Nadal continues to top tennis rankings

Berlin, July 19: Rafael Nadal of Spain continues to lead the latest ATP tennis rankings issued Monday.

In an unchanged top 10, the French Open and Wimbledon champion has 10,745 points, followed by Novak Djokovic of Serbia on 6,905 and former number one Roger Federer of Switzerland with 6,885 points.

ATP top 10 as of July 19 (previous ranking in parenthesis):

1. (1) Rafael Nadal, Spain, 10,745 points

2. (2) Novak Djokovic, Serbia, 6,905

3. (3) Roger Federer, Switzerland, 6,885

4. (4) Andy Murray, Britain, 5,155

5. (5) Robin Soderling, Sweden, 4,835

6. (6) Nikolay Davydenko, Russia, 4,740

7. (7) Juan Martin del Potro, Argentina, 4,270

8. (8) Tomas Berdych, Czech Republic, 3,780

9. (9) Andy Roddick, United States, 3,490

10. (10) Fernando Verdasco, Spain, 3,475

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Rain washes out 2nd day's play in India-SL Test

Rain washes out 2nd day's play in India-SL Test

Galle (Sri Lanka), Jul 19: Unrelenting rain played spoilsport as the second day of the first cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka was called off without a single ball being bowled here today.

Sri Lanka remained on their overnight score of 256 for two and the washout has now greatly diminished the prospects of a result in Muttiah Muralitharan's swansong Test.

The outfield was already wet due to overnight showers and things only got worse due to more rain this morning.

The brief appearance made by the sun in the afternoon, which prompted the ground staff to take off the covers, turned out to be a false dawn as it started pouring soon after, leaving the match officials with no choice but to call off the day's proceedings at about 1500 hrs (local Time).

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Casillas is World Cup top goalkeeper

Johannesburg, July 12: Spain skipper Iker Casillas has been named the best goalkeeper of the 2010 World Cup.

The FIFA Technical Study Group picked the Real Madrid shot-stopper after some outstanding performances which inspired Spain to win their first-ever World Cup trophy.

Previous winners of this award are Gianluigi Buffon (Italy) in 2006, Oliver Khan (Germany) 2002 and Fabien Barthez (France) in 1998.

The 29-year-old Casillas made several saves against the Netherlands in Sunday's final, which his side won 1-0. One of the saves was a point-blank block which denied Arjen Robben, who was clean on goal.

He also saved a penalty against Paraguay in a quarter-final match as Spain won 2-1 to reach the last four.

Casillas made history when he became the first goalkeeper since Italy's Dino Zoff in 1982 to lead a team to World Cup glory.

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Mueller wins World Cup Golden Boot, best young player

Johannesburg, July 12: Germany midfielder Thomas Mueller has won the Golden Boot award for top scorer at the World Cup and was also named best young player of the tournament.

Mueller was one of four players to finish on five goals, but won by virtue of his three assists, two more than his nearest rivals- Spain's David Villa and Wesley Sneijder of the Netherlands, who each had one assist.

Mueller, 20, has spearheaded a new generation of players that include Mesut Oezil, Sami Khedira, Jerome Boateng and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in a German team that finished third.

The Bayern Munich ace, who 12 months ago was playing in the German third division, succeeded compatriot Miroslav Klose, who topped the scoring at the last World Cup in Germany four years ago.

Mueller first gave notice of his huge potential during last season's UEFA Champions League as Bayern made it all the way to the final. It was his first full season at the Bavarian giants and he ended up scoring 19 times in 52 appearances.

He is a fast, composed and technically gifted attacking midfielder or second striker who scores and creates goals.

Ahead of the World Cup, Mueller was valued at about 10 million euros ($12.5 million), but there are now suggestions that on the back of his performance in Africa, he has more than tripled this valuation.

Mueller, who made his full international debut against Argentina in a friendly in March, is a product of a systematic and extensive German youth programme which began 10 years ago after Germany crashed out of the 2000 European Championships in Belgium and the Netherlands.

The German football federation DFB then chose to embark on scouting and developing new talent, a programme which was further enhanced when former captain Matthias Sammer was appointed sports director in 2005.

Since then the German Football League wand the DFB have invested some 500 million euros on youth development schemes.

All Bundesliga clubs were mandated to have their own junior training centres, while the DFB developed centres of excellence and talent-spotting programmes across the country.

The results have been outstanding - Germany were under-19 European champions in 2008, and then won the under-17 and under-21 European titles last year. Before that, Germany had gone 16 years without a European title at junior level.

In South Africa, Mueller extended the legend of the Germany number 13 shirt, which his namesake Gerd Mueller made famous during a distinguished career in the 1970s.

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Spain beat Netherlands 1-0 to win the World Cup

Spain beat Netherlands 1-0 to win the World Cup

JOHANNESBURG: Spain rules the soccer world, winning the World Cup at long, long last.

It came after an exhausting 1-0 victory in extra time over the Netherlands on Sunday. Two years after winning the European title, the stylish Spaniards did even better.

This was a physical test of attrition that sometimes turned dirty — a finals-record 11 yellow cards were handed out and the Dutch finished with 10 men. In the end, it was Andres Iniesta breaking free in the penalty area, taking a pass from Cesc Fabregas and putting a right-footed shot from 8 yards just past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.

For the Dutch and their legions of orange-clad fans wearing everything from jerseys to jumpsuits to clown gear to pajamas, it was yet another crushing disappointment.

Their first World Cup title tantalizingly within reach, they failed in the final for the third time. This one might have been the most bitter because, unlike in 1974 and 1978, the Netherlands was unbeaten not only in this tournament, but in qualifying for the first World Cup staged in South Africa.

Soccer City was soaked in Oranje, from the seats painted in that hue throughout the stadium to pretty much everyone seated in them. Unlike when they lost to hosts West Germany and Argentina in previous finals, the Dutch were something of a home team this time.

The Spaniards, though, were the winners.
They had pockets of supporters, too, to be sure, dressed in red and scattered around the stadium. They might have been the minority, but when the final whistle blew, they were tooting their vuvuzelas loudest in tribute to their champions.

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Somerset torn apart by TNT

Bengaluru

Oct. 12: Having sealed a last-ball thriller against Deccan Chargers, Somerset couldn’t quite manage an encore against Trinidad and Tobago, going down by 44 runs in their Champions League T20 game at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday.
The Somerset batsmen did not learn from the mistakes they committed against Chargers and left it to the tail to eke out another win. But this time even first-match hero Alfonso Thomas couldn’t bail them out of trouble. Set 151 to win, Somerset never picked up pace and allowed the run-rate to creep up past the nine-run mark even in the power-play. Only Zander de Bryun provided resistance with a 39-ball 42 (3x4, 1x6), as the Englishmen were bowled out for 106 off the last ball of the match. Their future in the tournament hangs in balance, with T&T having to beat Charges on Wednesday for Somerset to qualify for the next round.
Much depended on the experienced pair of skipper Justin Langer and Marcus Trescothick, but Dwayne Bravo (4/23), who recorded a first-ball duck earlier, made amends with the ball. Sharing the new ball with Ravi Rampaul, Dwayne sent back Trescothick and and Craig Kieswetter, before Sherwin Ganga forced Langer to pull straight to William Perkins at square-leg. Struggling at 28/3 and with power-play completed, Somerset faced an uphill task, and never coped.
Earlier, Trinidad were inconsistent but managed to put out a competitive total on the board. Openers Lendl Simmons 22 (19b, 4x4) and William Perkins 20 (11b, 3x4, 1x6) had their share of fun in the first five overs, when they put on 43. Somerset’s seamers Charl Willoughby and Thomas took a pounding as Simmons and Perkins went berserk, even if unconvincingly.
Brief scores: Trinidad & Tobago 150 for 9 (Denesh Ramdin 39; Charl Willoughby 3/35) bt Somerset CCC 106 (Zander de Bruyn 43 n.o., Dwayne Bravo 4/23).
Source::DC

