Sports are usually governed by a set of rules or customs, which serve to ensure fair competition, and allow consistent adjudication of the winner. Winning can be determined by physical events such as scoring goals or crossing a line first. It can also be determined by judges who are scoring elements of the sporting performance, including objective or subjective measures such as technical performance or artistic impression
England players form a guard of
honour as Australian captain Michael Clarke walks out to bat in his
final test at The Oval. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
The retired veteran has been offered the post of Sri Lanka's top envoy in Britain, where he plays county cricket.
Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara
bid a tearful farewell to international cricket on Monday and was
immediately offered the post of the island's top envoy in Britain where
he plays county cricket.
Several thousand cheering fans, many of them school children waving
Sri Lankan flags, along with VIPs, turned out to farewell Sangakkara on
the final day of the second Test between his team and India in Colombo.
"You have been a great honour to Sri Lanka," Sri Lankan President
Maithripala Sirisena said in a televised ceremony at P. Sara Oval for
the formidable cricketer after the match.
Sangakkara, who turns out for Surrey in English county cricket, did
not directly address Sirisena's announcement on the diplomatic post,
later telling reporters he had been unprepared for the gesture.
"It was a surprise, I have to go and think about it and discuss with his excellency (the president)" Sangakkara said.
During the formal sendoff, the 37-year-old broke down as he thanked
his parents for standing by him during his 15 years of cricket.
"All the support and love they showed over the years, whether I
played cricket or not, whether I did well or not, the only place I could
go and feel safe was home. So thank you 'amma' (mother) and 'apachchi'
(father)," Sangakkara said, fighting back tears, as fans cheered and
clapped.
He also praised Indian captain Kumar Sangakkara
and his team for their tough opposition during his farewell match which
Sri Lanka lost by 278 runs on Monday, allowing the tourists to level
1-1 in the series.
"Thank you for not giving any quarter," he told the Indian team.
"And thank you for really making it a privilege of mine to play against you," he said.
Sangakkara, the fifth highest run-getter in Test history, finished
with 12,400 runs from 134 Tests at an average of 57.40. He scored 38
centuries, including a best of 319 against Bangladesh in Chittagong last
year.
He follows Sachin Tendulkar of India, Ricky Ponting of Australia, Jacques Kallis of South Africa and Rahul Dravid of India in the all-time list of leading Test scorers.
ICC chief executive David Richardson paid tribute to Sangakkara as "one of cricket's greatest ever players and ambassadors."
"By scoring a total of 28,016 runs across all three formats, he puts
himself in the higher echelons of players to ever grace the game.
"Sangakkara will rightly go down
as one of cricket's greatest-ever players and ambassadors," Richardson
said in an ICC statement.
A city councilman in one of Brazil's biggest cities has tabled a
proposal to create a 'Goal to Germany' day every July to remember
Brazil's shocking World Cup defeat by Germany.
Jota Silva said the day would serve to "reflect on what happened on
July 8," the day in 2014 when eventual world champions Germany beat
Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals.
It was Brazil's heaviest ever World Cup defeat and an unprecedented humiliation for the host nation.
"It wouldn't be a holiday, just a day to remember," Silva told Reuters.
"For two to three months afterwards people were joking about it, people were always saying, 'another goal to Germany!'
But Brazil's downward spiral in
football has been going on for some time. And we need to ask, where do
we go from here? A day would give us a chance to reflect."
Silva said he had spoken to colleagues and there was support for the bill.
However, voters in the city of 1.2 million people near Sao Paulo were not so enthusiastic.
"Stop taking the mickey out of your constituents," a man named Marcos Nascimento posted on Silva's Facebook page.
"You were elected to work for the people and I believe there are more important things that need to be done."
Some wags suggested the 'Goal to Germany' day should actually be a week.
On Sunday Roger Federer ensured Novak Djokovic finished
second best in Cincinnati for the fifth time in his career and denied
him a 'career-masters'. In the process, the Swiss bettered his own record at the
prestigious Masters Series event. Federer has now won all the seven
finals he contested in Ohio. takes a look at a few other events that have fetched prolific returns for the Swiss master.
Roger Federer avenged his
Wimbledon final loss to Novak Djokovic by beating the Serb 7-6(1), 6-3
on Sunday to capture his second consecutive Western & Southern Open
title. The Swiss second seed, playing Djokovic for the first time
since losing to him in the Wimbledon final for a second straight year
last month, brought his record number of Cincinnati titles to seven with
the victory. Federer also denied longtime rival Djokovic from completing the
set of all nine ATP Masters titles and took a 21-20 edge in career
head-to-head meetings.
He claimed his 87th career ATP title and his 24th trophy in a Masters
1000 event. More importantly, it was his seventh title in Cincinnati
from as many finals. Can there be a more perfect record?
Sports is a science, which only
the best utilise to attain global standards. The All India Football
Federation is looking in that direction as it looks to improve his
standing on the world stage.
In a first of sorts for Indian football, the national team
implemented the ‘Player Tracking System’ at its ongoing preparatory camp
at the DSK Dream City, the home of DSK Shivajians Football Club, in
Pune.
The players wore the GPS system inside their vests, resembling
pictures of Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic which had gone viral
some weeks back.
The initiative, launched by India coach Stephen Constantine, will be monitored by sports scientist Danny Deigan.
“From now on, we will be using them in every training session, even during matches,” Deigan told
“FIFA approved them two months ago to be used during the match. It
just needs to be approved by the Match Commissioner a day prior to the
match,” he added.
Deigan said Australian football has been using the system since the last 14 years.
“Rugby is using it since the last seven years. This is much more reliable than the video systems which have been used.
“From the conditioning point of view it will make drills a lot more
specific. I know how to supplement football drills to make sure the
players are best prepared for international standard,” he maintained.
Constantine concurred. “The way the game is going at the moment it’s
pertinent that you have every possible piece of information in your hand
to evaluate the players, both mentally and physically.
“The game has reached new levels of expertise and now we can monitor
the players while they are in training, as to how they do it and how
long they do it. It’s invaluable in identifying a player’s capabilities
from the physiological point of view,” he said
Workaholic Danny’, as Constantine calls him, says the trackers will facilitate “prevention of injury”.
