MUMBAI, Nov 1: India are likely to field three frontline spinners in the eleven for the inconsequential fourth and final test against Australia commencing here on November three, according to team’s coach John Wright..........more

Australia will stick
to combination of
pace and spin

MUMBAI, Nov 1: Australia would stick to their trusted combination of pace and spin in the fourth cricket test starting here on Wednesday, although the track at the Wankhede Stadium here could assist spinners more..........more

Pakistan beat Lanka
to level series

KARACHI, Nov 1: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the second cricket test here today to level the two-match series at one-all. The hosts, needing 137 to win, reached 139-4 in the post tea session on the fifth and final day at the national stadium........more

Kalmadi re-elected
IOA president

NEW DELHI, Nov 1: Suresh Kalmadi was unanimously re-elected president of the Indian Olympic Association for his third four-year term at the annual general meeting here today. Kalmadi was also appointed chairman of the organising committee, set up for 2010 Commonwealth.........more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, Nov 1: Asha Rani of Higher Secondary School Pouni and Parveen Kumar of Higher Secondary School Majalta secured gold medals in the 3000 meter events of girls and boys in Under-19 years.............more

GCW Gandhi Nagar
retains Inter-College
Volleyball Trophy

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 1: Government College for Women, Gandhi Nagar today retained the Inter-College Volleyball Trophy.............more

Junior Snooker final today
Rohmetra, Khalid to clash
in final of Senior Billiards

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 1: Defending Billiards Champion Kamal Rohmetra will take on last year’s runner-up Sohail Khalid in the final of Senior Billiards category of the.............more

Mir Daniyal becomes
CBSE National Champion

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 1: Student of DPS Jammu has became CBSE National Champion in Roller Skating Championship held at Nagpur (Maharashtra)........more

Bhavna Sharma lifts Women’s Title in Open Sport Climbing Championship.....

Polly Umrigar (U-15) Trophy
J&K makes 277 for 8 in Ist Innings, secures 15 runs lead over Himachal.....

Ganguly to see specialist before returning to Kolkata.....

India likely to go in with three spinners: Wright

MUMBAI, Nov 1: India are likely to field three frontline spinners in the eleven for the inconsequential fourth and final test against Australia commencing here on November three, according to team’s coach John Wright.

"We reckon the wicket is going to offer bounce and turn. It had been watered last night and may be watered today. The option of going in with three spinners has to be considered. I can’t say exactly now whether it will happen.

"We will decide on the morning of the match after looking at the wicket, but it’s not out of the question," Wright said.

"We need a good wicket. We have got batters who need to get good scores. I hope the wicket holds up for all five days and offers turn on the third, fourth and fifth days," Wright said.

Asked who would open the bowling with Zaheer Khan in case the Indians decided to go in with all three spin bowlers —Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh and Murali Kartik — Wright said, "Sachin (Tendulkar). He’s been bowling quick in the nets."

All three spinners have tasted success against the visitors in the previous tests. Harbhajan got 11 wickets in the first test at Bangalore, Kumble secured 13 at Chennai in the second test to win the man of the match award.

Kartik bowled well after returning to the eleven after nine months and was among wickets (five) at Nagpur in the third test.

India have already conceded an unassailable 2-0 advantage to Australia in the series for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and are playing for pride and to get some form under their belt ahead of the two-test series against South Africa commencing later this month.

"The series is lost for us. We have four new players. It’s a fresh start for us. We are playing for form and pride and we want to win this test match badly. We are eager to perform," Wright said.

"It was very disappointing to lose the match at Bangalore and then with what happened at Chennai... The last match (at Nagpur) was a tough match. They played well. The conditions suited them. It looks likes the conditions will favour our spin bowlers here. We see it as an opportunity to win. But we have to get runs on the board," the coach said.

India were bowled out for 185 and 200 at Nagpur and barring Virender Sehwag, who had fired away at Chennai and Nagpur, the other top-order batsmen have looked a pale shadow of their former selves.

Wright said personally the series loss had been the most disappointing for him since he took over as the Indian team’s coach.

"We had played three times against Australia since I came on board. And this is the first time we have lost. That’s pretty disappointing. Equally disappointing is we have not competed and fought with the bat. That has not happened," Wright said.

But wright said he was not in favour of chopping and changing the line-up. "We have got class players like Dravid, Laxman, Sachin and Sehwag. People can go three or four games without scoring runs. The key is to stick with them till they completely regain their confidence," Wright said. (PTI)

Australia will stick to combination of pace and spin

MUMBAI, Nov 1: Australia would stick to their trusted combination of pace and spin in the fourth cricket test starting here on Wednesday, although the track at the Wankhede Stadium here could assist spinners more.

