ICC to look at umpires review system

Deepak Jain Mon, Jan 18 10 01:23 PM

London, Jan. 17 -- The International Cricket Council (ICC) will carry out an enquiry into the umpire referral system in the wake of a series of controversial incidents in the South Africa v England test series.

"We have received a letter of complaint from the ECB and we will launch a formal investigation into the exact circumstances surrounding the application of the DRS after completion of the Johannesburg test match," said ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat.

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Mumbai witnesses a day of the underdog

Deepak Jain Mon, Jan 18 10 12:27 PM

Mumbai, Jan. 17 -- It was a day of the underdog, as the favourites melted in the Mumbai heat. Little-known Denis Ndiso of Kenya beat the men's field by more than a minute while Bizunesh Mohammed pipped last year's winner Haile Kebebush in a close finish to lead an Ethiopian sweep in the women's section at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon on Sunday. Though the Indian men were still not able to break into the top-10 of the overall standings, they came up with the country's strongest showing in Mumbai as Binning Lyngkhoi, Ram Singh Yadav and Arvind Yadav grabbed the 11th, 12th and 16th positions respectively. But with Lyngkhoi of the Services coming in only after two hours and 20 minutes, the Indians lost out on qualifying for the Commonwealth Games. The qualification mark for the CWG was 2:19. "I am happy that my roommate (Lyngkhoi) won," Ram Singh, the fastest Indian man in last year's marathon said. "I had told you yesterday that I would qualify for the Commonwealth Games, but I could not do it today. It was very hot and humid." Ndiso, running only the second marathon of his career, topped Ethiopian Siraj Gena (2:13.58) and Samson Limareng (2:14.24) of Kenya. The 26-year-old broke away from the pack relatively early at the 25-kilometre mark, and though it looked like he would not be able to sustain the pace for the whole 42.2 km, Ndiso steamed on to the finish line. Race experts had predicted faster timings, for both men and women, due to the inclusion of the Bandra-Worli sea-link, but the bridge proved more of a hurdle than a blessing. Ndiso clocked 2:12.34, well behind the course record of 2:11.51 held by fellow Kenyan Kenneth Mugara in the last edition. In the women's section, Bizunesh returned with a 2:31.09, as opposed to 2:30.04 by Mulu Seboka in 2008.

The top ten women to finish the marathon were all Ethiopians.

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Australia sweeps series against Pakistan

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 18 10 12:10 PM

Melbourne, Jan 18 (ANI): Australia wrapped up their 12th consecutive Test victory over Pakistan in the Hobart Test.

Australia completed a three-Test series clean sweep against Pakistan at the Bellerive Oval.

Pakistan resumed on the final day at four for 103, chasing 438 for victory, and was bowled out for 206 after lunch.

Nathan Hauritz took three wickets, removing Khurrum Manzoor for 77. Peter Siddle also took three wickets. Manzoor proved the only real obstacle on day five of the Third Test in Hobart, The Age reports.

The Pakistanis' hopes of saving the third and final Test plunged when they awoke to clear skies in Hobart, but Manzoor fought hard to raise the third 50 of his Test career, which consumed 194 balls and over more than four hours.

Siddle earlier removed middle order batsman Shoaib Malik in the third over of the morning. Malik was on 19 when he pushed forward and Brad Haddin took a low, diving catch.

Hauritz, who is the leading wicket taker for the series, struck with his first ball and the victim was debutant Sarfraz Ahmed, who replaced wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal in the team for the final Test.

Ahmed edged to first slip, where the ball bounced off the boot of Michael Clarke before the Australian vice-captain grabbed the catch, reducing the tourists to 6-123. (ANI)

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Kalmadi disburses Rs one crore among hockey team

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 18 10 12:04 PM

As promised after their shocking revolt, 22 Indian hockey players and support staff, including coaches, were today handed their payments adding up to Rs one crore by IOA President Suresh Kalmadi at the World Cup preparatory camp here.

The cheques with varying individual payments were distributed by the Indian Olympic Association chief, who was accompanied by Hockey India adviser Anupam Gulati.

