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Ganguly, Chappell patch up
India have to fight their own demons first
Challenger Trophy from Oct 10
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Sania to play Japanese qualifier in opening round
Shikha sails into second round
Rushmi loses in doubles
PSEB defeat Ropar
Hawks
PSEB rally to hold Punjab Police
Minerva defeat ICL
Punjab Police men, Jalandhar eves win titles
Army hockey meet begins
Harikrishna holds Mamedyarov
Qalandars win title
Junior hockey eves held
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Ganguly, Chappell patch up
Harare, September 19 Chappell said the private discussion, which caused considerable media speculation, was aimed at motivating Ganguly for the Bulawayo Test. “It is disappointing that what was a private discussion between the captain and myself, has become a cause of public speculation. Even more disappointing is that much of what has been written, does not represent the discussion fairly,” Chappell said in a statement which he read out at the pre-match press conference. “It was a frank discussion about Indian cricket’s present and future, and much of what I said was aimed at motivating Sourav for the Bulawayo Test. In that regard our exchange was beneficial. “Sourav and I share a mutual respect going back a long time. Thankfully, it is strong enough to survive what has occurred in the past week. I have great respect for what Sourav has achieved in his playing and captaincy career and look forward to working with him in the future,” he said. The reconciliation drama was completed when the two posed for the shutterbugs and TV crews by playing a game of pool. The reconciliation process began in the morning when the two met for a discussion, initiated by manager Amitabh Chowdhary, apparently at the behest of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Later, the two also appeared normal at the Harare Sports Club ground where they seemed to exchange notes on the pitch and the conditions. The assembled media was a dumb spectator to this charade of kinship and were told in advance by manager Chowdhary that no questions on the issue were to be entertained. It left a few fuming under their breath and one foreign journalist even commented that it was extra-ordinary that a captain needed to be motivated before a Test match. Chappell said if the media wanted any questions to be directed at him, it was to be only on cricket. Still, the lack of communication between the coach and the captain was evident when Chappell said they had not decided about the side, while Ganguly commented it would be an unchanged side for tomorrow’s Test. Ganguly, on his part, said he looked forward to winning the Test and it “would be serious” if they failed to do so. The Indian captain said his reasons for selecting two spinners was because the pitch appeared pretty dry underneath. He was also happy with his hundred in the Bulawayo Test and wanted to continue in the same vein.
— PTI |
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India have to fight their own demons first
Harare, September 19 Twice in 1998 and 2001, India have lost to the hosts at this venue but while there appears no such threat now, the Indians are being torn asunder by their own machinations within the team. Captain Sourav Ganguly and coach Greg Chappell are not on speaking terms although they did shake hands after the first Test which India won by an innings and 90 runs in Bulawayo. Now that it is obvious that the captain and coach do not have similar views about a few selections, notably the ones of Zaheer Khan and Mohammad Kaif, it would be interesting to see the final make-up of the playing eleven for tomorrow’s Test. Except for Kaif, there is little to guess about the batting composition for the Test but in the bowling department, there could be more than just Zaheer Khan who could be an issue. India could be toying with the idea of giving Laxmipathy Balaji a chance, for the Tamil Nadu youngster has played little cricket since the season started two months ago. Balaji played just a game in the tri-series in Sri Lanka and on the present tour only a warm-up game in Mutare has come his way. Balaji missed the first Test because of a strain in his left leg but now has put up his hand for selection. India would also have to choose between Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble for two spinners at this spongy, bouncy venue is a luxury even though the blooming summer can turn it into a dusty track down the line. Much of the damage is being done upfront by Irfan Pathan whose incoming swinging deliveries have won him 50 per cent of his 54 scalps as leg-before victims. Virender Sehwag, too, would be looking to raise a three-figure score or more for too often he is losing his concentration in the 40s and 50s. His partner Gautam Ghambir would be keen to cement his spot with a big knock since Sehwag’s partners at the other end have been coming and going through a revolving door in recent times. Yuvraj Singh is in fine nick and so is VVS Laxman, who hit a hundred in the Bulawayo match but made more news on account of his comment that there were “negative vibes” in the dressing room. The rumblings in the Indian team could work to the advantage of the hosts who themselves are battling with problems of their own. Zimbabwe showed some encouraging signs in Bulawayo, especially in the first innings, but batting remains their embarrassment these days. Time and again they have relied on their
diminutive skipper Tatenda Taibu to come good with scores but it has only been valiant and little else in the team’s context. Comparatively, their bowling is better, with Heath Streak, Andy Blignaut and Blessing Mahwire manning the fast bowlers’ stable and quite capable of making early inroads into the Indian batting. If India win, or even draw this game, this would be their first series win outside the subcontinent since 1986, when they defeated England in an away series 2-0. Unfortunately, this would bring little cheer for so much is happening in the background in the Indian team at the moment. Teams (from): India:
Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly (capt), Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Dinesh Kaarthick, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Laxmipathy Balaji and Irfan Pathan. Zimbabwe:
Brendon Taylor, Terrence Duffin, Hamilton Masakadza, Dion Ebrahim, Charles Coventry, Tatenda Taibu (capt), Heath Streak, Andy Blignaut, Keith Dabengwa, Blessing Mahwire, Anthony Ireland and Gavin Ewing.