"We have had a look at the pitch. It will have turn and bounce. One year ago we played a one-day match here and there was turn and bounce then. We will stick to the combination of pace and spin as before," Australian coach John Buchanan told reporters here today.

Australia, who have already clinched the four-match series, have relied on the same combination of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz and leg spinner Shane Warne in the first three tests of the series.

But Buchanan said Brett Lee, who has not had a look-in so far, was pretty much in the picture for the match.

And although the series was won, Buchanan said his team would not let go the momentum and would play to win the last test too for a 3-0 verdict.

"We don’t believe in a dead rubber. Every test is important for us. We will continue to play as before," the Aussie coach said.

Asked about Australian skipper Ricky Ponting’s chances of playing in Mumbai, Buchanan said he was coming along very well and had a good chance of playing.

"He’s come along pretty well. I am very pleased with his progress," he said. (PTI)

Pakistan beat Lanka to level series

KARACHI, Nov 1: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six wickets in the second cricket test here today to level the two-match series at one-all.

The hosts, needing 137 to win, reached 139-4 in the post tea session on the fifth and final day at the national stadium.

Sri Lanka’s tail had frustrated the home team in the first session before finally being dimissed for 406, with leg-spinner Danish Kaneria finishing with 7-118 off 60 overs.

Pakistan had a few early scares in their run chase, slipping to 57-4 after losing Imran Farhat for 19, Yasir Hameed for 15, Yousuf Youhana for one and Younish Khan for 14.

Shoaib Malik, who finished unbeaten on 53 and, Abdul Razzaq, 35 not out, then steered Pakistan safely to victory with a fifth wicket stand of 82.

The home team’s win stopped Sri Lanka from recording a hat trick of away series wins over Pakistan, having won the two previous series here in 1995 and 1999.

Sri Lanka won the first test in Faisalabad by 201 runs last week.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka 208 and 406, Pakistan 478 and 139-4. (AFP)

Kalmadi re-elected IOA president

NEW DELHI, Nov 1: Suresh Kalmadi was unanimously re-elected president of the Indian Olympic Association for his third four-year term at the annual general meeting here today.

Kalmadi was also appointed chairman of the organising committee, set up for 2010 Commonwealth Games to be hosted by New Delhi.

Kalmadi said the other committees and sub-committees for the mega event, being held in India for the first time, would be put in place during the next two months.(PTI)

Inter-School Athletic Meet
Parveen of HSS Majalta, Asha of HSS Pouni bag gold

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, Nov 1: Asha Rani of Higher Secondary School Pouni and Parveen Kumar of Higher Secondary School Majalta secured gold medals in the 3000 meter events of girls and boys in Under-19 years category on the first day of annual Inter-School Athletic Meet being organised by Department of Youth Services and Sports at Sports Stadium, here.

In the 3000 meter girls final, Asha Rani bagged gold, Sapna Devi of HSS Majalta got silver and Asha Sharma of HSS Girls Udhampur clinched bronze medals while in the 3000 meter boys final HSS Majalta’s Parveen Kumar bagged gold, Bansi Lal of HSS Jaganoo, silver and Kuldeep Raj of HSS Pouni, bronze.

In the 5000 meters boys final, Subash Sharma of HSS Jaganoo, Gourav of HSS Boys Udhampur and Suresh Kumar of HSS Majalta bagged gold, silver and bronze medals respectively.

In the 1500 meter boys final, Koushal Singh of HSS Chanuta, Ajay Kumar of HSS Boys Udhampur and Rajesh Singh of HSS Chenani bagged gold, silver and bronze medals respectively while in the 1500 meter girls final the gold medal was bagged by Asha Rani of HSS Pouni, silver by Sapna Devi of HSS Majalta and bronze by Anju of HSS Girls Udhampur.

Nasreen Begum of HSS Pouni, Rekha of HSS Girls Udhampur and Shabnam of HSS Garhi bagged gold, silver and bronze medals in the 800 meter girls final while in the 800 meter boys final, HSS Pouni bagged gold, Rajeev Kumar of HSS Sudhmahadev, silver and Ganesh Kumar of HSS Jaganoo, bronze.

In the 400 meter boys final, Gourav of HSS Boys Udhampur, Ranjeet Kumar of HSS Katra and Daljeet Chand of HSS Chenani bagged gold, silver and bronze medals respectively while in the girls final, Asha Rani of HSS Pouni bagged gold, Suprita Bandral of HSS Garhi clinched silver and Sujata of HSS Majalta, bronze.

Sujata Kumari of HSS Majalta bagged gold, Nasreen Begum of HSS Pouni got silver and Sunita Devi of HSS Garhi secured bronze medal in the 200 meter girls final.