A crisis situation had developed on January 8 when the players refused to train at the camp insisting on advance payment of their dues from HI.

After failure of their talks with HI authorities, Kalmadi had successfully mediated to bring the players back on the field even as team sponsors Sahara India announced a release of Rs one crore for the striking campers.

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Don't flog top shooters, streamline criteria

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 18 10 11:53 AM

New Delhi, Jan. 17 -- The flawed selection process of the National Rifle Association of India, highlighted by the Hindustan Times, has not just distressed a certain Abhinav Bindra or a Suma Shirur. While many top shooters were not willing to come on record, double-trap marksman and world record holder, Ronjan Sodhi, said, "Things need to change". "If someone like me, who has made it to six of the seven finals of top international competitions last year cannot find a place in the national side for the Commonwealth Championships -to be held in Delhi from February 17- then there is something wrong here. "My scores have never dropped below 141/150 in 2009 and I have been the most consistent in the last three years, winning a World Cup gold in Belgrade with a world record and making it to the showpiece event, the World Cup Finals, for three consecutive years. But I am still out," said Sodhi from Italy, where he is undergoing training. "If they (federation) include me in the team now, I will fly back but if they don't I will continue training. In international competitions, we are used to a particular routine where we have to shoot in back-to-back events. Then, we are asked to come for trials. We could be jet-lagged, not feeling well or simply tired but we have to shoot. Weight-age should be given to international performance. How many times do I need to prove myself?" But he doesn't agree with Bindra's comment about quitting the sport in frustration. "I don't think such big decisions should be taken in haste. You have given all these years to the sport, so why do you want to fritter it away? Such things can be sorted out by sitting with federation officials. I'm sure the federation will listen and find a way out." Veteran trap shooter, Mansher Singh, who has been to four Olympic Games and is still the best in the business said, "Don't flog your top shooters. If Bindra has proved himself, he is the one to be beaten and not the one to beat others to prove himself. He is our best hope. Abhinav is training abroad for bigger goals and here you are calling him for trials. You are doing the country injustice by denying him a spot," said Singh.

Health

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A higher power

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 18 10 11:49 AM

India, Jan. 16 -- The promised gift at the end of the tunnel was in the shape of a surfboard, and beyond it, lay the vast blue sea. Surfers skimmed by while I longingly looked on. I was dozing in Frankie's shack under the noon sun of another hot day in Goa, when I woke with a start. In another ten minutes I had to meet Philippe Dartnell, my kite-flying instructor, and drive down to Morjim for lessons. I threw my knapsack on my shoulder, gulped down my juice and jiggled my bike keys in my hand. What would today be like? Going by yesterday's lessons, the surfboard was still pretty much at the end of the tunnel. Dartnell had walked me through the basics by drawing stick figures on the sand. 'Power window, wind pocket, drop zone,' I ticked off the important lessons of Day 1. But I had still crashed my kite every few minutes and got dragged by it in every direction the wind blew. Around me, a few flyers with kites considerably larger than my six-metre-square green Delta stood their ground and manoeuvred their kites with an ease and grace that completely belied how strong the wind was. Was I just too tiny to conquer the wind? A taste of the sand. Day 2 began on a better note, for Dartnell at least. The wind was stronger and he said he'd take me out to sea. I looked at him incredulously. How on earth was I supposed to deal with the water, when I hadn't even mastered the wind? I felt all the angst of a martial art student seeking true knowledge from her Zen master and failing miserably at it. I turned my back to the wind, dug my heels into the wet sand and launched the kite. Within seconds my Delta took a powerful swoop, dragging me forward by a couple of feet, and I landed flat on the sand. I got up, righted the kite, and launched it again. The winds were strong and the kite leapt into the sky easily. I pulled on the bar firmly to let more wind hit the kite, but didn't account for how much would gush in. The kite tugged sharply and, instinctively, I pulled the bar closer in a bid to control it. Doing that only opened the kite out further and powered it. This time I fell and scraped my elbow. Dartnell ran towards me shouting, "Forget everything you know about power. Unlearn it!" The thing about kite surfing, he explained, is that it's completely unlike any other sport because you need to do the exact opposite of what your instinct tells you to do. The trick is not to control the kite, but to guide it. . And then of the wind Gradually, my eyes began to leave the Delta and my hands responded automatically to the sudden shifts and turns of the kite. ("In the beginning, you'll look at nothing beyond the kite," Dartnell had said. "Avoid that.") I began to discover how to make the kite dance to the merest flick of my wrist. The elbows straightened out and energy emerged from somewhere around my stomach. I played with the wind pocket, letting my kite pop in and out at whim. As the setting sun played truant on the waters of the beautiful Morjim beach, I began to hang off my bar instead of hanging on to it, and learnt to bend my knees every time I felt the kite trying to drag me. And then I dipped the Delta, giving it the power I'd denied it all along. I could hear the lines creak in protest as the wind took over, but all I could feel was the rhythm of the swaying kite on my arms. I was finally flying my kite. Wetting my toes Apprehension is perhaps the least of what I felt when Dartnell, keeping the kite directly above our heads (in the least power zone) walked into the sea, asking me to follow him on Day 3. There was no surfboard in sight, but that was hardly a relief. Somehow, though I had mastered the art of flying, I wasn't too keen to try it out on the sea just yet. "Just hang on to the hook in my harness," Dartnell told me. Then, in a moment, he powered the kite and we were off - letting the wind drag us through the sea. At that moment I realised what Harry Potter must have felt on his broomstick when he flew for the first time. The waves parted as we skimmed furiously through the sea, measuring our distance not by miles but by the number of waves we swam over and those that we escaped by changing the direction of our kite.

