Bengaluru, Jan 20 (Kabaddi News) Gujarat Giants and Bengal Warriors dished out superlative performances to notch up narrow wins over Tamil Thalaivas and Bengaluru Bulls respectively in the Pro Kabaddi League here on Thursday.

While the Giants produced a gritty performance to rally their way to a thrilling 37-35 win over Tamil Thalaivas, defending champions Bengal overcame Bengaluru 40-39 in another pulsating contest.

The Bulls dominated most parts of the match with captain Pawan Sehrawat scoring a Super 10 but an 8-point raid by Bengal shifted the balance of play and eventually helped them to clinch the match.

Earlier, multiple tackles and an ALL OUT in the dying minutes ensured a great night of kabaddi as coach Manpreet Singh's men secured an incredible comeback against Thalaivas after trailing by six points.

Gujarat captain Sunil Kumar scored a High 5, while raider Mahendra Rajput picked 9 points, including one from the last raid of the match.

Gujarat started the match positively with their raiders Rakesh S and Rakesh Narwal looking good. They helped the team open a five-point lead in the early minutes as the Tamil defenders struggled to find their usual rhythm.

But just when the Giants sensed an ALL OUT, Tamil raider Ajinkya Pawar produced a stunning Super Tackle to temporarily shift the balance of play.  The Thalaivas took the lead but the Gujarat defence, marshalled by their calm covers Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar, ensured the momentum remained with them.

Mahendra Rajput's two-point raid took out Thalaivas' Sagar and Surjeet Singh in one move and that helped Gujarat clinch an ALL OUT with under three minutes remaining for half time.

The teams changed sides with the score reading 17-14 in Gujarat's favour.

The early minutes of the second half were played with high intensity with both teams looking clinical. Thalaivas' Ajinkya Pawar raced to nine raid points in the first 10 minutes while the raiding trio of Rakesh, Rakesh Narwal and Mahendra Rajput found errors in the Tamil defence.

Thalaivas stayed within touching distance of the Giants with their raider Manjeet leading the way.

Coach Uday Kumar wanted his Tamil team to inflict an ALL OUT in the final minutes to give Gujarat and take the lead.

His team delivered exactly that with a stunning tackle by Sagar and a two-point raid by Manjeet. Thalaivas took a three-point lead with an ALL OUT with four minutes remaining as Manjeet and Ajinkya Pawar clinched Super 10s.

The Giants got back into the match when substitute Pradeep Kumar clinched a stunning three-point Super Raid with just a minute to go. Gujarat got an ALL OUT to take a one-point lead, but Mohit made the scores level again with a tackle on Mahendra Rajput.

But Sunil's stunning tackle on Manjeet followed by a successful raid by Mahendra Rajput got the Giants a crucial win. 
 

Also Read : PKL: Dabang Delhi KC take on Haryana Steelers, Bengal Warriors to face UP Yoddha

News Source : PTI

Tarouba (Trinidad), Jan 19 (Cricket News) India Under-19 skipper Yash Dhull, his deputy Sheikh Rasheed and four of their teammates have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing them out of the Group B World Cup game against Ireland and seriously jeopardising the side's campaign here on Wednesday.

Apart from Dhull and Rasheed, batter Aaradhya Yadav, Vasu Vats, Manav Parakh, and Siddharth Yadav were also found infected with the virus, because of which India barely managed to field an XI against Ireland.

According to BCCI, Siddharth returned a positive report in RT-PCR test but results of Vasu and Manav are awaited. They are showing symptoms but tested negative in the Rapid Antigen Test, so as a precautionary measure were isolated.

"Three Indian players had tested positive yesterday and were already isolated. In the morning before match our captain and vice captain also tested positive in Rapid Antigen Test which is not (considered) conclusive," a BCCI official told PTI.

"So they, as precautionary measure, were pulled out. We only had 11 available players and six isolated," the official added.

Late in the evening, BCCI sent out a press release.

"The Board is monitoring the situation closely and is in touch with the management and the coaching group. The players will remain in isolation but will be under the constant supervision of the BCCI Medical Team," BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said.

While skipper Dhull and Rasheed featured in the opening game against South Africa, Aaradhya was not part of that game.

Nishant Sindhu led the team in the absence of Dhull on Wednesday.

The team played its opening game in Guyana and travelled to Trinidad for the match against Ireland. It is suspected that the infection may have been contracted during their stay in Guyana.

India are scheduled to take on Uganda on Saturday and it remains to be seen whether that match goes ahead.

"In case all players remain in isolation, some of the stand-by players could make the main list. We will need to wait as three cases are from RAT test. Let's hope their RT-PCR comes negative," the BCCI source said.

India had announced a 17-strong squad for the tournament and five stand-by players. The stand-by players are in India as ICC allowed only 17 players.

They will have to be flown to the Caribbean for the event.

The mandatory quarantine for COVID-positive players is 10 days and all those isolating right now will be out till the knockout stage of the tournament. If India advance, they will play in the quarterfinals on January 29.

"We are expecting them to be negative by then," the BCCI source said.

Before the tournament, ICC's head of integrity Alex Marshall had stated, that "merely registering a positive PCR test result within a team will not result in the automatic postponement or cancelation of fixtures." "The main principle is to continue playing with appropriate mitigations in place if it is safe, practicable and proportionate to do so," he had said.

The ICC set up a Bio-safety Scientific Advisory Group (BSAG) before the event to "oversee all issues relating to bio-safety".

The group's mandate was to ensure that "any COVID-19 related issues that arise are dealt with appropriately with independent expert scientific and medical advice." India squad: Yash Dhull (c), Harnoor Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, SK Rasheed (vice-captain), Nishant Sindhu, Siddarth Yadav, Dinesh Bana (wk), Aaradhya Yadav (wk), Raj Angad Bawa, Manav Parakh, Kaushal Tambe, RS Hangargekar, Vasu Vats, Vicky Ostwal, Ravikumar, Garv Sangwan.

Standby players: Rishit Reddy, Uday Saharan, Ansh Gosai, Amit Raj Upadhyay, PM Singh Rathore.

Also Read : KL Rahul blames lack of wickets in middle-overs, middle-order collapse for loss.

News Sources : PTI

(Cricket news) It's been exactly a year since India defeated Australia at the Gabba to clinch the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the 2nd consecutive time against all the odds. To some Indian fans the match seems like it was yesterday and to some it seems like an eternity ago. 

After securing a fighting draw at Sydney to keep the series alive at 1-1, India went to the Gabba with barely 11 players fit. India's lead bowlers Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravichandran Ashwin were both out of the game. Net bowlers Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan and Washington Sundar were added to the Playing XI. India started the game with absolutely nothing to lose as their main strike bowler with the most experience was Mohammed Siraj who himself had played only two Test matches. 

Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. Marnus Labuschagne's century guided Australia to 369 runs in the 1st innings. Matthew Wade, Tim Paine and Cameron Green also contributed with their small cameos. Shardul Thakur, T Natarajan and Washington Sundar picked up their maiden Test wickets and ended the innings with 3 wickets each. Despite their inexperience, Indian bowlers didn't let the Aussies run away with the game. Ajinkya Rahane's captaincy was spot on with good bowling changes and appropriate field setting. 

In the 2nd innings India found themselves in deep trouble as they lost 6 wickets for just 180 runs. Sundar and Thakur came out to bat and put together 123 runs for the 7th wicket. India were all out for 336 but it could've been much worse if it hadn't been for the partnership between the two newcomers. Australia came out to bat with a lead of 33 runs. Mohammed Siraj picked up 5 wickets while Shardul Thakur picked up 4 as Australia were all out for 294 runs.

Chasing 328 runs, India were given a good start by Shubman Gill who scored 91 runs off 146 balls. Cheteshwar Pujara occupied the crease 211 balls scoring 56 runs and fought very hard despite being hit by multiple body blows. Rishabh Pant played a match winning knock of 89* supported by Sundar's cameo. India ended up chasing the total with 3 wickets in hand and 18 balls to spare.

India's victory, although fresh in people's memories, has already acquired a legendary status. It has been taken to mythical proportions and deservedly so. Everyone loves a good underdog story and this was the ultimate underdog story where the Indians tackled injuries, bio-bubble, racism and sledging to create history.

Also read: Docu series 'Down Underdogs' will leave Indian cricket fans in nostalgic tears

(Cricket news) With the IPL mega auction set to take place in mid February, the new franchises have limited time to select their three mandatory draft picks as the Ahmedabad franchise have finalized Hardik Pandya, Rashid Khan and Shubman Gill as their draft picks. Along with that the Ahmedabad team also finalized their coaching set up as they will be led by former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra and former South Africa batter and head coach Gary Kirsten. Former England batter Vikram Solanki will be the team director. This is the second instance where the trio of Nehra, Kirsten and Solanki will work together, the previous instance was at Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Ahmedabad have decided to pay both Hardik and Rashid INR 15 crore. It is most likely that Hardik will be Ahmedabad’s captain, which is going to be a first experience for the allrounder in the IPL. The third player will be Shubman Gill who will be paid INR 7 crore. The Ahmedabad franchise will go into the auction with a purse of INR 53 crore. This is the first time Hardik Pandya and Rashid Khan will play for another team. 

Hardik's rise since he was bought as an uncapped player for INR 10 lakh in 2015 has been exponential. Hardik, by the time of the 2018 season had already established himself as the best allrounder in India and Mumbai Indians subsequently retained him as their second pick at the auction that year, paying INR 11 crore. In the next two seasons the Mumbai Indians won the title twice in succession as Hardik had scored 762 runs and taken 32 wickets in 29 games. He is also a four-time IPL winner, winning it in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.

Also read: K L Rahul set to lead Lucknow IPL franchise

For Gill, this will be his second team in the IPL, having been picked by Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2018 auction for INR 1.8 crore after he had a terrific U19 World Cup. The 22-year old has already played 10 Tests and three ODIs and has been regarded as one of the brightest young talents of this generation who at one point it looked like he was the future captain of the Knight Riders. The Knight Riders had several other options when it came to retention and couldn’t afford to keep Gill in the squad. It will be an interesting watch to see how the new franchise comes along as they opted for youngsters rather than taking in the experienced pros. It will be also interesting to see what the other new franchises do as the Lucknow team have till now only confirmed KL Rahul as their marquee player.

Paarl (South Africa), Jan 18 (Cricket News) Stand-in skipper KL Rahul on Tuesday said India did "some phenomenal things" under Virat Kohli, who has raised the bar for everyone in the team during his seven-year tenure at the helm.

In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Rahul is leading the team in the three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting here on Wednesday.

"Look, Virat like I said under him, team India has done some phenomenal things, we won series outside of India, which hadn't been done before.

"We have gone to every country and won a series, so he has done a lot of things right and he has already set a standard for all of us and team India," Rahul said during a virtual press conference on the eve of the first ODI.

Last Saturday, Kohli dropped a bombshell by announcing his decision to quit Test captaincy, a day after India suffered an unexpected series-defeat against South Africa.

Kohli signed off as India's most successful captain with 40 wins from 68 Tests after being given the reins of the side in 2014 when M S Dhoni stepped down during a series against Australia.

Rahul said the team would look to build on the legacy created by Kohli.

"I think, it is all about, for me or for the group going forward is to build on that and we obviously know what it takes for us to be champion team...

"... So just to keep improving as individuals and trying to stay as disciplined and as determined as we can and go out there and enjoy your cricket," added the 29-year-old right-handed batter.

According to Rahul, he would like to emulate Kohli's ability to get the best out of his teammates.

"When it comes to leadership, Virat had this amazing ability to get the best out of everybody, he pushed everybody and you know made us believe that we can do special things, so that is something I have learned from him, and hopefully, I can do that with the team as well," added Rahul.

Arguably the biggest ambassador of the five-day game, Kohli took India to new heights in his tenure, which saw the team become a force to reckon with in all conditions.

Rahul, who captained India in the second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, also felt that the self belief within the team is largely due to Kohli.

"The things I have learned from Virat regarding captaincy has been the whole world knows how passionate he is about Test cricket, and in general about cricket. And he has led from the front, he put a lot of changes in the team.

"The current winning belief, which is there in the team, (it) is largely because of Virat as a leader and he has made us believe in ourselves and believe that we can go outside of India and beat any team.

"So, I want to continue that and obviously build on it and get better as a team," said Rahul.

This is the first time that Rahul is leading the side in a full series. 

Also Read : 'KL Cues': Skipper will open, try Venkatesh as 6th bowling option, Dhawan likely to be preferred over Ruturaj

News Source : PTI

Paarl (South Africa), Jan 18 (Cricket News) India skipper KL Rahul on Tuesday hinted that all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer is likely to be groomed as the additional pace bowling option that the team has lacked ever since Hardik Pandya's back injury while declaring that he will open alongside veteran Shikhar Dhawan in the first ODI against South Africa here.

Rahul's media interaction was a clear indication that Ruturaj Gaikwad might have to wait for his turn and the pitch at Boland Park might prompt the team management to play both specialist spinners -- Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.

"In the past 12-15 months, I have batted in various positions because that is what the team needed of me then and now with Rohit (Sharma) not being there, I will bat at the top of the order," the skipper informed ahead of the opening game.

We are looking to develop Venkatesh as sixth bowling option ===================================== A sixth bowler, preferably seam or pace option, has been India's major headache for past two and half years due to Pandya's injury and now the team management is "excited" looking at what Venkatesh brings to the table with his multiple skill-sets.

"Yes, Venkatesh Iyer has been very exciting since the time he has played for KKR in the IPL and then he joined us for the T20 series against New Zealand and he did well," Raul said.

"Yes, fast bowling all-rounders are always an asset and we are always looking for fast bowling all-rounders as they balance the team out. It's a great opportunity for Venkatesh as he is looking good in the nets," the skipper added.

He made it clear that in coming days, the lanky MP man would be bowling a lot in white-ball games.

"We are trying to develop Venkatesh (as the sixth bowling option) and we will give him that chance. He has done decently and he gives us that option as the sixth bowler." Want Shikhar to remain in good head space =========================== Shikhar Dhawan currently plays only ODIs and it becomes difficult not to question his place in the side after a few failures but the stand-in captain wants the senior pro to remain in a good head space and play like only he can, by dominating the bowlers.

"He is a senior and experienced player and understands what is expected out of him. He is in a great space and has come out here and having fun, enjoying his cricket "...and I mean yeah as a captain, it will be about trying to keep him in that space and give him that confidence to go out there and do what he has been doing and just to enjoy his cricket and giving Team India the starts that he has done," Rahul was all praise for the oldest playing member of the touring party.

At a personal level, Rahul loves Dhawan's approach towards batting.

"I have personally been someone, who has enjoyed seeing Shikhar play in ODIs and how he takes down bowlers. and I just want him to continue doing what he has been doing," he said.

Might play both Ashwin and Chahal in first two games ================================= India have practised for two days and it seems that the track at the Boland Park will assist spinners more than the ones they they got during the Test series at the Centurion, Wanderers and Newlands.

Rahul wants to pick both spinners during the first two games.

"We have quality spinners and Ashwin is coming back into the ODI team, and we all know what quality he brings in," he said.

"Chahal has been doing it for years now and been a great performer for us for years now and it's been great and hopefully we can exploit that in the first two games, since the pitch looks like it will offer bit of spin so they both become very important." 

Also Read : Good to have Quinton back in team, he will have a point to prove: Bavuma

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) The first two day have not been kind to the seeds as they kept the trend on day 2 of the 2022 Australian Open. Multiple Grand Slam winners Petra Kvitova and Angelique Kerber made their way out of Melbourne in the first round of the event. In the men’s field, it was a bad start to the season for John Isner, Ugo Humbert and Nikoloz Basilashvili.

In men’s singles, Andy Murray has been playing a couple of stretched matches as he played a four hour match against Basilashvili. Both the players had been involved in a three hour battle a few days ago at Sydney and it was the former world number who again held on for a win. Murray totally outplayed Basilashvili in the opening set but in the second the 29 year old began his ball bashing technique to set up another marathon match. The Georgian even played a few deft dropshots which Murray had done earlier, the 3 time Grand Slam winner had his chances beaten to a pulp by Basilashvili in the fourth set. Murray defeated Basilashvili 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-4.

When two servers meet, there is not much movement on the court but there are a lot of first serves which take up all the heat. It was an all American meeting between John Isner and Maxime Cressy as it was also their first career meeting. The 36 year old has not been able to win matches lately and the streak continued in the 1st round as Cressy had the extra boost in the final set. The match saw 70 aces by the players and 20 double faults by the 24 year old who also won two service games more than the 6 foot 11 inch player. Cressy defeated Isner 7-6(7-2), 7-5, 6-7(4-7), 6-7(4-7), 6-4.

In another court there was a similar French battle and it was the senior this time who took the next gen in the 1st round. Richard Gasquet waved his magic backhand for his first victory at the event in four years and will face another next gen player Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round. Gasquet defeated Ugo Humbert 3-6, 7-6(7-4), 7-6(7-3), 6-3.

In women’s singles, Kaia Kanepi could not have imagined her match in any other way as she beat Kerber in 70 minutes. The 2016 champion was never strong enough against Kanepi who played from the baseline and never did rush a point to enter the second round. Kanepi defeated Kerber 6-4, 6-3.

It was the end of the road for another Grand Slam winner as Petra Kvitova was hit by Romanian storms. Sorana Cirstea had to pull out tough shots in the beginning of both sets but after that it was a smooth run against Kvitova. Cirstea reached the fourth round in 2017 and has not won more than 2 matches since then. Cirstea defeated Kvitova 6-2, 6-2

The next gen in the women’s field did not have as much luck as their male counterparts. Leylah Fernandez joined other top seeds in making an early exit of the season opener. Fernandez lost three breakpoints as she lost the first set in a close encounter in which both the players had long rallies but in the second set, Maddison Inglis took the first four games to open a huge lead in the match and over her opponent’s mind. From there it was game over for the 2021 US Open runner up who lifted her hands in disappointment after losing the match. Inglis defeated Fernandez 6-4, 6-2.

Also read: Norrie, Gauff and Fognini fall in opening day of Australian Open

(Cricket news) It's been almost a year since the Indian cricket team against all the odds defeated Australia in an away Test series. Now Sony Sports has released a 4 part docu series on India's triumph where they won 2-1 away against the mighty Australia despite numeral setbacks. The series is available to watch on SonyLiv

In the docu series, viewers will see players Hanuma Vihari, Mohammed Siraj and Marnus Labuschagne talking about their experiences. Former cricketers turned commentators Sunil Gavaskar, Sanjay Manjrekar, Nick Knight, Isa Guha, Vivek Razdan, Lisa Sthalekar, Micheal Clarke, Jason talked about the series and also their own experiences in similar situations. Journalists Harsha Bhogle, Ayaz Memon, Joy Bhattacharjya, Gaurav Kapoor and Rajdeep Sardesai highlighted several points about the series and the historical context of it.

The topic of the documentary was such that fans of Indian cricket would enjoy it regardless of the quality of the end product because it is still fresh in people's mind and the memories of it would trigger the nostalgic factor in people's brain who have experienced the series even if it is through their T.V screens. Each episode focused on the 4 Test matches titled Adelaide Aberration, Melbourne Magic, Sydney Siege and Brisbane Breached.

Throughout the series there were stories and anecdotes about players like Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, T Natarajan and Washington Sundar. The series brilliantly portrayed important parts of the series like Virat Kohli leaving after the first Test, Ravichandran Ashwin's battle with Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane's hundred, India's multiple injury woes, racist abuse, the unexpected debuts of inexperienced Indian players and Tim Paine's sledging. 

The main thing missing was that Marnus Labuschagne, Hanuma Vihari and Mohammed Siraj were unable to enlighten the viewers about their mindset during and before the games. What the atmosphere was inside the changing room was not really talked about. The main takeaway from the series was that it depicted the beauty of Test cricket and why it is the best format of the game and must be preserved. Overall the series is definitely a must watch for all the cricket fans. The high drama along with the ebbs and flow of the Test series is highlighted and enhanced in the docu series. 

Also read: India begin preparations for the 2023 World Cup with 1st ODI Vs South Africa

Melbourne, Jan 18 (Cricket News) Former U-19 World Cup winning skipper Unmukt Chand on Tuesday became the first Indian cricketer to play in Australia's Big Bash T20 League as he made his debut for Melbourne Renegades.

The 28-year-old Chand, a right-handed batsman, made his BBL debut against Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL.

"The new colours suit you, @UnmuktChand9," Renegades tweeted. Chand, under whose leadership India had won the ICC U-19 World Cup in 2012 in Australia, retired from all forms of Indian cricket in August last year, making him eligible to play leagues overseas.

After the Under-19 World Cup success, Chand led the India A team as well but never really graduated to the senior level. 

Also Read : K L Rahul set to lead Lucknow IPL franchise

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 18 (Cricket News) K L Rahul will captain the yet-to-be-named Lucknow franchise in the upcoming IPL, a league source told PTI on Tuesday.

It is learnt that Rahul is one of the players Lucknow has picked from the draft ahead of the mega auction on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.

The other two are likely to be Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and uncapped leg spinner Ravi Bishnoi.

"Rahul will captain Lucknow. The team is deciding on the other two draft picks," an IPL source told PTI.

Rahul led Punjab Kings for the past two seasons but did not want to stay at the franchise. Bishnoi was also with Punjab while Stoinis represented Delhi Capitals.

RPSG Group had shelled out Rs 7090 crore to buy the Lucknow franchise.

Rahul is currently the stand-in captain of the Indian ODI team in South Africa in the absence of an injured Rohit Sharma. 

Also Read : Former IPL cricketer R Sathish claims 'fixing approach' during TNPL 2021

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 18 (Cricket News) Former first-class and IPL cricketer Rajagopal Sathish was allegedly offered Rs 40 lakh to fix matches during the Tamil Nadu Premier League 41-year-old Sathish was part of Chepauk Super Gillies squad that won the TNPL last season. The former Tamil Nadu player has also been part of Mumbai Indians, Punjab Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL. A person named Bunny Anand made the offer to Sathish via Instagram.

"He informed us as well as the International Cricket Council earlier this month that he was offered money through social media. Since we are only facilitators in such cases, we advised him to lodge a police complaint. He has done that and now police will investigate and do the needful," BCCI ACU chief Shabir Khandwawala told PTI.

The complaint has been filed with Bengaluru Police.

The TNPL was played from July 19 to August 15 last year.

Asked why Sathish chose to approach the BCCI only now, the ACU chief said: "Whatever the circumstances were, it needs to be seen by the police.

"We don't want to discourage him. If he has decided to come out, our duty is to show him the way," Khandwawala, who is a former Gujarat DGP, added.

Sathish has also played 41 first-class games and 57 List A games. He was also a part of the now defunct unsanctioned Indian Cricket League. 

Also Read : We hope to break down Iran defence to start with a win: Dennerby

News Source : PTI

Paarl (South Africa), Jan 18 (Cricket News) Fast-rising India pacer Mohammed Siraj considers Virat Kohli his "superhero" and says the batting ace will always remain his skipper despite his captaincy tenure ending in all formats of the game.

Kohli, whose limited-overs leadership stint ended last year, stunned all by relinquishing Test captaincy on Saturday, a day after India lost a three-match Test series to an under-strength South Africa 1-2.

Siraj took to social media on Monday to thank Kohli for "trusting and believing" in his capabilities.

"To my superhero, I cannot be thankful enough for the support and the encouragement that I got from you. You have always been my great brother.

"Thank you for trusting me and believing in me for all these years. For seeing the great at my worst. You will be always be my captain King Kohli @virat.kohli," Siraj wrote in an Instagram post.

Siraj made his debut in Test, ODI and T20 cricket under Kohli and is also the former skipper's teammate in IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The 27-year-old pacer from Hyderabad played eight Tests under Kohli, scalping 23 wickets at an average of 27.04.

Both Kohli and Siraj will be seen in action during the ODI series against South Africa starting Wednesday in Paarl. 

Also Read : India begin preparations for the 2023 World Cup with 1st ODI Vs South Africa

News Source : PTI

Paarl (South Africa), Jan 18 (Cricket News) The mighty Virat Kohli's presence in the Indian playing eleven as a mere player for the first time in seven years will be keenly followed while his potential successor in red-ball cricket, K L Rahul, will be judged for his captaincy in the three-match ODI series against South Africa beginning here on Wednesday.

Whether he is batting in the middle or fielding at the boundary line, Kohli's every move is tracked but some of that attention will now have to be shared by Rahul.

More importantly, will he be at his usual animated best on the field or will the cricketing world see a rather subdued Kohli after his stunning resignation from Test captaincy brought an end to his innings as official leader of the team across formats? He did not want to leave ODI captaincy after relinquishing the role in the shortest format and it led to a war of words with the BCCI on how the entire matter was handled.

His supporters and Indian cricket in general will be hoping that Kohli has put his differences with the BCCI firmly behind him and come Wednesday, he starts a new innings with his willow doing most of the talking. A highly desired century after two years would be cherry on top.

Rahul, who is leading the side in the absence of an injured Rohit Sharma, is expected to turn to Kohli for advice during the series. Not only Kohli has a major role to play as a batter, but as vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah said on the eve of the series, the star "will always be a leader" in the team.

With the new leadership and support staff, India will look to win the series with one eye on preparations for the 2023 World Cup and also make up for the disappointment of unexpectedly going down in the Tests last week.

The last time a full strength India played an ODI series was at home against England in March before a second string squad travelled to Sri Lanka in July.

Rahul batted in the middle-order against England but it remains to be seen if he moves back to the top alongside Shikhar Dhawan.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, who made the squad following an exceptional domestic season, might have to wait longer for his ODI debut.

It will be crucial three games for the seasoned Dhawan, who has already lost his place in the T20 side.

The southpaw has thrived under pressure in the past and will be looking to solidify his position as the first-choice opener alongside Rohit when the latter returns from injury.

Kohli will bat at his usual number three spot while there will be a toss-up between Suryakumar Yadav and Shreyas Iyer for the number four position.

Rishabh Pant is expected to come at number five while Venkatesh Iyer is likely to make his 50-over debut as the all-rounder at six, having shown promise in the T20s against New Zealand.

The two spinners likely to play are Yuzvendra Chahal and R Ashwin, who has made a comeback after more than four years.

Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will share the load in the pace department while for the third pace option, the management could pick Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur or Prasidh Krishna.

Mohammad Siraj, who injured his hamstring during the Test series, is also fit as suggested by Bumrah on Monday.

On the previous tour, India hammered the hosts 5-1 in ODIs and they will draw confidence from that.

South Africa will be in high spirits after a memorable victory in the five-day format.

Skipper Temba Bavuma played a few crucial in the preceding Tests and he will carry that confidence into his batting as well as his leadership.

Quinton de Kock, who retired from Test cricket after the series opener against India, starts his life as a white-ball only player.

Tall left-arm pacer Marco Jansen, who excelled in his maiden Test series, is expected to trouble the Indian batters with his extra bounce and variations in the short format after earning a maiden call-up.

If Tests were any indication, the ODIs would be an intensely-fought affair.

Squads: India: KL Rahul (captain), Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Md. Siraj, Jayant Yadav, Navdeep Saini.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (captain), Keshav Maharaj, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Zubayr Hamza, Marco Jansen, Janneman Malan, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne.

Match starts 2 PM IST. 

Also Read : Ben Stokes opts out of IPL auctions to stay fresh for English home summer: Reports

News Source : PTI

London, Jan 17 (Cricket News) World's premier all-rounder Ben Stokes has opted out of this year's Indian Premier League in order to manage his workload and remain mentally fresh for England's next home season, according to reports in British media.

Stokes had an underwhelming Ashes, having scored only 236 runs and picking only four wickets in England's 0-4 thrashing at the hands of Australia.

With lot of England stalwarts including former skipper David Gower already starting their annual criticism of the cash-rich T20 league, it is understood that Stokes, who could have again fetched bug bucks, has decided to stay away.

"Stokes will sit out this year's tournament, which will feature 10 teams for the first time and be preceded by a mega-auction in which there are plenty of spaces to fill," London's Evening Standard reported.

"Stokes has had a tumultuous time over the last couple of years, with the death of his father Ged 13 months ago preceding a long break in 2021 to prioritise his mental health and fix a finger badly broken at the IPL," it wrote.

Stokes was a part of Rajasthan Royals squad during the 2021 edition and during the postponed first leg fractured his finger and was ruled out of the tournament. When the tournament resumed in September, post COVID-19 induced break, Stokes didn't come back.

"Sitting out represents a significant financial sacrifice but should also allow him some time off to mentally refresh between England's tour of the Caribbean in March and the international summer in June," the paper reported.

Among the sought-after English players, only Moeen Ali (who has retired from Tests) and Jos Buttler were retained by their franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan respectively.

Last summer, ECB allowed England players, who were at the IPL to sit out the early-season Tests against New Zealand, something that led to a lot of criticism as the rotation policy put in place hurt the team's composition according to many. 

Also Read : Sri Lanka restrict Australia to 175; Pakistan ride on Haseebullah ton to score 315/9 vs Zimbabwe

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 17 (Cricket News) The Ahmedabad IPL franchise on predictable lines have signed Hardik Pandya and Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan but preferred young India opener Shubman Gill for the upcoming season of Indian Premier League.

PTI was the first to report on January 10 that Pandya is all set to captain the Ahmedabad franchise for the season and they have also finalised Rashid Khan, who otherwise would have gone for a "bomb" at the auctions.

However, their third choice Ishan Kishan didn't work out and they zeroed in on Gill, who could also be seen as a potential captaincy candidate.

"Ahmedabad has decided on its players and accordingly informed the BCCI about their draft picks. Hardik, Rashid and Shubman are the three choices," a senior IPL official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"They wanted Ishan Kishan badly but it is understood that Ishan is more interested in going back to the auction and there is a high chance that MI might buy him at a premium price." 

Also Read : Indian bowling attack by far most challenging one for me: Petersen

News Source : PTI

Paarl, Jan 17 (Cricket News) South Africa pacer Marco Jansen on Monday said he has no "hard feelings" with his IPL side Mumbai Indians team-mate Jasprit Bumrah even though the duo engaged in some heated exchanges during the Proteas' 2-1 Test series triumph.

Jansen and Bumrah shared some heated exchanges during the second Test at Wanderers which South Africa won by seven wickets and again during the third match at Newlands where the hosts sealed a remarkable Test series win.

"I've played with Bumrah in the IPL and we're good friends. You're not going to back down when you're playing for your country and sometimes on-the-field things get heated," the 21-year-old said in a media interaction on Cricket South Africa Twitter handle.

"He obviously did the same and there are no hard feelings because it was in the heat of the moment, because it was two players giving their all for their countries." Despite his fiery persona on-the-field, Jansen said he's very introverted.

"I'm a bit of an introvert off the field. But I want to express myself on the field in the sport I love the most. I show the passion and love for the game. If there's one place I want to show my passion, it's got to be on the field." Not underestimating India in ODIs ===================== Next up is the three-match ODI series beginning here on Wednesday. The last time India came to South Africa in 2018, they won the six-match ODI series 5-1.

It was also India's first-ever ODI series win in South Africa.

"We hope to carry forward the momentum from the Test series. But we are not underestimating at all. We have to bring our A game and will be looking to take the fight to them," Jansen said.

"We have to work on our preparation and be as prepared as possible, give our all in the field. It will be very, very nice to get an ODI series win," he said.

Never expected an ODI call-up =================== With the experienced pacer Anrich Nortje missing the ODIs as well after being left out of the Tests due to a hip injury, Jansen has got a maiden ODI call-up in the squad led by Temba Bavuma.

"It wasn't a call-up I expected, but I'm very glad and honoured to be selected in the squad," Jansen said.

"I just want to learn as much as possible as it is my first call-up to the ODI squad. If I get an opportunity, I'll hope to make the most of it and take it with both hands." Having made a lacklustre debut in the Centurion Test, the lanky left-armer bounced back strongly to finish with 19 wickets, just behind their top wicket-taker Kagiso Rabada (20) with an superb average of 16.47.

"I've been in the Test squad previously, before this series, but obviously never expected to be selected. It was an honour.

"I didn't start the way I wanted to do. I was very, very nervous. It's normal to get nervous in your first Test. Just after that I was glad to come back well in the second innings and contributed to the team," Jansen, who got five wickets in his Test debut, said.

My identical twin is my best friend ===================== The player from Potchefstroom has also a left-arm seamer identical twin in Duan, who was also part of the Mumbai Indians squad, albeit as a support player.

"We grew up together, know everything about each other. He's my best friend. It is not weird, but weird in some ways that we have the same traits. Sharing the journey with him is something very special. We love each other very much. I'm a bit taller than him," Jansen said.

"In the IPL, he came along as a support player and practiced with us. It was a great experience for him and for us. Our parents are very proud of us, back us all the way and are very, very supportive." 

Also Read : Won't judge Virat's decision, it's a personal one and we respect that: Bumrah

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) After a disappointing 2-1 loss in the Test series, India will now gear up for the 3 match ODI series against South Africa. This will be India's first ODI series since the one March 2021 against England. KL Rahul will lead the side with Jasprit Bumrah as his deputy. Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel are injured while Washington Sundar who was initially named in the squad picked up Covid. It goes without saying that the 2023 World Cup will be in the minds of the players and the coaching staff during the series. This will be the beginning of the experimental phase where the side is figuring out the best playing XI going forward.

Here's India's ideal playing XI:

Openers: Shikhar Dhawan and Ruturaj Gaekwad

After his performance against England in the last ODI series, Dhawan is guaranteed to open the batting at least in the near future. Whether KL Rahul opens the batting remains to be seen. Rahul has batted primarily in the middle order in the ODIs. Gaekwad's performance in the Vijay Hazare where he was the highest run scorer along with his Orange cap winning IPL makes him too difficult to drop. Ishan Kishan is the other option in the opening spot.

Middle order: Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Surya Kumar Yadav

Virat Kohli is a no contest selection to bat at number 3. Now that he isn't the captain in any format he will concentrate on his batting. The other way to look at it would be that now he has to perform with the bat to stay in the side. Having said that, sooner rather than later is bound to become the invincible batter who wins games single handedly. KL Rahul will have the added responsibility of being the skipper and should be comfortable batting at 4. Surya Kumar Yadav gets into the team with his flexibility being the biggest asset. He can bat anywhere between 3-7. Ishan Kishan, Venkatesh Iyer and Shreyas Iyer are the other two options but these 3 would make the strongest middle order.

Wicket keeper: Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant is another must have player in the side. He will be high on confidence due to his ton in the last Test match along with his performance in the 3rd ODI against England. The gloveman could bat anywhere between 4-7 depending on the situation. The alternative would be Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul who can both keep wickets but if Pant is in the side he will be behind the stumps even and not in the outfield.

All-rounder: Venkatesh Iyer

Venkatesh Iyer is very likely to make his debut. He is possibly the only proper All-rounder in the team. The balance of this team is very tricky as none of the top 6 batters are handy with the ball like Kedar Jadhav was a couple of years back. If Iyer is going to bat at number 7 he will have to bowl 10 overs. He performed well with both the ball and the bat in the Vijay Hazare trophy which would boost his selection. The absence of Ravindra Jadeja is an opportunity for him to push into the side as Jadeja is likely to bat at number 7 once he is back. There is a chance that Shardul Thakur or Ravichandran Ashwin are selected to bat at 7 which would allow KL Rahul to have 5 pure bowlers but it would make the tail longer. Iyer would then have to fight for a spot in the top 6 as a batting All-rounder. How the team management uses Iyer is the big question mark going into the series.

Spinners: Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin

If India are to play two spinners which would be likely, Chahal and Ashwin are the two. Jayant Yadav is the other option now that Washington Sundar is unavailable. It is unlikely for India to go in with one spinner especially when there isn't a bankable part time spinner in the squad. The combination of wrist and finger spin could be a deadly one. 

Seamers: Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Jasprit Bumrah is undroppable even more so now that he is the vice captain. Picking the other seamer would be the most difficult choice in this selection Bhuvneshwar Kumar was India's best bowler in theri last ODI series against England. Despite not having a good IPL his selection would be justified. Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini and Deepak Chahar are the other options. Mohammed Shami is rested for the series and he will be at the top of the pecking order once he is back. India clearly have a lot of options in the seam bowling department which might suggest that they will play 3 seamers once Ravindra Jadeja is back.

Also read: Takeaways from Australia's dominant performance in the 4-0 Ashes win

(Basketball news) The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their successive loss as they lost 133-96 to the Denver Nuggets. For the Nuggets Hyland followed up a 17-point game against Portland with career highs of 27 points and 10 rebounds as Nikola Jokic had 17 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for his eighth triple-double of the season, while Jeff Green scored a season-high 26 points in Denver's second straight blowout victory. All five Nuggets starters scored in double figures. For the Lakers LeBron James had 24 points and nine rebounds, but made just 9 of 23 field goals. Russell Westbrook, who was just 15 for 59 in the previous four games, had 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting.With this result the Lakers fell below 500 with their record currently at 21-22, on the other hand the Nuggets leapfrogged into 6th in the standings as their stands at 22-20.

''It meant a lot to me. It took some stress off my shoulders and made me relax more and it also made me more comfortable knowing me and Coach have that connection,'' Hyland said

''We've just got to make a decision we're going to play hard,'' Westbrook said. ''Sometimes, the schemes and how you play, it doesn't really matter. You've just got to play hard sometimes. Teams are playing harder than us, so it's as simple as that.''

'Nikola gets a triple-double in 28 minutes, Bones gets his first career double-double, the bench was great, the starters were great,'' Malone said

''We've got to get back to the drawing board and get our defense right,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''We haven't performed well enough in the last two games on that side of the ball.''

The Golden State Warriors lost their second game in a row as they lost 119-99 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 11 rebounds, Jaylen Nowell scored 17 points and Malik Beasley added in 16 with five second-half 3-pointers on an especially productive night for the reserves for the Timberwolves. Jordan Poole scored 20 points and Jonathan Kuminga had 19 points for the Warriors, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. They missed 16 straight shots over one stretch in the second half as they played without Steph Curry and Draymond Green on Sunday night. With this result the Timberwolves improved their record to 21-22 and jumped into 7th in the Western Conference standings

''We're really close. We like to see each other succeed. That right there is one of the hardest things to find in teams, I feel like,'' Nowell said. ''None of us on the team are selfish.''

''We don't just want be in the play-in game. We want to be set in the playoffs. We're trying to figure out how to get a nice little win streak to get us above the hump,'' Beasley said.

'Got some and-ones, got some layups, utilized my finishing ability. For this team to grow, I have to grow as well,'' Towns said
''You can't trust what I say, because I say I can play 40 minutes, but I'm not a sports scientist,'' Thompson said. ''That's what our training staff is for. I trust them, and I don't want to get over eager in just my fourth game in. I want to peak come playoff time”

Also read: NBA: The MVP race is hotting up as the season heads towards its midpoint

The other results were:

• Bucks 96 - 103 Raptors
• Wizards 110 - 115 Trail Blazers
• Nets 120 - 105 Pelicans
• Hawks 108 - 117 Knicks
• Thunder 102 - 107 Cavaliers
• Heat 98 - 109 76ers
• Celtics 114 - 112 Bulls
• Spurs 101 - 94 Clippers
• Mavericks 108 - 92 Magic
• Pistons 108 - 135 Suns
• Kings 112 - 118 Rockets

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Wizards vs 76ers
• Cavaliers vs Nets
• Grizzlies vs Bulls
• Clippers vs Pacers
• Hawks vs Bucks
• Magic vs Trail Blazers
• Heat vs Raptors
• Spurs vs Suns
• Mavericks vs Thunder
• Lakers vs Jazz

New Delhi, Jan 17 (Cricket News) India's white ball captain Rohit Sharma is recovering well from his left hamstring injury and has a bright chance of making a comeback for the six-match home white-ball series against the West Indies next month.

Rohit, who was also the designated Test vice-captain for the tour of South Africa, sustained a left-hamstring strain during a net session just prior to the team's departure for the tour and had to pull out.

He was subsequently also forced to skip the ODIs in South Africa, starting this Wednesday, as he couldn't attain full fitness before the selection committee announced the team.

"Rohit's rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy is going pretty well. He is expected to be okay for the West Indies series. It's still close to three weeks from now before the first ODI is played in Ahmedabad from February 6," a BCCI source privy to developments told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

The series against the West Indies comprises three ODIs and as many T20 Internationals. The one-dayers will be played February 6 to 12, followed by T20Is from February 15 to 20.

For Rohit, the hamstring has been a recurrent problem which also forced him to miss the first two Test matches as well as the white-ball leg of the tour of Australia in 2020-21.

He did make a comeback for the final two Tests after serving a two-week hard quarantine in Sydney for the last two Test matches.

