Former champions Mohun Bagan travel here to take on Real Kashmir at the TRC Ground on Tuesday in a mid-table clash of the I-League season.

Both teams have played three games so far. Mohun Bagan are one of the three unbeaten teams in the league and are lying fifth while debutants Real Kashmir are at seventh place with four points.

Both teams have good support all around and it promises to be a battle of attrition in cold climes.

For the visitors, there would not be a better time to test some untested resources, given Kashmir have not looked like routing sides even at home yet. Youngsters like Azharduddin Mallick, William Lalnunfela and Shilton Dsilva, for example, have hardly got game time.

Abinash Ruidas has also been drafted in recently and coach Sankarlal Chakraborty will be tempted to use more of his young resources at this stage of the league than be caught unawares at critical junctures later. Either Dalraj Singh and Amey Ranawade can also be played at defence.

Sankarlal, however, did not appear to be planning to take any chances.

“The way Kashmir played the last game was really good. They have a good combination of both Indian and foreign players. Their defenders, midfielders are very strong. We hope we put up a good game against them and win the three points,” he said.

The forward line of Mohun Bagan with Cameroonian Dipanda Dicka and Ugandan Henry Kisseka remains lethal. To add to that the flair of Pintu Mahata and the possibility of Sony Norde joining the attack at any stage, will keep the host’s chief strategist David Robertson wary throughout the game.

“Hopefully, we find a balance between the game and the weather. I think we have played good enough in our last match. The biggest achievement for me is that Kashmiri people are coming to support us and are enjoying the environment,” opined the former Aberdeen and Queens Park Rangers man in a pre-game chat.

Scotsman Robertson has to make his team believe that they can score without over-dependence on Ivorian target man Gnohere Krizo. He will have to energise the likes of Danish Farooque and Farhan Ganie to put in better shifts in order to convert the possession they have been enjoying into results.

Centre-backs Loveday Okechukwu and Mason Robertson might want to do better with their height coming forward in set pieces. Kashmir also have the opportunity to test some of their untested reserves.

The likes of Nadong Bhutia, who scored a bunch of goals in Kashmir’s winning campaign in the second division last season is yet to get a game and there is talent in midfield with Nagem Tamang, Surchandra Singh and Shahnawaz Bashir warming the benches so far.

Kashmir are going to stay at home for a while now and it would be ideal to get as many players to get a taste of playing big teams before tougher assignments away.

Coach Robertson though also seemed in no mood of letting up, “Mohun Bagan are a strong team and we hope to create more chances against them. The problem will arise if we don’t create chances. The more chances we create, the more we have the opportunity to score. If we continue to play the game the way we are playing, we hope we can win.”

Mohun Bagan look the better side on paper, but given alien conditions and the grit that Kashmir has shown so far, it is likely to be a close game in front of a packed crowd.

Sankarlal summed up the task for his side and the spirit of the game at hand aptly when he said: “We are trying to cope with the weather and the synthetic turf. But the most difficult part is the Real Kashmir team.”

IANS

New Delhi Veteran boxer M.C. Mary Kom entered the quarter-finals while Sarita Devi lost her bout to crash out of the World Women’s Boxing Championship here on Sunday.

Mary registered a unanimous 5:0 win over Kazakhstan’s Aigerim Kassenayeva in the flyweight category (48kg). Sarita, on the other hand, lost by a 2:3 split decision to Ireland’s Kellie Anne Harrington in the lightweight 60kg category to bow out.

Apart from Mary, Manisha Moun, Lovlina Borgohain and Bhagyabati Kachari all marched into the quarterfinals on the fourth day of the championships.

In the first match, Mary started the first round on a positive note, landing a few punches and jabs without taking much risk.

The second round saw Mary displaying some attacking game. The veteran Indian boxer landed some powerful punches to take a much needed advantage.

In the third round, Aigerim tried to bounce back but it was too late as in the first two rounds she could not match the pace of the Indian boxer.

Mary will take on Wu Yu of China in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

Talking after the bout, Mary said: “Feeling good, the pressure is off. I always enjoyed boxing, it has been my life whether I train or compete in tournaments,” said the mother of three children.

