*Chennai*: Indian Super League champions Chennaiyin FC today announced that they have retained experienced Italian central midfielder Manuele Blasi for the third season of ISL.
The former Roma, Juventus, Napoli and Fiorentina midfielder joined Chennaiyin in 2015 after the expiry of his contract at Italian Serie B club AS Varese. Blasi went on to play a key role in Chennaiyin's title success, making 13 appearances including starts in both legs of the semi-final against Atletico de Kolkata and the final with FC Goa.
The midfielder, who was capped eight times for Italy at international level, brought a lot of solidity to Chennaiyin's midfield with his tenacity and work rate and was also a very popular figure in the dressing room. The 35-year-old had a stint at Italian third tier outfit Ischia after ISL 2015 and is now joining Chennaiyin on a free transfer.
"Blasi's class and experience was very important for us both on and off the field last year. He will have a big role to play this year also. We are happy to have him back," said Chennaiyin FC head coach Marco Materazzi.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26smirnov-s.jpg*Head of the new Russian anti-doping commission Vitaly Smirnov. Pic/ AFP*
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) on Monday appointed Smirnov, honorary president of the ROC and member of the IOC since 1971, to chair the anti-doping commission, following a recommendation by Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports Xinhua.
Smirnov was quoted as saying by Russian media after his appointment that the commission planned to closely collaborate with the IOC, its disciplinary commission, WADA, and all parties interested in fighting doping in sports.
"We will soon take off to attend the executive board meeting at the session of the Olympic Committee and I will meet with (IOC President) Thomas Bach. We are open for cooperation," the Interfax news agency quoted Smirnov as saying.
He added that he expected to be able to announce the composition of the new body in the nearest future but gave no exact date.
The new commission was set up after the IOC decided not to ban the whole of the Russian team from participating in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, leaving the fate of individual athletes not found of doping in the hands of respective international sports federations.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2014/feb/7Alexandre-Pato-s.jpg
The three million-euro deal was all but confirmed during a meeting between officials from both clubs on Monday afternoon, according to the Globoesporte news portal, reports Xinhua.*Alexandre Pato*
Corinthians own 60 percent of the 26-year-old's economic rights with the remainder held by Pato himself.
"We have sold him," said Andres Sanchez, who was president of Corinthians from 2007 to 2012 and is still involved in the club. "You said that we wouldn't sell him but now we have. Later it will be confirmed."
Pato returned to Corinthians at the start of the month after ending a six-month loan spell at Chelsea.
The forward made just two appearances for the London club, scoring on his debut in the Blues' 4-0 Premier League victory over Aston Villa in April.
Pato has not played for Corinthians since December 2013, having joined the club from AC Milan 11 months earlier in a deal worth 15 million euros.
The Brazil international was then loaned out to Sao Paulo where he netted 38 times in two seasons before joining Chelsea.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/kohli25jul-s.jpg
The Windies former cricketer's son also had a special gift for India's captain and star batsman.
He presented him with a beautiful painting of the Indian cricketer himself in Test attire.
Virat Kohli seemed to be quite overjoyed and posed along with Viv Richards and his son as seen in the picture that BCCI posted on their Twitter account.
Sir @vivrichards56’s son is a @imVkohli fan - Mali Richards gifts Indian skipper a painting https://t.co/ScRJ9aScx6 pic.twitter.com/Baj0Yhz6CO
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 26, 2016
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26ashwin-s.jpg
*Ravichandran Ashwin bowls during day four of the Antigua Test against West Indies. Pic/ AFP*
Ashwin, who was top-ranked in the 2015 year-ending rankings, not only regained the top spot with his second-innings haul of seven for 83 but has also gained in the batsmen's rankings with a knock of 113 and resultantly strengthened his grip on the top spot among all-rounders.
Ashwin has replaced Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who had grabbed the number-one ranking for bowlers only last week with a 10-wicket haul in the opening Test against England at Lord's. Yasir, who could take only one wicket in the second Test at Old Trafford, has dropped to fifth place below James
Anderson, Stuart Broad and Dale Steyn.
Ashwin has gained five points following his performance in the Antigua Test, while Anderson has earned seven points. This means the pre-Test gap between the two bowlers has been trimmed from three points to just one point only.
In contrast, Yasir has conceded 46 points and now trails number-one ranked Ashwin by 44 points. Chris Woakes has jumped up 10 places to 23rd rank after his match-haul of seven for 108 at Old Trafford which contributed in England's 330 runs victory that levelled the four-match series 1-1. India pace bowler Umesh Yadav has gained six places to reach 24th rank with five wickets in Antigua while his new-ball partner Mohammad Shami has returned to the rankings at 28th place.
In the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, England's Joe Root and Alastair Cook have reaped the benefits of solid knocks to gain two and four places, respectively.
Root's 254 and 71 not out has taken him to second position while Cook's 105 and 76 not out have helped him return to the top-10, in ninth position.
Captain Virat Kohli's 200 at Antigua, which set the base for India's biggest win outside Asia, has helped him move up two places to 12th place while opener Shikhar Dhawan has gained four places after a knock of 84.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2015/aug/13-fernando-torres-s.jpg*Fernando Torres*
Spurs finished 11 points off the top last season despite being Leicester City's closest title rivals for the majority of the campaign.
The former Chelsea striker, who will face Tottenham in the International Champions Cup on July 29 in Australia, said Spurs will only continue to improve under Pochettino's guidance.
"Pochettino is doing a great job mixing these talented young players they have with more experienced players. They're doing things really well. Last season they were really close to winning the Premier League and they are on their way, but in the future they will do it," Torres was quoted as saying by Atletico Madrid's official website on Monday.
"Despite the difficulty of the rival, the player from the ranks takes on the challenge eagerly. It's going to be a difficult test and these are the kind of games we like to play, so we're really looking forward to facing Tottenham. It's an amazing club, they have amazing fans. When I was in England, it was always special to go to White Hart Lane and play against them."
The 32-year-old said, playing in Australia is a great opportunity for team and supporters to enjoy together.
"We're really excited to go to Melbourne to meet our fans. I know that we have a lot of supporters and fans there, and clearly they don't have the chance to see the team over there so it's going to be a great opportunity for them to meet the team, the players and we will try to have time to meet them and spend some time with them because we don't know if we're going to have another chance to play in Australia," he said.
Torres added that pre-season tours are very important for the sport.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/dhoni-ziva26jul-s.jpg
The wicketkeeper batsman and his wife Sakshi have posted a few videos on Instagram which shows the Indian ODI skipper bringing out the kid in him and playing around with his daughter Ziva.
MS Dhoni added a video which shows him and Ziva putting snapchat to the best use and raising the cuteness quotient to a whole new level. Check the two of them out her having a blast. CUTENESS ALERT!
A video posted by @mahi7781 onJul 25, 2016 at 12:14am PDT
Sakshi Dhoni then took to the site to post another video of the father and daughter making cute and funny faces.
#monkeyface ...
A video posted by Sakshi Singh Dhoni (@sakshisingh_r) onJul 25, 2016 at 3:35am PDT
#Ziva
A video posted by Sakshi Singh Dhoni (@sakshisingh_r) onJul 25, 2016 at 3:40am PDT
Little Ziva, who is over a year old definitely brings a smile on your face with those adorable expressions of hers.