Currently, as per BCCI's policy, each and every player has to mandatorily appear for fitness tests at the NCA before being awarded 'fit to play' certificates. The selection committee is informed about their availability only after this exercise.

With Virat Kohli now having relinquished captaincy even from the Test format, there is greater need for Rohit to remain injury-free in the current set-up.

An Acceptable choice among players ======================== It has been an open secret in recent years that apart from being one of the best performers across formats, Rohit has been a few notches above his peers in terms of acceptance of one and all in this team.

Having learned the ropes of captaincy handling Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Rohit's man-management is seen closer to MS Dhoni's style.

While KL Rahul, because of his age, is being considered a long term all-format leader, something which might also have the backing of head coach Rahul Dravid, what will go in Rohit's favour, despite the fitness and age concern, is his excellent form across formats.

"Rohit Sharma should be the bridge before BCCI is confident about the next young India captain that they want the team to lead for at least five years.

"This ICC World Test Championship cycle should be about giving it to an experienced hand rather than someone, whose leadership credentials aren't proven enough," a senior BCCI official said. 

Also Read : KL Rahul should be made Test skipper: former BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale

News Source : PTI

Indore, Jan 17 (Cricket News) Former BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale believes that K L Rahul should be handed over the Indian Test cricket team's captaincy as the 29-year-old batter can provide long-term leadership after Virat Kohli's stunning decision to step down.

Kohli on Saturday dropped a bombshell by quitting Test captaincy, a day after India suffered a Test series defeat to a second-string South Africa.

The Delhi player signed off as India's most successful captain with 40 wins in 68 Tests after taking over back in 2014 when M S Dhoni stepped down in the middle of the series against Australia.

"I feel that the next India Test captain should be the one who can take the responsibility for a longer period of time. So accordingly, I would suggest KL Rahul’s name as the next test captain," Jagdale, who was also an office-bearer with Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA), told PTI.

The BCCI has not yet announced the next Test captain. Rohit Sharma was named Kohli's deputy before the Test series against South Africa and Rahul took over captaincy duties during the second Test after both Kohli and Rohit suffered injuries.

The 71-year-old Indore-based Jagdale feels that Rahul has performed in all the three formats of the game.

Jagdale also stressed that the BCCI and the selectors should ensure that the IPL "power centres" do not interfere in policies of Indian cricket.

Kohli took India to new heights in his tenure which saw the team become a force to reckon with in all conditions.

However, in the past few months, Kohli endured tense relations with the BCCI which removed him as ODI skipper after the star batter decided to leave T20 captaincy.

Jagdale, who also played 53 first-class matches, hailed Kohli's contribution.

"Nobody can ignore Kohli's contribution in Test cricket," Jagdale, one of the veteran administrators of the game, signed off. 

Also Read : Root 'sacrifices' opportunity to enter IPL mega auction

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) Thanasi Kokkinakis made a dream comeback by winning the Adelaide International 2, he beat Arthur Rinderknech in the final. This was the first title for Kokkinakis and second final after Los Cabos in 2017. The Australian had saved multiple match points against Marin Cilic in the semifinal and even in the final he had to burn all his energy to take the trophy.

Both players were serving strong in the first set as Kokkinakis was the first one to get a chance in tie break 6-5 but couldn't finalize the deal. After saving a set point, Rinderknech won the set due to an unforced error by the wildcard entry. The second set saw the service defense going strong and the tiebreak saw Rinderknech win the first two points until Kokkinakis won a hat trick of points. It was level at this point, the 25 year old made it 6-3 as he had 3 set points to level the score but the frenchmen saved two points which didn’t put load on his opponent. With a strong first serve, the scores were leveled.

In the deciding set, the world number 48 serve was broken in the opening game as the crowd was fully behind the home favorite. The world no 103 did not let his serve get broken as he continued to dominate the service games and then broke Rinderknech for the second time to take the title at Adelaide.

"I wouldn't want to win my first title anywhere else," said Kokkinakis, who out-aced his opponent 18 to 15. "To my family, friends and coaches, what a ride it's been. You have seen me at my lowest lows and now the highest high. It's been a serious journey. For now I am so happy.

“I’ve been playing and practicing on this court since I was eight or nine years old, coming here before school every day. I love this court so much.”

Aslan Karatsev replayed his 2021 Australia form this year when he beat Andy Murray for the Sydney Tennis Classic title. Karatsev only needed an hour and half in the final to win his third career title. The Russian never looked out of shape in the event as the groundstrokes were hard to reciprocate and even Murray was not able to match up to Karatsev aggressive stroking of the ball.

Karatsev had 4 breakpoints in the first set and won two of them to keep a lead over the former world number 1. Murray could not decode his opponent's serve as he failed to break him in the opening set and had 4 double faults to give the lead. In the second set, Murray had five breakpoint chances but could win one of them and conceded 2 out of three to again lose the chance to come back into the match.

In the 9th game of the second set, Murray was out of fuel as he couldn’t believe it when Karatsev hit a neat inside out forehand winner in a 19 shot rally. Karatsev and Murray will be heading into the Australian Open because of their performances in Sydney.

"It was an important moment to keep the level, keep the serve. I lost a bit of concentration on the first serve. Especially against him it's important to have a first serve, because on the second serve he steps in and can dictate the point more," Karatsev said. "It was a tough game. I tried to manage it, to stay calm, to stick to my plan."

Also read: Tie break thrillers continue to take the spotlight in Australia

Hobart, Jan 17 (Cricket News) England skipper Joe Root has "sacrificed" the opportunity to enter the IPL mega auction to "throw" all his energy into reviving the fortunes of his under-fire Test team.

Considered one of the modern greats of the game, Root is yet to play in the Indian Premier League after going unsold in the 2018 auction.

Last week, Root said he was considering entering the mega auction but added he would look to play in the tournament only if it does not distract him from his Test career.

However, the wait to see the 31-year-old feature in lucrative league increased further as he has decided to prioritise the English Test team, which just succumbed to an embarrassing 0-4 Ashes defeat.

"There's a lot that we need to do for this team, which deserves all of my energy," Root said at the post-match conference after his side's 146-run loss to Australia in the fifth Test on Sunday.

"I'll keep sacrificing as much as I can because I care so much about Test cricket in our country and trying to get us to where we want to be," added the star batter, confirming he has turned down the chance to enter the auction.

England's below par performance in Test cricket this past year has led to questions on his leadership but Root has expressed his desire to continue as the English red ball captain.

"It's very difficult when you get beaten as heavily as we have done on this tour to convince people I'm the right man.

"But I can tell you one thing for sure – as long as I have the opportunity to captain this team, I will throw everything into it and give everything - for everyone supporting us, for the guys around me, for the players – to try and provide an environment that allows us to be successful," Root said.

The IPL has expanded to 10 teams starting this year and the mega-auction ahead of the upcoming season is scheduled to be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru. 

Also Read : PCB asks Pakistani players in BBL to return home immediately for PSL 7

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 16 (Shooting News) The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has invited applications for the posts of foreign and Indian coaches as well as high performance manager for the country's senior and junior shooters across disciplines.

The tenure of the contract will be till the 2024 Paris Olympic Games from the date of appointment.

The coaching staffs positions have been left vacant since the NRAI decided to terminate the contracts of all coaches last year.

The move followed a review by the national federation in the wake of the Indian shooting team's disastrous outing at the Tokyo Olympics, where they failed to win a single medal, five years after returning empty-handed from the Rio Games in 2016.

"The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) invites applications from highly qualified and experienced foreign coaches to train the Indian shooting team/national squad for achieving excellence in all major international competitions including Olympic Games 2024," the NRAI said in its advertisement.

The federation is also looking to hire high performance manager for the shooters in rifle, pistol and shotgun disciplines.

"The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) invites applications for appointment of a qualified and experienced High-Performance Manager (HPM) for its national squad of shooters in the discipline of rifle, pistol and shotgun." The HPM, primarily, will be responsible for monitoring the training and development programme of the shooters to "achieve excellence in the sport to perform" at various international competitions.

All the appointments are subject to approval by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Besides, the NRAI has also invited Expression of Interest (EOI) from Indian nationals for the appointment of coaches for senior and junior shooters on contract basis, for the "national squad/Indian shooting team and empanelment of coaches for promotion of the shooting sport and training of shooters at state and district level".

As far as the major requirements for the coaches and HPM are concerned, the applicants must be below 65 years of age and should have played at the Olympics/continental games/Commonwealth Games/World Championships or other continental championships besides having previous coaching experience at the top level with established shooters. 

Also Read : 30 medals for Topgun Shooting Academy at Delhi state meet

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 16 (Cricket News) Going for the win at the risk of losing and playing five bowlers were two non-negotiables for Virat Kohli, India's most successful Test captain.

Having taken up Test captaincy from M S Dhoni in the middle of a series in Australia back in 2014, Kohi changed the way India played the five-day game.

Filling in for the injured Dhoni in the Adelaide Test, Kohli not for once thought about a draw with India needing 364 runs in 98 overs on day five. His aggressive approach rubbed off on to the entire team as the visitors got agonisingly close to a famous win before losing the game by 48 runs. "At no point did we not think about chasing the score down. We have come here to play positive cricket. No sort of negativity is welcome in this group. That's the kind of belief we have come here with," Kohli said after the loss that sowed the seeds of many famous wins overseas during his seven-year tenure as captain.

"This has been one of our strongest performances overseas in the past two-three years, and I am really proud the way the boys played in this game." 'Lions at home, lambs abroad' was the tag associated with past teams but Kohli ensured India became the team for all conditions, he took out the place and pitch out of the equation.

Five-bowler theory that reaped rich rewards =========================== Before Kohli, winning a Test overseas was considered a big deal but when he shocked the cricketing world by stepping down from captaincy on Saturday, his rich legacy included a team mentality which did not settle for anything less than a series victory. What enabled Kohli to win Test matches overseas regularly was the fast bowling resources he had at his disposal. The likes of Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah flourished under his leadership, turning into India's most fearsome bowling attack of all times. Former chief selector MSK Prasad, whose majority of the tenure coincided with Kohli's reign as captain in all three formats, explained how the champion batter contributed to India's stellar success across formats.

"First of all I feel he built a wining culture in the side, especially away from home. He introduced the five bowler theory and fitness culture he had helped change before that," Prasad, who thought Kohli had another three four years of captaincy left in him, told PTI.

"He brought aggression into the side. Kohli along with the rest of the stakeholders created a bench strength of fast bowlers which helped us take 20 wickets when we were travelling." Fast-tracking Bumrah's Test debut ===================== Kohli had managed to build a strong pace attack for all conditions but the x-factor was missing, which was eventually provided by Jasprit Bumrah, who since making his Test debut in South Africa four years ago, has become of the one of the best bowlers in the world. "I still remember in 2017 we had decided to groom Bumrah for an away series. We gave him rest from limited overs cricket and told him to focus on his red ball cricket. He took a six wicket haul in the Ranji semifinal that year and that convinced Virat and all of us that he could excel in Test cricket," recalled Prasad.

Rohit Sharma the opener proved to be a masterstroke ================================= Though the decision to push Rohit at the top of the order to resurrect his Test career was suggested by head coach Ravi Shastri, Kohli bought into that idea completely.

It not only revived Rohit's Test career and also gave the team the strokemaker, the team was looking for at the top of the order. Kohli wanted his bowlers to take 20 wickets and his batters to go for runs and not just survive.

The bowlers delivered on that promise more often that not but the batting remains a work in progress with star studded line-up coming a cropper overseas on multiple occasions, most recently in South Africa. 'One of the best captains of all times' ======================= Former India captain and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar, who gave his Kohli his big break in international cricket after tracking his career since the U-16 level, feels it would be difficult to match Kohli's exemplary record as captain.

"40 wins in 68 Tests (fourth highest in overall wins category). The records speak highly of his captaincy. His positive outlook to the game, he always looked to play five bowlers which sometimes could backfire but that is the way he played the game. In the end, the team won many matches with that approach," said Vengsarkar.

Kohli endured his fair share of lows along with the historic highs. He led the team to Test wins in England and South Africa besides the series win in Australia but could not get his hands on the ICC World Test Championship trophy despite being the best team in that two-year cycle.

India won a series in Australia for the first time ever in 2018-19 besides scaling new heights in limited overs cricket.

"The success rate under him across formats is outstanding. We were number one in all formats of the game. We beat every side in their own backyard in limited overs cricket.

"However, one low point would certainly be is not being able to win series in South Africa and England in 2018. Both series were closely fought but we ended up on the wrong side," lamented Prasad. 

Also Read : India-South Test series involved emotion, Ashes lacked it: Ian Chappell

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 16 (Cricket News) The legendary Sunil Gavaskar wants Rishabh Pant to succeed Virat Kohli as the next India Test captain as he believes a sense of responsibility will make the glovesman a better cricketer in all forms of the game.

Kohli surprised the cricket fraternity by quitting Test captaincy on Saturday evening, a day after losing the Test series in South Africa 1-2 to draw the curtains on a successful seven-year reign.

Gavaskar said he preferred Pant as he is an automatic choice for selectors across all formats of the game.

"It's going to be quite a debate as far as the selection committee is concerned as to who should be taking Indian cricket forward. First of all, it should be someone who is an automatic pick across all formats of the game. Once that happens, it will be a lot easier," Gavaskar told India Today.

"If you ask me, I am still staying, I would look at Rishabh Pant as next India captain.

"For one reason only, just like Rohit Sharma was given the captaincy of Mumbai Indians when Ricky Ponting stepped down, look at the change in his batting after that. Suddenly the responsibility of being captain made him convert those beautiful cameos of 30s, 40s and 50s into hundreds, 150s and 200s.

"I think that sense of responsibility given to Rishabh Pant will help him score many more of that wonderful hundred he scored at Newlands," he added.

Further explaining the rationale behind his pick, Gavaskar cited the example of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, who achieved great success after taking over the captaincy at a very young age.

"Yes, I am saying that. Tiger Pataudi was captain at the age of 21 under adverse circumstances when Nari Contractor was injured. Look what he did after that. He took to captaincy like duck to water.

"I think what we have seen with Rishabh Pant as the captain of Delhi Capitals in the IPL, I do believe he has the capability of taking Indian cricket forward and making it a very exciting team to watch," he said.

Limited-overs skipper Rohit Sharma has emerged as the front-runner to take over Test captaincy from Kohli although he was not part of the South Africa series due to an injury. Rohit was recently made Test vice-captain, replacing Ajinkya Rahane. In Rohit's absence, KL Rahul was Kohli's deputy in South Africa. 

Also Read : Thank you for supporting Test cricket so passionately: Warne to Kohli

News Source : PTI

Jeddah, Jan 15 (MotorSports News) Monster Energy Honda Team rider Pablo Quintanilla won the final stage of the Dakar Rally to grab second overall place, while Hero MotoSports Team finished with its best-ever performance.

Quintanilla earned the final stage victory, finishing 3 minutes 27 seconds short of clinching the outright Dakar 2022 title.

"I am very happy with the result and my performance throughout the whole race, especially during the second week, which I managed well, making up time with a steady performance," Quintanilla said.

Hero MotoSports Team Rally wrapped up a memorable campaign that saw them become the first Indian manufacturer to win a stage in the world's toughest rally for the very first time.

They ended their campaign with a stage win and one stage podium, as both their riders crossed the final finish line.

All through 2021, the team participated in multiple races, constantly upgrading their machines, and reaching the top positions.

They entered the Dakar Rally battling several last-minute hurdles - including two of their riders getting unfit for the race due to injuries.

Joaquim Rodrigues, the star performer of the team, finished the last stage of 163 kms between Bisha to Jeddah with yet another top-15 finish. He finished 13th while his teammate Aaron Maré secured the 15th place in the overall standings of the RallyGP class.

All four Monster Energy Honda team riders also managed to finish one of the toughest ever editions of the rally, with the Honda CRF450 RALLY once again making it through the entire Dakar without a single mechanical issue.

Joan Barreda, Ricky Brabec and José Ignacio 'Nacho' Cornejo, riding their respective Honda CRF450 RALLY bikes, also finished the race among the leaders.

Spain’s Barreda, fourth on the final stage, finished fifth overall, equalling the result achieved in 2017. Brabec took seventh spot overall, while Cornejo, third in the last stage, consolidated his sixth place in the final rally classification. 

Also Read : India's Noah completes third Dakar, beats own record for best stage ranking

News Source : PTI

Cape Town, Jan 15 (Cricket News) South African skipper Dean Elgar said the DRS controversy offered them a "window" to have a go at the target with the Virat Kohli-led Indian team getting distracted by their on-field chatter during the series-deciding third Test.

The left-handed opener's LBW decision by umpire Marais Erasmus was overturned after HawkEye showed the ball trajectory going over the stumps.

It led to tempers fraying in the Indian camp with skipper Kohli along with his deputy KL Rahul and senior offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin mocking the South African broadcasters 'SuperSport" on stump microphone.

Chasing 212 in tough Newlands conditions, South Africa were 60 for one in the 21st over when Elgar got the reprieve but with the Indian camp busy with the DRS controversy the hosts went on to score 40 runs in the next eight overs.

"That obviously gave us a little bit of a window period, especially yesterday (Thursday) for us to score a little bit freer and obviously, chip away at the deficit that we needed or the target that we needed," Elgar said after their series-clinching seven-wicket win here on Friday.

"It worked out well in our hands, it played nicely into our hands. For a period of time, they actually forgot about the game and they were challenging a bit more of the emotional side of what Test cricket has to offer." Asked about the controversy, Elgar said: "Loved it. It was obviously maybe a team that was under a little bit of pressure and things weren't going the way which they obviously were quite used to of late.

"Yeah we're extremely happy. We still had to execute our skills with the bat (on day three and four) knowing that the wicket was playing a bit in the bowlers' favour and we needed to be extra disciplined out there and execute our basics." Guys woke up after 113-run defeat, and responded in style ======================================= South Africa had started the series with an embarrassing 113-run defeat in the Boxing Day Test at Centurion where they had never lost.

So Elgar took upon the responsibility to pull the team together with some "hard chats" with his teammates, who responded well.

"Losing the first game of a home Test series is never ideal. I think it's a South African trait that you always have to start slow and we almost have to be 0-1 down to actually wake up and realise that you know we were up against it and our backs against the wall and the guys responded beautifully to that." Asked about the change room conversations, the Proteas skipper said: "I think that ties into the conversations I had with the team prior to the second game. Guys taking responsibility and valuing their wicket a lot more. A few soft dismissals and lapses of concentration can hinder your series and ultimately that's what got us the loss in the first game." Elgar said he is "very happy that the guys responded well." "They responded to fulfil those roles, especially from a batting point of view. We needed guys to stand up from a character point of view, make a bit more of a conscious effort and be a lot more aware of the position that they have within the side, purely to bring the best out of the player.

"Ultimately bringing the best out of the player will obviously influence the environment. So yeah, I'm glad and very, very relieved and very, very thankful of the guys for responding the way they did.

"It's a proper squad effort, even the guys who didn't play stood up in the right occasions for us." After losing the first Test, it took a lot of character from South Africa to stage a comeback and Elgar showed the way with an unbeaten 96 to chase down 240 to level the series at Wanderers.

"The momentum is something that we gained from Wanderers. Another thing is confidence especially from our batters point of view. We haven't had a lot of that.

"But showing the guys that these guys are beatable. They're also human beings. We are human beings playing a bloody tough sport.

"You need to get that confidence within your setup. I'd say momentum and confidence is a big thing that we've gained out of the Wanderers victory," he said about their turnaround.

Thick-skinned captain, showing little emotions on camera ====================================== Leading an unheralded side, short on experience, against the world number one Indians, many had written off Elgar at the start of the series.

But he went about his role quietly to lead a remarkable coming-from-behind series win.

"I think my skin is pretty thick when it comes to on-field matters and matters that value the team in a big way." Talking about his learnings as a skipper, Elgar said: "I don't want to show my emotions too much on camera. So I think from that point of view, it's something that I've actually learned quite quickly.

"I haven't had a lot of time to actually sit down and bottle everything up. I think from a captaincy point of view it definitely helped me from being a little bit more calm with regards to not panicking too soon," he concluded. 

Also Read : Great world player in the making, reminds of Gundappa Viswanath: Shastri on Petersen

News Source : PTI

Georgetown (Guyana), Jan 14 (Cricket News) A disciplined Australian bowling unit bundled out hosts West Indies for a paltry 169 after skipper Ackeem Auguste top-scored with a 67-ball 57 on the opening day of the U-19 World Cup here on Friday.

Opting to bat after winning the toss, the West Indies were off to a disastrous start as they found themselves reeling at 12 for three in the sixth over at the Providence Stadium, with pacer Tom Whitney and leg-spinner William Salzmann doing the damage.

Auguste joined wicketkeeper Rivaldo Clarke (37 off 42 balls) in the middle and the two stitched together a partnership of 95 runs for the fourth wicket, steadying the innings in the process.

However, the home team suffered another collapse following the dismissal of Clarke by Indian-origin spinner Nivethan Radhakrishnan (3/48) in the 22nd over.

Radhakrishnan struck two more blows, sending back Anderson Mahase and Johann Layne in quick succession to leave the West Indies at 131 for eight in only the 32nd over.

Cooper Connolly, who is leading the Australian team in the age-group tournament, too bagged three wickets including the significant one of Auguste, after which the hosts struggled to recover.

Opening the Australian bowling, Whitney too, returned impressive figures of 3/20 in 8.1 overs.

Batting at number nine, McKenny Clarke struck 29 off 35 balls, with the help of three sixes and two fours to stretch the innings and add some valuable runs to the West Indies total.

Brief scores: West Indies: 169 all out in 40.1 overs (Ackeem Auguste 57, McKenny Clarke 29; Tom Whitney 3/20, Nivethan Radhakrishnan 3/48, Cooper Connolly 3/17). 

Also Read : It will rank up there in history of Test cricket in South Africa: Boucher

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) The Milwaukee Bucks made a statement as they won 118-99 against the in form Golden State Warriors. For the Bucks, Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to help Milwaukee rout the Golden State Warriors as Khris Middleton added 23 points, Bobby Portis 20 and Grayson Allen 15 for the Bucks. For the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins led the team with 16 points. Jonathan Kuminga had 15, Curry 12 and Thompson 11 as no one could really get the grips of the game. Antetokounmpo had his third triple-double of the season and 28th of his career as head coach Budenholzer's return from the NBA's COVID-19 protocols. With this result the Bucks improved their record to 27-17 as they moved to 4th in the Eastern Conference standings.

''I think Coach Darvin did a great job stepping up, leading the team, coaching the team and keeping us accountable,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''But, obviously, it's great to have Coach Bud back healthy, happy and getting us ready to go.''

'I think there was a good focus from us tonight,'' Budenholzer said. ''I think when it starts on the defensive end, usually that's when we're at our best. A team like the Warriors, a player like (Stephen) Curry and (Klay) Thompson, they bring out the best in you. They bring out the highest focus.''

'We just got off to a terrible start where everything went wrong on both ends of the floor,'' Curry said.

''I know we just got our butts kicked, but we're just in a rough patch in our season,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''It happens to every team, every year pretty much with very few exceptions. We're in a little bit of a rut and we were playing a team that was ready and played a great, great first half. We're a little out of sorts. We've just got to get back on track, and we will.'

The Memphis Grizzlies made it 11 straight victories as they won 116-108 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant had 16 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and John Konchar added 15 points and a career-best 17 rebounds as Desmond Bane scored 21 points and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 20 to create history for their franchise.  For the Timberwolves, Anthony Edwards led the Timberwolves with 30 points. D'Angelo Russell had 29 points and six assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 25 points and nine rebounds. With this result the Grizzlies improved their record to 30-12 and moved up to 3rd in the Western Conference standings. 

''It's all about attention to details,'' Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. ''It's all about the small things. It's all about the winning plays. . You're going to be in close games, and that's going to win you games, and that, right now, is not what we're doing.''

''He just does a lot on the floor for us,'' Morant said, adding of Konchar's shooting ''You really can't leave him open. He's just a spark plug for us off the bench.''

''We don't have time to take the Ls that we should have won. Tonight, I definitely feel we should have won this game, and, especially New Orleans,'' Edwards said, adding: ''These games hurt when you don't have everything right and you come down to the very end and you can't get a rebound to finish a possession.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers slump to their second loss in a row as Nets thump the Chicago Bulls

The other results were:

• Pelicans 113 - 89 Clippers
• Nets 109 - 130 Thunder
• Nuggets 140 - 108 Trail Blazers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Pacers vs Suns
• Hornets vs Magic
• Pistons vs Raptors
• 76ers vs Celtics
• Bulls vs Warriors
• Heat vs Hawks
• Spurs vs Cavaliers
• Kings vs Rockets 
• Grizzlies vs Mavericks

Kolkata, Jan 14 (Cricket News) Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun has now taken up the same role at Kolkata Knight Riders, the IPL franchise announced on Friday.

Making the announcement of his appointment, Venky Mysore, CEO & MD of KKR said, "We are very excited to have someone of the calibre of Bharat Arun joining us as our bowling coach. He will bring a wealth of experience and expertise to KKR's strong support staff. We are delighted to welcome him to the Knight Riders family." Arun was the bowling coach of the Indian team under Ravi Shastri until recently and worked alongside B Sridhar as the fielding coach.

As a player, he represented India in two Tests and four ODIs and was a successful domestic player for Tamil Nadu.

"I'm very excited and looking forward to becoming part of a highly successful franchise, such as the Knight Riders," Arun said in a statement.

"I have admired the Knight Riders franchise for not only being very successful in the IPL and around the world in T20 leagues but also for the way it is very professionally run." Arun started his coaching career with the Tamil Nadu domestic team and became the chief bowling coach at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore.

He then took over as head coach of the India Under-19 squad and, under him, India won the U-19 World Cup in 2012 in Australia.

Arun will replace Kyle Mills in the KKR coaching setup under head coach Brendon McCullum.

"A warm welcome to B Arun to the KKR coaching staff. With a strong and successful pedigree in the international game, I'm sure Arun will complement the current staff we have and I look forward to working with him.

"His experience at international level and the ability to give confidence and clarity to our bowling group will be important, as we attempt to quickly align a new group of players to the values and style of play for KKR," McCullum said. 

Also Read : South Africa on course for series win against India

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) Reilly Opelka went through a first rough set against Brandon Nakashima when the pair met for the first time in the quarterfinals of Sydney Tennis Classic. Both players held their serve in the first set as there was not a single breakpoint, at the tie break it was Opelka who managed to break in the serve and take the set.

In the second set, Opelka improved on his court coverage and his forehand strokes were strong as ever. The 24 year old even had 5 breakpoints in which he lost three of them but two was enough to take a four game lead over his fellow junior. The next gen player had to face faster serves in the second set as the fastest serve was timed at 234 km/ hour. Opelka defeated Nakashima 7-6(7-4), 6-2.

The crowd cheered the loudest for Maxime Cressy’s tweener winner against Daniel Evans in the second quarterfinal match at Sydney. Evans was hitting backhand winners every now and then as Cressy came to the net on 18 occasions and lost 11 points there. The American was clearly hitting faster groundstrokes but Evans returned the ball most of the time and kept hitting the ball from side to side.

In the second set, Cressy was at the net on 30 occasions and went on to win 23 points as Evans had to use a lot of self motivation. On saving a set point at 5-4 in the second point, Evans roared “let’s go” multiple times to himself as he went to hit the ball harder in the next few rallies. At 5-5 all in the tiebreak, the 24 year old found it difficult to finish points as a forehand shot into the net gave his opponent matchpoint and it was done as Evans set up a second career meeting with Aslan Karatsev. Evans defeated Cressy 6-4, 7-6(7-5).

Andy Murray had his match cut short against David Goffin as the Belgian had to retire at the end of the first set due to a knee injury. Goffin moved well on the first set as he was facing the former world number 1 for the eighth time and has never won a match yet. Murray broke Goffin in the opening game as he made the 31 year old test his speed on court, both the players were known for their ability to chase down balls down the court and a bit of that was seen in the first set. Murray defeated Goffin 6-2, retired.

Also read: Andy Murray lights up Sydney, Karatsev enters last semifinals

Despite its immense popularity in North America, basketball is a sport that is still finding its feet in India. While the Indian audiences are familiar with many NBA teams and the legendary Michael Jordan, the sport has yet to enter the ‘mainstream’ and get adequate participation at the grassroots to develop world class basketball players for the future. However, India has had a few athletes who have made some serious accomplishments in the sport, one of them being Suresh Kumar Ranot who has won 20 Senior Nationals Championships, 5 national games and 7 Federation Cup Championships.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Suresh Kumar Ranot speaks about his journey in basketball, the most memorable moments in his career, overcoming challenges, being in the national selection committee, the evolution of the sport and his goals for 2022.

Q1) How did you start playing Basketball and what was the inspiration behind it?

I first started when I was studying in 10th class. We had a very good basketball team in my school and my seniors encouraged me to play and that is how I started playing. From the year 1987-1991 we had a very good team in Mysore and were district champions. I was heavily inspired by my seniors. When I started playing, I never thought I would play for my country for such a long time. 

Q2) During your career from 1994 to 2005, what are some of your most prized moments?

There are quite a few moments which I cherish. In my very first school championship I won the best player award which made me think that I can do something more. Then I went to the state championship and then I was selected for the national camp which was the turning point. I was the first person from my state to get selected for the national camp. There are a lot of good memories like when I went to South Korea to play for the country. Winning the national championship and the national games are also some good moments that I experienced.

Q3) What were some of the most challenging times you had faced when you were a player and how did you overcome it?

One of the most challenging times I had faced was from 1999-2001. I had varicose veins in my legs, the doctor advised me to quit Basketball as it becomes difficult to jump and even wearing socks was a painful task. At that time, I did not want to leave the team as the pressure was building inside but also had to think of my future. After 2005, I got a surgery on my right leg which made me gradually step away from the game and it was needed so that no complications occur further. My career still went on till 2013 and it was a challenging part to come out from that phase.

Also read: If UAE gets the right exposure against the bigger teams, they can become a force to be reckoned with - Anis Sajan, Vice Chairman of Danube Group

Q4) Being in the national selection committee since 2018, how do you think the competition has increased in the sport?

In the last two and half years the sport has not been very active due to the pandemic as schools, colleges are closed and events are getting cancelled. Now the exposure has increased in the sport with social media coverage and many more people are involved with the sport. Even the facilities have increased for the players who have a great chance to improve themselves, players also attain fame in a short period of time which may have a positive or negative impact. The longevity of the players was much more during my playing days as it is tough for a sport like this and as a part of a committee we are discussing how to bring back certain qualities to the present players.

Q5) What do you feel about the players in the current women and men’s team; how have things changed in the last decade?

When we were playing there was a certain discipline but nowadays that is not present in the current generation of players. In this current set of players so many people are taking medicines, supplements or taking proteins but during our times these things weren’t available, if you see hard work is associated with results and that's why we aren’t able to beat the Asian teams also. Nowadays skills are talented but during our time we had a skill set of players playing in their preferred positions but now any players play at any position he likes. I would personally say that the current players are lacking the motivation and the vigour to work hard.   

Q6) What are some of your goals for the 2022 season and how do you plan to achieve them?

We had a senior championship in Chennai but that got postponed due to the Covid situation, so this tournament might be hosted in March. Our main goal is to motivate the players to work hard as there’s a men's senior qualification tournament going for the senior World Cup but in all honesty the main goal is not the World Cup but to perform and become an Asian powerhouse in basketball. We as a group had all the focus on the juniors because they are the future that is going to represent our country.

(Tennis news) Daria Kasatkina has been shining bright in the warm Australian courts. The Russian reached her second semifinal in 2 weeks as she had reached the last four at Melbourne a few days ago. The Russian got her first top five victory in 4 years when she beat Garbine Muguriza at the Sydney Tennis Classic.

Kasatkina had last beaten Muguruza in 2019 and now remains the lowest seeded player left in the draw. The world number 26 placed the ball so well that most of her winners were not even attempted by the Spaniard, the world number 3 took time to build up the point while Kasatkina could instantly find a loose spot and hit the ball exactly in that area.

Muguruza was hitting the ball well but there was no momentum on her side as she was constantly distracted by her opponents' most unexpected winners. Kasatkina will face another Spanish player in the next match as Paula Badosa will be ready for another tough battle. Kasatkina defeated Muguruza 6-4, 6-4.

Badosa’s timing was right on target as she beat Tokyo Olympics Singles gold medalist Belinda Bencic for a place in the last four. The first set saw two players playing one of the best rallies of the year as Belinda took the ball on the rise while Badosa was patient enough to hit the ball well after the bounce. Badosa’s light bend backward while hitting the forehand generates enough power to smash the ball across and Bencic had this forward fall while hitting the ball.

Both of them had different styles but Belinda took more risks as it did not work in the first set as the world number 9 did not take many chances but the forehand winner at tie break was enough to prove her point. Sensing her groundstrokes were not doing enough damage, the swiss player changed her tactics completely and the speeds were decreasing in her groundstrokes. The surprise drop shot caught Badosa completely off guard on multiple occasions. A crucial backhand into the net by Belinda in the eighth game gave the lead to Badosa and she did not again let go of the chance to serve out the match. Badosa defeated Bencic 7-6(8-6), 3-6, 6-3.

Barbora Krejcikova only lost two games in her quarterfinal match against Caroline Garcia as she will next face Anett Kontaveit. Krejcikova won 8 consecutive games in the match as Garcia kept struggling to hit a clean ball on the other side of the court. The unforced errors gave last year’s Roland Garros champion a bagel in the opening set, she took the first two games until the unseeded player won her first game of the match. Krejcikova looked like she won the match even before the ending of the second set as Garcia could never get her form in the match. Barbora defeated Garcia 6-0, 6-2.

Also read: Emma Raducanu falls in opening match at Sydney Tennis Classic

Hobart, Jan 13 (Cricket News) England's Test captain Joe Root has revealed that he is considering entering the upcoming IPL auction, four years after going unsold in the auction for the lucrative T20 league.

Considered one of the modern greats of the game, Root is yet to play in the IPL after going unsold in the 2018 auction.

The 31-year-old batter, however, said he would look to play in the tournament only if it does not distract him from his Test career.

"Time is ticking but I have a lot to weigh up," Root said, according to ESPNcricinfo.com.

"Will it have a negative impact on me playing Test cricket? If I don't think so then I will put myself in the auction. But I will never do anything that will detract from playing Test cricket for England. It's so important to make sure that is the priority for me and other players as well." Root had expressed his desire to play in the IPL earlier too even though he had decided against entering the auction.

The mega-auction ahead of the upcoming season is scheduled to be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.

On Wednesday, Australian pacer Mitchell Starc said he was also contemplating making a comeback to the IPL after a lengthy hiatus despite a hectic schedule that includes touring the subcontinent and the T20 World Cup title defence at home later this year.

Starc, who last played in the IPL in 2015, said he hasn't made the decision yet but entering his name for the league's mega auction, the nominations for which close on Friday, is "certainly on the table." Starc clinched a contract worth Rs 9.4 crore with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018 but had to be released because of an injury.

Despite being one of the most valuable T20 bowlers, the left-arm pacer has featured in just two seasons of the IPL due to injury and workload management.

In the 27 matches that he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014 and 2015, Starc snared 34 wickets at an economy rate of 7.16 and an impressive strike rate of 17. 

Also Read : Jasprit Bumrah leads India comeback with a fifer as game hangs in the balance

News Source : PTI

The United Arab Emirates has become a go-to destination for cricketing events, especially during the pandemic. Whether it’s the Indian Premier League or the World Cup, the presence of three cricketing grounds in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah combined with the ICC Academy means that it has infrastructure that can be considered at par with the best in the world. 

Mr. Anis Sajan, Vice Chairman of Danube Group, more popularly known as Mr. Cricket UAE has played an integral role in the development of the sport, having mentored Team Bengal Tigers and then Team Delhi Bulls in the Abu Dhabi T10 league. Moreover, he was honored with the Hon. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Bharat Puraskar award for Sports category and kept the world entertained with ‘Cricket Unplugged’, featuring interviews with cricketers from around the world during the lockdown.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Mr. Anis Sajan speaks about his interest in cricket, how the sport has evolved in the last two decades, being a mentor for Bengal Tigers and Delhi Bulls, the potential of UAE to become a cricketing powerhouse, importance of yoga during the pandemic and launching Cricket Unplugged.

Q 1. Being a businessman, when and how did you cultivate your interest towards cricket?

My passion for the sport began — like the many millions in India — after the team under Kapil Dev won the Prudential Trophy in 1983. That triumph by the rank outsiders against the mighty West Indies gave everyone in the country the belief that India could be a force to reckon with. There was no looking back for me after that. Everyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I eat, sleep and breathe cricket. So much so that my wife started calling me Mr. Cricket UAE and that name has stuck with me till date. I feel I am fortunate to be able to live this passion for the game and share it with all other cricket lovers through various activities. 

Q 2. You have been contributing so much to the sport for the past two decades, what do you think has changed a lot about cricket?
 
Cricket has become more fast paced, there have been more results in Test cricket. Secondly the big 3, i.e. India, England and Australia get to play more matches than any other countries and the most important thing happening for India after the evolution of IPL, there is a lot of talent emerging.

Q 3. How was your experience being the mentor for Bengal Tigers and Delhi Bulls in the Abu Dhabi T10 league?
 
It was a great learning experience for me.  Not only did I get a chance to associate with some of the biggest names in the cricket fraternity but also learnt quite a few lessons both on and off the field. Got to understand all the hard work that goes behind the game, how decisions are taken by the coaches as well as the temperament of the players.

Also read: Our primary goal is to empower physically impaired individuals through sports - Noor Nahain, Founder and President, Bangladesh Wheelchair Sports Foundation

Q 4. With the ongoing historic US vs Ireland series, what other countries including the UAE do you think will enter the mainframe formats next?
 
To my knowledge I don’t see any other country, because they do not get enough exposure. UAE has the best infrastructure when it comes to cricketing grounds, be it the Dubai Cricket Stadium, ICC Academy, Sharjah & Abu Dhabi stadium. If they get the right exposure of rubbing shoulders with bigger teams, they can be a force to reckon with.

Q 5. How has Yoga been a part of fitness and why do you think people need to practice it especially during the pandemic?

Without an iota of doubt, I can say that Yoga has been my life savior. I have been a strong advocate of yoga for a good 7-8 years now, especially since I have personally experienced the benefits of it. As a daily routine, I practice yoga for 2 hours; first 45 minutes of proper yoga asana, 15 min brisk walking and then Aqua Yoga exercises for 30 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of meditation and 20 minutes of pranayama. This regime keeps me refreshed, energetic, youthful and full of life. In this pandemic, I would urge people to at least do the Pranayama, i.e breathing exercises daily. Studies have shown that the most common problem experienced by covid patients is breathing difficulties. Practicing pranayama for twenty minutes daily helps in passing oxygen to lungs and makes your immunity strong and in this battle to fight Covid.

Q 6. What made you launch Cricket Unplugged and are there more cricket ventures in the making?

Well to be honest, Cricket Unplugged was started during the pandemic when the world had come to a standstill and everyone was stuck at home. With no games happening either, I thought why not keep the spirit of the game alive and started Cricket Unplugged, where I would have conversations with international players and known sporting personalities. The interactions would revolve around historical moments as well as unveiling personal memories of the interviewed players during their respective careers. Till date, I have had the honour to interview the likes of Dinesh Karthik, Shane Watson,Dwayne Bravo, Eoin Morgan, Virendra Sehwag, Micheal Hussey, Harpreet Brar, Zaheer Khan, Jason Roy, Muhammed Nabi, Angelo Mathews, Wasim Jaffer, Harpreet Brar and many others.

Bengaluru, Jan 12 (Kabaddi News) Haryana Steelers staged a late comeback to hold UP Yoddha for a 36-36 tie, while Bengaluru Bulls thrashed Dabang Delhi 61-22 in the Pro Kabaddi League here on Wednesday.

Yoddha had the lead for most parts of the match, but Haryana bounced back to win crucial 3 points in the race for a playoff spot.

In the other match, Pawan Sehrawat scored an outstanding 27 points from 27 raids as Bengaluru Bulls notched up a 39-point victory over Delhi. It was the second biggest win in PKL history and helped the Bulls jump to the top of the points table.

The lack of a secondary raider hurt Dabang Delhi K.C. who suffered their second loss of the season. The nature of the loss will also hurt Delhi whose score difference went to -4 because of the sizeable loss.

Earlier, Kandola starred in the raiding department with 17 points and would have won the match for the Steelers had it not been for Surender Gill’s heroics at the other end.

Gill scored 14 points for UP who will be upset with the tie after having an 8-point lead in the second half.

