PERTH, Oct 10: Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden bludgeoned his way into cricket history here today with a................more

Yoga adopted as game
in Inter-Varsity and
National School Games

KARNAL, Oct 10: Keeping in view its importance, Yoga has been adopted as a game in the All India Inter-University................more

Kiwis rally to finish
day three on 282 for 8

AHMEDABAD, Oct 10: New Zealand were 282 for eight at close of play on the third day of the first Test in reply to India’s first innings total of 500 for five at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera, here today................more

First hour's play
important today

By Ravi Shastri

The fate of this Test match could well hinge on the first hour’s play on Saturday. If New Zealand can avoid the follow-on, they will be a very relieved team, because this pitch has not yet cracked, and batting is not as hazardous............more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 10: After making a maiden entry into the Junior Snooker final in very first attempt yesterday, Sumesh Turki has made an emphatic start in the senior......more

Sonnet wins 5th Major
Jasrotia Cricket trophy

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 10: Sonnet Cricket Club today lifted the 5th Major Ajay Jasrotia Memorial day-night Cricket Trophy beating Shivalik Cricket Club by a big margin...........more

Punjab wrestlers helping
promote dangal in Jammu

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 10: Almost every Indian style wrestling event, popularly known as dangal, being organised in Jammu region ............more

Tawi Trekkers
announces cash awards

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 10: Tawi Trekkers, a leading trekking organisation in the country, has announced cash prizes for the Jammu.....more

J&K Tug-of-War teams leave for Junior Nationals.....

Dangal held.....

Cash awards for Haryana sportspersons winning medals: Chautala.....

Hayden breaks world record for highest Test score

PERTH, Oct 10: Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden bludgeoned his way into cricket history here today with a world record score of 380 against Zimbabwe.

Hayden took just on 10 hours to pass the previous record of 375 held by Brian Lara. The West Indian batsman set the record in St John’s, Antigua, in 1993-94 in a Test against England.

Hayden set the new mark just before tea on the second day of a lop-sided first Test against a depleted Zimbabwe.

Australia declared with a first innings 735 for six wickets — their second-highest Test score and best in Australia.

"What can U say? I am delighted — I cannot quite believe it," the 31-year-old left-hander said after eclipsing the decade-long record of Lara.

"I hope some of those involved in the Bali tragedy can take something from this," hayden said. "It must be a difficult time for them."

Hundreds of Australians have gathered on the Indonesian island of Bali to remember their 88 compatriots who were among the 202 victims of the Sari Nightclub bombing in the holiday Mecca a year ago.

Zimbabwe replied with 79 for one by stumps. Trevor gripper was unbeaten with 37 with Mark Vermeulen on nine.

During his vicious assault against a restricted attack on a featherbed pitch, Hayden smashed 38 fours and 11 sixes.

"I am thrilled I was wearing the baggy green (the distinctive cap worn by Australian cricketers)," he said.

Australian captain Steve Waugh said "Matt’s striking of the ball was the cleanest I have ever seen. He thoroughly deserves this."

Another tribute came from former Australian captain Mark Taylor, who shared the previous Australian record of 334 with the great Don Bradman.

"I don’t think you can diminish any innings like that," Taylor said.

"Alright, a Test match hundred against Zimbabwe is probably not as good as one against, say, the West Indies in their halcyon days of the 1980s, but to go on and make 380, to do that takes special concentration and fitness.

"I always knew Matt Hayden had those."

Amid the euphoria of Hayden’s record, wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist’s unbeaten 113 — whipped up off only 95 balls —was almost overlooked.

Hayden went past Lara’s score with a single, a straight drive off spinner Ray Price.

As the jubilant Hayden leapt in the air, the crowd of about 7000 — which had grown appreciably as news of the impending record spread — gave him a standing ovation.

The milestone came in the final over before tea. (AFP)

Yoga adopted as game in Inter-Varsity and
National School Games

KARNAL, Oct 10: Keeping in view its importance, Yoga has been adopted as a game in the All India Inter-University Sports competition and National School Games, announced Haryana Governor Babu Parmanand here today.

While inaugurating a three-day 19th Haryana State Yoga competition at Karan Stadium here, Mr Babu Parmanand stressed on imparting Yoga exercise to the students from the primary level and it should be taught as a subject in the schools. "Yoga is such a science which helps human being in gaining spiritual power," he added.

He advised the youth to adopt Yoga in their life. Holding of Yoga competitions helped in infusing the spirit of leadership, discipline, patience and sportsmen spirit, besides bringing swiftness in the physicality and mentality of a person, he added.

Bharatiya Yoga Association and Haryana State Yoga Association president K C Sharma revealed that about 5,000 Yoga players, groomed by the branches of this association participate in the national and international Yoga competitions.

Deputy Commissioner R S Doon also urged promotion of Yoga in the educational institutions and by social organisations. (UNI)

Kiwis rally to finish day three on 282 for 8

AHMEDABAD, Oct 10: New Zealand were 282 for eight at close of play on the third day of the first Test in reply to India’s first innings total of 500 for five at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera, here today.

