Brabourne identity: It's Ishant versus Jaffer

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 04 10 01:23 PM

Mumbai, Jan. 3 -- Mumbai versus Delhi is El Classico of Indian domestic cricket. But the Ranji Trophy semifinal that begins here on Sunday between these two teams is bereft of some big names. Still the coaches of both teams have promised that the fight for a spot in the final will be fought as keenly as ever. Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli and Ashish Nehra are touring Bangladesh with the Indian team and are therefore off the Delhi roster. Similarly, Mumbai will miss Rohit Sharma and Zaheer Khan. And Sachin Tendulkar has opted out of both the international tour and the Delhi tie. Inarguably, Ishant Sharma is the biggest name in the match. And the seemingly sporting track at the Cricket Club of India here would have pleased the lanky pacer, as both the teams went through the nets on Saturday. Tackling Ishant and Pradeep Sangwan would top the list of Mumbai's priorities. Captain Wasim Jaffer said he will open the innings. He has been playing one-down this season. "I will open the innings with Sahil (Kukreja)," Jaffer said. "We have not been getting the starts. I have to take the responsibility to see off the new ball and post a good total." Apart from Ishant and Sangwan, Delhi's bowling looks impressive with the presence of in-form medium pacers, Parvinder Awana and Pavan Suyal. Injury woes for Mumbai Delhi's pacers are not Mumbai's only worry. Injury to Dhaval Kulkarni, their second most effective bowler, may force him to sit out. "It is unlikely Dhaval will play," Jaffer said. Dhaval's absence will weaken hosts' bowling, which is already being blamed for not getting enough outright wins. It should be noted that Mumbai's only win of the season came against Himachal Pradesh. "They have been playing mostly on flat tracks," Jaffer said in support of his bowlers. Ajit Agarkar, who has also accounted for some useful runs with the bat, has fever and is a doubtful starter. But Jaffer is hopeful of Agarkar's recovery. Abhishek Nayar is expected to be back in the team in place of Sushant Marathe. With his options narrowed down and bowling attack considerably weakened, the sporting wicket may not be any consolation for Jaffer. Delhi confident The visitors would be bolstered by the return of Ishant and leg-spinner Chetanya Nanda. Aakash Chopra has a knee injury and will be replaced by Mayank Tehlan, who is expected to open with Shikhar Dhawan. None of the Delhi batsmen are in the list of top 15 run getters in this season. And it is their team effort, which has brought them to this stage. Apart from Dhawan, who is in sparkling form, Delhi would largely depend on Bhatia, Manhas and Bisht, who has been the team's top-scorer. 'Result wicket'

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Henin beats Petrova to win comeback match

Deepak Jain Mon, Jan 04 10 01:09 PM

Belgium's Justine Henin made a triumphant return to professional tennis on Monday with a 7-5 7-5 win over Russia's Nadia Petrova in the first round of the Brisbane International.

Playing her first official match since retiring in May 2008, Henin showed she had lost none of her fighting qualities as she ground out a hard-fought victory over the tournament's second seed.

Another former world number one, Serbia's Ana Ivanovic, registered her first win in almost five months by beating Australia's Jelena Dokic 7-5 1-6 6-3 in an earlier match.

Ivanovic, who has slipped to 21st in the world rankings after failing to win a tournament in 2009, overcame a lapse of concentration in the second set to see off Dokic, who contributed to her own downfall with 11 double-faults.

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Tiger Woods' wife 'hires private eye to probe his fortune'

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 04 10 12:53 PM

London, January 4 (ANI): Tiger Woods' wife has reportedly hired a private investigator to work out his wealth amid plans to divorce the ace golfer.

A lawyer for Swedish model Elin Nordegren was said to have roped in a private eye to dig into every company account, tax return and phone bill of the world's highest-paid sportsman since the couple's marriage in 2004.

"Elin knows hiring a PI is a smart move. Her lawyers want to make sure she gets every penny she's entitled to," the Mirror quoted a source close to Nordegren as saying.