Haryana coach Rakesh Kumar started the match with just two raiders in Meetu and Vikash Kandola. The defensive strategy didn’t seem to work out in the initial stages with UP Yoddha's Pardeep Narwal inducing errors.

The "record breaker" was ably supported by his defence with Anshu Singh and Nitesh Kumar looking impressive. Yoddha got their first ALL OUT with 7 minutes remaining to open a 5-point lead.

But Haryana were in no mood to let the match slip as Kandola helped them stay in touching distance from Yoddha. Their defender Jaideep was looking in good form as well as the half ended 14-13 with Yoddha in the lead.

Both teams kept matching each other in the early minutes of the second half. Kandola picked valuable raid points, but Haryana’s defence was struggling.

It was a case of too many cooks spoiling the soup as Jaideep, arguably their best defender, kept swapping positions to suit the formation. Gill scored a 3-point Super Raid in the 10th minute to get them a 3-point lead. The shift in momentum helped them claim another ALL OUT with 9 minutes remaining to increase the lead to 6 points.

Coach Rakesh Kumar brought his third raider Rohit Guliya to the mat and switched to a traditional formation after the ALL OUT.

Yoddha defenders made a few errors in the dying minutes to give Haryana a big chance to inflict an ALL OUT. Kandola produced a stunning 5-point raid (3+2 for ALL OUT) to reduce UP's lead to just one point with slightly more than 1 minute remaining.

He secured his Super 10 in the process and then clinched another 2-point raid to give Haryana the lead.

Gill, however, had other ideas as he matched Kandola with multiple multi-point raids. But the Yoddha raider opted to play it safe in the last raid of the game to end the match in a tie. 

Also Read : PKL: Bengal Warriors look to bounce back, Pune eye U Mumba scalp in Maharashtra Derby

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) The Memphis Grizzlies continued their amazing form by beating the number 1 seed Golden Warriors 116-108. For the Grizzlies, Morant scored 29 points, including five in the final minute to extend their winning streak to 10 games and made them the most in form team currently. Along with Morant, Ziaire Williams and Tyus Jones had 17 points each. For the Warriors, Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second triple-double of the season. Klay Thompson finished with 14 points. Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II scored 13 each. With this result Memphis Grizzlies improved their record to 29-14 as they currently are 4th in the Western Conference.

''I just like having that pressure,'' Morant said of his scoring down the stretch. ''I feel like that's when I shine the most. I like to be the one taking that shot, hit or miss.''

''I thought Tyus Jones shooting 3s broke the game open. That was the key,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

'He did a really good job,'' Rajakovic said of Williams' defense. ''He followed the game plan. Obviously, Steph Curry is an amazing scorer and shooter. (Williams) did a really good job of chasing him to get him inside the 3-point line.''

The new Eastern Conference leaders Chicago Bulls thumped the Detroit Pistons 133-87. For the Bulls, Nikola Vučević scored 22 points, DeMar DeRozan had 20 points and 12 rebounds as they made it 9 victories out of the last 10 matches. For the Pistons, Josh Jackson scored 16 points and Saddiq Bey added 14 for the Pistons. Along with their top scores Lonzo Ball added 18 points and Zach LaVine had 10 points and nine rebounds as Chicago picked up its ninth straight home win. With this result they improved their record to 27-11 as they comfortably sit on the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

“In the second half, we came out how we should’ve started the game,” DeRozan said.

“He’s a guy that can course-correct. He just kind of figures things out,” coach Billy Donovan said. “In the third quarter you kind of saw his whole package.”

“You do your job right, you get a raise,” DeRozan said of the growing attention. “You have to put yourself in a position where you need to be seen. I feel like that’s where we’re at.”

“I think it was a false positive,” said Pistons coach Casey, who added he’s received all the recommended vaccinations and takes special precautions due to his asthma. “I tell everyone, get vaccinated and get boosted.”

Also read: NBA: Bucks and Nets both lose as Terry Rozier shines

The other results were:

• Wizards 122 - 118 Thunder
• Raptors 95 - 99 Suns
• Pelicans 128 - 125 Timberwolves
• Clippers 87 - 85 Nuggets

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• 76ers vs Hornets
• Pacers vs Celtics
• Wizards vs Magic
• Hawks vs Heat
• Knicks vs Mavericks
• Spurs vs Rockets
• Jazz vs Cavaliers
• Kings vs Lakers
• Bulls vs Nets
   

New Delhi, Jan 12 (Badminton News) Top Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy progressed to the second round of the India Open with contrasting wins here on Wednesday.

Former world no. 1 Saina, who missed a lot of tournaments last year due to multiple injuries, moved to the second round after her opponent Czech Republic's Tereza Svabikova suffered a back injury and retired mid-way while lagging 20-22 0-1 in the opening round match.

"Playing after so long gives you the match confidence, how to pull out those points, because in practice you don't have the privilege to play points with the same intensity as you do in tournaments.

"The quality of some of the points I got today...I hope it somehow helps me tomorrow," Saina said after her match.

Saina, seeded fourth, will next meet compatriot Malvika Bansod, who defeated fellow Indian Samiya Imad Farooqui 21-18 21-9 in another women's singles match.

In men's singles, eighth seed Prannoy, a former world top 10 player, got the better of Spain's Pablo Abian 21-14 21-7 and will next face Mithun Manjunath, who eked out a hard-fought 21-16 15-21 21-10 victory over France's Arnaud Merkle.

Third seed Sen, who claimed the world championships bronze on debut last month, thrashed Egypt's Adham Hatem Elgamal 21-15 21-7 to set up a face-off with Sweden's Felix Burestedt.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy, seeded second, also entered the second round after prevailing 21-7 19-21 21-13 over compatriots Janani Ananthakumar and Divya R.Balasubramanian.

Among other Indians, Aakarshi Kashyap beat compatriot Anura Prabhudesai 21-14 21-14, while Rahul Yadav Chittaboina got a walkover after Spain's Luís Enrique Penalver's withdrawal.

Kashyap will square off against Keyura Mopati, who has been promoted from reserve. Mopati beat fellow Indian Smit Toshniwal 15-21 21-19 21-8. Rahul will be pitted against Ireland's Nhat Nguyen, who knocked out Ajay Jayaram 19-21, 21-7 21-14 in another men's singles contest.

Tanya Hemanth got rid of Sai Uttejitha Rao Chukka 9-21 21-12 21-19 in another women's singles match.

PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and Sameer Verma had reached the second round on Tuesday. 

Also Read : Want to see what all injuries my body can cope with: Saina

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Jan 12 (Cricket News) Out-of-action India opener Rohit Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli continue to remain static at the fifth and ninth positions respectively in the latest ICC Test rankings, issued on Wednesday.

While Rohit has 781 rating points, Kohli is just inside the top-10 with 740 points.

The batting list is being headed by Marnus Labuschangne of Australia with 924 points, while England skipper Joe Root (881) and Steve Smith (871) are in the second and third spots respectively.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson (862) is at the fourth position.

Mayank Agarwal has dropped a rung and is the next best-placed Indian in the 13th spot.

Among Indian bowlers, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has managed to hold on to his second spot with 861 rating points.

No other Indian features in the top-10 rankings of the Test bowlers list. The Test bowlers rankings is being headed by Australia skipper Pat Cummins, followed by Ashwin and Kyle Jamieson of New Zealand, who has moved up six places.

Ashwin also held on to his second spot in the Test all-rounders rankings, which is being led by West Indies Jason Holder.

Among others, after twin hundreds in the fourth Ashes Test at the SCG, Usman Khawaja has rocketed back into the Test batting ranking fray, re-entering at 26th place.

The left-hander made 137 and 101 not out across the two innings at the ground he made his Test debut 11 years ago, though the Australians were unable to take the last wicket for victory in the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney. 

Also read : It's certainly on the table: Starc on returning to IPL

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Virat Kohli's long wait for 71st ton continues but his innings of 79 will be remembered as one of the best of his career. The Indian skipper was the lone wolf for India in many ways and displayed grit, determination and discipline. Kohli was the lone warrior for India in the 1st innings of the Cape Town Test. 

Kohli came in when his side were 2 down for 33 for 2. The overcast conditions combined with the bouncy pitch and the fast bowling prowess of South Africa made it tough for batting. Virat Kohli was very watchful and didn't chase balls outside off stump. It took him 16 balls to get off the mark with a fantastic trademark cover drive. Kohli and Pujara put together a 62 run partnership which more or less rescued the Indian innings. Virat Kohli batted and scored 79 runs in 201 balls as India were bowled out for 223 runs. 

Kohli's battle with Kagiso Rabada displayed Test cricket of the highest class. Rabada was the one who eventually got Kohli out chasing a ball outside off. Things would've been different had someone stuck with Kohli for a little longer. Virat Kohli tweaked a few technical things where he didn't look to chase deliveries on 4th/5th stump lines which were seen in his footwork. He did put the bad balls away with some exquisite strokes as he hit 12 boundaries and a maximum.

Kohli has had problems with wide deliveries for a while and this could be the innings that turns it around. Before the series new head coach Rahul Dravid said that Virat Kohli is one good innings away from getting back in form and this could be that innings. Kohli could have a massive role to play in the 2nd innings after which there are the ODIs. Now that he doesn't have to worry about captaincy in white ball, Kohli can concentrate on his batting.

Also read: It's certainly on the table: Starc on returning to IPL

Hobart, Jan 12 (Cricket News) Australian pacer Mitchell Starc is contemplating making a comeback to the IPL after a lengthy hiatus despite a hectic schedule that includes touring the subcontinent and the T20 World Cup title defence at home later this year.

Starc, who last played in the IPL in 2015, said he hasn't made the decision yet but entering his name for the league's mega auction, the nominations for which close on Friday, is "certainly on the table." Starc clinched a contract worth Rs 9.4 crore with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018 but had to be released because of an injury.

The mega-auction ahead of the upcoming season is scheduled to be held on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.

"I've got two days to get my paperwork in, so that might be something to do today before training," Starc was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

"I've not put my name down just yet, but I've got a couple more days to decide on that. It's certainly on the table regardless of what the schedule has got coming up," he added.

Despite being one of the most valuable T20 bowlers, the left-arm pacer has featured in just two seasons of the IPL due to injury and workload management.

In the 27 matches that he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2014 and 2015, Starc snared 34 wickets at an economy rate of 7.16 and an impressive strike rate of 17.

However, workload will once again become a key factor as the 31-year-old takes a call.

As a multi format player, Starc will have to juggle a packed schedule. After the fifth Ashes Test, Australia have a three-match ODI series and one-off T20I at home against New Zealand.

A five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka is scheduled for next month followed by a full series comprising three Tests as many ODIs and a T20I in Pakistan, starting March.

"I haven't been for six years or so," Starc said "Obviously with a heavy weighting towards T20s over the last period of time and the World Cup coming up later this year, that's one to take into consideration as well," he added.

While the IPL, which has expanded to 10 teams this year, is expected to start in April and go on till June. Australia is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka for a Test and limited-overs series in June and July.

"There's a bit going on with scheduling and what-not to get our heads around, certainly for us multi-format players.

"The schedules are quite jam-packed when you throw in all the tours, we've got a couple of white-ball series post the Ashes before that Pakistan tour, then you take into consideration the IPL and the Sri Lanka tour after that.

"So it's a massive six months of cricket for everyone," Starc said. 

Also Read : India's Test triumph Down Under last year is one of greatest: Gavaskar

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 12 (Badminton News) Injury-ravaged Saina Nehwal on Wednesday opened up about her prolonged fitness issues, saying the thought of giving up did cross her mind but she has taken it up as a challenge to see how many more injuries her body can cope with.

The former world number one was forced to miss a lot of tournaments in 2021, including the World Championships, due to multiple injuries.

Still not completely fit, Saina reached the second round of the India Open, where she was not even expecting to play.

She advanced after her opponent Czech Republic's Tereza Svabikova suffered a back injury and retired mid-way, on Wednesday. Saina was leading 22-20, 1-0 at that time.

"I was able to take the tough training but one bad slip and my groin had lot of issues. I got a tear (during Thomas and Uber Cup Final) but I didn't know that the knee was also going through some issues which got bad in French open," Saina said during a virtual press conference.

"Till that match, I didn't know it was so bad and after that I was limping. It is a challenge and I want to accept. Let's see what all injuries my body can cope with. It is not easy, sometimes you feel like giving up." Saina said sitting on the fence, waiting for injuries to heal is something which really bothered her. "The mental part is very difficult because tournaments are happening, players are winning and I am just sitting and watching them play. It is a challenge but let us fight. May be there are some good days ahead." Saina had returned to action at the Thomas and Uber Cup Final in Aarhus, Denmark in October but had to retire midway in the round-robin match against Spain's Clara Azurmendi due to what she thought was a niggle in the groin region.

She played in Denmark but again withdrew midway into the second game of the first-round match at the French Open.

"It was about three issues: I tore my cartilage, I had issues with patella and there was one more meniscus, or something which got really irritated. The knee went through a lot of trauma. Finally a stage came when I couldn't walk after French open," said the 31-year-old.

"I was worried about by groin but I didn't know that my knee was in big trauma and when I came back and did MRI, my doctor was like: 'I don't think you can go for world championship or play till end of December'." The London Olympics bronze medallist said she is "happy with her rehab" and hope to regain full fitness by March.

"I had good practice for 7-8 days before this event but I wasn't expecting to play India Open. I hope I can get some more practice sessions on court. I am happy to play in India, so let's see how many rounds I can progress.

"I am 60-70 % now. I will have to go with weight training. I can't sit back even a day. I would say by January-end, I will get back to my full physical fitness level. We have one month in February for training as next events are in March, so I will get 4-5 week for training on court as well." Asked if individual coaching is the way to go for Indian shuttlers, Saina said it depends on individuals but it does help if you have one in an individual sport like badminton.

"Personal coaching is good for individual sports, where everyone is playing at highest level. Carolina (Marin), Tai Tzu (Ying) all have individual coaches, they know where to work on, give more time, so definitely improvement chances are better.

"But some player are good in group training. I have seen (Kidambi) Srikanth and B Sai Praneeth are good in that but I feel, you need individual trainer, coaches." 

Also Read : India Open: Chaliha upsets fifth seed Kosetskaya, Sindhu also sails into 2nd round

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) In the 3rd and the decider Test at Cape Town, India won the toss India elected to bat first. South Africa went into the game unchanged while India welcomed back Virat Kohli who replaced Hanuma Vihari while Umesh Yadav came in place of the injured Mohammed Siraj. South Africa managed to restrict the visitors to 223 which without question is below par especially after winning the toss. Jasprit Bumrah got rid of Dean Elgar late in the day as the Proteas are 17 for 1 and trail by 206 runs.

KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal started off with a few plays and misses along with edges that didn't carry. The pair slowly started playing their shots and took India to 31. The Proteas then turned it around as they bowled 24 dot balls. The pressure was built and KL Rahul succumbed to it as he edged Duanne Olivier's ball. Kagiso Rabada picked up Agarwal's wicket in the very next over. Cheteshwar Pujara got off to a good start with some of his trademark shots.

He fell just 7 runs short of his fifty as Marco Jansen angle in and seam away ball nicked his bat. Ajinkya Rahane's inconsistent performances continued as he was dismissed by an absolute beauty from Rabada. Just like Pujara, Rishabh Pant also got a start but couldn't convert as he was dismissed by Jansen after he tried to take on a short ball. The tall left arm seamer got rid of Ravichandran Ashwin shortly after. Keshav Maharaj finally joined the party as he got the wicket of Shardul Thakur. Rabada bowled a beautiful bouncer to get rid of Jasprit Bumrah.

Virat Kohli was the lone warrior as he scored 79 off 201 balls. The innings was one of the most resilient one the Indian skipper has ever played. Kohli was extremely disciplined and gritty in his approach. He got beaten quite a few times but continued fighting. Even though he didn't get his long awaited century, Kohli saved his team and anchored the innings. His duel with Rabada was a very entertaining one which the bowler eventually won by dismissing Kohli. The Indian innings came to an end as they were all out on 223.

Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar came out to bat for a few overs before stumps. Jasprit Bumrah struck in the 5th over getting the wicket of Elgar. Keshav Maharaj was sent in as a night watchman and did a good job as he held on. South Africa will start day 2 on 17 for 1 trailing by 206 runs

Also read: Game is in the balance, batters will have to grind: Rabada

Melbourne, Jan 12 (Cricket News) Australia Test skipper Pat Cummins has told his players to just be themselves instead of resorting to sledging just because "it might have been done like that in the past." Ever since the 2018 ball-tampering scandal, the Australian cricketing culture has undergone a serious review for its win-at-all-cost approach in the past. Not a single untoward incident has been witnessed in the ongoing Ashes series, for which Cummins credited his teammates and not just his leadership style.

The England players applauded Usman Khawaja's effort of two hundreds in the Sydney Test and likewise the Australians appreciated the good performers in the visitors camp.

Cummins, the first Australian fast bowler to lead a Test side, said his approach to leadership is quite similar to England's Eoin Morgan.

"I look at different leaders and someone like Eoin Morgan. I like his outlook on captaincy and how he brings the team together. I have worked with Eoin in the IPL for the last couple of years and we have very similar outlooks on life," Cummins was quoted as saying by the 'Sydney Morning Herald'.

"You have to be aware of it. From a couple of years ago it was obvious the world wanted all cricket teams, particularly the Aussie cricket team, to tone it down a little bit.

"I keep encouraging all of our players to be themselves. They do not have to try to impress anyone or sledge just because it might have been done like that in the past. Just be themselves.

Cummins said he has been quite proud of the team's conduct.

"No doubt, the first Tests have been pretty smooth sailing and it (sledging) is something to keep an eye on...You lead by your actions in this space. If I need to pull someone up (for sledging) I will, but everyone is an adult here.

"They have heard it loud and clear from the outside what is expected of us and from cricket fans in Australia. I will not be taking all the credit, the boys have been fantastic themselves." Cummins said the Test format itself is such that inspires players to be at their best in every aspect.

"For just about every cricketer growing up in Australia, it is their preferred format. Test cricket means something in Australia. It is where history is made," he said.

"Ashes series 12 months out, you bump into people in the street and they are already saying they can't wait for the Ashes. It brings everyone together and gives us the chance to stamp our own legacy on the game." And he is relishing the challenge of being Australia's Test skipper and won't mind if bowlers continue to lead the side.

Very few pacers have led their teams like Bob Willis (England), Kapil Dev (India), Courtney Walsh (West Indies) and Pakistan's Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Imran Khan.

"I've always thought bowlers can be captains. I'm not sure if it is the start of a trend, but why not? My experience of being a bowler is really valuable when I'm in the field talking to other bowlers, trying to make bowling changes and setting fields.

"I feel like I can draw on my own experiences a lot. There is no reason why there can’t be more bowling captains going forward." 

Also Read : Advantage South Africa after day 1 despite Virat Kohli masterclass

News Source : PTI

Cape Town, Jan 11 (Cricket News) India batting coach Vikram Rathour on Tuesday said Virat Kohli reaped the rewards for being more disciplined in his off-side play before calling his team's performance one day one of the third Test "below par".

India skipper Kohli was a picture of patience and perseverance in his well-crafted 79 but South Africa gained the upper hand by bowling out the visitors for an underwhelming 223 on day one of the series-decider.

“There was never concern with the way he (Kohli) was batting, I mean he was always batting well, I thought as a batting coach, I was never concerned that he is not batting well, he was looking very good in the nets, he was looking very good in the game also, he was getting starts.

“One good change today, he was more disciplined, I agree with that, so he really looked good, really good solid and with a bit of (more) luck, he could have converted into a big one, but I am happy (with) the way he played,” elaborated Rathour at the post day media interaction. Kohli had been found wanting in the off-stump corridor heading into the third Test.

On the overall batting performance, Rathour did not sound too pleased.

“These are challenging conditions, not easy conditions to score runs in, but you are right, we are below par. We could have scored 50/60 more runs, that’s what we were at-least expecting,” Rathour said.

According to the batting coach, there were soft dismissals in the later part of the innings and the batters could have done a better job.

"Virat played a phenomenal innings...Pujara was looking really good, but then they bowled a good spell in the morning, the conditions were overcast and they were challenging (for batting), but again I thought there were some soft dismissals in the later part of the innings, we could have done better definitely,” admitted Rathour. The 52-year-old former India batter also said that they would hope to restrict South Africa to a low total on day two.

“The lesser the runs, I hope it will be an equal innings and they won’t get a big lead," he signed off. 

Also Read : Game is in the balance, batters will have to grind: Rabada

News Source : PTI 

Cape Town, Jan 11 (Cricket News) India were 141 for four at tea on the opening day of the series-deciding third Test against against South Africa here on Tuesday.

Skipper Virat Kohli (40) and Rishabh Pant (12) were at the crease when tea was taken.

Duanne Olivier removed KL Rahul while Kagiso Rabada sent back Agarwal. In the second session, India lost the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane.

The series is currently tied 1-1.

Brief Scores: India 1st innings: 141 for 4 in 54 overs. (V Kohli 40 batting). 

Also Read : GC approves new teams' entry into IPL, will get 10-14 days to pick players

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 11 (Cricket News) The IPL Governing Council on Tuesday decided to issue the Letter of Intent to new IPL franchises Lucknow and Ahmedabad, formalising their entry into the world's biggest T20 league.

RPSG Group and private investment firm CVC had successfully bid for the Lucknow and Ahmedabad franchise, respectively, last October. However, the LOI got delayed after it emerged that CVC had links with betting companies outside India.

The BCCI, with the help of its legal team, took its time to probe the issue before deciding to approve the CVC bid.

"The bids were approved by the GC today, LOI will be issued soon," IPL chairman Brijesh Patel told PTI after the meeting.

The issuance of LOI means the two teams are formally part of the IPL, allowing them to pick players ahead of the auction on February 12 and 13 in Bengaluru.

Both the franchises have already recruited the support staff and they can now go ahead and sign up to three players each from the draft pick ahead of the mega auction. K L Rahul is expected to lead Lucknow and Hardik Pandya Ahmedabad.

New teams will get 10-14 days to pick players: Patel. The IPL chief said the GC plans to give them 10-14 days to pick the players before the auction.

"We have been talking to the new teams, we are planning to give them 10 days to two weeks," said Patel, adding that there has been no change in the date and place of auction.

With India experiencing a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BCCI is exploring back-up options for the IPL, expected to be held in April-May, and it includes hosting the entire event in one state.

However, Patel said it is still too early to decide on the matter.

"We would like to play in India but we have to see the situation," he added.

The entire edition of 2020 was held in the UAE due to the pandemic. The tournament returned to India the following year but had to be suspended in May amid a devastating second wave in the country. The rest of the IPL had to be completed in the UAE in September-October.

"As of now, we are hosting it in India but the situation is fluid. It is too early to think about shifting it outside," added a BCCI official. 

Also Read : Washington Sundar tests positive for COVID-19, in doubt for ODI series in South Africa

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Jan 11 (Cricket News) New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson was on Tuesday fined 15 per cent of his match fee for using "inappropriate language" after dismissing Yasir Ali during the just-concluded second Test against Bangladesh in Christchurch.

According to an ICC statement, Jamieson was found to have breached Article 2.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to "using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match." In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to the disciplinary record of Jamieson, for whom it was the third offence in a 24-month period, taking his cumulative demerit points to three.

Jamieson's previous breaches were on March 23, 2021 during an ODI against Bangladesh in Christchurch, and on December 28, 2020 in a Test match against Pakistan in Tauranga.

The incident occurred in the 41st over of Bangladesh's first innings on Monday, when Jamieson used inappropriate language after dismissing Yasir Ali, the ICC stated.

Jamieson admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Jeff Crowe and ratified by the ICC Cricket Operations department as per the COVID-19 interim playing regulations.

On-field umpires Chris Gaffaney and Wayne Knights, third umpire Chris Brown and fourth umpire Shaun Haig levelled the charge.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player's match fee, and one or two demerit points.

New Zealand won the second Test against Bangladesh by an innings and 117 runs to level the series and hand a befitting farewell to veteran batter Ross Taylor, who retired from the red-ball format on Tuesday after having represented the Kiwis 112 matches. 

Also Read : Documentary on Aussie spin legend Warne to be available on BookMyShow in India

News Source : PTI

(Football news) Indian Super League club Kerala Blasters has announced Nestlé MUNCH as the Official Crunch Partner. Since its launch in 1999, Nestle MUNCH has been a loved treat in India and is known for its taste and crunchy texture. The product comes in multiple variations such as Nestle’ MUNCH Nuts, Nestle MUNCH Trip and Nestle MUNCH Crisp Pop. 

“We're absolutely delighted to welcome MUNCH to the KBFC family. We share a common vision to help empower and encourage younger generations to achieve their goals. With this partnership, we hope to inspire more people to pursue their passion with confidence and belief. Nestle MUNCH has been around for so long and we're excited to become a part of their legacy going forward” says Nikhil Bhardwaj, Director, Kerala Blasters FC. 

“MUNCH is thrilled to be partnering with Kerala Blasters FC. The KBFC partnership was a natural fit with MUNCH as both encourage young people to put forth their best selves with confidence. KBFC is one of the most loved football clubs in the ISL and its players inspire youngsters every day to overcome any obstacle that comes their way and make their talent shine” said Rupali Rattan, Director – Confectionery, Nestle India Ltd.

Also read: Bengaluru FC inflict further misery on Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League

New Delhi, Jan 11 (Cricket News) 'Shane', a documentary film on Australia spin legend Shane Warne, will be available for Indian fans on BookMyShow Stream from January 15.

Reliving the spinner's glorious cricketing journey over the years, cricket enthusiasts will get a glimpse of Warne's life through the documentary.

Warne will also shed light his special connection with India after winning the maiden season of the Indian Premier League, his close bond with his peers and Indian cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar.

"I'm super excited to be releasing my documentary 'Shane' which will be exclusively available on BookMyShow Stream," Warne said in a statement.

"In the film, I will talk all about my career, including the highs, like taking the Rajasthan Royals to win the inaugural IPL, way back in 2008 as well as interviews from some cool people who have been part of my journey...

"...those whom I consider very close friends including Sachin Tendulkar, Manoj Badale, owner of the Rajasthan Royals, Ed Sheeran as well as one of my closest friends Chris Martin." 

Also read : Tata group to replace Vivo as IPL title sponsors from this year

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 11 (Cricket News) One of India's largest business conglomerates, the Tata Group, is all set to replace Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo as the Indian Premier League's title sponsor from this year, the event's governing council decided in a meeting on Tuesday.

"Yes, Tata group is coming in as IPL title sponsor," IPL chairman Brijesh Patel confirmed the development to PTI.

Mr. Jay Shah – Honorary Secretary, BCCI said, “This is indeed a momentous occasion for the BCCI IPL as the Tata Group is the epitome of global Indian enterprise with an over 100 year old legacy and operations in more than 100 countries across six continents. The BCCI like the TATA Group is keen to promote the spirit of cricket across international borders and the growing popularity of the IPL as a global sporting franchise, bears testimony to the BCCI’s efforts. We are truly happy that India’s largest and most trusted business groups has believed in the IPL growth story and together with the Tata Group, we will look to take Indian cricket and the IPL forward to greater heights.”

Vivo had a deal of Rs 2200 crore for title sponsorship rights from 2018-2022 but after the 2020 Galwan Valley military face-off between the Indian and Chinese Army soldiers, the brand took a break for a year with Dream11 replacing it.

However, Vivo were back as IPL tittle sponsor in 2021 even as speculation raged that they were looking to transfer the rights to a suitable bidder and the BCCI approved the move. 

Also Read : South African all-rounder Chris Morris retires from all forms of cricket

News Source : PTI

Johannesburg, Jan 11 (Cricket News) South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris on Tuesday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket and is set to take up a coaching role with domestic side Titans.

The 34-year-old cricketer made the announcement on social media.

"Today I announce my retirement from all forms of cricket! Thanks to all who have played a part in my journey whether it be big or small…it's been a fun ride! Delighted to be taking up a coaching role at @titanscricket #lifebeginsnow," Morris wrote on his Instagram page.

A right-arm pacer and explosive batter, Morris made his Test debut as late as 2016 and featured in only four games in traditional format, making 173 runs and taking 12 wickets.

He represented South Africa in four Tests, 42 ODIs and 23 T20 Internationals, picking up 48 and 34 wickets respectively.

With the bat in hand, Morris scored 467 runs in ODIs and 133 in T20s respectively.

Morris played for Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings franchises in the IPL.

He turned out to be the biggest beneficiary among South African cricketers in the IPL when he was bought by Chennai Super Kings for a whopping Rs 3.32 crore in the 2013 players' auction. 

Also Read : India win toss, opt to bat against Proteas in series-deciding 3rd Test

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 11 (Football News) The AIFF has dismissed SC East Bengal player Antonio Perosevic's appeal against the five-match ban imposed on him for "violent conduct" towards match official during an Indian Super League game.

The Croatian is now set to miss SC East Bengal's next two ISL games against Jamshedpur FC and FC Goa.

He has already served three of his five-game suspension.

"The AIFF Appeal Committee deliberated the matter on January 10 and dismissed Perosevic's plea in full. The AIFF body confirmed the decision by the Disciplinary Committee would stand. Perosevic was also ordered to pay an additional INR 60,000 towards the cost and expenses of the appeal," an AIFF release said.

Perosevic was charged for violent conduct towards match official in their game against NorthEast United FC last month. He was also fined Rs 1 lakh earlier.

The player had lodged an appeal with the AIFF to decrease the penalty on January 8. Perosevic mentioned in his appeal that he 'had no intention of making contact with referee or indulging in any act that constitutes violent conduct'. 

Also Read : Vazquez takes Kerala to top of table with 1-0 win over Hyderabad

News Source : PTI

Cape Town, Jan 10 (Cricket News) South Africa captain Dean Elgar on Monday signalled that the gloves are off in the series decider against India and said Virat Kohli's return for their biggest Test in the "last 10-15 years" will make the battle more intense.

The second Test at the Wanderers saw quite a few heated exchanges between the players and with a fit-again Kohli back for the all-important game, Elgar feels more verbal blows will be traded at the Newlands.

"Virat brings a different dynamic to the game. I don't think I missed him. But I think potentially his team missed him, no doubt just from a captaincy point of view and maybe from a strategy point of view.

"He is a world class player and very experienced within their squad. His name speaks for itself and it's one of the more respected cricketers around so I wouldn't say I missed him... But it doesn't matter who are playing against. We as a team, we need to focus on us," said Elgar on the eve of the third Test.

"Biggest game in last 10-15 years" ==================== Elgar, known for his steely resolve, took multiple blows on the body on his way to a match-winning 96 in the second Test.

For a team going through transition and mired in off-the-field controversies, a series win against India will be a massive boost.

"This test is potentially the biggest we've had in 10 years, maybe even 15 years. And I think that speaks for its own respect. Test cricket is always going to have intensity, me as a player harbouring the intensity as well. So I don't think it's going to lack intensity.

"Test cricket still demands quite a high level of intensity and you have to maintain that throughout five days. I know it's not always possible to maintain that throughout five days. But you have to be pretty consistent with regards to implementing the intensity throughout. That's why it's so important to switch off when you can switch off.

"We saw in the Wanderers the minute we brought the intensity it seemed to almost flush the Indians quite a lot. And when that can play in our favour and it would be silly for us not to try and replicate that or even bring even more intensity into the next game," said Elgar.

Elgar said it would also be the biggest win of his career.

"... Obviously that comes with the leadership in captaincy. Now having a bit more influence with regards to our players group. But I think just from a player's point of view, it would be massive for us. I think we've put in so much hard work the last few months.

"We've been playing actually pretty good cricket up until now. We've had a lot of things that go our away because you need some momentum and they're on your side. And we've been doing everything right.

"For us winning the series 2-1 one is huge, beating the world number one side even though it's in your back garden, it's still going to speak massive amounts for our players group going forward in the Proteas batch," said Elgar.

"Pitch will last for five days" =============== Talking about the pitch at Newlands, Elgar predicted that the game will last five days.

"I've seen it from a domestic (match) point of view. Looks a little bit different. Yeah, they've done quite a lot of work after that game we had domestically and the condition is actually pretty good. I think it's the best I've seen Newlands in quite some time.

"The conditions look actually quite welcoming for us. They're just trying to prepare a good Test wicket because I think they obviously want the wicket to deteriorate over time into day four and five.

"That just calls on basics with regards to the kind of deterioration, wear and tear that the wicket can offer but it does look like a relatively good cricket pitch." "If you aren't feeling a little sore, you are not working hard enough" ========================================= For someone who gives his 100 percent on the field and is always up for a fight, Elgar confirmed that everyone is fit for selection in his own inimitable style.

"I don't think there's any hiccups with regards to fitness of players... obviously, there's always niggles when you play in a series, especially Test cricket pushes your body to the limit.

"... And I mean if you're not a little bit sore, and if you're not a little bit bruised, then the bowlers feet are not sore then obviously they're not working hard enough," he added.

He also lauded his lead pacer Kagiso Rabada ahead of his 50th Test.

"Playing 50 Tests for your country is massive. When he started he was extremely raw and he had express pace and I think he's come of age in that period of time. He's influenced our group in such a big way on and off the field.

"And he is only 26. He's still got so much more cricket (in him) from a Test point of view." 

Also Read : If Australian players are going to Pakistan, I will go with them: ACA chief

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 10 (Cricket News) The CVC-owned Ahmedabad franchise will be appointing senior India all-rounder Hardik Pandya as captain for its maiden season in the Indian Premier League, for which it has got the all-clear from the BCCI.

One of the world's leading venture capitalists, who bought the Ahmedabad IPL team for INR 5625 crore, the owners had to wait longer for the BCCI to give them the Letter of Intent as legal vetting was required.

The delay in getting the green light was due to CVC's investments in betting firms in Europe and although they have no such operations in India where betting is illegal, the country's cricket board wanted to be sure about the legal ramifications before giving them the go-ahead.

"Yes, Ahmedabad franchise has received their Letter of Intent. However, they have been doing their back-room work for some time as it's a huge process. As far as we know, Hardik has been zeroed in on as the captain of the franchise," a senior IPL source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

The two new franchises (Lucknow being the other) have the right to choose three players (two Indian and one foreigner) from the pool of available players as part of the draft pick before the mega auction.

"Hardik with his local connect and being a proven IPL performer for Mumbai Indians for so long was an obvious choice as captain and premier player.

"The franchise has almost finalised its deal with Afghan spin sensation Rashid Khan and dashing keeper-batter Ishan Kishan as their second and third picks from the draft. As of now, that's what is finalised unless there are changes at the last moment," the source said.

The Ahmedabad franchise has already appointed Ashish Nehra as its head coach along with Vikram Solanki as director of cricket and Gary Kirsten as team mentor.

This year's tournament will be sort of a comeback trail for Hardik, who has been out of favour since the completion of the ICC T20 World Cup, where India were knocked out in the league phase.

The main contention has been his bowling as he hasn't been the same potent, skiddy fourth seamer in the line-up that he used to be before his back surgery and, of late, he hasn't bowled much even in white ball cricket.

It is now an accepted fact that Pandya in order to prolong his white ball career might not play the longer version for India again but for the white ball team, he remains a vital cog going into this year's World T20 in Australia, and hence, a good show for Ahmedabad as leader cum captain might change the scenario for him. 

Also Read : Ashwin can continue to play spin all-rounder's role in any conditions: Kohli

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Jan 10 (Snooker News) Multiple time world snooker and billiard champion Pankaj Advani has been infected with COVID-19.

The ace cueist confirmed it to PTI on Monday.

"I was following all the COVID restrictions but still got infected. We all have to be extra careful in this third wave of COVID. I have taken medicines and I think it'll take a week for me to recover and get back to my normal routine," Advani said.

Mumbai has been one of the worst cities to get hit by pandemic and according to a bulletin issued by Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), the megapolis reported 19474 positive cases on Sunday. 

Also Read : Puneri Paltan decimate defending champions Bengal Warriors 39-27

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) A very gutsy batting display by the Irish as 71 from Irish captain Andrew Balbirnie, wasn’t enough for Ireland to chase down the West Indies in the first one-day international at Sabina Park in Kingstown  yesterday.

Balbirnie pointed to a few “distractions off the pitch” in his post-match interview, not offering an excuse but acknowledging that COVID had significantly impacted on the squad, leaving Ireland without Paul Stirling, Simi Singh, Ben White or Shane Getkate. Despite these challenges, the Men in Green came within 24 runs of pulling off what would have been a remarkable run chase after being set 270 to win.

After losing William Porterfield early, Balbirnie and makeshift number three Andy McBrine put 61 for the second wicket, batting solidly and looking to build momentum against a dangerous West Indian attack. However, after making his way to 34, McBrine went to hook a bouncer from Odean Smith and was struck on the helmet. He tried to bat on after an initial on-field concussion assessment, but the next over he was showing outward distress and had to retire hurt.

Balbirnie was joined by Harry Tector and the pair put on a well-compiled 103-run partnership – the captain playing several flourishing cover drives, and Tector looking more assured as his innings progressed. Tector’s massive six off Roston Chase in the 32nd over a highlight, coming down the track and blasting the spinner over long off.
 Balbirnie brought up his fifty from 74 balls, and during his innings became the fifth batter to pass 2,500 ODI runs for Ireland. Tector brought up his 5th ODI half-century shortly after and the pair looked to accelerate the scoring rate, looking comfortable at the crease.

 With the score on 165-1, Ireland lost Balbirnie edging behind trying to cut a ball too close to his body. He was soon followed by Tector (53) and Curtis Campher (6) with the visitors slumping to 173-4 with a run rate required starting to rise to more than 8 runs an over.

Despite a late 30 from 25 balls from George Dockrell, and a 9-ball 21* from Mark Adair, wickets tumbled and Ireland was all out off the first ball of the last over for 245.

 Earlier in the day - after captain Balbirnie won the toss and chose to bowl first - Ireland’s bowlers started well with a disciplined line and length. Josh Little, bowling around the 140 km/h mark, was slanting balls across the openers, while Adair extracted swing and movement.

Adair struck first, having Justin Greaves caught for 7 – and while Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran batted solidly for the next 10 overs, the bowlers kept a tight line and restricted the scoring rate to less than 4 an over.

With the score at 59-1 in the 17th over, Ireland then struck three times in the next two overs. McBrine removed the dangerous Pooran for 13, and Campher induced a drive from Hope who nicked off to Lorcan Tucker for 29.

When McBrine removed Chase for 1 in the next over, West Indies found themselves at 62-4 at the end of 19 overs. The Irish bowlers had their tails up, with the West Indian captain Keiron Pollard joined debutant Shamarh Brooks at the crease. The pair put on 155 runs for the fifth wicket off 136 balls to shift the momentum of the game firmly towards the home side.

Pollard’s belligerent 69 from 66 balls included four boundaries and four sixes. Using all of his experience, Pollard dominated the partnership early, however as the pair put on the runs it was Player of the Match Brooks who then took control. The 33-year old Barbadian, who has played 8 Tests and 3 T20Is for the West Indies, made batting in his first ODI look increasingly easy. His half-century came up off 61 balls, but his next 43 runs came off just 28 balls as he pounded Campher for two massive 90 metre sixes in the 38th over.

Having first stabilised the innings, and then built towards setting a decent target, the West Indies then lost 6-52 in the next seven overs – with Craig Young and Adair taking three wickets apiece, and Little his lone wicket today. The unfortunate Brooks fell for 93, trapped LBW to Adair – but the Irish bowlers’ death bowling began to have an effect. More variation of pace and angle resulted in a string of miscued shots – the Caribbean side who with 10 overs of their innings to go were eyeing off a 300-plus score, went down swinging – all out for 269 with seven balls to spare.

 After the match, Balbirnie said: “I thought the fielding effort was good, but I thought we could have bowled a bit better up the top and made them play on the front foot a bit more, just for that bit of nip there was early on. We had a really good middle period and dragged ourselves back into the game, but obviously they got away from us with that big partnership. It was a topsy-turvy innings, but at the halfway stage we were happy enough with 270 to chase.

“In the chase, when myself and Harry got out it turned the tide of the match. That was disappointing for both me and Harry – we talk about guys winning matches for Ireland and it was one of those opportunities for one of us to do that. We set up a run chase that is pretty much our blueprint, so not to get over the line is hard to take at the moment, but we’ve got two more games to put it right.

“There’s been a lot of distractions off the pitch, it certainly hasn’t been ideal, but to get out and play today has been great for the boys. Andy obviously took a blow and didn’t feel great out there, naturally the first thing then is to get him off the pitch and get him checked – he didn’t pass his concussion test, that’s why we sent Neil Rock on.”