In the 69kg category, Sarita lost a close contest. Sarita showed some great moves. Towards the end Sarita pulled a lot of punches and also landed it on the mark but the umpires decision went in favour of her opponent.

“I thought I got unluckier. Some points did not go my way. But I will continue to box as long as I can,” said a dejected Sarita.

Among other players, Manisha outpunched her way to upstage reigning world champion Dina Zholaman from Kazakhstan with a unanimous 5:0 decision in the 54 kg pre-quarterfinals.

Equally impressive was Lovlina in her 69 kg pre-quarterfinal bout against Panama’s Atheyna Bylon, former world champion.

In the last bout of the afternoon, Baghyabati proved her prowess, beating Germany’s Irina-Nicoletta Schonberger in a split verdict (4:1) in the 81 kg category.

(IANS)

Ahmedabad Pawan Sehrawat produced a terrific raiding performance as he led Bengaluru Bulls to 45-32 win over Jaipur Pink Panthers in Inter Zone Challenge Week of Pro Kabaddi League here on Sunday.

Sehrawat scored 19 points and two super raids by Rohit Kumar and Kashiling Adake laid the foundations for Bengaluru’s victory.

Jaipur Pink Panthers fizzled after a strong start with Deepak Niwas Hooda getting a super 10.

The first half saw both teams match each other stride for stride. There was little to choose from as in the 5th minute Deepak Niwas Hooda got a raid point to level it at 4-4.

The next couple of minutes saw Jaipur Pink Panthers put the pressure on Bengaluru Bulls as they opened a six-point gap. An all out was inflicted by Jaipur in the 9th minute as they led 11-5.

Bengaluru Bulls were jolted out of their stupor after the all out. Kashiling Adake made a brilliant super raid in the 13th minute as he scored four points to reduce the gap to just three points.

Bengaluru Bulls took the lead in the 16th minute as they inflicted an all out.

At the end of the first half, Bengaluru Bulls trailed 18-17.

The second half saw Bengaluru Bulls switch gears. First Rohit Kumar produced a super raid in the 22nd minute.

Pawan Sehrawat’s two-point raid in the 24th minute led to another all out on Jaipur Pink Panthers.

Anup Kumar was having a quiet match as in the first 30 minutes he scored just one point for Jaipur Pink Panthers.

Jaipur tried to make a comeback in the match but Pawan Sehrawat was having none of it.

Sehrawat got a super 10 in the 31st minute and followed it up a couple of more successful raids.

Jaipur’s fate was sealed when they suffered another all out in the 34th minute to trail 24-37.

Deepak Niwas Hooda did his best to get points for Jaipur and achieved a super 10. But it was a little too late as Pawan Sehrawat continued to plunder points to lead Bengaluru Bulls to a win.

(IANS)

For a country thats as cricket-crazy as India is, its amazing (read “really really unfortunate”), that the womens game, up until very recently, has got such little attention.

As I understood during the course of my countless interactions with women cricketers of our country across generations, more than anything else, it had truly been the lack of will and want on behalf of the various stakeholders of the sport, that kept the women’s game in oblivion for this long, more than anything else.

Diana Edulji, now member of the Committee of Administrators that runs Indian cricket, and former captain, recalls in my book “Free Hit: The Story of Women’s Cricket in India” how during the 2013 ICC women’s World Cup that was held in India, she’d seen a crowd of red T-shirts walking along Marine Drive, headed towards their hotel.

It was the Indian women’s cricket team, walking on the streets of Mumbai. They were not mobbed, as would have happened surely in the case of their male counterparts. In 2018, it’s impossible that a similar scenario will be repeated. And all it took for that to change was the team’s runners-up finish at the World Cup in England last year where they lost by an agonising nine runs.

This time around, at the T20 World Cup in the West Indies, Team India finds itself with yet another opportunity to create an impact and make a difference. India have never won a women’s World Cup, in any format. The closest they’ve got is in the 50-over format in 2005 and 2017. This time around, under Harmanpreet Kaur’s captaincy, they have a superb opportunity to change that. The blinder she played against New Zealand gave India just the start they needed.