"Elin is devastated, but now she's decided to end their marriage she has the future of their children to think about," the source added.

Woods, believed to be worth almost 1 billion dollars, withdrew from professional golf after admitting infidelity following reported links to as many as eighteen mistresses. (ANI)

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Bhambri comes from behind to defeat top seed Marchenko

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 04 10 12:39 PM

Chennai, Jan. 4 -- On the brink of becoming a full-time professional, Yuki Bhambri made the biggest kill of his life when he toppled top seed Illya Marchenko in the second round qualifiers of the Chennai Open on Sunday. The wiry 18-year-old from Delhi, who won the junior Australian Open last year, came back from 1-4 down in the first set to beat Ukraine's Marchenko 7-6 (2), 6-3. He faces Louk Sorenson of Ireland in the final qualifying game. "I had a slow start again," said Bhambri. "But I hung in there. Obviously I will take a lot of confidence from this match since I beat the top seed (ranked 120); it's the biggest win of my life."

He saved five match points to beat the Canadian 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (9) over two hours and 31 minutes and set up a clash against Germany's Lars Poerschke.

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Ntini to call it a day?

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 04 10 12:19 PM

The first black cricketer to play for South Africa, pacer Makhaya Ntini is planning to bid adieu to his international career after being dropped for the third Test against England.

Ntini has reportedly signed an agreement with English county side Middlesex that will keep him from being available for national duty. Ntini celebrated his 100th Test in the second Test against England last month but was left out of the team for the third Test due to his consistently declining performance in the past two years.

Although Cricket South Africa (CSA) remained tight-lipped, sources close to Ntini indicated that the 32-year-old former herdsman had signed a Kolpak contract with Middlesex. Such a contract requires players to undertake that they would not be available for their national team. Ntini has a contract with CSA until April.

"CSA has not heard anything yet from Ntini," Proteas spokesman Michael Owen-Smith told the Afrikaans daily 'Beeld'.

"The selectors will decide if he is offered a contract again and he can then decline the contract," he said. Ntini, who became a celebrity after being snapped up out of obscurity and poverty as a rural herdsman, was the first black African player in the national side after decades of the team being exclusively white in the apartheid era.

Ntini has taken 391 wickets from 101 Tests, while snapping up 266 in 173 ODIs.

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SAfrican paceman Ntini to call it a day?

Deepak Jain Mon, Jan 04 10 11:23 AM

Durban, Jan 4 (PTI) The first black cricketer to play for South Africa, pacer Makhaya Ntini is planning to bid adieu to his international career after being dropped for the third Test against England. Ntini has reportedly signed an agreement with English county side Middlesex that will keep him from being available for national duty. Ntini celebrated his 100th Test in the second Test against England last month but was left out of the team for the third Test due to his consistently declining performance in the past two years. Although Cricket South Africa (CSA) remained tight-lipped, sources close to Ntini indicated that the 32-year-old former herdsman had signed a Kolpak contract with Middlesex. Such a contract requires players to undertake that they would not be available for their national team. Ntini has a contract with CSA until April. "CSA has not heard anything yet from Ntini," Proteas spokesman Michael Owen-Smith told the Afrikaans daily ''Beeld''. "The selectors will decide if he is offered a contract again and he can then decline the contract," he said. Ntini, who became a celebrity after being snapped up out of obscurity and poverty as a rural herdsman, was the first black African player in the national side after decades of the team being exclusively white in the apartheid era. Ntini has taken 391 wickets from 101 Tests, while snapping up 266 in 173 ODIs.

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Australia's cricketers urged to condemn racist attacks on Indians

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 04 10 10:59 AM

Sydney, Jan 4 (DPA) Shane Warne and other cricket superstars were Monday urged to condemn the latest assault on an Indian student in Australia.

The call from Gautam Gupta, spokesman for the Federation of Indian Students in Australia, followed the stabbing death Saturday of 21-year-old accounting graduate Nitin Garg.

