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Bangalore race cardD’artagnan, to be ridden by David Allan and trained by Padmanabhan is fancied to take the Kabini Cup, over 1200 metres, the main event of the races to be held here on Friday.There will be false rails of average width of 3 metres from 1500 metres to 1000 metres and width of 5 metres from 1000 metres to the winning post.1. beloved prince PLate (div ii) (rated 20-45) — 1200m: 2.00 pm1. Your Destiny (Warren S) 60 Gautam Raj 52. Allegro (Sharat K) 59.5 Afsar Khan 33. Nearco Master (Samar Singh) 58 Himanshu 84. She’s Big (Narayana Gowda) 57 Ashok Kumar 65. Caribbean Pirate (Nityanand) 56.5 Gaurav Sapra 16. Kalyan (Puttanna) 56.5 C Harish 77. Trafalgar Square (Amit Caddy) 56.5 MD Praveen 48. Gara Fluid (Md Khan) 54.5 Appu 2 Nearco Master 1; She’s Big 2; Your Destiny 3.2. chintamani plate (rated 0-25) — 1400m: 2.30 pm1. Yamaguchi (Amit Caddy) 62.5 PS Chouhan 122. Gordian Knot (Dhariwal) 62.5 L Marshall 113. Swarna Mukhi (Puttanna) 62.5 C Harish 54. Southern King (Sharat K) 61.5 Afsar Khan 85. Gracian (Md Khan) 60 Md Shoaib 26. Dazzling Honour (A Mangalorkar) 59.5 S John 107. Feelit Enjoyit (Nityanand) 59.5 Gaurav Sapra 18. Isinbayeva (I Ghatala) 58.5 Khurshad A 99. Whisper Valley (Narayana Gowda) 58 G Adarsh 610. Good Gift (Britto) 57.5 Merchant 311. Haute Appeal (Warren S) 53.5 Gautam Raj 712. Trend Tracker (Samar Singh) 52.5 Md Shafiq 4 Yamaguchi 1; Southern King 2; Dazzling Honour 3.3. beloved prince plate (Div i) (rated 20-45) — 1200m: 3.00 pm 1. Vayuputra (Neil Darashah) 62 Suraj Narredu 52. Dark Horse (Pradeep) 60.5 PS Chouhan 33. Monarchial (Lokanath) 60.5 B Sreekanth 24. Good Companion (Inayathulla) 60 Shoban Babu 95. Way To Fantasy (Puttanna) 59.5 Ashok Kumar 76. She’s A Diamond (Puttanna) 59.5 C Harish 67. Solitary Champ (S Narredu) 58 Jagadeesh 88. Storm Chaser (Md Khan) 57.5 S De Sousa 19. Son Of The Sun (Narayana Gowda) 55 Raja Rao 4 Strom Chaser 1; Monarchial 2; Vayuputra 3.4. bellary plate (Div i) (rated 20-45) — 1400m: 3.30 pm 1. Alviano (D Byramji) 61.5 Suraj Narredu 32. Moon Memories (Ganapathy) 60.5 B Prakash 93. Sound Bet (Amit Caddy) 60 PS Chouhan 14. Peacemaker (Padmanabhan) 59 CD Hayes 85. Badda Rupaiyya (Manohar) 58.5 Merchant 26. Phenomenal Strides (S Narredu) 58 Rajesh Babu 57. Superlativo (Sharat K) 57 Afsar Khan 78. Different Opinion (JS Pillay) 56.5 B Paswan 109. Bolzano (Narayana Gowda) 55 G Adarsh 1110. Awesome Flight (Britto) 53 Raja Rao 411. Harini (Puttanna) 51.5 N Harsha 6 Alviano 1; Moon Memories 2; Peacemaker 3.5. kabini cup (rated 60-85) — 1200m: 4.00 pm1. D’artagnan (Padmanabhan) 61 David Allan 82. Sugar Ray (S Attaollahi) 60 Ashok Kumar 73. The Contender (Sharat K) 60 Afsar Khan 14. Colonel Duff (S Singh) 58 S Ramesh 55. Fantabulous Prince (Sharat K) 56.5 Mallikarjun 66. Cayenne (Dhariwal) 56.5 R Marshall 37. Needofthehour (Amit Caddy) 56 PS Chouhan 48. Chintz (S Attaollahi) 51 CD Hayes 2 D’artagnan 1; Chintz 2; Cayenne 3.6. ms krishnappa memorial cup (rated 40 -65) — 1400m: 4.30 pm1. Game Of Life (Mahesh) 62 S Selvaraj 22. Milagro (Narayana Gowda) 62 Rajesh Babu 63. Lunar Lust (Karan S) 62 M Ravi 74. Superyacht (Eshwer) 59.5 Himanshu 95. Lester (Puttanna) 59 N Harsha 36. Star Speed (Padmanabhan) 57.5 Appu 87. Smart N Special (Samar Singh) 57 MD Praveen 18. Express It (Amit Caddy) 54.5 Gaurav Sapra 49. Nermai (JS Pillay) 53.5 B Sreekanth 510. Free Glider (Warren S) 53.5 Gautam Raj 1011. Royal Player (Amit Caddy) 53 PS Chouhan 11 Star Speed 1; Nermai 2; Milagro 3.7. bellary plate (div Ii) (rated 20-45) — 1400m: 5.00 pm 1. Attaturk (Sharat K) 60 Afsar Khan 82. Blue Dew (Ganapathy) 59.5 B Prakash 103. Miss Marvellous (Nityanand) 59 Gaurav Sapra 24. Administrator (Karan S) 58 S Babu 95. One In Million (Mahesh) 58 S Selvaraj 16. Sher Dil (Md Khan) 58 Appu 117. Mystere (S Komandur) 57 S John 58. Myway Or Noway (Britto) 56.5 Khurshad A 69. Sourab (Puttanna) 55.5 N Harsha 410. Southern Style (Narayana Gowda) 55 B Sreekanth 311. The Dawn (Mangalorkar) 55 Merchant 7 Blue Dew 1; Sher Dil 2; Attaturk 3. Day’s Best: Alviano. Double: D’artagnan and Blue Dew. Jackpot: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Mini-jackpot: 2, 3, 4, 5. Treble: 5, 6, 7. Exacta pool: 4, 6, 7. Continue reading →

The two teams drew 1-1 at a packed Centenario stadium in Montevideo Wednesday in the return leg of a play-off between the fifth-placed team in the South American qualifiers and the fourth-placed of the North and Central American and Caribbean region.In the 69th minute, a header from veteran striker Sebastian Abreu, 33, appeared to give Uruguay a decisive lead before 65,000 spectators.However, the home side’s joy was shortlived. Only four minutes later another veteran, Walter Centeno, 35, made the most of a rebound in the box to put Costa Rica back in the race.In the end, however, Uruguay made the most of their 1-0 weekend win in San Jose and advanced to the 2010 World Cup."This is priceless," a happy Abreu said after the game. "You always think that you could score the dream goal, the goal that can give you a World Cup qualification."Coach Oscar Tabarez was equally thrilled."We are very, very satisfied about the fact that we could make it," he said. "When they drew, things got tough. They were one goal away from qualifying."Uruguay star Diego Forlan described qualification as a dream come true, but admitted that the South American side "suffered" on the pitch.The match was played in intense fog, and play was suspended for seven minutes in the second half amid clashes between Costa Rican substitutes and representatives of a television network that was broadcasting the game.Uruguay have won two editions of the prestigious global event, but they date back to 1930 and 1950. Recent times have been a lot more disappointing: of the past four editions of the prestigious tournament, they only played one, in 2002, and even then they crashed out in the first round of play.Now, they have the chance to write a fresh page in the country’s World Cup history. Continue reading →

