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Shane Warne: If Stokes did what Ashwin did, to Kohli, would it be ok?

4 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Australian spin legend and Rajasthan Royals brand ambassador Shane Warne has come down heavily on Ravichandran Ashwin for 'Mankading' Jos Buttler in an IPL match here, calling his action "disgraceful" and against the spirit of the game. Buttler was going strong at 69 off 43 balls and Rajasthan steady at 108-1 while chasing 185 but the unusual dismissal proved to be a game-changer and Kings XI eventually defeated the Royals by 14 runs. A livid Buttler had a heated exchange with Ashwin before leaving the field and the incident sparked the 'Spirit of Cricket' debate. "So disappointed in @ashwinravi99 as a Captain & as a person. All captains sign the #IPL wall & agree to play in the spirit of the game. RA had no intention of delivering the ball - so it should have been called a dead ball. Over to u BCCI - this a not a good look for the #IPL," Warne wrote in his twitter handle. "Ashwin's actions were simply disgraceful, and I hope the BCCI doesn't condone this sort of behaviour ..
                 

Ashwin's 'Mankading' controversy sparks debate on 'spirit of cricket'

4 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Jos Buttler has now been 'Mankaded' twice in his senior competitive career while Ravichandran Ashwin has hit the 'Bull's Eye' in his second attempt after an aborted one seven years back. The two protagonists in the latest episode of 'Mankading and the ensuing Spirit of Cricket debate', have been there and done that. On February 21, 2012, during a Commonwealth Bank series game against Sri Lanka in Brisbane, Ashwin had 'Mankaded' non-striker Lahiru Thirimanne for backing up too far. However, seniormost player Sachin Tendulkar was seen having a word with stand-in captain Virender Sehwag, who then withdrew the appeal against Thirimanne. Ashwin was a junior player back then but believed that he was well within his rights to dismiss Thirimanne but seniors in the team thought otherwise. That his stand has remained the same was evident on Monday night when he 'Mankaded' Buttler at a critical stage of a high-stakes IPL encounter. As far as Buttler is concerned, he also has not deviated fr..
                 

It was instinctive: Ashwin unapologetic after Mankading Buttler

7 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Unapologetic about 'Mankading' Jos Buttler in an IPL match here, senior Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said his decision was "instinctive" and cricket laws should be reconsidered if what he did was against the 'spirit of the game'. Kings Xi Punjab captain Ashwin, in a match against Rajasthan Royals on Monday, 'Mankaded' rival batsman Jos Buttler, triggering a debate on 'spirit of the game'. In a first in 12 editions of the IPL, Ashwin ran out a rampaging Buttler, who was at the non-strikers' end, on his delivery stride in the 13th over, an action popularly known as 'Mankading'. TV replays showed that Ashwin had waited for Buttler to move out of the crease before removing the bails. "Look it was very instinctive. It wasn't planned or anything like that. It's there within the rules of the game. I don't know from where the understanding of the Spirit of the Game comes," Ashwin said at the post-match press conference. The mode of dismissal is permissible as per ICC Rule 41.16 o..
                 

Conor McGregor announces retirement from MMA

8 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Conor Mcgregor, the Irish UFC star, on Tuesday, announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). "Hey guys quick announcement, I've decided to retire from the sport formally known as "Mixed Martial Art" today. I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in the competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas," McGregor posted on his Twitter account. McGregor, the former two-division UFC champion, last fought at UFC 229 in October, falling in a lightweight title fight to Khabib Nurmagomedov by fourth-round submission. He was suspended and fined by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC) after that fight for his alleged role in a post-bout scuffle. But he was eligible to compete again next month once his suspension got over. Earlier, This month McGregor was arrested in Miami for allegedly smashing the phone of a man who was trying to take a photo of him outside a hotel. The MMA star is being sued by the same m..
                 

Nikki Bella announces retirement from WWE

8 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Actress-wrestler Nikki Bella has announced her retirement from the WWE. On the show "Total Bellas", Bella announced her decision saying she wanted to explore some new arena in her life, reports foxnews.com. "The (European) tour was good but I feel like I'm too old for the travel, the travel was really rough. I was like, 'Why am I doing this? I don't feel good.' The girls are doing amazing things over there. I really am ready to hang up the jersey, I can say it fully." The 35-year-old now happily wants to put her WWE jersey away to focus on other things. "It's making me realize I am ready to fold the jersey and put it away. I'm ready to put the kicks aside and I'm ready to take Nikki Bella into a different direction." Bella made her WWE debut back in 2007, her SmackDown debut with her twin sister, Brie Bella was in 2008, and has won the Divas Championship twice. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest ..
                 

Can Rishabh Pant go one up on MS Dhoni tonight?

9 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
The shrewd tactician in Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be plotting a rampaging Rishabh Pant's downfall when Chennai Super Kings face Delhi Capitals in an Indian Premier League encounter on Tuesday. It will be a battle where experience will be pitted against youth and astuteness will square off against flamboyance when the King faces his heir apparent on what is expected to be another sluggish Feroz Shah Kotla track. Pant has once again set the tone with a magnificent 78 off 27 balls in Delhi Capitals' 37-run away win against Mumbai Indians. CSK, with their experience of winning important moments, will certainly make Capitals wary.However, Chennai Super Kings will be a different challenge for the Capitals, who don't have an enviable record against Dhoni's men at their home ground. The nature of the Kotla track makes CSK favourites with their spin troika of Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja and Imran Tahir having already hit the straps in the low-scoring opener against the Royal Challenger..
                 

Baseball legend Alex Rodriguez hails Hustler Jennifer Lopez

11 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Other sports  
American baseball great Alex Rodriguez yesterday shared an emotional post on social media as his fiancee and actor Jennifer Lopez geared up to begin shooting for her next film — Hustlers. He posted this picture (left) on Instagram and wrote: "This beautiful woman starts shooting her movie tomorrow, Hustlers. I won't play spoiler, but I can't wait until you all see how she transforms herself into a completely different character! She's been working so hard lately. I'm glad we were able to enjoy a quick little break before she dives into this new project. Love you baby and continue to shine, fly high and inspire all of us. @jlo #hustlers." The couple got engaged earlier this month after dating for almost two years. Lopez was earlier married to Ojani Noa, Cris Judd, and Marc Anthony, while Rodriguez settled his divorce case with Cynthia Scurtis in 2008. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest update..
                 

Cardiff won't pay for late Sala's transfer

13 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
Cardiff are set to tell FIFA that the £15 million ($19.8m, 23m euros) deal they agreed to pay Nantes for Emiliano Sala became "null and void" after he died in a plane crash, a report said on Monday. The 28-year-old Argentine forward was killed when the small plane carrying him came down in the Channel on January 21, two days after he completed his transfer from the French Ligue 1 side. The Daily Telegraph said Sala signed a contract with Cardiff that was rejected by the Premier League and died before a revised one could be signed, adding that there is a dispute about whether he had agreed to sign a new deal. According to the report, a source close to Cardiff said the agreement stipulated that Welsh and French football authorities had to confirm to both clubs that Sala "has been registered as a Cardiff City FC player and that the player's International Transfer Certificate has been released". The source said this had not happened before Sala died. "The transfer agreement ..
                 

IPL 2019: Ricky Ponting lauds David Warner's 85 for Sunrisers Hyderabad

13 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Former captain Ricky Ponting yesterday lauded David Warner's impressive batting on return to the Indian Premier League, terming the knock a "great sign for Australia" ahead of the World Cup. Warner hit 85 off 53 deliveries on his IPL comeback on Sunday after missing the previous edition of the Twenty20 tournament along with former captain Steve Smith due to a ball-tampering controversy. His innings though was not enough for Sunrisers Hyderabad, who lost the match to Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets, but Ponting praised the left-handed opener. "I spoke to him this morning, he said he was happy enough with the way that he played," Ponting, who is coach of IPL side Delhi Capitals, told reporters. "He still felt he was scratchy, wasn't quite there yet, which I guess is pretty understandable. "I actually felt that he might struggle in the first part of this tournament coming off not a very high standard of cricket over the past 12 months," said the batting great, who admitted to have ..
                 

'Rishabh Pant turning his X-factor into match-winning performances'

13 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Not only as a player, Rishabh Pant has matured tremendously as a person in the last one year and the knock against Mumbai Indians is one of the many he will play in coming years, said Delhi Capitals coach Ricky Ponting. Pant, Daredevils' top scorer last season, has set the tone with a blistering 78 off 27 balls against Mumbai Indians during his team's 37-run win in Mumbai on Sunday night. "I have seen Rishabh mature in his game and as a person and that won't be the only game he wins for DC. He will win many more games for sure," a proud coach said on the eve of Delhi's match against Chennai Super Kings here. Ponting said while he always knew that the young left-hander possessed x-factor, what has impressed him is his ability to win games. "I have known for a couple of seasons now that Rishabh Pant has got that x-factor but what I like more and more about him is how he is turning that into match-winning performances more and more often as well,"Ponting said. Terming Rishabh as a..
                 

