Fri, Nov 05 10 12:08 PM
Ahmedabad, Nov 5 (PTI) India were 392 for six at lunch on the second day of the first Test against New Zealand here today. Brief Scores: India: (Overnight 329/3) 392 for six in 120.2 overs (Virender Sehwag 173, Rahul Dravid 104, Sachin Tendulkar 40, VVS Laxman 40; Jeetan Patel 2/102).
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:37 PM 0 comments
Published>Fri, Nov 05 10 11:44 AM
Sydney, Nov 5 (ANI): Legendary cricketer Sir Donald Bradman's bat used for playing cricket in his backyard will go under hammer on Sunday and is expected to fetch around 15,000 to 20,000 dollars.
Also up for auction on Sunday, and expected to fetch 20,000 to 30,000 dollars is a Sykes Don Bradman bat used by him during the 1930 Ashes tour of England and signed by him on the reverse, with signatures of the Australian and English players on the front.
Aalders Auctions in Erskineville will sell the bat used by Bradman to play backyard cricket at his Adelaide home.
Sports memorabilia expert Tom Thompson said: "It is perhaps the ultimate backyard bat."
Bradman's fellow players like Keith Miller, Lindsay Hassett and others also used the bat to play cricket in the backyard when they were invited for a light afternoon tea after each Adelaide Test match.
The three-quarter sized Junior Don Bradman bat, mass produced by the British firm Sykes for young cricketers, was made in 1936 and signed by Bradman in the ownership position of the upper-left, reverse, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
"When there was an Adelaide game everybody would go back and play in Bradman's backyard. It was a fun thing. The only rule that I was ever told by Bradman was that over the fence was definitely out and you couldn't play," Thompson said.
"He called them 'ill-considered shots'. It was all about control and precision. With Bradman there was always rules," he added. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:13 PM 0 comments
Fri, Nov 05 10 11:22 AM
Karachi, Nov 5 (PTI) A furious row has erupted after the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) decided to omit hockey, football and other outdoor sports from the forthcoming 31st National Games scheduled to be held in Peshawar from December 25. National Games that have already been postponed twice in the last two years because of uncertain security situation in the north-west province, now face a new trouble as the organisers of the Games have omitted nearly a dozen disciplines and reduced the number of participating athletes, so that the event can be wrapped up in short span of time and security hassles can be avoided. But the omission of Pakistan''s national sport -- hockey has already led to a severe backlash from the Pakistan Hockey Federation and sports community in general. "It is a joke not to include hockey in the National Games. Already we are trying to keep the profile of the sport high in Pakistan and attempting to find new talents. But we are told that there will be no hockey in such a major event," PHF secretary, Asif Bajwa said. Bajwa also said that if the provincial organisers were having problems organising the Games because of any reason including security then the POA should move the Games to some other province. "If they can''t hold the hockey event for any reason we can do it for them but it is unacceptable not to have the national sport in the National Games," Bajwa said. He said the PHF President, Qasim Zia had already taken up the issue with the government and Pakistan Sports Board. There was a similar reaction from Saleh Faisal Hayat, an influential politician and President of the Pakistan Football Federation. "How can they exclude a popular sport like football? Then what is the purpose of having National Games?," he asked. Sources said that the decision to reduce the number of games and athletes in the National Games was taken because the organisers didn''t want a huge number of athletes and packed schedule in Peshawar, which has been vulnerable to terrorist attacks. "Basically the problem is the security situation in the province," one source said. The organisers have also drastically reduced the events in which female athletes were suppose to participate as the place is considered as the most conservative in Pakistan. Interestingly, most of the disciplines included in the Games are indoor sports, which clearly shows that the organisers are not confident about the security arrangements. PTI CORR CM
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:51 PM 0 comments
Fri, Nov 05 10 10:18 AM
The New York Knicks got off to a flying start and were on target from three point-range as they cruised to a 120-112 win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.
Toney Douglas led the Knicks with 30 points off the bench, including five three pointers, while Danilo Gallinari scored 24 points including 21 in the first half.
Raymond Felton had a double-double scoring 20 points and getting 10 assists.
The Knicks (2-2), 70-52 ahead at the half, were a sizzling 16-of-24 from three-point range, including 10-of-15 in the second half.
Derrick Rose led the Bulls (2-2) with 24 points while Joakim Noah had his fourth consecutive double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Taj Gibson also had a double-double for Chicago with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 9:47 PM 0 comments
Fri, Nov 05 10 05:16 AM
Malaga have named former Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini as their new manager, the Spanish club said on Thursday.
The 57-year-old Chilean, Jose Mourinho's predecessor at Real, replaces Jesualdo Ferreira, who was sacked after only three months in the job on Tuesday with the Andalusian club languishing 18th in the 20-team La Liga.
"The Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini will be presented as new head coach tomorrow," the club said in a statement.
Local media quoted Pellegrini saying he had been offered a five-year deal but had opted for a three-year contract.
"I am excited and very pleased," he said. "I feel capable of turning this situation around and hopefully the team will recover."
Pellegrini made his mark in Spain with Villarreal between 2004 and 2009, turning a small, unfashionable club into a regular participant in European competitions.
ATTRACTIVE FOOTBALL
He won widespread praise for bringing through young talent and for playing attractive, attacking football, leading them to runners-up spot behind Real Madrid in La Liga in 2007/08.
He also steered Villarreal to the Champions League semi-finals in 2006 and the quarter-finals in 2009.
Real Madrid bought him out of his contract in June 2009 but he only lasted a season before being replaced by Mourinho, despite achieving a record points tally for the club of 96 with a team that scored 102 goals in 38 matches.
Real had spent 250 million euros ($354 million) on new players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Karim Benzema but failed to win any silverware, finishing second behind Barcelona in the league and failing to progress beyond the last 16 in the Champions League for a sixth straight season.
"The club (Malaga) is growing and has a very impressive project," Pellegrini was quoted as saying in Thursday's edition of sports daily Marca.
"The challenge at Malaga is no less than at Real Madrid or Villarreal," he added. "Challenges are personal."
Ferreira was appointed in June by new Malaga owner Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani, a member of the Qatari royal family, but nine matches into the new campaign the club have taken just seven points and are in the bottom three.
Malaga's next league match is at Espanyol on Saturday.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 4:45 PM 0 comments
Published>Fri, Nov 05 10 04:56 AM
Holders Italy are striving to avoid any hint of complacency as they prepare to face an under-strength United States in this weekend's Fed Cup final.
The Italians are heavy favourites to win the title for the third time in five years against a U.S. lineup deprived of their top two players, Serena and Venus Williams, because of injury.
"On paper, we're favourites but that's the big trap," Italy captain Corrado Barazzutti told Reuters during practice at the San Diego Sports Arena on Thursday. "We must be very careful.
"Everybody expects Italy to win this match but we have to play with a lot of respect for the opponent, a lot of concentration. We have to fight. That is the only way to win.
"Every Fed Cup match is difficult because it is not an individual tournament. We know very well that anything can happen and so we have to be very, very focused."
Barazzutti, part of the only Italian men's team to win the Davis Cup in 1976, said he was not concerned that the Williams sisters would miss the showpiece women's event.
"It's not our problem the Williams don't play against us in this Fed Cup," he added. "Just like last year, we play against the team that is here and so we concentrate on this team.
"We know very well that with the Williams America is a much stronger team but they are not here, so we don't care."
WILLIAMS WITHDRAWALS
Serena pulled out of the Fed Cup final earlier this month after re-injuring her right foot from over-training just 13 days after Venus ended her season due to a nagging knee injury.
In their absence, the U.S. will field three singles players ranked outside the top 55 -- Bethanie Mattek-Sands (58th), Melanie Oudin 67th and Coco Vandeweghe 114th.
The Italians will be represented by French Open champion Francesca Schiavone, the world number seven, 23rd-ranked Flavia Pennetta, Roberta Vinci (38th) and Sara Errani (42nd).
"This is a great team," Barazzutti said of the same lineup that whitewashed the U.S. 4-0 in last year's final in Reggio Calabria. "It was a great team before and it's a great team now.
"We have an historic chance to increase our winning streak at the Fed Cup in the last few years. For our women's tennis, it is a great moment. We love to play in this competition, we almost feel it is our own competition."
Although Italy have much more experience playing on clay, Barazzutti felt his team had already adjusted well to the faster indoor hardcourt surface being used for this year's final.
"The court is good for us, it's not a problem," he said. "We prefer to play on the clay court for sure but my players play on any surface. We have practised well, the players are in good shape and they are ready to win this match."
The final begins with the opening singles on Saturday. The reverse singles and concluding doubles are scheduled for Sunday.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 4:25 PM 0 comments
Published>Fri, Nov 05 10 04:16 AM
Bruno Senna prepared for his first Brazilian Grand Prix on Thursday with the shadow of his late uncle and Formula One triple champion Ayrton still casting a presence over his home Interlagos circuit.
