(Esports news) India's first and leading homegrown men's grooming essential brand, The Man Company, has joined with Irony Esports, a community-first esports platform, and GamerzArena to launch a first-of-its kind gaming championship called Free Fire-Gentlemen Got Game Championship. The partnership will help The Man Company's awareness-to-action journey and take the 'bring out the gentlemen' in you to new heights. The collaboration is a step further to connect with young gamers through esports, live streaming, and gaming channels.

Through this championship, The Man Company is following the Gen Z culture of live-streaming, passion economy, video gaming, and internet-based interest communities. The 'Gentlemen Got Game' initiative include Gen Z in their vision to create an evolved generation and motivate them to learn three key tenets of the Gentlemen's Code of Conduct; a gentleman is respectful towards all, keeps grooming and hygiene standards, and most importantly, online or offline, he is aware of the diversity in culture, ethnicity, and identities.

The Free Fire-Gentlemen Got Game Championship is based on a popular battle royale game Free Fire for which the registrations have started  for 1000 team slots and will end on January 19. It is open for all and can be registered through the GamerzArena website. The Grand Finale will be held on January 29 and 30. The championship has a dual format that allows both 'open' and 'invited' teams to participate. It will be conducted across five phases after starting on January 20. The winning teams will receive prize money of INR 1 lakh plus a gift hamper. All the participants will be given exclusive discount codes. 

Speaking on this occasion, Hitesh Dhingra, Co-founder, The Man Company, said, "As we embark on the 2022 journey, we have decided not to make hard to complete new year resolutions but instead start a revolution in the right spirit. Since inception, we have been on the quest to promote inside-out grooming, and with the 'Gentlemen Got Game' theme we have decided to take our awareness-to-action journey to a new level."

"Our motive is to fortify our ties with Gen Z as they are the future of our country through a medium in which they are comfortable. The intent is to start instilling the Gentleman Code of Conduct in them at a young age wherein they are more likely to absorb these relevant yet unprecedented thoughts. You can't force someone to grow up as a gentleman. It is a matter of choice. We are simply here to help them make this choice in the right spirit." He added

Further, Tushaar Garg, Founder & CEO, Irony Esports, said “In today’s internet culture nothing is more resonating, relatable and relevant for the everyday Indian gaming aficionado than ‘Bring Out the Gentleman in You’ message. I am pleased that The Man Company has identified gaming, esports and live streaming as a fertile ground for this story-telling and community building that will propel gen z to be mindful, real and authentic in their conduct. “

Brian Wilneff, Chief Executive Officer at Alpha Metaverse Technologies Inc. ‘’We are pleased to work with 'The Man Company' in their endeavor to not only provide the best product for their consumer, but also meet them in an environment that their consumer thrives in. Organic marketing through video games shows just how forward thinking 'The Man Company' is. With our expertise in the development and expansion of the Metaverse, this partnership provides 'The Man Company' an exciting entry point into the space for years to come.

Also read: ONE Esports signs Partnership with Samsung, app to be released later this year

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

(Basketball news) The Los Angeles Lakers snapped out of their three match losing streak as they defeated the Utah Jazz 101-95. For the Lakers, LeBron James scored 25 points and Stanley Johnson had 10 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a much needed victory. The Lakers got 44 points from their bench which was an integral part in the fourth quarter revival. For the Jazz, Mike Conley had 20 points and Rudy Gobert had a double double with 19 points and 16 rebounds as Jazz star Donavan Mitchell had a quiet night with 13 points only. With this result the Lakers moved to 7th in the Western Conference standings as they improved their record to 22-22.

''I'm just trying to put everyone in position to be successful and read the game while the game was going on and I knew the way we could be successful offensively,'' James said. ''The guys responded well to what I saw and Stanley had a big-time game.''

''Our effort and energy wasn't where it needed to be in the Denver game, second half of the Memphis game and the other game,'' James said. ''We weren't playing to our capabilities. As the leader of this team I was taking onus of that and letting Laker Nation know.''

''It feels good doing what I came here to do,'' Johnson said. ''I came here to bring energy and affect the game in different ways. Today was the day I was able to do it within the scheme and get deflections and be active. It resulted in positive plays. It feels good. We all put a lot into this. It's not just a wake up and do it.''

''I thought we had too many really tough shots,'' Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. ''I think some of the shots are makeable but we made it harder on ourselves than it needed to be as far as making better reads and moving the ball quicker and generating some better shots. I think that showed.''

The Brooklyn Nets suffered their second successive defeat on the roll as they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-107. This was also their 5th win a row as the Cavs are certainly pushing above their weight this season. For the Cavaliers, Darius Garland strengthened his All-Star case with 22 points and 12 assists as Isaac Okoro added 15 points and Jarrett Allen had 14 and 10 rebounds. For the Nets, Kevin Durant was missing his second game in a row but James Harden added 22 points as Kyrie Irving top scored with 27 points. With this result the Cavs stayed in 4th but have the same number of wins as the third placed Nets in the Eastern Conference.

It's a signature win for us against a high-level team,'' Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. ''Obviously with reasons why and excuses coming back off that long road trip and all those things, playing against two of the most elite players in our league, and our guys figuring out a way.

''I'm not bringing science into it,'' said Irving, who was defensive about his position. ''I'm staying rooted in what I believe in.''

''It's an opportunity for our team to grow,'' Nash said. ''We have to find solutions.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose their third successive match in a row as Warriors also lose

The other results were:

• Wizards 117 - 98 76ers
• Grizzlies 119 - 106 Bulls
• Clippers 139 - 133 Pacers
• Hawks 121 - 114 Bucks
• Magic 88 - 98 Trail Blazers
• Heat 104 - 99 Raptors
• Spurs 107 - 121 Suns
• Mavericks 104 - 102 Thunder

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Knicks vs Timberwolves
• Warriors vs Pistons
   

(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

(Basketball news) With the NBA in full flow there have been certain players who are having extraordinary individual seasons. We take a look at those players who are not only in the MVP reckoning but also helping their team grind out results over these past few months. This season has been really tough on the players especially with the Covid situation and protocols, so to be consistent in an inconsistent season really tells about the players mentality and contribution points wise to their respective teams. Lets us a take look at the top three players in the league currently:

3) DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls) 

This season DeRozan has averaged 26.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.7 apg. When the Bulls signed DeMar DeRozan on a three-year for a $85 million contract and traded Thaddeus Young plus a future protected first round pick to finish the deal many experts regarded the move as disastrous and doubted his skills but DeRozan had other ideas as he is currently having his best season at the age of 32 and has helped Chicago from being the worst-to-first in the Eastern Conference standings. After finishing last season with the fewest wins in the league over the last four seasons, the Bulls are now a legit contender for the No. 1 seed in the East.

DeRozan has been deadly on the mid-range scoring and hitting clutch shots for the Bulls. He’s leading the league in fourth quarter scoring, which has helped his team capture the top spot in the standings. While DeRozan doesn’t shoot many threes and remains a below average defender but his consistent ability to get to the foul line and score baskets are a crucial part in Billy Donavan’s offence. If DeRozan keeps this up, the Bulls are a legit contender in the East.

2) Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)

This season Kevin Durant has averaged 29.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 5.9 apg. He’s leading the league in scoring at about 30 points per game. If KD can maintain a shooting percentage above 61 percent, it will be the 10th straight year he’s done it. He’s also had a major impact on the Nets’ team success with Kyrie Irving still having not played enough games together, James Harden is having a below par season compared to his standards, and Joe Harris is hurt, but Brooklyn are still in the reckoning to win the Eastern Conference
 
Durant has a strong case both as MVP winner as it is remarkable that he’s still playing so well even after tearing his achilles. Brooklyn’s defense has also been playing at a top-five level most of the year, and Durant is a factor on that end as well despite not putting up huge steal or block rates so far. KD is having an incredible season this year and in all possibilities at the end of the season he might just lead the Nets to their maiden NBA crown

1) Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors)

Curry this season is averaging 27.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.9 apg. At the age of 34 he is still playing his prime. He’s once again one of the league’s leading scorers, and he’s doing this making more three-pointers than ever before. Nowadays he’s been surrounded by a reliable veteran supporting cast that helps his team to win matches even when he's not around. Golden State Warriors have become a team that got knocked out in the play-in tournament last year to one having the best record this season.

Also read: The Bucks win big against the Warriors as Grizzlies made it 11 straight victories

Curry all his life has been a bit of an underrated defender, but with time he's becoming an even better defender than before, his defence has played a pivotal role on what’s clearly the best defense in the league in Golden State. He also broke the all time three point record of Ray Allen at the Madison Square Garden this season. As long as he stays healthy, Golden State remains the No. 1 seed in the West and a third MVP title wouldn’t be far.

(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

(Basketball news) Los Angeles lost their second match in a row as they lost to the Sacramento Kings 125-116. For the Kings, De'Aaron Fox scored 29 points, Chimezie Metu made a clutch 3-pointer with 46.7 seconds remaining as Harrison Barnes added 23 points and seven rebounds for the Kings and rookie Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points and 10 assists. For the Lakers, LeBron James had 34 points, seven rebounds and six assists and Malik Monk scored 22 as James has scored 31 or more in 11 of his last 12 games. With this result the Lakers dropped down to 7th in the Western Conference with a record of 21-21 as the Kings improved their record to 17-26.

“It was a much-needed win,'' Kings interim coach Alvin Gentry said. ''We did a good job of attacking the paint - we ended up with 70 points in the paint. That was the difference in the game, we were able to get the ball to the basket.''

''We knew if we didn't put up a stand, put up a fight in the third, we would let this slip away like the previous five,'' Barnes said. ''Tonight from start to finish we did a good job of sticking to the game plan, everyone providing energy, competing. Things that we haven't done consistently.''

''For the second game in a row, our defense let us down,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''We have to figure out what we're doing there and be better in that situation.''

The Brooklyn Nets thrashed the Chicago Bulls 138-112 as for the first time this season the big three of Durant, Harden and Irving started a game. For the Nets, Durant scored 27 points, James Harden added 25 points and a season-high 16 assists as Irving had an off night with 9 points but Patty Mills scored 21 and nailed 6 of 8 from beyond the arc, helping Brooklyn come out on top after losing five of seven previous matches. For the Bulls, Zach LaVine scored 22. DeMar DeRozan added 19 points as they lost for the second time in three games after winning nine straight to match their best run since the end of the 2010-11 regular season and Bulls also had their nine-game home win streak snapped. With this result the Nets improved their record to 26-14 but still stayed 2nd in the Eastern Conference standings.

''We're trying to make no statements to the league,'' Durant said. ''I mean, who cares what they think. We know what we bring to the table, and it's all about us. But I'm sure people were watching the game tonight.''

''We're that good,'' Harden said. ''We have a chance to be that good. We just haven't had enough of it.''

''I think you own it,'' coach Billy Donovan said. ''I think our guys have worked hard up to this point to be where we are in the standings, and with that there's a greater responsibility.'

''When that run happened, I think it was just a continuous sort of flow we had from the first half,'' Irving said. ''We just felt like once we break this open, hit a few more 3s, make it tough for them on the defensive end - we felt like we'd have control of the game.''

Also read: NBA: Grizzlies beat the Warriors as the Bulls thump the Pistons

The other results were:

• 76ers 98 - 109 Hornets
• Pacers 100 - 119 Celtics
• Wizards 112 - 106 Magic
• Hawks 91 - 115 Heat
• Knicks 108 - 85 Mavericks
• Spurs 124 - 128 Rockets
• Jazz 91 - 111 Cavaliers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Bucks vs Warriors
• Grizzlies vs Timberwolves
• Pelicans vs Clippers
• Nets vs Thunder 
• Nuggets vs Trail Blazers
   

(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
   

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 

(Basketball news) The Milwaukee Bucks lost to the spirited Charlotte Hornets 103-99. For the Hornets, Terry Rozier shined as he scored 27 points, Ball scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half, and Miles Bridges added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets, who have won six of eight games and improved to 12-5 at home. For the Bucks, Khris Middleton had 27 points and 11 assists, and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 26 points, 13 rebounds. With this result the Bucks stayed in 4th in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 26-17, as the Hornets improved their record to 22-19 as they moved 8th in the standings.

“That is a highly difficult shot, but he makes it look effortless,'' Hornets coach James Borrego said. ''Melo has that uncanny ability to be going 100 mph, get off-balance and still be poised when he raises up. ... That's tough to do for a player who has been in the league 15 years, let alone a guy who has been in the league two years.''

''You are definitely concerned anytime you lose four out of five,'' Middleton said. ''And you never want to lose two in a row. You understand what the circumstances are (with players being out) and you never want to use that as an excuse. We understand what we're going through and everybody is going through. But we still have to go out there and compete.'

The Brooklyn Nets lost to the Portland Trail Blazers 114-108. For the Nets, Kyrie started his second game as he could only manage 22 points as Kevin Durant led all scorers with 28 points and 10 rebounds for them as it was his 19th straight game with 20 or more points, the second-longest streak of 20-point games in Nets history.. For the Trail Blazers, Anfernee Simons had 23 points and 11 assists, as Robert Covington had 21 points, including five 3-pointers and McLemore had 20 points and five 3s. for the Blazers, who saw all five starters score in double figures. The Blazers were again without their star backcourt of Damian Lillard out with lower abdominal tendinopathy and CJ McCollum was out for 14 games after a collapsed lung. With this result the Blazers improved their record to 16-24 as they stayed 10th in the standings on the other hand the Nets stayed 2nd in the Eastern Conference with a record of 25-14.

''I think RoCo did a good job of playing him in the second half,'' Simons said. ''So that was big for us to slow him down and just kind of play team defense. We've been playing very hard, we've been making a lot less mistakes on defense. That's been helping us.''

''Certainly nobody in the world thought that we would win this game with the guys that we have missing, even though they're missing some important players too,'' Portland first-year coach Chauncey Billups said. ''I'm more happy than anything for our team, to be honest. We've suffered a lot of losses in this building, a lot of bad losses.''

''It felt like I made a few good moves, but now it's just getting back in that NBA action of that athleticism and catching up to that speed, that's really what it is at this point, I feel,'' Irving said.

''Second half, they hit 3s in that third quarter, they hit 3s in that fourth quarter. You gotta give them credit for knocking down shots but I thought we were there, intentions were good,'' Durant said. ''We've just got to finish it a little better, finish plays a little better.'

Also read: NBA: Klay Thompson shines on his return as Grizzlies snap Lakers winning streak

The other results were:

• Pistons 126 - 116 Jazz
• Knicks 111- 96 Spurs
• Celtics 101 - 98 Pacers
• Rockets 91 - 111 76ers
• Kings 108 - 109 Cavaliers

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Wizards vs Thunder
• Raptors vs Suns
• Grizzlies vs Warriors
• Bulls vs Pistons
• Pelicans vs Timberwolves
• Clippers vs Nuggets

Cape Town, Jan 10 (Cricket News) India captain Virat Kohli on Monday said he will return to the team for the series-deciding third Test against South Africa here as he is "absolutely fit" but ruled out the participation of pacer Mohammed Siraj.

Kohli, who missed the second Test because of an upper back spasm, had nets with the rest of the team at Newlands on Sunday. He batted without any visible discomfort, lunging forward to play the drives.

"I am absolutely fit," Kohli said at the pre-match press conference.

However, he added that Siraj will not feature in the game after he suffered a hamstring injury in Johannesburg, where India lost by seven wickets.

"Siraj is obviously recovering from the (hamstring) niggle he had in the last game and at present, I don't think he is match-ready to take the field in the third Test.

"You cannot obviously risk a guy who is not at 110 per cent as a fast bowler and we know how important that is as the little niggle he had can extend into an injury," the skipper said.

"Siraj is not up to the mark," he added.

However, the skipper did not say whether Ishant Sharma will get the nod ahead of Umesh Yadav.

"As I said, we are yet to sit down, myself, the head coach and vice-captain to decide what we want to do about replacement," he said.

"And I say that because of our bench strength and it's difficult for us to figure out as everyone is bowling well, batting well, these things become a point of contention and we need to have a healthy discussion on a decision on that and just that everyone feels balanced (okay) about it," he explained.

"But I am happy being in this position sitting here trying to decide who is going to play rather than having other options." Team India will look to bounce back in the third and final Test of the series, which is scheduled to begin here Tuesday.

India kicked off the South Africa tour on a perfect note, crushing the hosts by 113 runs in the series-opener at Centurion.

However, the Proteas won the second game to leave the three-match series level at 1-1. 

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

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors welcomed back their superstar Klay Thompson as they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 96-82. For the Warriors, Klay was returning after 2 and half years and it didn't take him long to get back to his usual self as he scored 17 points on his return. Thompson was 7 of 18 from the field and 3 of 8 from 3-point range. He added three rebounds, an assist and a steal in 20 minutes. Stephen Curry had 29 points, five rebounds and five assists, and Jordan Poole added 14 points for Golden State. The Warriors snapped a two-game losing streak to tie Phoenix for the NBA lead at 30-9. For the Cavs, Lamar Stevens had 17 points and four rebounds and Jaret Allen had 14 points. 

“I was so excited I saw a lane to the basket that I just took the opportunity,'' Thompson said. ''After that I thought it was going to be one of those nights where I might be unconscious. I did not shoot as well as I wanted to but I'm so happy I can even look at the stat sheet and see my name there. It's been a long run. I'm not going to say it equivalent to winning a championship but it was pretty close.''

''I tried to visualize this moment for years,'' Thompson said. ''I'm just excited to get it out of the way now and I can get back in the rhythm of things. This is unbelievable. This is worth every second.''

''He's been talking about how he feels and what's going to be the last thing to come back, and that was the answer,'' Curry said about Thompson's dunk. ''It was amazing to watch and obviously the building went crazy from start to finish”.

'He wasn't shy, was he?'' Kerr said. ''Not that we would ever expect Klay to be shy. I drew up the first play not for him but for him to catch it and move it on. I should have known better.''

The Los Angeles Lakers lost their first match after winning four in a row to the Memphis Grizzlies 127-119 as they set a franchise record with their ninth straight win. For the Grizzlies, Desmond Bane had 23 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 and six blocks and Ja Morant had 16 points as Memphis won for the 12th time in 13 road games. For the Lakers, LeBron James was the lone warrior as he scored 23 of his 35 points in the first half. He made 14 of 19 shots and added seven assists. He also passed Oscar Robertson (9,887 assists) for seventh most assists in NBA history. With this result the Lakers stayed 7th in the standings with a record of 21-20 as the Memphis Grizzlies improved their record to 28-14 as they sit comfortably in 4th position in the Western Conference.

“I just got back and made an incredible play,'' Morant said. ''I was just trying to gather the ball. Most of the time on a break like that, if you block it, they might have a player trailing to get the ball and lay it up. It worked out perfectly for me. Now I'm probably all over the internet for it.''

''That's probably the best block I've ever seen live. Probably the best block I've ever seen, period,'' Jackson said. ''That was crazy. I knew he was going to do it, too, because he always loads up right before.

“'Memphis played great. They're one of the hottest teams in the league,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''We had trouble getting back in transition. We let a lot of misses at the basket affect our defensive focus. When we weren't scoring, we lost focus of what we were supposed to be doing on the defensive side. That can't happen. That was a big reason they built a big league.''

Also read: NBA: Warriors lose their second game in a row as the Suns win comprehensively

The other results were:

• Clippers 106 - 93 Hawks
• Magic 100 - 102 Wizards
• Raptors 105 - 101 Pelicans
• Rockets 123 - 141 Timberwolves
• Thunder 95 - 99 Nuggets
• Mavericks 113 - 99 Bulls
• Trail Blazers 103 - 88 Kings

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Pistons vs Jazz
• Hornets vs Bucks
• Knicks vs Spurs
• Celtics vs Pacers
• Rockets vs 76ers
• Kings vs Cavaliers
• Trail Blazers vs Nets
   

Cape Town, Jan 9 (Cricket News) Jasprit Bumrah is glad to be back at Newlands as one of India's premier fast bowlers, four years after making his Test debut at the same venue.

Seeking their first series win in South Africa, India will lock horns with the hosts in the series-deciding third Test here from January 11-15, and Bumrah will be expected to play a pivotal role with the ball.

"Cape Town, January 2018 - is where it all began for me in Test cricket. Four years on, I've grown as a player and a person and to return to this ground brings back special memories," Bumrah tweeted after the team's first training session at the venue.

The 28-year-old Bumrah made his Test debut here in 2018 and took four wickets in the match. However, including that of AB de Villiers. The Indian team lost that match but Bumrah took a five-wicket haul in the Johannesburg Test to help the visitors to a fine win.

He finished that series with 14 wickets in three matches.

He has since grown into the team's leading pacer, picking up more than 100 wickets in oversees conditions.

Overall, Bumrah has taken 107 wickets in just 26 matches and played a role in India's major wins in England and Australia. Interestingly, Bumrah has only played two Test matches at home so far.

Seeking to win their first-ever series on South African soil, India began the rubber on a rousing note, winning the opener at Centurion by 113 runs before succumbing to a seven-wicket defeat in the second Test at Johannesburg. 

Also Read : Kohli hits nets, could return for decisive third Test against SA

News Source : PTI

Cape Town, Jan 9 (Cricket News) India Test captain Virat Kohli hit the nets on Sunday and if his cover drives and off drives were any indication, he could return for the decisive third match against South Africa after missing the second game due to a back spasm.

The Indian team began training for the third and final Test hoping to recover from the defeat in Johannesburg and claim its maiden series win in the Rainbow Nation.

"We are here at the picturesque Cape Town. #TeamIndia begin preparations for the 3rd Test," the BCCI tweeted along with a picture of the Indian camp after the visiting players hit the ground running at the magnificent Newlands Stadium.

The third Test is scheduled to be played here from January 11-15.

If Kohli is declared match fit, Hanuma Vihari will make way for the Indian talisman.

"It's GO time here in Cape Town. #TeamIndia all set and prepping for the series decider," the BCCI wrote in another tweet alongside a host of pictures including Kohli batting at the nets.

Seeking to win their first-ever series on South African soil, India began the rubber on a rousing note, winning the opener at Centurion by 113 runs before succumbing to a seven-wicket defeat in the second Test at Johannesburg.

The Indian team arrived at Cape Town on Saturday.

The visitors were without the services of Kohli at the Wanderers but after the game, head coach Rahul Dravid had said he was hopeful of the captain returning for the series-deciding match.

Kohli had missed the previous Test due to an upper back spasm, leading to the elevation of vice-captain KL Rahul to the top job.

"Virat Kohli should be fine from all accounts, he should be fine. He has had the opportunity to run around a little bit, he has had the opportunity to test it a little bit," Dravid had said during a virtual press conference.

"Hopefully with a couple of net sessions in Cape Town, he should be good to go. Everything I am hearing and just having a chat with him, he should be good to go in four days time." As far as the Indian team's pace bowling department is concerned, veteran seamer Ishant Sharma is likely to come in place of Mohammed Siraj, who had suffered a hamstring injury during the second Test.

Led by skipper Dean Elgar's unbeaten 96, South Africa put up a fine show in the second Test to level the three-match Test series 1-1. 

Also Read : Indian team begins training ahead of series-deciding third Test against SA

News Source : PTI

(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

Johannesburg, Jan 6 (Cricket News) Virat Kohli has already been in the nets and "should be fine" for the Test series decider against South Africa, said India's stand in captain K L Rahul on Thursday.

Skipper Kohli was ruled out of the second Test due to upper back spasms.

South Africa won the second Test by seven wickets to level the series.

"Virat is feeling better already, been in the nets the last couple of days fielding and running around and I think he should be fine," said Rahul at the post-match presentation.

Head coach Rahul Dravid too provided an update on Kohli's fitness at the media interaction.

"He is looking good and having knock at nets. Couple of sessions in Cape Town, he will be good to go," said the coach.

Rahul also spoke on Mohammad Siraj's hamstring injury that he suffered during the second Test. Despite the injury, Siraj kept bowling in the match but was far from his best.

"Siraj is starting to feel better each day. A couple of days break might really help him. But we have quality on our bench as well, Ishant and Umesh are waiting.

"Looking forward to Cape Town. We expected every game to be competitive. A loss like this is disappointing but we've always been a team that gets hungrier after a loss. Credit to South Africa for the way they batted," said Rahul.

'We were 60-70 runs short in first innings' ========================== With South Africa chasing 240 on a tricky surface, India were favourites but the hosts put up a memorable batting performance to record a comfortable win.

Rahul said their below par first innings score of 202 made a lot of difference in the outcome of the game.

"We all felt we could do something special, 122 (on day four) wasn't going to be that easy to get, the pitch was up and down, but like I said, the South African batsmen were really determined and got the job done. If I have to be really harsh, after winning the toss we could have put 60-70 runs more." He also reserved praise for Shardul Thakur, who put an all-round performance in the game including a seven wicket haul in the first innings.

Rahul also lauded senior batters Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara who struck crucial 50s in the second innings under extreme pressure.

"They've been great players for us, they've always done the job for the team over the years. They've obviously been under the pump a bit, but in the team we believe Pujara and Ajinkya are our best middle order batsmen.

"We always knew they could do something like that. Hopefully that gives them confidence and they can go out in the next test and put up an even better performance." Some call it stupid, some call it brave: Elgar on taking body blows ========================================= South Africa skipper struck a match-winning and unbeaten 96 on day four to script a famous win for his team. On the way, he also took a lot of blow on the body which stood out in his gritty knock.

"I would like to think the knocks I take make me extra motivated to perform. Some would call it stupid and some would call it brave. The bigger picture is for us to win.

"We struggled to get a stable batting line-up and we had to be very patient. We've entrusted those positions to guys we feel can perform those roles and great to see them pull it off," said the southpaw.

On the team's comeback from the loss in the series opener, he said: "The basics of batting and bowling don't go away. We missed that in the first game. Saying that, it wasn't easy. Tough conditions we had to face as a batting unit.

"As a bowling unit, the Indians were on top at times. Massive respect to our bowling unit, they showed a lot of character. With KG (Kagiso Rabada), there was something that happened behind the scenes but we're not going to get into that. Sometimes KG needs a rocket. You could then almost sense the intensity and focus, he was in the zone.

"The moment he has that attitude, he wants to bowl and wants to contribute, you have to use it as a captain. It was awesome to see him on fire." Elgar is also keeping his cards close to his chest ahead of the series decider.

"I played a domestic game in Cape Town, not going to give away any info. 1-1, South Africa vs India, I don't think you could have written a better script," he added. 

Also Read : South Africa beat India by seven wickets in second Test, level series

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) The Brooklyn Nets welcomed back Kyrie Irving as they won 129-121 against the Indiana Pacers. Kyrie Irving was ineligible to play home games because he is not vaccinated which is compulsory in New York City and the Nets had decided against allowing him to just play road games for most of the season but they changed their mind last month as he scored scored 22 points to rally the Nets to a much needed victory. For the Nets, Kevin Durant had 39 as they recovered from a 19 point deficit as LaMarcus Aldridge scored 13 points in 16 minutes. For the Pacers, Domantas Sabonis had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and  Lance Stephenson, who had previously played for the Pacers scored 30 points in his first home game with the Pacers after signing a 10-day contract. With this result the Nets improved their record to 24-12 as they stayed second in the Eastern Conference standings.

''He looks like himself, not that that's a surprise,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said.''It came down to defense and effort, and the second half was night and day to the first,'' Nash added . ''It took us getting in a deep hole before we showed them the respect the game and them the respect they deserved.''

''He didn't act nervous, he has a nice poker face,'' Durant said. ''He's a quiet guy. He plays with energy and passion.''

Irving said he was nervous, “it was different from any previous debut in his basketball career. This meant a little more, taking eight months off and so much uncertainty,'' he said ''I settled down closer to the second half. Whatever the team (needs), I'll do.''

''Just working out for two years, waiting for this moment,'' Stephenson said. ''I'm so happy to be here, it's home. It's like playing in front of family.''

The Dallas Mavericks stunned the number 1 seed in the west as they won 99-82 on a night when Dallas Mavericks retired Dirk Nowitzki's number. For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic dominated the proceedings as he scored 26 points, the 22-year-old sensation played aggressively and was 10 of 12 on free throws with 8 assists and 7 rebounds.to his name, Dorian Finney-Smith scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half and had nine rebounds and two blocks. For the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins scored 17 points as Steph Curry again had a rough night with 14 points to his name. At 29-8, the Warriors dropped into a tie with the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the NBA. With this result the Mavericks improved their record to 15-16 as they moved to 8th in the Western Conference standings.

''The body of work over the course of this year's been pretty solid,'' said Curry, who scored 14 points and made just five of 24 shots coming off his worst shooting night of the season. ''This stretch has not been great, not up to my standards. So you've just to stick to the program. It'll come around.''
''There are so many things going through your head,'' said Jason Kidd ''You know the Warriors are going to score. Steph is going to make 3s. We just tried to make it as tough as possible and on offense take care of the ball. And our defense did a great job in giving us a chance to win.

“Everyone's throwing everything at him,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''Their best defender. Their double teams. They're trying to make it as difficult as possible. I thought tonight he pressed a little bit. He's trying hard to get out of it.''

''An icon,'' Curry said when asked about Dirk Nowitzki. ''He did it his way, playing with the same franchise for 21 years. Just what he meant to the city, to this organization. He opened up the gates for international players to believe they could have amazing careers in the NBA and give them confidence.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers win three on the bounce as Warriors extend their lead

The other results were:

• Hornets 140 - 111 Pistons 
• Wizards 111 - 114 Rockets
• Magic 106 - 116 76ers
• Celtics 97 - 99 Spurs
• Timberwolves 98 - 90 Thunder
• Bucks 111 - 117 Raptors
• Nuggets 109 - 115 Jazz
• Trail Blazers 109 - 115 Heat
• Kings 102 - 108 Hawks

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Knicks vs Celtics 
• Pelicans vs Warriors
• Grizzlies vs Pistons 
• Suns vs Clippers
   

(Basketball news) Lakers made it three wins on the bounce after winning against the Sacramento Kings 122-114. LeBron James scored 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, Malik Monk added 11 of his 24 in the final seven minutes and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Sacramento Kings. This was also their best run of form this season with their 4th victory out of 5 games. For the Lakers, Talen Horton-Tucker scored 19 points and Russell Westbrook added 19 points and drew a key late charge as the Lakers climbed back above .500. Westbrook also had his first turnover-free game since March 14, 2016 which broke the longest streak in NBA history. For the Kings, De'Aaron Fox scored 30 points and Buddy Hield added 26 with seven 3-pointers as Harrison Barnes had 14 points for them. With this result the Lakers stayed in 7th in the Western Conference standings with a record of 20-19.

''That's the reason we won the game,'' James said. ''We did not turn the ball over tonight. When we get shots at the goal, we can be very dangerous. We weren't shooting the ball well at all, (but) because we didn't turn the ball over, we caught on fire.''

''You've got to give (James) credit,'' Barnes said. ''He made some shots, but as a collective we could have done a better job making him work for some of those shots. In this league, it's hard to guard one-on-one, especially great players.''

''I always think that I can do that for any team I'm on, and I'm ready for whatever happens,'' Monk said. ''We're short a couple of people, but even when they come back, I'm still going to be ready and still going to produce.''

The Golden State Warriors started the new year the same way they ended last year as they beat the Miami Heat 115-108. For the Warriors, Poole scored 32 points in his new role, Andrew Wiggins added 22 points on a day when Curry had only 9 points which was subsequently his season low as well. For the Heat, Kyle Lowry had 16 points and 11 assists and Tyler Herro scored 18 points for a Miami team down 10 players in all, five because of the COVID protocols. Another positive for the Warriors fans is that their second talisman Klay Thompson is close to returning to action after spending almost 2 years out injured. The Golden State Warriors improved their record to 29-7 and sit on top of the Western Conference standings.

''It was huge, we needed all of his 32 points, and the early foul trouble with Steph changed our rotations,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''What a luxury to be able to come off the bench with a guy who's just started the first 35 games or whatever it was. Jordan has turned into just a critical player for us and he will remain to be critical with all the guys coming back coming off the bench.''

''That's the one thing about him, he loves the competition, he loves the game of basketball, and he's always ready,'' said Wiggins, who will now challenge the third-year guard to use his athleticism and get a couple of blocked shots

“Second-year center James Wiseman, recovering from right knee surgery, was cleared from the health and safety protocols and Kerr hopes he will begin practicing with contact next week. The big man participated in the morning shootaround and won't travel ''and we'll continue to ramp up his activity,'' Kerr said

Also read: NBA: Lakers start the year with a win as Suns continued their golden run

The other results were:

• Raptors 129 - 104 Spurs
• Cavaliers 106 - 110 Grizzlies
• Knicks 104 - 94 Pacers
• Pelicans 110 - 123 Suns
• Bucks 106 - 115 Pistons
• Bulls 102 - 98 Magic
• Mavericks 103 - 89 Nuggets
• Trail Blazers 136 - 131 Hawks

Tomorrow’s matches are:

• Hornets vs Pistons
• Wizards vs Rockets
• Magic vs 76ers 
• Pacers vs Nets
• Mavericks vs Warriors
• Celtics vs Spurs
• Timberwolves vs Thunder
• Bucks vs Raptors
• Nuggets vs Jazz
• Trail Blazers vs Heat
• Kings vs Hawks
   

(Basketball news) Los Angeles Lakers won two back to back matches after a long time as they won 108-103 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. LeBron James scored 26 points, Malik Monk added 22 and the Lakers hung on to beat them for the first time this season. Westbrook finished with 20 points, three rebounds, five assists and nine of the Lakers' 28 turnovers, the Lakers (19-19) climbed back to .500, with their veterans carrying them in the fourth quarter. Carmelo Anthony scored five in a row to help erase a four-point deficit. Anthony hit a 3-pointer, got fouled and made the free throw. He finished with 14 points. For the Timberwolves, Naz Reid led the Wolves with season highs of 23 points, Jaylen Nowell added 17 points off the bench. With this result the Lakers moved to 7th in the Western Conference standings.

“We did a good job of holding our own, gutting it out,'' said Westbrook, who had just one turnover in the second half.

''He's done a great job for us all year,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''He's brought a great deal of basketball integrity to our team, making sure guys are playing the right way offensively.

''We're playing good basketball of late,'' James said. ''Even with some of the losses we've had, we're still trending in the right direction.''

''We're not here solely just to develop talent,'' Wolves coach Chris Finch said. ''We're trying to win these games.''

The Phoenix Suns continued their golden run as they routed past the Charlotte Hornets 133-99.  Devin Booker scored 24 points, Jalen Smith tied a career high with 19 points and 12 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns hammered the Hornets. For the Suns, Shamet added 17 points, Mikal Bridges had 15, and Cam Johnson and Cam Payne 14 each. Seven Suns players scored in double figures to blow out the Hornets. For the Hornets LaMelo Ball had 17 points and Kelly Oubre Jr had 15 points. With this victory the Suns improved their record to 28-8 as they are currently second in the Western Conference standings.

''It's so great to see,'' Paul said. ''We have been waiting for that emotion from him for a year. You just never know when you are going to get your opportunity and to see him play with that emotion. ... You can get down in this league especially when you are on a team as good as ours and you find yourself out of the rotation. But he's been working and has stayed ready.''

''This was all you can ask for, especially after you just took it on the chin against Boston,'' Young said. ''Sometimes as a coach in your heart you feel like you are doing the right thing and you think it's going to resonate, and when it does come to fruition it's rewarding.''

''The whole time I have been picking his brain and he's been able to tell me how to get on the court and how to keep him improving,'' Smith said.

Also read: Lakers slump to their fourth successive defeat as Warriors continued winning

The other scores were:

• Raptors 120 - 105 Knicks
• Cavaliers 108 - 104 Pacers
• Celtics 116 - 111 Magic
• Kings 115 - 113 Heat
• Thunder 86 - 95 Mavericks

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Wizards vs Hornets
• 76ers vs Rockets
• Nets vs Grizzlies
• Pelicans vs Jazz
• Bucks vs Pistons
• Bulls vs Magic
• Mavericks vs Nuggets
• Warriors vs Heat
• Trail Blazers vs Hawks
• Clippers vs Timberwolves
   

Melbourne, Dec 26 (Cricket News) Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood has a "slight tear" in his rib cage muscle and he is "not sure" if he would be available for the fourth Ashes Test starting at Sydney from January 5.

Hazlewood, who had taken three wickets in the opening Test against England, missed the second and third matches in Adelaide and Melbourne, due to the injury which was earlier believed to be a "side strain".

"I'm still a little bit away, (this Test) is probably a week early," Hazlewood told SEN.

"We're still not sure, we're going to take this week as it comes and likely have a bowl on Day 3 or Day 5, see how that goes and then build up from there.

"The workloads are still there from the first Test, but obviously I haven't had a bowl in 10-12 days and we'll see how it goes on Day 3." The 30-year-old said he will look to bowl at the nets on the third day of the Boxing day Test and will rely more on feel than on medical assessment.

"It's probably more on feel this one, it's a bit of an interesting one, it's the intercostal in between the ribs, there's a slight tear," Hazlewood said.

"I've never had it before, I've had the normal oblique side strain, which is the common one, but we're taking each day as it comes and we'll make the decisions on basically how I feel." Intercostal muscles are a group of intrinsic rib cage muscles.

Australia are leading the five-Test series 2-0. 

Also Read : U-19 Asia Cup: Pakistan beat India by 2 wickets in thriller

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) Lakers slumped to their fourth successive defeat of the season as they lost 139-117 against the San Antonio Spurs. For the Spurs, Keita Bates-Diop scored a career-high 30 points while making all 11 of his shots as Derrick White had 23 points and Lonnie Walker added 21 in the third victory on a four-game road trip for the Spurs. For the Lakers, James had 36 points and nine rebounds and Russell Westbrook scored 30 points for Los Angeles, which has lost four straight for the first time this season amid COVID-19 roster chaos. Los Angeles (16-17) is back under .500 for the first time since Nov. 26 as they are missing some key players through the Covid outbreak. With this result the Lakers still managed to stay 6th with a record of 16-17.

''I was playing the game, reading the defense, moving around,'' Bates-Diop said. ''I don't think I dribbled that much. My teammates just found me (James) is a great player, but you've got to guard him and just not get star-struck by him.”

''We have no chemistry with any lineup from the simple fact that we haven't logged any minutes,'' James said. ''All of our defensive guys are in health and safety protocols. ... We don't need a full roster. We just need some of our guys back.''

''Keita was ridiculous,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ''Did a fine job at both ends of the court. We could hardly guard LeBron, but he did his best. Really was a team effort, because I thought some of the (bench) guys outplayed the starters.''

''Nothing you can do but figure it out,'' Westbrook said. ''Find ways. Get guys back in shape. We have a bunch of guys in that locker room that don't quit and don't give in to what's happening. We've got to turn the page and find a way to win a ballgame.''

The Golden State Warriors continued their golden run as they won 113-104 against the Memphis Grizzlies. Stephen Curry scored 46 points and made eight 3-pointers, Gary Payton Jr. added a clutch 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter and the Golden State Warriors held off the Memphis Grizzlies. For the Warriors, Payton finished with 22 points and Draymond Green had nine assists to help the Warriors improve an NBA-best 16-2 record at home. For the Grizzlies, Ja Morant had 21 points but it wasn’t enough as Curry made 13 of 22 shots (8 of 14 beyond the arc) and was 12 for 12 on free throws to top the 30-point mark for the 12th time this season and the 225th of his career. With this result Warriors improved their record to 26-6 and currently stand second in the Western Conference standings.

''That's about as good as it gets against a very physical defense with great size,'' Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. ''Over the last 10-12 games, Memphis had the best defensive rating in the league. For Steph to go out and get 46, he showed every bit of his talent tonight. This was his most efficient game in a couple weeks, for sure.''
“Definitely wanted this one,'' said Curry, who twisted his ankle in the fourth quarter but noted he was OK. ''Definitely felt like it was one (we) can't let slip by because of the history but also because knowing what it's going to take to win a game like this. You carry that chip on your shoulder and understand this is our home court.''

'He had a great offensive night,'' Green said. ''He found space tonight. Guys did a good job of trying to get him the ball and not forcing it. You let a guy like that get clean looks, it starts an avalanche.''

''Greatest shooter of all time,'' Morant said. ''We know he's going to make shots. We just have to make it very tough for him to get it off. We had some mental lapses during the game and he made us pay for it.''

Also read: Lakers lose successive matches as Warriors continued their winning streak

The other results were:

• 76ers 96 - 98 Hawks
• Pacers 118 - 106 Rockets
• Magic 104 - 110 Pelicans
• Knicks 117 - 124 Wizards
• Heat 115 - 112 Pistons
• Mavericks 95 - 102 Bucks
• Jazz 128 - 116 Timberwolves
• Suns 113 - 101 Thunder
• Nuggets 107 - 115 Hornets
   

(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

An experienced and competent coach can make all the difference in ensuring that a talented side achieves its potential and goes on to win trophies. Currently serving as Head of High Performance for the Bangladesh Cricket Board, Toby Radford is an experienced cricket coach who has previously worked with the West Indies team that won the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka, Middlesex County Cricket Club and a ECB national coach.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Toby Radford speaks about the evolution of high performance coaching in sport, working with the West Indies team, Bangladesh’s performance at the T20 World Cup, being crowned the domestic T20 champions with Middlesex County Cricket Club, creating batting booth, advice for aspiring cricketers and more!

Q 1) How has the role of high performance coaching evolved / transformed over the years?

I set up the high performance academy at Middlesex about 20 years ago. I had a very young Steven Finn when he was just 15 or 16 years old. We also had the likes of Owen Morgan and Dawid Malan come along so working in high performance in those early days, it was very enjoyable to put the program together and work with those talented young players. After that Middlesex role I ended up in the high performance team in the West Indies which was brilliant, I really enjoyed that. A young Jason Holder, Shannon Gabriel and quite a few of the players who are in the West Indian senior team currently. 

I think it’s always lovely to have high quality young players and in a way try to fast track them to perform at a higher level. Hopefully they always go on to play at a higher level and what you’re doing when you’re running a high performance centre is fast tracking them, getting them there quicker. I’m sure they would have reached their pinnacle anyway, it’s just the speed at which they get there.

Q 2) How was your experience being with the West Indies team especially when they won the T20 World Cup in 2012?

I had a fantastic experience being with the West Indies when we beat Sri Lanka in the final at Colombo. Some of the younger players coming through who I had worked with in high performance. It was the pinnacle for me in coaching which had developed during my Middlesex days to the West Indies days and then winning the World Cup. During the competition, we believed we could actually win the trophy and the team was well balanced. It was one of the most powerful T20 sides as Chris Gayle was at his peak and Darren Sammy was leading the team by example. There was a lot of pressure in the final as we were 20 off 3 and Marlon Samuels played a wonderful innings to take the team through and overall it was a great coaching experience for me with the team.

Q 3) The Bangladesh team has shown significant improvement during the 2021 season in Test matches, what are some of the changes that have taken place during this time?

I’ve worked with the high performance of the younger players and some of those lads are now coming into the side. Naim Shaikh has played quite well recently in the World Cup and the youngsters are getting into the shorter format but actually in the time that i have spent there when we run camps with the high performance team, we have talked about not just being good on your home pitches and home conditions but being very competitive away from home. Specifically with the batters, it was talking about right technique and being able to play the quicker bouncing or the swinging ball if you’re going to England. In terms of bowlers changing the lengths when they play away from home, mainly working with the team to be competitive away from home.

Q 4) The T20 World Cup this year saw the Bangladesh team suffering major defeats. What exactly was going on in the dressing room at the time of crisis?

It will be difficult for me to answer that since I don't work with the senior side. I work with the team underneath, I just wouldn't have the knowledge of what was going in the dressing room. I was following the game back in the UK just like how the rest of us were watching it, the team was a bit low on confidence and couldn’t get going on. I have  worked with many sides over the years in T20 and won domestic trophies and World Cups. You can get in a great place in a T20 where you know you are going to win, it's a confidence thing and likewise after a couple of losses the confidence goes away. The team got into a bit of a rut, low on confidence, couldn't get a win, even when you try too hard and it gets even worse. I have seen teams going through that where certain players couldn’t perform for whatever reason and that can happen to any player in any team around the world.

Also read: Whatever I have achieved is because of my process - Indian cricketer Atif Attarwala

Q 5) How was your experience at Middlesex County Cricket Club and how proud are you that the team were crowned domestic T20 Champions in 2008 while you were head coach?

It was great, the day of the finals was wonderful. The semifinal and the final were on the same day. We won the final off the last ball against Kent and it was unbelievable because we were there for the entire day and it went down to the wire. We needed a dot ball off the last one to win and we got it. It was a great day, I was very delighted for the players. It was a bit like the West Indies team that won the World Cup. That was a very balanced T-20 side. We had Murali Karthik who is a brilliant overseas spinner, Shaun Udal who played for England as an off spinner. We had a lot of high quality left hand batters like Andrew Strauss who would play when available, Ed Joyce international player. Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan who have obviously gone on to achieve big things at the international stage. 

We also had some pace in the form of Australian left arm seamer Dirk Nannes who used to put teams on the backfoot and pick up 2-3 wickets early on an. Then the likes of Karthik and Udal would come in the middle overs and make it difficult for oppositions to score. We were very balanced and we won virtually every game we played leading up to the final. I think we won 12 out of 14 matches which was amazing. A lovely personal day and great for the club who hadn't won a trophy in a while. Delighted for the players as well because they want to win trophies, that's why they play the game. The most bizzare thing happened in the dressing room afterwards when the Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe who was watching the game came into the dressing room. He gave a speech to the players, it was hilarious and surreal at the same time. It was a terrific day and great for the club.

Q 6) What made you think of creating an online platform like batting booth and how has it changed in a year?

It came around last year when the pandemic was at its worst. When I was working with the West Indies senior team, I was still living in the U.K and would travel to wherever the team was playing. In between series, to keep in touch with players, whether it was a Jason Holder or Roston Chase, I would ask them to send me footage of them batting in the nets so that I would be able to look at it back home. When the pandemic hit last year I thought players all over the world can't get to their coaches or their nets. Why not offer them the service I've been giving to international players which is to analyse their footage and be able to give them constructive criticism, areas to work on. That's why I added the batting booth to my website and it really took off. Players from all over the world send me their footage and I make recommendations, take still images and put some drawings which have been powerful. Even now when we have got back to hands-on coaching, I still do it which is great because players can access you and you can get back to them very quickly with some help.

Q 7) Can you give some tips to youngsters on how to enhance their game and what should the key focus area be?

I always believe in having very good basics. I was doing a presentation for some coaches up north and I talked about something called the five fundamentals. When you analyse the world's best batsmen, even though they have different shots, different flair and they might play a slightly different way, they all tend to meet the five key things. This fits Babar Azam, Virat Kohli and all the other great batsmen. They all tend to have their head on off stump when the ball is being released. They align their body back to the bowler's stump to keep themselves side onto the stumps. They control their bat with the top hand so the top hand is controlling the bat swing. They track the ball and don't move too early. They wait and wherever the ball ends up they move there, they wait for a long time. The last thing is that they play from a stable base because that gives you better control of the shot, better timing and better power. Those five things for me are the key when I have any youngster and I look at whether he is meeting those five things and if not can we try and make him meet them. If you meet those things then you are generally going to turn out to be a great player.

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors won 113-98 against the Sacramento Kings. For the Warriors, Draymond Green notched his franchise-leading 31st career triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, Stephen Curry scored 30 points as the Warriors celebrated him for the 3-point record in his first home game since breaking Ray Allen's mark. For the Kings, Tyrese Haliburton had 24 points and 11 assists to lead Sacramento as Harrison Barnes scored 19 points against his former Warriors team and Hield wound up with 18. With this victory the Warriors improved their record to 25-6 as they moved to the top of the Western Conference. 

'This organization is amazing to allow him ... to sit there and help,'' Green said. ''You miss doing this job and those are the moments where it's all worth it. For him to have that experience, it's special. I don't take that for granted.''

“The bench was great. Every guy who came off the bench played well for us,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''Gary was everywhere defensively and on the boards, three steals, doing what Gary does.'

The Lakers slumped to their second successive loss as they lost 115-110 to the Chicago Bulls. For the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan scored 38 points after missing two weeks in the NBA's health and safety protocols, Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Lonzo Ball added 19 points as the Bulls snapped a two-game losing streak. For the Lakers, LeBron James had 31 points, Carmelo Anthony added 21 and Russell Westbrook 20 as Los Angeles lost their second straight game. The Lakers haven't had any games postponed, they currently have six players - Kent Bazemore, Avery Bradley, Talen Horton-Tucker. Dwight Howard, Malik Monk and Austin Reaves - and coach Frank Vogel in the health and safety protocols. With this result the Lakers record fell to 16-15 as they are currently 7th in the Western Conference standings.  

The Bulls turned to DeRozan in crunch time and he delivered. ''It's an honor to be trusted in those moments,'' he said. ''I never take it for granted. It's an adrenaline rush that you can't duplicate, so you try to make the most of it every time you're put in that position. There's nothing like it. You've got to take the good with the bad, and I'm willing to take both.''

''Obviously we're doing things on the fly, figuring out how to play with the lineups we have and the people we have available,'' Westbrook said. ''New guys are stepping in here, so we've got to do what we can. That's it. You've just gotta play hard and let the rest take care of itself.''

''Just pretty amazing what he did being out, missing games and having two days off,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. ''His mental toughness and his competitive spirit are pretty amazing. Just his shot-making ability when we needed buckets.''

The Phoenix Suns increased their winning run to 8 wins from 10 as they beat the Charlotte Hornets 137-106. The Suns had eight players score in double figures as Booker scored 16 points in his return from a hamstring injury and the NBA-leading Suns set a season-scoring high. They dominated the paint behind Deandre Ayton, who had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Javale McGee, who led Phoenix with 19 points in 16 minutes off the bench. McGee made 9 of 10 shots, Mikal Bridges had 16 points, Landry Shamet 15 and Jae Crowder and Chris Paul had 14 apiece, Cam Johnson scored 12 and Cameron Payne had 11 for the Suns. E Elias Sports Bureau is the Suns had nine players score in double figures for the first time since April 21, 1991. For the Hornets, Miles Bridges had 26 points for Charlotte, and former Sun Kelly Oubre Jr. had 16. LaMelo Ball had nine points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. With this result the Suns improved their record to 24-5 as they have the best record in the NBA currently.

“I learned some things from the sideline that I tried to implement today,'' said Booker, who was 4 of 8 from 3-point range. ''The machine keeps moving even in games we had people out. Somebody steps up and jumps right into that role.'

''The best backup center I have ever had,'' Ayton said. ''I feel so comfortable coming out of the game knowing that this man is a presence at both ends of the floor. The same thing I am doing. It is like I didn't leave.''

''We have a `we score' mentality,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''We score, we defend and I think when you play that way, it creates a lot of opportunity to shoot the ball from range or attack the paint.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose to the Timberwolves as Warriors extend their lead

The other results were:

• Celtics 103 - 108 76ers
• Bulls 133 - 118 Rockets
• Grizzlies 99 - 102 Thunder
• Jazz 112 - 102 Hornets
• Clippers 92 - 116 Spurs

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Knicks vs Pistons
• Heat vs Pacers
• Pelicans vs Trail Blazers
• Mavericks vs Timberwolves
• Lakers vs Suns
   

(Basketball news) Lakers suffered an embarrassing loss to Timberwolves as they lost 110-92. For the Wolves, Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 10 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Lakers for a second time this season as Malik Beasley and D'Angelo Russell each had 17 points and Jarred Vanderbilt grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds to help them win their third straight game. They played without star Anthony Edwards, who was under NBA's health and safety protocols. For the Lakers, their squad was depleted with Covid protocols as LeBron James had a quiet 18 points and 10 rebounds, Isaiah Thomas made his season debut with 19 points, Russell Westbrook had 14 points and Kent Bazemore had a season high with 11 points. With this result the Lakers stayed 6th in the Western Conference with a record of 16-14.

''I'm going to let people make their assumptions and make their judgment. I just know that every day when I come here I play the game with a tremendous amount of confidence .I wanted to set the standard. I wanted to try to impose myself into the game real quick, understanding Ant's not here,'' Towns said.

“They definitely played a more physical brand of basketball tonight, and we've got to be better,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said.

The Golden State Warriors extended their winning run as they won 111-107 against the Boston Celtics. Andrew Wiggins scored 27 and Kevon Looney had 10 rebounds for the Warriors as Steph Curry top scored with 30 points, who won their third straight game on an East Coast road trip. It was Kerr's 400th victory as a coach in 576 games over eight seasons. He is third on the franchise win list, behind Al Attles (557) and Don Nelson (422). For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum scored 27 points, and Jaylen Brown had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Celtics. With this win the Warriors reclaimed their top spot in the Western conference with a record of 24-5. 

''We're coming off the emotional roller coaster ... a lot going on around the league,'' Curry said after scoring 30 points in a 111-107 victory over the Celtics on Friday night. ''You try not to get distracted by all the things that are outside the locker room.''

''On a five-game trip, guaranteeing us at least three wins makes this a good trip,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''Now tomorrow is more of a free swing.''

''It means I'm incredibly lucky to coach a bunch of talented guys,'' said Kerr, who won the NBA championship in his first season and two more in the next three years. ''From my first game coaching in the NBA until now, I've had nothing but talented teams.''

Also read: Suns go joint top as the Nets extended their lead in the Eastern Conference

The results of the other matches were:

• Magic 105 - 115 Heat
• Hawks 115 - 133 Nuggets
• Pelicans 116 - 112 Bucks
• Jazz 126 - 128 Spurs
• Kings 105 - 124 Grizzlies
• Trail Blazers 125 - 116 Hornets

The matches for tomorrow are:

• Celtics vs Knicks
• Nets vs Magic
• Raptors vs Warriors
• Thunder vs Clippers
• Bucks vs Cavaliers
• Jazz vs Wizards

Having made his T20 debut for Mumbai in the 2019-20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Indian cricketer Atif Attarwala is now in his third season with the state and is setting his sights on a place with the national team as well as the Indian Premier League. In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, the 29 year old spoke about his cricketing journey, representing Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali and Vijay Hazare Trophy, adapting his strategy based on cricketing formats and his future goals and ambitions.

Q 1) At what age did you start playing cricket and what made you choose it?

I started playing cricket during my teens in school. There was a tournament in school where a few players of the winning team were considered for the school team. During that time in Boisar, I played well in the tournament and my school coach called me to the practice nets and told me to bowl a few balls. I bowled in my uniform, the coach then told me to come regularly with full whites and shoes.

That was when my journey started with the school team, we used to practice in a place in Tata Steel that was 9 km away from my place so we had to go there everyday but my family did not know that I was in the school team because we had a bit of financial issues. I was good at academics and they wanted me to get a good job but destiny had other plans for me.

Q 2) How has your experience been while playing for Mumbai in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy?

I am very grateful to the Mumbai T20 league as my performances in the tournament gave me a chance in the Mumbai team at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Before that I had played in various age categories for Mumbai but the T20 league gave me the breakthrough and there is a lot of competition as you tend to play with tough opponents. There was pressure playing in front of such a huge crowd but it prepared me to play in the next stage. When I made my debut in 2019 at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, I felt like grabbing the opportunity because I had been working hard for the last 13, 14 years and in Mumbai you have to grind it out everyday to get a chance to play for the team.

It's been an honor to represent Mumbai and this is my third season with them. On the match day, I didn’t find out until the morning that I was going to play for the team until Suryakumar Yadav told me 15 minutes before the toss. I was getting ready in the dressing room and for a minute I went blank but it was a good move by the captain because I would have been under pressure from yesterday. I am happy that I made my debut under him and thanks to all the earlier experience I was able to execute my plan from the beginning.

Also read: My aim is to achieve small targets and help my team in every possible way - Indian cricketer Shubham Ranjane

Q 3) How does your strategy differ as a bowler in One days and T20s?

In T20s the game is very fast and there is very little margin for error. The batter goes after you from ball 1, so you have to bowl all the balls in the right areas at any stage of the game. The T20 game is very short and anybody can attack you on a given day. In One days there are two new balls, one from each end so you have a better scope of picking up wickets. The batters also tend to start slow and take their time in the 50-over format. Even though the length differs ever so slightly, the basics of bowling remain the same. You have to bowl stump to stump line and bowl consistently in that corridor and keep the pressure on the batter. You can't bowl any looseners.

Q 4) What are your future goals and ambitions? How do you plan on achieving them?

It's now been 3 years since I've played for the Mumbai team. I always believe in the process, whatever I've achieved is because of my process. Results are important but they come through process. Even though the process doesn't guarantee results, it brings a level of self satisfaction to know that you're on the right path. Every cricketer works hard and wants to play at the highest level. I still have ambitions of playing for India and in the IPL but my process is the most important. You should know where you stand. Everyone has goals but not everyone can play for India. You have you work your heart out and not take things lightly day in and day out. There have been a lot of frustrating moments but I have to always believe in my process. My ambitions are to play for the country and Mumbai. I will continue to selflessly work hard and play for my Mumbai team.
 

Huelva (Spain), Dec 17 (Badminton News) Kidambi Srikanth assured himself of his maiden medal as he entered the men's singles semifinal after a dominant performance but defending champion PV Sindhu lost to familiar foe Tai Tzu Ying in the women's section of the BWF World Badminton Championships here on Friday.

Srikanth, seeded 12th in the showpiece tournament, sent Mark Caljouw of the Netherlands packing with a 21-8 21-7 in a quarterfinal match that lasted just 26 minutes.

The 28-year-old Srikanth, a former world number one, will be the third Indian man to win a medal in the World Championships after the legendary Prakash Padukone (bronze in 1983) and B Sai Praneeth (bronze in 2019).

Sindhu, who lost her quarterfinal match against Tai Tzu, has won five medals in the showpiece while Saina Nehwal has two medals to her name. The women's doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa had also won a bronze in 2011. The world number 14 Srikanth was ahead 11-5 at the first game's change of ends and from 14-8, he took seven straight points to pocket it in a jiffy.

The second game was no different as Srikanth completely outplayed his opponent. From 4-3, it was Srikanth all the way as he zoomed to another seven straight points. From 17-7, Sriknath pocketed another four points on the trot to win the match.

In the women's singles, Sindhu suffered a straight-game defeat to world number one Tai Tzu of Chinese Taipei to bow out of the championships.

The top-seeded Tai Tzu beat Sindhu 21-17 21-13 in an energy-sapping match that lasted 42 minutes.

Sindhu found it difficult to match Tai Tzu's speed, court coverage and drop shots as has been the case many times earlier though the Indian produced some fine cross-court smashes.

Sindhu, who also stumbled to many unforced errors during the match, was always playing a catch-up game. She managed to do that in the second game at one stage but lost steam later on.

The win extended the head-to-head record between the two top players to 15-5 in favour of the Chinese Taipei player.

The world number seven and double Olympic-medallist Sindhu had also lost to Tai Tzu in the Tokyo Games semifinals earlier this year.

Tai Tzu, on the other hand, avenged her defeat to Sindhu in the 2019 World Championships at the same stage.

The two players -- friends off the court -- were tied 2-2 early on but Tai Tzu shifted gears quickly to take a lead of 11-6 at the change of ends in the first game.

Sindhu made a recovery to narrow down the gap to 16-18 and then 17-19 with some fine cross-court smashes. But the Indian could not maintain the tempo till the end as she hit wide twice to lose the first game in 17 minutes.

The second game was more closely fought, but again Tai Tzu led 11-8 at the change of ends after Sindhu made an error in judgment.

But two brilliant smashes for which Tai Tzu had no answer saw the gap narrowing to just one point at 10-11.

Tai Tzu took the next point but Sindhu produced another cross-court smash to make it 11-12. The Chinese Taipei player then sent the shuttle wide for Sindhu to level the scores at 12-12.

The nimble-footed Tai Tzu took the next three points but then hit on the nets. An unsuccessful line call challenge saw Sindhu trail 13-16.

The Indian hit on to the net next and could not reach to a drop shot from her great rival to trail by five points at 13-18.

Sindhu continued her unforced errors as she hit wide and then missed Tai Tzu's smash to lose the match. 

Also Read : Sindhu fails to defend World C'ships title, loses to Tai Tzu in quarterfinals

News Source : PTI

Huelva (Spain), Dec 17 (Badminton News) Defending champion PV Sindhu suffered a straight-game defeat to familiar foe and world number one Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei in the women's singles quarterfinals to bow out of the BWF World Badminton Championships here on Friday.

The top-seeded Tai Tzu beat Sindhu 21-17 21-13 in an energy-sapping match that lasted 42 minutes.

Sindhu found it difficult to match Tai Tzu's speed, court coverage and drop shots as has been the case many times earlier though the Indian produced some fine cross-court smashes.

Sindhu, who also stumbled to many unforced errors during the match, was always playing a catch-up game. She managed to do that in the second game at one stage but lost steam later on.

The win extended the head-to-head record between the two top players to 15-5 in favour of the Chinese Taipei player.

The world number seven and double Olympic-medallist Sindhu had also lost to Tai Tzu in the Tokyo Games semifinals earlier this year.

Tai Tzu, on the other hand, avenged her defeat to Sindhu in the 2019 World Championships at the same stage.

The two players -- friends off the court -- were tied 2-2 early on but Tai Tzu shifted gears quickly to take a lead of 11-6 at the change of ends in the first game.

Sindhu made a recovery to narrow down the gap to 16-18 and then 17-19 with some fine cross-court smashes. But the Indian could not maintain the tempo till the end as she hit wide twice to lose the first game in 17 minutes.

The second game was more closely fought, but again Tai Tzu led 11-8 at the change of ends after Sindhu made an error in judgment.

But two brilliant smashes for which Tai Tzu had no answer saw the gap narrowing to just one point at 10-11.

Tai Tzu took the next point but Sindhu produced another cross-court smash to make it 11-12. The Chinese Taipei player then sent the shuttle wide for Sindhu to level the scores at 12-12.

The nimble-footed Tai Tzu took the next three points but then hit on the nets. An unsuccessful line call challenge saw Sindhu trail 13-16.

The Indian hit on to the net next and could not reach to a drop shot from her great rival to trail by five points at 13-18.

Sindhu continued her unforced errors as she hit wide and then missed Tai Tzu's smash to lose the match. 

Also Read : Being invited to play in the Verbandsliga was a life changing experience - International badminton player Hruitvik Ambekar

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) Phoenix Suns beat the in-form Washington Wizards 118-98. For the Suns, McGee scored 17 points and Ayton added 15 as the combo dominated the interior, pushing the Suns to 58 points in the paint. All five starters and eight total players scored in double figures. Landry Shamet had 16 points and made four 3-pointers and Paul had 12 points and six assists. They have won 22 of 24 games dating to Oct. 27. For the Wizards, Bradley Beal led the Wizards with 26 points on 11-of-18 shooting but the rest of the team couldn't muster much offense. With this result the Suns go level with Warriors at the top of the Western Conference with a record of 23-5 as Wizards move to 7th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-15.

'We were ready,'' Williams said. ''That was pretty cool. The outcome was the residual of the focus and determination we showed on defense, holding that team to 98 points and having eight guys in double figures.''

''We are in a rut right now,'' Wizards forward Montrezl Harrell said. ''Nobody is going to feel bad for us, brother. We've got to figure it out.”

The Brooklyn Nets continued their good start to the season with a 114-105 over the Philadelphia 76ers. Durant scored 34 points, making a four-point play with the game tied and 1:46 left as that turned to the turning point in the game. The Nets were missing seven players because of coronavirus health and safety protocols. Blake Griffin and Nic Claxton both added a season-high 17 points as Patty Mills scored 14 points for them. For the 76ers, Joel Embiid had 32 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the 76ers' third straight loss as Seth Curry scored 29 points to lead a valiant effort from Doc Rivers' side. With this result the Nets improved their record to 21-8 as they comfortably lead the Eastern Conference

'It's a challenge knowing how you're going to come into the games because a lot of these teams, they scheme for me a little differently,'' Durant said.

'We can all hoop,'' Claxton said of the young players forced into extended action. ''A lot of attention is going to KD so we're just making plays.''.

So is it better to be over the threshold than to not be playing until you have a healthy roster?'' Nash said. ''Or is it better to have enough to play but to be short-handed and the burden and the toll it takes on these guys and knowing that you're going to have guys coming back who haven't been able to practice or play basketball. So it is definitely tricky to navigate.''

The Lakers won dramatically against the Dallas Mavericks as they defeated them 107-104.  Rookie Austin Reaves swished a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds left in overtime to give the Los Angeles Lakers a much needed victory. For the Lakers, James scored 24 points, Westbrook added 23 and Davis had 20 points and 12 rebounds after missing two games with a sore left knee. For the Mavericks, Jalen Brunson scored 25 points and Kristaps Porzingis had his eighth double-double this season with 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Mavericks, who played their third straight game without All-Star guard Luka Doncic. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 16-13 as they lie 6th in the Western Conference.

“There was about one second left, and I didn't have anything to do but shoot it,'' said Reaves, who played two seasons each at Wichita State and Oklahoma, signing a two-way contract with the Lakers in August that was converted to a regular contract in September. ''Great pass, and I made a shot.''

''We've got a lot of trust in whoever's on the floor, including the rook,'' James said. ''Obviously, it showed on that last possession.''

''We were going to foul within 10 seconds, make them reset and give us a chance to reset, too,'' said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, who was a Lakers assistant during the past two seasons. ''And we just didn't get to the foul.''

Also read: NBA: Steph Curry breaks Ray Allen’s record as Nets win against Raptors

The other results were:

• Pacers 122 -113 Pistons
• Rockets 103 - 116 Knicks
• Jazz 124 - 103 Clippers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Magic vs Heat
• Celtics vs Warriors
• Hawks vs Nuggets
• Pelicans vs Bucks
• Jazz vs Spurs
• Timberwolves vs Lakers
• Kings vs Grizzlies
• Trail Blazers vs Hornets
• Pistons vs Rockets

Living up to a legacy is an especially challenging task as comparisons are inevitable and for many, it might be a case of having some big shoes to fill. For Shubham Ranjane, following in his grandfather and father’s footsteps to become a cricketer was a natural decision and the 27 year old has since played for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy, Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League and Goa.

In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, Shubham Ranjane speaks about the influence of his cricketing family, leaving Mumbai for Goa, playing for Rajasthan Royals alongside Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes, advice to aspiring cricketers and his future goals.

Q1) Tell us about your cricketing journey, who inspired you to become a cricketer and what made you pursue it professionally?

I’m a third generation cricketer as my grandfather and father were also involved in the sport and both of them have been very inspirational in my life. I started my journey when I was six years old when I used to go for my fathers games. I used to practice with him with tennis balls and gradually I transitioned to leather balls and at the age of nine I played U-13 cricket. Watching my father play inspired me and since he was a bowler I also started as a bowler and watching him closely, playing with him helped me gain interest in cricket. 

Q2) What was your thinking behind leaving Mumbai for Goa? How has the experience been playing for Goa compared to Mumbai?

As everyone knows that Mumbai is a big state and it was really amazing to play for Mumbai as it was a prestigious experience. Leaving Mumbai  was a very difficult decision that hurt a lot. In the end opportunities matter a lot and there were very few opportunities for me in Mumbai as there were 7-8 international cricketers. I felt that I needed more opportunities which is exactly what I got with Goa. The experience of playing for Goa has been great. We're looking forward to the Ranji trophy now as we are done with the other two formats. It was a great campaign with the lads and there is still room for improvement as a team. Playing for Mumbai was different because sharing the dressing room with so many international players was a great learning experience. Watching them train hard and play with intensity on the field taught me a lot about the game.

Q3) How was your experience with Rajasthan Royals in the IPL? What did you learn playing alongside the likes of Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes?

The IPL was a great exposure for me. It was a life changing moment just going into an international level of cricket. I went from watching them on T.V and then training alongside them.  Sharing the dressing room with them and learning from superstars. I learnt about how to instantly switch on when entering a field. Their mindset is different from ours. The quality of cricket they have been playing shows their character. Facing Ben and Jofra in the nets is something on another level.

Also read: I am 100% committed to doing my best at the Vijay Hazare Trophy - Indian cricketer Yash Nahar

Q5) What advice would you like to give to the young and aspiring cricketers of our country?

I would like to tell the youngsters to work hard and never lose hope even in the bad days. It is also important to improve on your skills and come back stronger while being focused and determined.

Q6) What are your future goals and ambitions? How do you plan to achieve them?

I would like to be in the moment and give my 100 percent in every game. I try to achieve small targets and help my team in every possible way in bowling and batting. One more goal is to do something extraordinary in my debut for team India.

(Basketball news) Steph Curry created history as he overtook Ray Allen as the leading 3 pointer shooter in the history of the NBA. Curry hit his 2,974th 3-pointer Tuesday night in the first quarter of the Golden State Warriors’ game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Curry is often considered the league’s greatest shooter, and the numbers back him up. He already has the top three seasons for 3-pointers, including the one season with 400 3s and now has the career record Allen had held since passing Reggie Miller in 2011. Curry is also one of two players in NBA history to have made 1,000 unassisted and 1,000 assisted triples. The fact that makes Steph such a great shooter is his accuracy and the precision he knocks down three pointers, Steph is just 33 years old and he can certainly extend this record further.

The Golden State Warriors beat the New York Knicks 105-96, as Steph Curry top scored with 22 points on his historical night along with Jordan Poole’s 19 points and nine rebounds, going 13 for 13 on free throws, Green added eight points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. For the Knicks, Julius Randle scored 31 points as Derrick Rose scored 15 points and Alec Burks had 14 but shot 4 for 15 from the field. With this result the Warriors continued their magnificent start to the season as they improved their record to 23-5 and sit comfortably on top of the Western Conference standings.

''If you can't do it at home, this is definitely a great Plan B,'' Curry said Tuesday night.

''I thought the night was perfect,'' said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who called timeout after the record shot to make room for a celebration. ''It just pretty much encapsulated who he is and his reaction to it was perfect.''

''Steph is the best to ever shoot a basketball and we get the opportunity to go to work with him every day and it's a very special thing,'' Green said.

The Brooklyn Nets also continued their good form as they won 131-129 against the Toronto Raptors. Patty Mills made a 3 to force overtime as Kevin Durant had 34 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Toronto Raptors to improve their record to 20-8. For the Nets, Patty Mills added 30 points as Nets also got 17 from Kessler Edwards, 16 from Nic Claxton and 13 from Blake Griffin before he fouled out in overtime. For the Raptors, Fred VanVleet led with 31, Scottie Barnes had 23, Gary Trent Jr. and Pascal Siakam each finished with 25 points. With this result Toronto fell to 11th in the Eastern Conference standings as Nets are sitting comfortably on top of the table.

''I felt like it was something I could play on, so I knew I was going to play this morning,'' Durant said. ''I hate that my teammates are out. I wish everybody was playing.''

''I like how we responded throughout the whole game,'' Durant said. ''Hitting them first and taking their punch - 44-25 in the third - then turning it up in the fourth quarter and overtime, man. ... I'm so proud to just be a part of this group and play with these young dudes.

''We know how good of a team we can be when we are clicking and doing what we are supposed to do,'' Siakam said. ''Every time we haven't done that in season we pay for it.'' 

Also read: NBA: Golden State Warriors extended their winning run to 22 wins while the Phoenix Suns lost to Los Angeles Clippers

Tomorrow’s fixtures are:

• Magic vs Hawks
• Cavaliers vs Rockets
• 76ers vs Heat
• Mavericks vs Lakers
• Bucks vs Pacers
• Thunder vs Pelicans
• Spurs vs Hornets
• Nuggets vs Timberwolves
• Kings vs Wizards
• Trail Blazers vs Grizzlies
• Jazz vs Clippers
   

(Basketball) The Golden State Warriors beat the Indiana Pacers 102-100 in a close encounter. Stephen Curry came up just short of Ray Allen's 3-point record as made five 3s, scored 26 points and rallied the Golden State Warriors to a victory. He's two 3’s short of surpassing Allen, something he's likely to do Tuesday night on the NBA's grandest stage, Madison Square Garden. Allen made 2,973 during his 18-year career. For Warriors, Draymond Green had 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Andrew Wiggins scored 15 points and Looney had 14 points and eight rebounds as Golden State was 8 of 30 on 3s and had 17 turnovers. For the Pacers, Domantas Sabonis had 30 points and 11 rebounds and Malcolm Brogdon had 23 points and eight assists. With this result the Warriors improved their record to 22-5 and stayed on top of the Western Conference standings. 

'I'm enjoying the moment, knocking on the doorstep. It's pretty surreal,'' Curry said. ''You just keep playing basketball, taking shots you think you can make and enjoy the experience”.

''The play was set up perfectly, the 3 just didn't go in and Loon did what Loon does, which is go get the offensive board to give us the lead and eventually the win,'' said Draymond Green, who had 15 points and nine rebounds.

''I know he was trying to get the record tonight and in my mind, I wasn't going to let him do it on our court,'' said Malcolm Brogdon, who had 23 points and eight assists. ''When you slow him down, you expect to win the game. We slowed him down.''

The Phoenix Suns lost only their fifth match of the season against the Clippers 111-95. Marcus Morris had season highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Clippers to a much deserved victory. It wasn't quite the rematch from the playoffs, with both teams missing their stars. The Suns were without Deandre Ayton and Devin Booker, while Paul George and Kawhi Leonard sat out for the Clippers .Reggie Jackson added 19 points and Terance Mann had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Clippers who won their fourth in a row. For the Suns, Cam Johnson led Phoenix with 17 points off the bench as Mikal Bridges added 16 points and Chris Paul was held to nine points and eight assists against his former team. With this win, the Clippers improved their record to 16-12 as they stayed 5th in Western Conference standings.

'It definitely didn't feel like that,'' Morris said of Monday's game compared to last spring's playoffs.

“We're just getting contributions from all of our guys,'' Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. ''Our whole team did a good job of just chipping in.''

''Against CP, we tried to slow him down and give him different looks,'' Lue said. ''To slow him down a little bit was huge for us”.

“We were out of rhythm all night. We just couldn't knock down shots,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said. ''If you're missing shots, you're playing in transition a lot.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers win back to back matches after a long time as Brooklyn Nets continued their winning streak

The other results were:

• Cavaliers 105 - 94 Heat
• Raptors 124 - 101 Kings
• Hawks 126 - 132 Rockets
• Celtics 117 - 103 Bucks
• Grizzlies 126 - 91 76ers
• Mavericks 120 - 96 Hornets
• Nuggets 113 - 107 Wizards

The tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Knicks vs Warriors
• Nets vs Raptors
• Trail Blazers vs Suns

New Delhi, Dec 13 (Cricket News) India's Test vice-captain Rohit Sharma was on Monday ruled out of the entire three-match Test series against South Africa as his old left-hamstring injury resurfaced during the team's net session in Mumbai where he also took a hit on his hand.

India A captain Priyank Panchal will be Rohit's replacement opener in the Test series.

"Team India Test vice-captain Rohit Sharma sustained a left hamstring injury during his training session here in Mumbai yesterday. He has been ruled out of the upcoming 3-match Test series against South Africa. Priyank Panchal will replace Rohit Sharma in the Test squad," BCCI stated in a press release.

The Board has not announced a stand-in vice-captain but it is expected that KL Rahul is the front-runner for being Virat Kohli's deputy during the Tests.

Other contenders could be Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin, considering that Ajinkya Rahane has been removed from the role with his place in the eleven not being assured.

If sources are to be believed, Ashwin, who will be the lone spinner in all Tests, is also in the fray to be the vice-captain.

A section in the BCCI believes that he needs to be accorded respect for his stupendous international career.

The Tests will wind up on January 15, followed by three ODIs, scheduled to begin on January 19 in Paarl.

The 34-year-old Rohit also sustained a hit on his hands at the Mumbai nets while taking throwdowns from Raghavendra (Raghu).

"Yes, Rohit did suffer an injury on his hand but even after that he had batted. So we can presume that hand injury isn't serious. But thereafter, it seemed the old hamstring problem resurfaced once again and it might take some time before he is fully fit and available.

"They are trying to sort it out. Hamstring injuries normally take four weeks which could effectively rule him out of Test series," a senior BCCI source told PTI on Monday.

As of now, the extent of Rohit's injury is not very clear. It is not known whether it's a strain, which is a less serious injury, or a tear, which will have to be graded.

"There are some issues but the medical team is trying to sort it out," a source close to the cricketer told PTI.

The BCCI is yet to share the details of his scan report which will ascertain the degree of the injury.

"Any hamstring injury, even the lowest grade takes a month to heal with rehabilitation sessions. In Tests we have Mayank Agarwal ready to open with KL Rahul, who could potentially be the vice-captain.

"And now we have Priyank Panchal also as cover. We would be hoping that he is fit and ready for the ODI series," the source added.

It is learnt that Panchal reported at the team hotel this evening.

"Panchal has been asked to report at the Mumbai team hotel tonight. He is there as a cover for Rohit. Also because he recently played in South Africa and scored runs, he was asked to join," an official associated with the India A team informed.

Panchal is no greenhorn as he has 100 first-class matches under his belt with 7011 runs, including 24 hundreds.

He has been a part of a very successful Gujarat team that won the Ranji Trophy under Parthiv Patel and has been an India A captain.

He was fighting for the reserve opener's slot with Abhimanyu Easwaran but pipped the Bengal man as the latter batted at No.3 in the A series. 

Also Read : First day, first show: Laxman takes charge at NCA

News Source : PTI

Bengaluru, Dec 13 (Cricket News) Former India batting stalwart VVS Laxman on Monday started his tenure as the director of cricket at the National Cricket Academy here.

Last month, the 47-year-old Laxman had accepted the BCCI's offer to take up the job, after his predecessor Rahul Dravid had relinquished the position to become the senior India team's head coach.

"First day in office at the NCA! An exciting new challenge in store, look forward to the future and to working with the future of Indian cricket," Laxman tweeted, alongside two pictures inside the NCA.

Before accepting this position, Laxman was serving as IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad's mentor.

As far as his coaching experience goes, Laxman had also worked as batting consultant for six years at Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which had roped him for the 'Vision 2020' programme aimed at tapping and promoting grassroot talent in Bengal.

Besides, Laxman has also been a prominent figure in the commentary box.

As Dravid was entering the Indian team setup, Laxman had emerged as the frontrunner to occupy the top position at the NCA. 

Also Read : Rohit Sharma sustains hit in Mumbai nets, A team captain Priyank Panchal called as cover

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Dec 13 (Cricket News) India's Test vice-captain Rohit Sharma has suffered a hit on his hand during a net session in Mumbai and the BCCI has summoned India A captain Priyank Panchal as cover for him ahead of the tour of South Africa this month.

As of now, the extent of Rohit's injury is not very clear after he sustained a hit while taking throw-downs from team's specialist Raghavendra aka Raghu.

"There are some issues with his hand but the medical team is trying to sort it out," a source close to the cricketer told PTI.

Meanwhile a BCCI official informed that Panchal, who scored 96 in an A Test match against South Africa A, has been called as cover.

"Panchal has been asked to report at the Mumbai team hotel tonight. He is there as a cover for Rohit. Also because he recently played in South Africa and scored runs, he was asked to join," the official informed. 

Also Read : Steve Smith in search of Ashes glory and run scoring record

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) Lakers won back to back road games as they defeated 106-94 against the Orlando Magic. James scored 14 of his 30 points during Los Angeles' spectacular third quarter, and he added 11 rebounds and 10 assists while the Lakers rolled past Orlando for their fifth victory in seven games. For the Lakers, Talen Horton-Tucker scored 19 points, Russell Westbrook had 19 points and James secured his 101st career triple-double in the final minutes as the Lakers won their second straight with second-leading scorer Anthony Davis sidelined by left knee soreness. For the Magic, Cole Anthony scored 21 points, Franz Wagner added 20 points and seven rebounds as they suffered their 12th loss in 13 games. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 15-13 and moved up to 6th in Western Conference.

'When he's aggressive and making the right plays and reads, our team is different,'' Westbrook said. ''This was another game where he imposed his will. ... (The blocked shots) are just big for us, and I know it's big for him to show he's still doing what he's been doing year after year. It's great to see.''

''Sleep,'' James said. ''Sleep, and inspiration from my son and his team. ... I slept last night from 12 to 8. I got up, ate breakfast, and then I went back to sleep from 8:30 to 12:30. That's pretty good, right?''

''He's exemplifying finding joy through hustle,'' Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. ''The effort he's playing with is inspiring our whole group.''

The Brooklyn Nets continued their fine start to the season with a 116-104 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Kevin Durant scored an NBA season-high 51 points as he scored at least 10 points in all four quarters. Patty Mills added 18 points for the Nets, who outscored Detroit 30-13 in the fourth quarter. For the Pistons Cade Cunningham had 26 and Frank Jackson added 25 for Detroit, which lost its 12th straight and still haven't won back-to-back games this season. Durant also set the record on Sunday for points scored at the Little Caesars Arena, which opened in 2017. He bested Blake Griffin's 50 in 2018, Kyrie Irving's 45 in 2020 and James Harden's 44 last season. With this result the Nets improved their record to 19-8 and sit comfortably at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

''I knew I probably needed to pick up a little more of the scoring tonight,'' said Durant, who had his seventh 50-point game of his career. ''We were turning the ball over more than we should, and I was doing as much of that as anyone, so I figured I better just keep shooting.'

''It was fun just to watch K.D. when he's playing like that,'' Mills said. ''Being a part of it is even better. You don't see many games like he had tonight.''

''I saw the look in his eyes and knew he didn't want to come out,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said. ''He was just incredible tonight. Not only did he score 51, but he had (nine) assists and (seven) rebounds. He even had a couple blocks and played incredible defense in the fourth quarter.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose to the Grizzlies as they ruined LeBron James’ historic 100th triple double

The other results were:

• Thunder 84 - 103 Mavericks
• Spurs 112 - 97 Pelicans  
• Trail Blazers 111 - 116 Timberwolves

The other matches for tomorrow are:

• Cavaliers vs Heat
• Raptors vs Kings
• Pacers vs Warriors
• Hawks vs Rockets
• Celtics vs Bucks
• Grizzlies vs 76ers 
• Mavericks vs Hornets
• Nuggets vs Wizards
• Clippers vs Suns

(Basketball news) Lakers suffered an embarrassing loss to the Memphis Grizzlies as they beat them 108-95. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 25 points, Desmond Bane added 23, Tyus Jones and De'Anthony Melton added 12 points apiece for Memphis and the Memphis Grizzlies pulled away in the fourth quarter for a much needed win. For the Lakers, LeBron James had a triple-double with 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds and Anthony Davis led the Lakers scoring with 22 points as Talen Horton-Tucker and Avery Bradley each added 10 points. LeBron James became only the 5th person in the NBA to have 100 triple doubles. Lebron James' steal in the first quarter was the 2,086th of his career, moving him past Karl Malone for 11th on the all-time list. With this result the Lakers stayed in 7th with a 13-13 record as the Grizzlies improved their record to 15-11 and moved upto 4th in the Western Conference. 

“I thought our activity was fantastic defensively,'' Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. ''I thought the Lakers came out and kind of imposed their will in the first quarter, but we just kept making those winning plays throughout.''

''I didn't know what we were going to look like,'' Bane said of learning about an hour before the game that Brooks was out. He said the Grizzlies have had games in which they didn't have the players individually, but not both missing.

“The second quarter was where the energy of the game shifted,'' Laker coach Frank Vogel said. ''Our turnovers went way up. We didn't rebound the basketball. We were slow to every loose ball.''

''Defensively, I thought we were really good. We just turned the ball over,'' James said. ''When you hold a team to 108 points and 27 of those came off turnovers, the defense was really good. Offensively, we were not good at all.''

Utah Jazz won their 6th game in a row as they won comprehensively against the Philadelphia 76ers 118-96. For the Jazz, Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points, Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 21 rebounds and the Utah Jazz extended their winning streak to six games. For the 76ers, Joel Embiid had 19 points and nine rebounds for the 76ers. Seth Curry scored 18 points and Tobias Harris 17 for Philadelphia. Both the teams were playing back to back games as the 76ers looked very tired after halftime. With this result the Jazz improved their record to 18-7 as they sit comfortably in the 3rd spot in the Western Conference table.

''I think you go through the ebb and flow of the season, sometimes you just decide not to be tired,'' Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. ''When you're playing the right way, it makes it easier.''

''They're playing free,'' Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers said. ''They get a lot of 3's up, they stretch the floor. They're a tough basketball team, especially offensively.''

Also read: NBA: Warriors extended their winning run as the Rockets hand the Brooklyn Nets a shock defeat

Tomorrow's matches are:

• Hornets vs Kings
• Pacers vs Mavericks
• Raptors vs Knicks
• Hawks vs Nets
• Pelicans vs Pistons
• Timberwolves vs Cavaliers
• Thunder vs Lakers
• Rockets vs Celtics
• Suns vs Celtics
   

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors won their 21st match of the season with a 104-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Curry scored 22 points and moved within nine 3s of tying Ray Allen's record, Steph Curry is closing in on Allen's mark of 2,973 regular-season 3s made from 1996-2014. Draymond Green had 10 rebounds, eight assists and five points, and Jordan Poole scored eight of his 20 points in the third quarter as Golden State started to pull away. Otto Porter Jr. contributed 15 points and six rebounds off the bench as the Warriors improved to 21-4. For the Trail Blazers Jusuf Nurkic had 12 points, 13 rebounds and six assists before fouling out late. Nassir Little scored 18 points for the Blazers, Norman Powell scored 26 points but went 1 for 7 from deep, and the Blazers made just 8 of 30 on 3-pointers as the Trail Blazers missed injured allstars Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. With this result Warriors move to the top of the Western Conference.

''To make that many 3s in one game obviously has never been done before, so it was just a routine night,'' coach Steve Kerr said of the 16 Curry needed coming into the game to top Allen. ''He made six, which is nothing for him. I don't think I ever did that in my entire career one time.''

''I feel like it will be special no matter what because I'll make it special and it will be an amazing experience for me and my teammates,'' Curry said this week

The Brooklyn Nets suffered a shock 114-104 loss to the Houston Rockets, who subsequently are showing an uprise in form. Eric Gordon scored 21 points before being ejected in the fourth quarter and Garrison Mathews added 19 as the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to seven and one of the in form teams in the NBA. Although James Harden had 25 points for the Nets, NBA leading scorer Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge both sat out for this match, Cam Thomas had 18 points for Brooklyn and Mills added 12 points. The loss snapped a six-game road winning streak for the Nets, whose nine road wins are tied with the Suns for most in the NBA. With this result Nets still remained on top of the Eastern Conference with a record of 17-8.

“The adversity that we went through prior to this point has made it even sweeter,'' coach Stephen Silas said. ''We're feeling pretty good about ourselves.'

''When you beat a team like that it means something,'' Mathews said. ''This streak's been a huge boost to our confidence. It's been a huge boost to our morale.''

The Miami Heat finally snapped their losing streak with a 113-104 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Caleb Martin scored a career-high 28 points, he shot 9 of 12 from the field, including 6 for 8 on 3-pointers, as the Heat tied a franchise record with 22 3s against the defending NBA champions. Kyle Lowry had 22 points and 13 assists, and Max Strus scored all 16 of his points in the fourth quarter for Miami, which snapped a three-game home losing streak. For the Bucks Jrue Holiday scored 27 points and Khris Middleton finished with 20 for the Bucks. Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15 points. With this result the Heat’s improved their record to 15-11 and are currently in 4th position and as for the Bucks their record stands at 16-10.

Also read: NBA: Lakers beat Celtics and Nets extend their winning run against the Dallas Maverick

The other results were:

• Pistons 116 - 119 Wizards
• Hornets 106 - 110 76ers
• Cavaliers 115 - 92 Bulls
• Pacers 122- 102 Knicks
• Raptors 109 - 110 Thunder
• Grizzlies 96 - 104 Mavericks
• Timberwolves 104 - 136 Jazz
• Pelicans 114 - 120 Nuggets
• Kings 142 - 130 Magic
• Clippers 114 - 111 Celtics

The fixtures for tomorrow are;

• 76ers vs Jazz
• Grizzlies vs Lakers
• Spurs vs Nuggets

(Basketball news) Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 117-102 in the latest chapter of the NBA's most heated rivalry. LeBron James scored 30 points, Westbrook added 24 points and 11 assists, Anthony Davis had 17 points and 16 rebounds for the Lakers, who produced one of their best recent performances in their fourth victory in six games overall. Los Angeles made 56.5% of its shots in the first three quarters and shut down Jayson Tatum's with their defense. For the Celtics Jason Tatum scored 34 points as he scored 14 of his 34 points in an incredible early first-quarter blitz for the Celtics, who dropped to 1-2 on their four-game West Coast trip, Jaylen Brown sat out his third straight game with a strained right hamstring, as Robert Williams III's 13 points for Boston was the second most. With this victory the Lakers improved their record to 13-12 as they moved up to 6th in the Western Conference.

''As a player like myself, you want to make sure you approach all games the same while also understanding the significance of this particular game,'' Westbrook said. ''That makes it a good win for us.''

''I just like the way we competed tonight on both sides of the floor,'' James said. ''We had a lot of intensity, a lot of ball movement. Guys were attacking the rim. I think defensively, besides the first 14-point avalanche on Tatum's part, we locked in from that point forward.''

“I think at the beginning of the year, Russ was a little bit passive,'' Davis said. ''He was trying to get guys involved, pass the ball. ... We told him, 'The more you're aggressive, the more it will open up for everyone else.' The last seven to 10 games, he's been very, very aggressive, and when he does that, it opens up the floor for everyone else as far as shooting. He's just been in attack mode. That's why we brought him here, to be Russell Westbrook and not anybody else but that.''

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Dallas Mavericks 102-99 as they made a 17 point comeback in the second half. Kevin Durant scored 24 points, Harden had 23 points and 12 assists as they handed the Mavericks their fifth consecutive home loss. For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic scored 28 points but had another rough night from 3-point range, Kristaps Porzingis had 17 points and 12 rebounds. In three games since setting a franchise record by shooting 68.7% in a 32-point victory at New Orleans, Dallas is down to 38% shooting from the arc. With this result the Nets improved their record to 17-7 which is subsequently the best in the Eastern Conference. 

''We've been in this league long enough to know it's winning time. It's go time,'' said Harden, who also had nine rebounds. ''Throughout the course of the game, I feel like we got good shots. We just missed them. We just kept sticking with it and kept sticking with it. You've got to just keep shooting, especially if that's what you do.''

''We had a lot of open looks there in the fourth quarter that just didn't go down,'' Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. ''And then Timmy has a wide-open look. You couldn't ask for a better look to tie up the game.''

''It's a character win where you just want to make the right plays to get back in the game and you want to turn the momentum to your side,'' said Durant, who was 10 of 22 from the field and had seven rebounds. ''I think we did that tonight”.

Also read: NBA: Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors became the first teams to win 20 matches this season

The tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Pistons vs Wizards
• Hornets vs 76ers
• Cavaliers vs Bulls
• Pacers vs Knicks
• Heat vs Bucks
• Raptors vs Thunder
• Grizzlies vs Mavericks
• Timberwolves vs Jazz
• Pelicans vs Nuggets
• Rockets vs Nets
• Kings vs Magic
• Warriors vs Trail Blazers
• Clippers vs Celtics
   

(Basketball news) Phoenix Suns became the first team to reach 20 wins as they won 108-104 against San Antonio Spurs. Paul had a few clutch plays late in the fourth and finished with 21 points and 10 assists, Jae Crowder added a season-high 19 points for the Spurs all five San Antonio starters scored in double figures, led by Murray's 17 points. Bryn Forbes added 15 points off the bench. Phoenix was playing its first game since having its franchise-record 18-game winning streak snapped against Golden State on Friday. The Suns didn't appear fazed by the setback and won for the 19th time in 20 games which meant that they improved their record to 20-4 and are joint first in the Western Conference with the Warriors.

''He's real crafty,'' Suns forward Cam Johnson said. ''There's a reason he's one of the all-time steals leader. ... He's smart, quick with his hands and when you watch him do it, it's pretty impressive.''

'We still fought and made it a game,'' McDermott said. ''We had a chance to win against one of the best teams in the league. Unfortunately, we lost, but I think we will learn a lot from this one.''