“The trackers will facilitate injury prevention. We know that we need
to condition players so that they are prepared for match conditions.
“It’s also about seeing where the players are at the moment. We can
see the maximum speeds which they have attained, their heart rates,
speeds at which they work, and understand where they stand at the global
level.
“Thirdly, we will use them (the tracking system) to monitor
our players, see how they tolerate training load. We will be working
with individuals to bring them up to the required standard.”
Constantine, who is toiling to streamline the junior players, said,
“The information be will be used with the Under-19s and Under-17s
wherever possible.
“I believe in the optimal utilization of resources of staff and equipment.
“I need to thank Mr (Praful) Patel (AIFF president) and Mr (Kaushal) Das (AIFFsecretary) for granting me the funds and believing in the concept of taking Indian football to the next level.”
Deigan, who earlier worked with the Institute of Sports in Australia, mentioned that he will get the “results live”.
With the players gaining strides and the momentum increasing, Deigan peeped into his laptop by the side of the pitch.
“Come here,” he waved. “You can see the heart rate of every player,
the speed which they are running around and what their averages and
totals are for the session.
“Our players cover a lot of distance but it’s not at the same
intensity you will see in international football and in higher leagues.
That’s something we will be working towards in the camp.”
England are to play three home Tests against Sri Lanka next year and four against Pakistan.
"Pakistan and Sri Lanka will attract strong support from their own
communities in this country," England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB)
chief executive officer Tom Harrison said in a statement on Tuesday.
The home team will bid to avenge last year's 1-0 Test series defeat by Sri Lanka in matches in Leeds, Durham and Lord's.
Pakistan, who are also England's opponents in a three-test series in
the United Arab Emirates in October, will play Tests at Lord's,
Manchester, Birmingham and The Oval.
"(Captain) Alastair Cook was absolutely right to acknowledge the
contribution of England's fans to our Ashes success," added Harrison in
reference to the 3-2 victory over Australia in the series that ended on
Sunday.
"They have been unwavering in their support this summer and we would
urge as many as possible to return to our international venues next
summer."
England will also take on both Sri Lanka and Pakistan in five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match.
India's Test captain Virat Kohli has dropped out of ICC's top-10 list for batsmen in the five-day format.
However, Ravichandran Ashwin's remarkable outing in the ongoing
series against Sri Lanka helped him earn a place to eighth in
bowling while holding the second spot in the all-rounders' rankings.
Kohli, who was in the top-10 for a long time, is now placed 11th. The
Indian captain has so far managed 194 in four innings (@ 48.5) on the
tour and sits third on the batting charts.
He made 103 in the opening Test in Galle and 78 in the first innings
at the P Sara Oval. However, in the second innings of the latter he
managed only 10.
The big Indian mover in the latest batting rankings are Ajinkya
Rahane (up two places to a career-high 20th) while Lokesh Rahul (up 30
places to 87th) and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha (up 15 places to 100th)
also climbed up the ladder.
Australia 481 (Smith 143, Warner 85, Voges 76, Starc 58) beat England 149 and 286 (Cook 85, Siddle 4-35) by an innings and 46 runs
A flirtatious Ashes series which has often been seductive without
delivering much in the way of long-term commitment, so much so that the
urn might have been sponsored by Ashley Madison, lent its loyalties for
the final time to Australia as they claimed the fifth Investec Test by
an innings and 46 runs.
There has been much to enjoy over the five Tests in a series watched by
capacity crowds - and lovers of Test cricket will delight in that - but
history is likely to judge this hit-and-miss series one of the more
insubstantial affairs between two teams possessing striking
inconsistencies - loved for their skill, unlikely to be hailed for their
resilience.
Alastair Cook, England's captain, will make light of that, content that
after a 5-0 whitewash in Australia the Ashes have been regained. "I
honestly believe this is a highly-talented group of players," he said.
"Being underdogs helped us and allowed us to play with a bit of freedom.
It has been a very different Ashes series: two-and-a-half day Test
matches with one side getting on top and the other unable to respond,
but I am very proud of the lads."
As if to reveal this trait, all five matches have been one-sided. There
has been entertainment a plenty but little tension. As well as this
victory margin - an innings and 46 runs, Australia found further
consolation in London when they won by 405 runs at Lord's. England
dominated by 169 runs in Cardiff, eight wickets at Edgbaston and an
innings and 78 at Trent Bridge. The ability to fight back in adversity
has been strangely lacking. It has not been a series to be holding
tickets for the final day.
Rain delayed Australia for nearly three hours on the fourth day - not
many batsmen on either side can claim to have done that to bowlers
during this series - before Peter Siddle,
appearing in the final Test like a battle-hardened guest star from a
more sober age, took the last two wickets to finish with 4 for 35 and 6
for 67 in the match.
England's winning margin was clipped to 3-2 and properly so. Stuart
Broad, the leading wicket-taker in the series, is followed by four
Australians. Joe Root is the only England batsman in the top four
run-makers.
But England won some decisive passages of play, not just Stuart Broad
with eight wickets on a heady first morning at Trent Bridge, but also
the man who pipped him for the Man of the Series award, Joe Root, who
struck centuries at Cardiff and Trent Bridge. The citation from
Australia's coach, Darren Lehmann, praised: "Outstanding knocks in
bowler-friendly conditions at key moments."
Chris Rogers, one player whose resilence could be taken for granted, was
Australia's Man of the Series. It has been hard work: the wickets have
been tough and England have bowled pretty well," he said. "I am a very
proud Australian but it's quite fitting for me that I get to finish up
in England,. England has been pretty good to me."
Pitches at Edgbaston and Trent Bridge shamelessly played to England
strengths. England, although they are far from being a strong Test side,
can be an exciting one and they can be grateful to have regained
popularity and come away with the spoils. Considering the disenchantment
that surrounded English cricket after a feeble World Cup challenge, the
director of England cricket, Andrew Strauss will more than settle for
that.
Michael Clarke,
although saddled with an Ashes record of five defeats in seven, at
least retired knowing that for his farewell appearance the dressing room
had responded to his leadership. "But this was not about me," he said.