Ireland and West Indies are back for the second World Cup Super League match on Tuesday at the same ground.

Also read: Sydney witnesses England’s resilience in 4th Ashes Test

 MATCH SUMMARY  

West Indies Men v Ireland Men, 1st ODI, Sabina Park, Jamaica, 8 January 2022  

West Indies 269 (48.5 overs: S Brooks 93, K Pollard 69; M Adair 3-38, C Young 3-56)

Ireland 245 (49.1 overs: A Balbirnie 71, H Tector 53; R Shepherd 3-50)  

West Indies won by 24 runs

New Delhi, Jan 10 (Badminton News) Star Indian shuttlers P V Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth will look to carry the momentum from last season and make winning starts to the new year when they begin their campaign at the India Open, which returns after being cancelled twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A lot of ranking points will be up for grabs at the USD 400,000 Super 500 tournament which is being held in the looming shadows of a raging third wave of the pandemic in the country with cases rising at a rapid speed, fuelled by the new Omicorn variant.

Top shuttler B Sai Praneeth and doubles player Dhruv Rawat have already pulled out after testing positive in the pre-departure testing. A few other Indians are awaiting results of their RT-PCR tests after turning positive the first time and might also miss out in case of positive result again.

The actual picture regarding the list of players competing will only emerge after the manager's meeting later in the day.

The spectre of COVID, however, hasn't stopped the top Indian and foreign players to descend to the national capital.

Besides Sindhu and Srikanth, many top players such as newly-crowned world champion Loh Kean Yew, three-time world champion Indonesian duo of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan, top Malaysians Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi will also be in action at the event which will take place behind closed doors at the Indira Gandhi stadium here.

Among Indians, all eyes will be on two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu and world championships silver and bronze medallists Srikanth and Lakshya Sen, respectively, to deliver the goods at the country's flagship event.

Sindhu embarked on a consistent run last season as she claimed a second Olympic medal and also secured a silver at World Tour Final besides making the final at the Swiss Open and few semifinals finishes but a title eluded her.

The 26-year-old from Hyderabad, whose last title was the 2019 world championships, will be itching to regain the India Open title which she had first captured five years back in 2017.

Sindhu will begin her campaign against compatriot Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli, while Russian fifth seed Evgeniya Kosetskaya could be her opponent in the last-8 stage.

Two-time champion Saina Nehwal, Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan and Singapore's up and coming Jia Min Yeo are the other top shuttlers in women's singles.

The London Olympics bronze medallist and fourth seed Nehwal, who endured a tough year plagued with multiple injuries, is likely to square off against seventh seed Iris Wang of USA in the quarterꪪfinals and second seed Ongbamrungphan in the semifinals.

In men's singles, Srikanth will begin his campaign against compatriot Siril Verma and might clash with Singapore's Loh Kean Yew in the semifinals in a rematch of their world championships final after being drawn in the same half.

The in-form Sen will start his campaign against Adham Elgamal of Egypt and could face compatriot and world championships quarter-finalist HS Prannoy in the quarterfinals.

Prannoy, who is making a comeback after battling post COVID after-effects, is set to kickstart his challenge against Spaniard Pablo Abian. Sixth seed Sameer Verma, who had suffered a calf muscle injury in Denmark, will also look to go deep into the draw after starting his campaign against his elder brother Sourabh.

The tournament has lost some sheen with the withdrawals of players from France, Russia and Canada and England, who pulled out after doubles specialist Sean Vendy and coach Nathan Robertson tested positive before departing for Delhi on Friday.

As part of its COVID-19 protocols, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has made it mandatory for all the players as well as tournament, match officials, BWF and BAI officials, support staff, vendors and others involved to go through a mandatory COVID testing each day outside the stadium before being allowed entry inside the venue.

Also Read : Praneeth withdraws from India Open after testing positive for COVID-19.

News Sources : PTI

(Tennis news) The 2022 season started off perfectly for team Canada with a first ATP Cup title. Canada were not the favourites in the final as they were facing Spain, a team which had reached the finals in the first edition and semifinals last year. The event has now seen three different winners in the last three editions as Spain has been the runner up twice.

The singles matches had all the four players ranked in the top 21 as Spain was against the youngest singles pair in the event. The first singles match was between Denis Shapovalov and Pablo Carreno Busta, the Spaniard had won his last four singles matches in straight sets at the event. Pablo had also won the last three matches in their head to head meetings as Shapovalov’s only victory came in 2019. The Canadian had withdrawn in his first singles match against USA due to fatigue, in the next match he lost against Britain’s Daniel Evans but went on to win the next two matches.

The first game of the final took 14 minutes as Shapovalov saved multiple breakpoints to hold his serve. Pablo had several chances to break the 22 year old’s serve but the next gen player did whatever he could to hold his serve and finished most of the points at the net. It was not until the 10th game that Shapovalov got the first break as he took the set against an defensive Pablo in 54 minutes. 

In the second set, it was team Canada again as the left handed player kept Spain in the back with his paradisiacal groundstrokes. In the next half an hour, Canada was halfway through the finish line as Shapovalov joined the crowds in celebration. The second match was between Roberto Bautista Agut and Felix Auger Aliassime as Spain needed their top player more than ever. Roberto had won his last four matches which included two top ten wins and a bagel in the first match. Felix had lost to Daniil Medvedev in the previous match as he was bageled in the second set, the 21 year old had also lost his first match to Taylor Fritz but defeated Alexander Zverev in his third match.

Felix was 12 years junior to Roberto yet he was the one who had a more vintage style than the Spaniard. Although both the players were finishing most of the points from the baseline, Felix came into the net 16 times and only lost four chances. Roberto only won 4 points out of 9 at the net as he was hesitant to leave from the baseline. Spain was in the lead as it won the first two games but the rising star came level in the next few games. The 33 year old had a major breakpoint at 4-3 on Felix’s serve but could not savor it as the match reached the tie break and there were no chances left as Canada was a set away from victory.

The second set saw Spain’s chance further deteriorate as the world number 9 was bringing his team closer to the Cup. Felix broke Roberto’s serve in the 8th game and four minutes later a chest bump celebration started off for team Canada with its first ATP Cup title.

Canada defeated Spain 2-0

Shapovalov defeated Pablo 6-4, 6-3, Felix defeated Roberto 7-6(7-3), 6-3

Also read: All eyes on Yuki, Ramkumar at Australian Open qualifiers

Bengaluru, Jan 9 (Kabaddi News) Raider Aslam Inamdar emerged star performer for Puneri Paltan as they beat defending champions Bengal Warriors 39-27 in their Pro Kabaddi League match here on Sunday.

Inamdar scored a Super 10 (17 points) while Abinesh Nadarajan clinched a High 5 (5 tackle points) for Paltan who had a near-flawless performance on the mat.

Captain Maninder Singh clinched a Super 10 for the Warriors, but he proved to be the sole performer for a team desperately short of confidence.

Bengal started the match on the front foot with Maninde's Super Raid (3 points) in the fourth minute putting Pune in a spot of bother. But substitute Sombir and Abinesh Nadarajan produced consecutive Super Tackles to turn the game around for Paltan.

Inamdar and Nitin Tomar picked up crucial points for the team from Maharashtra who got their first 'All Out' with five minutes to the interval. That opened a seven-point lead and Pune used the momentum to continue their attack on a struggling Bengal side.

Maninder and Mohammad Nabibakhsh were immediately tackled as the half ended 20-11 with Pune in the ascendancy. Bengal, who went into the match with just one win in five matches, were staring at another big defeat.

Pune got their second 'All Out' in the third minute of the second half to open a 12-point lead. Their all-rounder Inamdar was having a great time on the mat, targeting Bengal cover Amit Nirwal on multiple occasions. He got his Super 10 while at the other end Maninder tried his level best to keep the Warriors in the match.

Bengal's over-dependence on their captain for raid points was beginning to hurt them as Nabibakhsh struggled.

Maninder’s Super 10 and Akash Pikalmunde's crucial raids didn't seem to matter as Pune held a 13-point lead with five minutes remaining in the match. The energised Pune team made no mistakes in the final raids to win with a 12-point margin. 

Also Read : Thalaivas face Steelers, Dabang Delhi K.C. hope to maintain unbeaten run

News Source : PTI

Hyderabad, Jan 8 (Archery News) Reigning national champion Parth Salunkhe topped the qualification round even as the Tokyo Olympic-returned trio of Pravin Jadhav, Atanu Das and seniormost Tarundeep Rai slipped in the National Ranking Archery Tournament here on Saturday.

The 18-year-old Maharashtra archer shot 680 points to top the qualification round in the recurve men's section, while Army man B Dhiraj (678) and Shukmani Babrekar (670) took the second and third spots respectively.

Jadhav was the best among the Tokyo-returned trio finishing with 669 points to take the fourth spot, while World Cup gold medalist Atanu Das came a lowly eighth, while seniormost Army archery Rai narrowly made the cut finishing 15th.

Multiple World Cup gold medalist and three-time Olympian Deepika Kumari took the third spot in the women's recurve section, finishing below Ankita Bhakat (668) and Simranjeet Kaur.

Simranjeet and Deepika were tied on 656 points but the former edged out the star Indian archer shooting 26 perfect 10s.

In the compound section, the qualifications went on expected lines with Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam clinching the pole positions in the men's and women's sections respectively. 

Also Read : India lose to Korea twice in recurve finals, conclude campaign with seven medals

News Source : PTI

Be ngaluru, Jan 8 (Kabaddi News) Naveen Kumar shone bright as Dabang Delhi defeated UP Yoddha 37-33 in a Pro Kabaddi League match here on Saturday.

The opening game of the Triple Panga night saw the Yoddha defenders give Naveen Kumar a tough time with aggressive tackles, but the young raider still found a way past them to ensure the Delhi side emerged victorious.

UP Yoddha didn't do a lot wrong on the night with Pardeep Narwal and Surender Gill scoring nine points each. Unfortunately for them, it was just another outstanding performance from Naveen Kumar who scored 18 points, including one for the tackle. The result helped Dabang Delhi regain the top spot on the points table.

UP started the match with a steely determination to stop Naveen from running away with the points. Yoddha's corner duo of Nitesh Kumar and Sumit were at their aggressive best as they thwarted the Delhi's raider.

At the other end, Pardeep Narwal looked confident against the error-prone Delhi defence. He picked crucial points off left cover Manjit Chhillar and guided Yoddha to their first all out with five minutes remaining.

Yoddha continued the aggressive approach in the remainder of the first half, with Shubham Kumar also impressing in defence.

Naveen was benched five times in a half that ended 18-13 in favour of UP Yoddha.

If UP thought they had found a solution to stop Naveen, they were in for a rude surprise.

The first 10 minutes of the first half belonged completely to the Delhi raider who started it all with a tackle on his nemesis of Pardeep Narwal.

He then went on to chip points off the Yoddha defence and eventually helped Delhi clinch an all out.

He scored yet another Super 10 as Delhi opened a three-point lead with five minutes remaining. The lead proved too much for the Yoddha raiders to claw back as Delhi sealed an important win.

Also Read : India's Noah placed overall 28th after Stage 6 of Dakar Rally

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 8 (Cricket News) Ishant Sharma's immense experience might gain precedence over Umesh Yadav's classical outswingers when Indian team management zeroes in on an injured Mohammed Siraj's replacement for the series-deciding final Test against South Africa.

Siraj, who sustained a hamstring strain while bowling on the first evening of the second Test, managed only 15.5 overs in the two innings and coach Rahul Dravid admitted that his injury did affect the team strategy while defending 240 in the fourth innings.

Dravid had said that it is difficult to commit whether Siraj will get fit in next few days as hamstring injuries don't heal that easily. They require extensive rest and rehabilitation, more so for fast bowlers, who have way more workload than batters.

In this backdrop, India have two options for the Newlands Test starting January 11. One is 33-year-old Ishant, who hasn't been in the best of forms but has experience of more than 100 Tests and is a workhorse.

The other is 34-year old Umesh, who has 51 Tests under his belt and in the recent past has been a better performer than Ishant, who seemed to have also lost out on a bit of pace with age catching up.

However both Dravid and skipper Virat Kohli, who everyone expects would make a comeback from his back injury in the final game, may prefer the lanky Delhi speedster for multiple reasons.

One of the biggest reasons could be his near 6 feet 3 and half inch height, which might help in creating those awkward lengths for the Proteas batters, something that the home team pacers like Marco Jansen and Duanne Olivier have enjoyed.

"It just felt like the ball seemed to misbehave a little bit more for them, and that could be [because of the] fact of the height. On up-and-down wickets sometimes just having that extra height might tend to make a little bit of a difference, so it just felt for us [that] the balls didn't misbehave as much," Dravid had said.

Even former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad agreed that Ishant should be the choice.

"We missed a tall fast bowler in Johannesburg and the only one we have is Ishant. On these kind of tracks, he is my choice ahead of Umesh. Had it been an Indian track which is rugged and feels like dustbowl, Umesh would be my 'go to' man." The ideal length on South African tracks is somewhere in between back of the length (short) and good length (6 metre).

It's indeed a tricky one says former India keeper Deep Dasgupta, who feels that despite Ishant going off the boil in past few games, he still should be preferred at Newlands.

"I won't be able to say whether Kohli has the same faith in Ishant's abilities which he had till 2019. But even then in this game, Ishant, if played, could come in handy compared to Umesh.

"Firstly, with that height, he would hit tougher lengths and secondly because of his ability to keep the batters quiet for long periods of time which unfortunately didn't happen on a bowler friendly track at the Wanderers," Dasgupta told PTI.

"Ishant can bowl a good eight to 10 over spell and if we see the trend, a first innings score of 275 is the new 350 in Test matches in these conditions. "Also Ishant bowls that fourth stump line where the ball can straighten or cut back enough to make the batters play. But yes, team management will check out their practice form too," Dasgupta.

In case of Umesh, he bowls a fuller length, gets that lethal outswing going his way at 140 clicks but the question is, if India can afford to play a bowler, who has a propensity to bowl too many boundary balls.

This habit of Umesh could prove to be very costly in low-scoring games where periods of lull created by defensive bowlers are like gold dust.

Effect of High Tide and Low Tide ==================== Just like at the erstwhile WACA ground in Perth where the afternoon sessions used to help the swing bowlers with lateral movement due to the 'Freemantle Doctor' -- afternoon sea breeze that blew across the ground --, some of the sessions at Cape Town are guided by the effect of High and Low Tides, assessed Dasgupta, who had played here in 2002.

"Newlands Stadium is beside the sea and there are times when there is a High Tide and in that case, there is more movement in the air and off the pitch available.

"This is because when tide is high, the temperature gets a bit cooler and hence there is some amount of nip in the air. Exactly opposite happens in case of a low tide when it becomes a bit warmer and there might not be much for the bowlers.

"In both cases, Ishant is a better bet to bowl attacking or defensive as per team's needs," Dasgupta said. 

Also Read : South Africa's positive intent in 2nd innings surprised Indian bowlers, says Philander

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Bangladesh will step on Hagley Oval to play their chances for a first series win in New Zealand. Bangladesh had shocked the world Test champions in the 1st test with pacers and batters doing their stunts with the ball. The second Test will begin tomorrow as both sides have few must do tasks.

Bangladesh have recorded their first win over New Zealand at their home turf as the Black Caps were undefeated for 17 successive tests at home but now, Mominul Haque will have to lead his men once again as the hosts haven’t lost a Test at Hagley Oval in 5 years as they will look to keep records intact this time.

Haque picked up two crucial wickets in the first innings as the spinners and pacers shared the glory. In the second innings, it was all pacers doing the damage and they will need to fire once again to keep the Kiwi batters at bay. Ebadot Hossain took care of the top order in the second innings as he took 6 wickets for 46 runs which is the second best by a Bangladeshi pacer.

Bangladesh batters were also impressive as two batters stood for more than 200 balls and two more players lasted for more than 100 balls. Even the lower order batters kept their defensive shields intact as the team stood together with the bat, something which does not happen once in a while. Haque couldn’t have done a better job of being a captain as he lasted 244 balls while scoring 88 runs and missing out on a deserving 12th hundred. 

The New Zealand side would want to avoid a series defeat and also give a winning farewell to Ross Taylor who will play his last Test match. The side’s batters did a decent job in the first innings as the bowlers struggled to break through the barricades of the opposition. Trent Boult and Neil Wagner did take out half the team but by then it was too late. Boult needs four more wickets for 300 wickets as he will play his 75th match tomorrow.

Tim Southee alongside Kyle Jamieson will have to strike in the match as they have a strong pace line up along with Boult and Wagner. The four pacers will be trying to stop Bangladesh creating history as the batters should guard their crease for a longer period of time.

Taylor is set to become the joint most capped player in his team’s history in Tests as former all rounder Daniel Vettori had played 112 Tests. There are multiple tasks for both the teams but winning is the most important one as the rest can wait.

Also read: Bangladesh's win in NZ will change notion that team is dependent only on senior players: Shakib

Colombo, Jan 8 (Cricket News) Sri Lanka's aggressive opening batter, Danushka Gunathilaka, has decided to retire from Test cricket at the age of 30 to focus on the white ball formats, the country's apex cricket body said on Saturday.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said the batter "will now be focusing on the shorter formats".

The development comes close on the heels of another 30-year-old batter, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, announcing his decision to retire altogether from international cricket and a day after the board lifted a one-year bio-security breach suspensions on Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis and Niroshan Dickwella with immediate effect.

Gunathilaka, who stated that he has taken the decision after evaluating all aspects, hasn't played a Test since 2018, with his eight appearances getting him 299 runs, two half-centuries and a career-best score of 61.

He has got a better record in limited overs cricket.

In 44 ODIs, he has scored 1520 runs at an average of 36.19, while in T20Is, he has 568 runs in 30 matches at a strike rate of 121.62.

The trio of Gunathilaka, Mendis and Dickwella was handed a one-year ban from international cricket for a bio-security breach during Sri Lanka's tour of England last year.

The ban also included a six-month suspension from domestic cricket, and a fine of approximately USD 50,000.

Gunathilaka frequently ran into problems with the SLC over disciplinary issues. Since his international debut towards the end of 2015, Gunathilaka has served three separate suspensions, the latest being the one for breaching bio-bubble protocols. 

Also Read : Ramnaresh Sarwan named selector of West Indies team

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) The quarter final clash between Misaki Doi and Kaja Juvan was different from the other three quarter final matches at Adelaide International 1. It was a battle of two players with triple digits in their rankings unlike the rest of the players who reached this stage. Doi was not the favourite against Juvan as she had beaten world number 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the previous match. Juvan had her chances to beat Doi in the third set as she had two match points and was leading by 4-2 but Doi reached her first WTA 500 semifinal in an uplifting fashion. Doi defeated Juvan 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7-5).

"If I had lost today, still, I gave everything, 100 percent on the court," Doi said, after her win. "I think this mentality was good, I just stayed focused on what I needed to do."

In a high voltage clash, Iga Swiatek overcame Victoria Azarenka in a match where each set was one sided. The first saw the defending champion take the lead as Azarenka did it even better in the second set to take the match into the final set. In the third set, Swiatek annihilated Azarenka’s serve as the former world number 1 only won 3 points out of 12 in her second serve to bow out of the event. Swiatek defeated Azarenka 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.

Ashleigh Barty looked incredibly comfortable playing at home as it was raining aces in her quarterfinal match against Sofia Kenin. Barty only lost one point on her first serve in the whole match as Kenin could not get her racquet near the ball. Kenin also did not secure a single breakpoint in the match as Barty had nine breakpoints and won 7 of them. Barty defeated Kenin 6-3, 6-4.

We practice quite a bit together," Barty said of her next match against Swiatek . "I enjoy her company. I enjoy her team's company. Playing her for the first time last year in Madrid was exciting for both of us.

Elena Rybakina came back from a set down to beat Shelby Rogers for her third consecutive victory over the American. Rogers had defeated Rybakina two years ago in the fourth round of the US Open after which Rybakina had defeated Rogers twice including a straight victory at Wimbledon. Unlike the first two sets, Rybakina got absolute control of the first serve in the final set as she won 9 points out of 10 to set up a semifinal clash against Doi. Rybakina defeated Rogers 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Also read: Bopanna-Ramkumar enter semis with straight set win in Adelaide

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors slumped to their first back to back defeats as they lost 101-96 to the New Orleans Pelicans. For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram scored 32 points as Warriors' leading scorer Stephen Curry was ruled out after hurting his left quad along with Draymond Green was also out because of a sore hip. The Pelicans players produced an allround performance as Hart scored 14 points and Clark had 10, hitting three of four 3-pointers. Jonas Valanciunas grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked two shots. For the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins scored 21 points. Kuminga scored 13 and Damion Lee added 12. With this result Pelicans improved their record to 14-25 as the Warriors dropped down to  2nd in the Western Conference standings with a record of 29-9.

''You could tell from the start of the game that he was playing at a different pace,'' Pelicans coach Willie Green said of Ingram, “He was aggressive, and he had intention. He knew where he wanted to get, and he got to his spots and jumped up and shot the ball. He got to the free throw line. It just took him a couple games to get back in rhythm.''

''Being short-handed gives the young guys a good chance to play and experience a pressure-filled game on the road,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ''I am proud of the team fighting all the way through, giving themselves a chance at the end. Just didn't have enough, and the ball didn't go in enough.''

''It takes a toll on me throughout the day and the next day until we can get back on the floor,'' Ingram said. ''Today was definitely a good night for me. My body felt good. I felt good going to the rim. I had a rhythm. I had a good touch to my shot.

The Phoenix Suns became the first team with 30 wins as they won comprehensively against the LA Clippers 106-89. For the Suns, Chris Paul had a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and the Suns improved to 25-0 when leading after three quarters. Cam Johnson added a career-high 24 points, and Jalen Smith scored 19 points and had 14 rebounds. The Clippers dropped below .500 at 19-20 as  Marcus Morris Sr had 26 points and Reggie Jackson added 16. With this victory the Suns moved to the top of the Western Conference standings as they improved their record to 30- 8.

''Some teams' biggest issue is that they don't know what they want to run or who they want to go down the stretch,'' Paul said. ''I think we have a good sense of that. We know what our go-to plays are.''

''I just think the players have done a really good job of driving our culture,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''We have unreal guard play, which really helps.

''We scraped and competed,'' Clippers coach Ty Lue said. ''That is a good ball club over there and they played well. Their stars took over down the stretch and took over the game.''

Also read: NBA: Nets win as Kyrie Irving makes a comeback, Mavericks stun the Warriors

The other results were:

• Knicks 108 - 105 Celtics
• Grizzlies 118 - 88 Pistons

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• 76ers vs Spurs
• Raptors vs Jazz
• Nets vs Bucks
• Bulls vs Wizards
• Rockets vs Mavericks
• Nuggets vs Kings
• Lakers vs Hawk
• Trail Blazers vs Cavaliers

New Delhi, Jan 6 (Sports News) India's participation in the upcoming Asian Games is under no doubt since several horse-rider combinations for Show-Jumping and Eventing disciplines have already achieved the required eligibility for qualification (MER) even as three selection trial events are still left, Equestrian Federation of India (EFI) asserted on Thursday.

EFI's clarification has come in the wake of reports that lowering of the status of one of its events by the world governing body FEI has cast a doubt on India's participation at the Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Hangzhou from September 10-25.

The EFI insisted that FEI can not interfere in India's selection trials but admitted that one of the events which also happened to be a trial event has been downgraded from CCI2* to CCI1* level.

EFI said it is not necessary that an FEI event has to serve as a selection trial and it is prerogative of the national federation to decide which event will be a selection trial.

"I ask you a simple question, can ICC interfere in BCCI's selection trials for picking national team, for a cricket tournament or can UWW interfere in selection of Indian wrestlers for the Asian Games?," EFI Secretary General Colonel Jaiveer Singh said in an interaction with the PTI.

"It is up to India's national sports federation to pick national team. It is highly misleading for someone to say that India's Asiad participation is under doubt just because status of one FEI event was lowered. People have actually drawn fallicious conclusion that is under doubt." Col. Singh explained why the FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) had lowered the status of the Bengaluru CCI2 event, that had to serve as a selection trial event for the Asiad.

"FEI's main concern was that why so many riders entered the competition but did not finish in the Delhi event last month. They were worried about the withdrawals.

"We explained to them that since riders did not get good enough points in one event, they did not want to strain their horses by participating in other event and thus the withdrawals.

"FEI remained insistent and wanted us to first have a lower-rung event and then go for a CCI2 event. But please understand that we can have selection trials even without an FEI sanctioned CCI2 event.

"We are doing FEI events for the sake of transparency. It gives level-playing field for Indian riders who live and compete in the country as well as Indian riders abroad, competing in European events. At an FEI event, the jury is international and standards of judging is high," he said.

EFI contended that in Eventing discipline, Major Apurva Dabhade has achieved two MERs (42.8 in Jaipur and 36.2 in Delhi) with his horse Cantolina and Major Deepanshu Sheoran (horse, Fransisco Dream) has one MER (32.7).

Dfr. Rakesh Kumar (MER 34.9 with horse Victory Lap), Swr. Vikas Kumar (MER 39.1, horse Altaf) and Ashish Limaye (MER 40.5, horse Dinard Peguignon) are eligible to be on Indian team for the Asian Games.

"This Minimum Eligibility Requirement (MER) is as per the defined selection criteria laid down by the EFI. It matches international standard, so if they have already achieved that, how can anyone say India's Asiad participation is under doubt," Col. Jaiveer asked.

In Show Jumping, securing 12 and lower penalty is good enough to be in probables and five riders have already got MERs.

Out of five, Zahan Setalvad has secured two MERs (9 and 8) with horse Quintus Z and he has got another MER with horse EL Captian while Kaevaan Setalvad (9), Amar Sarin (12) and Pranay Khare (0) are other riders who are in contention to be in the Indian team.

In the Dressage event, Anush Agarwalla (69.412% PSG, Prix St-Georges) and Gaurav Pundir (66.127% PSG) have achieved MERs.

"All these Indian riders have achieved MERs judged by international jury, so these results mean they are good enough to compete in Asian Games. So our trial events are pretty fair and good standard," said Lt. Colonel MM Rahman, the joint secretary of the EFI.

The federation said it gives five chances to all riders to earn qualification and intends to hold the remaining selection trials between February and April.

"See, we have teams ready even today but why we are hosting more trial events is that better candidates with even better points emerge. We give all riders a minimum of five trials events to compete and present their candidature," Rahman added. 

Also Read : PKL: Bengal Warriors face in-form Haryana Steelers

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Real Madrid and Barcelona have both gone past the first hurdle in the 2021/22 Copa del Rey. Barcelona were put through the grinder by Linares Deportivo. Hugo Diaz gave the home side a lead with a header in the 19th minute to put the Blaugrana on the back foot straight away. Barcelona kept a lot of possession and created a few chances but couldn't get the equaliser. Xavi made a triple change at halftime bringing on Frenkie De Jong, Gerard Pique and Ousmane Dembélé. 

The substitutes had an impact on the game as the Catalan side looked more composed with the ball. Dembele got the equaliser with a low curling shot from the edge of the box in the 63 minute. Six minutes later La Masia player Ferran Jutglà gave his side the lead. Linares did have a few chances to get the equaliser, the most prominent one coming in the 75th minute when substitute Cristian Carracedo hit the post. The game ended 2-1 with Barcelona dominating 82 percent possession. The win came at cost as Frenkie De Jong and Ronald Araujo both joined the long list of injured players. Barcelona will have two more absentees for the game against Granada and potentially the El Clasico in the Spanish Super cup midweek.

Real Madrid almost relieved the nightmare at Alcoyano. Just like last season Alcoyano was putting all sorts of pressure on Real Madrid right from the first minute and the goalscorer in last year's fixture Eder Militao once again scored. The Deja Vu hit Real Madrid fans really hard when Dani Vega equalised in the 66th minute. Thankfully for Carlo Ancelotti, Marco Asensio scored a deflected goal 10 minutes later to give Real Madrid the lead. In the 78th minute Alcoyano conceded an own goal after some pinball in their box. Real Madrid won 3-1 but it was by no means an easy victory. Ancelotti will definitely look at it as a job done as they gear up for a very important game against Valencia on the weekend before traveling to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super cup.

Also read: Chelsea defeat Spurs 2-0 in first leg of Carabao Cup semi-finals

New Delhi, Jan 6 (Cricket News) Fantasy sports platform My11Circle has signed up with RP-Sanjiv Goenka group's Lucknow franchise as the official title sponsor of the team for the upcoming season of Indian Premier League.

The three-year deal will see My11Circle logo featuring on the Lucknow team jersey.

Commenting on the partnership, Raghu Iyer, CEO, RPSG Sports said, "We are delighted to have My11Circle as our Principal Team Sponsor. We thank them for the faith they have shown in our new franchise and are confident that this will be a winning partnership." Lucknow franchise is one of the new teams apart from Ahmedabad side in the upcoming season of IPL. 

Also Read : Everything you need to know about Ireland’s tour to West Indies

News Source : PTI

The sporting industry has evolved leaps and bounds, not just in terms of new advancements for the athletes and coaches but also to create the best experiences for fans. We’ve seen the use of data analysis in the popular Hollywood film ‘Moneyball’ but did you know that analytics are also integral for the holistic growth of the entire sporting ecosystem? From increasing revenue, analyzing player performance to prevention of injuries, analytics has become a central component to not just give competitive advantages but enhance fan experiences.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Megha Gambhir, Co-Founder and CEO at Stupa Sports Analytics speaks about the importance of sports analytics, building experiences for fans and audiences, digitizing sporting events, migrating to other sports, driving organic traffic on social media and future goals.

Q 1) How much of a competitive edge does sports analytics give to an athlete or a team? Do you believe it's a must-have in this day and age?

I definitely believe that it is a must have. There is a saying that smart work is as important as hard work. When you are working smart it gives you much more benefits. That is why I believe that sports analytics are important for the players and the coaches because you are getting the precise information and taking that into practice. They can then work on the specific areas that need improvement and also work on areas where the opponent is weak. It's very important that players get objective feedback through sports analytics. The smart training makes the players better prepared for the matches. I feel that using analytics gives individuals a competitive edge. 

Q 2) How is Stupa Sports Analytics building experiences for fans and audiences?

So far we have been working on multiple segments. One is related to players and coaches which is performance analytics but the other big area is fans who are watching the game through any form of media. Fans of Table Tennis or many other racket sports that are not as popular as Football or Cricket are in dire need of experiences where they can have a visual treat which not only gives them an appealing experience but also gives them a better understanding of the game. When a Football or a Cricket fan tries to watch these other sports he should not be blank without understanding what is happening in the match. We are trying to bring augmented reality and mixed reality using our artificial intelligence, merging it with the live viewing experiences which can help them understand the game and give them a lot of visual enhancement. It makes it interesting and also makes it easy for the viewers to comprehend the games while watching. That is the kind of experience we are building. 

Q 3) How does Stupa enable event organizers to digitize the tournament with automated handling and monetization?

We have built a tournament platform that can manage the entire event starting from registration of players to publishing the results, it can also create the fixtures, analyse the scores and live streaming the event for the audience. Currently many of the sports including Table Tennis don’t have a platform which gives the audience end-to-end solutions, where they can create digital events and perform all the activities online.

With the help of the app, the players will get notified of each change in the event. They can also know the umpires in the matches and get the recordings of matches of all the players from Stupa. The platform which we have created gives out a lot of information so any individual will understand all the aspects of the sport. Even now, many events around the world still use pen and paper for the events. I think we have brought in a more sophisticated platform which enables them to work digitally. Another part we have added to this is to monetize the tournaments by the organisers so that they can generate revenue out of it.

People who are on this platform can watch the live matches, download the videos, get the stats and analytics. This is where a tournament promoter can start monetizing through ads in the live streams, offline videos, and sell the analytics to players and coaches. So the monetizing element can increase the entire trust of the community of organizers and players. Everyone is getting benefited and finally the level of the sport goes higher.

Also read: My main goal is to help my country qualify for a World Cup - Malaysian national cricketer Pavandeep Singh

Q 4) With 25% of Olympian table tennis players already using Stupa Sport Analytics, how quickly are you planning to migrate to other racquet sports such as tennis and badminton?

We do have plans to expand it to other sports. It was an overwhelming moment when we realized that 25% of the Table Tennis players at the Tokyo Olympics were Stupa users. Another major achievement was that they won three Olympic medals, now we have 40 plus world rank players who are using our services. We also have major federations like Germany, Sweden, Commonwealth Table Tennis Federation and we are also signing contracts. We feel there is still a left to do in Table Tennis since there are a lot of inhand contracts and we are also currently working on products for the sport.

The kind of technology we have built can be transferable to multiple other sports. Badminton being the rising market in India, we do want to shift into Tennis as well and will be raising funds in the next few months. As soon as we close our funding the next step is to expand the team into Badminton and other sports as well.

Q 5) How does Stupa help spread viral and engaging table tennis content on social media that drives organic traffic?

Table Tennis has a global market in itself as almost 200 million people play Table Tennis which includes the competitive and the amatuer sector as well. The player market is quite huge and even the audience of the sport is huge, almost 1.6 Billion viewership was received last year which is being reported by the WTT. The market is huge, however, the creative content hasn’t come out to give fans some nice feeds on social media and I feel this is the sector we should work on and gain the trust of the fans. What we have started is very creative in terms of covering tournaments, results and properly creating some fun entertaining content. In the last couple of months we have seen the growth of more than 3 million interactions on our Instagram handle so we feel that the creative content has worked wonders and is helping more people to be engaged with the sport more.

Q 6) As CEO of Stupa Sports Analytics, what are some of your future goals? How do you plan to achieve them?

We started Stupa three years ago and the journey has been a very emotional one for us as lots of ups and downs we have faced but I would say we had more highs than lows because this is what we were envisaging when we initially had the idea. Our future goal was to work in a kind of environment where we completely redesigned and redefined the sports experience for people who were with the sport. By using the latest technologies as currently we are working on deeptech, AI, AR and a lot of other stuff as well. Our future goal is to enhance the experience and redesign the sport for the players, fans, organisers, federation etc. We literally want to create a phenomenal experience for them by solving the problems they are facing in the sport in the sporting ecosystem that we have created. We do want to give the entire sports fraternity, be it Table Tennis, Badminton or Tennis, an experience so that they have the facility to solve their problems and help them through our technological advancements.

Mumbai, Jan 6 (Cricket News) BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has assured state units that the Board "will do everything to restart the domestic season once the COVID-19 situation is under control" after some marquee tournaments, including the Ranji Trophy, were postponed due to a resurgence of cases across the country.

The BCCI on Tuesday had to put on hold the Ranji Trophy, which was set to begin later this month, and a few other tournaments due to a surge in COVID 19 cases in the country.

"As you are aware, we had to put on hold the currently on-going domestic season due to the worsening COVID-19 situation," Ganguly said in a letter to state associations.

The Ranji Trophy and Col C K Nayudu Trophy were scheduled to begin this month while the Senior Women's T20 League was scheduled to commence in February.

"The COVID cases are rapidly increasing and there were multiple positive cases in many teams. It posed an imminent threat to the health and safety of players, officials and all others related to the running of the tournaments," Ganguly wrote in the mail to Presidents and Secretaries of all the units.

PTI is in possession of the mail written by Ganguly.

Ganguly stressed that the Board would do everything to restart the domestic season.

"The BCCI would like to reassure that it will do everything to restart the domestic season once the COVID situation is under control.

"We are committed to holding the remaining tournaments for this season. The Board will shortly come back to you with a revised plan," said Ganguly.

"I thank you for your support and understanding. Please look after yourself and stay safe and healthy," the former left-handed batter signed off.

Seven members of the Bengal squad and India all-rounder Shivam Dube along with Mumbai team's video analyst had tested positive for COVID-19 in the run up to the Ranji Trophy, which was scheduled to start across the country on January 13.

The premier domestic tournament did not happen in the 2020-2021 season due to the pandemic.

The COVID-19 situation is grim across all the major cities with Delhi and Mumbai recording thousands of new cases, several them being affected by new Omicron variant. 

Also read : Jemimah, Shikha dropped from Mithali Raj-led India squad for ICC Women's World Cup in New Zealand

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Australia won the toss and elected to bat first in the 4th Ashes Test at the SCG. As expected rain intervened multiple times as England could only bowl 47 overs. Australia lost their top 3 and managed to score 123 runs. 

David Warner and Marcus Harris walked out to bat just like they did for the last 3 games. They started cautiously and later started bringing out the shots. Ben Stokes produced an edge of Warner that went between 2nd slip and gully. The pair put together a 50 run partnership. Stuart Broad finally got the breakthrough as he picked up the wicket of David Warner once again. This was the 13 time Broad had dismissed Warner in Test matches. Harris and Marnus Labuschagne started to look good at the crease but James Anderson broke the Partnership as Harris edged a ball to Root at first slip. Mark Wood joined the party as he got rid of Marnus Labuschagne on 28.

The returning Usman Khawaja joined Steve Smith in the middle. Khawaja got off the mark with a trademark lull shot. The pair could only add 9 runs before rain spoiled the party for one final time. The remaining 4 days are expected to be the same which will be very frustrating for the players. This was probably only the 2nd time in this series that England had a better day then Australia and they need more of those if they want to take any WTC points home.

Also read: Bangladesh beat New Zealand by 8 wickets in 1st Test at Bay Oval

(Football news) Romelu Lukaku has issued a public apology to Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel, his team-mates and supporters over his recent interview in which he expressed his desire to return to Inter Milan after just six months at Stamford Bridge. The Belgian striker said it’s up to him to “restore trust” and is now in contention for Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final fixture against Tottenham after being dropped in the weekend’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool.

In an interview on the club’s website, Lukaku said “To the fans, I'm sorry for the upset that I caused. You guys know the connection that I have with this club since my teenage years, so I totally understand you guys being upset. Obviously, it's up to me now to restore your trust and I'll do my best to show commitment every day on the training ground and in the games, trying to make sure that we win games. And also to the manager, I apologise, and also to my team-mates and the board, because I think it was not the right moment also and I want to move forward from this and make sure that we start winning football games and that I perform for the team in the best manner.”

Lukaku and Tuchel had a meeting on Monday to clear the air after the striker's recent comments and the German manager said that the Belgian feels responsible and determined to "clean the mess up". Tuchel said “First of all, we were even in the background happy that we took the time that it needed to look calmly on it and talk calmly. He has apologised and is back in the squad for today's training [session] later. We have had enough time to clear the air and move on. For me, the most important thing was to understand and clearly understand and believe that it was not intentional. He did not do this intentionally to create noise in front of such a big game."

Thomas Tuchel has also revealed that Lukaku will be fined for taking part in the interview with Sky Italy. He also praised the close relationship he has with the Chelsea board after forging robust links with directors Petr Cech and Marina Granovskaia. “There will be some disciplinary actions," said Tuchel. "Something happened, he will be fined and of course, he needs to accept it. It's not about I push my opinions through or the club pushes their opinions through. We are adults and we reflect on the situation. The more the story went on, I had a clear opinion and I was happy that was OK with the club to go with it.

“We have a very open, close relationship and we can find very quick solutions, without any political interference, putting any disturbing factor aside and just looking at the isolated issue. We went from there. It was very nice to be a part of it. Between Petr, Marina and me, it was very calm, quick and open. Maybe we will still have a bit of smell still from it of course. He can handle it, but he also has no other choice. He cannot expect everybody to be super happy the very next day. But he's still our player and we have good, good reasons and a lot of reasons to make him play for us, and to convince him and to fight hard that he's our player. We're happy he's our player, we will protect him."

Also read: Was Tuchel right in axing Lukaku from the squad against Liverpool?

Gaming and esports is more than just a recreational pass time. It has quickly become a viable career option for many athletes around the world and the pandemic has further accelerated the growth of this industry, resulting in various gaming leagues in India organizing tournaments on mobile and console platforms, thereby providing a platform not just for those who wish to participate but also generating viewership amongst the masses.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Rahul Bhattacharya, Co-Founder & MD, Microgravity speaks about what inspired him to begin his venture, Microgravity Gaming League, his goals and vision, leveraging AR and VR technologies, overcoming challenges and building communities around gaming content.

Q 1) As co-founder of Microgravity Ventures, what inspired you to come up with a brand that promises to deliver a world-class multi-player gaming experience?

Video gaming had a cult following for generations. The latest and the best of them now attract even more fan-following as seen in my own house. I did spend a lot of time trying to master console-based gaming along with my son. I found the quality and the depth of the content taking major leaps in the last few years. Compelling content and great graphics have added to this excitement. Also, major metropolitan centers like New York, London, Dubai, and Melbourne have some of the best gaming hubs that are also multiplayer. My frequent travels to these locations during my consulting days at Accenture prompted me to bring such a platform to India. You can do a lot at home using your consoles and devices but the real fun in gaming is when you come together with friends and family. We wanted to set a new benchmark, not just in India but in this part of the world in terms of the quality of experience.

