Dravid crosses 10000 run mark in test cricket

When Rahul Dravid pushed a ball from South African fast bowler Mornie Morkel wide of mid-on and took off for a run, it wasn’t just another single that he was completing. It was his 10,000th Test run, one that he celebrated with uncharacteristic glee, hands raised in celebration, even as he pointedly gestured to his personal support staff, seated at the Anna Pavilion, and said a silent ‘thank you’ to all those who have enabled him to pursue his single-minded goal, that of being recognised as one among the world’s best batsmen. The journey to greatness has been a long one. The year 1990 seems so far away, but that’s where Dravid’s cricket story begins. It was the final year of college for some, but it was the first year among the big boys for Dravid. Then a slightly freckled, wiry lad, he is today only the sixth man to have scored over 10,000 Test runs. Then a shy introvert, today he is among the country’s most articulate sportspersons. Then a murderer of spin bowling, today he wears down the best and fastest of fast bowlers. It has been some journey, but he now stands alongside batting legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Sunil Gavaskar, all of whom will no doubt fondly welcome the latest entrant to Club 10,000. From St Joseph’s Boys School to St Joseph’s Commerce College (SJCC) is a natural step for most Josephites in Bangalore, but for Dravid it was much more than that. Here was where he would get three degrees for the price of one. It was a great place to study; the college believed in creating well-rounded personalities rather than just bright students; and most importantly, SJCC had a fantastic cricket team, one of the hardest to break in to, even if, sadly enough, that is no longer the case. Many a talented cricketer had made his way into the college after being a star in school cricket, only to then warm the benches for a year or two before getting a look in. This was simply due to the strength of the team and not any senior versus junior issues, as is (or not) the case with Indian cricket these days. But Dravid at 17 had special ability and it was more than apparent when he was not put on the waiting list. In fact, when he was returning from injury once and straightaway included in the XI for a three-day final, his long innings prowess being apparent even then, the lad he replaced was so incensed that he left the college the following year. Single-mindedness has always been Dravid’s big asset, and this was something that his friends were exposed to pretty early. It was a two-day fun-trip out of Bangalore, again in 1990, where even as most of the team drank the night away at a cool hill station, Dravid spent the night practicing. No, it wasn’t cricket. He found out that the wicketkeeper was a great dancer and decided it was time for some lessons. What the dance teacher didn’t realise was that this was no ordinary pupil, who would go away after a while; the lessons went on for the whole night. You can see that his feet movement is near perfect on the cricket field these days and has been so for more than a while. Apart from being consistent, as his Test average of over 55 shows, he’s been known for his perseverance, focus and total commitment to his and the team’s cause. In the second half of his career, he’s added balance. Balance not just at the batting crease but life in general, with his young family now taking up a lot of his quality time. That, perhaps, was one of the reasons he gave up the captaincy, not knowing that he was giving up his place in the One-day team too with that one unexpected action. But he was not running away from responsibility, rather it was a new one, that of raising his little son, that had taken precedence. On Saturday, Dravid, the eternal team man, put all the recent bad blood behind him and turned the spotlight back on himself with an individual achievement that also gave him access to the even more exclusive 10,000-run Test and ODI club, where he joined Tendulkar and Lara as only the third batsman to achieve the grand double. Dravid can, for sure, rest content that he has done more than enough to be described as one of the greatest batsmen in the world.

DRAVID’S AGGREGATE OF 7,677 (AVG.57.72) IN 150 INNINGS IS THE BEST BY ANY NO.3 BATSMAN IN TEST CRICKET.

His tally of 19 centuries at No.3 position is the third best in Test cricket - the top two being Ricky Ponting (27) and Don Bradman (20). Rahul Dravid, during the course of his 111 off 291 balls against South Africa at Chennai, reached a number of milestones... When on 48, he completed his 4,000 runs in 51 Tests at home (4063 at an average of 51.43 in 51 Tests) and became the third Indian after Sunil Gavaskar (5067 at an average of 50.17 in 65 Tests) and Sachin Tendulkar (5056 at an average of 54.95 in 63 Tests) to aggregate 4000 runs or more in India. When his score reached 80, he became the third Indian after Tendulkar and Gavaskar and the sixth in Test cricket to amass 10,000 runs. His feat of reaching 10,000 runs in 206 innings is the second fastest in Test annals, next only to Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, who both recorded the milestone in 195 innings. When he reached 100, he became the third Indian after Tendulkar (39) and Gavaskar (34) and the 12th overall to register 25 centuries or more in Test cricket.

Dravid's Test Records

Tests: 120, Innings: 206, NO: 25, Run: 10031, HS: 270, Average: 55.41

Century: 25, Half Century: 51, Catch: 169, Wickets: 1

Salute to Viru's swashbuckling knock

The daredevil from Delhi displays an audacious strokeplay against South Africa, 319 off only 304 balls. The triple ton came off just 278 balls. The knock crossed Sehwag’s previous highest against Pakistan at Multan in 2004 — also the highest by an Indian — and was executed with even greater spunk and style. He hammered 42 fours and five sixes in batting-friendly conditions against a wilting South African attack. A deluge of statistical delights has been dished out in the bargain. This is the 10th straight time Sehwag has crossed 150 after getting a ton. He’s also the first since Denis Compton in 1954 to score over 250 runs in a day (Sehwag scored 257). Sehwag raced to his triple ton off only 278 balls, the fastest 300 in Tests, eclipsing Matthew Hayden’s 300 off 362 deliveries. Only 2 others —Don Bradman and Brian Lara – have two Test 300s. Sehwag only one to score his two 300s at different venues Sehwag has now converted his last 10 centuries into scores of 150 and above, extending his own world record It's the first triple century and the highest score on Indian soil by any batsman. The previous highest was 281 n.o. by VVS Laxman Average score of Sehwag’s 14 tons now works out to 198, a world record. Bradman next with 186 Sehwag got to 200 off 194 balls, the third fastest Test 200. He also has the second fastest (off 182 balls against Pakistan). The fastest 200 was scored by Nathan Astle off 153 balls 386 runs were scored on Friday, the most in a day in India Jaffer & