The Week - Sports

isl-2020-21-mumbai-city-pip-east-bengal-1-0-open-up-5-point-lead-at-top

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 22:00:13 GMT

Mumbai City FC downed SC East Bengal by a solitary goal to consolidate their position atop the standings with a five point-lead in the Indian Super League 2020-21 match in Vasco on Friday.

The Kolkata giants displayed a fine passing game, played with intent but a momentary lapse in defence in the 27th minute cost them three points at the Tilak Maidan Stadium.

A horror of defence from the Red and Gold saw Mourtada Fall give the lead from a Cy Goddard corner.

The Senegalese centre back was left unmarked inside the box as he utilised Hugo Boumous's cross to perfection with his soaring header to give Mumbai the all-important goal.

The win opened up a five-point lead over ATK Mohun Bagan atop the 11-team standings as it also ended a seven-match unbeaten streak of SC East Bengal who slumped to 10th place with 12 points from 13 matches.

For Mumbai, they stretched their unbeaten run to 11 matches as they now have 29 points from 12 matches.

The Robbie Fowler-coached side put up a better display in the second half and ended up having a 60 per cent share of possession and a better passing accuracy but they were simply unable to find that cutting edge to convert their share of chances.

Nigerian Bright Enobakhare's deft touch in the 74th minute set up Anthony Pilkington inside the box but the Irishman's shot was wayward and sailed over the crossbar.

In the 79th minute, Narayan Das's powerful shot from the left flank had dropped straight on the roof of the net.

In the 87th minute, Harmanpreet Singh also wasted an opportunity as he failed to keep his header on target after Aaron Holloway curled in a brilliant cross.

"Obviously we had a sloppy first-half. We were solid in the second-half but could not take our chances. We probably should have won the game otherwise. We are very disappointed," Pilkington said.

plan-to-counter-australians-hatched-in-july-india-bowling-coach-bharat-arun

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 21:40:02 GMT

The victorious Indian team is finally back home after a gruelling but historic two-month tour to Australia. Among the factors which made the Test series triumph special is the fact that India won with almost a second-string side in the decider at the Gabba, because of injuries to most of the senior players, especially the bowlers – Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravichandran Ashwin and Umesh Yadav.

Understandably, Team India bowling coach Bharat Arun had his hands full. He was forced to push young, hitherto untested bowlers into uncharted territories. The situation was so dire that by the final Test, the bowling attack was being led by one Test match-old Mohammed Siraj. But, his wards responded to the challenge brilliantly, sticking to the plans, rarely erring, bowling with intent and a big heart, helping India to one of their finest Test match and series wins.

But, it was no flash in the pan, and was due to a well thought-out strategy, as Arun revealed to the media today in an interaction organised by the BCCI. "[Coach] Ravi Shastri called me sometime in July and said that we needed to take the off side out of the Australians. So, we had our own analysis and we felt most of the runs Smith and Labuschagne scored and most of Aussie batsmen, they had got lot of runs out of the cut, pull and on the off side," the 58-year-old said. Arun said they also learnt from how the New Zealand bowlers, especially Neil Wagner, troubled Smith during their series. "We took a cue out of the NZ attack. When they bowled to Steve Smith, they had bowled bodyline to him and he felt very uncomfortable. So, Ravi called up and said 'I want you to make a plan where you eliminate the off side out of the Australians'.

"He said we will attack straighter lines and have an onside field so it is very difficult for batsmen to be consistently clearing the onside fields. That really worked for us."

Lauding India's strong bench strength, Arun said that it was the result of plans put in place three years ago. "If you need India to keep on doing well at international level, you will need a pool of bowlers. At any given point of time, you must be able to field a fresh set of bowlers who will be raring to go. Now we are blessed with a great bench strength. It's heartening to see that, when given the opportunity, they have done an excellent job for the country. This tour will give them the necessary confidence to do well in future. It's an embarrassment of riches, but we can't take away the credit for what the senior bowlers like Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav have done for India.

"This tour has taken a lot out of the boys, but now in future when you have seven fast bowlers raring to play for the country. With the number of Tests we are going to play - four against England here and five in England - it will be very handy. They will all be rotated and we will make sure the best team is put forward," he said.

Arun gave credit to Shastri for insisting on holding back all the extra bowlers after the white-ball series in Australia. "I thought it was a great move by Ravi Shastri to hold back all the bowlers who had come with the team. After the ODI series, most of them were to go back, but he probably thought that if anything happens to any player, it would be difficult for them to come back because of the quarantine restrictions. We said we will manage with everyone here and because they were here with us for a long time, it was possible for them to understand what was demanded to be successful in Australia and work on those lines. So, them being with us helped a great deal."

Arun said the reason why the inexperienced pace attack performed well under pressure was that during practice sessions, they had meticulously discussed and worked on their plans. "Siraj has knack of taking wickets. He was magnificent in Ranji Trophy and with India A. Shardul has time and again got more than 40 wickets with Mumbai. Saini has pace, and Natarajan is a left armer, which gave us the option to have a new bowling angle. All we talked about was to be consistent. The margin of error in Test cricket is very small. Every time, in nets, they had to decide what lines they would bowl and my job was to give feedback, assess how satisfied they were with their work. The match became an extension of the nets.”

