Austrian cyclist Kohl admits to doping
By DPA,
Vienna : Austrian cyclist Bernhard Kohl admitted that he was guilty of doping during this year's Tour de France.
Kohl finished third in the race and recently was one of four cyclists who tested positive to the third generation of the blood booster EPO, known as CERA, during re-tests of samples gathered at the Tour de France.
The 26-year-old Wednesday told Austrian state television that he would not demand his B sample be tested.
Mohali Test: India 104/1 at lunch on day One
By IANS,
Mohali : Electing to bat, India reached 104 for one with Gautam Gambhir striking an unbeaten half-century on day one of the second cricket Test against Australia at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium here Friday.
Gambhir was batting on a strokeful 53 while Rahul Dravid (11) was providing him company after Mitchell Johnson removed Virender Sehwag (35) caught behind.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is leading the side in absence of regular skipper Anil Kumble, who is sitting out of the match with a shoulder injury. Leg-spinner Amit Mishra is making his debut.
Tendulkar is the leading run-getter in Tests
By Jaideep Sarin,IANS,
Mohali : The roar of a few thousand spectators was enough to announce his arrival on the lush-green outfield of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium here Friday. As Sachin Tendulkar walked in, he surely must have carried the burden of expectations of millions of fans to achieve the biggest record of his cricketing career.
Ireland helps Manchester City to draw with 10-man Newcastle
By DPA,
London : Stephen Ireland hit an equaliser with four minutes remaining to deny Newcastle United a remarkable victory as Manchester City earned a 2-2 draw at St James' Park in the English Premier League.
Having fallen behind and been reduced to 10 men after 14 minutes Monday night, Newcastle struck back through Shola Ameobi and took the lead with Richard Dunne's own goal.
Anand takes three-point lead, close to retaining world title
By IANS,
Bonn : Viswanathan Anand destroyed Vladmir Kramnik with a third win in four games and ended his hopes of the world championships. The defending champion may well have shut the door on Kramnik as he took a three-point lead in the 12-game match with just six games having been played out in the World Chess Championships.
Anand won the sixth game on the 41st move in a match that he dominated from middle game onwards.
Laxman to play for Lancashire
By IANS,
London : Indian batsman V.V.S. Laxman will return to Old Trafford after two years for his second stint with Lancashire for the 2009 county season.
"Laxman will bring star quality to our batting line-up for both Championship and one-day Cricket. His wealth of experience is perfect for our younger batsman to learn from and develop around," Lancashire Cricket Manager Mike Watkinson said.
Harbhajan slams Gilchrist for his remark on Tendulkar
By IANS,
Melbourne : Harbhajan Singh has hit back at Adam Gilchrist for vilifying India's cricketing god Sachin Tendulkar.
The off-spinner said Indian players have lost respect for Gilchrist after the former Australian wicketkeeper called Tendulkar "a liar and dishonest" in his yet to be published autobiography "True Colors".
"He should not be talking about Sachin. It is all rubbish," Harbhajan was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald Friday.
Ratnika is DSCL national tennis champion
By IANS,
New Delhi : Wildcard Ratnika Batra stamped her authority over qualifier Shweta Rana, beating her 6-3,6-0, to win the DSCL national women's tennis championship at the DLTA complex here Saturday.
In an all-Delhi final, Ratnika,14, showed maturity beyond her age as she overpowered Shweta to become one of the younger ones to win the national.
With superior technique, Ratnika attacked Shweta's weak serve with power-packed returns, keeping her strokes high and beyond her petite opponent's reach. Shweta helplessly watched Ratnika lob cleverly.
Paes, Bhupathi confirm their participation for Chennai Open
By IANS,
Chennai : Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will play with their respective partners at the $450,000 Chennai Open 2009.
The 14th edition of Chennai Open, India's only ATP tennis tournament, will be held from Jan 5-11, at the SDAT Stadium here.
While Bhupathi will team up with his long time Bahamas partner Mark Knowles, Paes will combine with Lukas Dlouhy of Czech Republic in the men's doubles.
The season has gone reasonably well for World no. 3 Bhupathi and Mark Knowles, who recently won the Swiss Indoor Championships, and will play in the year-ending Shanghai Masters.
Scoreboard: India vs Australia, Day one
By IANS,
Nagpur : Scoreboard at stumps on the opening day of the fourth and final cricket Test between India and Australia at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here Thursday:
India: 1st innings
Virender Sehwag b Krejza 66
Murali Vijay c Haddin b Watson 33
Rahul Dravid c Katich b Krejza 0
Sachin Tendulkar lbw b Johnson 109
V.V.S. Laxman c Haddin b Krejza 64
Sourav Ganguly batting 27
Mahendra Singh Dhoni batting 4
Extras(b 4, lb 2, w 1, nb 1) 8
Total( for five wickets in 87 overs) 311
Fall of wickets: 1-98 (Vijay, 17.5 overs), 2-99 (Dravid, 18.4), 3-116 (Sehwag, 22.3),
Jharkhand asks IOA to postpone National Games
By IANS,
Ranchi : The Jharkhand Olympic Association (JOA) has sought at least a month's time to conduct the National Games as the infrastructure for the event is still not ready.
The Games are scheduled Dec 1-13. Work at the main stadium and two other indoor stadiums is still on.
A team of Games Technical Committee of IOA Thursday arrived here to assess the situation. The team has prepared a report and left Friday. IOA will take a final call on the basis of the report.
Mafia inside Sri Lanka Cricket working against me: Ranatunga
By IANS,
Colombo : Chairman of interim governing body of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) Arjuna Ranatunga made strong allegations, saying that a 'mafia' within the board was working against him.
"There is a mafia inside Sri Lanka Cricket. That mafia can't push me down. We wanted to carry out certain changes at the Sri Lanka Cricket, but it is not an easy thing," Ranatunga, Sri Lanka's World Cup winning captain, was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror here Friday.
We need to take Indian cricket forward, says Ganguly
By IANS,
Nagpur : As Sourav Ganguly's illustrious career came to an end here Monday, the former cricket captain said he would like to be remembered as a fine batsman, a good captain and a man of comebacks.
England unlucky to face Yuvraj blast: Dhoni
By IANS,
Rajkot : After India got off to a flying start, winning the first One Day International against England by 158 runs, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the visitors were unlucky to be at the receiving end of a Yuvraj Singh special.
Yuvraj pulverised England attack blasting 138 off 78 balls that saw India post a massive 387 runs and then the bowlers dismissed the visitors for 229 runs.
Yuvraj shines again; powers India to 292/9
By IANS,
Indore : Yuvraj Singh was at his best once again, striking his second consecutive century to help India come out of a disastrous start and post 292 for nine in 50 overs against England in the second One-Day International of the Hero Honda Cup here Monday.
Electing to bat first, India were put on the back foot with triple strikes from fast bowler Stuart Broad that reduced the hosts to 29/3 in the eighth over.
Fletcher joins South Africa cricket team
By IANS,
London : Duncan Fletcher's appointment as consultant to South African cricket team has fuelled speculations that he might leak out some of secrets of the England side when they clash next year.
Fletcher, who has been also roped in by Hampshire as an advisor, is unperturbed by such criticism and does not rule out the prospect of taking up the job for a longer term.
"It's not a case of joining South Africa so I can help them against England," said Fletcher, who joined as part-time consultant to South African team Monday.
England opt to bat against India
By IANS,
Kanpur : England captain Kevin Pietersen won the toss and elected to bat against India in the third One-Day International of the Hero Honda Cup here Thursday.
