Daily Excelsior.........sports

Tendulkar showing signs of returning to form

By Allan Donald

India doesn’t need to worry about Sachin Tendulkar. He showed yesterday that he is beginning to find his groove finally. There was more than a glimpse of his true class; he came out wanting to spend time at the crease and a few of his shots were more than a veiled threat to South Africa. The message would not be lost on the hosts.

It would be harsh if his innings is held up as a failure or too slow for the wicket was doing a bit in the morning and it needed a skillful player to survive. He just bided his time with discipline. He rode through the tough period and a few of his shots, be it over extra cover against the spinner or down the ground against Jacques Kallis, bore the hallmark of the little champion. His ability to pick up the length and hit through the line is still uncanny.

Thus there would be more than just a few eyes looking at the four-day game at Potchefstroom with interest. Tendulkar would be watched closely for the master is showing signs of return to form. I am sure he would try to make the most of it, as would be a few other Indian batters, and get ready for the test challenge.

Tendulkar just about is beginning to show why he is everyone’s favourite batsman; his ability to take on the pressure match after match, year after year, and by remaining the fulcrum of Indian batting. He still bears the most responsibility and perhaps rightly so for he has that genius factor which most, including his team-mates, don’t possess.

In my several years of International Cricket, Tendulkar remains the best batsman I have ever bowled to. It’s been a pleasure to bowl at the master batsman even though one hasn’t always emerged with credit from the engagements. There have been Steve and Mark Waughs; Mike Athertons and Brian Laras, the best of the very best but Tendulkar, to my mind, has been the toughest. He is in different category for unlike the Waugh and Atherton, he is also very pretty to watch.

You do sense a chance against somebody like Lara for he gives you a charge and discretion can get the better of him. The most impressive thing about Tendulkar is his temperament and how quickly he sizes up the length. His eyesight, footwork and the range of strokes all possess the hallmark of a master. No less impressive is the pressure he soaks up for being an icon to masses of humanity in India.

Dinesh Mongia, to a lesser extent, was also eye-catching and I can’t believe the man is being sent back home. India desperately needs a left-hander at the top of the order for that is the surest recipe in forcing the bowlers to adjust to their line and length. Sending him back after the one-dayers look a poor option. He has looked compact and somebody who wouldn’t give away his wicket in a hurry.

India could feel disheartened at how its bowling came unstuck in Centurion but it was a flat deck and they have done enough in the series to hold their head high. There were also not enough runs on the board to defend.

They must take it as a bad day on what otherwise have been an excellent series for them. Injuries to Munaf Patel and Ajit Agarkar have also not helped their cause.

Finally, it was good to see the change being effected about which we have been clamouring for long. Ab De Villiers was excellent at the start of the innings and he took so much pressure off Graeme Smith. He was classy, dominant and too much for the Indian bowlers in conditions unsuited to them. Everyone in South Africa is hoping that the fine opening stand would allow the home top order to turn the corner. (PTI)

Safin sends Russia to Davis Cup title

Moscow, Dec 4: Admitting he was downright scared, Marat Safin composed himself and won the Davis Cup title for Russia.

The two-time Grand Slam Champion had 16 aces in beating Jose Acasuso 6-3, 3-6 6-3 7-6 (5) yesterday in the fifth and deciding match, giving Russia a 3-2 decision over Argentina for its second Davis Cup crown.

"There were some very difficult moments today," Safin said. "It was tough to control the match. Everything worked out."

Safin lost his opening singles match on Friday, blaming the indoor carpet at Olympic Stadium. But neither the surface nor lingering knee injuries stopped him this time.

"This is probably the most important win in the last two years," Safin said.

David Nalbandian, who beat Safin on Friday, won the opening reverse singles match yesterday to make it 2-2. The eighth-ranked Argentinian downed Nikolay Davydenko 6-2, 6-2 4-6, 6-4 to put Safin on the spot.

"I was under pressure and I was pretty scared," Safin said. "I didn’t want to let this Cup go away."

This was the first time Russia won the Davis Cup at home. Sweden topped the host Russians in the 1994 final, and the United States beat them a year later. Russia won its only previous title four years ago in France. Argentina lost in its only previous final, to the United States in 1981.

Davydenko, ranked No 3, missed his chance to win the best-of-five series earlier in the day. He quickly dropped the first two sets to Nalbandian, won the third and was threatened in the fourth.

"I wasn’t nervous in the locker room, but when I got out onto the court it was a totally different story - I froze up," Davydenko said. "When you tighten up, your muscles lose feeling and you wonder how to play tennis."

Safin had drawn Juan Ignacio Chela in the final match, but Argentina captain Alberto Mancini replaced him with Acasuso, who had not yet played in the final and was unbeaten in his four previous Davis Cup matches this year.

The Russian easily won the first set, breaking in the second game before coasting on his serve. In the second set, Acasuso saved two break points in the fifth game and then broke Safin in the next to go up 4-2 before holding to even the match.

Acasuso made things interesting in the third game. He broke Safin with a sharp backhand to pull within 4-3, but netted three forehands in the next game. Safin held on to take the set.