A week ago Mahi also posted another picture of him on the photo sharing website in a full bearded look while he cuddles Ziva in his arm! And it sure does suit him too.
ziva and me
A photo posted by @mahi7781 onJul 15, 2016 at 2:44am PDT
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jun/28Manoj-Kumar-s.jpg*Manoj Kumar. Pic/AFP*
The 28-year-old, a multiple-time Asian medallist besides being a former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist, is the proverbial dark horse among the three Indian boxers who have qualified for Rio -- the other two being World bronze medal winners Shiva Thapa (56kg) and Vikas Krishan (75kg).
"I have Maratha roots and I am inspired by the great Shivaji. I draw my strength form his beliefs, that's what makes me so stubborn. And it is this stubbornness which helped me fight the circumstances," Manoj, who competes in light welterweight (64kg) division, told PTI in an interview.
The circumstances he refers to, include a frustrating wait for a departmental promotion he was promised after the 2010 CWG gold. A Class III employee in the Indian Railways, Manoj was promised an elevation by the then union minister Mamata Banerjee.
Since that promise, seven ministers have come and gone but what has remained static is Manoj's plight. "I have written to everyone who came to office. From Mukul Roy to current minister Suresh Prabhu. I have been assured of action by each one of them but then nothing moves on the ground," said Manoj, a tad baffled by the mechanisms of bureaucracy.
"As for sponsors, I wrote to every major company seeking support but perhaps nobody thought I could make it this far. So there was no response from there as well. I have nobody to speak for me, so that also goes against me at times," he added.
Asked if he ever gave quitting a thought given the hardships, Manoj said, "Not even for a fleeting second. Never. It's a lot of fun proving people wrong, I feel good about myself now. I have managed whatever I have without the backing of anybody apart from my coach and elder brother Rajesh."
Athletes from Haryana have usually benefitted immensely from government support, whether it is the boxers or the wrestlers, but Manoj said he has been an exception to the rule.
"May be it is because I can't bend before people. I speak my mind, I don't try to please. I really don't know. In this country, cricketers, even from Bangladesh, find sponsors but not people like me, why? Are we that bad? It is beyond me," he questioned.
"There have been days, I have broken down mentally. Boxing is a painful sport, the pain that we go through just to be competition ready is immense and to not have anybody to look after in all this is very disheartening," he claimed.
Manoj, who had to fight a legal battle to get the Arjuna award in 2014 after being denied initially despite fulfilling the criteria, said he has face discrimination at every step. "People criticised me for going to court but what else could I do when nobody was listening to me. I had no other option and in the court, my stand was vindicated," he said.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/mar/20-Dutt_s.jpg*Yogeshwar Dutt*
Narsingh's dope test came positive barely 10 days before the start of the Olympics and he cried foul, saying it was a conspiracy against him.
"Khusti ke liye bht dukhi hun. Iski janch honi bht zaruri hai. Mujhe vishwas hai narsingh aesa nai kar sakta (I am very sad about the state of wrestling. This matter should be investigated. I am sure that Narsingh cannot do something like this)," Yogeshwar wrote on his twitter handle.
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) also strongly put its weight behind the 26-year-old grappler, insisting that it was a clear case of sabotage.
WFI also urged with the Sports Ministry and top officials in the government to help Narsingh's case.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/india26jul-s.jpg
The 'Boys in Blue' are apparently living it up enjoying every moment and tasting every bit of success following their brilliant performance.
Kohli, who scored his first ever and a historic double century, posted a picture of him and teammates Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Stuart Binny and Murali Vijay dining like 'champions'.
Had a great meal with these champions! Sunglasses game on point here ð
Good friends create good memories! #Grateful pic.twitter.com/mvtQuxWgGi
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 26, 2016
His teammate and India's opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan too shared few pictures of the Indian team players letting their guard down and having some fun.
In his first picture he is seen along with Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Enjoing plying fifa on play station with boys.Lots of fun,competition in this too!!! Check out boys concentrationðð pic.twitter.com/AeNRCk8vtE
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 25, 2016
He followed it up with another picture of him along with Ravindra Jadeja taking in some fresh air and smiling away.
Relaxing & enjoying the greenery and fresh air with @imjadeja! Rest is the best!!ððð pic.twitter.com/lmOmoabOZ6
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 25, 2016
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2015/mar/4Shoaib-Akhtar-s.jpg*Shoaib Akhtar*
England beat Pakistan yesterday by a massive 330 runs to win the second Test at his Old Trafford home ground today. "One saw no planning in the entire match from a Pakistani
perspective and as expected our batting has been badly exposed by the England bowlers," Akhtar said.
"You can say our batting has been unmasked and exposed on a pitch which had bounce and nothing more. Our batting always struggles on surfaces with bounce that is why we toil in England and Australia," he said.
Akhtar said he was very disappointed with the performance of the bowlers as well. "There was no game plan on how to bowl on the Old Trafford pitch and the line was just not right and the intent was missing throughout the England innings," he added.
Akhtar said Pakistan would find it very difficult to comeback in the series now after such a demoralising defeat. Former Test captain Ramiz Raja said the defeat was the continuation of Pakistan cricket woes.
"Our biggest problem is that our players just don't adapt quickly enough to different conditions. And the problem of consistency remains as usual," he said. Ramiz didn't believe that complacency was the reason for the big defeat.
"England just came better prepared this time. At Lord's the conditions suited Pakistan because of the low bounce. At Old Trafford they made sure there was plenty of bounce in the surface," he said.
Another former captain Muhammad Yousuf also lamented that the Pakistani batsmen just didn't show the quality on a pitch on which it was inexcusable not to get a big score.
"I expected players of the calibre of Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq to get hundreds here. The pitch was good for batting. I just can't fathom what Younis is trying to do
batting the way he is," he said.
Yousuf said England had now got their confidence back in a big way after going down in the first Test and at Edgbaston Pakistan would have to perform outstandingly to prevent the host teams from taking a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
Former wicketkeeper-batsman, Rashid Latif said he didn't believe Pakistan was yet out of the series.
"Two matches remain and this Pakistan team has lot of potential. At Old Trafford the batting was horrible and there was no excuse for the poor show by our batters. They need to sit down and start afresh. For senior players like Hafeez and Younis to throw away their wickets after good starts is just not acceptable at this level," he said.
Pakistan's former head coach Waqar Younis said that there was no excuse for the batting shambles. "I am not saying we should have won this Test but this is not the way to go down. The spineless batting would have given the England bowlers a lot of confidence now."
Waqar also felt that the Pakistan Cricket Board really needed to take up on war footing the issue of foreign teams not touring Pakistan.
"Our cricket is suffering a lot because of no international cricket at home since last six years," he said.
Former Test opener and head coach Mohsin Khan said the Pakistan team simply collapsed under pressure and the batsmen just didn't try to dominate the bowlers.
"Our batsmen just couldn't take the pressure in this Test. At this level, for a team ranked number three you expect quality batting performances. What we saw at Old Trafford was heart breaking for cricket fans," Mohsin added.
Mohsin defended that the Pakistani batsmen were playing outside Asia after three and half years and their techniques had been affected by constantly playing on low bounce tracks in UAE.