Both the teams made one change each. Fast bowler Ishant Sharma replaced Rudra Pratap Singh in the Indian team while England brought in off-spinner Graeme Swann in place of fast bowler Steve Harmisson.
Poor light forced a delayed start prompting the match officials to reduce the game to 49 overs per side.
Teams:
Scoreboard of England’s innings against India
By IANS,
Kanpur : The following is the scoreboard of England's innings against India in the third One-Day International of the Hero Honda Cup at the Green Park Stadium here Thursday.
SCOREBOARD:
England:
Ravi Bopara st Dhoni b Yuvraj 60
Ian Bell c Dhoni b Patel 46
Kevin Pietersen c Khan b Harbhajan 13
Paul Collingwood st Dhoni b Harbhajan 1
Andrew Flintoff lbw b Pathan 26
Owais Shah c Khan b Harbhajan 40
Samit Patel c Raina b Ishant 26
Matt Prior b Ishant 5
Graeme Swann not out 5
Stuart Broad c Dhoni b Khan 0
James Anderson b Patel 1
Extras (lb 3, w 9, nb 5) 17
Ponting blames Indian batsmen for slow over rate
By IANS,
Melbourne : Peeved at being labelled selfish, Australia captain Ricky Ponting Thursday hit back at India, saying that slow-over rate was a problem typical to the country.
Ponting was criticised for bowling part-time bowlers to run through the overs in the fourth Test at Nagpur to escape a punishment for slow over-rate instead of attacking the Indians with his mainline bowlers.
Australia-New Zealand Test tantalisingly poised
By IANS,
Brisbane : Australia stormed back into the first Test against New Zealand riding on tearaway Mitchell Johnson's four-wicket haul that bowled out the visitors for 156 in the first innings. But the Test was tantalisingly poised at the end of the second day's play.
After taking a crucial first innings lead of 58 runs, Australia's joy was short-lived as Kiwi pacemen Chris Martin (3-52) and Ian O'Brien (2-23) scythed through their top order to reduce the Aussies to 131 for six in the second innings at close of second day's play.
Middlesex cricket team defers India visit
By IANS,
London : The Middlesex cricket team from Britain has decided to defer its departure to India Thursday to participate in the Twenty20 Champions League following terror attacks on the country's financial capital Mumbai, which left at least 101 dead and over 250 injured.
The English county side has postponed its trip by at least 24 hours before taking a final decision on flying out to India.
Middlesex captain Shaun Udal was quoted by the BBC as saying his side would not be flying on Thursday but could not confirm when their travel plans had been rescheduled for.
No amount of money is worth going to Mumbai: Warne
By IANS,
Melbourne : Australian spin wizard Shane Warne was shocked seeing the TV footage of the terror strikes in Mumbai while in transit at the Changi international aiport and did not take the connecting Mumbai flight to play in the inaugural Champions League tournament.
The Champions League has since been postponed in view of the terror strikes.
Villarreal reclaim second spot in Liga
By DPA,
Madrid : Villarreal reclaimed second place in the Spanish Liga with a 2-1 win at bottom team Recreativo Huelva.
Villarreal won Sunday with first-half goals by midfielders Santi Cazorla and Ariel Ibagaza - and thanks to Huelva's lack of bite in attack.
Cazorla gave Villarreal the lead in the 27th minute with a long, fierce drive, which took a wicked deflection off defender Cesar Arzo. Just before half-time, Ibagaza made it 2-0 with a classy free-kick.
England to return to India this week
By IANS,
London : The English cricket team is set to come back to India later this week for the two-Test series starting Dec 11, the media reported here Monday.
According to a report in The Guardian, the team is expected to be back in India either Thursday or Friday to fulfil their engagement. England had cut short their visit and cancelled the two one-dayers after the Mumbai attacks.
The matches are likely to take place in Ahmedabad and Chennai, which was selected in place of Mumbai after the terror attacks in the city.
Sports shouldn’t suffer, says Pakistan sports minister
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan Sports Minister Pir Aftab Shah Jilani Monday urged India not to mix sports with politics and to clear the cricket tour which is under serious doubt after relations between the two countries soured following the Mumbai terror attack.
Jilani told reporters that Pakistan "will show sportsman spirit" by hosting India in a friendly environment.
"We don't believe in mixing sports and politics," said Jilani, who is also a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
"India should not do that either."
Cricket board officials approach apex court to delay trial
By IANS,
New Delhi : Four top officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Tuesday approached the Supreme Court against Calcutta High Court's order to put them on trial for allegedly lying to it to justify removal of a board member in December 2006.
Not enough hotel rooms for Commonwealth Games, cabinet told
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian cabinet was Thursday informed that adequate hotel accommodation might not be available by the time the Commonwealth Games are held here in 2010.
Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said that Sports Minister M.S. Gill voiced fears that the target of opening an additional 30,000 hotel rooms might not be fully achieved.
"There is an element of urgency. Everything needs to be completed well before time," Sibal later told reporters.
Laxman, Tendulkar steady India after Gambhir’s fifty
By Anand Philar, IANS,
Chennai : Set a target of 387, India were 213 for three at lunch in their second innings on the final day of the first cricket Test against England at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here Monday.
Resuming at the overnight total of 131 for one, India lost Rahul Dravid (4) and opener Gautam Gambhir (66) before Sachin Tendulkar (27 batting) and V.V.S. Laxman (20 batting) guided the team to lunch without further damage.
Mumbai chill catches sports, India calls off Pakistan cricket tour
By IANS,
New Delhi : The chill in their ties deepened Thursday with India calling off the Indian cricket team's tour to Pakistan - the first major step signalling New Delhi's growing impatience with Islamabad's inaction against terror outfits suspected of masterminding the Mumbai carnage.
According to government sources, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs M.S. Gill spoke to the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar to convey the government decision.
India 179/1 at stumps on day one against England
By IANS,
Mohali : India were 179 for one at stumps on the first day of the second cricket Test against England at Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium here Friday.
Gautam Gambhir was batting on 106 and Rahul Darvid on 65 when the play was called off due to bad light after 72 overs, 18 short of the day's quota of 90 overs.
Kruttika inching close to National Women Chess title
By IANS,
New Delhi : Kruttika Nadig recorded a resounding victory against Asian Junior Champion Mary Ann Gomes in the eighth round of 35th Parsvnath National Women Chess Championship to move closer to the title Thursday.
Kruttika now has 6.5 points and maintains a full point lead against top seed Tania Sachdev, as the latter failed to produce a decisive result in her game against Padmini Rout.
Playing black side of Queen Pawan Richter-Veresov attack, Kruttika displayed a fine attacking game and garnered full point in 48 moves.
Lahiri in lead at BILT Open golf
By IANS,
Greater Noida : Anirban Lahiri set the pace on day one of the BILT Open golf with a magnificent bogey-free seven under 65 at the Jaypee Greens Golf Resort here Thursday.
Lahiri is currently at the top of the leaderboard as only 96 professionals out of a total of 118 could complete round one Thursday due to a one and a half hour delay due to fog in the morning.
Rahil Gangjee carded six under 66 to be second while Jeev Milkha Singh and Shamim Khan are joint third with scores of five under 67.
Grand parties in South Africa to celebrate Proteas’ series win
By Fakir Hassen, IANS,
Johannesburg : The South African cricket squad will be toasted as heroes all over the country at public and private New Year's Eve parties over the next two days following their first Test series win in Australia in a century.