A Brazilian preview showing of the Universal Studios picture Senna, including hitherto unseen archive footage, was held in Sao Paulo on Wednesday night with HRT driver Bruno in the audience.
"I watched it for the first time last night; the movie's awesome. It reminded me of so many things that just got dulled by time," the driver, who was 11 when Senna died at Imola in 1994, told reporters ahead of Sunday's race.
"It's very special for me, I think for anyone who's a racing driver it's going to be quite special, whoever was a fan of Ayrton.
"For people who didn't know Ayrton, they will have a pretty good image of what Ayrton was all about.
"It's not a movie about racing itself but it's a movie about the life of Ayrton, the implications of what he did in his life. It feels very special and definitely brought back many memories, good memories and some sad memories as well, of course."
Senna, whose struggling team have yet to score a point, recalled his first memories of Interlagos in 1993 when he came to watch Ayrton race.
His first experience of single seater racing was an afternoon at the circuit.
"Even though I have never raced here before and I have never done any relevant mileage here, it is still a circuit I know by heart very well," he said.
Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, who entered Formula One in 1993 as a close friend and protege of Senna, also paid tribute to the late champion who is buried in the nearby Morumbi cemetery.
"He was the man. For me he was everything since he helped me a great deal going to the go-kart world championships," said the Williams veteran.
"We know the story. Unfortunately I couldn't be at the cinema to watch the preview but I will be the very first one to watch it when it comes out."
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 3:45 PM 0 comments
Published>Fri, Nov 05 10 03:38 AM
Mark Webber charged Red Bull with emotionally favouring Formula One team mate and title rival Sebastian Vettel on Thursday and said his own championship challenge had been "inconvenient".
In a meeting with reporters before what could be a title-deciding Brazilian Grand Prix, the Australian measured his words carefully with lengthy pauses that were as telling as the often resigned replies.
"You still seem to feel that the team isn't fully behind you?," it was suggested.
"Technically, everything's been very, very good," Webber, second in the standings and 11 points behind Ferrari's Fernando Alonso with two races remaining, replied after heavy reflection.
Pressed about the emotional side, he countered brusquely: "It's obvious isn't it?
"Of course when young, new chargers come onto the block, that's where the emotion is. That's the way it is.
"Which is absolutely fine, because I've had a great opportunity and a great car to go and do some great things this year, and I have done that," continued the Australian. "I've got favourites in life. I've got people I like to be with. That's how it is. It's human nature."
In a separate session with reporters, team principal Christian Horner rejected the charge of favouritism while acknowledging that team advisor and Austrian owner Dietrich Mateschitz's right hand man Helmut Marko was close to 23-year-old German Vettel.
TREMENDOUS SUPPORT
"I would have to understand what Mark was meaning by those comments because he's had tremendous support from the whole team," said Horner.
"I think he's probably referring to the support of Helmut Marko of Sebastian Vettel but that doesn't influence the way that the team operates, the way that it supports its drivers.
"We've given Mark the tools to get the job done, all his race victories have been achieved in Red Bull cars.
"I'm sure Mark would love the team to say 'Yes, after whatever point in the year your team mate will now be your rear-gunner'. But Red Bull is about giving both drivers the opportunity."
Vettel is 25 points behind Alonso after an engine failure while leading the previous race in South Korea robbed him of the overall championship lead that was in his grasp after Webber had crashed out.
The double failure left Webber still the front-running Red Bull contender but the team have made clear that Vettel will not be expected to help him until his own chances are snuffed out.
Webber was criticised after Korea by former racer Gerhard Berger, who suggested on a Red Bull-owned television station in Austria that the Australian had tried to take out rivals after his mistake by allowing his car to slide back across the track.
The Australian denied that, said he was 'absolutely' surprised by the comments being broadcast but added he had a thick skin.
"When you're up for a world championship, they don't hand them out like Commonwealth Games medals," he declared. "It's a tough thing to get and I realise you're going to have a few headwinds here and there. That's part of it.
"I think it's been a great year for Formula One, a lot of people have locked onto it for various reasons," continued the driver on a brighter note.
"I think I wasn't supposed to be in the hunt at all, so it's been maybe quite inconvenient, but I've enjoyed every minute."
Horner said that was not the case and pointed out also that due to the Korea crash Webber would have a new chassis and car floor for Sunday's race while Vettel would not.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 3:07 PM 0 comments
Published>Fri, Nov 05 10 03:36 AM
The World Boxing Council (WBC) has unanimously agreed to create a boxer's international passport containing a photo, medical information, the weight category and the fighter's record by July next year.
At its annual convention, the WBC Board of Governors gave full backing to the proposal put forward by president Jose Sulaiman. There are 164 nations affiliated to the WBC.
"It will be a certificate of competency and medical safety, dealing a significant blow to the pirates of boxing who exploit boxers, by falsifying records, overmatching them and woefully underpaying," Sulaiman said.
WBC international secretary Frank Quill said the lack of protection for boxers travelling to other countries needed to be rectified.
He gave the example of a promoter from Indonesia who had sent a boxer to Australia to fight with falsified documents. The fighter was diagnosed as HIV positive after authorities in Sydney conducted their own tests.
The WBC also agreed that from January 2012 it would not sanction any world title fight unless gloves conforming to new safety standards are used.
A study to be conducted by the board's medical advisory board will investigate whether the material used should be leather or synthetic, the gloves' distribution of weight, packing materials and how effectively they absorb sweat.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 3:05 PM 0 comments
Published>Fri, Nov 05 10 02:56 AM
Switzerland's captain and record goalscorer Alexander Frei said on Thursday he will quit international football at the end of the season.
Frei's international future has been in doubt since last month's Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales, when he a section of the Basel crowd jeered him off the field as he was substituted.
The 31-year-old FC Basel striker then made a gesture which appeared to indicate he had had enough.
"In my decision, I have taken into account the numerous positive wishes, requests and suggestions from people who have encouraged me to carry on in the national team," Frei said in a statement on the Swiss FA's website (www.football.ch).
"Equally, the points of view of other people, who have recently made no secret of their opinions that my time in the national team has run out, have been considered and taken seriously."
"This is not a hurried retirement based on emotion, which at best could have left a bitter aftertaste as well as leaving the national team in the lurch," he added.
"This gives everyone a reasonable amount of time, without my blocking the way of younger attacking players to the national team."
Switzerland's last scheduled game this season is their Euro 2012 qualifier away to England on June 4.
"I regret Alex's plans (to quit internationals) because we will be losing one of the most experienced players and one of the most dangerous Swiss strikers of all time," said national team coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
"On the other hand, I respect his decision. It's something he hasn't taken lightly. And I'm happy that he will be available until the end of the season, including the away matches against Bulgaria and England."
Frei has scored 40 goals in 81 matches for the Swiss since making his debut in 2001, but last hit the target in the World Cup qualifier against Latvia in September last year.
The former Borussia Dortmund striker played at two World Cups and two European Championships with mixed fortunes.
His dreams of leading Switzerland to success as they co-hosted Euro 2008 were shattered when a knee injury forced him to limp out of their opening match with Czech Republic before halftime. The sight of Frei wiping tears from his captain's armband was the most poignant moment of the tournament.
At Euro 2004, Frei was banned for three games on video evidence for spitting at England's Steven Gerrard and in remorse adopted a llama at Basel zoo -- the Andean pack animals spit a foul-smelling substance at aggressors when provoked.
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Published>Fri, Nov 05 10 12:36 AM
Red Bull's Mark Webber would make the best Formula One champion but Ferrari's Fernando Alonso is more likely to win this year's title, Jackie Stewart said on Thursday.
The triple world champion also told reporters at the Brazilian Grand Prix that he saw McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button as outsiders in what is still mathematically a five-way battle.
"For me, there's three drivers in contention now," the Scot said at the Interlagos circuit where Alonso could win his third championship on Sunday.
The Spaniard is 11 points clear of Webber and 21 ahead of Hamilton. Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is 25 points off the pace and reigning champion Button 42 with one race in Abu Dhabi to follow Brazil.
"Alonso I think is the better equipped to do it, he's done it twice and he knows the business," said Stewart. "He's got Ferrari and they are a very strong team under those circumstances.
"But I think Mark Webber would make the best world champion this year. He's 34, he's got wisdom, he's got maturity.
"Sebastian will unquestionably win the world championship in the future," added the 71-year-old, who saw Vettel as the third man in the equation.
"I think that this year Mark Webber would carry it better because he presents himself well and an Australian hasn't won it since Alan Jones... for the sport he would carry it in a bolder way, because Sebastian at 23 is quite young to do that."
Webber, winner of four races this year, lost the championship lead in South Korea 11 days ago after he crashed out while in second place.
Alonso won that race, with Hamilton second, after Vettel's car suffered a blown engine while leading.