"But most of our batsmen carry lot of experience and they should have put up a fight on a pitch which was not bad for batting at all," he said.
Former batting legend Hanif Muhammad had a word of advise for Younis, who is Pakistan's highest Test run-getter.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2015/sep/16Inderjeet-Singh-s.jpg*Inderjeet Singh*
28-year-old Inderjeet's 'A' sample has returned positive for a banned substance. The reigning Asian Champion Inderjeet tested positive for a banned steroid and he has been informed by the National Anti-Doping Agency. His out-of-competition test was done on June 22, sources told PTI.
The NADA has asked the Punjab-born athlete, who had won a bronze in the 2014 Asian Games, if he wants to test his 'B' sample and if so, to do this within seven days. If the 'B' sample also tests positive, he will have to miss Rio Games beginning August 5, besides facing the prospect of being banned for four years under the new WADA Code.
Inderjeet claimed it was a conspiracy against him and his sample has been tampered with. "This is a conspiracy and there is something wrong in it.
This will be checked by the doctors though. I don't want to comment on it but whoever has tried to raise their voice in this country, they are forced to shut up," said Inderjeet.
"My sample has been tampered with. Why would a player take something which is not good for his health," he added.
Inderjeet is one of those athletes who does not train at the national camps. He normally trains on his own with his personal coach.
Inderjeet said although it was too early to say anything, there was a campaign to shut his mouth.
"I am not in a situation to say anything right now but this is one thing which destroys a player in our country. I will defend it," he said.
"I have given dope test at least 50 times last year and this year too I am giving it everywhere. Even after that a campaigning is done to shut my mouth.
"I used to speak straight for the Indian athletes. There are many things happening with me for past one year. Media shows that I am running from dope test but I am not. It disturbs a player," Inderjeet said.
He is one of the first track and field athletes who qualified for the Rio Olympics as he made the cut last year itself. He had a training stint earlier this year in the United States under funding of the Sports Ministry's Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Yelena-Isinbayeva-s.jpg*Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva is barred from participating in the Rio Olympics despite no proof of her being part of the alleged state-run doping scandal. Pic/AFP*
On Sunday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided not to ban the Russian team. Individual decisions on Russian athletes will be taken by relevant international federations, reports TASS.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) told TASS that it will not reconsider applications of Russian athletes to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games.
"Our fight for Rio is over. It's not my fate to stand at the highest step of the podium at the Olympics once again. Russian national anthem will not play for me again, and I will not bring joy to my dear fans once again with my pole vaulting," Isinbayeva wrote on her Instagram.
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A photo posted by Yelena (@isinbaevayelena) onJul 24, 2016 at 1:04pm PDT
"Our defence was weak, I would even say zero, no one defended my rights. It is very sad to feel powerless in the face of this lawlessness and chaos. Tears stream down my cheeks from realisation of everything I have done for athletics," added the three-time world champion.
"Together with Yevgeny Valisyevich (Trofimov — coach) were ahead of time by 10 years with our world records and victories. Pole vaulting became sports number one in world athletics, and my victory in Cheboksary still remains the best result in the world.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Ravichandran-Ashwin-s.jpg*R Ashwin celebrates his 100 against West Indies at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday. Pic/AFP*
The erstwhile powerhouse of international cricket has now become a mere participant in Test cricket. West Indies has already failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy (to be held in 2017) and if there were a Test Championship, they wouldn't qualify for that too. The advent of T20 threatened to create T20 specialist teams and while the rest have managed to strike the right balance thus far, West Indies have become the first team to master the shortest format albeit at the cost of the other two formats.
*A thorough preparation*
Still, it's unfair to blame the winner for the loser's lack of quality. The Indian team's preparation was thorough for this tour as the BCCI conducted a camp in India before reaching the West Indies a couple of weeks before the first Test and played two warm-up games. Most teams are guilty of starting slowly overseas, for there's never enough time to acclimatise and prepare for the challenges, but that isn't the case with this Indian team and results are there for everyone to see. Kumble and Kohli had to take a couple of huge calls before this Test match with regards to the playing XI.*R Ashwin bowls on Day Four against WI on Sunday. He claimed 7-83 in the second innings*
KL Rahul made a strong case for himself by scoring runs in both the warm-up games and it must have taken a leap of faith to stick with Dhawan one more time. The team management must be relieved to see Dhawan striking form in the first game itself. Also, the decision to go in with four or five specialist bowlers, for the tendency is to err on the side of caution for the first game.
It was heartening to see that India not just continued with its five-bowler theory but also, resisted the temptation of picking the fifth bowler for his batting abilities. India has been guilty of doing that in the past because Saha hasn't quite given enough confidence as a batsman at No 6. To address this issue, India promoted Ashwin to No 6 and this move seemed to have ended this debate for the time being.
Ashwin's third Test century further reiterated the fact that instead of looking for an all-rounder outside, it's worth investing in the resource that's available. Ashwin not only shared a long stand with Kohli, but also batted as he normally does — like a proper batsman. He isn't a bowler who can bat a bit, for his technique and temperament are of a top quality Test batsman. Till not too long ago, he was pushed further down the order and this move could be seen as Kumble's first influence.
The other and rather painful side of playing five bowlers is that you are left with only five proper batsmen, which means that you can't afford even a mini collapse. India did find itself in a slight spot of bother at 236-4 when Rahane got out for 22. The situation isn't alarming if there were an extra batsman available but if you have only five batsmen, the tail starts as soon as you lose the fourth wicket. That's where Kohli dug his heels in further and notched up his first double century.
*Virat Kohli's year*
This is the year of Virat Kohli. For formats and venues have changed, not his form. His focus is not just on scoring runs but on taking his team to a position of strength and Antigua was no different. It's almost certain that Kohli will be scoring more double centuries, for there are only two things that stop players from doing so in Tests — their strike rate and their fitness. Kohli has no issues on both these counts. Therefore, it's fair to assume that the wait for the second double century won't be as long as the first one.
*Aakash Chopra is a former India Test opener*Figure trigger**
Number of bigger wins for India outside the subcontinent prior to the innings and 92-run win on Sunday. The previous best was by innings and 90 runs vs Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in 2005.
*1*
Virat Kohli became the first Indian captain to achieve an innings win in West Indies.
*7-83*
Spinner R Ashwin's figures in the second innings, is the best by any Indian in West Indies, surpassing Subhash Gupte's 7-162 at Port-of-Spain in 1952-53.
*2*
Number of times R Ashwin has scored a century and taken a five-wicket haul in the same Test. He is the only Indian to do so more than once. Vinoo Mankad and Polly Umrigar had done this once. Incidentally, the earlier occasion for Ashwin was also against the West Indies at Wankhede in 2011.
*3*
Number of players to score a century and take seven wickets in an innings in the same Test. Ashwin emulated Australia's Jack Gregory and England's Ian Botham (twice).
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Jagmander-Singh-s.jpg
*Also Read: Narsingh alleges SAI role in dope scandal, gets WFI support**Jagmander Singh*
Narsingh's 'A' and 'B' samples both returned positive for a banned substance following a National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) test at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Sonepat, Haryana recently jeopardising his prospects of representing the country at the August 5-21 Rio Olympics.