The Golden State Warriors continued their marvellous start to the season with a comprehensive 126-95 victory over the Orlando Magic. Steph Curry had seven more 3s on the way to his 31 points and eight assists, Andrew Wiggins hit a career-high eight 3s and finished with 28 points as they both combined for 59 points. Curry swished a half-court shot to beat the first-quarter buzzer and wound up shooting 8 of 16 as now he has 2,958 career regular-season 3s, 15 from tying the great Ray Allen's 2,973. For the Magic Gary Harris scored 17 points to lead the Magic, Wendell Carter Jr. added 14 points and 12 rebounds for Orlando. With this result the Warriors improved their record to 20-4.

''I know what the situation is, yeah,'' Curry said, smiling. ''I always just play the game but obviously know I'm closing in. But try not to let it creep in to how you play and just enjoy the journey to get there `cause it does mean a lot to me as I do get closer. ... I'll talk about it when it happens.''

''He's Steph Curry, so anything's possible,'' Kerr said. ''He made half-court shots in back-to-back games.''

The Milwaukee Bucks won their 10th match out of a possible 11 as they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-107. Giannis Antetokounmpo came back from a two-game absence and scored 27 points on his 27th birthday, the two-time MVP made all three of his 3-point attempts and also had 12 rebounds in his return from injury, he also scored 15 points in the fourth quarter to take his team to victory. The Bucks had more contributions as Holiday had 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Khris Middleton provided 21 points and eight assists. Pat Connaughton scored 12, and Bobby Portis had 10 points and 16 rebounds. Jarrett Allen led the Cavaliers with 25 points and nine rebounds while shooting 10 of 12. Lauri Markkanen scored 20, Kevin Love 15, Evan Mobley 12 and Darius Garland 10. With this result the Bucks improved their record to 16-9 and are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

“Guys are playing with confidence, playing together,'' said Antetokounmpo, who went 6 of 7 on free throws. ''We're guarding together. We're in a very, very good spot right now.''

''I thought that pass and that shot might have been the biggest kind of swing because it was hanging there at two for a while,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''We needed a play from somebody.''

''We're going to fight till the end,'' Allen said. ''That's the main thing I learned about this team, about the guys. No matter how we start the game, no matter who's in front of us, big or small, we're going to go out there and fight till the end. You look at these last two games, we came out flat in both of them. We could have just rolled over and gave the game up easily, but we came back and tried to stay in it till the end.''

Also read: NBA: Phoenix Suns extend their winning run to 18 wins as Memphis Grizzlies create NBA history

The other results were :

• Pistons 103 - 114 Thunders
• Pacers 116 - 110 Wizards
• Hornets 124 - 127 76ers
• Heat 90 - 105 Grizzlies
• Bulls 109 - 97 Nuggets
• Timberwolves 110 - 121 Hawks
• Trail Blazers 90 - 102 Clippers

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Mavericks vs Nets
• Spurs vs Knicks
• Lakers vs Celtics

(Football news) A thrilling comeback by West Ham shocked Chelsea who lost 3-2 against the hosts at the London Stadium on Saturday. The Blues were heading into the weekend as league leaders and were hoping to increase that lead to four points ahead of second place Manchester City but ended up facing a resilient West Ham side. Thomas Tuchel’s side gained the lead in the 28th minute when Thiago Silva’s header found the back of the net. The lead was nullified 12 minutes later when Manuel Lanzini scored from the spot kick after Jorginho’s poor back pass and some effective pressing by Jarrod Bowen saw Edouard Mendy commit a foul inside the box.

Chelsea’s lead was restored in the 44th minute after a stunning volley by Mason Mount but West Ham levelled the scoring again when Bowen found the back of the net in the 56th minute. It was only the third time in Thomas Tuchel’s 53 games in-charge as Chelsea manager that the Blues conceded more than one goal. Things got bad to worse for the Blues in the 87th minute when Arthur Masuaku’s cross completely outfoxed Mendy and found the back of the net as West Ham cemented their fourth position and won their first match in four games. With this result, Manchester City went on top of the Premier League with 35 points followed by Liverpool on 34 while Chelsea found themselves in the third spot, two points behind the reigning champions.

Premier League top scorers Liverpool faced Wolves at the Molineux Stadium knowing that a win would propel the Reds above Chelsea in the Premier League table. However, it was easier said than done as Jurgen Klopp’s team found it difficult to break a resilient Wolves side, including a goal-line clearance by Diogo Jota from Conor Coady. Just when it looked like the match would end as a draw, Mohamed Salah set up Divock Origi who scored from close range in the 94th minute in what was a massive three points for Liverpool who are now second in the Premier League table.

Also read: Eight football clubs including Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon sanctioned by UEFA

Premier League champions Manchester City went on top of the league table after a 3-1 win over Watford at Vicarage Road. Raheem Sterling opened the scoring just four minutes into the match with a header as the Englishman scored against the Hornets for the sixth time in a row and Man City’s 14th consecutive time. Jack Grealish combined well with Phil Foden but missed a couple of good chances, however, Bernardo Silva doubled City’s lead in the 31st minute. The Portuguese midfielder scored his second of the evening in the 63rd minute to score his fifth goal in five games while the likes of Foden and Grealish could have extended the lead if they didn’t hit the woodwork. 

Watford substitute Cucho Hernandez got a consolation goal in the 74th minute but it was too little too late as the reigning champions made it five wins out of five matches. With this result, Watford remain 17th in the league table, three points above Burnley but Claudio Ranieri can take solace in the fact that his side will have easier fixtures ahead to remain above the relegation zone. Pep Guardiola will look to maintain the momentum ahead of the busy festive period as Manchester City are currently on top of the league table, one point ahead of Liverpool and two ahead of Chelsea.

Manchester United welcomed Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in Ralf Rangnick’s first match in-charge as interim manager. The German went for an unchanged lineup that defeated Arsenal 3-2 midweek but there was a noticeable difference in performance as the Red Devils looked more in control for the majority of the match due to a high press. For Crystal Palace, Patrick Viera made two changes from the defeat against Leeds, Christian Benteke and Nathaniel Clyne replaced Odsonne Edouard and the suspended Joel Ward. The hosts had the lion's share of possession and despite creating chances, failed to find a breakthrough.

It was evident by the hour mark that Manchester United were running out of ideas and began to look tired as Crystal Palace managed to shift the momentum in their favor. However, substitute Mason Greenwood rolled the ball into Fred’s path in the 77th minute and the Brazilian managed to find the back of the net with his weak foot to ensure Rangnick’s debut ended on a happy note. With this result, Manchester United kept their first clean sheet since April against Granada (2-0) and the team went ahead of Arsenal in the Premier League table although the Gunners are yet to face Everton.

Bali, Dec 5 (Badminton news) Indian badminton ace P V Sindhu settled for a silver medal at the BWF World Tour Finals after going down meekly against Korean teen sensation An Seyoung in the summit clash, here on Sunday.

Sindhu, the reigning world champion and two-time Olympic medallist, could neither match the pace nor breach the defence of the world number six Korean, losing 16-21 12-21 in the 40-minute lop-sided clash.

It was Sindhu's third successive loss -- all straight games -- to the Korean in as many meetings.

With this victory, An Seyoung became the first ever South Korean woman to win the season-ending title.

It was also her third straight title in Bali, following wins at the Indonesia Masters and Indonesia Open in the last two weeks.

Making her third final appearance in the year-end tournament, world number seven Sindhu looked a pale shadow of the player who had claimed the title in 2018 to become the only Indian to achieve the feat.

"It was a good game. An Seyoung is a good player so I don't think it was going to be easy. I was prepared for a good match," Sindhu said after the title clash.

"From the beginning I should not have given her lead because in the end I came back covering few points. It is a bit sad but lot to learn.

"It has been a good three weeks in Bali. So lot of positives to take from here and it's time to go back, recover and get prepared for the world championships," added the 26-year-old.

Up against the 19-year-old Korean, Sindhu once again looked short of ideas. She couldn't mount her attacking game or make use of the full court.

An Seyoung looked more polished at the nets and rode on her good quality of strokes. She produced some sensational full stretch diving saves with her swift movement to blunt Sindhu's game plan.

The Indian had a forgettable start and was left to fight a tough battle after lagging 0-4.

Sindhu played a good rally to log her first points with a cross court return. She tried to narrow the gap by engaging her rival in rallies but An Seyoung was quick on her feet and showed better anticipation to always keep her nose ahead.

The Korean doubled the lead to 16-8 after resumption. Sindhu tried to make up the deficit with a few good points but the Korean managed to collect eight game points.

Sindhu saved four game points by putting pressure on her opponent's backhand, while the Korean also sent one long. An Seyoung, however, sealed the opening game with a body return.

"During the rally, the shot which I wanted to attack, I was making mistakes. It was going side outs and points which I had to take were going to net. It is part of the game and it happens at times," said Sindhu.

The second game started on an even keel with Sindhu managing to take a 5-4 lead for the first time but the agile Korean was quick to wrest back the lead after the Indian went long twice.

The teen shuttler soon extended her lead to 10-6 as she was relentless in the rallies, sending everything back to Sindhu. A razor sharp return on her opponent's forehand gave her a 11-8 advantage at the break.

After the interval, An Seyoung continued to control the proceedings, galloping to a 15-8 lead with another exceptional full dive return.

In a jiffy, An Seyoung grabbed a massive 10 match points. Sindhu saved two before sending one to the net as the Korean celebrated.

Sindhu will strive to defend her title at the World Championships in Huelva, Spain starting December 12.

Also Read : Sindhu enters final of BWF World Tour Finals, beats Yamaguchi in semis

news Source : PTI

(Football news) Phoenix Suns defeated the Detroit Pistons 114-103 as they went onto win their 18 consecutive victory. Cam Johnson and Cameron Payne both scored 19 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to victory as the Suns bench finished with 48 points, Deandre Ayton had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Chris Paul finished with 12 points and 12 assists as Phoenix improved to 19-3 for the season. For the Pistons, Jerami Grant had 34 points which fell to 2-10 on the road. Cunningham, No. 1 overall draft pick, scored 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting. The Suns still haven’t lost since Oct. 27, when Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes hit a 3-pointer as time ran out for a 110-107 victory.

“It is hard to win in this league and we are not satisfied but it is special,'' Williams said. ''To do it in front of our fan base, in a special city like this with the history of this franchise is pretty cool and I want our guys to enjoy it.''

''I haven't talked about streaks of any kind just because we have been so focused on improving,'' Suns coach Monty Williams said of the run that's lasted more than a month. ''But it is really cool to be a part of something like that.''

The Memphis Grizzlies created some NBA history as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder by 73 points as the final score was 152-79. Their 152-79 win over the Thunder shattered the NBA record for the largest margin of victory. The 73-point margin easily topped the previous mark, which was Cleveland's 68-point win over Miami. The Cavaliers topped the Heat 148-80 on Dec. 17, 1991. Memphis used 12 players and nine of them reached double figures in scoring, with Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the scoring with 27 points for the Grizzlies. Memphis was also  without its injured guard and best player Ja Morant. The Grizzlies set a franchise record for shooting, making 62.5% of their shots. De'Anthony Melton scored 19 points, Santi Aldama scored 18 and John Konchar scored 17 for the Grizzlies and none of those three players even started. With this result the Grizzlies improved their record to 12-10 as they moved to 5th in the Western Conference.

“Franchise records are obviously great. Obviously proud of our guys that they don't think about that,'' Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. ''We're just motivated by what our standards are every single night. Tonight was on pretty full display both offensively and defensively.''

''Obviously, it was a combination of things,'' Daigneault said. ''They played with great force and pace. They made some shots. We didn't shoot it well early and just really couldn't get a grip on the game. Any part of the game

The Chicago Bulls won 119-115 against the New York Knicks as it was a close encounter. DeRozan scored 34 points, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic each added 27. For the Knicks, Julius Randle had 30 points, 12 rebounds and six assists but missed two free throws in the end as the Knicks (11-11) fell to .500 for the first time this season after starting 5-1, Alec Burks, Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose all had 16 points for the Knicks. With this result the Bulls improved their record to 15-8 as they moved up to 2nd in the Eastern Conference. 

''It's fun when we go out there and compete. We face adversity at times and it felt good when we come out of that on top,'' DeRozan said.

“It helps our team tremendously, especially if we're frantic,'' LaVine said. ''I think it just gives the whole team a sense of, like, a deep breath.''

“We started slowly. I thought there was frustration and so it's hard to play when you're playing frustrated and we can't get wrapped up with that,'' Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''Sometimes there's tough calls that go against you and that's just the way it is.''

Also read: NBA: The Milwaukee Bucks rally past the Hornets as Dallas Mavericks keeping their winning run intact

The other results were:

• Raptors 97 - 93 Bucks
• Spurs 114 - 83 Trail Blazers

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Heat vs Pacers
• Cavaliers vs Wizards
• 76ers vs Hawks
• Timberwolves vs Nets
• Magic vs Rockets
• Pelicans vs Mavericks]
• Celtics vs Jazz
• Suns vs Warriors
• Clippers vs Lakers

(Basketball news) The Milwaukee Bucks rallied past the Charlotte Hornets as they defeated them 127-125. Antetokounmpo had 40 points and 12 rebounds and Khris Middleton added 21 points for the Bucks as Giannis Antetokounmpo scored on a driving layup with two seconds left to give Milwaukee their eighth consecutive victory. For the Hornets, Ball had a career-high 36 points for the Hornets, followed by Kelly Oubre Jr. with 25 and Miles Bridges with 22 points. Ball hit 12 of 22 shots including 8 of 15 from beyond the arc along with nine assists. Milwaukee signed veteran free agent DeMarcus Cousins who played 4 minutes and scored seven points. With this result Bucks improved their record to 14-8 as they are currently 4th in the Eastern Conference with similar records to the Bulls, Wizards and the Heats.

“Giannis is just great. Reading the defense, attack mode,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''Any time we can get him the ball in that type of situation, we feel like he's going to make a good play”.

''I haven't seen the play, but I knew in the position I was in, there were two different routes,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''Float it up or try to sneak it in, and when you try to sneak it in, you've got to spin on. If you just go normal, most likely you're going to get it blocked”.

“People talk about him just being dominant, but on that shot, you can see the skill that he has,'' Middleton said. ''He's not always dunking over people, not always using the jump hook. That's a tough layup even for guards, and he's a 7-footer coming down to end the game. Going over, then under an arm, then flipping it with a little bit of spin off the glass, that just shows you the type of skills he has as a player.''

Dallas Maverick beat the New Orleans Pelican 139-107 as Luka Doncic scored 18 of his team-high 28 points in the first quarter and dished out 14 assists in 27 minutes to power the Dallas Mavericks to convincing victory. Dallas set a franchise record by shooting 57 of 83 from the floor (68.7%), beating the previous high of 67.7% from March 24, 1983. Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points and 10 rebounds for Dallas as they snapped out of their five match losing streak. Doncic went 7 of 8 from the floor in the Mavericks' 41-point first quarter - their highest-scoring period of the season in which they shot 73% from the floor (16 of 22). For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram scored 29 points as Devonte Graham added 13 points. With this result Dallas improved their record to 11-9 and are currently 4th in the Eastern Conference.

“That's pretty cool,'' Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. ''To break a record like that with so many great offensive teams that the Dallas Mavs have had just shows the carryover and the response that this team has had after the last two outings. I thought everybody touched it. We got wide-open looks, that we've been getting, but they started to go down for us.''

''Luka was phenomenal tonight,'' Porzingis said. ''He started off the game hot himself, and then he was sharing the ball. Our energy was there right from the beginning because we shared it. It was a chain reaction, starting from him, and we got great looks.''

''It was a great game,'' Doncic said. ''We came out with a lot of energy, and I think we moved the ball pretty well. Those shots were open, so we knocked them down.''

Also read: NBA: Phoenix Suns stretch their run to 17 straight victories as Lakers avenged their loss against the Sacramento Kings

The other results were:

• Pacers 111 - 114 Hawks
• Magic 108 - 103 Nuggets
• Wizards 115 - 107 Timberwolves
• Celtics 88 - 87 76ers
• Heat 85 - 111 Cavaliers
• Thunder 110 - 114 Rockets
• Clippers 115 - 124 Kings

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Raptors vs Bucks
• Knicks vs Bulls
• Grizzlies vs Thunder
• Suns vs Pistons
• Trail Blazers vs Spurs

Mumbai, Dec 1 (Cricket news) Former India player Laxman Sivaramakrishnan on Wednesday rued that the current leg-spinners don't have the ambition to play Test cricket and he partially blamed it on too much stress on reverse swinging the ball these days.

Leg-spinners would form the core of a team's attack in the past. But since the retirement of legendary Shane Warne and Anil Kumble, there has been less impact from leg-spinners in the gruelling Test format.

"I don't see too many leg-spinners have the ambitions to play Test cricket, they're quite happy with playing white-ball cricket. It really pains me," Sivaramakrishnan, himself a former India leg-spinner, said in a virtual interaction.

"I'm really disappointed with the kind of results that the leg-spinners have shown. Basically, because they are only successful in white ball cricket when batters are looking to attack, they get wickets." Sivaramakrishnan, who has played nine Tests and 16 ODIs for India, said the quality of a leg-spinner can be tested only when he plays in a Test with three close-in fielders.

"In modern day cricket, all these leg-spinners have been successful, only because the batters go for big shots, and make the mistake.

"I don't know if I can remember when a leg-spinner played a Test match (for India)." Amit Mishra was the last leg-spinner to play Test cricket for India in 2016.

The story is similar in world cricket too as the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Adam Zampa (Australia) and Adil Rashid (England) are mostly preferred in white ball formats.

Blaming it on reversing the ball, he said: "A lot of reverse swing has ruined the careers of some of the spinners overall.

"Because the old ball is now being used for reverse swing and one of the spinners that miss out maybe the leg-spinner. So the onus is on the captain to manage his bowler." Sivaramakrishnan, who made his India debut as a 17-year-old during the tour of West Indies, said the initiative has to come from the cricketer.

"They should have the mindset to bowl even if they go for a boundary, to flight the ball if there's nothing in the pitch then deceive him in the air.

"If the pitches are good, you have to have a lot of variations and to bowl with accuracy and bowl in the right zones. I think the modern day leg-spinners do not have that. I don't see any leg-spinner in the world having that kind of control." He said a leg-spinner has to be ready to bowl long spells, for which he has to do hard practice at the nets.

"If you have to bowl 180 balls, you have to work really really hard. You can't just bowl 30-40 balls and run away." Sivaramakrishnan is part of the Tamil Commentary Panel for the upcoming Ashes Tour on SONY TEN 4 from December 8-January 18, 2022.

He said newly-appointed Australia captain Pat Cummins would have a tough time managing the team and himself during the Ashes.

"Being a bowler, it's not easy for Cummins because he will not only have to manage himself but the other other bowlers." Cummins was named captain for Australia's Ashes defence against England after Tim Paine pulled himself out citing "mental health break" in the wake of his text message scandal.

"He's got a lot of work to do. Generally if the batters does the captaincy, it's a lot easier for the bowlers.

"This particular Australian team under Pat Cummins, how they are going to prove themselves and if they get the Ashes, is a big, big mystery, and we'll have to wait and see," he concluded.

The Ashes get underway at the Gabba in Brisbane on December 8.

Also Read : Leach taking cues from Jadeja clippings ahead of Ashes Down Under

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) Phoenix Suns have tied a franchise record with 17 wins in a row as they won 104-96 against the Golden State Warriors. Ayton scored 24 points, Chris Paul added 15 points and 11 assists despite losing star guard Devin Booker to a left hamstring injury in the second quarter. He had 10 points and two rebounds in 15 minutes. For the Warriors, Jordan Poole led Golden State with 28 points. Stephen Curry - who came into the game averaging 28.6 points per game - had 12 points on 4 of 21 shooting, including 3 of 14 from 3-point range.The Suns limited the Warriors to just 42 points in the second half. The Warriors also had 22 turnovers.The Suns haven't lost since Oct. 27 when Harrison Barnes hit a game-winning 3 at the buzzer for the Sacramento Kings. With this result the Suns improved their record to 18-3 and took the number 1 spot in the Western Conference.

''It's just a lot of work, a lot of mental toughness, staying with it,'' Bridges said. ''We knew when we first got here that we wanted to turn it around.''

''With all of the mistakes we did have and how terrible I shot the ball, it was a close game down the stretch,'' Curry said. ''I know Booker got hurt, but yes, it was a good learning lesson for us. Understanding the intensity and the focus we need to beat a team like that.''

'To me, this was just will and toughness,'' Williams said.

The Lakers after a long time won two games in a row as they won 117-92 against the Sacramento Kings. The Lakers sent James home early after he was placed in the NBA's health and safety protocol. Davis claimed that James felt good and was asymptomatic but the Lakers will have to play at least a few games without him again this season. For the Lakers, Anthony Davis scored 25 points, Russell Westbrook added 23 as Malik Monk scored 22 points from the bench. The Lakers took over with a dominant third quarter to win back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 8-10. For the Kings, Richaun Holmes scored 27 points on 12-for-13 shooting in his first game back as De'Aaron Fox added 17 but also had seven turnovers. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 12-11 as they are currently eight in the Western Conference.

“We still have to find ways to win,'' Davis said. ''We can't let that affect us. Obviously, he's a huge part of our team. But we've played a huge amount of games without him. So we kind of know how that is already. We've got to continue to play like we did on the defensive end until he's able to come back.''

''Every now and then, a coach has to light a fire under his team,'' coach Frank Vogel said. ''Today was one of those games. We weren't giving the necessary effort to transition defense and with our pick-and-roll coverages. ... Sometimes you have to let them hear about it.''

The Brooklyn Nets just about edged their city neighbours New York Knicks to 112-110 victory. Harden had 34 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Durant heated up after a slow start to finish with 27 points and nine assists. For the Knicks, Alec Burks scored a season-high 25 points in his new role as the Knicks' starting point guard, Julius Randle added 24 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Harden made history as he surpassed 2,500 3-pointers, joining Ray Allen, Stephen Curry and Reggie Miller. Kevin Durant scored 11 points with 5 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter as James Johnson hit two clutch free throws in the end to improve their record to 15-6 and reclaim their top spot in the Eastern Conference.

''Being here two years now, it doesn't matter who's on that team or who's on this team, I think the energy's always going to be there,'' Harden said. ''Whether it's here or at MSG, the fans are going to be cheering for their respective teams and it's going to be a good game every time, and tonight we're just happy to come out with the win.''

''It's not ideal to have him have such a burden, but I don't know what options we have other than to play him less and lose more,'' coach Steve Nash said.

Also read: NBA: Utah Jazz moved up to third in the Western Conference as Denver Nuggets breeze past the Miami Heat

The other results were:

• Raptors 91 - 98 Grizzlies
• Trail Blazers 110 - 92 Pistons

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Pacers vs Hawks
• Magic vs Nuggets
• Wizards vs Timberwolves
• Celtics vs 76ers
• Heat vs Cavaliers
• Bucks vs Hornets
• Pelicans vs Mavericks
• Thunder vs Rockets
• Clippers vs Kings
   

(Basketball news) Utah Jazz beat the Portland Trail Blazers 129-107 as Mitchell scored 30 points, Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 16 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson added 22 points for Utah, which used quick passes and spacing to make 19 3-pointers and shot 53% from the field a game after making a season-high 20 3s. The Jazz matched their season high with 46 made field goals. Anfernee Simons scored a season-high 24 points and Jusuf Nurkic also had 24 as the Trail Blazers fell to 1-10 on the road this season. After making two of his first three shots, Lillard only made two more buckets on nine attempts. Lillard has gone 16 for 45 over his last three games. Utah's defensive plan centered on getting the ball out of Lillard's hands to make someone other than him or CJ McCollum make shots. With this result Utah improved their record to 14-7 as they moved up to 3rd in the Western Conference.

“Aggressive decision making,'' Mitchell said. ''When you start to think too much, that's when the turnovers and the mistakes come in.''

“Our guys were unselfish and got off the ball when they needed to. As you spread it out and make some shots, all of the sudden lanes to the basket open up, too,'' Utah coach Quin Snyder said.

'We're such a different ball club on the road,'' Portland coach Chauncy Billups said. ''We play with this casualness a lot of times, with no urgency. That's dangerous. And at home, you can do that and a team can make a run and you get your crowd behind you and you can overcome a lot of times at home. On the road, you can't do that.''

Denver Nuggets breezed past Miami Heat 120-111 as they were short handed with injuries. Nikola Jokic returned and scored 24 points, Aaron Gordon added 20 and the Nuggets snapped their longest losing streak in nearly six years, Bones Hyland returned from injury to score 19 and Will Barton added 14 for the Nuggets, who had dropped six straight. Jokic hadn't played in the last four of those because of a wrist injury but finished with 15 rebounds and seven assists. Bam Adebayo finished with 24 points and 13 rebounds, Max Strus scored 19 points and Caleb Martin added 18 for the Heat, they got 17 points and 14 assists from Kyle Lowry, which was without its two leading scorers Jimmy Butler who was out with a bruised tailbone and Tyler Herro missed the game with what the Heat called general body soreness. With this result when under .500 as they improved their record to 10-10, the Nuggets moved up to 9th in the Western Conference.

''That's behind us,'' Jokic said. ''We need to move on to the future. We won the game and that's the most important thing.

“Our defense is better than that,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''I think they played extremely well. And in those pivotal moments in the course of the game, it seemed like they made every shot, every play”.

The Chicago Bulls went back to winning ways as they won 133-119 against the Charlotte Hornets. Chicago shot a season-high 59.6% from the field and had five players score in double figures. Vucevic had a season-best 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points, and Zach LaVine, a game-time decision because of an illness, finished with 25.  Lonzo Ball helped the Bulls get back on track after dropping three of four. He had 16 points and eight assists and LaMelo Ball had 18 points and 13 assists as both the brothers went head to head for the third time. For the Hornets, Terry Rozier scored 31 points and Gordon Hayward had 22 for the Hornets, who dropped to 0-2 on their four-game trip. With this result Bulls improved their record to 14-8 as they reclaimed their second place in the Eastern Conference.

“I mean we've been talking about the NBA since we were little boys,'' LaMelo said. ''Just going out there and playing against him, always a dream come true, for real.''

''Obviously we are brothers and it's all love off the court,'' Lonzo Ball said. ''But on the court, like I said, he got a job he got to do, I got a job I got to do.

“I felt like I was getting my rhythm, and then I got COVID and then I had to sit out,'' Vucevic said. ''But obviously tonight was a good game for me. Felt great to make some shots.''

Also read: NBA: Warriors win their 8th straight game as Lakers bounce back with a victory over the Detroit Pistons

The other results were:

• 76ers 101 - 96 Magic
• Rockets 102 - 89 Thunder
• Timberwolves 100 - 98 Pacers
• Spurs 116 - 99 Wizards
• Mavericks 96 - 114 Cavaliers
• Clippers 104 - 123 Pelicans

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Raptors vs Grizzlies
• Nets vs Knicks
• Kings vs Lakers
• Trail Blazers vs Pistons 
• Suns vs Warriors
   

(Basketball news) The Golden State Warriors continued their fine start to the season as they won 105-90 against the LA Clippers. He scored 11 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter as the Warriors extended their winning streak to eight. Otto Porter Jr. added 18 points and 10 rebounds and Jordan Poole scored 17 points for the Warriors. They improved their NBA record to 18-2 heading into a showdown Tuesday night in Phoenix against the Suns who are 17-3 after winning 16 straight. Paul George led Los Angeles with 30 points, Eric Bledsoe and Marcus Morris added 13 apiece. The Clippers came into the game with wins in eight of their last 10 home games, Bledsoe reached 10,000 career points with a 3-pointer during the first quarter. With this result, the Warriors lead the Western Conference and will be looking to match their 2015-16 start.

“It was just an accumulation of all types of weird stuff. All that led into where I thought I got a foul,'' said Curry, who also had a season-high six steals to go with five rebounds and six assists. ''It definitely fired me and the team up. After that it was time to direct my energy into putting the ball in the basket

“That was as upset as I've seen him and that I have been in a long time. He clearly got fouled,'' Kerr said. ''When he knows he got fouled on a play like that and he doesn't call, the competitor will come out on him and he will lose his mind a little bit. But it will spur him like it did in this instance.''

The Lakers bounced back after their disappointing loss to the Sacramento Kings as they defeated the Detroit Pistons 110-106. James had 33 points, nine assists, Russell Westbrook had 25 points and nine assists and Anthony Davis added 24 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers returned to .500 with their second win over Detroit in eight days. Grant scored 32 points and No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham had 15 points and 11 rebounds in the Pistons' sixth straight loss. The Lakers trio combined for a combined 82 points as they improved their record to 11-11 and currently stand 8th in the Western Conference. 

“We were mad as heck the other night after that Sac loss,'' James said. ''We made it a point to come in today very focused on our game plan, learning from our mistakes, and we got better. Right there lets me know we're a team that cares and wants to get better.''

“That Sac game lingered with us for a couple of days, giving that game away,'' Davis said. ''I think we did a good job defensively tonight, getting this kick-start to a winning streak.''

The defending champs Milwaukee Bucks extended their winning streak to seven as they rout past the Indiana Pacers 118-110. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and 13 rebounds, Bobby Portis scored 15 points, Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton each had 14 and Indianapolis native George Hill added 13 for the Bucks. Caris LeVert led the Pacers with a season-high 23 points. Malcolm Brogdon had 16. Much like the surging Bucks, Holiday has been averaging 19.7 points in the last four victories. He also had nine assists and seven rebounds against Indiana. With this victory they improved their record to 13-8 as they moved upto 4th in the Eastern Conference. 

''Being able to go through the things we went through last year was huge,'' Holiday said of winning the NBA title. ''We know we can make a run at any time.''

When you look at the depth chart and look at how we're subbing, depth at the big position is something that we could use,'' Budenholzer said.

Also read: NBA: LeBron inspires Lakers to an important victory over the Pacers and Warriors grow from strength to strength

The tomorrow's fixtures are:

• 76ers vs Magic
• Heat vs Nuggets
• Rockets vs Thunder
• Timberwolves vs Pacers
• Bulls vs Hornets
• Spurs vs Wizards
• Mavericks vs Cavaliers
• Jazz vs Trail Blazers
• Clippers vs Pelicans
   

Kanpur, Nov 28 (Cricket news) Wriddhiman Saha is an "ideal team man" who can always be relied to do the "tough job" but unfortunately he will have to play the second fiddle when India's number one keeper-batter Rishabh Pant gets back from break, batting coach Vikra Rathour said on Sunday.

Saha, the oldest member of the current Indian set-up at 37, is playing his 39th Test in 11 years since his debut.

His first five years after debut went as legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni's understudy and even if it sounds crude, he is now a back-up for 24-year-old Pant.

On Sunday, with his Test career on line, Saha battled hard with a stiff-neck for his gutsy 61 not out after Shreyas Iyer laid the platform with an attractive 65.

"He had a really, really stiff neck and knowing Saha who is an ideal team man, he is going to do whatever is required," batting coach Rathour waxed eloquent about the veteran keeper, who shared two fifty-plus stands with Iyer and Axar Patel.

"He would do the tough things for the team and he played an extremely important knock at the stage the team was at that point." Saha is a quiet person, someone who is not known to be too expressive but the teams knows that the 'plod and grind effort' will come from the gritty man, who hails from North Bengal city of Siliguri.

"That is what we always expect from Wriddhi. He has always been that kind of a person, whom we can count on and today he showed why," Rathour said.

However, he made it clear that even at this juncture of his career, the Bengal stumper is nothing more than a stop-gap option for Team India as Pant has pushed him far back during away series in Australia where the senior man was given a first go.

"As far as Wriddhi is concerned, unfortunately for him, we have an extremely special player Rishabh, who is number one keeper for us and has done extremely well in past few years.

"That's the role (No. 2) Wriddhi has at the moment that we need him when Pant is not available," Rathour spelt it loud and clear, something he didn't do when asked about Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane's future.

Iyer's second innings was better effort than his first ================================ The batting coach said they had only one advice for Iyer -- to back his natural game and not do anything different just because he is playing a Test match.

"It's always exciting when a debutant comes in and scores a hundred and that's very special. I thought he looked even better in the second innings, all credit to him.

"It's exciting as a support staff to see somebody walking in and doing it for the team. He showed he is a confident young guy, uses his feet very very well against spin." Tail-enders doing well consistently ===================== The coaching staff over the past two years during Ravi Shastri's regime has been devoting lot more time towards nurturing the batting prowess of number nine , 10 and 11 and that has been yielding results now.

"This is a deliberate effort from our side that we have been trying to give them lot more batting whenever we are having nets. That's what we have done for couple of years and that strategy is paying off." "We have seen in the past and what other teams have done against us and other teams have put up totals after we have taken 4-5 wickets. So good to see we are doing that now and doing it repeatedly," he signed off.

Also Read : With captain Kohli back for next game, batting coach Rathour 'understands' Pujara-Rahane lean patch

News Source : PTI

(Football news) Juventus are set to face Atalanta in Turin with the hosts seeking to make up lost ground on their rivals. Though the Bianconeri have already qualified thanks to previous matches, they were thumped by Chelsea in the Champions League but have won both of their last two league games. The visitors sit fourth after a six-game unbeaten run. Signs of a revival for Juve are possibly emerging as over their last nine league matches, Juventus have gained 19 points one more than Atalanta and only fewer than Milan and Napoli during that period. Juventus will be bolstered by the return of captain Giorgio Chiellini and Federico Bernardeschi as Paulo Dybala can also start for the Bianconeri. For Atalanta, the injury crisis increases as wingbacks Roben Gosens and Hans Hateboer are yet to return to training.

Inter Milan are coming off two very important games against Napoli and Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League and will be looking to take that confidence against Venezia. The reigning champions seek to close the gap further to the teams at the top with a victory against Venezia. The key to their success has been a rampant attack who have barely missed Lukaku during the opening months of the season. Only Bayern Munich and Liverpool have netted more goals than Inter's 32 in the top five leagues this season so far. They have also scored in each of their last 16 league matches on the road, with their previous best streaks being 17 during 2002, and a run of 18 some 70 years ago. For Inter, Stefan De Vrij and Alexis Sanchez both remain sidelined for this fixture with a hamstring injury.

AC Milan face giant killers Sassuolo as the Rossenari will look to get back to winning ways and reclaim the lead at the top of Serie A. There are no surprises here that AC Milan are the firm favorites in head-to-head clashes, having celebrated a victory on nine occasions so far; Sassuolo have grabbed a triumph five times to this day, and the remaining two matches have ended in a draw. Their most recent game was played on April 21, 2021, when the Neroverdi surprised the Rossoneri with a late 2-1 thriller win away in Milan in the 2020/21 Serie A season. For AC Milan Zlatan will be fit for the clash as Poli will look to rotate his squad a bit after a hard fought victory over Atletico Madrid.

Current Serie A leaders Napoli take on Lazio, after enduring a tough week with defeats to Inter and Spartak Moscow in the Europa League, Spalletti’s side will be looking to bounce back against a very well drilled Lazio side. In the head to head, Napoli have won 12 of their last 16 games against Lazio in the Serie A (D1 L3), as many as in their previous 34 matches against the Biancocelesti in the Italian top-flight (D9 L13). After the defeat against Inter in the last league match, Napoli could lose two consecutive Serie A games for the first time since December 2020  on that occasion the two teams that beat them were Inter and Lazio. For Napoli, the injury crisis is increasing as the likes of Victor Osimhen are out for more then three months, along with that Zambo Anguissa, Kostas Manolas, Matteo Politano and Diego Demme are set to miss out with injury. 

Also read: UEFA Europa League: Leicester move on top of the Group after Napoli lose to Spartak Moscow, West Ham qualify for the last 16

The other fixtures are:

• Roma vs Torino
• Spezia vs Bologna
• Empoli vs Fiorentina
• Sampdoria vs Hellas Verona
• Cagliari vs Salernitana
• Udinese vs Genoa

Kanpur, Nov 25 (Cricket news) Indian batter Shubman Gill was all praise for New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson's vicious in-dipper that breached through his defences, admitting that he couldn't read the delivery as he wasn't expecting reverse swing just after lunch on the opening day of the first Test here.

Gill, who scored 52, looked in good touch before Jamieson got one to curl back in and it bowled the India opener lock, stock and barrel during the post-lunch session.

"I think he (Jamieson) bowled pretty well today especially in the first spell, he bowled pretty good areas to me and after lunch, the whole spell that he bowled was top notch," Gill said after the end of day's play.

The problem with his dismissal was early reverse swing, according to Gill as the ball was merely 30 overs old.

"Sometimes, it's difficult to start knowing when it's reverse-swinging and especially after coming back from lunch, I didn't expect the ball to reverse that early in the game," Gill was frank in his admission.

"That's the thing about Test cricket, you have to read the conditions fast. In this particular innings, I wasn't able to read that ball well as generally, I wasn't expecting the ball to reverse." On the day, he handled New Zealand's spin duo of Ajaz Patel and Will Somerville with ease and he attributed it to playing Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the nets.

"If you are already playing two of the best spinners in nets, especially in India, it does help, because if you try to negotiate them, you have a much better chance of going in the middle of the match and trying to handle those crucial periods of time." He was all praise for Shreyas Iyer for handling a tricky situation after India lost three wickets in the post-lunch session.

As far as his own batting is concerned, what he liked was playing in front of fans, who were kept out of stadiums for a long time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Obviously, it felt good, to be able to play a match in India with crowd back and we are looking forward towards the rest of match." While he has opened the batting, Gill reminded that if need be, he can bat in the middle-order too.

"I have opened for (my) state team, India A in first-class matches, in other countries, I have batted in middle order as well, it's more on the mental side rather than technique." Gill is also enjoying the fact that Rahul Dravid is now at the helm of the team, someone who has mentored him in his formative years in age group cricket.

"It does make a difference when you gave played age-group cricket under him. You would know what to expect from that person.

"Rahul sir was with us throughout our Under-19 days and not just the World Cup but the entire journey we had," he concluded.

Also Read : Shreyas Iyer shines on debut while Kyle Jamieson once again haunts India in whites

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) James delivered tiebreaking and back-breaking 3-pointers in overtime and finished with 39 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers rally past Indiana 124-116. After drawing his first suspension in his career, LeBron James looked like a man on a mission as the Lakers missed Anthony Davis through fever. Russell Westbrook had 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists while Monk had 17 points. Carmelo Anthony and Ellington each added 14 but James was 13 of 29 from the field and had six assists and five rebounds. For the Pacers,  Brogdon added seven rebounds, Domantas Sabonis had 14 points, 12 rebounds and six assists while Myles Turner had 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks. LeBron James forced overtime by scoring seven straight points to give the Lakers their 10th victory of the season. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 10-10 as they lie 9th place in Western Conference. 

“I know he wanted to get this W,''' coach Frank Vogel said. ''He really wanted to play in that Knicks game, he looks forward to that every year. So to bounce back tonight, to quarterback the defense and carry the offense the way he did, that's just a performance for the ages.”

“I was excited about being in the lineup. Me not playing last night on the second night of a back to back, I knew I could kind of give our guys a boost of energy with me not playing last night'' said James.

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Boston Celtics 123-103 as Kevin Durant scored 21 points to overtake Allen Iverson in the all time scoring charts to enter the top 25 of the NBA's all-time scoring list. Patty Mills scored 23  and James Harden had 20 points and 11 assists for Brooklyn. LaMarcus Aldridge scored 17 points with nine rebounds for the Nets, who have won four in a row, seven out of eight and 12 of their last 14 games. For the Celtics, Marcus Smart had 20 points and eight assists for Boston, which had won three in a row. Jayson Tatum had 15 points and eight rebounds as they tried their best to cut the massive lead the Nets made up in the first three quarters. Next up on the scoring list for Durant is Ray Allen, who has 24,505 points to become the 24th highest scorer in the league. 

''To pass him on the list, to end up there with some of the greats on that list is incredible,'' said Durant, who entered the night with 24,367 points, one behind Iverson, and passed him on a jumper in the first two minutes. ''I've just gotta keep going,'' he concluded.

“It's a quality road win against a team that's been playing great basketball,'' Nets coach Steve Nash said.

The Golden State Warriors continued their magnificent start to the season with a 116-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Stephen Curry and his entire supporting cast in the second-half were defensively very sound to shut down younger brother Seth. Stephen Curry scored 25 points to Seth's 24, and the Golden State Warriors surged back after halftime to beat Philadelphia to make it five straight victories. Juan Toscano-Anderson came off the bench in the second half to score 13 points to go with six rebounds and six assists. Steph Curry shot 9 for 16 with six 3-pointers and added 10 assists as they improved their record to 16-2 which is the best in the league. Steph’s younger brother Seth Curry top scored for the 76ers with 24 points and Tyrese Maxey added 19 points for them.

“We were on our heels most of the entire first 18 minutes. Our identity is our defense. We can score with the best of them but we flipped the switch and got stops and made them take tough shots, especially in the second half and turned that into offense,'' Curry said. ''It was pretty impressive just the energy flip that happened after that first quarter”.

''We got great performances off the bench from Gary and Juan, two of our better defenders, and the defense led to the offense and the ball started to move because we were in transition,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''It was a beautiful second half.''

Also read: NBA: The New York Knicks defeated the Lakers and Mavericks needed overtime to defeat the Clippers

The other results were:

• Magic 99 - 106 Hornets
• Cavaliers 115 - 120 Suns
• Pelicans 127 - 102 Wizards
• Rockets 118 - 113 Bulls
• Timberwolves 113 - 101 Heat
• Thunder 104 - 110 Jazz
• Bucks 114 - 93 Pistons
• Grizzlies 113 - 126 Raptors
• Kings 125 - 121 Trail Blazers

The Saturday fixtures are:

• Clippers vs Pistons
• Magic vs Bulls
• Knicks vs Suns
• Hornets vs Timberwolves
• Grizzlies vs Hawks
• Thunder vs Wizards
• Pacers vs Raptors
• Spurs vs Celtics
• Nuggets vs Bucks
• Jazz vs Pelicans
• Warriors vs Trail Blazers
• Lakers vs Kings
   

(Cricket news) India are set to take on New Zealand at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur for the 1st of 2 Tests. The series will start New Zealand's World Test Championship defence. New Zealand won the inaugural WTC back in June by defeating India. India will be without Virat Kohli for the first Test with Ajinkya Rahane set to lead the side with Cheteshwar Pujara as his deputy.

India's possible playing XI:

Shubhman Gill, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma.

Ajinkya Rahane has confirmed that Shreyas Iyer will make his debut. The rest of the team picks itself. Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav's prowess in reverse swing especially in Indian conditions should give them priority over Mohammed Siraj.

New Zealand's possible playing XI:

Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell, Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Santner, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Will Sommerville. 

Also read: Heroic Harmanpreet Kaur becomes the first Indian to win the WBBL Player of the Tournament award

The New Zealand coach has been vocal about the idea of playing three spinners which may be exactly what they need. Kane Williamson was seen practicing his bowling in the nets. If the skipper is confident in his abilities as a 3rd spinner then he could fit in Neil Wagner as another seamer. Three seamers is never the most used method for success in India but it could work. 

Pitch & Weather Report:

Kanpur is expected to be sunny around around mid 20 degrees throughout. The pitch at Greenpark is expected to have assistance for the spinners. There might be something for the fast bowlers with the new ball in the early hours but the spinners will be key. Batters could score big in the first 3 days but the pitch does start to spin a lot on day 4 and 5.

Just like every other home series, India go into this one as clear favourites. However, New Zealand are World Champions and shouldn't be taken lightly. India have rested 7 important first team players from their squad. Rahul Dravid will be hoping that his team manages to win. A draw or a loss in a home series would be the worst possible start to Dravid's tenure.

(Basketball news) The Knicks defeated the Lakers 106-100 as LeBron James was suspended for this match and although Anthony Davis played, he wasn’t 100% fit. With one superstar suspended and another sick, the Los Angeles Lakers already had big problems after that they created a hole for themselves by falling into a 25-point hole. Julius Randle added 20 points, 16 rebounds and five assists for the Knicks and Evan Fonier scored 26 points, Immanuel Quickley adding 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter. Westbrook had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, with 18 points in a sensational third quarter, Davis, who woke up with a fever, had 20 points on 7-for-17 shooting. He said he arrived only about 45 minutes before the game and didn't have his usual warm up. With this result the Lakers record fell to 9-10 as they moved down one place to 9th in the Western Conference.

'We weren't playing hard enough. Simple No team wants to come out down 10-0, but it's a long game and we fought back and gave ourselves a chance,'' Russell Westbrook said. 

“So I definitely think that he was a little bit drained and we used him differently,'' coach Frank Vogel said. ''We tried to keep him in seven-minute runs and he did not play in his normal rotation, so it probably had an impact.

''We were just trying to buy some time there and that group ended up going on a little bit of a run, so it allowed us to go a little bit longer (without Randle),'' Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

Miami Heat defeated the Pistons 100-92 as they improved their record to 12-6, Tyler Herro had 31 points and eight rebounds as they rallied home to beat them. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo each added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Heat, who won for the fifth time in six games. Kyle Lowry had 15 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Jerami Grant had 21 points and seven rebounds for Detroit as they were without center Isaiah Stewart, who served the first of a two-game suspension for Sunday's altercation with Lakers star LeBron James.

''It wasn't just Tyler. Our whole second unit turned the game around in the third quarter,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''We really didn't have any offensive rhythm in the first three quarters - and Detroit had a lot to do with that - but we put together some stops and that helped us get going offensively.''

“The game is different in the fourth quarter and we're still learning how to handle that,'' Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. ''You can be up 10 or up 15, but it doesn't matter because of the 3-pointer and the way teams turn it up late.''

The Dallas Maverick stopped a late surge as they won 112-104 in overtime against the LA Clippers. The Dallas Mavericks folded in overtime against the Los Angeles Clippers after blowing a 10-point lead but Porzingis scored 30 points, including six in overtime, and Doncic had 26 in his return to the lineup as the Mavericks as they improved their record to 10-7 in the Western Conference. The Mavericks were up 102-92 late in the fourth quarter before the Clippers scored 11 of the final 12 points to force overtime, including a 3-pointer by Paul George at the buzzer. For the Clippers Reggie Jackson led the Clippers with 31 points, his most in 2 1/2 seasons with the team. George scored 26. With this result the Clippers record stands at 10-8 as they fall down to 5th in the Western Conference.