Arun said the key to India doing well in Australia and winning the series 2-1 was the fearlessness with which the players played. He said Shastri was clear that he would rather lose than play a conservative game. "You fear when you have certain goals in mind and only think of the outcome and don't have a process in place or don't want to lose games. We, as a team, insist we don't mind losing. Even after Adelaide, Ravi said 'I don't mind us losing 4-0 but we are known for a brand of cricket and that should not change'. That's the message that went to the team and it paid rich dividends. The Gabba test was a testimony to it. The way Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar played... they took the fight to the Aussies. They were not thinking of drawing the match but of how to win. That takes a lot of courage; that is fearlessness."

The bowling coach also said that at no point did the team discard its five-bowler theory, which has been key to India's success away from home, despite depleting resources. "On most occasions, we play five bowlers abroad because to bowl out a team in conditions abroad demands a lot out of just four bowlers. It's a huge task."

The thoughts of playing an extra batsman did creep in after the Adelaide debacle but the team stuck to its beliefs, said Arun. "In the last Test there were discussions about playing an extra batsman but we felt that it would have been a negative move and all of us felt the five-bowler theory has worked for us. We knew Washington Sundar is more than a capable bat," said Arun.

He said that batting coach Vikram Rathour and support staff ensured all the players got equal time and attention in nets, including the practice bowlers. "Washington, though he was a net bowler, used to bat every day for half an hour. We needed to spend extra hours in the net but we needed to give each and everyone the attention. In the end it paid off," said Arun.

The bowling coach indicated that it will be horses for courses when it comes to selecting the playing XI now, with so many options available, and that someone like leg-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who last played a Test match in 2019, would get his turn. "Horses for courses is the best thing and when Kuldeep gets a chance to play, he will show what he can do because he is bowling magnificently now and in India when we play these four Tests it will be his time.

"And also the spinners Jadeja and Ashwin have been magnificent, number one and two spinners in the world. Jadeja's rise as an all-rounder is a huge-huge bonus for the country," he said.

With the England series set to start in two weeks, Arun said it's time now for the team to get ready for the tough series. "As R. Sridhar, our fielding coach, said: It took us two days to forget 36 all out, put it behind us, and move on. We did an exceptional job in Australia, and the last two days we have enjoyed and savoured our success. But, we need to forget this now. We are aware that England is a tough team and we will have to be at our best to beat them. We are quite prepared."

thailand-open-sindhu-sameer-crash-out-satwik-scripts-twin-win-in-doubles

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 18:51:18 GMT

Error-prone P.V. Sindhu suffered a demoralising defeat in the quarterfinals while Sameer Verma's gallant fight too ended in agony at the Thailand Open in Bangkok on Friday.

However, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy claimed twin wins in mixed and men's doubles quarterfinals along with Ashwini Ponnappa and Chirag Shetty to keep India's flag fluttering at the BWF World Tour Super 1000 tournament here.

Sindhu looked a pale shadow of the player who had won the world championship gold in 2019 as she committed too many unforced errors to go down 13-21 9-21 against home favourite Ratchanok Inthanon.

"I made a lot of unforced errors and I think that I gave away easy points. I didn't play my best today. It wasn't my day," a crestfallen Sindhu said.

In men's singles, Sameer's giant-killing run also came to an end after he squandered a match point to go down 13-21 21-19 20-22 to world no. 3 Anders Antonsen of Denmark in a quarterfinal contest.

With the defeat of Sindhu and Sameer, Indian challenge in singles competition ended in the tournament.

The doubles players, however, gave fans something to cheer as Satwik and Ashwini upstaged world no. 6 pair of Peng Soon Chan and Liu Ying Goh of Malaysia 18-21 24-22 22-20 after toiling hard for one hour and 15 minutes.

"We have played them three times. We have won twice and lost once. We were confident. We knew our main strength would be our attack. They were under pressure. We kept fighting. We had our chances and never messed up," Satwik said.

Later in the day, Satwik and Chirag saw off another Malaysian pair of Ong Yew Sin and Teo Ee Yi 21-18 24-22 in 37 minutes.

Earlier Sindhu, a medal contender at the Tokyo Olympics, looked awfully out of form as she was all at sea against Ratchanok, a former world champion.

siraj-is-find-of-australia-test-series-says-coach-ravi-shastri

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 14:41:17 GMT

India head coach Ravi Shastri on Friday described rookie pacer Mohammed Siraj as the find of the Australia tour, hailing him for playing a key role in the historic Test series win despite personal loss and racial abuse from spectators Down Under.

Siraj could not return to India after his father, who was an auto driver, died barely a week after he landed in Australia with the Indian team in November last year. He also faced racial abuse from a section of the crowd in Sydney during the third Test.

Despite all this, Siraj finished the series with 13 wickets―the most by any Indian bowler―as the team came from behind to script a memorable 2-1 win.