Stewart hailed Hamilton as "the hardest racer in the grand prix field" and said he could not be written off.
"He's aggressive, bold and takes chances. He could certainly turn the whole table around if the conditions were wet. But if it's dry, I think the other three have a better chance," he declared.
"I think the McLarens are less well equipped to do it than the three other drivers."
Red Bull, who can trace their lineage back to the Stewart Grand Prix team founded by the Scot in 1997 before selling out to Jaguar at the end of 1999, are leading McLaren in the constructors' championship by 27 points.
Stewart said he was thrilled by the success of a team that still includes some of the mechanics who worked on his original project.
"I'm proud of them because I walk up and down here and see my old mates who were working here with us," he told Reuters.
"If they win the constructors' championship, I'll buy them a drink."
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 12:05 PM 0 comments
Published>Fri, Nov 05 10 12:20 AM
Danny Jordaan, the man responsible for organising the last World Cup, is now seeking to sit on the all-powerful FIFA committee that decides, among other things, where future World Cups will be played.
The 59-year-old South African administrator, whose term as chief executive officer of the 2010 World Cup Organising Committee ends next month, has been nominated by his country for a post on the FIFA executive committee, the 24-man inner cabinet that runs the game and takes all its major decisions.
"The World Cup profile is a big help," said Jordaan, who intends lobbying across the continent in the next months.
"It is important for me that Africa feels I can make a contribution," he told Reuters.
Two of Africa's four positions on the FIFA executive committee come up for re-election in February, one of them held by Nigerian Amos Adamu, who world football's governing body provisionally suspended last month.
Adamu was caught in a newspaper sting seeking money for his vote in next month's upcoming on where the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be held.
The other African berth up for re-election is held by Jacques Anouma, president of the Ivorian Football Federation, who has not yet made public whether he will seek another four-year term.
Adamu is expected to try to hold on to his post if he is not expelled by FIFA, whose ethics committee will decide on his future this month.
Nominations for the posts close on Nov. 23, three months before the election at the Confederation of African Football congress in Khartoum, Sudan. Jordaan is the first to make his candidacy public.
His experience in football administration, dating back more than two decades, and the successful organising of the World Cup will be key parts of his election campaign.
Jordaan said he had had a surge of support from African football associations and says he is confident of winning a place on the FIFA executive as well as the CAF executive.
Traditionally, administrators seeking to work their way up to the FIFA committee serve time first as members of the CAF executive, but Jordaan is attempting both at the same time.
A former history teacher and Parliamentarian, Jordaan almost single-handedly ran South Africa's two World Cup bid campaigns before taking over the organisation of the 2010 finals.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:49 AM 0 comments
Fri, Nov 05 10 12:14 AM
Nagpur, Nov 4 (PTI) Ranjit Paradkar (unbeaten 154) and Amit Deshpande (92) batted beautifully as Vidarbha surpassed Andhra Pradesh''s first inings total to secure vital three points from their Ranji Trophy plate group B match here today. Baroda posted a mammoth 506 for six wickets ijn reply to Andhra Pradesh''s first innings score of 370 for nine as the match ended in a draw. Resuming at the overnight score of 265 for three, Vidarbha lost Shalabh Srivastav (38) soon after the play resumed this morning. Deshpande, playing his first match after a two seasons, held the innings together in the company of Paradkar to frustrate the visitors. Amit dropped anchor and batted for more than five sessions to ensure the hosts gain the vital lead and in the process completed his half century. Paradkar played some good shots on either side of the wicket. Vidarbha went to lunch with the score at 352 for four and looked in command. Deshpande was trapped lbw soon after the lunch. Paradkar maintained the tempo and scored freely against some very mediocre bowling from the visitors. Guest player and leg-spinner Sairaj Bahatule was seriously missed by the visitors following his fractured finger on the opening day as the home team piled runs at will to register their highest total in nearly 20 years. India discard Venugopal Rao was the main strike bowler claiming four wickets for the Andhra side. Brief score: Andhra first innings 370 for nine wickets. Vidarbha first innings 506 for six wickets off 108 overs. Ranjit Paradkar 154 not out, Amit Deshpande (92), Shalabh Srivastav (38). Venugopal Rao 4 for 130.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:43 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 11:36 PM
England's 2018 World Cup bid has been significantly damaged by a newspaper investigation into the bidding process, a senior member of the campaign team said on Thursday.
Reporters from the Sunday Times posed as lobbyists for a consortium of American companies wanting to secure FIFA's vote for the U.S. and targeted two executive committee members who are now under investigation for corruption.
"It is correct to assume that the article has caused some significant damage to us," said the source, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
"It would be far better for us not to have any issues with our own media, but we believe the position is recoverable. The next two or three weeks are going to involve a lot of work in turning this situation around, but we feel we have a great bid and that FIFA will judge it on its merits and are not put off by a newspaper story."
England are facing a challenge from Russia, and joint bids from Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands to host the finals. FIFA will make its decision in Zurich on Dec. 2.
Last month's Sunday Times story named Amos Adamu from Nigeria and Reynald Temarii from Tahiti as the two executive committee members who were prepared to sell their votes for cash.
FIFA INVESTIGATION
The two men, who have denied any wrongdoing, have been suspended by FIFA and are the subject of an investigation by the body's ethics committee which is meeting from Nov. 15-17 before publishing its findings.
Adamu is accused of asking for 500,000 pounds ($806,700) -- half paid in advance -- to build four artificial football pitches in his home country.
Temarii, a FIFA Oceania confederation vice-president is alleged to have requested 3 million New Zealand dollars ($2.36 million) for a sports academy to be built at the OFC's headquarters.
The campaign source said England's bid could recover from the crisis, but thought a BBC programme about FIFA which could be shown the week before the vote would prove highly damaging.
"People from around the world cannot understand why on the one hand, the British Government, and all the opposition parties are totally behind the bid, while the BBC, effectively the state-run TV channel, would broadcast a programme that could scupper it," the source said.
"We do not want FIFA members to feel they are being persecuted by the English media, that is not the case at all."
BLATTER CRITICAL
FIFA president Sepp Blatter was critical of the newspaper's role last week, when he told reporters after an executive committee meeting in Zurich: "One can ask whether such an action is appropriate, trying to set traps for people. It is a deeply rooted problem with the English media.
"Who is benefiting from this situation and who is being harmed, we are asking ourselves why did it happen and why did it happen specifically by English journalists? We are looking at that."
The president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Mohamed Bin Hammam of Qatar, used his blog (www.mohamedbinhammam.com/en/) to criticise the Sunday Times investigation when he wrote: "Is it ethical to use unethical methods to protect the ethic? How will we clean dirty laundry by using dirty water. This would not have happened in the Middle east.
Qatar is bidding for the 2022 World Cup along with Japan, South Korea, the United States and Australia and has been the subject of allegations that it has colluded with Spain/Portugal in a vote-trading deal for their respective campaigns, something both bids deny.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 11:05 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 11:06 PM
Nagpur, Nov 4 (PTI) Ranjit Paradkar (unbeaten 154) and Amit Deshpande (92) batted beautifully as Vidarbha surpassed Andhra Pradesh''s first inings total to secure vital three points from their Ranji Trophy plate group B match here today. Baroda posted a mammoth 506 for six wickets ijn reply to Andhra Pradesh''s first innings score of 370 for nine as the match ended in a draw. Resuming at the overnight score of 265 for three, Vidarbha lost Shalabh Srivastav (38) soon after the play resumed this morning. Deshpande, playing his first match after a two seasons, held the innings together in the company of Paradkar to frustrate the visitors. Amit dropped anchor and batted for more than five sessions to ensure the hosts gain the vital lead and in the process completed his half century. Paradkar played some good shots on either side of the wicket. Vidarbha went to lunch with the score at 352 for four and looked in command. Deshpande was trapped lbw soon after the lunch. Paradkar maintained the tempo and scored freely against some very mediocre bowling from the visitors. Guest player and leg-spinner Sairaj Bahatule was seriously missed by the visitors following his fractured finger on the opening day as the home team piled runs at will to register their highest total in nearly 20 years. India discard Venugopal Rao was the main strike bowler claiming four wickets for the Andhra side. Brief score: Andhra first innings 370 for nine wickets. Vidarbha first innings 506 for six wickets off 108 overs. Ranjit Paradkar 154 not out, Amit Deshpande (92), Shalabh Srivastav (38). Venugopal Rao 4 for 130.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:35 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 10:52 PM
Kolkata, Nov 4 (PTI) Striker Edeh Chidi struck twice as Mohun Bagan thrashed Mohammedan Sporting 3-0 and keep their hopes alive in the Calcutta Football League premier division match here today. After a barren first-half, Mohun Bagan scored three goals in the last 24 minutes of the match to grab full points, at the Salt Lake Stadium. Mohun Bagan now have 28 points from eleven matches. But the 29-time champions are still five points behind East Bengal, who are at the top of the table with 33 points from eleven matches. Mohammedan Sporting remained on 19 points from nine games. Chidi struck home in the 69th and 93rd minute, while Muritala Ali socred once, in the 84th minute. Mohammedan Sporting too had their chances, and came close to scoring on three occasions, but lack of firepower upfront cost them dear. In the absence of Jose Barreto, Bagan looked disjointed in the first half, but the change of ends saw a change in their fortunes.