— PTI |
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Indian colts win by 2 wickets
Mohali, September 19 Australian colts chose to bat first after winning the toss. In the second over, Y. Mahesh accounted for the skipper Usman Khwaja (0) when the team score was four. The next blow came in the third over as the other opener, Graeme Skennar, was caught by Pinal Shah off Anand Rajan at the same score. Aaron Finch (37) and Tom Stray (29) played cautiously and were involved in a 68-run stand for the third wicket. It was Moises Henriques who anchored the Australian innings with an unbeaten 85 off 80 balls. He shared a partnership of 113 runs with Ben Gledhill (40) and helped his side reach a respectable 214 for 6 in 45 overs. For India Under-19, Abu Ahmed claimed two wickets, while Rajan, Mahesh, Ali Murtaza and Shabaz Nadim took one wicket each. In reply, Indian colts, too, lost two early wickets. Anirudh Srikanth was caught at second slip by Skennar off the bowling of C. Thompson when the total was 11. Ravi Kant Shukla played a captain’s knock of 62 off 58 balls. He was caught at short fine leg by Finch off the bowling of Patrick Darwen to leave India struggling at 167 for 7. Tailenders Pinal Shah (19) and Shabaz Nadim (26 n.o.) batted well as India achieved the target in 39.3 overs for the loss of eight Patrick Darwen, who replaced Tom Cooper as super sub when Australia Under-19 fielded, claimed three wickets for 31 runs in nine overs. The match started one hour late due to a wet outfield. Scoreboard Australia Under-19 Graeme Skenner c Shah b Rajan 4 Usman Khwaja b Mahesh 0 Aaron Finch c Rajan b Ahmed 37 Tom Stray c Rajan b Ahmed 29 Moises Henriques not out 85 Tom Cooper c Anirudh b Murtaza 7 Ben Gledhill c Murtaza b Nadim 40 David Warner not out 4 Extras:
8 Total: (6 wickets, 45 overs) 214 Fall of wickets:
1-4, 2-4, 3-72, 4-80, 5-97, 6-210. Bowling: Anand Rajan 5-1-31-1, Y. O. Mahesh 6-1-20-1, Abu Ahmed 9-0-35-2, S. Nadim 9-0-52-1, Ali Murtaza 9-0-26-1, Piyush Chawla 7-0-48-0. India Under-19 Ankit Rawat c Gledhill b Bird 10 Anirudh Srikanth c Skennar Ali Murtaza c Finch b Henriques 2 Rohit Sharma c Skennar b Darwen 44 R.K. Shukla c Finch b Darwen 62 A.G. Pardeep c Warner b Darwen 11 Chawla c Warner b Khwaja 13 Pinal Shah st Gledhill Nadim not out 26 Mahesh not out 1 Extras: 26 Total:
(39.3 overs, 8 wickets) 215 Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-16, 3-49, 4-112, 5-143, 6-166, 7-167, 8-211. Bowling:
Henriques 3-0-15-1, C. Thompson 4-0-28-1, J. McNamara 8-1-45-1, Jackson Bird 5.3-0-46-1, Patrick Darwen 9-1-31-3, Finch 4-0-19-0, Khwaja 3-0-11-1, Warner 3-0-19-0. |
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Challenger Trophy from Oct 10
Chandigarh, September 19 This series will serve as the basis for the selection of the Indian team for the one-day series against Sri Lanka, starting from October 25. The tournament will be played on a league basis, with the three teams playing against one another. The top two teams of the league will clash in the final on October 13. The Punjab Cricket Association has decided to play the matches under gates, but keeping in view the interest of the game and as a promotional measure, the rate of the tickets is being kept quite low as compared to the normal one-day matches. The tickets will be valid for all three one-day games and as well as the final. The rates of the tickets are as follows: AC Lounge: Rs. 2,000 (for all four matches ); Terrace Block: Rs 100 (only for members) and Rs 200 (for member’s guests); VIP Block: Rs 200 (for all four matches); and General Block: Rs 100 (for all four matches). Tickets will be on sale from October 1 at the PCA Stadium. Meanwhile, Dev Musco, a company owned by cricketer Kapil Dev, has undertaken the work of testing the floodlights for the Challenger Trophy matches and the forthcoming one-day international match between India and Sri Lanka, to be played in October. |
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Sania to play Japanese qualifier in opening round
Kolkata, September 19 Sania was seeded third in the tournament. She had a practice session this morning at the Netaji Indoor Stadium before embarking on a trip to two schools in the city on a promotional tour. Sania would cross swords with the winner of the first-round tie between Hungarian Melinda Czink and Argentinian Ma Emila Salerni for a place in the quarterfinals.
