Mumbai: Maharashtra Governor and Chancellor of universities in the state C Vidyasagar Rao has convened a meeting of Vice-Chancellors of non-agricultural universities on Tuesday.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Finance and Planning Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, Higher, Technical and Education Minister Vinod Tawde, Ministers of State and senior government officials will attend the meeting, which will be held in Sahyadri State Guest House at 5 PM, a Raj Bhavan spokesperson said.
The meeting comes after Mumbai University Vice-Chancellor Rajan Welukar was on February 19 removed from his post after being found that he did not qualify for it.
The previous meeting of the Joint Board of Vice- Chancellors was held on September 3, 2013.
The governor will also present President’s Police Medals and Police Medals for Distinguished and Meritorious Service to 57 police officers and personnel at Darbar Hall in Raj Bhavan tomorrow evening.
The police medals were announced on the Republic Day in 2013. Fadnavis and senior police officers will be present on the occasion.
PTI
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday expressed its displeasure over Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president in-exile N. Srinivasan’s chairing of recent working committee meeting in Chennai.
Concerned with the turn of events, the apex court bench of Justices T.S. Thakur and Ibrahim Kalifulla said that Srinivasan should not have presided over cricket board’s working committee meeting on February 8 as he was already disqualified from holding any post in the board.
During the first day’s hearing, the bench also concluded that the court has certainly found that there is a conflict of interest by his presence during the board meeting.
Wellington: Hammered by hosts Australia in their lung-opener, England face another stern test when they take on the unbeaten New Zealand in their Pool A match of the cricket World Cup, here on Friday.
England could not have thought of a more nightmarish start to their World Cup campaign as Australia inflicted a humiliating 111-run defeat on them.
The way Aaron Finch, George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell tore apart England’s bowling unit at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a lot will depend on how skipper Eoin Morgan and his men recover from the morale-shattering loss.
New Zealand, on the other hand, are already in touching distance of a quarterfinal berth after two consecutive wins.
After a convincing 98-run win against the 1996 champions Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval in the tournament opener, Brendon McCullum and his men beat Scotland by three wickets in their second game.
For England, running into the co-hosts after facing Australia makes it all the more difficult as they are aware another slip-up would kill their chance of going further.
The onus thus will be on skipper Eoin Morgan to lift England’s spirit and give their batting a boost, especially since he has scored abysmally low — just two runs in five innings — in the run-up to the tournament so far.
Shoehorned into captaincy after Alastair Cook’s axing, Morgan will have to lead from the front to inspire his team when it takes the field at the Westpac Stadium tomorrow.
“He’s aware of the fact that he wants more runs and it’s important for the team that he plays his part. He thinks about his own game. He knows his strengths. So the onus of responsibility is on him because of his experience,” England’s batting coach Mark Ramprakash said.
Needless to say, New Zealand are the strong favourites going into the game tomorrow but the way the co-hosts struggled to score 143 against Scotland in their last match, the co-hosts will have to sort their batting woes.
Teams (from):
England: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler (wkt), Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Joe Root, James Taylor, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes.
New Zealand (from): Brendon McCullum (capt), Trent Boult, Grant Elliott, Tom Latham, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Daniel Vettori, Kane Williamson, Corey Anderson, Tim Southee, Luke Ronchi (wkt), Ross Taylor.
PTI
Adelaide Oval: India thrashed Pakistan by 76 runs in the fourth match of the ICC World Cup 2015.
After Virat Kohli’s 22nd ODI ton, Indian team posted a formidable score of 300 runs on the board. While many thought they were 30 runs short, it proved to be too much for the Pakistani batsmen who looked in a hurry right throughout the innings.
4:54 pm Over 47 | Score 224/10
Mohit to bowl his ninth over. Just four came off the first five balls and Sohail Khan took a chance off the last ball, but hit it high in the air and was caught by Umesh Yadav at long-on. It’s 6-0 for India now and they have thrashed Pakistan in yet another World Cup match, this time by 76 runs!
Sohail Khan c Yadav b MM Sharma 7 (10b)
4:54 pm Over 46 | Score 220/9
Shami to bowl his ninth over. Shami bowled a short ball to Misbah, who possibly played the first bad shot of his innings and gave a straight catch to Rahane at mid-on. Mohammed Irfan is the new man in. India just one wicket away from another convincing victory against Pakistan.
Misbah-ul-Haq c Rahane b Mohammed Shami 76 (84b)
4:48 pm Over 45 | Score 220/8
Yadav to bowl his final over. He bowled a short ball to Sohail Khan who pulled it between mid-on and midwicket for a boundary. Five from the over.
4:43 pm Over 44 | Score 215/8
Jadeja to bowl his final over. Misbah smashed three consecutive boundaries in that over and took his individual score to 76 off 80 balls. 12 off the over.