France, the 1998 champions and 2006 runners-up, drew 1-1 with Ireland at the Stade de France in the second leg of their play-off for a 2-1 aggregate win yesterday.But the extra-time triumph came in controversial circumstances when French skipper Henry appeared to control the ball with his hand before his angled pass allowed William Gallas to head in the crucial 103rd-minute goal.Ireland, who had deservedly levelled the tie through Robbie Keane’s 32nd-minute goal, protested desperately, but in vain, to match referee Martin Hansson."On the goal, it all happened so quickly," said Gallas."I received the ball from Thierry (Henry). It happened so quickly that I couldn’t see (if the ball hit his hand)."In Zenica, a 56th-minute strike by Raul Meireles was enough to break Bosnian hearts and send 2006 semi-finalists Portugal through to the finals.The Portuguese, once again without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo, had won a hard-fought first leg 1-0 courtesy of a close-range header by Bruno Alves on Saturday and again had to be on their mettle. Meireles took a pass from Manchester United star Nani and slipped a low, precise shot past Kenan Hasagic in the Bosnian goal to settle the tie."These marathons are only over after the final whistle and I want to thank my players for showing such spirit," said a Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz.Bosnia, trying to reach the World Cup for the first time, had midfielder Sejad Salihovic red-carded late in the game, a decision which caused the match to come briefly to a halt with one of the linesmen appearing to have been struck by an object thrown from the crowd.Guus Hiddink, who famously took South Korea to the 2002 semi-finals, will be missing from South Africa after Slovenia beat his Russian side 1-0 in Maribor to qualify on the away goals rule.Striker Zlatko Dedic, who plays his club football for Bochum in Germany, scored the only goal just before the break.Russia had won the first leg 2-1 in Moscow on Saturday, but Nejc Pecnik’s goal two minutes from time gave Slovenia hope for Wednesday’s return leg and they seized their chance to reach their first finals since 2002. Hiddink’s side ended the match with nine men after Alexander Kerzhakov and Yuri Zhirkov were both red-carded.In Donetsk, Greece beat Ukraine 1-0 to book a World Cup finals place for the first time since 1994.Panathinaikos striker Dimitris Salpingidis netted the only goal of the match for the 2004 European champions following Saturday’s 0-0 draw in the first leg in Athens."I’m proud of my players. They put all of their heart and soul into today’s match," said Greece manager Otto Rehhagel."It was really tough to contain Ukraine’s attacks throughout the match but we did our best and luckily we managed to do it and achieve the desired result."In total, 13 European nations will play in the 32-team World Cup finals with the draw set for Cape Town on December 4.Netherlands, England, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Serbia, champions Italy, Switzerland, Slovakia, Greece, Slovenia, Portugal and France/Ireland make up Europe’s representation. Continue reading →

Cairo fell silent as French-born Anthar Yahia scored from an acute angle five minutes before the break to give Algeria the victory in the Sudanese city of Omdurman.Earlier, the city had been mobbed with fans waving flags, chanting, and honking their car horns. Police in at least one of the dozens of trucks deployed around the city had joined in the chants and cheers.Outside the Algerian Embassy, where riot police had been deployed to protect the building in case of trouble, a gruff-looking officer wiped a tear from his eye. A mother dragged her distraught child, telling him, "Never mind, we’ll win next time."In an apparent attempt to rally deflated spirits, several hundred Egyptian fans gathered in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square to beat drums, wave the flag and sing."I don’t understand," one onlooker said to his friend, surveying the crowds of dancing young men. "Just what are they so happy about?"The scene was entirely different in Khartoum, where Sudanese football fans, many of whom supported Algeria, flocked to the streets in celebration, honking horns, cheering and waving Algerian flags."I’ve never seen anything like this here," one bemused resident shouted over the din. "This is the biggest thing Khartoum has seen in years."Sudan, which is not a typical tourist destination, has received tens of thousands of football fans. Politicians have been among the planeloads of people who have jetted in.Many in Khartoum had flocked home early on what had been deemed a half-day. Heavily armed police lined the streets, cordoning off many of the city’s main thoroughfares.Authorities in Egypt and Algeria took similar precautions. Media reports in the French city of Marseilles, home to a large Algerian population, and Kuwait City, home to a large Egyptian population, said security had been beefed up.In Cairo after the game, the precautions seemed unnecessary. The angry or joyous mobs many had expected did not materialise. Stunned and dejected fans shuffled home. People had little to say.Tensions had been high since Saturday, when Egypt scored in the last minute to give "The Pharaohs" the 2-0 victory they needed to stay alive and face Algeria in the playoff in Sudan.In the buildup to Wednesday and Saturday’s matches, Egyptian and Algerian fans had gone to war online, through songs recorded for the occasion, and on television and radio.Passions have had diplomatic repercussions, and businesses and fans were attacked in Algiers and Cairo.The tensions follow a rivalry that has simmered for decades. Fans rioted when Egypt beat Algeria in 1989 to qualify for the World Cup. Neither team had qualified since. Continue reading →

Along with his unrelated senior namesake Mahela, Prasanna added 351 for the sixth wicket, a world record stand, to put Sri Lanka in a position of great command with one day to go at the Sardar Patel Gujarat stadium.“I didn’t know about the record,” the 30-year-old said, referring to him and Mahela going past the previous best of 346 set by Don Bradman and Jack Fingleton. “After the day’s play, the manager (Brendon Kuruppu) said we had broken a world record. It’s nice to achieve something like that. This was an important knock both personally and for the team.”Refusing to elaborate on whether he felt the pressure with Silva in the squad, Prasanna noted, “I have been made to understand that I have been not among the runs, but if you take a look at the last few series, whenever the team wanted runs I have contributed. But for some reason, there’s a line of thought that I have not been contributing with the bat. That wasn’t much pressure.”Expecting Muttiah Muralitharan to come to the party, he went on, “He’s a legend and a lot depends on how he performs tomorrow. India will be under some pressure, but the bowlers need to put in more effort to take wickets.” Continue reading →

The international body’s Executive Board has not yet taken up the six doping cases from India on the opening day of its meeting yesterday as it had too long an agenda to discuss."The IWF Executive Board did not make any decisions since it will hold a second day of meetings tomorrow. The agenda is so long that we couldn’t finish and get to the doping problems," IWF legal counsel Monika Ungar said in a statement.The Indian Federation, which has been banned twice in the past, faces the prospect of a third sanction after six of its lifters tested positive for banned substances last month in out of competition testing.Under pressure from the Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association, the officials of the Indian Federation resigned en masse a couple of days ago after an emergency meeting here.Despite the mass resignations, the Indian Federation is being represented at the meeting by now former General Secretary B R Gulati. Under international rules, if four or more lifters test positive in a calendar year, the national body can be banned for a maximum of four years.But resignations by officials has somewhat brightened the chances of a lenient view from the executive board of the IWF as one of the international body’s demands, in its letter to the IOA after the dope cases, was to change the whole set up of the national federation.What the Indian officials are banking on is that considering India is hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games for the first time, IWF chief Dr Tamas Ajan, who is close to IOA officials, can influence the other members of the executive board to take a lenient view.A one-year ban may give a chance to the country to participate in the Commonwealth Games though it does not solve all the problems. Continue reading →

"Test cricket is what cricket is about. It tests the players’ skill. It is a different ball game altogether. It is the real cricket in which all players would want show their prowess. I want ICC to think about vigorously promoting Test cricket," said Vishy."To play such a fabulous innings when India were down in the dumps (32 for 4) reflects the player’s skill and temperament. It is only in Tests that you can get to do this. It provides you the platform to show your character, skill and temperament."The ICC should realise that cricket has been kept alive by the calibre, skill and class that the Dravids, Tendulkars and Pontings produce time and again when the going gets tough. The trio among others have shown what Test cricket is all about. It is a glorious game," he said. Vishwanath also expressed his stern opposition against ICC’s idea of introducing pink balls to make Test cricket more a day-night affair and feels the format will lose its sheen if the ICC, more so the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) continues to nurture the game’s latest manifestation, the T20 version."ICC shouldn’t think about introducing pink balls in Test cricket. The red ball is traditional. It should not yield to the pressure of marketing only T20 cricket."I am not suggesting that the ICC should do away with T20 cricket which has come to stay. But the apex body should ensure that Test cricket does not take the back seat," said Vishwanath, who was probably the only skipper to recall an opponent batsman in Test history.Though umpire Hanumanth Rao had deemed that Bob Taylor had nicked to Syed Kirmani, Vishwanath, in a rare gesture of sportsmanship, had allowed the English wicketkeeper-batsman to continue his innings in the jubilee Test at Mumbai in 1980, remembered for Ian Botham’s exploits. Continue reading →

Last month, Misbah was dropped from the ODI and Test side that tours New Zealand as the national selectors felt he needed to go back to domestic cricket to regain his form.However with Muhammad Yousuf taking over from Younis Khan as the new skipper for the Test tour of New Zealand, his first demand has been the inclusion of Misbah in the team for the three Tests series.Sources close to the selectors said that they were not very keen to bring back Misbah for the New Zealand tour mainly because of his attitude towards domestic cricket."Yousuf and some other players spoke to the Chairman of the Pakistan cricket Board, Ejaz Butt asking him to have Misbah sent to New Zealand and he agreed to their request," one source said."But the selectors after a meeting in Lahore are still not convinced it is necessary to send Misbah and want to talk to the Chairman on the issue before announcing any replacement for Younis Khan who has pulled out of the Test series to take a break from international cricket," the source added. The source said the selectors were unhappy with the attitude of Misbah who had skipped the Quaid-e-Azam tournament after the first few rounds to play in the professional league in Bangladesh after getting permission from the board."The selectors feel that the players should not be allowed to devalue domestic cricket and Misbah must play more matches of the Quaid Trophy before he is considered for the Pakistan team," the source added.Chief selector Iqbal Qasim said it was not necessary that Misbah should be sent to New Zealand."The selectors have their point of view of looking at things but a final decision would be made once the Chairman returns to Lahore on November 20. His word would be final," Qasim said.Sources said since Misbah had already got a visa stamped on his passport for the New Zealand tour as he was among the reserves list he could be rushed to New Zealand at a short notice. Continue reading →