“Find of the tour for shoring up the bowling attack the way he did―Mohd Siraj. He fought through personal loss, racial remarks and channelised them to find home in the team huddle,” Shastri tweeted in appreciation of the 26-year-old pacer.

Siraj turned out to be one of the architects of India's success and successfully stepped into the shoes of his senior pace colleagues after making his debut in the series-turning second Test in Melbourne.

In the fourth Test in Brisbane, Siraj led a young Indian bowling attack, picking up his maiden five-wicket haul in the longest format of the game.

He returned with match figures of seven for 150 as India beat Australia by three wickets in the series-deciding Test at the Gabba.

On Thursday, Siraj revealed that on-field umpires had offered his team the option of leaving the third Test against Australia midway after he was subjected to racial abuse by the crowd in Sydney, a proposal that was turned down by skipper Ajinkya Rahane.

After his arrival in the country, the youngster had driven straight to his father's grave in Hyderabad to pay his respects. He had dedicated each of his wickets in Australia to the departed soul.

ashwin-washington-sundar-return-home-after-series-win-in-australia

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 11:01:41 GMT

Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and rookie all-rounder Washington Sundar, who were a part of the triumphant Indian team in the Test series against Australia, returned home on Friday.

The duo from Tamil Nadu will be in quarantine for six days as per the protocols put in place by the state government authorities.

Ashwin had picked up 12 wickets in the first three matches but had to miss the series-cinching final Test in Brisbane owing to an injury. Batting with back pain, Ashwin had teamed up with Hanuma Vihari for a resolute 62-run stand on the final day of the third Test in Sydney to pull off an unforgettable draw.

Washington made his debut in the Gabba Test and hit a 62 to defy a lethal Australian attack along with Shardul Thakur in a 123-run stand in the first innings to bring India back into the game. He also picked up four wickets in the match which India eventually won by three wickets.

Ashwin and Washington are also a part of the Indian squad named for the first two Tests against England in Chennai, beginning on February 5.

Several other members of the victorious Indian squad returned on Thursday, including Tamil Nadu fast bowler T Natarajan, who was given a rousing reception when he arrived at Chinnappampatti village in Salem district.

Despite captain Virat Kohli not being available after the first match and several key players injured, India made a remarkable comeback after the debacle in Adelaide where they scored their lowest ever Test innings total of 36 to win the series 2-1.

baroda-suspends-deepak-hooda-for-current-domestic-season-for-indiscipline

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 10:48:55 GMT

The Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) has suspended senior player Deepak Hooda, who had stormed out of the camp before the start of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, for this domestic season for “indiscipline” and “bringing disrespect to the game”.

Hooda had walked out of the team on the eve of domestic T20 tournament after a spat with captain Krunal Pandya. He had alleged “misbehaviour” on the part of Pandya.

He (Hooda) has been suspended for this season for indiscipline and bringing disrespect to the BCA and the game. Without informing the team and the BCA, he left the team and the (bio) bubble, BCA secretary Ajit Lele told PTI on Friday.

The decision to suspend Hooda was taken during the Apex Council meeting of the BCA which was held on Thursday evening.

Hooda, who was initially appointed as Baroda's vice-captain for Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, had stormed out of the bio-bubble on January 9. He had alleged “misbehaviour” on the part of Pandya in an e-mail sent to BCA.

“At this moment, I am demoralised, depressed and under pressure,” Hooda, who has played 46 first-class matches, wrote in the e-mail.

“As from last some days, my team captain Mr Krunal Pandya is using abusing language to me in front of my teammates and also other state teams who have come for participation at Reliance Stadium Vadodara.

Following Hooda’s letter, the BCA had sought the manager’s report.

isl-east-bengal-aim-to-keep-unbeaten-streak-alive-against-mumbai-city

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 10:20:03 GMT

SC East Bengal will face a tall task of keeping their seven-match unbeaten streak alive when they take on table-toppers Mumbai City in an Indian Super League fixture at the Tilak Maidan Stadium in Vasco on Friday.

SCEB have turned around their fortunes in remarkable fashion after losing four of the first five games they played in their maiden season and are currently on a seven-match unbeaten run.

Currently placed at the 10th position with 12 points, a couple of wins will keep SCEB's playoff hopes alive.

However, that's easier said than done, considering they next face league leaders Mumbai City FC, who will present a much tougher challenge than the ones SCEB encountered in the last match.

“Mumbai are a good side and they have been doing really well,” said SCEB assistant coach Renedy Singh.

“But I feel we have to consider our own style, how we've played in the last seven matches. I think the boys have worked really hard. It is a process that we have to continue. We will work on our own side while giving respect to them.”

While the arrival of Bright Enobakhare has given them a trump card in attack, SCEB still have defensive issues.

No team has conceded as many goals as them in the second half (13) and only one has conceded more in the last fifteen minutes of the match (5).

SC East Bengal boss Robbie Fowler will, however, be buoyed by the form that his keeper Debjit Majumder has been displaying.

In Mumbai, they face a team well-equipped to take advantage of these flaws. If SCEB is prone to conceding in the second half, Sergio Lobera's side specializes in scoring in the first.