Both played defensively in the fourth set and traded service wins to force a tiebreaker. Trailing 6-4, Acasuso saved one match point on Safin’s serve, but then netted a forehand from the baseline after a short rally.

"I was sure Acasuso would play, and I was sure Marat would beat him. Marat is a fighter - he has experience and knows well what to do and when to do it to reach his goal," Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev said, "That’s what Acasuso lacks." (AGENCIES)

Weather threatens first Pakistan-West Indies one-dayer

Rawalpindi, Dec 4: Torrential rain threatens the first game of the five-match one-day series between Pakistan and the West Indies scheduled for tomorrow.

Heavy rain continued to lash the city yesterday and today, leaving the Rawalpindi Ground waterlogged. The organisers have valiantly been working to keep the pitch fit for play in the day-night fixture.

Pakistan, who clinched the preceding three-match test series 2-0, expect a tough fight from the tourists, who have produced better results in the shorter version of the game.

The West Indies have won 17 of their last 25 one-day matches. Captain Brian Lara hoped the test series loss will be behind his team as they start their campaign towards next year’s World Cup.

"We are quite capable of separating the two (one-days and tests). Performances in the tests still leave a lot to be desired but we are on the up-and-up in the one-day arena," said Lara, whose team will also play four one-day matches in India in mid-January.

They take on Pakistan in the opening match of the ninth World Cup in Jamaica on March 13 and Lara said he hoped the build-up would be good.

"We have played good cricket in a couple of one-day tournaments and we got into finals of two tournaments, so we are going to put the test series behind us. There is no more test cricket until May, so our main focus is on World Cup," he said.

The West Indies finished runners-up twice to Australia, first in the tri-series in Malaysia and then in the Champions Trophy in India last month.

The tourists will miss star batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo in the one-day series.

"Unfortunately we won’t have a full squad, Sarwan has a hairline fracture in his in-step and he’s one of our main players in the one-day game. He will be missed but we definitely have the reserves to do well," said Lara.

Sarwan was hit by Pakistani paceman Umar Gul’s yorker in the West Indies’ 199-run defeat in the third test in Karachi last week. Bravo was allowed to return home for personal reasons.

Fast bowler Corey Collymore and opener Daren Ganga, who were earlier due to fly out after the test series, have stayed back for the one-day matches.

Ian Bradshaw, Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Smith also joined the one-day squad last week.

Pakistan will be without their captain Inzamam-Ul-Haq who will complete a four-match ban tomorrow. Inzamam was banned for bringing the game into disrepute during the forfeited test between Pakistan and England in August.

Younis Khan will lead Pakistan in Inzamam’s absence.

Inzamam agreed the West Indies will be a different opposition in one-dayers.

"One-day cricket will be a different ball game because the West Indies have produced better results recently. This series will be a close one," said Inzamam. (AGENCIES)

32nd National Women Sports Festival
HP continues winning spree, enters semis in Kabaddi

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 4: Defending Champion Himachal Pradesh continued their superb run as they entered into the semifinals in Kabaddi in the ongoing 32nd National Women Games being played at M.A. Stadium today.

Punjab, Delhi and Karnataka were the other semifinalists. Earlier, in the quarterfinals played today, Himachal Pradesh outclassed Haryana by 48-3 in a one sided contest.

Delhi also had no difficulty in defeating Bihar with a comfortable margin of 20-3. In other two quarterfinals, Punjab beat Uttar Pradesh by 31-14 while Karnataka trounced Chandigarh by 34-14.

In Volleyball, the quarterfinal line has been drawn with defending champion Uttar Pradesh taking on Tamil Nadu in the first quarterfinal. Last year runner up West Bengal will face Punjab while Chandigarh is to lock horns with Mizoram and Karnataka will face Gujarat in the last quarterfinal.

However, J&K’s poor form continues on the third day as they lost their matches in all three disciplines quite convincingly. Rain also played a spoil sport in today’s events which were disrupted badly.

Today’s results:

Volleyball: Chandigarh beat Chhattisgarh by 2-0, West Bengal beat J&K by 2-0, Rajasthan beat Bihar by 2-0, Karnataka beat Andhra Pradesh by 2-0, Orissa beat Haryana by 2-1, Mizoram beat J&K by 2-0, Gujarat got walkover Assam, Kerala beat Maharashtra by 2-0, Chandigarh beat Madhya Pradesh by 2-0, Delhi beat Jharkhand by 2-0, Bihar got walkover Assam and Maharashtra beat Andhra Pradesh by 2-1.

Kho-Kho: Maharashtra beat Orissa by 12-2, Kerala beat J&K by 6-5, Punjab beat Assam by 10-8, Andhra Pradesh beat Haryana by 9-1, Madhya Pradesh got walkover Karnataka and Bihar beat West Bengal by 9-0.

Kabaddi: Punjab beat Maharashtra by 44-26, Rajasthan beat Jharkhand by 29-28, Haryana beat J&K by 32-5, Karnataka beat Tamil Nadu by 55-27 and Chandigarh beat Chhattisgarh by 50-38.