The "News" daily newspaper reported that Akhtar had undergone the liposuction surgery to have extra fat removed from his body in Islamabad shortly after he returned from London after undergoing a knee surgery."After the liposuction to remove fat from his body and trimmed down his weight, Shoaib will require atleast three to four months to make a complete recovery and be available to play competitive cricket once again," the newspaper quoted a well-known sports medicine specialist, Dr Waqar Ahmed as saying in its report.Neither Akhtar nor his family members were available to confirm or deny the reports about the liposuction operation but a board official said that the fast bowler had neither consulted or informed the PCB about his decision to get medical treatment to shed fat from his body."He is a centrally contracted player and he is supposed to consult our medical panel and inform us before undergoing any medical treatment but he didn’t do this before opting for the liposuction," another official said. The board had refused to foot medical bills for Akhtar when he was advised to have knee surgery in London some weeks ago. Their argument was that despite being a centrally contracted player he didn’t sustain the injury while playing for Pakistan nor did he bother to consult or send his reports to the medical panel of the board.Sources close to Akhtar said that since the board had refused to pay for his medical expenses he had decided to have the liposuction on his own expenses and didn’t feel the need to consult the medical panel of the board.The report said that the new surgery had virtually ruled out any chances of Akhtar being available for the Test tour to Australia which he was earlier targeting for a comeback to international cricket.The report said according to experts after a liposuction a person needed to have proper rest and a rehabilitation process to make a full recovery and play sports."Since Shoaib is a professional sportsman he definitely needs proper rest or he could damage his career badly if he tries to make an premature comeback from these surgeries," one doctor said. Continue reading →

As Sachin Tendulkar completes twenty years in international cricket, Deccan Herald takes a look at his twenty best knocks:* 1. 114 vs Australia in Perth Test (1991-92): Acknowledged by the master himself as one of his very best Test efforts when, as an 18-year-old, he tackled Australia’s best on a fiery strip with confidence and composure.* 2. 169 vs South Africa in Cape Town Test (1996-97): Routed for 100 and 66 in the previous Test in Durban, India needed a special from Tendulkar to save batting face, and the skipper responded with a telling assault on Donald, Klusener, McMillan and company.* 3. 136 vs Pakistan in Chennai Test (1998-99): A true epic scored as he battled a cripping back injury and an inspired Saqlain Mushtaq. Almost took India to victory, but when he fell with glory beckoning, the bottom fell out. And Tendulkar cried, inconsolably.* 4. 143 & 134 vs Australia in Sharjah (1997-98): Two knocks separated by a day, but completely interlinked. The first turbo-charged India to the final, the second destroyed Australia in the final. * 5. 175 vs Australia in Hyderabad (2009): India were chasing 351 for victory, and looked out for the count when Dhoni was dismissed. Again single-handedly, after 20 years in the business, Tendulkar kept India afloat. Again, he couldn’t quite finish off things as India fell three short. Heart-breaking.* 6. 98 vs Pakistan in Centurion (2003 World Cup): Pakistan had amassed a huge total, the pressure was on India and Tendulkar responded with a breathtaking assault on Akram, Waqar and Akhtar. No century, but the 98 was worth many, many more.* 7. 119* vs England in Manchester Test (1990): His first Test century, made with India fighting to save the Test on the final day. Composed and poised, it was the 16-year-old’s first brush with superstardom as India came away with an honourable draw.* 8. 103* vs England in Chennai Test (2008-09): The perfect answer to critics that said he hadn’t won enough Tests for India. A beautifully crafted century on a fifth-day track as India mounted their highest successful chase on home soil. The ton was, poignantly, dedicated to Mumbai.* 9. 116 vs Australia in Melbourne Test (1999-2000): Saddled with a young and inexperienced line-up, Tendulkar once again stood out for his command and mastery, though it was another hundred in a losing cause.* 10. 57 vs Pakistan in Sialkot Test (1989-90): Struck on the face by a Waqar delivery, Tendulkar waved away the physio, hit the next ball for four and went on to make 57. A match-saving innings in Sidhu’s company, a display of mind over matter.* 11. 111 vs South Africa in Wanderers (1992): High on confidence and batting with the intrepidness of youth, Tendulkar drove SA ragged and forced the great Allan Donald to bowl with a sweeper cover in a Test match! * 12. 140* vs Kenya in Bristol (1999 WC): Neither a great attack nor a particularly demanding test, but the situation made it special. He had airdashed to India for his father’s funeral, and returned to conjure a touching masterpiece.* 13. 186* vs New Zealand in Hyderabad (1999-2000): The highest one-day score by an Indian to date, a day when he could do nothing wrong. A lesson in attacking batsmanship. * 14. 49 vs Australia in Bangalore Test (2008-09): One ordinary tour of Sri Lanka, and the knives were being sharpened. With a determined innings on day 5, Sachin steered India to safety, and silenced the critics.* 15. 241* vs Australia in Sydney (2003-04): Remarkable for the strokes he did not play. For the first 100-plus runs, the off-side didn’t exist because off-drives had proved his undoing in the first three Tests. A tribute to his mental strength.* 16. 165 vs England in Chennai Test (1992-93): His first international hundred on Indian soil, more than three years after his debut. Brilliant strokeplay, and the innings triggered a continuing love affair with Chepauk.*17. 155* vs Australia in Chennai Test (1997-98): Outfoxed by Shane Warne for four in the first innings, Tendulkar came out a man on a mission in the second, overturned a potentially decisive 70-run deficit and set up a stirring victory.* 18. 44 vs West Indies in Port of Spain (1996-97): A low-scoring one-dayer on a spiteful surface, with Ambrose, Walsh, Rose and Bishop breathing fire. A counter-attacking knock that made batting look simple, though the Caribbeans’ greater depth carried them home.* 19. 118* vs Zimbabwe in Sharjah (1998-99): Embarrassed by a lifter from Henry Olonga in the final league match that saw him caught at gully fending awkwardly, Tendulkar went out to bat in the final saying ‘either him or me’. No prizes for guessing who had the last laugh!* 20. 117* vs Australia in Sydney (tri-series final, 2007-08): Once again debunking the theory that he doesn’t score in Cup finals, Tendulkar scripted an intelligent run chase as India completed their first tri-series triumph in Australia. Continue reading →

Modi, who recently took over as the president of the Gujarat Cricket Association, presented the little master with mementoes on behalf of the State government as well as the GCA before the start of play on the opening day of India’s first Test against Sri Lanka here.The chief minister handed over a gold-plated miniature replica of the Somnath Temple on behalf of the government, and a silver plate and shawl as a mark of GCA’s appreciation for Tendulkar’s monumental accomplishment.The 36-year-old, who made his international debut on November 15, 1989 against Pakistan in Karachi, had cut a cake during a team dinner on Sunday night to celebrate his longevity with his mates at a very private gathering in the team hotel. Apart from his Indian colleagues, Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, the highest wicket-taker in the international game, too was present at the dinner as a special invitee.Muralitharan is playing in his final overseas series in Test cricket. Continue reading →

