Sangakkara takes Sri Lanka to a strong position

Published>Tue, Aug 03 10 08:08 PM

Colombo, Aug 3 (IANS) Skipper Kumar Sangakkara struck a valuable 75 as Sri Lanka made 293 for four in the first innings at the close of the first day's play against India in the third and final cricket Test on a day when Sachin Tendulkar became the most capped player in Test history here Tuesday.

Thilan Samaraweera was batting on 65 and Angelo Matthews on 26 when poor light stopped play at the P. Sara Oval.

Tendulkar, who turned out for his 169th Test, surpassed the record of former Australia captain Steve Waugh.

After winning the toss and opting to bat, the Sri Lankan middle order guided them to a safe total as India are looking to win the match and level the series.

The wicket helped both the Indian seamers and the spinners, but a solid display of batting from the hosts took them to a strong position before bad light brought an early end to play.

It was a crucial innings from Sangakkara and with Tillekaratne Dilshan (41), he added 87 runs for the second wicket and then stitched a 55-run stand for the third wicket with Mahela Jayawardene (56).

The Sri Lankan captain smashed five fours and two sixes but lack of discretion cost him his wicket. He perished to a poor shot off left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who along with leg-spinner Amit Mishra, led the bulk of the Indian bowling attack in the second session.

India struck early when opener Tharanga Paranavitana (8) edged the last ball of Ishant Sharma's second over to wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. After a crucial 87-run stand with Sangakkara, Dilshan was also run out by an athletic Murali Vijay.

Sri Lanka then made a strong reply after lunch with Sangakkara reaching his 33rd fifty with a single off Ojha. The 32-year-old missed his century when he stepped out to an Ojha delivery and gave a simple catch to Virender Sehwag at long-on.

Sangakkara got a life on 23 when Suresh Raina messed up an easy chance at third slip off a Abhimanyu Mithun delivery. It was a straightforward catch for V.V.S. Laxman at second slip but Raina lunged out in front of him and failed to hold on.

Source: Web Search

Krishna's tough talk led to CWG probe

Published>Tue, Aug 03 10 07:58 PM

New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) When Commonwealth Games Organizing Committee (OC) chairman Suresh Kalmadi came to meet him Tuesday morning, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna confronted him with original e-mails that were allegedly doctored to claim that a London-based firm was hired after a recommendation by an official of the Indian High Commission in London, reliable sources said.

Krishna showed Kalmadi mails that the latter used to claim that AM Films was paid for providing services, which was recommended by the high commission, and told him that they were different from the mails from the high commission, indicating that the mails were tampered with, the sources said, who spoke strictly on the condition of anonymity, told IANS.

Kalmadi had cited an e-mail by a junior official of the mission in support of his claim.

The high commission has sent a report to the external affairs ministry and clarified that it had not recommended the company for the OC during the Queen Baton's Relay in October. The report indicated that the mails cited by Kalmadi were doctored to make a case, the sources said.

These sources also said that the OC officials had made enquiries about hotel tariffs in London and not about car rentals which was required for the Baton Relay.

The High Commission also maintained that the official, Raju Sebastian, who reportedly introduced London-based firm AM Films, owned by Asish Patel, to the OC, was not authorized to do so.

Sources in the high commission said Sebastian initially did not recall having sent such a mail, prompting the commission officials to call for all the e-mails to ascertain the specific e-mail addresses from which correspondence was sent to the OC.

The OC is understood to have paid AM Films, an Indian-owned firm, over 450,000 pounds for services during the Queen's Baton Relay function in London last October, allegedly without following proper procedures and paper work.

It was only after some tough talking from Krishna and an uproar in parliament over 'corrupt deals' involving Commonwealth Games that the OC, at the behest of Kalmadi, ordered a probe in the afternoon and formed a three-member panel to probe the allegations of wrongdoing.

Opposition party members in the Rajya Sabha also fulminated against the alleged diversion of funds meant for Scheduled Castes towards Commonwealth Games expenditure.

OC secretary-general Lalit Bhanot announced that the three-member committee will comprise Jarnail Singh, chief executive of organising committee, G.C. Chaturvedi, special director general finance and Gurjyot Kaur, chief vigilance officer of the organising committee and will also deal with the UK-based company.

'The organising committee has taken serious note of the issue. The three-member committee will look into the issue of money being paid for Queens Baton Relay in London and the controversy over the letter from the Indian High Commission.

