MUMBAI, Apr 23: Sachin Tendulkar turns 31 tomorrow, already cricket’s eldest statesman having carried the burden of.........more

India take on South
Africa today

SYDNEY, Apr 23: Injury-hit India would seek to plug their defensive loopholes when they clash with South Africa in their.......more

Sasikiran, Harikrishna
back to winning ways

DUBAI, Apr 23: Indian Grandmasters Krishnan Sasikiran, P Harikrishna and Surya Shekhar Ganguly returned to their winning ways to remain in joint second position at the end of the fourth round of the Dubai International Chess championship.........more

Safin first into
Monte Carlo semis

MONACO, Apr 23: Marat Safin reached the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time today, beating........more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 23: Asif Kathwari has won the Jammu Province Chess tournament securing highest five points beating Rashpal Singh (4.5) on the concluding........more

Tendulkar says age has
not affected approac

MUMBAI, Apr 23: Under the scanner over his performance in Pakistan, batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar, who turns 31 tomorrow...........more

Anjali, Suma finish 15th
in Athens World Cup

NEW DELHI, Apr 23: India’s Olympic medal hope Anjali Vedpathak Bhagwat finished a disappointing 15th in the women’s.........more

Sania helps India level
with Uzbekistan 1-1

NEW DELHI, Apr 23: Sania Mirza struck form and rhythm at the right time as she outplayed Akgul Amanmuradova......more

Tendulkar hailed on eve of birthday

MUMBAI, Apr 23: Sachin Tendulkar turns 31 tomorrow, already cricket’s eldest statesman having carried the burden of Indian batting in 447 international matches over 15 long years, but that burden is easing now with the emergence of new stars in the team.

Teammates and former players agree that the emergence of Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman as topnotch batsmen is taking a good deal of pressure off him and the batting genius will be able to play more freely in the years ahead. Their rise is both an opportunity and a challenge for Tendulkar.

No other international cricketer who made his debut before Tendulkar did in 1989 is still playing the game. "Someone told me to my surprise the other day that I am the senior-most international player," he remarked recently.

He has more Test centuries (33) and more one-day hundreds (37) than his age. He has scored 22604 runs in both versions of the game and his hunger for runs remains undiminished.

What will be the impact of the emergence of new batting stars on Tendulkar, has his batting changed over the years and become less exciting and how long is he likely to play for India ? PTI posed these questions to a gallaxy of present and former cricketers and here are their responses.

Anil Kumble: I am not sure if the emergence of young players has made him relax but I’d certainly say he is more comfortable now.

I don’t know if his game has changed in the conventional sense but today he knows his game very well and also knows exactly when to accelerate. In that sense he is more solid now. He has many more years of good cricket still in him.

Harbhajan Singh: I don’t think emergence of new and other players has eased the pressure on him. Cricket is an intense game and irrespective of how many good players are around you, Sachin still wants to perform to his optimum level. I don’t think he has dropped any intensity of his even when so many good batsmen are there in the team.

He was more flamboyant in his early years but Sachin today is an extremely difficult batsman to bowl to. If he gets into double figures, he more or less closes the options for the bowlers. If I were bowling to him, I would like to get him early before he gets set.

Even though he might have scored 20,000 runs and 70 international hundreds, I easily give him six more years if not much more. I think he is good enough to last till he is 40.

Waqar Younis: Tendulkar has just gone a little compact. He has started playing like a very mature batsman now. Earlier he used to slash and run down the track. With the passage of time he has understood what test cricket is and that he has to stay at the crease. Now you do not see him play any flashy shots. If you do not change your game, the bowlers are going to catch you... Tendulkar has changed his game and is even more difficult for bowlers.

He is on the rise at the moment. You are seeing the best part of him. You do get out a few times because sometimes the bowler has to win but Tendulkar has done really well and I think he is enjoying his cricket now more than what he was three or four years ago. He has set his own benchmarks, scoring 50 runs is not enough.