4:37 pm Over 43 | Score 203/8
Mohit Sharma has been brought back into the attack. He bowled a length ball to Yasir Shah who hit it straight to Umesh Yadav at mid-on. Just three from the over. Sohail Khan is the new man in. Pakistan need 98 runs off just 42 balls. Misbah is their only hope, but with two wickets remaining, it’s looks like an impossible task.
Yasir Shah c Yadav b MM Sharma 13 (23b)
4:34 pm Over 42 | Score 200/7
Ashwin to bowl his eighth over. Four runs from the over.
4:31 pm Over 41 | Score 196/7
Yadav to bowl his ninth over. Two runs from the over. Massive pressure on Misbah at the moment.
4:26 pm Over 40 | Score 194/7
Jadeja to bowl his ninth over. Misbah played a reverse sweep off the second ball, which rushed past third man for a boundary. Misbah attempted another slog sweep off the last ball, and was very lucky as the ball missed the stumps by a few inches. Six from the over.
4:22 pm Over 39 | Score 188/7
Yadav to bowl his eighth over. Four runs from the over. Pakistan need 113 runs from 66 balls now.
4:18 pm Over 38 | Score 184/7
Jadeja into his eighth over. Three from the over.
4:15 pm Over 37 | Score 181/7
Shami to continue. Second ball was a length delivery and Misbah lifted that one over mid-off for a boundary! Misbah was also offered a low full-toss and he smashed it past midwicket for another boundary. 120 runs needed from 13 overs. 12 off the over.
4:10 pm Over 36 | Score 169/7
Ashwin to bowl his seventh over. Misbah slog-swept the first ball – a familiar shot from his bat – over deep midwicket for a Six! Misbah was offered width off the last ball and he played it past the fielder at point for another boundary! 13 from the over.
4:04 pm Over 35 | Score 154/5
Shami to continue. Afridi made a room for himself off the first ball, hit it high on the off side and Kohli held on to a good catch running backwards. Wahab Riaz was the new man in and after scoring a boundary towards fine leg, he edged one to Dhoni. Misbah is the only reputed batsman left now, not for the first time in an India-Pakistan match.
Wahab Riaz c Dhoni b Mohammed Shami 4 (2b)
Shahid Afridi c Kohli b Mohammed Shami 22 (22b)
4:00 pm Over 34 | Score 149/5
Umesh Yadav brought back into the attack. He started off with a half-volley and Misbah drilled it past the off-side field for a boundary. Third ball drifted down the leg side and Misbah timed it well past the diving fielder at square leg for another boundary! Ten from the over. Afridi hasn’t got many chances to showcase his skills in the batting powerplay so far.
3:54 pm Over 33 | Score 139/5
Pakistan have taken the batting powerplay. Shami has been brought back into the attack. Just two from the over. Misbah is likely to take some more time, so Afridi will have to take the chances as Pakistan now need 162 runs from 17 overs.
3:49 pm Over 32 | Score 137/5
Jadeja to bowl his seventh over. Three from the over. The spinners are getting through their overs quickly and the run rate is soaring for Pakistan now.
3:46 pm Over 31 | Score 134/5
Mohit to continue. Another excellent over, just two runs from the over.
3:44 pm Over 30 | Score 132/5
Ashwin to continue. Afridi swept the fifth ball powerfully past midwicket for a boundary. Eight runs from the over.
3:41 pm Over 29 | Score 124/5
Mohit Sharma brought back into the attack. Five runs from the over.
3:37 pm Over 28 | Score 124/5
Mohit Sharma brought back into the attack. Five runs from the over.
3:32 pm Over 27 | Score 119/5
Jadeja to continue. He bowled a short ball to Afridi who pulled it over deep midwicket for a Six! Ten from the over.
3:26 pm Over 26 | Score 109/5
Yadav to continue. Four from the over.
3:21 pm Over 25 | Score 105/5
Jadeja to continue. Fourth ball spun away from Umar Akmal, Dhoni appealed and was quite convinced. The umpire wasn’t ineterested, post which Dhoni reviewed it and it was declared out! India are creating enormous pressure on Pakistan now.
Umar Akmal c Dhoni b Jadeja 0 (4b)
3:16 pm Over 24 | Score 102/4
Umesh Yadav has been brought into the attack. Second ball had width on offer, Shehzad went for the cut and Jadeja took a brilliant catch at point! Sohaib Maqsood was the new man in and his stay at the crease lasted for just two balls, as he edged the second delivery to Raina at first slip. Just one run from the over and the double blow has brought India back into the game.