"It was about the need to show determination. We are very proud of the
result, although Alastair and England deserve a lot of credit."
England still trailed by 129 when they resumed their second innings at
203 for 6. Mark Wood's appearance as a nightwatchman on Saturday evening
had appeared dubious even for those who are not automatically critical
of the tactic. Any policy that pushes Moeen Ali
down to No. 9, where his involvement can be curtailed in the space of
two balls, surely does not have logic on its side, especially
considering the prospect that he will be used as an opening batsman
against Pakistan in the UAE in October.
Since it was pointed out that the umpires have excelled in this series,
with 31 of the first 32 reviews falling in their favour (the umpire's
call margin of error helps in this of course), the figures have been
slightly tarnished by several reversed decisions for Kumar Dharmasena,
the latest being when Australia successfully overturned his refusal of
Siddle's lbw appeal against Wood, DRS showing the ball going on to hit
leg stump.
The recent introduction of the system where the third umpire's
instructions can be heard on TV and radio has added to the understanding
of, and trust in, the system. India's continued resistance is perverse.
Jos Buttler's disappointing Ashes campaign then came to rest when three
overs later he drove Mitchell Marsh weakly to mid-off. Had Moeen's edge
of Siddle carried to slip before he had scored, Australia might well
have beaten the rain.
Instead, much fidgeting ensured before Siddle bowled Broad with the
second ball of the resumption, defeating an intended blow down the
ground, and then found the edge as Moeen attempted a back-foot force.
Fraser-Pryce reaffirms status as Queen of Sprints, wins third world 100m title
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce underlined her status as Queen of the Sprints
with an unprecedented third world championship 100 metres title at the
Bird's Nest stadium on Monday.
With her long, dyed green braids
flowing behind her, the diminutive Jamaican was not quickest out of the
blocks but soon got into her stride and powered down the track in 10.76
seconds to add to her titles in Berlin in 2009 and Moscow two years ago.
Back at the same arena where she won the first of her two Olympic
gold medals at the 2008 Games, Fraser-Pryce locked up a fifth title in
the last six major championships in the blue riband sprint.
"I
will always work hard and do my best," she said. "When I ran the heats, I
remembered back at the 2008 Olympic Games when I was a 21-year-old.
"I expected nothing then. And I came out here again tonight and won a gold medal. I am really excited."
Former
heptathlete Dafne Schippers almost caught Fraser-Pryce with a brilliant
finish but was more than satisfied with her second Dutch national
record of the night in 10.81 for second place.
The first European
to win a medal in the 100 metres at a world championships since France's
Christine Arron in 2005, Schippers was delighted to secure silver in
her first season after giving up the multi-discipline event to focus on
the sprints.
U Mumba rose to the occasion of Pro Kabaddi League 2015 final to to beat the Bengaluru Bulls 36-30 to lift the title.
U
Mumba overcame a fighting Bengaluru Bulls 36-30 in a thrilling summit
clash to lift the second Star Sports Pro Kabaddi crown at a packed NSCI
Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Starting the game as slight favourites, the Mumbai outfit had to
stretch every sinew to get the better of their rivals from Bengaluru who
fought tooth and nail but fell short at the end.
U Mumba came up with some magical play when the occasion demanded,
especially in the closing stages of both sessions, to run out victors
and take home the top prize of Rs one crore. The Bulls got Rs 50 lakh.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/pro-kabaddi-league-2015-u-mumba-crowned-champions-after-thrilling-win-over-bengaluru-bulls-in-final/#sthash.tUbU13En.dpuf
Earlier,
in the 3rd-4th placing game, Telugu Titans from Hyderabad downed Patna
Pirates 34-26, after leading 16-8 at half time, to finish third and get
prize money of Rs 30 lakh. Pirates got Rs 20 lakh.
In the final match, U Mumba were held in check by the Bulls’
determined defence for the first 15 minutes of the opening half before
they took control in both attack and tackling to take a 16-8 lead.
Such was the tackling skills exhibited by the Bulls, ably led by
Dharmaraj Cheralathan, that at one stage Mumba’s star attackers, captain
Anup Kumar and second raider Shabeer Bapu, were both warming the bench
together after being trapped in raids.
The scores ran neck-to-neck till 7-all when U Mumba hit a purple
patch in both attack and defence, in which Vishal Mane and raid
specialist Rishank Devadiga excelled.
During this period, U Mumba secured raid points from Anup and Bapu
while packing off rival raiders — captain Manjeet Chillar and Thakur —
before making the Bulls all out by taking care of last man left — Deepak
Dahiya — to get three points at a stretch.
This period was ultimately the turning point in the game. In the
second half, Mumbai led 23-18 when Thakur came up with a super raid to
secure five points, by packing off three rivals and making U Mumba all
out.
Then the Bulls even led 24-23 when Mumba’s captain Anup was trapped
but the Mumbai outfit hit back strongly and regained the initiative with
some excellent attack and solid defending to emerge deserving winners.
Shabeer Bapu led the Mumbai attack with ten points while Anup got six
touch points and one for tackling. The surprise packet was Rishank
Devadiga who played a good all-round game to get five points along with
Mane who stole the show in defence.
For the Bulls, Manjeet Chillar was the stand out player with 11
points to his credit, including seven touch and two for tackling. Thakur
got three touch points in one raid while Dharmaraj Cheralathan did well
in defence to get four points.
Overall Mumbai trailed their rivals 17-18 in attack but made up for
these with superior defence (14-10) and all-outs (4-2). They also got
one bonus point.
Earlier, Telugu Titans beat Patna Pirates 34-26 to finish third.
Pirates got all out twice and also were 1-4 in the bonus point ratio.
While Titans led their rivals 19-15 in raid points the only area where
the Pirates excelled was in defense as they secured 10 tackle points as
compared to the Titans’ seven.
In attack, Titans were led by Rahul Chaudhari (10 raid points,
including nine touch points) and K Prashant Rai with six points that
included five touch points while all-rounder Deepak Hudda secured five
points in offence and defense combined.
For the losers, captain Sandeep Narwal was outstanding with his
all-round effort that fetched him 11 points, including eight in attack.