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Watch out for RP: Vaas

Hyderabad
Oct. 12: He called it quits from international cricket this year but Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas remains an integral part of the Deccan Chargers’ bowling unit. The left-armer might have missed out during the Chargers’ first outing against Somerset CCC, but Vaas is excited to be part of the Bulls brigade.
Speaking on his international retirement, Vaas said, “You must know when to call it quits. It was important for me to make way for the youngsters in the team. And they are performing remarkably.”
When asked about his fitness levels since calling it a day, Vaas said, “I have been playing league games in Sri Lanka and that has kept me match fit and it is crucial. You just can’t walk into any form of the game without match fitness.”
Vaas is beaming with confidence when it comes to play for the Bulls. “It is quite exciting to be part of the Chargers unit. The best aspect of this team is that everyone wants to do well and we revel in each other’s success,” he said.
The Sri Lankan is quite confident of the Chargers show in the upcoming Champions League and pointed out that the conditions will play a key role in every team’s performances. “The conditions here will be different from what we have in other parts of the world. So, it will be interesting to see how the other teams adapt to that,” Vaas said.
Speaking about the cultural appreciation course that the Chargers had before the start of IPL-II, Vaas said, “It did wonders to the morale of the team. It broke the ice with the newcomers in the side. We all are one big family and this has helped us both on and off the field.”
On the bowlers to watch out for in the Champions League, Vaas picked up teammate Rudra Pratap Singh as his favourite.
“He (R.P. Singh) had a dream run in the IPL-II and has been amongst the wickets. If he gets the ball in the right areas, the batsmen could be in serious trouble. He is our trump card,” said the 111-Test veteran.
RP lived upto Vaas’ expectations picking three wickets for 23 runs in the Chargers’ first outing in the ongoing Champions League Twenty20 tournament.
Source::DC

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Royal rout for low-volt Otago

Bengaluru

Oct. 12: Royal Challengers Bangalore team owner Vijay Mallya jumped out of his seat and pumped his fist in the air as Brendon McCullum slowly trudged off the pitch. McCullum brings bad memories to the RCB team, having taken a pounding from the Kiwi opener in the 2008 IPL opener when he smashed an unbeaten 158.
However, history wasn’t to be repeated in the Champions League T20 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday as RCB skittled out Otago Volts for 108 in 17.5 overs and the danger-man McCullum managed just 5. The 80-run victory took RCB to the next round of the tournament from Group C, along with South African side Cape Cobras.
It was a must-win tie for RCB and the least they wanted was McCullum to fire on all cylinders, even though Otago Volts were chasing a daunting 189 for victory and a place in the next round of the inaugural event.
However, Jacques Kallis, who had earlier made an unbeaten 73 (59b, 4x4, 2x6), was RCB’s man as he got rid of McCullum, caught by skipper Anil Kumble at long-on. Two more wickets were to follow for Kallis as he capped a perfect day, finishing with an impressive 3/18 in four overs
The rest of the bowlers followed suit as none of the Otago batsmen gave a semblance of scare to RCB.
Earlier, Robin Uthappa 42 (31b, 5x4, 2x6) and Kallis entertained the near capacity RCB flag-waving crowd, with some good power hitting. Local boy Uthappa was off the blocks quickly, with a punch over the covers off Neil Wagner and followed it up with a huge one over long-on off Dimitri Mascarenhas. On the other hand, Kallis struggled with his timing but with Uthappa in good nick, the run-rate just soared.
Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 188/2 in (Jacques Kallis 73, Robin Uthappa 42) bt Otago Volts 108 (Jacques Kallis 3/18, Anil Kumble 2/20).

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Must win encounter for RCB

Bengaluru
Oct. 11: Royal Challengers Bangalore find themselves in a familiar situation yet again. For much of IPL-2, Anil Kumble’s side were left with must-win position, but braved the odds to reach the final, before going down fighting to the Deccan Chargers.
On Monday, RCB will be up against the Otago Volts, and a loss here will put the home team out of the Champions League T20 even before the premier tournament gets down to serious business with both teams facing elimination with a loss.
The third team in Group C, Cape Cobras, have no such worries as the South African champs have already made it to the next round with two wins. Against the Cobras, RCB went into the match as favourites and performed as such until J.P. Duminy scripted a dramatic turnaround.
It reminded one of Brendon McCullum’s innings in the 2008 IPL opener that knocked the stuffing out of the local side. It should be interesting to see how they cope with McCullum once again being the key player, this time for Otago.
Source::DC