No team has netted more in the first half than the ten that Mumbai have managed. They are also now unbeaten in ten games.

Three more and Mumbai will set a league record for the longest unbeaten streak in ISL history, overtaking FC Goa's 12-game run.

“The most important thing is to win a trophy. Obviously, it is a consequence to do a lot of things well. If during the way, we have very good numbers, lots of goals, lots of clean sheets and possession of the ball, you have more possibility of winning the trophy,” said Lobera.

“But if I need to refuse these records in order to win a trophy, then I will prefer to win a trophy because that is the best record of all.”

Lobera is not underestimating the challenge he faces on Friday.

“I think it would be a big mistake if we played tomorrow's game keeping in mind the past match against them,” he said.

“They are a completely different team and they have improved a lot in performance levels.”

rajasthan-royals-trade-robin-uthappa-to-chennai-super-kings

Fri, 22 Jan 2021 10:04:15 GMT

Veteran India batsman Robin Uthappa has been traded to Chennai Super Kings in an all-cash deal, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals said on Thursday.

The 35-year-old right-hander from Karnataka had scored just 196 runs in 12 matches in the last IPL in UAE after being picked up by Rajasthan Royals at the last IPL auctions.

“I really enjoyed my year at the Royals and had a great time being part of this franchise. I am now excited for the next part of my cricketing journey joining CSK for IPL 202,” Uthappa said in a release.

Rajasthan Royals had released eight players, including star Australia batsman Steve Smith, after the team finished at the bottom of the table in the 2020 edition.

Rajasthan Royals COO Jake Lush McCrum said: “We’d like to thank Robbie for his contribution during his time with us. He provided significant value building into the season in our camps in Guwahati and Nagpur, and his speech during our World Cup winners session during the season was one of the most powerful we have heard.

“We do have depth with regards to openers in our squad, therefore when the offer came from CSK, we thought it was a good opportunity for all parties involved. We’d like to wish Robbie all the best for this season at CSK and his future beyond that.”

Young wicket-keeper batsman Sanju Samson was named as Rajasthan Royals captain on Wednesday, replacing Smith.

Welcoming Uthappa in its set-up, CSK tweeted: “Robin is our newest Bat-Man! Welcoming you with #Yellove Vanakkam @robbieuthappa! #WhistlePodu.”

CSK will be Uthappa’s sixth franchise in the cash-rich league. He started his IPL career with Mumbai Indians back in 2008 and later joined Royal Challengers Bangalore for the 2009 and 2010 seasons.

Now defunct Pune Warriors then bagged Uthappa for 2011, 2012 and 2013 editions. He was later acquired by Kolkata Knight Riders for six seasons starting from 2014 to 2019.

Uthappa has played in every edition of the IPL since the tournament’s inception and has scored 4,607 runs from 189 games at a strike rate of 129.99.

isl-2020-21-williams-tiri-earn-atk-mohun-bagan-1-0-win-over-chennaiyin

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 21:13:37 GMT

Australian forward David Williams struck a stoppage time goal coming in as substitute to hand ATK Mohun Bagan a dramatic 1-0 win over Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Thursday.

After struggling to find its shooting boots for the entire regulation time, the Mariners finally found the goal in the 90+1st minute with Williams soaring high to create space and unleashing his powerful ground header.

There was high drama in the dying minutes as Williams, who came in as a substitute in place of Carl McHugh in the 67th minute, scored from a Javier Hernandez's perfect corner kick.

It was not over for ATKMB yet as they nearly conceded an equaliser moments later but Tiri made a goalline match-saving clearance to keep the lead intact and take them two points shy of leaders Mumbai City FC (26 points) who have a match in hand.

ATK Mohun Bagan started off with a more positive intent and dictated the pace of the game in the first half but the coordination was missing up front between their main attacking outlet Roy Krishna and Manvir Singh.

Manvir created some fine chances from the right and was seen all over the pitch but the Fijian just could not capitalise up front.

In the 17th minute, Manvir dribbled down the right flank before raiding the box and squared it to a free Roy Krishna in the centre but the Fijian overhit the pass.

Roy Krishna also missed to score from a header in front of the goal as it was a tale of missed chances for ATKMB in the first-half.

In the second-half, it was the Mariners defence that stood out and cancelled out all the attacks made by CFC including the heroic action by Tiri to deny Enes Sipovic in the 90+4th minute.

It not only earned ATKMB three points but saved Arindam Bhattacharya the blushes as the goalkeeper was out of place when Sipovic headed it to an empty net but Tiri managed to come in and clear the ball away.

india-had-option-to-leave-sydney-test-after-racial-abuse-but-rahane-refused

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 20:58:22 GMT

India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj on Thursday revealed that on-field umpires had offered his team the option of leaving the third Test against Australia midway after he was subjected to racial abuse by the crowd in Sydney, a proposal that was turned down by skipper Ajinkya Rahane.

Siraj and his senior pace colleague Jasprit Bumrah faced racial abuse for two days at the Sydney Cricket Ground, forcing the Indian team management to lodge an official complaint with match referee David Boon. Cricket Australia later offered an unreserved apology for the incidents.