He was given good support by defender Sunil Kumar who got six tackle
points but most others disappointed.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/pro-kabaddi-league-2015-u-mumba-crowned-champions-after-thrilling-win-over-bengaluru-bulls-in-final/#sthash.tUbU13En.dpuf
U
Mumba overcame a fighting Bengaluru Bulls 36-30 in a thrilling summit
clash to lift the second Star Sports Pro Kabaddi crown at a packed NSCI
Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Starting the game as slight favourites, the Mumbai outfit had to
stretch every sinew to get the better of their rivals from Bengaluru who
fought tooth and nail but fell short at the end.
U Mumba came up with some magical play when the occasion demanded,
especially in the closing stages of both sessions, to run out victors
and take home the top prize of Rs one crore. The Bulls got Rs 50 lakh.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/pro-kabaddi-league-2015-u-mumba-crowned-champions-after-thrilling-win-over-bengaluru-bulls-in-final/#sthash.tUbU13En.dpuf
U
Mumba overcame a fighting Bengaluru Bulls 36-30 in a thrilling summit
clash to lift the second Star Sports Pro Kabaddi crown at a packed NSCI
Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Starting the game as slight favourites, the Mumbai outfit had to
stretch every sinew to get the better of their rivals from Bengaluru who
fought tooth and nail but fell short at the end.
U Mumba came up with some magical play when the occasion demanded,
especially in the closing stages of both sessions, to run out victors
and take home the top prize of Rs one crore. The Bulls got Rs 50 lakh.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/pro-kabaddi-league-2015-u-mumba-crowned-champions-after-thrilling-win-over-bengaluru-bulls-in-final/#sthash.tUbU13En.dpuf
U
Mumba overcame a fighting Bengaluru Bulls 36-30 in a thrilling summit
clash to lift the second Star Sports Pro Kabaddi crown at a packed NSCI
Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Starting the game as slight favourites, the Mumbai outfit had to
stretch every sinew to get the better of their rivals from Bengaluru who
fought tooth and nail but fell short at the end.
U Mumba came up with some magical play when the occasion demanded,
especially in the closing stages of both sessions, to run out victors
and take home the top prize of Rs one crore. The Bulls got Rs 50 lakh.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/pro-kabaddi-league-2015-u-mumba-crowned-champions-after-thrilling-win-over-bengaluru-bulls-in-final/#sthash.tUbU13En.dpuf
U
Mumba overcame a fighting Bengaluru Bulls 36-30 in a thrilling summit
clash to lift the second Star Sports Pro Kabaddi crown at a packed NSCI
Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Starting the game as slight favourites, the Mumbai outfit had to
stretch every sinew to get the better of their rivals from Bengaluru who
fought tooth and nail but fell short at the end.
U Mumba came up with some magical play when the occasion demanded,
especially in the closing stages of both sessions, to run out victors
and take home the top prize of Rs one crore. The Bulls got Rs 50 lakh.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/pro-kabaddi-league-2015-u-mumba-crowned-champions-after-thrilling-win-over-bengaluru-bulls-in-final/#sthash.tUbU13En.dpuf
U
Mumba overcame a fighting Bengaluru Bulls 36-30 in a thrilling summit
clash to lift the second Star Sports Pro Kabaddi crown at a packed NSCI
Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Starting the game as slight favourites, the Mumbai outfit had to
stretch every sinew to get the better of their rivals from Bengaluru who
fought tooth and nail but fell short at the end.
U Mumba came up with some magical play when the occasion demanded,
especially in the closing stages of both sessions, to run out victors
and take home the top prize of Rs one crore. The Bulls got Rs 50 lakh.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/pro-kabaddi-league-2015-u-mumba-crowned-champions-after-thrilling-win-over-bengaluru-bulls-in-final/#sthash.tUbU13En.dpuf
U
Mumba overcame a fighting Bengaluru Bulls 36-30 in a thrilling summit
clash to lift the second Star Sports Pro Kabaddi crown at a packed NSCI
Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Starting the game as slight favourites, the Mumbai outfit had to
stretch every sinew to get the better of their rivals from Bengaluru who
fought tooth and nail but fell short at the end.
U Mumba came up with some magical play when the occasion demanded,
especially in the closing stages of both sessions, to run out victors
and take home the top prize of Rs one crore. The Bulls got Rs 50 lakh.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/pro-kabaddi-league-2015-u-mumba-crowned-champions-after-thrilling-win-over-bengaluru-bulls-in-final/#sthash.tUbU13En.dpuf
U
Mumba overcame a fighting Bengaluru Bulls 36-30 in a thrilling summit
clash to lift the second Star Sports Pro Kabaddi crown at a packed NSCI
Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Starting the game as slight favourites, the Mumbai outfit had to
stretch every sinew to get the better of their rivals from Bengaluru who
fought tooth and nail but fell short at the end.
U Mumba came up with some magical play when the occasion demanded,
especially in the closing stages of both sessions, to run out victors
and take home the top prize of Rs one crore. The Bulls got Rs 50 lakh.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/pro-kabaddi-league-2015-u-mumba-crowned-champions-after-thrilling-win-over-bengaluru-bulls-in-final/#sthash.tUbU13En.dpuf
U
Mumba overcame a fighting Bengaluru Bulls 36-30 in a thrilling summit
clash to lift the second Star Sports Pro Kabaddi crown at a packed NSCI
Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Starting the game as slight favourites, the Mumbai outfit had to
stretch every sinew to get the better of their rivals from Bengaluru who
fought tooth and nail but fell short at the end.
U Mumba came up with some magical play when the occasion demanded,
especially in the closing stages of both sessions, to run out victors
and take home the top prize of Rs one crore. The Bulls got Rs 50 lakh.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/pro-kabaddi-league-2015-u-mumba-crowned-champions-after-thrilling-win-over-bengaluru-bulls-in-final/#sthash.tUbU13En.dpuf
Kumar Sangakkara bid farewell to international cricket after the second Test between Sri Lanka and India
Your excellency, the President of Sri Lanka, the honourable Prime
Minister, Members of Parliament, all the well wishers and the invitees,
fans, all my friends, my family - who are all here, which is a rare
occasion that all of us are together - Virat Kohli and the Indian team,
Angelo and my team, I have got so many people to thank here. (Sangakkara Tells Sri Lanka to Play Fearless Cricket)
I
will start off with my school - Trinity College, Kandy. Trinity College
gave me a fantastic ground there in Kandy. It was an amazing school to
go to. I owe a lot of who I am today to the grounding and foundation I
got there. To all my coaches - I had so many because my father used to
take me to so many coaches when I was young - a big thank you.