Euro qualifiers: Germany's Nico Schulz seals it against Netherlands

14 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Nico Schulz's 90th-minute winner fired Germany to a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Netherlands in their opening Euro 2020 qualifier on Sunday, lifting the pressure off coach Joachim Loew. It was Germany's first win in a competitive game since last year's World Cup, and came after a game in which Loew's side showed strength and fragility in equal measure. Germans off with a bangThe Germans were magnificent in the first 45 minutes in Amsterdam, but were outplayed in the second half as the Dutch came back from 2-0 down against their rivals for the second time since November. Yet Schulz prodded in a last-gasp winner against the run of play to hand Germany the win. "The win will do us a lot of good, it is great for us as a team," Schulz told RTL. Loew praised his team's fighting spirit after a rollercoaster evening. "We played really well in the first half, but in the second we weren't on the same level," the Germany coach said. "I was impressed by how hard the team fought, and how they ke..
                 

Yuvraj on retirement: I will be first to hang my boots when time comes

yesterday  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Yuvraj Singh's cricketing future has been a topic of discussion for some years now but the player said that he would be the first one to bid adieu when he feels that his time is up. Out of national team's scheme of things for good, Yuvraj has had poor track record in IPL but started on a bright note with a half-century for his latest franchise Mumbai Indians. "When the time comes, I will be the first one to hang my boots," Yuvraj told the mediapersons after MI's 37-run defeat against Delhi Capitals in the IPL opener. However India's 2007 World T20 and 2011 World Cup hero did admit that at times he felt indecisive about carrying on. "The last two years, have been up and down (for me). And I could not decide on what to do," said the 37-year-old. Yuvraj said that when he did a self introspection, he found that he is still enjoying the game just as he did as an U-16 cricketer not thinking about national team selection. "The main thing for me was why I played the game when I started off. ..
                 

Disappointed Serena Williams out with knee injury

yesterday  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Serena Williams withdrew from the WTA and ATP Masters Miami Open on Saturday with a left knee injury. The 23-time Grand Slam champion's withdrawal comes a day after she beat Sweden's Rebecca Peterson in three sets to reach the third round. "I am disappointed to withdraw from the Miami Open due to a left knee injury," said Williams, an eight-time winner in Miami who has completed just seven matches this year. The 37-year-old superstar, now ranked 10th in the world, appeared to be moving freely against Peterson, but said she needed to play better than she did in a 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 win. She was next scheduled to face 18th-seeded Wang Qiang, who advances to the fourth round by walkover. Williams fell in a three-set battle with Czech Karolina Pliskova in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January. In her first tournament since then, at Indian Wells this month, she defeated former world number one Victoria Azarenka in her opening match but then retired while trailing against another..
                 

Azlan Shah Cup: India play out 1-1 draw vs Korea

yesterday  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
India's perennial problem of conceding goals at the fag end of a match hurt them again as Korea equalised in the final minute for a 1-1 draw in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament here Sunday. India took the lead in the 28th minute through Mandeep Singh and looked set to earn their second consecutive win of the six-team tournament, but a defensive error led to Jonghyun Jang scoring from a penalty corner just 22 seconds from the final hooter. The match was stopped in the fourth quarter due to heavy rains with around eight minutes left in the match. India had defeated Japan 2-0 in their opening match on Saturday. India made an attacking start with midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad creating space inside the striking circle within the first minute but the Korean defenders held strong to avert an early goal. The Koreans immediately launched a counter attack, entering India's circle, but defender Surender Kumar tackled well to clear the ball. India got two more scoring opportunities but..
                 

IPL 2019: Delhi Capitals' Rishabh Pant power cuts Mumbai Indians

yesterday  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Every India player knows how important the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League is for their World Cup berth, never mind if skipper Virat Kohli has said that performances in the T20 extravaganza won't have a bearing on selection for the 50-50 mega event. For Rishabh Pant, whose place is still not secured, it is all the more worrying. But at the Wankhede Stadium last night, he didn't show any signs of nervousness as he blasted the Mumbai Indians bowling to all corners of the iconic ground to put Delhi Capitals in a position of sheer strength. Left-hander Pant smashed an unbeaten 78 off 27 balls (7x4, 7x6) to help DC post a massive 213 for six off their 20 overs. MI pacer Jasprit Bumrah falls while trying to stop the ball in his follow through In reply, the Mumbai Indians were bowled out for 176 in 19.2 overs with injured Jasprit Bumrah absent hurt. Pant walked in to do battle when Delhi lost their top three batters for 112 in 13 overs and Pant blasted away right from the start...
                 

Spain boss Luis Enrique after win: We were not clinical enough

yesterday  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Spain held off a battling Norway to open their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign with a 2-1 win on Saturday in Valencia. Luis Enrique's side controlled play with quick accurate passing and claimed the three points with goals from Rodrigo and Sergio Ramos. Norway forward Joshua King converted a penalty between both efforts for the home side. "You have to assess the positives. We deserved to win 5-1 or 6-1, but football only rewards goals," Spain coach Enrique said. Luis Enrique "I'm happy with everything: the attitude, what we talked about during the week, the chances we created against a side that defended in their half. Perhaps the only area [to improve on] is that we weren't clinical enough." Alvaro Morata wasted the best opportunity of the opening 10 minutes as his powerful header landed straight into the hands of Norway goalkeeper Rune Jarstein. The deadlock was broken after 16 minutes as Valencia forward Rodrigo bagged his fifth goal in 16 international appearances. Meanwhile, Ni..
                 

World cup flashback: Sachin Tendulkar's historic win against Kenya

2 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
World Cup memoryThis one's for you, dad! Sachin Tendulkar's hundred against Kenya at Bristol in 1999 went down as one of the most emotional moments in World Cup history. He missed the game against Zimbabwe at Leicester because he had to attend his father Ramesh's funeral in Mumbai. What was going through his mind when he took guard in an effort to get India's campaign back on track (Zimbabwe stunned the Mohammed Azharuddin-led side at Leicester) and how he could carve a hundred while in the throes of sorrow is unimaginable. Coming in at No. 4, Tendulkar thrilled the crowd with some imperious lofted drives and found an able ally in Rahul Dravid with whom he put on 237 for the third wicket in 29 overs — a World Cup record. Tendulkar looked heaven-wards when he reached his fifty and hundred and quite expectedly dedicated his effort to his departed father. India reached 329 for two before Kenya were restricted to 235 for seven and Tendulkar deservedly earned the man of the match aw..
                 

IPL 2019: MS Dhoni's Chennai too hot for Virat Kohli's RCB

2 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
The opening match of IPL 2019 began on a solemn note with a military band playing a number commemorating the Pulwama terror attack victims. But the Chennai outfit got out of that sober mood very soon to put on their game face and skittle Royal Challengers Bangalore for 70 in 17.1 overs, the sixth lowest total in the history of IPL. The home side did not have too many nervy moments while emerging a seven-wicket winner at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday night. There were several factors that went in favour of Chennai. Their opening bowlers — Deepak Chahar and Harbhajan Singh — produced a thrifty spell and the subsequent bowlers, particularly the spinners continued the excellent work. But the real match-winner for Chennai was Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who read the pitch to perfection. Imran Tahir Judging the slow and low nature of the 22-yard strip, Dhoni did not have much hesitation in opting to bowl and straightaway pressed Harbhajan into action with the new ball. The ..
                 

Serena Williams survives scare in Miami

2 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Tennis  
Serena Williams survived an "irresponsible" second set lapse on Friday to see off Sweden's Rebecca Peterson 6-3, 1-6, 6-1 in her second-round opener of the WTA and ATP Miami Open. "I wasn't really happy with my performance," admitted the 23-time Grand Slam champion, who is playing in just her third tournament of 2019 having lost in the Australian Open quarter-finals before retiring in the second set of her third-round match against Garbine Muguruza with a viral illness at Indian Wells last week. Djoko, Osaka advanceMeanwhile, Novak Djokovic put his Indian Wells disappointment behind him on Friday at the ATP and WTA Miami Open with a ruthless 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 destruction of Australian Bernard Tomic to move into the third round. Top-ranked woman Naomi Osaka had to keep her emotions in check as she opened her campaign by outlasting Yanina Wickmayer 6-0, 6-7 (3/7), 6-1. Thiem shockedThe shock of the day was the departure of Indian Wells Masters winner Dominic Thiem, who was beaten 6-4, 6-..
                 

IPL 2019: Mumbai Indians will miss their Malinga factors

2 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Mumbai Indians have been jolted by the absence of two premium speedsters from their ranks — New Zealander Adam Milne and Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga. While Milne is recovering from an injury, Malinga is leading his team in the T20I series v South Africa. He will then return to Sri Lanka for a domestic tournament, which has been made mandatory by Sri Lanka Cricket. Malinga, who was part of the MI as a support staff last season, was bought for R2 crore in the auction last December. "The report [in the media] was last night, so we need to gather [our] thoughts and see. If you read the entire thing, the tournament [in Sri Lanka] is for four or five days in April. There is a conversation to be made. Once we get through that conversation, we will let you know what exactly is happening," said MI coach Mahela Jayawardene. Catch up on all the latest T20 news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..
                 

