Author: SpogoNews Team

Vasco, Jan 2 (PTI) Bolstered by the signing of Nigerian forward Bright Enobakhare, struggling SC East Bengal will look to revamp their attack and secure their first win in the ISL when they face laggards Odisha FC here on Sunday. In a battle between two bottom-rung teams, who are winless from seven matches, Robbie Fowler-coached SCEB appear favourites on paper and they would hope to overcome their attacking woes that have plagued the team so far. In their maiden season in the top-tier ISL, the Red-and-Gold have been let down badly up front by the misfiring Indian duo of Balwant…

Panaji, Jan 2 (PTI) SC East Bengal on Saturday announced the signings of defenders Raju Gaikwad and Ankit Mukherjee for the rest of the Hero Indian Super League season. Mumbai-born centre-back Gaikwad was with Kerala Blasters last season. Gaikwad has a lot of experience, having played for Kolkata giants — East Bengal and Mohun Bagan — in the I-League along with stints at FC Goa, Jamshedpur FC and Mumbai City FC in the ISL. “I am delighted to reunite with SC East Bengal, a club I played for in the past. We all know how big a club it is…

New Delhi, Jan 2 (PTI) After a three-week break, a 33-member Indian men’s hockey core probable group, including skipper Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, will return to the national camp scheduled to begin in Bengaluru from Tuesday. The camp will take place at the Sports Authority of India campus and the core group will undergo a mandatory quarantine period before re-starting training as per SAI and Hockey India SOPs. “I expect the players to return feeling fresh both mentally and physically after this three-week break,” chief coach Graham Reid was quoted as saying in a Hockey India release. “In…

Margao, Jan 5 (PTI) Mumbai City FC extended their unbeaten run in the Hero Indian Super League with a comfortable 3-1 win over Bengaluru FC at the Fatorda Stadium on Tuesday. Goals from Mourtada Fall (9′), Bipin Singh (15′) and Bartholomew Ogbeche (84′) helped the Islanders remain unbeaten in their last eight games and climb to the top of the table. Sunil Chhetri (79′) scored late but it wasn’t enough to rescue BFC, who have now suffered three straight league defeats for the first time ever since they joined the elite tier of Indian football. Bengaluru made just one change…

New Delhi, Jan 5 (PTI) The Australian wickets suit Rohit Sharma’s batting style and if he can see off the pacers with the new ball, the Indian vice-captain can conjure a big century in the Sydney Test, reckons former India batsman VVS Laxman. An injury during the IPL forced Rohit to miss a major part of the Australia tour, where India lost the ODI series, won the T20 assignment and the Test series is locked at 1-1. Laxman feels struggling opener Mayank Agarwal, who has scores of 17, 9, 0, 5 in the first two matches, will make way for…

Karachi, Jan 5 (PTI) A total of 25 foreign players, including big names like Chris Gayle, Dale Steyn and Rashid Khan have enlisted themselves in the draft for the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League. The Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday released the list of foreign players with big names like Rashid Khan, Chris Gayle, and Dale Steyn placed in the Platinum category. A PCB official said the interest by foreign players in the coming PSL was very good despite a packed international calendar in February-March. The PCB has placed Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir…

Sydney, Jan 5 (PTI) A ‘warrior’ that he is, David Warner has done everything to be ready and is likely to compete in the third Test against India, Australia head coach Justin Langer said on Tuesday and assured that lack of four-day cricket for the opener in the last few months is not a concern. Langer also announced that young batsman Will Pucovski will make his Test debut on Thursday. Both Warner and Pukovski, who was primed for Test debut in Adelaide, missed the first two Tests of the series due to a groin injury and concussion-related issues respectively. “Very…

Sydney, Jan 4 (PTI) Cricket Australia chief executive Nick Hockley on Monday dismissed reports that the Indian team is reluctant to play the fourth Test in Brisbane because of stricter quarantine rules there. Hockley said the Indian cricket board was “fully across (and) supportive” of quarantine requirements in Queensland. “We speak to our counterparts at the BCCI daily,” he told reporters here. “We’ve had nothing formal from the BCCI to suggest anything other than they’re supportive. Both teams have wanted to play the schedule as we’ve set out,” he asserted. The third Test in the four-match series is scheduled to…

Melbourne, Jan 2 (PTI) David Warner is very happy for his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate Thangarasu Natarajan’s Test call-up but he is “not sure” if the Tamil Nadu left-arm seamer can consistently hit one length, over after over, in the traditional format. Natarajan, after a hugely successful IPL, joined the Indian contingent as a net bowler but has subsequently risen up the ranks to make his ODI and T20 International debuts. Asked if Natarajan can translate his T20 success in the Test match arena, his IPL franchise captain gave an interesting reply. “Good question but I am not too sure. You…

Melbourne, Jan 2 (PTI) Once in a while, everyone is allowed a bit of slump in form and Steve Smith is no exception, feels David Warner, who can relate to his former skipper’s woes against India having endured a similarly wretched run during the 2019 Ashes. Smith has been in horrible form in the ongoing series with R Ashwin removing him twice and Jasprit Bumrah once. But Warner believes that it’s more about India bowling well then anything lacking in Smith’s approach as he has left no stone unturned in terms of preparation. “Steve Smith has been recently knocked off…