Homeguards/Civil Defence organise Sports Meet

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 4: Homeguards/Civil Defence, as a sequence of their Raising Day celebrations, organised a Sports Meet at Auxiliary Police Lines today.

T Phusong, IPS Commandant, Auxiliary Police 2nd Battalion was the chief guest on the occasion, who declared open the Sports Meet.

G.S. Chouhan, SSP SO to IGP HG/CD and Auxiliary Police J&K, S M Khatotra, Divisional Commandant Homeguards Jammu, Jugal Mahajan, Chief Warden, Parmajeet Kumar, Vinod Malhotra, Dy Chief Warden, Omer Nedou, Chief Warden, Srinagar, Khizar Mohd, Divisional Warden, Srinagar, T R Rana, Dy SP, PD Sharma, Mohd Majid Malik, Dy SP, DS Bhagat, DY SP and Nirmal Singh, Dy SP were also present on the occasion.

In the inaugural match, CTI Jammu defeated Auxiliary Police in Tug-of-War in Men section while CTI "A" thrashed Team "B".

In Shot Put, Ct. Rajinder Singh of Auxiliary 2nd Bn, stood first followed by Sgct Ab Rehman who finished runner up.

Civil Defence, Srinagar trounced Civil Defence, Jammu in Football.

In Kabaddi, Auxiliary Police 2nd Bn emerged winner whereas CTI Jammu finished runner up.

In Discus Throw, Sgct Ab Rehman of CTI Jammu bagged first position followed by Mohd Farooq and Rajinder Singh of Auxiliary Police, 2nd Bn, who stood 2nd and 3rd respectively.

In 200 mts race, Anil Jamwal of CTI Jammu finished first while Sabi of CTI Jammu and Rohit Taneja of Civil Defence had to remain contented with 2nd and 3rd positions respectively.

The Sports Meet was organised by Sudershan Kumar, DySP, Area Commander Homeguards, Udhampur (Sports Officer).

J&K Bank clinches North Zone Football Championship

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 4: Hosts J&K outclassed Amity United (Haryana) by 2-1 in the final in an absorbing encounter to clinch first ever IIIrd Division North Zone National Football Championship played at Jammu University Football Field today.

J&K Bank took the early lead in the 20th minute when Bilal Ahmed scored a brilliant field goal after receiving a fine pass from Adil through right flank. Thirteen minutes later, Bilal scored his and team’s second goal in the 33rd minute. Again, the passer was none other than Adil.

Amity United tried their level best to deficit the lead but J&K were proved too good for them leading by a comfortable margin of 2-0 at the close of 1st half despite missing a chance in the 42nd minute when Yusuf was unable to put the ball in the goal post.

The second half saw a sudden change in Amity United tactics who played well a unit. As a result, Onyebo N Ogbomna scored the first goal for Amity United in the 65th minute to make the contest evenly poised.

The second half was completely dominated by Amity United as they had the ball in their possession on maximum occasions. J&K, however, survived some anxious moments when Amity United launched continuous attacks on J&K defence in the dying minutes of the game.

With this win, J&K Bank team have qualified for 2nd Division National League.

Babu Singh, Minister of State for Youth Services and Sports was the chief guest in the final match, who gave away winner and runner up trophy to the teams.

Prof. Amitabh Mattoo, Vice Chancellor, Jammu University, A K Angurana, Principal Secretary, Higher Education, A.K. Mehta, General Manager, J&K Bank, Bashir Ahmad Malik, General Secretary, J&K Football Association, Abdul Majid Kakroo, Shiv Pal Sharma, Prof. Keshav Sharma, Director Physical Education, Jammu University and other members of J&K Football Association were also present on the occasion.

Total 8 States from North Zone participated in the Championship.

The match commissioner was Gopi Nath Pine from West Bengal.

Omar to face Ashok for title clash

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 4: Omar Farooq and Ashok Raphael have stormed into the final of the Senior Snooker in the ongoing 16th J&K State Billiards and Snooker Championship being played at Billiards Hall, M.A. Stadium today.

In the semifinals played today, Omar registered a thrilling 4-2 frames win over Vishal Abrol. Omar got off a terrible start losing the first frame by 28-70 but then came back strongly to win the next two frames by 67-49 and 52-47.

Vishal Abrol again took the fourth frame by 54-90 to make the contest more exciting. Omar, like a seasoned campaigner, kept his cool and win the frames by 68-19 and 60-30.

In the second semifinal, Ashok Raphael defeated Ishuk Choudhary by 4-1 frames. Ishuk won the first frame by 42-39 but lost second by 13-56. At that moment it looked as if Ishuk might hold Ashok but it was no so as Ashok won the next frames by 64-55, 87-59 and 69-29 with consummate ease.

The officials in the match were Rakesh, Surjit Singh and Shanker.

The Tournament is being organised by the J&K Billiards and Snooker Association and sponsored by J&K State Sports Council. However, the Senior Billiards matches shall commence from tomorrow.