Tussle sees Rajasthan Royals players stuck outside stadium

2 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Two days before the first game of the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, the stadium gates were locked as a result of a tussle between the Rajasthan sports council and the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). The issue was resolved after talks between the RCA and the local sports council. Speaking to IANS, a senior Royals official said that it was nothing to be worked up about and the matter was resolved within half an hour. "Ajinkya Rahane and a few of the players wanted to go and train in the morning and they just had to wait for a bit for the gates to be opened. Took us hardly 25-30 minutes," the official said. Interestingly, IPL returned to the SMS stadium only last year after it was banned for four years by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The Royals are looking to start the competition on a positive note and Rahane feels that the return of Steve Smith to the team, after missing ..
                 

IPL 2019: I'm scared of Virat Kohli's anger, says Rishabh Pant

3 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Known for his swashbuckling batting style, wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant says the one thing that scares him is the anger of India skipper Virat Kohli. "I am not scared of anyone but Virat bhaiya ke gusse se dar lagta hai (I'm scared of Virat Kohli's anger)," Pant said in a video posted by his IPL team, Delhi Capitals in their official website. "But if you are doing everything correctly, then why he (Kohli) should get angry. "But if you make a mistake and someone gets angry with you..it's good because you only learn from your mistakes," he added. Pant has played some dashing knocks in all three formats of the game and is set to replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni once he retires. However, his wicket keeping skills have sometimes left skipper Kohli disappointed. Recently, Kohli was left fuming when Pant conceded a single while attempting a Dhoni-like stumping during the fourth ODI against Australia. Catch up on all the latest IPL News and updates here. Also download the new mid-day A..
                 

Steve Smith: Only BCCI can answer why I didn't play last year

3 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
The BCCI had acted voluntarily while banning Steve Smith and David Warner from last edition of IPL on ball tampering charges and the former Australian captain said that only the Indian board can answer why panned out that way. Cricket Australia's one year ban was from international cricket and the duo were well within their rights to a play domestic T20 league like IPL but the richest cricket board in the world decided to impose their own sanctions. Smith, whose one-year ban ends on March 29 will be available for Rajasthan Royals' first game on March 25 but it will depend on the condition of his elbow. "I am available for all the matches and BCCI has to answer that why I was not allowed to play earlier," Smith took a dig at the BCCI during a promotional event on Friday. Speaking after the jersey launch ceremony, Smith said that he was looking forward for the tournament. "It is exciting to be back on field and I am looking forward to the tournament," he said during the announcement ..
                 

Campion clinch U-8 crown

3 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Playing on their home turf, Campion School (Cooperage) emerged champions, winning the boys U-8 crown by defeating St Stanislaus 3-0 in the final of the Jesuit Cup inter-school football tournament at the Back Bay Garden Ground in Colaba. Campion striker Yusuf Pardiwala bagged a hat-trick to seal their triumph. Yusuf was declared the Best Player of the Tournament while his teammate Samuel Tennyson was named Best Goalkeeper. Later, in the boys U-10 final, St Stanislaus got the better of Campion 3-2 via tie-breaker after the match ended 0-0 at the end of regulation time. In the penalty shootout, St Stanislaus converted through Eathan D'Souza, Jordan Desmond and Draiden D'Souza while Campion could only score through Karan Bhagchandani and Agastya  Chheda. Harsh Deora of Campion was judged as Best Player, while the Best Goalkeeper award went to Gordon Kamble of St Stanislaus. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS a..
                 

Sharif, Shruti win carrom titles

3 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
                 

IPL 2019 can play a role in World Cup selection, says Kumara Sangakkara

3 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Though India skipper Virat Kohli has categorically rejected the idea that a player's form in the Indian Premier League will have an influence in his selection into the World Cup squad, former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara believes that the high-pressure T20 tournament may make a strong case for a few players to be on the plane to England. It has been noted in the past that several players, both Indian and foreign, have made it to the their national teams based on a good outing in the IPL. As far as Team India are concerned, the World Cup squad is almost in place barring the No. 4 slot. After relentless experimentation, Kohli & Co seemed to have settled on Ambati Rayudu for the No. 4 position. However, after returning with scores like 13, 18 and 2 in the first three ODIs against Australia, Rayudu was dropped for the last two games, reigniting the debate for the No. 4 slot. Headache for selectorsWith the IPL preceding the World Cup for the first time, Sangakkara sees the T20 ..
                 

World Cup flashback: When Zimbabwe's Brandes dumped England

4 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
World Cup memoryZim's Brandes dumps England Soon after Zimbabwe was routed for a paltry 134 during the 1992 World Cup match against England, Geoffrey Boycott disdainfully dismissed Zimbabwe's chances of giving England any fight in what was the last league contest for both teams with the hosts already qualified for the semis. The former England captain's comments inspired Zimbabwe to do the unthinkable as they clinched a memorable nine-run win in Albury. Electing to field, Ian Botham and Richard Illingworth claimed three wickets each to bundle out Zimbabwe in 46.1 overs. England would have been confident of chasing the target quickly, but an inspired Eddo Brandes (10-4-21-4) had different plans. After trapping Graham Gooch leg-before on the first delivery of the England innings, Brandes ran through their middle order in no time with England struggling at 43-5. Alec Stewart (29) and Neil Fairbrother (20) tried to repair the damage done by the Zimbabwean pacer, but England could not av..
                 

Leon Goretzka saves Germany the blushes against Serbia

4 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Leon Goretzka spared coach Joachim Loew a humiliating defeat with a second-half equaliser as a new-look Germany side were held to a 1-1 draw in Wednesday's friendly against Serbia. Having controversially dropped veterans Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels and Thomas Mueller from the national squad two weeks ago, coach Loew had announced the beginning of a new era ahead of Wednesday's game. Room for improvement"I was generally happy with the performance. You could see that there were a few communication problems, but that is something which improves with experience at this level," Loew said. The young Germany side looked comfortable in the opening exchanges, but Serbia scored with their first chance on 12 minutes. A fortunate deflection at a corner found Luka Jovic unmarked in front of goal, and the Eintracht Frankfurt striker nodded the ball past Manuel Neuer. Germany brought on Marco Reus and Goretzka in the second half, and set about grinding down a solid Serbian defence. On the odd occ..
                 

England youngsters ready to fulfil expectations: Jordan Henderson

4 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
Jordan Henderson says England are ready to fulfil the growing expectations around their vibrant young team as the Euro 2020 qualifying campaign starts with the Czech Republic's visit to Wembley tonight. Gareth Southgate's squad are back together for the first time in 2019, with the Czechs their first test before a trip to Montenegro for the second qualifier on Monday. With promising teenagers Jadon Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi and Declan Rice, 20, joining an England squad already bolstered by the rise of Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Dele Alli, among others, Henderson is enjoying the fresh feel to a group that plays without fear. "It is good, those younger players have so much talent. It's good for England because I can see in a few years we are going to have big, big players," he said. "Young players who are maybe only starting now who are going to be more experienced and even better in a few years. The future is bright really with all the young players coming t..
                 

Mumbai U-16 chief selector Atul Ranade quits

4 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
In the wake of Mumbai's senior selection committee stepping down last week just hours before the adhoc committee of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) was to meet to pursue with the general body's directive to replace Ajit Agarkar's panel, Mumbai's U-16 chief selector Atul Ranade too decided to resign from his post within a couple of days. It is believed that Ranade resigned as a mark of disapproval to the treatment meted out to Agarkar & Co. Ranade did not respond to mid-day's calls and messages yesterday. The MCA's general body in its Special General Meeting on February 21 had directed the MCA's Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) to replace the senior selectors for allegedly not watching local matches in the season. The CIC-headed by Raju Kulkarni decided against the general body's decision and the onus was on the MCA adhoc committee to act. Ranade's resignation comes in the wake of speculation that Mumbai's junior selectors were also contemplating to resign. However, till y..
                 

Five crazy Ronaldinho skills that you may not see ever again!

5 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Ronaldinho is a player who was known for creating poetry on the field with his unbelievable football skills. His exploits for top-tier clubs like Barcelona and AC Milan and for his national team Brazil has been etched in every football fan's memory. We take a look at 5 footballing skills executed by the Brazilian great that may not be repeated ever again: 5 - The No Look Pass: Ronaldinho perfected the No Look Pass to such a degree that almost everytime that he used to execute such a pass it used to end up as an assist to a goal. 4 - Juggling blindfolded: For a regular player, juggling the ball multiple times without the ball touching the ground is a big achievement, but Ronaldinho can do the same blindfolded. In the below video, Ronaldinho juggles the ball an unbelievable number of times without even seeing it, reminds us of the movie Karate Kid, where the Karate champ puts up a fight even when partially blinded during a fight. 3 - Triple Sombrero: Ronaldinho shocked the footbal..
                 