“For a second you are disappointed because we should have finished them off (in regulation), but I think we are growing mentally as a team,'' said Porzingis, who has scored 20 or more points in a career-high seven straight games. “We realized it was five more minutes and we went out there and proved we are the superior team”.

''That second felt like it was forever. Guess I just got free and let it fly,'' George said after his buzzer beater.

“He's playing at a very high level. He didn't force anything. Sometimes when a star player comes back others might change their game but he didn't,'' Kidd said. ''Luca's prep work the past two days was at a high level. He has a great feel and there's a big trust that the other guys were going to make plays”.

Also read: NBA: Phoenix Suns make it 13 straight wins with a victory over San Antonio Spurs as Nets move to the top of the Eastern Conference

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Pacers vs Lakers
• Magic vs Hornets
• Cavaliers vs Suns
• Celtics vs Nets
• Pelicans vs Wizards
• Rockets vs Bulls
• Timberwolves vs Heat
• Thunder vs Jazz
• Bucks vs Pistons
• Grizzlies vs Raptors
• Spurs vs Hawks
• Warriors vs 76ers 
• Kings vs Trail Blazers

Kanpur, Nov 24 (Cricket news) A captain battling existential crisis, a veteran pacer about to be phased out and a white-ball maverick trying to earn his red-ball stripes makes for a heady combination as Ajinkya Rahane's second-string India aim to size up a gritty New Zealand in first Test starting Thursday.

Rahane, with his career on line, gets to lead India may be one last time while 100-Test veteran Ishant Sharma will be praying that young turk Mohammed Siraj doesn't nudge him out.

Who ever gets into playing XI, Suryakumar Yadav or Shreyas Iyer, there aim will be to reaffirm 'Bombay (not Mumbai) School of Batsmanship' whose philosophy transcends beyond the white-ball riches of Indian Premier League.

It is indeed a rarity to find an Indian Test team that is without its hit opening pair of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. Also missing from line-up is skipper Virat Kohli and a genuine match-winning keeper-batter Rishabh Pant.

But this also gives head coach Rahul Dravid a chance to check out what his back-up bench strength is before the away tour of South Africa which starts in less than a month's time.

In the batting line-up for the first Test, only Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Mayank Agarwal have played more than 10 Tests.

If Agarwal does well, that will keep KL Rahul on his toes and a good show from Shubman Gill will keep the team management interested in slotting him in the middle-order when the two regular openers come back.

In any sport, leader of the side is considered to have a secured slot in the side but in this Indian team, the skipper will be batting to save his career after an average of 19 in 11 Test matches in the current season.

Two more failures in two home games could effectively mean end of the road for Rahane. Even Dravid will also find it difficult to justify the Mumbaikar's inclusion in the Johannesburg-bound flight next month.

A look at Rahane's net session doesn't inspire much confidence. He tried an ugly hoick off Jayant Yadav's off break and was clean bowled. Prasidh Krishna induced an outside edge which would have been regulation catch.

But it was scary to see net bowler Shivam Mavi bowling a perfect bouncer and hitting him on the chest.

It is never easy to lead a side when your own batting form has deserted you. How Rahane strikes a balance in this Test between being a ruthless captain and also the batter his team expects him to be will decide in which direction his career goes from here.

If he plays the game of survival against a Tim Southee or bumper-happy Neil Wagner, it might bring about downfall but as Pujara said, "being a bit fearless" will relieve him a bit from the gigantic pressure that's on his shoulders to save his career.

Similarly, for Ishant, the senior-most player in the current set-up with 100 plus games and 300 plus wickets, the situation is getting bleak by the day.

He didn't look in good rhythm during the net session and if Siraj is dropped from the eleven, the lanky pacer will once again need to prove that team management's decision isn't a travesty.

Umesh Yadav however remains the first-choice new ball bowler.

For Surya or Shreyas, whoever makes his debut, they will be looking at the bigger picture, knowing fully well that Pujara and Rahane won't be around for a very long time.

A solid debut with an aggressive mindset might give them a shot at permanent middle-order place in future.

If one goes by cues from nets, the sequence of batters appears to be Gill and Mayank, followed by Pujara and Rahane. Next line was interestingly Iyer, who had special session with left-arm throwdown specialist Nuwan who was creating simulation to play Wagner.

While it's not known if Axar Patel's workload is being managed but Jayant Yadav had an extended run in the nets under watchful eyes of Dravid.

A middle-order with three defensive players like Pujara, Rahane and supposedly Hanuma Vihari, won't be a great proposition when India plays away from home in coming days.

But one man, itching to go out there and reaffirm his status as world's number one spinner will be Ravichandran Ashwin, who had been licking his wounds for the past few months after a royal snub by regular captain Kohli during the last series.

His battle with a technician-par-excellence Williamson will be a treat for lovers of Test cricket but the seasoned players like Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls will have their task cut-out against Ashwin and Jadeja.

The third spinner is likely to be Axar Patel, who had a brilliant debut home series against England (27 wickets) when he last donned the whites.

For Black Caps, Tim Southee and Neil Wagner will be the two pacers with left-arm spin duo of Ajaz Patel and Mitchell Santner along with off-spinner William Somerville likely to complete the attack.

Teams India (from): Ajinkya Rahane (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Jayant Yadav, Srikar Bharat (2nd wk), Prasidh Krishna New Zealand (from): Kane Williamson (captain), Tom Latham (wk), Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, Tom Blundell (wk), Will Young, Glenn Phillips (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Kyle Jamieson, William Sommerville, Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner, Rachin Ravindra.

Match Starts at 9:30 am.

Also Read : KL Rahul ruled out of first Test, Suryakumar Yadav added to squad

Nws Source : PTI

(Basketball news) Suns recorded their 13th straight with a 115-111 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. The Suns matched the third-longest winning streak in franchise history. It's their longest since a franchise-record 17 straight victories from Dec. 28, 2006, to Jan. 29, 2007. Devin Booker scored 23 points, Deandre Ayton had 21 points and 14 rebounds as they had a clutch fourth quarter performance to guide their team to deserved victory. Spurs point guard Dejounte Murray had 18 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his seventh career triple-double as they  (4-12) have lost eight of 10 for its second-worst start in franchise history. Payne added 20 points off the bench for Phoenix, which had six players finish in double figures. Phoenix finished with 25 assists and went 45 for 87 from the field. With this result Suns improve their record to 14-3, they currently are 2nd in the Western Conference. 

''People have to find ways to get (3-pointers),'' Popovich said. ''We have to try to help them. But I would be very disappointed if we weren't getting assists or we were getting murdered on the board or turning it over constantly.''

'I always say the best available shot down every time,'' Booker said. ''I think the dynamic of our team with (Ayton) being a rim threat and he can play out the pocket is also surrounded by a lot of shooters and playmakers. We have the ability to get good shots every time downcourt.We just have to be more sound in just with what works,'' Booker said. ''A team has nothing to lose when they're down 15. They were desperate. They were getting steals and they were getting turnovers. When you're shooting the ball down 15, it's a lot easier.''

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-112 as they improved their record to 13-5 which is the best in the Eastern Conference. Kevin Durant returned to the lineup and scored 27 points, James Harden added 14 points and a season-high 14 assists, and Thomas gave Brooklyn a needed second-half lift, scoring eight of his 11 in the third quarter. For the Cavs Darius Garland scored 24 and Jaret Allen had 20 points and 15 rebounds, Lauri Markkanen added 22 points in his first game since Nov. 1 for the still short-handed Cavs. Durant (24,367) moved within one point of tying Allen Iverson (24,368) for 25th on the career scoring list.

'Sometimes, it takes a little while for them to get going. I wish it didn't,'' coach Steve Nash said ''They found themselves in a hole, but they're proud and they responded.''

'What's right is right and I thought there were definitely some calls that were missed and that is wrong,'' a hoarse Bickerstaff said. ''Our guys deserve better than that. People need to change the perceived notion of who the Cavaliers are.

Also read: NBA: Lakers win against Detroit Pistons as Warriors extend their winning run record to 15-2

The other results were:

• Wizards 103 - 109 Hornets
• Hawks 113 - 101 Thunder
• Celtics 108 - 90 Rockets
• Pelicans 96 - 110 Timberwolves
• Bulls 77 - 109 Pacers
• Bucks 123 - 92 Magic
• Jazz 118 - 119 Grizzlies
• 76ers 102 - 94 Kings

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Pistons vs Heat
• Knicks vs Lakers
• Trail Blazers vs Nuggets
• Clippers vs Mavericks

Kanpur, Nov 23 (Cricket news) It wasn't an alteration in technique but a fearless approach that has brought the joy back in batting for Cheteshwar Pujara, who won't put undue pressure of performance on himself.

Pujara insisted that not having a Test hundred in three years doesn't perturb him as long as his 80s and 90s are coming in winning causes.

Did he think that his aggressive approach in England Tests after facing criticism for 'lack of intent', helped him? "Yes, I feel so. When it comes to performing, the mindset was a little different but when it comes to technique I don't think there was a major change in technique. It was just the approach and I was a little fearless which helps," Pujara answered to a query from PTI ahead of team's training session.

He did admit in a roundabout manner that he was putting too much pressure on himself earlier, which has changed since he scored 91 and 61 at Leeds and Oval at a decent clip.

"You don't need to put too much pressure on yourself and just try and go there and enjoy the game rather than worrying too much about what's going around.

"That was the mindset during England series. So far preparation has been good and experiences of playing in Indian conditions will help in the next couple of Tests," the senior batter, who will be vice captain for the series-opener, said.

For Pujara, lack of Test hundred since January, 2019 isn't a problem.

"As far as my hundred is concerned, when it has to happen it will happen. My job is to bat well for the team and it's not that I haven't been getting runs. I have got 80s and 90s. As long as I am batting well and contributing for the team, I am not bothered about my hundred. It's matter of one innings," he made it clear.

I would have still mentored juniors had I not been vice-captain ====================================== Pujara believes that added responsibility helps but it does not mean that he will not reach out juniors without a designation.

"Added responsibility can work in your favour as you can share experience with youngsters. Even when I am not vice-captain, I try and share my experiences as much as I can and ultimate focus is about Indian team." Rahane is just one innings away from big score ============================= His captain for the first Test, Ajinkya Rahane has not been in the best for form for the last two years but Pujara is confident that a quality player like him won't stay quiet for a long time.

"He is a great player but there are times when a player goes through tough times and that's part of the game. So there will be ups and downs but he is a confident player, one who works very hard on his game and I am very sure and he is just one innings away from getting a big score.

"Once he gets a big hundred, he will back in form. He has been working hard in the nets and I have been seeing the way he has been batting. He is in good touch." Looking forward to work with Rahul Dravid ================================== Dravid's entry into the dressing room is a win-win situation for Pujara, whose game is modelled on current India head coach's tight defensive technique.

"It will help most of the players, especially young players who have worked with Rahul bhai during U-19 and India A days. Even experienced players like us, I have played with Rahul bhai.

"I have worked with him during A series, so all of us are looking forward to his guidance. The amount of experience he has as a player and coach of the team, helps."

Also Read : You may find us playing three spinners, says New Zealand coach Gary Stead

News Source : PTI

Kanpur, Nov 23 (Cricket news) New Zealand coach Gary Stead has hinted that if the conditions demand, the visiting side may field three specialist spinners against India in the first Test, starting here on Thursday.

Stead also feels that their two-Test series against India won't feature the kind of tracks that England got in Ahmedabad during their series against Virat Kohli's men.

"You have to look and realise how teams come here often and don't win. That's the enormity of obvious challenge," Stead said during a media conference outlining what playing Test matches in India mean.

"The traditional way of playing four seamers and one part-time spinner can't be the way to go over here. You may see three spinners playing in this game and that will be decided once we have a look at the surface," Stead said while making it clear that Mumbai-born left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel looks like a sure-shot starter.

Stead said while basic tenets of Test cricket is the same, the approach has to change depending on conditions.

"From our perspective, we have to change the way we play but also sticking to some of the key principles of Test cricket. We will try to be competitive for long long periods of time." Asked if he would speak to the groundsmen considering what happened during the last home Tests that India played against England, the coach cheekily replied: "I don't think I really get to have a say in that." On a serious note, he said that England series was a different ball game due to multiple Test matches at the same venue.

"Look, there's no doubt those were challenging conditions but difference is that we have two Tests at two different venues and they (England) were playing multiple Tests at the same ground (two in Chennai and two in Ahmedabad)." "We know there will be differences as in Kanpur you will have black clay and in Wankhede, you will have red clay. These are certain adaptations that we have to make," the coach explained.

Stead wasn't too fussy about lack of practice games as even India hasn't played Tests of late since they came from England.

"In this Covid world, it is difficult to get practice games but India is also coming on the back of T20s and is on a similar boat to what we are." That's the reason why Trent Boult's absence won't be a factor as even India would be missing regular skipper Virat Kohli (first Test) along with Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, who have been rested for both games due to workload management.

Also Read : Excited Patel ready for India challenge

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) Lakers rally after LeBron James was ejected for drawing blood from Isaiah Stewart as they won 121-116 against the Detroit Pistons. Davis had 30 points, 10 rebounds and two big blocked shots late on rookie Cade Cunningham. Westbrook contributed 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to victory. The 20-year-old Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, had 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists to become the youngest player in franchise history with a triple-double. The headlines were surrounded by LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart as both got ejected for having a brawl, Detroit's center, who was called for a foul before James hit him, had to be held back more than once to keep him separated from the NBA superstar and was also ejected. With this result the Lakers improve their record to 9-9 as they stand 8th in the Western Conference.

''Everybody's level went up when LB came out. Everybody did a great job trying to deescalate the situation. You never want it to get to that point like 17 years ago. Everyone in the league knows LeBron isn't a dirty guy. As soon as he did it, he looked back and told him, ``my bad,” Davis said.

''I don't think he should be facing anything from the league,'' Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. ''He didn't get off the floor in time, and the league will have to decide about that, and I thought that was why he was ejected from the game

''Up and until that point, we're still trying to figure each other out,'' Los Angeles coach Frank Vogel said.

The Warriors continued their fine start to the season after winning 119-104 against the Toronto Raptors. Jordan Poole had his second straight 30-point performance with 33, Andrew Wiggins added 32 points and seven rebounds as they helped them improve their record to 15-2.Curry scored just 12 points but had eight assists after sitting out a 105-102 win at Detroit on Friday night to rest his sore hip on the second night of a back-to-back. Pascal Siakam scored 21 points and Fred VanVleet had 17 points and seven assists for the Raptors but had no response towards Poole and Wiggins magic. 

“The scoring balance means that teams can't throw everything at Steph. That's what was happening last year. Teams were throwing everything they had at Steph. It's great to have everybody on the roster contributing and understanding that every night's going to be different and they just have to stay ready,'' Kerr said.

''We all know what Wiggs is capable of,'' Poole said.

The Chicago Bulls rallied past the New York Knicks to win 109-103, DeMar DeRozan scored 31 points, Zach LaVine added 21 and the Chicago Bulls rallied in the fourth quarter to help them go on the top spot of Eastern Conference. Coby White scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter as Chicago won its second straight and fourth in five games. Julius Randle had 34 points on 13-for-18 shooting for New York as there were no significant contributions from the others. 

''I'm just enjoying the moment,'' White said. ''I knew all the work I put in would pay off. I knew it would take some time

'We made some 3s because of those guys passing the ball and getting to the middle of the floor and the guys making the next pass,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. ''It wasn't one of those games where it was easy, but I think we figured some things out in the fourth.''

“I like the way we played for three quarters,'' New York coach Tom Thibodeau said. ''I felt we weren't at our best in the fourth. I felt the effort was there. We have to take a hard look at what happened in the fourth.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose to Celtics as they fall under .500, Bulls continue their fine start to the season with a victory over the Denver Nuggets

The other results were:

• Clippers 97 - 91 Mavericks
• Suns 126 - 97 Nuggets

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Wizards vs Hornets
• Cavaliers vs Nets
• Hawks vs Thunder
• Celtics vs Rockets
• Pelicans vs Timberwolves
• Bulls vs Pacers
• Bucks vs Magic
• Spurs vs Suns
• Jazz vs Grizzlies
• Kings vs 76ers
   

Abu Dhabi, Nov 22 (Cricket news) The advent of T10 cricket and the employment of unconventional shots are throwing fresh challenges at the bowlers and England leg-spinner Adil Rashid feels they will have to be brave and confident enough to stand up to the task.

Rashid is turning up for Delhi Bulls in the ongoing edition of Abu Dhabi T10.

"It can be difficult because in this day and age you are playing on smaller grounds, flatter pitches and bigger bats. Batsmen are hitting the ball further so they can be a bit difficult especially if you get hit for a couple of games in a row for sixes and fours. It can play on your mind," Rashid said.

"But the most important thing as a spinner is to maintain that confidence knowing that you are a match winner, you can change the game in 3 or 4 or 5 balls by getting a key wicket. The you need to prepare well at nets, working on your variations like googlies, slides, etc, and prepare yourself mentally as well." Rashid has become a key player in England's limited-overs scheme of things over the last couple of years.

The leg-spinner has also made a name for himself by playing in several leagues across the world.

On how a bowler is accepting the challenging nature of T20/T10, he said, "In these formats of cricket, you are going to get hit, that's the nature of the game not just spinner but also fast bowlers and whoever you are, whether you are the world's best or whatever.

"Everybody in T20 cricket does get hit as as a bowler. It's just how you accept that knowing that you are going to try to get wickets and you got to put your head around that." Rashid was part of the England team that played in the recently-held T20 World Cup in the UAE.

Asked about the challenges of bowling to batters playing unconventional shots in the shortest formats, he said, "This day and age now, the shots that people are trying to play the ramp shots over the keeper, the reverse, switch hits, it is a challenge for bowlers.

"If a batter reverse sweep off one ball, then he comes down the pitch next ball, then he hits it over the keeper.

"It's really hard to bowl to and that's why it's a lot harder plus the pitch I reckon are much better and the grounds are smaller. But yes, it's very entertaining for the crowd to see a batsman play like that." Rashid said it's very hard to say what is the key to bowling well in shorter formats.

"As a spinner it's about making sure you have confidence, you be brave, how your game plan is sticking to that." He is also confident about Delhi Bulls winning the title this season.

"The coach Andy Flower has good experience and captain Dwayne Bravo is one of the best T20 players ever and we have got Eoin Morgan the best captain going around. So,there is a bit experience around and hopefully we go out there and enjoy ourselves and we can come on top."

Also Read : We've some good bowlers, look forward to spin challenge in Tests: Santner

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) Lakers fell under .500 as they lost 130-108 against the Celtics, Jayson Tatum who grew up idolising Kobe Bryant scored 37 points. With LeBron James coming into the line up after missing eight games the Lakers still looked very sloppy. Anthony Davis led Los Angeles with 31 points and James finished with 23 in 32 minutes. They each had six rebounds and two assists.Marcus Smart had 22 points and Dennis Schroder 21 for Boston (8-8), which climbed back to .500. Tatum had 11 rebounds and Al Horford added 18 points. With this result the Lakers record slump to 8-9 as they dropped down to 9th.

It's a surreal moment, obviously, Bill Russell and the impact he had on the Celtics and the NBA,'' Tatum said. ''Having someone like Paul come to the game and someone I have a relationship with.''I remember watching him play,'' Tatum said, breaking into a smile. ''Now he's watching me play, that's crazy

''I felt OK,'' James said. ''Obviously being out 2 1/2 weeks, I felt kind of like a rookie again, just being away from the game. Excited. Felt good enough that I could trust my body.''

'We stress making quick decisions,'' Boston coach Ime Udoka said. ''When he holds it, the crowds get to him. He was extremely aggressive.''

The Golden State Warriors won 105-102 against the Detroit Pistons. Poole scored 22 of his season-high 32 points in the first half and Wiggins had 27, as both made the most of their opportunity to step up as scorers in Stephen Curry's absence.The NBA-leading Warriors sat out Curry with a bruised hip, a night after the two-time MVP and the league's leading scorer had 20 of his 40 points in a fourth-quarter comeback victory at Cleveland. They also also without Draymond Green because of a bruised thigh after he had 14 assists in 29 minutes against the CavaliersDetroit's Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 overall pick, had 19 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jackson scored a season-high 27 points, Grant had 19 and Hamidou Diallo added 10 points.

I'm really proud of Jordan,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''He struggled the last few games. He was locked in right at the beginning.''

'We competed and fought to get back,'' Casey said. ''Those guys are heartbroken because they put themselves in a position to win and just couldn't get that last shot to go in.'

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Denver Nuggets by 114-108. Zach LaVine took over the night as he scored 36 points,LaVine scored 12 of his 36 points in a pivotal stretch of the fourth quarter, DeRozan hit eight straight late free throws and the Bulls won in Denver for the first time since 2006.DeRozan finished with 26 points, including a 12-for-12 performance at the line. LaVine and DeRozan were sizzling in helping the Bulls win. Aaron Gordon had a season-high 28 points for the Nuggets, who've dropped three straight. He was 10 of 12 from the field and had nine boards as they were without the reigning MVP Nikola Jokic. LaVine has now scored 20-plus points 15 times this season, tied with Kevin Durant of Brooklyn for most in the league

''They've got to pick either me or him,'' LaVine said of the tandem with DeRozan. ''One of us is going to get a good look or create a play.''''I haven't heard that in my tenure here,'' he said. ''Hearing the fans and having them travel and be supportive on the road is incredible.''

'They were making big shots. We were making big shots,'' LaVine said. ''Obviously, if the ball is in me and DeMar's hands, we're going to make the right play, I think, pretty much every time.''

'It's remarkable to watch him,'' Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. ''He's one of the best tough-shot makers in this league.''

Also read: NBA: Curry magic sinks the Cleveland Cavaliers as Miami Heat beat the in-form Washington Wizards

The other results were:

• Hornets 121 - 118 Pacers
• Nets 115 - 113 Magic
• Pelicans 94 - 81 Clippers
• Bucks 96 -  89 Thunder
• Suns 112 - 104 Mavericks
• Kings 89 - 108 Raptors

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Knicks vs Rockets
• Wizards vs Heat
• Pacers vs Pelicans
• Celtics vs Thunder
• Hawks vs Hornets
• Bucks vs Magic
• Trail Blazers vs 76ers
• Kings vs Jazz
   

(Basketball news) Steph Curry scored 20 off his 40 points in the fourth quarter as the Warriors rallied back from a 13 point deficit to win 104-89 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Curry made 8 of the 12 shots, including 4 of seven 3 pointers, this outburst helped Warriors outscore the Cavaliers 36-8 in the final quarter. The two time MVP increased his scoring average to 29.5 points, six assists and four rebounds this season. Nemanja Bjelica added 14 points and Andrew Wiggins added 12 points which helped them improve their record to 13-2 in Western Conference. Darius Garland scored a season high 25 points as the injury plagued Cavaliers dropped to 9-8 in the Eastern Conference

“With Steph on the floor, you always have a chance,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. ''He's one of the greatest players in the history of the game and he is the greatest 3-point shooter of all-time. He's fearless and always capable of catching fire like that.''

It was amazing to watch our energy in the fourth, and I had the best vantage point in the house,'' Curry said. ''We're pretty good at wearing teams down with our defense.''

Stephen Curry is a hell of a basketball player,'' Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. ''The shots he was making weren't easy, but obviously, he's got the skill-set to make them and Draymond knows how to get him open. They're the best team in the league right now for a reason.''.

Miami Heat beat the in-form Washington Wizards 112-97 for their fourth consecutive victory. Jimmy Butler scored 32 points, as he shot 11 of 19 from the field and made all 10 free throws in his second consecutive outing over 30 points. Bam Adebayo returned from a two-game absence because of a bruised left knee and added 20 points, Gabe Vincent had 18 points and P.J. Tucker 15. The Heat improved to 11-5 in the Eastern Conference. For the Wizards Bradley Beal scored 30 points and Kyle Kuzma added 19 points as the Wizards fell to their second consecutive loss and their record dropped to 10-5. Guard Tyler Herro, Miami's second-leader scorer, sat out because of a bruised right wrist. The Wizards rested third-leading scorer Spencer Dinwiddie.
 
''Felt great to be out there, it felt great to be back around my teammates, it felt great to be back in the kennel,'' Adebayo said. ''My teammates welcomed me back pretty well. I can't complain. The two-game absence was great for me. I got some rest.'

''Everybody had their antennas up when we were No. 1 in the East,'' Beal said. ''The biggest thing I like about our team is our fight. We don't give up.''

“Look, Washington has really established a way of playing,'' Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''They're a very good defensive team. You have to really be intentional with your offense, you have to do things with pace, your spacing has to be right on and you have to share the ball.''

LA Clippers lose 120-108 to the Memphis Grizzlies as Ja Morant scored 17 of his 28-points in a third-quarter to rally the Memphis Grizzlies. Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 18 points each, and Desmond Bane had 16. Brandon Clarke finished with 14 points, 10 of them in the fourth quarter. Memphis held the lead for the majority of the match but Morant provided an offensive brust which stretched their advantage to 20 points. Paul George led the Clippers scoring with 23 points and six assists, Reggie Jackson added 18 as Luke Kennard chipped in with 15 points. With this result the Clippers record falls to 9-6 as the Grizzlies improve their record to 8-7 in the Western Conference. 

''We were just active on defense. When they had their runs, we slacked off,'' Brooks said. ''We just got steals. Ran down and made plays for each other. When we are making plays for each other, you see what the end result is. We're all happy and getting ready for the next game.''

''I feel like it is tougher for a defense to guard me,'' said Morant, who worked in the offseason on his 3-point shooting. ''I can knock down the 3, knock down the midrange pull up, get to my floater or get all the way to the rack.''

We had a tough time just guarding the ball at the point of attack,'' Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. ''We just didn't do a good job of controlling the basketball. They got deep in the paint.''We did a better job of taking care of the basketball,'' Lue said. ''We just didn't do a good job of making quick decisions offensively. Not able to make the quick decisions right now so we've got to continue to keep getting better with that as well.''

Also read: NBA: Giannis drops 47 points against Lakers as Warriors continued their astounding start with a victory over the Nets

The other results were:

• Jazz 119 - 103 Raptors
• 76ers 103 - 89 Nuggets
• Timberwolves 115 - 90 Spurs

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Pistons vs Warriors
• Hornets vs Pacers
• Nets vs Magic
• Celtics vs Lakers
• Pelicans vs Clippers
• Bucks vs Thunder
• Nuggets vs Bulls
• Suns vs Mavericks

(Basketball news) The Lakers suffered their eight loss of the season as Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 47 to win 109-102. Khris Middleton came back from COVID 19 and broke the franchise record for the most 3 pointers made, Middleton made three consecutive 3 pointers in the fourth quarter to put the Bucks ahead.The second of those 3s was his 1,051st with the Bucks to match Ray Allen for first place on the team's all-time list. For the Lakers, Talen Horton Tucker scored 25 points, Russell Westbrook had 19 points as Anthony Davis also couldn’t impact the match with his 18 points. LeBron James missed an eighth straight game for the Lakers due to an abdominal strain. The Lakers have gone 3-5 during that stretch. Los Angeles also is missing Trevor Ariza and Kendrick Nunn, who haven't yet appeared in a game this season. With this result, the Bucks improve their record to 7-8 and as for Lakers their record stands at 8-8.

'That's a very, very special place to be,'' Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. ''I think we all just admire what Khris does every night, his ability to shoot, the different ways he gets 3's and his kind of consistency and longevity here

It's a part of the game,'' said Anthony Davis, who scored 18 points for the Lakers. ''Same thing with the team we just played. They've been hit with injuries as well. It kind of goes with the league, the business of the game. You go out there and put your body on the line every night, God forbid, something is going to happen in the course of a season. Someone's going to get hurt. We've got to adjust and continue to fight until we get everybody back

'I wanted to be the aggressor out there,'' Antetokounmpo said. ''I wanted to initiate the contact, get in the paint, make the right play and just play with an edge out there.''

Warriors continued their fine start to the season with a comprehensive 117-99 victory over the Nets. Curry showed why he’s leading the MVP charts after scoring 37 points, easily winning the matchup between the NBA’s top scorers when Kevin Durant had his worst nights this season. Andrew Wiggins added 19 points as Draymond produced a defensive masterclass over Kevin Durant, he managed only 19, the first time all season he didn't hit 20. He shot 0 for 8 in the decisive third quarter and finished 6 for 19 after sitting the fourth. James Harden  scored 24 points as it was not enough for the Warriors to go 12-2 in the NBA, which is the best record in the whole of NBA.

''So it's not the playoffs, but there's an intensity that you have to show up to beat a team like that,'' Curry said. ''You thrive off that competitive atmosphere, knowing that there's a lot of talent on the floor.''

'They got long defenders, guys that can help, so seeing bodies all the time when I had the ball, that's what great defenses do. And then some shots I wish I could've had back,'' Durant said. ''I rushed a few once we got down 15, 20. I'm trying to get it back so fast you end up taking bad shots and rushed shots.''

It was the Phoenix Suns’ 10th straight victory after they beat the in-form Dallas Maverick 105-98, a 37 point outburst helped them secure the victory as it was a shooting slog from the Phoenix Suns. Booker scored 24 points, DeAndre Ayton had 19 points and 13 rebounds as last year’s finalist went on their longest winning streak since 2009-10. The Mavericks were playing their first game this season without star guard Luka Doncic, who suffered sprains to his left knee and ankle in the waning moments of a victory over Denver on Monday. Even without their star they almost won the fixture as Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 21 and Jalen Brunson had 18. With this victory the Suns improved their record to 11-3 as they stand 2nd in the Western Conference. 

We didn't shoot a great number tonight but when we needed it, guys just stepped up,'' coach Monty Williams said. ''We have the mentality of, `Let it fly.'

That wasn't the play,'' Booker said with a grin. ''But we made it work. That's the name of the game, figuring out a way

The guys played hard, gave us a chance to win on the road against the Western Conference champs, who also have won nine in a row,'' Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. ''Everyone in that locker room executed the game plan. We just missed some shots down the stretch and they didn't.''

Also read: Staples Center to be renamed Crypto.com Arena in an estimate $700 million deal for 20 years

The other results were:

• Jazz 120 - 85 76ers
• Clippers 106 - 92 Spurs
• Pistons 97 - 86 Pacers
• Hornets 97 - Wizards
• Hawks 110 - 99 Celtics
• Heat 79 - 70 Pelicans
• Trail Blazers 112 - 107 Bulls

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Heat vs Wizards
• Cavaliers vs Warriors
• Timberwolves vs Spurs
• Grizzlies vs Clippers
• Nuggets vs 76ers
• Jazz vs Raptors
   

Jaipur, Nov 18 (Cricket news) Suryakumar Yadav felt at ease while batting at his preferred number three slot but knows very well that he will have to be flexible as per Indian team's needs in the coming days leading up to next T20 World Cup.

Suryakumar, who is seen as a future India star in white ball cricket, scored 62 off 40 balls to set up India's five-wicket win over New Zealand on Wednesday.

The Mumbai batter came at number three in place of the rested Virat Kohli and created an instant impression with his dazzling stroke-play.

"I have batted from opening to number seven position. I am very flexible with batting order. This number three role I have been performing for my franchise (MI) for the last three years so I didn't feel much difference," said Suryakumar at post-match press conference.

"I batted the way I bat in the nets. All my shots are the same. I don't try to do anything different. T20 cricket is to enjoy and that is what I try to do with my batting," He was not able to make an impact in the recently concluded T20 World Cup as India made a pre-mature exit.

Kohli sent Suryakumar to bat ahead of him at number three in the final league game against Namibia to finish the game and gain some experience. He ended with 25 not out.

"I was very disappointed when I missed the New Zealand game with back spasm. I really wanted to make a mark in the World Cup which I could not. So it was really nice of him (Kohli).

"When made my debut he was the one who sacrificed his position and let me got at number three against England and he batted at four. "He asked me (during World Cup) 'You want to go in?' and I said why not. Really enjoyed coming back not out in that game." Suryakumar should have finished the game on Wednesday but his execution of a scoop shot went awry. India were comfortably placed needing 23 off 24 balls but faltered in the final overs to bring the equation to 10 runs from six balls.

Suryakumar insisted there was no panic in the dressing room as experienced players like Rishabh Pant were in the middle.

"Talking about the death overs the wicket became a little slow and the ball also became soft so it was difficult to hit big strokes and they kept their calm. Really happy to be on the winning side.

"There was no panic as we have been in this situation before also. The dug out was calm and quiet because there were experienced players batting inside. We knew that it will take little bit of time but in the end we will do the job." Debutant Venkatesh Iyer hit an important boundary in the 20th over but did not bowl in the game.

Suryakumar said Iyer will be seen bowling very soon.

"He has been really working hard in the net sessions. Last two sessions before batting he was bowling a lot with Paras sir and also having discussion with Rohit also.

"You will surely see him bowl in the games. Tonight there was not any need for him to bowl because Rohit used all his bowlers really well," he added.

Also Read : It was not an easy win: Indian T20 captain Rohit Sharma

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) The iconic Staples Center in Los Angeles, home to the L.A Lakers, LA Clippers, NHL’s Los Angeles Kings and Women’s NBA’s Los Angeles Sparks will be renamed after being in operation for 22 years to Crypto.com Arena, as announced by arena owners Anschutz Entertainment Group last night. According to multiple reports, it is estimated that the deal would cost $700 million with Crypto.com paying the sum over a 20 year period, however, the financial terms of the deal are not yet made public.

Ever since it opened in 1999, the 20,000 seat venue was named the Staples Center after a 20 year naming rights agreement was reached with American office-supplies retail company Staples Inc. That will end when the Lakers take on the Brooklyn Nets at the NBA’s annual Christmas showcase this December. Headquartered in Singapore, Crypto.com is a cryptocurrency platform which was founded in 2016 and has already invested heavily in the sports landscape globally, signing sponsorship deals with the UFC, Formula 1, Paris Saint-Germain, NHL's Montreal Canadiens and also purchasing the Philadelphia 76ers' uniform sponsorship patch.

The future Crypto.com Arena has been the go-to venue for many major events, not just restricted to sports. The venue has hosted 19 Grammy Awards ceremonies, concerts, important public events such as the memorials of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson as well as three NBA All-Star Games and two NHL All-Star Games. In the first three years of operation, the venue saw the Lakers win three successive NBA Championships along with three more in the subsequent years. WNBA team Los Angeles Sparks have also won three WNBA titles at the Staples Center while the Kings have won two Stanley Cup Championships in 2012 and 2014 at the venue.

After being unveiled as the Crypto.com Arena on Christmas Day, owners AEG will spend the next six months swapping the arena’s external signage for the 2022-2023 NBA, WNBA, NHL season. The venue is also said to be used for basketball events at the Olympics 2028 hosted in Los Angeles with Dan Beckerman, CEO of AEG saying “It’s the biggest of stages, we’re in the epicenter of the sports and entertainment world”.

Also read: NBA: Lakers lose to the spirited Bulls as Washington Wizards continued their fine form with a victory over the Pelicans

Jaipur, Nov 17 (Cricket news) India captain Rohit Sharma on Wednesday admitted that the win against New Zealand in the first T20 International did not come easy in the end but said the players would learn from the experience.

India bungled towards end before recovering in time to fashion a five-wicket win over New Zealand in Rohit's first match as T20I captain.

The home team was cantering to a comfortable win but messed up the chase in the final four overs before Rishabh Pant took India past the target of 165.

"It didn't come as easy as we expected, so great learning for the guys, to understand what needs to be done, not about power-hitting all the time," he said at the post-match presentation.

"As a captain and a team, happy that those guys finished the game off. A good game for us, missing a few players, opportunity to other guys to show their ability." Rohit said at one stage it looked like New Zealand would score 180-plus but a "complete bowling performance" did not let it happen.

He also lavished praised on player-of-the match Suryakumar Yadav for his 40-ball 62.

"Sky (Suryakumar) is a very important player for us in the middle, plays spin well," said Rohit who made 48 off 36 balls.

On his dismissal off the bowling of Mumbai Indians team-mate Trent Boult, he said, "Trent Boult knows my weakness, I know his strength. When I am captaining him I always tell him to bluff and that's what he did.

"Happy with the win, first win, always nice." Suryakumar said he has not been doing anything different.

"I try to bat the same way in the nets and replicate the same in the game. I put a lot of pressure on myself in the nets, if I get out I go into the dressing room and think what better I could have done." He said the ball was coming on nicely to the bat but the pitch became a bit slow later on.

"I am happy to be on the winning side." On Boult dropping him, he said, "It's my wife's birthday, a perfect gift from him." Senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said slower balls have more purchase from the pitch.

"It's tricky how much you toss it up, the windows for attacking are less (in T20s). Identifying the right pace took a bit of time for me," he said.

"Important to see the game in isolation, 24 events (balls), the batsman is trying to play catch-up, so execute your plans.

"We thought it was par, par-minus, 170-175 was par, at the halfway mark we thought we would cruise home," said Ashwin who took two wickets for 23 runs.

On Rahul Dravid taking charge for his first international match, Ashwin said, "Too early to comment, we need to give him some breathing space.

"He's done the hard yards in Under-19 and A sides. Nothing to chance, about preparation, leaving nothing to chance, and bringing back the joy." New Zealand captain Tim Southee said his side started badly with the ball but recovered later to take the match to the last over.

"The way we started with the ball wasn't what we wanted, did well to claw it back in the middle, took it deep and to the last over was a positive," Southee said.

"You want to come out on the right side of close ones, Mark Chapman the way he played was very pleasing, but a game of fine margins." Southee admitted the sloppy fielding by his side.

"We set higher expectations so a bit off with the field, been very very good at it in the last few matches.

"Tough that we'd used our resources, but Daryl does his scouting and always wants to bowl. We probably didn't leave him enough runs."

Also Read : India herald start of new era with five-wicket win over New Zealand

News Source : PTI

Jaipur, Nov 17 (Cricket news) Venkatesh Iyer has walked into the Indian team's dressing room with an open mind and he aims to absorb everything that the legendary head coach Rahul Dravid has to offer.

Venkatesh, an IPL sensation this year, has been fast-tracked into the national T20 side, being a pace bowling all-rounder, and is expected to keep No. 1 choice Hardik Pandya on his toes.

"I just want to learn whatever I can with Rahul sir being a stalwart and he has lots to share," Venkatesh told 'bcci.tv' ahead of the T20 International against New Zealand.

"It's just about how we will pick things depending upon whats asked of us and I have come with a blank mind and whatever comes in, I will take it in that manner." Skipper Rohit Sharma has given him some valuable tips and it indeed was a special moment.

"If Rohit Sharma being one of the best batter in the world shares something with me, it's going to be special. I hope to enjoy each and every moment of this tournament," a beaming Venkatesh said.

"I spoke with the captain ,coach and had a word with Rishabh (Pant) as well. They were very welcoming and they welcomed me to the squad and gave me a lot of confidence and a little bit of pep talk on how to go about things," he added.

His first day at the nets wasn't a typical opening day as he has already been a net bowler during the T20 World Cup in Dubai.

"Not a typical opening day and I was welcomed with open arms which shows the culture of the team which is very good and they are very welcoming for a new player joining team.

"It was lovely for me to be there and I think I had a wonderful practice session today and we got to learn a lot. They are the pillars of how our batters are and huge credit to throw-down specialists as they have been doing a wonderful job in grooming the batters. I think its a wonderful place to be," the eloquent player from Indore said.

For Venkatesh, it's not about playing a few matches here and there, but to be in the team for a long period of time.

"I have been playing domestic cricket for sometime now and not just me but how my team (MP) has progressed that is the result that I am getting. The dream is not just to play for but to win tournaments for the country," he signed off.

Also Read : Rahul drops to 6th, Kohli static at 8th in latest ICC T20I rankings

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) Lakers continued their poor form as they suffered their seventh loss of the season, DeMar DeRozan scored a season-high 38 points and Zach LaVine had added 26 in the Chicago Bulls' 121-103 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Former Laker Lonzo Ball put in a statement performance with a season high 27 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists as the promising Bulls made it four wins out of five. For the Lakers, Talen Horton Tucker had a career high scoring 28 points against his hometown team, Anthony Davis scored 20 points before getting ejected in the third quarter after an altercation with the referee, Westbrook scored 25 out of which he scored 19 points in the first half. For the Lakers, who wrapped up a five-game, eight-day homestand with three narrow wins and two embarrassing defeats. 

With this result the Bulls improve their record to 10-4 and occupy the second position in the Eastern Conference, for the Lakers their record stands at 8-7, currently in 7th place in the Western Conference. Ball said,” I think we are one of the top teams in the NBA. We've still got a lot to improve on and a long way to go, but I think we're moving in the right direction.''

“Every night you've got to find some type of extra motivation, We've got a couple of guys that played here, (others who are) from here. Just having that extra juice, that energy to go out there and compete, is always beneficial”. said DeRozan.

Talen Horton-Tucker, who had a career-high 28 points said, “Coming out with (James) out, you always know you've got to play hard and make up the slack for a big piece of our team,''against his hometown team. We've all got to bring our games up to another level”

The Washington Wizards continued their fine start to the season as they 105-100 against the Pelicans, with this victory it also meant that the Wizards extended their best start in 47 years. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half, and the Wizards erased a 19-point deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans for their fifth consecutive victory, The Wizards were without Bradley Beal, who missed a second consecutive game mourning the death of his grandmother but without Beal they are 3-0 this season. With this result the Wizards improve their record to 10-3 and lead the Eastern Conference also.

We never want to be without Brad. 'No one wants to be without their best player. But the fact that we can withstand some stretches is great.'' said first-year coach Wes Unseld Jr

We just woke up - I think we flipped a switch,'' said forward Deni Avdija, who scored 11 and contained New Orleans' Brandon Ingram in the fourth quarter. ''When we play together and we have that right energy, it's very hard to stop us.'' 

The Dallas Mavericks slowly but steadily are going about their business with a 111-101 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Kristaps Porzingis had 29 points and 11 rebounds and Tim Hardway scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and the Dallas Mavericks rallied behind a small-ball lineup to get their fifth victory in six games. Luka Doncic added 23 points and 11 assists and Jalen Brunson added 17 points off the bench to rally them to a well deserved victory. For the Nuggets Nikola Jokic tried his best to get a victory as he scored a season high 35 points and 16 rebounds which had their five match winning run snapped. With this result the Mavericks improve their record to 9-4 as they stand 3rd in the Western Conference

''We felt that was a lineup that could get going, give us some energy, some physicality,'' Kidd said. ''And that's what they brought

'I think it was funky,'' Hardaway said. ''We knew going into the fourth we wanted to get the pace going real high.''.

Also read: NBA: Lakers win against Spurs as Warriors only lose their second game of the season

The other results were:

• Cavaliers 92 - 98 Celtics
• Knicks 92 - Pacers
• Hawks 129 - 111 Magic
• Thunder 90 - 103 Heat
• Timberwolves 96 - 99 Suns
• Trail Blazers 118 - 113 Raptors
• Grizzlies 136 - 102 Rockets

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Nets vs Warriors
• Jazz vs 76 ers
• Clippers vs Spurs
   

Mumbai, Nov 16 (Cricket news) India's Test specialists, including senior speedster Ishant Sharma, toiled hard at the nets on the second day of the short camp here on Tuesday as they braced up for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand.

Hosts India will take on New Zealand in a two-match series, starting in Kanpur from November 25. The second Test will be played at the iconic Wankhede stadium from December 3.

While the focus was on skipper Ajinkya Rahane on the opening day, it was Ishant and comeback man Jayant Yadav who bowled in the nets for a considerable amount of time on Tuesday.

The lanky Delhi speedster, who has played a staggering 104 Tests, bowled both in the morning and the afternoon session as he looked to sharpen his skills.

Jayant Yadav, who made a comeback to the Test team after long time, also looked to get into the groove as he bowled his off-spins at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s (MCA) Bandra Kurla facility.

Rahane, who was named captain in absence of a rested Virat Kohli, and his deputy for the first Test Cheteshwar Pujara batted for a long session in one of the two nets, which were placed at the middle of the ground.

Pujara, who had also practiced for a short time on Monday, played a variety of shots and took on the local bowlers with gusto, as he batted in the morning as well as the afternoon session.

Young Shubhman Gill also played his shots in the first net, set up at the MCA facility, whose ground in-charge is MCA Apex Council member Nadim Memon.

Among others, wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha and KS Bharat also did their regular drills, while speedster Umesh Yadav bowled for a brief time in the morning.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington Sundar, who is recovering from an injury, was also seen at the camp, and did his drills.

Also Read : T20 World Cup finalists New Zealand expecting a strong fight from India

News Source : PTI

Melbourne, Nov 16 (Cricket news) Bracing up for the Ashes, influential England player Jos Buttler is drawing inspiration from the "totally fearless" approach, which the flamboyant Rishabh Pant had adopted during the Indian team's last tour of Australia.

The 24-year-old Pant played two of his greatest knocks in Sydney and Brisbane in the last two Tests, as an injury-ravaged Indian team recorded an incredible come-from-behind Test series triumph.

"One player I really enjoyed seeing play Tests in Australia was Rishabh Pant when they won there last winter. I love the way he can change his game between the defensive side and aggressive sides, and be totally fearless," Buttler wrote in his column for the Daily Telegraph.

"For any wicket-keeper who likes to be more positive, Rishabh is a good guy to watch — his mindset and commitment to his game plans, whether he's attacking or defending." Pant was the leading run-scorer in India's 2-1 win over Australia, scoring 274 runs in five innings at an average of 68.50.

Buttler reached Australia along with other members of England team for the Ashes. After two weeks of mandatory quarantine, he will gear up for the five-match series starting from December 8 in Brisbane.

Known for his free-flowing batting, Buttler said that it will be important to adapt to the conditions during practice sessions as it is the first time he will be playing red-ball cricket in Australia.

"I've played one-day and T20 cricket in Australia but I've not played any red-ball cricket. So, it'll be important, during the preparation phase in the nets and the warm-ups games, to try and understand conditions and work out what shots to play, how much the ball seams or swings and adapting to conditions.

"I don't want to go to Australia with too many preconceived ideas." He termed the upcoming contests against England's traditional rivals as the biggest challenge in his career. The Ashes begins in Brisbane on December 8.

"... Australia is a place where lots of our guys have played in the Big Bash. The pace on the ball and the good wickets certainly suit a lot of players in our team. It will probably be the biggest challenge I've ever had in my career.