Narsingh's coach Jagmal told mid-day on Sunday that "someone, somehow has mixed the drug (reportedly methandienone — an anabolic steroid that can be orally consumed) in Narsingh's food or drink at the Sonepat Centre," where they have been camping since January.
*Also Read: Narsingh Yadav's coach reckons his ward's food was 'poisoned'*
Yesterday, Indian wrestling's chief coach Jagmander also told mid-day from the SAI Centre in Sonepat that the possibility of contamination at the Haryana Centre cannot be ruled out.*On the mat: India's 74kg wrestler Narsingh Yadav at the SAI campus in Kandivli recently*
"Narsingh said that his food has been contaminated at the SAI Centre in Sonepat and the Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has also agreed that it's a case of sabotage. I feel the same. No one can be 100% sure that the contamination has happened at the SAI mess, but all I'm saying is that there is a possibility because the mess at the Sonepat Centre here is not a small canteen.
*Also Read: Sushil Kumar: Don't blame me for Narsingh Yadav's irresponsibility*
It's a big facility with a huge kitchen and eating area for athletes. Over 100 people, including athletes and officials eat here on a daily basis. So, it's impossible for anyone to supervise or keep a check on things at all times," said Jagmander. However, he is confident that truth will prevail and that Narsingh will not miss out on the Rio Olympics.
"We (Indian freestyle wrestling team) were scheduled to leave today for a training stint in Georgia and then head to Rio from there, but we have delayed this trip for Narsingh's sake. "We are confident that the truth will come out soon and we will have Narsingh in our team once again.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Muttiah-Muralitharan-s.jpg*Muttiah Muralitharan*
On the eve of the first of three Tests, board president Thilanga Sumathipala accused Muralitharan of insulting Sri Lanka team manager Charith Senanayake in a row over the Australians' use of a practice pitch in Colombo.
*Also Read: Muralitharan dismisses SLC's accusation of highhandedness*
"Muralitharan's behaviour is unacceptable and we have brought this to the notice of the Australian team management," Sumathipala told reporters.
Sumathipala said Muralitharan had bullied groundsmen at the Pallekele Stadium on Saturday into allowing the Australians to practise there when it was theoretically off limits to both teams. Sumathipala said: "He later confronted our team manager (Senanayake) and abused him."
In response, Muralitharan, accused the board president of knowing nothing about cricket.
"They have no right to accuse me of being a traitor. Have they done one hundredth of what I have contributed to cricket in Sri Lanka? This is a political game to cover their shortcomings," he added. "I am being used as a pawn to cover their failings."
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Lewis-Hamilton-s.jpg*Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton (left) and Nico Rosberg after the Hungarian GP on Sunday. Pic/AFP*
"I gave it everything in the race, I had super pace, really fast, and I was able to keep the pressure on Lewis all the time. At times it seemed that he was struggling a little bit so I was just trying to make sure I pushed him as much as possible so he wears out his tyres or makes a mistake, but in the end he made a mistake and I came really close but it wasn't enough to get past," Rosberg said.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/2507Narsingh-s.jpg*Narsingh Yadav*
"There should be a CBI inquiry. The whole episode relating to my selection had gone to court. There was a CID report that my life is under threat. All this makes it clear, I have been framed so that I am stopped from going to Rio," Narsingh said.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26James-Anderson-s.jpg*England pacer James Anderson celebrates the wicket of Pakistan's Azhar Ali yesterday. Pic:AP/PTI*
Pakistan, set a mammoth 565 to win, were bowled out for 234 in their second innings with more than a day left in the match.
England, who lost the first Test at Lord's by 75 runs, bounced back with a huge first-innings total of 589 for eight declared.
Joe Root made a Test-best 254 and England captain Alastair Cook 105, his 29th Test century.
Pakistan managed just 198 in reply, captain Misbah-ul-Haq top-scoring with 52 and England all-rounder Chris Woakes taking four for 67.
Despite a first-innings lead of 391, Cook opted against enforcing the follow-on. Instead Cook (76 not out) and Root (71 not out) inflicted further punishment on Pakistan's attack before the skipper declared England's second innings at 173 for one yesterday morning.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Sam-Allardyce-s.jpg*Sam Allardyce*
Allardyce also revealed he has not yet made a decision on who will captain England, which leaves the Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney sweating on whether he will retain the armband.
"The pressure on players at international level we will be looking at in depth," said the 61-year-old.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Ray-Wilkins-s.jpg*Ray Wilkins*
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Aurora-Pereira-s.jpg*Marven's grandmother Aurora Pereira*
Marven, in turn, was grateful to his late grandmother Aurora Pereira, who passed away recently at the age of 82, for encouraging him to excel in football.
"The inspiration behind my goal today was my grandma, who died a few days ago. She told me to score and get my name in the newspapers and make my family proud. When my name came in the newspaper last year, she was very happy and hugged me," said the forward.*St Stanislaus' Marven Pereira (right) dodges St Francis' goalkeeper Parth Dharod to score a goal during the MSSA inter-school boys’ U-16 Div 1 match at St Xaviers ground, Parel yesterday. Pic/Suresh Karkera*
Marven, who was ever so impressive in the match, wasn't always a striker. "I used to play as a goalkeeper till last year. I have improved my game a lot to play forward."
The Pool 'B' game was one-way traffic for the most part with Stanislaus dominating most of it. Captain Marven scored in the 23rd minute by rounding the 'keeper and taping it in after he received the ball from Vicky Karkada.
St Francis D'Assisi were far from their best. Captain Johnson Mathews was the lone creative spark for the Borivili school. The Stanislaus frontline of Keegan Pinto, Brendan Gomendes and Marven ran the St Francis D'Assisi defence ragged and could have scored more goals for the side.
Stanislaus coach Oscar Alva said, "We actually missed a lot of chances. We could have scored more goals. But I am happy with what I saw considering this was our first game," said Alva. Reported by Mid-Day 4 hours ago.
The former Roma, Juventus, Napoli and Fiorentina midfielder joined Chennaiyin in 2015 after the expiry of his contract at Italian Serie B club AS Varese. Blasi went on to play a key role in Chennaiyin's title success, making 13 appearances including starts in both legs of the semi-final against Atletico de Kolkata and the final with FC Goa.
The midfielder, who was capped eight times for Italy at international level, brought a lot of solidity to Chennaiyin's midfield with his tenacity and work rate and was also a very popular figure in the dressing room. The 35-year-old had a stint at Italian third tier outfit Ischia after ISL 2015 and is now joining Chennaiyin on a free transfer.
"Blasi's class and experience was very important for us both on and off the field last year. He will have a big role to play this year also. We are happy to have him back," said Chennaiyin FC head coach Marco Materazzi.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26smirnov-s.jpg*Head of the new Russian anti-doping commission Vitaly Smirnov. Pic/ AFP*
The Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) on Monday appointed Smirnov, honorary president of the ROC and member of the IOC since 1971, to chair the anti-doping commission, following a recommendation by Russian President Vladimir Putin, reports Xinhua.
Smirnov was quoted as saying by Russian media after his appointment that the commission planned to closely collaborate with the IOC, its disciplinary commission, WADA, and all parties interested in fighting doping in sports.
"We will soon take off to attend the executive board meeting at the session of the Olympic Committee and I will meet with (IOC President) Thomas Bach. We are open for cooperation," the Interfax news agency quoted Smirnov as saying.