Now that the team has reached the semi-final, the going gets tough. T20 is a difficult format to predict, and teams need to stay switched on for all 40 overs, else you never know when you lose your grip over the game. That makes pretty much all top six teams favourites to win the title. Australia, who have mastered this format better than the rest, and defending champions West Indies, who will be bolstered by the tremendous home support, will be the two big title favourites before the knock-outs begin.

India hasn’t made it to the semi-finals of the tournament in the last three editions (2012, 2014, 2016). They’ve changed that around already, and will be raring to take things forward from the last four. Coach Ramesh Powar, still relatively new in his job, has been speaking about putting pressure on players while training so as to help them avoid succumbing to it in match situations.

It’s heartening to see the amount of attention the team is getting. It would be interesting to see the viewership numbers from November 11, when the women’s team was playing Pakistan in the T20 World Cup, while our men were playing a dead rubber against West Indies. If one were to go by social media trends, the women walked away as winners!

There is no doubt then that there is now a healthy appetite for women’s cricket in India. And while the limelight and attention on the national team is every bit derserved, it’s the domestic game that’s crying for attention. The BCCI’s revised contracts this year have made things marginally better for the girls, but it is only a tiny drop in the ocean. The first step towards growing any sport, irrespective of gender, is at the school level. It is here that those who care for the future of the sport need to invest in. They need to introduce it, nurture it, and keep it alive. The board (state boards as well) has also never been very proactive about tapping rural talent, an absolute need of the hour too.

That having been said, no change can happen and should be expected overnight. Like the legendary Jhulan Goswami says, if you sow a seed today, you’re not going to wake up tomorrow morning and see it grow into a tree with fruits and flowers. That seed has been sown by this absolutely gritty bunch of women a year back, and slowly, but surely, changes are visible, even if it’s just at the top for the moment — pay hikes, a relatively improved calendar, and an effort to try and build a property like the hugely successful IPL for the women.

We called this book “Free Hit” because it best describes the condition Indian women’s cricket finds itself in at the moment. The girls are free, they are fearless and this time around, come what may, they’re going to remain unbeaten.

 Kings XI Punjab on Thursday parted ways with local boy and India’s 2011 World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh along with eight other players that include Australia’s limited overs skipper Aaron Finch, ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction next month.

The Punjab franchise have retained only nine players, that include captain Ravichandran Ashwin, their fiery opening duo Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul and their bowling spearheads in Andrew Tye and Mujeen Ur Rahman. The team has meanwhile, traded Marcus Stoinis for local boy Mandeep Singh.

“We have retained all core players. We have ensured that the balance of the squad is ensured. A lot of factors came in while retaining the players,” said newly-assigned coach Mike Hesson.

Yuvraj, who managed just 65 runs at a poor average of 10.38 in the eight games last season, was bought at his base price of Rs 2 crore in the previous auction.

Besides Yuvraj and Finch, left-arm-spinner Axar Patel is another name on the released list of the players. Interestingly. Axar was the only player to be retained by the team that was completely rejigged in 2017.

The other released players are: Mohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Barinder Sran, Akshdeep Nath, Pradeep Sahoo, Mayank Dagar and Manzoor.

Retained list for Kings XI Punjab: R. Ashwin, K.L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Andrew Tye, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Ankeet Rajpoot, Chris Gayle and David Miller.

Released: Yuvraj Singh, Aaron Finch, Mohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Barinder Sran, Akshdeep Nath, Pradeep Sahoo, Mayank Dagar and Manzoor.

Traded: Marcus Stoinis for Mandeep Singh.

IANS

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Thursday released big guns in former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum, all-rounders Corey Anderson and Chris Woakes while welcoming another all-rounder Marcus Stoinis ahead of the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction next month.

The Virat Kohli-led franchise traded in Australian Stoinis for Rs 6.2 crore from the Kings XI Punjab while giving away batsman Mandeep Singh for Rs 1.4 crore. RCB also traded out South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock to the Mumbai Indians for Rs 2.8 crore.

Besides the skipper, the franchise retained 13 others, including former Protea captain AB de Villiers and New Zealand quick Tim Southee.

The other retained players in the RCB squad are: Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Kulwant Khejroliya, Parthiv Patel, Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali and Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Commenting on the retained squad, RCB Chairman Sanjeev Churiwala said: “For the next IPL season, we have a 3-pronged player selection strategy. The first vector is to have a very strong combination of core team who can consistently deliver great performance on-field.”