'There is a lot of frustration within the Indian community with the way this is being handled,' Gupta said, calling on Warne and other cricketing heroes who have made fortunes in India to break their silence on the issue.

'They should jump in and defend Indian students in Australia,' Gupta said. 'Shane Warne is an icon in India. He has millions of fans.'

Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna described the killing as a 'heinous crime on humanity', warning that the latest in a string of assaults would harm Australia's reputation as a safe place to study.

'It certainly will have some bearing on the bilateral ties between our two countries,' Krishna said.

Police investigating the stabbing in a Melbourne park say it is too early to describe it as a hate crime. The government has also declined to speculate on the motives.

'This is a nation that welcomes international students,' Education Minister Julia Gillard said. 'We want to make them welcome. This is a welcoming and accepting country.'

More than 90,000 Indians are studying in Australia, with Melbourne the most popular city for Indian students. Most hope to gain permanent residency.

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Qatari driver takes lead in Dakar rally

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 04 10 10:53 AM

La Rioja (Argentina), Jan 4 (DPA) Qatari driver Nasser al-Attiyah took the lead in the automotive portion of the Dakar rally Sunday.

Al-Attiyah at the wheel of a Volkswagen Touareg was 1:19 minutes ahead of his nearest competitor after the 355-km second stage from Cordoba to La Rioja, Argentina.

Spaniard Carlos Sainz was in second place, followed by French record holder Stephane Petershansel in a BMX X3.

The first stage leader Juan Roma fell behind after a double somersault early in the stage.

Frenchman David Casteu took the overall lead in the motorcycle portion of the race, 2:10 minutes ahead of countryman Cyril Despres.

Vladimir Chagin of Russia took at 2:47 lead among the trucks.

The 14-stage, 9,000-km event through Argentina and Chile, considered the toughest road race in the world, is slated to conclude Jan 17 in Buenos Aires. It is the 32nd Dakar Rally.

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Putin, Medvedev take to Sochi slopes to boost 2014 Olympics

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 04 10 10:39 AM

Moscow, Jan 4 (DPA) Russia's president and prime minister hit the slopes in Sochi, planned site of the 2014 Winter Olympics, to give the Russian resort town a boost, according to Russian broadcasters.

A series of photographs showed President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin skiing and sharing a ride on a snowmobile. Nonetheless, the light-hearted event received some criticism as Medvedev wore only a knit cap, not the safety helmet recommended for skiing.

Putin, who had been criticized for not wearing a safety belt while seated in a car during a publicity session in Sochi last summer, wore a helmet.

Both men are vacationing with their families in the region. Broadcasters reported that they took a quick break from their skiing to talk.

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Leeds knock out ManU from FA Cup

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 04 10 10:09 AM

Leeds United were handed a tough FA Cup fourth round tie away to Tottenham Hotspur after Sunday's momentous victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Leeds, the League One (third division) leaders, scored the biggest Cup upset for years when they beat United 1-0.

Holders Chelsea, who beat Watford 5-0 on Sunday, will play another Championship (second division) side when they travel to Preston North End -- their first visit to Deepdale for 29 years. Preston crushed Colchester United 7-0 in the third round.

Arsenal, who scored two late goals to beat West Ham United 2-1 at Upton Park on Sunday, were handed another tricky away tie at Premier League Stoke City, who saw off non-League York City 3-1 on Saturday.

There are three other potential all-Premier League matches.

Burnley will visit Liverpool if Rafa Benitez's men win their replay against Reading at Anfield, while Sunderland will face Portsmouth if Pompey win a replay at Coventry City.

Everton, who beat Carlisle United on Saturday, will host Premier League rivals Birmingham City if they get past in-form Championship side Nottingham Forest in a replay.

Manchester City, who under new coach Roberto Mancini are looking to win the FA Cup for the first time since 1969, should be too strong for Scunthorpe United, struggling at the wrong end of the Championship.