Siraj, called a "brown monkey" by some spectators, had reported the matter to Rahane, who brought it to the notice of on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Paul Wilson during the match.

"I faced abuses in Australia. The case is going on, let's see whether I get justice or not. My job was to report the incident to the captain," the 26-year-old, who was India's highest wicket-taker with 13 scalps during the historic 2-1 series win, said during a press conference after his arrival here.

"The umpires offered us to leave the game but Rahane bhai said we won't leave the game. We did no mistake, so we will play," he recalled about the match that was halted for a few minutes on the fourth day and ended in a thrilling draw.

He said the unruly crowd behaviour acted as a morale-booster for him during his debut Test series.

"The abuses which I faced in Australia made me mentally stronger. I didn't let them affect my game," Siraj said.

Six spectators were expelled from the stadium after play was held up during the match. Cricket Australia has promised the strongest possible action against those found guilty.

Siraj turned out to be one of the architects of India's historic Australia tour and successfully stepped into the shoes of his senior pace colleagues after making his debut in the series-turning second Test in Melbourne.

But the right-arm pacer said it's just the start and he can't afford to relax a bit if he desires to play for India for a long time.

"I never thought like that (I will replace senior bowlers). But when senior players got injured, the entire team was banking on me to do well. It was challenging and there was pressure on me as well," he said describing the moments before his debut Test.

"(But) I can't relax. I want to play for India and keep on performing. I need to continue from here. I don't want this to get to my head. I need to set my future goals.

"I need to take this confidence into the next series (against England). Whatever role the team management gives me (in England series), I will do my best," he added.

Siraj said regular skipper and his leader in Royal Challengers Bangalore team, Virat Kohli played a motivating role in his career.

"I haven't had my best in white-ball cricket yet. The pressure of white-ball cricket took a toll on me. But the more I played matches, the more experience I gained," he said.

"IPL 2018 was a bad season for me, but the entire RCB team and Virat bhai backed me. RCB retained me and Virat bhai told me 'you have the potential, just keep on doing things what you do best, don't think much'," he said.

He also said that Jasprit Bumrah too backed him immensely in Australia.

"Bumrah bhai supported me from the other end. He asked me not to try much and keep the ball in one area, don't think much."

Asked who is a better Test captain Kohli or Ajinkya Rahane, Siraj played it safe.

"Both are good captains. Ajju (Rahane) bhai always trusted youngsters, gave confidence to us, which is needed for a youngster. I enjoyed both of theirs captaincy," he added.

india-england-series-stokes-archer-back-for-first-two-tests

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 18:18:22 GMT

Explosive all-rounder Ben Stokes and pacer Jofra Archer on Thursday returned to a 16-member strong England squad named for the first two Tests of the upcoming four-match series against India.

The England selectors also named six travelling reserves for the first and second matches, to be held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai from February 5.

Both Stokes and Archer were rested for the ongoing two-match Test series in Sri Lanka, while Rory Burns was at home for the birth of his child.

The team will continue to be led by Joe Root.

Surrey's Ollie Pope will travel to India and will be added to the squad when passed fit. Pope is recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in September during the Test series against Pakistan.

The national selectors have provided rest to Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood. The three players, who are currently in Sri Lanka, will miss the first and second Tests in India.

"This is consistent with the selection policy of finding a block of rest for all multi-format players at some point during post-Christmas winter schedule," the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a release.

With Archer and Stokes returning, and subject to fitness of the rest of the squad, Somerset's Craig Overton will return home after the Sri Lanka series.

Squad:

Joe Root, Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

when-rahane-politely-refused-to-cut-kangaroo-cake

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 17:43:33 GMT

Ajinkya Rahane is the toast of the nation now, having led an injury-riddled Indian team to a historic 2-1 win in the Test series in Australia.

Stepping in after the humiliating loss in the first Test in Adelaide after skipper Virat Kohli went on paternity leave, Rahane led by example with a classic century in the second Test at Melbourne, guiding India to a series-levelling victory. The team then showed great character to draw the third Test in Sydney, and went on to win a thriller in the final Test in Brisbane, thus clinching the series.

The soft-spoken Rahane landed in Mumbai to a red carpet welcome, complete with chants of 'aala re aala Ajinkya aala'. The chants (meaning here comes our Ajinkya) were heard amid the beating of the traditional dhol tasha and showering of flower petals at Rahane's residential complex.

More surprises awaited him after he drove straight to his housing society in suburban Matunga, where residents had made elaborate preparations to accord their hero a royal welcome.

Rahane was welcomed with the beats of dhol, while others showered the cricketer with flower petals. Rahane was also joined by his wife and two-year-old daughter in the celebration.

Having set an example on the field with his humility and conduct, Rahane, today, once again showed why he is rated so highly as a cricketer and a human being. His neighbours had arranged for a cake for him with an edible Kangaroo figure on top of it, in an apparent reference to the Aussies. Kangaroos are the national animal of Australia and their cricket team is often referred to as the Kangaroos.