It was impossible not to reflect on the happenings of 20 months back at the same venue as India slipped to 32 for four in a crazy passage of play on day one of the first Test against Sri Lanka. On that occasion, with Dale Steyn in the forefront, South Africa had winkled India out for just 76; this time, late inclusion Chanaka Welegedara threatened an encore until Rahul Dravid decided to take things into his own hands.The Bangalore right-hander (177 n.o., 374m, 251b, 26×4, 1×6) couldn’t have picked a more opportune moment to unleash an innings of great assurance and tremendous fluency. All intent and focus, the former skipper linked up with the current captain to lead a wonderful fightback.Dravid’s 27th Test hundred, during the course of which he became Test cricket’s fifth highest run-getter and touched the 11,000-run mark, was worth its weight in gold. No less timely was Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s (110, 200m, 159b, 10×4, 1×6) second Test ton as India rattled along to 385 for six on an entertaining, absorbing day that showcased the best Test cricket has to offer.Rare form slumpThis time last year, Dravid was going through the wars, a victim of his own lofty standards as he was struck down by a rare form slump. By his own admission, he desperately needed that 136 against England in Mohali in December to emphatically seal a trip to New Zealand. Since then, the 36-year-old has been in glorious touch; the big one he has been promising arrived on a sweltering day in trying conditions.India’s early-innings collapse after opting to bat arose from a combination of intelligent bowling by the left-arm swing of Welegedara – summoned only because Thilan Thushara had a sore shoulder — and Dammika Prasad, preferred to Nuwan Kulasekara for his extra pace and his ability to reverse the older ball, some ordinary shot selection and a sticky surface that called for circumspection.After the openers had exited quickly, Tendulkar’s first knock in his 21st year in international cricket lasted just three minutes and three deliveries as he tried to drive Welegedara on the walk and was bowled through the gate, and a flat-footed VVS Laxman inside-edged Prasad on to his off-stump. India were staring down the barrel when Yuvraj Singh strode out purposefully to join Dravid. By stumps, it was Sri Lanka who were left wondering what might have been.The Islanders haven’t always felt the full fury of a stinging Dravid willow. On Monday, they were left nonplussed by Dravid’s brilliance as runs cascaded with remarkable regularity, the gaps picked with clockwork precision and wondrous timing even as the surface settled down into a beauty.Not often in recent memory has Dravid driven with such élan, or made room with such deliberateness as he did to crash Muttiah Muralitharan through the off-side. Neither Muralitharan, nor Rangana Herath – winning the nod ahead of Ajantha Mendis on recent form — made any impression on Dravid, hardly recognisable as the crease-occupying, obdurate presence that has earned him the largely unflattering nickname of The Wall.Yuvraj’s roleDravid, though, wasn’t lone wolf McQuade. Yuvraj aided him in rescue act number one with an authoritative innings in a further display of his increasing maturity and confidence as a Test batsman, and Dhoni was his equal partner in a double-hundred sixth-wicket association that exposed the inadequacies of the Sri Lankan bowling on a flattish track.Yuvraj played a wonderfully counter-attacking hand, crisply driving the pacers and playing Muralitharan with rare aplomb during a stand of 125 (129m, 173b). Upon his departure, Dhoni filled the breach admirably with his own unique brand of batsmanship, some way short of attractive but nothing if not effective.Their positivity ensured that despite the early setbacks, India scored at a rapid clip. Dhoni fell just before close to the second new ball after playing his part in an attractive partnership of 224 (220m, 306b), but Dravid is still around. And looking ominous!SCORE BOARD:INDIA (I Innings):Gambhir b Welegedara 1(13m, 10b)Sehwag lbw Welegedara 16(31m, 11b, 3×4)Dravid (batting) 177(374m, 251b, 26×4, 1×6)Tendulkar b Welegedara 4(3m, 3b, 1×4)Laxman b Prasad 0(6m, 4b)Yuvraj c Dilshan b Muralitharan 68(129m, 93b, 13×4)Dhoni c P J’wardene b Prasad 110(200m, 159b, 10×4, 1×6)Harbhajan (batting) 2(15m, 11b)Extras (B-2, LB-2, W-1, NB-2) 7Total (for 6 wkts, 90 overs) 385Fall of wickets: 1-14 (Gambhir), 2-27 (Sehwag), 3-31 (Tendulkar), 4-32 (Laxman), 5-157 (Yuvraj), 6-381 (Dhoni).Bowling: Welegedara 17-3-75-3 (w-1), Prasad 18-1-90-2 (nb-1), Mathews 12-1-50-0, Muralitharan 23-3-90-1 (nb-1), Herath 19-1-73-0, Dilshan 1-0-3-0. Continue reading →

Advani, the 24-year-old National champion from Bangalore, got past Australia’s Daniel Thorp 4-0 with a high break of 71 clearance in the second frame in the men’s section, while Sethi, the eight times World billiards champion, easily beat Mostafa Aly of Egypt 3-0.In the ladies section, India No 2 Vidya Pillay took nearly four hours to overcome Hong Kong’s So Man Yan 3-1 in her group D match that was stopped as it spilled into the afternoon session but subsequently completed on another table, and Chitra Magaimagarajan just about kept her nerves to defeat Jaique Ip of Hong Kong 3-1. Also making a winning start were Anuja Chandra who beat Shirley Smith of Australia 3-2 in group D while Neena Praveen received a walk-over as her scheduled opponent Nada Abdullah from Syria did not show up for the match. Results: Men: Group A: Pankaj Advani (Ind) bt Daniel Thorp (Aus) 4-0.Masters: Group A: SA Saleem (Ind) bt Prasanna Maddumage (SL) 3-1; Dene O’Kane (NZ) bt BVS Murthy (Ind) 3-0.Group B: Geet Sethi (Ind) bt Mostafa Aly (Egy) 3-0; Simon Zammit (Mat) bt Ayyoub Alsharrah (Kuw) 3-0.Group C: Paul Thomerson (Aus) bt Syed Habib (Ind) 3-0; Darren Morgan (Wal) bt Ali Jaafar (Fra) 3-0.Group D: Andrey Vill (Rus) bt Arvind Savur (Ind) 3-1.Women: Group A: Santhinee Jaisuekul (Thai) bt Suniti Damani (Ind) 3-0; Chitra Magimairaj (Ind) bt Jaique (HK) 3-1.Group B: Kathy Howden (Aus) bt Neeta Sanghvi (Ind) 3-0; Nicha Pathom Eakmongkhon (Thai) bt Claudia Weber (Swi) 3-0; Vidya Pillai (Ind) bt So Man Yan (HK) 3-1.Group C: Margaret Gorski (Aus) bt Jeanne Young (SA) 3-0; Yu Ching Ching (HK) bt Meenal thakur (Ind) 3-1; Neena Praveen (Ind) w/o Nada Abdullah (Syr).Group D: Ramona Belmonte (NZ) bt Delphine Morel (Fra) 3-0; Bi-Zhuqing (Chn) bt Ngon Yee (HK) 3-0; Anuja Chandra (Ind) bt Shirley Smith (Aus) 3-2. Continue reading →

Before Delhi stages the Commonwealth Games next year, this is considered to be one of the most important events to test the paddlers’ preparations.Apart from regulars like Sourav Chakraborty, former India number one Poulomi Ghatak and her doubles partner Mouma Das, the selectors have also decided to try some young hands in Jubin Kumar, Pooja Sahasrabhudhe and Divya Deshpande.Indian men are clubbed with Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Jordan in Group B of the First Division, while their women counterparts would play Nepal, Laos and Kazakhstan in Group D. The tournament, which would be held at the 4,000-seater Uttar Pradesh Badminton Academy in Gomti Nagar, will have eight categories, including two team events, singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Continue reading →