The visitors won the second Test at Melbourne after their historic run chase in Perth last week to clinch the three-match series.
Lee will bounce back, stresses McGrath
By IANS,
Sydney : Australian pace great Glenn McGrath has backed Brett Lee to return to form soon.
McGrath said Lee has shouldered the responsibility of leading the bowling attack since his and Warne's retirement well.
"I have got total confidence in Brett," McGrath was quoted as saying in the Australian media.
"You saw the way he led the attack when Shane (Warne) and myself retired. I think he did an exceptional job there."
McGrath, who retired from international cricket 12 months ago, lauded the progress of left-arm speedster Mitchell Johnson.
Scoreboard: Australia vs South Africa, Third Test, Day One
By IANS,
Sydney : Scoreboard on the opening day of the third and final cricket Test between Australia and South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground here Saturday.
Australia 1st innings
Mathew Hayden b Steyn 31
Simon Katich c de Villiers b Kallis 47
Ricky Ponting c Boucher b Morkel 0
Michael Hussey c Kallis b Harris 30
Michael Clarke batting 73
AB McDonald c Boucher b Ntini 15
Brad Haddin b Steyn 38
Mitchell Johnson batting 17
Extras (lb 7, w 2, nb 7) 16
Total (for six wickets in 88 overs) 267
Cipolla, Tipsaveric advance to Chennai Open second round
By IANS,
Chennai : Flavio Cipolla of Italy advanced to the second round of the Chennai Open tennis with a stunning 6-4, 6-1 win against second seed and World No. 16 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland here Tuesday.
On the outside court, seventh seed Janko Tipsaveric of Serbia came through 6-3, 6-2 victory against Pablo Andujar of Spain to move into the second round.
The results (seeding in prefix):
Panesar traces English crisis to India series
By IANS,
London : Monty Panesar Friday said the England cricket team was a dispirited lot during their Test series defeat in India.
Panesar said he sensed "something was wrong" during the team's 0-5 loss in the ODIS but it was not until he joined the squad for the first time since last summer, for a two-match Test series before Christmas, that he knew for sure the atmosphere had changed.
"When we won the Test against South Africa at The Oval, which was Kevin Pietersen's debut as captain, everything was very upbeat and positive," Panesar was quoted as saying in The Guardian.
Pakistan considering hockey games against India on neutral soil
By Omar Khalid,IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan's hockey officials are considering inviting India for a Test series on an offshore venue later this year.
Qasim Zia, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president, told IANS Friday that the PHF has discussed the idea of playing matches on neutral venues with India and other major hockey-playing nations in a bid to revive Pakistan hockey.
Federer sets up another classic with old foe Safin
By DPA,
Melbourne : Roger Federer showed his dominating form to best advantage with a crushing 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 defeat of Russian Evgeny Korolov to reach the third round of the Australian Open Wednesday.
The Swiss second seed is on a mission as he aims to level on the all-time record of 14 Grand Slam titles, trailing Pete Sampras by one on 13.
The 27-year-old is playing with relaxed confidence after last year's showing at Melbourne Park when he lost in the semi-final after suffering the effects of glandular fever.
Mendis is not a threat for us: Dhoni
By P. Karunakharan, IANS,
Colombo : Playing down the threat from the new spin sensation of Sri Lanka Ajantha Mendis, Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Monday his team is not wary of playing him.
Addressing the media here on the upcoming five One-day International series against Sri Lanka beginning Wednesday in Dambulla, the Indian skipper, however, said it is always "tough to beat Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka".
Australia launching plan to save national tennis reputation
By DPA,
Melbourne : Amid the congratulations of another record-breaking Australian Open, tournament director Craig Tiley has denied that he will take a position with the US Tennis Association as they hunt for a new chief executive.
But as celebrations die down in Melbourne, Australian tennis is awakening to the fact that it has not one man left in the ATP's top 100.
A decade ago, the tennis powerhouse boasted a dozen in that ranking.
Pakistan name Shahid Ali Khan as new hockey coach
By Omar Khalid, IANS,
Karachi : Pakistan Friday appointed Olympian Shahid Ali Khan as the new head coach of the national hockey team, assigning him to prepare a strong team for the Asia Cup in May in Dubai.
The decision to appoint Shahid was taken during the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) executive board meeting in Lahore.
Shane Watson fit to play as batsman
By IANS,
Sydney : Australian all-rounder Shane Watson will make his comeback from injury for Queensland in their Sheffield Shield clash with New South Wales that begins at the Gabba from Thursday.
Injury-plagued Watson, 27, was suffering from a back stress fracture and will play only as a batsman.
Watson being fit is definitely welcome news for Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Rajasthan Royals as the all-rounder played a pivotal role in the team's success in its first edition. The second edition of IPL begins April 10.
Internal strife mars South African cricket team
By IANS,
Melbourne : All is not well in the South African cricket camp after the heated clash between opener Ashwell Prince and some of his Test teammates during a domestic match this week.
Prince has just returned to the national side after missing the last five Tests and is said to be involved in a heated, abusive slanging match with A. B. de Villiers and Paul Harris.
Prince had been named acting captain for this week's third Test in Cape Town, but was removed from the position the following day.
Maneria to lead India U-19 team in Australia
By IANS,
Mumbai : Rajasthan's Ashok Maneria will lead the Indian colts in three One-dayers and two three-day matches in their cricket tour to Australia starting April 4.
The 16-member under-19 squad Tuesday began preparing for the tour at the Mumbai Cricket Association's Academy.
Former India player Chandrakant Pandit is the coach of the team.
Team:
How do you build up city loyalties for IPL in S Africa?
By Fakir Hassen,IANS,
Johannesburg : The "city loyalties" that had been built up in the competitive spirit of the inaugural IPL T20 series in India last year will pose a major challenge when its organisers host the second edition of the tournament in South Africa next month.
Responding to a question at a media conference here Tuesday evening, Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of the IPL, said this was "a very important question."
IPL move was hardest BCCI decision ever: Modi
By Fakir Hassen,IANS,
Johannesburg : The decision to move the Indian Premier (IPL) League 2009 to South Africa was "one of the hardest decisions that the BCCI ( Board of Control for Cricket in India) has ever had to take", Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of the IPL, told a press conference here as he jointly announced the decision with Cricket South Africa (CSA) chief executive Gerald Majola.
"But I am equally confident that staging it here will be a massive success for us," Modi said Tuesday evening.
Anil was my choice as captain: Vijay Mallya
By IANS,
Johannesburg : Royal Challengers team owner Vijay Mallya has said the choice of Anil Kumble as skipper of the side after Kevin Pietersen's exit was a well thought-out decision taken by him.
Kumble's captaincy has given a new lease of life to the Royal Challengers as they shrugged off their form-slump to win three matches in a row and climb up in the Indian Premier League standings.
"Obviously, it is my decision (to pick Anil Kumble as captain). As a team owner I decide. But it was no last-minute decision," Mallya said.
PCB wants T20 match with India for Swat Valley victims
By IANS,
Karachi : Pakistani cricket officials are making efforts to stage an exhibition Twenty20 match against India or Sri Lanka on the sidelines of next month's World Twenty20 Championship in England to raise funds for the thousands of displaced people in the Swat Valley in northwestern Pakistan.
According to a senior Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has been approached to confirm a fund-raiser for the victims of the ongoing military operation in northern Pakistan against Taliban militants.
Projecting India during 2010 games a priority: Ambika Soni
By IANS,
New Delhi : Projecting India in an "incredible manner" during the Commonwealth Games in 2010 will be her top priority, Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni said soon after taking charge Monday.