"Australia is the one tour that, as an English player, you want to experience, and it's something to really relish and enjoy — even though it'll be different without the travelling support. We're expecting an intense atmosphere with grounds full of Australian fans," Buttler said.

The 31-year-old cricketer, who aggregated 269 runs at an average of 89.66 in the T20 World Cup, added that he will try to continue in the same vein during the Ashes.

"I'll be trying to take the same sort of fearless attitude I've had in the T20 World Cup into my red ball batting. That doesn't just mean all out attack. But it's taking away the worries about too many things — keep the game very simple and looking to put bat to ball."

Also Read : SRH dropping Warner not a cricket decision, he was just out of match practice: Haddin

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) The Charlotte Hornets only inflicted the Warriors their second loss of the season as they lost 106-102. Terry Roizer finished with 20 points which he scored all in the second half, Miles Bridges added 22 and LaMelo Ball added 21 in what was a total team performance from the Hornets. For the Warriors, Andrew Wiggins scored 28 points on 12 of 19 shooting and Steph Curry added 24 points and 10 assists in his annual homecoming game, the contest was tense as the lead changed hands 25 times but in the end the effort came up short. With this result Warriors stay on top of the Western Conference with a record of 11-2 and as for the Hornets they improve their record to 8-7.

Rozier said “This says a lot for our team and where we are headed, We are trying to go places and get our organization like theirs. This is a great step to where we think we want to go. I think it is more like the timing of the ball, I definitely wanted it because I had just turned the ball over and it was like everybody in the whole gym was looking at No. 3. I just wanted to try to make a play for our team and it worked out.''

The Lakers rallied back from an embarrassing loss against the Timberwolves to bounce back and win 114-106 against the San Antonio Spurs. Anthony Davis top scored with 34 points and 15 rebounds, Talen Horton Tucker making his season debut scored 17 points as Carmelo Anthony and Wayne Ellington both had 15 points each. The Lakers have improved their record to 3-3 since LeBron James was sidelined on Nov 4 because of an abdominal strain. Dejounte Murray had a triple-double for the Spurs with 22 points with 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Keldon Johnson scored 24 points. Murray's other triple-double came in the previous meeting against the Lakers. San Antonio lost for the fifth time in its last seven games and fell in the opener of consecutive games at Los Angeles.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, “I was really happy with their effort. Too many turnovers tonight against those guys, but we never gave in. They kept playing, they're getting better. They've got to keep their energy up.''

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said about Horton-Tucker “We have a strong belief in that young man and what he can do on both sides of the ball. Obviously, when we get whole, we have a log of good choices, but he's going to be a big part of it”

Brooklyn Nets beat the Thunders 120-96 as Kevin Durant made himself at home again in Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant top scored with 33 points as the league's scoring leader made 9 out of 17 shots and had 8 rebounds, James Harden also chipped into the act with 16 points and 13 assists but the actual star of the show was Patty Mills scoring 29 points and a career high nine 3 pointers for the Nets. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 points for the Thunder, and Lu Dort added 20. Oklahoma City had won four straight before losing today. With this result Nets improve their record to 10-4 in the Eastern Conference and are in second position behind the Wizards. 

Durant enjoyed his return and said, ''You think about the foundation and how you built yourself up as a pro, and this is definitely the spot for me. It taught me all about what it means to be a pro. The people here and the organization really guided me as a young player. That set the foundation for where I am today. There are a lot of great memories coming back, seeing a lot of people. It's good to see folks here and play in front of the crowd . I had a good time”

Durant added by saying, 'It's crazy how stuff happens. “You never thought when James got traded - I didn't know what the future would hold. For us to come back around on the same team as we got older is pretty sweet ... We helped build this thing. It's good to come in here and see what it is today”

The other results were:

• Hawks 120 - 100 Bucks
• Rockets 89 - 115 Suns
• Nuggets 124 - 95 Trail Blazers
• Clippers 90 - 100 Bulls

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Wizards vs Pelicans
• Cavaliers vs Celtics
• Knicks vs Pacers
• Hawks vs Magic
• Mavericks vs Nuggets
• Thunder vs Heat
• Lakers vs Bulls
• Trail Blazers vs Raptors
   

Mumbai, Nov 15 (Cricket news) Ajinkya Rahane is scouring the missing runs.

By batting at the nets in shorts spans, against a variety of bowlers, and by doing everything else that is in his control, the seasoned Rahane is bracing up for the upcoming Test series against New Zealand, knowing well it could decide his future in the Indian team.

Besides carrying the additional burden of leading the team in the opening Test in Virat Kohli's absence, Rahane will also need to score runs to enure questions are not raised about his place in the coming weeks.

In the last 15 Tests, Rahane has scored just 644 runs at an average of 24.76. Since that magnificent match-winning hundred at the MCG last December, Rahane has been struggling to live up to the expectations.

On expected lines, the focus was firmly on Rahane as India's test specialists looked to get into the groove on the first day of a short camp at the Mumbai Cricket Association's Bandra Kurla Complex facility here on Monday.

Rahane has not been among the runs and he will certainly be aiming to score big in the two Test matches at home against the Kiwis.

It was well past noon when Rahane entered the nets for his first hit of the day. Straightaway, he was seen tackling the Mumbai bowlers and off-spinner Jayant Yadav, who has made a comeback to the five-day team.

While the right-handed Rahane mostly worked on his defence, he also stepped out on occasions, including against young Mumbai pacer Tushar Deshpande. Against both the spinners and fast bowlers, he played on the front-foot and also rocked back to punish the short ones.

Rahane, and his deputy for the first Test, Cheteshwar Pujara, batted in turns in the two nets arranged at the MCA facility, of whose ground in-charge is MCA Apex Council member Nadim Memon.

Selector Abbey Kuruvilla was seen overseeing the camp, which will take place till Thursday.

Apart from Rahane, Pujara also batted for a good amount of time and played several shots, including a reverse sweep.

Young batter Shubman Gill and Mayank Agarwal also faced the bowlers in turns.

Senior speedster Ishant Sharma and pacer Prasidh Krishna also bowled in the nets as the Test specialists started their training on a positive note.

The batters batted for over two hours even as a few National Cricket Academy (NCA) office-bearers were seen at the facility.

The first Test will be played at Kanpur from November 25, while the second Test will be held at the Wankhede Stadium here from December 3.

Also Read : Laxman will be next NCA head, confirms BCCI official

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Nov 15 (Cricket news) Merely a couple of minutes into the post-match media interaction, Australia captain Aaron Finch was taken aback by the line of questioning around David Warner, his opening partner and most importantly, the chief architect of his team's maiden T20 World Cup win.

Finch had already answered what is considered in journalistic parlance, a "warm-up question" on the toss factor and he seemed ready for a question on 'Player of The Tournament' Warner, the comeback hero.

But what he wasn't perhaps ready for, was the manner in which the questions were articulated.

"I'm asking about David Warner. How did you back him? No one expected that he would be the Man of the Tournament," a scribe said, a remark that was as much a statement as a question.

"You didn't expect that? I certainly did," Finch had a wry smile as he retorted but it was his way of saying things as they were.

The questions couldn't be faulted, in the last two months, Warner's life has come full circle.

The land of Emirates, which seemed like a living hell after he was left high and dry by his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, suddenly became somewhere straight out of a fairytale on Sunday night when he walked up to the podium to receive his 'Player of the Tournament' medallion in the T20 World Cup.

It was an honour well deserved. He had amassed 289 runs, including a half century in the high-pressure final, and the word "poetic justice" must have crossed his mind.

While Justin Langer watched in appreciation when Warner sent the New Zealand bowlers on a leather hunt, his mind must have gone back to a conversation with Finch when the maverick opener was sidelined by the SunRisers Hyderabad coaching staff.

"Without a word of a lie, I promise you, I called Justin Langer a few months ago and said, 'Don't worry about Davey, he'll be Man of the Tournament'," Finch claimed later.

Finch didn't want to dwell on the IPL chapter as he wasn't actively a part of what Warner went through but as a sportsman, he fully understands what a 'Champions' Ego' means.

"...he's (Warner) a great player. He's one of the all-time great batters. And he's a fighter. He's someone who when his back is against the wall, that's when you get the very, very best of David Warner.

"It was a special finish to the tournament for him, the last couple of knocks," said Finch, who personally felt that Adam Zampa, for his brilliant control during middle overs, could also have been a contender.

One could understand the anger and hurt in wife Candice's cryptic tweet, "Out of Form, Too Old, Slow!." Those were some of the criticisms that were directed at Warner after a few below-par games.

It wasn't the most easy two months for a man, who is considered a contemporary legend in white ball cricket and especially T20s where he has dominated the scene for years.

It was one bad leg in India and two bad games for SunRisers in the UAE that made some of the established names in world coaching write his epitaph.

Sacking him from captaincy mid-season could still be justified because of the team's performance, but what many couldn't wrap their heads around was how the team management comprising Tom Moody, Trevor Bayliss and Muttiah Muralitharan messed up the entire Warner stint.

Before anyone raises a question, VVS Laxman, it could be said with a certain degree of certainty, never wanted the Aussie opener to be dropped from the playing XI.

People, who know Warner very closely, said that even as he was coming to terms with being dropped from the team, Warner never knew that some people could "stoop to conquer".

Did the owners have a say in the treatment meted out to him? It can't be said with certainty but in the franchise universe, owners are always known to have a huge say unless it's Mahendra Singh Dhoni in Chennai Super Kings or Rohit Sharma in Mumbai Indians, who get a free hand in running the show.

One day, they stopped him from coming to the stadium and then he was asked to stay away from the dug-out.

During one of the last games played by SRH, Warner was seen clad in Orange waving the team flag in the stands. One of the sixes must have landed in that area on Sunday, a statement from the man, who was made to feel incompetent only a few months back.

Apparently things came to such a pass, that Warner's request of carrying drinks and interacting with juniors during strategic time-outs was allegedly turned down.

But then he is the sort of giant, who has seen and endured the worse during the ball-tampering saga when he didn't play cricket for a year.

From here, the journey of bouncing back started as he doubled his training time. He would hit the nets, take extra throw-downs, and shadow bat in his hotel room.

For players of this calibre, all they need is that one hit to have assurance written all over it.

"I always felt good, for me it was about going back to basics, getting on some hard, synthetic wickets in order to hit volumes of balls," Warner said after the final on Sunday night.

For him, it was as big as the 2015 World Cup win.

"Definitely up there with 2015 (World Cup), losing to England (2010 T20 WC final) a decade ago really hurt.

"These are a great bunch of guys, great support staff, and great support around the world, especially back home. Always pumped, wanted to put on a spectacle. There were some nerves around as always in a final but great to see the guys deliver." The focus will now shift to the Ashes and with his nemesis Stuart Broad watching the proceedings from his Nottingham residence, it will be Warner's turn to ask some probing questions to the England's pace attack and definitely he would.

As far as IPL is concerned, his fans, whom he entertained with those Allu Arjun dance numbers during the first lockdown, needn't worry.

Whether old or new, he would be a part of a franchise during the mega auctions or even before that as a draft pick.

And against SunRisers Hyderabad, he will have a special battle to fight and the man from Sydney's suburban Paddington town does love a good scrap.

Also Read : Writing Warner off was like poking a bear: Aaron Finch after World Cup triumph

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Nov 15 (Cricket news) New Zealand coach Gary Stead says his team is bracing up for a "tough and challenging" schedule as it heads to India for a three-match T20 series, starting just three days after the T20 World Cup final which the Black Caps lost to Australia here.

New Zealand on Sunday lost to Australia by eight wickets in the showpiece but Kane Williamson's men will hardly have any time to regroup as it faces India in the opening T20I at Jaipur on Wednesday.

It will be followed by the second and third T20Is on November 19 and November 21, before they kick off their World Test Championship defence with two games in Kanpur and Mumbai.

"It's the first time that I can remember that we're so quickly into another series immediately at the back-end of the T20 World Cup," Stead was quoted as saying by 'ESPNcricinfo'.

"It's definitely tough and challenging but it is what is in front of us." The members of the Test side, who are not part of the T20 squad, are already in India.

It will be a busy time for the kiwi support staff as they juggle with training the Test players in the morning and the T20 cricketers in the evening in the next few weeks.

"We've got nine-ten guys in India already, who are preparing for those Test matches, and hopefully we can get up and have a really great performance against India." New Zealand cricketers have been in the bio-bubble for varying time period with 10 members of the T20 squad also competing at the IPL in UAE which preceded the ICC event, while others like Glenn Phillips and Jimmy Neesham played at the Hundred.

There were others like Martin Guptill, Mark Chapman and Ish Sodhi, who also stayed in the UAE bubble following New Zealand's decision to call off their tour of Pakistan due to security concerns in September.

In some good news for New Zealand, pace spearhead Lockie Ferguson, who missed the T20 World Cup due to a calf injury, is likely to return to action.

Ferguson, who was sidelined just hours before New Zealand's opening match against Pakistan in Sharjah, has resumed bowling at the nets in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

"In terms of Lockie, I think he is pretty close," Stead said.

"We will just make sure we get over there, travel okay and there's no issues like seizing up on the flight or anything like that. But I'd expect that he's going to be available for selection, which will be fantastic.

"With all the guys that are going to prepare for the Test matches, we just have to make that call over there - whether we think it's in the best interests of them and also in the best interests of the team being that the Test matches are more of our priority, I think, in the next month than what the T20 matches will be."

Also Read : Bit frustrating but you win some and lose some: Williamson

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) Lakers suffered an embarrassing loss against Timberwolves as Karl Anthony Towns scored 18 of his 29 points during Timberwolves dominant third quarter and they snapped their six match losing streak with a 107- 83 victory at the staples centre. D’Angelo Russell had 22 points against his former team as the Timberwolves outscored the Lakers 40-12 in the third quarter. Anthony Davis had 22 points and eight rebounds as the Lakers dropped to 2-3 with LeBron James sidelined by a strained abdominal muscle, Russell Westbrook scored 20 points on his 33rd birthday but it completely disintegrated after the second half as the Wolves went on 29-4. With this result the Lakers record stands at 7-6 as they move to 7th in the Western Conference

Davis said, “We're not going to win a championship the way we're playing, we have to be better. We've got to decide who we want to be. A championship team? That's not us right now.”

Minnesota coach Chris Finch said, “Desperately needed this one, In this situation, the more desperate team usually wins in the NBA on any given night. We've been playing well. We just haven't been playing well often enough. Felt good to watch some shots go in finally.''

Golden State Warriors beat the in-form Chicago Bulls 119-83 as Steph Curry again lit Chase Centre. The reigning NBA scoring champion piled up 40 points with nine three pointers, Draymond Green delivered an all around performance to guide them to their 7th consecutive win. It was also a historical night for Curry as he passed Ray Allen for the most 3 pointers made in NBA history. Zach LaVine scored 23 points and DeMar DeRozan had 18 to lead the Bulls, who missed star Nikola Vucevic during his absence with COVID-19 as the Bulls had no answer to Curry’s brilliance. With this result Warriors improve their record to 11-1 and sit on top of the Western Conference.

Coach Steve Kerr said, “In general, the high point is establishing our home floor, that this is going to be a tough place to come and win a game. And a lot of that is the way we're playing, a lot of that is our fans, the energy in the building, there's a really good vibe about the team, the fans feel it. Great way to start the year but now we've got to go out on the road and it's going to get a lot tougher. We obviously are very happy to be where we are.''

Curry said of performing for Davidson coach Bob McKillop, “It's special. The schedule gods worked out somewhat in terms of they got to come to the game. Obviously, we're going to Charlotte tomorrow so I'll miss the Davidson-USF game, but to have Coach in the building ... it always gets me going reminding me of the journey to get here and all that went into making me the player and person I am now.''

Brooklyn Nets got back to winning ways after getting 120-112 victory over New Orleans Pelicans. With James Harden and Kevin Durant both hitting clutch shots, the Brooklyn Nets were able to get away with blowing a 21-point second-half lead on the road. Harden highlighted a 39-point, 12-assist performance and also scored a game-sealing 27-foot 3-pointer with 29 seconds left. Durant scored 28 points as Joe Harris heavily contributed with 24 points to get back to winning ways. Valanciunas and Nickeil Alexander Walker added 36 points together but it wasn’t enough for them. With this result Nets move to 2nd in the Eastern Conference with 9-4 record.

Durant said, “We were able to take that nice little haymaker and keep pushing, I think they found something that was working more so than us just playing down to their record.”

Also read: NBA: Clippers beat Miami Heat to win their 6th match on a row as the 76ers lose against the Raptors

The other results were:

• Celtics 122- 113 Bucks
• Hornets 104 - 96 Knicks
• Cavaliers 98 - 78 Pistons
• Rockets 92 - 104 Trail Blazers
• Thunder 105 - 103 Kings
• Grizzlies 94 - 119 Suns
• Spurs 109 - 123 Mavericks
• Nuggets 105 - 96 Hawks

Tomorrow's fixtures are:

• Jazz vs Heat
• Pelicans vs Grizzlies
• Magic vs Wizards
• Pacers vs 76ers
• Raptors vs Pistons
• Cavaliers vs Celtics
• Clippers vs Timberwolves
   

(Basketball news) After losing four of their first five games, the Los Angeles Clippers are on a roll after they won 112-109 against an in-form Miami Heat. Paul George rallied with 27 points as Reggie Jackson scored 22 points in the second half from the bench to help his team win, Eric Bledsoe had 21 points and Ivica Zubac finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Bam Adebayo had a season high 30 points and 11 rebounds, Kyle Lowry tried his best to take the game to overtime as he scored 22 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter. With this result the Clippers moved to 6th in the Western Conference as their record stands at 7-4.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said, “We knew exactly what was coming. The speed at which they did it we weren't ready for, We looked like we were the team that was on a back-to-back instead of those guys.''

“We're just playing with more flow and pace,, who is back for his second stint with the Clippers. We got tons of shooters”, said Bledsoe

''I was trying to just find a way to get a win, I had an opportunity, I attacked a lot more. And just trying to be a little bit more assertive on my team, but it doesn't matter because we still lost the game” Lowry said. 

Toronto Raptors got an unlikely 115-109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Fred VanVleet hit six threes and scored 32 points as Gary Trent further added 20 points to rally the former champions to a much needed victory. The Sixers were still without Joel Embiib, Isaiah Joe and Matisse Thybulle who were still in the NBA’s health and safety protocol and subsequently out of the fixtures. The Sixers need more reinforcements and have lost three straight games, Tyrese Maxey did score 33 points for the Sixers but wasn’t enough to secure the much needed victory.With this result Raptors improve their record to 7-6 and are in 8th position in the Eastern Conference

Coach Nick Nurse said, “It's been in the culture with the Raptors for a while. We just believe in it, talk about it, drill it. We hold guys accountable. I think the biggest metric is your heart and your toughness and your desire to want to do it. Fortunately, our guys most nights will do that”

Indiana Pacers handed Utah Jazz their first home loss of the season as they beat them 111-100. Malcolm Brogdon scored a season high 30 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Pacers from the front to victory. Turner, Gobert, Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles were ejected with 4:01 left. Turner shoved Gobert, planting his shoulder in his back after a missed layup. Gobert responded by hugging him and trying to wrestle Turner to the floor. The two players had to be separated near the basket across from the Pacers bench. Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points and Gobert added 19 points and 11 rebounds but both their matches got cut short after getting ejected. With this result pacers improved their record to 5-8 as Jazz only suffered their fourth loss of the season.

Brogdon said, “We've got a resilient group, we've got a group that's maturing and a group that's getting better and getting tougher. We've got to continue to build on this”

That whole thing could have been avoided - just draw the line early, as opposed to letting it build up for the whole game,'' Mitchell said.

Turner said, “I had to stand up for myself in that situation, I don't think I did anything wrong. But that's not for me to decide. We'll talk to the league and see what happens from there”

Also read: NBA: Lakers prevail over Miami Heat as Warriors continued their winning start to the season

Tomorrow's fixtures are:  

• Hornets vs Knicks
• Celtics vs Bucks
• Cavaliers vs Pistons
• Pelicans vs Nets
• Rockets vs Trail Blazers
• Thunder vs Kings
• Spurs vs Mavericks
• Nuggets vs Hawks
• Warriors vs Bulls
• Lakers vs Timberwolves
   

(Basketball news) Lakers won a second straight game in overtime as they beat a strong Miami Heat 120-117 in what was a rematch of the 2020 NBA finals. Malik Monk scored five of his season-high 27 points in overtime, and the Lakers rallied late in regulation before surging in overtime. Russell Westbrook had his second triple double in consecutive matches 25 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, Anthony Davis also impressed with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Adebayo scored 28 points before fouling out and Kyle Lowry had 18 points and 11 assists for the Heat, who lost Butler for the night after he scored seven points while playing the entire first quarter. Tyler Herro scored 27 points, but missed two three pointers in the final nine seconds of the overtime. With this result the Lakers improved their record to 7-5 as they moved to 7th in the Western Conference.

Malik Monk after the match said, “I had this role a couple of times in Charlotte when a lot of guys got hurt, who has turned in three of the five highest-scoring performances of his career against Miami. I had to come in, play big minutes and facilitate and do all the things I normally don't do. I work on my game a lot, so I was really prepared for this moment.”

Davis said, “After that Portland loss, we took that personally .These last two games have definitely been fun. Guys are starting to realize how good of a team we are, and we just have to take that mindset to the floor.''

Golden State Warriors continued their fine start to the season with a 123-110 victory over the Timberwolves. With the help of a season high scoring performance from Andrew Wiggins as he dominated his former team with 35 points, Steph Curry also scored 25 points to go with six assists coming off a 50 point masterpiece Monday night against the Hawks. Last year's number one pick Anthony Edwards scored a career-high 48 points for Minnesota, hitting seven 3-pointers in the Timberwolves' sixth straight loss. With this result Warriors improve their record to 10-1 as they stay on top of the Western Conference

Steve Kerr after the match said, “Andrew was just fantastic, the aggression from the beginning of the game, loved his energy,  Obviously he was pretty excited to play against his old team. We needed everything he brought us tonight. I thought Kevon Looney was just amazing. That's one of the toughest matchups in the league in Towns,''

Milwaukee Bucks late 3 point barrage helped them get a 112-110 victory over the New York Knicks. Pat Connaughton scored a season high 23 points, making three late 3 pointers to completely change the tie around, Jrue Holiday scored 18 points and Antetokounmpo had 15 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists for the Bucks, who had just enough to win for the second straight night. Derrick Rose had 22 points and seven assists and Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points as they tried their level best to get an unlikely victory over them, but the Bucks blew a 24 point lead before beating them. With this result, Bucks improve their record to 6-6 as they move to 8th in the Eastern Conference and the Knicks have somewhat lost their way over the past few weeks after getting off to an amazing start, Knicks have a record of 7-5 and currently stand 7th.
 
'It was good to be in a hostile environment, good to face some of the same things we faced against them last week and good to be able to come out victorious,'' Connaughton said

We kept our composure and that's who we are and it feels good,'' Giannis Antetokounmpo said.

Also read: NBA: Steph Curry erupts with a 50 point point performance against the Hawks as Lakers win against Hornets

The other significant results were:

• Cavaliers 94 - 97 Wizards
• Magic 90 - 123 Nets
• Celtics 104 - 88 Raptors
• Grizzlies 108 - 118 Hornets
• Bulls 117 - 107 Mavericks
• Nuggets 101 - 98 Pacers

The fixtures for tomorrow are:

• 76ers vs Raptors
• Jazz vs Pacers
• Clippers vs Heat
   

(Basketball news) Lakers snapped out of their two match losing streak as they won 126-123 against a spirited Charlotte Hornets. Anthony Davis scored 32 points, Russell Westbrook had his first triple double with the Lakers but the star of the show was Carmelo Anthony as he came off the bench to score 29 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 7 of 10 from 3. He is now shooting 52 percent from 3, including 64 percent at home and helping his team get an overtime victory. For the Hornets, Terry Rozier had a season high 29 points after Lamelo Ball had his second triple double of his career with 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. It's the Lakers' first victory in the four games that LeBron James has missed this season; Monday was his third straight sitting due to an abdominal strain. With this result, the Lakers improve their record to 6-5 and stand 8th in the Western Conference.

Curry lit up the chase center in San Francisco as he dropped an NBA season high 50 points with nine 3 pointers, 10 assists and 7 rebounds. He single handedly led the Warriors to a 127-113 victory over the Hawks as the crowd started chanting “MVP! MVP!”. He left the court with 8.48 left on the clock as he was examined for his left shoulder. Trae Young with 28 points  and Bogdanovic 17 points tried their level best to get a result out of it but ultimately their efforts went in vain. With this result Warriors improve their record to 9-1 in the Western Conference.
 
Curry said, “We kind of talked about certain preparations for my shot, just certain mechanics that he called it, even having a little bit more conviction about when it's time to shoot, just a little seed he planted. I took that into warmups and the rest of the game. He was very timely with those words of wisdom.''It's always nice,  You never come out with a certain number in mind. It's just when you get it going, you just keep going

Coach Steve Kerr said, “That was just a stunning performance by Steph,  He was amazing. I want to say I've never seen anything like it but I've been watching it for seven years, so I have seen something like it and still it's just incredible to watch.''  

The Chicago Bulls continued their magnificent start to the season by winning 118-95 against Kevin Durant’s Brooklyn Nets. DeMar DeRozan scored 28 points and Zach LaVine added 24 points as the Bulls rallied in the fourth quarter with 42 points. Kevin Durant’s 38 points went in vain as the Nets five match winning streak came to an end. With this result Bulls improve their record to 7-3 and move up to third in the Eastern Conference,  the Nets slump to sixth in the standings with a 7-4 record.

DeRozan said “We stayed aggressive, We had a couple of stretches, especially in the first half, where we got messy on both ends. Turning the ball over, letting them get out in transition. We stayed resilient, especially going into that fourth quarter. We stayed aggressive and kept attacking, getting out on transition and making everything tough for them.''

Durant said, “They made shots, they were aggressive in everything that they did. They got stops, ran out. They got some high-level shotmakers on that team, so they made tough ones all night. You got to give them credit, they played with a lot of intensity. We're frustrated. We want to win every game.

Also read: NBA: Knicks continued their amazing start to the season as Lakers and Warriors both lose

The other significant results were:

• 76ers 96 - 103 Knicks
• Grizzlies 125 - 118 Timberwolves
• Mavericks 108 - 92 Pelicans
• Nuggets 113 - 96 Heat
• Kings 104 - 109 Suns
• Wizards 101 - 94 Bucks

The fixtures to look out for tomorrow are:

• 76ers vs Bucks
• Jazz vs Hawks
• Clippers vs Trail Blazers

(Football news) Real Sociedad are still at the top of the table followed by Real Madrid, Sevilla and Atlético Madrid. Barcelona on the other hand are 9th on the table as they have won only 1 of their last 5 league matches.

Sergi Barjuan will take charge of Barcelona for the last time away at Celta Vigo. The Blaugrana will be looking to bounce back after a draw against Deportivo Alaves at home. Ousmane Dembélé once again caught an injury after his much awaited return against Dynamo Kiev. Sergio Aguero is out due to his heart problem. Pedri, Gerard Piqué, Sergiño Dest, Sergi Roberto, Martin Braithwaite and Neto are the other absentees. Celta Vigo on the other hand will be without Santi Mina and Brais Méndez. Barcelona will be looking to win the game and gain confidence before the Xavi era begins.

Also read: Barcelona announce the appointment of club legend Xavi as first team manager

Real Madrid are in good form after 4 wins and a draw since the international break. Their next game is against Rayo Vallecano who just last week defeated Barcelona. Former Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao will lead the line for Rayo. Gareth Bale is back in training and could get a few minutes. Dani Ceballos, Federico Valverde, Mariano Diaz and Rodrygo Goes. Real Madrid will come into the game after a narrow home win against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UCL. Carlo Ancelotti will be hoping to get 3 points before the international break.

Atletico Madrid travel to Valencia after their 2-0 UCL loss at Liverpool. Atletico have only won 1 off their last 5 games in all competitions. Marcos Llorente and Thomas Lemar are still out with injuries for Atletico Madrid while Valencia will be without Gabriel Paulista and Denis Cheryshev. The pressure will be slightly building on Diego Simeone as they are 3rd in the La Liga as well as the UCL table. Valencia broke their 7 game winless run with a win against Villarreal last week and will be keen to hold Atlético Madrid.

New Delhi, Nov 6 (Cricket news) Tarak Sinha, the Indian coach with most number of international and first-class cricketers as his disciples, died on Saturday morning after a prolonged illness.

Sinha was 71.

He was a bachelor and is survived by his sister and hundreds of students and well wishers, whose lives became better due to his positive presence.

Sinha was a father figure in Delhi's famous Sonnet Club, which has produced some of the country's finest cricketers, who ruled domestic and international cricket.

"It is with heavy heart we have to share this tragic news of Shri Tarak Sinha, the founder of Sonnet Club, has left us for heavenly abode at 3 am on Saturday after a brave battle with lung cancer for two months," the Sonnet Club said in a statement.

"Ustad ji", as his disciples reverentially referred to him, was not a grassroots level cricket coach. In nearly five decades, he nurtured, groomed and managed raw talent and through his club gave them a platform to perform and wings to fly.

That's the reason why some of his most distinguished students (they don't want to be named) were keeping a tab on his health and making necessary arrangements till his last day.

His longtime assistant Devender Sharma, who has actively coached the likes of Rishabh Pant, was by his side.

Just have a look at the names and one would know why conferring him with a lifetime Dronacharya Award as late as 2018 was a sacrilege.

His earlier students included the stalwarts of Delhi cricket. Surinder Khanna, Manoj Prabhakar, the late Raman Lamba, Ajay Sharma, Atul Wassan, Sanjiv Sharma all of whom ruled Delhi cricket and also played for India.

Then there were the domestic heavyweights like KP Bhaskar, the batting mainstays during the mid 1980s to early 90s.

The post-90s was the time he produced some of his better international players, which included Aakash Chopra, women cricketers including former national captain Anjum Chopra, all-rounder Rumeli Dhar along with pacer Ashish Nehra, Shikhar Dhawan, and possibly one of the brightest stars of Indian cricket, Rishabh Pant.

There were a lot of coaches across India but very few was like Ustad ji who was a true blue talent scout.

The BCCI never used his expertise save once when it appointed him as the women's national team coach. Then, he worked with a very young bunch of players that had Jhulan Goswami, Mithali Raj in its ranks.

For Sinha, Sonnet was family. Such was his devotion to cricket that he never thought of getting married.

In his mind it was always about unearthing the next best talent and seeing him in India colours.

Another aspect of his coaching was that he would never ever let any student ignore his academics.

Any student who would turn up for training during his annual school or college exams would be sent back immediately and not allowed to practice till exams are over.

Sinha knew that not all of them would go on to become a Dhawan, Pant or Nehra and academics would give them a Plan B.

A case in point is Pant, who was accompanied by his mother and spotted by Sinha's assistant Devender, who was then coaching in Rajasthan.

Sinha told him to watch the "boy" for a couple of weeks before he came back.

Pant's story of staying at Gurdwara (which he did on a couple of occasions) became a myth but it was Sinha, who arranged for Pant's education in a Delhi school, from where he gave his 10th and 12th board exams.

He also arranged for a rented accommodation where he could stay as he pursued his cricketing ambition.

Once during an interview with PTI, Pant's emotional answers struck a chord.

"Tarak sir is not like a father figure. He is a father to me," Pant had said.

He was supremely proud of what Pant has achieved in his international career so far but he would never express it.

Another story is about a middle-aged man arriving with his teenager son at the Venky's nets.

"I am from Rourkee, the city of Rishabh Pant. This is my son, please make him a cricketer like Rishabh. He is very passionate," the father had such expectation in his eye that would make one think that Sinha had some magic wand.

This correspondent remembers Sinha telling the father to come back after two hours and asked the boy to start doing physical drills.

"These parents are clueless. They don't even know what kind of talent Rishabh was when he came and what kind of maddening hard work he put in during those early teenage years," he had told a couple of reporters standing by his side.

His students loved him and he loved them back.

Aakash Chopra had beautiful handwriting and the scores that he used to keep during academy games were his treasured possession.

Similarly, another distinguished India international (he has warned his name can't be published) once came to know that he was leaving his rented accommodation as he had bought an apartment.

He didn't want his coach to be without his own home.

Sinha never became a businessman or corporate cricket coach, which is in vogue now, like gun for hire with different fancy theories of trying to work on mental set-up by confining people to 12x8 rooms with a bucket of water.

He was the old school coach who would give his ward a tight slap if the head tilted sideways and the batter lost his balance while driving.

His students loved him and will remember him with moist eyes and smile on their lips.

Go well, Ustad ji.

Also Read : India crush Scotland, pray for 'Sunday Sensation' from Afghans

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Nov 5 (Cricket news) New Zealand head coach Gary Stead on Friday said beating India in Tests at home in spin-friendly conditions was “one of world cricket’s greatest challenges” and he has no illusion about how tough it would be to face Virat Kohli's men in the upcoming tour.

New Zealand are set to tour India from November 17, right after the T20 World Cup. The two sides will play three T20Is followed by a two-match Test series.

“It is one of world cricket’s greatest challenges, going to India and winning Test matches. We're certainly under no illusions as to how tough that that will be,” Stead told reporters.

Both sides are currently in the UAE for the T20 World Cup.

“India are also in the same situation as us, they're at the World Cup. They've had a long time on the road and I’m not sure what sort of team they'll put out but we know that they're going to be strong whoever they put out against us,” he added.

The 49-year-old coach feels it will be imperative for the touring party to have a clear plan to navigate the turning tracks.

“They have quality spinners, they know how to play in the condition so I think one of the things for us will be getting really clear on the way we play, the way we try and score and attack against their bowlers as well. So, we don't just become sitting ducks if it is a turning wicket.” It will be the first meeting between the two teams in the longest format since the World Test Championship final in June, which New Zealand won.

“It’s always exciting to go to India and play in a Test series. We obviously played them at the World Test Championship and this is the, I guess started the second cycle. It's always a massive challenge going to India so this is a really important series for us,” he said.

The Black Caps will travel with five spinners, including the seasoned trio of Ajaz Patel, Will Somerville and Mitchell Santner. They will be supported by youngsters Rachin Ravindra and Glenn Phillips.

“We've obviously picked a strong spin friendly type team. Five spinners or five people who have the ability to spin the ball." Stead said the fact that New Zealand’s leading spinners haven’t had much match time ahead of the crucial Test series will be one of the challenges heading to India but backed them to come good.

“Yeah, that's one of our challenges. They’ve been training still which has been great. Even small bubbles or even just following in, I guess nets and stuff like that. It's yeah, it's tough on them," Stead said.

“Hopefully they're 10 or so days that they'll have their before we start. That will give them the chance to get acclimatized appropriately and also they can fall back on the experiences that they've had in the past.

“It's not going to be completely foreign to them. They're not going to the subcontinent for the first time.” Asked if it is the best chance for New Zealand to defeat India based on the current form, Stead said: “It's hard to know until we get there that we actually get to the conditions we know we've got one Test in Jaipur and one in Mumbai, they may pose slightly different conditions.

“Sometimes Mumbai can bounce and even seam a little bit at times. But again, until we get there and see what's in front of us, it's hard to know. We go into every series and we try and put our plans in place to say this is the way that we were going to try and play cricket."

Also Read : Third Test in India-South Africa series moved to Cape Town from Johannesburg

News Source : PTI

Abu Dhabi, Nov 5 (Cricket news) A win against the West Indies may not be enough to send Australia into the T20 World Cup semifinals but skipper Aaron Finch feels it is best to focus on the job at hand as worrying about results of other teams clouds one's vision and judgement.

England are set to make the semifinals from Group 1 and Australia are battling for the second spot with South Africa.

Australia have only lost to England so far and they bounced back by demolishing Bangladesh in their last game.

"You'd love to keep it in our control. That's all you can focus on. I think as soon as you start helping other teams win or other teams lose, it just clouds your judgment and your vision.

"That's really important that we just go and stick to our guns, stick to our process because we know that that's good enough when we get it right. So that's important," Finch said on Friday, ahead of Australia's final Super 12 match against West Indies.

Defending champions West Indies are already out of the semifinals race.

"West Indies is such a dangerous side. We saw that when we played them. Obviously with them being out of the competition now they've got nothing to lose, which can also be a really dangerous spot," said the Australian captain.

Finch has found form after a quiet start to the tournament. He made 40 against Bangladesh.

"It was nice to get a few in the middle. I think the first couple of balls I was trying to swing a bit too hard and wasn't watching the ball as close as I should have been," he said.

"But yeah, I feel as though my footwork patterns have been pretty good. It's something I've been working at. Obviously when you're coming off an injury or you're coming back off any kind of layoff, it can take a little bit of time to get back up to speed, but I feel like I'm playing reasonably well, yeah," said Finch.

He also spoke about the change Mitchell Starc has made in his run up which seems to have helped the senior pacer who took two wickets against Bangladesh.

"It was something over the last couple of weeks I think that he's been working on, and he started getting a really good rhythm the other day at training, and he said he felt as though it was a lot smoother, and I know facing him in the nets it felt quick and he was swinging the ball, which is a great sign for Mitch when that's happening.

"Him as a package is unbelievable, when you add in how good he is in the field and with the bat, as well." Cricket Australia on Friday postponed the one-off Test against Afghanistan due to "uncertainty" in the Taliban-ruled country.

Finch said he hopes to play Afghanistan in the near future.

"It would have been a great Test match, but I think to still have that in the schedule at some point down the track is really important for world cricket.

"We've seen particularly in the shortest formats of the game how important and how big an impact that the Afghan team has had on world cricket. Yeah, hopefully that can get back up and running as soon as possible," he said.

Also Read : CA formally postpones lone Test against Afghanistan

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Nov 4 (Cricket news) Batting great Sachin Tendulkar says Afghanistan had no answer to R Ashwin's 'back-flip' ball -- seam facing the leg slip -- during India's must-win T2O World Cup match here in Abu Dhabi.

With an excellent return of 2/14 from his full quota of four overs, Ashwin, who was playing a white-ball game after four years, was one of the architects of India's 66-run win against Afghanistan, which kept their slim chance of reaching the semifinals alive.

"Talking about our bowling we saw Ashwin after a long, long time and what he was able to execute was superb," Tendulkar said in his analysis of India's victory.

"Ashwin's variation ball, the 'back-flip ball', if you see the ball's seam position it was facing towards leg slip. The ball Ashwin developed in the nets no one probably got it. This is one of the reasons that Ashwin ended up bowling four overs but did not concede a single boundary in those four overs.

"Batters need to practice against this delivery and I can tell you that Afghanistan batters were not comfortable against Ashwin." Tendulkar called the scintillating partnership between Hardik Pandya and Rishab Pant the game changer as it helped India post an imposing total, win with a big margin and boost their net run-rate.

"The partnership between Hardik and Pant was tremendous, in the last 3.3 overs India scored 63 runs, which is a strike rate of 300. That was actually a game changer for me, because that was the difference between scoring 195 runs and 210 runs. The bigger the margin of victory the better for us. That was critical for the Indian team." One of the greatest to have played the game, Tendulkar liked the manner in which the opening duo of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul went about their task during their 140-run stand.

"The way Rohit and Rahul batted was brilliant. Afghanistan got it wrong by starting with spinners from both ends. I know (Mohammad) Nabi bowls in the beginning but there was bit of grass in today's wicket, it was hard so the ball was coming on to the bat.

"In such conditions I would say the seamers bowling upfront, using the hardness of the seam, then there is a slight possibility of getting something off the surface." Rohit smashed 74 off 47 balls with eight fours and three sixes, while Rahul made 69 in 48 deliveries, hitting six boundaries and two maximums.

"What I really liked about Rohit's batting was the way he played inside out to off-spinner Nabi. Rohit has showed his experience, he did not try to hit across the line, he went inside out and showed the full face of the bat. So was the case with KL Rahul, very calm and composed and played some exquisite shots whenever there was an opportunity.

"There running between the wickets was very aggressive, in the first six overs when the batters think about sixes and fours, then a lot of times they miss out on singles but that was not the case today.

"Even inside the circle when the ball was played towards mid on and mid off they were running quick singles. I liked that approach." He was impressed with the way their fast bowler Hamid Hassan operated initially.

"I would give full marks to Hamid in the first six overs, he gave just six runs in two overs. When batters of the calibre of Rahul and Rohit are looking to hit the ball, giving only six runs requires a special effort.

"His plus point was he was bowling fast, straight and full up so when you are bowling full up getting the elevation right for the batter by going behind the ball becomes difficult. He was successful in bowling those good yorkers consistently.

"When their main bowler Rashid (Khan) came on to bowl, our batters put pressure on him by taking the singles and attacking him with fours and sixes.

"How many times do we see Rashid giving 36 runs in four overs without taking a wicket, that's very rare. That was only because India batted exceptionally well." Coming off successive defeats at the hands of Pakistan and New Zealand, India kept alive their semifinals prospects with the mauling of Afghanistan.

"All in all, a huge victory like this was needed for us, the way we played and finished the game was remarkable. Well done," Tendulkar signed off.

Also Read : T20 World Cup preview: India take on Scotland in match no 25

News Source : PTI

(Football news) The UEFA Champions League formerly known as the European Cup has been the premier club football competition for nearly 7 decades. There have been a number of clubs who have left their mark on this competition but none come anywhere near Real Madrid.

Los Blancos are truly Reyes de Europa (Kings of Europe), having won the competition 13 times which is 6 more than the 2nd best AC Milan. Their record in this competition is simply outstanding. They hold the record for most appearances, most matches and most goals scored but also for most draws, most defeats and most goals conceded. Their European pedigree is so much more than mere numbers, it is about the aura of the club and it's players. Alfredo Di Stefano, Emilio Butragueño, Ferenc Puskas, Paco Gento, Reymond Kopa, Raul, Iker Casillas, Roberto Carlos, Zinedine Zidane, Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo are some of the legends who have played to the Merengues and stamped their authority on the UEFA Champions League.

In Real Madrid's home UCL game against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday, Karim Benzema netted twice to secure a 2-1 win. The first goal was historical as it was the 1000th UCL goal for Real Madrid. If anyone truly deserves the honour of scoring this historical goal in this current squad it is Karim Benzema. Despite all the historical context, Real Madrid didn't have the best of games as Shakhtar could've stolen the match on various occasions. 

Also read: Robert Lewandowski marks 100th UCL appearance with rare goalscoring feat

There was a point in the game where the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu started jeering the players. Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti in his post match press conference indirectly defended the crowd by saying that it was good that the fans whistled as the players needed to be woken up. With 1001 UCL goals, Real Madrid have 233 more than 2nd placed Bayern Munich. Even if Real Madrid stop playing the UCL, it will take some effort to break any of their illustrious records in this elite competition.

(Football news) The UEFA Champions League is back for the 4th round of group stage matches. Real Madrid, AC Milan, Manchester City, Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and PSG will all be in action on Wednesday night.

After their narrow 2-1 win against AS Roma, AC Milan will host Porto in the UCL. Milan are yet to open their account in the UCL points table this season. A qualification into the knockouts looks very unlikely at this stage. This game becomes a must win for the Rossoneri if they want to finish 3rd and make it to the Europa League at least. The return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic will give them a huge boost as the veteran scored against Roma as well. For AC Milan, Alessandro Florenzi, Samu Castillejo, Ante Rebic and Mike Maignan have been ruled out of the game while Porto will be without Wendell and Mateus Uribe.

Real Madrid will take on Shakhtar Donetsk at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Los Blancos haven't won at the Bernabeu since 23rd September which isn't something that Madrid fans are used to. Real Madrid defeated Elche by 2-1 on the weekend and Karim Benzema was rested for the game. The Frenchman is expected to be back in the starting line up. Vinicius Jr is in red hot form at the moment and will once again be the focal point of attack. Rodrygo and Mariano are likely to miss out after they picked up injuries on the weekend while Gareth Bale, Dani Ceballos and Fede Valverde are still not fit enough to play. There have been a lot of reports about Madrid handing first team debut to Castilla winger Peter Federico who has been impressive for the B team this season.

Signal Iduna Park will see Borussia Dortmund take on Ajax. Dortmund defeated Koln 2-0 at the weekend without Erling Haaland. The Norwegian will once again not be available along with Nico Schulz, Raphael Guerreiro and Mateu Morey while Dan-Axel Zagadou, Mahmoud Dahoud, Giovanni Reyna and Marcel Schmelzer's participation is in doubt. Ajax on the other hand will be missing shot stoppers Maarten Stekelenburg and Andre Onana along with Sean Klaiber, Zakaria Labyad and Noussair Mazraoui. Ajax will be looking to bounce back after their goalless draw against Heracles on the weekend.

Also read: Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid make inroads; Barcelona drop 2 more points at home

Inter Milan travel away to play Sheriff Tiraspol. The Maldivian club has taken Europe by storm after beating Shakhtar Donetsk at home and Real Madrid at the Bernabeu. They did lose against Inter but are still top of the table with 6 points. Apart from Christian Eriksen, all Inter players are fit for the game. Inter come into the match on the back of their comfortable 2-0 victory against Empoli while Sheriff haven't lost a league game since July.

The headline fixture of the day will be happening in Anfield where Liverpool will play Atletico Madrid. Their last game was an entertaining 3-2 win for Liverpool. Atletico will try to repeat their Anfield heroics of 2020. Liverpool faced a setback in the league as they drew at home against Brighton while Atletico Madrid defeated Real Betis 3-0 in the La Liga. Thiago, Fabinho, Harvey Elliott and James Milner will not be at Jurgen Klopp's disposal while Diego Simeone will be without Marcos Llorente, Thomas Lemar through injury. Geoffrey Kondogbia is a doubt while Stefan Savic and Antoine Griezmann are suspended.

PSG will be taking on RB Leipzig after their comeback victory against Lille on the weekend. Lionel Messi, Marco Verratti, Sergio Ramos and Leon Parades will all be unavailable for Mauricio Pochettino. The last time these two clubs met, the French side edged it in the last minute. Despite all these mega signings, PSG have been far from invincible this season and Leipzig will be hoping to beat them to open their account in the UCL this season.

