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| Yuvraj, Nehra out of first Test squad MOHALI, Mar 7: Allrounder Yuvraj Singh and seamer Ashish Nehra have been left out of the Indian team for the first Test against Pakistan starting here tomorrow................more Twin
milestones beckon MOHALI, Mar 7: Twin records beckon batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar when he walks out in the middle for the first Test against Pakistan which gets underway here tomorrow...................more Sehwag
will be danger NEW DELHI, Mar 7: While batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and vice-captain Rahul Dravid will be the mainstay of Indian batting, swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag may turn out to be the danger man for Pakistan, said former captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth...........more By Rahul Dravid The stage has been set for the start of what promises to be a entertaining and exciting series. In some ways it’s the last series of a long season for us that began with the Asia cup in august. After our performances in Australia and Pakistan last season.........more |
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Radha gets promotion for medal in boxing Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 7: Radha Devi has become first female constable of Jammu and Kashmir Police who has been rewarded with one rank promotion........more Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 7: All-round performance by Rompy Sharma today helped Kathua XI defeat Shiksha Bhawan Cricket Club (SBCC) by 40 runs and win the final of under-19 cricket tournament held at GGM Science.......more Sports
meet begins Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 7: Minister of State for Sports, Yogesh Sawhney today declared open the annual sports meet at college........more Amardeep
Singh repeats Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 7: The most favourite rider in the just concluded 7th Indian Oil Mobike dirt track racing challenge championships.......more |
Yuvraj, Nehra out of first Test squad MOHALI, Mar 7: Allrounder Yuvraj Singh and seamer Ashish Nehra have been left out of the Indian team for the first Test against Pakistan starting here tomorrow. "We have picked up the 12 for the Test and the final eleven will be decided before the start of the match," skipper Sourav Ganguly told mediapersons here today. Describing the pitch as "good", Sourav however did not elaborate whether he will go for three medium pacers and a spinner or will stick to two seamers and two spinners. The team is good but "you pick the XI which is good" replied sourav to a question as to whether he will opt for L Balaji in place of one of the spinners. He, however, added that Balaji had played important role in the away series against Pakistan last year. He bowled superbly and turned out to be a match winner and has a psychological edge over the visitors, he opined. About his own form, Sourav said,"I have been scoring well though I have not been able to convert most of my 50’s or 60’s into hundreds but this time I will try to do that." The Indian captain was of the view that it would be a grave mistake to underestimate Pakistan. "We have beaten them but that was a year ago. They have a young side and we will have to give our best to win the series." He did not agree with the "favourite" tag attached to his side, saying "it is not going to be easy for us. We will have to produce our best to win the series. That is going to be the mantra for next 50 days." Sourav was of the view that he has a balance side to lead. "The players are in their peak and fully fit" but added "The Test however is not played on paper. We will have to produce result to emerge winners." The Indian skipper did not attach much importance to the four consecutive defeats his team had suffered at the hands of Pakistan in one dayers after the last March-April series. "One dayers are different from tests. In any case, we were down 1-2 in the limited over matches in Pakistan but came back to win that series too," he explained. He was of the view that India-Pakistan series is bigger than the Ashes. "It has always been. So whenever the two teams play, they generate more interest, emotions and passions then the Ashes," he said. "The pressure will be on both the teams. Last year when we went to Pakistan, we felt the pressure but the hosts were also under pressure because of the home crowd and expectations. Same is the case now," he added. Sourav said Test cricket had changed a lot in the last four-five years. "Majority of the Tests now are result oriented. I think it has something to do with the one day cricket. Test cricket is being played at faster rate and hence more decisions," he said. Asked whether the presence of Bob Woolmer as Pakistan coach will make any difference—under him Pakistan has already beaten India in four one dayers—the skipper replied,"well, Bob is a very capable coach but I don’t think that will be a major factor. We have beaten Pakistan when Javed Miandad was the coach. It all depends how one plays on the field." He was hopeful that the series would produce exciting cricket. "I think the lovers of the game will enjoy the series. We will play hard cricket to win the series. The Pakistanis are no push-overs. In fact no Test cricket team is a push-over." "I will not rate them as underdogs. They have some very capable players. We have been keeping a watch on them. I have seen some of their matches in Australia and also watched little bit of action in Dharamshala." Sourav admitted that he was a bit nervous before the start of the series but added,"it is but natural. Everybody tends to be a bit nervous on the eve of the start of the series. It is nothing new and once it starts, everybody gets focused." He promised that his side would put up a determined display and hoped that end result will be in his team’s favour. (UNI) |