"We want to project India in Commonwealth Games in an incredible manner and that is our major priority," Soni told IANS.
Tevez secret kept under wraps by FA
By IANS,
London : Carlos Tevez's transfer to Manchester City might have cleared the Agrentine's ownership doubts, but the identity of the "mysterious overseas consortium" that used to handle the player's financial rights at Manchester United still remain under wraps.
The Guardian reported that Football Association is well aware of the "mysterious overseas consortium", which is represented by London millionaire of Iranian origin Kia Joorabchian, because of all the transfer registrations and fees used to go through it.
Marykom, Sushil and Vijender to get Khel Ratna
By IANS,
New Delhi : For the first time since the inception of the Rajiv Khel Ratna Award in 1991, three sportspersons -- four-time world boxing champion Mangte Chungneijang Marykom, Olympic bronze medallists boxer Vijender Singh and wrestler Sushil Kumar -- will receive the country's highest sporting honour.
The only other time more than one sportsperson was bestowed the award was in 2002-03 when shooter Anjali Vedpathak and athlete K.M. Beenamol shared it.
The sports ministry also announced the list of 15 Arjuna Award winners Wednesday.
Cricket Australia backs Ponting on Ashes loss
By DPA,
Sydney : Australian cricket fans were left scratching their heads Monday after their side's Ashes loss dislodged them from the top position in the Test rankings.
Australian team is now at the fourth position behind South Africa, Sri Lanka and India.
Needing just a draw from the final game in the best-of-five series, the visitors lost by 197 runs to surrender the precious Ashes trophy to England.
New Zealand names squad for World Cup qualifier against Bahrain
By DPA,
Wellington : Blackburn Rovers skipper Ryan Nelsen will captain a full-strength New Zealand All Whites side in the first leg of their World Cup qualifier against Bahrain in Manama Oct 10 - a match coach Ricki Herbert dubbed Tuesday the nation's most important for 27 years.
Herbert named a 19-man squad virtually unchanged since New Zealand's 3-1 victory over Jordan in a friendly in Amman earlier this month, including strikers Chris Killen and teenager Chris Wood, who missed that game because of injury.
Fennell caught napping during CWG presentation
By IANS,
New Delhi : Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell, who raised concerns about India's preparedness for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, was found napping during a presentation made by the Organising Committee (OC) at the Thyagaraj Stadium here Thursday.
During the presentation, Fennell and some delegates were caught on camera dozing off much to the disappointment of the Indian officials.
Ideally the series should have been best-of-five: Ponting
By IANS,
Mumbai: Australian captain Ricky Ponting Wednesday said the India-Australia One-day series should ideally be best-of-five and not seven.
Ponting said that a five-match ODI series would have kept the players motivated.
"It's probably too many, five matches are enough in any series. We know the reasons why seven matches are being played," said Ponting, making it obvious that the commercial considerations force teams to play more ODIs.
Henriques joins Australia’s growing injury list
By IANS,
Hyderabad : All-rounder Moises Henriques Wednesday joined the Australian cricket team's ever-growing injury list and was ruled out of Thursday's One-day international against India with a hamstring injury.
Henriques joined the squad as a replacement for James Hopes but picked up the injury during Australia's win in Mohali Monday. With Henriques out, Australia are left with only 13 fit players to choose from.
First Test: India 105/4 against Sri Lanka at lunch
By IANS,
Ahmedabad : India were struggling at 105 for four at lunch against Sri Lanka on the first day of the first cricket Test match at the Sardar Patel Stadium at Motera here Monday.
Rahul Dravid was batting on 45 and Yuvraj Singh on 35 at the break. Fast bowler Chanaka Welegedara picked up three for 28.
Tea scoreboard: India vs. Sri Lanka, fourth day, first Test
By IANS,
Ahmedabad : The following is the scoreboard at tea on the fourth day of the first cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka at Motera's Sardar Patel Stadium here Thursday.
India first innings:
Gautam Gambhir b Welegedara 1
Virender Sehwag lbw b Welegedara 16
Rahul Dravid b Welegedara 177
Sachin Tendulkar b Welegedara 4
V.V.S. Laxman b Prasad 0
Yuvraj Singh c Dilshan b Muralitharan 68
Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Jayawardene b Prasad 110
Harbhajan Singh b Muralitharan 22
Zaheer Khan lbw Herath 12
Amit Mishra not out 7
Sehwag, Gambhir give India a strong start
By IANS,
Ahmedabad : Openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir gave a good start as India made 77 for no loss in the second innings at tea after Sri Lanka declared their first innings at 760 for seven on the fourth day of the first cricket Test here Thursday.
Sehwag was batting on 47 and Gambhir on 28 as India went into the tea break still trailing Sri Lanka by 257 runs. Sehwag and Gambhir were in command and hit the fast bowlers with ease as 77 runs came up in just 16 overs at Motera's Sardar Patel Stadium.
Denmark hopes to avoid Brazil, Spain in World Cup draw
By DPA,
Copenhagen : Spain and Brazil are two teams that Danish coach Morten Olsen hopes to avoid in the upcoming draw for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, reports said Wednesday.
"I would rather not be in the same group as Spain," Olsen told Danish news agency Ritzau ahead of Friday's draw.
"Spain are terrific when you look at the individual players they have and the common sense each player has," he added, saying the Spanish side was almost unbeatable when the team gels.
Scoreboard: India vs. Sri Lanka, second ODI
Nagpur, Dec 18 (IANS) The following is the scoreboard of the second One-day International between India and Sri Lanka at the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) Stadium here Friday.
India:
Virender Sehwag c Sangakkara b Welegedara 4
Sachin Tendulkar st Sangakkara b Mendis 43
Gautam Gambhir run out (Mathews) 2
Virat Kohli lbw b Randiv 54
Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Dilshan b Randiv 107
Suresh Raina c Randiv b Mathews 68
Ravindra Jadeja not out 12
Harbhajan Singh st Sangakkara b Randiv 0
Extras (lb 7, w 4) 11
Total (for seven wickets in 50 overs) 301
Federer says he’ll be fit for Australian Open
By DPA,
Melbourne : Roger Federer has assured that he will be ready to chase another Australian Open title after three-hour training sessions this week at Melbourne Park.
The world number one, who arrived Tuesday in Australia after losing last week in a Doha semi-final to Nikolay Davydenko, has been hitting the practice courts hard.
Federer said his decision to bypass the AAMI Classic at Kooyong club, his usual warm-up event, was made for personal rather than fitness reasons.
Six changes to Windies A-team for one-dayers against India A
By IANS/CMC,
St. George's (Grenada): West Indies A have made six changes for their three-match one-day series against India A starting here Wednesday.
India at London Olympics (Schedule)
By IANS,
London : Eighty-one Indian athletes will take part in 13 sports at the London Olympics beginning Friday. The following is the schedule of their events:
Australia appoints new sports commission chief
By IANS,
Canberra : Australian Sports Minister Kate Lundy Wednesday announced that John Wylie will be the new chair of the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Board.
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh in junior girls hockey zonal final
BY IANS,
Mumbai: Maharashtra entered the final of the third Hockey India Sub-Junior Women's National Championship (West Zone) played at Mahindra Stadium here Monday.
World T20: India opt to bat against Australia
By IANS,
Colombo : India won the toss and elected to bat against Australia in their first World Twenty20 Super Eight tie at the R Premadasa Stadium here Friday.