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Devils wallop Wayamba

New Delhi
Oct. 11: There’s no rust on this baby. Pushing 40, Glenn Mcgrath hadn’t played a single game for close to one-and-a-half years, and not trained for more than five months before Sunday. Yet with the way he sent down ball after ball in the same spot not giving the batsmen any width to work him, one could have confused him with the McGrath of yore.
He castled two in his four overs, giving away just 20 runs as an under-pressure Delhi Daredevils hit back to rack up an 50-run win over Wayamba Elevens in their must-win Champions League Group D match at the Kotla here.
The Daredevils’ batting led by fierce fifties from Virender Sehwag (66) and Dinesh Karthik (61) had set up a huge 171-run target for Wayamba to chase, and McGrath along with Nannes (4/24) made it a no contest, restricting the Sri Lankan side to 120/8.
Only Mahela Jayawardene shone with a fine 53; the rest couldn’t galvanise themselves in the face of a challenging total and some very tight bowling.
Pitched just outside off, McGrath’s first ball off his second over and the team’s seventh, moved back in to knock the top of skipper Jehan Mubarak’s (0) off stump. His final ball off the same over darted back in even more sharply, crashing into Kaushal Lokuarachchi’s (4) leg stump. Ironically, the retired Aussie great, wasn’t even part of the original Daredevils squad for the Champions League and was drafted in as last-minute replacement was the injured Kiwi spinner Daniel Vettori.
He was also ignored in the Daredevils’ Indian Premier League semifinal run in South Africa, with the team management voicing concern over his fitness. This despite McGrath saying he had to wrestle with the idea of leaving his two kids behind with their grandparents to keep up his IPL commitment following the loss of his wife Jane to cancer. Had Pradeep Sangwan not underwhelmed in the Daredevils’ loss to Victoria Bushrangers on Friday, he, in all probability, would have gone back home without a game under his belt.
Earlier, the Daredevils took a cue from the New South Wales’ batting earlier in the day and took time charging up. A maiden at the start was followed up with two quiet overs, with the Wayamba left-armer Chanaka Welegedara varying his pace to good effect.
The decision to promote Tillakaratne Dilshan (10), to opening slot at the expense of Gautam Gambhir (3) didn’t work with both falling cheaply. At the other end, however, Sehwag had already begun his onslaught and was joined by a Karthik in menacing mood.
Farveez Mahroof came under heavy fire from both — Sehwag flicking him twice to the mid-wicket fence and Karthik responding with two cheeky fours behind the wicket. At the the 11th-over mark, Delhi were cruising along at 78/2, a score of 140, predicted as competitive by Gambhir, easily within reach. The pitch offered some help to the spinners, but Sehwag never let them settle down, slogging Kaushal Lokuarachchi’s first ball over deep midwicket en route to his fifty that took just 32 balls .
He was run out attempting a non-existent single with fours overs left to go, but ironically that pushed the run rate even further. Karthik whipped Ajanatha Mendis for three consecutive sixes in the penultimate over, before Owais Shah launched into a big one over extra cover in the final one to set up a stiff target for the Lankan side.
Brief Scores
Delhi Daredevils 170 for 5 (Virender Sehwag 66, Dinesh Karthik 61) bt Wayamba Eleven 120 for 7 (Mahela Jayawardene 53; Dirk Nannes 4/24, Glenn McGrath 2/20).
Source::DC

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Bilakhia eyes opener’s slot

Hyderabad
Oct. 8: As the D-day draws closer for the Deccan Chargers who will play Somerset CCC in their first match of the Champions League on Saturday, all eyes will be on the batsman who will open with skipper Adam Gilchrist.
While there is no dearth of options for the Bulls, Gilly has already listed out his options in the form of Azhar Bilakhia, Tirumalsetti Suman and VVS Laxman. Interestingly, Gilly opened with Abhinav Kumar in the practice game against Otago Volts and opened with Laxman in the practice tie against Hyderabad XI on Thursday. Both Abhinav and Laxman were aggressive in their approach, scoring runs at a blistering pace.
Others in the fray — Suman and Azhar have all opened for their respective sides. Azhar appeared excited at the prospect of opening the batting. “To open with Gilly would be fantastic. You get to learn about how to pace the innings and shift gears when necessary,” Azhar said. If one watches him at the nets, one can spot an uncanny similarity in his stance with the batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar. When asked about it, Azhar appeared surprised and said, “Well, like many others I have admired his batting but never thought that my stance was similar to his. I take that as a compliment.” On his preparations for the Champions League, Azhar said, “After IPL-2 in South Africa, we were given a fitness programme to be followed plus I have been playing local games to remain in a good shape.”
On the mantra that the Bulls follow, Azhar said, “Our coach Darren Lehmann always says — one step at a time. Concentrate and channelise all your energies on the current game in hand and you will be able to perform well. We never get ahead of ourselves and that was crucial in our successful campaign in the IPL.”
While Gilly keeps his cards close to the chest, it will be interesting to see who opens with him on Saturday even as the Bulls get ready to fight out for the top honours in the Champions League.
Source::DC

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On-high Harmeet hungry for more

Hyderabad
Oct. 8: Harmeet Singh is a special cricketer. The Deccan Chargers have never lost a game whenever this tall mediumpacer was in the playing XI, statistic that may have prompted captain Adam Gilchrist to recall him for the semifinal and the final of IPL-2.
The Punjab youngster who celebrates his 22nd birthday today is a keen learner of the game and is yearning to continue the winning streak in the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 tournament. “IPL-2 is a superb chapter in my career. I want to carry that form into the Champions League,” Harmeet told this newspaper.
Harmeet began IPL-2 with a bang, getting Sourav Ganguly out with his second delivery (first to the former Indian captain) in Chargers’ opening match against the Kolkata Knight Riders. “It put a spring in my step. I’ve been watching Ganguly on television ever since I was a kid and to have him as my first victim was thrilling,” he says.
Harmeet subsequently faced tough time but the big names came to his rescue. “Playing alongside Gilchrist, Symonds, Laxman bhai, Rohit (Sharma), R.P (Singh) in IPL-2 has given me a lot of experience. I’ve learnt quite a bit about handling pressure in big match situations,” Harmeet says.
“The special thing about Gilchrist and Lehmann is that they never let you get bogged down. They are adept at taking the pressure off the players and keeping them at ease. That helps a lot,” he continued.
On the bowling front, “R.P has taught me so much. The way he bowls is brilliant — he got 22 wickets in IPL-2 to win the Purple Cap. It’s not easy to get those wickets in a T20 game. Also, Chaminda Vaas is very friendly and helpful. They always keep telling me a few finer points of fast bowling.”
Harmeet admits life can be difficult for quick bowlers in a T20 match as the batsmen try to go after them every ball. “But, fast bowling is all about handling pressure and using the variations according to the situations. You’ve got to have tremendous control if you are to succeed,” he says.
Ever the workhorse, Harmeet is always thinking on his feet. “I plan every ball I send down in an attempt to sort out the batsmen,” he says.
The best results are often achieved by sticking to the basics. “Line and length is my strength. I find it easy to frustrate the batsmen by keeping the ball in a disciplined range,” Harmeet says.
However, “speed, and a few variations like slipping in the slower deliveries as well as the yorkers to catch batsmen on the wrong foot,” are some of the weapons Harmeet wants to add to his armoury.
And he is in a hurry.
Source::DC

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Dominant Duminy derails RCB

Bengaluru
Oct. 8: J.P. Duminy struck a majestic unbeaten 52-ball 99 to power South African champions Cape Cobras to a thrilling five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening game of the Champions League T20 here on Thursday.
Set to chase 181, the 25-year old southpaw hit five towering sixes — including one in the final over — and eight fours to guide the Cobras home with two balls to spare. Duminy came in at a tricky situation when Herschelle Gibbs went off the first ball. Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Praveen Kumar bowled a gem of a delivery that sent the explosive opener back.
Andrew Puttick too didn’t survive longer as the Cobras skipper also fell to Praveen’s outswinger. With the openers back in the pavilion — the Cobras’ score reading 14/2 — a lot depended on Duminy and the left-hander answered his team’s cause in a spectacular fashion. For the little Duminy, it didn’t matter that he was playing in the Indian conditions for the first time. He paced his innings in such a way that he was at the end when Cobras reached the target. Needing two for his century and also for his team to win, Duminy showed team spirit when he took a single and gave the strike to Rory Kleinveldt, who finished off with a four.
Earlier, Robin Uthappa 51 (39b, 7x4 2x6) and Ross Taylor 53 (24b, 4x4, 4x6) set the stadium on fire with some amazing strokeplay that gave RCB the advantage going into the innings break.
Uthappa, the Kodava lad began tentatively, survived a dropped chance and swung and missed a few times, but later on played some delightful strokes. Until then the Cobras opening bowlers Langeveldt and Rory Kleinveldt had tested Uthappa with short balls, but the first-change bowlers pitched the ball too far up as Uthappa came into his element.
Uthappa struck two big sixes in a Monde Zondeki over, the second one bringing up his fifty, before he fell off the next ball. The right-hander sliced a fuller-ball to Gibbs, who held on to a sharp catch at point. Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli looked in fine touch, before gifting their wickets away. Much depended on the 25-year-old Taylor, and the Kiwi batsman used the long handle to good effect.
Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore 180/4 (Ross Taylor 53, Robin Uthappa 51) lost to Cape Cobras 184 for 5 (J.P. Duminy n.o. 99).
Source::DC