Sohaib Maqsood c Raina b Yadav 0 (2b)
Ahmed Shehzad c Jadeja b Yadav 47 (73b)
3:10 pm Over 23 | Score 101/2
Jadeja to continue. Three runs from the over.
3:05 pm Over 22 | Score 98/2
Ashwin to continue. Just one from the over.
3:02 pm Over 21 | Score 97/2
Jadeja to continue. Four from the over.
2:59 pm Over 20 | Score 93/1
Ashwin to continue. He bowled a quicker delivery with width on offer to Shehzad who cut it past point for a boundary! Shehzad used his feet off the next ball and cleared mid-off for another boundary. Ten from the over. Shehzad is batting on 42 and India desperately need his wicket now.
2:56 pm Over 19 | Score 83/1
Jadeja to continue. Four from the over.
2:52 pm Over 18 | Score 79/1
Ashwin to continue. He bowled five dot balls on the trot and spun the last one away from Sohail, who edged it to Raina at first slip. Superb spell this so far from Ashwin.
Haris Sohail c RG Sharma b Ashwin 36 (48b)
2:47 pm Over 17 | Score 79/1
Ravindra Jadeja has been brought into the attack. Seven from the over.
2:43 pm Over 16 | Score 72/1
Ashwin to continue. Five runs from the over. While they have managed to contain runs, they need to pick wickets as well, because with wickets in hand, Pakistan can definitely chase down the target.
2:39 pm Over 15 | Score 67/1
Mohit into his fifth over. Fifth ball was a slower delivery and Shehzad hit it over mid-off for a boundary! Nine runs from the over.
2:35 pm Over 14 | Score 58/1
Ravichandran Ashwin comes into the attack. He starts off with a maiden!
2:31 pm Over 13 | Score 58/1
Mohit to continue. Five runs from the over. He is not only getting through his overs quickly, but is also doing an excellent job for his skipper in terms of economy rate.
2:28 pm Over 12 | Score 53/1
Surprise, surprise! Suresh Raina has been brought into the attack. Six runs from the over.
2:24 pm Over 11 | Score 47/1
Mohit to continue. Excellent over, just one run off it.
2:18 pm – Over 10 | Score 46/1
Shami into his fifth over. Just one from the over. The pacers have managed to restrict the runs so far.
2:14 pm – Over 9 | Score 45/1
Mohit to continue. Six runs from the over.
2:10 pm – Over 8 | Score 44/1
Shami to continue. He pitched one short to Shehzad who smashed it past midwicket for a boundary! Five from the over.
2:05 pm – Over 7 | Score 39/1
Mohit Sharma has been brought into the attack. Five runs from the over.
1:59 pm – Over 6 | Score 34/1
Shami to continue. It was a good over but MS Dhoni missed out on a run-out opportunity off the last ball. Haris played the last ball towards third man, completed a run and wanted a second, was half way through, but Dhoni hit the stumps at the striker’s end where Shehzad was well inside his crease. Six from the over.
1:53 pm – Over 5 | Score 28/1
Umesh to continue. Second ball had width on offer and Haris played a cut shot past third man for a boundary! Umesh bowled one at the pads and Harish flicked it past midwicket for another boundary. He is timing the ball really well. Umesh ended the over with another length ball and Haris drove it handsomely through covers for another boundary. Poor bowling from Umesh, freebies for Haris Sohail! 14 from the over.
1:48 pm – Over 4 | Score 14/1
Shami to continue. He surprised Younis with a short ball, the batsman got his eyes off the ball and gloved it high enough for MS Dhoni behind the stumps. Haris Sohail is the new man in. Three from the over.
Younis Khan c Dhoni b Mohammed Shami 6 (10b)
1:44 pm – Over 3 | Score 11/0
Umesh to continue. First ball was aimed at the pads and Younis flicked it past midwicket for a boundary! Seven from the over.
1:41 pm – Over 2 | Score 4/0
Mohammed Shami to bowl from other end. Another good over for India, good start so far.
1:36 pm – Over 1 | Score 2/0
Umesh Yadav to start off the proceedings for India. Ahmed Shehzad and Younis Khan to open the innings for Pakistan. Good start from Umesh, just two runs from the first over.
Indian innings:
India will be disappointed with that score, as at one stage, they were all set to be going past 330 runs. Pakistan can take some heart with the way their bowlers bowled in the death overs. They have the batting line up to chase this sort of score and it would be a challenge for the Indian bowlers to get some early breakthroughs.
Sohail Khan to bowl the final over. He started off with a short ball, Dhoni went for a pull, but ended up giving an easy catch to Misbah. Ajinkya Rahane was the new man in, but he was bowled for a first ball duck off a slower one by Sohail. Rahane’s wicket also completed the team hat-trick for Pakistan. Mohammed Shami was the new man in. Sohail bowled a brilliant yorker, to take a hat-trick but it missed the stumps by inches. Shami took a single off the fourth ball. Ashwin followed it with another single. Shami made some room off the last ball, hit it over point and completed two runs.