Leeds will look forward to their trip to London to face Spurs having become the first team to knock Manchester United out at the third round stage since Bournemouth -- managed by Harry Redknapp -- beat United in 1984.

By a twist of fate Redknapp is now manager of Tottenham -- 4-0 winners over Peterborough United on Saturday -- and will be determined not to lose to the team of Leeds manager Simon Grayson who has now emulated his achievement.

Grayson told Sky Sports: "It's another fantastic draw for us, against another top Premier League club and a fixture that would have been a Premier League game a few years ago. We are looking forward to it."

The Yorkshire club have only beaten Spurs once in the competition -- in 1972 the year of their only FA Cup success. Tottenham's former Leeds players Aaron Lennon, Robbie Keane and Jonathan Woodgate will be relishing their old club's visit.

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Sports Bar

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 04 10 09:09 AM

Railways keep both titles

Railways successfully defended their titles in the men's and women's section, defeating hosts Punjab and Delhi respectively in the finals of the national basketball championship in Ludhiana. Railways men defeated Punjab 75-74, the while women's team brushed aside last year's losing finalists Delhi 84-62. In the men's final, hosts Punjab made a good beginning, leading 39-34 at the end of the first quarter. But Railways stayed close and the outcome of the match was decided in the last 34 seconds when Railways scored an invaluable point.

Porto players face action

A post-match incident involving Givanildo Vieira and Ionut Sapunaru may lead to sanctions for up to five Porto players. The players are being investigated for their role in a fight in the players' tunnel after Porto's 1-0 defeat at Benfica on December 20 which resulted in a security guard being hospitalised with a head injury. Hulk and Sapunaru had been expelled by referee Lucilio Baptista. They both now face disciplinary action. Hulk's agent, Teodoro Fonseca, told reporters the Brazilian "had been provoked from beginning to end" during the match.

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BCCI drafts reply, says Kotla pitch poor, not unfit

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 04 10 09:05 AM

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has backed the DDCA's argument that the Ferozeshah Kotla pitch was poor and not unfit in its reply to the ICC. As first reported by The Indian Express, this is an attempt from BCCI to get away with the prospective ban on the venue after the abandonment of the fifth one-dayer against Sri Lanka.

The cricket board's aurgument and defence is based on a report submitted by former chief of pitch and grounds committee Venkat Sundaram to DDCA president Arun Jaitley.

BCCI top brass, including president Shashank Manohar and Jaitley, met in Mumbai on Sunday to draft a 25-page reply to the ICC showcause notice on the December 27 pitch fiasco so that the Kotla evades an international ban and gets away with a fine.

'Experiment gone wrong'

According to sources, the report submitted admits that the "pitch was an experiment gone wrong while trying to extract some bounce" and "the curators lacked the expertise," but clarifies that the pitch was not unfit to play. Accordingly, BCCI is preparing a dossier on the entire episode and state that play continued till the 24th over in that match before the officials abandoned the game. BCCI further stressed on the point that of the 130-balls bowled, only seven behaved awkwardly ? either rising alarmingly or keeping low.

"If the pitch is deemed poor, you can pay the fine and get away with it. But if it's considered unfit that would entail a 1-2 year ban which the Board doesn't want since Kotla is also a 2011 World Cup venue," a source said. Incidentally, DDCA vice president and former player Chetan Chauhan had used the same argument to claim that the match officials took a hasty decision in abandoning the match.

Once ICC receives BCCI's response, chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle and ICC general manager (Cricket) Dav Richardson would take a final decision on the issue.

If the track were to be established as poor, Kotla would get away with a USD 15,000 fine. On the other hand, if the pitch is deemed unfit, it may lead to a suspension of Kotla's status as a venue for international matches for 1-2 years.

ICC CEO Haroon Lograt had earlier said that the entire process could take up to a month. Preparations are already on to repair the Kotla pitch and make it playable ahead of the IPLmatches in February.

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