Q 2) Tell us about the Microgravity Gaming League and how it looks to enhance and promote the esports league format?

Microgravity Gaming League was conceptualized to promote communities around esports. We wanted to deliver the same quality of experience to people engaging purely online. At some point drive them to these locations to experience the best tech has to offer. As a company, we wanted to quickly acquire the know-how of hosting tournaments at scale. We have already managed 5 large tournaments, four on the mobile and one on the console. We want to be synonymous with gaming in India and therefore we will search for formats that are bigger and brighter. Last but  not least these esports leagues are not just played or competing. They are also watched. When top players compete against each other, the quality of content and the story becomes even more compelling. I have had the good fortune to see India’s best competing at Microgravity Gaming League. We want to take this content to everyone who is an enthusiast or is seeking an experience.

Q 3) What is your vision for Microgravity Ventures and how do you plan to achieve your goals? 

We want to capture the gaming enthusiasts’ mindshare. We want to be a platform where he satisfies all his needs. Setting up world-class destinations across major metros and tier 2 cities is  part of the plan along with the ability to bring in the crowds onto our esports platform to satisfy  the mobile gaming community. We are also working on an e-commerce website that is only gaming that can carry an enthusiast up the value chain whatever be his budget. So whether it’s  playing or competing, experiencing multiplayer, or shopping it has to be Microgravity. That’s the vision.

Also read: Orangutan Elite is an indestructible unit and being In-Game Leader of this team is a huge accomplishment - Dev “Iconic” Kumar

Q 4) How is the company looking to leverage AR and VR technologies to bring solutions to the  industry? 

The team is gathering know-how and skills that are cross transferable across industries. At some point, we will look to explore other allied industries like Retail, Hospitality, and Travel. Travel is already part of our plan where you can walk the city of New York in the heart of Gurgaon.  

Q 5) What are some of the challenges that you have faced as co-founder and MD of Microgravity  Ventures? How did you overcome them? 

We started small and needed to bring in the right team to achieve our short-term goals. We want to continue our search for the best talent in this space. It is a team effort and therefore building  a good team from scratch has been a compelling need. I also feel we may be a little ahead in time in terms of monetization options but going forward this industry is going to explode. Working on raising capital has been an important part of this journey. We are actively searching for strategic  partners to take this idea forward. There is a lot to do in this space and we are taking one step at  a time. 

Q 6) How are Microgravity Ventures building communities around popular gaming content? What are the various games that are promoted by the league? 

We wanted to bring in a differentiated experience whether it’s online or an offline format for the gaming enthusiast. We would like to constantly bring in new products and offerings that operate in both the worlds and where possible deliver the best experiences across popular content in a multiplayer format. I can only say that we are working with some of the best  principals globally and please watch this space.

In a world of instant gratification, many traditional sports formats seem outdated to the younger generation. The idea of waiting for five days for a Test cricket result, only for the match to end in a draw seems bizarre to say the least, resulting in the T20 format being widely adopted in international and domestic matches to generate interest in the sport. Similarly, a rugby union match lasts for at least 80 minutes but a sevens match consists of two halves of seven minutes with a two-minute halftime break. There are many other sports that have adapted to a shorter format so that games are more competitive, intense and provide instant results.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Mark Milne, creator of Thirty30 (T30) Tennis speaks about how his format is different from the traditional way the sport is played, the inspiration behind creating a shorter format, his vision, overcoming challenges, future goals and more! 

Q 1) As the creator of Thirty30 Tennis, what is the difference between this format and the traditional way tennis is played?

The distinguishing difference between Thirty30 ("thirty-thirty") tennis and traditional tennis is that matches are shorter and faster-paced, making the tennis more fun and more exciting.

The game score ticks over much more quickly. One set is completed in no longer than 20 minutes, with a best-of-3 sets match completed in 40-60 minutes and a best-of-5 in 60-90 minutes.

In Thirty30 tennis, everything is identical to traditional tennis except:

(1) Every "SHORT GAME" starts from 30-30 (announced "thirty-thirty" - the clue is in the name!) instead of 0-0.

(2) A 9-point tie-break (i.e. first to 5 points with sudden death at 4-4) is played at 6 games all in a set.

(3) In a set, the change of ends is after the first two games and then every four after that.

All very simple!

Q 2) Why did you feel the need to create a shorter format of the sport? Do you believe it’s a format that will garner appeal amongst the younger audience who prefer more action packed sporting events?

The tennis authorities have recognised for a number of years that matches have been lasting too long to attract the younger generation who are looking for more excitement in today's faster paced society.

Many sports have also recognised this and have created their own alternative shorter faster-paced formats, e.g. racket sports similar to tennis like squash, badminton and table tennis have all changed their scoring methods in an effort to evolve.

Others include: Cricket (Twenty20/T20, T10, The Hundred), Golf (Golf Sixes), Netball (Fast5), Tennis (Fast4 and Tie Break Tens), Rugby (Sevens), Basketball (3x3), Athletics (Nitro).

Various alternative shorter scoring formats are currently being used and trialled in tennis:

(1) Tennis Australia's Fast4 - sets are played to 4 games with a tie-break at 3-3 and sudden-death points played at deuce. Fast4 has led to the following Rules being included in Appendix V (Alternative Scoring Methods) of the ITF Rules of Tennis: 'Sets to 4 Games', 'No Ad' and 'No Let'.

(2) The use of the match deciding 3rd set Match Tie Break to 10 points, e.g. Laver Cup, ATP Cup, ATP & WTA Doubles Events, etc.

(3) The use of the 'No Ad' Rule, e.g. ATP & WTA Doubles Events, etc.

(4) Patrick Moroutoglou's Ultimate Tennis Showdown's four 8 minute timed quarters using tie breaks like scoring and use of 'playing cards'.

Thirty30 (or T30) tennis is an alternative shorter scoring format to the formats listed above and in my opinion is the Rolls Royce of shorter scoring methods as Thirty30 tennis maintains the DNA of traditional tennis and match results look identical.

Everything about Thirty30 tennis still FEELS, LOOKS and SOUNDS like traditional tennis and EVERY Point REALLY Counts!

Q 3) What is your vision for Thirty30 Tennis? Is this meant to be a recreational format of tennis or do you envision it to be adopted professionally as well?

My vision for Thirty30 tennis is to see it used all over the world as an alternative shorter scoring method, played socially and competitively by recreational players and played competitively by professional players.

Also read: My goal is to be MVP, Top Fragger and win an international trophy for India - Esports athlete Jonathan Amaral

Q 4) What are some of the challenges that you have faced in introducing the Thirty30 Tennis format? How did you overcome them?

Tennis is just a hobby for me and I have a great passion for it. I am a Mechanical Design Engineer with over 30 years experience working in both the Steel and Oil & Gas Industries in Scotland and finding enough time to spend on promoting Thirty30 tennis has been the hardest thing about launching Thirty30 tennis. Currently I am spending almost 100% of my spare time working on it.

A lot of tennis people are risk averse and unwilling to accept change in the sport.

People fundamentally don’t like change and it is very difficult to get people to accept change in any walk of life, never mind tennis.

However I am convinced that tennis has to adapt and evolve in order to stay successful and this drives me and the project forward.

Q 5) Do you have plans to expand the Thirty30 Tennis format to other countries?

Thirty30 tennis is already being played all over the world. I have received almost 300 Testimonials endorsing the format, as illustrated on the attached "Google Maps" file.

 
Q 6) As the creator of Thirty30 Tennis, what are your future goals and objectives with regards to this format? How do you plan to achieve them?

Our goals and objectives are to create for tennis what the IPL Cricket has done for cricket. We are going to be the T30 of tennis, and we are doing it on a global basis. We are doing this in two structures. Physical Competitions and Virtual Reality. For Virtual Reality we are in a joint venture with VRML Tennis Esports. Whatever we create for the physical will be done in virtual on the VRML platform.

We have created a unique and highly innovative global competition model, using the Thirty30 Tennis scoring format, and a very similar structural IPL as a model.

The competitions will have a unique and innovative structural model.

They will have a pyramid structure with Top Professional Teams at the top going to Inter Continental, Country, City, and Club. There will be Junior and Adult identical models.

The competition structure will be Mixed Gender based teams in a League and knockout format. We will add a wheelchair component as well.

There will be very substantial prize money in all competitions.

We also want to introduce a unique and innovative ownership model whereby the players will be able to have a significant role in the running of the whole concept which we have called T30TI to be known in the future as T30.

There will also be a significant role for coaches, and the introduction of The Martial Art Way of Tennis, that will not only create a whole paradigm shift in the game, but will take the game both long and short into a whole new dimension, and will give coaches and teachers an opportunity to create a whole new meaning and understanding to coaching life and business.

We want to unlock the game at all levels, especially from the junior level. We want it to be affordable and believe the children are our future and they get the necessary skills to be that future whether that be in the Thirty30 format or the traditional game, and also give skills for life.

The IPL cricket concept has done more for that sport than in any other sport, we want to bring that opportunity to tennis, and let it be shared with all who would like to participate in a positive way to create a better and more equitable sport set against the highest ethical and moral standards.

New Delhi, Jan 4 (Cricket News) India's premier domestic first-class competition Ranji Trophy will not start as scheduled on January 13 due to a massive surge in COVID-19 cases across the country, a BCCI official told PTI on Tuesday.

The first round was to start in multiple cities on January 13 but has been put off and the BCCI will deliberate on when to conduct the blue riband tournament some time later.

"Yes, the Ranji Trophy has now been put on hold and will not start on January 13," a BCCI tournament committee member told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

Recently, the Bengal team reported six COVID-19 cases, including five players while Mumbai's India player Shivam Dube also tested positive and is in isolation.

The Ranji Trophy is being held in six cities including Bengaluru and Kolkata among others. 

Also Read : COVID effect: CAB puts on hold all local tournaments till Jan 15.

News Sources : PTI

Lausanne, Jan 4 (Hockey News) Olympic bronze medal winning India men's hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh is in race to win the prestigious World Games Athlete of the Year award after being nominated for the honour.

The winner will be selected following an online voting process which begins on January 10 and ends of January 31.

Elected FIH Goalkeeper of the Year for 2021, Sreejesh -- a triple Olympian with over 240 international appearances -- has enjoyed an exceptional 12 months, producing his very best form to help his team claim a historic bronze at the Tokyo Games.

If Sreejesh manages to win, he will be the second hockey player from the country to bag the title after women's team skipper Rani Rampal.

Rani became the first-ever hockey player to win the award in 2020. A total of 24 athletes have been nominated for the award.

From the list of 24, the 10 best, as measured on January 23, will move on to the final, the voting for which will continue until January 31. 

Also Read : Good outing in Asia Cup key for success in 2022, says Savita

News Source : PTI

Johannesburg, Jan 4 (Cricket News) He isn't sure what future holds in store for him but former South Africa captain AB de Villiers is confident that he will have a role to play in national team and his IPL franchise RCB's future set-up.

One of contemporary cricket's greatest batters, De Villiers had retired from all forms of game in November last year, putting an end to his glorious 17-year career in top-flight.

"I still believe that I have a role to play in SA cricket and also over there in the IPL with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)," he was quoted as saying by 'Times LIVE'.

Besides a staggering 20,017 international runs across all formats under his belt, De Villiers also holds the record for fastest 50, 100 and 150 in ODIs. He has also played 156 matches for RCB and scored 4,491 runs.

"I have no idea what will come next but I will take it one day at a time and see," he added.

The 37-year-old De Villiers, who has played 114 Tests, 228 ODIs and 78 T20s for South Africa, said he has been "looking after and mentoring some youngsters with potential and ability for the last few years." "No one knows about it and hopefully I can look back one day in the future knowing that I have made a big difference in the lives of a few players.

"That is my focus for now and I don't know if it’s going to be professional or on a casual basis, but we will see where we go with that." De Villiers, who had announced his retirement from international cricket in 2018, opened up about the personal challenges that he faced in the last couple of years with the COVID-19 pandemic also taking a toll.

"Having to go to the IPL twice last year where we had to deal with a lot of travelling restrictions, Covid-19 testing, missed and cancelled flights, and having to organise school for the kids was very challenging," he said.

"I decided over the past few years that I am not going to travel without my kids any more and the split IPL really made it very complicated. Probably the biggest challenge was to stay sane, motivated and keeping the energy.

"I also picked up Covid-19 at some stage and I was really sick for 10 to 12 days and luckily I got through it. Those were the challenges and there were basic stresses of life with the pandemic floating around." The IPL was suspended in 2020 after multiple COVID cases were detected inside the bio-bubble in India. It was completed later in the year after being shifted to the UAE.

"By a long way, the travelling arrangements and the IPL have been the biggest challenge this year and finding that energy to still want to be the best in the world was difficult," De Villiers said.

He said the game has "always been about enjoyment" for him.

"And the minute where I felt the difficulty of travelling and being there at the IPL for two and half to three months a year, specifically with this one that was spilt into two, bubbles and this and that made things very complicated with regards to cricket and the enjoyment thereof.

"I found myself on the park where scoring runs and doing well for the team didn’t really match with everything that goes with it any more and that’s where the balance started leading towards hanging my gloves up.

He only moved on when he knew that enjoyment was gone.

"I have never been the guy who is going to push every single bit of energy of my ability and my cricketing skill, I have always played for the enjoyment of the game. And the minute that sort of started going down, I knew it was time for me to move on." 

Also Read : Thakur's seven wickets help India bowl out South Africa for 229 on Day 2

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) KL Rahul's white ball career has been a steady climb but his red ball career has been up and down over the years. The past year has been a revelation in his Test career. When KL Rahul was selected for the Border Gavaskar trophy 2020/21 the decision had its own set of critics that said that bringing him back based on IPL performances after dropping him for bad Test performances doesn't make sense. 

Rahul sat out the entire tour of Australia, the home series against England and the World Test Championship. Shubman Gill was ruled out of the England series and Mayank Agarwal was all set to replace him. Agarwal was hit on the helmet during a net session and was ruled out of the game due to concussion issues. KL Rahul, who was essentially the 5th choice opener 2 tours ago got a golden opportunity at Nottingham and scored a fantastic 84. He backed it up with a match-winning century at Lords for which he was named Player of the Match. He scored another crucial 46 at the Oval which India won. 

After missing the home series against New Zealand due to injury, KL Rahul scored a century in the 1st game against South Africa at Centurion. He was also named vice captain of the side after Ajinkya Rahane was removed from the position and his replacement Rohit Sharma injured himself. India won the match at Centurion and Rahul was named Player of the Match. Virat Kohli suffered a back spasm before the start of the 2nd Test at Johannesburg and KL Rahul walked out in a blazer for the toss and became the 34th player to captain the Indian men's Test team.

From not being in the squad to becoming Test captain in an important away game against South Africa, KL Rahul has come a very long way in such a short period of time. He has had a bit of luck with injuries to competitors but eventually his performances on the field has made him a regular in all 3 formats. He is also the new white ball vice-captain and will captain the side in the ODIs against South Africa in place of the injured Rohit Sharma. 


Also read: Australia look for a whitewash against bruised England in Sydney

Barbados, Jan 4 (Cricket News) Four members of the Zimbabwe squad for the upcoming ICC Under-19 men’s World Cup have tested positive for COVID-19, the country’s cricket board confirmed.

The four players, who took part in a four-match youth one-day series against the Ireland Under-19 side that ended here on Sunday, underwent PCR tests on Monday morning.

“Zimbabwe Cricket can confirm four players who are part of the Zimbabwe Under-19 squad for the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 in the West Indies have tested positive for COVID-19 following PCR tests administered this Monday morning,” Zimbabwe Cricket said in a statement.

The quartet is asymptomatic and is currently isolating. The four players will be re-tested ahead of the Zimbabwe’s warm-up matches in St Kitts and Nevis.

“They are now self-isolating and will be re-tested before they can join the rest of the squad in St Kitts and Nevis where the team will face Canada and Bangladesh in official warm-up matches scheduled for 9 and 11 January at Basseterre before the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 proper gets underway,” the statement read.

The tournament will be played in West Indies, starting January 14 to February 5.

Zimbabwe are in Group C alongside Afghanistan, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea.

They will open their campaign against Afghanistan at the Diego Martin Sporting Complex in Trinidad and Tobago on January 16, before they take on Papua New Guinea at the same venue on January 20.

In their last group fixture, Zimbabwe will face Pakistan at the Queens Park Oval, also in Trinidad and Tobago, on January 22.

The tournament format will see the top two teams from each of the four groups advance to the Super League, while the remaining teams feature in the Plate competition. 

Also Read : Thakur brings India back into contest with triple strike before lunch on Day 2

News Source : PTI

Johannesburg, Jan 4 (Cricket News) Keegan Petersen struck a fine half-century before Shardul Thakur inflicted three quick blows as South Africa reached 102 for four at lunch on the second day of the second Test here on Tuesday.

Resuming at the overnight score of 35 for one, South Africa added 53 runs before losing skipper Dean Elgar for 28 but Petersen held the other end together, scoring 62 off 118 balls.

But then came Thakur (3/8) as he picked up all the three wickets at the fag end of the opening session -- both the overnight batters and Rassie van der Dussen (1) -- to give his team a slight upperhand.

South Africa still trail India by 100 runs. India scored 202 in their first innings.

Brief Scores: India 1st innings: 202 all out in 63.1 overs. (Mayank Agarwal 26, KL Rahul 50; Duanne Olivier 3/64, Marco Jansen 4/31, Kagiso Rabada 3/64). South Africa 1st innings: 102 for 4 in 44.4 overs (Keegan Petersen 62; Shardul Thakur 3/8). 

Also Read : Sehwag, Yuvraj, Harbhajan to play for India Maharaja in inaugural Legends League Cricket

News Source : PTI

The mobile gaming industry has grown tremendously over the last few years with Free Fire becoming one of the biggest titles in esports, especially in India. Having recently finished first in the Free Fire India Championship 2021, Orangutan Elite is considered to be one of the best teams in Asia and are currently setting their sights on higher goals.
 
In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Dev “Iconic” Kumar, In-Game Leader of Orangutan Elite speaks about being introduced to Free Fire, coming first at the Free Fire India Championship 2021, transitioning from Team Elite to Orangutan Elite, his views on esports being a viable career option, future goals and more!
 
Q1) When were you first introduced to Free Fire and what role do you play in the Orangutan Elite team during competitive tournaments?

I've had a fascination for esports ever since when I was a kid. For me, gaming was a type of stress relief, and I had no idea when it developed into a career. Today, I am well-known for a game called FreeFire, a mobile battle royale game, and my fans are enthusiastic about my abilities in the game. Competitive events for Orangutan Elite, I play the function of an IGL (In Game Leader).

Q2) The Orangutan Elite team finished first in the Free Fire India Championship 2021 Fall. What was the experience of competing in that tournament?
 
The experience was incomparable. The event finally broke the curse of finishing second in the majority of competitions. We as a team were extremely pleased with our performance and success, since the tournament was not easy at all, as we faced very difficult competition throughout the tournament. We never gave up, trusted our abilities and teamwork, and the rest is history in terms of tournament outcomes.

Q3) Your team recently changed from Team Elite to Orangutan Elite. What are the changes between the two and how difficult or easy has the transition been?
 
We haven't had any difficulties because the roster hasn't changed; only the name on the jersey has. We have previously worked as a team and will continue to do so. Our bonding as a team is unshakeable, and when we're together, we have such a fantastic synergy that we can play a pivotal role in the game. We are aware of each other's weaknesses and strengths. As a result, the adjustment has been simple. We're all here together, and we'll keep playing together till we reach our ultimate goal.
 
Also read: My goal is to empower people, spread mental health awareness and break stereotypes

Q4) As the In-Game leader for Orangutan Elite, what are the various challenges that you face in your role? How do you overcome them?
 
I don't have many issues as an in-game leader. We've been playing as a team for a long time and are familiar with each other's skills. We are an indestructible unit that, when playing together, can be a major headache for any opponent. As a result, being the IGL of this team is a huge accomplishment, as I have the chance to lead such a renowned squad with a dedicated fan base that will support us no matter what.

Q5) Do you consider esports to be a viable career option in India and what must be done to have a clear roadmap to enter this field professionally?
 
Yes, I think esports is a viable career in India with the rise of the fan base and growing acceptability of esports as a career has resulted in an increase in gamers and those interested in this business. Brands and other organisations are also seeing the potential and supporting the development of these individuals. Always give it your best and never give up if you want to be a professional esports player and keep grinding. At the very least, give it your all and don't quit too soon. The importance of consistency and regularity cannot be emphasised. In addition to playing games, you must maintain a disciplined lifestyle.

Q6) What are your personal goals as well as ambitions with Orangutan Elite in the future? How do you plan to accomplish them?
 
We wanted to be a part of an organisation where we could develop and achieve goals not inside the game but outside it as well so we joined Orangutan, and it was the best decision we could have made as a team in our esports careers.

Rajkot, Jan 4 (Cricket News) Former Saurashtra cricketer Ambapratasinhji Jadeja died of COVID-19 infection on Tuesday, the Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) said.

He was 69.

"Everyone at Saurashtra Cricket Association are deeply saddened on the sad demise of Saurashtra’s yesteryears’ cricketer late Shri Ambapratapsinhji Jadeja. He passed away today early morning at Valsad fighting hard battle against Covid-19," the SCA said in a media statement issued here.

Hailing from Jamnagar, Jadeja was a prominent right-arm medium pacer and right-handed batsman. He played eight Ranji Trophy matches representing Saurashtra.

He was a retired DSP, Gujarat Police.

In a condolence message, former BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said, “Ambapratapsinhji was a remarkable player and I have interacted good cricketing moments with him. May his noble soul rest in the shelter of the Almighty.” 

Also Read : Multiple COVID-19 outbreaks hit Australian domestic leagues

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The big news at the toss was that it was KL Rahul who walked out in a blazer instead of Virat Kohli who was ruled out due to an upper back spasm. India elected to bat after winning the toss as Hanuma Vihari replaced Kohli. South Africa replaced the now retired Quinton de Kock with Kyle Verreynne while Duanne Olivier came in place of Wiaan Mulder. 

India had a decent start as the Karnataka boys Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul looked comfortable at the crease. The first chance for South Africa came in the 11th over when Kagiso Rabada's in-swinger caught Agarwal's inside edge onto the pad and fell just short of forward square leg. Three overs later, Marco Jansen got rid of Agarwal with an outswinger. Cheteshwar Pujara came in to bat and soon edged a short ball that once again was wide of leg gully. Olivier got rid of Pujara on 3 towards the end of the session. Ajinkya Rahane walked out to bat at no. 4 in the absence of Virat Kohli and got a golden duck. He chased Olivier's ball outside the line and edged it to 3rd slip. 

Hanuma Vihari came into bat and should have been dismissed on 9 by Ngidi but the catch was dropped by Temba Bavuma. He eventually got out on 20 as Rabada's bouncy ball caught his inside edge straight to short leg. All this while KL Rahul remained resilient and watchful. He reached his fifty in 128 balls but threw his wicket away straight after that as he tried to pull Jansen's ball but found Rabada fine leg who took a good catch. Ravichandran Ashwin straight away took the aggressive approach scoring at a run a ball. India lost Rishabh Pant and Shardul Thakur in quick succession after tea and India were in a spot of bother on 157-6. Rabada got rid of Shami before he could do much damage. Ashwin played really well as he played all kinds of strokes but was dismissed on 46 by Jansen. Jasprit Bumrah had his fun for a while as he scored 14 of 11 balls hitting 2 fours and a big six. Rabada dismissed Mohammed Siraj to end India's innings at 202.

Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar played a couple boundaries to get South Africa to 14 for no loss in under 4 overs. Mohammed Shami got the first breakthrough as his in-swinger trapped Markram plum in front. India couldn't manage to get another wicket as Elgar and Keegan Peterson held on. The pair was incredibly lucky on multiple occasions. Peterson was dropped on 12 by Pant off Bumrah. Elgar had more than his fair share of luck as he played and missed way too many balls mostly from Siraj who towards the end of the day walked off the field as he looked to have pulled his hamstring. The day ended with South Africa on 35-1, just 167 runs behind India. The Proteas are now in the driver's seat and would be confident that they could level the series.


Also read: Australia look for a whitewash against bruised England in Sydney

Melbourne, Jan 4 (Cricket News) Multiple COVID-19 outbreaks inside bio-bubbles on Tuesday have hit the Australian domestic league hard as cricket in the country continued to grapple with the virus while several top players cope with anxiety.

Both the men's and women's domestic game has been hit hard as Cricket Australia (CA) was forced to make many late schedule changes.

Two matches of the Women's National Cricket League involving Western Australia were postponed till March due to border closures after a spike in COVID-19 cases. This has pushed the women's domestic 50-over final to mid-March.

WA were scheduled to play Tasmania in Hobart twice this week, on January 7 and 9, but the games have been pushed back to March 9 and 11 given the western state's hard border with the rest of the country.

The Big Bash League (BBL) is facing an unprecedented crisis and CA has an onerous task at hand on how to complete the season and also keep players and staff safe.

Anxiety is running high among players across the BBL teams as multiple COVID-19 outbreaks reportedly leave a hub in Melbourne as a serious option to continue the tournament.

An announcement on the future of this season could be made as soon as Tuesday, and all the eight teams could be based in Melbourne to limit travel and allow greater flexibility in the schedule, according to a report in the 'Australian Associated Press'.

Twelve Melbourne Stars players have contracted COVID-19, forcing them to call-up Victorian club cricketers just to field a team for their last two games.

Melbourne Stars players Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa and Nathan Coulter-Nile were already in isolation due to COVID-19. Players at the Sydney Thunder, Perth Scorchers and Brisbane Heat have also tested positive in recent days.

CA was on Tuesday forced to make changes in the schedule of matches to be played at Gold Coast due to fresh COVID-19 cases, according to a report in 'cricket.com.au'.

CA said some members of the Heat camp returned positive results in rapid antigen testing this morning, forcing the club out of tonight's game against the Sydney Sixers at Metricon Stadium, with the Perth Scorchers stepping in to face the Sixers instead.

The Board has shuffled the order of this week's games as the Heat await the results of PCR tests.

Melbourne Stars all-rounder Hilton Cartwright admitted it was tough to forget about the coronavirus situation and prepare for matches.

"I've never felt more vulnerable to a virus in my entire life and I never realised how much it was going to affect my mental state," Cartwright was quoted as saying by 'cricket.com.au'.

"I've had form slumps and this ranks right up there with how I actually feel about going about my business day-to-day.

"Myself and my wife have basically been locked up in our room, not sure if we're capable of catching the lift in case someone in there might have caught (COVID-19)." He said he was not able to focus on games because of the happenings around.

"Constantly, it's on your mind and then you've got to walk out there and perform one of the biggest pressure stages in the world." "My mental state wasn't in a great place about coming to your workplace and COVID is basically running rampant," he said. 

Also Read : Hoping Siraj can come out and bowl tomorrow: Ashwin on bowler's hamstring injury

News Source : PTI

Johannesburg, Jan 3 (Cricket News) India's premier spinner R Ashwin termed his team's first innings score as slightly below par on a "two paced" Wanderers pitch but might be enough with their bowling arsenal to make a match of the second Test against South Africa.

India finished their first innings at 202 with Ashwin scoring a crucial 46 towards the end of the innings on a testing pitch after stand in skipper K L Rahul (50) opted to bat.

Asked what's a tricky total, Ashwin replied: "" (what is a) good total in South Africa has been tricky, especially in the first innings. It's always a good thing to win the toss and bat first and you want to post a good score in excess of maybe 260 or 270 which is around about score.

"South Africa always batted first (in the past) and got in excess of 250 and dominated games. Maybe we are a bit short. But I still think we've got with our entire bowling arsenal available tomorrow. Fingers crossed. We can definitely make something out of this total," he said hoping Siraj will be fit to bowl on Tuesday.

The champion off spinner also hoped that the pitch to quicken up on day two.

"I just felt the pitch was a little two paced. Generally Wanderers has the tendency to start a bit slower and start getting quicker. It did quicken up a bit but it just feels a little different to a typical wanderers pitch so we'll have to wait and see how it responds tomorrow." Regained his batting flow =============== Ashwin scored at an impressive strike rate of 92 in his innings including six fours and was not afraid to attack the pacers.

For someone, who saved a Test match in Sydney alongside Hanuma Vihari earlier this year, Ashwin feels he has got flow back in his batting.

"Look, I think in between somewhere for a couple of years, trying to you know sort of get very technically right or whatever it is to try and build on scores, I think I lost a bit of my flow with respect to getting into good positions at the crease and I've always I knew even before that I've always batted at a good clip.

"So it's not been a conscious effort to go out there and keep playing those shots. If it's there, it's there. For me, I get into positions where I can play some of those shots, which may be some of the other specialist batters might not be able to play but this freedom is what gave me success in the past," he said.

Success of Rahul, there can't be one formula =========================== Rahul has been stand out batter for India in the series, carrying on his good work in England.

Ashwin said Rahul has cracked his own formula to succeed in the longest format.

"In Test cricket there is no one formula for success. Teams are analysing there's a lot more footage available. There is a lot more technical assessment and breakdowns that go on in today's world and Test cricket is all about you responding to the different sort of questions that are being thrown at you.

"...and K L has found that solution to what's what he probably thought he needed to respond to and it's working for him and he's one of those players who's got the game we all know that he's got the game he's got the raw material so it's all about how you keep finding out and keep answering these constant questions that are being thrown at you.

"Since the England series, he has looked the part," Ashwin added. 

Also Read : Nehra all set to become head coach of Ahmedabad IPL team, Vikram Solanki to be 'Director of Cricket'

News Sources : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 3 (Cricket News) Former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra will be Ahmedabad IPL franchise's head coach during the 2022 Indian Premier League season while England opener of yesteryears Vikram Solanki is in line to become 'Director of Cricket'.

World Cup-winning former India coach Gary Kirsten will be the 'Mentor' of the franchise which is expecting to get its formal 'Letter of Intent' (LOI) during the month.

"As far as I have heard, they have signed Ashish as their head coach and someone who would be in overall charge of the franchise. Solanki will be the 'Director of Cricket' and also expected to double up as batting coach and Kirsten will be in a mentorship role," a senior IPL source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"The Ahmedabad franchise can't announce it formally as it is a BCCI diktat and they can only make a formal announcement after they get the LOI. The head honchos of Ahmedabad franchise has already interviewed the trio and short-listed them for the season," the source said.

Nehra has earlier been a coach with Royal Challengers Bangalore where Kirsten was also involved for a couple of seasons.

Both of them have had a long and fruitful working relationship since the time when Nehra was a player and Kirsten his national coach.

Nehra shares a great rapport even with Solanki, who has worked previously as a coach in IPL.

Once it gets the green light from BCCI, the franchise will go ahead and select a few assistant coaches.

Nehra had been away from coaching for two seasons as he had decided that he would be taking up such an assignment only if he has the profile of a head coach where he can make a difference both in terms of team composition and strategy.

He had multiple offers from various IPL franchises but it is understood that the former left-arm speedster is more keen on taking up the challenge of building a crack team from scratch.

Both Nehra and Kirsten were unavailable for comment. 

Also Read : South Africa 35/1 in reply to India's 202 all out

News Source : PTI

Johannesburg, Jan 3 (Cricket News) Stand-in captain KL Rahul scored a gutsy half-century but could not convert that into a big knock as another shoddy display by Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane left India in a troublesome 146 for 5 at tea on the opening day of the second Test against South Africa, here Monday.

With skipper Virat Kohli ruled out of the match due to back spasm, Rahul (50 off 133 balls) was patience-personified on a bouncy and seaming Wanderers track before one pull shot ended his gritty knock in the post-lunch session.

The Indian skipper for the game hit nine boundaries and he mostly played the short ball well. He kept his pull shots down the ground and drove well before Marco Jansen (2/18) induced from a pull shot that went into Kagiso Rabada's hands at fine leg.

He had nice little partnership of 42 runs between him and Hanuma Vihari (20) before an inspirational close-in catch from Rassie Van der Dussen at short leg sent the latter back.

Rishabh Pant (13) and an attacking Ravichandran Ashwin (24 batting 21 balls) added 30 in quick time as India aimed to get at least a total between 225 to 250 in the first innings.

It was Duanne Olivier who dismissed out-of-form batters Pujara and Rahane off successive balls to leave Virat Kohli-less India reeling in the first session.

Having given up hopes of playing for England, Olivier, who played his first Test in Proteas colour after three years, removed Pujara (3 off 33 balls) with extra bounce and then with slight seam movement had Rahane (0) caught at slips.

Olivier (2/47) bowled multiple spells after being given the new ball alongside Kagiso Rabada.

Mayank Agarwal (26) looked fluent in the first hour with five boundaries before Marco Jansen pitched one in the spot from where it wasn't on drivable length as it climbed on. The opener went for a drive only to edge that to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.

Rahul on his part survived strong caught behind and leg before appeals which were negated by debutant umpire Allahudien Palekar, someone who impressed on debut.

The start wasn't great for India as they could not have skipper Kohli in the playing XI due to back spasms but Rahul couldn't blamed for electing to bat first and make best use of difficult conditions.

Till Agarwal was giving him company, the openers just like Centurion, looked good but once he was gone, Pujara once again got into a shell and was very uncomfortable against steep bounce which finally became his undoing.

Olivier's natural back of length deliveries were perfect recipe for disaster as he fended one that was wide of short leg fielder but the next one lobbed up to point fielder for an easy catch.

Rahane's dismissal was that of a player, whose confidence has been torn to pieces. The ball pitched on fourth stump channel with a shade cut-back that creates indecision on whether to play or not. Rahane dangled his bat and the catch was taken in the slips. 

Also Read : Australia look for a whitewash against bruised England in Sydney

News Source : PTI

Johannesburg, Jan 3 (Cricket News) The upper back spasm that ruled Virat Kohli out of the second Test against South Africa could well be a recurrence of the slip disc problem that had stopped him from playing English County cricket back in 2018.

The Indian skipper missed out on what would have been his 99th Test match for the country on the morning of the second game against South Africa here, adding to the intriguing drama that is unfolding around him on an almost daily basis now.

This was after the skipper had a good net session at the Wanderers on Sunday afternoon and coach Rahul Dravid, as is his wont is, didn't drop the slightest hint that the skipper has niggling back issues which have resurfaced after nearly three and half years.

Kohli, in fact, had posted some snap-shots of his training session where he was seen lunging forward and playing the on-drive. It was obvious that he felt fine as he went through an intense net session only to develop a discomfort on the morning of the Test match.

Interestingly, his IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore had tweeted a picture of KL Rahul with a tweet "The focus shifts to the Wanderers as #TeamIndia have a chance to seal the series." Nothing wrong with the tweet save the fact that it was posted 12 noon IST, at least one hour before Kohli's injury status was revealed at the toss by Rahul, who is not a part of the RCB set-up. Although to be fair to them, it didn't mention Rahul as India captain.

Kohli having troubles with his back isn't a new thing.

In 2018, he was suffering from a condition called 'herniated disc' (slipped disc) and was advised by the doctor to not play county cricket for Surrey if he wanted to be part of the Test series after that.

The condition didn't warrant a surgery which could have ruled him out for good three to four months.

A back spasm is sudden tightness and pain in back muscles. It may happen from overuse of muscle or an injury.

In case of Kohli, someone who is a fitness freak and pushes his body to the limits, the chances of back injury are always high and as one reaches mid 30s, the recovery takes more time.

If Kohli recovers within a week to play the third and final Test in Cape Town it would then mean that it wasn't very serious, just like Ajinkya Rahane's hamstring niggle that ruled him out of the Wankhede Test, a day after he had a full session at the BKC Indoor Centre.

With India 1-0 up, Kohli must have wanted to play this game and get back to form which has deserted him for almost two years now.

He was seen sombrely ambling around the Bull Ring before the start of the game and looked visibly disappointed on having to miss a game.

If runs have dried up on the field, his off-the field relationship with the BCCI hasn't exactly made matters easy for him as the establishment's poster boy isn't now on very good terms with the big wigs of the board.

So much so that someone like Dravid, who always likes a healthy distance from controversies, acknowledged that Kohli is being "phenomenal" around the group inspite of all the "noise" around him.

It was an admission that the feisty Indian Test captain is under pressure and perhaps a series win and at least one three-figure score or something close to it will remove a huge load off his chest.

Kohli would have surely addressed the media before the Cape Town Test starting January 11 had it been his landmark 100th game in the traditional format. That's what Dravid had promised on the eve of second Test.

Once "back spasm" ruled him out of contention from the second Test, it does not exactly seem to be the best of times for the megastar, who is battling on-field issues as batter and off-field differences with establishment.

Now it can't be said with any degree of certainty that whether he would be in a mood to take questions from media ahead of his 99th Test.

In any case, the degree of relevance between 99 and 100 is so vast, one can only wonder as to what exactly are the odds that he might not come.

But then Kohli is a non-conformist and could do exactly what nobody is apprehending him to do.

If India wins the series in South Africa, what's left to achieve for the maverick superstar. There could be some more surprises in store for cricket lovers and no one can quite guess at this point, what it could all lead to in the coming few months. 

Also Read : Hafeez says corrupt players should never be allowed to represent country

News Source : PTI

Karachi, Jan 3 (Cricket News) Pakistan's former captain Mohammad Hafeez, who announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday, said that players found guilty of corruption in the sport should never be allowed to represent their country.

Hafeez told a media conference in Lahore after announcing his retirement that he stood by his stance that players who "fix matches and betray their country" should never be allowed to play.

"To me, the biggest disappointment and hurt of my career was when I and Azhar Ali took a principled stand on this issue, but we were told by the board chairman that if we don't want to play, fine, but the concerned player will play," Hafeez said.

Hafeez also made it clear that his retirement had nothing to do with PCB chairman Ramiz Raja's stance that he and Shoaib Malik should have retired after the 2019 World Cup.

"No I had started thinking about my retirement since the 2019 World Cup but my wife and some well wishers convinced me to carry on. But I had started thinking about since than.

"As far as what Ramiz said or felt that is his opinion and I have always respected critics and my way has been to go out on the field and give reply to them. I haver no hard feelings towards anyone in the board." Hafeez insisted he was retiring from international cricket without any regrets.

The senior player, however, admitted that since the T20 World Cup he had been trying to meet the PCB chief.

"Ramiz said it was because he thought I wanted to speak about my category in the PSL and central contracts. But when I finally met him on 31st December I told him I just wanted to inform him about my decision to retire.

"I took this decision because I want to set a new and positive precedent for others to follow. Players must retire gracefully, at the right time with respect, and after taking the board into confidence." Hafeez also called for better communication between the players and the board.

"Improvement is needed in this area for sure because these communication gaps need to be reduced as they lead to all kinds of problems." 

Also Read : India in trouble as Pujara, Rahane fail again

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) Having departed Miami after the USA tour, the Ireland men’s cricket team arrived in Kingston on Sunday ahead of their multi-format white ball series against the West Indies. However, a few players coming over the next few weeks will be required to self isolate after testing positive for COVID-19 or coming in close contact with a positive case. Andrew Balbirnie and Andy McBrine might arrive as early as today if they produce a negative PCR test while Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate will arrive after the conclusion of the first ODI.

Speaking from the team hotel, David Ripley, Ireland Men’s interim Head Coach, said: "It’s certainly been a challenging trip from the outset, having a few staff and players down at the outset didn’t help our preparation. We managed to have a good net on the centre square just after we arrived – but it was only one session, and our squad was short of seam bowlers to help facilitate the batters. So it wasn’t as ideal as it could have been.

“However, a great positive of the trip so far is the way the lads have rolled their sleeves up and mucked in – I’ve been impressed that during a bit of adversity the lads have just got stuck in. There’s obviously some frustration over the fixtures not being able to proceed, but hopefully now the frustration can end as we move on to play some high-profile 50-over cricket against the West Indies.

“Likewise with the support staff we have had some challenges with COVID, but once more they haven’t clocked off - rather they’ve continued to work hard from their isolation in preparing the squad as best they can for the next leg in Jamaica. We have a replacement coming in, which will help greatly, but we have been well-supported by the staff here, even those working from isolation.

“With Paul [Stirling] out of the first ODI, we’ll have a bit of an internal debate now with Andrew [Balbirnie] about whether he moves up to open, or whether we pick someone maybe outside the box to go in at the top – we do have several options and I’m pretty confident we’ve got some decent Plan B’s now that Stirlo is out of game one.

“It hasn’t been a perfect trip to date, but what we’re focusing on now is looking ahead and getting some decent cricket under our belts.”