KKR balanced side with more pace options: Kallis

5 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Head coach Jacques Kallis feels two-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are as balanced as they can be going into the new season with more fast bowling options than last year. "We are as balanced as we could possibly be. You play on a lot of different wickets throughout the tournament and I think we have got our bases covered. But having said that, you got to perform on the field. It doesn't matter what the team looks like," South Africa legend Kallis told reporters ahead of KKR's practice session at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday. "One thing that we do have this year is few more options in the fast bowling department, which is a big plus for us. "We probably needed one-two more options in the seamers' department last season, an issue which we have addressed this season," Kallis stressed. KKR have added New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, left-arm Englishman Harry Gurney, who is known to have a lot of variety, and West Indies all-rounder Carlos ..
                 

Chennai Super Kings launches licensed merchandise

5 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
IPL defending champion Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday launched licensed merchandise ahead of the 2019 season. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming and middle-order batsman Kedar Jadhav were present at the event here along with the CEO KS Viswanathan. Created in partnership with Baseline Ventures through various licensed firms, the exclusive merchandise will be available for purchase through the CSK website (www.chennaisuperkings.com), stores and websites of licensee firms. Watches and fitness bands have been created by Sonata, apparel by the Souled Store, gifts by Oye Happy and stainless steel bottles by Atlasware, fragrances by Xavier Laurent and accessories by Cover It Up and player figurines by Lilliput. Dunzo has been signed up as licensed delivery partner for quicker delivery. "We are thrilled about the launch of our licensed merchandise and we see the licensing as the next step in the evolution of brand CSK," Viswanathan said. Baseline Ventures co-founder Vipin Nair said the compa..
                 

Ravi Shastri's contract doesn't have extension clause: BCCI official

5 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Ravi Shastri remains favourite to continue as the Indian cricket team's head coach after the World Cup but the BCCI will be forced to restart the process as the former India all-rounder's service contract doesn't have an extension or renewal clause. Unlike most of the big football or NBA clubs, who have a renewal or an extension clause for their coaches, the BCCI, from Anil Kumble's time as chief coach, never had that particular clause. "From Anil Kumble's time, the service contract of the coaches and support staff doesn't have an extension or renewal clause. Therefore, even if India win the World Cup under Shastri's coaching, he will have to come through the fresh recruitment process even though he will be a direct entry into the shortlisted panel as current coach," a senior BCCI official, privy to the development, told PTI on condition of anonymity. The official said that the BCCI needs to follow the due process of putting up an advertisement on its website for filling up the vari..
                 

World Cup flashback: Brian Lara's rescue act in Newlands in 2003

6 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Brian Lara started the 2003 World Cup in Southern Africa the way he, his team and his fans wanted him to - with a spectacular hundred against a top South Africa attack comprising Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini and Lance Klusener. Lara walked in with West Indies struggling at 4-1 in five overs. He was dropped by Jacques Kallis at second slip off Ntini in the next over. By the seventh over, it was 7-2. But there was no looking back for Lara as the West Indies legend played shots all over the Newlands ground for a fine 116 as his side totalled 278-5 in 50 overs. Lara shared a 102-run stand for the third wicket with Shivnarine Chanderpaul (34) and 89 with Carl Hooper (40) for the fourth wicket. His 134-ball innings was laced with 12 boundaries and two sixes. South Africa, who were docked an over for slow over-rate, fell short by just three runs, managing 275-9 in 49 overs. As expected, Lara was adjudged man of the match. Australia's 2011 World Cup skipper Ricky Ponting Figu..
                 

Aditya Mehta stuns Pankaj Advani for CCI snooker title

6 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
                 

Germany football boss Joachim Loew eyes fresh start against Serbia

6 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Germany coach Joachim Loew hopes to prove his critics wrong and open 2019 with a win when his new-look team host Serbia in a friendly in Wolfsburg tonight. Loew is hoping to bounce back from a painful 2018, in which Germany suffered an early World Cup exit and were relegated from the top tier of the UEFA Nations League. The friendly against Serbia is a warm-up for Sunday's prestigious opening Euro 2020 qualifier away to the Netherlands with the Germans hunting revenge after a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of the Oranje last October at the Amsterdam Arena. Amid fears that German football is in decline, Loew, 59, is under pressure to show that he can build a new era of success around a younger generation of players. "We are facing a new challenge. As I have said before, we need to be quicker, more dynamic and more ambitious," said Loew. "We need to give the young players the feeling that they have our complete and total trust," said Loew. Catch up on all the latest sports news and update..
                 

IPL 2019: Virat Kohli not a shrewd skipper, says Gautam Gambhir

6 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Virat Kohli is not a "shrewd captain" who could be compared to his national team deputy Rohit Sharma or former skipper MS Dhoni, who have won three IPL titles each, feels former KKR captain Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir feels that in result oriented franchise environment, Kohli has been "lucky" to have survived despite Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) never winning the coveted title in his eight years as skipper. "I don't see him as a shrewd captain. I don't see him as a tactful captain [tactician]. And he hasn't won the IPL. So ultimately, a captain is only as good as his record," Gambhir told Star Sports. Gambhir's comments is specific to Kohli's success as a leader in the IPL. "There are people who have won the trophy three times. MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. So I think he has a long way to go. You cannot compare him to someone like Rohit or Dhoni at this stage," Gambhir said. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to ..
                 

IPL 2019 trophy tour to reach Mumbai on March 24

7 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
In an endeavour to bring fans closer to their favourite cricket tournament, India’s leading sports broadcaster – Star Sports along with BCCI have collaborated to make the VIVO IPL 2019 Trophy Tour even more interesting for fans with an A.I powered training installation that is developed by Google. The Trophy Tour that started in New Delhi on Sunday, March 17th, 2019 will travel across each franchisee city with Bengaluru on 22nd March, Chennai on 23rd March, Mumbai on 24th March, Kolkata on 30th March, Hyderabad on 31st March, Jaipur on 6th April and finally Chandigarh on 7th April giving fans an opportunity to get their hands on the coveted VIVO IPL trophy that they would want their favourite team to lift. The Trophy Tour began in Delhi at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj where fans experienced a new and evolved platform called the ‘A.I. Coach’ teaching a range of famous cricket shots and comparing their skills against the pros. Fans had the opportunity to attempt M..
                 

About Kuldeep Yadav, it's purely skill says Piyush Chawla

7 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Kolkata: There is no mystery behind meteoric rise of Kuldeep Yadav but purely his skill set says Piyush Chawla, who worked with the Chinaman bowler in his formative years with the UP Ranji team. Chawla, the senior Kolkata Knight Riders spinner, said Kuldeep never stopped improving and that was key in his rise. "Kuldeep never labelled himself a mystery spinner. The term of being a mystery spinner is a myth. The main thing about Kuldeep is that he is a skillfull bowler. You need to make that skill powerful and Kuldeep is working on that," said Chawla. "The main thing about Kuldeep is he is not afraid of getting hit. I worked a lot with him in UP and here in KKR as well." Chawla reckons that Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal will be able to make impact at the upcoming World cup. "Kuldeep is bowling really well. He has been consistent in the last few months. With him and Chahal I think India has two wicket taking wrist spinners. "If there are belters in the World Cup, the responsibility of t..
                 

IPL will be crucial for World Cup selection: BCCI

7 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Going into the last ODI series before the upcoming World Cup -- against Australia -- India skipper Virat Kohli had said that Indian players' performance in the IPL wouldn't have any bearing with selection in the squad for the showpiece event. But with none of the batsmen managing to secure the No.4 slot post the five ODIs against the Aussies, the players' performance in the IPL will have a bearing on the minds of the selectors when they pick the squad for the World Cup mid-April. The four primary contenders for the No.4 slot are Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. And it all now boils down to a consistent showing in the first half of the cash-rich T20 league. A good run here and one of these four will be rewarded with a ticket to England. Speaking to IANS, a senior BCCI official said that recent performances have meant that the first month of the 12th edition of the IPL will have to be looked into when MSK Prasad and his team sit down to pick the squad for the W..
                 

Dhawan: Indian batsmen will need to do well for Delhi Capitals to win

7 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Senior opener Shikhar Dhawan Monday reckoned that the Indian batsmen would need to score the bulk of runs for Delhi Capitals to harbour hopes of winning the Indian Premier League. Dhawan joined the rest of the Delhi Capitals squad here on Sunday after having taken part in the recently concluded One-Day series against Australia. The left-handed batsman also took part in a T20 practice match organised by the Delhi Capitals to prepare for the upcoming season. "In IPL, the team who wins the trophy is always the one who has the best balance in the squad. Our team this year is also very balanced as we have good all-rounders, spinners and batsmen. The most important thing for us will be that our Indian batsmen play well and our top 4-5 batsmen are Indian, so I am expecting a great season ahead," said Dhawan. A regular in India's limited overs scheme of things, Dhawan has spent 10 seasons away in IPL before joining the Delhi franchise. "It is like a second homecoming for me, and I am very ex..
                 