HYDERABAD RACE RESULTSAbove The Line, ridden by Harish, won the 1200-metre Speaker’s Cup, the feature event of the races held here on Sunday.I. Brave Dancer Plate (Div I ) — 1200M: Ring Master (A Imaran K) 1; Amber Rose (R Rupesh) 2; Currency Chest (Shoban Babu) 3; Cannon Act (Nitin Singh) 4; WB: 3-1/2, 5, 3-1/2L; T: 1:14.65; TB: Satheesh; Fav: Amber Rose.2. Red Orchid Plate (Div I) — 1400M: Greek Fire (M Mark) 1; Grand Rapids (MF Alikhan) 2; Phythagoras (R Rupesh) 3; Zambo Anga (Ruzzan) 4; WB: 3/4, Neck, 1-1/2L; T: 1:27.01; TB: Silvester; Fav: Greek Fire.3. Soveit Star Plate (Cat II) — 1100M: Guiding Light (Vivek) 1; Yakshagana (R Parmod) 2; Alybro (Ruzzan) 3; Rosemad (Deep Shanker) 4; WB: 2-1/2, 3/4, 3-1/2L; T: 1:06.73; TB: N Rao; Fav: Guiding Light.4. Bhagmati Cup — 1600M: King OF Court (Vivek) 1; Arya (PS Chouhan) 2; Flying Phoenix (R Rupesh) 3; Smrithiman (R Parmod) 4; WB: Hd, 1-1/2L, Neck; T: 1:40.55; TB: N Rao; Fav: King Of Court.5. Red Orchid Plate (Div II) — 1400M: Kings Cruise (PS Chouhan) 1; Vendetta (S Carson) 2; Chesapeake (Harish) 3; Dating (A Imran K) 4.; WB: Neck, 1-1/2, 4L; T: 1:25.73; TB: D Netto; Fav: Vendetta.6. Trade Fair Plate (Div II) — 1200M: Royal Tune (Gnaneshwar) 1; Tristar (M Mark) 2; Atahualpa (MF Alikhan) 3; Iki Tomb (R Umesh) 4; WB: 1-1/2, 5, 6L; T: 1:13.63; TB: Prasad R; Fav: Royal Tune7. Trade Fair Plate (Div I) — 1200M: Alberton Star (Ashhad Asbar ) 1; Pure Magic (A Imran K) 2; Hundred Flowers (Shoban Babu) 3; Retro Magic (R Umesh) 4; WB: 3, 1-1/4L, NK; T: 1:13.81; TB: Prasad R; Fav: Alberton Star.8. Speaker’s Cup — 1200M: Above The Line (Harish) 1; Crocodile Hunter ( PS Chouhan) 2; Doing My Best (Ruzaan) 3; Come Together (A Imran K) 4. WB: Short Hd, 4, 2L. T: 1:11.53; TB: L D’Silva; Fav: Crocodile Hunter.9. Brave Dancer Plate (Div II) — 1200M: Imaan (Carson) 1; Boyance (Nitin Singh) 2; Turning Point (Ravinder Singh) 3; Daily Star (K Anil) 4. WB: 2, 3/4, 1-3/4L T: 1:14.88; TB: Laxman S; Fav: Imaan.Bangalore dividendsI race: Rs 37w, Rs 13, Rs 12, Rs 31p; Fc: Rs 21; Q: Rs 18; SHP: Rs 41; Tri: Rs 187 and Rs 111. II race: Rs 35w, Rs 16, Rs 19, Rs 21p; Fc: Rs 70; Q: Rs 79; SHP: Rs 55; Tri: Rs 204 and Rs 69. III race: Rs 29w, Rs 14, Rs 38, Rs 16p; Fc: Rs 328; Q: Rs 322; SHP: Rs 128; Tri: Rs 1,085 and Rs 246. IV race: Rs 33w, Rs 16, Rs 37, Rs 15p; Fc: Rs 389; Q: Rs 257; SHP: Rs 110; Tri: Rs 1,531 and Rs 404. V race: Rs 49w, Rs 15, Rs 12, Rs 18p; Fc: Rs 49; Q: Rs 28; SHP: Rs 55; Tri: Rs 119 and Rs 95. VI race: Rs 17w, Rs 12, Rs 21, Rs 25p; Fc: Rs 106; Q: Rs 65; SHP: Rs 58; Tri: Rs 264 and Rs 134. VII race: Rs 20w, Rs 13, Rs 47, Rs 28p; Fc: Rs 273; Q: Rs 191; SHP: Rs 167; Tri: Rs 1,195 and Rs 717; Exp: Rs 5,845 and Rs 4,384. VIII race: Rs 31w, Rs 16, Rs 15p; Fc: Rs 58; Q: Rs 20; SHP: Rs 38; Tri: Rs 141 and Rs 106. IX race: Rs 21w, Rs 14, Rs 21, Rs 42; Fc: Rs 106; Q: Rs 94; SHP: Rs 52; Tri: Rs 761 and Rs 370; Exp: Rs 3,795 and Rs 1,501. Jackpot: Rs 611 (157). Runner: Rs 86 (477). Mini-jackpot: Rs 132 (118). I treble: Rs 308 (45). II treble: Rs 129 (131). III Treble: Rs 122 (447). Continue reading →

HYDERABAD RACE CARDMission Chief, ridden by R Parmod and trained by A Sharma, is tipped win the 1600-metre Sri Shamlal Gupta Memorial Cup, the feature event of the races to be held here on Monday.1. Cabaret Plate (Cat III, rated upto 25) — 1800M, 1.15 pm: 1. Royal Bay 61 Shoban Babu 6; 2. Vintage Dancer 61 Ravinder S 8; 3. Greatballofchina 57.5 R Umesh 7; 4. Lalaczar 57.5 S Carson 9; 5. Royal Quest 57.5 K Anil 5; 6. Lord Nelson 57 P Ajay 4; 7. Triple Nine 57 Gnaneshwar 1; 8. Shivaji 54.5 A Ramana 2; 9. Romantic Flyer 49 Sk Farokh 3.Lalaczar 1; Triple Nine 2.2. Grace Hanover Plate (Cat III, terms) — 1000M, 1.45 pm: 1. Alexander Square 55 Chouhan 9; 2. Art Connoisseur 55 Harish 7; 3. Da Xia 55 Ruzzan 5; 4. Star Experience 55 Ravinder S 1; 5. Young Soldier 55 Parmod 8; 6. Get Together 53.5 A Imran 4; 7. Green Thumb 53.5 Umesh 2; 8. Rocking Rocket 53.5 Sk Sharookh 3; 9. Sun Bird 53.5 Deep S 6.Da Xia 1; Art Connoisseur 2.3. Bakranangal Plate (Div I0 (Cat III, rated upto 50) — 1400M, 2.15 pm: 1. Hospitality 61 Ramana 8; 2. Casablanca 60 S Babu 11; 3. Kohinoor Fairytale 58.5 Ravinder S 4; 4. Rising Rays 57.5 Mark 1; 5. Anemometer 57 Chouhan 9; 6. The Beatles Angel 57 Walkar 7; 7. Storm Force 55 Krishna 6; 8. Flaming Ruby 54 Laxman 2; 9. Baywatch Babe 53 Ruzzan 3; 10. Fantastic Boy 51.5 Alikhan 10; 11. Vijay Lakh 50.5 A Asbar 12; 12. Al Malawi 50 N Singh 13; Royal Flyer 49 Umesh 5.Anemometer 1; Baywatch Babe 2.4. C Satyanarayana Memorial Cup (Cat III, terms) — 1600M, 2.45 pm: 1. Bella Coola 62 Laxman 9; 2. Fly By Wire 60 Rupesh 7; 3. Royal Embassy 60 S Babu 3; 4. Toofan Express 60 Krishna 1; 5. Nano War 58.5 Ruzzan 6; 6. See You There 54.5 Sharookh 5; 7. Copertina 53 S Carson 2; 8. Hussler 53 PS Chouhan 8; 9. Scamper 51.5 A Imran K 4.Copertina 1; Hussler 2.5. Time And Place Plate (Div II) (Cat II, rated upto 75) — 1100M, 3.15 pm: 1. Jet Express 60 Alikhan 3; 2. Global Emperor 58.5 Anil 9; 3. Time On 58.5 Ajay 7; 4. Super Brand 57.5 A Imran 6; 5. Sugar Lady 56 Ruzzan 1; 6. Phar Lap 54.5 Carson 4; 7. Superfluous 54 Chouhan 8; 8. Bakersfield 53 Umesh 10; 9. English Indian 52 S Babu 5; 10. Light Brigade 51.5 A Asbar 11; 11. Ultra Violet Ray 51.5 L Kant 2.English Indian 1; Phar Lap 2.6. Time And Place Plate (Div I) (Cat II, rated upto 75) — 1100M, 3.45 pm: 1. Dancing Touch 60.5 A Asbar 9; 2. Cannon Scot 59.5 S Babu 3; 3. Al Jadeed 57.5 Vivek 11; 4. Red River Rebel 57.5 Parmod 6; 5. Alukkhas 54.5 Mark 2; 6. Ivory Snow 53 Umesh 1; 7. True Force 52.5 Farokh 5; 8. Page Three 52 Krishna 10; 9. Golden Flame 51 Ramana 7; 10. Splendid Scot 51 Chouhan 4; 11. Silver Rose 49.5 N Singh 8.Dancing Touch 1; Splendid Scot 2.7. Sri Shamlal Gupta Memorial Cup (Cat I, terms) — 1600M, 4.15 pm: 1. Bold Blast 60.5 Chouhan 2; 2. Hurrican Bay 59 Gnaneshwar 8; 3. Vijayraj 59 Rupesh 1; 4. Reconnect 58 A Imran 5; 5. Mission Chief 57 Parmod 3; 6. Bernardo 55.5 Alikhan 4; 7. El Paso 54.5 Harish 9; 8. Adamant Approach 53 Ruzzan 7; 9. Indian Dancer 52.5 Deep S 6; 10. Dash On Regardless 49 R Umesh 10.Mission Chief 1; El Paso 2.8. Bakranangal Plate (Div II) (Cat III, rated upto 50) — 1400M, 4.50 pm: 1. Al Jameel 60 Sk Sharookh 3; 2. Storm Command 59.5 Ravinder S 10; 3. Title Shot 58 MF Alikhan 12; 4. Ted Lapidus 57.5 M Mark 6; 5. Jia Yoh Jia Yoh 56.5 A Imran K 2; 6. Smarty Prince 56.5 N Rawal 7; 7. Kohinoor Star 53.5 R Umesh 9; 8. Just Be Cool 52.5 S Sreekant 1; 9. Citi Dancer 51 M Krishna 4; 10. Surya Putra 51 Lakshmi Kant 8; 11. Strategic Command 50.5 Ashhad Asbar 11. 12. Cicilia 50 Nitin Singh 5.Jia Yoh Jia Yoh 1; Storm Command 2.Day’s best: Da Xia. Jackpot: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. I treble: 1, 2, 3. II treble: 3, 4, 5. III treble: 6, 7, 8. Continue reading →