AM Rahane b Sohail Khan 0 (1b)
MS Dhoni c Misbah-ul-Haq b Sohail Khan 18 (13b)
12:51 Pm – Over 49 | Score 296/5
Riaz to bowl the penultimate over. Jadeja survived a run-out chance, in fact two run-out chances off the first ball. Three singles came off the next three balls. Jadeja tried to hit the fifth ball on the off side, failed to connect. Riaz ended the over with a slower ball, Jadeja tried a slog sweep, missed it completely and the stumps were knocked off! Superb stuff this from Wahab Riaz – just four runs off the over and a wicket!
RA Jadeja b Wahab Riaz 3 (5b)
12:46 Pm – Over 48 | Score 292/4
Sohail to bowl his 9th over. He fired a short ball towards Raina, who went for the pull, mistimed it and the ball went straight to the fielder at midwicket. That’s the end of a superb knock from Raina. Ravindra Jadeja is the new man in. Last ball was a full-toss and Dhoni drilled it over deep midwicket for a Six! Nine from the over. That six off the last ball spoiled what could have been a decent over.
SK Raina c Haris Sohail b Sohail Khan 74 (56b)
12:39 Pm – Over 47 | Score 283/3
Riaz has been brought into the attack. Very disciplined bowling, just four runs from the over as Dhoni and Raina didn’t get any room to free their arms.
12:34 Pm – Over 46 | Score 279/3
Sohail Khan brought back into the attack. Second ball had width on offer, Kohli went after it but managed an edge which was taken cleanly by Umar Akmal. End of another magnificent innings from the champion! MS Dhoni came to the crease and smashed the fourth ball of the over past covers for a boundary. Six from the over.
V Kohli c Umar Akmal b Sohail Khan 107 (126b)
12:27 pm – Over 45 | Score 273/2
Irfan to bowl his final over. Raina and Kohli scored a boundary each in that over and Irfan conceded 14 runs in his last over. He ends up with a forgettale spell – 10-0-58-0
12:21 pm – Over 44 | Score 259/2
Sohail to bowl his seventh over. Raina scored three consecutive boundaries in that over. 14 runs from the over. India are heading towards a massive total now.
12:15 pm – Over 43 | Score 245/2
Afridi to bowl his 8th over. Kohli took a single off the first ball to reach his 22nd ODI ton and became the first Indian to score a World Cup century against Pakistan! After a shaky start, he once again showed why he is a genius when it comes to high pressure matches. Raina slog-swept the second ball which travelled all the way for another Six! Ten from the over.
12:10 pm – Over 42 | Score 235/2
Yasir to bowl his 8th over. Raina charged down the wicket and clobbered the ball over deep midwicket for a Six! 11 from the over.
12:05 pm – Over 41 | Score 224/2
Afridi to bowl his seventh over. Seven from the over.
11:57 am – Over 40 | Score 217/2
Riaz to continue. Four from the over. They need to step up the gas now.
11:57 am – Over 39 | Score 213/2
Irfan to continue. The first ball was bowled down the leg side and Kohli timed it well past deep fine leg for a boundary. Seven from the over.
11:53 am – Over 38 | Score 206/2
Riaz to continue. First ball was short, Raina pulled it handsomely past wide of long-on for a boundary! Six from the over. These two are batting sensibly at the moment, not taking too many risks, at the same time scoring runs.
11:48 am – Over 37 | Score 200/2
Irfan to bowl his 8th over. Four from the over.
11:43 am – Over 36 | Score 196/2
Riaz to bowl his sixth over. Four from the over. Kohli is batting on 85 and it would be interesting to see whether he slows down before his century or will continue to attack – something which he is known for.
11:38 am – Over 35 | Score 192/2
Afridi to continue. Just two from the over.
11:35 am – Over 34 | Score 190/2
Sohail to continue. Fourth ball was short and Raina smacked it over deep midwicket for a Six! Nine runs from the over. These two are providing India the late surge they needed.
11:33 am – Over 33 | Score 181/2
Afridi brought back into the attack. 8 from the over.
11:31 am – Over 32 | Score 173/2
Sohail to bowl his third over. Kohli was dropped on 76 by Umar Akmal! The right-hander was beaten by a ball which spun away from him, he edged it and the wicketkeeper dropped a simple catch. Could be very very costly for Pakistan! Good bowling from Sohail. Just three from the wicket.
11:27 am – Over 31 | Score 170/2
Yasir to bowl his seventh over. Five runs from the over.