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MCD says most Games projects to be over by Aug 20

Tue, Aug 03 10 07:52 PM

New Delhi, Aug 3 (PTI) After missing several deadlines, the MCD today said most projects implemented by it for the Commonwealth Games are likely to be completed by August 20. The status of various projects was reviewed at a meeting of MCD Works Committee presided over by its Chairman and BJP councillor Jagdish Mamgain, who expressed unhappiness with contractors over the delay. "CWG projects are likely to be completed by August 20. Repeated delay and failure in completion of works by contractors is being taken seriously. Illegal road digging was also a matter of concern, which was raised in the meeting," Mamgain said. According to him, parking facilities in the vicinity of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and at training venue DPS R K Puram School are likely to be completed by August 10. Work on approach roads of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Thyagraj Stadium, R K Khanna Stadium, Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range and Chattharshal Stadium are in progress and is likely to completed by August 31. Upgrading works on roads and lanes around hotels and guest houses in Paharganj, Karol Bagh and City Zones are also likely to be completed till August-end. Out of 808 waterless urinals in different zones, construction of 445 is in progress and is likely to be completed by August 30. A total of 206 urinals have already been completed, Mamgain said. Several councillors expressed unhappiness over functioning of contractors. "They try to grab more and more contracts and then delay the works," they complained. Mamgain directed the Engineering Department to fine contractors responsible for delays and if required, blacklist them. The MCD had earlier set June 30 as the deadline for the projects but missed it. Afterwards, the civic body had said all works will be over by July 31, but failed to keep that promise too.

Source: Published>

Ojha relishes bounce and turn of pitch

Tue, Aug 03 10 07:08 PM

T V Sriram Colombo, Aug 3 (PTI) After coming a cropper in the first two matches, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha rediscovered some of his lost touch on the opening day of third Test against Sri Lanka today and he attributed it to the bounce and turn that the wicket was offering. Ojha picked up a couple of wickets today as India did reasonably well to restrict Sri Lanka to 293 for four on the first day. "Because it (the wicket) bounces and turn, it really excited me and I thought if I don''t do anything silly and I do my basics right and keep it there, I think I will get my reward," Ojha said after the day''s play which ended early because of bad light. But Ojha had his problems with the run-up, sending down four no balls. "I think it was a problem for me initially. I took the wrong run-up and changed my run-up. Then it was alright and after that I was doing better," he said. Asked if he prefers bowling with SG balls to Kookaburra, Ojha said, "SG (ball) does something. Throughout the day it does something. Kookaburra after initial 20 overs, when the seam gets older, I think it does not do as much as SG does. "I feel there is a difference between SG and Kookaburra. But I don''t think that is something which I should think about. I just focus on what you have to do with the things that are available to me," he added. Ojha conceded that absence of injured Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh has weakened the bowling attack but felt it was an opportunity for players like him to make a mark. "Obviously senior players like Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan, we obviously need them. But as an individual this is the best opportunity to prove yourself when you know the ball is given to you and the team expects and the whole country expects. "If you deliver that is the best thing to happen in life. And once you are playing for your country I think you should look up to such challenges," he said. On whether the team should have gone in with three seamers, Ojha said, "It is totally on coach and the management they have to decide. what the team should be." PTI TVS PM PDS

Source: Published>

Tour champion Contador joins Saxo Bank team

Tue, Aug 03 10 06:58 PM

Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has joined Denmark's Saxo Bank team on a two-year contract, team manager Bjarne Riis said on Tuesday.

"I am proud and honoured that I am able to introduce Alberto Contador to our team next year," Riis told a news conference. "It is an impossible opportunity that has occurred and that we are able to realise."

"I am proud to be able to attract the world's best to a Danish cycling team," added Riis.

Spaniard Contador announced last week he would not renew his contract with Kazakh-funded Astana who he joined in 2008.

"I think I've chosen the best option and I'm confident that Riis will build a great team in 2011," Contador said in a statement.

Contador won his third Tour de France title last month, finishing the three-week race 39 seconds ahead of Saxo Bank team leader Andy Schleck.

Riis said he was convinced that Contador's full potential is yet to be seen and added that he has great ambitions for the Spanish rider.

"It is obvious that we are going for the Tour de France, but Alberto told me a while ago that his ambition is to win all the three major tours in one year," Riis said.

STAGE RACES

Italy's Giro d'Italia and Spain's Vuelta a Espana are the other two major stage races in cycling.

