Category: SPORTS

A strong comeback will be expected from India after the hammering from New Zealand in the series-opener when the two teams square-up in the second T20 International at Eden Park here on Friday.After suffering their biggest loss in T20 Internationals in terms of runs on Wednesday night, India don’t have a lot of time to introspect with just 24 hours separating the two games.It was the kind of day when nothing went right for India who let New Zealand amass 219 before surrendering meekly in the steep chase.Opener Tim Seifert…

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The deflating ODI loss behind him, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson Tuesday said he is excited about the prospect of testing unheralded players against a “top” team like India in the T20 series starting Wednesday.New Zealand have drafted in two debutants — all-rounder Daryl Mitchell and right-arm pacer Blair Tickner — in the T20 squad besides all-rounder Scott Kuggeleijen, who has played just one T20 and wicketkeeper Tim Seifert (8 T20s). The Kiwis lost the five-match ODI series 1-4.Williamson said with Martin Guptill ruled out due to a back injury,…

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A refugee footballer fighting an extradition request appealed for his freedom Monday, pleading “please don’t send me to Bahrain” as he arrived in shackles at a Bangkok court, which extended his detention by another two months.Hakeem al-Araibi, a Bahraini refugee and Australian resident, fears torture and even death if he is returned to his homeland. Araibi was convicted in absentia on charges of vandalising a police station in Bahrain, but says he was out of the country playing in a match at the time of the alleged offence.The player has…

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The Indian top-order struggled again in testing conditions before Ambati Rayudu and Hardik Pandya powered the visitors to a fighting 252 in the fifth and final ODI against New Zealand here on Sunday.India’s middle-order, which has been under scrutiny, delivered under pressure after the visitors were left gasping at 18 for four. Rayudu (90 off 113) and Vijay Shankar (45 off 64) shared a 98-run stand for the fifth wicket to lead India’s recovery before a spectacular cameo from Hardik Pandya (45 off 22) pushed India past 250.Pacer Matt Henry was…

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New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham Saturday heaped praise on Mahendra Singh Dhoni, saying that “you don’t have the game won until you have him out.” Before the ODI series in Australia, questions were raised over Dhoni’s waning abilities with the bat but he silenced his critics with three back-to-back half-centuries.Before missing out on the third and fourth ODI against New Zealand due to hamstring injury, the 37-year-old scored an unbeaten 48 and behind the stumps, he remains as sharp as ever. “His record speaks for itself. He is a fantastic player. I…

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Joe Burns stroked Australia’s first century of the summer Friday in a stirring fightback after they lost three early wickets against a second-string Sri Lankan attack in the first-ever Test played in Canberra.Australian skipper Tim Paine won the toss at the Manuka Oval and put his side in on a flat track conducive to batting, a gambit that looked to be paying off after some early wobbles.By tea, they had stretched their lead to 220 for three with Burns not out 107 and Travis Head on 91 in an ominous…

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Stand-in captain Rohit Sharma Thursday described India’s batting performance as “one of the worst in a long time” after the visitors were shot out for their seventh lowest ODI total in a shocking eight-wicket loss to New Zealand in the fourth one-dayer here.In the absence of talismanic skipper Virat Kohli, who has been rested after the side claimed an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, India’s much-vaunted batting was dismissed for 92 in 30.5 overs here with pacer Trent Boult (5/21) bowling a deadly opening spell. “One of our worst…

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US lawmakers introduced the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act on Tuesday with rare bi-partisan support to criminalize international doping fraud conspiracies, a week after the World Anti-Doping Agency decided against suspending Russia.The proposed law would attack US sponsorship and broadcast rights money for global sports events with US competitors to ensure fraud against Americans wouldn’t go unpunished, with penalties up to a USD 1 million fine and 10 years in prison.”Now is the time to create stiff penalties for Russia’s cheating and send a signal that Russia and other sponsors of state-directed…

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An imperious Novak Djokovic won a record magnificent seventh Australian Open title by routing Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 Sunday with a display of flawless tennis. The Serbian world number one dominated the Spanish second seed to win his 15th Grand Slam title in just 2hr 4min on Rod Laver Arena. It put Djokovic, 31, out on his own ahead of Roger Federer and Roy Emerson, who both won six Australian Open men’s singles titles. Djokovic dropped to the court and kissed the ground after vanquishing his greatest rival. No…

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Indian ace Saina Nehwal grinded her way to first final of the season with a combative win over China’s He Bingjiao at the USD 350,000 Indonesia Masters badminton tournament, here Saturday. The 28-year-old Indian, who was a runner-up here last year, notched up a 18-21 21-12 21-18 win over sixth seed Bingjiao, a world championship bronze medallist. Eighth seed Saina will now face either Spain’s three-time World Champion and reigning Olympic champion Carolina Marin or China’s Chen Yufei, seeded third, in the women’s singles summit clash of the World Tour…

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