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Sania-Martina clinch WTA Finals crown

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martina-sania

Singapore: Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis lifted their ninth title together this year beating the Spanish pair of Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro to clinch the WTA Finals women’s doubles trophy here on Sunday.

Sania and Martina, the top seeds, prevailed 6-0, 6-3 over their eight-seeded rivals in a lopsided summit clash, which lasted little over an hour.

Before this, Sania and Martina had won eight titles (Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, US Open, Guangzhou, Wuhan and Beijing) and finished runner-up just once (Rome – falling to WTA Rising Stars Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic).

The Indo-Swiss pairing dropped serve only once through the match and broke their opponents five times to wrap up a comprehensive victory.

Sania and Martina are now unbeaten in 22 matches, stretching back six tournaments. In fact, since their last defeat — to Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan in Cincinnati — they have dropped just two sets.

Muguruza and Suarez Navarro — late replacements in the draw after Casey Dellacqua and Yaroslava Shvedova’s withdrawal — were completely outplayed in the match.

“I feel like it was a perfect day. Sania just played out of her mind – she was everywhere today, getting everything back and playing incredible tennis,” Hingis said.

This triumph is especially huge for Martina as the trophy was her 50th WTA doubles title, a milestone only 15 players have reached (Martina Navratilova, Rosie Casals, Pam Shriver, Billie Jean King, Natasha Zvereva, Lisa Raymond, Jana Novotna, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Gigi Fernandez, Helena Sukova, Larisa Neiland, Cara Black, Rennae Stubbs, Wendy Turnbull and Liezel Huber).

Sania and Martina ended the year as the world number one women’s doubles team and the Indian tennis ace said a win in the WTA Finals is the perfect way to wrap off the year. “To play in tournaments like this is what we’ve fought all our lives for and it’s incredible to play in front of a packed stadium,” said Sania.

“We feel very fortunate. We’ve done some amazing things together and it’s the perfect way to end the year for us,” she added.

(PTI)

Sachin did not know how to make double, triple tons: Kapil Dev

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Kapil Dev

Dubai: Former India captain Kapil Dev says the iconic Sachin Tendulkar “did not know how to make double hundreds, triple hundreds and 400 though he had the ability” to scale such peaks and was “stuck in the Mumbai school of cricket”.

“Don’t get me wrong, but I think Sachin didn’t do justice to his talent. I always thought he could have done much more than what he did,” Dev was quoted as saying by the ‘Khaleej Times’.

“He (Sachin) got stuck with Bombay cricket. He didn’t apply himself to the ruthless international cricket. I think he should have spent more time with Vivian Richards than some of the Bombay guys who played just neat and straight cricket.

“Sachin was a much better cricketer but somewhere along the line he just knew how to score hundreds. He didn’t know how to make it a double hundred, or a triple or even 400s,” added the 1983 World Cup winning India captain.

The great all-rounder, under whose captaincy India won its maiden World Cup in 1983, said he would have advised Tendulkar to play like Virender Sehwag.

“He (Sachin) had the ability. He was technically sound but I felt he was there to get his hundred and that’s it. Unlike Richards, Sachin wasn’t ruthless, he was more of a perfect, or rather correct cricketer. Had I spent more time with him I would have told him ‘go enjoy yourself, play like Virender Sehwag’. You will be a much better cricketer.”

The 56-year-old Dev made these remarks before a select crowd at the Cove Beach Club at Jumeirah Hotel in Dubai alongside three other cricketing icons — Shane Warne, Wasim Akram and Ian Botham.

Spin legend Warne remarked that Tendulkar was special.

“He is a wonderful player and in my 20-odd years of playing, he is the best batsman that I played against. The expectations he was under and the skill he had against fast and spin. The way he judged the balls. He was great for the game of cricket and he was a fantastic and wonderful player. He dominated bowlers in the mid-90s and he was just outstanding against any bowler. He also played exceptionally well against Australia,” said Warne.