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:21 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 10:46 PM
New Delhi, Nov 4 (PTI) Batting sensation Suresh Raina has been signed up by Rhiti Sports Management Pvt Ltd. for Rs 30 crore, for a period of 3 years. "I have full confidence in Rhiti Sports doing justice to my brand value. It''s a team of people and I am very comfortable with them. I am looking forward to a working relationship with them," said Raina. The company had earlier got India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on board for Rs 210 crore. Rhiti Sports also represents Chennai Super Kings. "We will use our network and expertise to the fullest potential for growing brand Raina as India''s biggest emerging sporting brand," said Arun Sharma, who facilitated the deal. PTI AH
Source: Published>
Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:15 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 10:36 PM
New Delhi, Nov 4 (PTI) Chirag United rode on Mohammad Rafique''s late strike to break East Bengal''s 17-match winning streak and advance to the final of the 123rd Durand Cup football tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium here today. After both teams failed to break the deadlock in the first half, Rafique scored the all-important goal in the 86th minute of the match, to help his team prevail over the depleted red-and-gold-brigade -- who were missing four key players -- and make their maiden final appearance in the world''s third oldest football tournament. They will fight it out with JCT in the summit clash on Sunday. Running in from the right towrads the East Bengal post, Rafique fired in a long-ranger that found the back of the net courtesy of a Uga Okpara deflection. The melee inside the box, perhaps, didnt help East Bengal as it left their custodian Sandeep Nandy unsighted. Till Rafique broke the ice, it could have been anybody''s game with both teams in search of that elusive goal. Nine minutes into the second half, Subhash Chakraborty, after capitalising on Ravinder Singh''s mistake, ran with the ball towards the East Bengal post but Nandy thwarted his attempt with a good save. Chirag had a real chance to take the lead, when an unmarked Joshimar De Silva Martine charged towrads a hapless Nandy, but Ravinder Singh intercepted the ball before the wily striker could take a shot at the post. East Bengal could have taken the lead three minutes before Rafique struck for Chirag, but Harmonjit Singh Khabra''s power-packed shot hit the crosspiece and an off-colour Robin Singh failed to find the back of the net off the rebound. Much before that, Budhiram Tudu wasted a golden opportunity when he failed to make use of Khabra''s through ball. The inexperienced Tudu was found wanting on several occasions and Robin Singh''s unimpressive play only added to East Bengal''s miseries, who were without their prolific Australian recruit Tolgay Ozbey. The absence of the injured Penn and Reisengmi Vashum, ruled out due to injuries, and Mehtab Hossain, suffering suspension after getting two yellow cards in the tournament, did not help East Bengal''s cause. Both coaches, Chirag''s Subrata Bhattacharjee, and East Bengal''s Tervor Morgan accepted after the match that absence of these key players made the difference. "That definitely helped as they are very important players. But our boys did well considering that East bengal is a big team," said Bhattacharjee said. Morgan felt that the absence of the injured players disturbed the rhythm of the team. "When you lose so many regular players, it disturbs the rhythm of the team. And we didn''t had players who could have replaced them," Morgan said after the match.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 10:05 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 10:22 PM
New Delhi, Nov 4 (PTI) Batting sensation Suresh Raina has been signed up by Rhiti Sports Management Pvt Ltd. for Rs 30 crore, for a period of 3 years. "I have full confidence in Rhiti Sports doing justice to my brand value. It''s a team of people and I am very comfortable with them. I am looking forward to a working relationship with them," said Raina. The company had earlier got India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on board for Rs 210 crore. Rhiti Sports also represents Chennai Super Kings. "We will use our network and expertise to the fullest potential for growing brand Raina as India''s biggest emerging sporting brand," said Arun Sharma, who facilitated the deal. PTI AH
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 9:51 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 10:16 PM
Opposition leader Jorge Segovia won the Chilean Football Federation (ANFP) presidential election with a 28-22 vote on Thursday, an ANFP spokesman said.
Incumbent Harold Mayne-Nicholls' defeat meant coach Marcelo Bielsa will resign as he announced on Wednesday.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 9:45 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 09:06 PM
Karachi, Nov 4 (PTI) Sohail Tanvir''s return to international cricket got delayed as Pakistani selectors today pulled out the paceman from the national Test squad for the upcoming series against South Africa in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Tanvir was named in the Test squad, announced last month but the selectors had made it clear that his trip would be subject to fitness as the left-arm pacer has only recently resumed playing competitive cricket after a major knee operation in Australia. "The medical advice on Tanvir is that he needs to be given more time to complete his rehabilitation process and he will not be joining the test squad," a selector said. Tanvir missed the third match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy domestic tournament for his team, Zarai Taraqyati bank which started today. Their was no official word on why he had missed it but sources said the pacer had suffered a painful blow to his knee in his last domestic match. Tanvir has been in fine form in the Quaid Trophy taking 15 wickets in two matches and also scoring a half-century. The Pakistan Cricket Board in a strange decision recalled batsman, Misbah-ul-Haq out of a six month wilderness last month and named him as the new Test captain after the suspension of Salman Butt who led the team in England. Misbah unfortunately has failed to get going in the two T20 matches and first two one-day internationals against South Africa and was dropped for the third match. Their will be five changes in the Pakistan squad for the two test matches with senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf, leg- spinner Danish Kaneria, pacer Muhammad Sami, batsman Azhar Ali and opener Taufeeq Umar leaving on Monday to join the team. From the one-day squad, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Fawad Alam and Muhammad Hafeez will return home.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:35 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 08:52 PM
Karachi, Nov 4 (PTI) The Pakistan Cricket Board has cleared the outstanding dues of the national team, pending since the Twenty 20 World Cup in April-May but has withheld payments of the suspended trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammed Asif. Wasim Bari the chief operating officer of the board confirmed that the PCB finance department had cleared all the outstanding payments including match and tour fees along with bonuses. "The payments were held up due to some technical reasons but they were cleared as soon as the Chairman approved the payments," Bari said. He declined to confirm whether payments were made to the suspended trio as well. But when contacted Asif confirmed they were still awaiting their payments. "We have not received anything from the board including our match and tour fees and central contract salaries since the last few months despite several reminders," Asif said. "I can understand the board not paying us for the England tour where the allegations were made against us and we were suspended but we don''t understand why they are not paying us for the events before the England series including the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup," he said. Asif said roughly the board had to pay around six to seven million rupees to each of the three suspended players. "We are also fighting the legal cases ourselves so it is getting difficult for us because we have not received any payment for a while now and the board should reconsider paying us for the events before the England tour," he added. There was lot of hue and cry raised over the delay in payments to the players and they were fears this was because of the fragile financial position of the board.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 08:46 PM
New Delhi, Nov 4 (IANS) A fighting century by Sridharan Sriram only delayed the inevitable for Assam as Tamil Nadu romped home by seven wickets in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group A match in Chennai Thursday and picked up five points.
Overnight 159 for four, Assam, courtesy a 112-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Sriram (121, 15 x 4) and Tarjinder Singh (99, 12x4), managed to stretch the game. But once the stand was broken, the rest collapsed for just 51 runs.
Seamer Sunil Sam came away with four for 56 after Lakashmipathy Balaji had done the initial damage with two crucial strikes on the third evening.
Tamil Nadu, needing just 120 runs for victory, then cantered through as openers Abhinav Mukund (32) and Anirudha Srikkanth (48) put on 64 runs. Though skipper Dinesh Karthik failed again, the hosts were not to be denied a win despite a 33-minute rain stoppage.
In Jammu, Maharashtra bowlers beat Jammu and Kashmir by 10 wickets at the Gandhi Memorial Science College Ground.
The hosts began the day on 134 for two but barring Arshad Bhatt (95) and Raman Dutta (47 not out), none of the Jammu batsman showed the stomach for fight and were bundled out for 347 in the second innings.
Needing just 26 runs to win, Maharashtra's openers clinched the victory in the seventh over.
Brief scores:
At New Delhi: Bengal 473 and 92/3 ( Aridam Das 36 not out, Shreevats Goswami 35; Chetanya Nanda 2-45; Delhi 459 (Virat Kohli 173 Rajat Bhatia 63, Sumeet Narwal 60; Ashok Dinda 4/-132, Ranadeb Bose 4-137. Match Drawn.
At Dharmasala: Haryana 316 and 249/5 decl (Nitin Saini 92, Manav Sharma 51; Mohinderraj Sharma 3-60); Himachal 206 and 168/2 (Sangram Singh 89, VA Indulkar 62 not out; Joginder Sharma 1-34). Match Drawn.