"I am not sure it will be next year but one of the following years it is our ambition -- and I believe it can be done," Riis said.

Luxembourg rider Schleck, also runner-up to Contador in 2009, and his brother Frank have said they will leave Team Saxo Bank at the end of the season.

Riis declined to say whether other new riders would follow Contador into the Saxo team.

Saxo Bank will remain a co-sponsor of the team, which has also enrolled U.S. software group SunGard as a co-sponsor.

The announcement reversed a January decision by Saxo Bank to drop its sponsorship of the cycling team at the end of 2010.

"The team will be called Saxo Bank-SunGard Professional Cycling Team," Saxo Bank said in a statement.

"With these two companies committed to the team, we have a solid financial foundation for the future," Riis said.

Riis won the Tour de France in 1996 but in 2007 he admitted using banned drugs.

Source: Published>

Scoreboard: India vs. Sri Lanka, Day 1, Third Test

Published>Tue, Aug 03 10 06:38 PM

Colombo, Aug 3 (IANS) Scoreboard at the close of the opening day's play in the third and final cricket Test between Sri Lanka and India here Tuesday.

Sri Lanka first innings:

Tharanga Paranavitana c Dhoni b Sharma 8

Tillekaratne Dilshan run out (Vijay/Dhoni) 41

Kumar Sangakkara c Sehwag b Ojha 75

Mahela Jayawardene lbw Ojha 56

Thilan Samaraweera batting 65

Angelo Mathews batting 26

Extras (b 4, lb 2, w 2, nb 14) 22

Total (for four wickets in 86.5 overs) 293

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Paranavitana, 3.6 overs), 2-102 (Dilshan, 24.3), 3-157 (Sangakkara, 42.4), 4-241 (Jayawardene, 72.6)

Bowling:

Abhimanyu Mithun 17.5-2-57

Ishant Sharma 15-4-49-1

Amit Mishra 25-1-99-0

Pragyan Ojha 26-2-78-2

Virender Sehwag 3-0-4-0

Toss: Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bat

Umpires: Simon Taufel (Australia) and Rod Tucker (Australia)

TV umpire: Kumara Dharmasena

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)

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Uproar in Parl over alleged diversion of SC/ST funds to CWG

Tue, Aug 03 10 06:08 PM

New Delhi, Aug 3 (PTI) BSP, BJP and the Left parties today created uproar in Parliament over allegations of diversion of funds for SC/ST schemes to Commonwealth Games projects and demanded a Parliamentary probe into it. The members of these parties forced three adjournments in the Rajya Sabha before lunch, alleging that the CWG projects were witnessing "loot" of public money. The least that the government can do is to ensure that funds meant for SC/STs were not diverted. In the Lok Sabha too, BSP members disrupted the proceedings briefly. As soon as Rajya Sabha met for the day, BSP members were on their feet referring to an RTI reply which reportedly showed that the Delhi government diverted Rs 744 crore from Special Component Plan for SC/ST to Games projects. The members, wanting an immediate discussion on the issue, created pandemonium which led to three adjournments. The Chair, finally allowed a brief debate on the issue in post-lunch sitting. Raising the matter, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra demanded that a Parliamentary committee should be set up to probe the allegations of fund diversion. Describing the Congress governments at the Centre and Delhi as "anti-dalit", he said, "There is 2.4 million SC population in Delhi. Instead of providing civic infrastructure and other facilities for them, it was spent on a 14-day event. This is shameful." Mishra said the funds were diverted flouting guidelines of the Planning Commission and the National Development Council. Venkaiah Naidu (BJP) termed the diversion of funds given under constitutional provisions as "atrocious" which was "unacceptable". His colleague S S Ahluwalia said there was a "ghapla (bungling)" in the CWG projects. Brinda Karat (CPI-M) said even labourers, mostly SC/STs, were being exploited by the contractors. Janardan Dwivedi (Congress) requested the government to come out with a response but took a dig at the BSP saying there should be a separate debate on who has done what for the dalits. D Raja (CPI), Rajneeti Prasad (RJD) and Mahendra Mohan (SP) too termed it as serious and wanted action. Responding to members'' concern, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Prithviraj Chavan agreed that the matter was serious and he would ascertain the facts from the Delhi Government and report back to the House next week. In the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal refuted the charges saying no diversion of funds has taken place.

Source: Published>