NAGPUR, Oct 27: India’s famed top order batsmen put up a spineless display to allow a disciplined Australia to take a tight grip on the crucial third cricket Test here today. After restricting Australia to 398 in their first innings, the Indian frontline batsmen succumbed meekly to leave the home team gasping at 146 for five at close on the second day, still needing 53 runs to avoid the follow on.......more

HP CM, Governor
to face off on
November 7

SHIMLA, Oct 27: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Governor V S Kokje would face off in a charity cricket match to be played here on November seven.......more

Fleming completes
second Test
double century

CHETTAGONG (Bangladesh), Oct 27: Captain Stephen Fleming completed his second Test double century as New Zealand piled on the runs against Bangladesh today. At tea on the second day of the second Test, New Zealand were 545 for six with Fleming out for 202.......more

Gibbs pulls out, Boucher
axed for India series

DURBAN, Oct 27: Prolific opener Herschelle Gibbs opted out while spinner Nicky Boje conditionally agreed to be part.............more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 27: In a major upset of the 14th Jammu district billiards and snooker championships, second seed Jaideep Manocha was beaten in the second round.........more

Baba Kailakh Nath Sports
Club to hold Kabaddi
competitions

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 27: With an aim to promote sports, especially the indigenous game of Kabaddi, Baba Kailakh...........more

AS Jammu Cantt lifts
Northern Command
volleyball trophy

Exclsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 27: Army School Jammu Cantt today lifted the prestigious Northern Command’s Inter-Army School.........more

Shakuntla, Arshad
bag sprint gold in
inter-school meet

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, Oct 27: Shakuntla Devi of High School Garhi and Mohd Arshad of Middle School.......more

Poonch College win in volleyball.......

Bhartiya Shiksha Samiti holds sports meet......

Open Judo meet at Shastri School today......

Spineless Indian batting gives Australia a tight grip

NAGPUR, Oct 27: India’s famed top order batsmen put up a spineless display to allow a disciplined Australia to take a tight grip on the crucial third cricket Test here today.

After restricting Australia to 398 in their first innings, the Indian frontline batsmen succumbed meekly to leave the home team gasping at 146 for five at close on the second day, still needing 53 runs to avoid the follow on.

The battery of Australian pace bowlers, particularly Glenn McGrath who is making his 100th Test appearance, exploited the grassy track at the VCA Stadium to rip through the top order on a day which saw the balance tilt heavily in favour of the tourists.

Mohammad Kaif (47) and Parthiv Patel (16) did quite well to remain unseparated at stumps with the hosts desperately looking to their lower order batsmen to avoid the ignominy of a follow on.

The Indians were reeling at 103 for five at one stage before Kaif and Patel added some vital runs to take the score closer to the follow on target on an eventful day which saw as many as eight wickets fall.

The Indians did well in the morning session to polish off the Australian tail within an hour but plunged into trouble straightway as Virender Sehwag (22), Aakash Chopra (9), Sachin Tendulkar (8), VVS Laxman (13) and Rahul Dravid (21) perished cheaply.

The failure of the Indian batsmen was inexplicable. If Sehwag’s was a case of wrong shot selection, Laxman’s was nothing but outrageous.

Sehwag struck four boundaries off Gillespie in the very first over he faced but then poked at an outside off delivery from McGrath to give Adam Gilchrist his 250th dismissal in Tests.

Laxman returned to the pavilion in similar fashion, striking Gillespie for three fours immediately on arrival before playing a reckless cut off Warne for a simple catch at point.

Laxman then had completed the transformation from a tormentor of the Aussies to Warne’s bunny, having fallen to the leg spinner fourth time on the trot in the series.

Chopra also failed to justify his recall in place of Yuvraj Singh. The right hander showed his staying power but his tendency to turn the blade against the fast bowlers caused his downfall.

Gillespie came back strongly from the battering he took from Sehwag and claimed his first wicket when Chopra tried to run him down to third man, only to end up with a regulation catch to Warne at first slip.

Sachin Tendulkar, playing his first match in three months, looked less troubled by the elbow injury. But the batting ace could not survive for long as he was rapped on the pads by Gillespie for eight.

It was the tenth instance of the little master falling to Gillespie or McGrath, and fifth time leg before, against Australia. It was also his tenth single figure score in ten Tests.

At the other end, Dravid seemed caught in a shell. The stand-in captain found it difficult to break the shackles placed around him by the relentless Australian fast bowlers.

Dravid and Kaif built up a stand of 28 runs in 17.4 overs before the former pushed forward to McGrath and edged to the slip cordon.

India struggled right through against a well-planned Australian seam attack and runs had to be really earned, indicated by the accumulation of just 18 runs off 15 overs in the first hour after tea taken with the hosts tottering at 95 for four after 45 overs.