“I now see Sachin’s different side as I am now doing business with him. He is a wonderful friend,” he added.

Pace bowling great Akram regretted for having played much against Tendulkar.

“One of the regrets Waqar Younis and I had as a bowler is that we never played Test cricket against Tendulkar for nearly 10 years,” he said.

“We played against Sachin when he made his debut in 1989 when he was 16 and then, we played Tests against Sachin in 1999 in India. As Warne said, he was the best in the game and 100 international hundreds speaks volumes of his talent.”

When the former greats were asked to name the best they had played against, Kapil said: “I think Viv in my time is the best I have seen. More than his cricket, it was the way he played the game and his attitude. I loved to take his wicket all the time.”

Botham echoed similar sentiments: “Viv Richards is certainly the best player I have seen in all formats of the game. I don’t think there has been anyone better. I remember in Old Trafford we left him in the raps and Michael Holding came out to bat and 200 runs later, Richards was 189 not out — which was obscene. You bowl him outside the off stump with a packed field, and he will flick you into the grandstand on the leg side. He never read the MCC coaching annual.”

Akram added: “When I started out, it was the great Viv Richards and the Little Master Sunil Gavaskar. I got out him out only once. In the 90s, it was (Brian) Lara and Tendulkar.”

(Agencies)

South Africa trounce India by 214 runs to win ODI series

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South Africa

Mumbai: South Africa defeated India by 214 runs in the fifth and final One-Day International (ODI) match at the Wankhede Stadium here on Sunday to clinch the series 3-2.

Faf du Plessis (133 retired hurt), AB de Villiers (119) and Quinton de Kock (109) lofted the visitors to a massive score of 438/4 in 50 overs.

All the Indian bowlers suffered under the Protean onslaught — with Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceding the maximum 106 runs off 10 overs claiming a solitary wicket.

In reply, despite a fighting 58-ball 87 from local batsman Ajinkya Rahane and 59-ball 60 from Shikhar Dhawan, India were bowled out for 224 in 35.5 overs.

(IANS)

Ranji Trophy: Ugly scene at Kotla as Gambhir, Tiwary nearly exchange blows

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Gambhir-Tiwary

New Delhi: There were ugly scenes at Feroz Shah Kotla ground as rival captains Gautam Gambhir and Manoj Tiwary nearly came to exchanging blows during the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Bengal, here on Saturday.

Situation came to such a pass that umpire K Srinath had to come between the two players as Gambhir moved towards Tiwary to hit him and he also came charging at the Delhi skipper.

In fact in an unprecedented ugly gesture, Gambhir even pushed umpire Srinath, who was trying to get him out of the way to hit Tiwary.
Touching umpire is a grave offence in cricket, which could invite a ban.

The incident happened in 7.1 over when Partha Sarathi Bhattacharjee got out of Manan Sharma’s bowling and Tiwary came in to bat at No. 4 wearing a cap.

Tiwary first took guard and was about to take strike. But he stopped the bowler and signalled at the dressing room to bring his helmet as a pacer was operating from the other end.

Delhi players felt that it was a deliberate time wasting tactic.

Manan ticked off Manoj and he told him to lay off. All of a sudden, Gambhir, at first slip, got into the action and started abusing the Bengal skipper, who then retaliated.

Suddenly all hell broke loose as Gambhir said: “Shaam ko mil tujhe maroonga (Meet me in the evening, I will hit you). And Tiwary retorted, saying: “Shaam kya abhi bahar chal (Why wait till evening, let’s go out and settle it now”).

Umpire Srinath then sprinted from bowler’s end.

Gambhir with his fists raised charged towards Tiwary, who was also not ready to back down. Umpire Srinath came in the middle, but Gambhir to everyone’s horror pushed the umpire trying to get him out of the way.

Manoj was then seen shouting at Gambhir, saying: “Did I tell you anything? Why did you have to come in between.”