At Jammu: J&K 282 and 347 (Arshad Bhatt 95, Javed Ahmed 47; Akshya Darekar 4-50, Ganesh Gaekwad 2-93); Maharashtra 604 and 26/0 (Harshad Khadiwale 13 not out, Nikhil Paradkar 7 not out). Maharashtra won by 10 wickets.
At Jaipur: Hyderabad 21 (Pankaj Singh 2 for 11, Deepak Chahar 8 for 10) and 126 (Munagala Praneet Arjun 33, Pankaj 4 for 45, Chahar 4 for 54, Sumit Mathur 2 for 14) lost to Rajasthan 403 (Akash Chopra 65, Hemant Kanitkar 193 not out, Robin Bist 58, Alfred Absolen 5 for 78,Lalith Mohan 3 for 124) by an innings and 256 runs
At Meerut: Punjab 288 and 354/6 (Pankaj Dharmani not out 135, Vishwas Bhalla 76, Uday Kaul 74; Piyush Chawla 2 for 78); Uttar Pradesh 362 (Tanmay Shrivastava 35, Shivkant Shukla 39, Digvijay Singh 38, Mohammad Kaif 58, B. Kumar 35, P. Kumar 43, Navdeep Sidhu 4 for 128, Harmeet Singh 2/ 86, Rajwinder Singh 3/66). Match Drawn.
At Mumbai: Mumbai 580 and 207/2 (Wasim Jaffer 103 not out, Rohit Sharma 74 not out; Jayesh Odedra 1-8); Saurashtra 374 (Pratik Mehta 107 not out, Bhushan Chauhan 63, Dhurv 49, Ramesh Pawar 5 for 109). Match Drawn.
At New Delhi: Gujarat 379 (Neeraj Patel 46, Parthiv Patel 36, Bhavik Thaker 67, Pratharesh Parmar 42, Siddharth Trivedi 65, Krishnakant Upadhyaya 3 for 98, Jaiprakash yadav 2 for 102, Shailendra Gehlot 2 for 65); Railways 221 and 246 (V. Cheluvaraj 73, Sanjay Bangar 51; Siddharth Trivedi 2-55). Match Drawn.
At Nagpur: Andhra 370 (Hemal Watekar 77, L. N. Prasad 51, Satyakumar Varma 70, A.G. Pradeep 94, Umesh Yadav 2 for 73, Shrikant Wagh 5 for 77, Akshay Wakhare 2 for 99); Vidarbha 506/6 (Ranjeet Paradkar 154 not out, Amit Deshpande 92; Y Venugopal Rao, 4/130). Match Drawn.
At New Delhi: Kerala 454 and 7/0 (Abhishek Hegde 5 not out, VA Jagadeesh 2 not out); Services 407 (Soumyaranjan Swain batting 130, Yashpal Singh batting 66, Sony Cehruvathur 5/72). Match Drawn.
At Chennai: Assam 184 and 281 (S. Sriram 121, Tarjinder Singh 99; Sunil Sam 4-56); Tamil Nadu 346/9 decl and 123/3 (Abhinav Mukund 32, Srikkanth Anirudha 48; Arlen Konwar 2 for 25). Tamil Nadu won by seven wickets.
At Cuttack: Baroda 148 and 414/6 (Ambati Rayudu 200 not out, Connor Williams 57; Dheeraj Singh 3/109); Orissa 352 (Natraj Behera 55, Govind Podder 106, Rakesh Mohanty 43, Biplab Samatray 55, Alok Sahoo 30, Murtuza Vohora 3-71, Ajitesh Argal 3-91, Yusuf Pathan 2-55). Match Drawn.
At Agartala: Jharkhand 335 (Rameez Nemat 55, Ishank Jaggi 44, Shiv Gautam 44, Rahul Shukla 72, Wilkin Mota 2 for 80,Timir Chanda 2 for 59, Subal Chaudhury 2 for 72, Jayanta Debnath 2 for 64) beat Tripura 73 (Varun Aaron 5 for 17, Kuldeep Sharma 2 for 30, Samar Quadri 2 for 0) and 131 (Chanda 30, Rahul Shukla 3 for 33, Aaron 2 for 36 and Quadri 4 for 22) by an innings and 256 runs.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 8:15 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 08:22 PM
Kozhikode, Nov 4 (PTI) Kerala''s next two Ranji cricket matches in Plate division have been shifted to Perinthalamanna in Malappuram district from Jawaharlal Nehru International stadium at Kochi, where it was originally scheduled. Kerala will meet Jammu and Kashmir in their next match from November 10 to 13 and they will take on Vidarbha from Nov 17 to 20. Both the matches will be played at Perinthalmanna Cricket Stadium, Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) sources said. Perinthalmanna, which had hosted several junior matches will be hosting Ranji trophy mathch for the first time. PTI TKK APR AT
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 7:51 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 07:38 PM
Ahmedabad, Nov 4 (PTI) As New Zealand found India in the driver''s seat in the first cricket Test early on, Kiwi batsman Jesse Ryder said things may have been different had they not dropped Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid. "It''s always disappointing. You come here and play on their home turf and it''s been a long day on the field. It''s disappointing to drop those catches. Catches are always vital. If we had taken those, the story might have been different," said Ryder at the end of the day''s play during which India rattled up 329 for three. Sehwag made a strokeful 173, his 22nd Test hundred, after being dropped twice - on 144 and 155, while Dravid, who made 104, was dropped early in his innings, at 28. The duo put on a record partnership of 237 for the second wicket, the best for India against the Kiwis and their 10th century stand against all comers. Ryder, who gave his side the first breakthrough by dismissing opener Gautam Gambhir, said their bowlers failed to execute the plans. "We had our plans against Sehwag. We obviously knew that he will come out and have a go against us. At times we didn''t bowl to our plans and we let him get away," he said. "It''s hard to stop a batsman who is going like that unless you stick to your plans. And we didn''t always stick to our plans. We wanted to tuck him up and not let him free his arms but we gave some width early on. That didn''t help us," he added. Sehwag got his runs off just 199 balls and with the help of 24 fours and a six before falling to rival captain and left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori. But Ryder was happy that both the well-set batsmen were snared by the Kiwis before close and to have restricted India to under 330 when at the beginning it looked as if 400 was on the cards at stumps. "It was good to get those two wickets in the end. If we can bowl well tomorrow and get early wickets things will bring some change for us. They were looking at 400 at the end of the day at one stage and to finish on 300 + was some good work from us at the end of the day," he said. He was pleased to have dismissed Gambhir with his medium pace bowling. "I was trying to just bowl full and straight. I am happy with that wicket," he said. Talking about Motera strip, Ryder said, "The wicket was two-paced and a bit up and down in the end but hopefully it looks like it would flatten out a little bit more. It shouldn''t be too bad. We have to see over the next couple of days." PTI SSR AT
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 7:07 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 07:22 PM
Ahmedabad, Nov 4 (PTI) Flamboyant opener Virender Sehwag today said he and and Rahul Dravid did not discuss even once their different batting styles even as they struck contrasting centuries on the opening day of the first cricket Test against New Zealand here. While Sehwag was his usual aggressive self, scoring a quick hundred, Dravid took time to get into groove and gradually improved his strike rate. Sehwag''s 173 came off 199 balls while Dravid took 227 balls for his 104-run knock. In the process, they shared a splendid 237-run stand for the second wicket, their 10th century-stand, and helped India reach a solid 329 for three at close. Sehwag said they were talking to each other regularly but ''how to get runs'' never became a topic. "I play my way and he plays his way. He has his own style and I bat in my style. We were chatting a lot but not on how quickly he should score or I should. He knows how to get runs and he got them," said Sehwag, who had put on a mammoth 410-run stand with Dravid at Lahore in Pakistan in 2006. Sehwag said the hosts are looking to pile up a total in excess of 500 tomorrow to put New Zealand under pressure. "We are looking at 500 or 550. If we can reach there we can put pressure on the New Zealand batsmen as the wicket is a slow and I think it will start to turn on the third or fourth day," said Sehwag who slammed his 22nd Test ton, said. More PTI SSR AT
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:51 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 07:08 PM
Islamabad, Nov 4 (IANS) In a surprise development, the organisers of the Pakistan National Games have excluded the national sport hockey from the premier event kick-starting Dec 25.
The Games are scheduled in Peshawar, capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPP) in northwest Pakistan.
The Games will be held after almost two years due to security concerns in KPP. But the province was not ready to forego the right to hold the event.
Other than hockey, 15 other disciplines including football, cycling and wrestling have also been excluded from list announced by the organising committee Thursday, Express TV reported.
The exclusion of national game hockey, however, has raised several eyebrows.
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Secretary Asif Bajwa said the decision is 'mind-boggling.'