In fact, the ball dominated the bat on the second day with only 182 runs being scored in 87 overs while eight wickets fell, including three in the Australian first essay which ended fifty minutes into the day.

This was in total contrast to the opening day yesterday when the Aussies rattled up runs at a furious pace and made 362 for seven in 90 overs.

The Australians even attacked with a 7-2 field, a ploy which they had not adopted earlier in the series. Barring Sehwag, initially, and Kaif later who was on the look-out constantly for runs in a judicious manner, the other top-order batsmen went into their shells and ultimately paid the penalty.

After Dravid’s departure in the post-tea period, Kaif and the gutsy Patel came together to rally the Indians nicely with the right mix of caution and aggression with Kaif even hoisting Warne, who twice appealed unsuccessfully for leg before the wicket decisions against the right hander, over the straight field for a six.

The right hander had also been caught off a no-ball off McGrath, started to walk away before noticing umpire David Shepherds signal and regaining his crease.

The duo produced the best partnership of the innings so far with an unconquered stand of 43 in 24 overs by mixing caution and aggression in the right mix.

Their hearty display showed there was no devil as yet in the wicket.

In the morning, India began extremely well by taking Australia’s remaining three wickets for only 36 runs.

Zaheer Khan (4-95) struck two blows while Ajit Agarkar gave him good support in the mopping up operation and picked up one wicket.

Zaheer trapped the Gillespie (9) leg before with a ball that swung in from off in the fifth over of the morning. Michael Kasprowicz was dismissed for a blob by Agarkar who induced him to edge behind for Parthiv Patel to accept the catch in the next over.

Michael Clarke (91) tried to shield last man McGrath, playing his 100th Test, and the two added 22 runs before the talented youngster fell in trying to play a forcing shot off Zaheer Khan and edged to Patel.

Clarke batted for 197 minutes, faced 159 balls and struck 13 fours. (PTI)

SCOREBOARD

Australia 1st innings:

J Langer c Dravid b Zaheer Khan 44

M Hayden c Patel b Zaheer Khan 23

S Katich c Chopra b Kumble 4

D Martyn c Agarkar b Kumble 114

D Lehmann c Dravid b Kartik 70

M Clarke c Patel b Zaheer Khan 91

A Gilchrist c and b Kartik 2

S Warne st Patel b Kartik 2

J Gillespie lbw b Zaheer Khan 9

M Kasprowicz c Patel b Agarkar 0

G McGrath not out 11

Extras (b-6, lb-13, nb-8, w-1) 28

Total (all out in 100.2 overs) 398

Fall of wickets: 1-67, 2-79, 3-86, 4-234, 5-314, 6-323, 7-337, 8-376, 9-377.

Bowling: Agarkar 23-2-99-1; Zaheer Khan 26.2-6-95-4; Kumble 25-6-99-2; Kartik 20-1-57-3; Tendulkar 6-1-29-0.

India 1st innings:

A Chopra c Warne b Gillespie 9

V Sehwag c Gilchrist b McGrath 22

R Dravid c Warne b McGrath 21

S Tendulkar lbw b Gillespie 8

VVS Laxman c Clarke b Warne 13

M Kaif batting 47

P Patel batting 16

Extras (lb-9, nb-1) 10

Total (for five wkts, in 77 overs) 146

Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-34, 3-49, 4-75, 5-103.

Bowling: McGrath 20-12-18-2, Gillespie 18-7-47-2, Kasprowicz 18-3-37-0, Warne 21-8-35-1. (PTI)

HP CM, Governor to face off on November 7

SHIMLA, Oct 27: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Governor V S Kokje would face off in a charity cricket match to be played here on November seven.

The match, to be played between the Chief Minister’s XI and the Governor’s XI at the BCS School ground, is being organised by the Sports and Cultural Association of the State Assembly.

The charity cricket match, according to Singh, is being organised for social cause. The CM XI will have Minister for Animal Husbandry Harsh Mahajan as the vice captain.

Singh said one side would consist of ministers and MLAs while the other team would have top bureaucrats and top police officials in its ranks.

He said the idea of organising such a match was not new and this would certainly augur well for the welfare of the under-privileged.

"Sports should emerge as a necessary exercise for the working people, who always remain occupied in their official engagements," he said.

The Chief Minister said such activities needed to be encouraged at all levels. "They would be in a position to discharge their duties more efficiently." (PTI)

Fleming completes second Test double century

CHETTAGONG (Bangladesh), Oct 27: Captain Stephen Fleming completed his second Test double century as New Zealand piled on the runs against Bangladesh today.

At tea on the second day of the second Test, New Zealand were 545 for six with Fleming out for 202.