—PTI |
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Shikha sails into second round
Kolkata, September 19 Shikha began in a whirlwind manner, stretching Fuda with three straight forehand winners to take the game to deuce. Though Fuda saved the game, Shikha showed awesome form and a thundering forehand, that set up the first set, taking six games in a row. Shikha’s deep returns and a punch-packed ace in the sixth game left Fuda struggling. Fuda committed a series of unforced errors as Shikha wrapped up the first set with a smart backhand shot down the line. After winning the first set, there was a lapse of concentration by Shikha as she tried to hurry through the opening game of the second set. She conceded it with the first double fault of the match. Fuda raced to a 3-1 lead, saving a series of deep backhand returns. Shikha wrapped up the fifth game of the second set on love and never looked back. Realising that Fuda was attacking her backhand, Shikha decided to run around it and hit some amazing forehand cross-court shots down the line, mixed with smashes, breaking Fuda to take the sixth game. Shikha held her serve in the seventh game and in the eighth game, a double fault from Fuda gave her a crucial breakpoint, that she lapped up to take a 5-3 lead. Another lapse in concentration while serving for the match and a double fault later, Shikha was one breakpoint down. She recovered in time to serve out the match. Meanwhile, the Indo-Japanese pair of Rushmi Chakravarthy and Junri Namigata were snuffed out of contention by Melindra Czink of Hungary and Fedak Yuliana of Ukraine 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in the doubles event. The Indo-Japanese duo made a barrage of unforced errors to hand over victory to the European pair. A low percentage of first serves did not help their cause either, as the winners attacked their second serves to seal the match in straight sets. The biggest upset was the ouster of third seeds Nicole Pratt and Tamarine Tanasugarn from the doubles.They were shown the door by unseeded Chung-Jung and Rika Fujiwara 6-3, 6-2. The Aussie-Thai pair could not withstand Chung and Fujiwara, who showed tremendous dexterity to outplay their higher-ranked opponents. In another match, Santoja Arantxa Parra and Serra Antolla Zanetti won a hard-fought three-setter against the Chinese Taipei pair Chin-Wei Chan and Su-Wei Hsieh 7-6, 2-6, 6-3. — UNI
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Rushmi loses in doubles
Kolkata, September 19 The Indo-Japanese duo made a barrage of unforced errors to hand over victory to the European pair. A low percentage of first serves did not help their cause either, as the winners attacked their second serves to seal the match in straight sets. The biggest upset was the ouster of third seeds Nicole Pratt and Tamarine Tanasugarn from the doubles. They were shown the door by unseeded Chung-Jung and Rika Fujiwara 6-3, 6-2. The Aussie-Thai pair could not withstand Chung and Fujiwara, who showed tremendous dexterity to outplay their higher-ranked opponents. In another match, Santoja Arantxa Parra and Serra Antolla Zanetti won a hard-fought three-setter against the Chinese Taipei pair Chin-Wei Chan and Su-Wei Hsieh 7-6, 2-6, 6-3.