“Secondly, we want to invest in more Indian talent including more local all-rounders. Lastly we want to invest in the future and hence will actively scout for Under-19 talent who we can nurture and provide a strong platform like RCB to grow,” he added.

Meanwhile, besides the trio of McCullum, Anderson and Woakes, young Indian batsman Sarfraz Khan was also released from the squad.

Retained list of RCB: Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Tim Southee, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Kulwant Khejroliya, Parthiv Patel, Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali and Nathan Coulter-Nile.

 India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja helped Saurashtra beat the Railways on the final day of Round 2 of the Ranji Trophy at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Thursday.

Chasing 186 to win on the final day after Railways put in a solid effort for 331 in their second innings, Saurashtra were in a spot of bother at 65/4, but Jadeja scored an unbeaten 48 to take his team home with three wickets in hand.

Jadeja first combined with an 86-run stand with Sheldon Jackson (54) to put Saurashtra on course and then, despite, losing two more wickets, used all his experience to see his team through.

Earlier, it was Jadeja’s 178 not out in the first innings that had propelled Saurashtra take a 148-run lead over the Railways.

The Railways were skittled out for 200 in the first innings with Jadeja bagging four wickets.

However, in the second innings, the Railways batted well and scored 331 riding Harish Tyagi’s 93 and Anureet Singh’s 44.

Jadeja again got three wickets in the second innings.

In reply, chasing 186 for victory, Railways’ Avinash Yadav dented Saurashtra claiming the first four wickets to fall, before Jackson and Jadeja put their team on course for a victory. Yadav finished with 5/88.

The win takes Saurashtra to nine points and to the top of the table for the time being.

In another Group A game, Manprit Juneja came good for Gujarat to help the side draw with Chhattisgarh.

Gujarat bagged three points to consolidate its position in second place in Group A after a first-innings lead proved crucial.

Gujarat, who had defeated Baroda by nine wickets in the opening round, are neck and neck on nine points with table-toppers Saurashtra, sitting with a higher net run-rate.

In Nagpur, left-arm spinner Jagadeesha Suchith’s nine for 103, his best bowling figures in first-class cricket, helped Karnataka bag three points against defending champions Vidarbha on the final day of their Group A game.

At the Motibaug Cricket Ground in Vadodara, Baroda bagged their first three points owing to a first-innings lead against Maharashtra.

In Group B, left-hander opener Aryaman Birla cracked his maiden first-class hundred to help Madhya Pradesh salvage a draw following on as Bengal had to settle for three points in their first home match of the season.

Scion of the Birla family, Aryaman was unbeaten on 103 in his third first-class match, while Shubham Sharma gave him fine support with an unbeaten 100 on the final day.

Bengal, who had a first innings lead in their last match in Himachal Pradesh, now have six points from two matches. Having taken a first innings lead over Tamil Nadu in the last match, MP now have four points.

Himachal Pradesh‘s Nikhil Gangta and Rishi Dhawan halted Delhi on the fourth and final day at the Feroz Shah Kotla to ensure a draw.

IANS

 Former skipper Mithali Raj once again came to India’s rescue with a fluent half century to help the women-in-blue post a below-par 145/6 against Ireland in their third match of the ICC Women’s World T20 at the Providence Stadium here on Thursday.

Mithali, who top-scored with a 56-ball 51, laced with 4 fours and a six, did not find a stable partner at the other end, thanks to some casual batting from her teammates and immaculate bowling from the Irish women.

In the process, the veteran right-hander also created a new record of being the highest run-getter for India in T20Is with 2283 runs. Rohit Sharma (2207 runs) is the second in the list, followed by men’s team skipper Virat Kohli.

Put in to bat, India got off to a steady 67-run start from Mithali and Smriti Mandhana (33 off 29 balls; 4X4, 6X1) before the southpaw once again departed after getting a decent start.

The young Jemimah Rodrigues (18 off 11; 4X3) got off to a brisk start and quickly added 40 runs for the second wicket with Mithali before being stumped off Irish captain Laura Delany’s bowling.

