Category: SPORTS

St Petersburg, Jun 16 (DIN NEWS) England’s players have a clear idea of who will play against Tunisia on Monday and midfielder Fabian Delph believes they are ready to find another gear at this World Cup. Gareth Southgate’s team will go through a final training session on Sunday morning before flying to Volgograd, where they hope they can make a winning start in Group G. Among those facing anxious waits are Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson, both jostling to be England’s chief destroyer in midfield, while Ashley Young or Danny…

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Moscow, June 16 (DIN NEWS) Argentina were held to a draw by World Cup debutants Iceland Saturday, with Lionel Messi blowing a gilt-edged opportunity for victory when he missed a penalty. Sergio Aguero scored an eye-catching opener for the two-time world champions in the 19th minute but it was almost immediately cancelled out by Alfred Finnbogason, whose team then held on in the face of immense pressure. It was a major embarrassment for Argentina and raises questions about their ability to claim football’s biggest prize for the first time since…

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Moscow, Jun 15 (DIN NEWS) Lionel Messi’s Argentina aim to put a shambolic World Cup build-up behind them and make a statement in their opening match against tournament debutants Iceland today.The two-time champions arrived in Russia dogged by poor form, injuries and controversy. But Messi is a man on a mission as he chases his first World Cup winner’s medal and will not tolerate complacency against the minnows at Moscow’s Spartak stadium. “Iceland showed they could compete with anyone at the last Euros,” he said, referring to their giant-killing run at…

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Prague, Jun 15 (DIN NEWS) Sharmila Nicollet overcame a troublesome ankle to card four-under 68 in the first round of the AXA Czech Ladies Challenge on the LET Access Series, the second rung of the Ladies European Tour. Sharmila, who is dividing her time between China LPGA and Ladies European Tour, has also been playing on the LET Series whenever possible. She had six birdies against two bogeys and was Tied-second with Swaziland’s Nobuhle Dlamini and France’s Emilie Piquot.  The Indian is just one shot behind the leader, young amateur Tereza…

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Pune, Jun 14 (DIN NEWS) Former coach Lalchand Rajput, under whom Afghanistan had earned the Test status, said it is an emotional moment for the team as they play their maiden Test against India but only time will tell how they succeed in the longer format of the game. It is a historic test match and an emotional moment for the Afghanistan players. People and supporters of the Afghanistan team were looking forward to this great event, the former Afghanistan head-coach, under whom the country made rapid strides, told PTI over…

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Bengaluru, Jun 14 (DIN NEWS) Shikhar Dhawan today became the first Indian player to score a century in Test cricket before lunch, joining an esteemed list of former cricketers, including the legendary Don Bradman. The explosive Indian opener hammered 19 fours and 3 sixes as he reached his century in 91 balls on the opening day of the historic India-Afghanistan test match at Chinnaswamy stadium here. He became the sixth player in the world to score a century before lunch. Last year, Australia’s dashing opener David Warner scored 100 not out…

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Madrid (Spain), Jun 13 (DIN NEWS) In a disappointing start to the series, Indian women team was blanked 0-3 by hosts Spain in the opening match of the five-match series at the Consejo Superior de Deportes Hockey Stadium, here today. It was an evenly matched encounter between the two teams but the hosts were helped by the efficient finishing shown by Lola Riera (48′, 52′) and Berta Bonastre (6′) whose goals were enough to secure the victory. Spain dominated possession in the opening quarter as 26-year-old Bonastre found herself in…

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Bengaluru, Jun 13 (DIN NEWS) No longer a certainty in the shorter formats, India’s stand-in Test captain Ajinkya Rahane today said he will talk to the national selection committee in order to get a clearer picture about his mode of preparation for the upcoming Test series in England. After the one-off Afghanistan Test match, Rahane has nothing to look forward to as he has been dropped from the limited-overs side which is going to UK first. The Test series against England is scheduled to start on August 1 after a…

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Sochi, Jun 12 (DIN NEWS) Brazil attracted an army of excited youngsters — including one who managed to break onto the pitch for a selfie — as they held their first training session on Russian soil ahead of the World Cup. Around 5,000 locals turned out to watch the relaxed session at the Yug-Sport Stadium, next to the Brazilian squad’s hotel in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi. Tuesday is a national holiday in Russia and many fans opted for vantage points along the road leading to the stadium, while…

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New Delhi, Jun 11 (DIN NEWS) Top-ranked Indian singles player Yuki Bhambri today jumped nine places to 84 while Prajnesh Gunneswaran touched a career-best rank of 169 after climbing 14 spots on the ranking ladder. Yuki had crashed out in the first round of the French Open but made quarterfinals at the Surbiton Challenger to gain 30 points from the two events. The left-handed Prajnesh, who missed out on playing his maiden Grand Slam as ‘lucky loser’ at Roland Garros, has had a good first half of the season, winning…

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