'Nobody has taken us in confidence. It seems the organisers are not Pakistani because they do not care about the national game,' Bajwa told IANS.
Reacting to the criticism, National Games chief organiser and KPP sports minister Syed Aqil Shah said the PHF has 'no business' to comment on the matter.
'These games belong to the Pakistan Olympic Association and only it can decide what to include and what not. The decision to exclude hockey and other games has been taken in proper consultation with the stakeholders,' said Shah.
'The reasons for this change were more because of funding and security constraints. We have assured to provide fool-proof security this time to the participants.'
KPP province has been most affected by terrorism.
The concluding ceremony of the provincial games in Peshawar last year killed two people and injured many others when an explosives laden vehicles exploded at the gate.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:37 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 06:52 PM
Melbourne, Nov 4 (PTI) Australian spin great Shane Warne believes England are getting far too "cocky" about their chances of retaining the Ashes this summer Down Under and has cautioned them not to become complacent in their fight against the arch-rivals. The spin legend was reacting to comments from former England captain Michael Vaughan who insisted that the Ashes were just a warm-up ahead of England''s Test series against India next year. "Australian side does not have the depth to beat the English. This winter is looking like being a warm-up for next summer when we will play the number one team India," Vaughan had commented. Warne reacted to Vaughan''s statement on social networking site Twitter, saying, "Yeah, yeah, whatever bud. Your Poms are cocky at present. Could end in tears for you all, just chill." "Just wait until it starts. What is with the English lip? You that sure of winning? I am not sure," said another post from Warne. "What is wrong with it? It is going to be a great, close and thrilling series. Good luck to both teams. Lots to happen yet," Warne added. Warne had earlier conceded that England have their best chance of winning the Ashes Down Under.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:21 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 06:38 PM
Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid tormented New Zealand's bowlers as they scored contrasting centuries to give India a flying start in the first test on Thursday.
At close, the hosts were at 329 for three after Sehwag (173) and Dravid (104) combined in a 237-run partnership for the second wicket to build a solid platform for India.
The visitors had some reprieve in the last session of the day as they picked up the wickets of Sehwag and Dravid.
With Sachin Tendulkar (13 not out) and Vangipurappu Laxman (seven not out) at the crease and the likes of Suresh Raina and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to follow, India will aim to drive home the advantage of batting first on a pitch already offering turn and inconsistent bounce.
Sehwag treated the New Zealand bowlers with disdain en route to his 22nd test century, his knock consisting of 24 boundaries and a huge six.
The swashbuckling right-hander danced down the track twice in the 90s to hoist New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori over the top of the in-field to bring up his century.
The left-arm spinner ultimately had his revenge when he bowled Sehwag, with the ball ricocheting off his pads on to the stumps.
Dravid was touch slow to start with but picked up his strike-rate towards the later part of his innings. He fell to the second new ball, chopping Chris Martin on to his stumps.
The visitors compounded their miserable day by dropping Sehwag and Dravid. Off-spinner Jeetan Patel floored a straightforward return catch off Sehwag on 144, while wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins dropped Dravid on 28 off Jesse Ryder.
Patel has had an ordinary day on the field with the ball too as the Indians seemed to take a particular liking to his off spin. He went for 61 off the nine overs he bowled before tea.
Earlier, Dhoni had no hesitation in opting to bat first after winning the toss for the first time after nine tests.
India's only casualty in the morning session was Gambhir for 21, when the left-hander played on to part-time medium pacer Ryder when attempting an expansive cover drive.
The New Zealand pacers toiled hard on a pitch that provided them little assistance as Vettori, playing in his 100th test, was forced to introduce spin as early as the ninth.
The hosts selected Shanthakumaran Sreesanth as the second paceman ahead of Ishant Sharma, while batsman Kane Williamson and fast bowler Hamish Bennett were handed their New Zealand debuts.
The second test is in Hyderabad from Nov. 12-16 while the third and final test will be played in Nagpur from Nov. 20-24.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 6:07 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 06:16 PM
Lee Westwood began life as world number one with a sparkling 66 in the WGC-HSBC Champions first round on Thursday and told Tiger Woods he could blame his own brilliance for losing the top ranking.
The 37-year-old Briton, who ended Woods's 281-week reign at the summit last weekend, played through the niggling pain of ankle and calf injuries to sit just one shot behind Italian Francesco Molinari at the top of the leaderboard.
Westwood, Woods, who started with a 68, Martin Kaymer and Phil Mickelson occupy the top four places in the rankings and a win for any one of them this week would guarantee the number one spot.
"I think the world rankings are reflective of how competitive world golf is at the moment. Nobody is out-and-out world number one," Westwood told reporters after playing his first competitive round since last month's Dunhill Links Championship.
"I think that's partly to do with Tiger not having played quite so well this year and partly to do with Tiger having made everybody else elevate their game," he added.
"Tiger's a victim almost of his own brilliance. We have all had to work harder and we have closed the gap, I guess."
Westwood said he was still not 100 percent fit and applies iced cold packs to his ankle every night to boost the healing process.
"As the round goes on, it starts to ache and I lose control and power a bit," he said. "I have to continually remind myself when I'm swinging out there to sort of reinforce it," he said.
"I like to go out there and just sort of free wheel and play with a clear mind and I have to sort of consciously think about it all the time."
NO PRESSURE
Westwood, who offset a lone bogey with seven birdies, said he did not feel under any extra pressure to defend his new position as the man to beat.
"I don't think I need to reinforce why I'm world number one. I didn't really go out there (today) with any particular thought to perform like the world number one," he added.
"I think you get there as a result of good performances but it's nice show everybody there is a particular reason why I got to this stage. I think I did that today."
Woods shot a solid 68 to sit three shots behind Molinari in a tie for sixth, a stroke ahead of American compatriot and defending champion Mickelson and four clear of Germany's Kaymer.
Woods overcame a first-hole bogey to roar back into contention with five birdies.
"It felt good today. The things that I've been working felt good. I hit a lot of good golf shots," Woods said.
"I got to number one in the world by winning golf tournaments and I've had that sustainability for a number of years by doing that. The whole idea is to win golf tournaments and this is no different. The reason why we tee it up is to win."
One shot behind Westwood were Sweden's Henrik Stenson, Japan's Yuta Ikeda and South Korean Noh Seung-yul.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:45 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 05:52 PM
Washington, Nov 4 (ANI): A new review has suggested that mouth guards and headgear have little or no impact on reducing concussions in rugby players.
However, educational programmes that promote proper playing techniques and enforcement of rules do result in a significant reduction in concussions and head, neck and spinal injuries, Dr Michael Cusimano, a neurosurgeon at St Michael's Hospital in Toronto, said.
"Our study was the first to summarize what did and what did not work. Equipment such as headgear and mouth guards are ineffective at preventing neurological injuries, but other strategies, such as education and rule changes, have been shown to be effective. These sorts of strategies should be made available to all rugby players so that these athletes can spend more time playing on the field than recovering off of the field," Cusimano said.
He urged equipment companies to develop more sophisticated headgear to further reduce injury risk
The current rugby headgear is soft-shelled, has thin padding and is mainly designed to protect the ears and the back of the head.
Concussion is the third most common match injury, accounting for 62 percent of match head injuries.
Professional rugby players suffer 91 injuries per 1,000 player hours, with each injury requiring an average of 18 days to recover and return to play.
Spinal injuries account for 9 percent of time lost to match injuries by professional English players, occurring at a rate of up to 10.9 per 1,000 player hours.
Cusimano said the number of concussions might be underreported because of the International Rugby Board rule that athletes can't return to play for three weeks after suffering a concussion unless cleared by a neurologist.
"A large number of players, coaches and referees believe that equipment such as mouth guards and headgears may prevent brain injuries in rugby," he said.
The New Zealand Rugby Union and the country's Accident Compensation Corp. developed a 10-point RugbySmart injury prevention program in 2001 that has resulted in a 13 percent decrease in neck, back and spine injuries and a reduction in the mean number of days between an injury and a player seeking treatment (4.27 days, down from six).
Cusimano's findings are published in the November issue of the journal Neurosurgery. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 05:48 PM
Shanghai, Nov 4 (IANS) Arjun Atwal started with a flourish as he birdied his first two holes but then failed to find any more in the first round of the star-studded WGC-HSBC Champions golf Thursday. The Indian ace, who became the first Indian to win on the PGA Tour recently, instead, gave away three bogeys and finished the day at one-over 73 in tied 52nd position.
Italy's Francesco Molinari posted a seven-under-par 65 to take the opening round lead at the WGC-HSBC Champions Thursday.
England's Lee Westwood also showed why he is deserving of being the best player in the world by returning with a 66 to take second place despite still nursing an injury while Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Noh Seung-yul of Korea stamped his mark with a 67 to take a share of third place alongside Japan's Yuta Ikeda and Sweden's Henrik Stenson.