The squads:
Daredevils can still win seven in a row, says Botha
By IANS,
New Delhi: Delhi Daredevils' off-spinner Johan Botha still belives that his team can win seven matches in a row and stay alive in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
French Open: Sania-Santoro advance to second round
By IANS
Paris : India' Sania Mirza and her French partner Fabrice Santoro sailed into the second round of the mixed doubles competition of the French Open tennis tournament.
Barcelona striker Eto’o weds in private ceremony
By DPA
Madrid : Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o has wed in Paris, the Catalan daily Sport reported Saturday. According to Sport, Eto'o married his long-time partner Georgette in a small private ceremony in Paris Friday, attended by only a few friends and family members - and without the presence of most Barca team-mates.
Railways plans ambitious cricket stadium in Delhi
By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS
New Delhi : Faced with the need for good sports infrastructure, Indian Railways is planning to build an ambitious cricket stadium on 18 acres of prime land in northwest Delhi.
FIFA suggests CAS for Tevez dispute settlement
By IANS
London : FIFA has recommended Tuesday that the Carlos Tevez dispute should go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The 23-year-old Argentine striker wants to join Manchester United, but West Ham and businessman Kia Joorabchian both claim to own the player.
England's Football Association (FA) and the Premier League asked the world football governing body to rule on the matter.
But a FIFA statement said: "FIFA has recommended that West Ham and Carlos Tevez seek arbitration at CAS.
Golf legend Gary Player to design Abu Dhabi course
By IANS
Abu Dhabi : South African golf legend Gary Player will design the first of the two championship golf courses planned on an island off the shores of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital, WAM news agency said.
The Gary Player Signature course, scheduled for completion in 2009, is being built in Saadiyat Beach district, one of seven zones in the island.
The Saadiyat Island course will be the first in the Gulf region with several beachfront holes.
Abu Dhabi : South African golf legend Gary Player will design the first of the two championship golf courses planned on an island off the shores of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital, WAM news agency said.
The Gary Player Signature course, scheduled for completion in 2009, is being built in Saadiyat Beach district, one of seven zones in the island.
The Saadiyat Island course will be the first in the Gulf region with several beachfront holes.
Liverpool, Arsenal lead England charge, Ajax slip
By DPA
London : English clubs Liverpool and Arsenal began their UEFA Champions League campaigns with away victories while there were home wins for UEFA Cup champions Sevilla and Germany's Werder Bremen in the first leg of the third qualifying round.
Both Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev and Norway's Rosenborg Trondheim also put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the group stage with away victories Wednesday, but Dutch giants Ajax slipped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Slavia Prague.
Bayern’s Klose faces hostile reception at Bremen
By DPA
Hamburg : Striker Miroslav Klose faces a test of courage when he returns to Werder Bremen with his new club Bayern Munich for an explosive Bundesliga duel Saturday.
Germany's national team striker Klose fell out of favour with Bremen fans towards the end of last season and the summer move to bitter rivals Munich has not pleased them either.
"I am not more nervous than ahead of other games. I want to score in Bremen," said Klose.
Indian blind cricketers blank England 5-0
By IANS
New Delhi : In a remarkable performance, the Indian cricket team of blind players routed hosts England 5-0 in the One-Day International series this week.
According to George Abraham, chairman of the Association for Cricket for the Blind in India (ACBI), the five-match series was played in Worcestershire.
Manvendra Singh was the captain of the team coached by Noor Mohammed, director of physical education at Jamia Millia Islamia, said Abraham.
Pakistan score facile win in Asia Cup hockey
By IANS
Chennai : Pakistan scored a facile 6-1 victory over Hong Kong in the Asia Cup men's hockey tournament here Friday but the result disappointed team manager Islahuddin.
"My boys are just coming together as a team and learning to jell together. But it still is no excuse to allow at least eight scoring opportunities to slip out of our fingers," he said after the match.
Pakistan went ahead at the 11th minute through Muhammed Imran's goal. From then, it was Pakistan all the way with Shakeel Abbasi and Ihsan Ullah completing the tally.
Anand draws, but leads in world chess
By IANS
Mexico City : World No.1 Viswanathan Anand of India Saturday played a short draw against Boris Gelfand of Israel and kept his half a point lead intact at the World Chess Championships here.
After eight rounds, Anand has 5.5 points, while Gelfand is half a point behind.
In the eighth round, Peter Leko of Hungary managed his first win as he beat Alexander Grischuk of Russia. This was the only win of this round.
Leko had white pieces and took his tally to four points. Grischuk stays at 3.5 points.
Sampras to play seniors tour event on clay
Washington, Sep 26 (Xinhua) Five years after bidding adieu to professional tennis, former world number one Pete Sampras will play a senior tour event on clay, a surface that haunted him throughout his record-breaking career.
"I didn't think I'd ever play on clay again," Sampras said. "But here I am."
Sampras faces Mikael Pernfors Wednesday to open the tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina, in what is the third and final event of the year for Sampras in the Outback Champions Series.
Rain stops play after Tendulkar departs for a duck
By IANS
Bangalore : Rain intervened after Sachin Tenulkar departed, without opening his account, as India chased an imposing target of 308 set by the Australians in the first one-day international (ODI) of the seven match Future Cup series here Saturday.
Career landmarks: Anand a path-breaker all the way
By IANS
New Delhi : Viswanathan Anand, India's greatest chess player ever and one of the all-time greats of the game, has numerous landmarks in his career dating back to 1983, when he first cam on to the scene by winning the National sub-junior title.
Over the years, the awards, accolades and landmarks have piled on his career.
The important and most significant landmarks are (year-wise):
2007: First Indian and Asian to become undisputed World Chess Champion
2007: First Indian and Asian to attain World No. 1 rating
Food feast, ayurvedic massages for cricketers
By IANS
Kochi : It will be dinner on a cruise boat for the Indian cricket team ahead of their second one day international against Australia here Tuesday. Special high protein diets and herbal massages too are planned for both teams.
The cricketers will stay at Taj Malabar, and hotel officials say they will be pampering their guests.
Amit Ghosh, a veteran chef, told IANS that it would be a food feast for the players.
Bayern Munich win top of the table clash
By Xinhua
Berlin : Bayern Munich won the top of the table clash at second-placed Bayer Leverkusen 1-0, while defending champion VfB Stuttgart lost to newly-elevated Hansa Rostock 1-2 in German Bundesliga football action.
With 20 points in hands, Bayern are now four points clear of Schalke 04, who beat Hertha BSC Berlin 1-0 at home earlier Friday, sealing the second place. This is the first defeat for Bayer after six unbeaten competitive matches.
CPT steal draw against Bagan
By IANS
Kolkata : Calcutta Port Trust drew 3-3 against soccer giants Mohun Bagan at a Calcutta Premier League match here Friday.
Leading 3-1 till the 76th minute, Bagan's poor defence changed the entire complexion of the match.
Port's veteran coach Amal Dutta outsmarted his counterpart, Brazilian Roberto Carlos Pereira, in planning the game. Bagan star striker Jose Ramirez Barreto was completely off colour and was also booked, ruling him out of the next match.
Irani Trophy: Rest of India 422/8 at lunch
By IANS
Rajkot : Rest of India XI were 422 for eight wickets -- just 31 behind Ranji Trophy winners Mumbai's first-innings score of 453 all out - at lunch on the third day of the Irani Trophy tie here Monday.