He added that he expected to be able to announce the composition of the new body in the nearest future but gave no exact date.
The new commission was set up after the IOC decided not to ban the whole of the Russian team from participating in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, leaving the fate of individual athletes not found of doping in the hands of respective international sports federations.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2014/feb/7Alexandre-Pato-s.jpg
The three million-euro deal was all but confirmed during a meeting between officials from both clubs on Monday afternoon, according to the Globoesporte news portal, reports Xinhua.*Alexandre Pato*
Corinthians own 60 percent of the 26-year-old's economic rights with the remainder held by Pato himself.
"We have sold him," said Andres Sanchez, who was president of Corinthians from 2007 to 2012 and is still involved in the club. "You said that we wouldn't sell him but now we have. Later it will be confirmed."
Pato returned to Corinthians at the start of the month after ending a six-month loan spell at Chelsea.
The forward made just two appearances for the London club, scoring on his debut in the Blues' 4-0 Premier League victory over Aston Villa in April.
Pato has not played for Corinthians since December 2013, having joined the club from AC Milan 11 months earlier in a deal worth 15 million euros.
The Brazil international was then loaned out to Sao Paulo where he netted 38 times in two seasons before joining Chelsea.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/kohli25jul-s.jpg
The Windies former cricketer's son also had a special gift for India's captain and star batsman.
He presented him with a beautiful painting of the Indian cricketer himself in Test attire.
Virat Kohli seemed to be quite overjoyed and posed along with Viv Richards and his son as seen in the picture that BCCI posted on their Twitter account.
Sir @vivrichards56’s son is a @imVkohli fan - Mali Richards gifts Indian skipper a painting https://t.co/ScRJ9aScx6 pic.twitter.com/Baj0Yhz6CO
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 26, 2016
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26ashwin-s.jpg
*Ravichandran Ashwin bowls during day four of the Antigua Test against West Indies. Pic/ AFP*
Ashwin, who was top-ranked in the 2015 year-ending rankings, not only regained the top spot with his second-innings haul of seven for 83 but has also gained in the batsmen's rankings with a knock of 113 and resultantly strengthened his grip on the top spot among all-rounders.
Ashwin has replaced Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who had grabbed the number-one ranking for bowlers only last week with a 10-wicket haul in the opening Test against England at Lord's. Yasir, who could take only one wicket in the second Test at Old Trafford, has dropped to fifth place below James
Anderson, Stuart Broad and Dale Steyn.
Ashwin has gained five points following his performance in the Antigua Test, while Anderson has earned seven points. This means the pre-Test gap between the two bowlers has been trimmed from three points to just one point only.
In contrast, Yasir has conceded 46 points and now trails number-one ranked Ashwin by 44 points. Chris Woakes has jumped up 10 places to 23rd rank after his match-haul of seven for 108 at Old Trafford which contributed in England's 330 runs victory that levelled the four-match series 1-1. India pace bowler Umesh Yadav has gained six places to reach 24th rank with five wickets in Antigua while his new-ball partner Mohammad Shami has returned to the rankings at 28th place.
In the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings for Test Batsmen, England's Joe Root and Alastair Cook have reaped the benefits of solid knocks to gain two and four places, respectively.
Root's 254 and 71 not out has taken him to second position while Cook's 105 and 76 not out have helped him return to the top-10, in ninth position.
Captain Virat Kohli's 200 at Antigua, which set the base for India's biggest win outside Asia, has helped him move up two places to 12th place while opener Shikhar Dhawan has gained four places after a knock of 84.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2015/aug/13-fernando-torres-s.jpg*Fernando Torres*
Spurs finished 11 points off the top last season despite being Leicester City's closest title rivals for the majority of the campaign.
The former Chelsea striker, who will face Tottenham in the International Champions Cup on July 29 in Australia, said Spurs will only continue to improve under Pochettino's guidance.
"Pochettino is doing a great job mixing these talented young players they have with more experienced players. They're doing things really well. Last season they were really close to winning the Premier League and they are on their way, but in the future they will do it," Torres was quoted as saying by Atletico Madrid's official website on Monday.
"Despite the difficulty of the rival, the player from the ranks takes on the challenge eagerly. It's going to be a difficult test and these are the kind of games we like to play, so we're really looking forward to facing Tottenham. It's an amazing club, they have amazing fans. When I was in England, it was always special to go to White Hart Lane and play against them."
The 32-year-old said, playing in Australia is a great opportunity for team and supporters to enjoy together.
"We're really excited to go to Melbourne to meet our fans. I know that we have a lot of supporters and fans there, and clearly they don't have the chance to see the team over there so it's going to be a great opportunity for them to meet the team, the players and we will try to have time to meet them and spend some time with them because we don't know if we're going to have another chance to play in Australia," he said.
Torres added that pre-season tours are very important for the sport.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/dhoni-ziva26jul-s.jpg
The wicketkeeper batsman and his wife Sakshi have posted a few videos on Instagram which shows the Indian ODI skipper bringing out the kid in him and playing around with his daughter Ziva.
MS Dhoni added a video which shows him and Ziva putting snapchat to the best use and raising the cuteness quotient to a whole new level. Check the two of them out her having a blast. CUTENESS ALERT!
A video posted by @mahi7781 onJul 25, 2016 at 12:14am PDT
Sakshi Dhoni then took to the site to post another video of the father and daughter making cute and funny faces.
#monkeyface ...
A video posted by Sakshi Singh Dhoni (@sakshisingh_r) onJul 25, 2016 at 3:35am PDT
#Ziva
A video posted by Sakshi Singh Dhoni (@sakshisingh_r) onJul 25, 2016 at 3:40am PDT
Little Ziva, who is over a year old definitely brings a smile on your face with those adorable expressions of hers.
A week ago Mahi also posted another picture of him on the photo sharing website in a full bearded look while he cuddles Ziva in his arm! And it sure does suit him too.
ziva and me
A photo posted by @mahi7781 onJul 15, 2016 at 2:44am PDT
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jun/28Manoj-Kumar-s.jpg*Manoj Kumar. Pic/AFP*
The 28-year-old, a multiple-time Asian medallist besides being a former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist, is the proverbial dark horse among the three Indian boxers who have qualified for Rio -- the other two being World bronze medal winners Shiva Thapa (56kg) and Vikas Krishan (75kg).
"I have Maratha roots and I am inspired by the great Shivaji. I draw my strength form his beliefs, that's what makes me so stubborn. And it is this stubbornness which helped me fight the circumstances," Manoj, who competes in light welterweight (64kg) division, told PTI in an interview.
The circumstances he refers to, include a frustrating wait for a departmental promotion he was promised after the 2010 CWG gold. A Class III employee in the Indian Railways, Manoj was promised an elevation by the then union minister Mamata Banerjee.
Since that promise, seven ministers have come and gone but what has remained static is Manoj's plight. "I have written to everyone who came to office. From Mukul Roy to current minister Suresh Prabhu. I have been assured of action by each one of them but then nothing moves on the ground," said Manoj, a tad baffled by the mechanisms of bureaucracy.
"As for sponsors, I wrote to every major company seeking support but perhaps nobody thought I could make it this far. So there was no response from there as well. I have nobody to speak for me, so that also goes against me at times," he added.