World number two Tiger Woods was bunched in sixth place with Spain's Martin Pablo and England's Luke Donald after the trio returned with matching 68s at the Sheshan International Golf Club.
Atwal, a close friend of Tiger Woods, birdied the first two holes and indicated he was in for bigger things. But then the birdies dried up. He bogeyed the seventh but still turned in one-under. On the way back, he dropped shots on 12th and 17th and finished at one-over 73.
Molinari who tasted victory in China when he won the World Cup with his younger brother last year, has set himself up for another win at the Sheshan International Golf Club this week.
'Whenever I come over here, I always play on great courses. I played here twice before and it is just the golf course that I like. I think that is what it is,' said Molinari.
The Italian led the way with a bogey-free round that was highlighted by seven birdies including a memorable chip for birdie on the par-four third.
'I holed that chip on the third hole after missing it long with my second shot. It was a tricky, downhill chip, so it was a very good shot,' said Molinari.
Westwood who teed off alongside defending champion Phil Mickelson and Asian Tour Honorary member Y.E Yang posted birdies on holes 13th, 15th and 16th.
He almost moved to four-under at the par-five 18th but an eight-footer lipped out and he reached the turn in 33.
Westwood resumed his charge after the turn by marking his card with another birdie on the first hole.
The Englishman's only blemish of the day came at the par-four seventh but he bounced back and finished his round strongly with two consecutive birdies.
Defending champion Phil Mickelson of the United States meanwhile posted a 69 to take a share of ninth place.
Billed as the 'champions of champions' title, the WGC-HSBC Champions sees tournament winners from all around the world representing 20 countries, who have won over 500 international titles between them and 30 Major Championships.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 5:17 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 05:22 PM
Johannesburg, Nov 4 (PTI) After facing legal action from Cricket South Africa, opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs may now face the wrath of fellow players for his sensational revelations in his controversial autobiography ''To The Point''. Tony Irish, chief executive of the South African Cricket Players'' Association, told the Afrikaans daily Beeld that Gibbs could get into further trouble for his allegations against fellow cricketers. "I have already spoken to Majola and there is a process which must now run its course," Irish said. "Herschelle is still a contracted player and that is why it is also important to look at what he says in his interviews about the book," he added. The CSA yesterday announced that it had sought legal advice on the book and also issued a warning to players to decline from making comments. "CSA has tasked its Legal Counsel to look into the matter and to advise us accordingly. Everybody concerned (including players) needs to wait for the outcome of CSA''s processes which will be announced as soon as the Board has taken a view or a decision on the matter," CSA chief executive Gerald Majola had said in a statement. "Before this happens and the CSA Board has taken a decision, all stakeholders should avoid expressing views that includes the players. "I have not read the book and cannot comment on what is reported in the press," Majola said. Gibbs made some damning statements in his book about sex orgies with fellow team members, as well as drug and alcohol abuse during tours. He also claimed that captain Graeme Smith, all-rounder Jacques Kallis, wicketkeeper Mark Boucher and A B de Villiers were controlling the team, causing division among members of the side. Smith publicly acknowledged from Dubai, where the South Africans are playing against Pakistan, that the team was "hurt" by Gibbs'' revelations. Kallis said he would welcome any action by CSA, with Gibbs confirming that his former teammates were upset to varying degrees. "I understand Kallis is reasonably upset and that he would welcome any action against me by CSA," Gibbs told Beeld. "Fortunately Boucher is not too angry. He has been through the book already and reckons it is not as serious as the media have made it out to be." Former teammate Daryll Cullinan reacted angrily with a column in a local newspaper, rejecting suggestions in the book by Gibbs that he had split the beans on a marijuana-smoking session led by Gibbs during a West Indies tour. Gibbs'' has become a bigger celebrity than he was during his career as a star Proteas opener, with almost daily radio interviews and public speaking engagements being the order of the day as his book tops the lists in South Africa.
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Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 05:16 PM
Ahmedabad, Nov 4 (IANS) Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid slammed centuries and took India to 329 for the loss of three wickets at the end of opening day's play in the first cricket Test against New Zealand here Thursday.
Sehwag scored 173 (199b, 24x4, 1x6) and Dravid 104 (227b, 14x4).
Sachin Tendulkar was batting on 13 and V.V.S. Laxman 7 when the stumps were drawn.
For New Zealand, Chrish Martin, Daniel Vettori and Jesse Ryder took a wicket each.
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Thu, Nov 04 10 04:52 PM
Bangalore, Nov 4 (PTI) Clean Sports India today welcomed the Delhi High Court decision on implementation of government guidelines in relation to the tenure and age limit of sports administrators. "This will serve as a right warning for erring sports bosses of archery, badminton, athletics, swimming and shooting who approached the honorable Court seeking relief not to implement government guidelines," the group said in a statement here. Pargat Singh, President CSI, welcomed the court order and said the days of sports monarchy are numbered. He also welcomed the decision of Vidya Stokes who resigned as President of Hockey India and requested other politicians to follow her example. B V P Rao, National Convener of CSI, and Ashwini Nachappa CSI Vice President, flayed Archery Association of India president V K Malhotra''s "absurd logic" of comparing the age and tenure issue of sports federations to that of Prime Minister and other ministers. "Malhotra, if he had the moral courage, should challenge the International Olympic Committee, which follows similar guidelines on age and tenure," they said. Rao urged former sportspersons to come forward to "throw out deadwood" from Indian sports and opined that such a day was too not far off. Nachappa appreciated the efforts of Sports Ministry to implement guidelines of the High Court. Reeth Abraham, Joint Convener of CSI, thanked Rahul Mehra for his ''single handed contribution'' in taking up the PIL in Delhi High Court. CSI believes this would be a new beginning in the history of Indian Sport, it said. As per reports, out of 62 National Sports Federations (NSFs), 24 bodies, including Athletics, Tennis, Boxing and Archery are not following government guidelines and nearly 40 per cent of the NSFs have violated the tenure term for the office bearers, fixed at a maximum of eight years. The government guidelines specify that an office-bearer cannot continue after the age of 70, and for not more than three terms. It also fixed a two-term (eight years) tenure for other sports bodies.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 4:21 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 04:38 PM
Liverpool's fall from grace has been so extreme in the past year that it seems almost inconceivable that as recently as 2009 they and Chelsea were battling for Champions League supremacy on an annual basis.
Since a 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge in April 2009 in the quarter-finals the clubs have veered off in different orbits to such an extent that when they meet at Anfield on Sunday, Chelsea will boast a five-point lead in the Premier League while Liverpool are just glad to be out of the bottom three.
Scratchy wins at home to Blackburn Rovers and away to Bolton Wanderers represent a step forward for Roy Hodgson but Liverpool's wily manager will know more about his side's current health after the visit of Carlo Ancelotti's rampant side.
Likewise new owner John Henry will also get a first hand look at how much work, and investment, his new project needs before Liverpool can return to challenge for the title as they did two seasons ago under Rafael Benitez.
The problem for Hodgson is that, whatever Benitez claimed during a midweek rant, the squad he inherited was mediocre and he has so far had little financial muscle in the transfer market.
That may change in January but until then he must hope that Fernando Torres rediscovers some form and that Joe Cole, who is ruled out of Sunday's clash, begins to resemble the player he was at Chelsea.
With Dirk Kuyt injured, it was left to Maxi Rodriguez, a Benitez signing, to snatch the points at Bolton and Hodgson hopes that the Argentine will benefit from a run in the team.
"Maxi is a quiet man and his English isn't as good as some of the players, so it's not easy to have a long conversation with him," Hodgson told Liverpool's website.
"But he's picked up very quickly on what we want him to do and how we want him to play. In the games he's played recently he's been very good."
Chelsea will be buoyed by a 4-1 victory over Spartak Moscow on Wednesday that guaranteed their place in the last 16 of the Champions League.
John Terry and Michael Essien will be fresh for the trip to Merseyside having being rested against Spartak, although in-form Florent Malouda is out with an ankle knock.
TIGHTLY BUNCHED
Such is the small spread of points below the top three that were Liverpool to pull off a surprise win on Sunday they could suddenly find themselves on the fringes of the top four.
Manchester City are fourth behind Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United but suddenly look vulnerable after successive defeats -- most worryingly a 2-1 reverse against Wolverhampton Wanderers last week.
City face sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion on Sunday when another defeat would leave their hopes of a serious title tilt in tatters and Roberto Mancini's future as coach in jeopardy.
Talk of dressing room unrest and player squabbles have helped create a sense of growing crisis at Eastlands and West Brom, who almost earned a point at Blackpool on Monday despite having two players sent off, will be keen to add to it.
Manchester United can close Chelsea's gap to two points when they host Wolves on Saturday although they will be hampered by injuries to Darren Fletcher and Nani.
"We've a couple of injuries. Nani has hurt his groin and will definitely be out for Saturday. Darren will also be out," manager Alex Ferguson said after United's 3-0 win against Turkish side Bursaspor in the Champions League.