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Ready for T20, says confident Laxman

Hyderabad
Oct. 7: He is regarded as the best in the business and VVS Laxman looks fit and fresh as he takes guard for the T20 test which begins on Thursday in the form of Champions League. The Hyderabadi promises to put up a good show for the Deccan Chargers.
Speaking about his recent stint with Lancashire, Laxman said, “It is always great to play a county season in England as that not only keeps you match fit but gives you useful outing in the middle. They have a great set of boys who get along well and playing is fun.”
Laxman was part of the victorious Deccan Chargers side that won the coveted IPL-2 trophy in South Africa. When asked on the crucial element of that success, VVS said, “It’s a brilliant outfit and what is exceptional about this bunch is that most of them played IPL in South Africa on bouncy wickets. They adapted to those pitches quickly.”
He mentioned that playing in front of the home crowd will work in favour of the Chargers. “We will definitely have a home advantage when we play in Hyderabad. There is no added burden on us at all as we have tasted success and it is only a matter of carrying out the good work done by us in South Africa.”
On the likelihood of opening the batting with skipper Adam Gilchrist, VVS said, “Well, in the first edition of the IPL, I had opened for the Chargers and performed well. I am ready to contribute at any level for the team.”

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Back to basics for Chargers

Hyderabad
Oct. 7: It was back to the basics for the Deccan Chargers at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, a day after their four-wicket win against Otago Volts in a practice match at the same venue.
The shaky start for the current Indian Premier League champions meant that skipper Adam Gilchrist had to start the session with a pep talk with the boys before getting into the drill. The Chargers who were bolstered with the arrival of R.P. Singh looked sharp in the field — be it during the fielding sessions or while playing football. The second part of the session saw the bowlers wielding their willows instead of hurrying the batsmen. So, one witnessed RP, Fidel Edwards and Harmeet Singh playing shots and they did not disappoint. The regular batsmen then took over.
The Bulls will be a hungrier outfit facing Hyderabad XI in the practice game on Thursday at the Gymkhana grounds

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All set for champion stuff

Bengaluru

Oct. 7: A lot of water has flown under the bridge since the invention of the India Premier League. The Indian domestic league, with adequate foreign flavour, has not only changed the fortunes of the Twenty20 format but has also injected the entertainment quotient into the game of cricket.
It was at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy stadium that IPL kicked-off in a spectacular opening ceremony in 2008. Come Thursday, the stadium will witness another extravagant show as Champions League Twenty20 will take its first steps.
For sure, the buzz that surrounded the IPL is conspicuous by its absence but the format and the entire nature of the 16-day tournament, trust Lalit Modi for it, is such that it is set to lay the foundation for a long haul.
The tournament, which failed to take off last year due to the terror strikes in Mumbai, will witness three Indian and nine other teams, from seven countries battling out for the $2.5 million winner’s bounty on offer. Even though crowd-pullers like Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh will be missing as their IPL teams have failed to qualify for the event, the presence of top-class domestic teams from Australian and South Africa will add spice to the contest.
On Thursday, after a glitzy 35-minute opening ceremony scheduled at 6.45 pm, the tournament will kick-off with a match between IPL-2 runner-up Royal Challengers Bangalore and South African T20 champions Cape Cobras.
While both teams look equally balanced on paper, the Indian conditions and the slow pitches give a slight advantage to the Challengers.
Interestingly, the Anil Kumble-led side has four South African players — Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Roelof van der Merwe — and it would be interesting to see how they fare against their country-mates.
The Cobras, who are missing skipper Graeme Smith, can be ignored at one’s own peril. With the explosive Herschelle Gibbs and reliable J.P. Duminy in their batting line-up along with five more players who have played international cricket, the team will not be short of experience.