Sharjah, Nov 1 (Cricket news) England opener Jos Buttler on Monday said it was tough to get going initially before completing his maiden international century in the shortest format as he set up his side's 26-run win over Sri Lanka in a T20 World Cup match here.

Buttler's 101 not out off 67 balls proved to be the difference as England posted 163 for 4 after being put into bat and then bowled Sri Lanka out for 137 in 19 overs to register their fourth win on the trot and virtually seal a semifinal spot.

"I think staying patient and keeping my head. I found it really tough early on. I managed to get a really good partnership going with Morgs (Eoin Morgan) and we tried to attack the back end," Buttler said at the post-match presentation.

"We were just trying to get something going, were finding the spin bowlers a bit tricky and thought 120 might be a good score. We each tried to take the small side and target that and I really enjoyed batting with Morgs." Buttler took 45 balls to reach to his half century and then needed just 22 deliveries for the remaining 50 runs.

"I just use the same (bat) all the time. Even in the nets, if I find one I like, I keep it," he said about his bat.

Asked about the final ball six which took him to his maiden T20I ton, Buttler said, "I was trying to guess where he was going to bowl to be honest. I was pretty calm. But I think at that stage I'd batted for a long time, just staying patient and hoping he (the bowler) will miss." Buttler also effected the run-out of Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka with a direct throw in the 18th over of the islanders' run chase, and he described it as a "favourite" moment.

"(The run out) was probably the favourite bit of my day. We were under pressure there for a long part of that chase knowing that (Moeen Ali) had to bowl that (missing over after Tymal Mills left injured), so to take that wicket there was crucial and I was delighted with that." England captain Morgan said he was incredibly proud of his players for the win.

"I felt the guys had to fight unbelievably hard, particularly with the ball and in the first 10 overs with the bat. Conditions continued to change and then Tymal going down asked another question of ourselves," he said.

"But I thought Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali stepped up unbelievably well to support the other guys with the ball. I can't fault our guys tonight. We thought it was challenging for the top of the order.

"I thought our all-round fielding performance was pretty good, given the conditions and how wet things got. We're just delighted with the win." He said Buttler played one of his best ever innings in England shirt.

"It was incredible to be at the other end and watch just the ebb and flow, and then just the sheer domination at the end. He really is one of the best in the game, a privilege to play with and great to have in our team.

"A combination of unbelievable skill level and the calm nature in which he goes about it. He combines them along with reading the game, knowing where and when to score. If he gets on top, he punishes you." Morgan said Sri Lanka have pushed England more than any other team in the tournament so far.

"They've boxed above their weight so far in the World Cup so they should be incredibly proud so far of what they've achieved but we're delighted with four wins." Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said in the whole tournament his bowlers have been outstanding in the first 10 overs.

"It's been a concern for us the back end every game. For most of the guys, it's their first World Cup and the experience is very low. When they gain more experience, they will do good for the team.

"In the second half, we knew the dew factor will be a big factor but losing wickets at regular intervals really cost the match for us. But credit to Jos and Morgan, the way they played they showed the experience behind them in international cricket," he said.

"Six months back, we were not the same team. But these boys have come a long way in this tournament and I am really happy about the way the boys have been fighting."

Also Read : Unfortunate that Chahal not playing in T20 World Cup: Tahir

News Source : PTI

(Football news) Another entertaining matchweek of La Liga is over. Real Sociedad are still on top of the table with 25 points after 12 games played. Real Madrid and Sevilla are on 24 points while Atlético Madrid are on 22 points with 11 games played. Barcelona's struggles continue as they are 9th on the table.

Real Madrid came back strongly after their midweek draw against Osasuna. Karim Benzema was given much needed rest while Luka Jovic wasn't fully fit. Mariano Diaz made his first appearance of the season and provided an assist for Vinicius Jr who scored the first goal. Elche's Raul Guti was sent off in the 63rd minute after a 2nd yellow card. Vinicius was later set up by Luka Modric to score his second with a fantastic chip over the keeper. Real Madrid, up by 2-0 looked in complete control of the game but a mistake from Casemiro and Toni Kroos led to Elche pulling a goal back with 4 minutes left. Real Madrid managed to secure the 3 points thanks to a brace by Vinicius Jr who has already 9 goals this season. Carlo Ancelotti also rested both first choice full backs as Ferland Mendy and Dani Carvajal had to play 25 minutes at the end. Rodrygo and Mariano both picked up injuries in the game and will be out for a while. Los Blancos' will host Shakhtar Donetsk in the UCL on Wednesday. 

Also read: Premier League: Liverpool and City drop points while Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United win comfortably

In Sergi Barjuan first game incharge, Barcelona drew 1-1 at home against Deportivo Alaves to follow their midweek loss against Rayo Vallecano. The Blaugrana dominated 80% possession in the first half but there wasn't any change in their playing style under a new manager. There was a lot of unnecessary midfield dominance without any real danger to the Alaves goal. Memphis Depay scored a sumptuous goal in the 49th to break the deadlock. It only took 3 minutes for Alaves to equalise through Luis Rioja. The game ended 1-1 as Barcelona failed to find a way to penetrate the stubborn Alaves defence. Despite his missed penalty midweek, Memphis Depay is the only silver lining for Barcelona so far this season. To make matters worse Sergio Aguero was taken off right before half time after he complained about difficulty breathing. The forward has been diagnosed with heart arrhythmia, which is a heart rhythm disorder and will definitely be out for their away UCL fixture against Dynamo Kiev

Atletico Madrid broke their 3 match winless run with a commanding 3-0 win over Real Betis. Angel Correa set up Yannick Carrasco who scored the opening goal of the game. German Pezzella's own goal gave Atlético a 2-0 lead before Carrasco set up Joao Felix to seal the 3 points. Diego Simeone's men are back to winning ways at perfect time just before their important UCL trip to Anfield.

Dubai, Oct 30 (Cricket news) India captain Virat Kohli acknowledged the need for a "sixth bowling option" but also kept it open-ended when asked about flamboyant all-rounder Hardik Padya's bowling fitness, stating that the Baroda man "has to be fit to be able to bowl one or two overs".

Pandya has started bowling in the nets but the skipper didn't give any assurance that the all-rounder would be bowling against New Zealand but indicated that he himself might roll his arm over if India happen to bowl first.

"It's very important to have a sixth bowling option -- whether through me or Hardik (Pandya). He should have to be fit to be able to bowl one or two overs," Kohli said on the eve of the New Zealand game.

According to Kohli, it would be game situation which would dictate if they require an additional bowler, which has been India's bane over the past year since Pandya isn't half as effective post his lower-back surgery.

"Game situation dictates when to use your sixth bowling option. In our last match, if they (Pakistan) batted first, I could also have bowled one or two overs.

"But in the second innings when we needed wickets, we just had to bowl our primary bowlers. It's not that a team with six-seven bowling options doesnt lose," the skipper said.

Kohli confirmed that Pandya was "fine" as far as his shoulder injury was concerned but also dropped hints that Shardul Thakur is still not in the scheme of playing eleven as of now but could figure in future.

"Hardik is absolutely fine, if you're talking about the blow on his shoulder," Kohli said adding that Shardul was also in their "plans" On Shardul, Kohli said: "He's (Shardul) definitely a guy who's in our plans, constantly making a case of for himself. He is definitely someone who can bring a lot of value to the team.

"What role he plays or where he fits in, that's something that I cannot obviously talk about right now. But yes, Shardul is someone who's got great potential and he will add great value to the team," Kohli added.

When asked how he assessed Bhuvneshwar Kumar's performance, the skipper said that he won't single out any particular bowler.

"As a bowling group we failed to pick up wickets and we understand that can happen in the sport. These are the same guys who did the job for us for a long period of time. So we understand how things went and where it went wrong." Accepting the failure is the first step towards course correction, feels the skipper.

"We totally accept and know that we got outplayed by the opposition thoroughly. You need to accept that as a professional cricket team without any ego, without any excuses whatsoever. We have given none. And we will not give any excuses moving forward either.

"We lost as a team and that's exactly what we believe in and that exactly was the case in the previous game." Trent Boult possesses equal if not more threat than Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose left-arm inswinging deliveries were found to be virtually unpayable by Indian batters.

But KOhli, very rightly, as any skipper would do, down-played the Boult factor.

"Obviously, he's motivated to do what Shaheen did. We have to be motivated to counter that and try and put pressure on him and the other bowlers as well. So that's basically the game anyway.

"It all depends on how we take the field mentally and how we counter that. We played against all these bowlers for a long period of time. All that matters now is when we step out onto the field what kind of mental frame we are in," Kohli said.

Also read : Kohli slams 'spineless people' for abusing Shami, calls it pathetic

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Oct 30 (Cricket news) Pakistan batting sensation Asif Ali, who has grabbed headlines with his six-hitting prowess in last two T20 World Cup matches, insisted that he has never paid heed to criticism about his selection in the national squad. The 30-year-old's selection for the T20 World Cup squad had caused an uproar in Pakistani media, with many terming his inclusion as "flawed".

He was often guilty of letting the team down in international matches in the past.

"Firstly, I'm far away from social media and don't follow the chatter. I don't know about the criticism," Asif said in the post-match interaction after smashing 25 not out off seven balls to power Pakistan to a five-wicket win over Afghanistan with an over to spare.

Needing 24 off the final two overs, Asif tonked four sixes off Karim Jannat to finish the job in the 19th over as the 2009 champions put one foot in the semi-finals with three wins on the trot.

But Asif did not have a perfect buil-up to the showpiece with critics blaming the Mohammad Wasim-led selection committee for giving him yet another chance after repeated failures.

In domestic T20s, Asif boasted off a strike-rate of 147.02 in 203 matches.

But at the international level before the World Cup, Asif had a modest strike rate of 123.74 from 29 T20Is.

His best score of 41 against Zimbabwe had come in July 2018, and he failed to reach double digit scores from his last four innings.

"The statsmen will only tell you that you have scored 10 runs from three innings (13 runs from three innings)," he pointed out.

"But they ignore the fact that you've played only two or three balls of the last over.

"In my last series (versus Zimbabwe and South Africa), I played at no 6. It's a difficult position, if you don't do well, they just pull out the numbers without getting into details and challenges faced in the middle-order." The Islamabad United batsman further said he had earned his place on the merit of his form.

"I was in and out of the team, but the team wanted me and I was recalled. I was focused on my job. I was playing all the (franchise) leagues around the world, and also the domestic cricket," Asif said.

"I was in fine touch with my game. So, it was obvious that I could play because I was performing," he said.

He credited his turnaround to sheer hardwork at the nets where he had specifically asked the management to prepare him for death overs.

"I did a hell lot of practice for this finisher's role. Earlier I would go and just bat at the nets but then I spoke to the coaches and asked them to prepare me in practice sessions as if I were batting in the final five-six overs," Asif said.

"I did a lot of hard work after struggling in the last few series. You are seeing its result now. I'm really happy with the way the management worked with me and you're seeing the results. Our focus is firmly on winning the World Cup." Asif has been a revelation in the ongoing T20 World Cup and first showed his ominous form against New Zealand where he took their star pacer Tim Southee to the cleaners with two sixes in a row in his 27 not out from 12 balls.

Against Afghanistan, he faced a bigger challenge after Naveen-ul-Haq conceded just two runs and dismissed the experienced pro Shoaib Malik in the 18th over.

"The boundary on the on-side was smaller from the end in that 19th over. But they bowled wide on the off side and that's where I ended up hitting sixes at the bigger boundary. That wasn't exactly the plan, but I just hit the balls I got.

"I kept telling Shoaib Malik we'd target this end, but unfortunately he ended up getting out. Thankfully, we ended up winning the match," Asif said.

He also thanked his former coach and ex-Pakistan captain Misbah Ul Haq for the turnaround.

"I want to thank Misbah with whom I started my career in Faisalabad and later at SNGPL. Then I played under him when he became coach of Pakistan. He worked very hard with me and I'll always be grateful to him. All my coaches have worked with me and I'm thankful to them," he signed off.

Also Read : Shardul not being considered as No 7 batter, India likely to play same team vs NZ

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Oct 30 (Cricket news) Virat Kohli will be facing the most defining test of his captaincy career as he expects his men to be the proverbial "phoenix rising from the ashes" when India take on a street-smart New Zealand in a 'do-or-die' ICC T20 World Cup Super 12 game here on Sunday.

Having endured a nightmare last Sunday against Pakistan, a match that they would like to forget in a hurry, India have a lot of course correction to do against the Kiwis, more so in getting the roles assigned for the players right.

It wont be easy against a quality New Zealand, which will come hard at India having also lost to Pakistan in their opening game. Tim Southee and Trent Boult, especially have been a nemesis for the Indians in big games.

However, their soft underbelly is batting where Kane Williamson is still not hundred per cent and Martin Guptill also had a foot injury. It's effective without being flamboyant, although, Devon Conway is a flashy batter.

And herein lies India's chance but for that, their bowlers need to implement the game plans perfectly, something they couldn't against Pakistan.

Even more important will be execution from two players on whom the team management has heavily invested -- a half-fit Hardik Pandya and an out-of-form Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who have been the weak-links of this Indian team. Hardik, who has not been the cricketer everyone feared since his back injury, is playing to save his India career.

That he hasn't exactly been truthful about the status of his bowling capabilities has been exposed and trying to roll his arm over at the nets speaks volumes of his desperation. His franchise Mumbai Indians are putting him back in the auction pool and time, indeed, is running out for him.

Bhuvneshwar could well be playing his last international tournament. His pace has dropped remarkably in the past two seasons and somewhere he has not been a patch of what his younger competitor Deepak Chahar has been in recent years.

Yet, India have punted on his experience and it's high-time that he delivers before being shunned into oblivion.

India have shown in recent times, at least, in Test arena that they can come back from brink with unforgettable performances but Kohli in his last assignment as T20 captain would like to change the script that always seemed to go awry at global events.

More so, because another failure at a mega event could well mean that there will be aspersions cast on his abilities as a white ball skipper and the 50-over leadership will also come under the scanner.

Kohli is a man, who loves it the tough way. He loves a good scrap and a situation where he envisages that the entire world (even if they are not) is out there to get him, conspiring against him and wants to see him fail.

He gets an adrenaline rush thinking about such a situation from where he is bailing out the team. But of late, Kohli, the skipper and Kohli, the batter haven't been in sync like it had been in the past.

Now there is a world class performer, who is ready to play the waiting game, anchor the innings and happy to bat at a strike-rate of '120-ish', letting others hog the limelight. It's an act of self preservation which he is keeping his and Indian cricket's best interests in mind as he is 33 and at least good six years of top-flight game still left in him.

India's presence till the business end is not just an emotional necessity for its billion fans but also a commercial requirement for the tournament to retain its vigour.

Even after being clubbed in the easier group where three matches, including Afghanistan should be literally walk-in-the-park for these stars who rake in mega moolah per IPL season but are now facing the fear of an early exit from the tournament.

With Pakistan already on six points having played all their tough games (India, New Zealand and Afghanistan) in the first week of Super 12s, they are expected to steamroll Namibia and Scotland en route their expected top place finish in group 2.

This leaves both India and New Zealand in a virtual shoot-out position as whoever wins has a chance to finish on maximum eight points and grab the second place in the group.

However with the dew playing a major role in the evenings, toss is indeed playing a very crucial role in the outcome of night matches. Kohli will be hoping to at least win the toss and may be ensure that KL Rahul and Co don't have to face Trent Boult's 'break back' swingers first up when some moisture would be on offer.

Suryakumar Yadav would like to put up a better performance and Rishabh Pant would certainly like to finish off in style after the kind of start he got against Pakistan.

After what Shaheen Shah Afridi did to India, India would certainly be wary of Boult, who is a more skilful operator than the Pakistani, albeit at lesser pace.

In a nutshell, Kohli faces an acid test of his leadership career, which is reaching business end.

Teams (from): India: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Rahul Chahar New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (wk), James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Mark Chapman, Adam Milne, Kyle Jamieson, Todd Astle.

Match Starts at 7:30 pm IST.

Also Read : T20 World Cup preview: South Africa take on Sri Lanka in match no 13

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) New York Knicks continued their fine start to the NBA season as they beat the unbeaten Chicago Bulls 104-103, Kemba Walker again top scored with 21 points, RJ Barrett also added 20 points to hand Bulls their first loss this season. The victory wasn’t easy for the Knicks, it boiled down to the last possession after the Bulls went on a 12-0 run in the final minutes to nearly tie the score in the end. The Knicks literally had a 104-91 advantage with 3 minutes to play as DeMar DeRozan and Zach Lavine almost inspired a comeback, Zach Lavine top scored for the Bulls with 25 points but the major worry for the fans is that he tore his ligament in his left thumb.

New York coach Tom Thibodeau said, “Right now, we're still getting a feel for each other, every game we're getting better and better. I love the fact that everyone is sacrificing for the team and putting the team first. That's how you win big in his league.''

LaVine said, “It was a good game. It was our first real test and it came down to that last shot. We fought back. I just wish we got into it a little sooner where we could take a lead.''

Golden State Warriors suffered their first loss of the season after they lost to the young and spirited Memphis Grizzlies in overtime 104-101, this was a repeat of the play in game from five months ago that Grizzlies won 117-112 in overtime. Steph Curry scored 36 points but went scoreless in the fourth quarter and in overtime as Ja Morant and co took advantage of this and outscored their opponents. Ja Morant top scored with 30 points with 11-22 shooting, Desmond Bane scored 19 valuable points to snap a two match winless streak for Memphis Grizzlies.

Curry said after the match “The last two shots in regulation, the last one, the game-winner, looked good, those are two shots I'd take every day of the week. Overtime, I think I pressed a little bit, maybe settled a little bit, especially when I didn't have it going from 3, and not getting into the paint and getting my runners off, getting the ball moving. Little critical of myself on those last three shots.''

Miami Heat beat the Brooklyn Nets 106 - 93, Bam Adebayo top scored with 24 points and nine rebounds to better their record to 3 wins and 1 loss. Preseason favourites Nets haven’t had a good start to the season as Kevin Durant did his best with 25 points and 11 rebounds but in the end it was too much for him to do alone, a worrying sign for the Nets fan would be the slow start James Harden is off to as Kyrie Irving still remains unavailable.

Durant said, “I like how we're playing defense the last couple games, I like where our defense is trending. ... I feel like we're generating good shots. We're just (not) knocking them down. If we continue to generate good shots we'll put ourselves in good position”

Los Angeles Lakers suffered their third loss of the season to OKC as Shai Gilgeous Alexander scored 27 points to take them to a 123-115 win. The Oklahoma City Thunder were down by 26 points at one stage as they rallied from behind, this equaled the Thunders biggest comeback in franchise history, to subsequently this was also their first victory of the season.. Early on Westbrook and Anthony Davis dominated the proceedings as they scored 20 and 30 points respectively, Westbrook also managed his first triple double in a Lakers uniform before getting ejected in the final seconds.

Gilgeous-Alexander said Oklahoma City never considered giving up, ''It's a 48-minute game, Crazier things have happened. ... So we knew it was possible. I myself have come back from a deficit almost that big, so I knew it was possible. Just stay the course. Every game, every moment for the whole season.''

Also read: NBA: Lakers win back to back games as Warriors maintain their perfect start to the season

Other significant results were:

• Mavericks 104 - 99 Spurs
• Rockets 91 - 122 Jazz
• 76ers 110 - 102 Pistons
• Wizards 122 - 111 Hawks
• Bucks 108 - 113 Timberwolves

The fixtures to look for tomorrow are:

• Heat vs Hornets
• Nets vs Pacers
• Lakers vs Cavaliers
• Nuggets vs Mavericks
• Raptors vs Magic

(Football news) Real Madrid and Barcelona have both dropped points in the midweek fixtures of La Liga. 1 point against Osasuna was enough to take Real Madrid to the top of the table for the time being. Barcelona however are still 9th on the table. Their loss against Rayo Vallecano was Ronald Koeman's last game incharge as the manager was sacked shortly after the game.

FC Barcelona were handed their 3rd league defeat of the season. Radamel Falcao's 30th minute strike was enough to secure 3 points for Rayo Vallecano. 'El Tigre' twisted and turned Gerard Pique before finding the back of the net with his left foot. Barcelona who were missing Frenkie De Jong and Ansu Fati through injury were completely outplayed in the game. In the 72nd minute Memphis Depay had a golden opportunity to equalise after he won a penalty but Dutch striker's spot kick was saved by the Rayo keeper.

Despite having a mammoth 69% possession, the Catalan club only 1 shot on target which was Depay's penalty. Rayo could've easily scored a couple more if they had been more efficient. Koeman was sacked just a few hours after the loss. Xavi looks to be the prime candidate to take over as Barcelona play Deportivo Alaves on Saturday in what now becomes a must win game. 

Also read: Barcelona sack Ronald Koeman immediately after Rayo Vallecano defeat

Real Madrid played out a goalless draw against Osasuna. The game wasn't a stalemate as Real Madrid did everything right apart from putting the ball in the net. Los Blancos had 75% possession but only had 3 shots on target. Osasuna defended with 9 men behind the ball in the good old fashion park the bus. Real Madrid came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock a few times but weren't clinical enough in front of goal and failed to move the ball around quickly in the first half. 

The Merengues came with more intent in the second half but still couldn't get a goal. On any other day Real Madrid would've scored 5 goals but Osasuna players, in particular their captain David Garcia, defended very well. A good news for Ancelotti is that after 3 consecutive starts Toni Kroos looks to be back to his best once again. The point was enough to take Real Madrid to the top of the table for the time being. Los Blancos travel to Elche on Saturday before hosting Shakhtar Donetsk in UCL next week.

Dubai, Oct 28 (Cricket news) All-rounder Jason Holder on Thursday replaced injured pacer Obed McCoy in the West Indies squad after the event technical committee of the T20 World Cup approved the change.

West Indies, who have lost both their matches, are scheduled to play Bangladesh in Sharjah on Friday.

"Holder, who has played 199 international matches including 27 T20Is, was named as a replacement after McCoy was ruled out due to a leg injury," an ICC release said.

"Holder was a reserve as per the allowance for teams to travel with extra players in view of COVID-19 quarantine requirements," it added.

The replacement of a player requires the approval of the event technical committee that consists of Chris Tetley (Head of Events, Chair), Clive Hitchcock (ICC Senior Cricket Operations Manager), Rahul Dravid and Dhiraj Malhotra (BCCI Representatives), Simon Doull and Ian Bishop (Independent Members).

Also Read : Hardik fit for New Zealand game, bowls in nets for first time in months

News Source : PTI

Abu Dhabi, Oct 27 (Cricket news) Part-time slow bowler Liam Livingstone, who is capable of bowling both leg and off-spin, would be a vital cog in the sluggish UAE conditions as the T20 World Cup progresses, opener Jason Roy said on Wednesday.

After Moeen Ali's two wickets in two balls in Power Play, Livingstone removed both Mushfiqur Rahim and Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah in the middle overs to keep England run-rate ahead during their eight-wicket win in a T20 World Cup match here.

"He's doing extremely well for us and holding up an average is extremely positive," Roy said of Livingstone.

"Especially as the tournament goes on where the pitches might get a little bit harder against spin, who knows, he might have more of a role to play." On a day leg-spinner Adil Rashid returned wicketless, Livingstone returned with 2/15 before Tymal Mills wreaked havoc with 3/27 to restrict Bangladesh to 124/9.

"Yeah, he's been working extremely hard. It's been great having Moeen and Rash (Rashid) on the side as well, and he learns a lot from them and Jeetan Patel, our spin coach, as well, has been giving him some words of wisdom. It's paying off for him." Such was the pressure in the middle overs that Bangladesh played 52 dot balls in their innings.

"We bowled extremely well. Take nothing away from the bowlers. I don't think we took too much of a foot wrong," said Roy.

"We took our catches and fielded and bowled really well. It was a pitch that was on the slow side, and if you bowled straight and on a good length, it was quite hard to get away." Roy gave the team a great start with a blistering 38-ball 61 to make his 50th Twenty20 International cap special.

"We got off to a great start with the bat and then just capitalised on a lower total. We kept it very simple and stuck to what we do best.

"We don't look too much into what a lot of other teams do. We make sure that everything in our camp is right and we're doing our roles right. And today was another day that we bowled extremely well and we were clinical with the bat," he said.

The ultra aggressive approach of the batters is paying off for the reigning ODI World Cup champions and Roy credited it to the team bonding.

"Our camp has been together since 2015 and we've created bonds outside of cricket and on the field, which I think plays a huge part in travelling the world and playing good cricket," Roy said.

"We understand our roles in the team as individuals and as teammates," he said of the success mantra for the top-ranked T20I side.

He looked in complete control against the spin, starting off with a boundary against Bangaldesh ace leftarm spinner Shakib Al Hasan off the first ball.

Roy attributed this to the hard work facing Liam Dawson in nets.

"I worked a hell of a lot against Liam Dawson in the nets. He's been bowling so much to me which has really helped my game." The ultra aggressive approach of the batters is paying off for the reigning ODI World Cup champions and Roy credited it to the team bonding.

"Our camp has been together since 2015 and we've created bonds outside of cricket and on the field, which I think plays a huge part in travelling the world and playing good cricket," Roy said.

"We understand our roles in the team as individuals and as teammates. There's a lot of trust, a lot of friendships, but yeah, we are just a confident side that always want to get better." A day after Quinton de Kock's refusal to take the knee before the West Indies game, England took the knee before the game as they had done against the West Indies in their opening match.

"It's an integral part of the way we play our cricket... Our team is extremely diverse with people from all over the world. It's only right that we support that and we support what they are going through." After two defeats in as many games, Bangladesh's chances to qualify for the semifinals appear remote.

"We still have three matches to go. If we win a match we will regain our confidence," said Nasum Ahmed whose two sixes and one four in a nine-ball 19 not out propped up the Bangladesh total.

Also Read : Morgan says T20 WC show 'huge compliment' of England's progress in white-ball cricket

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Oct 27 (Cricket news) Hardik Pandya on Wednesday bowled in the nets for the first time in months, raising the possibility of him returning to the side for the crucial T20 World Cup game against New Zealand as an all-rounder and giving India a much needed sixth bowling option.

India find themselves in a must win situation after the 10-wicket hammering they got from Pakistan.

Hardik's inability to bowl has disturbed the balance of the side.

Hardik, who last rolled his arms over in the Sri Lanka series in July, did not bowl a single over in the UAE leg of the IPL for Mumbai Indians.

Hardik had also hurt his shoulder while batting against Pakistan and did not take the field after India's innings as he had to go for scans.

On Wednesday Hardik went through fitness drills, which included short sprints, under the watchful eyes of strength and conditioning coach Sohum Desai and physio Nitin Patel.

After that he bowled close to 20 minutes to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shardul Thakur in one of the nets.

India chief coach Ravi Shastri and mentor Mahendra Singh Dhoni closely monitored Hardik's progress.

Following his brief bowling stint, Hardik took throwdowns from batting coach Vikram Rathour.

Hardik played purely as batter against Pakistan but failed to live up to the expectations, scoring just 11 off eight balls.

Hardik's inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad has raised a few eyebrows because of his fitness concerns, which forced India to make a change in their 15-member squad with reserve player Shardul Thakur swapping places with Axar Patel.

Ahead of the Pakistan game, skipper Virat Kohli had said that he expects Hardik to bowl at least two overs at some stage during the tournament.

Also Read : Hardik Pandya's shoulder injury 'not serious' but team management will 'wait and watch'

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) Lakers won their second match in a row over Spurs 124-121, Lebron James opted to sit out this game after he suffered a minor injury against the Grizzlies. Anthony Davis had 35 points and Russell Westbrook added 33 points and 10 rebounds to help the Lakers get an overtime win over San Antonio Spurs. Dejounte Murry recorded his fifth career triple double as it wasn’t enough for them to get over the line. Westbrook arguably had his best in a Laker uniform as he got the freedom to run the offence in the absence of Lebron James, Malik Monk also had a fine performance as he hit the game tying three with 58.6 seconds remaining, he finished the night with 17 points scoring 4 three pointers.

With this result the Lakers have two wins and two losses as the team finally looks to be playing to its full potential. Westbrook said post match, ”One thing the coach always emphasizes to us is togetherness. When [the Spurs] made a run, we stuck together. We locked in on our defensive principles, got some stops and made a run of our own and it made the ballgame.”

Frank Vogel commented after the match saying, “We just got more determined on the defensive end. I thought Dwight had some really great possessions, impacted plays at the rim, and getting some deflections and obviously, Russ was, I think huge during that stretch attacking the rim. He and AD both just had monster nights and we never lost belief, even when we were down, that we were going to win the game. We persevered and got a huge road win.”  

The New York Knicks continued their fine start to the season by 112-99 against the Philadelphia 76ers, new boys Kemba Walker and Evan Fouriner again lit up Madison square garden with 19 and 18 points respectively and in doing so they also helped snap out of a 15 game losing streak against the 76ers. The 76ers were again without Ben Simmons who is still looking to find a new franchise as Tobias Harris top scored in the game with 23 points. With this result Knicks improved their record with 3 wins and 1 loss and as for the 76ers they stayed on 2-2

Warriors continued their unbeaten start to the season by winning 106-98 against OKC as Curry top scored with 23 points but had to rally in the second half to get the victory. Steve Kerr’s side have been super clinical over the past week, winning comprehensively against good oppositions as Curry has been averaging close to 30 points a game. For OKC Shai Gilgeous Alexander top scored with 30 points on 11 of 19 shooting but it still wasn’t enough to get the much needed victory the franchise needs. With this result Warriors sit on top of the Western Conference with 4 wins out of 4, as for OKC they have lost all four matches.

Kerr after the match said. “We knew we were going to take him out midfirst, buy him a few minutes, hopefully do the same in the third, but I didn't feel comfortable doing that, we were still climbing uphill a little bit. We talked to the team in our meeting today at the hotel about exactly what to expect. This is a team that came in 0-3, they played Philly pretty tough in the fourth quarter (on Sunday) and the crowd was into it. They're NBA players. They're all great players or they wouldn't be in the league.''

Also read: NBA: Last years finalist Phoenix Suns lose to Denver Nuggets as both the Bulls and Knicks win

The other significant results were:

• Mavericks 116 - 106 Rockets
• Jazz 122 - 110 Nuggets
• Clippers 116 - 86 Trail Blazers
• Bulls 111- 108 Raptors

The fixtures to look forward to tomorrow are:

• Magic vs Hornets
• Nets vs Heat 
• Pelicans vs Hawks
• Raptors vs Pacers
• Celtics vs Wizards
• Bucks vs Timberwolves
• Thunder vs Lakers
• Clippers vs Cavaliers
   

(Football news) La Liga is back with another set of midweek fixtures. Barcelona lost the El Clasico at home on the weekend while Atlético Madrid dropped a point against Real Sociedad. The pressure will be on those two to try and keep up with Los Blancos. Real Sociedad still remain top of the table but Real Madrid and Sevilla are just 1 point behind with a game in hand. 

Barcelona play away at Rayo Vallecano after their El Clasico disappointment. Ronald Koeman has to get 3 points in this game and that too comfortably. Pedri, Ronald Aruajo, Martin Braithwaite and Dembélé still have a long way to go before returning. Frenkie De Jong and Ansu Fati picked up injuries in the Clasico and could be out of the clash. Radamel Falcao will be a massive threat to the Barcelona defence which is prone to leaking goals. Sergio Aguero is all set to make his first start for Barcelona after 3 substitute appearances. 

Also read: La Liga Review: Real Madrid edge Barcelona to win 4th straight El Clasico; Atlético salvage a point against La Real

After their thumping win against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UCL and 4th consecutive El Clasico triumph, Real Madrid will host Osasuna. The match will give Carlo Ancelotti a great opportunity to rest some of his key players. Karim Benzema may well be one of them as he took part in only one training session before the El Clasico. Thibaut Courtois might be rested after picking up a knock on the knee at Camp Nou. Dani Carvajal played the last 5 minutes in the Clasico and might be asked to start against Osasuna. Ferland Mendy has recently recovered from a long term injury. Ancelotti won't be too keen on making the left back start three games in a row just yet and could start Marcelo. Isco and Luka Jovic are expected to be back in the squad. Dani Ceballos and Gareth Bale are still out with their respective injuries. 

Atletico Madrid will visit Levante for a late Thursday night kick off. Atletico have been 2-0 down for two games in a row which is not something you usually see from Diego Simeone's men even though they did manage to make it 2-2 in both the games. Atletico will be without Thomas Lemar, Marcos Llorente and Stefan Savic. Levante have 3 important players in Shkodran Mustafi, Jose Campana and Sergio Postiga out. Atletico Madrid have two very tough fixtures coming up as they host Real Betis on the weekend and then travel to Anfield in the UCL to face Liverpool.

Dubai, Oct 25 (Cricket news) Young Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi said his plan to trouble the Indian top-order with his fast inswinging yokers worked to perfection as his sensational spell contributed massively to the team's first win over the arch-rivals in World Cup history. Shaheen, who bowled three overs for the first time in the powerplay, was right on the money up front, jolting India twice in his first two overs to give Pakistan a dream start.

"Yes, it was for the first time I bowled three overs in the power play. The ball was moving a bit, the conditions helped and I tried to give early breakthroughs. It really paid off," Shaheen told reporters in the post-match news conference here.

The 21-year-old cleaned up Rohit Sharma with an toe-crushing inswinging yorker in the fourth ball, before packing off KL Rahul in his second over with a peach of a delivery that seamed in.

"My strength is to bowl yorker with the new ball, and give breakthroughs early. Of course, that was our plan and it paid off.

"I was confident that I would be able to get him out if I got a bit of swing or dip early on. It all went according to the plan." He further said he has full support of his skipper Babar Azam as he took 2/19 in three overs and returned at the death to remove Virat Kohli.

"He always asks me to bowl... Yes, it was part of the team plan that I will bowl the first over and then Imand Wasim will come. My goal was to give the team early breakthroughs, and it paid off." Kohli got into the groove after India's stuttering start and took on Shaheen with a six in his third over.

Returning to action in the penultimate over, he finally trumped Kohli with a slower off cutter as the Indian skipper mistimed a pull giving a top-edge to Mohammad Rizwan to depart for 57 off 49 balls.

"I had planned to dismiss Virat but he is the NO 1 player. There is no difference in the batting of Babar and Virat.

"I just bowled how I used to bowl Babar in nets. I didn't get the swing in my third over so I tried to hit the good length or bowl a slower cutter. Wickets are aiding a bit of spin, and pacers are also getting help because the ball is gripping so it's very difficult for the batsmen to go for big hits at the death.

"Rotation is the key here, like Kohli and our openers played. All credit to them -- Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan -- and the way they finished the match." Pakistan rattled off the 152 target inside 18 overs with both Azam and Rizwan, hitting unbeaten half-centuries, handing India their first 10-wicket defeat in T20Is.

"A really good feeling to win against India in the World Cup and a special thing for our Pakistani team. It's good for Pakistan to start well, and yeah, our first game, and we're looking forward to more games." Pakistan will be back in action against New Zealand on Tuesday.

Also Read : Winning one game is not end of the world, says irate Kohli but accepts being 'outplayed'

Newsw Source : PTI

(Football news) Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will be back in La Liga for the first time since the international break. The two big fixtures will massively affect how the table looks after the match week. 

Atletico Madrid will play Real Sociedad at the Wanda Metropolitano. La Real are currently sitting 1st on the table but they have played an extra game. Atletico Madrid lost their midweek UCL fixture against Liverpool while Sociedad won their Europa League clash against Sturm Graz. The winner of the match will most likely go on top of the La Liga table. Marcos Llorente and Stefan Savic will miss the clash due to injuries. Real Sociedad will be with Carlos Fernandez, Nacho Monreal, Diego Rico, Jon Guridi, Mikel Oyarzabal who are all injured. Aihen Munoz is suspended after picking up a red card against Mallorca.

Also read: UEFA Conference League review: Mourinho's Roma embarrassed by FK Bodø/Glimt; Tottenham lose away at Vitesse

The big game of the weekend is of course the mighty El Clasico. Real Madrid and Barcelona will face off for the first time this season at the Nou Camp. A win for Barcelona will take them ahead of their arch rivals in the league table. Real Madrid are the team in better form but for fixtures like this the form book goes out of the window. Real Madrid dismantled Shakhtar Donetsk in the UCL as they won 6-0 away from home while Barcelona got a narrow win against Dynamo Kiev.

Dani Carvajal could be back for Real Madrid whereas Gareth Bale and Dani Ceballos will definitely miss the game. There is a slight possibility that Luka Jovic and Isco could also return but it is still highly unlikely. There are concerns about Karim Benzema's fitness as well after he missed the training session after the Shakhtar Donetsk game. Martin Braithwaite, Ousmane Dembélé, Ronald Aruajo and Pedri are out of contention while there are doubts around the fitness of Jordi Alba which will be a very big concern for Ronald Koeman. Sergio Aguero could make is first start as a Barcelona player.

(Football news) On Tuesday, Real Madrid won 5-0 away at Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League. Scoring 5 goals is a good achievement for any team but what was more important for Carlo Ancelotti's men was that they didn't concede any. Before the game Real Madrid this season had conceded 11 goals in 10 games this season keeping only 3 clean sheets which was majorly because of the brilliance of Thibaut Courtois.

Real Madrid have had a very leaky defence this season. One of the reasons might be the absence of first choice right back Dani Carvajal which leads to Nacho or Lucas Vazquez playing out of position. Ancelotti's tactics of attacking and Real Madrid not pressing well enough are also partly to be blamed for it.

Another reason and the big one was the absence of Ferland Mendy. Both Mendy and Marcelo have missed the start of the season. Ancelotti has tried using Miguel Gutierrez, David Alaba, Nacho and Eduardo Camavinga at left back. None managed to bring the balance that a natural left back like Marcelo or Mendy would. 

After arriving in 2019, Mendy made his place in the team under Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman became first choice left back ahead of Los Blancos legend Marcelo. His pace and defensive instinct was so important for the 2019/20 Real Madrid team that won the league. Although his attacking was always inferior to Marcelo or even Miguel Gutierrez for that matter, his contribution in defence was second to none.

Also Read : Ansu Fati signs a new long term contract with Barcelona till 2027

Mendy suffered an injury in April 2021 which kept him out for a couple of weeks. According to reports the full back was rushed back to play the UCL semi final against Chelsea which worsened his injury. He was ruled out for the entire season and was set to be ready to play from the beginning of the 2021/22 season, but another relapse meant that he had to wait a little longer. The French full back played 69 minutes against Shakhtar Donetsk. He created a chance and had a passing accuracy of 94%. 

Having Mendy play on the left gives Vinicius the freedom of staying up top and getting in behind the defence to use his pace. Mendy also provides adequate cover for David Alaba who plays at left center back. Alaba likes to venture forward by carrying the ball into the opposition half to try and whip a cross or create a chance. Mendy's return has come at the perfect time just after the international break and right before the El Clasico.

(Basketball news) The match between the Suns and Nuggets was a story of two halves, ultimately the Denver Nuggets came out on top as they used lockdown defence and clutch 3 point shots to start off their campaign with a 110-98 victory. Last year's MVP Nikola Jokic started off the campaign with 27 points and 13 rebounds on 13 of 22 shooting from the field as he was too much for the Suns defence to handle, on the other hand Mikal Bridges top scored with 16 points as Chris Paul and co couldn’t get themselves in a groove in the second half

Knicks edged out Celtics 138-134 after playing two overtimes, in what was an enthralling game between these two historical franchises. Evan Fournier in his first match for the New York Knicks scored a career high with 32 points and also hit the game winning three pointer with 56 seconds left in the second overtime. Earlier Jaylen Brown scored 46 points to inspire his team to make a comeback in the fourth quarter as they were down by 11 points, subsequently Brown broke the franchise record for the highest number of points scored on the opening night but ultimately his efforts went in vain as they lost by 4 points in the end. Last year’s most improved player Julius Randle top scored for the Knicks with 35 points, 9 assist and 8 rebounds to help inspire them to a historic victory.

The Chicago Bulls won 94-88 against the Detroit Pistons, this season the Bulls have made significant changes to their roster adding the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Lonzo Ball. These players made their debut and did not disappoint as they scored 17 and 12 points respectively but all the headlines were grabbed by their franchise cornerstone for years Zach Lavine who top scored with 34 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assist. Jerami Grant did his best to inspire a comeback but his 24 points wasn’t enough for them as the Bulls defeated the Pistons for the eight consecutive time.

In tomorrow's matches, the two next generation superstars Trae Young and Luka Doncic go head to head as Hawks take on the Mavericks. Last year's surprise package Hawks will be looking to continue from where they left off from last season as they made it to the Eastern Conference finals under coach Nate McMillan in his first full season. For the Mavericks they will be heading into a new era as coach Rick Carlisle will not be in there for the first time since the 2007-08 season as they have appointed former Dallas player Jason Kidd as their new head coach. 

Also read: NBA: Lakers and Nets both lose their first match of the season as Giannis and Steph Curry both shine on the opening day.

The Miami Heat will play their first match against defending champions Milwaukee Bucks. The Heat will have a renewed vigour and passion to make this year's final after a disappointing season last year, this season Miami have added some extra firepower in the form of former NBA champion Kyle Lowry and also Victor Oldapio who was added to their roster last season will come back from a recurring injury. Miami mainstays Jimmy Butler and along with Bam Adebayo will be hoping that they inspire them to go all the way and win a NBA championship together. This season the Heats have been portrayed as the dark horse for the Championship by the former players and experts.

Last year's Western Conference Finalist LA Clippers will take on Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are coming off good form after beating the Lakers and will hope to repeat the same against their city rivals. For Clippers, the task in hand will be difficult as their talisman Kawhi Leonard will be out for quite some time as he suffered an ACL injury in the Western Conference Finals. All the onus will be on Paul George to lead the franchise before Kawhi Leonard comes back.

The other significant results were:

• Trail Blazers 121 - 124 Kings
• Jazz 107 - 86 Thunder
• Spurs 123 - 97 Magic
• Grizzlies 132 - 121 Cavaliers
• Pelicans 97 - 117 76ers
• Raptors 83 - 98 Wizards 
• Hornets 123 - 122 Pacers
• Timberwolves 124 - 106 Rockets
   

Melbourne, Oct 21 (Cricket news) Seasoned Australia batter Steve Smith says a "terrific" Indian team is packed with some serious match winners going into the T20 World Cup, alluding that Virat Kohli's side will be one of the favourites to lift the title.

India thumped Australia by eight wickets in a warm-up game with Rohit Sharma (60), K L Rahul (39) and Suryakumar Yadav (38) all getting some runs under their belts.

Kohli did not lead the side but came out to bowl as India were still figuring out their sixth-bowling option.

"They're a terrific side, they have got all bases covered and some serious match winners in there," Smith was quoted as saying by 'Sydney Morning Herald'.

"They've obviously been playing in these conditions during the last couple of months with the IPL so they'll be used to that," he added.

Smith himself scored 57 off 48 balls in the game, crossing the 50-run mark for the first time since he struck 86 for NSW against Queensland in March.

"It was nice to spend a bit of time in the middle again. It’s never easy when you're three down.

"You have to rebuild for a period there and I thought we did that pretty well. The partnerships with Stoin (Marcus Stoinis) and Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) were obviously important." Smith, who had given the tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh due to an elbow injury, said he is feeling "good and ready to go now".

He featured in two games for the Delhi Capitals in the second leg of the recently concluded IPL.

"I haven’t obviously played too many games with the IPL but I’ve spent a lot of time in the nets and getting used to the conditions, which has been nice," he said.

Also Read : Rohit finds his groove as India outplay Australia in final warm-up; also enter Kohli the '6th bowler'

News Source : PTI

(Football news) On Tuesday, Real Madrid ran riot over Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League. Los Blancos scored 5 and also kept a clean sheet. At the centre of the action as has been the case this season were Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema. Vinicius scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist while Benzema scored 1 and assisted another in addition to influencing the opening own goal.

It is the perfect case of the master and the apprentice but it hasn't been smooth sailing by any means between these two. When Vinicius came to Real Madrid as an 18-year-old, a 30-year-old Benzema was already a Real Madrid legend. When Vinicius broke into the first team Benzema took him under his wing and the Brazilian had an instant impact with his lightning quick pace and wonderful close control.

The expectations at Real Madrid are very high and one that doesn't change for any player. As Vinicius started playing more and more games, the focus shifted on the Brazilian's poor decision making and abysmal finishing. As time went by Vinicius' lack of confidence was clearly visible when he stopped trying to do tricks and taking on players. He would instead play it safe with a sideways and backwards pass. 

Also read: UCL review: Liverpool edge thriller against Atlético Madrid; Messi's brace rescues PSG; Real Madrid run riot over Shakhtar Donetsk

Karim Benzema would often be left frustrated with the Brazilian and that frustration came out in a UCL game against Borussia Mönchengladbach. After losing their opening UCL game against Shakhtar Donetsk at home in embarrassing fashion, Los Blancos were 1-0 down at half time away at Mönchengladbach. Benzema was caught in the tunnel camera talking to fellow Frenchman Ferland Mendy about Vinicius. Benzema told Mendy to not pass the ball to the Brazilian claiming that he is playing against Real Madrid.

Los Blancos ended up drawing the game in dramatic fashion but the talking point after the game was what Benzema had said. Zinedine Zidane claimed that the pair had spoken to each other and buried their differences if any. The manager also claimed that these kinds of incidents were normal in football and that it had happened to him as well. Vinicius had always maintained that Benzema is his idol and the best player in the world.

This season, Carlo Ancelotti has turned Vinicius Jr into a different beast and the Brazilian already has 7 goals and 5 assists in 11 games this season. Benzema has 11 goals and 8 assists. The pair have combined on multiple occasions this season and are arguably the hottest attacking duo in the world right now. Real Madrid need the duo to fire on all cylinders in their upcoming game which is the mighty El Clasico.

(Football news) A temporary ban has come into effect, voted by 18 Premier League clubs as concerns grow over commercial and sponsorship deals linked with businesses that have links with the clubs owners. An emergency meeting was held by Premier League clubs after Newcastle United’s takeover by Saudi backed Public Investment Fund (PIF) was approved as concerns were raised that the new owners could sign lucrative deals with state-owned companies.