Tottenham Hotspur's man of the moment Gareth Bale will be in action on Saturday against Bolton as the London side hope to avoid any hangover after their pulsating 3-1 victory over Champions League winners Inter Milan on Tuesday.
Arsenal, whose 100 percent record in the Champions League was ended by defeat against Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday, face in-form Newcastle United at the Emirates on Sunday when Cesc Fabregas should return after missing the trip to Ukraine.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 4:07 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 04:08 PM
London, Nov 04 (ANI): It seems controversial boxer Mike Tyson does as his wife tells him.
Tyson flew into Scotland and said he would like to go sightseeing - but only if his wife Lakiha lets him.
Convicted rapist and former world heavyweight champion 'Iron' Mike, 44, is booked to appear at a series of sports galas during a four-day tour.
"I would like to go sightseeing but I doubt it. However if my wife wants to then we will make something happen," the Daily Express quoted him as saying. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 3:37 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 03:58 PM
Lee Westwood began life as new world number one with an impressive six-under-par 66 in the first round of the WGC-HSBC Champions on Thursday to sit just one shot behind Italy's Francesco Molinari at the top of the leaderboard.
The 37-year-old Englishman, who ended Tiger Woods' 281-week reign at the top of the rankings last weekend, played through the pain of stubborn ankle and calf injuries and offset a lone bogey with seven birdies around the Sheshan International course.
Westwood, Woods, Martin Kaymer and Phil Mickelson currently occupy the top four places in the world rankings and a win for either one of them in this event would guarantee the number one spot at the start of next week.
"I think the world rankings are reflective of how competitive world golf is at the moment. Nobody is out-and-out world number one," Westwood told reporters after playing his first competitive round since last month's Dunhill Links Championship.
"I think that's partly to do with Tiger not having played quite so well this year and partly to do with Tiger having made everybody else elevate their game," he added.
"Tiger's a victim almost of his own brilliance. We have all had to work harder and we have closed the gap, I guess."
NO PRESSURE
Despite the threat of seeing his tenure at the top of the pile last just one week, Westwood does not feel under any extra pressure to defend his new position as the man to beat.
"I don't think I need to reinforce why I'm world number one. I didn't really go out there (today) with any particular thought to perform like the world number one," he added.
"I think you get there as a result of good performances but it's nice show everybody there is a particular reason why I got to this stage. I think I did that today."
Woods shot an impressive 68 to sit three shots behind Molinari in a tie for sixth, a shot ahead of American compatriot and defending champion Mickelson and four clear of Germany's Kaymer, who could only manage a par 72 round.
The American overcame a first-hole bogey to roar back into contention with five birdies and was quick to remind reporters that his extended run at the top was a result of years of consistency.
"It felt good today. The things that I've been working felt good. I hit a lot of good golf shots," Woods said.
"I got to number one in the world by winning golf tournaments and I've had that sustainability for a number of years by doing that. The whole idea is to win golf tournaments and this is no different. The reason why we tee it up is to win."
One shot behind Westwood are Sweden's Henrik Stenson, Japan's Yuta Ikeda and South Korean Noh Seung-yul in a tie for third heading into Friday's second round.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 3:27 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 03:38 PM
Melbourne, Nov 4 (IANS) Batsman Callum Ferguson got a call up to play for Australia Thursday after Shaun Marsh was ruled for the remaining two One-day Internationals (ODI) against Sri Lanka due to a back injury.
Having lost the lone T20 game, Australia Wednesday were humbled by the spirited Sri Lankan side, who came from a hopeless situation to win the first One-dayer by a single wicket margin.
Ferguson will replace Marsh in the squad for the games in Sydney and Brisbane.
'Shaun Marsh injured his lower back in the latter part of his batting innings yesterday against Sri Lanka.
'With the short turnaround between games in this series it was decided that the best management of this injury is to withdraw him from the remaining two games to allow him time to recover.
'His return to cricket will be based on his recovery over the next few days,' said Cricket Australia (CA) physiotherapist Alex Kountouris.
National Selection Panel chairman Andrew Hilditch saw Marsh' injury as an opportunity for Ferguson to cement his place in the Australian side.
'It is an unfortunate injury for Shaun, which will see him miss the remainder of the Commonwealth Bank Series against Sri Lanka. However, it does create another opportunity for Callum Ferguson to come back into the Australian One-day team and press his claims. Callum has been in extremely good form of late for South Australia in interstate cricket and has a very good ODI record,' Hilditch said.
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 3:07 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 03:22 PM
Sydney, Nov 4 (ANI): England batsman Ian Bell, who has a meager average of 25.68 in 13 Tests against Australia, is determined to score big during the upcoming series against Australia, to lay to rest his Ashes demons.
Bell is yet to fire in an Ashes series, with his average of 25.68 over 13 Tests against Australia far below his career average of 42.92.
The 28-year-old missed the recent series win over Pakistan due to injury and is no guarantee to play against Australia in the first Test, starting at the Gabba on November 25, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
"Over the last 18 months my cricket has got better and better and this for me is coming at the right time of my career," Bell said in Perth on Wednesday.
"In my past maybe I haven't played as well as I should have done against Australia but hopefully in the future of my Test career I can start putting more performances in.
"Everyone has been asking for performances under pressure from me, I've started to do that in the last 18 months and hopefully I can put more in this series. This is a big series for me personally and the team,' Bell said.
Bell said England learned valuable lessons from the 5-0 thumping they received when they last toured Australia four years ago.
"That Test series was a massive learning curve in a way. That Australian side on paper was an outstanding side and a great experience to come and play against one of the best teams ever in their own backyard. So for me at that age was a great experience," he said.
"Obviously it was disappointing where the series went but I think a lot of the guys learnt a lot about how the best players in the world play and how desperate we were to come back and improve over the next few years after that series," he said. (ANI)
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 2:51 AM 0 comments
Thu, Nov 04 10 03:06 PM
Ahmedabad, Nov 4 (PTI) Virender Sehwag slammed his 22nd century in his 82nd match to place India in a sound position on the first day of the opening Test of the best-of-three series against visitors New Zealand at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera here today. The Delhi daredevil put the thin visiting team bowling attack to the sword in racing to his three-figure knock as the home team, opting to bat first on winning the toss, rattled up a score of 243 for one wicket at tea. Sehwag was on 152 which was embellished with a six off debutant Kane Williamson and 22 fours that came off 172 balls, while an extra-cautious Rahul Dravid was on 61 in 188 minutes with nine fours. It was his 60th half-century in his 145th match. The duo, who came together at the fall of opener Gautam Gambhir''s wicket just before lunch, remained un-separated at the end of the second session, having put on 183 runs for the second wicket with Sehwag doing the bulk of scoring. The pair added 116 runs in the second session in 32 overs. The Kiwis attack looked clueless in stopping the rampaging Sehwag who was unbeaten on 87 in a lunchtime score of 127 for one in 30 overs before reaching his landmark in 111 balls with 17 fours, half an hour into the post-lunch period of play. It was the Delhi dasher''s sixth century, and first here, in just over a 12-month period and 13 Tests during which he and his idol Sachin Tendulkar have been the bulwarks of the Indian batting. It was also Sehwag''s second ton against the Kiwis. Sehwag, who came into the match with five 100-plus and one 200-plus scores, aside from five other 50-plus knocks that also included a 99, was kept quiet for some time after lunch by New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori and debutant pace bowler Hamish Bennett. But the opener decided to take the bull by its horns after inching his way to the hundred with singles when he stepped out to cart the accurate left-arm spin of Vettori for two fours to surge to his hundred, a lofted drive and another all-along the ground to the straight field doing the work. Dravid, at the other end, was scratchy and intent to occupy the crease after a string of low scores coming into the game. The first hour after lunch produced only 47 runs in 16 overs before Sehwag went on the offensive again after his breezy run gathering in the morning. .
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Posted by Deepak Jain at 2:35 AM 0 comments
Published>Thu, Nov 04 10 02:58 PM
New York, Nov 4 (IANS) US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should put human rights at the heart of their discussions when they meet in New Delhi, Human Rights Watch has said.
The world's largest democracies should make a commitment and encourage each other to protect human rights in their domestic and security policies and agree to engage in diplomacy that will promote human rights globally, Human Rights Watch said late Wednesday.
Obama will visit Mumbai and New Delhi Nov 6-9.
'As the world's biggest democracies, the US and India should promote common values that are too often ignored in the name of security or trade,' the group said. 'Both countries should send the world a message that respect for rights goes hand-in-hand with other national concerns.'
States have a responsibility to protect their citizens from terrorist attacks, but both India and the US have compromised on their human rights obligations while combating such threats, eroding standards for others around the world, it said.
New Delhi's and Washington's own records of abuses, particularly those committed in the name of countering terrorism, have made it more difficult for them to press other countries effectively to uphold human rights.
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