Canadian Andreescu topples Kerber for Indian Wells crown

7 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Canadian sensation Bianca Andreescu became the first wild card to win the WTA title at Indian Wells on Sunday with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber. Andreescu, 18, shook off fatigue to topple the eighth-ranked German. Ranked 60th coming into the tournament, Andreescu will rise to 24th in the world with her first WTA title. When she finally converted her fourth match point she kissed the sun-baked court and flopped spread-eagled on her back. "If you believe in yourself, anything is possible," Andreescu said as she hoisted the crystal trophy as the youngest player ever to win one of the WTA's prestigious Premier Mandatory tournaments. It's another giant step in a breakout season for Andreescu, who finished 2018 ranked 178th in the world. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..
                 

Indian Wells Masters: It feels unreal, says Thiem after beating Federer

7 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Dominic Thiem denied Roger Federer a record sixth Indian Wells title, beating the Swiss great 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Sunday to claim his first ATP Masters 1000 crown. The Austrian, 25, ranked eighth in the world, had fallen in two prior Masters finals, both in Madrid. But he rallied for a third career win over Federer in five meetings, his first over the Swiss on hard courts. "It feels just unreal what happened in this 10 days," Thiem said. "I came from a really bad form in all categories, and now I'm the champion of Indian Wells. It feels not real at all," added Thiem, the first Austrian to win a masters 1000 title since Thomas Muster at Miami in 1997. Thiem earned the crucial break in the 11th game of the final set, connecting on two sharply angled passing winners off of Federer drop shots to give himself a break point which he converted with a stinging forehand winner. "He stayed cool under pressure there," Federer said. "When he got up to the ball, stayed calm, made the shot." Thiem c..
                 

Hockey: Don Bosco High School add to Mumbai's turf time

7 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Other sports  
At a time when Indian hockey is not in the best of health, city aficionados are set to receive a tonic with the installation of a full-size artificial turf at Don Bosco High School, Matunga, a first for a school premises in Mumbai. The FIH-approved, 91.4 metre x 55 metre turf is currently in the final stage of installation and will be inaugurated on March 30, when city-based international hockey stars will play a friendly match with Don Bosco's past and present pupils. Interestingly, the project is a joint venture between two Don Bosco institutions. "Regardless of the current scenario in Indian or Mumbai hockey, the sport has always been a priority at Don Bosco. This project has been in the pipeline for some time and has finally materialised thanks to a joint-venture between the two schools on this premises - Don Bosco High School [DBHS] and Don Bosco International School [DBIS]," Fr Crispino D'Souza, Rector of Don Bosco, Matunga, and the brain behind the project, tells mid-day. An ..
                 

This stadium is too small: FC Goa fan

8 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
"Scream at us, abuse us, criticise us, but do come to watch us play." These words were uttered by India football captain Sunil Chhetri on the eve of his 100th match for India, who were to face Kenya on June 4 last year. Yesterday, Bengaluru FC's Chhetri must have been delighted to see a packed house for his team's ISL final against FC Goa at the Mumbai Football Arena in Andheri. The season's finale had fans travelling from far distances to support their teams. However, the numbers would have been greater if the venue could accommodate more than just 9000-odd. "I'm part of the Goa team's fan club. We had 10 buses from Goa for people of our club and there were others who travelled by cars and bikes. Around 5,000 people came for this match. Many more wanted to come for this game, but the stadium is too small," FC Goa fan Vishal Gawas told mid-day. Some fans bought last-minute tickets from touts outside the stadium. "Usually, we get around 1500 tickets for the club but this time we only..
                 

Ajinkya Rahane's tactical acumen makes him special: RR coach

8 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
They have been an integral part of India's journey to the top of the ladder in Test cricket, but the next two months will see Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli fight it out as both teams look to win the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). While Kohli has led RCB for a while now, this will be Rahane's second season as RR captain and head coach Paddy Upton is excited to have the calm and cool 'Jinx' (as Rahane is fondly called) at the helm of affairs. Speaking to IANS, Upton made it clear that while comparisons were a part and parcel of any sport, both Rahane and Kohli were unique in their own ways and the way Jinx reads situations and his teammates, is what makes him succeed. "You get players who are naturally big-pictured and strategically minded individuals and they make good on-field captains and then you get some who are very good people leaders and inspire other players. Each captain brings a diffe..
                 

Rashid Khan bags five as Afghanistan close in on maiden Test win

8 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Spinner Rashid Khan's five-wicket haul helped Afghanistan bowl out Ireland for 288 and put the team in sight of a maiden Test win on the Day Three of the one-off Test yesterday. Chasing 147 for victory, Afghanistan were 29 for one with Ihsanullah Janat batting on 16 and Rahmat Shah unbeaten on 11 at the close of play. Afghanistan lost one wicket in the form of Mohammad Shahzad, but Janat and Shah, who made 98 in Afghanistan's first innings total of 314, ensured there was no more damage when the stumps were drawn. Earlier in the day, Andy Balbirnie (82) and Kevin O'Brien (56) scored half-centuries each, but Khan came up with career-best figures of five for 82 to bundle out Ireland in the final session of play. Khan accounted for the wickets of James McCollum, O'Brien, Stuart Thompson, George Dockrell and Andrew McBrine to put Afghanistan in a commanding position. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest ..
                 

South Africa register 5-0 series sweep vs Sri Lanka

8 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
                 

F1: My best race ever, says Valtteri Bottas after Australian GP win

8 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Valtteri Bottas, controlled and unflappable, cruised to a dominant victory in yesterday's season-opening Australian GP, leading teammate Lewis Hamilton in a one-two for Mercedes. The Finn, starting alongside pole-sitter Hamilton in front, vaulted into the lead with a flawless start and was never challenged, crossing the line almost 21 seconds ahead of the reigning five-times world champ. Hamilton was favouriteThe Briton, favourite for victory after leading a front row lockout for Mercedes in qualifying yesterday, found himself on the back foot instead, defending against the charging Max Verstappen. The Dutchman claimed the final podium spot in third. Valtteri Bottas drives his Mercedes during the Australian Grand Prix in Sebastian Vettel was fourth, ahead of new Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who was instructed to hold position behind the German. The two scarlet cars finished nearly a full minute behind Bottas as the pre-season pace and promise of the Italian team, cautiously ti..
                 

ISL 2019: Bengaluru FC beat FC Goa 1-0 to clinch title

8 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Bengaluru FC clinched their maiden Indian Super League title as Rahul Bheke found a championship-winning header in the dying minutes of the final against FC Goa here yesterday. The two teams were locked 0-0 after 90 minutes. Even the first extra time saw no goals but Bengaluru got better of a 10-men Goan team 1-0, four minutes from the end of the second extra half. Goa's Jahouh sees redGoa's mid-fielder Ahmed Jahouh was shown a second yellow card and he had to walk out as the side was reduced to 10 men. It looked Goa defenders would take the game into the penalties but Bheke looped a header on a corner kick from Dimas Delgado and it went past custodian Naveen Kumar, triggering celebrations in the Bengaluru camp. Earlier, both the teams began with caution. Goa earned a corner early in the game but Edu Bedia'e header went wide at a nearly packed Mumbai Football Arena. Bengaluru had a chance when mid-fielder Nishu Kumar sent Sunil Chhetri through with a lobbed pass. The skipper passed ..
                 

BCCI to contribute Rs 20 crore for Indian army

9 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
The BCCI will donate Rs 20 crore for the welfare of armed forces in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, where at least 40 CRPF personnel were killed. It has been learnt that BCCI brass plans to invite senior dignitaries from the Indian armed forces (Army, Airforce and Navy) on the day of the IPL opener in Chennai between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 23. "Yes, the CoA has sanctioned Rs 20 crore which will be contributed towards the Army Welfare Fund. On the opening day with both Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli being present, the first portion of the said amount will be handed over to one of the dignitaries," a senior BCCI official privy to the development said. The CoA had decided against having any glittering opening ceremony for the cash-rich event and instead contribute the entire budget for the welfare of armed forces. "The budget of IPL opening ceremony was around Rs 15 crore during the last edition. It was a decision that BCCI will raise i..
                 

Trouvaille, Mishka's Pride likely to shine

9 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
The championship events for both the sexes will jointly feature as the prime events of Sunday's seven-race card. Going by the current form and fitness, Trouvaille (Surfrider - Highlay Fashionable), trained by SK Sunderji and to be ridden by A Sandesh, looks set to bag the Shapoorji Pallonji Breeders' Juvenile Colts Championship (Gr 3). In the fillies' version, the Forbes Breeders' Juvenile Fillies' Championship (Gr 3), there could a three-way fight among Thailand, Kariega and Mishka's Pride. I expect the last-named, the Imtiaz Sait-trained Total Gallery - Tsesebe filly, to shock the field in the hands of Sandesh. First race at 3.15 pm. Lahinch Plate - Div II (For 5y&o, class V; 1200m)Transform 1, Rapid Girl 2, Cray Cray 3. Racing World Trophy (Class IV; 1400m)Findlerhof 1, Articulate 2, Sullivan 3. J P Vazifdar Trophy (Class III; 1400m)Flying Visit 1, Lorraine 2, Arc Shine 3. Forbes Breeders' Juvenile Fillies' Championship - Gr 3 (For 3y, Fillies; 1600m)Mishka's Pride 1, Thai..
                 