Thereafter, the in-form India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (7) and No.5 Veda Krishnamurthy (9) departed in quick succession, leaving India reeling at 127/4.

Mithali, however, waged a lone battle bringing up her sedate half century off 54 deliveries but perished soon, caught behind off Kim Garth.

Towards the end, Dayalan Hemalatha (4), Deepti Sharma (10 not out) and Radha Yadav (1 not out) failed to accelerate the scoring rate as India ended up with 145.

Brief Scores: India 145/6 (Mithali Raj 51, Smriti Mandhana 33; Kim Garth 2/22) vs Ireland.

IANS

 While the epic inning of 281 against Australia at Eden Gardens is what defines V.V.S. Laxman, but it is knock of 167 against the same team at Sydney which is close to the heart of the former Indian cricketer.

The stylish batsman revealed this at the release of his autobiography ‘281 and Beyond’ here on Thursday night.

Laxman, who shot to the limelight with a knock of 167 in 2000, believes this was closer to his heart as it was first international hundred and it gave him confidence and belief that he was capable of playing at the highest level.

“From 1996 to 2000, I never had a hundred. I never ever felt I was able to establish myself in the Indian team. If I had not got that 167, probably I would not have got another chance to play. The fashion in which I got these runs and against quality bowling on a challenging wicket and tough conditions gave me the confidence.”

“It removed doubts and apprehensions I had about my game. I started to feel that I belong to international cricket and that I can go out and perform against the best bowlers,” added Laxman in a chat with popular cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle.

Laxman, who retired from international cricket in 2012 after a career spanning 16 years, is known for his historic knock of 281 in 2001. His inning and record stand with Rahul Dravid, set up a stunning victory for India after following on.

Laxman believes this was turning point for his career and also in the fortunes of the Indian team.

He also revealed that this knock of 281 did not come as a surprise. Known as ‘Very Very Special’ in cricketing circles, Laxman said with the extensive fitness training and hard work, he was physically and mentally ready to play that kind of inning.

He did not agree with Harsha Bhogle that 281 trapped him as people started to have huge expectations from him.

“I learnt after the first 4 years of struggle at highest level that especially in our country you can’t afford to fall into a trap. Everyone will have expectations. I never played game to fulfill expectations of others.”

The event saw Harsha Bhogle in free and frank conversation with Laxman, his family members, former cricketers Arshad Ayub, Venkatapathi Raju and autobiography co-writer R. Kaushik.

Telangana’s Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao and badminton coach P. Gopichand also shared their views at the event attended by former cricketers, coaches and friends of Laxman.

Laxman, who preferred cricketing career over becoming a physician like his parents, said the toughest decision for him was giving up as an opening batsman.

In 1996 when Laxman was included in the Indian team he was announced as an opener. “I took it up as a challenge. It was one of the tough decisions,” he said.

When he was dropped in 2000, he joined the Hyderabad team and started playing first class cricket. “I told myself that I am going to lead the life as a first class cricketer. I decided I will work hard but I will never ever open the batting. It was toughest decision because there was no guarantee of getting into playing XI of India,” he said.

He recalled that at that time the middle order was packed with experienced players like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammed Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly.

Laxman represented India in 134 Tests, scoring 8781 runs at 45.97. He scored 17 test centuries, six of which came against Australia.

IANS

 Shuttler Kidambi Srikanth defeated his compatriot H.S Prannoy in an all-Indian men’s singles clash to enter the quarter-final of the Hong Kong open tournament here on Thursday.

In a marathon match of an hour and seven minutes, the fourth seed Srikanth edged past Prannoy 18-21, 30-29, 21-18.

After losing the first game, Srikanth bounced back in the second game in a hard-fought battle. The third game saw another intense battle between the two but Srikanth proved much better towards the end and wrapped up the issue.

Other Indian Sameer Verma also advanced as he got a walkover from his fifth seed Chinese opponent Chen Long.

In mixed doubles category, Satwik Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa crashed out of the meet losing to Lee Yang and Hsu of Chinese Taipei.

The Chinese Taipei duo defeated the Indian pair 21-17, 21-11 in just 37 minutes of play.

Later in the day, third seed P.V. Sindhu will face Sung Ji Hyun of South Korea in women’s singles match.

IANS