Both Tiwary and Gambhir will be summoned by the match referee Valmick Buch.

(PTI)

Saina Nehwal loses to Ratchanok in French Open quarters

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Sania-Nehwal

Paris: Leading Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal suffered a stunning defeat in straight games against Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand in the women’s singles quarter-finals of the $275,000 French Open Super series here on Friday.

Top seed and world No.2 Saina lost 9-21, 15-21 in 39 minutes against 2013 world champion Ratchanok at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin to bring an end to the Indian campaign at the tournament.

With this win, 20-year-old world No.7 Ratchanok improved her head-to-head record to 4-6 against the 25-year-old Olympic bronze medallist and 2015 World Championships silver medallist.

Saina was not at her best on Friday and Ratchanok pounced on every mistakes and weaknessess shown by the Indian.

The Thai held a 6-4 lead initially that swelled to 10-5 as she bagged four consecutive points. Ratchanok employed her trademark deceptive shots and Saina had no answer to them. She was not good at net-play and movement, too.

This allowed Ratchanok to snatch eight points on the trot to hold an 18-5 lead and later win 21-9.

She continued the momentum in the second game and dominated Saina from the outset. A 4-0 lead at the beginning meant Saina always trailed her. Ratchanok stamped her authority to race to an 11-5 lead at the break.

Saina played a bit better after the break. She collected 10 points – the same as Ratchanok – after the break.

But there was not stopping the three-time former world junior champion Ratchanok as she pocketed the second game 21-15 and entered the semi-final.

(IANS)

India win 4th ODI against S Africa by 35 runs, level series

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Harbhajan Singh celebrating the wicket of South Africa's Quinton de Kock during the fourth ODI at M A Chidambaram Stadium. Photo: PTI

Harbhajan Singh celebrating the wicket of South Africa’s Quinton de Kock during the fourth ODI at M A Chidambaram Stadium. Photo: PTI

Chennai: Powered by a superb ton from Virat Kohli, India defeated South Africa by 35 runs in their fourth and penultimate ODI at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Thursday.

Coming in at the fall of Rohit Sharma, Kohli was part of a couple of crucial 100-plus partnerships with Ajinkya Rahane and Suresh Raina to help the hosts amass a total of 299/8 in 50 overs.

In reply, South Africa could only manage to score 264/9 despite a defiant century from AB de Villiers who scored 112 off 107 deliveries.

With this win, India levelled the five-match series 2-2.

(IANS)

Kohli’s 138 propels India to 299/8 in 4th ODI

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virat-kohli

Chennai: Virat Kohli’s 138 powered India to 299/8 in 50 overs against South Africa in their fourth One-Day International (ODI) at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Thursday.

Kohli, who scored his 23rd ODI ton, was involved in two 100-plus partnerships with Ajinkya Rahane (45) and Suresh Raina (53).

For the visitors, opening pacers Kagison Rabada and Dale Steyn took three wickets each, while Chris Morris picked up one.

(IANS)

World Kabaddi Cup cancelled in wake of desecration of Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab

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Punjab Deputy Chief Minister said he had taken the emergent decision to cancel the Kabaddi Cup in the wake of the recent incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.

Representational Image

Representational Image

Chandigarh: Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday announced cancellation of the sixth edition of the World Kabaddi Cup scheduled to be held in the state from November 14 to 28, in the wake of incidents of sacrilege and protests over them in the state.

Announcing this here, the Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the sports portfolio, said he had taken the emergent decision to cancel the Kabaddi Cup in the wake of the recent incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.

“Kabaddi symbolises the spirit of the Punjabis and their quest for excellence in rural sports. At a time when the entire Sikh community is shell-shocked with grief at the ghastly manner in which Guru Granth Sahib has been desecrated, holding such a tournament is not appropriate,” he said.

Sukhbir said the feelings of the entire Punjabi community had been outraged after the “ghastly incidents of sacrilege”.