ISL: Past record gives Bengaluru FC edge over FC Goa

9 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Pipped at the post by a common nemesis in the past, Bengaluru FC and FC Goa will take another shot at glory when they square off in the final of Indian Super League here Sunday. Both the teams made it to the summit clash, to be played at the Mumbai Football Arean, in rather contrasting manner. Bengaluru had sealed their place in the final for the second successive year with a 3-0 win against NorthEast United FC in the second leg of the play-off, recovering from a 2-1 defeat in the first leg. Goa in formGoa, despite a 1-0 loss to Mumbai City FC in the second leg semi-final, made it to the final on better aggregate, having won the first leg 5-1. Goa were the runners up in 2015, while Bengaluru ended up second best last season. Bengaluru too strongCoincidentally, both the teams had lost to Chennaiyin FC in their respective summit clashes. Going by history, Bengaluru have edge against Goa. In four meetings between the two teams, Bengaluru have won thrice while Goa's only win came i..
                 

Ajinkya Rahane banks on IPL for World Cup spot

9 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
India's Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane Saturday said that there is a misconception that only power hitters are successful at the top-order as players have their own methods to keep the scoreboard ticking. It's been more than a year that Rahane is out of Indian ODI team but he still will like to stick to his own method. "People always talk about power at the top but it is important to believe in your abilities and your own methods. It's not all about power-hitting, someone has to play an anchoring role and guys around him can play power-hitting shots," the diminutive right-handed batsman told ESPN Cricinfo. "I always believed in my abilities and it's important to stick to your game. As long as you are focussing your game that's what matters." Out-of-favour Rahane last played an ODI for India in February 16, 2018 against South Africa in Centurion. Talking about the upcoming World Cup, Rahane said despite the loss to Australia in the five-match ODI series at home, India are still a str..
                 

R Ashwin puts ODI, T20 dropping down to demand and supply

9 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
India's premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin played his last ODI and T20I two years ago. However, the Kings XI Punjab skipper pointed out that he is not a one-format (Test) bowler and is performing decently in other formats of the game too. "In the white ball format, my record is not bad as it is perceived to be. The last one-day match that I played I got three for 28 [against West Indies]. I would always look back at my career and say it is not due to my effort that I am sitting out of the team, it is due to the supply and demand that the team requires," Ashwin told mid-day on the sidelines of the launch of CricFig figurine memorabilia on Saturday. Ashwin pointed to his recent performance in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy where he claimed seven wickets in six games. "I played in the Syed Mushtaq Ali and I had a decent outing. That is how I look at it. I am playing cricket and it is not like I need to specialise in one particular format." During the last IPL edition, Ashwin was often se..
                 

Minerva Punjab boycott Super Cup match

10 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Super Cup, was on Friday thrown into jeopardy after Minerva Punjab did not turn up for the first match of the qualification round, prompting the national federation to describe it as a "crazy" and "unacceptable" move. Former I-League champions Minerva did not take the field on Friday against Indian Super League side Pune City FC. The Punjab side had also skipped the mandatory pre-match press conference on Thursday. However, Friday's second qualification round match between ISL side Kerala Blasters and I-League club Indian Arrows, a developmental team of All India Football Federation (AIFF), took place at the Kalinga Stadium. The situation is set to get worsen on Saturday as I-League sides Gokulam Kerala and Aizawl FC said they will not play their respective qualification round matches against Delhi Dynamos and Chennaiyin FC. Gokulam and Aizawl did not turn up for pre-match press conference on Friday. Aizawl FC said that they will not play against ISL side Chennaiyin FC on Saturday. "..
                 

Manchester City face Swansea challenge as Pep Guardiola eyes quadruple

10 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Swansea (UK): Pep Guardiola remains coy about Manchester City's chances of winning the quadruple, but his side face Swansea in the FA Cup quarter-finals today standing just 16 games away from a clean sweep of all four major trophies. Guardiola's team moved closer to the unprecedented silverware haul on Tuesday as they advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 7-0 demolition of Schalke in the Last 16, second leg. City have already won the League Cup, beating Chelsea in last month's final. A victory at Swansea would see City move into the FA Cup semi-finals, with the EPL title race set to go down to the wire. Guardiola tried to talk down the possibility of City winning all four trophies. “I said so many times, and I know you are generous and thank you so much guys, but every time you make that comment we lose a competition, so I think you provoke me in that way so, the next one we will see,” joked Guardiola recently when asked about the prospect of a quadruple..
                 

Gymnast Dipa Karmakar fails to qualify for balanced beam finals

10 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Baku (Azerbaijan): India's Dipa Karmakar yesterday failed to make it to the balanced beam finals as she finished a lowly 20th in the qualifying round of the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup here. Dipa, 25, could only score 10.633 in her balanced beam routine to end at 20th among 25 competitors. She also got penalty points. Australia's Emma Nedov took the top spot in the qualification round with a total of 13.466 points. The top eight finishers qualify for the final round. Dipa will, however, compete in the final of her pet vault event on Saturday. The gymnast from Tripura, who had finished fourth in the vault event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, secured the third spot in the qualifying round on Thursday to make it to today's finals. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates..
                 

'Class of '75 still waiting for another World Cup hockey win'

10 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Onkar Singh's mobile is never as busy as it is on March 15. Yesterday marked the 44th anniversary of Indian hockey's 1975 World Cup-winning feat. And Onkar, the youngest member of that epic Ajit Pal Singh-led side that beat arch-rivals Pakistan 2-1 in a tense finale at the Merdeka Football Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, makes it a point to call his former teammates and congratulate them. "I just spoke to Aslam Sher Khan 10 minutes ago. Before that, I spoke to HJS Chimni, Ashok Diwan, Ashok Kumar, VJ Phillips and Leslie Fernandez. I tried calling our captain Ajit Pal too but couldn't get through to him. I will call him again later," said Onkar, currently the Director of Sports at Khalsa College, Matunga. Onkar Singh And what do they talk about? "You'll be surprised that we don't talk about that World Cup win as much as we discuss the current state of Indian hockey. All of us only wish the best for Indian hockey. We want to see those days again when India can dominate the hockey w..
                 

Mookerjee bows out in Swiss Open quarters

10 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
                 

Sri Lanka Cricket orders head coach to return home from SA

11 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Sri Lanka head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe was on Thursday told to return home from South Africa in the middle of the ODI series and fielding coach Steve Rixon will take charge of the team for the subsequent T20 series. "Hathurusinghe has been asked to return from South Africa after the final ODI. Steve Rixon will take charge for the T20 series," Shammi Silva, the Sri Lanka Cricket President said on Thursday. Hathurusinghe will be returning to Sri Lanka after the final ODI game in Cape Town on March 16. South Africa are leading the series 4-0. Rixon, the fielding coach, will take charge of the team for the three T20 games between March 19 and 24, Silva said. Silva said the SLC will ask Hathurusinghe about his plans for the World Cup in England from May-July. Hathurusinghe became Sri Lanka's head coach in December 2017 after leading Bangladesh to success. However under him, Sri Lanka have slipped in the ICC rankings and failed to secure an automatic qualification for 2020 T20 World ..
                 

Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to bite me, claims model Alexandra Mendez

11 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Venezuelan model Alexandra Mendez has revealed that Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo secretly sent her Whatsapp messages saying he wanted to bite her on her backside. According to a report in British tabloid, The Sun, Alexandra spoke about Ronaldo's private messages on Peruvian TV channel, ATV. The Juventus star reportedly asked Alexandra for her number on Instagram. She has claimed that he then sent her selfies and had a bet with her that if he scored a goal in a match [which match has not been specified by the model], then he would want to bite her backside. Cristiano Ronaldo is in fine form recently after scoring a hat trick against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, thereby overturning a 2-0 deficit that Juventus had after the first leg. For his fans, Cristiano Ronaldo has ascertained himself as the best player in the world with the performance. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps ..
                 

Agarwal, Kadam help Karnataka lift T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

11 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Opener Mayank Agarwal smashed an unbeaten 85 off 57 balls as Karnataka dished out a clinical all-round performance to beat Maharashtra by eight wickets and lift the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy here on Thursday. Karnataka bowlers, led by experienced Abhimanyu Mithun (2-24), put up a spirited show to restrict Maharashtra to 155/4 despite an unbeaten 69 by all-rounder Naushad Shaikh. Later, they overhauled the target with Agarwal and Rohan Kadam (60 off 39 balls) striking half-centuries. Karnataka chased the target with nine balls to spare and ended their otherwise ordinary season on a high. Chasing 156, Karnataka lost opener B R Sharath (2) in the third over after left-arm medium pacer Samad Fallah cleaned him up. Then in-form Kadam and Agarwal steadied the ship, as Karnataka raced to 45/1 in five overs. The duo kept on scoring at a brisk pace and took a listless Maharashtra attack to cleaners in their 92-run stand for the second wicket, which laid foundation of the eight-wicket win. Karna..
                 