Also read: India in trouble as Pujara, Rahane fail again

The Squads

Ireland Men’s ODI squad: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, William Porterfield, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Ireland Men’s T20I squad: Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, William McClintock, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Match schedule – all matches at Sabina Park

Warm-up:

January 5: Warm-up match – Ireland Men v Jamaica Scorpions – 9.30am (10.30am Eastern Caribbean / 2.30pm Ireland)

World Cup Super League series:

January 8: 1st CG Insurance ODI - West Indies Men v Ireland Men (9.30am local / 2.30pm Ireland)
January 11: 2nd CG Insurance ODI - West Indies Men v Ireland Men (9.30am local / 2.30pm Ireland)
January 14: 3rd CG Insurance ODI - West Indies Men v Ireland Men (9.30am local / 2.30pm Ireland)

T20 International:

January 16: West Indies Men v Ireland Men - T20I (4pm local / 9pm Ireland)

(Football news) The red hot talking point of the football world is Romelu Lukaku. The striker has been in the center of attention for the past week or so. Lukaku was axed from the squad against Liverpool after his comments in an interview supposedly upset Thomas Tuchel.

A few years ago, Romelu Lukaku, frustrated at Manchester United left for Inter Milan. In the 2 seasons at Inter Milan, the Belgian was very successful under Antonio Conte. In the summer Chelsea came calling for his services and Lukaku accepted. The Belgian publicly said that Chelsea is the only club he would've left Inter Milan for. So far this season he has had a few decent performances but has been frustrated with injuries. Lukaku in an interview said that he was not happy with the situation at Chelsea and didn't like Thomas Tuchel's tactics. In the interview Lukaku contradicted his previous comments by saying that he always thought he would go to one of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich whom he considers the best clubs in the world after Inter Milan.

He also expressed his love for Inter Milan on multiple occasions and said that he would go back there one day. The striker also said that he wouldn't have even considered leaving the Italian club if he had got his desired new contract. He also admitted to getting an offer from Manchester City and Juventus in the past.

Thomas Tuchel responded by saying that he isn't happy with the comments, especially so close to an important game. Lukaku wasn't a part of the squad against Liverpool as Tuchel said that it would bring too much noise. The game ended 2-2 at Stamford Bridge as all the four goals were scored in the first half. Chelsea created a lot of chances that they didn't finish which brings the question if leaving Lukaku out was the right decision.

Chelsea had to play Kai Havertz up front which affected their attack because it lacked the presence of a big number 9. The Blues could've won the game if Lukaku had been there and it isn't like Chelsea have other options. Tuchel could have settled the dispute for the time being and focused on the game and dealt with it later. The German obviously chose not to do that and the ultimate winner was Manchester City who are now 10 points clear at the top.

The argument is that Lukaku was clearly out of order to publicly talk about the situation but Chelsea have spent way too much money on him to just exile him from the first team. Tuchel has also said that Lukaku is still a Chelsea player and can make his way back into the team. This isn't the first time that Lukaku has done something of this sort. He still talks about Manchester United in a bad light saying that it was an unhappy time for him. 

While at United he once leaked training statistics on his social media to just prove that he is fast in order to take a jibe at his critics. It is unclear what Lukaku might need to do in order to get back in the side and potentially win back the fans. An apology could be received well by fans or it might look forced instead of genuine. Good performances on the pitch will definitely turn things around for the Belgian.

Also read: Atletico Madrid and Barcelona cruise to victory while Rusty Real Madrid lose
 

(Tennis news) Venus Williams has joined her sister Serena Williams in skipping the 2022 Australian Open. Venus had skipped the US Open last year due to a leg injury and has not confirmed the status of her comeback. It is the first time in 25 years that the Williams sisters won't be seen playing at Melbourne.

The 41 year old first played at Melbourne in 1998 and since then has only missed it thrice. She has reached the final twice in 2003, 2017 and lost both the times to Serena. Venus reached the finals at Melbourne, Wimbledon in 2017 and also reached the semifinals of the US Open that year which was the last time she went beyond the third round of a Grand Slam. She has played 75 matches at Melbourne while winning 54 of them and has not progressed beyond the third round in four years.

The former world number 1 is currently ranked 318 as she has not played many events in the past twelve months and also did not play much in the 2020 season. She is one of the oldest active players on tour and has battled life threatening conditions to come back on court. Venus played her first professional match 28 years ago and is the senior most player who is currently playing. She entered the rankings chart in 1996 and was in the top ten for more than a decade although now she has to work her way up. One of the most resilient players on tour, the 6 foot one inch athlete has suffered multiple serious injuries in her career but has been able to bounce back every time.

The 8 time singles Grand Slam winner only played 12 matches last season and ended her season in August at the Chicago Open. She last won a title 5 years ago defeating Misaki Doi to take the Taiwan Open and last reached a final four years ago at the WTA Finals losing to Caroline Wozniacki. In the 2021 season, she played 9 events and did not enter the fourth round in any of them.

Venus will be joining Jennifier Brady, Karolina Pliskova and Karolina Muchova in skipping the Australian Open. The last two majors have seen many seniors players being absent due to recurring injuries as the toll is rising at each event. The Australian Open will start from 17th January as the players get pumped up for the first major of the year.

Also read: Samantha Stosur to play last singles match at Melbourne

Johannesburg, Jan 2 (Cricket News) India head coach Rahul Dravid on Sunday admitted his team needs to do better at maintaining over rate after being docked one WTC point following the first Test against South Africa in Centurion though he felt "leeway" can be given in certain cases. Points deduction from the World Test Championship tally for over-rate offences could prove costly for any team in its bid to reach the final.

England were recently fined eight WTC points for being eight overs short in the Brisbane Test against Australia.

"The ICC is trying something obviously. It does feel harsh as a coach and it does feel a bit tough at times but it certainly gets us thinking, gets us wanting to quicken it up," said Dravid ahead of the second Test here.

Dravid said he doesn't mind the new rule put in place by the ICC but officials must have full understanding of situations before they decided to dock points.

"They've tried fines in the past and that doesn't seem to work, tried other methods or methodologies in the past that didn't seem to work," he said.

"The ICC is trying to go down the points route which I am fine with...as long as there is a bit of leeway and bit of understanding when the game is on. We had a few injury issues last time...of course we were given some leeways but sometimes it's not exactly, it's difficult to pinpoint how many minutes you lose." Explaining the areas which the team can work on to get better regarding over rate, Dravid said, "When you have Bumrah roll over an ankle and the physios got to go and spend a lot of time (in the middle). There were other issues with the ball change last time.

"So you know there were a few small areas that maybe we can get a little bit better at but as a principle, we are fine with it, we just need to react and respond better." The fact that India are playing four seamers is not helping their over rate, which is not the case when they play at home with spinners playing a much bigger role. 

Also Read : Elgar wants Proteas to handle De Kock's Test retirement in professional manner

News Source : PTI

Johannesburg, Jan 1 (Cricket News) Legendary South Africa batter Hashim Amla says more "collective experience" in the Indian side was one of the key factors in the visiting side's comfortable victory in the series-opener at Centurion.

India beat South Africa by 113 runs in the first Test at SuperSport Park to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

"It was a fair result," said Amla in Cricket South Africa website.

"They (India) have been a strong unit over the last two years or so. They have more experience collectively and it always makes a huge difference when you have runs on the board to back you up." South Africa did not have many experienced players in their ranks with only skipper Dean Elgar, Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi having some decent exposure in traditional format while India had all top players in the line-up.

Amla said India's big lead in the first innings made all the difference in the outcome of the match.

"Centurion is notorious for becoming more difficult to bat as the days progress. So once India won the toss, batted and scored in excess of 300 it was game on for the Protea batters to match that score at the very least," Amla said.

"Being 130 runs behind is what really hurt them, and it ended up being the difference." The 38-year-old Amla, who scored 9282 runs in 124 Tests at an average of 46.64 with 28 centuries, praised the Indian batters for their top-class show on the first day of the Test.

"Day one, the pitch looked best for batting and credit to the Indians for playing disciplined cricket,” he said.

"It's obvious when teams come to SA that their batsman talk about leaving well outside off stump and that’s probably were the Proteas let themselves down." Amla felt the South Africa bowlers fought back well after that tough opening day.

"Not challenging the defence enough. That was day one, but on day two, though, they did extremely well to restrict the Indians to 327. They could have got to 400 plus.

"The bowlers all had their moments. Lungi (Ngidi), KG (Kagiso Rabada) and the youngster (Marco) Jansen stand out of course. However, in a relatively low scoring match I enjoyed watching Temba Bavuma. He always looks like he has time and seldom troubled.” Amla acknowledges there is work to do for the South Africans, although he still believes they can bounce back and defend their proud record of having never lost a home series to India.

“There’s certainly a way back but it’s going to take laser-like focus for extended periods and a touch a fortune,” he said.

“(Captain) Dean (Elgar) and Aiden (Markram) are class players with a pedigree for hundreds and if they get momentum, it would certainly ease the nerves and give much needed confidence for the younger guys.” The batting legend wants Temba Bavuma to bat higher in the order now that Quinton de Kock has retired from Test cricket.

“Our two best batters in the middle are Temba and Quinton (de Kock). Now that Quinton has opted out of Test cricket, this cripples the batting line-up further and really, now more than ever, it makes it imperative for Temba to bat higher.

“Be it three or four, allow him time to play a solidifying role as opposed to a recovery one." The second Test will be played from January 3-7 at Wanderers in Johannesburg. 

Also Read : Ross Taylor set to retire after decade and a half with the black caps

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 1 (Sports News) India's fastest Under-23 sprinter Taranjeet Kaur of Delhi has failed an in-competition dope test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency, the source said on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Delhi sprinter has been one of the country's best performing youngsters in 2021.

She won gold in 100m and 200m races in the National U-23 Championships from September 27-29 here, clocking 11.54secs and 23.57secs -- her personal best -- respectively.

Just a week before that, she won 100m gold in the National Open Championships with a personal best time of 11.50secs as well as 200m silver (23.64secs) though many top athletes skipped the meet as it was held after the Tokyo Olympics towards the end of the season.

"Yes, Taranjeet Kaur failed an in-competition test conducted by the NADA," a source privy to the development told PTI on condition of anonymity.

The name and nature of the banned drug as-well-as the competition during which the dope sample was taken could not be ascertained.

The in-competition test could have been taken either during the National U-23 Championships or the National Open Championships, both held in September. If Kaur is found guilty of doping after her case is heard by the NADA Disciplinary Panel, she faces the prospect of getting banned for up to four years -- the maximum ban period of first time dope offenders. 

Also Read : Sports in 2022: Here's what to look forward to

News Source : PTI

London, Jan 1 (Cricket News) The English cricketers should not miss international duty at the expense of playing in the IPL, former England captain Michael Atherton has said in the wake of the team's disastrous Ashes campaign in Australia.

England have already conceded the five-match series Down Under against their traditional rivals after suffering heavy defeats in the first three Tests, the poor show attracting widespread criticism from former players.

"Players should not miss international duty to play in the IPL, nor be rested and rotated to allow them to play elsewhere. The carry-on during the winter, and at the start of the English summer, should not happen again," Atherton wrote in his column for 'The Times'.

With regards to the glitzy IPL, the former captain also had other suggestions to help improve England's performance in the international arena's red-ball format.

"The leading multi-format players are paid seven-figure sums, but, incredibly, the ECB washes its hands of them for two months of the year during the Indian Premier League.

'The players should be told that, while the ECB will be accommodating of the request to play in the IPL, a 12-month contract is exactly that, and the granting of a no-objection certificate to play in the IPL and other franchised competitions is contingent on it being in the best interests of the England team," Atherton said.

Some of the prominent England players who have played in the IPL from the current setup are Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Sam Curran, Moeen Ali, Eoin Morgan, Adil Rashid, Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow.

Atherton, who has captained England in 54 Tests from 1993 to 2001, felt Ben Stokes is a "viable alternative" to replace Joe Root as skipper for the five-day format.

Root, who had a magnificent run with the bat in 2021, has been under the scanner for his captaincy in Australia.

"There have been so many errors here, from selection to strategy, that the captain has to bear personal responsibility ... This could have been a much closer series had Root got things right on the field," Atherton wrote.

"Root has been a good England captain, and has always carried himself superbly and is an incredible ambassador for the sport, but having done the job for five years and having had three cracks at the Ashes, including two awful campaigns in Australia, it is time for someone else to have a go.

"Ben Stokes is a viable alternative, having done an excellent job as a stand-in briefly in the summer. His bowling is starting to wind down, and, as he may not get into England's best T20 side now, he can be given a breather during those matches," Atherton added.

As far as head coach Chris Silverhood is concerned, Atherton said it's time he is shown the door.

"At the moment there seems to be an absence of authority and an unwillingness to challenge the players.

"There is no way Silverwood will (or should) survive the Ashes, which should allow a reorganisation of the coaching and selecting responsibilities." The fourth Test begins in Sydney on January 5.

Also Read : Beating India in T20 World Cup best moment of 2021 for Pak team: Babar Azam

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New Delhi, Jan 1 (Cricket News) It was a decision that not many saw coming but once it did, Jasprit Bumrah's elevation as India's ODI vice-captain, albeit as a stop-gap arrangement, seemed a perfectly justified reward for his terrific all-format consistency.

It won't be surprising if the Chetan Sharma-led selection panel felt inspired by Pat Cummins' recent elevation as Australia's captain while making this choice, a very interesting one considering that two proven IPL captains -- Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant -- were in the mix to become KL Rahul's deputy for the bilateral series against South Africa.

If sources close to the selection committee are to be believed, Bumrah being elevated as vice-captain is a message to both Pant and Iyer to show supreme all-format consistency, something that the Gujarat fast bowler has mastered ever since he burst into the international scene back in 2016.

"Look, this is just for one series as Rohit (out injured) is almost certain to come back during the home leg against West Indies and Sri Lanka. Then KL will again become the deputy," a BCCI source privy to selection matters told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"However, the selectors wanted to reward Jassi (Bumrah's nickname) for his consistency as well as cricket brain. That's why he was picked ahead of Pant and Iyer," he said.

Former chairman of selectors MSK Prasad said that since this was vice-captaincy for just one series, it was an easy decision for selectors.

"Jasprit is a very sensible young man with a lot of rationality. So why not reward him? I like this decision as why can't we make a fast bowler captain, If he is doing well in all formats?" Prasad said, when asked how he viewed the decision.

"Unless you give him an opportunity to be a part of the leadership group, you won't know what to expect of Jasprit. But having said that, I would also say that possibly since it was a decision on vice-captaincy for one series, it was an easy call.

"Had it been for captaincy with both Rohit and Rahul unavailable, it could have been different," the former India keeper-batter added.

While Iyer guided Delhi Capitals to its maiden IPL final in 2020, Pant, who was his deputy, took over the reins in 2021 and lost in the second Qualifiers after finishing on top during the round robin stage.

According to Prasad, the IPL leadership is different from leading the national side and being successful in one isn't an indicator that the player will be successful in the other.

"In IPL, a team might have four to five guaranteed superstars with different drifts and pulls. Then you need to manage at least a couple of domestic players, who may or may not withstand the pressures of franchisee cricket.

"In the Indian team, you have at least 12-13 top class talented fellows, who know their exact roles at the biggest stage. Captaining India is at times easier," Prasad said.

So why does he think that Pant and Iyer were overlooked even if it was for one series? "I think it's got a lot to do with the fact that Iyer is now coming in after surgery and also Pant needs to be a bit more consistent in the white ball format," he pointed out.

"Also this my assumption that since till 2023, Rohit will remain the captain and KL will be his deputy, making Pant or Iyer vice-captain now means that you give them an idea that they are in leadership mix which might not be the case," he said. 

Also Read : Pietersen proposes Hundred-like red-ball tournament to 'save' Test cricket in England

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Jan 1 (Sports News) The COVID-19 pandemic is far from over but the world seems to be adapting to a life with the dreaded virus and as this churning continues, sports is set to be a major source of joy in 2022 with several big events lined up.

Here is a look at some of the extravaganzas that will be keenly anticipated in India and across the world apart from the usual roster of annual tournaments like the tennis Grand Slams and the badminton calendar.

CRICKET: ====== India's tour of South Africa (December 26 to January 23): An engrossing Test series is currently underway in which India have made a winning start. The three-match rubber will be followed by as many ODIs in which India will get to see K L Rahul assume the leadership role for the first time after a hamstring injury ruled Rohit Sharma out.

ICC Under-19 Men's ODI World Cup in the West Indies (January 15 to February 5): Delhi batter Yash Dhull would be leading the Indian Colts as they look to add a fifth title to the nation's kitty. A total of 16 teams will fight it out over 48 matches in the premier age group showpiece.

ICC Women's ODI World Cup in New Zealand (March 4 to April 3): India would be a contender in the mega-event which was postponed for a year because of the pandemic. It would be a swansong for 39-year-old India skipper Mithali Raj, who would be aiming to leave the big stage with a bang after a stellar career during which she has been nothing short of a trailblazer for women's cricket in India.

ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia (October 16 to November 13): Just a year after Australia were crowned world champions for the first time in this format, they would be defending the crown on home turf. For the Indian team, it would be an opportunity to redeem itself after a shambolic preliminary-round exit from the tournament last year.

MULTISPORTS: ========== Winter Olympics in Beijing, China (February 4 to 20): Mired in political controversies due to China's not so flattering human rights image, the Games have already been diplomatically boycotted by superpowers like the US and Britain among others. The athletes, on their part, would try to ensure that their performances remain the focus despite the political drama that is expected to unfold on the sidelines.

For India, who have never won a medal at the winter extravaganza, skier Arif Khan would be the one to watch out for having become the first from the country to qualify in two events -- Slalom and Giant Slalom.

Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England (July 28 to August 8): A happy hunting ground for Indian athletes, the CWG would be a shade less joyful for the contingent this time with shooting not part of the competition roster. It remains to be seen how India copes with the absence of the sport that has contributed 135 medals, including 63 gold, to the country's tally since making its debut in 1966.

Asian Games in Hangzhou, China (September 10 to 25): India registered its best ever Games performance in the previous edition in 2018 and would be expected to only do better in the backdrop of a stellar Olympic performance.

FOOTBALL: ======= AFC Asian Women's Cup in India (January 20 to February 6): It would be a huge step forward for women's football as the country hosts the premier regional tournament for the first time since 1979. The Indians have decent history to inspire themselves as they have been runners up twice in the event, in 1979 and 1983.

FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in India (October 11 to 30): Another ground-breaking tournament for women's football in the country, which was originally planned for 2021 but had to be postponed due to COVID-19. Spain are the defending champions and the Indians would be eyeing to produce some decent performances to raise the profile of the sport in the country.

FIFA Men's World Cup in Qatar (November 21 to December 18): The first World Cup to be played in the Arab world is set to be a winter event with Qatar's punishing summer making it impossible for matches to be held during the usual June-July window. Already under a cloud over allegations of corruption in the bidding process and working conditions of labour engaged for infrastructure development, it remains to be seen whether the quality of football alone would be able to ensure the focus remains on sport.

ATHLETICS: ======= IAAF World Championships in Eugene, USA (July 15 to 24): Another marquee competition that was postponed to this year because of the pandemic. Anju Bobby George remains the only Indian medallist at this biggie with a 2003 long jump bronze and India would be hoping that Olympic gold-grabber Neeraj Chopra's javelin would clinch another landmark medal at this year's world championships.

HOCKEY: ====== FIH Women's World Cup in Spain and The Netherlands (July 1 to 24): The Indian women's hockey team has raised the bar significantly with a gutsy fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics. Rani Rampal and her teammates would be keenly watched as they look to build on the positives of that performance. Their best at a World Cup was a fourth-place finish at the 1974 edition and they had managed to claim the eighth position in the previous edition in England.

SWIMMING: ======== FINA World Aquatics Championship in Fukuoka, Japan (May 1 to 29): The biennial event is an umbrella competition for swimming, diving, high diving, open water swimming, artistic swimming, and water polo. India is not much of a challenger on the medal front but competitors from the country would still look to make a mark by improving their timings. 

Also Read : Five sporting events that you should look forward to in 2022

News Source : PTI

London, Jan 1 (Cricket News) A first-class competition modelled on the Hundred can help the English Test side "return to its former glories", reckons ex-skipper Kevin Pietersen.

Pietersen, who won the Ashes in 2005, 2009, 2010-11 and 2013, said the existing County Championship has lost its sheen and is "not fit to serve the Test team" in its current form.

"With the money elsewhere in the game, the (County) Championship in its current form is not fit to serve the Test team," Pietersen wrote in a blog post on Betway.

"The best players don't want to play in it, so young English players aren't learning from other greats like I did. Batters are being dismissed by average bowlers on poor wickets and the whole thing is spiralling." The 41-year-old praised the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for its professional franchise-based 100-ball cricket tournament - - The Hundred.

"In The Hundred, the ECB have actually produced a competition with some sort of value. It is the best against the best, marketed properly, and the audience engaged with it.

"They got new people to the games and I can tell you that the players will have improved markedly for featuring alongside other greats. It's such a valuable experience." He advised the board to come up with a similar tournament for the red-ball format, adding that the English players would benefit rubbing shoulders with top overseas players.

"They now need to introduce a similar franchise competition for red-ball cricket, whereby the best play against the best every single week.

"They would make money available to attract some of the best overseas players in the world and the top English players would benefit from playing alongside them.

"It would be a marketable, exciting competition, which would drive improvement in the standard and get people back through the gates for long-form cricket." He proposed an eight-team round-robin league where pitches encourage strong batting technique.

"The pitches are monitored by the ECB so that we're not seeing majorly bowler-friendly conditions like we do now.

"We have to have good pitches that reward and encourage strong batting techniques, batting for long periods of time, and that require skill from bowlers to take wickets." Pietersen added that the county system can work as the "feeder system" where players are developed until they're ready to step up.

"I can promise you that the current England team and lots of the best youngsters in the system still see Test cricket, in particular Ashes cricket, as the pinnacle.

"But the world's best players are involved in the IPL, the PSL, the Big Bash, The Hundred, and so on, so it's no good denying them the chance to make their millions anymore, as I was back in the day.

"We need to produce lucrative, high-quality, interesting competitions that reward and improve the best players. This could be one," he wrote.

England are currently 0-3 down in the Ashes.

"There is no point blaming Joe Root for what's happened in Australia. He's the only class batter in that team and has been tasked with leading an under-prepared, low-quality team into an Ashes series. It was a hopeless task.

"Things aren't going to change by plucking the next batter from county cricket and sticking him up to open the batting. It's failed too many times now.

"This franchise competition would be a fantastic opportunity to improve the standard of red-ball cricket, make domestic cricket interesting to the masses again and It is the only way for the ECB to show that they value Test cricket and value the paying customer." 

Also Read : India's Asia Cup win ideal confidence-booster for U-19 World Cup: Laxman

News Source : PTI

Mumbai, Jan 1 (Cricket News) Chief selector Chetan Sharma has heaped praise on in-form opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been selected for the upcoming ODIs against South Africa, saying that the Maharashtra batter would "do wonders" for the national team.

The Indian team is scheduled to play three one-day internationals against South Africa on January 19, 21 and 23 at Paarl and Cape Town respectively.

The team for the same was picked on Friday by the Sharma-led selection panel.

"Look, absolutely (he has) got the opportunity at the right time. He was in the T20 team and also now he is in the ODI team, wherever his place can be made, selectors are thinking he will go and do wonders for the country," Sharma said at the team selection press conference.

The 24-year-old Ruturaj, who hails from Pune, was the leading scorer in the 2021 Indian Premier League, after he amassed a staggering 635 runs and played a key role in Chennai Super Kings winning the title.

According to Sharma, Ruturaj was rewarded for his stellar performance.

"We have selected him (Ruturaj). Now it is up to the (team) management to see when he can play in the XI, when he is required and how to go about the combination, these things we will coordinate.

"But, at present, he (Ruturaj) was in the T20 side also against New Zealand and he is in ODI now. He is doing well and he is rewarded for that," added Sharma, himself a former India pacer.

After his IPL high, the opener continued his dazzling form in the Vijay Hazare Trophy too and was the leading scorer there, aggregating 603 runs from five matches with 168 as his highest score.

He made his T20I debut against Sri Lanka last July at Colombo. 

Also Read : PCB has advertised for power-hitting batting coach

News Source : PTI

Johannesburg, Dec 31 (Cricket News) Former South Africa opener Alviro Petersen is shocked with Quinton de Kock's sudden retirement from Test cricket and feels more players might follow in the footsteps of the wicketkeeper-batter in the near future.

At just 29 years of age and having played 54 Tests, de Kock announced his retirement from the traditional format at the end of the opening Test against India, which the Proteas lost by 113 runs at SuperSport Park on Thursday.

De Kock would, however, be be available for ODIs and T20s in future.

"To be honest, I am a bit shocked by his decision," said Petersen, who played in 36 Tests for South Africa, scoring five centuries, largely as opening partner to Graeme Smith.

"During the lunch break of day five in Centurion, I noticed that he was not quite 100 percent because Quinny is a player who likes to play his shots," Pietersen was quoted as saying by timeslive.co.za.

"Often when there is stuff happening with family or you are on a long tour, one foot is always on the plane and I had the sense that with him it was almost like one foot was already at home." A former Test captain, de Kock said he will continue playing in the white-ball formats for the Proteas, with a lot of focus on franchise-based T20 leagues.

"I am surprised but you can also understand that all the lucrative T20 leagues around the world and The Hundred (franchise 100-ball cricket tournament in the UK) now have changed the mindset of players," Petersen said.

"In the past, Test cricket was the pinnacle and slowly that is being changed with guys looking after their financial wellbeing. Priorities have changed and he won't struggle to get a T20 or The Hundred contract." De Kock has featured for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians in the IPL. 

Also Read : Root, Williamson, Rizwan and Afridi nominated for ICC Men's Cricketer of Year

News Source : PTI

London, Dec 31 (Cricket News) Former India and South Africa coach Gary Kirsten has expressed interest in coaching England's Test side, saying it would be a "lovely project " to revive the fortunes of Joe Root and his men.

Current head coach Chris Silverwood's job hangs in balance as England's Ashes hopes went up in smoke in 12 days after Australia retained the Urn with an innings and 14-run win in just two days and a session in the Boxing Day Test earlier this week.

Kirsten had guided India to No.1 in the Test rankings for the first time in December 2009, just over a year after taking over. He later achieved the same feat with South Africa.

"Listen, it (the England job) is always a consideration because it's a tremendous honour,' Kirsten told the 'I News'.

This is not the first time the South African has expressed interest in the job, Kirsten was the frontrunner to become England's coach twice before.

"I've walked this journey twice now (when England recruited new coaches in 2015 and 2019) and I've always made it clear that I would never commit to doing all formats.

"And when international cricket boards get their head around the fact that they need to split coaching roles, then it becomes a consideration," he added.

The World Cup-winning coach hailed England's 50-over set up as the best in the world but said the red-ball side, which has lost a record nine games in a calendar year in 2021, has lagged behind.

"Working with a Test side, or working with an ODI side is great. Listen, the England ODI side is set-up, you're the best ODI side in the world at the moment.

"It's a project that has been well-thought out. You've got consistency in the players that have been picked.

"Your Test side has battled for a while but it would be a really lovely project to get that going." The 54-year-old feels one format bears the brunt as teams juggle with multiple formats.

"Interestingly, when I finished with India and I joined South Africa, we just looked at it and said 'our priority has to be Test match cricket'. I actually said to the CEO of Cricket South Africa that I was happy to just do the Test side because I felt it should be the No 1 side in the world." "It had all the credentials to do that. The issue is that the different formats have the potential to cannibalise teams. You focus too much attention on one format and the other format takes the hit. It’s not easy to get everything right.

"Look at Australia, they're now using a lot of players across the different formats." Kirsten has refrained from coaching an international team since 2013. He worked with the Welsh Fire in the Hundred earlier this year.

"It (England) is an interesting one. I think it's a great project for someone to come in and take that Test side on. There's a lot that needs to be put in place to build this Test team out. 

Also Read : Pacers Siraj and Bumrah emerge as the leading wicket takers for India in 2021

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) The third edition of the ATP Cup is due to start from January 1st 2022 as the 16 teams have been divided into four groups. Former champions Serbia will be without Novak Djokovic as defending champions Russia are also without Andrey Rublev, Aslan Karatsev and Evgeny Donskoy. There are strong chances for the third time that a team will get its maiden trophy. Italy seems to be one of the favourites as they have their top players participating. Here are the top four teams to watch out for at the season opening tournament.

Italy: Group B

The strongest team in the event has four players in top 40 including two players in the top 10 and a doubles player ranked in the top 25.  Among the top three ranked singles players, the oldest is Lorenzo Sonego who is 26 as the youngest is Jannik Sinner aged 20. Sinner and Matteo Berrettini will be leading the attack in singles as Simone Bolelli can team up with Sonego or Fabio Fognini for the final blow in doubles. 

They can run into trouble against Daniil Medvedev when they play against Russia other than that Italy can finish as table toppers or can come second behind Russia. Group B will be one of the most competitive as compared to the rest of the groups as France and Australia will take every opportunity they get.

Great Britain: Group C

Britain has a complete set up for singles and doubles as they have seasoned players to stir up trouble. Cameron Norrie alongside Daniel Evans will be on the singles front while Joe Salisbury and Jamie Murray will be up for the doubles matches. Norrie has been the top player on his team this season and if the matches go till the decider then their doubles pair are also capable of making a comeback.

They can face tough competition from Germany as Alexander Zverev will be making the move in singles, Canada can pose problems with Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov forming a match winning singles combination. Britain will also be facing the US team which can field Taylor Fritz and out of form John Isner in their attack; they also have doubles multiple Grand Slam winner Rajeev Ram and next gen star Brandon Nakashima.

Spain: Group A

Spain will be playing without their hero Rafael Nadal but has Tokyo Olympics Bronze medalist and world number 20 Pablo Carreno Busta who is ranked just one below Roberto Bautista Agut. Their singles squad looks to be sorted but the doubles pair will have to be tested as youngsters Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Pedro Martinez will have to provide support for the team.

The seniors in the team will have to do double duty as it will get tiring but if their singles matches go well then the workload will vanish. They will be up against Chile in the opening match as Spain will also play against Norway and Serbia.

Argentina: Group D

The team has the oldest players on their side with their youngest player being 29 years old. Diego Schwartzman and Federico Delbonis can be in the singles tie as Federico Coria can also walk in for crucial points. Their senior most player, Maximo Gonzalez aged 38 will be working his magic in doubles with Andres Molteni, the team has work to do but has the strongest chance to top Group D.

Argentina will be facing Greece, Poland and Georgia as their doubles pair will hold the final call on crucial matches. Stefanos Tsitsipas will be on top of Greece as Hubert Hurkacz will do the same for Poland but both the players don’t have enough support and experience like Argentina. The 2022 season will start in grand fashion as 16 countries will battle with each other and one will walk away with the trophy after 9 days of combat on court.

Also read: Novak Djokovic and Andrey Rublev withdraw from ATP Cup

Chennai, Dec 30 (Cricket News) Former BCCI president N Srinivasan's daughter Rupa Gurunath on Thursday resigned from the post of president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) to focus on "business and personal commitments".

Rupa had taken over as the TNCA president in September 2019, becoming the first woman to head a state cricket association in India.

"Rupa Gurunath announced her resignation from the post of President - Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and will spend more time focusing on business and personal commitments. Rupa Gurunath is a whole-time director at India Cements Limited and has been instrumental in shaping India Cements back to its leadership position," TNCA secretary R S Ramasaamy was quoted as saying in a press release here.

Interestingly, former BCCI Ethics Officer cum Ombudsman Justice (Retd) DK Jain's report in June this year found her to be potentially guilty of 'Conflict of Interest' as she was an integral part of India Cements which owns the popular IPL team Chennai Super Kings.

While the TNCA officials emphatically denied 'Conflict of Interest' being the reason for her resignation, another theory that's floating in cricketing circle is that son of the most powerful political family of the state is very keen on becoming the state cricket body's head.

Rupa, on her part, thanked the apex council, office-bearers and the members of TNCA for their unstinted cooperation during her tenure and said, "It has been my pleasure and true honour to have served as president of one of the most prestigious cricket associations in the country.

"I take this opportunity to thank all the apex council members, players, staff, members of TNCA from city and districts, friends and family for their support during my tenure." Earlier, this year, the BCCI Ethics Officer had found guilty of 'conflict of interest' for India Cements's close association with Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited on a complaint by a former life member of Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association.

Sources in the TNCA, however, denied that Rupa had resigned due to this, emphasising that she had indeed resigned to focus on her "business and personal commitments".

Meanwhile, it is being learnt that Chief Minister M K Stalin's son Udhayanidhi is eyeing the top TNCA post.

But there hasn't been any confirmation -- official or unofficial from any of the top government or DMK party sources.

It has to be seen if the erstwhile BCCI strongman Srinivasan would cede ground and let the young politician enter the cricket association.

Also how it impacts the equation in the BCCI power corridor is also there to be seen. 

Also Read : Won't lack in confidence going into Jo'burg Test: Elgar

News Source : PTI

Centurion, Dec 30 (Cricket News) From a near impossible win at the Gabba with a second-string side to walloping a hapless South Africa in their own backyard, 2021 can easily go down in the annals as "one of the greatest in Indian cricket", opener KL Rahul asserted on Thursday after his side breached the Centurion fortress.

Between the start and finish of the year, India also recorded creditable Test victories at the Lord's and the Oval.

Rahul was an architect in all these milestone wins on more than one occasion. He had scored a hundred in India's win at the Lord's.

Having set the tone with his first innings hundred, the stand-in vice-captain for the South Africa series summed up the year when the Indian team became the first Asian nation to win a Test at the Centurion.

"It's a super super special year for team India. The kind of achievements that we have gotten this year has been truly special. I think it will go down as one of the greatest years in Indian cricket history," Rahul said at the post match press conference.

"It has taken a lot of hardwork and discipline. We have worked really hard as a team for few years," added Rahul.

The great dressing room atmosphere has also contributed to a great performance and not to forget the preparation part, said Rahul.

"Yes, the dressing room atmosphere is amazing at the moment. It is a great Test victory. No Asian team has come here and won in Centurion and (it speaks of) kind of work we have put in, in last two weeks leading up to this Test match.

"We worked really hard as a team and we really had a lot of fun at training and at practice," the senior opener said.

Rahul termed it as a complete team performance having set the tone in the first game of the series.

"To go out there in the first game of the series and put up a performance like that which is a complete team performance, it makes us happy.

"We can enjoy this victory for a day and get back to training and start focussing on the next Test match," said Rahul.

The second Test starts in Johannesburg on January 3. 

Also Read : Pacers performance hallmark of our team getting results in recent years: Kohli

News Source : PTI

Centurion, Dec 30 (Cricket News) Victorious Indian captain Virat Kohli on Thursday attributed the Test team's fine results overseas in recent years to his pace attack and rated Mohammed Shami among the best three seamers in the world currently.

The formidable India pace unit destroyed a listless South Africa to fashion an emphatic 113-run win in the first Test here, setting the team on course for a maiden series victory in the country.

Kohli lavished rich praise on his colleagues after the team's big win.

"Just the way these guys bowl together, it's just a hallmark of our team getting a result from that position, not just in this game but also in the last two-three years," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

India were handed the advantage on the first day itself when centurion KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal set it up with a big opening partnership, and Kohli said that partnership made a huge difference to the outcome of the match.

"The discipline that the batters showed... Winning the toss, batting first overseas is a tough challenge. Credit to Mayank and KL the way they set it up. "We knew we were in pole position with anything over 300-320. We have a lot of belief in our bowling unit and knew the bowlers will get the job done," Kohli pointed out.

This is India's fist win at Centurion and the India skipper, recalling his team's fantastic victory at Wanderers in the final Test of the 2018 Test series, said that result from the past instilled plenty of self belief.

"It's a top start for us. We have to understand one day was washed out -- shows how well we played. It's always a difficult place to play against South Africa. We got so much confidence out of Johannesburg last time. It's a ground we love playing at." The next match is scheduled to be played at Johannesburg from January 3-7.

Speaking about Shami, he said, "He is absolutely world class talent. For me he's in the best three seamers in the world at the moment. His strong wrist, his seam position and his ability to hit a length consistently.

"Very, very happy for him to get 200 wickets and have an impactful performances." Pacer Jasprit Bumrah could not bowl a lot in the first innings and Kohli felt his team could have got a bigger lead in the first innings if that wasn't the case.

"Spoke about it in the change room -- the fact he didn't bowl much in the first innings, it allowed South Africa to get around 40 more runs.

"Since he didn't bowl much in the first innings, it helped opposition get those extra runs." South African skipper Dean Elgar, who top-scored for his side with a fighting 77, said there were few positives for his team but expressed his disappointment with the batters.

This is only the third instance when South Africa had been dismissed under 200 in each innings of a Test match at home since their re-admission in 1991.

"Obviously not a nice thing knowing we lost a Test here. Did a few things wrong. Lot of positives coming out that we can use in the next two. Always the nature here. Always going to be tough because the wicket's playing slower (first morning)," Elgar said.

He added, "Indian openers did the fundamentals right. We didn't quite execute the lengths well. After some good chats our bowlers executed the lengths and restricted India to what we thought was a par score.

"New ball is something you have to get through playing here. Can't emphasise enough on the hard work our bowlers put in to get 20 wickets. Our batters let us down. I'd say the batting was the difference between the two sides.

"We'll have a little sit-down with myself and the management to strategise. Didn't do a lot of wrong things. Not all doom and gloom for us. We thrive under the pressure which is a positive for us." 

Also Read : SA reach 182/7 at lunch against India on Day 5, trail by 123 runs

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(Football news) Antonio Perosevic has been handed a five match ban and a fine of 1 lakh indian rupees by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Disciplinary Committee for his ‘violent conduct towards a match official’ during the Indian Super League match against NorthEast United FC. 

Perosevic has been warned that repeated violations may result in a more severe punishment and both the player and the club have 10 days should they wish to lodge an appeal. The 29 year old Croatian has already served one out of his five match ban and will be available for selection against Hyderabad FC on January 24, 2022.

Also read: Hyderabad emphatically defeat Odisha 6-1 in the Indian Super League

Kolkata, Dec 29 (Football News) The continuation of I League was on Wednesday thrown into doubt after multiple COVID-19 cases were reported among participating teams, staying and competing inside a bio-bubble.

It has been learnt that more than 10 participants, including at least seven players have tested positive for the virus.

Five players from Real Kashmir FC and at least one each from Mohammedan Sporting and debutants Sreenidi Deccan FC were among those who returned positive in the tests conducted on Tuesday.

"Five players and three officials from Real Kashmir and at least one player each from Mohammedan Sporting and Sreenidi Deccan FC are among those positive cases," a top league source told PTI.

An emergency meeting of the League Committee has been called to take a decision on continuation or suspension of the league that began on December 26.

"I-League is not yet suspended and we will take a decision in the emergency meeting of the league committee at 4pm today," the source added. 

Also Read : Hyderabad emphatically defeat Odisha 6-1 in the Indian Super League

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Dec 29 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli's watertight grip over Indian cricket loosened significantly in a mixed 2021 bag, when the team's wineless run at ICC events continued but the 'Men in Blue' cherished a historic Test series triumph in Australia.

When M S Dhoni left white-ball captaincy in 2017, Kohli became the undisputed king of Indian cricket with his rule unchallenged for the three years that followed.

In the absence of a strong administration at BCCI, Kohli called the shots and not many seemed to mind it with India performing well across formats though the ICC title eluded them.

However, his reign had to be challenged at some point with Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah filling the power vacuum in the world's most powerful board towards the end of 2019.

The Alpha males of Indian cricket did not come in each other's way for the following year and cracks in their relationship could only be seen after Kohli decided to step down from T20 captaincy at the end of the 2020 World Cup.

He had no plans to leave the ODI captaincy but India's premature exit from the tournament led to the inevitable and the mighty Kohli did not see that BCCI bombshell coming. Following his sacking as 50-over skipper, dirty linen was washed in public with Kohli and Ganguly contradicting each other on the sequence of events that led to the former's removal.

Kohli is used to the spotlight with cameras following his every move on the field but now that space will be shared by new white ball skipper Rohit Sharma.

With 70 international hundreds under his belt, the charismatic cricketer has nothing left to prove but after a quiet two years with the bat by his high standards and his feud with the BCCI, Kohli will be more fired up than ever to show that he remains the best in the business.