Manoj Tiwary, unbeaten on 56 overnight, was out for 130. At lunch, Munaf Patel was batting on one and Ranadeb Bose was on five. Rajesh Verma has so far taken five wickets.
Rest of India win Irani Trophy with ease
By IANS
Rajkot : The Mohammed Kaif-led Rest of India easily defeated Ranji Trophy champions Mumbai by nine wickets to win the season-opening Irani Trophy here Tuesday.
The Rest were easily the superior side and they notched up the required 88 runs in their second innings in the 19th over, with Kaif aptly hitting the winning boundary off medium pacer Ajit Agarkar.
2006 Tour de France champion appeals against drug ban
By IANS
New York : Floyd Landis is appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn a ban imposed when he failed a drugs test after winning the 2006 Tour de France.
It follows September's ruling by a US arbitration panel that upheld findings that he used synthetic testosterone.
The Lausanne-based CAS is Landis' final venue of appeal in the case.
"I want to take this opportunity to say again that I am innocent of the doping allegations against me," said Landis on his website.
Kartik helps India restrict Australia to 193
By IANS
Mumbai : Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik picked up career best six wickets for 27 runs as Australia were bowled out for 193 in 41.3 overs against India in the seventh and the final One-Day International here Wednesday.
Ricky Ponting was the top scorer for Australia with his 57 off 78 balls while tail-ender Mitchell Johnson was unbeaten on 24. Australia have already won the series 4-1.
Brazil’s road to 2010 World Cup not easy: Dunga
By DPA
Rio de Janeiro : Despite a 5-0 win over Ecuador in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, Brazilian coach Carlos Dunga stressed that the road to finals in South Africa will not be easy.
"The logic of qualifiers is complex. We have very difficult games. We will suffer a lot, still. The most important thing is the will and the pleasure that players get from being with the Brazilian national team," Dunga said after the match Wednesday.
Lam Chih Bing leads at BILT Open golf
By IANS
Greater Noida : Overnight leader Lam Chih Bing of Singapore carded a three-under-par, 69 in the third round Saturday to maintain his lead with a 54-hole total of 13-under-par, 213, going into the final round of the richest tournament on the PGTI Tour, the BILT Open 2007, which concludes at the par-72 Jaypee Greens Golf Course Sunday.
Koneru Humpy leads Indian hopes in chess at Asian Indoor Games
By IANS
New Delhi : Asian Games champion and World No. 2 Koneru Humpy will lead the Indian challenge at the chess events at the second Asian Indoor Games in Macau, which get underway Friday.
Humpy rated at 2606 is the fourth strongest player in India after Viswanathan Anand (2801), P Harikrishna (2668) and Krishnan Sasikiran (2661).
World Boxing Championships: India’s Suresh loses in prelims
By IANS
Chicago : India's Suresh Soubham Singh bowed out in the preliminary round of the bantam (54 kg) category on the opening day of the World Boxing Championship.
Suresh lost 4-9 to Hungary's David Oltvanyi in the preliminary round at the University of Illinois-Chicago Pavilion here Tuesday.
Some of the bigger names also suffered on the opening day, as Asian Games and 2004 Olympic gold medallist Manus Boonjumnong of Thailand lost to Masatsugu Kawachi of Japan 9-14 in a 64 kg light welterweight match.
Randhawa 11th on rain-hit first day at Mallorca Classic
By IANS
Mallorca (Spain) : India's Jyoti Randhawa, one of the early ones to finish his first round, shot a two-under-par 68 at the Mallorca Classic in Spain.
He was tied for 11th place before play was suspended Thursday due to lightning.
Randhawa started and finished his round with birdies and in between had an eventful round at the par-70 Pula Golf Club.
South African Andrew McLardy was the clubhouse leader with a 66 alongside Gary Murphy of Ireland.
Bayern win after inspired change, Jol leaves after Spurs lose
By DPA
Hamburg : German giants Bayern Munich scored two late goals to secure a 3-2 victory at Red Star Belgrade in a UEFA Cup group phase match, while Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol resigned after his side lost 1-2 at home to Getafe.
In Group F action Thursday night, Bayern were behind 1-2 with nine minutes to go when coach Ottmar Hitzfeld brought on 17-year-old Toni Kroos, whose first kick of the game landed on the head of Miroslav Klose for the equaliser.
Vodafone Half Marathon: Rwanda’s Disi, Ethopian Alemu emerge champions
By IANS
New Delhi : Africans maintained their domination in the third edition of the Vodafone Delhi Half Marathon as Rwanda's Diudone Disi and Ethiopian Deriba Alemu emerged champions in the Open elite male and female sections respectively here Sunday.
The Rwandan, one of the title favourites based on his current form, clocked an hour and 43 seconds for a new course record and pocketed the $20,000 prize money.
Brett Lee wants to play in next World Cup
By Neena Bhandari, IANS
Sydney : As speed merchant Brett Lee leaps up in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Test bowling rankings to No 5, the 31-year-old says he wants to play on for four more years and spearhead Australia's World Cup defence.
Having just been adjudged the Man of the Series against Sri Lanka, Lee Wednesday told Australia's Channel Seven how doctors feared for his career after stress, fracture and injuries in the recent years. His ankle injury, earlier this year, cost him a spot in the World Cup, raising concerns about his career.
Ghei wants to add Volvo Masters to collection
By IANS
Bangkok : Indian golfer Gaurav Ghei, who is playing in the World Cup this week, will be the country's main challenger at the end-of-season Volvo Masters of Asia. Also in the field will be Shiv Kapur, S.S.P. Chowrasia and Rahil Gangjee. Those are the four Indians sure of being in the top-60 of the Money List.
The top-60 players on the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit after the Cambodian Open will be eligible to compete in the Volvo Masters of Asia which is being played at the magnificent Thai Country Club for the third successive year.
Kumble gets 50th Test wicket at Kotla
By Rajesh Kumar, IANS
New Delhi : Anil Kumble leading the Indian Test team for the first time after playing 118 Tests, also captured his 50th Test wicket Thursday at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium, which has been a happy hunting ground for him.
Kumble, India's 30th captain, established a record for most Tests (118) before leading the side. He is also the third oldest Indian captain to make his debut as captain after Hemu Adhikari (39 years 190 days) and Vinoo Mankad (37 years 264 days).
Former Delhi cricketer dead
By IANS
New Delhi : Former Delhi cricketer Gyaneshwar Prasad Thapliyal, 70, died in Mumbai Sunday after a prolonged illness. He leaves behind his wife, a son and a daughter.
All-rounder Gyaneshwar played 68 first-class matches from 1958 to 1974 for Delhi with a break for one season in 1966-67 when he played for Southern Punjab.
A middle-order bat and an offspinner, Gyaneshwar scored 2297 runs at 25.24 and claimed 98 wickets at 19.87, with career-best bowling figures of 9 for 34 for North Zone, during his 16-year first-class career.
Pros and cons of IPL for Australian cricketers
By IANS
Melbourne : Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist has conceded previous warnings of player burnout could be perceived as hypocritical as the nation's elite cricketers queue to join the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), the Australian media reported Tuesday.
According to The Age, Gilchrist along with captain Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee and Michael Clarke have signed a short-form memorandum of understanding with the IPL, although international commitments mean most of those current stars will be unavailable for the Twenty20 competition for the next two years.
Salgaocar coach challenges his boys against Mahindra
By IANS
Margao : Salgaocar Sports Club coach Savio Medeira has challenged his side to prove they are "good enough" to rub shoulders with the best in business with a strong performance against Mumbai's Mahindra United in a sixth round clash of football's I-League here Wednesday.