11:24 am – Over 30 | Score 165/2
Sohail into his second over. Pakistan finally get a breakthrough! Virat tapped the fifth ball towards leg side and called for a single, but refused midway, Dhawan was half way down the crease and the direct throw from Afridi found Dhawan short of the crease at the non-striker’s end. The wicket has ended the 129-run partnership between these two. Suresh Raina is the new man in.
11:17 am – Over 29 | Score 156/1
Yasir to continue. Dhawan scored two boundaries in that over and is now looking dangerous against the spinners. 12 from the over. Pakistan desperately need a breakthrough here!
11:12 am – Over 28 | Score 144/1
Haris Sohail has been brought into the attack. Four from the over.
11:03 am – Over 26 | Score 134/1
Irfan to continue. Three from the over. Irfan has failed to create any sort of impact with the ball for Pakistan.
10:58 am – Over 25 | Score 131/1
Yasir to bowl his fourth over. Just four runs from the over.
10:55 am – Over 24 | Score 127/1
Irfan has been brought into the attack. Five from the over. Indian batsmen have probably decided not to take any chances against the tall speedster.
10:50 am – Over 23 | Score 122/1
Yasir to continue. Kohli charged down the wicket off fourth ball and smashed it past the diving fielder straight down the ground. Kohli followed it with a single off the fifth ball and reached his half-century off 60 balls. After a poor run in the warm-up matches, Kohli once again shows his ability to play a big knock when it matters the most. This partnership is now worth 88 runs and Misbah would be an extremely worried skipper.
10:45 am – Over 22 | Score 115/1
Riaz to bowl his fifth over. Dhawan took a single off the first ball and reached his half-century off 54 balls. His form was under scrutiy and it has been an excellent and well composed innings from the left-hander so far. Riaz ended the over with width on offer and Dhawan struck it powerfully past covers for a boundary! Six from the over.
10:40 am – Over 21 | Score 109/1
Yasir to continue. Kohli charged down the wicket off the second ball and played it inside out over cover for a boundary! Fourth ball was short to Kohli and he cut it past point for a boundary! 11 runs from the over. Kohli has planned to attack the spinners here.
10: 32 am – Over 20 | Score 98/1
Riaz to continue. Four from the over. The run-rate is now almost five runs per over and with wickets in hand, India can definitely aim for a formidable score here.
10: 32 am – Over 19 | Score 94/1
Yasir Shah has been introduced into the attack. Fifth ball was short and Dhawan played it off the backfoot past covers for a boundary! Five from the over.
10: 28 am – Over 18 | Score 89/1
Riaz to bowl his third over. Fourth ball was bowled down the leg side and Dhawan just used the pace and guided it past the ropes for a boundary. Seven from the over.
10: 23 am – Over 17 | Score 82/1
Afridi to continue. Seven from the over.
10: 21 am – Over 16 | Score 75/1
Riaz to bowl his second over. Four from the over.
The stadium is jam-packed and most part is painted blue!
10:15 am – Over 15 | Score 71/1
Afridi to continue. Kohli played a drive off the first ball which almost went straight to Ahmed Shehzad at short cover. Third ball was pitched down the leg side and Kohli swept in fine past square leg for a boundary! Nine runs from the over.
10:10 am – Over 14 | Score 62/1
Wahab Riaz has been brought into the attack. Six runs from the over. Indian batsmen haven’t managed to score many boundaries in the innings so far as a result of which they are currently scoring at less than six runs per over.
10:04 am – Over 13 | Score 56/1
Afridi to continue. Four from the over.
10:02 am – Over 12 | Score 52/1
Sohail to bowl his six consecutive over. Fifth ball was pitched short and Kohli pulled it beautifully past deep midwicket for a boundary! Seven from the over.
09:56 am – Over 11 | Score 45/1
Shahid Afridi has been brought into the attack. Fifth ball was short and Kohli went for his favourite pull shot, didn’t connect it well and it fell short of the diving fielder towards wide of long-on. Three from the over. The batsmen now need to accelerate the pace of the innings.
09:51 am – Over 10 | Score 42/1
Sohail to bowl his fifth over. Just two runs from it.
09:46 am – Over 9 | Score 40/1
Irfan to bowl his fifth over. Fifth ball drifted down the leg side and Dhawan flicked it past the fielder at short fine leg for a boundary! Five from the over.
09:42 am – Over 8 | Score 35/1
Sohail Khan to continue. He bowled a quick short ball to Rohit, who went for the pull but was surprised by the extra pace and mistimed an easy catch to Misbah. Pakistan have got their first breakthrough. There was a lot of pressure building and the batsmen had to go for some big strokes. Virat Kohli is the new man in.