— UNI |
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PSEB defeat Ropar
Hawks
Faridkot, September 19 Sikh Regiment Centre, Ramgarh, defeated Karanjeet Club, Abohar, in the inaugural match of the 13th Baba Farid Football tournament at Government Balbir Senior Secondary School here. The Sikh Regiment team scored five goals in the match, while their opponents could not hit the ball to the goal post even once. In another one-sided match, Baba Farid Football Club defeated Sarmukh Club Bathinda 6-0. In the fifth All-India Baba Farid Cricket Tournament, Satnam Ji Cricket Academy, Sirsa, defeated Northern Railway by 64 runs. |
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PSEB rally to hold Punjab Police
Chandigarh, September 19 A goal off a free kick by Harnek Singh put Punjab Police ahead in the 11th minute while Harshdeep bolstered the lead with a powerful shot from 30 yards in the 70th minute to make it 2-0. However, PSEB rallied superbly in the dying minutes to draw level. In the 85th minute, Gurpreet managed to dodge two defenders before shooting into the corner of the net to make it 1-2. A minute before the long whistle, Gurpreet set up a move for Dalip Kumar, who successfully slotted home to restore parity. In another match played at Mahilpur, BSF overpowered Mahilpur FC by two goals to nil. The next match will be played between BSF and PSEB at Jalandhar on September 21. |
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Minerva defeat ICL
Chandigarh, September 19 Bhageshwar Bisht, steadied the ship by scoring 35 runs off 46 balls. Sumit returned with impressive figures of 5-1-11-3. He was ably supported by Pradeep Sahu, who got two wickets for 22 runs of 5 overs. ICL secured 115 for 8 in 25 overs. Minerva started their run chase with a bang, with openers Abhinav (Verma 41 off 39 balls, 3x4; and 1x6) and Shahid Khan (55 off 57 balls, 5x4s, and 1x6) putting up an opening partnership of 84 runs in 13.1 overs. Minerva reached the target in 18.5 overs and logged six points for their win, including a bonus point.
— TNS |
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Punjab Police men, Jalandhar eves win titles
Ludhiana, September 19 Punjab Police, who had gone down fighting against BSF 55-66 in the first leg of the league at Tarn Taran, avenged their defeat by registering a resounding victory with 25 points. The cops began the proceedings in an
aggressive fashion and enjoyed six points’ lead at the end of the first quarter. They increased the lead by 16 points by the second quarter and finally wrapped up the issue quite comfortably. For the winners, Jasjot Singh stood tall among others netting 24 points while
Ganesh Kumar and Prithinder chipped in with 20 and 19 points, respectively. Harminder and Prthpal Singh contributed 11 and 8 points, respectively. International Vipan Kumar of BSF fought well, scoring 18 points, while Surjit, Parmdeep, Mahesh Misra, Ashok and Mod Singh scored eight points each. In the women’s section, holders Jalandhar romped home victorious without being challenged by Ludhiana cagers. They won the final 71-54. Aashna (29), Rajinder Kaur (13) and Saloni (12) were the main contributors for Jalandhar while Manpreet and Rekha, with 21 and 10 points each, fought vailinatly for the losers. |
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Army hockey meet begins
Jalandhar, September 19 In the first match, Western Command’s S. K. Tigga scored through a penalty corner in the 28th minute. In the second half, Western Command’s Bhupinder Singh converted a penalty corner in the 38th minute. In the 61st minute, Augustin Guria of Central Command scored a field goal. After three minutes, Avtaar Singh of Western Command scored another field goal. In the second match, Southern Command got two penalty corners in the first half. These were converted by Rajesh Lakra in the 20th and 33rd minute, respectively. In the second half, Anand Tirkey of Southern Command scored a field goal in the 47th minute. After two minutes,
K.H.R. Singh of Eastern Command scored another field goal. — TNS |
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Harikrishna holds Mamedyarov
Lausanne, September 19 Harikrishna had no trouble after Mamedyarov decided to test his opening knowledge instead of going for a full-fledged battle. Opting for the less-played Vienna opening with his white pieces, the Azerbaijani was just a bit surprised to find Harikrishna well-armed in the side variation and the result was a draw vide perpetual checks in just 15 moves.
— PTI |
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Qalandars win title
Karachi, September 19 A 54th-minute penalty corner conversion by Gohar Rasool proved to be the title-winner in a final of fluctuating fortunes in which Qalandars, after having opened the scoring, twice came back from one-goal deficit to claim victory and the prize purse of Rs 1 million. Indian captain Dilip Tirkey, representing Qalandars, was delighted with his team’s success.
— PTI |
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Junior hockey eves held
New Delhi, September 19 They would now have to win their next two matches against Scotland and Korea and hope for other results to go their way if they have to make it to the last four. India have four points from their three matches so far, winning one and drawing two.
— PTI |
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