Ajit Wadekar:Sachin is a fully matured player now. Previously he used to take risks but has now realised that scoring 100 or 110 runs will not serve the team’s cause and so now he tries to build an innings from the very first ball he faces.

Sachin has also realised that he needs to stay in the middle to guide the youngsters so that they could be moulded into reliable batsmen for the future and it is their good fortune that they are being guided by a player of his status and a learning experience for them.

I think the emergence of other batsmen has helped Sachin concentrate on other departments of the game. I don’t think the emergence of young batsmen is a challenge to Sachin.

Madan Lal: Emergence of other players has not affected him. He is still a very powerful and tremendous player. The other players have grown with him. He sees it as a challenge. The performance of other players spurs him on.

His game has changed — he is more wiser and mature now. With experience he has learnt to choose his shots.

Syed Kirmani: Tendulkar’s attitude, application and approach have changed, but the basics have not changed. He has brought in a lot of improvisations to his batting. He is matured and one reaches the pinnacle after 25 years of age.

Obviously, one cannot be exciting all through his life. There are ups and downs in one’s performance due to vagaries and uncertainties of the game. However, there were others and he has never been exciting to the extent that both the print and electronic media have made it to be.

He has not been carrying the burden. But in the public eye, yes, it has been made it to be so by the media.

The emergence of others should motivate Tendulkar in a big way. There are seven others who have been performing well and naturally, it is a challenge to Tendulkar.

How long can he continue depends on his consistency and physical fitness, besides attitude. Of course, there is an end to all good things at some time or the other.

K Srikkanth: Tendulkar’s maturity level has gone up. He is one of the most solid batsmen in the world now. Whatever changes that we find in him have been for good.

He has not become less exciting. Not at all. Perhaps, he is not taking risks like a youngster would. Maturity and finesse always come with age. He can be exciting, if he decides to be like what he did in the match against Pakistan in the World Cup 2004.

Emergence of other players must have eased his pressure. In my opinion, he can serve at this level for another four or five years.

Sandeep Patil: I don’t think there has been much of a change in Tendulkar’s approach though lot of people think otherwise. Even today he will not hesitate to dispatch a bad ball at any time of his innings. May be he has started adopting minor changes when the situation demands like he did at Multan when he played second fiddle to Sehwag.

He has been carrying the burden of Indian batting since a decade and I don’t think the emergence of Laxman, Dravid or Sehwag will change his style of batting. Though we should agree that it has eased the pressure on him and now he can concentrate more on planning his innings.

I think he can keep playing as long as his body and mind is willing to go through the grind. Everybody knows that he is a fitness freak and if he continues to be fit he can still be playing at 40.

Brijesh Patel: The emergence of new players has eased the pressure on sachin considerably. He can play more freely now. He has not changed his game much. He is still playing in his normal way and scoring the runs — that is the most important thing.

He can play till in his 40s. He is good enough for that.

Robin Singh: I think he has matured as a batsman and has curbed his strokeplay to some extent. The emergence of new players is good for Indian cricket. The fact that Dravid, Laxman, Sehwag are scoring consistently is good because he can be more relaxed now. He can concentrate on playing the long innings.

He can keep playing as long as he wants to, he is one of he class players in contemporary cricket and it will be his decision when he wants to quit.

Chandu Borde: Tendulkar has become more selective about his shot selection. Previously he used to take the aggressive approach but now he is showing more patience when he is in the middle.

I don’t think the emergence of players like V V S Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh has had any affect on him. But the pressure has eased tremendously on sachin. He can now go about his task a bit more freely and also be a guiding force to the youngsters when they come to bat along with him like he did in the first test match against Pakistan at Multan when he guided Sehwag.

He can take anything in his stride and nobody, not even the wall (Dravid) can match him when it comes to getting runs as the record shows it all. There is nothing more for Sachin to prove.

The way he is playing, Sachin can continue as long as he is fit.