India's Subhankar, Riya advance to Last-8 of Swiss Open badminton

11 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Subhankar Dey and Riya Mookerjee advanced to men's and women's singles quarterfinals respectively of the Swiss Open badminton tournament here on Thursday. Dey registered a hard-fought 12-21 22-20 21-17 win over fifth seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in a men's singles contest that lasted one hour and 11 minutes, while Mookerjee made it to the quarterfinals after her opponent from Canada, Michelle Li retired hurt when the score read 18-16 in favour of the Indian. Dey will face reigning Olympic champion and two-time All England champion Chen Long of China in the round of eight, while Mookerjee will take on top seeded Chinese Chen Yufei. In women's doubles, Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy registered a straight-game 21-14 21-17 win over the pair of Nadia Fankhauser of Switzerland and Iris Tabeling of the Netherlands to enter the quarerfinals. In mixed doubles, M R Arjun and K Maneesha defeated compatriots Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy 21-16 16-21 21-15 in a 55-minute cont..
                 

Canadian teen Bianca Andreescu stuns Garbine Muguruza

11 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Bianca Andreescu's breakout season continued Wednesday as the Canadian teenager swept past two-time Grand Slam champion Garbine Muguruza and into the Indian Wells WTA semi-finals. Andreescu, 18 and ranked 60th in the world, won the first nine games on the way to a 6-0, 6-1 victory that took just 52 minutes. She reached her third semi-final of the season after a run to the final in Auckland and the last four in Acapulco. "I just went out there, went for it," Andreescu said. "I didn't focus on who was on the other side. "It really helped me. I used my serve to my advantage. She didn't serve so well today, so I took advantage that as well." Andreescu, who began 2019 ranked 152nd in the world, is now headed for the top 40. The win over Muguruza, now ranked 20th, followed a victory over 18th-ranked Wang Qiang of China in the fourth round and took her win-loss record to a remarkable 26-3 in 2019, including qualifying matches. "I had a good day," Andreescu said. "She didn't have such a good ..
                 

Liverpool back among Europe's elite after beating Bayern, says Klopp

11 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Jurgen Klopp said his Liverpool side proved they are "back on the European stage" after an impressive 3-1 win at Bayern Munich on Wednesday put them into the Champions League quarter-finals. Sadio Mane scored twice at the Allianz Arena to put Liverpool through with a 3-1 aggregate Last-16 win. "It's a big step to get this club back on the European stage and I am happy," said Liverpool's German manager. Jurgen Klopp "If Barcelona, if Real Madrid come here, they know this is a hard place to win. It's a big step for us, let's see what we can do with it, but we have a set a bar for this wonderful club that we really are back on the landscape of top international football. "We think that is where this club should be, but let's carry on, we have a lot to learn, a lot to improve, but we're back." Having missed the goalless first leg at Anfield through suspension, Virgil van Dijk's long pass led to Mane's excellent first-half goal. Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski is stunned by an offsid..
                 

Sourav Ganguly on DC role: Spoke to CoA, no conflict of interest

11 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Former India captain and Cricket Association of Bengal president Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said that he has taken up an advisory role with IPL franchise Delhi Capitals after consulting Committee of Administrators (CoA). "There is absolutely no conflict of interest. I resigned from the IPL governing council earlier. I have spoken to the CoA too before committing myself to the role," Ganguly told PTI. He has been an administrator for more than five years now but contributing in technical matters and strategy is what excites him the most. "I am feeling very excited. Always wanted to return to cricket. You can say I am a happy man," Ganguly, who had captained KKR and now defunct Pune Warriors in the cash-rich league, said. "Yes I was the captain of KKR. But this role is totally different from that. Playing on the field is different from providing inputs sitting in the dugout. As a captain, I also had to execute the plans on the field. But this time the onus is on the cricketers to per..
                 

IPL 2019 team Delhi Capitals appoint Sourav Ganguly as advisor

12 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly was Thursday appointed advisor of Delhi Capitals for the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). In his new role, Ganguly will work closely with the team's head coach Ricky Ponting. "I am very pleased to come on board with the Delhi Capitals," Ganguly said, on his association."Having known the Jindals and the JSW Group for years, I am now excited to be a part of their latest sports venture. I am really looking forward to working with the players and the support staff."Delhi Capitals have never won the IPL. "Sourav is one of the most astute minds in world cricket. A lot of what we see in Indian cricket today was born because of Sourav. His aggression, positivity and never say die attitude are traits we want the Delhi Capitals team to imbibe. It is truly an honour that Sourav has chosen Delhi as his IPL team. "I have no doubt that our team will benefit immensely from his experience, guidance and advice. Sourav has been like family to me an..
                 

Sania Mirza takes her 'laddu' Izhaan along for tennis practice

12 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
                 

Twitter users angry after India lose series 2-3 against Australia

12 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Virat Kohli's team India lost their last ODI series before the World Cup 2019, who are considered favourites for the mega event. But that is not the way things have panned out for the Indians. At the Feroz Shah Kotla, India's top order put up a meek performance and too much was expected from Kedar Jadhav (44) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (46) as India were bowled out for 237 in response to Australia's 272-9. After the first two ODIs, India had a comfortable 2-0 lead in the series, but Australia turned the tables in the 3rd ODI with a win and carried the momentum into the remaining two ODIs. In the 4th ODI when India looked all set to conquer the series after posting a mammoth 350 plus score, Australia's new all-rounder on the block Ashton Turner changed the game with a 43-ball 84 to pummel Australia to a win. Australia who were in dire need of a series win after losing the last six bilateral ODI series, now has established themselves as contenders in the upcoming World Cup. Indian cricket..
                 

Europa League: Arsenal seek first-leg revenge over Rennes

12 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Unai Emery is not used to losing in the Europa League, but the Arsenal manager must summon a response from his team if they are to overturn a shock 3-1 defeat in the first leg of their last 16 tie with Rennes and remain in the hunt for a trophy in his first season with the Gunners. Emery won three consecutive Europa League titles with Sevilla between 2014 and 2016 and winning the competition once more would guarantee Arsenal a much-needed return to the Champions League next season after a two-year absence. A 2-0 win over Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday was perfect preparation for the Gunners, who moved into the Premier League top four and sent a warning to Rennes over the stark contrast between their form at home and on the road ahead of Thursday's clash at the Emirates Stadium. Emery's men have won 11 consecutive home games in the Premier League and Europa League since November, compared to three away wins in 12 matches on the road in the same period. But for a first-hal..
                 

Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka crash out of ATP Indian Wells Masters

12 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber stunned Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-4 on Tuesday, claiming his first career win over a World No. 1 player to reach the fourth round of the ATP Indian Wells Masters. Halep ousted tooMeanwhile, World No. 1 Naomi Osaka crashed out of Indian Wells, routed by Belinda Bencic on a day that saw second-ranked Simona Halep sent packing, too. Bencic ranked 23rd in the world, defeated Osaka 6-3, 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the prestigious WTA premier mandatory event, where Osaka won her first tour title last year. Naomi Osaka. Pics/AFP Halep, the 2015 Indian Wells winner, fell to Czech teenager Marketa Vondrousova 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.Serbian superstar Djokovic was playing his first tournament since lifting a record seventh title in Melbourne, taking his tally of Grand Slam victories to 15. He had won eight of nine prior meetings with Kohlschreiber, but could find no answer to the 39th-ranked veteran, who had come up empty in 11 prior attempts ..
                 

This team can win us World Cup, says Australian skipper Aaron Finch

12 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Skipper Aaron Finch and coach Justin Langer were over the moon after Australia clinched back-to-back limited overs away series against India in a month, terming the achievement as an "incredible one". Australia first beat India 2-0 in the two-match T20 Series and have now pulled off a 3-2 series win after being 0-2 down. This after losing the Test and ODI series in their own backyard when India travelled their from late last year to first part of 2019. "It's unbelievable. The resilience and the fight that we showed was incredible. We've had our backs against the wall for a while now, but I'm really proud of the group for coming back," Finch said at the post-match presentation ceremony. He is happy that they have been able to prove their critics wrong with this performance. "Like I said, people have written us off for quite a while now but the team that we have can win us the series, and they can win us the World Cup. It's about believing in ourselves and sticking to our gameplan. It..
                 

Akshata Khadtare beats Evanka Brown in Strawweight MMA main event

13 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
On March 9th, X1 International conducted their 7th event at Lord of the Drinks, Lower Parel. This event was a milestone in the history of MMA as it was the first time ever that an entire fight card featured India’s top female combat sports athletes. The fight card consisted of 20 female fighters that fought over 13 mixed martial arts and grappling bouts. The fights consisted of 4 women single elimination tournament in 3 different weight categories and also 2 submission only grappling matches. At the end of the night, Mankomal Kaur from Chandigarh, Reshma Sakpal from Thane and Aarti Khatri from Delhi were crowned their respective weight category champions after winning 2 hard fights each in the same evening. The main event of the night saw 2 highly respected veterans in Akshata Khadtare and Evanka Brown going head to head against each other. After 3 rounds Akshata Khadtare got a unanimous decision win over her opponent. 4 Women Single Elimination Tournament- Flyweight Flyweig..
                 

