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I’m pleased to confirm that I’ll be playing Fed Cup against Germany next month, if I’m selected. They have a strong team so I’m expecting a close and exciting tie. – Ana Ivanovic
bcci awaits government nod to resume cricket with Pakistan
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LAHORE STAFF REPORT
OME positive vibes are emanating from the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) with regards to cricketing relations with Pakistan. Rajiv Shukla, the vice-president of BCCI and chief of the Indian Premier League (IPL), speaking to The Times of India for an interview published Monday mention the Indian Board’s improved relations with its Pakistani counterpart, also asserting that the resumption of the bilateral series was only awaiting conducive environment or can be said the Indian government’s nod of approval. Answering to a question on the future of Indo-Pak cricket, Mr Shukla acknowledged, “The BCCI shares a good rapport with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)”. He further
said: “Whenever the atmosphere is conducive, we will play cricket with Pakistan”. To another question, whether the Pakistani coaches and commentators will face any problems during the forthcoming sixth edition of the IPL, Mr Shukla said: “Politics should be kept away from sport. As far as we are concerned, there won’t be any
problem.” This is all good news for people everywhere want the greatest rival in the game and the most followed rubber in cricket to engage with similar regularity as the Ashes. But forever hostage to geopolitical conditions, the cricketing relations between the two sub-continental nations have for long been an on-again, off-again
India claim series win over Australia at Mohali night because of back pain, joined Hughes at the crease and quickly helped himself to a couple of boundaries off Ojha. But it was a rare attacking highlight for the tourists as the pair set themselves to bat out time. With Clarke apparently affected by his back problem, though, he never looked comfortable and he fell to Jadeja for the fifth time in six innings as he got an inside edge on to his pad and was caught by Cheteshwar Pujara at short leg. Three overs later the normally reliable Aleem Dar gave Hughes, who had added 16 to his overnight 53, out lbw to a ball from Ravichandran Ashwin which was clearly missing leg stump. When Moises Henriques (two) and Peter Siddle (13) failed to stick around long and with Australia 143 for eight - 52 ahead - there was a possibility the match could be over before lunch. But Brad Haddin and Mitchell Starc, who scored 99 in the first innings, at least saw their side through to the interval.
MOHALI AGEnCiES
SCOREbOARd
India claimed a series victory over Australia at Mohali after the six-wicket win put them 3-0 up in the four Test series. Chasing just 133 in 36 overs for the win, time was always likely to be the biggest obstacle on day five, but they reached the target with two and a half overs to spare. After two devastating defeats, the visitors were more competitive but a disastrous morning session when they lost five wickets for 95 runs cost them dear. After resuming on 75 for three, Australia progressed to 170 for eight by lunch on day five, with a lead of 79, before the last two wickets put on 80 as Micky Arthur’s side made 223. Captain Michael Clarke (18) was out to Ravindra Jadeja for the fifth time in the series and Phil Hughes (69) was erroneously adjudged lbw soon after. While Australia certainly suffered some bad luck, the lack of fight in the lower-middle order was alarming and the news that vicecaptain Shane Watson was on his way back to India, having recommitted himself to the side, was surely welcome. Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon was the first man to go, caught behind off Pragyan Ojha, although he could have been caught at slip two overs earlier. Clarke, who had been unable to bat at his new elevated position of three the previous
AuSTRALiA 1st innings 408 indiA 1st innings 499 AuSTRALiA 2nd innings SPd Smith b Kumar 5 nm Lyonc †dhoni b Ojha 18 mJ Clarke* c Pujara b Jadeja 18 bJ Haddin† lbw b Ashwin 30 mC Henriques c & b Jadeja 2 Pm Siddle b Ojha 13 mA Starc c Ashwin b Jadeja 35 XJ doherty not out 18 EXTRAS (lb 3, w 1, nb 1) 5 TOTAL 223 FALL OF wiCKETS 1-2 (warner, 0.3 ov), 2-35 (Cowan, 7.5 ov), 3-55 (Smith, 13.5 ov), 4-89 (Lyon, 27.6 ov), 5-119 (Clarke, 45.6 ov), 6-123 (Hughes, 48.3 ov), 7-126 (Henriques, 51.1 ov), 8-143 (Siddle, 54.6 ov), 9-179 (Haddin, 71.1 ov), 10-223 (Starc, 89.2 ov) bOwLinG b Kumar 10-1-31-3, i Sharma 9-1-34-0, R Ashwin 31-9-72-2, RA Jadeja 16.2-6-35-3, PP Ojha 21-6-46-2, SR Tendulkar 2-0-2-0 indiA 2nd innings m Vijay st †Haddin b doherty 26 CA Pujara lbw b Lyon 28 V Kohli c Hughes b Siddle 34 SR Tendulkar run out (warner) 21 mS dhoni*† not out 18 RA Jadeja not out 8 EXTRAS (w 1) 1 TOTAL 136 did nOT bAT S dhawan, R Ashwin, PP Ojha, b Kumar, i Sharma FALL OF wiCKETS 1-42 (Vijay, 9.2 ov), 2-70 (Pujara, 18.2 ov), 3-103 (Kohli, 26.4 ov), 4-116 (Tendulkar, 32.1 ov) bOwLinG mA Starc 10.3-1-51-0, Pm Siddle 11-2-34-1, nm Lyon 5-0-27-1, XJ doherty 7-2-24-1 match details Toss Australia, who chose to bat Series india led the 4-match series 3-0 Test debut S dhawan (india) Player of the match S dhawan (india) umpires Aleem dar (Pakistan) and RA Kettleborough (England) TV umpire S Asnani match referee RS madugalle (Sri Lanka) Reserve umpire Rm deshpande
affair and its taking place has always been hugely reliant on the relations between the governments of the two countries. The statements of Mr Shukla are clearly indicative that the relations between the two Boards which were quite hostile during the Ijaz Butt tenure have indeed improved a great deal. The current dispensation, with Ch. Zaka Ashraf as the PCB chairman, was quite open about its desire to do facemending with the BCCI. Zaka Ashraf’s diplomatic endeavours, with help from the Pakistan government and President Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan visited India for a limitedovers series of five matches (two Twenty20 and three ODI matches), of which the green shirts triumphed in three. Now India is to reciprocate and come over to Pakistan – the precondition being ‘conducive atmosphere’, lack of which is holding it in abeyance, though the PCB is keenly desirous of the rubber to take place.
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SPORTS
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Tuesday, 19 March, 2013
england won on points, series evenly poised: mccullum WEllington: England ended the drawn second test at the Basin Reserve on Monday as a winner on points after rain washed out the entire final day, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said. McCullum’s side had reached 162 for two in their second innings after being forced to follow on, though they were still 49 runs adrift from making England bat again. Intermittent showers on the fourth day and persistent rain on Monday ensured the final match in Auckland later this week will be a series decider. “It was a draw at the end of the day and, I guess similar to the first test match. If it’s viewed as a points decision, I guess England will take this one,” McCullum said. “They dictated this one and we held on and showed some fighting qualities.” McCullum had actually won the toss on the first day and asked England to bat in the hope that the wicket would provide his seam attack with some assistance before it flattened out. The visitors, however, batted New Zealand out of the match on day one with Nick Compton and Jonathan Trott scoring centuries, and McCullum said he felt that his side had not performed as well as they should have. AGEnCiES