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Twin milestones beckon Tendulkar at Mohali MOHALI, Mar 7: Twin records beckon batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar when he walks out in the middle for the first Test against Pakistan which gets underway here tomorrow. Currently tied with compatriot Sunil Gavaskar with 34 centuries, a ton in his 121st Test would see Sachin emerge as the player with the highest number of tons in the longer version of the game. And with 9879 Test runs under his belt, Sachin needs another 121 runs that would see him join the other Mumbaikar in the elite 10,000-run club. The feat would make the little champion the fifth member of the club, which includes the Australian duo of Allan Border and Steve Waugh, Gavaskar and West Indies skipper Brian Lara. Sachin would also try to redeem some pride here, keeping in mind his not-so-impressive performance during the second Test against New Zealand in 2003-4. Sachin had played a 175-ball snail’s pace knock of 55 in the first innings and his team following on, was cheaply out for one in the second. This would also be an occasion to put to rest all the doubts over his fitness and stage a successful comeback from the nagging tennis elbow injury that saw him skipping three one-day tournaments and two Tests against Australia. For a player hailed as arguably the best batsman of the era with 23,376 runs in both forms of the game that includes a staggering 71 centuries, Sachin seems poised for history and with a depleted Pakistan attack at his dispoxal, he could not have asked for much. (UNI) |
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Sehwag will be danger man again: Srikkanth NEW DELHI, Mar 7: While batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and vice-captain Rahul Dravid will be the mainstay of Indian batting, swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag may turn out to be the danger man for Pakistan, said former captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth. Citing Sehwag’s triple ton against the same opponent at Multan last year, Srikkanth — himself an attacking opener of his time —said, "a lot would depend on Sachin and Dravid and they will have to perform if India has to win. But I think it’s going to be Virender Sehwag who will be the man to watch." Srikkanth — a panelist for Doordarshan’s fourth umpire — was talking to the media here today. Saying that India will have the edge over their arch-rivals in the series, he however warned against complaisance and said despite Shoaib Akhtar’s absence, other Pakistani bowlers can create problems for team India. "Their bowlers may lack experience but they are fighters and can make life difficult for our batsmen." Contrary to popular belief, Srikkanth said it would be the medium pacers and not the spinners who would hold the key for India. Fellow panelist and former left arm spinner Maninder Singh said it would be a real test for the spinners from both sides. "The wickets are not going to help them but I don’t attach much importance to that because pitch supports the bowler who supports himself." "Batsmen from both the sides are strong player of spin bowling so this is going to be a litmus test for spinners," he said. (UNI) |
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By Rahul Dravid The stage has been set for the start of what promises to be a entertaining and exciting series. In some ways it’s the last series of a long season for us that began with the Asia cup in august. After our performances in Australia and Pakistan last season this one had promised much .It has not really lived up to our own expectations so far. The loss to Australia really hurt and it some ways it’s the measure of the standards that we have set. We expected to and believed we could play better then we did against the best side in the world .In recent times India is probably the only side that has had at least a few close games against Australia. It would be nice to therefore finish the season of on a high. It won’t be easy though .Rest assured nobody in the team believes that this series will be easy. India v/s Pakistan never is. Every victory will have to be earned and treasured. Pakistan comes here battle hardened from Australia. Sometimes a tough series like that can bring players together. Pakistan has a talented bunch of youth and experience and our capable of playing very good cricket. We have focused over the last few days to try and get into the right frame of mind to perform at our best .The focus has been on getting together as a team and on getting what each one needs as individuals to prepare for the series. Its been great to have a couple of nets at the PCA stadium at Mohali where the facilities have been excellent. The ground and the wicket also looks in good shape for the test .Most players will start preparing for the match when the get into the dressing room for the first time. They will ensure that they get used to and our comfortable in their surroundings. Your particular area where you sit in the dressing room is important. Most people will sit in their favorite spots where they have had success in the past as it can help recreate good memories. It can be quite nervous waiting for the series to start and as a player you can’t wait for it to begin.Pre match nerves are natural and can be a good thing as they tell you that you are ready and keen .Personally I like to slow down the pace of my activities a couple of days before the test. I try not to get too rushed in doing anything, even if it just having food or getting ready. Reading a book and avoiding watching too much TV is something I will try and do through out the test. It will usually not be a cricket book so it takes my mind away from the game for a short while and I am not constantly thinking about the upcoming challenge. Also I will adjust my sleeping pattern according to what I expect it to be during the match days so that your body can adjust to these timings. Especially in India there can be lot happening around the test match and with lots of friends and family around there can be a lot of demand on your time. I like to ensure that I have organized things like tickets, seating arrangements etc a day or two before so it’s not on my mind. Trying to create a nice relaxed rhythm outside the field is important for me as I then can hope to carry on to the game. We will all need to be relaxed yet ready.(TCM) |