“My feelings too have been outraged and my conscience is not allowing me to preside over a tournament at a time when the Sikh community in India and all over the world is in grief over the ghastly acts of sacrilege,” he said.

A series of incidents of desecration of the Sikh holy book followed by protests by religious orgainsations, including hardliners, has put Punjab on boil recently.

(PTI)

Virender Sehwag ‘The Sultan of Multan’ retires from international cricket

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Virender Sehwag

New Delhi: One of India’s greatest opening batsmen Virender Sehwag announced on Tuesday that he will be retiring from all forms of international cricket and Indian Premier League (IPL).

Sehwag, celebrating 37th birthday today, had already hinted about his imminent retirement at a function in Dubai yesterday and he took barely a few hours to make it official.

“I hereby retire from all forms of international cricket and from the Indian Premier League,” Sehwag tweeted.

The decision comes after Sehwag signed up to play in the next year’s Masters Champions League 2020, where only retired cricketers can play. Sehwag was unveiled at the launch ceremony of the veterans 2020 league in Dubai.

Sehwag’s decision comes barely a few days after one of his contemporaries Zaheer Khan decided to call time on his career. Sehwag had not been in the Indian team since 2013 and had not been in the reckoning either.

An outstanding career

In a glorious international career spanning over 12 years, Sehwag played 104 Tests scoring 8586 runs at an impressive average of 49.34, hitting 23 centuries and 32 half-centuries.

He is the only triple centurion in Tests for India having scored a career-best knock of 309 against Pakistan at Multan, which also is an Indian record. He is also one of those rare batsmen to have scored two triple tons with his next one (319) coming against South Africa.

In 251 ODIs, he accumulated 8273 runs at an average of 35.05 and scored 15 hundreds apart from hitting 38 fifties.

In 19 Twenty20 Internationals, he managed 394 runs with two half-centuries.

He has been a part of two World Cup winning teams under Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s leadership, 2007 World T20 in South Africa and the ICC ODI World Cup in India.

His next innings

Sehwag is going to feature in the 2016 Masters Champions League (MCL) whose rules clearly state that only retired players can participate.

At the MCL launch function here on Monday, Sehwag stressed that if he is not going to feature in India’s international scene, he will retire soon.

“If I am not retired I will not be able to play (in the tournament). I will go back to India and announce my retirement. It is not official yet. I am playing first class and not international cricket,” Sehwag told a news channel.

His batting was also instrumental in helping India win the 2011 World Cup at home. He is also the only batsman along with Don Bradman, Chris Gayle, Brian Lara to have scored a triple century twice in Test matches.

Full text of Sehwag’s statement:

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the report of my retirement yesterday was exaggerated! However. I have always done what I felt was right and not what conformists thought to be right. God has been kind and I have done what I wanted to do – on the field and in my life and I had decided some time back that] will retire on my 37m birthday. So today, while I spend my day with my family. I hereby announce my retirement from all forms of International Cricket and from the Indian Premier League.

Cricket has been my life and continues to be so. Playing for India was a memorable journey and i tried to make it more memorable for my team mates and the Indian cricket fans. I believe that I was reasonably successful in doing so. For that, I wish to thank all my team mates over the years – some of the greatest players of the game. I would like to thank all my Captains who believed in me and backed me to the hilt. I also thank our greatest partner, the Indian cricket fan for all the love, support and memories. I have also played against a lot of great players and it was an absolute pleasure and honour to do so. It was possibly the greatest motivation there was to play to the best of my ability. I have lived my dream and played at the finest of cricket grounds across the globe and I want to thank the groundsmen, clubs. associations and everyone who painstakingly prepare the arena for our performances.

I miss my father today. he was there when the journey started and I wish he could have been there today as well but I know I made him proud and wherever he is today, he is watching me with pride. I want to thank my coach, Mr. A.N. Sharma sir who was possibly the only coach who could have groomed me into the player that I became, I would probably have struggled to play for my school under any other coach. My mother. my wife Aarti and my children Aryavir and Vedant are my biggeststrength and their presence in my life keeps my mind without fear and head held high.

