Category: SPORTS

Senior New Zealand player Ross Taylor has said that players from his country have benefited immensely by rubbing shoulders with the best players in the world in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and also lauded the ICC Test Championships.”I have been fortunate to play for a few teams (in the IPL) and play with great players. I think, there has been an aura around Australia, South Africa and a few of these teams.I think IPL helped New Zealand cricket sort of bridge that gap a little bit (between players),” Taylor…

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Amid rising diplomatic tensions with Pakistan, India’s national tennis federation is likely to approach the sport’s world governing body ITF, seeking a neutral venue for the Davis Cup tie against the neighbours which was originally planned in Islamabad.Following the revocation of the provisions of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir by the union government, which took away the state’s special status, Pakistan on Wednesday downgraded diplomatic ties with India. The Indian envoy in Pakistan was asked to leave the country.”It might affect the tie. It’s too early to say but…

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Skipper Virat Kohli doesn’t want to put undue pressure on young Rishabh Pant as he is the one for the future, who needs to be given some space to display his full potential.The 21-year-old, who is expected to fill Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s shoes in future, was widely criticised for his shot selection in the first two games but came up trumps in third T20 International with a cracking 65 not out off 42 balls, in the able company of his skipper.”We are looking at him (Pant) as the future. He…

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Mumbai, Aug 6 (DINN) The maturity to handle pressure situations was the recipe for their success at the Thailand Open after a brief downward spiral post last year’s Commonwealth Games success, emerging star shuttler Chirag Shetty said on Tuesday. Chirag and his partner Satwiksairaj Rankireddy last week defeated Li Jun Hui and Liu Yu Chen of China to win their first ever BWF Super 500 event. However the Mumbai lad remembers how the duo lost track having taken unnecessary pressure on themselves after winning silver at the Gold Coast Games…

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Birmingham, Aug 6 (DINN) Australia coach Justin Langer feels Steve Smith is at par with Indian captain Virat Kohli as the world’s best batsman after the comeback-man struck consecutive hundreds in the opening Ashes Test against England. Langer said it’s credit to Smith that he began his career as a spinner and later transformed into the best batsman in the world. “Let’s face it; when he (Smith) first came in, leg-spinner, unorthodox… (everyone thought) ‘I’m not sure this kid’s going to make it’. Then he goes away (and decides) ‘I…

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Birmingham, Aug 5 (DINN) Nathan Lyon took three wickets including the prized scalp of England captain Joe Root as Australia pushed for victory on the final day of the Ashes opener at Edgbaston on Monday. England were 85-4 in their second innings at lunch, needing a further 313 runs to reach an unlikely victory target of 398. But their more immediate task was to bat out the day’s remaining two sessions and deny holders Australia, bidding for a first away Ashes series win in 18 years, the six wickets they…

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New Delhi, Aug 5 (DINN) All the top players, led by Prajnesh Gunneswaran, were on Monday named in the Indian Davis Cup squad that will travel to Pakistan but the AITA selection committee chairman Rohit Rajpal said they will look into the ‘unavailability’ of Sumit Nagal. There was no scope for surprises with top singles and doubles players being automatic selection. Gunneswaran and Ramkumar Ramanathan will lead the singles challenge while Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan will make the doubles pair for the grass court tie, scheduled to be held…

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An impressive India debut under his belt, fast bowler Navdeep Saini said he could not believe himself when he was handed the India cap to play in the first T20 International against the West Indies here.The 26-year-old Saini starred in India’s 4-wicket win by taking three wickets for 17 runs on Saturday. He was adjudged man-of-the-match for his impressive bowling display which saw India restrict West Indies to 95 for 9.India made a heavy weather of the modest run chase before pulling off a 4-wicket win with 2.4 over to…

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Anirban Lahiri savoured another bogey-free day to add a second successive three-under 67 to be placed Tied-38th at the halfway stage of the Wyndham Championship, here. Lahiri, who needs a very good result this week to find his way back into the Play-offs beginning next week, had three birdies and no bogeys in his 67 for a total of six-under 134. He had a great day, finding 17 of the 18 greens. He also had 11 of the 14 fairways. However most of his iron shots were in the 15-28…

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Former India batsman Y Venugopal Rao Wednesday said playing alongside Sachin Tendulkar and against Pakistan were the highlights of his short international career.The 37-year-old Rao on Tuesday announced retirement from all forms of the game after playing 16 ODIs between 2005 and 2006, from which he scored 218 runs with the help of a half-century. “It is a privilege to represent the country. Only some 500-600 people have played for the country and I am one of them, which is a wonderful thing. Happy to have played alongside legends including Sachin…

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