24
Sports
November 26-December 2, 2011
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Dravid crosses 13,000 runs, Sachin misses 100th ton Mumbai: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar's wait for his century of centuries in international cricket continued as he fell just six short of the landmark on the fourth day of the final Test against West Indies at Wankhede Stadium here. Tendulkar, resuming at overnight 67, came out aggressively and looked set to achieve the impending milestone. He struck three fours and a six to quickly reach the nervous nineties. But the ton eluded him as he was out to fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, caught in the second slip by West Indies captain Darren Sammy. Earlier, Rahul Dravid has become the second player in the world to score 13,000 runs in Test cricket, as as India were 398 for six on the fourth day of the third
Rahul Dravid missed his hundred by a mere 18 runs, though he crossed the thousand runs in the calendar year. and last cricket Test in reply to the West Indies' first-innings score of 590. Dravid missed his hundred by a
Butt and Aamer's appeals rejected
Pakistan's disgraced cricket trio London: Pakistan cricketers Salman Butt and Mohammad Aamer's appeals against their sentences for a spot-fixing scam were rejected. "The pair were not present at the Court of Appeal in London for the proceedings before the Lord Chief Justice and two other judges," BBC reported. Butt was jailed for 30 months while Aamer received a six-month term. Another fast fowler, Mohammad Asif, and cricket agent Mazhar Majeed were also jailed. They were sentenced over a plot to bowl deliberate no-balls in a Test match against England. The judges rejected a plea that
Butt's sentence was "manifestly excessive" and the argument that Aamer should have been given a suspended sentence. "Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge said if corruption continued, then the enjoyment of those who watch cricket would 'eventually be destroyed'." Butt was jailed for his role as the "orchestrator" of the plot to bowl deliberate no-balls in the Test at the Lord's cricket ground in London last summer. Aamer was detained for six months in a young offenders' institution after admitting bowling two intentional no-balls in the Test.
High time hockey got its due: Suneil Shetty Mumbai: World Series Hockey has announced Sporting Ace Pvt Ltd as owners of its Bangalore franchise. To be called 'Karnataka Lions', it will have Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty playing the role of chief mentor. Shetty, who has been associated with the cause of hockey in the past too - he was brand ambassador of the national game not so long ago - seems an ideal choice as he
also belongs to Karnataka (Mangalore, to be precise). "It's been all cricket in India till now, I think it's high time hockey got its due," Shetty added. Like cricket, Shetty wants hockey too to become a viable career option. "The game needs infrastructure, players need better salaries and exposure. I want this game to become a career option, like cricket."
mere 18 runs, though he crossed the thousand runs in the calendar year, and Tendulkar was still there batting on 67 and with him at
stumps was V.V.S.Laxman on 32. All the top-order Indian batsmen, barring Virender Shewag (37), got half-centuries, Dravid top-scoring with 82 (149 balls, 11x4) was involved in two good partnerships -- 71 for the second wicket with Gautam Gambhir and 86 runs for the third with Tendulkar. Gautam Gambhir (55) and Sehwag gave India the customary rousing start, knocking up 67 runs at over five runs an over, after offspinner Ravichandran Aswhin (5/156) picked up his second fivewicket haul as the West Indies innings came to a close within 15 minutes of the morning play. Sehwag brought up the 50 of the innings, greeting Darren Sammy with a huge six over the covers. Sammy, however, was rewarded for his accuracy in his third over
when he pitched it just short of driving length and it nipped back enough to rattle Sehwag's stumps. This was the third time the Indian opener was dismissed by the West Indies captain in the series. India were 74/1 at lunch break, and in the second session Gambhir and Dravid got going untroubled. Dravid reached the milestone of 13,000 runs with a classic drive for four off Sammy as he moved from 19 to 23. Gambhir reached his half-century with a lofted shot over mid-wicket off Sammy and a ball later struck the medium-pacer to the on for a four. Earlier, the West Indies, resuming at 575/9, survived just 3.1 overs before their innings folded up, last man Bishoo being bowled by Ashwin, who finished with five for 156.
Paes-Bhupathi to split at end of season Chennai: The 'Indian Express' duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will split again at the end of this season and would not compete together in the season-opening Chennai Open early next year, official sources said. "Paes and Bhupathi have decided to part ways at the end of this season. And Bhupathi would be pairing with Rohan Bopanna at the Chennai Open," M A Alagappan, president of Tamil Nadu Tennis Association, said. Paes was to partner Radek Stepanek but the latter has not yet promised his entry to the tournament so far, informed Alagappan, who is also the Organising Committee chairman of the Chennai Open. So, it is likely that Paes would either skip the event or pair with someone to be announced later. Paes and Bhupathi won the doubles title at the 2011 Chennai Open by
Paes and Bhupathi are the most successful Indian tennis doubles players with 23 Grand Slams between them. defeating the Dutch-American pair had been intense speculation that of Robin Hasse and David Martin they may part ways again. Paes and in the final. Bhupathi are the most successful Nearly a year after the pair had Indian tennis doubles players with got together after nine years, there 23 Grand Slams between them.
Shastri backs Bhajji for Australia tour New Delhi: Former India skipper Ravi Shastri has thrown his weight behind out-of-favor Harbhajan Singh, saying the offspinner should be included in the team for the upcoming tour of Australia as he has the "ability to get under their skin". Harbhajan has been off the selectors' radar after a stomach injury cut short his England tour during the second Test in Nottingham in July. He, however, recovered to lead the Mumbai Indians to the Champions League Twenty20 title in October, but was still ignored for the West
Indies series. But Shastri feels that Harbhajan should definitely be on the plane to Australia. "I will definitely call back Harbhajan. He's smelt the coffee against Australia more than anybody else. If you look at his record against Australia, it's better than anybody else," Shastri said. Harbhajan has failed to impress the selectors in the ongoing Ranji trophy in which he has managed to scalp only two wickets in three matches for Punjab at an average of 102.
Harbhajan Singh is going through a bad phase.