Fleming, who became New Zealand’s top Test run scorer as well as the team’s most capped player on the opening day, hit 21 fours and a six from 318 deliveries.

Hamish Marshall, playing his second Test after a gap of almost four years, scored 69 while Nathan Astle hit 39 and Jacob Oram was unbeaten on 38.

Left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique was the pick of the bowlers with three for 130 from 55 overs.

New Zealand won the first match of the two-Test series by an innings and 99 runs. Fleming added 99 for the fourth wicket with Nathan Astle (39) and 87 with Hamish Marshall (69) for the fifth.

Marshall was out towards the end of the second session when he got a leading edge to a delivery from left-arm spinner Enamul Haque (junior). Tapash Baisya took a fine catch while running in from mid-wicket.

Marshall hit six fours during his laborious 145-ball knock.

Bangladesh’s lone success of the morning session was the dismissal of Astle, who was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique with a delivery that came back sharply.

Rafique was the most successful bowler for Bangladesh with three scalps while haque chipped in with two wickets.

In reply, Bangladesh made a positive start as Omar exhibited a couple of lovely pull shots off seamer Jacob Oram, but his opening partner Nafees Iqbal (13) departed soon after.

Iqbal fell to a lovely one-handed catch to the right by Scott Styris in the slips to give left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori his first wicket.

Aftab Ahmed (20) too fell to the same bowler while off-spinner Paul Wiseman removed Rajin Saleh (two). (AFP)

Gibbs pulls out, Boucher axed for India series

DURBAN, Oct 27: Prolific opener Herschelle Gibbs opted out while spinner Nicky Boje conditionally agreed to be part of the 14-member squad named today for the two-Test tour of India starting next month.

The decisions of the two players put to rest speculation over whether they would tour India amidst reports that the duo could be interrogated by Delhi Police over their possible involvement in the match-fixing scandal that rocked the cricket world in 2000.

Gibbs declared himself unavailable for the tour while Boje said he would wait for assurance from Indian authorities that he would not be interrogated.

Interestingly, Boje was named the new vice-captain of the team in place of veteran wicketkeeper Mark Boucher who was dropped alongwith four others, including Lance Klusener, who were part of the squad for the Sri Lanka series recently.

If Boje decides not to go to India, Boeta Dippenaar will take over the vice-captain’s role and Charl Langeveld will join the squad as an extra bowler.

"Nicky has indicated to me that he is very keen to tour. But the ultimate decision must be taken by the player himself," Omar Henry, South Africa’s convenor of selectors, said while announcing the team.

Team: Graeme Smith, Nicky Boje, Hashim Amla, Zander De Bruyn, Boeta Dippenaar, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Makhaya Ntini, Justin Ontong, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Rudolph, Thami Tsolekile, Alfonso Thomas, Martin Van Jaarsveld. (PTI)

14th Jammu district billiards and snooker championship
Second seed Jaideep beaten in second round
* Ishuk, Mohit qualify for QFs of senior snooker

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 27: In a major upset of the 14th Jammu district billiards and snooker championships, second seed Jaideep Manocha was beaten in the second round of senior snooker competitions by Ashok Raphel at Billiards Hall, here today.

Besides Jaideep, another seeded cueist, Kuldeep Sharma lost in the prequarterfinals stage to Mohit Mahajan 3-2. However, before losing to Mohit, Kuldeep gave a good fight to his young opponent but could not secure a victory. The score: 45-54, 71-39, 83-35, 27-66, 57-21.

In another pre-quarterfinal match, Ishuk Chowdhary defeated Suchait 72-48, 19-58, 68-6, 59-31.

Earlier, in a second round match played today, Sidharth Bhatia gave tough fight to fourth seed, Sohail Khalid before losing to latter 2-3. Sidharth halted the easy sailing by Sohail by leveling the score 2-2 after losing the first two frames. However, experienced, Sohail overcame the pressure and played sensibly in the deciding fifth frame winning it 66-26. The score: 44-27, 49-26, 18-45, 38-41, 66-25.

Other results of round 2nd: Varun Gupta bt Ankush Gupta 62-44, 54-61, 51-20, 56-43; Rashu Gupta bt Samrat 57-49, 55-34, 51-23; Suchait bt Sourav Sharma 45-35, 64-12, 53-34; Neeraj Gupta bt Sohail Plassar 72-35, 66-33, 38-39, 36-50, 53-45; Kuldeep bt Sunil Gupta 78-53, 35-51, 57-7, 71-39; Mohit Mahajan bt Dilip Kumar 60-21, 34-44, 28-64, 65-16, 60-17; Sumesh Turki bt Ritesh Gupta 63-16, 70-30, 58-29.