To
all my past captains, to Sri Lanka Cricket, to all my team-mates, thank
you very much for everything that you've done for me. The support that I
received, the inspiration, the drive and the commitment you have shown,
not just to the game but also to each other and to me, I value all
very, very highly. I am going to miss all that chat we had in the
dressing room. To Charlie and Suthami Austin, thank you very much for
managing me. You've become much more than managing, you've become
family. I know I haven't thanked you enough in the past but today I'd
like to say a huge thank you to Charlie and Suthami for being friends
and being my managers and most of all for making me the godfather of
your beautiful children.
I didn't have to look far for inspiration
(gets emotional). My parents are here. I didn't have to look far. I had
amazing siblings. I am blessed with a wonderful family. I was blessed
to be born as your children. When I look up at the box, people that I've
known for 30 years, friends, family, everyone is here and to see that
they love me is great and it will be my greatest achievement.
To
all the Sri Lankan fans, this gives me immense pleasure to represent Sri
Lanka. Finally to Virat and the Indian team, thank you for all the
words and your kindness. And you guys over the years have been our
toughest opponents. Doesn't matter if we've lost today, we'll try and
beat you in the next match (smiles). Angelo and your team, you've got a
wonderful team. I hope you try hard, don't be afraid to lose and keep
the Sri Lankan flag flying high.
India vs Sri Lanka, 2nd Test Day 5 Highlights: Ashwin's 5/42 Scripts 278-Run Win for India to Level Series 1-1
India dismissed Sri Lanka for 134 to draw level in the three-match series. Catch all the highlights here (Scorecard | Schedule | Photos): 1336 hrs (IST):
That is all from the P. Sara Oval and it's down to the series decider
at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo which begins on August 28. 1334 hrs (IST):
He praises Kohli and the Indian team. "Thanks for kind words. Couldn't
have asked more than tough cricket. Losses don't matter." 1332 hrs (IST): Sangakkara breaks down as he talks of his family. "My parents are here with me, they are my inspiration, you're amazing." 1331 hrs (IST): "I'll miss the dressing room. Chatting, laughing & talking about nonsense, will cherish the memories," he adds. 1328 hrs (IST): "I thank all my coaches. To all my teammates, thank you for all you have done for me," says an emotional Sangakkara. 1327 hrs (IST):
Sangakkara comes to deliver his farewell speech. "I have so many people
to thank, especially everyone here who took the time to come and watch
the cricket," he says. 1323 hrs (IST): The Sri Lankan president offers Sangakkara the High Commissioner's post in the United Kingdom. 1320 hrs (IST): Kohli presents a signed Indian Test jersey to Sangakkara. 1318 hrs (IST): The likes of Gavaskar and Ranatunga are present as Sri Lanka honours Sangakkara for his service to the game. 1311 hrs (IST): The special ceremony to felicitate Sangakkara gets underway. 1259 hrs (IST): The presentation ceremony is over but now a special event for the retiring Kumar Sangakkara. 1256 hrs (IST): Virat Kohli is pleased with his team's performance. "Commendable effort to regroup so soon and putting up this show," he says. 1252 hrs (IST): Lokesh Rahul is the Man of the Match. "Very happy with this result and it will help us going into the final Test," says Rahul. 1250 hrs (IST): "I would like to thank Sangakkara for his contribution to Sri Lankan cricket. We can't thank him enough," says Angelo Mathews. 1248 hrs (IST): This is India's first Test win since July last year when they beat England at Lord's. 1238 hrs (IST):
It's all over! Mishra removes Chameera and Sri Lanka crumble on Day 5.
India have won the game by 278 runs. Kohli has his first Test win at the
helm. 1231 hrs (IST): Play resumes and India looking for that final wicket to seal the issue. 1222 hrs (IST):
This will be Virat Kohli's first win as Test skipper. He came close in
Australia and in Galle in the last game, but it seems he will be third
time lucky. 1215 hrs (IST): One session is enough
to change a game and that's just what happened for India. In 21.3
overs, Sri Lanka lost 7 wickets for 58 runs. The hosts are staring at a
massive defeat. Not the way Kumar Sangakkara would have wanted to end
his international career. 1205 hrs (IST): India's last Test series win in Sri Lanka was in 1993. On their last tour in 2010, the series was drawn 1-1. 1158 hrs (IST): An early lunch has been taken. So some respite for Sri Lanka and India will look to finish it off once they come back on. 1154 hrs (IST): The good news is that is has stopped raining. It remains to be seen how soon play will resume. 1149 hrs (IST):
The covers come on as rain stops play. The crowd cheers as only the
weather can prevent a Sri Lankan defeat. Sri Lanka 130/9, Target: 413. 1144 hrs (IST): WICKET! Kaushal trapped leg before by Mishra. Sri Lanka 128/9, Target: 413. 1142 hrs (IST): The match could well end before lunch the way things are going. Sri Lanka 124/8, Target: 413. 1132 hrs (IST) WICKET! Ashwin has five as Karunaratne's vigil ends. Sri Lanka 123/8, Target: 413. 1120 hrs (IST) WICKET!
Prasad tries to hit Ashwin into the stands but only skies a catch to
Mishra. India on the verge of a huge win. Sri Lanka 114/7, Target: 413.
1114 hrs (IST): WICKET! Ishant gets rid of Mubarak for a duck. India look set to wrap things up. Sri Lanka 111/6, Target: 413. 1113 hrs (IST): WICKET! Thirimanne is sent back by Ashwin thanks to a sharp catch by substitute Pujara. Sri Lanka 106/5, Target: 413. 1102 hrs (IST):
A productive session for India so far. Two wickets at the cost of just
34 runs from 13 overs. Sri Lankans playing for survival at the moment.