Results and standings of I-League after seventh round
By IANS
New Delhi : The following are the results and standings of the I-League football tournament after the seventh round that concluded Sunday.
Results:
Air-India 1 Dempo Sports Club 4
Salgaocar 4 Mohun Bagan AC 5
Mahindra United 2 East Bengal Club 1
Churchill Brothers 5 Viva Kerala 0
JCT 4 Sporting Clube de Goa 2
The standings are tabulated under matches played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, against, difference and points.
TEAMS P W D L GF GA GDIF PTS
Dempo 7 5 2 0 14 3 +11 17
JCT 7 4 3 0 12 4 +8 15
Churchill Brothers 7 4 1 2 18 10 +8 13
Italian Inter expected to third championship title
By Xinhua
Rome : Italian soccer team Inter Milan's derby win over cross-town rivals AC Milan at the weekend left most Italian observers convinced that the team is heading for its third straight championship title.
There are still two games to go before the halfway point in the season, but Inter's 2-1 victory over AC Milan Sunday means it is sure to be on top of the Serie A table when that point arrives.
As all the sports dailies noted on Monday, teams which win the so-called "winter" championship generally go on to win the real thing four or five months later.
Rahul Bakshi fires 69 to lead at Sunfeast All India Junior Golf
By IANS
New Delhi : Rahul Bakshi with the help of a brilliant front nine carded a superb three-under 69 to take the first day's honours in the Sunfeast All India Junior Golf Championship Tuesday.
In-form Rashid Khan, winner of the Faldo Series final in China, fired seven birdies but yet returned a card of two-under 70. He is lying in the second position, while Chikkarangappa and Kanishk Madan were jointly at the third spot at level par 72.
Australians will be safe in Pakistan: Shoaib Malik
By IANS
Sydney : Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has pleaded with the Australian cricketers not to call off their tour to Pakistan in March as that would damage the game in his country.
Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan has also expressed confidence that the tour should come through and he sees no threat to the Australian cricketers.
Results and standings of English Premier League
By DPA
London : The following are the results and standings of the English Premier League after the matches played Wednesday.
The standings are tabulated under matches played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, against and points.
Results:
Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 2
Blackburn Rovers 1 Sunderland 0
Bolton Wanderers 1 Derby County 0
Liverpool 1 Wigan Athletic 1
Standings P W D L F A Pts
Arsenal 21 15 5 1 42 16 50
Manchester United 21 15 3 3 38 11 48
Chelsea 21 13 5 3 33 16 44
Manchester City 21 11 6 4 29 22 39
Liverpool 20 10 8 2 34 13 38
Sydney fracas puts off Indian tourists to Australia
By IANS
Perth : Australian tourism operators have warned that the country's share of the increasingly lucrative Indian tourist market will drop after the recent Test cricket fracas.
The warning has prompted the Queensland government to direct a trade mission to India to try to smooth ruffled feathers.
Travel Impact, a Bangkok-based travel news service, says the row between the Indian and Australian teams will deter Indians from visiting Australia.
IPL invites bids for title sponsorship
By IANS
Mumbai : Indian Premier League (IPL) has invited bids for title sponsors for its inaugural tournament slated for April.
The highest bidder will have its name attached to the IPL, which will involve franchised teams for the Twenty20 tournament.
The bid document can be acquired from Friday, 10am onwards from the office of the Board of Control for Cricket in India at the Wankhede Stadium here. The bids must be submitted no later than 12 noon, Feb 6, after which the tenders will be opened by the IPL Governing Council.
India beat Australia to win third Test in style
By IANS
Perth : India defeated Australia by 72 runs on the fourth day of the third Test here Saturday to keep the series alive. India now trail 1-2 in the four-match series, with the final Test to be played in Adelaide.
Chasing 413 for a win, Australia were all out for 340 in 86.5 overs at the Western Australian Cricket Association ground. They had made 212 in their first innings while Anil Kumble's Team India scored 330 and 294.
Timing of ODI team announcement disappointing: Kumble
By IANS
Adelaide : India captain Anil Kumble Wednesday expressed his disappointment at the timing of the announcement of one-day side for the triangular series but was hopeful that the senior players, who have been dropped, will give their best to win the fourth Test match here starting Thursday.
"The selection is not in their hands. I have gone through it, it's not ideal (the announcement of the team before the Test) but that's the way. It's a bit disappointing," Kumble told reporters here on the eve of the crucial fourth Test match.
Sharapova secures third Grand Slam title
By DPA
Melbourne : Russian Maria Sharapova won her third Grand Slam title in five years with as 7-5, 6-3 victory over Serb Ana Ivanovic in the women's singles title clash at the Australian Open here Saturday.
The Russian claimed the battle of 20-year-olds to add the Melbourne honours to the 2004 Wimbledon and 2006 US Open crowns. She lost the 2007 Melbourne final to Serena Williams.
With the win over fourth seed Ivanovic, Sharapova will move to world No.2 position Monday behind Justine Henin of Belgium.
East Bengal keen to avoid relegation in I-League
By IANS
Kolkata : Having turned the tables on Dempo Sports Club in their last match, East Bengal will be keen to keep the momentum going against Air India here Wednesday and avoid relegation in the I-League football tournament.
Air India had defeated East Bengal by a solitary goal via captain Paresh Shivalkar in the first leg of the I-League. They would like to keep their stranglehold over the Kolkata side and ensure that they don't return to the relegation zone.
‘BCCI wants equity, justice and fair play’
By IANS
Melbourne : The Indian cricket board is all for "equity, justice and fair play" and does not want money to rule the roost, former board president I.S. Bindra has said.
Bindra, who was in Australia as a guest of Cricket Australia (CA), was referring to the general belief that the cash-rich Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants to dominate the cricket world with its money power.
Results and standings of Spanish Primera Liga
By DPA
Madrid : The following are the results and standings of football's Spanish Primera Liga after the matches played Sunday. The standings have been tabulated under matches played, won, draw, lost, goals for, against and points.
Results:
Real Valladolid 0 Valencia 2
Real Zaragoza 1 Athletic Bilbao 0
Recreativo Huelva 1 Sevilla 2
Villarreal 1 Mallorca 1
Levante 1 Racing Santander 1
Atletico Madrid 1 Real Murcia 1
Barcelona 1 Osasuna 0
Getafe 0 Espanyol 1
Standings P W D L F A Pts
Real Madrid 22 17 2 3 46 18 53
Barcelona 22 14 5 3 41 14 47
Lankans’ security beefed up after egg throwing incident
By IANS
Brisbane : Despite the Sri Lankan team's attempt to dismiss the unsavoury behaviour of Australian fans who attacked their cricketers Thursday night as a "non-event", Cricket Australia (CA) has arranged extra police guards for the visitors, the media reported here Monday.
African Nations Cup: Egypt, Cameroon through to semis
By DPA
Kumasi (Ghana) : Egypt and Cameroon advanced Monday to the semi-finals of the African Cup of Nations after beating Angola and Tunisia respectively.
Egypt will face Ivory Coast in a rematch of the 2006 final, while Tunisia will face Cameroon. Both semi-final games will be played Thursday.
Chewing gum may bring Harbhajan, Symonds together
By IANS
Sydney : Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds may patch up soon - thanks to an Indian chewing gum manufacturer's offer to make a television advertisement in which the two warring players are supposed to say "Gum Mein Hai Dum (This gum has power)".