I would like to thank the BCCI for all its support over the years. The work that the BCCI does at such a scale is phenomenal and it has had some fine administrators over the years who have led the Board in developing the game. appreciating the contribution of players and have brought a lot of benefit to the players. I would also like to thank the Delhi and District Cricket Association and particularly Mr. Arun laitley who always supported me and sought our feedback and implemented what the players wanted and his presence ensured that I always had someone to rely upon personally and for the furtherance of the game’s best interest in Delhi.

I would like to thank everyone at the liaryana Cricket Association who have welcomed me with so much love and affection and it is really exciting to work with some really talented youngsters. I would especially like to thank Chaudhary Ranbir Singh Mahendra who has always had words of motivation for me during the toughest of times and l have felt safe in the knowledge that I can always turn to him for well considered advice which I value immensely.

I would also like to thank the Delhi Daredevils and the Kings XI Punjab, the franchisees that I represented. for believing in me and letting me be a part of them. l always gave my best for my team and consider myself fortunate to play with some brilliant players in the IPL.

I would also like to thank the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC). Very little is known about the effort they put in to promote sportsmen and sportswomen across various disciplines. ONGC gave me the security to pursue my game and the organization will always have a special place in my heart.

I must also add that l have enjoyed every Press conference and every interaction with the members of the media through out my international career and the presence of lndian media on foreign tours has left some very pleasant memories that I shall always cherish.

I want to thank all my sponsors for believing in me and all the bat manufacturers that have been associated with me over the years for providing me the willow that I love.

I want to tell everyone at the Sehwag International School. lhaijar that I now hope to have a higher frequency of visits to the campus to be with you all.

I also want to thank everyone for all the cricketing advice given to me over the years and apologise for not accepting most of it! I had a reason for not following it; I did it my way!

Jadeja recalled to Test squad, replaces Harbhajan

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Harbhajan Singh

New Delhi: India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who had fallen out of favour with the national selectors, has been recalled to the squad after a gap of around 14 months for the first two Tests against South Africa, starting on November 5.

What prompted his inclusion was that Jadeja scored 149 runs and picked up 24 wickets in the two Ranji Trophy games he has played for Saurashtra so far this season. However, veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has been left out of the Test outfit.

Harbhajan is getting married to his long-time girlfriend, actress Geeta Basra, reportedly on October 29.

Harbhajan, who was sidelined from the Test squad since March 2013, made a comeback against Bangladesh earlier this year in June.

He played the one Test there and then featured in the first Test against Sri Lanka in the island country but he did not help his cause as he grabbed only one wicket from the 25 overs he bowled. He was out of the team for the second and third games of the three-match Test series.

Though offie Ravichandran Ashwin is still recovering from a side strain, he has been selected in the 16-member Test squad.

Fast bowler Ishant Sharma has been included too for the Tests but he will have to sit out the first contest as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended him for a Test owing to his bad behaviour during India’s tour to Sri Lanka.

The selectors have made only one change for the remaining two One-Day Internationals (ODI) against South Africa, replacing Umesh Yadav with Sreenath Arvind, who played in the three-match Twenty20 International series which India lost 0-2.

India currently trail the ODI series 1-2 with the fourth match to be played on Thursday in Chennai.

The squads:

India ODI squad for last two matches: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain, wicketkeeper), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Axar Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Mohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sreenath Arvind, Stuart Binny, Ambati Rayudu, Gurkeerat Mann.

India Test squad for first two games: Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Lokesh Rahul, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Ishant Sharma.

Board President XI: Cheteshwar Pujara, Lokesh Rahul, Unmukt Chand, Karun Nair, Shreyas Iyer, Naman Ojha, Hardik Pandya, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Nathu Singh, Karn Sharma, Sheldon Jackson.

(IANS)

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