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Play resumes in Chittagong after fog delay

Deepak Jain Mon, Jan 18 10 11:32 AM

Play resumed on the second day of the first test between India and Bangladesh at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on Monday after thick fog delayed the start.

India were 213-8 overnight in their first innings with Sachin Tendulkar remaining unbeaten on 76. Ishant Sharma (one) resumed the batting with him.

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Safina muddles through Melbourne opener

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 18 10 11:09 AM

Dinara Safina overcame a rusty performance to advance to the second round of the Australian Open on Monday, just a couple of months after fearing that she might not be able to play at Melbourne Park.

Safina, last year's beaten finalist, committed nine double faults and 39 unforced errors before eventually beating a dogged Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4 6-4 in the first match on Hisense Arena.

The 23-year-old Safina, who missed the season-ending Tour Championships last October with a back injury, was nevertheless happy with her performance and felt her game would improve as the tournament went on.

"Let's say it was not an easy first round match. She's a very good opponent. She plays very good," the second seed said.

"I can start to build up much more confidence and using more my shots. I had some good moments and bad moments, but overall I'm happy I went through, and I'm pretty satisfied with everything."

Safina beat Rybarikova 6-0 6-1 the last time they met at Roland Garros in 2008 but found the Slovak much more of a difficult opponent on Monday as she struggled with her timing while attempting to force her shots.

The back injury, which plagued her for the final three months of last season, at one stage had her thinking that she might have to skip the first grand slam of 2010.

"(But) I spoke with my doctor back in Germany (and) he told me for Australia Open for sure I'm going to be hundred percent," Safina told reporters.

"(I) was doubting the tournaments before but my recovery went pretty fast and I was even ready for Sydney (last week)."

Having been reprieved, the former world number one was even starting to enjoy her tennis again.

"At the end of the last year I was tired, exhausted, like I had no more fun on the court," she added. "But now I feel like I'm back and I'm enjoying every moment on the court.

"Last year I was every time like pushing myself, like, 'okay, I have to do it'. But now I do it with a much more desire."

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Valencia thrash Villarreal to close in on Real

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 18 10 10:09 AM

David Villa netted twice to fire Valencia to a 4-1 win over 10-man Villarreal in La Liga on Sunday and lift Unai Emery's side to within three points of second-placed Real Madrid.

Real slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday to remain on 41 points after 18 matches, five behind undefeated champions Barcelona, who took full advantage of Real's slip-up by thrashing Sevilla 4-0 at the Nou Camp.