Asked if he ever gave quitting a thought given the hardships, Manoj said, "Not even for a fleeting second. Never. It's a lot of fun proving people wrong, I feel good about myself now. I have managed whatever I have without the backing of anybody apart from my coach and elder brother Rajesh."
Athletes from Haryana have usually benefitted immensely from government support, whether it is the boxers or the wrestlers, but Manoj said he has been an exception to the rule.
"May be it is because I can't bend before people. I speak my mind, I don't try to please. I really don't know. In this country, cricketers, even from Bangladesh, find sponsors but not people like me, why? Are we that bad? It is beyond me," he questioned.
"There have been days, I have broken down mentally. Boxing is a painful sport, the pain that we go through just to be competition ready is immense and to not have anybody to look after in all this is very disheartening," he claimed.
Manoj, who had to fight a legal battle to get the Arjuna award in 2014 after being denied initially despite fulfilling the criteria, said he has face discrimination at every step. "People criticised me for going to court but what else could I do when nobody was listening to me. I had no other option and in the court, my stand was vindicated," he said.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/mar/20-Dutt_s.jpg*Yogeshwar Dutt*
Narsingh's dope test came positive barely 10 days before the start of the Olympics and he cried foul, saying it was a conspiracy against him.
"Khusti ke liye bht dukhi hun. Iski janch honi bht zaruri hai. Mujhe vishwas hai narsingh aesa nai kar sakta (I am very sad about the state of wrestling. This matter should be investigated. I am sure that Narsingh cannot do something like this)," Yogeshwar wrote on his twitter handle.
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) also strongly put its weight behind the 26-year-old grappler, insisting that it was a clear case of sabotage.
WFI also urged with the Sports Ministry and top officials in the government to help Narsingh's case.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/india26jul-s.jpg
The 'Boys in Blue' are apparently living it up enjoying every moment and tasting every bit of success following their brilliant performance.
Kohli, who scored his first ever and a historic double century, posted a picture of him and teammates Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Stuart Binny and Murali Vijay dining like 'champions'.
Had a great meal with these champions! Sunglasses game on point here ð
Good friends create good memories! #Grateful pic.twitter.com/mvtQuxWgGi
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 26, 2016
His teammate and India's opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan too shared few pictures of the Indian team players letting their guard down and having some fun.
In his first picture he is seen along with Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Enjoing plying fifa on play station with boys.Lots of fun,competition in this too!!! Check out boys concentrationðð pic.twitter.com/AeNRCk8vtE
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 25, 2016
He followed it up with another picture of him along with Ravindra Jadeja taking in some fresh air and smiling away.
Relaxing & enjoying the greenery and fresh air with @imjadeja! Rest is the best!!ððð pic.twitter.com/lmOmoabOZ6
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) July 25, 2016
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2015/mar/4Shoaib-Akhtar-s.jpg*Shoaib Akhtar*
England beat Pakistan yesterday by a massive 330 runs to win the second Test at his Old Trafford home ground today. "One saw no planning in the entire match from a Pakistani
perspective and as expected our batting has been badly exposed by the England bowlers," Akhtar said.
"You can say our batting has been unmasked and exposed on a pitch which had bounce and nothing more. Our batting always struggles on surfaces with bounce that is why we toil in England and Australia," he said.
Akhtar said he was very disappointed with the performance of the bowlers as well. "There was no game plan on how to bowl on the Old Trafford pitch and the line was just not right and the intent was missing throughout the England innings," he added.
Akhtar said Pakistan would find it very difficult to comeback in the series now after such a demoralising defeat. Former Test captain Ramiz Raja said the defeat was the continuation of Pakistan cricket woes.
"Our biggest problem is that our players just don't adapt quickly enough to different conditions. And the problem of consistency remains as usual," he said. Ramiz didn't believe that complacency was the reason for the big defeat.
"England just came better prepared this time. At Lord's the conditions suited Pakistan because of the low bounce. At Old Trafford they made sure there was plenty of bounce in the surface," he said.
Another former captain Muhammad Yousuf also lamented that the Pakistani batsmen just didn't show the quality on a pitch on which it was inexcusable not to get a big score.
"I expected players of the calibre of Younis Khan and Asad Shafiq to get hundreds here. The pitch was good for batting. I just can't fathom what Younis is trying to do
batting the way he is," he said.
Yousuf said England had now got their confidence back in a big way after going down in the first Test and at Edgbaston Pakistan would have to perform outstandingly to prevent the host teams from taking a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.
Former wicketkeeper-batsman, Rashid Latif said he didn't believe Pakistan was yet out of the series.
"Two matches remain and this Pakistan team has lot of potential. At Old Trafford the batting was horrible and there was no excuse for the poor show by our batters. They need to sit down and start afresh. For senior players like Hafeez and Younis to throw away their wickets after good starts is just not acceptable at this level," he said.
Pakistan's former head coach Waqar Younis said that there was no excuse for the batting shambles. "I am not saying we should have won this Test but this is not the way to go down. The spineless batting would have given the England bowlers a lot of confidence now."
Waqar also felt that the Pakistan Cricket Board really needed to take up on war footing the issue of foreign teams not touring Pakistan.
"Our cricket is suffering a lot because of no international cricket at home since last six years," he said.
Former Test opener and head coach Mohsin Khan said the Pakistan team simply collapsed under pressure and the batsmen just didn't try to dominate the bowlers.
"Our batsmen just couldn't take the pressure in this Test. At this level, for a team ranked number three you expect quality batting performances. What we saw at Old Trafford was heart breaking for cricket fans," Mohsin added.
Mohsin defended that the Pakistani batsmen were playing outside Asia after three and half years and their techniques had been affected by constantly playing on low bounce tracks in UAE.
"But most of our batsmen carry lot of experience and they should have put up a fight on a pitch which was not bad for batting at all," he said.
Former batting legend Hanif Muhammad had a word of advise for Younis, who is Pakistan's highest Test run-getter.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2015/sep/16Inderjeet-Singh-s.jpg*Inderjeet Singh*
28-year-old Inderjeet's 'A' sample has returned positive for a banned substance. The reigning Asian Champion Inderjeet tested positive for a banned steroid and he has been informed by the National Anti-Doping Agency. His out-of-competition test was done on June 22, sources told PTI.
The NADA has asked the Punjab-born athlete, who had won a bronze in the 2014 Asian Games, if he wants to test his 'B' sample and if so, to do this within seven days. If the 'B' sample also tests positive, he will have to miss Rio Games beginning August 5, besides facing the prospect of being banned for four years under the new WADA Code.
Inderjeet claimed it was a conspiracy against him and his sample has been tampered with. "This is a conspiracy and there is something wrong in it.
This will be checked by the doctors though. I don't want to comment on it but whoever has tried to raise their voice in this country, they are forced to shut up," said Inderjeet.
"My sample has been tampered with. Why would a player take something which is not good for his health," he added.
Inderjeet is one of those athletes who does not train at the national camps. He normally trains on his own with his personal coach.
Inderjeet said although it was too early to say anything, there was a campaign to shut his mouth.
"I am not in a situation to say anything right now but this is one thing which destroys a player in our country. I will defend it," he said.
"I have given dope test at least 50 times last year and this year too I am giving it everywhere. Even after that a campaigning is done to shut my mouth.