A similar situation occurred when Sheikh Mansour purchased Manchester City in September 2008 and signed lucrative partnerships with Etihad Airways to rename the Manchester City stadium ‘Etihad Stadium’, thereby circumnavigating the Financial Fair Play regulations as the deal was shown as a revenue for the club. Sheikh Mansour is the deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Etihad Airways is owned by the Government of Abu Dhabi, a classic example of a new owner signing a commercial/sponsorship deal with a state-owned company. Other notable clubs in the Premier League that have signed similar agreements is Leicester’s deal to rename their home venue to King Power Stadium and Everton’s sponsorship of USM Finch Farm.

Ironically, Newcastle United voted against the temporary ban while Manchester City abstained after their lawyers advised that the vote was unlawful. According to the Premier League’s financial fair play regulations, clubs can make a maximum losses of £105m over a rolling three-year period. Commercial deals with links to the owner would allow clubs to spend more than their approved limit, thereby getting an unfair competitive advantage in the league.

While the temporary freeze is in place, talks are being held for a permanent rule change with one Premier League executive saying “"If we didn't have the ban, there would have been nothing to stop Newcastle signing, say a £100m naming rights deal for their stadium with a Saudi company linked to their owners. They could then have used that money to buy players in January and get around our financial fair play rules.”

All deals that involve a “related party investment” are subject to a market value test to ensure that the value of the deal is not artificially inflated, which would be in breach of the Premier League rules. In the next shareholder’s meeting in November, the working party will get back to the 20 Premier League clubs to discuss the matter further with an aim to make financial regulations more watertight and become a permanent addition in the Premier League rules.

Also read: UCL review: Liverpool edge thriller against Atlético Madrid; Messi's brace rescues PSG; Real Madrid run riot over Shakhtar Donetsk

(Basketball news) Steph Curry lit up the night with his first triple double since January 2016 as he scored 21 points 10 rebounds and 10 assists for Golden State Warriors who came back from 10 points to stun Lebron James and the new Los Angeles Lakers by 121-114 in the season opener.

The Lakers were dominant all throughout the first three quarters as LeBron James and Anthony Davis showed the world why they are the best duo in the league, James scored 34 points and 11 rebounds while Davis had 30 points and 11 rebounds. Ultimately it was the fourth quarter that proved to be decisive as they got out scored 38-29, no other Laker players even scored in double figures as Frank Vogel and his coaching team will try to get the best out of this roster. Newly added star player Russell Westbrook couldn’t make a big impression as he shot 4 of 13 for 8 points in his Lakers debut.

Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t let their first title in their history distract them from their title defence as they breezed past the Nets in the opening night. Although Kevin Durant and Patty Mills scored 32 and 21 points respectively, the bucks were too strong in the end as they won 127-104. Although Bucks won the game, it came at a cost as their star player Jrue Holiday got injured with a bruised right heel and subsequently sat out the second half of the game.

Nets were missing star guard Kyrie Irving after his refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccine, James Harden had to step up but couldn’t deliver up to his expectations as he scored 20 points making 6 of 16 shots. On the other hand after Holiday’s injury, Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton stepped up their game and each scored 20 points to secure a comprehensive victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

“We can’t give a team 20 more shots than us. Imagine coming to a game and saying, here, take the ball 20 times on offense before we get an offensive position. This is one game out of 82 of them. We’ll look at it that way. Every team will look at it that way. The Bucks won today, but they are still trying to fine-tune what they do, too. I think every team in the league is going to look at their first few games, first few weeks and see where their team is going and then make adjustments” said Kevin Durant after the loss to the bucks.

Antetokounmpo said. ''I'm excited. But now it's over with. We've got to focus on building good habits, keep moving forward and keep playing good basketball and hopefully we can repeat this again this year, next year and all the years that we're going to be here down the road.''

Brooklyn coach Steve Nash said. ''We weren't very good, If you're not playing at a high level against the champs, you're not going to win.''

In tomorrow’s matches we will see last year’s finalist Phoenix Sun take on Denver Nuggets as just one of the marquee fixtures tomorrow. The Nuggets will most likely be without last year's MVP Nikola Jokic as he is recovering from an ankle injury as they will have to heavily rely on Aaron Gordon to score the majority of the points to get a win over the rampant Suns who will head into the match with a fully fit squad. The New York Knicks take on the Boston Celtics in their opening fixtures, the Knicks last season were a surprise package making the playoffs after 10 years but this season after the acquisition of Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier they will be hoping to make the conference final at least. As for the Celtics they are going through a transition period as they will heavily rely on their young players Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown to produce the goods.

Also read: Everything to know about the 75th NBA season as Lakers and Nets start as favourites for the Championship

The other fixtures for tomorrow are:

• Hornets vs Pacers
• Pistons vs Bulls
• Raptors vs Wizards
• Timberwolves vs Rockets
• Pelicans vs 76ers
• Grizzlies vs Cavaliers
• Jazz vs Thunder
• Trail Blazers vs Kings
•  Spurs vs Magic   

(Football news) The UEFA Champions League never fails to entertain fans all around the world and yesterday was no different. It was a day of incredible individual feats as Mohamed Salah became the first Liverpool player to score in 9 consecutive matches. Karim Benzema became the joint 4th top goalscorer in the history of Real Madrid.

Manchester City pushed Club Brugge aside with a 5-1 victory. Joao Cancelo broke the deadlock in the 30th minute set up by Phill Foden. Riyad Mahrez doubled the lead right before half time after winning and scoring a penalty. Kyle Walker and 19-year-old academy graduate Cole Palmer scored to make it 4-0 to Manchester City. Brugge did get a goal back through Hans Vanaken. Riyad Mahrez completed his brace in the 84th minute as Manchester City won 5-1.

PSG won a 5-goal thriller against RB Leipzig at home. After just 9 minutes, Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring with a thunderous right footed strike. In the 28th minute Andre Silva equalised for Leipzig after being set up by Angelino. Nordi Mukiele gave his side the lead 12 minutes into the second half. Mbappe continued to cause Leipzig problems as he set up Lionel Messi's equaliser and also won a penalty which the Argentine converted. Mbappe later had an opportunity in injury time to put the game to bed but he blasted his spot kick over the bar. 

Also read: UCL Matchweek 3: Barcelona play a do or die game against Dynamo Kiev; out-of-form Manchester United host Atalanta

Liverpool won a UCL classic at the Wanda Metropolitano against Atlético Madrid. The Reds scored twice via James Milner and Naby Keita before 13 minutes. Atletico Madrid then took control of the game and started to attack more. Antoine Griezmann scored twice in 14 minutes to make it 2-2. The Frenchman's joy was halted in the 52nd minute when the referee showed him a straight red card for a high boot. Atletico Madrid came very close to going in front a few times, forcing Allison to make a couple of very good saves. Mario Hermoso gave away a clumsy penalty which Salah converted to put Liverpool back in front. Atletico were given a penalty in the dying minutes of the game but VAR overturned the decision and the game ended 3-2.

Real Madrid dismantled Shakhtar Donetsk 5-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu. Los Blancos’ front three of Karim Benzema, Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo were all on the scoresheet. The trio combined for a total of 16 shots, 8 key passes, 4 goals, 2 assists in the game. After an initial dominance of possession, Shaktar completely lost their hold on the game as Real Madrid's iconic midfield of Toni Kroos, Casemiro and Luka Modric proved to be too good for them. Carlo Ancelotti before the game said that the time for experiments is done and it was a result that backed his comments.

(Basketball news) The 75th NBA season is starting with the new trend of super teams in fashion as the likes of Lakers and Nets just added more superstars to become outright favourites to go all the way to the final. This year, teams will be back to playing a full 82 game season with full capacity stadiums as 30 teams will be participating, divided into the Western and Eastern Conferences.

A lot of historical records can be broken this season as Golden State Warriors star player Stephen Curry is set to become NBA’s all time leading three point shooter, he needs only 143 threes to overtake the legendary Ray Allen. Gregg Popvich, the manager of San Antonio Spurs begins his 26th year as a coach, needing only 26 wins to pass Don Nelson for the most victories in NBA history. LeBron James keeps on breaking records as he is going to start in his 19th season, with a total of 35,367 points as he's on the cusp of breaking Karl Malone (36,928) to become the second highest scorer in NBA history.

The Eastern Conference this season is packed with talent and will be an interesting watch to see how teams will adjust to their relatively new roster. Last season's champions Milwaukee Bucks will again win the Conference as well as the Championship this season but their task won't be easy especially teams like Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat all having improved significantly this season. Some of the dark horses from last year like the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks also added all star calibre players in their roster to make the Eastern Conference even more competitive than last season.

The Western Conference was full of surprises last season as the Phoenix Suns made the NBA playoffs after 11 years and shocked everyone when they reached the finals. This gives an indication on how tough the Eastern Conference is, at least 12 teams are eyeing the 8 spots in the NBA playoffs. This season again Lakers will be favourites to come out of the Western Conference as they probably have the best roster on paper but the likes of LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trailblazers, Dallas Mavericks can cause an upset and go to the NBA final. The unpredictability and the world class players present in the Western Conference tends to be more in the limelight and this season with each roster stacked the competition is going to be tougher.

The race for this year's MVP will be an intriguing watch as last year's winner Nikola Jokic will be looking to make it 4 consecutive MVPs for players from Europe. The likes of Giannis  Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry and LeBron James will all be looking to retain the trophy this season. Some new aged superstars like Luka Doncic, Trae Young and Ja Morant  can also be in the MVP reckoning as they have consistently been their franchise cornerstone in the recent years. 

Also read: Los Angeles Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets: The battle between two superteams

The 75th NBA season tips off tomorrow with two mouthwatering fixtures between Brooklyn Nets vs Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors at 5 am and 7.30 am respectively. The two championship favourites will battle it out with two former champions is quite a first day matchup for basketball fans. Brooklyn Nets arguably have the best offensive players in Kevin Durant and James Harden in their ranks and will be looking to avenge their loss they had in the Eastern Conference final last season. For the Milwaukee Bucks, their roster remains the same and will be looking to repeat last year's feat by beating the mighty Brooklyn Nets as Ginnas and Khris Middleton will be the key players to look out for if they are to cause an upset.

The LA Lakers are coming off a pretty terrible preseason having lost all their six matches as they will be looking to start the season fresh with their new big three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook who will be playing for the first time together against the Golden State Warriors. As for GSW all eyes will be on Steph Curry as he will have to wait 2 or more months for his partner in crime Klay Thompson to return to the court after a 2 year long injury. Lakers have mostly got their 2020 winning squad back as LeBron looks to equal Michaell Jordan's six championship rings.

(Football news) UEFA Champions League continues to bring fans exciting games. Liverpool, Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, PSG, Barcelona, Manchester City, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund will all be in action on Tuesday in the prestigious UCL.

Manchester City travel to Club Brugge in an attempt to comeback after their defeat against PSG in the previous UCL game. City came into the game on the back of a comfortable win against Burnley. There are question marks over the availability of Ederson and Gabriel Jesus after their late arrival from international duty. It goes without saying that Manchester City will be heavy favourites but as it stands Brugge are ahead of them on the table and they also managed to hold PSG to a draw. If they do manage to take away something from this game then Brugge might be on their way to do something special this season.

Two of the best breeders of talent go against each other as Ajax host Borussia Dortmund. Erling Haaland and co. won 3-1 against Mainz at the weekend whereas Ajax defeated Heerenveen by 2-0. Raphael Guerriero, Gio Reyna and Mahmoud Dahoud will miss the match due to an injury while there are still doubts over Marcel Schmelzer's fitness. The two strikers Sebastian Haller and Erling Haaland are in red hot form and the two will have a massive influence on the end result.

The big game of the week is Atlético Madrid taking on Liverpool at the Wanda Metropolitan. Liverpool are almost unbeatable at the moment and Mohammed Salah is in the form of his life. The Merseyside club ran riot over Watford at the weekend but this is a completely different ball game. Atletico Madrid will defend deep which might cause Jurgen Klopp a few headaches along the way. The game comes too early for Curtis Jones and Thiago Alcantara to come back while Atletico will be without Stefan Savic who is suspended.

Also read: Ansu Fati leads Barcelona comeback to secure much needed 3 points against Valencia

AC Milan travel away to Porto in an attempt to open their account in their UCL comeback season. The two teams are at this moment battling for the 3rd spot behind Liverpool and Atlético Madrid. Milan are in the midst of an injury crisis as Ante Rebic, Alessandro Florenzi, Mike Maignan, Junior Messias, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Frank Kessie, Theo Hernandez, Brahim Diaz are all set to miss the game due to various reasons. 

Inter will host Sheriff Town who have shocked the entire world by defeating Real Madrid at the Bernabeu as they sit on top of the table with 6 points whereas Inter have got just 1 point. If Sheriff Town manages to win this game then it will be a legendary event in every possible way. Inter will be my missing Stefano Sensie through injury.

PSG will play RB Leipzig at Parc des Princes. A late Mbappe penalty helped the French club defeat Angers at the weekend. Despite all the dream team and Galacticos 2.0 talks PSG haven't been all great this season. Neymar and Lionel Messi should be fit to play the game. Keylor Navas and Leondro Parades are injured while Angel Di Maria is suspended for the encounter.

Real Madrid travel away to Shakhtar Donetsk, a team that defeated them twice last season. Madrid's last UCL game was an embarrassment as they lost at home against Sheriff. Marcelo and Ferland Mendy have returned to the squad while Isco, Gareth Bale, Dani Carvajal and Dani Ceballos remain out while Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic are newest to join the treatment table. Madrid's weekend game was postponed which has given them ample time to prepare for this game.

Dubai, Oct 18 (Cricket news) Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood says getting sufficient game time in the just-concluded IPL in the UAE was "perfect" preparation for the T20 World Cup and could stand him in good stead in the showpiece.

The 30-year-old returned to the IPL even as pace colleagues Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Kane Richardson opted out of the second leg of the lucrative league and remained at home.

"That was my thinking going in," Hazlewood, who plays for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, was quoted as saying by Australian media.

"Conditions, the elements here - it's quite hot - and just getting a run of games of T20 cricket leading into the World Cup. It's been perfect." Having been part of CSK's triumphant campaign, he has now linked up with the national squad in Abu Dhabi.

Hazelwood, who has a fair knowledge of the conditions and slow nature of the pitches in the UAE, has played more T20 games in the past six months than he had in the previous six years, thanks partly to leagues such as the IPL.

"I feel pretty confident in my role now," he said.

"It's pretty similar role whether it's for Chennai or Australia – a couple (of overs) up front and then a couple at the end. So (I'm) feeling more confident with every situation I'm in.

"You can never dominate T20 cricket as a bowler, I don't think. There's just so many different elements. But I'm feeling good about my game." He played nine games in the second half of the IPL and was one of CSK's major wicket-takers.

Having missed matches for Delhi Capitals in the IPL's second leg owing to a calf injury, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis is back bowling in the nets and could feature in the team's World Cup opener against South Africa in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Also Read : I'm actually pretty optimistic about Australia's chances: Hussey

News Source : PTI

(Football news) Manchester United’s season is consistently getting from bad to worse as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men were comprehensively defeated by Leicester City 4-2 at the King Power Stadium to end their record of 29 games without a defeat away from home in the Premier League. The pressure is mounting for the Norwegian as his team are now winless in their last three league games with disjointed performances becoming a theme for the season.

Mason Greenwood opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a stunning strike but Youri Tielemans equalized with a looping effort 12 minutes later, taking full advantage of some shoddy defending. Caglar Soyuncu put Leicester ahead in the 78th minute in the 78th minute but Manchester United pulled one back through Marcus Rashford but Jamie Vardy restored the lead just one minute later. To add to Solskjaer’s woes, Patson Daka scored Leicester’s fourth goal in a thoroughly deserved three points for Brendan Rogers’ side.

Liverpool ran riot at Vicarage Road as Claudio Ranieri’s return to the Premier League ended in the worst possible way for The Hornets. Sadio Mane opened the scoring just eight minutes after kick off, scoring his 100th Premier League goal in the process. Roberto Firmino scored the first of his three goals in the 37th minute while Mohamed Salah continued his excellent form with another brilliant individual goal. Firmino scored his second goal in the 52nd minute before getting a hat-trick in injury time. With this result, Jurgen Klopp’s team are second in the league table, one point behind Chelsea and are 18 games unbeaten in all competitions. 

Premier League champions Manchester City got all three points against Burnley despite not winning 5-0 like each of their last four encounters at the Etihad Stadium. Bernardo Silva opened the scoring in the 12th minute from a close range rebound finish but Pep Guardiola’s men could not find further openings for a big chunk of the match until Kevin De Bruyne scored his third goal of the season in the 70th minute to get all three points. City are third in the Premier League table, one point behind Liverpool and and two points behind league leaders Chelsea.

Chelsea returned on top of the Premier League table with a narrow 1-0 victory over Brentford at the Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday. Ben Chilwell scored his third goal in three matches for both club and country with a fantastic half volley to seal all three points for the Blues. Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo hit the post in both halves. The win would not have been possible without Edouard Mendy’s heroics, who made saves from substitute Saman Ghoddos, Pontus Jansson and Christian Norgaard to ensure Chelsea won their sixth game of the season.

Also read: Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani urges the Premier League to ensure FFP regulations are adhered to amidst Newcastle takeover

Dubai, Oct 17 (Cricket news) Former India opener Gautam Gambhir is of the opinion that star all-rounder Hardik Pandya can be a part of the Virat Kohli-led team's playing XI in the T20 World Cup only if he is able to bowl at his best in the warm-up matches.

Hardik has not bowled regularly for India and his IPL side Mumbai Indians since returning after undergoing a back surgery in 2019.

Hardik was initially chosen in India's 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup as a batting all-rounder but as it became increasingly clear that he may not be able to bowl during the showpiece, the selectors brought in Shardul Thakur at the expense of Axar Patel to beef up the seam-bowling department.

"For me, Hardik Pandya gets into India's playing XI only if he does proper bowling in both warmup games, not only in the nets. There is a huge difference between bowling in the nets and against quality batsmen like Babar Azam and that too in the World Cup," Gambhir said on Star Sports show Game Plan.

"He has to bowl in the practice matches and the nets, and he has to bowl 100 per cent. If you are thinking that you will come and bowl just at 115-120 kph, I will not take that risk," the World Cup-winning former opener added.

Hardik has been troubled by multiple injuries in recent years. He did not bowl a single delivery for the Mumbai Indians during both legs of IPL 2021 and even missed a couple of matches due to fitness issues.

Also Read : We haven't seen the best of KL Rahul yet: Gambhir

News Source : PTI

London, Oct 16 (Cricket news) England pacer Mark Wood has asserted that Ben Stokes' potential late inclusion into the Ashes squad, after the all-rounder returned to nets earlier this week, has "not once" crossed any player's mind, saying that the main concern remains his recovery.

In July, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had announced that the star all-rounder was taking an indefinite break from all forms of cricket to focus on his mental wellbeing while also recovering from a finger injury he had suffered during the first leg of the IPL.

He missed the home series against India and wasn't included in the T20 World Cup and Ashes squads.

However, the 30-year-old posted a video on his social media of his return to training earlier this week, giving rise to speculation that he could still feature in the five-Test series which is due to begin in Brisbane on December 8.

"Not once among any of the players has Stokesy been mentioned," Wood was quoted as saying by The Guardian.

"The one thing at the forefront of everyone's minds is they just want him to be all right. No one wants to even think past that.

"We just want him to be himself and feel right and happy and stuff like that. So not once has it crossed anyone's mind about the Ashes," he added.

England are the reigning ODI champion and Wood said the side has the potential to become the holders of the T20 World Cup as well.

"We've got a huge chance and we've got a great team. Everybody talks about a four-year cycle for the next (ODI) World Cup but I still feel like we're in that (2019) cycle.

"There's very similar players. Whoever's come in has got up to speed quickly, has got into the team ethos and the way the team plays," Wood said.

"I feel we've got a good time now as a one-day side to cement something pretty special. The 50-over competition had a brilliant effect, so it would be great to continue that," he added.

Also Read : This year was my favourite contest with Virat: Anderson

News source : PTI

(Basketball news) The influence that some of the biggest athletes in sport have on the wider public has never been more powerful than it is today. Cristiano Ronaldo has 355 million followers on Instagram, the most on the social media platform. The younger generation have always wanted to emulate their sporting heroes and with the existence of social media, that urge has only magnified tenfold.

Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving is currently in the middle of a rather public and unhealthy debate about COVID-19 vaccines. Irving is one of the biggest names in the NBA ever since he was the number one draft pick in 2011, he’s more than an athlete, he’s an icon, philanthropist and one of the six vice-presidents of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA). Fittingly, Irving has also admitted to being a “conspiracy theorist” which may explain the underlying reasons behind the current debacle he finds himself in. He has apologized previously for his “earth is flat” comments and has been sharing conspiracies about microchips in the Moderna vaccine on social media.

Taking into account his esteemed position not just as a basketball player but also as a social media influencer, it’s fair to say that Kyrie Irving has been a poor role model for the younger generation. While everyone is entitled to make a “personal choice”, Irving has been publicly vocal about his decision to not take the vaccine, easily influencing the millions of people who look up to him. Publicly denouncing the vaccination can have dangerous, potentially lethal consequences for those who he can influence. COVID-19 is well and truly prevalent in our societies and it’s clear that Irving is swimming against the tide with 95% of NBA athletes already vaccinated.

Also read: Fans vote Diana Taurasi as greatest ever WNBA player

Former basketball superstar Michael Jordan has publicly sided with the NBA and their COVID-19 protocols. In an interview with NBC’s “TODAY” Jordan said “ I am totally in unison with the league, and I think everybody, you know, has been speaking about the vaccinations. And, you know, I’m a firm believer in science and, you know, I’m going to stick with that and hopefully everybody abides by whatever the league sets the rules. I think once everybody buys in, we’re going to be fine.”

Jordan isn’t the only one as fellow Hall of Famer Abdul-Jabbar told Rolling Stone, “There is no room for players who are willing to risk the health and lives of their team-mates, the staff and the fans simply because they are unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation or do the necessary research" while Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard said getting vaccinated was a “simple decision”. 

While the NBA has not implemented a vaccine mandate for players, labelling the public issue as a ‘personal’ decision for each player, the problem lies when the decision being made is not “personal” anymore. Irving took to Instagram Live to say “Do what's best for you, but I am not an advocate for either side. I am doing what's best for me. I know the consequences here, and if it means that I'm judged and demonised for that, that's just what it is, that's the role I play.”

Irving is willing to pay a heavy price for his decision, $380,000 per game to be exact and with 41 home games in a regular season, the total amounts to $15.6m. However, the biggest price that could be paid might be from all the individuals who choose not to get vaccinated because their basketball hero isn’t getting a jab either.

(Football news) Although the international break is often a headache for the clubs where players pick up injuries, it is also a rest period which allows injured players. Here are 3 players who will be returning from injuries to look out for:

Ferland Mendy:

Ferland Mendy hasn't played a game since Real Madrid's UCL Semi final defeat against Chelsea where he picked up a calf injury. Mendy had missed a few games before that due to the same issue as well hence a few reports suggested that he was rushed back for the important game. He was set to return at the start of the season when he relapsed. Mendy is now reported to be in contention to start in Real Madrid's UCL clash against Shakhtar Donetsk. The Frenchman has been an incredible signing for Real Madrid as he managed to bench club legend Marcelo. His return is very good news for Ancelotti who has made it very clear that new signing David Alaba will primarily play at center back. Marcelo is also in the last stages of his recovery so it remains to be seen who the Italian manager chooses as his first choice left back.

Also read: Manchester United travel to Leicester City while Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool face tough away fixtures

Sergio Aguero: 

Barcelona's new signing Sergio Aguero is yet to play a single minute in Blaugrana colours. The striker signed for free with Barcelona with an intention of playing with Lionel Messi. Messi's departure combined with his injury woes have meant that Aguero hasn't had a great start to life with the Catalan club. Barcelona are struggling at the moment and if Aguero can start firing like he has done so consistently with Manchester City then their season could still turn around.

Marcus Rashford:

Marcus Rashford is another player who has missed the season so far due to a shoulder injury. The forward is back in training and is expected to be back very soon. Despite the mega signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, United have struggled. Jadon Sancho hasn't settled into the side yet. Rashford's return could provide a major boost to the side. Rashford is someone who has admitted to idolising Ronaldo and playing with him may get the best out of the 23 year old which will eventually be beneficial for Manchester United.

(Football news) The International break is finally over and the Premier League is back with matchweek 8. Chelsea and Liverpool are joint top of the table followed by Manchester United and Manchester City at number 3 and 4.

Liverpool play Watford at Vicarage road in what will be Claudio Ranieri's first game in charge of The Hornets. Liverpool will welcome back Trent Alexander Arnold who is fully fit to start again. There are doubts over Diogo Jota who was called up by Portugal for the international break but didn't fully train with the team. The game comes too early for Thiago Alcantara who will not be available. Watford on the other hand will have Joshua King, Christian Kabasele, Francisco Sierralta and Oghenekaro Etebo. Liverpool will have a lot of tired legs with many players playing over 90 minutes in the past week of international duty. They also have an important UCL clash with Atlético Madrid on Tuesday which may force Jurgen Klopp to rest his key players. Ranieri wouldn't think of a better way to start his new job than beating the table toppers.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a very big game to focus on as Manchester United take on Leicester City away from home. Leicester City away in itself is a tricky fixture but it is definitely the easiest fixture United will have for a while. Their next fixtures are Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham in the league and Atalanta twice in the UCL. It's make or break time for Manchester United's season and a good win at the King Power stadium will set the foundation for this tricky period. United have been handed a fresh injury with Raphael Varane set to be out for a couple of weeks in addition to Harry Maguire. Marcus Rashford is on his way back and may feature on the bench. Leicester City will be without Wilfried Ndidi, Wesley Fofana and Nampalys Mendy through injury while Jonny Evans remains a doubt. Manchester United's Portuguese duo Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo have had a very productive international break and will be hoping to carry that form into the club level.

Manchester City will host 18th placed Burnley who have had a terrible start to their season with no wins with 7 games. It's too early to say but this might be the season Sean Dyche's Burnley finally gets relegated. A point at the Etihad might shift their fortunes but at this moment in time it looks very unlikely. Ilkay Gundogan and Oleksandr Zinchenko will not be available for selection for Manchester City while Burnley will be without Maxwel Cornet and Dale Stephens while club captain Ben Mee is also a doubt.

Also read: Barcelona host Valencia to try and get their season back on track

Chelsea travel to Brentford for a tricky away fixture. Chelsea players Reece James, Romelu Lukaku, Antonio Rudiger, N'golo Kante and Christian Pulisic are all in doubt for the fixture due to injury and illness issues. Brentford defender Kristoffer Ajer's involvement is also in doubt. Brentford have already held Liverpool at home this season and will be hoping to get a result against Chelsea as well.

Tottenham Hotspur will be in the loudest stadium in Europe this weekend. Newcastle's St. James' Park will be roaring after the recent turnover in the club. A week ago, Newcastle completed a takeover from the Saudi’s who are 10 times richer than the Manchester City owners. Ever since the move was made official there has been celebrating Geordies all around Newcastle and the game against Spurs will be a festival. The situation will be a hostile one for Tottenham. Spurs will be without Steven Bergwijn while Matt Doherty and Ben Davies remain doubtful. Callum Wilson is back in training and could start the game. Jamal Lascelles and Joe Willock's involvement remains doubtful.

After a disastrous start Arsenal's season looks to be back on track now. They face their very own Patrick Veirra's team Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium. Crystal Palace are currently 14th on the league table and would be hoping for at least a point. Anything less than 3 points for Arsenal will be a failure as they are the in-form team. Granit Xhaka is the only absentee for Arsenal while Eberechi Eze and Nathan Ferguson remain long term absentees for Palace.

(Cricket news) Curtis Campher has 13 caps for Ireland since making his debut in 2020, the 22 year old has recently overcome an injury and looked the most comfortable out of the other batters against the UAE by scoring 22 runs from 16 balls.

In a press release by Cricket Ireland Campher said “To be honest, yesterday wasn't great with either bat or ball. We had managed to restrict them well, but let it slip towards the end - and they took the momentum into the break after some great death-overs hitting.”

“We certainly discussed our approach afterwards as a batting unit, but the nature of T20 cricket is often 'if it's not your day, it's not your day'. We are obviously very disappointed with the result as we thought we could have chased down that total - but losing early wickets in the powerplay brought pressure, and the wicket wasn't the easiest to get going on. Take nothing away from the UAE though, the nature of modern-day international cricket is that the standards are high and there are so many good players out there.”

“On the whole on this tour, though, the wickets have played pretty well. It's been a little tricky adapting from the nets to one ICC field, then to another ICC field, however, the communication flow between the coaching staff and batters has been excellent, which has made dealing with conditions a lot easier.”

Campher had an injury-plagued home season, but has now put that well behind him: “It feels really good to be back on the park - it's been a long summer back home involving a lot of rehab, but thankfully I'm now fully fit. I'm feeling comfortable bowling and batting, and really enjoying my cricket right now.”

“With my bowling, it’s really a case of taking on whatever role the captain asks me to and whatever is best for the team. At the moment I'm just trying to make an impact on the game and crack it open for the team. Whether it's the first over, last over, 11th over - wherever it is - I'm just trying to make an impact and  do what's best for the team.”

This morning Cricket Ireland confirmed that Campher was one of five Irish players granted approval to feature in the Abu Dhabi T10 League next month: “It's a privilege and honour to have been asked to play in the T10 League – franchise cricket is definitely something I would like to get involved in more over time, but this year will be just a lovely opportunity to get out there and showcase Irish cricket, not just my own brand. It was a bit of a shock to receive the offer, as I didn't think it would happen this year after my injury, but now I'm looking forward to getting going with the team and hopefully making an impact on the team.”

“The Abu Dhabi T10 is a relatively new and fast-paced game, and I'll have to get my head around it. I'll be having a few chats to Stirlo and some of the more experienced lads to get a feel for what to expect, but it's a great opportunity for me to play another form of cricket.”

Also read: T20 World Cup: USD 1.6 million for winners; two drinks interval of two and half mins per innings

T20 WORLD CUP – THE DETAILS

FIXTURE SCHEDULE

Pre-T20 World Cup – preparation period

5 October 2021: Ireland v Scotland – warm-up match
7 October 2021: Ireland v UAE – 1st T20I
8 October 2021: Ireland v UAE – 2nd T20I
10 October 2021: Ireland v UAE – 3rd T20I (ICC Academy Oval 1; start 9am local time)
 
Official T20 World Cup warm-up matches

12 October 2021: Ireland v Papua New Guinea – warm-up T20I (Abu Dhabi; start 2pm local time)
14 October 2021: Ireland v Bangladesh – warm-up T20I (Abu Dhabi; start 6pm local time)
 
T20 World Cup - Round 1

18 October: Ireland v Netherlands (Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi; starts 10am GMT)
20 October: Ireland v Sri Lanka (Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi; starts 2pm GMT)
22 October: Ireland v Namibia (Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah; starts 10am GMT)

THE T20 WORLD CUP SQUAD

The squad is:

Andrew Balbirnie (c), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Josh Little, Andrew McBrine, Kevin O’Brien, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Head Coach: Graham Ford.

Reserve players: Shane Getkate, Graham Kennedy, Barry McCarthy.

Dubai, Oct 10 (Cricket news) Mahendra Singh Dhoni walks the talk when he speaks about having an uncluttered mind while doing the finishing job for Chennai Super Kings, something he did with elan on Sunday against Delhi Capitals to take his team to the record ninth IPL final.

Dhoni scored 18 off six balls to ensure CSK's smooth passage into the final against DC in a successful chase of 173.

"I've not done a lot in the tournament, so wanted to look for the ball and see what the bowler can do. I was batting well in the nets. But wasn't thinking too much, if you think too much while batting then you mess your plans up," Dhoni said at the end of the match.

He praised DC for bowling well and exploiting the big boundaries to good effect.

"My innings was a crucial one. Delhi has a very good bowling attack. They exploited the conditions well, so we knew it would be tough. My plan was simple, see the ball, hit the ball." Dhoni said that he keeps his chats with team's premier batter Ruturaj Gaikwad simple.

"Whenever Ruturaj and I have a chat, its a simple chat. Want to know what he was thinking. Its good to see how well he has improved. He is someone willing to bat 20 overs," he said.

On promoting Shardul Thakur to No 4, Dhoni said that he wanted to check out if he can get a couple of boundaries which can make a difference when the gap between runs required and balls left is 15 to 20.

"Shardul has done decent batting, as has Deepak. He/they are allowed to go for the shots from first ball unlike other top-order batters." It was the situation that prompted him to send Robin Uthappa at No. 3 instead of Moeen Ali.

"Robin enjoys batting at the top but Moeen has been excellent at No. 3. But we have created a situation where either of them could bat at No. 3 depending on the situation and the opposition." Dhoni feels the kind of practice they got the last season after being knocked out of play-offs helped this season as it was evident with Ruturaj scoring 600-plus runs with one more match to go.

"Last season was the first time we didn't qualify into play-offs. But we wanted to just make use of the 3-4 games left last season and a lot of our batters made use of that. That is the reason why we have come back strongly this season." DC skipper Rishabh Pant was disappointed with the outcome but vowed to comeback strongly in next game.

"Obviously, it is very disappointing, and I can't have enough words to describe how we are feeling." The decision to use Tom Curran in the 20th over was based on his performance during the first three overs in which he got two for 14.

"I thought Tom bowled beautifully throughout the match, and so I thought better to use him for the last over. The score was decent, and they got off to a flier. That was the main difference. We are going to rectify our mistakes, learn from it and hopefully, we can move on and play the final." 

Also Read : Clash of two captains: Kohli's RCB faces Morgan's KKR in IPL Eliminator

News Source : PTI

Abu Dhabi, Oct 7 (Cricket news) Mighty impressed with pace sensation Umran Malik, who sent down the IPL's fastest delivery against his franchise, India captain Virat Kohli said the Jammu and Kashmir youngster's growth needs to be monitored to ensure his potential is maximised.

The 21-year-old from Jammu has got everyone excited with his raw pace and clocked 152.95 kph during the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore here on Wednesday. Kohli was paying attention and was quite excited by what he saw.

"This tournament throws up talent every year, good to see a guy bowling at 150 clicks. It is important to understand the progress of individuals from hereon," Kohli said in the post-match presentation after his team lost the game by four runs.

"The pool of fast bowlers being strong is always a good sign for Indian cricket and whenever you see talent like this, you are going to have your eyes on them and make sure you maximise their potential which is already being seen at the IPL level," he added.

Umran's IPL debut was against Kolkata Knight Riders and he clocked 151.03 kmph, which was at that time the fastest delivery by an Indian this season. His 152.95 kmph zinger last night made him the fastest of the IPL, surpassing Lockie Ferguson (152.75 kmph).

SRH skipper Kane Williamson counted him as one of the positives of a largely disappointing season for his team.

"Umran certainly is special. We've seen him in the nets for a couple of seasons. Special opportunity for him and it's not surprising to see him come and do well. (He has) Been a really valuable addition to the side," said Williamson.

"I try and keep it really simple with him but he's got a lot of mates in the team and they share the message and he takes the game on," he added.

The youngster has risen through the ranks despite humble beginnings. His father owns a small fruit shop in Jammu's Gujjar Nagar area.

On his T20 debut, he picked up 3/24 against Railways which included the wicket of former India player Karn Sharma, who was beaten for sheer pace.

Also Read : Tennis ball cricket is key to Umran's pace: Parvez Rasool

News Source : PTI

(Basketball news) Spanish basketball player Pau Gasol has retired from the sport after a long and successful career that has spanned 23 years. The 41 year old won two NBA Championships and three Olympic medals in his illustrious career. Speaking from an opera house in Barcelona, Gasol said “I'm going to retire from professional basketball. It's a difficult decision after so many years, but it's a decision that I really thought over." In attendance were his former teammates and family members, including his wife, his brother Marc and his young daughter.

Gasol made his professional debut in 1998 for Barca as a centre after which the 7 foot 1 inch player was signed by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001. The Spaniard was selected in the All-Star team on six occasions and won the NBA title with the L.A Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He has also played for Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Milwaukee Bucks and spent four months at Portland Trail Blazers despite not playing due to injury.

Gasol had a successful playing career for his country, winning the World Championship in 2006 and European titles in 2009, 2011 and 2015. He helped Spain win a silver medal at the Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012 and guided his country to a bronze medal in 2016. Despite being injured for almost two years, Pau Gasol made a full recovery to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where Spain was eventually knocked out of the quarter-finals to eventual winners USA. 

While announcing his retirement, Gasol spoke about his battle to overcome the stress fracture he suffered on his left foot in 2019. "Not many doctors thought I'd be able to recover but I'm a person who likes challenges and I wanted to fight to do the improbable. I got to the point where I was relaxed about my career ending, I was at peace, but, when things went well, I took the decision to sign for Barcelona, which wasn't in my plans. I managed to win the league with the club where it all began and where I made my debut. It's been very special."

The 41 year old also paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant with whom he won two NBA titles. “I'd have liked him to have been here today but sometimes life is unfair. He taught me to be a better competitor, a real winner, I considered him like an older brother.” 

Also read: Los Angeles Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets: The battle between two superteams

New Delhi, Oct 4 (Cricket news) Parvez Rasool stood thunderstruck when Umran Malik tormented the KKR batsmen on his IPL debut with his sheer pace, clocking 150kmph on speedometer and Jammu & Kashmir's original cricket icon is confident that the 21-year old is a derby race horse.

Numbers can be deceptive but Rasool, the only cricketer for the region to have played international cricket, has a good eye for talent and even he was stunned at the improvement shown by the 21-year-old Jammu boy.

Form many, Umran's IPL debut against KKR on Sunday may get a slot in Ripley's 'Believe it or Not' as he clocked 151.03 kmph (93.84 mph), the fastest delivery by an Indian this season.

Also, 11 out of his 24 legitimate deliveries were above 145 kmph (90mph) as SunRisers Hyderabad handed him IPL debut.

"He is very talented boy. When I played him in the nets, he was quick. Woh bahot teekha thaa (he was pretty fast) but this was at a different level," Rasool, the Jammu and Kashmir captain, who has played white ball cricket for India, told PTI on Monday.

"He was literally hurrying the batters with sheer pace. I was very proud to see him hold his own at such a big stage." Umran is not well-built like most fast bowlers but is sturdy. So, where does this pace come from? "Look, I don't think in his initial years, he had formal coaching before joining the coaching camp of District Sports Council. He used to play a lot of tennis ball matches on hire for Rs 500 or 1000.

"If you look at some of our best fast bowlers including Jasprit (Bumrah), they have all been tennis ball cricket products.

"The light weight of the tennis ball means that to generate pace, you need that extra effort. This kid developed strength and pace by playing tennis ball games that he would play in and around Jammu," Rasool reasoned.

Rasool didn't initially know Umran until he saw the boy accompany Abdul Samad (his teammate at SRH) to the Jammu and Kashmir nets.

"He is very close to Samad. It was Samad who got him to the state team nets. I think when he was at the U-19 level, he had a bit of consistency issues and that's why I don't think he played a lot of games at the Cooch Behar or Vijay Merchant Trophy," Rasool recalled.

"However even then, he was very quick for a 18-year-old and would bowl in mid 140s regularly. Facing him in the nets wasn't an easy job. "However he was picked last season for the trial games where he troubled some of our top state team batters and we included him for the Mushtaq Ali Trophy," Rasool said.

On his T20 debut, he picked up 3/24 against Railways which included the wicket of former India player Karn Sharma, who was beaten for sheer pace.

Rasool believes that the fire in him comes from the fact that he hails from a very humble background. His father owns a small fruit shop in Jammu's Gujjar Nagar area.

"His family has had their share of financial struggles and obviously that spurred him to do well. But I would give a lot of credit to SunRisers Hyderabad management which included him as a net bowler and has certainly worked on his raw talent which shone through on IPL debut.

"He has certainly increased a yard or two of pace and that is SRH's coaching staff's credit," Rasool observed.

Sunrisers skipper Kane Williamson called Umran a "silver lining" and it was only possible to give him opportunity because they are already out of contention.

"Umran is a special talent, one of the silver linings of where we are, which is certainly not desirable but we have been able to expose a number of younger players.

"Talent in India is immense, so many young guys are ready to go. It was great that Umran was able to get an opportunity tonight," said Williamson after the IPL match.

Rasool feels that Umran is far from a finished product and needs to play a lot more matches in domestic cricket as he has the potential to become a big asset for any team that he plays.

"He bowls at 150 clicks and if he can consistently get one swing (inswing or outswing) going his way at that pace, batters will not be able to handle him.

"He has now played just three games at this level and once he plays Ranji Trophy, he will get even better. The more match situations he faces, the better match awareness he will possess," opined Rasool.

"In the end, we need such cricketers playing for Jammu and Kashmir. He will be an automatic selection for Ranji Trophy this season and it would be good to see him play the red ball cricket," he added.

Also Read : Seeds of Arshdeep Singh's stellar IPL run were sown in Sri Lanka

News Source : PTI

(Football news) The Premier League’s first managerial casualty has occurred already with Watford sacking Xisco Munoz who has taken his side to seven points from seven games. However, his last match against Leeds United ended in a 1-0 defeat at Elland Road which proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the Spaniard who was in charge for less than 10 months.

The 41 year old helped Watford gain promotion to the Premier League since his arrival in December 2020 and The Hornets are currently 14th on the table, a position deemed not good enough by Munoz’s employers. A statement issued by the club on Sunday said “The board feels recent performances strongly indicate a negative trend at a time when team cohesion should be visibly improving. The Hornets will always be grateful to Xisco for the part he played in securing last season's promotion and wish him well for his future career in football. No further club comment will be available until the imminent announcement of a new head coach."

The club's appraisal of Xisco Munoz’s performance seems harsh, especially considering that Watford defeated Aston Villa 3-2 and knocked out Crystal Palace from the Carabao Cup. It’s fair to say that while Munoz is the first sacking in the Premier League, he probably won’t be the last. In a statement issued on social media, Munoz said “It's been a wonderful journey and it concluded in a way that I neither expected nor wished for. I'm grateful and I will only remember all the good things I have experienced. It's a sad day for me and my family because it marks the end of a period at a club and in a city where we have felt at home. 

“I've got nothing but words of gratitude for the club that gave me the opportunity to start my first adventure in this exciting country. My heartfelt thanks to the players for putting blind faith and believing in me and my staff from the first moment so that together we could achieve the dream of promotion to the Premier League. And many thanks to all the members of the club who don't appear in the photos, because they are essential for the proper functioning of this team. You made my life so much easier. Finally, I would like to make a special shout out to the fans. It's only been a year, but I will never forget its intensity and the treatment you have always given me over the years. I will always be a Watford FC fan."

Former Chelsea and Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri is set to become the 13th permanent boss since the Pozzo family took over Watford in 2012. Reports indicate that the 70 year old will be offered a contract until the end of next season in his fourth managerial position in the Premier League. Ranieri famously guided Leicester City to their first and only Premier League victory in 2016, he also managed Chelsea in 2000 before the introduction of Jose Mourinho and has been at the helm of Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Inter Milan and Roma. His first match as Watford manager will be against Liverpool at Vicarage Road.

Also read: Premier League: Liverpool vs City thriller ends in a draw as Chelsea get back to winning ways and Manchester United drop points again

Dubai, Oct 1 (Cricket news) Punjab Kings skipper K L Rahul says his team can make the IPL play-offs consistently if it learns to handle pressure better and not lose games from commanding positions.

Punjab Kings, who tend to snatch defeat from jaws of victory, beat Kolkata Knight Riders here on Friday to keep their play-off hopes alive.

"I'll take the two points," said Rahul at the post-match presentation when asked about his side being part of another tense finishes.

KKR made 165 for seven and Punjab got home with three balls to spare.

"We played it smartly. Realised it was a decent wicket and can't experiment too much. We went slightly defensive with the ball. There wasn't much spin and wanted to make the batters hit to the bigger side.

"With the bat also we've given clear roles to the players. Obviously we want to finish games. The win will give us confidence and hopefully we'll build on it," said Rahul who scored a match-winning 67.

Rahul had to leave out spinner Harpreet Brar who has done well for the team.

"These are things that kill me as a captain. Don't want to leave out the Indian boys. With a heavy heart had to leave Harpreet out. Had to see what would be our best XI with Chris (Gayle) leaving the bubble." He also praised Shahrukh Khan who finished the game for Punjab.

"Shahrukh has been batting brilliantly in the nets. Saw how strong he is in the first phase. He's asking a lot of questions and wanting to finish games. "Today he played proper cricket shots, got a few boundaries and we all know he can hit the ball a long way. He can finish games, has done it for Tamil Nadu." Asked about the play-off changes, he added: "Often we've put too much pressure on ourselves. Everybody knows we are a far better team. Putting too much pressure on ourselves is not helping. Every game we've fought till the end." "If we can handle pressure, we will be among the top teams," he added.

KKR skipper Eoin Morgan said fielding let them down.

"Initially we didn't field that well, we put catches down, myself early and other guys. It has cost us. When the game gets that tight towards the end, extra few wickets down would have helped us. Equally I thought we fought hard, batted really well and probably had a par score." Talking about Rahul Tripathi's catch of the Punjab skipper in the 19th over not being adjudged clean by the third unpire, Morgan said: "I thought in real time it was out." "Obviously when you slow things down and analyse it.. that the third umpire thought otherwise and his decision is made, that's final and we need to get on with it.

"But it would have been nice if we had got that wicket. I think everyone that went out there found it difficult to get going initially, it was not an easy wicket to start on. But after having a strong 13-14 overs we didn't capitalize on that platform." Opener Venkatesh Iyer was among the runs again and has been the find of the season for KKR.

"He's a real find for us, has been with us the whole campaign and we have watched him in practice.. above all his attitude is fantastic for a guy that plays fearlessly as he does with the bat.

"He takes a lot of responsibility with the ball, Dre Russ leaves a huge gap in the all-rounder position for us but to have someone come in and contribute is really outstanding.

"We have played some great cricket in the second half and have some positives to take away from tonight as well. Two more games to go, we will fight hard and hopefully get a couple of good results and be in the Play-offs," he added.