The early exit at T20 World Cup was a big disappointment but it marked the end of a successful era under Kohli and Ravi Shastri, especially in the longest format. Not many can question the greatness of the Kohli-led Test team but the defeat in the World Test Championship final against New Zealand was also a big letdown of the year. India had played remarkably well to reach the final and would have been worthy winners of that trophy but New Zealand once again upstaged them on the big stage. However, nothing can take sheen off India's second consecutive series win in Australia with an injury-ravaged team struggling to even field a playing eleven in the series decider in Brisbane.

The win at the Gabba will be talked about for years to come, not just because it was Australia's first loss at the venue in 33 years but the way India overcame an injury crisis and the 36 all out debacle at Adelaide to script a comeback for the ages.

Kohli went back home after the first Test for the birth of his child but the way Ajinkya Rahane led the side in his absence also played a major role in India's monumental achievement Down Under.

Later in the year, Kohli and Co. were set for another overseas series win but the fifth and final Test in England had to be cancelled due to a COVID outbreak in the visitors. India lead the series 2-1 with the final Test to be played next year.

If India manage to win that series in 2022 and the ongoing battle against Proteas, Kohli will be become the first Asian captain to win Test series in England, South Africa and Australia.

India look in good shape to extend their dominance in the five-day game but Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid have work to do to turn the team's fortunes in white-ball cricket with T20 World Cup and ODI World Cup scheduled in 2022 and 2023 respectively. A bunch of young players will be getting a fair share of their opportunities ahead of the two ICC events and the team management would be hoping to plug the gaps in the power hitting and bowling department.

Like in the previous year, COVID-19 continued to wreak havoc with the international calendar including India's commitments and the suspension of IPL during the raging second wave in the country.

Besides, India's final Test in England being rescheduled to next year, the ODI series between hosts Pakistan and West Indies had to be postponed due to multiple positive cases in the visitors' camp.

Pakistan, which had been trying to bring top teams to the country for years, were dealt a body blow when both New Zealand and England pulled out of their tours citing security concerns.

Considering those off-the-field setbacks, the team's performance at the T20 World Cup was admirable. Unbeaten in the group stage, Pakistan lost to eventual champions Australia in the semifinals.

Australia had to endure a gut wrenching defeat at the hands of India in the beginning of 2021 but the end could not have gotten any better as they retained the Ashes with a complete annihilation of England in the first three Tests.

Also Read : Warner eyes 2023 Ashes, win India before quitting Test cricket

News Source : PTI

(Football news) The Premier League is the only league in the world that allows only 3 substitutions in the game. Originally the 5 substitutions rule was introduced in all the leagues when Covid first struck. After the season, all the other leagues retained the rule whereas the Premier League decided against it.

Recently Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, Thomas Tuchel and Ralf Rangnick have all come out in favour of the 5 subs rule being brought back considering the recent spike in Covid cases. The cases are in bulk as fixtures are regularly being cancelled. The workload on the players has increased muscle injuries as well. The argument made against it by Burnley manager Sean Dyche has said that the rule favours big clubs because they have much deeper benches compared to lower league teams. 

Jurgen Klopp hit back saying that Burnley doesn't have European fixtures or multiple players playing regular international football. The fact is that the Premier League is the only league in the world that doesn't allow 5 substitutions as even the UEFA competitions have 5 substitutions. It is clear that the Premier League is in the minority but they do have their reasons.

Jurgen Klopp has continued his trend of criticising the hectic festive schedule every year. Other managers such as Antonio Conte and Ralf Rangnick have contradicted Klopp's comments saying that it is a tradition in England and it is what makes the Premier League more special. The likelihood is that these comments are not going to change the Premier League's decisions any time soon and the clubs will have to deal with it.

Also read: Raphael Varane's tough start to life at Manchester United

(Football news) Raphael Varane has had a difficult time in the Premier League after his move from Real Madrid. After 10 years and a plethora of trophies with the Los Blancos, Varane joined Manchester United in search of a new challenge and it is proving to be a very tough endeavour for Varane indeed. 

Varane has played only 9 games so far this season due to the multiple injuries he has had to deal with. The Frenchman reportedly cost Manchester United £34 million and based on his performances so far, he hasn't been worth it. Even in the games he has been fit, the 28 year old has made a few mistakes leading to goals. In United's latest clash against Newcastle, Varane carelessly gave the ball away in the lead up to the Magpies’ goal. He also had a few other nervy moments which he got away with. 

Also read: Man Utd salvage a point despite poor performance against Newcastle United

First and foremost the center half needs to stay fit and get a run of games under his belt. Varane has never been a ball playing center back but he has always been comfortable enough with it. There were times during the Newcastle game where he didn't want the ball which is very unusual for someone of his calibre. 

Varane has won way too much in his career to be called a 'flop'. It is still early days to judge his impact and at the age of 28 he is still in his prime. A lot of Varane's mistakes have also come due to his fellow defenders. At Real Madrid, Varane often had the support of Sergio Ramos. Harry Maguire has had a disastrous season so far which isn't helping Varane's case. 

Manchester United's next game is at home against Burnley where they need 3 points to stay in and around the top 6. Ralf Rangnick would've benched Raphael Varane if Victor Lindelof was fit but with Lindelof likely to miss the game after testing positive for COVID-19, the German may be forced to deploy Varane who will be keen to comeback after a disastrous Newcastle trip.
 

Chennai, Dec 28 (Cricket News) Former India batter Ambati Rayudu says he wants to continue playing at least for the next three years and is gearing up for the next cycle of the Indian Premier League.

The 36-year-old right-handed batter had quit in July, 2019 from all forms of cricket after being ignored for the ICC ODI World Cup but made himself available for selection after two months.

"I would love to keep playing till I am in good form and fit. I will be ready for the next cycle, which is three years and I am working hard on my fitness," Rayudu, who played for Andhra in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy, told PTI.

"I recently played the Vijay Hazare Trophy which is five one-day games in six days which I got through well. I am in good shape and I hope to continue to play at least for the next three years." Rayudu was one of the five standbys for the World Cup but he missed out a place in the 15-member squad to Vijay Shankar, who was considered to have a "three-dimensional" game.

He made a sarcastic '3D' comment and quit cricket, before retracking his decision.

"2019 World Cup definitely was disappointing for me, for not making the squad. My comeback was dedicated to CSK and how they helped me get through that phase and time and I am thankful to them." Rayudu feels his stint with four-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings was a special one and skipper M S Dhoni brought the best out of him.

"My stint with CSK has been a very special one. We have won two IPLs till now and played one final. 2018 was a very special season, a comeback season for CSK and us winning the IPL that year made it very special.

"Dhoni bhai has had the impact of getting the best out of me, not only me but he has an impact on everyone and brings the best performance out of everyone in the team.

"That is why he is the best captain India has ever had," he said in an e-mail interaction.

Rayudu, who has been part of CSK for four seasons now, said he would love to play for the team again and hoped to get picked by the franchise in the forthcoming auction.

"...I would definitely love to play for CSK. Formally, there has not been any communication with me so far, But I am hoping to get picked by them and have a successful league again," he said.

The Super Kings have retained Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Moeen Ali apart from skipper Dhoni ahead of the auction for the next IPL season.

The Dhoni-led side won a fourth title earlier this year after failing to qualify for the play-offs in 2020.

"After the 2020 season, this win was very special for us in CSK. I have had my contribution too. I have had a great opportunity and showed my potential...

"I enjoyed the role I played this year with CSK. Being in the lower middle order, it is difficult to get such an opportunity, and I cherished every moment." Asked if CSK's template was one for the others to follow, Rayudu said: "I wouldn't say template but every team looks for a mix of young and experienced players while picking. Especially when there is high pressure, experience really counts.

"We are seeing a lot of teams being very mature about the selection of their teams and I think this year will be a very interesting auction," the Andhra batter, who made 257 runs during CSK's winning 2021 IPL campaign, said.

Asked if he regretted not getting a chance to play Tests, Rayudu said he was happy to represent the country in the white ball format.

"It is a great honour to represent India and I am happy that I represented India in the white ball format-ODI and T20s," said the Guntur-born batter, who played 55 ODIs for the country apart from six T20Is.

"I feel unfortunate about missing out on the Test cap. But I don't regret it as I have given my best. I am happy for the opportunities I got to represent the team and that in itself is a great honour." 

Also Read : Former captains 'embarrassed' at England's Ashes surrender

News Source : PTI

(Tennis news) Angelique Kerber is one the few active players with multiple Grand Slam titles in singles. Kerber was last ranked world number 1 in July 2017 and four years later she is ranked 16th but has been in the top 50 since 2010. It will be her 19th year on tour when she enters the 2022 season and is one of the senior most players on tour.

The 33 year old won a title after 3 years at Homburg beating her old rival at Petra Kvitova in the semifinal for the seventh time. The two had faced for the first time in 2012 at Stuttgart Open after which they have played 15 times including thrice this year. Kerber played 46 matches and only lost 16 of them as most of them came at the first half of the season.

Kerber had lost 8 of the first fourteen matches at the start of the year including first round losses at Roland Garros and Australian Open. In the first 10 events of the season she reached the quarterfinals once, she had reached the last eight at her first event of the season at Grampians trophy defeating Ons Jabeur in the fourth round.

The left hander reached the final at Homburg which was the first she went beyond the quarterfinals in the 2021 season. After winning the title, she went on to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon by beating Cori Gauff, Karolina Muchova on the way before losing to eventual champion Ashleigh Barty. Kerber then went on a vintage run by reaching the semifinals at Cincinnati by defeating Kvitova, Maria Sakkari, Elina Svitolina, Jelena Ostapenko and then again lost to Barty in straight sets.

The three time Grand Slam winner then reached the fourth round until she was beaten by runner up Leylah Fernandez in a battle of attacking left handers. Kerber had beaten 2017 US Open winner Sloane Stephens in the previous round but could not defend against the rising star. She then reached the quarterfinals at Indian Wells losing to Spaniard Paula Badosa. Kerber last played in November at Billie Jean Cup Finals losing to Belina Bencic in the opening match.

The former world number 1 last won a Grand Slam title in 2018 at Wimbledon. This year she reached the semifinal at the prestigious grass event showing that there is still a lot of fuel left in the tank. The German is known for her speed in the court, even though she has to compete against younger players; Kerber is still an attacking left hander who can use her forehand to give the opponents a tough time. The 2022 Australian Open will be her 15th appearance at the event and will be raring to go.

Also read: The rise of Paula Badosa in the 2021 season

Melbourne, Dec 27 (Cricket News) Former England skipper Michael Vaughan on Monday said Cricket Australia should act proactively in the wake of the COVID scare on the second day of the ongoing Boxing Day Test here and consider moving the Sydney fixture also to Melbourne.

The second day of play on Monday was delayed by half-an-hour following multiple positive cases within the England camp.

"I think Cricket Australia have to act quickly and be proactive in terms of the situation. It's unprecedented times," 'Sen Radio' reported Vaughan telling 'Fox Cricket'.

"Could the next Test match be played here in Melbourne, under lights at the MCG, to make sure we all stay in Victoria where the protocols are different to Sydney? "Do we really want to risk taking two teams over to Sydney, broadcast and production staff? You get to the SCG, there's one case in the team on day one and the Test match is off," he added.

Two members of the England support staff and two of their family members returned positive in Rapid Antigen Tests.

The development comes less than 24 hours after Channel Seven confirmed an asymptomatic staff member working on the Ashes broadcast crew also tested positive to the virus on Sunday evening.

"Surely Cricket Australia have to be proactive and realise that it's not going to be easy (even) staying here with what we've seen this morning," Vaughan said.

"The fact that it's a family member, Christmas Day… everyone's going to have been around that family member, so there is a chance the COVID positive could spread around the side," he reasoned.

"I think Cricket Australia have to act quite quickly…it would be quite sensible and reasonable to think 'okay, this is the situation now, it wasn't the situation a week ago, we have to act.' "It could be a good possibility." The 47-year-old said one has to look at the best possible way to get the series to go ahead while also keeping everyone safe.

"Unfortunately we're in times where that's the wording, 'get it done'. What's the best way to get those last two Test matches played in as safe an environment as possible? "For me, the sensible way would be 'alright, we're all in Melbourne, we know the protocols are different here, stay here, play the next Test match and see how the land lies in 10 days time.'" The fourth Test is slated to begin from January 5 while the final match of the series is schedule to begin in Hobart from January 14. 

Also Read : James Anderson nearing Tendulkar’s Test matches record

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India had a very successful boxing day as they are 272 for 3 at the end of day 1. Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first. India has taken a very big gamble by playing only 6 pure batters followed by Shardul Thakur and Ravichandran Ashwin. There was no place for Shreyas Iyer and Hanuma Vihari as Ajinkya Rahane kept his place. South Africa handed a debut to tall left arm seamer Marco Jansen instead of going for the in-form Duanne Olivier.

KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal gave the blues a perfect start to the tour with a 117 run opening partnership. Later, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane accompanied Rahul as India steadied their way to a good score at the end of day 1. As good as KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal batted in the early parts of the innings, it is safe to say that the South African bowling was not up to the mark. Kagiso Rabada looked completely unlike himself as he kept missing his line with very less pace than usual. Debutant Jansen was hammered by the Indians throughout the day as he couldn't find his shape and consistency. He did manage to get a few good balls in but always bowled a loosener to release the batter of any pressure. Jansen did produce an edge of Agarwal when he was on 36 but the difficult catch was dropped by Quinton de Kock. The openers left the balls outside off stump really well and also punished the bad balls.

Also read: Stokes hasn't looked like the aggressive presence that oppositions have feared: Ponting

Agarwal played the aggressor during the opening partnership as he kept collecting boundaries with his powerful stroke play. He reached his half century just after lunch in 89 deliveries. The Proteas turned it on in the 2nd session as they began to find their lines much better but the Indians continued to maintain a good scoring rate. Lungi Ngidi finally got a perfect ball to jag back into Agarwal's pads when he was on 60 and got the wicket after a successful review. He wasn't done then as he got rid of Cheteshwar Pujara on a golden duck in the very next ball to turn the game on it's head. Ngidi's ball hit Pujara's bat and pad and went straight to forward short leg.

The Indian captain then joined his newly appointed deputy and the pair stitched an 82 run partnership. There was some intricate stroke play in the process as India were 157/2 at tea. It was going well after tea but Kohli decided to throw his bat on Ngidi's loosener way outside off which took a thick outside edge straight to first slip. Former vice captain Ajinkya Rahane walked out to bat under a lot of pressure. Rahane didn't show any pressure and looked in fine touch as he took on the bowling by putting away the boundary balls. KL Rahul on the other hand was silently going on about his business as he reached triple figures. He became only the 2nd Indian opener after Wasim Jaffer to score a ton in South Africa. 

The day ended with India 272 for 3 with Rahul and Rahane unbeaten on 122 and 40. India will be looking at 500 considering the position they are in. The pitch will get quicker as the days progress which could mean that India's decision to trust their 6 batters and play 5 bowlers is paying off. 
 

Centurion, Dec 26 (Cricket News) India's strong opening day show may have put South Africa on the backfoot in the first Test here but the home side pacer Lungi Ngidi on Sunday said they still can turn the match around if they can bowl the tourists out under 350.

Vice-captain KL Rahul slammed an unbeaten 122, while his opening partner Mayank Agarwal struck a resolute 123-ball 60 as India rode on the duo's century-plus opening stand to end day one on 272/3.

"It's Test cricket, you win sessions, you lose sessions. All in all, it's been a good day of cricket. There's still a lot on that wicket. Things can happen quickly," the 25-year-old said at the press conference after the day's proceedings.

Ngidi's 41st over double strike in successive balls pulled things back a bit for South Africa.

"If you get two wickets in two balls, that means anything can happen. And if we can get a couple of breakthroughs early in the morning that could turn the game on its head.

"Still the balls catching the edge, going towards the slips... It would be great if we can keep them under 340-350." Ngidi was the only wicket-taker for South Africa on the day, returning with 3/45 in 17 overs and also became the only bowler to dismiss Cheteshwar Pujara on golden duck twice in Tests.

As the rest of the Protea attack lacked control, Ngidi was also struggling but change of ends did the trick for him.

"I asked at lunch if I could switch ends, but obviously, everyone prefers their certain end so I had to wait my turn.

"I was just struggling from the other side a little bit and finding the right areas, but once I came this side I felt comfortable and all of a sudden, things started happening for me," he said.

He said the home side bowlers were a little disappointed with the wicket as it lacked swing.

"The wicket did less than we thought it was gonna do. And they (Indians) had good disciplines, they left well.

"I expected a bit more swing and when that didn't happen, you obviously got to change your plans and trying to get the ball to move off the deck and that was happening on both ends. The gameplan was to try and attack the stumps, and the pads." 

Also Read : We executed our plans well: Mayank

News Source : PTI

Centurion, Dec 26 (Cricket News) India opener Mayank Agarwal on Sunday said his side's batters applied themselves as per the team plan, putting the visitors in a strong position on the opening day of the first Test against South Africa here.

Opting to bat, India scored 272 for 3 at close of play with KL Rahul remaining not out on 122. His opening partner Agarwal contributed 60 while Ajinkya Rahane, who was struggling for form, also returned unconquered on 40.

"The plan was to be very disciplined, to play balls which come around the stump and leave as many as possible. We could do just that," Agarwal said at the press conference after the day's play.

"At 272 for 3, it is credit to our batting unit, we applied ourselves. The plan is those who get set will have to continue and Rahul bhai did that." Apart from KL Rahul's century, the highlight of the day was the partnerships India had.

"The highlight as a team was Rahul getting a hundred. We had partnerships and that was crucial. He had a partnership first up with me, and Virat bhai had it also and then with Rahane. I hope they continue the same." He said the Indian team did a lot of pre-match practice sessions at the ground and also the centre wicket to have a feel of the situation and the conditions.

Asked what would be the ideal total India would be looking for, he said, "We want to score as many as we can to place ourselves in a very good position. The first hour (tomorrow) will be crucial. If we do well in that period, we can pile pressure (on South Africans).

"There was a bit of moisture early on and we could see some balls skidding but it got better as day progressed and got quicker." On new coach Rahul Dravid's impact on the team, Mayank, who has worked closely with the former India captain, said, "The conversation of the players with him was about playing with discipline.

"When you play in South Africa and other countries, it is not necessary to look good (to win matches). You have to stick to plan and wait for opportunities. We are glad that we could do that in the first session." He refused to comment on his dismissal following a DRS call for LBW. "I am not allowed to give my opinion and so I want to leave it at that. Otherwise, I will be in bad books and my money (match fee) could be docked." Mayank feltRahul was very disciplined in his game plan and in his mindset.

"If someone is really watching him closely you will know that he (Rahul) knows where his off-stump is, he is really getting to the line of the ball, he is leaving balls really well and he is very disciplined in his game plan and in his mindset." 

Also Read : India reach 272/3 at stumps on Day 1 of first Test

News Source : PTI

Centurion, Dec 26 (Cricket News) South Africa fought back with a couple of wickets in the afternoon session via Lungi Ngidi but India still controlled the proceedings by reaching 157 for two at tea on day one of the first Test here on Sunday. India scored 74 runs in the second session while Ngidi removed Mayank Agarwal (60 off 123) and Cheteshwar Pujara (0) off successive balls to provide the hosts much needed breakthroughs.

K L Rahul grew in confidence and was batting on 68 off 166 balls at the break alongside skipper Virat Kohli (19 batting off 54).

After struggling to hit the fuller lengths in the morning, South African pacers bowled with more consistency and attacked the stumps. Agarwal, who got to his half century after lunch, was dismissed against the run of play.

The ball appeared to bounce over the wicket apart from missing the leg stump but the on-field decision was reversed when DRS revealed that it was hitting the wickets, leaving Agarwal in disbelief.

His fall also ended a memorable 117-run partnership, making Rahul and Agarwal only the third Indian opening pair to stitch a century stand in 21 games in South Africa.

With sun coming out, Pujara walked in and was dismissed first ball, inside edging a defensive shot to Keegan Petersen at short leg. Soon after, Rahul brought up his fifty with a delightful cover drive off Ngidi.

Kohli, who has not scored a hundred in more than two years, began with an unconvincing drive off Marco Jansen before clipping spinner Keshav Maharaj wide of mid-on for his second boundary.

Rahul survived a close LBW call off medium pacer Wiaan Mulder late into the session before flicking a half-volley in his following over for his 11th boundary. In the morning session, Agarwal and Rahul played with the required discipline in testing conditions to take India to 83 for no loss.

Kohli made a brave call to bat first on a greenish surface which is expected to get quicker as the game progresses. Both Rahul and Agarwal, who are close friends and play for the same domestic team, left the ball well against a pace attack which did not bowl well enough in favourable conditions. Agarwal carried his good from the home series against New Zealand to SuperSport Park while Rahul stuck to the approach that brought him a lot of success in England earlier this year when he opened the batting alongside the now injured Rohit Sharma.

Rahul was more watchful to start with, showing absolute clarity in leaving the ball while Agarwal was quick to cash in on freebies offered by the opposition pacers.

Agarwal drove Ngidi through point for the first four of the innings. Rahul, who took 21 balls to get off the mark, played an exquisite straight drive off Kagiso Rabada to get going.

Debutant left-arm pacer Jansen made a nervy start to his career with Agarwal dispatching him for three fours in his opening over.

The 6 feet 8 inch bowler's first ball in Test cricket was a gentle full toss which Agarwal duly dispatched through cover point. Then the lanky pacer bowled a couple into the pads which were crisply flicked away.

The South African pacers bowled a tad too short in the first hour of play. The Dean Elgar-led side also wasted a review early in the session.

The only chance that came South Africa's way went begging with a diving Quinton de Kock dropping Agarwal off Jansen. He was batting on 36 at that time.

South Africa decided to leave out in-form pacer Duanne Oliver from the playing eleven while India picked the struggling Ajinkya Rahane ahead of Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer. 

Also Read : Himachal stun mighty TN in Vijay Hazare Trophy final for maiden title

News Source : PTI

Centurion, Dec 26 (Cricket News) Openers Mayank Agarwal and K L Rahul played with the required discipline in testing conditions to take India to 83 for no loss at lunch on day one of the first Test against South Africa here on Sunday.

India skipper Virat Kohi made a brave call to bat first on a greenish surface which is expected to get quicker as the game progresses. Both Rahul (29 batting off 84) and Agarwal (46 batting off 84), who are close friends and play for the same domestic team, left the ball well against a pace attack which did not bowl well enough in favourable conditions. Agarwal carried his good from the home series against New Zealand to SuperSport Park while Rahul stuck to the approach that brought him a lot of success in England earlier this year when he opened the batting alongside the now injured Rohit Sharma.

Rahul was more watchful to start with, showing absolute clarity in leaving the ball while Agarwal was quick to cash in on freebies offered by the opposition pacers.

Agarwal drove Lungi Ngidi through point for the first four of the innings. Rahul, who took 21 balls to get off the mark, played an exquisite straight drive off Kagiso Rabada to get going.

Debutant left-arm pacer Marco Jansen made a nervy start to his career with Agarwal dispatching him for three fours in his opening over.

The 6 feet 8 inch bowler's first ball in Test cricket was a gentle full toss which Agarwal duly dispatched through cover point. Then the lanky pacer bowled a couple into the pads which were crisply flicked away.

The South African pacers bowled a tad too short in the first hour of play with India reaching 42 for no loss. The Dean Elgar-led side also wasted a review early in the session.

The only chance that came South Africa's way went begging with a diving Quinton de Kock dropping Agarwal off Jansen. He was batting on 36 at that time.

South Africa decided to leave out in-form pacer Duanne Oliver from the playing eleven while India picked the struggling Ajinkya Rahane ahead of Hanuma Vihari and Shreyas Iyer. 

Also Read : Hockley refuses to commit on Langer's future as head coach

News Source : PTI

Centurion, Dec 25 (Cricket News) Skipper Virat Kohli will be battling on multiple fronts with an aim to get the tricky team combination right as India have a real shot at winning their first ever away series against South Africa, which is short on experience going into the contest, starting with the Boxing Day Test.

The choice between an untested rookie like Shreyas Iyer and a proven but out-of-form Ajinkya Rahane for the number five slot, is not an enviable one. It's more like choosing between rock and hard place with fear of unknown being a persistent factor.

Not to mention the hard call on whether Shardul Thakur with far superior skills should be the fifth bowler in place of an 'over the hill' Ishant Sharma.

These are not easiest of decisions to make that require copious amounts of tactical acumen mixed in equal proportion with proper communication skills.

In Mumbai, during the New Zealand Test, the team management could "rest" both Rahane and Ishant on the pretext of niggles but if on Sunday, the duo doesn't figure in the playing eleven, it will be as good as being dropped.

In the last Test, they were "unofficially dropped" and in this one, they will be officially dumped.

Since their historic first visit in 1992, the tour to Rainbow Nation has been an 'Achilles' Heel' for the touring Indian teams and skipper Kohli, who is certainly veering towards the business end of his leadership tenure, will like to achieve a first.

South Africa is no longer the force to reckon with in international cricket as they have been going through a rough transition phase over the past few years.

Kohli's men would like to pounce on the jittery Proteas like hungry African lions as the visitors have way more quality in its ranks than the home team which is full of rookies.

However an away Test series with some interesting sub-plots and hidden narratives adds to the intrigue of the battle that lies ahead and especially for 'King Kohli'.

This particular series, where even if he emphatically denies in public sphere, will be fighting multiple battles -- some tangible ones and a few intangibles.

First and foremost, Kohli, the captain, who would like to reassert his supremacy with a victory against a side which has only two players with 50 plus games -- skipper Dean Elgar (69 Tests) and senior keeper-batter Temba Bavuma (53 Tests).

It only helps that Kagiso Rabada will not have the dangerous and world's fastest Anrich Nortje for company in the bowling attack and left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj is least of a worry as far as Indian batters are concerned.

Secondly, Kohli, the best batter in the team, has not scored a Test hundred since 2019 and has an average of less than 30. It does not match the lofty standards that is associated with the Indian skipper.

He must be backing himself up to fire in this series.

Kohli is also going into the series after taking on the establishment. He made it clear what he thinks of a sitting BCCI president, who also happens to be a distinguished former national skipper.

But those who know Kohli understand that every little skirmish for him is a platform for a good scrap. In his head, he is someone who loves to fight a good fight and when he perceives the world to be against him, Kohli is at his best.

He has been in good form during the net session and South African attack could just be the meal he would like to feast on.

But he would need his new deputy KL Rahul to replicate his performance in England and also need Cheteshwar Pujara to score a few runs after having blunted the new Kookaburra if need be.

Iyer, who looks ahead of Rahane in battle for No. 5 slot, would be tested by Duanne Oliver's back of the length deliveries that can rear up on a Centurion track which promises to quicken up as match progresses.

In case of Rahane, he is completely out of confidence and that's never a good sign.

Rishabh Pant's game always goes up a notch or two in adverse conditions and skipper Kohli won't mind if he can make a mincemeat of left-arm spinner Maharaj with those one-handed sixes.

A lot will depend on how Rabada and Oliver start the proceedings.

But like any other away tour, the difference between the two sides could be Jasprit Bumrah, fresh from a break and raring to dismantle a batting line-up that depends on Elgar, his deputy Temba Bavuma and De Kock.

If Bumrah and Shami can blow up the top-order, the rest of the South African batters might not do well against Ravichandran Ashwin. Skipper Kohli will need all of that.

Squads: India: Virat Kohli (captain), KL Rahul (vc), Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Jayant Yadav, Priyank Panchal, Umesh Yadav, Hanuma Vihari, Ishant Sharma Dean Elgar (captain), Temba Bavuma (vice-captain), Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Kagiso Rabada, Sarel Erwee, Beuran Hendricks, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Glenton Stuurman, Prenelan Subrayen, Sisanda Magala, Ryan Rickelton, Duanne Olivier.

Match Starts 1:30 pm. 

Also Read : I was really angry after missing Adelaide Test: Cummins

News Source : PTI

Bengaluru, Dec 24 (Kabaddi News) Raider Naveen Kumar starred for his side as Dabang Delhi KC beat U Mumba 31-27 in a Pro Kabaddi League match here on Friday.

Kumar fetched 17 points and was the big difference in the tightly fought contest that saw U Mumba lead for a long time.  The raiders, including Kumar, had a very slow start to the game with both sets of defenders keeping a high line and not even allowing bonus points.

Mumbai raiders Abhishek Singh and Ajith Kumar had very little luck too and the score was tied 5-5 after the first 10 minutes.

Delhi changed gears towards the half-time, Kumar once again instrumental, and had reduced U Mumba to a man on the mat. But Anil Shivam clinched a raid point and then a super tackle, to keep Mumbai in the game.

The first half saw no all outs and ended 12-10 in Mumbai's favour.

Anil and Abhishek Singh gave Mumbai a quick start in the second half which helped them inflict an all out and take a 19-10 lead.

However, Kumar was in no mood to let Mumbai run away with the lead and his multiple successful raids helped the Delhi side claim an all out in the 10th minute of the half to make the scores even at 20-20.

Kumar then picked his Super 10 with seven minutes remaining in the match and then followed it up with a three-point super raid that took the match away from U Mumba.

Despite a few silly defensive errors from seniors Manjeet Chhillar and Jeeva Kumar, Delhi held firm in the last minutes to secure an important victory. 

Also Read : Long jumper Shaili Singh, swimmer Riddhima Kumar selected for TOPS support

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Dec 24 (Cricket News) After bringing the curtains down on his cricket career, veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Friday said he is not averse to joining politics but would like to put in a lot of thought before taking a final decision on such a move.

Recently, chief of Congress' Punjab unit and Harbhajan's former India teammate Navjot Singh Sidhu posted a picture with him on Twitter and captioned it "picture loaded with possibilities". This led to speculation of him joining the party.

The cricketer said that he hasn't yet taken a call on the matter.

"Frankly speaking, I don't know what's in store for me. I just want couple of days to figure out in which direction I would like to move. Yes, I want to give back to society," Harbhajan told PTI in an interview when asked about his future plans.

"If I join politics, how and in what form, I need to figure those things out as main aim is to help people if I at all take the plunge," he added.

While he didn't want to speak about it openly, but people in the know said that there is very little chance that he will be fight the Punjab state assembly elections because of some cricketing and media commitments that would keep him busy.

The feisty former player said he would not want his association with the game to end completely with retirement.

"As far as cricket is concerned, I will remain associated with the game. I am open to coaching, mentoring IPL sides, may be play a bit of veteran's cricket," he said.

There is a high possibility that Harbhajan might work as a mentor with Kolkata Knight Riders or Mumbai Indians, where he had 10 eventful years as a cricketer.

He is also working on his autobiography which will be hitting the stands in the next six months.

"Oh yes, I have nearly completed my autobiography. It would be out in next six months and it's my tell-all story as to how I have seen Indian cricket as an insider. Hope people love that book as much as they loved me." 

Also Read : I have no regrets when I look back, gained more than what I lost: Harbhajan

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Dec 24 (Cricket News) Congratulatory messages poured in from the cricket fraternity, lauding Harbhajan Singh's contribution to the game after the former India spin veteran announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Friday.

Harbhajan, who last played for India in March 2016 in a T20 against UAE, had been contemplating bringing down the curtains on a highly successful international career for quite some time now.

During his 18-year stint in international cricket, he won two World Cups -- the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007 and then the ODI World Cup in 2011. He took 417 wickets in 103 Tests, 269 wickets in 236 ODIs and 25 scalps in 28 T20Is.

"Congratulations on a wonderful career Pajhi Your contribution to cricket has been immense and it was a pleasure to play alongside you. Enjoyed our great moments together on and off the field. Wishing you luck for your next innings @harbhajan_singh," India opener Shikhar Dhawan tweeted.

NCA chief and former India batsman VVS Laxman also extended his he good wishes.

"Hearty congratulations to my great mate @harbhajan_singh on a remarkable career! A tremendous exponent of off-spin, a gifted batsman and a true competitor who fashioned many a wonderful Indian victory. Best wishes for the future, Bhajji, go well!" Former Indian pacer, S Sreeshath, who was in tears after Harbhajan had allegedly slapped him on-field during an IPL match in 2008, labelled the spinner as the best in the world.

"@harbhajan_singh Ur gonna be the one of the best ever played cricket not just for india but in world of cricket..it’s a huge honour to know u and to have played with you b bhajjipa ….will always cherish the lovely hugs (lucky for me) before my spells ) lots of love and respect." Following is the compilation of the reactions by other current and former players.

*KL Rahul: "He was a great spinner for India and youngsters like us came in the team, he was very supportive and welcomed us." *Kuldip Yadav: "A legend of the game and a match winner for our country Thank you @harbhajan_singh Paaji for your guidance and helping me with my game. You will be missed. Best wishes." *Parthiv Patel: "More than a truly great player, Bhajju Pa was always a big brother for all the juniors.@harbhajan_singh would make us laugh all the time and was someone who always made the dressing room like our home. Best wishes in your new innings. #harbhajansingh." *Pragyan Ojha: "Congratulations bhajju pa on a splendid career, something that the entire country is proud of. Wishing you the best for the future endeavours. Also a big thank you for being an inspiration to many budding young spinners. God bless you and the family!" *Umesh Yadav: "One of the finest to represent who won so many games for the nation. Best wishes Bhajju Paa on your retirement @harbhajan_singh." *Mayank Agarwal: Congratulations @harbhajan_singh for a wonderful career. I remember as a kid watching you take that hattrick against Australia in 2001. Thank you for the great memories Bhajji paa. I wish you best for the journey ahead." *Suresh Raina: "Your contribution to Indian cricket will always be cherished, @harbhajan_singh paaji wishing you all the best for your future." 

Also Read : Dhawan's all-round show takes HP to Vijay Hazare final, to face TN

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Dec 24 (Sports News) Under-20 World Athletics silver medal-winning long jumper Shaili Singh is among 50 sportspersons across eight disciplines who have been added to the Core Group of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), the Sports Ministry announced on Friday.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) on Thursday, where 143 athletes were included in the Development Group.

By picking 50 athletes in the Core Group and 143 in the Development Group across eight disciplines in the second list, the MOC has increased the count to 291, including 102 in the Core Group.

Athletes from as many as 13 Olympic disciplines and six Paralympic disciplines have been identified so far for support in their preparation for the 2024 Games.

The 17-year-old Shaili, considered one of the brightest upcoming stars in Indian athletics, had won the silver medal in the long jump event at the World U20 Athletics Championship earlier this year.

Among the youngest of those identified for support is swimmer Riddhima Veerendra Kumar. The 14-year-old won a clutch of medals in the National Junior Championships in October and also made waves in the National Championships a week later.

She was named among the 17 swimmers in the Development Group in addition to the two identified earlier for Core Group.

"The MOC accepted a recommendation by a sub-committee that a review of the swimming list be undertaken after the World Championships in June next year and of the archery list after the National Ranking tournament next month. Some other sport like Equestrian, Golf, Gymnastics, Judo and Tennis will be taken up later," the ministry said.

There were no surprises in the selections made in other sports as well with Tokyo Olympians such as P V Sindhu, Deepika Kumari, M C Mary Kom, and Mohammed Anas Yahiya retaining their place in the core group.

Seasoned shuttler Saina Nehwal has also managed to hold on to her core group spot despite failing to qualify for the Tokyo Games.

The list of athletes selected for TOPS Core and Development Groups: Archery: Core Group- Atanu Das and Deepika Kumari.

Development Group- Pravin Jadhav, Bommaravera Dhiraj, Parth Sushant Salunkhe, Aditya Choudhary, Yasdhdeep Bhoge, Divyansh Kumar Panwar, Kapish Singh, Vickey Ruhal, Neeraj Chauhan, Amit Kumar, Sudanshu Bisht, Bishal Changmai, Komalika Bari, Ankita Jadhav, Madhu Vedwan, Simranjeet Kaur, Ridhi, Deepti Kumari, Tamna, Soniya Thakur, Avni, Manjari Alone and Tisha Punia.

Athletics: Core Group- Mohammed Anas Yahiya, Dharun Ayyasamy, Naganathan Pandi, Arokia Rajiv, Amoj Jacob, Noah Nirmal Tom, Avinash Sable, Murali Sreeshankar, Neeraj Chopra, Tajinderpal Singh Toor, Sandeep Kumar, Dutee Chand, Hima Das, Revathi Veeramani, VK Vismaya, Jisna Mathew, Subha Venkatesan, S Dhanalakshmi, Priyanka Goswami, Bhawna Jat, Shaili Singh, Kamalpreet Kaur, Seema Punia and Annu Rani.

Development Group- Vikrant Panchal, Ayush Dabas, Kapil, Ajay Kumar Saroj, Tejaswin Shankar, Praveen Chitravel, Rohit Yadav, Sahil Silwal, Jeswin Aldrin, Muhammed Ajmal, Karanveer Singh, Yashveer Singh, Amit Khatri, AT Daneswari, Anjali Devi, Priya Mohan, Jyotika Dandi, Kaveri, R Vithya, NS Simi, PD Anjali, Sandra Babu, Ancy Sojan and Sherin Abdul Gafoor.

Badminton: Core Group- Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, B Sai Praneeth, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, Sikki Reddy and Ashwini Ponappa.

Development Group- Sankar Muthusamy, Pranav Rao Gandham, Maisnam Meiraba, K Sathish Kumar, Rohan Gurbani, Sai Charan Koya, Kiran Geroge, Priyanshu Rajwat, Ishaan Bhatnagar, P Vishnuvardhan Goud, Krishna Prasad G, Dhruv Kapil, MR Arjun, Sai Prateek Krishna Prasad, Tasnim Mir, Pullela Gayatri Gopichand, Samiya Imar Farooqui, Aakarshi Kashyap, Malvika Bansod, Ashmita Chaliha, Aditi Bhatt, Tanisha Crasto, Treesa Jolly, Ashwini Bhat, Rutuparna Panda and Shikha Gautam.

Boxing: Core Group- Amit Pangal, Deepak Kumar, Manish Kaushik, Sanjeet, Satish Kumar, MC Mary Kom, Lovlina Borgohain and Pooja Rani.

Development Group- Kavinder Bisht, Ashish Kumar, Bihswametra Chongtham, Aakash Kumar, Sachin Siwach, Mohammed Husamuddin, Rohit More, Sachin, Ankit Narwal, Mohammed Etash Khan, Varinder, Shiva Thapa, Akash Sangwan, Naveen Boora, Nishant Dev, Hemant Yadav, Sumit, Sachin Kumar, Laksya Chahar, Naman Tanwar, Naveen Kumar, Vishal Gupta, Aman Singh, Narender, Nitu, Rani Manju, Nikhat Zareen, Anamika, Babyrojisana Naroem Chanu, Jamuna Boro, Poonam Poonia, Sakshi, Jasmine, Simranjit Kaur, Parveen Hooda, Ankushita Boro, Vinka, Arundathi Chaudhary and Sanamacha Chanu.

Fencing: Core Group- Bhavani Devi.

Development Group- Karan Singh, Abhay Shinde, C Jetlee, RS Sherjin, SN Siva Magesh, Bennet Joseph, Laishram Moramba, Oinam Jubraj, Tanishka Khatri, Sheetal Dalal, Vedika Khushi and Shreya Gupta.

Rowing: Core Group- Arjun Lal Jat, Arvind Singh, Sukhmeet Singh, Bittu Singh, Jakhar Khan and Ravi.

Development Group- Parminder Singh.

Swimming: Development Group- Advait Page, Kushagra Rawat, Aryan Nehra, Neel Roy, Shoan Ganguly, Tanish George Mathew, Aneesh S Gowda, Swadesh Mondal, Aryan Panchal, R Sambhavv, Maana Patel, Kenisha Gupta, Aanya Wala, Apeksha Fernandes, Bhavya Sachdeva, Suvana C Baskar and Ridhima Veerendra Kumar.

Table Tennis: Development Group: Yashaswini Ghorpade and Prapti Sen. 

Also Read : Justin Gatlin approaching 40 in early 2022 season

News Source : PTI

Centurion, Dec 24 (Cricket News) India opener Mayank Agarwal says his time away from the national team was spent in understanding his mind space, something which India coach Rahul Dravid has always emphasised on and it benefitted him immensely as he reclaimed his place in the side.

The 30-year-old from Karnataka had lost his place in the team after being ruled out of the first Test in England due to concussion.

He then made a strong comeback to the Test set-up with scores of 150 and 62 in the second Test against New Zealand recently as India won the series against World Test Champions 1-0.

"It is not a fresh start. The last one year that went by was a lot to do with understanding myself and understanding what ticks me and what hadn't worked for me," Agarwal told fellow opener and India vice-captain KL Rahul during a chat, a video of which was posted on BCCI.tv.