Tendulkar has been the face of Indian cricket since his Test debut as a chubby 16-year old against Pakistan at the National stadium here in 1989 .And former Pakistan captain and batting great Javed Miandad said he always advises the youngsters to follow in the footsteps of Tendulkar."We had a fearsome pace attack in Imran (Khan), Wasim (Akram), Waqar (Younis) and Saleem Jaffer but what is still etched in memory is the way he played his first ball in Test cricket."It was a very pacy delivery from Waqar and this young fellow came on the front foot to drive the ball. It was confidence personified. We all knew we would be hearing a lot about this youngster in years to come," Miandad said of the batting great."He loves cricket and with his hardwork, focus and commitment he has truly become a outstanding ambassador for the sport at a time when commercialism is so rampant," Miandad said.Former Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir, whose duel with a young Tendulkar in an ODI at Peshawar in the 89′ series is part of cricketing folklore, said the champion batsman was far from finished and would continue to break many more records.He said Tendulkar had outshone his illustrious compatriots with his sheer greatness and love for the game."I think Tendulkar has outdone all the other greats with his hunger for the game which is amazing," Qadir said.Tendulkar hit Qadir for three sixes in an over in the Peshawar game at a time when the leg-spinner was at his peak."That was a time when I was at my best and even the best batsmen had second thoughts coming out to hit me. I remember I kept on goading him to hit me and he took the challenge and came down to strike me cleanly. It was amazing. I knew instantly this was someone special," he recalled.Another former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said Tendulkar was a gentleman personified who never allowed fame to get over him. "What has impressed me the most about Tendulkar all these years is his humble and simple nature. I never saw him ever let the fame and adulation he enjoys get to his head," Inzamam said."Whenever we played India we always knew Tendulkar was the key wicket for us it would always be a psychological blow for the Indians. His greatness is depicted in his outstanding statistics. I think it was largely due to the confidence and poise he brought to the Indian team that it had produced some many top batsmen in the modern era," he added.Another former captain and ex-wicketkeeper Rashid Latif said Tendulkar was a role model for the gentleman’s game."I had heard a lot of about him when I first played against him but what struck me was his simple nature. I don’t recall a match in which I saw him being over-aggressive, brash or sledge someone. That is what makes him such a great cricketer. He uses aggression to his own benefit," he said.Former wicketkeeper batsman Moin Khan said Tendulkar was a perfectionist who would be hard to replace in world cricket."There was perfection in his batting then and it is the same now. Obviously he is a human being and he has also failed many times but overall I don’t think I have seen a bigger batsman then him in my time," Moin said. Continue reading →

Anjali recalled how Tendulkar, who completes 20 years of international cricket tomorrow, had to come in disguise to watch a movie during their courtship but the plan went haywire very soon and the couple had to leave the hall midway through the film."… We had gone to see the movie Roja. I was studying medicine then and a couple of my friends planned. Sachin did try telling me that it would be difficult but I insisted that he come along. To make sure nobody recognised him, we even got him a beard."He wore specs as well and we went in late. We watched the first half of the film, but during the interval, Sachin dropped his specs and people immediately recognised him. It was a bit of disaster and we were forced to leave halfway," she said in a published interview.Ignorant about cricket when she first started dating Tendulkar, Anjali said she read up everything about the game soon after but the man himself didn’t like discussing the sport at home. "I think what he liked about me was that I knew nothing about cricket when I first met him. But then, me being me, I read everything about the game. I came to know all the fielding positions but he doesn’t like me discussing cricket at home. But at times when he is low or upset, I do talk to him about cricket. Again, it’s not the game but things related to it that we discuss," Anjali said.Anjali gave up her promising medical career to be Tendulkar’s "biggest support" and after 14 years of marriage, she doesn’t regret her decision one bit."Though I loved every moment of my studying days and my days at the government hospital, it then came to a stage when I realised that I could not be married to Sachin and also have a full-time career. It wasn’t possible because he depends on me for almost everything. It was my decision. I thought I should be at home with him and make everything perfect for him," she recalled."In his childhood, brother Ajit did everything for Sachin, sacrificing his own interests. I thought I should do the same. Besides, mine would not have been a 9 to 5 job. I’m a paediatrician, so if there’s a patient calling me or someone admitted at odd hours, I have to make myself available", she said."With Sachin not around and me with two kids at home, it wouldn’t have been possible. I took a decision and I have never, ever regretted it," Anjali said. Anjali said she still can’t stop herself from getting tensed when Tendulkar comes out to bat, so much so that she doesn’t even get up to take a phone call when he is at the crease."Actually, I have one particular spot in the house from where I can watch TV and also keep an eye on my Ganpati (Ganesha). I don’t eat. I don’t answer phones. I don’t drink. I don’t even move. I don’t reply to any sms until he’s out," she said.Nineteen years of knowing the cricketer India worships, Anjali said she has learnt to deal with the pulls and pressures that come with being his better half."For me, it’s very easy because I’ve known Sachin for 19 years now. I understand him so well. So whether I am his girlfriend or his wife, it’s the same thing, just an extension of that bond. I don’t find it very difficult and I’m used to it."Maybe, it’s also because I’ve not known any other person in my life except Sachin. Of course, there are many challenges and difficulties to being his wife but the whole family, including my children, has learnt to deal with it," she said. On the many moods of the batting genius, who seems calm and composed almost all the time on field, Anjali revealed Tendulkar is miserable when the team doesn’t do well and he goes on to achieve a personal milestone."It’s much worse when he does well and the team doesn’t. I know how much it affects him because, for him, the country always comes first. To me it doesn’t matter whether he scores one run or 10 runs or even a 100. I’ll still be happy because I know he’s really trying hard. But I know how much it affects him when he does well and the team loses, like it happened in Hyderabad (against Australia). It’s very upsetting," she said.But for all the fame he achieved even before the start of his international career, Anjali couldn’t recognise Tendulkar when they first met in 1990 and she says the batting maestro perhaps fell for her lack of cricket knowledge."I first met him at the Mumbai airport when he returned from his first tour of England in 1990, after scoring his maiden Test ton. In fact, when I first saw him at the airport, I didn’t even know who he was. It was purely by accident!" Anjali, who married Tendulkar in 1995, said. Continue reading →

"I first met him at the Mumbai airport when he returned from his first tour of England in 1990, after scoring his maiden Test ton. In fact, when I first saw him at the airport, I didn’t even know who he was. It was purely by accident!" Anjali, who married Tendulkar in 1995, said."I was there to pick up my mother and Sachin was arriving with the Indian team. That’s where we saw each other for the first time… we had a courtship of five years and got married in 1995. We had got engaged a year before that in 1994 and that was in New Zealand," she said in a published interview.Ignorant about cricket when she first started dating Tendulkar, Anjali said she read up everything about the game soon after but the man himself didn’t like discussing the sport at home."I think what he liked about me was that I knew nothing about cricket when I first met him. But then, me being me, I read everything about the game. I came to know all the fielding positions but he doesn’t like me discussing cricket at home. But at times when he is low or upset, I do talk to him about cricket. Again, it’s not the game but things related to it that we discuss," she said. On whether Tendulkar’s fame had come in the way of getting the simple pleasures like a movie, Anjali recalled how the batting great had to come in disguise to watch a movie during their courtship."… We had gone to see the movie Roja. I was studying medicine then and a couple of my friends planned. Sachin did try telling me that it would be difficult but I insisted that he come along. To make sure nobody recognised him, we even got him a beard. He wore specs as well and we went in late. We watched the first half of the film, but during the interval, Sachin dropped his specs and people immediately recognised him. It was a bit of disaster and we were forced to leave halfway," she told ‘Times of India’ in an interview.Anjali gave up her promising medical career to be Tendulkar’s "biggest support" and after 14 years of marriage, she doesn’t regret her decision one bit."Though I loved every moment of my studying days and my days at the government hospital, it then came to a stage when I realised that I could not be married to Sachin and also have a full-time career. It wasn’t possible because he depends on me for almost everything. It was my decision. I thought I should be at home with him and make everything perfect for him," she recalled."In his childhood, brother Ajit did everything for Sachin, sacrificing his own interests. I thought I should do the same. Besides, mine would not have been a 9 to 5 job. I’m a paediatrician, so if there’s a patient calling me or someone admitted at odd hours, I have to make myself available", she said. "With Sachin not around and me with two kids at home, it wouldn’t have been possible. I took a decision and I have never, ever regretted it," Anjali said.Tendulkar completes 20 years of international cricket tomorrow and Anjali said she still can’t stop herself from getting tensed when he comes out to bat, so much so that she doesn’t even get up to take a phone call when he is at the crease."Actually, I have one particular spot in the house from where I can watch TV and also keep an eye on my Ganpati (Ganesha). I don’t eat. I don’t answer phones. I don’t drink. I don’t even move. I don’t reply to any sms until he’s out," she said.Nineteen years of knowing the cricketer India worships, Anjali said she has learnt to deal with the pulls and pressures that come with being his better half."For me, it’s very easy because I’ve known Sachin for 19 years now. I understand him so well. So whether I am his girlfriend or his wife, it’s the same thing, just an extension of that bond. I don’t find it very difficult and I’m used to it."Maybe, it’s also because I’ve not known any other person in my life except Sachin. Of course, there are many challenges and difficulties to being his wife but the whole family, including my children, has learnt to deal with it," she said.But Anjali wishes that Tendulkar doesn’t have to spend so much time away from his home and two young children. "The only regret, even though we’ve learnt to cope with it, is that he’s not at home most of the time. I think even Sachin has realised this, now that the kids are growing up fast. Sara is 12 and Arjun is 10. We sometimes wonder where all the years have gone. Since he used to be away most of the time when they were growing up, now he tries to come home as much as possible", Anjali said."Though he’s trying his best to spend more time with the family, sometimes he’s not at home for birthdays, special occasions or even for the kids’ annual day at school. It matters a lot to the kids," she explained.On the many moods of the batting genius, who seems calm and composed almost all the time on field, Anjali revealed Tendulkar is miserable when the team doesn’t do well and he goes on to achieve a personal milestone."It’s much worse when he does well and the team doesn’t. I know how much it affects him because, for him, the country always comes first. To me it doesn’t matter whether he scores one run or 10 runs or even a 100. I’ll still be happy because I know he’s really trying hard. But I know how much it affects him when he does well and the team loses, like it happened in Hyderabad (against Australia). It’s very upsetting," she said. Continue reading →