Daniel Vettori on 28 and Paul Wiseman on eight were at the crease when stumps were called. The Kiwis are still 19 runs shy of avoiding the follow on.

SCOREBOARD

India first innings: 500 for five declared New Zealand first innings: (overnight: 41 for three)

Mark Richardson b Khan 6

Lou Vincent c Patel b Khan 7

Stephen Fleming b Khan 1

Scott c Chopra b Harbhajan 34

Astle st Patel b Harbhajan 103

McMillan c Chopra b Sehwag 54

Jacob Oram c Dravid b Kumble 5

Robbie Hart lbw b Balaji 15

Daniel Vettori batting 28

Paul Wiseman batting 8

Extras (lb-13 b-4 nb-4) 21

Total (for eight wickets in 109 overs) 282

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-16, 3-17, 4-108, 5-199, 6-223, 7-227, 8-265. Bowling: Zaheer Khan: 18-3-50-3; L Balaji: 23-6-71-1 Anil Kumble: 27-9-47-1; Harbhajan Singh: 33-7-80-2; Virender Sehwag: 8-2-17-1 (UNI)

First hour's play important today

By Ravi Shastri

The fate of this Test match could well hinge on the first hour’s play on Saturday. If New Zealand can avoid the follow-on, they will be a very relieved team, because this pitch has not yet cracked, and batting is not as hazardous as was assumed.

Which does not mean that New Zealand will be completely out of the woods even if they exceed 300. There is still a lot of time left in this match, and India obviously have the more penetrative attack. But if the remaining two wickets fall early, the advantage will be much greater.

The best tactic for New Zealand will be to spend as much time as possible in the middle. This is not a wicket conducive to play strokes freely, but there is no terror in it either. If the batsmen keep their heads and hold their nerves, they can still draw the Test.

Strong examples of this approach came from Craig McMillan, Daniel Vettori and best of all Nathan Astle. All three were able to frustrate the Indian attack for long periods simply by keeping a watch-out for the good deliveries, punishing the bad deliveries and avoiding doing anything silly. When they did, there was a price to pay. McMillan cross-batted a full-toss needlessly and was brilliantly caught at short-leg, while Astle, who had made a top class hundred, lost his patience and his wicket just when the bowler’s seemed to have given up on him.

India’s bowling was efficient, but not first rate. Unless the wicket crumbles, there is hard work ahead for the spinners in this match, perhaps the next to. The fast bowlers, Zaheer and Balaji, were stifled by the slowness of the wicket. Both looked more like stock, rather than shock bowlers, though Balaji will have been delighted in getting his first Test victim. That is always something special.

There might be some murmurs of discontent against young Parthiv Patel for a couple of chances that went abegging. But I would not read too much into this. It is never easy ‘keeping to spinners in India, and he is still very inexperienced. But his potential is undoubted. I would venture to say that he could be as good as the current chairman of the selections committee - and I firmly believe that Kirmani was the best we have ever had.

Parthiv should be handled with patience and encouragement. If anything, I think he should be given an opportunity in both forms of the game.(TCM)

Emphatic start by Sumesh in Sr Snooker too

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 10: After making a maiden entry into the Junior Snooker final in very first attempt yesterday, Sumesh Turki has made an emphatic start in the senior Snooker too winning opening match against Sourav Sharma 3-1 in the ongoing Jammu District Billiards and Snooker Championships being held at MA Stadium, here today.

Sumesh, who had lost in very first round in the senior group last year, has improved a lot. Now, after gaining confidence through his victory over second seed Kuldeep Sharma, this young 12th standard cueist is in a mood to create troubles for the seeded seniors.

"I have gained a lot of confidence through junior matches. The way I have succeeded in potting and calling at will, I’m confident that I’ll play the quarterfinals and if luck favours me it could be semifinals", said Sumesh talking to EXCELSIOR.

In Senior Snooker all the top cueists including top seed Kamal Rohmetra and second seed, Vishal Abrol and Kuldeep Chowdhary have confirmed their entries. However, they will be in action only in the pre-quarters and quarterfinals, informed organising secretary, Sheetal Gandotra.

Detailed opening day results: Gurpal Singh bt Sumit Samotra 3-1 (54-30, 40-52, 72-10, 62-21; Gurdev Singh bt Vishal Kohli 3-2 ( 37-23, 24-46, 51-39, 43-46, 51-21; Sumesh Turki bt Sourav Sharma 3-1 ( 46-50, 49-30, 72-47, 67-37; Pran Pal Singh bt Samrat 3-0 ( 60-17, 60-36, 43-23; Aditya Mahajan bt Sohail Plassar 3-2 (60-31, 35-48, 57-50, 40-64, 51-40; Ishan Choudhary bt Almiyat Ahmed 3-1 (35-49, 52-29, 46-35, 71-31.