"I am glad that I could comeback and put in the performances and I look to do the same." Talking about chief coach Dravid's contribution in the process of understanding himself, Agarwal said, "For me, he has just been a person who talks about understanding yourself and understanding your mind space. If you can work that out and sort that out then more often then not you are giving yourself best possible chance to succeed." "Knowing him, he is a man who really strives and puts the onus on a good strong preparations. We had quality sessions here and we are looking forward to playing the Test match," he said but did not elaborate what exactly he learned.

Agarwal and Rahul have shared the dressing for the Karnataka state team and have also opened the innings together for Punjab Kings in the IPL for the last four years.

Rahul hoped their camaraderie will help them to score runs together and win India matches, starting with the opening Test against South Africa beginning on December 26.

"My journey has been beautiful, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. You have been part of my journey and I have been in yours and we both had to work hard for this, for both of us it has been a beautiful journey," KL Rahul said.

"We had our doubts if we play for India and we never gave up our dreams and worked harder and it is amazing to sometimes sit back and think how we started and where we are today, it is magical for me.

"It is just the beginning for us and we still have a long way to go and the friendship and understanding we have shared for so many years will only help us build better partnership and win more matches for the country." 

Also Read : India and South Africa lock horns for Boxing day Test

News Source : PTI

Melbourne, Dec 24 (Cricket News) The legendary Glenn McGrath on Friday loathed the lack of aggression from England players in the ongoing Ashes series, saying he would prefer to see a close battle in the ultimate contest instead of "political correctness".

For McGrath, too much bromance between England and Australian players, which he largely attributed to IPL and Big Bash, was taking away the required passion while representing the country. "It can be a little bit too nice sometimes. That's the way everything's going, isn't it? There's a lot of political correctness. People are a bit nervous about being aggressive and playing hard," McGrath was quoted as saying by Syndey Morning Herald.

"I remember, when Nasser Hussain came out here with England, they weren't even allowed to talk to us or say 'G'day'." The Australians have this habit of shortening the longer words but McGrath is aghast to see the nick names floating around.

"Every time you hear one of the English or Australian players interviewed, they use a nickname.

"Broady, Jimmy, Kez. I was asking the other day, 'Who’s Kez?' 'Oh, Alex Carey.' They’re a lot more familiar with each other than we were when I played." England are down 0-2 in the series but it did not show if the bashing by the hosts was causing any hurt. The England players were chatting around nicely with the home players.

"It's all about body language. How much does it mean, representing your country? England have to go back to the drawing board and have a real good think about this." "With the IPL and the Big Bash, these players know one another well. You see batsmen and bowlers joking around. I’d like to see some emotion out in the middle." McGrath was all for a spectacle out there in the middle.

"I'd love there to be more of a battle. Australia aren't going to take their foot off the throttle, now that they have Pat Cummins coming back.

"James Anderson looks like he's down on pace, and the ball's not swinging. This could get pretty ugly very quickly." He urged the visitors to add some aggression to their game and suggested that they unleash Mark Wood.

"If you've got someone bowling over 150 km/h, you want to play him as often as you can. Ben Stokes hasn’t looked good, so for him to come out in Adelaide and play the enforcer role was a big ask.

"They needed Wood. Any bowler with that speed is a rarity. Look at what Jofra Archer did to Australia in 2019. Not to use an out-and-out quick on a deck like Adelaide is surprising. Ollie Robinson will take wickets, but he’s not going to blast teams out, especially in Australian conditions." "......To turn things around they have to be much more aggressive. For all of us, the Ashes is the ultimate. All we want is to see a battle that's close." 

Also Read : U-19 Asia Cup: India thrash UAE in opener

News Source : PTI

Kolkata, Dec 23 (Cricket News) The talented Shubman Gill said that given a choice he would like to play for Kolkata Knight Riders forever.

Gill, who is currently nursing a shin injury which is keeping him out of South Africa tour, was released by the KKR management, who retained Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer and Varu Chakravarthy.

Once seen as KKR's future captain, the 22-year-old Indian opener was among the likes of Eoin Morgan, Dinesh Karthiik, Rahul Tripathi and Nitish Rana to be released.

"The kind of bond I have with the KKR franchise is something really special to me," Gill said in a short-film titled 'Love, Faith and Beyond'.

"Once you're associated with a franchise you would want to carry on and play with them forever... And if I would be able to play in purple and gold, I would play forever," he added.

Bought for Rs 1.8 crore ahead of IPL 2018, a 18-year-old Gill rose to prominence with KKR in the very first season where scored 203 runs in 13 matches at a strike-rate of 146.04.

But later on he drew flak for his poor conversion rate while his strike-rate too came down as overall he has so far played 58 matches for the franchise, scoring 1417 runs at a strike rate of 123.00.

"Not every year you can have all the best teammates or all the best players or all your best friends in one team. Instead of cribbing about the fact that we don't have them we should cherish the time that we had with them," Gill added.

The 11-minute short-film is a KKR's tribute to some of the best and the brightest players who were a part of the franchise.

"Ideally, there are so many players you want to retain but it just does not work that way," MD & CEO, KKR Venky Mysore said.

"They are a bunch of highly talented kids, very motivated, grounded and have a deep desire to succeed." Assistant coach of KKR Abhishek Nayar said: "A Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna and Kamlesh Nagarkoti, will never forget this franchise, as it stood by them when no one else did.

"When KKR invested in the youngsters, their vision was purely for the guys to feel more connected to the franchise. KKR wanted the players to know that it was about the franchise caring for the players and helping them grow & become better cricketers." 

Also Read : Bowling to Kohli will be tough but exciting too, says SA's comeback man Oliver

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Dec 23 (Sports News) Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday said that the World Anti-Doping Agency has restored the accreditation of the National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL), which was suspended in 2019 because of its failure to meet global standards.

The NDTL is based in the national capital.

"National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) regains the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accreditation," Thakur posted on his official Twitter page.

"Restoration of accreditation is a boost to India's efforts to achieve the highest global standards of excellence in sport. This is the result of untiring efforts by GOI (Government of India)," he added.

India is currently third in the WADA's global list of dope violators led by Russia.

"Last week in Parliament, we introduced 'The National Anti-Doping Bill 2021', which is another step in India's quest to become a sporting powerhouse," Thakur said referring to the legislation which give the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA)powers to conduct raids to nab dope offenders.

The suspension of the NDTL had prohibited it from carrying out any anti-doping activities, including all analysis of urine and blood samples.

The WADA first suspended NDTL in August 2019 for a period of six months and extended the de-recognition period after its inspections showed that non-conformities still existed.

The laboratory's non-conformities pertained to the International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) identified during a WADA site visit, including the isotope ratio mass spectrometry — the analytical technique of choice for confirmation of prohibited substances.

During the suspension period, urine samples collected by NADA were being sent primarily to the WADA-accredited lab in Doha.

The process had made the anti-doping programme very expensive for the country because of the significant cost involved in sending samples abroad.

The COVID-19 pandemic also contributed in slowing down the anti-doping activities in India with NADA admitting to have collected a lesser volume of samples.

After outstanding non-conformities were not addressed to WADA's satisfaction, its Laboratory Expert Group (LabEG) recommended the initiation of further disciplinary proceedings against NDTL in January this year.

The disciplinary committee that was mandated to make a recommendation to the WADA chair then asked for an extension in suspension.

Because of the suspension, NDTL could not carry out any testing before Tokyo Olympics in this year.

"Sending of samples for analysis to Qatar lab involves cost and also delays the result management process," lawyer Parth Goswami, who regularly handles doping related cases, had said in an interview to PTI earlier this year. 

Also Read : Asia’s fastest athlete Su Bingtian flying high after Tokyo final

News Source : PTI

(Sports news) Su Bingtian has been one of the top sprinters in the world over the past twelve months. He is the fourth fastest in the 100m this year with a timing of 9.83 secs at Tokyo Olympics, Su stormed into the final with that timing but came up a bit short of the podium finish. The last Asian sprinter to reach the 100m Olympic final was Japanese sprinter Takayoshi Yoshioka in 1932.

The current Asian record holder has been a regular winner in the Asian Games. Su is also one of the fastest sprinters in the 60 meters and ran a unofficial 6.29 secs in the semifinal at Tokyo which has been the fastest beating Usain Bolt’s run in 2009 when he ran the fastest 100m ever. While the sprinting events have been dominated by Jamaicans in the past decade, now there has been uncertainty in the major events as there are a handful of athletes who have been exchanging the podium finishes.

Su won the Gold at the Shanghai Diamond League in 2017 with a timing of 10.11 secs. He has an explosive start till the 60 meter which if he can hold for another 40 meters can bring his timing down to 9.70 secs. At the Birmingham World Indoor Championships, the Diamond league winner ran the 60m in 6.42 secs which is 6th fastest of all time.

Sprinters usually are short in height, there are a few exceptions, most of them are not tall. Su is 5 feet 8 inches which is perfect for the event, even though he is 32 years old his timings are only getting quicker by each season. The sub 10 second barrier has been broken by the Olympic finalist multiple times, a major change in 2014 has been one of the causes to his form. In the beginning of his career, Su used to start off the blocks with his right foot and for the past 7 years he has been doing the same with his left foot which made a major impact in his timings. The change proved effective in a year as he ran his first sub 10 race in 2015.

China has been in the bottom in the field of athletics at the Olympics. Liu Xiang was the last Chinese sprinter to win a medal at the Olympics, he won the gold at the 100m hurdles 17 years back at Athens. Su can target the World Championships next year as the Paris Olympics are two years away, he is already inspiring many in China and Asia. 

Also read: Moj and ShareChat collaborate with Star Sports for Pro Kabaddi League

(Tennis news) Cori Gauff also known as Coco Gauff is one the top teenagers on tour. Although Emma Raducanu and Leylah Fernandez hogged the limelight at the US Open this year, Coco has been on the tour since 2019. The teenager is the third highest ranked American behind Sofia Kenin and Jessica Pegula.

Gauff is the youngest player to be ranked in the current top 200, she is currently ranked 22 and is 14 victories away from 100 career wins. Although not a very tall player, her serve can reach speeds of 180 km/ hour and has a flat backhand which changes the angle even at high speeds. The 17 year old has a powerful forehand but it is not as consistent as her backhand, she is quick in between rallies. She hit some unplayable lobs during the Australian Open this year that showcased her prowess.

The young prodigy has been a consistent player on tour, she won her second career title this year at Emilia Romagna Open along with her third doubles title partnering with Catherine Mcnally. She defeated Amanda Anisimova in the quarterfinals and only dropped a set while winning the title. Gauff is also improving her game at the nets as she and Mcnally reached the final of the US Open losing to Samantha Stosur and Shuai Zhang. The American pair did not drop a set on their way to the final and showed that they can win big titles even though both are teenagers.

Gauff reached the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam in singles for the first time at Roland Garros this year. She beat Ons Jabeur in straight sets, Jennifier Brady until Brady retired hurt after losing the first set 6-1. The young American has played 50 matches this year and won 36 of them. It will be interesting to see how she handles the pressure at the 2022 Australian Open as now there are a handful of teenagers who can reach the end stages of any major.

The WTA tour has not had a consistent champion on tour for years except for Serena Williams. Naomi Osaka is expected to come back to Australia as she has been winning a Grand Slam since 2018. There are 4, 5 players who will win multiple slams next year but they will have to watch out for hungry young players who are expanding their trophy cabinet. Gauff knows what it takes and how stressful it is but she can adapt to these conditions.

Also read: Jurgen Melzer, Viktor Troicki bid farewell to the sport this year

New Delhi, Dec 23 (Cricket News) Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday named West Indies batting legend Brian Lara and South African pace great Dale Steyn as part of their revamped support staff ahead of the 2022 IPL.

Lara, who is usually seen commentating during the IPL, has taken up the coaching role at Sunrisers. He has been named strategic advisor and batting coach. The team made the announcement via social media.

Steyn, who has played for multiple IPL teams in the past including Sunrisers, has been appointed the pace bowling coach. He had announced his retirement earlier this year. Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan remains the spin bowling coach.

Moody returns as head coach after fellow Australian Trevor Bayliss quit following the 2021 season. Moody was Sunrisers' director of cricket last season.

Former India batter Hemang Badani has been named fielding coach while Simon Katich, who has been the head coach of RCB, has been appointed assistant coach.

Sunrisers had retained three players including skipper Kane Wiliamson, uncapped Umran Malik and Abdul Samad ahead of the mega auction in February.

The team finished last in the 2021 IPL. 

Also Read : In-form Saurashtra face uphill task against TN, Himachal hold edge over Services

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New Delhi, Dec 23 (Badminton News) PV Sindhu's legend grew with a second Olympic medal, Kidambi Srikanth regained his touch with a historic World championship silver and Lakshya Sen continued to dazzle but the listless performance in team events was a significant low for Indian badminton in a topsy-turvy year.

The COVID-19 pandemic expectedly disrupted the international calender with many events either cancelled or rescheduled but Indian shuttlers grabbed the opportunities even though a title win eluded them.

If Rio Olympics silver-medallist Sindhu led from the front with a bronze medal at Tokyo and a silver at the season-ending World Tour Final, Srikanth and Lakshya dished out a year-end special, scooping a silver and bronze respectively at the World Championships.

It was a moment to rejoice as for the first time, two Indian men returned with medals from one edition of the World Championships, a feat that was earlier achieved by Sindhu and Saina Nehwal in women's singles at the 2017 Glasgow event.

However, neither Sindhu nor Srikanth or Lakshya, who had reached the finals at Dutch Open, could go the full distance as India's title draught continued.

The fact that BWF decided to squeeze nine tournaments into 12 weeks after the resumption of the international circuit also didn't help things as many players were left injured.

Sindhu, the 2019 World champion, was subdued at the Thailand leg at the beginning of the year but she soon reached the final at Swiss Open in March before coronavirus forced the suspension of three Olympic qualifiers.

Already assured of a place at the Tokyo Games, Sindhu then sealed her place among the greatest when she added a bronze to the Rio silver medal at the biggest multi-sport extravaganza.

She then took a two-month break and hit a consistent run after her return, registering three semifinal finishes at French Open, Indonesia Masters and Indonesia Open.

Sindhu then sizzled at the season-ending World Tour Finals, which ended with a silver medal.

The final finish raised hopes of a successful defence of her world championship gold but it was not to be as Sindhu returned empty handed from the prestigious event for the first time since 2017.

While Sindhu's season ended with a quarterfinal finish in Huelva, Srikanth and Lakshya more then made up for the disappointment.

Since claiming four titles in five finals in 2017, Srikanth had struggled with fitness and form and the lowest point came when he failed to secure the Tokyo berth due to a mix of injuries and cancellation of qualifiers.

However, the 28-year-old from Guntur shook off the disappointment and slowly found his groove with two semifinal finishes at Hylo Open and Indonesia Masters before an explosive performance at the World Championships.

Srikanth dished out one superlative win after another to enter his first final since the 2019 India Open and in the process, became the first man to earn India a silver at the World Championships.

If Srikanth travelled from despair to ecstacy within a few months, the 20-year-old Lakshya charmed with his youthful exuberance as he continued his fine run from 2019 when he had won five titles before COVID-19 somewhat halted his progress.

The youngster from Almora scripted a final finish at the Dutch Open, made it to the semifinals at Hylo and then reached the knockout stage at World Tour Finals on debut.

Lakshya then sizzled with a bronze at the World Championships, thus joining his mentor Prakash Padukone and B Sai Praneeth.

Struggling with a gastroesophageal reflux disease and then post COVID after-affects, HS Prannoy also finished things on a high with a quarterfinal finish in Spain.

It was also a decent year for men's doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy as they reached the semifinals at Toyota Thailand Open, Swiss Open and Indonesia Open before injury to the latter took a toll.

The duo also won two of the three matches against higher-ranked opponents at Tokyo Olympics but missed out of the quarterfinal after it was decided on the basis of the number of games won and lost.

Plagued by injuries, London Olympics bronze-medallist Saina, however, endured a tough year as she failed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics and also was forced to pull out of the World Championship for the first time in her career.

The former world no.1 returned to the circuit at Uber Cup but it was cut short due to multiple injuries, including a groin issue.

While the singles players did well, India cut a sorry figure at team events -- Sudirman Cup and Thomas and Uber Cup Finals.

With star players missing, India made an early exit from the Sudirman Cup after wining just one match out of three.

The men's team and women's teams produced a slightly better show at Thomas and Uber Cup Final, finishing at the quarterfinal stage.

The only bright spot was that the likes of Aditi Bhatt, Malvika Bansod, the men's doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun, Gayatri Gopichand, Rutuporna Panda, Tanisha Crasto, Tasneem Mir and Theresa Jolly hugely benefitted from the campaign.

Other upcoming shuttlers such as Aman Farogh Sanjay, Revati Devasthale, Priyanshu Rajawat also gave hope to Indian badminton by registering international wins in the year goneby. 

Also Read : Kiran and Aakarshi win national ranking titles

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Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 22 (Sports News) A rabbit mascot named Neeraj, in honour of Neeraj Chopra, the first Indian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, will be the symbol for the first ever 'Kerala Olympic Games', slated to be held in February 2022.

State Education Minister V Sivankutty unveiled the mascot on Wednesday.

The Kerala Olympic Association (KOA) is organising the 'Kerala Olympics Games' from February 15 to 24, 2022.

"The meet will be conducted on 24 disciplines which includes athletics, aquatics, archery, basketball, boxing, badminton, cycling, football, wrestling, hockey, judo, karate, kambadi (Kabadi), KHO- KHO, netball, rugby, rifles (shooting), wushu, tennis, table tennis, Taekwondo, volleyball & weight lifting," the KOA said in a release.

Ahead of the Games, district games will be held in all 14 districts and athletes and teams selected from this level will participate in the Kerala Olympics Games, KOA said.

Though the main venue of the event will be the state capital, some competitions will be held in some other districts also.

Sivankutty said the event will provide more opportunities for sportspersons in Kerala.

The Minister, at an event held here, said the state government would bring out new schemes to identify the potential of children from the underprivileged classes.

"We hope the district-state Games will be able to revitalize the sports sector, which has been dormant for the last 20 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new concept of the Kerala Olympic Games, opens up another venue for our athletes," Sivankutty said.

KOA will also hold a mega Olympic Expo at the state capital which includes a sports expo where major sports goods and equipment manufacturers from all over India will participate.

"The Olympics Expo will also showcase commercial, automobile and flower shows along with cultural programs," V Sunil Kumar, President of Kerala Olympic Association said.

S Rajiv, Secretary of Kerala Olympic Association delivered the welcome address. 

Also Read : IWF set to propose 10 weight classes for Paris Olympics, Jeremy's category likely to be axed

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Mumbai, Dec 22 (Cricket News) The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is keen to have former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar as the 'mentor' for its Ranji Torphy team in the upcoming season, which begins in January.

The move comes after domestic giants Mumbai performed miserably in both the white-ball tournaments -- Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy -- under Amol Muzumdar.

The multiple-time Ranji champions were knocked out of the league stages of both the tournaments.

The idea to make the 65-year-old Vengsarkar, a stalwart of 116 Tests and a former MCA office-bearer, was floated by the cricket body's treasurer, Jagdish Achrekar.

In a mail to MCA president Vijay Patil, Achrekar wrote, "I refer to my mail dated 13th December to call an urgent Apex Council meeting to discuss the performances of various Mumbai teams, more particularly the senior men's team." "As no response has emerged so far, I request you to give a thought to appoint a mentor to boost the moral of our senior men's team. I may suggest that we have renowned players like Dilip Vengsarkar sir, Balwinder Singh Sandhu sir, Milind Rege sir & Raju Kulkarni sir, who may come forward to help Mumbai cricket in this period of crisis," Achrekar wrote in the mail, a copy of which is in possession of PTI.

Subsequently, the matter was discussed in the MCA meeting held here on Tuesday.

"After the initial apex council meeting, Dr Patil spoke to Vengsarkar and requested him to become the Ranji team's mentor," a senior MCA official, who is in the know of the developments, told PTI on Wednesday.

Vengsarkar has an eye for talent and has been the former chairman of national selectors.

Right now, the Mumbai team is coached by domestic stalwart Muzumdar and for the Ranji Trophy, they are clubbed in Elite Group C along with Karnataka, Delhi, Hyderabad, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra and will play their league stage matches in Kolkata. 

Also Read : IPL mega auction likely to be held in Bengaluru on Feb 7 and 8

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New Delhi, Dec 22 (Cricket News) The BCCI is planning to hold the two-day mega Indian Premier League auction on February 7 and 8 in Bengaluru, a senior BCCI official said on Wednesday.

It could well be the last mega auction that BCCI might conduct as most of the original IPL franchises want it to be discontinued.

"Unless the COVID-19 situation worsens, we will have the IPL mega auction in India. The two-day event will be held on February 7 and 8 and like other years, we plan to hold it in Bengaluru. Preparations are underway," a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

There were reports that auction will be held in the UAE but as of now, BCCI has no such plans.

However with the emergence of Omicron variant of COVID-19 and cases on the rise, the situation will remain fluid but if there are restrictions with regards to overseas travel (unless all owners decide to use charter planes), conducting it in India will be less of a logistical nightmare.

This year's IPL will be a 10-team affair with Sanjiv Goenka owned Lucknow franchise along with venture capital firm CVC owned Ahmedabad making their debut in the cash rich league.

CVC is however waiting for its Letter of Intent from the BCCI but is expected to get an all clear in the next few weeks.

Both teams have time till Christmas to announce their three draft picks but BCCI might extend the dates for both as CVC is yet to get clearance.

Most of the franchise owners feel that mega auctions have passed their sell-by-date and a team's composition and balance gets severely compromised when there are auctions after every three years.

Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal had in fact said this on record how it is tough to release players after having put in effort to build a team.

"It is very sad to lose Shreyas Iyer, Shikhar Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada and Ashwin. The auction process itself is something like this. Going forward, IPL should look at this because it’s not that you build a team, give chances to young players, groom them and get them opportunities from franchises, play for the country and then you lose them after three years," Jindal had said after players' retention was announced November 30. 

Also Read : Shreyas Iyer or Hanuma Vihari? Who should get a chance first in South Africa?

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(Football news) Second placed Sevilla dropped two points at home against Barcelona as Xavi’s team couldn't manage to end their disastrous year with a win. Sevilla on the other hand will be content with a draw considering that they played the last 36 minutes with 10 men. The game was massively influenced by heavy rain throughout the 90 minutes.

The game was evenly balanced at the start as Frenkie De Jong had a header saved by Sevilla keeper Yassine Bounou. Sevilla striker Rafa Mir scored a goal that was correctly flagged offside. Ousmane Dembélé had a shot saved by Bounou just before Sevilla won a corner at the other end and broke the deadlock. It was a properly worked training ground routine where Ivan Rakitic put in a low grounded pass into no man's land where Alejandro Gomez came out of nowhere to slot it into the far post. Just when it looked like Sevilla would be going into the break with a 1 goal lead, Ronald Araujo rose highest to head home Dembélé's corner seconds before half time. 

In the 2nd half, Thomas Delaney had two chances from a corner but failed to hit the target on both occasions. The turning point of the 2nd half was when Jordi Alba nudged Jules Kounde in the back twice before the Frenchman lost his cool and launched the ball at Alaba's face before a throw-in which resulted in Kounde being shown a straight red card immediately. Despite going down to 10 men, Sevilla never looked like conceding as Barcelona didn't create any big chances apart from one in the 84th minute when Dembélé hit the post.

The Blaugrana have won only 3 of their 9 games under Xavi in all competitions. The situation at the club is very bad due to multiple reasons. The major reason without a doubt is the amount of injuries they have faced. At this moment in time, Barcelona are missing 8 first team players. They have a break till January to regroup and prepare for a rigorous fixture list. President Joan Laporta has already confirmed that Barcelona will be looking to sign new players in January which is good news for Xavi. Sevilla on the other hand are doing well in the League as they sit 2nd on table just 5 points behind Real Madrid.
 

New Delhi, Dec 22 (Badminton News) Riding on his historic World Championship silver, India's Kidambi Srikanth jumped four places to regain his place in the world's top 10 in the latest Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings.

The 28-year-old from Guntur was rewarded for his final finish in Huelva, Spain as he grabbed the 10th position in the rankings.

Young Lakshya Sen, who also secured a maiden bronze at World Championship in his first campaign at the event, jumped two spots to the 17th position but B Sai Praneeth slipped two places to be at the 18th spot.

H S Prannoy's quarterfinal finish in Spain saw him improve six places to the 26th spot.

In women's singles, two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu remained static at seventh place, while Saina Nehwal, who is recovering from multiple injuries, is at the 25th place.

Men's doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy slipped one place to the 10th position, while Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy regained their place in the top 20 in the women's doubles. 

Also Read : I thought missing Olympics is not the end of the world, says Srikanth after silver at worlds

News Source : PTI

London, Dec 22 (Cricket News) England are being "too nice" and need to "get nasty" against Australia in the Boxing Day Test to fight back in the ongoing Ashes series, feels former skipper Michael Vaughan.

England suffered heavy defeats in the first two Tests to be down 0-2 in the five-match series.

"It's too nice," Vaughan, who led England to 26 wins in 51 Tests, including the 2005 Ashes, said on Fox Cricket's Follow-On podcast.

"I see on the morning of the game they are all talking to Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon. I never had a conversation with Steve Waugh back in the day. I wouldn't have dared go and speak to Glenn McGrath on the morning of the game or Shane Warne. You just didn't.

"It's all a bit friendly. I'd get nasty with them … They somehow need to find that on day one. Get into the scrap. Chirp, do whatever, just get into the scrap." Vaughan wants England to bring a change in their attitude on the field.

"They are at that stage now where they have to change something," the 47-year-old vaughan, who scored 5719 runs in 82 Tests, said.

"It might be that they all get nasty, get nasty with each other. They all fall out. Who cares, but then come out and show a bit of spirit I actually want to see a bit of mongrel in the England side." Former skipper Michael Atherton, meanwhile, said Joe Root may lose his Test captaincy if England doesn't arrest the slide and overturn the 0-2 deficit in the ongoing series.

Root (23) surpassed Alastair Cook (22) to become the England captain with most losses in Test cricket following their 275-run loss in the Pink-ball Test at the Adelaide Oval.

"If the tour continues to go this badly, it is hard to see how Root will remain as captain," Artherton, who captained England in 54 Tests, told 'The Times'.

"Ashes tours have often done for England captains and Root is nearer the end of his cycle than the beginning. There is not a rash of alternatives, but the notion that there is no one to take over is the worst rationale for keeping the job." The 53-year-old also slammed head coach Chris Silverwood for taking "poor decisions", mainly in terms of selection of the team for the two Tests.

"As the head coach and main selector, he has to shoulder along with Joe Root. There have been a rash of poor decisions so far – selection, mainly – for which he now has the final call," Artherton said.

"For the past 12 months, lots of selections have been suspect; the move to invest responsibility for selection with the head coach was always a bad one." The third Test begins in Melbourne on December 26 and Atherton feels England need to address their batting woes.

"The batting needs urgent attention more generally, but given that no one else has played any cricket, I would give the same batsmen another chance," he said. 

Also Read : IPL's Lucknow franchise appoints Vijay Dahiya as assistant coach

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New Delhi, Dec 22 (Cricket News) Former wicketkeeper-batter Vijay Dahiya was on Wednesday roped in as the assistant coach of the new Lucknow franchise ahead of IPL 2022.

The 48-year-old from Haryana is the current coach of the Uttar Pradesh team. He has earlier worked as an assistant coach of two-time IPL winning Kolkata Knight Riders.

He has also served as the talent scout for the Delhi Capitals, apart from coaching the Delhi Ranji team.

"I am delighted and grateful for the opportunity given to me to work with the Lucknow IPL franchise," Dahiya, who has played two Tests and 19 ODIs for India, said in a statement.

The Lucknow team, which is part of the RPSG Group, had earlier appointed Andy Flower as head coach and Gautam Gambhir as the mentor ahead of next year's IPL. 

Also Read : If there is one bowler who can exploit South African conditions, it is Bumrah: Elgar

News Source : PTI

Beijing, Dec 21 (Sports News) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will attend the Beijing Winter Olympic Games, Siddharth Chatterjee, the UN Resident Coordinator in China said as he expressed UN support for China hosting the event.

The Beijing Winter Olympic will be held from February 4 to 20 next year followed by the Paralympics Winter Games from March 4-13, 2022.

Beijing which held the Summer Olympics in 2008 is the only city to have hosted both winter and summer Olympics.

“I am delighted that my boss, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has accepted an invitation from the International Olympic Committee to attend the Beijing Winter Games. I echo his wise words, when he said that the Olympic spirit brings out humanity’s best: Teamwork and solidarity. Talent. Tolerance,” Chatterjee told Chinese official media on Tuesday.

Guterres' presence is regarded as significant as the US, the UK, Canada and Australia have said they will not send government representatives to the February games because of concerns over China's human rights record.

The diplomatic boycott is over the allegations of abuse against Uyghur Muslims and other minorities.

China for its part has lodged a stern protest to the US over the “diplomatic boycott”.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on December 7 that the US boycott move runs counter to the Olympic charter principle that sport should maintain political neutrality as well as the Olympic motto of standing together.

“China deplores and rejects this and lodged solemn representations and will take resolute countermeasures,” he said.

China has already announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping’s invitation to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

Chatterjee, who hails from India, has formally taken over as the United Nations Coordinator in China, a key posting of overseeing the work of 27 UN agencies, funds and programmes in the country in February this year.

Before coming to China, Chatterjee was the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya.

"At a time when the world is battling against the COVID-19 pandemic, solidarity and friendship among nations have never been more important," Chatterjee was quoted as saying by the state-run China Daily.

"It will also be critical for all (UN) member states to observe the Olympic Truce, and ensure the safe passage, access and participation of athletes, officials and all other personnel taking part in the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games," he said.

On December 2, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on "Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal".

It voiced the expectation that the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games will be "a meaningful opportunity to harness the power of sport to advance the world by fostering an atmosphere of peace, development, resilience, tolerance and understanding", Chatterjee said. 

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Johannesburg, Dec 21 (Cricket News) South Africa captain Dean Elgar feels the Indian pace attack has improved immensely, especially overseas, and Jasprit Bumrah is best placed to exploit the "spicy" conditions in the rainbow nation.

India, who lost the series 1-2 back in 2018, are primed for their maiden Test series win in South Africa.

The home team also lacks in experience with the likes AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Faf Du Plessis, Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander, who were all part of the 2018 series, retired from the game.

Bumrah hade made his Test debut in that series and has gone on to become one of the leading bowlers in international cricket. In a virtual media interaction, Elgar acknowledged the Bumrah threat but said the whole Indian attack will be tough to face.

"He (Bumrah) is a world class bowler. If there is one bowler who can exploit South African conditions pretty well, it would be him. But again, we don't focus on one guy. India as a whole is a pretty, pretty good side.

"They've been a pretty good side for the last two to three years and have toured very well of late," said Elgar, who was the only one alongside Virat Kohli to average more than 40 in the 2018 series.

Elgar said senior bowler R Ashwin has not had too much success in South Africa but he remains one of the best spinners in world cricket.

South Africa had their training at the Wanderers till Tuesday while the Indians trained in Centurion.

"India has been an immensely improved bowling line up especially playing away from home as well. We're very mindful of what we're going to be up against.

"Being in South Africa I would like to think we're a lot more accustomed to our home conditions. So I rather be sitting here knowing that than possibly sitting in Indian dressing room knowing that they have to face our bowlers." South Africa have been dealt a big blow ahead of the series opener with Anrich Nortje being ruled out due to injury. Kagiso Rabada will lead the attack in the company of Duanne Oliver, who has returned to play for South Africa after the end of Kolpak deal in the UK, and Lungi Ngidi.

Elgar hopes the weather will clear up ahead of the first Test and expects pitches to have enough spice for the bowlers.

"There's always a little bit of spice in South African wickets, especially in highveld region. I wouldn't see too much change (from last series). If you apply yourself as a batter, if you nail down your skills and your disciplines, you can really score runs in Centurion.

"Again, with the ball in hand you can exploit the conditions if you got pace and bounce and if you got some skill and be a little patient from a bowling point of view," he said when asked about the match up of both the pace attacks.

Talking about the inexperience in the batting line-up, he said: "Professional cricket is about taking your opportunities and making the position your own...if they don't, there'll be other guys knocking on the door.

"But it's always going to be tough playing against the best side in the world. They've got a very good bowling lineup and we are aware of it." On the return of Oliver, who had quit South Africa to play county cricket in the UK, said he has been received well by the players.

"There's no bad feelings about what's happened in the past. I want to win cricket matches and series for South Africa. I'm pretty sure I've got 100% backing when it comes to that.

"So, it's nice to have him back. He's learned a lot playing in the UK. And so he's bringing a lot of knowledge and experience back into the change, which is something that we need at the moment.

"He is a match winner and if he can win cricket matches for us I'm all for having him back." Elgar is also disappointed that the series will be played in front of empty stands with the rise in COVID-19 cases in South Africa following the emergence of Omicron variant. 

Also Read : David Lloyd announces retirement from commentary, invokes Elton John

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(Cricket news) Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the 3 match Test Series against India due to a 'persistent hunter'. Cricket South Africa had also announced that there will be no replacement for the seamer. Nortje's absence will be a massive blow for the home side especially against the No. 1 Test team in the world. 

Nortje and Rabada's partnership of raw pace at both ends was South Africa's biggest asset against India. Nortje has only played 12 Tests in his career so far. He has picked up 47 wickets at an average of 28.10 including 3 five wicket hauls. The 28-year-old made his Test debut against India in Pune but failed to pick up a single wicket. It would've been a completely different story in South African conditions with the extra bounce on offer.

Also read: India's ideal playing XI for the 1st Test against South Africa

Now South Africa have 7 fast bowlers in Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Marco Jansen, Beuran Hendricks, Glenton Stuurman and Sisanda Magala. Although all of them are good options, none of them apart from Rabada have the ability to create the same impact as Nortje. Rabada, Ngidi and Olivier are the 3 seamers South Africa are likely to go for along with Keshav Maharaj as the main spinner. 

Indian batters will be very relieved as most of them know the danger that Nortje possesses having played him in the IPL. The pacer was the only foreign player retained by Delhi Capitals ahead of the IPL mega auction. 

Hyderabad, Dec 21 (Badminton News) When he missed the Tokyo Games due to a mix of injuries and cancellation of qualifiers owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, shuttler Kidambi Srikanth said to himself that Olympics is not the end of the world.

He was confident that his time would come and he worked towards it. Now, he is glad that his toil has paid off, evidence of which is a historic world championships silver medal in the men's singles competition.

"Olympics... I was also disappointed. If you look at it, I was still the highest ranked player from India. But, some tournaments were supposed to happen for Olympics qualification. Nearly, seven to nine tournaments got cancelled," Srikanth said on Tuesday.

"First part of the qualification, I could not play because of my injury. Second part, I was fully fit. But, tournaments did not happen.

"2021, they said resumption... I played Swiss Open semifinal. I had said I was feeling confident, I can make it to the Olympics. But, again, every tournament got cancelled. Those things are something I don't have any control over. So, I don't want to talk about it.

"I felt that day that Olympics is not the end of the world. I thought that I will have my own chances. I worked towards it. I am just happy that everything paid off." Seeking to become a better player by working on his shortcomings, Srikanth said he will "focus on maintaining" his form and fitness heading into a hectic new year.

The 28-year-old former world number one from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh on Sunday became the first Indian male shuttler to claim a silver medal at the prestigious tournament.

On his return to the country, Srikanth said, "Now my only focus is on maintaining this and to improve further. Because, All England and then Commonwealth Games, Asian Games are there next year. It's a very big year.

"Next eight to 10 months are very important for me. So, I am looking at talking to Gopi anna (coach Pullela Gopichad). I will try and work on what went wrong in the last few months.

"Even though I played finals, there will definitely be some negatives, I have to work on to become a better player." In the summit clash in Spain, Srikanth, currently ranked 14th in the world, blew leads of 9-3 and 18-16 in the two games against Loh Kean Yew of Singapore to see the coveted title slip out of his grasp.

The multiple-time Super Series winner seemed pretty relaxed as he took question from the scribes here. A world championship medal doesn't come easy, so he has reasons to be happy.

"A very great feeling. A very special tournament for anyone. World Championship has it's own special significance. To play final of such a major event, I am very happy.

"Next year is again a very important year I feel. There is no time to celebrate this win. Because, India Open is starting from January 10. In March, All England is there. Then Commonwealth Games. Then world championship, Asian Games. So many big events lined up.

"I am just happy that I could peak at the correct time. From September, when I started playing tournaments, I slowly started improving. Match by match, I could see the difference." He had a stellar run in 2017, securing four super series titles in five finals. It was a rare feat achieved only by the likes of Lee Chong Wei, Lin Dan and Chen Long in a calender year.

However, the year ended with Srikanth suffering a knee injury during the French Open in November, and he aggravated it at the national championships.

"At the moment, I feel the injury phase is over. I am just very happy with my physical state. I am feeling confident about the way I am moving on court. At the moment, it will be about improvement." Asked what was the best part of his campaign in Spain," he replied: "Overall, everything. I think I just loved the way I played. My physical condition. What I loved the most was I was able to be aggressive throughout the tournament. That is something that gave me immense confidence." Talking about his semifinal match against younger compatriot Lakshya Sen, Srikanth said, "It has been four, five years since I played a match with Lakshya. I have been watching his progress. He has been playing exceptionally well. So, it was new for me.

"Going into the match, I really wanted to play my best and try and win at any cost. I gave everything I have got. That was one of the reasons for getting so tired in the match. It was a long match. We both were kind of aggressive throughout." Srikanth said he had his chances in the 2017 edition of the world championships but this time around, he was not expecting much.

"In 2017, I thought I had my chances. I thought I will definitely come back with a medal. It didn't happen. In this tournament, I was on the opposite side. I was feeling , I didn't have any expectations on myself. It was only about playing my best. I know that if I can play really well, I can beat anyone." 

Also Read : Lakshya Sen and Kidambi Srikanth create new milestones for Indian shuttlers

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) India are all set to take on South Africa in a 3 match Test Series. The first one will be played on boxing day in Centurion. Rohit Sharma, Shubhman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel are not in the squad due to injuries which is a very big loss to India. India has never won a Test series in South Africa and this could be their best chance of doing so.

India's ideal playing XI:

Openers: Mayank Agarwal and KL Rahul

Without Gill and Rohit, the opening combination becomes very obvious with KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal. The pair have a very good understanding as they have played with each other since the under-19 level. Agarwal comes into the tour on the back of a match winning ton against New Zealand in Mumbai. Rahul on the other hand has had a fantastic tour of England and has been made the vice captain of the side. Priyank Panchal is a backup incase there is an injury but it is fairly clear that the two will play all the 3 games. 

Middle order: Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Hanuma Vihari

Despite the three most experienced batters in this side not being in great form they need to be backed especially while touring South Africa. Rahane is the one who is under pressure after losing his vice captaincy. He is likely to be given at least one game to try and get some runs and strengthen his position in the team for at least this tour. After being dropped for the home series against New Zealand, Hanuma Vihari went to South Africa with India A and had a good series. Vihari is experienced in playing overseas and should be preferred over Shreyas Iyer who had a dream debut against New Zealand. Virat Kohli likes to play 5 bowlers which will be very difficult to do without Jadeja and Axar. Hanuma Vihari's off spin could come in handy unless they play Rishabh Pant at 6 with Ravichandran Ashwin and Shardul Thakur as bowling all-rounders. Playing 5 bowlers would massively affect the batting depth of the side and the risk.of a collapse increases. 

Wicket keeper: Rishabh Pant

Despite Wriddhiman Saha having a good series against England, Rishabh Pant's place was never in danger. He will slot straight back into the side. This will be the gloveman's first tour of South Africa which is possibly the toughest country to bat in. After multiple good performances in England and Australia, Pant will be keen to showcase his talent in South Africa as well.

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Spinner: Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin didn't play a single game in England but with Jadeja injured he will almost definitely play all 3 games and will be very crucial in India's chances of winning. He will also have to contribute with the bat as he has done multiple times in the past. Stitching small 50 partnerships and getting 20-30 runs here and there could be a difference maker in South Africa. Jayant Yadav is a good backup option to have

Seamers: Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj

India are stacked in their fast bowling options. Shami and Bumrah pick themselves after recent performances. Siraj has rarely disappointed in Indian colours and has become a very lethal bowler. Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Shardul Thakur are very reliable options to have on the bench. There is a chance that Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid decide to back Ishant Sharma at least for the first Test because of his experience of bowling in South Africa which Siraj doesn't have. There are 3 Tests in a space of 21 days which means that there is a high possibility that the seamers will be rotated according to the situation and combination of the side.