Dilip Sardesai: Sachin has not changed his batting style. I personally don’t think he has changed his approach.

One thing people should try to understand is that as you grow up you tend to eliminate all the risks. So is the case in cricket. Sachin has matured completely now and has eliminated whatever little risks were there in his batting which is good for Indian cricket.

The burden of carrying the Indian batting since a decade has reduced as there are three or four other batsmen to support. Performing for India is always a pressure cooker situation but now the pressure is much less as he knows there are others whom the team can bank on even if he gets out early so naturally he is more at ease now then when he started off.

I don’t think the emergence of new batsmen will affect his game in any way. Sachin is too good a batsman to see the emergence of another batsman as a challenge and if at all it affects him adversely it is a very good sign for the team as it will have only have positive effect and he will start plundering more runs.

And what does Tendulkar himself thinks of the situation?

"I have never thought on these lines. I believe all 11 players and the whole team contributes to the victory. I have never felt that I am under some kind of pressure," he said during the recent tour of Pakistan. (PTI)

India take on South Africa today

SYDNEY, Apr 23: Injury-hit India would seek to plug their defensive loopholes when they clash with South Africa in their last round-robin league match of the four-nation men’s hockey challenge here tomorrow.

The Indians have managed to secure just one point from two outings and need to win by a big margin to keep their hopes alive for a top-two finish in the tournament.

Handicapped by the injury to a number of key players, the Indians suffered a 0-3 defeat at the hands of Malaysia in the opening match and then conceded a goal in the dying moments to be held 2-2 by Australia in their second game yesterday.

The indians have no option but to pull up their socks and put up a far more inspiring performance at the Hombush Olympic Park tomorrow against the South Africans who will be equally determined to record their first win in the meet.

Malaysia were leading the table with six points while host Australia were in the second position with four points.

The injuries to key players like Prabhjot Singh, Viren Rasquinha and Kanwalpreet Singh have hampered India to a great extent and coach Rajinder Singh will be hoping that some of them recover fully for the crucial encounter.

The coach feels that the drawn match against Australia had given the team a lot of confidence which could make a difference against the South Africans.

"We were not fortunate enough to win the match against Australia. I think the forward line should make more goals. In modern hockey, they should avail the maximum chances that come their way," Rajinder said.

"But the drawn match will give our team a lot more confidence." (PTI)

Sasikiran, Harikrishna back to winning ways

DUBAI, Apr 23: Indian Grandmasters Krishnan Sasikiran, P Harikrishna and Surya Shekhar Ganguly returned to their winning ways to remain in joint second position at the end of the fourth round of the Dubai International Chess championship here.

The trio, who had to contend with a draw in the earlier round, came back strongly to garner full points and remain in title hunt with five more rounds to go in this tournament.

Top seed Grandmaster Liviu-Dieter Nispeanu of Romania emerged as the sole leader with four points from as many rounds after outplaying Tamaz Gelashvili of Georgia. He is now followed by a pack of 11 players including the Sasikiran, Ganguly and Harikrishna, with 3.5 points each in their kitty.

GM R B Ramesh also posted a much-needed victory over compatriot Deepan Chakravarthy who fell prey to a well analysed variation in the Sicilian Sveshnikov. Also scoring a victory international master Rahul Shetty and IM norm holder Manthan Chokshi who defeated Atousa Pourkashiyan of Iran and Mohamed Eissa of UAE respectively.

Young hopeful Parimarjan Negi continued with his fine form and held women Grandmaster Firuza Velinkhanli to a creditable draw while S Satyapragyan failed to deliver the goods against GM Al-Modiahki Mohamad of Qatar who played a fine attacking game to catch his younger rival off-guard.

Also on the receiving end were WGM Aarthie Ramaswamy and double IM norm holder Abhijeet Gupta who went down to Almulla Mohammed of UAE and former champion Alexander Goloshchapov of Ukraine respectively.