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Pak House to grill Younis over ‘fixing’

Islamabad
Oct. 6: Pakistan cricket captain Younis Khan, coach Intikhab Alam and Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ijaz Butt have been summoned to appear before their country’s parliamentary standing committee on sports for questioning regarding allegations that they deliberately threw the games against Australia and New Zealand in the just-concluded Champions Trophy in South Africa.
Pakistan captain Younis Khan has, however, denied the allegations. “We performed up to the mark, winning or losing is part of the game. When I said I tried to save my fractured finger (while taking a catch against New Zealand) I did not mean I deliberately threw the catch away,” Younis Khan said. The Pakistan skipper said his conscience was clear and that he would appear before the Parliament body with an open heart. “They can ask me whatever they want. I am clear and all the team members are clear.”
“There is a feeling that the (Pakistan) team lost deliberately to Australia (who later won the event) and then New Zealand (in the semi-final). We will investigate it and question the players and management (of the PCB),” said the chairman of the Pakistan National Assembly’s standing committee on sports, Mr Jamshed Ahmed Dasti. “There were clear-cut signs that the team did not want to win both the matches. We will dig out what was the cause of their under-performance,” he claimed.
Australia might not have qualified for the semi-final had Pakistan won against them and India could have advanced had they defeated the West Indies. The ICC will also investigate the charges of match-fixing in the Pakistan-New Zealand semi-final.

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Big-hit Rohit vows to rock on

Hyderabad
Oct. 6: Rohit Sharma may be out of the Indian team but is definitely not down. The middle order batsmen is in fact charting a new course to get back into the national side — the Champions League Twenty20 tournament.
Bowlers are bound to face the ire of this aggressive Deccan Chargers player as he prepares to turn the heat on to catch the attention of selectors who overlooked him. Rohit tried to play it down though. “It’s disappointing to be out of the national team but that’s part of a cricketer’s career and I’ll take it in my stride,” the 22-year-old told this newspaper on Tuesday.
“It’s not the end of my career — I have a long way to go, and if I do well in the Champions League, I am sure I will make my way back into the Indian team,” he added.
Is he itching to prove a point? “It’s always tempting but I don’t want to make a statement about my batting capabilities to anyone. I just want to go out there and enjoy my game, which in turn should result in good performances,” Rohit maintained.
“The Champions League is a huge platform for me, I will go all out to get big scores for my team, which is favourite to win the Cup,” an upbeat Rohit continued.
Asked about his preference in the batting line-up, Rohit said he was game with any slot. “At the beginning of IPL-2 I was batting up the order and subsequently moved down. I am ready to bat anywhere the captain and coach want me to,” he informed.
Rohit’s ability to adapt to various match situations was evident in IPL-2 where he pulled off improbable wins — blasting 22 runs in the final over including a last ball six against Kolkata Knight Riders to revive the Chargers campaign towards the end being a case in point.
“I love the pressure situations, they push my game to a different level... and when you deliver, the satisfaction is immense. I am looking forward to such innings in the Champions League as well,” Rohit said, mindful of his added responsibilities as vice-captain, batting mainstay, sharp fielder and breakthrough bowler.
However, the burden is lightened, courtesy faithful fans. “I love the Hyderabadis who have always supported us. In the inaugural IPL though we did not do well they were right behind us. I thank them for that as it powered us when IPL-2 came around,” Rohit said.
He vowed to do his best to make the city smile. “To be playing in Hyderabad is a special feeling. I’ve always done well here and consider it a lucky venue. I promise the fans that everyone of us (in the team) who is wearing a Deccan Chargers T-shirt will give our best to garner greater glory for Hyderabad,” he said.

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Spinners will hold key: Gilchrist