"An Indian chewing gum manufacturer could bring a quirky end to cricket's great racial spat by doing what the game's top officials couldn't ... It is understood initial feelers have already been sent out to the warring cricketers and they will examine the proposal in the coming weeks," said Daily Telegraph newspaper.
Anand begins defence with crushing win over Shirov in Mexico
By IANS
Morelia (Mexico) : Viswanathan Anand opened his defence of the Morelia Linares chess tournament in style crushing Alexei Shirov with black pieces unleashing a theoretical novelty in the first round of the eight-man tournament Friday.
The World Champion, who won this tournament to move into World No. 1 position, took 30 moves for his superb win, which was one of three in the four games of the opening round.
India looking for consistent batting against Australia
By IANS
Adelaide : Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will look for more consistency from his teammates and has set the example from the front as India clash with world champions Australia in the Commonwealth Bank Triangular One-day Series here Sunday.
Warne anoints McGain as Hogg’s replacement
By IANS
Melbourne : Spin legend Shane Warne has anointed Victorian Bryce McGain as the front-runner to fill Australia's spin department vacuum after Brad Hogg's surprise retirement from the game.
"I suppose Bryce McGain has been the standout spinner from all over Australia over the summer. He has done exceptionally well in all forms of the game," Warne said of McGain, who topped the Ford Ranger Cup wicket tally with 15 scalps and also took 29 Pura Cup wickets.
South Africa beat Pakistan to reach U-19 World cup final
By IANS
Kaula Lumpur : South Africa beat defending champions Pakistan by 98 runs in the rain-affected second semi-final of the U-19 World Cup cricket here Saturday. The young proteas will now meet India for a title clash Sunday.
South African bowlers got eight Pakistani wickets for 67 runs after play was resumed on the reserve day because of heavy rains, which stopped the play Friday.
Pakistan had scored 86 runs after losing two wickets in 18.5 overs when it started pouring.
Britain hand India 3-2 defeat in Olympic hockey qualifier
By IANS
Santiago (Chile) : Great Britain crashed through India's defence with a rasping last-minute strike from Rob Moore to snatch a thrilling 3-2 win and virtually stormed into the final of the Olympic Games hockey qualifying tournament here.
India's propensity to concede late goals came back to haunt them in the crucial league match, as a minute before the final whistle Moore cashed in on the jangling nerves of the opposition and slipped in a winner.
Tour cancellation will not clear players to play in IPL: CA
By IANS
Melbourne : Australia's tour of Pakistan may have been postponed in the wake of serial blasts in the strife-torn country, but Cricket Australia (CA) is yet to clear the players to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The players have been told to wait to hear from coach Tim Nielsen, who is expected to require his players to gather for a training camp several days before the Test squad departs for the West Indies May 8.
Hayden welcomes Pakistan tour postponement
By IANS
Brisbane : Opener Matthew Hayden has welcomed the decision to postpone Australia's tour to Pakistan.
A twin suicide blast in Lahore, which killed more than a dozen people, has marked the demise of the three-Test tour Tuesday, thereby putting an end to months of speculations.
"Cricket has made the right decision," Hayden was quoted as saying in The Courier Mail.
"As players, we did not feel we could be assured that travelling to Pakistan would be safe.
Nadal desperate to defend his Indian Wells title
By DPA
Indian Wells (California) : World number two Rafael Nadal said that his present focus is to defend his Indian Wells title and not to topple Roger Federer in the Association of Tennis Professional (ATP) rankings.
"I may be close in the rankings (trailing Roger Federer by 350 points) but really but my goal at present is to defend this title and a quarterfinal later in Miami," said Nadal.
"It's all getting very difficult now," said the Spaniard, who, like Federer, is still to win his first title this season.
ICC reinstates umpire Darrell Hair in elite panel
By IANS
Dubai : The International Cricket Council (ICC) Tuesday decided to reinstate controversial umpire Darrell Hair to the ICC elite panel of umpires.
"Darrell Hair will be in an eminent and elite panel of umpires and will be appointed for official ICC matches. This will be put into immediate effect," ICC president-elect David Morgan said at a press conference here Tuesday at the conclusion of the two-day ICC board meeting.
"Hair will be posted for Tests as well as One-Day Internationals under the new system of appointing umpires for the entire series."
14 teams to play in shorter 2011 cricket World Cup
By IANS
Dubai : Fourteen teams will participate in the 2011 cricket World Cup to be co-hosted by India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
"The ICC (International Cricket Council) has decided to significantly shorten the 2011 World Cup to be held in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka," ICC president-elect David Morgan said at a press conference here Tuesday after the conclusion of the body's executive board meeting.
The ICC decision comes in the wake of wide criticism of the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies for its inordinately long schedule.
Dempo, East Bengal well placed in AFC Cup
By IANS
New Delhi : Indian clubs Dempo and East Bengal are well placed in their respective groups at the end of the second round in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup.
Both Dempo and East Bengal are second respectively in Group A and B. The picture is pretty similar for both the clubs so far as they have registered a win and a loss each out of two outings. But with four rounds remaining, the picture is sure to change depending on the performances of both the teams in the coming days.
EU may boycott Olympics over ‘cultural genocide’
By RIA Novosti
Brussels : The European Union may boycott the Beijing Olympics over "cultural genocide" in Tibet, the European Parliament's president has said.
China launched a crackdown earlier this month against anti-Chinese protesters in Tibet.
Two more deaths were reported Tuesday in the Sichuan Province's Ganzi Tibetan Prefecture, as protests continued to spread, according to reports.
Charlesworth still not clear about his role
By IANS
New Delhi : Australian hockey coach Ric Charlesworth has agreed to be the technical adviser of the Indian men's team, but he is still not clear about his actual role.
After a series of marathon meetings and much haggling with the officials of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and the Sports Authority of India, it was decided to entrust the men's team to Charlesworth, though initially he was offered the charge of only the Indian women's and junior teams.
Vehicles in Beijing to touch 3.35 mn
By Xinhua
Beijing: The Chinese capital's motor vehicle total will reach 3.35 million in August, when the Olympics will be staged, according to sources in the municipal government. With a daily growth of 1,300 vehicles, the city is faced with increasing problems of congestion and pollution.
Till Tuesday, the city had a total of 3.23 million vehicles. More than two million of the vehicles are cars, according to the Beijing Municipal Traffic Management Bureau.
Police deployed in Athens for arrival of Olympic torch
By DPA
Athens : More than 2,000 police will be deployed here this weekend to secure the handover of the Beijing Olympic flame to Chinese organisers after pro-Tibetan demonstrators disrupted the torch relay in various parts of Greece.
Police are bracing for protests in Athens where the torch relay is due to arrive late Saturday before being flown to China.
Pro-Tibetan activists said they will hold protests Saturday and Sunday while Amnesty International has called for a sit-in candle-lit protest on Monday near the Parliament building in central Athens.
Wolfsburg notch injury-time 1-0 win in Rostock
By DPA
Rostock (Germany) : Jacek Krzynowek scored in injury time as visiting VfL Wolfsburg prevailed 1-0 at Hansa Rostock in German Bundesliga football match.
Krzynowek fired a low shot into the net from short range off Alexander Laas' left wing cross Friday night.
Earlier in the match, Rostock goalkeeper Stefan Waechter had made fine saves against Makoto Hasebe, Christian Gentner and Jonathan Santana.
Wolfsburg improved to seventh place with 40 points, just four points shy of a UEFA Cup berth. Rostock languish in 14th place, four points above the drop zone.