Sasikiran defeated GM Saidali Iuldachev of Uzbekistan in just 25 moves from a kings Indian defence game where the former played white.

In the opening itself, Iuldachev found himself at sea after achieving a complicated position and Sasikiran took control of the proceedings in copy-book fashion to knock down a pawn on the king side that drew curtains.

Harikrishna was again at his resourceful best as he accounted for GM Zurab Sturua of Georgia.

The opening featured a slightly off-track variation of the grunfeld defence where Harikrishna, black, had little troubles in obtaining the dynamic balance. Sturua went for some unwarranted piece play that helped the Indian secure the double bishop advantage and the rest was a delight to watch as the Indian forced white king in to a mating net. The game lasted 35 moves.

National champion Ganguly was also not far behind in making his day a memorable one as he gave an endgame lesson to Indonesian Awam Wahono. Playing white, the Kolkata based player was up against an irregular opening set up that gave him a tangible advantage in the ensuing middle game.

The endgame came with Ganguly having an extra pawn and the technicalities were handled perfectly.

In other important games of the day, Nisipeanu defeated Grandmaster Gelashvili Tamaz of Georgia in 49 moves from a Sicilian defence alapin variation game while 13-years-old IM Carlsen Magnus of Norway caused a major flutter defeating GM Evgeny Vladimirov of Kazakhstan in 35 moves. (PTI)

Safin first into Monte Carlo semis

MONACO, Apr 23: Marat Safin reached the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time today, beating Alberto Martin 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

The Russian former world number one had been a strong favourite heading into the last eight clash, having won all five previous matches against the Spaniard, and did not disappoint.

"I wanted to finish the match quickly in the second set and that is when I started to make some mistakes," Safin said, explaining the brief dip in form.

"But then in the third set I got my confidence back and that was it."

US Open champion in 2000, Safin was playing his first quarter-final of a masters series event since Bercy in 2002.

He missed much of last season through injury but returned to the circuit in fine fashion this year, reaching the final of the Australian Open in February.

Now ranked 25 in the world, Safin knows he has a big job ahead of him with either Guillermo Coria or David Nalbandian blocking his path to the final.

"I played more aggressive, attacking players earlier in the tournament, now I am facing the real claycourt specialists," he said. "It is not easy to change your game to do this. But I will try.

"Today was the first real claycourt test. I am happy I came through. But Coria or Nalbandian will be really tough."

Last year’s runner-up Coria is the favourite for the title and he meets his fellow Argentine later on Friday.

In the other quarter-finals Carlos Moya meets Nikolay Davydenko and Britain’s Tim Henman takes on rainer Schuettler of Germany. (AGENCIES)

Asif wins Provincial Chess tourney

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Apr 23: Asif Kathwari has won the Jammu Province Chess tournament securing highest five points beating Rashpal Singh (4.5) on the concluding day today at MA Stadium, here today. This tournament was organised by the Jammu wing of the J&K Chess Association.

With equal points (4.5) in their tally, Arvindoo, Sumit Grover and Ashok Safaya finished third, fourth and fifth respectively on the basis of their progressive scorers in the senior group.

In junior boys category, Ritwan Sountra was declared winner on the basis of points he earned in this meet. Young Agrim Pandotra and Ishan Verma remained at second and third place respectively.

Aditi Sharma was top seed in under-14 girls, followed by her sister, Aakankasha Sharma.

In today’s prize distribution function of this six-day long tournament, Deputy Chief Minister, Mangat Ram Sharma was chief guest.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sharma described the Chess a game of wits and called upon the parents to encourage their wards for participation in games.

Earlier, vice-president of the J&K Chess Association, Dr S S Dua welcomed the chief guest and highlighted the activities of the Association. Vote of thanks was presented by S P Sharma, joint secretary of the Chess Association.

Prominent among others present on the occasion were Moti Lal Koul, Subash Chander Sharma, M L Vidyarthi, Sushil Sawhney, Master Chela Ram Dogra and Bharat Raj Grover.