Valencia have 38 in third and Real Mallorca leapfrogged Deportivo Coruna into fourth with a 2-0 home win over the Galicians earlier on Sunday.

Atletico Madrid continued their recovery from a poor start to the campaign with a nervy 3-2 win over Sporting Gijon and Racing Santander's 18-year-old midfielder Sergio Canales cemented his status as La Liga's rising star when he netted the equaliser in a 1-1 draw with Real Valladolid.

Ever Banega laid the foundation for Valencia's third straight league win when the Argentine midfielder swept the ball high into the net in the sixth minute at the Mestalla, his first goal for the club.

Villa doubled the lead from the spot in the 28th after he was hauled back by Kiko and the referee awarded a penalty and showed the Villarreal defender a straight red card.

A defensive howler from Joan Capdevila gifted a third to his Spain team mate David Silva on 56 minutes and Nilmar pulled one back for the visitors with 29 minutes left after a mix-up between defender Alexis Ruano and goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez.

Silva crossed for Villa to score his 14th of the season at the death, putting the Spain striker back at the top of the La Liga scoring chart level with Barca forward Lionel Messi.

TENSE FINALE

Atletico had been lifted by a stirring comeback against second division Recreativo Huelva in the King's Cup on Thursday and carried the momentum into the match at their packed Calderon stadium earlier on Sunday.

Uruguay striker Diego Forlan raced clear to give them the lead in the 13th minute but the good work was undone 20 minutes later when goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo clumsily felled Diego Castro in the penalty area.

Castro picked himself up and sent Asenjo the wrong way to restore parity before Forlan nodded the ball into Assuncao's path for the Brazilian midfielder to poke home in the 53rd.

Teenage substitute Ibrahima Balde netted with an angled strike with 24 minutes remaining to make it 3-1 before Luis Moran scored in added time to set up a tense finale.

"We suffered unnecessarily at the end but these are three very important points," Atletico coach Quique Sanchez Flores said at a news conference.

"The positive results have had an impact and the players have more confidence and believe in what they are doing."

Racing teenager Canales followed up last weekend's two stunning strikes against Sevilla with another coolly executed chip to salvage a home draw against struggling Valladolid after Pablo Pinillos had scored in his own net in the 19th.

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Second day''s play delayed due to fog, bad light

Deepak Jain Mon, Jan 18 10 09:23 AM

Chittagong, Jan 18 (PTI) The start of play on the second day of the first cricket Test between India and Bangladesh has been delayed due to fog and bad light here. India were 213 for eight at draw of stumps on the opening day. Sachin Tendulkar (76) and Ishant Sharma (1) were at the crease for the visiting side when play ended early yesterday due to bad light. The weather had forced a 90-minute delayed start even yesterday.

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Kiran Agashe wins one-act play competition

Deepak Jain>Mon, Jan 18 10 09:17 AM

"It's a humble beginning towards a better folk culture and there are still many miles to go,"says Kiran Agashe of Samanvay, first prize winner of Vodafone Rangasangeet, a one-act play competition, which was held at Yashwant Rao Chavan Auditorium in Kothrud on Sunday. The event was organised by Theatre Academy. City-based Maharashtra Cultural Centre was the first runner-up, while the Kalapini form Talegaon was declared second runner-up. A fourth prize was also given to Samvedna Parivar, a Mumbai-based organisation.

The Marathi musical one-act play competition was conceptualised to provide a platform for upcoming talent in theatre across Maharashtra and Goa. "The competition was tough despite low participation. We showcased the fresh one-act play which was based on music instinct of a jail inmate and surely it was different from the regular musical Marathi plays," says Anjali Karahkar of Kalapini (Talegaon). Held at Yashwant Rao Chavan Auditorium in Kothrud, Pune, Kirkire, B.P Singh (CEO, Vodafone Maharashtra & Goa} and Madhuri Purandhare (Member of theatre Academy) presented the winners with the trophy. "Judging such a deft bunch of theatre artistes is challenging and tough. We should promote this art form ," said Kirkire.

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