Rajasthan Royals partners with Kitting & Merchandise brand

13 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Rajasthan Royals is pleased to announce Indian sportswear brand Alcis Sports as their official multi-year Kitting & Merchandise partner. This announcement was made soon after the biggest revelation of the season where Royals announced Pink as their official colour which was created with the help of Alcis Sports. The apparel range for Rajasthan Royals players consists of match jerseys, training wear, gym wear and everyday wear; and features some of the most advanced garment technology. Stylish, easy and comfortable to wear, they are equipped with features such as Dry-Tech — which doesn’t hold sweat and moisture for long, and are made with Anti-Microbial, Anti-Odour and Anti-Static finishes. Besides doing the player kitting for the season, Alcis Sports has also launched an exclusive athleisure line by the name of ‘The Royals Collection by Alcis’. The newly launched line encompasses sportswear as well as daily wear for men, women and kids. This line includes ..
                 

Syed Mushtaq Ali T20: 'Mumbai unfortunate not to play in final'

13 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Mumbai started the 2018-19 season by winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy (one-day) with a four-wicket win over Delhi in Bangalore last October. However, they are unfortunately not in the final of the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy to end the season on a positive note. Despite thrashing Uttar Pradesh by 46 runs in the last Super League Group 'B' game in Indore yesterday, Mumbai couldn't seal a place for the decider. Blame it on the format, which does not have a semi-final leg (only one team from each group qualify for the title decider). The final will be played between Maharashtra and Karnataka at Holkar Stadium in Indore tomorrow. Siddhesh shinesAfter put in to bat, Mumbai's Siddhesh Lad (62), Eknath Kerkar (46) and captain Shreyas Iyer (43) hammered UP's attack to post 187 for seven. In reply, the Ankit Rajpoot-led UP were bundled out for 137 in 19 overs. Pacers Shardul Thakur, Shivam Dube and off-spinner Lad picked up three wickets each for Mumbai. Mumbai coach Vinayak Samant ru..
                 

Barca's Pique backs struggling Coutinho to fire against FC Lyon

13 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
Philippe Coutinho was always going to have a hard time filling the void left by Andres Iniesta but just over a year into his Barcelona contract, the Brazilian might not have expected this. Substituted during Barca's win over Rayo Vallecano at the Camp Nou on Saturday, Coutinho was whistled by a small section of his own fans. The Brazil playmaker has been struggling for fitness ahead of their Champions League second leg against FC Lyon tonight. "Philippe is having a good season," Gerard Pique said. "He cost a lot and that means there are higher expectations but it is what it is. You have to accept the reaction of the fans because at the end of the day they're our fans. We all have to give him support because we need him at his best in the final stage of the season and I'm sure he will be." Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, ag..
                 

India bowling coach Bharat Arun defends decision to wear military caps

13 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
The Indian cricket team wanted to show "solidarity" with the country's army in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack, bowling coach Bharat Arun said yesterday, defending the decision to wear camouflage military caps during the third ODI in Ranchi. "We did what we really felt. We needed to do it for the country, in solidarity with what army has done for the country. In some way, we wanted to show that we appreciate the cause," Arun said yesterday. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever..
                 

Oz keeper Carey: We are confident of defending WC with this squad

13 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Emboldened by Australia's remarkable turnaround in the ODI series against India, vice-captain Alex Carey said they are "really confident" of entering the ICC World Cup with a squad good enough to play like defending champions. "As players in the Australian cricket side, we have been working hard for the last 12-18 months. Some success has started to come our way. We are really confident moving with the squad we take to the World Cup," Carey said on the eve of the series-deciding game here yesterday. Carey said it will only add to the strength of the team when Steven Smith and David Warner rejoin the side after serving out their bans. "Those are definitely some big names that might come back into the line. The guys that are in the side are performing well, so it's only healthy for Australian cricket that the guys in the side are playing well and these guys that have done really well in the past have definitely put their hand up for selection when they are available." The match will b..
                 

Many F1 drivers will end up coming to Formula E, says Felipe Massa

13 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Other sports  
Felipe Massa was the most decorated driver participating in Sunday's Formula E race at the scenic Harbourfront in Hong Kong. With 11 Formula One wins to his credit and 269 Grand Prix starts, the former Ferrari driver was easily the most sought-after despite finishing fifth - his best so far in his debut season. Massa rose one place following a late decision by the FIA to penalise race-winner Sam Bird for a collision that dropped him to sixth place. Massa's Venturi teammate Edoardo Mortara was declared winner. Impressive conceptWhile Massa is still trying to get a hang of how to extract the most from the battery-ridden electric race cars, the Brazilian is impressed by the concept and is confident that many F1 drivers will come to Formula E in future. "Yes, I think so," said Massa when asked by mid-day about Formula E challenging F1. "Everything happens in Formula E. Every race, a different guy has won [this season]. This shows how the championship is and that people want to see it." ..
                 

Muttiah Muralitharan: You cannot have 11 Virat Kohlis in the team

14 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
With Australia chasing down India's total of 358 in the fourth ODI in Mohali and squaring the five-match series 2-2, pundits and fans have been quite critical of the performance of the Indian players. While some have questioned the bowlers' inability to defend a mammoth total on a decently big ground like the PCA Stadium in Mohali, others have questioned Virat Kohli's captaincy skills in the absence of MS Dhoni, known to guide the skipper on the field. Speaking to IANS, former Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan begged to differ with the criticism that has come India's way after Australia won the fourth ODI on Sunday. He feels that people need to be patient as one cannot have 11 match-winners in the team and it is also important to try out various combinations going into the World Cup. "You have to be patient with the team. The Indian team has been doing really well and are trying to experiment with the World Cup round the corner. You will get failures on the road to success as ..
                 

Afridi feels resting established players for Aus ODIs was wrong move

14 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Pakistan's Shahid Afridi Monday criticised the national selectors for resting six senior players, including skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, saying a good outing would have boosted their confidence ahead of the World Cup. In a surprising move, the selectors picked young speedster Mohammad Hasnain in the one-day squad although he has appeared in just two first-class games, played for the Pakistan juniors and did well in the ongoing Pakistan Super League. "I don't know but we must first give chances to the established bowlers like Junaid Khan, Wahab Riaz etc. First look and give proper chance to the established players because after all we are playing in the World Cup," Afridi said. The all-rounder was also critical of the decision to rest Sarfaraz and other key players for the 'home' series, slated to be held in the UAE. "Look if we had been playing against a weak side than it made sense to try new players but this is a series against a big team..
                 

Murali defends Chahal for Mohali flop show, says he's not a robot

14 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
While some pundits have been critical of Yuzvendra Chahal's showing in the fourth ODI in the ongoing five-match series against Australia, former Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan feels Chahal is a champion performer who is only human and not a robot. Indian leg-spinner Chahal went for 80 runs from his 10 overs in Mohali and picked just one wicket. "You cannot expect the kid to pick five wickets every time he goes out to bowl. He is a champion bowler and has been bowling really well in the last two years. He has shown that he has the variety and the guile to dismiss opposition batsmen. It is a case of him failing in one game and trust me, he is no robot. You cannot put pressure on the boy by expecting him to deliver in every game. Have some patience," he told IANS. Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day acce..
                 

World Cup flashback: Sri Lankan lions tame India in 1979

14 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
The format in the 1979 World Cup was a ruthless one. Sri Lanka lost their first game to NZ at Trent Bridge, saw their match against West Indies abandoned at The Oval through wet weather and beat India at Old Trafford. Yet, they could not qualify for the semi-finals. The win over India will count as one of their most memorable pre-1996 World Cup moments. As for India, they lost all their three games in 1979. SL opener Sunil Wettimuny was playing his second World Cup after his first one - in 1975 - ended up being a painful experience. Twice in the match he was hit by Jeff Thomson on his foot and was carried off after the second blow. In the match against India, Wettimuny scored 67. Another significant scorer was Duleep Mendis (64), who was also injured by Thomson in 1975, while Roy Dias chipped in with 50 as Sri Lanka totaled 238-6 in 60 overs. The Indians, who boasted of accomplished batsmen on the first-class scene - right up to No. 8 Surinder Khanna (wicketkeeper) - were dismissed ..
                 

Ashwin's 'mankading' act sends cricketers on Twitter into a frenzy

10 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Sports  
Rajasthan Royals wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler's 'mankad' dismissal has left Twitterverse stunned, with many expressing disappointment over Kings XI Punjab's skipper Ravichandran Ashwin's "disgraceful act." During Monday's match, Ashwin noticed that Buttler was advancing out of his crease before he was releasing the ball, so he decided to stop in his action and removed the bails before lodging the appeal. The decision was sent to the third umpire, who decided to rule Buttler out. This decision by Ashwin to dismiss Buttler this way sparked outrage on social media and saw many current and former players express their angst. "So disappointed in @ashwinravi99 as a Captain & as a person. All captains sign the #IPL wall & agree to play in the spirit of the game. RA had no intention of delivering the ball - so it should have been called a dead ball. Over to u BCCI - this a not a good look for the #IPL," Eoin Morgan wrote on Twitter. So disappointed in @ashwinravi99 as a Capt..