Rajpal yesterday replaced Sandeep Singh as the skipper of the 22-member Indian team for eight-nation event in Salta, Argentina from December 6-13, the winner of which will qualify for next year’s Champions Trophy.But soon after his appointment he made it clear that India would be using the tournament to finetune their skills and strategies before the next year’s World Cup."It’s a crucial tournament for us as we will be playing with a new planning. A new style of hockey will be seen as we will be mixing the European and Indian style during the tournament," Rajpal said from Pune."The winner of this tournament will qualify for the Champions Trophy and so the competition will be tough, but we are eyeing only victory."With World Cup coming up shortly, a lot is going to be at stake for us in this tournament. We will also know how we fare against a particular team and where we need to improve so that we can set our target for right," he said. Rajpal said the team thinktank’s decision to mix Indian and European style of hockey yielded fruitful results during the Canada tour and would give them an edge in the event."The team played really well in Canada. We are hoping that except for Canada this new approach should surprise our opponents and give us the advantage," the 25-year-old forward said."We are now playing well. In every match, a team has to adopt a different approach. In 2007 Asia Cup which we won 7-2 against Korea, all the goals were field goals and in some other matches, we score through short corners," he added.Rajpal also said that chief coach Jose Brasa’s tactics of rotating the captaincy was an innovative move, which was producing encouraging results."Coach Brasa has been working on this experiment and I feel it is a positive one. This way, every player will feel he can be entrusted with the responsibility. This can only better a players’ game," he said.India will play their first group match against New Zealand on December 6 before taking on China (December and Belgium (December 10). The final will be played on December 13.The Indian team will leave for Madrid on November 23 for a one-week training-cum-competition tour en-route Salta. Continue reading →

No other cricketer has managed to seamlessly combine both statistics and aesthetics to underline his greatness like Tendulkar did, retaining the innocence and humility of his early days all along.Since his debut on November 15, 1989, the teen with curly hair and a sing-song voice has grown so much in stature that now men who matter sit up and take note every time Tendulkar says something.Tendulkar’s wicket would catapult any domestic bowler to national reckoning. He puts in a word and Mahendra Singh Dhoni is anointed India captain. He suggests splitting one day cricket into four innings of 25 overs each – not an original idea– and ICC agrees, in principle, to put it on trial.It has been a long journey for the batting great and Tendulkar is not interested in retirement talks yet.That he was very special was evident right from his school days and the first evidence of his precocious talent was the unbeaten 664-run stand he shared with buddy Vinod Kambli in the Lord Harris Shield Inter-School Game in 1988.While Kambli’s was a meteoric rise, spectacular but shortlived, Tendulkar’s was marked for greater glory. Brother Ajit’s encouragement, mentor Ramakant Achrekar’s tutelage and his own dedication towards his craft shaped Tendulkar’s future and it was almost a matter of destiny that he went on to become the most iconic cricketer of his generation.The 1989 international debut followed. A Waqar Younis bouncer left him with a bleeding nose but Tendulkar did not wince and the next two decades saw him punishing bowlers all over the world on all kind of surfaces.His first Test century came in England next year at Old Trafford and rose in stature after the 1991-92 tour of Australia, hitting sublime centuries on a Sydney turner and a Perth minefield.The rest is history. No existing batting record seemed safe. Other than Brian Lara’s Test match highest of 400 not out and first class highest score of 501 not out, every batting record became Tendulkar’s.A staggering 12,773 runs culled in 159 Tests at a robust average of 54.58 with a mindboggling 42 centuries in it confirmed Tendulkar’s greatness in the longer version of the game.And the 436 ODIs he starred in, a whopping 17,178 runs were gleaned at a healthy average of 44.50 with 45 centuries in the process.A perfect teamman, Tendulkar has limited his Twenty20 ambition confined to the Indian Premier League where he leads Mumbai Indians, ruling himself out of national reckoning lest it upsets the existing team equilibrium. Tendulkar’s colossal batting exploits have completely overshadowed his utility as a part-time bowler who reveled in breakthroughs.He was a complete enigma with the bowl, sending down military medium pace, orthodox leg-break and off-spin with the same guiles that often caught batsman off their guard.His 44 Test wickets and 154 scalps in ODIs underline the fact that Tendulkar has been underbowled.In the field, he is among the safest pair of hands in the slip and his flat throw releasing strong arm saw him man in he deep with equal aplomb.If there is any grey area in his complete cricketer’s canvas, it has been his captaincy and despite best of his efforts and having two jabs at it, leading was probably not his cup of tea and his best with the bat came when he was free from the captaincy burden.The biggest compliment to his batting came from Sir Donald Bradman himself in 1999 when he said that Tendulkar’s style of playing resembled his style. "That touch I used to feel when I batted", he had said.The aura only grew in strength because of his impeccable demeanour, on and off the field.Tendulkar was never seen cursing opponents, questioning the umpires or letting his emotion get the better of himself.That made him the ultimate role model and even Javed Miandad, who belonged to a more volatile school, could not help but call Tendulkar the ultimate role model for every aspiring cricketer. Despite Tendulkar’s heady success and worldwide fame, Tendulkar remained firmly a family man, fiercely protective of the privacy of his family.His father’s death had a deep impact on him and Tendulkar still looks heavenwards whenever he crosses a milestone to seek his blessing.His mindboggling success and spotless reputation resulted in the Tendulkar brand and he was the most recognisable face of Indian cricket.Corporate houses made a beeline and roped him in to boost their product and Tendulkar gradulally became comfortable in front of the camera.But like a true champion, Tendulkar never allowed anything else to affect his craft. He is still among the hardest working cricketers, who does not miss a single practice session and never deviates from the strict fitness regimen he has been handed by the team physio.He remains the same keen student of the game, having no qualms about learning every day despite having mastered every bowler. He cherishes every knock, remembers every century and preserves every bat he scored a century with.It is this combination of mettle and meticulousness that made Tendulkar one of the most enduring icons of his era. Continue reading →