Irfan to bowl his fourth over. Third ball was a short delivery and Dhawan got into position early and pummeled it over deep midwicket for a Six! Nine from the over. After a cautious approach early in the innings, the Indian opeeners are now looking to punish anything which is loose!
09:30 am – Over 6 | Score 24/0
Sohail to bowl his third over. Three from the over.
09:26 am – Over 5 | Score 21/0
Irfan to bowl his third over. He started off with a length ball and Rohit flicked it past deep midwicket for a boundary! Irfan ended the over with a length ball and Rohit drove it past covers for another boundary! Rohit slowly getting into his groove. 8 runs from the over.
09:21 am – Over 4 | Score 13/0
Sohail to continue. Dhawan was offered width off the third ball and he slapped it past the point field for a boundary! First boundary for India. Rohit needs to get going. The Pakistani bowlers have created some pressure in the first four overs.
09:16 am – Over 3 | Score 7/0
Irfan to continue from the other end. The lanky pacer troubled Dhawan with a few short pitched deliveries in that over. Dhawan’s weakness is hidden from none and the Pakistani pacers will throw a barrage of bouncers at him.
09:12 am – Over 2 | Score 5/0
Sohail Khan will bowl from the other end. He started off with a superb delivery which swung into Shikhar Dhawan. There was a short discussion whether they should use the DRS but Misbah wasn’t convinced and they didn’t go for it. Slow start for India and some disciplined bowling from Pakistan so far.
09:06 am – Over 1 | Score 3/0
Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan to open the innings for India. Mohammad Irfan began the proceedings for Pakistan. The first two balls were bowled outside the off-stump and Rohit Sharma let them go to the keeper. Third ball was aimed at the stumps and Rohit Sharma defended it back to the bowler for no run. Fourth delivery kept low and Rohit worked it past the fielder at point for a single. Dhawan got off the mark with a single towards third man. Irfan ended the over with a jaffa where he moved one away from Sharma and he almost edged it to the keeper.
Toss: India have won the toss and MS Dhoni has decided to bat first.
Indian Squad: RG Sharma, S Dhawan, V Kohli, AM Rahane, SK Raina, MS Dhoni (captain & wk), RA Jadeja, R Ashwin, UT Yadav, MM Sharma, Mohammed Shami
Pakistan Squad: Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan, Haris Sohail, Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Irfan
India have been in pathetic form of late, having won just one match (against Afghanistan) in their long stay Down Under. But against Pakistan, they have a 5-0 winning record in the World Cup.
The absence of Saeed Ajmal could be a big advantage for the Indian team. The maverick spinner had troubled them on various occasions in the past.
On the other hand, Pakistan would be relieved by the absence of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who was adjudged Man of the Match in three out of the five matches these two teams have played in the World Cup.
In Tendulkar’s absence, the onus will be on the likes of Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and MS Dhoni to put a formidable score on the board. While the bowling department remains to be a major concern for the Men in Blue, the batting unit needs to put enough runs on the board to keep their winning record intact against the neighbours.
Compared to India, Pakistan are a well balanced squad on paper as they will have the massive experience of Younis Khan and Misbah-Ul-Haq, two batsmen who have scored heavily for them in all formats of the game.
In the bowling department, India would be wary of the lanky Mohammad Irfan, who is expected to make life miserable for the batsmen on pitches which would assist him in Australia and New Zealand. One another player who is likely to cause damage both with the ball and the bat is Shahid Afridi.
These two teams have a history of saving their best cricket for each other and the fourth match of this World Cup should be no different.
SINGAPORE — Serena Williams won her third successive WTA Finals title and fifth overall by beating Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0 on Sunday, avenging an embarrassing group-stage loss to the Romanian player.
Halep easily beat Williams just four days earlier during the group stage of the tournament, but the American turned that around with an aggressive game plan.
Williams won 11 of the last 12 games in the match to join Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf as the only players to have won five titles in the season-ending championships.
The 33-year-old pulled out of her previous two tournaments with illness and a knee injury, yet still claimed the $2 million first prize, claimed the Billie-Jean King Trophy and also had a breed of orchid named after her in recognition.
“I just started training, because I had such a bad knee in Beijing I didn’t know if I’d be able to play here, and now I have won the Billie-Jean King trophy — I am so excited,” Williams said.
The match was the most one-sided championship match in the WTA Finals since Kim Clijsters beat Amelie Mauresmo 6-2, 6-0 in 2003.
Williams changed her approach from the group-stage contest, attacking Halep’s second serve with fierce ground strokes, and regularly rushing the net to cut the points short and prevent her opponent from playing her preferred style.
“I had to play more Serena-style tennis and just do what I do best,” Williams said.