"I used to speak straight for the Indian athletes. There are many things happening with me for past one year. Media shows that I am running from dope test but I am not. It disturbs a player," Inderjeet said.
He is one of the first track and field athletes who qualified for the Rio Olympics as he made the cut last year itself. He had a training stint earlier this year in the United States under funding of the Sports Ministry's Target Olympic Podium (TOP) Scheme.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Yelena-Isinbayeva-s.jpg*Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva is barred from participating in the Rio Olympics despite no proof of her being part of the alleged state-run doping scandal. Pic/AFP*
On Sunday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided not to ban the Russian team. Individual decisions on Russian athletes will be taken by relevant international federations, reports TASS.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) told TASS that it will not reconsider applications of Russian athletes to participate in the 2016 Olympic Games.
"Our fight for Rio is over. It's not my fate to stand at the highest step of the podium at the Olympics once again. Russian national anthem will not play for me again, and I will not bring joy to my dear fans once again with my pole vaulting," Isinbayeva wrote on her Instagram.
ÐÂÑ воÑ и вÑÂе... ÐÂаконÑÂилаÑÂÑ наÑÂа боÑÂÑÂба за Рио... ÐÂе ÑÂÑÂдÑÂба мне вновÑ вÑÂÑÂаÑÂÑ на вÑÂÑÂÑÂÑÂÑ ÑÂÑÂÑÂпенÑ пÑÂедеÑÂÑÂала на ÐÂлимпиаде, не пÑÂозвÑÂÑÂиÑ болÑÂÑÂе гимн РоÑÂÑÂии в моÑ ÑÂеÑÂÑÂÑÂ, не поÑÂадÑÂÑ болÑÂÑÂе ÑÂвоиÑ доÑÂогиÑ болелÑÂÑÂиков полеÑÂами ÑÂеÑÂез планкÑÂ... ÐÂоже, как же обидно оÑ ÑÂакой неÑÂпÑÂаведливоÑÂÑÂи. СлабаÑ Ñ наÑ заÑÂиÑÂа, Ñ бÑ ÑÂказала нÑÂлеваÑÂ. ÐÂикÑÂо не оÑÂÑÂÑÂоÑÂл и не заÑÂиÑÂил мои пÑÂава. ÐÂÑÂÑÂÑÂÑÂно до ÑÂлез оÑ ÑÂобÑÂÑÂвенного беÑÂÑÂилиÑ пеÑÂед ÑÂÑÂим беззаконием и беÑÂпÑÂеделом. СлезÑ по ÑÂекам оÑ оÑÂознаниÑ вÑÂего, ÑÂÑÂо Ñ ÑÂделала длÑ легкой аÑÂлеÑÂики. ÐÂÑ Ñ ÐÂвгением ÐÂаÑÂилÑÂевиÑÂем опеÑÂедили вÑÂемÑ на 10 леÑÂ. Своими миÑÂовÑÂми ÑÂекоÑÂдами и победами, пÑÂÑÂжки Ñ ÑÂеÑÂÑÂом ÑÂÑÂали видом номеÑ один в миÑÂовой легкой аÑÂлеÑÂике. ÐÂоÑ победа в ЧебокÑÂаÑÂаÑ по ÑÂей денÑ оÑÂÑÂаÑÂÑÂÑÂÑ лÑÂÑÂÑÂим ÑÂезÑÂлÑÂÑÂаÑÂом ÑÂезона в миÑÂе. ЧÑÂо Ñ могла бÑ подаÑÂиÑÂÑ миÑÂÑ в Рио, какÑÂÑ вÑÂÑÂоÑÂÑÂ, какие ÑÂмоÑÂии, ÑÂак и оÑÂÑÂанеÑÂÑÂÑ загадкой... РдлÑ менÑ ÑÂоже... ХоÑÂÑ ÑÂазÑÂÑÂдаÑÂÑÂÑÂÑÂ...
A photo posted by Yelena (@isinbaevayelena) onJul 24, 2016 at 1:04pm PDT
"Our defence was weak, I would even say zero, no one defended my rights. It is very sad to feel powerless in the face of this lawlessness and chaos. Tears stream down my cheeks from realisation of everything I have done for athletics," added the three-time world champion.
"Together with Yevgeny Valisyevich (Trofimov — coach) were ahead of time by 10 years with our world records and victories. Pole vaulting became sports number one in world athletics, and my victory in Cheboksary still remains the best result in the world.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Ravichandran-Ashwin-s.jpg*R Ashwin celebrates his 100 against West Indies at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday. Pic/AFP*
The erstwhile powerhouse of international cricket has now become a mere participant in Test cricket. West Indies has already failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy (to be held in 2017) and if there were a Test Championship, they wouldn't qualify for that too. The advent of T20 threatened to create T20 specialist teams and while the rest have managed to strike the right balance thus far, West Indies have become the first team to master the shortest format albeit at the cost of the other two formats.
*A thorough preparation*
Still, it's unfair to blame the winner for the loser's lack of quality. The Indian team's preparation was thorough for this tour as the BCCI conducted a camp in India before reaching the West Indies a couple of weeks before the first Test and played two warm-up games. Most teams are guilty of starting slowly overseas, for there's never enough time to acclimatise and prepare for the challenges, but that isn't the case with this Indian team and results are there for everyone to see. Kumble and Kohli had to take a couple of huge calls before this Test match with regards to the playing XI.*R Ashwin bowls on Day Four against WI on Sunday. He claimed 7-83 in the second innings*
KL Rahul made a strong case for himself by scoring runs in both the warm-up games and it must have taken a leap of faith to stick with Dhawan one more time. The team management must be relieved to see Dhawan striking form in the first game itself. Also, the decision to go in with four or five specialist bowlers, for the tendency is to err on the side of caution for the first game.
It was heartening to see that India not just continued with its five-bowler theory but also, resisted the temptation of picking the fifth bowler for his batting abilities. India has been guilty of doing that in the past because Saha hasn't quite given enough confidence as a batsman at No 6. To address this issue, India promoted Ashwin to No 6 and this move seemed to have ended this debate for the time being.
Ashwin's third Test century further reiterated the fact that instead of looking for an all-rounder outside, it's worth investing in the resource that's available. Ashwin not only shared a long stand with Kohli, but also batted as he normally does — like a proper batsman. He isn't a bowler who can bat a bit, for his technique and temperament are of a top quality Test batsman. Till not too long ago, he was pushed further down the order and this move could be seen as Kumble's first influence.
The other and rather painful side of playing five bowlers is that you are left with only five proper batsmen, which means that you can't afford even a mini collapse. India did find itself in a slight spot of bother at 236-4 when Rahane got out for 22. The situation isn't alarming if there were an extra batsman available but if you have only five batsmen, the tail starts as soon as you lose the fourth wicket. That's where Kohli dug his heels in further and notched up his first double century.
*Virat Kohli's year*
This is the year of Virat Kohli. For formats and venues have changed, not his form. His focus is not just on scoring runs but on taking his team to a position of strength and Antigua was no different. It's almost certain that Kohli will be scoring more double centuries, for there are only two things that stop players from doing so in Tests — their strike rate and their fitness. Kohli has no issues on both these counts. Therefore, it's fair to assume that the wait for the second double century won't be as long as the first one.