The 10-day cue sport extravaganza, that was last held in India at Bangalore in 1987, has fair representation from across the world, but the focus would be on the Indians among whom Pankaj Advani who had won the event in 2003, and billiards ace Geet Sethi, a finalist last year, are reckoned to be the best prospects to win titles in the Men’s and Masters (Over 40) categories, respectively.Advani, at 24, has his best years ahead of him, though he has to his credit seven World and three Asian titles. All his international triumphs, barring the 2003 success, have been in billiards. As such, he would be keen to win the world snooker crown a second time.“There will be pressure for sure since it is in India, but I hope to do well in front of the home crowd. I have been practising hard, and my immediate goal is to first qualify for the knock-out stage. Beyond that, there is not much one can say,” said Advani.In fact, at the Asian Indoor Games in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, earlier this month, Advani lost in the pre-quarter-finals while compatriot Manan Chandra, the gifted player from Delhi, made it to the semi-finals, but lost the bronze medal play-off against UAE’s Mohammed Mustafa Al-Hashmi.Advani felt that the major threats would be from the traditional powerhouses England and Wales, besides Thailand, China and UAE. “The Thai players have been performing quite well in the past couple of years, and so also the ones from UAE,” he pointed out. The 2007 championship witnessed an all-Thailand final and last year, another Thai (Thepchaiya Un-Nooh) won the title.China, who won the snooker gold in Ho Chi Minh city, are still to annex the world title, but their players are always considered potential contenders. At the 2006 Doha Asian Games, China swept all the three snooker gold medals. In the fray here is Tian Pengfei, a double gold medallist (men’s doubles and team event) in Doha. England, though, has not produced a champion since Luke Simmons won in 1998 while Wales have won the title just twice since Darren Morgan potted the crown in 1987, thus reflecting the ever narrowing gap at the international level.So much so that even Afghanistan, considered minnows, are eyeing the prize in the wake of Nader Khan Sultani’s silver medal in Vietnam earlier this month. Sultani said he has been playing well and was hopeful of improving on his Vietnam showing.Under the circumstances, the 96-player draw that is split into 16 groups for the preliminary league appears wide open, while India, as hosts, have fielded 14 players at the last count.No player, with the exception of Malta’s Paul Mifsud (1985, ’86), has won the title twice and that alone should indicate the quality and closeness of the competition. Apart from Advani and Chandra, the other Indians to be followed are Aditya Mehta who is fast gaining a reputation as a rock solid player and Sourav Kothari, the current India No.2. Mehta, the 23-year old from Mumbai has tremendous potential and the world snooker championship gives him an ideal platform to come good. The same could be said of Kothari who, however, is prone to inconsistency.In the Masters category that made its debut in 2004, Sethi, of course, starts off as the firm favourite, but he reckons that Morgan, a former top-10 professional player, and defending champion and thrice winner Deane O’Kane from New Zealand would be the players to watch out for.“I have been playing well of late, but results (in snooker) have not been coming. This being a home event, I hope to capitalize on the advantage, but then you have players like O’Kane who beat me in last year’s final and of course Morgan,” Sethi said.India has fielded seven entries in the 36-player draw and the home list includes former National snooker and billiards champion Arvind Savur, who, incidentally, will be celebrating his 50th year in cue sport, having played his first tournament in 1959.The Ladies event, which was introduced in 2003, has seven Indians, led by National champion Meenal Thakur, in the fray and also wears an open look in the absence of 2008 winner Reanne Evans (England) and runner-up Wendy Jans (Belgium) who, in fact, was the finalist in every edition and won it in 2006.As such, the Indians are fancying their chances as the home conditions would be to their obvious advantage. Continue reading →

"20 years is a long time and I have many special moments and it would be difficult to count them. But the first one (Test), the first day walking out in the playing XI in Pakistan probably was the greatest moment," Tendulkar, who made his international debut in a Test match against Pakistan in Karachi on November 15, 1989, said."It was a long journey and what I did after that was a reflection of my contribution to the game in the country. Playing for the country was my childhood dream and I have fulfilled my dream. I am fortunate to have played for my country for so many years," he added.Asked what changes have occurred in the game in the 20 years of his career, Tendulkar picked the advent of Twenty20, television assistance for umpiring decisions and batting innovations as the major changes that have taken place."From 1989, the game has changed a lot from the introduction of third umpire and Hot Spot system to the introduction of Twenty20 and so many things", he said. "The most significant is that lot of innovative shots which were earlier occasionally used but left are being played by the batsmen now," Tendulkar said."There is a lot more risk taking by the players now. Because of this, the total in the one-dayers have increased. Nowadays, 275 on a good pitch is not a great score."The same is the case in Test also. There are a lot more results now than in the past. Earlier, people used to get bored of Test cricket because there were few results but nowadays there has been more results and that has made it more entertaining," said the 36-year-old champion batsman.Asked how much has changed in his game in the 20 years, Tendulkar said, "I have changed a lot. I am trying to improve myself every game. It is a never ending process as everyday is a fresh challenge. So it is hard job to be on your toes everytime.""A combination of factors made me remain focussed on the game. My parents, brothers, sisters and wife supported me all through. My mother does not know cricket but will pray for my success and for the country. I discussed cricket with my elder brother a lot. The other brother and the sister also supported me. With my wife, I talk about cricket to her also and that is the main reason why I was able to last such a long time," he said."Above all, the affection and support from the cricket fans of the country was immense. You need people to share your success and I have more than a billion people. That is more than enough for me," Tendulkar said.Since his debut Test against Pakistan in 1989, Tendulkar has played 159 Tests, scoring 12,773 runs with 42 centuries at an average of 54.58. From the 436 ODI matches he played since December 19, 1989 against Pakistan in Gujranwala, he had amassed 17,178 runs at an average of 44.50 with 45 hundreds. Continue reading →

Shot putter Om Prakash Singh won the first gold for India while three of his compatriots bagged a bronze each on the second day of the 18th Asian Athletics Championships here. With a gold and three bronze, India’s medal tally swelled to five with one gold and four bronze. Kavita Raut had won a bronze in women’s 5000m. Om Prakash cleared 19.87m in his fifth round throw to bag the yellow metal in a strong field which had Asian record holder Al-habishi Sultan of Saudi Arabia, who eventually finished fifth with 18.89m. The Indian, however, failed to touch his personal best of 20.02m.Chang Ming Huang (19.34m) of Chinese Taipei won the silver while Jun Zhang (19.15m) of China took the bronze. National record holder Manjeet Kaur’s 53.66 sec effort in women’s 400m was well below her best of 51.05 sec or season’s best of 52.08 sec but still enough to win a bronze in a tight race. Compatriot Mandeep Kaur was fourth with 53.76 sec. Asami Tanno of Japan finally won her elusive Asian Championships gold with a timing of 53.32 sec. She had won silver in Amman (2007) and bronze in Incheon (2005). Chen Li ( 53.55 sec) of China won the silver. Hamza, who had a personal best of 3:40.10, clocked 3:48.44 to win the bronze while compatriot Sunil Kumar was fifth with 3:49.38. Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Shaween (3:46.08) won the gold while Sri Lanka’s Wijekon Chaminda (3:47.01) finished second. Jyothi ran a fine race in a strong field to fetch a bronze in women’s 100m dash, clocking 11.60 sec. Chisato Fukushima of Japan as expected won the gold in 11.27 sec to emerge as the fastest woman in the Championships while Vietnam’s Vu Thi Huong was second with 11.50 sec. The two Indians in men’s 100m, however, disappointed. Sathya Suresh and Abdul Najeeb Qureshi finished seventh and eighth respectively in the final with efforts of 10.62 sec and 10.63 sec.China’s Zhang Peimeng won the race in 10.28 sec to become the fastest man in the competition. In women’s triple jump, MA Prajusha (12.58m) and Reshmi Bose (12.18m) were eighth and 10th respectively. Asian record holder Olga Rypakova (14.53m) of Kazakhstan won the gold. In men’s 400m final, Bibin Mathew and Shaikh Mortaza failed to come up their best to finish fourth and fifth respectively, clocking 47.03 and 47.36. In the women’s 1500m also, Simon Rajam Bindhu and Sushma Devi brought up fourth and fifth place finish respectively with efforts of 4:33.73 and 4:35.04. Continue reading →

Police said the troubled 43-year-old had been detained following an altercation at the airport’s terminal seven on Wednesday.No further information was immediately available. The Los Angeles Times reported on its website that the boxer who once styled himself "the baddest man on the planet" was held after an "altercation." Local broadcast reports said Tyson had struck a paparazzi photographer.The incident comes after a difficult year for Tyson, who suffered personal tragedy in May when his four-year-old daughter died after accidentally strangling herself with a loose cord on a treadmill.Tyson exploded on the boxing scene in the mid-1980s, becoming the youngest heavyweight champion in history in 1986 at the age of 20. Considered unbeatable for the rest of the decade, Tyson’s career went off the rails when he suffered a shock upset to James "Buster" Douglas in 1990.In 1992, Tyson was convicted of raping a beauty queen at a pageant in Indianapolis, Indiana. He served three years of a six-year sentence and was released in 1995 – and has always denied raping the woman."Iron Mike" reclaimed the heavyweight throne but lost to Evander Holyfield in 1996 and notoriously bit Holyfield’s ears twice in a 1997 rematch, adding banishment to his ridicule.Tyson was jailed again in 1999 for assaulting two people following a traffic accident. Tyson filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and retired after losses to Britain’s Danny Williams in 2004 and American Kevin McBride in 2005.Tyson was also sentenced in 2007 to 24 hours in jail and three years of probation after pleading guilty to charges of drug possession and driving under the influence in Arizona. Continue reading →