“I was expecting a much better player than I was in the earlier round. Being ready for that really was able to help me out.”
Halep’s run in this tournament capped a remarkable rise, having gone from No. 64 in the rankings to No. 4 in the course of 17 months, with a French Open final appearance along the way.
However, her relative lack of experience of big occasions compared to the 18-time Grand Slam champion proved telling.
“I was nervous before the match that I had to play this big final,” Halep said. “I couldn’t manage very well the situation.
“I knew that she would be more motivated during this match because we played a few days ago and I won.”
The irony of Sunday’s match was that Halep had it within her power to deny Williams a place in the final. Halep went into her final group-stage game knowing that if she lost in straight sets, Ana Ivanovic would go into the semifinals at Williams’ expense. Instead, Halep lost in three and Williams made it in.
“I have no regrets because I did my job on court against Ivanovic,” Halep said. “That was the chance but she deserves to win the title. She’s much better.”
Williams said she would have done the same thing if in Halep’s shoes, namely try to win the group game despite the temptation of knocking out her most dangerous rival.
“No one on the tour thinks like that,” Williams said. “She definitely gives her all so I don’t think that went through her mind at all.”
Halep got the first break of the match in the third game and was up 40-0 on serve in the next and looked capable of repeating the surprise 6-0, 6-2 victory over Williams on Wednesday. However, Williams broke back in that fourth game and the course of the match was changed.
Halep won only three points fewer than Williams in the opening set but clinched just seven points in the entire second set — including only two on return. The set was over in just 25 minutes.
Halep’s serve, so effective throughout the tournament, let her down on the big stage where she won fewer than half her first-serve points while Williams won 77 percent.
Halep tried in vain to change the momentum, even trying a drop shot from well behind the baseline, but her spirit and body language quickly deteriorated in the face of Williams’ relentless attack.
Williams had 25 winners against just five by her opponent.
Halep’s victory in the group stage ended Williams’ 16-game winning streak at the WTA Finals, but the American built her career win-loss record in the championships that feature the top eight players to 29 wins and five losses. Williams also retained the season-end top ranking, taking that honor for the fourth time.
The doubles final was even more one-sided with Cara Black and Sania Mirza — in their last match together as a pairing — routing defending champions Peng Shuai and Hsieh Su-Wei 6-1, 6-0.
This is Leander Paes’ seventh mixed-doubles crown.
India’s Leander Paes and Swiss Martina Hingis turned back the clock to post a sensational win in the Australian Open mixed-doubles final and improve their respective Grand Slam count to 15, in Melbourne on Sunday.
The seventh seed Indo-Swiss pair played powerful tennis to serve past third seeds Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic 6-4, 6-3 in the 62-minute battle at the Rod Laver Arena.
While the 41-year-old Paes clinched his seventh mixed doubles crown, Hingis, who came out of retirement for the second time a couple of years back, collected her tenth doubles Slam apart from her five singles titles.
Paes and Hingis broke the Canadian-French pair of Nestor and Kristina once in the first set and twice in the second to put up an entertaining display.
Paes, a veteran doubles specialist, joined forces with the 34-year-old Hingis last year only to come up with a Slam title in quick time.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Paes on Twitter.
Hingis, who burst into the scene in 1995, thanked her idol and legend Martina Navratilova for suggesting Paes as her mixed-doubles partner.
“I am thankful to Martina (Navratilova) for getting me partner Paes. It’s incredible to be playing on the surface that I made my debut in 1995. I never imagined that 20 year’s down-the-line I would be still be playing here,” said an excited Hingis — winner of three singles Australian Open titles.
Navratilovia, who also partnered Paes to clinch the Australian Open and Wimbledon mixed—doubles crown in 2003, was in the stands to watch the tennis veterans play.
President, Prime Minister congratulate Leander Paes
PTI adds
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated tennis ace Leander Paes for winning the Australian Open mixed doubles crown with Switzerland’s Martina Hingis.
Both PM and President took to twitter to praise Paes, who won his 15th career Grand Slam title in Melbourne. “Leander Paes continues to make us proud! I congratulate him on the Mixed Doubles win with Martina Hingis at the Australian Open,” there was a tweet from PMO.
“Congratulations to Leander Paes on the Mixed Doubles win at the Australian Open# PresidentMukherjee” read President Mukherjee’s tweet.
Sydney: Free-scoring Australia will seek continental glory in the Asian Cup final on Saturday but South Korea could gatecrash the party in a hugely anticipated decider between two of the region`s toughest teams.
It could be a case of who blinks first when the heavyweights clash in Sydney, with the hosts seeking a first Asian title since quitting Oceania in 2006, and the Koreans desperate to end a hoodoo stretching back a staggering 55 years.