However, Rahane politely refused to cut the cake. Netizens hailed his decision to respect Australia's national animal, and also the vanquished opponents.

Soaking in the carnival-like atmosphere, Rahane acknowledged the love and adulation showered on him by the people of the city, many of whom waited for his team at the airport wearing masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his society, residents and videographers jostled to capture the moments and the unassuming batsman posed happily for them.

(With PTI inputs)

lampard-on-his-way-out-chelsea-manager-unsure-of-his-future-with-club

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:55:10 GMT

Following Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat at Leicester on Tuesday, manager Frank Lampard has admitted that his future with the club is not in his control.

This was their fifth loss in the last eight Premier League games. The defeat against Brendan Rodgers’ side on Tuesday meant that Chelsea have lost the race for European qualification.

As Chelsea struggle with its poor run of form, Lampard faces mounting pressure on his position as the manager.

“I can’t control it,” the former midfielder said during the post-match press conference. “I have been asked it over the last few weeks. I understand it and it is the expectation of the club whether it is right or wrong.

“I took the job knowing that there will be difficult times because it is not a club ready to compete. We have had a ban, we have young players, we have new players that we can see are striving for form and to be settled into this team,” he said, before adding “we have to fight”.

Lampard also said that players were “not playing as well as they should”.

“The general theme of our performance was slow, sluggish with a lack of desire to run and that can come with a lack of confidence. We got beaten by the better team,” he said.

Reports have suggested that Chelsea are looking at an experienced manager to take over the reins at the club, throwing up names, including that of former PSG manager Thomas Tuchel and ex-Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri.

Lampard was appointed Chelsea manager in July 2019 after just one season of managing a professional team, Derby County. He is Chelsea’s 12th manager in 16 years. And though the club were expected to be a serious title contender earlier this season, Lampard has not been able to get the most out of his players.

It remains to be seen if Lampard, who was signed on a three-year deal, will stay on as manager or unceremoniously sacked like some of his predecessors.

australian-open-two-more-players-test-positive-for-covid-19

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 14:22:58 GMT

The 2021 Australian Open is faced with another setback as two more players were reported to have tested positive for the coronavirus on Wednesday, as the number of COVID-19 cases linked to the grand slam tournament went up to 10.

Earlier, 72 players had to be sent to hard quarantine after positive cases were detected in the flights they were on that arrived in Australia from Los Angeles, Doha and Abu Dhabi.

Players, who arrived in the flights in which the positive cases were detected, are required to stay in their hotel rooms and are not allowed to practice for two weeks since their arrival. Those who are not considered as close contacts with the people whose results returned positive have been allowed to train up to five hours a day in a bio-security bubble.

AFP reported that a total of four more people associated with the tournament had tested positive for the virus since Tuesday.

“One of those is a player who has absolutely been in hard lockdown because he came in on one of the flights where we had positives,” Victoria state police minister Lisa Neville was quoted as saying.

“One is another player, and one is a support person with that player.”

The first grand slam of the year is scheduled to take place from February 8—already delayed by three weeks due to the pandemic.

Tournament director Craig Tiley has said that 3,200 tests have been conducted on the more than 1,200 players, support staff and tournament officials.

“We’re in our sixth day and so far the numbers have been extremely low and if they are active cases they go straight to the medi-hotel,” he told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

While organisers have said that most players are following the COVID-19 and have accepted their isolation “without complaint”, a few others have grumbled about the restrictions. World number one Novak Djokovic reportedly wrote to Tennis Australia to reduce their quarantine period and move players to “private houses with tennis courts”.

manu-bhaker--angad-bajwa-s-proposal-to-engage-sports-psychologis

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 13:17:03 GMT

The Sports Ministry has approved shooters Manu Bhaker and Angad Vir Singh Bajwa's proposal to hire the services of Singapore-based sports psychologist Sanjana Kiran for better preparation ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

The Tokyo Games are scheduled to be held in July-August this year and the proposal was sanctioned last week at the Mission Olympic Cell meeting as part of the government's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

Sanjana Kiran is a high performance expert in the field of sport psychology and performance psychology and has provided support to elite athletes and elite coaches in preparation for major events and international competitions.

Manu, who is eligible to participate in both the women's 10m air pistol and women's 25m pistol at the Olympics, said, "Being in a sport that requires vigorous mental strength and stability to be able to perform flawlessly, getting Sanjana Kiran's guidance will help me to prepare better for the Olympics."

Olympian and medallist at the Asian and Commonwealth Games Suma Shirur, who is currently the High Performance Specialist coach of the Indian junior rifle shooting team, welcomed the decision to have a psychologist working with shooters.

"Sport is getting more professional. If we have to put our best foot forward, why not engage experts. In our time, we learnt through experience but nowadays shooters begin early so experts will expedite their learning curve," she said.

Shirur added that given that most of the Olympic-bound shooters are teenagers or in their early 20s and have gone through a long period out of competitive action due to the coronavirus pandemic, having a psychologist helping them is even more important.