Also Read : Jaiswal hoping to convert starts into big scores after speaking to Kohli

News source : PTI

(Football news) The Serie A race is getting interesting and as of now 4 teams are competing for the top spot, with Juventus showing their recent resurgence, the Serie A title scrap will get even more interesting. Napoli have a 100% record but will face their first proper test against Fiorentina in match week 7, so the likes of AC Milan, Inter Milan and AS Roma can take advantage of this situation.

AC Milan take on Atalanta in a tough fixture away from home, Stefan Poli’s side will be hoping to bounce back after the midweek loss to Atletico Madrid. AC Milan will be without Zlatan yet again and Giroud might be on the bench as Poli will continue to show faith in these youngsters who have been exceptional this season. For Atalanta they will be high on confidence after beating Young Boys in their Champions League match as their league form hasn’t transcended that much as they lie 7th in the table.

Juventus take on Torino in the Turin Derby as Allegri’s side will be high on confidence after getting a huge victory over Chelsea in the Champions League. Ater a terrible start to the season, Juventus have finally found their mojo as they have won 3 successive matches. The only concern going into the match for the ‘Old Lady’ will be the injuries to Dybala and Morata as they both suffered muscle injuries. These injuries would mean that a lot of onus will be on Chiesa to perform and score goals.

Inter Milan take on Sassuolo in what could be a tricky fixture for the former champions. Inzaghi’s would be hoping for a better performance this week after back to back draws against Atalanta and Shakhtar Donetsk. Inter will head into the match with most of his first teamers barring Stefano Sensi who could be out for a long time. This season, Inter have scored 20 goals for the first time since the turn of the century. Edin Dzeko and Lautaro Martinez will again be the key players for Inter

Napoli face off Fiorentina in what could be their first proper test of the season, Spalletti will be left disappointed after losing to Spartak Moscow in the Europa League as his side will hope to bounce back in the league. Napoli made a lot of changes to their lineup to keep the side fit for the weekend fixture. Napoli need to neutralise the threat of Dusan Vlahovic as the defence will have a tough task ahead.

AS Roma take on Empoli as Jose Mourinho will be hoping to leave the disappointment of last week's derby loss to Lazio. Roma won their Conference league match against Zorya Luhansk 3-0, Mourinho would be hoping that this performance instills a renewed confidence in the side. Mourinho too made a lot of changes midweek to keep his side fresh for the weekend fixtures. Tammy Abraham and Pelligrini will be the key players to watch out for.

Also read: Premier League: Liverpool to face Man City while Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United look for three points

The other fixtures to keep an eye on:

• Bologna vs Lazio
• Sampdoria vs Udinese
• Verona vs Spezia
• Genoa vs Salernitana

Dubai, Sep 30 (Cricket news) Every budding cricketer has a hero while growing up and it is no different for Ireland batsman Paul Stirling, who looked up to Virender Sehwag and Australian Damien Martyn in his formative years.

In a virtual interaction arranged by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Stirling recalled the days when he tried to copy Sehwag.

"I probably had two batsmen that I loved watching, one was Damien Martyn, he was nice to look up (to), pleasant on the eye, aesthetically pleasing, someone I can never emulate and Virender Sehwag, the other one I watched. (I) loved his play through the off-side (and) tried to copy a lot of his stuff, not very well be it,” “…but (I) loved watching those two bat, and used to watch Test cricket at home, which was not really the normal thing to do in Belfast as a 10-year-old,” added Stirling, who has played 134 T20s, 3 Tests and 86 T20s.

Like Sehwag, despite the outside criticism, Sterling, who made his T20 debut versus Pakistan in 2009, did not change his technique.

Was it a conscious effort to not change it? “It is something that you learn as you go on, there would be a lot more noise for Sehwag than there will be for me. I just think it doesn’t, it shouldn’t affect your performance, it only affects your performance, if you actually take it in from outside, it doesn’t help in any way.” Sterling, who had a “sporting” family and a “cricket ground” which was near his house, recollected how he fell in love with the game.

“Cricket was mainly the one that I probably fell in love with the most from the earliest age from about five (years old)." Sterling also said that he watched the Indian Premier League games and he was “surprised” to see the wickets at Sharjah.

He also stressed that he will have to work equally hard to play both the spinners and the seamers in the T20 World Cup.

“Definitely we got to work hard against spin and in nets we got to prepare well but also keep eye on the fact that something that you have your eye on like (while) playing spin, don’t forget the seamers as well and the other factors that come into it, so there is lot of skill (needed) for seamers to be played against as well,” he signed off.

The T20 World Cup will be played in Oman and the United Arab Emirates from October 17 and Ireland will first lock horns with Netherlands at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on October 18. 

Also Read : Cricket Ireland unveils new Men's T20 World Cup shirt with Exchange 22 as sponsor

News source : PTI

New Delhi, Sept 30 (Cricket news) When Ricky Ponting speaks, all Avesh Khan does is listen to the former Australian captain with rapt attention.

The Delhi Capitals fast bowler, who has taken 18 wickets from 11 games, has been in good form during this season and he feels that his head coach inputs on cricket as well as the mental aspect of the game, helped him evolve as a player.

"It is my fourth year with Ricky sir and I can say that he has been a legendary player and an equally great coach. He talks about the mental aspect of the game. Just listening to him in the dressing room gives me goosebumps. He has an open mind and you can discuss anything you wish with him," Avesh told PTI Bhasha in an interview.

His toe-crushing yorkers has earned praise from none other than world's fastest bowler Anrich Nortje, who wants to understand how he is so consistent with that kind of an effort ball.

Well, Avesh revealed that his process of fine-tuning blockhole deliveries is no different from other speed merchants who also either keep a shoe or a handkerchief at the front-crease.

"I always try to practice as much as yorkers at the nets. It is a wicket-taking delivery and one can bring perfection with practice only. I use a bottle or cone or even my shoe for that. When the ball hits the target, it enhances my confidence too ," said the Indore lad, who is enjoying a breakthrough season in IPL.

"It is very important to land perfect yorkers in pressure situations at it is the only delivery which can save a bowler from getting punished by the batter. I always try to welcome the new batter with a perfectly executed yorker," he added.

Happy with his performance in the current IPL season Avesh is aiming to maintain this form to help Delhi Capitals winning their maiden title.

"It has been a dream-like journey so far. I started playing Cricket as a hobby and was always very passionate about the game. When I used to play with a tennis ball in Indore , I had never thought of coming so far,' said the former India U-19 pacer, who was in the reserves during the tour of England before a fracture cut short his tour.

With Kagiso Rabada, Nortje and Avesh in their armoury, Delhi Capitals have one of the strongest fast bowling attacks in IPL 2021 and all three of them are eager to learn and feed from each other's success.

"I have been learning a lot from them. I keep asking them about the pitch, which bowl will work for a particular batter or what to bowl in a particular situation. Our focus remains on working as a unit , not on individual performances," he said.

He was first spotted by former cricketer Amay Khurasia , his mentor, at an MPCA trial at the age of 13. The Indore quick had been a regular feature in the India A sides . His Ranji coach Chandrakant Pandit also helped him to improve and till now he speaks to him before or after every match.

He also sought advice from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has always been an inspiration for small-town boys who have made it big in cricket.

"Mahi bhai has inspired a lot of youngsters . I also wanted to play under his captaincy. I spoke to him after the match against CSK and he told me many things about the game which I will always follow," said the pacer who also took Dhoni's wicket in the previous match and called it ' dream wicket'. 

Also Read : Anrich Nortje’s late inclusion in the team pays off for Delhi Capitals

News source : PTI

Gold Coast, Sep 29 (Cricket News) India skipper Mithali Raj on Wednesday called for the return of red-ball cricket in women's domestic circuit if one-off Tests become a regular feature in their international assignments.

Mithali, whose side has just got two practice sessions ahead of the historic day-night Test against Australia starting Thursday, wanted more preparation time but the COVID-hit scheduling did not allow that.

India played their first Test in seven years in June and the Australia Test is their first with pink-ball.

"Clearly, if the girls need to do well in this format they have to have some sort of match experience in the domestic circuit. So, if this (Test) is going to be regular (feature) then probably we will have another addition to our domestic calendar of playing days format," said Mithali on the eve of the day-nighter.

The two-day red ball matches in domestic cricket were discontinued after the 2018-19 season.

Mithali said all the young players, who play leagues around the world, also want to play Tests and that is a healthy sign for women's cricket. She called the two Tests this year a significant development in the game.

"If this becomes a regular feature in a bilateral series, playing three formats will definitely help all the players because that's the feedback I get most of the time that every player, even the today's player who is part of various leagues, they love to play the longer format." BCCI has, in principle, agreed to slot in a Test whenever the team plays England and Australia.

"I feel whether you play with the red colour or pink ball, if the Test format is part of the itinerary, it really helps," said Mithali adding that it would be nice to play a Test at home also.

Asked why no pink ball practice was arranged in the pre-tour camp in Bengaluru, Mithali said the focus then was on the white-ball series.

"We were preparing for the one day series back home in Bangalore so it was more to do with the white ball of course. We tried and played few games under the lights to get used to the day and night Test and one off day-night ODI.

"Yeah, if we could have got a little more time between the last ODI and the Test, it would be quite helpful but again I understand it was shortened because of the COVID protocols... but playing Test at home also will be quite significant," she said.

Talking about limited exposure to pink ball, Mithali said: "I'm playing for the first time with pink ball so I can't really say what the challenges would be but yes whatever little I have faced in the nets, it does seam quite a bit.

"And that's the initial feedback that I can give you facing the people in the nets, but as we bat in the Test , how the bowlers bowl, I'm sure it will help us (understand more about the ball)." With pitch wearing a greenish look, both sides are expected to play a lot of seamers. India didn't play a left-arm spinner in England and it remains to be seen what the combination will be.

"We needed a bowler who can fetch us wickets and that is why we went with two spinners (against England). Yes that's there is a bit of a selection conundrum here too, whether to go with seamers or spin dominant attack or whether we have to have off-spinners," she conceded.

Though India lost the preceding ODI series 1-2, they were able to break Australia's 26-match winning steak and fought hard in the second and third game.

Mithali said the team has gained a lot of confidence from that performance.

"The team is definitely confident. Playing the best side before the ODI World Cup is great preparation. I do understand the first game was a bit of flash cricket we played and I really had to have a hard talk with the team and the girls really responded very well.

"We were looking to post a big total that was our target and we did that.

Mithali also backed her bowlers to take 20 wickets against Australia.

"It is one the best attacks we have had. We definitely are getting confidence from the one-day format, where we've got pretty much eight or nine wickets in a game from the Australian side.

"...the bowlers seem to be very confident because they have done a good job in the ODI format even though Test is a little different."

Also Read : Indian women gear up for a legendary pink ball Test against Australia

News Source : PTI

Abu Dhabi, Sep 29 (Cricket news) Kieron Pollard says Mumbai Indians' struggling players have belief in each other's ability, asserting that they will wriggle out of the difficult situation as they continue to be in hunt for the IPL Play-offs.

The defending champions defeated Punjab Kings by six wickets on Tuesday night to stay afloat even as their big guns and youngsters are still striving to get back their rhythm.

"We don't actually plan for things to be like this. What we have is belief in one another and we believe we can get out of any situation," Pollard, who completed 10,000 runs in T20 cricket and also touched 300-wicket mark, said at the post-match media interaction.

Mumbai Indians are placed fifth with 10 points from 11 matches so far.

"We have put ourselves in this situation and the players and the management are sticking together.

"It is a matter of giving all the guys confidence and finding the best solutions. These are guys who have done it for us time and time again." Pollard did not appreciate the criticism the team is facing from outside.

"It's difficult when you have a lot of other people on the outside as well speaking about it. These people speak and they don’t understand what people go through as cricketers. So for us, it is about backing individuals and trying to give them the confidence to do well because they are young, talented individuals." The West Indian said their focus is on present when asked how the pitches are likely to behave during the T20 World Cup that will begin immediately after the conclusion of the IPL. "To be honest, the World Cup is irrelevant at this point of time, we are playing the IPL tournament. When you are in a tournament as an individual, you look to think about the present and not look too far ahead," he said.

"Everyone one is going on about the pitches, but you cannot get what you want all the time. As a professional athlete, you need to adapt. For me, personally it is about staying in the present and dealing with what is in front of us as a team," Pollard, who starred with an all-round performance (2/8 and 15 not out in 7 balls) added.

Pollard also had words of praise for Saurabh Tiwary, who made a crucial 45 in MI's winning cause, saying he had done well in the opportunities he got and it is a sign of a guy who is focussed on what he needs to do.

"Every time he's gotten an opportunity for us, more often than not, coming out and churning out numbers of batting in those crunch situations. "And that is a sign of a guy who is focused on what he needs to do, sometimes he misses out for invariable reasons, but that's the nature of team sports. He was the backbone for us. well played to him," he added.

Meanwhile, young Punjab Kings spinner Ravi Bishnoi, who kept MI batsmen on the leash with a spell of 4/25 in 4 overs, said he felt good about dismissing Suryakumar Yadav off the first ball he faced.

"I wanted to bowl a googly to Surya first up. If he picks it ok, he didn't and it hit the stumps. I wanted to bowl wicket to wicket.Surya was deceived and dismissed. His dismissal felt good for me," he said.

Bishnoi also got the key wicket of MI captain Rohit Sharma.

Asked about the performances of the overseas players in the team, Bishnoi said, "They are trying their best in the nets. They want to perform. It is a matter of time.. But they are giving their best for the team."

Also Read : Didn't play to our potential till now, says Rohit as Rahul accepts his team can't handle 'pressure'

News Source : PTI

New Delhi, Sep 24 (Basketball News) Basketball player Satnam Singh Bhamara, who became the first Indian to be drafted into an NBA team before being banned or doping, has decided to try his hand at wrestling by sealing a deal with a professional league in the USA.

The 25-year-old Singh, who created history when he was picked in the NBA draft by Dallas Mavericks in 2015, will begin his training to be a pro wrestler at the Atlanta-based Nightmare Factory, to compete in the All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Singh follows in the footsteps of NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, who squared off alongside Jade Cargill in a mixed tag team match against Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet on "AEW: Dynamite" in March.

"While we've recently secured some of the hottest free agents on the planet, I’m also deeply committed to cultivating our own homegrown stars and the next generation of extraordinary professional wrestlers," Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW, said in a media release.

"In addition to Satnam's commanding 7'3" stature, I was impressed with his high level of athleticism and charisma. He's an exciting addition to our roster, and I'm looking forward to our fans getting to know Satnam's personality and watching his development." Singh is currently serving a two-year ban by the National Anti-Doping Agency's (NADA) disciplinary panel for failing a dope test in 2019.

His suspension is due to end on November 19.

Also Read : Los Angeles Lakers vs Brooklyn Nets: The battle between two superteams

News Source : PTI

Mackay (Australia), Sep 23 (Cricket News) In-form Australia opener Rachael Haynes was on Thursday rendered doubtful for the second women's ODI against India after she took a blow on her right elbow during a training session.

The match is scheduled for Friday.

Haynes, who had hit an unbeaten 93 in the home team's convincing nine-wicket thrashing of India in the series-opener, was taken for scans.

According to cricket.com.au, Haynes "doubled over in pain, then removed her gloves and walked out of the nets and to the team changerooms to ice the injury, before leaving the ground a short time later." "Rach suffered a knock to her right elbow while batting today and has been taken to get scans," Australia team physio Kate Beerworth said.

The 34-year-old has been in good form as she made 65 in the only practice game ahead of the series.

If Haynes is ruled out of the next match, the hosts may ask Beth Mooney to open alongside Alyssa Healy, who is also enjoying a good run of form.

The Australian women's cricket team is going through an incredible run, having won 25 straight games and it will be a tough task for the struggling Indians to snap it.

Also Read : Shafali needs to work on her back foot to put Australia on backfoot: Khadeer

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 19 (Cricket News) Delhi Capitals all-rounder Axar Patel says the team will look to build on its "happy memories" from the previous season, when it reached its maiden final, and go a step further in the second leg of IPL-14.

The IPL, which was suspended midway into the 14th season of the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble, resumes in the UAE on Sunday.

The Capitals, who are currently perched on top of the points table, had reached their maiden final last season when the tournament was held entirely in the UAE. The Shreyas Iyer-led side had lost to Mumbai Indians in the summit clash.

"When it was announced that the second half of the tournament will be held in the UAE, I thought about our performance the last time we were here," Axar was quoted as saying in a media release.

"We have happy memories from that tournament as we reached our first-ever IPL final. We are looking to repeat our performance and hopefully, just go one step further in the final this season," said the all-rounder, who had picked up nine wickets in 15 matches last season.

Axar, who was part of the Indian squad for the recently-concluded Test series in England, spoke about the massive difference in weather conditions between UK and UAE.

"It's been a drastic change for us as far as the weather is concerned. It was quite cold in England and now we are getting used to the heat here.

"When we stood on our balconies during quarantine, we got an idea about the heat, but we got to know the full extent of the weather conditions when we started practising in the nets.

"We are looking to get used to the conditions in the next 2-3 days," he said.

When asked about his personal goals for the remainder of the IPL season, Axar said, "My personal goals are always aligned with the team goals.

"I always think about what the team needs and then set my personal goals accordingly. I always carry out my preparations according to the team's requirements. And personally, I just look to get better with every match in every season." Delhi Capitals are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22. 

Also read : Match readiness will be an issue for some of IPL players: RR all-rounder Chris Morris

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Sep 16 (Cricket News) One of the most notable omissions from India's T20 World Cup squad, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Thursday asserted that he will be his wily, old wicket-taking self in the upcoming second half of this year's IPL.

During a training session for his team Royal Challengers Bangalore, a cheerful Chahal offered to bat, but only if the swashbuckling Glenn Maxwell was the bowler.

Reflecting on his first training session with the team, Chahal said, "Obviously, the feeling was good, it was okay and I'm happy with the way I bowled today.

"I'm very pumped up, especially, you know, we're good on the points table and we have a very good chance to stay at the top of the table and when you bowl well after a long time you always feel good. Today, I can say that the old Yuzi is back." The IPL-14, which was suspended midway into the league in May owing to multiple COVID-19 cases in its bio-bubble, will resume in the UAE on Sunday and Chahal will be one of the many players trying to reclaim his place in the national team.

Chahal was far from his best in the first leg of the IPL in India. Despite his team playing in spin-friendly surfaces such as the one in Chennai, the leg-spinner struggled for rhythm and could only pick four wickets in seven matches at an economy of 8.26.

During the training session, South African legend AB de Villiers was seen welcoming both Chahal and Maxwell back into the team before the net session commenced.

Head coach Mike Hesson laid out the plans for the session and said, "In terms of practice today, we all know what the role is. We've all had those meetings for what we're training for. So when we go in the nets, we're really specific about what we're trying to get out of it." When the league was suspended, RCB were placed third in the points table with five wins from seven matches.

After the net session, de Villiers was joined by Maxwell to compete in a game where both players attempted to hit the stumps from 22 yards, but with a tennis ball and a racket.

The versatile de Villiers said that he played the sport quite a lot in his younger days and Maxwell responded that he was not surprised at all.

Also Read : IPL in UAE will level playing field for T20 World Cup: Maxwell

News Source : PTI

Karachi, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali is confident that their team can beat arch-rivals India in the opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup replicating their convincing win in the 2017 Champions Trophy final at the Oval.

Pakistan since then have played India twice in 50 over games and has been thrashed at the Asia Cup in Dubai in 2018 and the ODI World Cup in Manchester in 2019.

Before every global event, there is always a lot of hullabaloo from the Pakistan corner but till date, they haven't beaten India ever in 50 or T20 over World Cup games.

In fact, they have also failed to beat India in practice games.

"When we won the Champions Trophy (in 2017), it was a very good time for us and we will try to beat them again in the T20 World Cup. We will give our best. Playing against India is always a pressure game because of the expectations of fans from both countries," Hasan told a virtual media conference on Wednesday.

He pointed out that the Pakistan and India match are the most-watched ones at the global events.

"Even those people who don't normally watch cricket follow the India vs Pakistan matches, so the pressure on the players is high but we will give it our best." Hasan also feels that spinners would dominate in the dry conditions in UAE but it didn't mean that pacers couldn't do well in those conditions.

"We know how to bowl in those conditions but yes you can see all teams have picked many spinners in their squads." Disappointed at Misbah and Waqar's resignations, says Hasan ===================================== Hasan also admitted that he was disappointed at the way Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis had resigned as head coach and bowling coach before the World Cup "Honestly speaking, I was disappointed because the World Cup was coming and such a change happened and they left," he said.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Rameez Raja announced "But it is not our domain as a player and this is something for the Pakistan Cricket Board and others to handle. Our job is to perform and try to win matches for Pakistan." Hasan said that Waqar was a role model for him and he would miss his guidance but as a professional one has to move on.

"I wish them the best. I will miss Waqar’s guidance as I took up bowling after watching him bowl on screen." Hasan also spoke on the appointment of Vernon Philander as the bowling consultant with the Pakistan team for the World Cup.

"We all know that Philander is a great bowler and he has performed at the top level. We are looking forward to working with him but it is too early to say how much benefit we can get from him as this will only be clear once he joins the squad." New Zealand will give us tough time, he assesses ================================ Hasan stated that Pakistan would not underestimate the New Zealand squad in the home series in ODIs or T20 Internationals as any national team had to be respected.

"I think their team has enough potential to give us a tough time and the thing is they have to come to Pakistan after playing a tough series in Bangladesh in dry conditions and they will not be easy to beat," he added.

Pakistan and New Zealand play their first ODI at the Rawalpindi stadium on September 17 while the five-match T20 series will be held in Lahore from the 25th.

New Zealand is playing on Pakistan soil after 18 years. Hasan said that presently he was not thinking about the World Cup.

"Right now, the focus is on the home series against New Zealand because my team needs me to deliver for them all the time." Hasan also spelt out his ambition to become a proper all-rounder and said he was focussing on improving his batting day by day in the nets.

"I want to be a good all-rounder in all three formats. The presence of someone like Abdul Razzaq who has joined us recently has already been a big help to me. He is teaching me how to do power hitting while keeping a balance at the crease. He has been a quality all-rounder for Pakistan." 

Also Read : Pakistan to tour Bangladesh after 5 years for a Test and T20 series in November

News source : PTI

Colombo, Sep 15 (Cricket News) Head coach Mark Boucher hopes South Africa's T20 World Cup bound players can pick up "bits of information" about the UAE conditions during the Indian Premier League which he feels will stand the team in good stead during the marquee ICC event.

The 44-year-old emphasised that the players need to manage themselves during the league so that they can peak at the right time as a unit for South Africa.

"We've spoken to the guys going to the IPL. They need to stay quite disciplined and realise we want to peak at the right time as a unit," Boucher was quoted as saying by 'ESPNCricinfo'.

"They'll be picking up bits of information about playing in those conditions that will really get them ready for a big tournament and if they manage themselves well and get some good time in the nets and get used to facilities it will stand us in good stead." The IPL, which was suspended midway in May due to multiple cases of COVID-19 in its bio bubble, is scheduled to be held in the UAE from September 19 to October 15.

The T20 World Cup is slated to begin on October 17 in Oman and UAE.

Boucher's comments come in the wake of South Africa's 3-0 T20 series win over Sri Lanka. The Proteas had earlier notched series victories against West Indies and Ireland.

"This team realised that we are definitely not the finished product, so there's a lot of things we speak about," Boucher said.

"We had a good chat about the lessons we've learnt and where we want to go as a team. We tied the record for the most T20 wins by a South African team. That was one of the records that we were playing for.

"We understand that going into a World Cup each game is as important as the others and this becomes a habit. This is just part of the growth of the team," Boucher added.

Also Read : You can never get used to this Indian bowling attack: Dawid Malan

News Source : PTI

(Football news) The Uefa Champions league is back and the group stage kicks off today. Thirty two of the best teams will fight it out in eight groups of four as it is going to be the most highly anticipated edition of the competition with new faces in new teams fighting to be the world's best team.

The first matchday kicks off with two giants of the game as Liverpool locking horns with AC Milan on Wednesday. The two European giants share quite an intense rivalry but over the years fans haven’t witnessed it, AC Milan since then have slowly but steadily declined but the recent resurgence has made it possible to renew this unique continental rivalry. Fans will be hoping that a repeat of the most famous final in 2005 takes place as both share 13 Champions League titles between them. Liverpool will be without Harvey Elliot after he suffered a horrific injury at Leeds, Roberto Firmino and Neco Williams will also be out. Milan will be without Zlatan as he has a problem with his Achilles tendon which could mean that Giroud will lead the line for the Rossoneri. Both the teams will be eying a victory as they are in the group of death along with Atletico Madrid and Porto in Group B.

Inter take on Madrid at the San Siro in a mouth watering Group D fixture. After winning three champions league in a row, Real have gone three years without even being close to challenge for it and now Carlo Ancelloti has been assigned to bring back the glory days. With Madrid's main players going away, a new era of youngsters has begun and Ancelloti’s task becomes much more difficult. Inter on the other hand have made into successive Champions League after a long time and will be hoping to make the round of 16 this season. Real will be without Gareth Bale and Ferland Mendy as both will be on the sideline for a lengthy period whereas Inter have only Alessandro Bastoni out.

Manchester City take on RB Leipzig in what could be a very tricky first fixtures for Cityzens. Pep Guardiola will be hoping that this season they go one better and win the Champions League for the first time in the clubs history, last season they were the favourites to win the final but a tactical error from Pep cost them the coveted Champions League title. RB Leipzig have always been the giant killers as last year they knocked out United from the group stage, Pep’s first task will be to get out of the group as they will also take on the mighty PSG later on. City will be getting a massive boost as they will welcome back their star players Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden, Leipzig will also have a full strength squad in what could be a high scoring encounter.

Also read:Barcelona to re-live Bayern Munich nightmare? Cristiano Ronaldo's return and more as UEFA Champions League 2021/22 kicks off

PSG take on Club Brugge in what could be the first time the football fans all over the world will see Messi, Mbappe and Neymar (MNM) play together. PSG this season are the favourites to win the Champions League as their squad is arguably the best in the world and also the added advantage of buying Messi means that a winning mentality will be instilled in the club, something that was lacking over the years. Mauricio Pochettino will be under a lot of pressure as everyone will be expecting them to go all the way for the first in the clubs history, PSG will be without Sergio Ramos who is still recovering from the injury he suffered last season. It is going to be an uphill task for the Belgian side to get anything from the fixture but the first full start for Messi will bring out a lot of attention to this game.

The other fixtures to keep an eye on Wednesday are:

Besiktas vs Dortmund

Sheriff vs Shakhtar Donetsk

Atletico Madrid vs Porto

Sporting vs Ajax

(Basketball news) As the new NBA season draws closer and the majority of the free agents found respective homes, the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets emerged as the strongest teams without a shadow of a doubt. Even though last year's NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks and finalist Phoenix Suns remain relatively unchanged from last season, both teams don’t possess the historical talent that the Lakers and Nets have.

The Lakers last season got eliminated in the 1st round of the playoff series by the Phoenix Suns but this season Rob Pelinka (General Manager) made sure that the same thing isn't repeated. At the end of last season, Lakers managed to pull off a blockbuster trade where they managed to get 9 times NBA all star and 2016-17 MVP Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. With Lebron James and Anthony Davis already in the team, adding Westbrook makes them the team to beat in the Western Conference. With the Lakers adding former NBA all stars Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Rajon Rondo in free agency their roster looks more dangerous than before.

The Brooklyn Nets last season pulled off the trade of the decade by getting James Harden from Houston Rockets, adding to a roster which already contained Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Last season, according to all experts, the Nets should have the NBA Championship but were beaten by the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference final, although injuries hampered the squad which eventually led to their downfall last season. This season Steve Nash (Coach of Nets) will be hoping that his stars remain fit as they have already added former all stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Paul Milsap to an already staked roster.

With both teams' ambition of winning a NBA championship last year not being fulfilled, the teams will be even more hungry to reach the NBA final this season. The Los Angeles Lakers have got back the championship core which won the NBA 2 years ago but the key advantage that the Lakers have over the Nets is the championship experience they have in their roster. On the other hand, the Nets have arguably the best trio in American sports history as on any given day James Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Iriving can beat any team just based on their talent. As the fans eagerly wait for the start of the new season the NBA finals looks destined to be between these two teams unless and until injuries hamper them both. This is a site that not only the basketball fans want to watch but the sports fans in general will also tune in.

Also read: Virtual development program launched by NBA Academy for top female prospects from outside the US

The Los Angeles Roster:

Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Marc Gasol, Trevor Ariza, Rajon Rondo,Dwight Howard, Wayne Ellington, DeAndre Jordan, Russell Westbrook, Kent Bazemore, Anthony Davis, Kendrick Nunn, Malik Monk, Talen Horton-Tucker.

The Brooklyn Nets Roster:

Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kyrie Irving, Joe Harris, Patty Mills, Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, Nic Claxton , Bruce Brown, Cam Thomas, James Johnson, DeAndre Bembry, Jevon Carter, Day’Ron Sharpe.

Dubai, Aug 31 (Cricket news) Table toppers Delhi Capitals will start the IPL from scratch, treating the upcoming second phase in the UAE as a fresh tournament in different conditions, said assistant coach Pravin Amre.

The second leg of the T20 league, which was suspended in May due to the increasing COVID-19 cases in India and multiple infections in the IPL bio-bubble, is scheduled to resume in the UAE from September 19.

The Capitals are currently perched on top of the points table with 12 points from eight matches.

"We have to look at the remainder of the season as a fresh one. There has been a long break after the first half and we will be playing in different conditions and wickets," Amre was quoted as saying in a media release.

"We are looking to start from scratch and not show any complacency after a brilliant performance in the first half of the tournament.

"We will look to play with the same intensity that we showed in our first match of the IPL 2021," he added.

The Capitals have hit the ground running in their pre-season camp overlooked by assistant coaches Amre and Ajay Ratra at the ICC Academy here.

Amre expressed that the team is looking to get used to the conditions and the wickets in the UAE.

Also read: IPL 2022: BCCI expects Rs 5000 crore windfall as base price for new teams kept at Rs 2000 crore

"It's going to be humid when the season resumes and it is important for the players to get used to the wickets and conditions here in the UAE. Credit to the DC management for sending us here early, so that we have enough time to prepare well with the conditions on offer." Star batsman Shreyas Iyer, who missed out on the first half of the season due to a shoulder injury, reached Dubai a week earlier than the rest of the team to work on his game with Amre.

Amre said that Iyer has regained his full fitness and is hitting the ball very well in the nets.

"It's always hard for any cricketer to come back after an injury. Our entire team, especially Delhi Capitals' strength and conditioning Coach Rajinikanth Sivagnanam, Assistant Physio Dhananjay Kaushik and Physio Patrick Farhart worked hard when Shreyas was undergoing rehabilitation." "Even the National Cricket Academy played an important role during Shreyas' recovery period. Getting his shoulder strength back was important for him and he has been hitting the ball as long as anybody in the nets." The Capitals are set to take on the Sunrisers Hyderabad on September 22 here. 

News source: PTI

DUBLIN – (Cricket news) Assistant Coach and National Bowling Lead Stuart Barnes will step down from his role after the upcoming Zimbabwe series for personal reasons, with former Irish international Ryan Eagleson appointed to the interim national bowling coach for the upcoming T20 World Cup in October as confirmed by Cricket Ireland.

After being involved for the first time as a bowling coach with Ireland in August 2020 during the England v Ireland ODI series, he was subsequently appointed in November 2020 on an initial three-year contract. He migrated from England to Ireland in time to join the men’s squad for the Ireland v Afghanistan series in Abu Dhabi in January.

46 year old Ryan Eagleson played 65 times for Ireland between 1995-2004 claiming 70 wickets at an average of 33.66. He has been part of national and provincial performance pathway coaching set-ups since 2006, including stints as Ireland Wolves Assistant Coach, Men’s Under-19s head coach and Shapoorji Pallonji Cricket Ireland Academy performance coach.

Also read: These days I bowl less in nets and save it for matches: Anderson

Graham Ford, Ireland Men’s head coach, said: “Our sincere thanks to Stuart for his dedication and contribution to Irish cricket, and we will be sorry to see him step down after the Zimbabwe series. We fully understand that the pandemic and personal circumstances have made it extremely difficult for his family, and wish Stuart and his family well for the future.”

Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director for Cricket Ireland, said about the Ryan Eagleson appointment: “We have appointed Ryan Eagleson as bowling coach for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, and he will join the squad as soon as his commitments at the Under-19s World Cup Qualifier have been completed. Ryan needs no introduction to Irish cricket fans and his credentials stand for themselves.
“This interim appointment will now allow us to review our options around the senior coaching group, and we shall seek to appoint a full-time successor to Stuart after the T20 World Cup.”

THE FIXTURES

The schedule for the Zimbabwe tour of Ireland is: T20I series

27 August: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men - 1st T20I (Clontarf, start 12pm)
29 August: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 2nd T20I (Clontarf, start 12pm)
1 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 3rd T20I (Bready, start 3pm)
2 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 4th T20I (Bready, start 3pm)
4 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 5th T20I (Bready, start 3pm) 

Wolves match:

6 September: Ireland Wolves v Zimbabwe XI – ODM (Belmont, start 10.30am)

World Cup Super League series:

8 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 1st ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)
10 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 2nd ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)
13 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 3rd ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)
 

Leeds, Aug 26 (Cricket news) Ageless English pacer James Anderson says the secret to his longevity in Test cricket lies in cutting down on his time at the nets to save it for the matches.

Anderson's masterclass was full on display in an awe-inspiring spell of 8-5-6-3 with the new ball as England bowled India out for 78 after Virat Kohli opted to bat in the first Test here on Wednesday.

"As I get older, I feel like I have to work that little bit harder in the gym. I feel like I bowl less in the nets, and try to save it for when it matters in the middle," the 39-year-old said after the first day's play.

"The biggest test in Test cricket is mentally getting yourself up for bowling big spells and playing in big games. It's about keeping yourself switch on through games and switch off when you are not bowling -- that's something I've always had." Just a week ago during the Lord's Test, Anderson, having grabbed a five-for in the first innings, was over-bowled in the second as the Indian tail frustrated the hosts with its remarkable resilience and invaluable runs.

"Walking off the pitch during the second Test at Lord's, pretty much everything hurt, but that gives so much satisfaction knowing that I have put a shift in for the team." Asked about his problematic right shoulder, he said: "It still hurts. You just find a way of putting up with it. it's just part and parcel of the job." Anderson said that after all the talk during the Lord's Test, the aim here was to "shut the noise" and focus on the job.

India took a 1-0 lead at Lord's riding on the tail-enders' brave display with the bat followed by their excellent bowling.

"We have made a conscious effort of trying to just focus on us, on what we do well and try and ignore everything else, the outside noise or wherever there might be going on, and make sure there's a real focus on what we do well," Anderson said.

He did admit that they had a chat in the dressing room.

"Yeah, I think there was a bit of chat about that. We were just making a point of trying to focus on what we do well.

"I think that you know the first three or four days at Lord's, we probably played brilliantly and maybe until day three, and then after that, just at times it did affect a little bit.

"We're individuals, at the end of it. We have made a conscious effort to try and focus only on us, what we do well: try and ignore everything else, the outside noise, or whatever that might be, going on." At Headingley, Anderson took off by dismissing KL Rahul with the fifth ball and then deceived Cheteshwar Pujara with an incoming delivery that swung away, but the biggest breakthrough came when he won his mini battle with Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

"I think so (it was special). We have had some great battles over the years. He is someone you want to keep quiet. Especially, in a five-match series, if he gets going he can be very disruptive," Anderson said of Kohli after dismissing him for the seventh time in Tests.

"I think the way we have bowled to him throughout the series has been very good. We just got to keep doing that and keep him quiet as often as we can." In reply, England openers Haseeb Hameed (60) and Rory Burn (52) remained unbeaten as the scorecard read 120 for no loss with a lead of 42 runs after day one.

Also read: Team India fall straight back down to planet earth after disappointing and lackluster day 1 at Headingley

Rating England's show as one of the best, Anderson drew parallel with their famous Boxing Day Test in 2010 when they had skittled out Australia for 98 before Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook put on a 157-run opening stand.

"It doesn't get much better than that. These days don't come around very often, so you just have to be happy when they do.

"The only difference with Melbourne is that I was keen to bowl there and I wasn't today for some reason. I was trying to tempt Joe into batting.

"But losing the toss, being asked to bowl and then putting in a performance like that, it doesn't get much better. We've talked about trying to bowl as a unit, as a group, and we just absolutely nailed it. With both ball and bat we've displayed exactly what we wanted to do." Showering praise on their opening duo, he said: "It was outstanding batting and exactly what we have been asking for." "When you bowl someone out for less than 100 you're never quite sure whether you've bowled well or if the wicket is not as good as you think it might be. So to see the way they both went about their business, just felt so calm in the dressing room.

"The way they were so measured, they were solid in defence, left well and put away the bad ball when they got one. I just thought it was brilliant Test match batting." Anderson was particularly happy for his former Lancashire teammate Hameed who shrugged off his Lord's disappointment with a half century. 

News source: PTI

DUBLIN ( Cricket news) Big-hitting North West Warriors batter William McClintock was delighted to join the Ireland Men’s T20 international squad last month, but he knows that he has to work hard to cement his place in the squad by performing well in the Zimbabwe series.

McClintock, 24, has had an amazing season for the rejuvenated North West Warriors as he was primarily used as a late middle-order power hitter, he was the T20 competitions third highest run-scorer (161 runs at 40.25, including hitting 9 sixes along the way) and scoring 106 runs at 53.00, including a memorable match-winning 72* from 46 balls against the Northern Warriors in an innings that saw 5 sixes and 6 fours struck in a devastating innings.

Although he earned his first senior international squad call-up in July for the South Africa T20I series, McClintock is yet to make his full debut.

In 2016 he was part of the Ireland Under-19s side that played in Bangladesh at the ICC Under-19s World Cup. In the six matches he hit 174 runs at 34.80, with two half-centuries including a 58 against India Under-19s. The Irish Under-19s team that day also features three current senior squad-mates – Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker and Josh Little.

Speaking from the team hotel, McClintock said: “While it would be absolutely amazing to make my international debut anywhere, if it was to be in the North West it would be pretty special. But to be honest, I just want to concentrate on training hard at the moment and giving myself the best chance and be 100% ready if I do happen to get selected.”

“The recent training camp at Millfield School over in Somerset was a great opportunity for me to get to hit a lot of balls in the nets and on grass wickets. The facilities there were top-class, and I made sure to put in a lot of hours batting and concentrating on range-hitting and working on my positioning when striking the ball. The week also gave me plenty of opportunity to work on fielding and fitness - and for me that’s something I’m eager to keep working on and keep improving on.”

Being a key figure in North West cricket in Ireland, what does he put recent successes in club and inter-provincial competitions down to?

“Last year’s All-Ireland T20 Cup run with Donemana was fantastic, and from a North West perspective it’s great to see Brigade winning it this year. I think the current successes in North West cricket is just really down to T20 cricket being more suited to how we want to play our cricket. As for the North West Warriors, we’ve had a brilliant year and Gary Wilson and William Porterfield have a huge part to play in that. For me personally, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now if they weren’t involved - hopefully North West cricket can keep going from strength-to-strength.”

Also read: 5 year old Amy Hunter called up as replacement for T20 World Cup European Qualifier

THE FIXTURES

The schedule for the Zimbabwe tour of Ireland is:

T20I series:

27 August: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men - 1^st T20I (Clontarf, start 12pm)

29 August: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 2^nd T20I (Clontarf, start 12pm)

1 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 3^rd T20I (Bready, start 3pm)

2 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 4^th T20I (Bready, start 3pm)

4 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 5^th T20I (Bready, start 3pm)

Wolves match:

6 September: Ireland Wolves v Zimbabwe XI – ODM (Belmont, start 10.30am)

World Cup Super League series:

8 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 1^st ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)

10 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 2^nd ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)

13 September: Ireland Men v Zimbabwe Men – 3^rd ODI (Stormont, start 10.30am)

 THE IRELAND SQUADS

Ireland’s T20I squad:

Andrew Balbirnie (Captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Shane Getkate, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, William McClintock, Kevin O’Brien, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Ireland’s ODI squad:

Andrew Balbirnie (Captain), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, Graham Kennedy, Josh Little, Andy McBrine, Barry McCarthy, William Porterfield, Neil Rock, Simi Singh, Paul Stirling, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Craig Young.

Ireland Wolves squad:

William Porterfield (Captain), Murray Commins, Stephen Doheny, Matt Ford, Mike Frost, Graham Hume, Graham Kennedy, Jeremy Lawlor, Josh Manley, Neil Rock, Lorcan Tucker (plus two players to be added).

London, Aug 20 (Cricket news): Senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said that he was asked to be ready for the second Test against England due to the prevailing heat wave in London but the steady showers on match day put a spanner on his hopes of making it to the playing XI.

India persisted with their four pacer strategy which worked well as 19 wickets were picked up in 151-run victory.

"What was the weather forecast for the match? Heatwave. The funny thing was, before the match, they were telling me, Heat wave, neenga readya irunga (meaning there’s a Heat wave. You please be ready mate. You might play)." "When we came to have breakfast, it was pouring...," he said on his YouTube show 'KuttyStory' with Indian fielding coach R Sridhar, adding "weather is not in our hands." He was apparently referring to his not being picked keeping the weather conditions in mind.

Also read: Was Team India's victory at Lord's better than the one at the Gabba?

Sridhar, in response to a question, said the team had a "great bowling attack" and "to keep the world's best spinner out of the XI is not easy." Discussing the 151-run win at Lord's which gave India a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series, the two agreed that openers - Rohit Sharma and K L Rahul played a key role.

"Rahul came out and played like a dream," Ashwin said of his getting into the team following an injury to state-mate Mayank Agarwal in the nets.

Meanwhile, Sridhar said, "Rahul was the 4th opener going into the series, but his preparation has been extraordinary. I have been feeding him a lot of throwdowns.

"He has found some way to score runs in England as an opener, even back in 2018 where he scored a 100 in Oval," he added.

On his part, Ashwin lavished praise on Rohit Sharma and said "Also, a word on Rohit’s defence this series. Rohit has played the cover drives, pulls, etc. All those are glorious. When Rohit bats, we all know he oozes class. But coming to his defence, it feels as though the bat is falling from his hand..." Sridhar said Rohit practised a lot and had the drive to succeed in England.

"Hands in the pocket! The hands don't come out. The hands are held so close to the body, whether it is leaving the ball or playing the ball. He had practised that a lot! "He practised it so much that he started getting a pain in the wrist. In ODIs, his back-lift is slightly bigger and his hands are away from the body, but he had that drive to succeed in England and to be known as a versatile opener. Technical adjustments, hands close to the body, cocking of the wrists. He’s done it all.

"He’s willing to go through the pain barrier, but it’s paying too. What batting man! Two openers like that. I have not seen such a good opening partnership in a long time. Rohit Sharma practised it a lot. made technical adjustments. I have not seen such an opening partnership, at least in my time," Sridhar added.

Ashwin chipped in by saying, "England generally is not a place where opening is easy. In 2014, M Vijay put up a masterclass. He would leave the ball that passed very close to the stumps..." Ashwin and Sridhar also hailed the role played by Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah with the bat in the second innings with a spirited partnership and their role along with Mohammed Siraj and Ishant Sharma in fashioning the memorable victory. 

News source: PTI

Bhavnagar, Aug 19 (Cricket news) His entire life flashed before his eyes when he geared up to bowl on his international debut, says young pacer Chetan Sakariya, reflecting on his journey in India colours during the recent limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka.

The 23-year-old had a meteoric rise in the past six months as he first impressed in the IPL after being picked up by Rajasthan Royals and then went on to represent India, claiming three wickets in the two T20Is and one ODI against Sri Lanka.

"When I was preparing to bowl that first ball, I had a couple of minutes to go through marking my run-up, warming up etc, and in that moment, I could see a flashback of everything that had unfolded in my life – the good, the bad, the sacrifices, the support, the criticism - everything.

"So, it was emotional but gave me a lot of motivation to do well and that was the thought in my mind," the left-arm pacer from Saurashtra, who had lost his father to COVID-19 in May, said in a release issued by his IPL franchise RR.

Sakariya came into the limelight when he was snapped up by Rajasthan Royals at the IPL auction for Rs 1.2 crores and he impressed with seven wickets in as many matches in the first phase of IPL.

"...to make it to the Indian team, it has been a dream come true. When I first heard of it, there were a lot of thoughts in my head, but I was unable to believe it," he said.

"I pinched myself because I was wondering if it was even true. I didn't think of it in a way that I would get to play or not, just being a part of that dressing room was a huge moment for me." Talking about his first interaction with Rahul Dravid, who was the coach of the Indian team in Sri Lanka, Sakariya said: "...I was shocked and startled at first because I couldn't believe that it was really him...he asked me about my family background, playing experience, etc.

"He also asked about cricket in Saurashtra and how we've been doing well in the last five years, and complimented me for my bowling and said he had followed my journey during the IPL, and that he liked how I bowled with the new and the old ball.

"So, it felt amazing that a legend like him knew who I was and was following my performances." Sakariya said training with experienced India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar during the tour also helped him a lot.

Also read: Ranjane, Wagh, Kerkar join Goa for upcoming domestic season

"I met Bhuvi bhai during the nets, and saw him bowling consistently at one spot, so I asked him what the secret behind it was, and he told me that the secret was to feel the action, and make sure that the focus is on each step during the run-up. So that was special, and I've tried doing that as well," he said.

The remainder of the IPL is scheduled to begin in the UAE from September 19 and Sakariya said he has spent some time in Chennai under the guidance of RR's strength and conditioning coach AT Rajamani Prabhu to be in good shape.

"I had about two weeks where I wanted to focus on explosive training because T20 is a format where you need to produce that explosive energy any time in the game.

"So, I was working a lot on that under humid conditions, which certainly helped me retain my fitness levels during the off-season," he said.

With the Royals currently occupying the fifth spot in the table, Sakariya reckons his team has a good chance of making it to the playoffs.

"I think whichever matches we won were extraordinary matches, like we were able to achieve the unachievable targets. And whichever matches we lost, were close matches except the RCB one.

"Therefore, I just want to focus on doing well for my team because I know that if I'm able to contribute, we will be able to win and hopefully make it to the playoffs." 

News source: PTI