The Socceroos were runners-up to Japan in 2011 and with a tournament-leading 12 goals, they will start as slight favourites, despite losing 1-0 to South Korea in the group phase.
In that game, coach Ange Postecoglou opted to rest talisman Tim Cahill and was robbed of captain Mile Jedinak due to an ankle strain.
Cahill netted three times in five matches, including a contender for goal of the tournament with his venomous overhead kick in the quarter-final win over China, and he is likely to be central to the plot in one of the biggest games in Australia`s history.
“First 45 minutes against China I touched the ball three times,” said Cahill, his country`s record scorer, who fired both goals in the 2-0 win.
“The defenders had me wrapped up. But it just takes one second for someone to switch off and hopefully I can be on point to make it count.”
Both teams possess players capable of delivering a knockout blow, South Korea hoping golden boy Son Heung-Min can weave his magic as they seek to win a first Asian Cup since 1960 having already defied the odds by reaching the final.
Their title drought is a curious anomaly for a nation who stormed to the World Cup semi-finals in 2002, but they have reached the final — their first in 27 years — despite an injury crisis and a flu bug which swept through the squad, forcing medical staff to work overtime.”It will come down to who`s mentally tougher,” said Korean captain Ki Sung-yueng, who has been a calming influence on his side after losing the dynamic pairing of Lee Chung-Yong and Koo Ja-Cheol in the group stages. “It`s incredible we`ve got this far without two of our best players.”
South Korea are the first team to reach the Asian Cup final without conceding a goal since Iran in 1976, but their resilience will be severely tested by Australia`s firepower in front of a sell-out crowd of almost 80,000 in Sydney.
“We are on the brink of something very special for Korean football,” added Ki. “The boys don`t need me to spell it out to them.”
The players were pelted with toffee — a traditional insult in South Korea — on their return from last year`s World Cup, but German coach Uli Stielike has performed wonders since taking over as they look to emulate the under-23 side`s Asian Games gold medal in October.
As many as 30,000 Korean “Red Devils” fans are expected to add spice to the atmosphere.
Victory for the hosts would be every bit as satisfying after Australia managed just one win in 11 matches last year, while Postecoglou overhauled a side once blessed with outrageous talent by blooding a raft of new players.
Critics who were calling for his head just weeks ago have been forced to eat humble pie.
“Full credit to the boss,” said Aussie goalkeeper Mathew Ryan. “We`ve just got to put the last piece of the puzzle together with a fairytale ending on Saturday and then it will be a master-plan.”
AFP
Melbourne: The unseeded pairing of American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Czech Lucie Safarova won the Australian Open women`s doubles title Friday, their first Grand Slam success.
The two were playing together in Melbourne for the first time and clicked immediately, downing the 14th seeded Zheng Jie of China and Taiwan`s Chan Yung-Jan 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).
“This is our first tournament together and after this I`m sure that we`re going to be playing a few more this year,” said a delighted Mattek-Sands.
They beat five seeds to clinch the title and in doing so became the first unseeded women`s duo to claim the Australian crown since Svetlana Kuznetsova and Vera Zvonareva in 2012.
They were also the first new pairing to win a women`s Grand Slam title since Dinara Safina and Nathalie Dechy at the US Open in 2007.
24th January 1979 – Nik Wallenda, American acrobat and daredevil is born.
Nikolas “Nik” Wallenda (born January 24, 1979) is an American acrobat, aerialist, daredevil, high wire artist, and author. He is known for his high-wire performances without a safety net. He holds nine Guinness World Records for various acrobatic feats, but is best known as the first person to walk a tightrope stretched directly over Niagara Falls.
(Courtesy Suraj Mani Pradhan, Kalimpong)
Defending champion Saina Nehwal is just one step away from retaining her women’s singles title, while world No. 5 Indian K Srikanth too reached the finals of the USD 120,000 Syed Modi International Badminton tournament, on Saturday.
Olympic bronze medallist Saina didn’t have to break much sweat as she disposed off fourth seed Nichaon Jindapon of Thailand 21-10 21-16 at the Babu Banarasi Das Indoor Stadium.
The 24-year-old will take on the winner of the match between two-time World Championship bronze medallist P V Sindhu and reigning World Champion Carolina Marin of Spain.
World No 5 Srikanth also continued his rampaging form and entered the finals for the second successive time with a hard- fought victory over compatriot H S Prannoy, who had clinched the Indonesia Masters last year.
The top seed Indian dropped the opening game before beating Prannoy 12-21 21-12 21-14 in a match that lasted for an hour and four minutes in the men’s singles competition.
In doubles, it was curtains for fifth seeds Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy as they were defeated by fourth seeds Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov of Russia 12-21 18-21.
Recent Comments