Sanjana Kiran's engagements with Manu and Angad include online sessions, travelling to competitions to offer her inputs and the travel expenses involved while going for competitions.

The total cost of Kiran's engagement with the two shooters, starting from January 2021, is approximately Rs. 29 lakh.

Prior to sanctioning this amount to the two shooters, TOPS had sanctioned Rs. 68.39 lakh for Angad who has qualified for the Olympics in men's skeet on international training, ammunition and out of pocket allowance.

For Manu, TOPS had sanctioned Rs. 21.49 lakh for ammunition, equipment and out of pocket allowance.

harbhajan-singh-chennai-super-kings-part-ways-ahead-of-2021-ipl

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 12:22:58 GMT

Harbhajan Singh on Wednesday took to Twitter to announce that his contract with Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings has ended, adding that he will “remember fondly” the memories he has made with the team.

The off-spinner also thanked the CSK management, staff and the fans for the “wonderful” two years he spent with the team. Harbhajan played for CSK in 2018 and 2019. He was part of the CSK team, often referred to as the “dads army”, that won the IPL title in 2018.

However, the 40-year-old had withdrawn from the 2020 edition in the UAE citing personal reasons.

“As my contract comes to an end with @ChennaiIPL, playing for this team was a great experience..beautiful memories made &some great friends which I will remember fondly for years to come..Thank you @ChennaiIPL, management, staff and fans for a wonderful 2years.. All the best..,” he tweeted.

Before joining CSK in 2018, Harbhajan was with Mumbai Indians since the beginning of the tournament in 2008.

The cricketer, who was part of the 2011 World Cup-winning Indian team, has played 160 IPL matches and has 150 wickets to his name. He has represented India in 103 Tests, 236 ODIs and 28 T20Is.

Earlier, the IPL governing council had announced that ahead of the next edition of the IPL, the deadline for players’ retention will be January 21 and the trading window for franchises will close on February 4.

sai-praneeth-withdraws-from-thailand-open-after-covid-19-positive-result

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 11:51:19 GMT

Indian shuttler B. Sai Praneeth, one of the frontrunners to represent country at the Tokyo Olympics, has pulled out of the ongoing Toyota Thailand Open Super 1000 tournament after testing positive for COVID-19 in Bangkok.

Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth, who was sharing the room with Praneeth, was also forced to withdraw as per protocols laid down by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

“Badminton World Federation (BWF) can confirm India player Sai Praneeth B. has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the TOYOTA Thailand Open,” the governing body said in a statement on Tuesday night.

“The player produced a positive result to a mandatory PCR test conducted on Monday. It is confirmed positive.

“The player has been taken to hospital for further observation and testing, and is required to stay in hospital for a minimum of 10 days.”

BWF said Praneeth had been “rooming with teammate Kidambi Srikanth at the official hotel” and so he too had to withdraw from the tournament.

Srikanth had defeated Thailand’s Sitthikom Thammasin 21-11 21-11 on Tuesday. The world number 14 had withdrawn from last week's event ahead of his second round after pulling a calf muscle.

“In line with BWF protocols, Kidambi has been withdrawn from the TOYOTA Thailand Open and is in strict self-quarantine,” BWF said.

“However, Kidambi tested negative on Monday's test and has returned negative results since arriving in Thailand.”

All other Indian players have tested negative following Monday's mandatory round of PCR testing and were cleared to continue competing in the tournament upon producing a negative test result each day.

However, Thai health authorities, Badminton Association of Thailand (BAT) and BWF, restricted “the movement and schedule of the rest of the India team as per tournament protocol,” which will be in place for 14 days till February 1.

Last week, Saina Nehwal and H.S. Prannoy had returned positive for COVID-19 results initially but were later cleared to compete in the Yonex Thailand Open after they tested negative in a fresh round of testing.

kevin-pietersen-lauds-then-warns-team-india-ahead-of-england-series

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 11:36:26 GMT

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen lavished high praise on the Indian cricket team that won the final Test in Brisbane by three wickets and wrapped up the four-match series 2-1 on Tuesday, but not without giving a friendly warning ahead of the England series starting next month.

India retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after defeating Australia at the Gabba, where the hosts have not lost a match since 1988. Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant’s brilliant show with the bat helped India chase down the target of 328 runs, their third highest total to win a Test.

This is also India’s second consecutive Test series win in Australian soil, having won the trophy two years ago.

Pietersen took to Twitter to highlight Team India’s achievement Down Under, in Hindi no less, and added that the real challenge lay ahead when the England team comes to India in another two weeks.

“India - yeh aitihaasik jeet ka jashn manaye kyuki yeh sabhi baadhao ke khilaap hasil hui hai (This is a historic win, you must celebrate because it has been achieved despite all obstacles),” the ex-England captain congratulated India after the win.

“LEKIN, ASLI TEAM toh kuch hafto baad a rahi hai jisse aapko harana hoga apne ghar mein (However, the real challenge comes your way in a few weeks, and you have to beat them at home),” he wrote, referring to the England team.

“Satark rahe, 2 saptaah mein bahut adhik jashn manaane se saavadhaan rahen (Be careful, refrain from celebrating too much in the coming two weeks),” Pietersen concluded.