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Radha gets promotion for medal in boxing Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 7: Radha Devi has become first female constable of Jammu and Kashmir Police who has been rewarded with one rank promotion for winning bronze medal in the 5th senior national women boxing championship held at Kollam, Kerela in December last. Selection grade constable, Radha has been promoted to next rank of Head Constable. Additional Director General of Police (Armed), Kuldeep Khoda pinned the rank on Radha in a rank pinning ceremony held at the Police Headquarters, here. He was all praise for the constable, who in a short period of time has excelled in the game and brought first medal in women section for the state. Radha represented All India Police Sports Control Board in the senior nationals. In all, there were 30 teams from all over the country taking part in these competitions. It is noteworthy to mention here that all the eight women boxers, who represented the Police Sports Board, were from Jammu and Kashmir Police. They were selected in the Board team on the basis of their performance in the all India Police Games. Extending his compliments to the celebrity cop, Sports Officer of the J&K Police, Dr N S Bhatial said, " J&K Police has fulfilled its promise of rewarding those excelling at the national level and promotion to Radha will certainly boost the morale of other sportspersons in the force." At present, J&K Police has women teams in two events of boxing and archery and proposal for establishing four other disciplines of athletics, swimming, kabaddi and kho-kho is in pipeline, he maintained. It may be recalled that boxing was introduced in women section by the J&K Police in June last during inter-battalion competitions. In a short span of time, the team, under the supervision of boxing coach, Sub-Inspector Satyakam Sharma has produced results. |
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Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 7: All-round performance by Rompy Sharma today helped Kathua XI defeat Shiksha Bhawan Cricket Club (SBCC) by 40 runs and win the final of under-19 cricket tournament held at GGM Science College ground, here. Playing in the middle order, Rompy, who contributed highest 63 runs in Kathua XI’s total of 126 in 25 overs, took four wickets for 21 runs thereby helping his side to bowl out opponent for 86 in 26.2 overs of the 30 overs match. Amit and Tonu were other batsmen from Kathua XI who scored in double figure with 13 and 11 runs in their respective accounts. From SBCC Ram Dayal took five wickets while Mukesh and Sony shared two each. Batting second, SBCC started their innings on bad note and lost all their wickets for 86 runs in 26.2 overs. Ankit was top scorer with unbeaten 26 while Mukesh contributed 15. Besides Rompy’s four, Ravi bagged two wickets for Kathua XI. Ashwani, Rampaul, Sandeep and Himanshu shared one each. Rompy was later declared man of the match for his all-round performance. He also bagged the man of the series award. Ram Dayal was adjudged best all-rounder of the tournament. Principal, GGM Science College, Chander Shekhar Khajuria was chief guest in the final, who gave away prizes. Winners Kathua XI were awarded with Rs 5,000 cash prize while runners-up Shiksha Niketan were presented with a cash prize of Rs 3,000 by the organisers, Roshni Cricket Academy. |
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Sports meet begins at Dogra College of Education Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 7: Minister of State for Sports, Yogesh Sawhney today declared open the annual sports meet at college premises, here. Chairman of the institute, Gulchain Singh Singh Charak was guest of honour. The five-day sports meet will have sporting events of badminton, volleyball, kho-kho, kabaddi, athletics, cricket, table tennis and chess. |
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Amardeep Singh repeats
performance Excelsior Sports Correspondent JAMMU, Mar 7: The most favourite rider in the just concluded 7th Indian Oil Mobike dirt track racing challenge championships, Amardeep Singh has repeated his last year’s performance and won two positions in two and four-stroke groups. In two-stroke category, Amardeep bagged first runners-up trophy and clinched second runners-up trophy in four-stroke group. Last year, Amardeep had won second place in four-stroke and third place in two-stroke group. PCA stands to earn Rs 2 crore profit from Test MOHALI, Mar 7: The Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) is expecting an earning of approximately Rs two crore from the first India-Pakistan Test it is hosting from March 8 to 12. The earnings would include income from the TV rights, selling of hoardings and sale of tickets. Disclosing this here today, PCA secretary M P Pandove said that the advertising company 21st Century had been given the rights for selling space marketing for Rs 95 lakh. With all tickets for the 42,000 seating capacity PCA Stadium, having been sold, a house full was expected on all five days. Mr Pandove said that the response this time for the Test match was overwhelming. One the first day itself, all tickets earmarked for the day — 3000 tickets — were sold through windows at the PCA Stadium and the branches of the ICICI banks in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. He said that in the India-New Zealand Test, PCA sold the tickets on daily basis to attract the crowd but this time tickets had been sold for all the five days in advance. (UNI) Pakistan players directed to avoid media MOHALI, Mar 7: Fearing the media attention could prove a distraction for most of the players, Pakistan think-tank has instructed the cricketers not to interact with the media till the first Test, which gets underway here tomorrow, is over. Team manager Saleem Altaf consulted captain Inzamam-ul Haq and coach Bob Woolmer and the trio decided to keep the players away from the media glare in order to maintain their focus for the high-profile series. "We had this experience in Dharamshala where scores of media people - both print and electronic - approached the players for interviews and that can be a distraction, especially for the youngsters who may not be adept at handling it," Mr Altaf said. "So we have decided not to allow any player talk to the media without prior permission from the management till the Test is over," he informed. Saying that the players had been briefed about the media attention well before they left for India, Altaf—also Pakistan Cricket Board director, cricket operations—said,"we want to concentrate on the first Test which is very crucial for us. It could decide the pattern of the entire series and so would not like any distraction." (UNI) DD to telecast live India-Pak Test and ODI NEW DELHI, Mar 7: Doordarshan will telecast live all three Test matches and six one-day internationals between India and Pakistan starting here tomorrow. The matches will be telecast on DD-1 and DD Sports channel. The telecast for the first two Test matches will start from 1000 hrs while the third Test and the following six-one dayers will start from 0930 hrs till the end of the matches. (UNI) |
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