Unless the momentum shifts, this could be the trend for the rest of the
day. Sri Lanka 106/4, Target: 413. 1055 hrs (IST):
Kohli juggling his bowlers well so that nobody has to bear extra load.
Ishant back into the attack. Sri Lanka 102/4, Target: 413. 1044 hrs (IST):
A close attacking field being maintained by Kohli as with Ashwin and
Mishra bowling in tandem. India clearly looking to expose the lower
order before lunch. Sri Lanka 100/4, Target: 413. 1036 hrs (IST): WICKET!
Mishra gets rid of Chandimal as the latter tries to sweep but the ball
disturbs the furniture behind. India breaking through the middle order.
Sri Lanka 91/4, Target: 413. 1026 hrs (IST): Sri Lanka are faced with the third
highest successful chase in Test cricket history. Their best chase was
352/9 vs South Africa in 2006. Sri Lanka 90/3, Target: 413. 1017 hrs (IST):
The Lankans looking to get through the first hour. Losing Mathews early
was a big blow and India will have their tails up as they aim to make
further inroads into the hosts' batting line-up. Sri Lanka 82/3, Target:
413. 1008 hrs (IST) Chandimal has joined
Karunaratne in the middle. Sri Lanka have been jolted early after a
first-ball strike by Umesh. The hosts face as uphill task from here. Sri
Lanka 72/3, Target: 413.
0959 hrs (IST): Players take the field and India will target a couple of early wickets. Umesh Yadav runs in for the first ball and WICKET! Mathews edges it to the keeper and Lokesh Rahul takes it gleefully. Sri Lanka 72/3, Target: 413. 0947 hrs (IST):
All set for the final day's play in Colombo. Will Sri Lanka go for the
win or try to force a draw? One thing for certain is that India are
pushing for victory to draw level in the three-match series.
India were on top at the start of day four in the second Test at
Colombo. All they needed was to extend their advantage and bat Sri Lanka
out of the game. India did exactly that thanks to Ajinkya Rahane. In
overseas conditions, his contributions have been pivotal for the team
and he once again played a knock when the team needed it the most. His
fourth Test century, all outside India, put them in the driver's seat
and set Sri Lanka a target of 413.(Ishant Sharma Fined)
When
Kaushal Silva fell to Ashwin, all eyes were fixed on Kumar Sangakkara.
He got a guard of honour and looked in great touch by spanking three
glorious boundaries. However, R Ashwin broke a million Sri Lankan hearts
when he sent back the legend for the fourth time in this series. It
brought an end to Sangakkara's glorious career and with his dismissal,
Sri Lanka are staring down the barrel.('Sangakkara One of the All-Time Greats')
Angelo
Mathews and Dimuth Karunaratne ensured that there were no further
problems until stumps. But, with Ashwin making life hard out there, the
hosts face a massive task of saving this match on the final day.(Rahane's Ton Gives India Advantage)
The
stars for India in this Test have been the bowlers. Ishant Sharma has
contributed at vital times with the new ball while Amit Mishra has been
lethal on this wicket. Mishra is the latest line of leg-spinners to
trouble Sri Lanka after Imran Tahir and Yasir Shah and he will be the
key along with Ashwin on the final day
India vs Sri Lanka 2nd Test, Stats: India record biggest win over Sri Lanka
India's triumph by 278 runs is their biggest over Sri Lanka in terms of runs in Tests.
Statistical highlights of the second cricket Test between India and Sri Lanka that concluded in Colombo on Monday.
# India’s triumph by 278 runs is their biggest over Sri Lanka in
terms of runs in Tests, eclipsing the 259-run win at Ahmedabad in
December 2005.
# India have won five, lost seven and drawn eight out of 20 Tests played against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka.
- See more at:
http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/india-vs-sri-lanka-2nd-test-stats-india-record-biggest-win-over-sri-lanka/#sthash.CX5Gdo1L.dpuf
England entered what for them was uncharted territory when they
successfully chased a target of 350 against New Zealand in the fourth
Royal London ODI at Trent Bridge. It was the fourth-highest chase ever
and came in England, which traditionally has not offered up such gifts
readily. And they did not just chase it, they marmalised it. A
seven-wicket came up with indecent haste with six overs to spare. What
is going on?
What Alex Hales and Jason Roy began - Hales the dominant factor in an opening stand of 100 by the 11th over - Eoin Morgan
all but completed. "You beauty," he cried as he smashed Matt Henry into
the stands at deep midwicket to complete his eighth ODI hundred. He has
four scores of 50-plus in the series; no England captain has achieved
that before. England have four scores of 300 on the bounce. Australia
have managed six, Sri Lanka five, but this is unheralded for England.
Alongside Joe Root,
whose own unbeaten century was almost an afterthought, Morgan assembled
a third-wicket stand of 198 in 27 overs, Root possessing finesse,
Morgan a captain carrying the fight. For English cricket, this was not
just any old century; it was an affirmation, a commitment to audacity
that so entirely escaped England in an abject World Cup challenge. Then
Morgan looked a captain out of sorts. Now he bats as if truly empowered,
his 113 from 82 balls coming to grief with 41 needed when he hooked Tim
Southee to fine leg.
Eoin Morgan scored a century off 73 balls as England successfully chased 350 at Trent Bridge
Sri Lanka opener Kaushal Silva frustrated Pakistan with an unbeaten 80
when the rain-hit first Test finally got underway on the scheduled
second day in Galle on Thursday.Veteran Kumar Sangakkara chipped in with
50 to leave the hosts on 178 for three at stumps after Pakistan captain
Misbah-ul Haq elected to field first on an easy-paced pitch.
After
inclement weather had washed out the entire first day's play on
Wednesday, just 64 overs were bowled on the second day after a wet
outfield delayed the start by two hours at the Galle International
Stadium.Left-handed Dimuth Karunaratne scored 21 in an opening
stand of 30 with Silva when he was dismissed by left-arm seamer Wahab
Riaz in the 13th over of the innings.
Karunaratne
attempted to pull a short ball, but only managed to edge a catch to
wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed to provide the tourists a much-needed
breakthrough.Silva and Sangakkara teamed up to add 112 runs for
the second wicket, batting through the post-lunch session to take their
team to a comfortable 123 for one by tea.
