with one win and two loss.

To make it a double title win for the second time, this Karnataka young and promising cueist, Pankaj, has launched his campaign for the Snooker title today. In his opening match, he defeated the same opponent, Sourav Kothari, of West Bengal in straight frames of the seven frame match 59-37, 63-37, 105-16, 62-11 with 94 points superb break which included black seven times and four time blue.

In the second final league tie, Aditya Mehta of Maharashtra turned the tables against Rishab Thakker of Maharashtra 61-38, 67-12, 64-10, 91-40.

The remaining four matches, two in the morning session at 10 am and two in the evening session at 4 pm, will be played tomorrow, thereby making it clear about the first three positions.

In the meanwhile, after giving superb performance in the first two round of senior Snooker qualifiers, hosts J&K’s Umar Humayun and Jaideep Manocha have made it to the quarter-finals. Now, both will be fighting for making it to the semi-finals, followed by the contest for the main draw tomorrow.

With two hurdles yet to overcome, Umar Humayun is brimming with confidence. He said that he will try his level best to win the next matches also.

Other results of Senior Snooker second round: Siddharth Parekh (Railway) bt Mohammed Mueen (TN) 70-17, 78-34, 57-21; Munish Kukreja (MP) bt Karan Kapoor (J&K) 57-70, 86-35, 59-17, 63-25; Karan Sharda (MP) bt M Baskaran (TN) 56-23, 70-31, 85-62; Ramesh Tiwari (WB) bt Shiv Kumar (Karnataka) 59-41, 62-9, 31-57, 51-56, 62-35; Anuj Uppal (Delhi) bt Krishan Kumar (Uttar Pradesh) 57-50, 37-50, 81-11, 42-59, 74-15; Varun Taneja (Railway) bt Aparajit Mittal (Maharashtra) 48-16, 52-42, 95-10; M Senthil (TN) bt I S Malik (UP) 62-42, 78-36, 60-51; Rishab Thakker (Maharashtra) bt Sunil Sharma (Karnataka) 59-42, 79-1, 69-40; Sourav Kothari (WB) bt Ajay Pal Singh (J&K) 74-2, 67-32, 79-7; Parbhat (Karnataka) bt Arun Gulati (J&K) 40-70, 55-40, 50-46, 46-34; Aditya Mehta (Maharashtra) bt Bhupinder Singh (Delhi) 62-39, 70-16, 63-22; Manoj Verma (Bihar) bt Shyamal Sharma (Bihar) 66-29, 54-17, 56-23; Umar Humayun (J&K) bt Shashi Ram (Karnataka) 64-40, 65-26, 34-66, 73-10; Jaideep Manocha (J&K) bt Thandeshwar (Karnataka) 56-46, 59-37, 46-30.

First round results: Umar Humayun (J&K) got walkover Sanjeev Sharma (Rajasthan); Manoj Verma (Bihar) got walkover Nisheet Prakesh (UP); J Varun (TN) bt Dr Irfan (J&K) 61-14, 92-10, 26-39, 78-25; Aparajit Mittal (Maharashtra) bt Kuldeep Sharma (J&K) 56-41, 49-40, 48-85, 58-34.

Pankaj only Jr cueist having direct entry into seniors

JAMMU: Asia No. 2 and double title holder, Pankaj Advani of Karnataka is the only junior player, who has direct entry into the seniors main draw in both Billiards and Snooker.

Presently Pankaj is fourth seed in senior Billiards and ninth in Snooker, which clearly speaks of his superiority over other junior players in the country.

However, his three colleagues in the junior group, Sourav Kothari, Rishab Thakker and Aditya Mehta are advancing towards making it to the main draw.