India will face England in a four-match Test series starting February 5. The BCCI announced the squad for the first two Tests on Tuesday, just hours after the win at the Gabba.

Skipper Virat Kohli, who went on paternity leave after the first Test in Australia, will return to lead India in the series against England. Hardik Pandya and Ishant Sharma were also recalled to be part of the squad. The Board also named Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin and K.L. Rahul who had sustained injuries during the tour of Australia.

Tamil Nadu pacer T. Natarajan was dropped and Axar Patel was included as the latter is believed to be more effective to counter England on Indian pitches.

India squad: Virat Kohli (C), Rohit Sharma, Shubhman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Mayank Agarwal, Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant, Wriddhiman Saha, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Axar Patel.

ca-lauds-india-for-epic-test-series-win--thanks-bcci-for-sacrifi

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:58:18 GMT

Cricket Australia on Wednesday saluted the Indian team's "resilience, courage and skill" during its historic Test series win over the hosts and expressed gratitude to the BCCI for the "sacrifices" it made to ensure a smooth conduct of the epic contest.

A second-string Indian team, led by Ajinkya Rahane, braved all odds to defeat a full-strength Australia by three wickets at the Gabba here to win the four-Test series 2-1 and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Tuesday in Brisbane.

"On behalf of everyone at Cricket Australia, we congratulate Team India for their resilience, courage and skill demonstrated in retaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in a series that will be talked about for generations to come," CA wrote in a Thank You note to the BCCI.

The note, written by CA interim CEO Nick Hockley and Chair Earl Eddings, was addressed to "friends in Indian cricket", the BCCI, acknowledging the role played by the Sourav Ganguly-led board in successfully completing the tour amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Australian cricket will forever be grateful to the BCCI for their friendship, trust and commitment in helping to deliver a series that has brought joy to many millions of people around the world at a time they needed it most," the letter read.

"The unique challenges of international touring during a global pandemic are considerable and we thank India's players, coaches and support staff for all they have given.

"Over the past nine weeks, the Indian and Australian men's teams completed outstanding One-Day International and Twenty20 International series, followed by one of the greatest Border-Gavaskar Test series ever competed," it added.

The CA officials said that the BCCI's cooperation was crucial to making the tour a hit. The series gave the financially struggling CA a major boost with an expected revenue of 300 million Australian dollars.

The two teams brushed aside some unsavoury controversies like the racist chants against Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah by the crowd in the Sydney Test, to ensure that the focus remained firmly on cricket.

"Despite the many public health and logistical challenges, the BCCI engaged with a spirit of cooperation befitting their status as one of international sport's greatest ambassadors."

"We will never forget the sacrifices made by our friends at the BCCI that made all this possible," they said.

The note also appreciated the contributions of all other stakeholders, saying the series witnessed many enthralling contests between players of the two sides.

"From the sublime fast bowling of Jasprit Bumrah and Pat Cummins, to the wonderful batting of Ajinkya Rahane and Steve Smith, to the exciting debuts of Shubman Gill and Cameroon Green - and much, much more - the past two months of cricket have been absolutely enthralling.

"May we also take this opportunity to thank everyone who played their part to deliver this memorable series -- governments, health officials, venues, broadcast and commercial partners, cricket associations, players, match officials, staff and their families."

India's tour of Australia started nearly two months back with three ODIs which the visitors lost 1-2 before pocketing the T20 series 2-0.

rani-s-goal-help-women-s-hockey-team-draw-1-1-with-junior-argent

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 10:49:49 GMT

The Indian women's hockey team wasted a number of penalty corner chances before skipper Rani Rampal's fourth-quarter strike helped the visitors salvage a 1-1 draw against Argentina's junior side, Buenos Aires.

It was a second straight draw for the Indian team following a 2-2 result in the tour-opener.

India began on an attacking note, earning a penalty corner in the very first minute of the match but Gurjit Kaur's powerful drag was saved by the Argentine goalkeeper.

India won another penalty corner in the fifth minute, but Deep Grace Ekka's shot went wide.

In the following minutes, the home side won three penalty corners and succeeded in converting the last one for a 1-0 lead in the 13th minute.

While India created plenty of opportunities to score in the second and third quarters by making a number of circle penetrations, they were unable to beat the Argentine defence.

India earned four more penalty corners (37th, 43rd, 48th and 58th minutes) in the course of the game and eventually succeeded in drawing level in the 58th minute when a powerful injection by Navneet Kaur was well received and powerfully struck by Rani.

"Today the quality of play was better and that's why we are here - to improve in every match. Today players got the chance to show their best and these are players who normally don't get a chance to make the 18-member squad so it's good they are able to get international exposure," said chief coach Sjoerd Marijne in a Hockey India release.

"It is also good for the core group that we are getting to try more players and see how different combinations work."

"We created enough opportunities to score more and this is an area we need to keep working on. We have a break of two days before our next game against the Argentina B team and we look forward to the challenge," added Marijne.

India will take on Argentina B team on January 23.