Sangakkara,
Sri Lanka's leading run-getter who is expected to retire during the
home series against India in August, hit two boundaries and a six.The
prolific left-hander, who took a break from his English county
commitments with Surrey to play for his nation, began ominously by
driving his first delivery from Wahab to the mid-on fence.
But he
fell soon after reaching his 52nd half-century when he edged a drive
off Wahab to Younis Khan in the slip region.Pakistan could have removed
Sangakkara when he was on 24, but Azhar Ali at short-leg spilled a sharp
chance off leg-spinner Yasir Shah.The tourists struck again soon after
as Lahiru Thirimanne, who scored eight, drove Mohammad Hafeez uppishly
to mid-on where Zulfiqar Babar held the catch after juggling with the
ball.
Silva, looking comfortable against both
pace and spin, stepped closer to his second Test century. He has so far
hit 12 boundaries.
Wahab was the most
impressive bowler with two for 51, but those figures would have read
better if Karunaratne had not been caught off a no-ball in the bowler's
first over.Later in the same over, Wahab was warned by umpire Paul
Reiffel for running on the wicket on his follow through.Hafeez, who
picked up his 50th Test wicket, had figures of one for 24 from seven
overs.Rain has been forecast in the southern coastal town for all five
days of the match.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan are due to play three Tests, followed by five one-day internationals and two Twenty20 matches.
19-year old Mustafizur Rahman enjoyed a dream debut as Bangladesh
condemned India to a 79-run defeat in the first ODI of the three-match
series in Mirpur. Mustafizur ended with 5 for 50 from 9.2 overs as
Bangladesh reinforced their growing reputation as a top ODI nation with a
thoroughly comprehensive all-round performance. Mustafizur was ably
supported by Taskin Ahmed (2 for 21), who incidentally, was the last
Bangladesh bowler to pick up a five-fer on ODI debut against India. For
long, Bangladesh's cricket at home has been epitomized by their array
of left-arm spinners. On Thursday, on a surface that gave no indications
of being seamer-friendly, Mashrafe Mortaza took the call to field a
four-prong pace attack, a decision vindicated by the performance of the
quicks, who bowled their opposition out of the match. India, for large
parts of the game, appeared fazed by Bangladesh's intensity of the
field, something the raucous crowd at Mirpur also contributed to. The
hosts started brightly in their defense of 307. Both Taskin and
Mustafizur had the Indian openers on a leash. After multiple plays and
missess, LBW shouts and unconvincing shots, Shikhar Dhawan hit a
boundary, the first off the Indian innings off the 24th delivery. Dhawan
and Rohit Sharma fought through the tough phase and Bangladesh appeared
to have let the opposition off the hook. Rohit
got going with a short-arm pulled six off Mustafizur before following it
up with a couple of fours. Mashrafe Mortaza brought Rubel Hossain and
himself on but by then the early storm had been weathered. Bangladesh,
who were guilty of dropping Shikhar Dhawan twice (on 13 and 15 by
Mushfiqur Rahim), allowed the Indian openers to put on a 95-run opening
stand before Taskin Ahmed led an inspiring turnaround that saw India
slip dramatically to 128 for 5. Dhawan, who had
plodded around for a 38-ball 30 was caught behind off Taskin, who made
in two wickets in three deliveries when he had Virat Kohli playing away
from his body. Rohit (63 off 68) had looked largely untroubled en-route
his 26th ODI half-century before he was deceived by a clever change of
pace from Mustafizur. Ajinkya Rahane struggling to get the ball off the
square, chipped Mustafizur to cover after a 25-ball 9. Spin, introduced
as late as the 26th over, accounted for MS Dhoni, who edged Shakib to
give Mushfiqur his third of five catches behind the stumps. The
famed Indian middle order had been silenced and but for a stubborn
half-century stand between Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, the margin
of defeat would have been far greater. The youngster, who was dispatched
for a six by Raina, had the Indian batsman playing on to a crafy
off-cutter. R Ashwin fell next ball. The five-fer came when Jadeja holed
out to long-on in a desperate attempt to keep the chase alive. Earlier,
Bangladesh, riding on a 102-run opening partnership between Tamim Iqbal
and Soumya Sarkar, posted a competitive 307, their first 300+ score
against India. In fact, Shakib exclaimed that they had been at least
25-runs short having been given a 102-run opening stand at nearly eight
runs an over after Mortaza won the toss and elected to bat. India, aided
by a welcome break in play due to a passing shower and disciplined
bowling spells from R Ashwin (3 for 51) and Suresh Raina (0 for 40),
forged their way back into the game with a flurry of wickets after the
break. The Bangladesh of old would have collapsed
from there. But, Shakib Al Hassan's (52 off 68) and Sabbir Rahman's (41
off 44) reassuring presence ensured that was not to be. The 83-run
stand at nearly a run-a-ball took Bangladesh past the 200 mark by the
35th over. The final flourish came from Mortaza. His 21 off 18 helped
Bangladesh cross the pyschological 300 mark, a total that proved beyond
India's reach in the face of an inspired bunch of pace bowlers. Brief Scores:
Bangladesh 307 (Tamim Iqbal 60, Soumya Sarkar 54; R Ashwin 3/51) beat
India 228 (Rohit Sharma 63, Suresh Raina 40; Mustafizur Rahman 5/50) by
79 runs.
When England fast bowler Steven Finn faced New Zealand at the World Cup
in February, his two wicketless overs in an eight-wicket thrashing cost a
colossally expensive 49 runs. But, it was a very different story at
Trent Bridge on Wednesday when, against mainly the same group of
batsmen, Middlesex quick Finn took one for 51 in 10 overs as England
beat World Cup finalists New Zealand by seven wickets to level the
five-match one-day international series at 2-2 ahead of Saturday's
finale in Durham.
In a series where a once imposing total of 350
is now seen as a 'par' score, Finn's figures in Nottingham played a key
role in paving the way for an England win effectively sealed by a
third-wicket stand of 198 between captain Eoin Morgan (113) and Joe Root
(106 not out).