Hyderabad
Oct. 6: With the countdown for the cricketing extravaganza — the Champions League T20 — having begun, Deccan Chargers’ skipper Adam Gilchrist and coach Darren Lehmann shifted a gear in the IPL holders’ preparations on Tuesday.
Asked about the plan to fill the vacant opener’s spot left by Herschelle Gibbs (he will play for Cape Cobras in the tournament), Gilchrist said, “Well, we have a lot of players who could play a crucial role in the opener slot. We have guys such as VVS Laxman, Tirumalsetti Suman and Azhar Bilakhia who can do the job for us as they have been openers before... we will take a call on that but we have a healthy set of options with us.”
Gilly was candid in admitting that the burden of expectation will always be there but the team knew how to overcome that. “It’s (burden) always there, no two ways about it. But we also do know that we have to perform even better now and fulfill the expectations that the city of Hyderabad and the state has on us.”
Coach Lehmann pointed out that the role of spinners will be crucial in this tournament.
“We have Ojha (Pragyan) among our ranks who is the best in the business at the moment and is doing the job asked of him. He will play a crucial role as we have seen in both the editions of IPL. His role will be the key,” Lehmann said.
The discussion shifted to the role of Andrew Symonds in the side. Gilchrist said, “I don’t need to tell you what a class act he is. He has proved it to the world and is working extremely hard to be in his best shape possible going into the tournament.”
Everyone was keen to know the factors that led to the Bulls upsetting the favourites in the IPL to clinch a memorable victory. On a lighter note, Lehmann quipped, “The biggest factor was coach Darren Lehmann. Jokes apart, it’s the team. By this we mean, not just the playing XI but the entire squad with the support staff. We are a close-knit group and get along really well. Also, our management has been so supportive that we can’t ask for more and our performances this year has been a true indication of that.”

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India to seek inspiration from 2007 final

NEW DELHI
: Inspirational skipper Bhaichung Bhutia once again holds the key as India aim for a 2007 encore against Syria to clinch their second
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successive Nehru Cup title in the final of the five-nation football tournament on Monday.

Two years ago at the Ambedkar Stadium, the home team had beaten the Syrians in front of a 20,000-strong crowd to win their maiden Nehru Cup title after losing to the same opponents in their round-robin fixture.

Bob Houghton's boys will have to take refuge in the history books once again after losing their last round-robin league match to the Syrians, 61 places above India in FIFA rankings at 95th, on Saturday.

India did not start with five first XI players, including Bhutia, on Saturday and Houghton was satisfied with the performance of his boys but the fact is that Syria had been the better side in the tournament having won all their four matches while the hosts had also lost to Lebanon.

Houghton though is not losing hope and rightly too as the home team will be bolstered by the return of two of the best players in the tournament, Bhaichung Bhutia and Steven Dias, in the starting line-up on Monday.

Bhutia has been outstanding as he has led from the front in the two matches India won by opening scoring and spearheading the attack admirably well along with Sunil Chhetri.

Bhutia's presence in the Indian ranks will also infuse confidence in his team-mates.

The 'Sikkimese Sniper', in the running for the player of the tournament award having become man of the match twice, may come up with something special in the tournament during which he became the first Indian to have played 100 international matches.

Another star performer, Steven Dias, will also be looking to repeat his performance against Sri Lanka and with the return of right back Surkumar Singh, Bhutia and Chhetri are expected to be fed by those deadly curling crosses from the right flank.

It will be an interesting duel between the Indian frontmen and Syrian backline, which has not conceded a single goal so far.

Bhutia and Co. will have to do something extra to break through the Syrian citadel manned by two of the best defenders of the tournament, Ali Dyab and Belal Abdul Daim.

In contrast, India's Achilles heal has been the back four who have conceded some soft goals in the league stage. They have to work extra hard against Syrian star striker Mohammad Al Zino and midfielder Feras Ismail.

Houghton, seeking his third title in his just-over three year tenure as India coach, exuded confidence that his boys can beat the Syrians on Monday.

"Syria are a strong side. We have to lift our game on Monday to beat them. The good crowd and the good environment and I think we can beat them in the final," Houghton said.

Syrian coach Fajer Ebrahim is satisfied with the performance of his boys and was thinking of making amends for their 2007 final loss under his charge.

"We will play even better in the final as we will have the full squad," he said.

"This Indian team is not as good as the last time (in 2007). They are less active, not running much and lack fighting spirit," he added.

Ebrahim also knows the threat that may come from Bhutia, saying, "Our defenders will be much more intense as India will play Bhutia."

For the Delhi crowd though it will be the match they are waiting for, a game between full strength Indian and Syrian sides.

Enthusiasm of the fans has been even more than 2007. Two years back, fans turned up only from midway the tournament.

But this time, starting from the opening match between India and Lebanon, the fans have turned up to near capacity at in all the four matches involving the home team.

They are expected to fill the floodlit Ambedkar Stadium to the brim tomorrow as they had done on August 29, 2007, and a late monsoon rain could be the only dampener in what promises to be a high-intensity game.

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