*Aakash Chopra is a former India Test opener*Figure trigger**
Number of bigger wins for India outside the subcontinent prior to the innings and 92-run win on Sunday. The previous best was by innings and 90 runs vs Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in 2005.
*1*
Virat Kohli became the first Indian captain to achieve an innings win in West Indies.
*7-83*
Spinner R Ashwin's figures in the second innings, is the best by any Indian in West Indies, surpassing Subhash Gupte's 7-162 at Port-of-Spain in 1952-53.
*2*
Number of times R Ashwin has scored a century and taken a five-wicket haul in the same Test. He is the only Indian to do so more than once. Vinoo Mankad and Polly Umrigar had done this once. Incidentally, the earlier occasion for Ashwin was also against the West Indies at Wankhede in 2011.
*3*
Number of players to score a century and take seven wickets in an innings in the same Test. Ashwin emulated Australia's Jack Gregory and England's Ian Botham (twice).
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Jagmander-Singh-s.jpg
*Also Read: Narsingh alleges SAI role in dope scandal, gets WFI support**Jagmander Singh*
Narsingh's 'A' and 'B' samples both returned positive for a banned substance following a National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) test at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre in Sonepat, Haryana recently jeopardising his prospects of representing the country at the August 5-21 Rio Olympics.
Narsingh's coach Jagmal told mid-day on Sunday that "someone, somehow has mixed the drug (reportedly methandienone — an anabolic steroid that can be orally consumed) in Narsingh's food or drink at the Sonepat Centre," where they have been camping since January.
*Also Read: Narsingh Yadav's coach reckons his ward's food was 'poisoned'*
Yesterday, Indian wrestling's chief coach Jagmander also told mid-day from the SAI Centre in Sonepat that the possibility of contamination at the Haryana Centre cannot be ruled out.*On the mat: India's 74kg wrestler Narsingh Yadav at the SAI campus in Kandivli recently*
"Narsingh said that his food has been contaminated at the SAI Centre in Sonepat and the Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has also agreed that it's a case of sabotage. I feel the same. No one can be 100% sure that the contamination has happened at the SAI mess, but all I'm saying is that there is a possibility because the mess at the Sonepat Centre here is not a small canteen.
*Also Read: Sushil Kumar: Don't blame me for Narsingh Yadav's irresponsibility*
It's a big facility with a huge kitchen and eating area for athletes. Over 100 people, including athletes and officials eat here on a daily basis. So, it's impossible for anyone to supervise or keep a check on things at all times," said Jagmander. However, he is confident that truth will prevail and that Narsingh will not miss out on the Rio Olympics.
"We (Indian freestyle wrestling team) were scheduled to leave today for a training stint in Georgia and then head to Rio from there, but we have delayed this trip for Narsingh's sake. "We are confident that the truth will come out soon and we will have Narsingh in our team once again.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Muttiah-Muralitharan-s.jpg*Muttiah Muralitharan*
On the eve of the first of three Tests, board president Thilanga Sumathipala accused Muralitharan of insulting Sri Lanka team manager Charith Senanayake in a row over the Australians' use of a practice pitch in Colombo.
*Also Read: Muralitharan dismisses SLC's accusation of highhandedness*
"Muralitharan's behaviour is unacceptable and we have brought this to the notice of the Australian team management," Sumathipala told reporters.
Sumathipala said Muralitharan had bullied groundsmen at the Pallekele Stadium on Saturday into allowing the Australians to practise there when it was theoretically off limits to both teams. Sumathipala said: "He later confronted our team manager (Senanayake) and abused him."
In response, Muralitharan, accused the board president of knowing nothing about cricket.
"They have no right to accuse me of being a traitor. Have they done one hundredth of what I have contributed to cricket in Sri Lanka? This is a political game to cover their shortcomings," he added. "I am being used as a pawn to cover their failings."
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Lewis-Hamilton-s.jpg*Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton (left) and Nico Rosberg after the Hungarian GP on Sunday. Pic/AFP*
"I gave it everything in the race, I had super pace, really fast, and I was able to keep the pressure on Lewis all the time. At times it seemed that he was struggling a little bit so I was just trying to make sure I pushed him as much as possible so he wears out his tyres or makes a mistake, but in the end he made a mistake and I came really close but it wasn't enough to get past," Rosberg said.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/2507Narsingh-s.jpg*Narsingh Yadav*
"There should be a CBI inquiry. The whole episode relating to my selection had gone to court. There was a CID report that my life is under threat. All this makes it clear, I have been framed so that I am stopped from going to Rio," Narsingh said.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26James-Anderson-s.jpg*England pacer James Anderson celebrates the wicket of Pakistan's Azhar Ali yesterday. Pic:AP/PTI*
Pakistan, set a mammoth 565 to win, were bowled out for 234 in their second innings with more than a day left in the match.
England, who lost the first Test at Lord's by 75 runs, bounced back with a huge first-innings total of 589 for eight declared.
Joe Root made a Test-best 254 and England captain Alastair Cook 105, his 29th Test century.
Pakistan managed just 198 in reply, captain Misbah-ul-Haq top-scoring with 52 and England all-rounder Chris Woakes taking four for 67.
Despite a first-innings lead of 391, Cook opted against enforcing the follow-on. Instead Cook (76 not out) and Root (71 not out) inflicted further punishment on Pakistan's attack before the skipper declared England's second innings at 173 for one yesterday morning.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Sam-Allardyce-s.jpg*Sam Allardyce*
Allardyce also revealed he has not yet made a decision on who will captain England, which leaves the Manchester United skipper Wayne Rooney sweating on whether he will retain the armband.
"The pressure on players at international level we will be looking at in depth," said the 61-year-old.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Ray-Wilkins-s.jpg*Ray Wilkins*
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jul/26Aurora-Pereira-s.jpg*Marven's grandmother Aurora Pereira*
Marven, in turn, was grateful to his late grandmother Aurora Pereira, who passed away recently at the age of 82, for encouraging him to excel in football.
"The inspiration behind my goal today was my grandma, who died a few days ago. She told me to score and get my name in the newspapers and make my family proud. When my name came in the newspaper last year, she was very happy and hugged me," said the forward.*St Stanislaus' Marven Pereira (right) dodges St Francis' goalkeeper Parth Dharod to score a goal during the MSSA inter-school boys’ U-16 Div 1 match at St Xaviers ground, Parel yesterday. Pic/Suresh Karkera*
Marven, who was ever so impressive in the match, wasn't always a striker. "I used to play as a goalkeeper till last year. I have improved my game a lot to play forward."
The Pool 'B' game was one-way traffic for the most part with Stanislaus dominating most of it. Captain Marven scored in the 23rd minute by rounding the 'keeper and taping it in after he received the ball from Vicky Karkada.
St Francis D'Assisi were far from their best. Captain Johnson Mathews was the lone creative spark for the Borivili school. The Stanislaus frontline of Keegan Pinto, Brendan Gomendes and Marven ran the St Francis D'Assisi defence ragged and could have scored more goals for the side.
Stanislaus coach Oscar Alva said, "We actually missed a lot of chances. We could have scored more goals. But I am happy with what I saw considering this was our first game," said Alva. Reported by Mid-Day 4 hours ago.