"I took one for 51 and I sat in front of you guys
(the press)!," said the 26-year-old Finn. "It has changed and it is
about accepting that. McCullum hit me over wide long-off for six (on
Wednesday)and I thought, 'that was probably hitting the top of off
stump'. So you have to walk back and think, 'fair play, that was a good
shot'."
Finn, a veteran of 61 ODIs, added: "It's exciting to be a
part of -- but yes, when you get whacked around the park, you don't
quite enjoy it as much. It's like playing a long Twenty20. You almost
have to accept you're going to be hit for boundaries. It's just trying
to make sure they are playing good shots to get their boundaries, and
they are not hitting bad balls."
The transformation in a revamped
England side's white-ball fortunes has delighted and stunned their fans
in equal measure. Finn, one of four England survivors from the
Wellington debacle who played at Trent Bridge -- the others were his
Middlesex team-mate Morgan, Root and wicket-keeper Jos Buttler -- said
the side were now making good on their bold words at the World Cup.
"We
talked about what we wanted to do in the World Cup," he said. "We sat
in front of you guys and said we wanted to play with freedom, smiles on
our faces. We didn't do it. I can't put my finger on why. So it's great
that four games in a row now, win or lose, we've played with that
attitude," he saidafter England completed their highest successful ODI
run chase.
The match was a personal triumph for England one-day
skipper Morgan, who has now scored four successive fifties after
struggling for runs at the World Cup. Finn, who grew up alongside former
Ireland left-hander Morgan at Middlesex, said: "The World Cup would
have hurt him being the captain and a proud man. He is in the form of
his life -- I've never seen him hit a cricket ball like he is in the
last few weeks. It's great to be playing underneath him, brilliant."
Finn
was included in England's 14-man training squad announced Thursday for
the upcoming home Ashes series against Australia. The 6ft 7in (two
metres) tall paceman won the last of his 23 Test caps at home to
Australia two years ago. But problems caused by his habit of knocking
the bails off at the bowler's end in the delivery stride and
disagreements between coaches about the length of his run-up then
sidelined him from England duty. Things got so bad, Finn was deemed
"unselectable" and sent home early from the 2013/14 Ashes tour of
Australia -- where England suffered a humiliating 5-0 series defeat in
his absence.
"I'd love to play in the Ashes," said Finn. "It is
the pinnacle of what you can achieve as an England cricketer ... but at
the moment I'm opening the bowling in the one-day team and really
enjoying that challenge."
Team India captain MS Dhoni on Thursday climbed high on
Bangladesh cricket fans' hate list after barging into debutant pacer
Mustafizur Rahman in a bid to shove him out of his way while running a
quick single. The wiry left-arm pacer, guilty of coming the
batsman's way, was injured by Dhoni's shove and had to go off the field
for treatment following the incident that took place on the second ball
of the 25th over. Nasir Hossain completed the
over, but the spirited lad was back on the field after getting
preliminary treatment and rejoined the attack in the 37th over. The
bowler dismissed Suresh Raina and Ashwin to set up a historic win. Dhoni
may well argue that Mustafizur had, deliberately or otherwise, tried to
block his way, slow-motion clearly showed Dhoni not only made no effort
to change his course, but also shoved him away with a shoulder charge.
Given Dhoni's stature in international cricket, it was a very unsporting
act, something the Indian captain has never been accused of in his
illustrious career. Dhoni's rash move seemed to
have been prompted by the 19-year-old bowler's tendency to repeatedly
get in the batsman's way in his followthrough - earlier in India's
innings, in the 5th over, he stood in Rohit Sharma's way. After a
collision and much finger pointing, Mustafizur appeared to apologize to
the Indian opener. With his team under pressure from the very first over
of the match, Dhoni appeared to have lost the plot after that incident.
It surprised no one when he played a loose shot to get out to Shakib Al
Hasan, leaving India gasping at 128/5. Bangladesh
players protested to the umpire who also had a word of caution for
Dhoni. It remains to be seen whether Messers Rod Tucker and Enamul Haque
report the matter to ICC match Referee Andy Pycroft. However,
irrespective of whether the Indian skipper gets censured or escapes
punishment, he has lost thousands of fans worldwide for his momentary
indiscretion.
Outplayed by Bangladesh in the first game of the three-match ODI
series, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that the hosts were the
better side on the day as they played some really good cricket as a
unit. The spirited Bangladesh team pulled off an upset 79-run win in the
first ODI to take a 1-0 lead and Dhoni was full of praise for the
Bangladesh team. "Yes it was disappointing," Dhoni said
about the loss. "But Bangladesh played some really good cricket as a
team. Right from the first ball they took our bowlers on. The rain break
helped us. It looked like they would score more than 330, but we restricted them to 300, but our batting didn't turn up the way we wanted it to." Bangladesh
outsmarted India in all departments as they set the visitors an
imposing target of 308 before bowling them out for 228 with four overs
to spare. The Indian skipper didn't hide his disappointment over the
performance of his pace department while he praised the Bangladesh
pacers for doing an excellent job. "The spinners bowled well, Raina's contribution was important,
but disappointed with the way the fast bowlers bowled. The Bangladesh
batsmen played the fast bowlers well. What I was particularly impressed
with was how subtly they changed their pace. They didn't bowl 140 and
then 110, but took it down marginally. They did well in the World Cup
because of their fast bowlers so we were not surprised they relied on
fast bowlers tonight." Delighted with the
convincing victory, Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza said he can't
ask for anything more from his teammates. He was also lavish in his
praise for young left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who picked up five
wickets on his debut. "I can't ask for more.
Mustafizur was not a surprise for us. We know he can destroy any
batsman. It was a brilliant start from Tamim and Soumya. We lost a bit
of momentum with the rain, but Rahman and Shakib did it for us. Yes it
was a bit of a risk to play four quicks, but I trusted my boys," he
said. "The fast bowlers delivered and I am really happy with the boys.
Maybe, we were 20-30 short, but 300 is always a tough ask. I just asked
the bowlers to bowl in the right areas and they did it as well." Man-of-the-match
Mustafizur said he was eager to come up with an impressive show against
India in his maiden appearance. "I wanted to perform well on debut,"
said Mustafizur. "I know only a few have taken five on debut, but all I
wanted was to do well against India."
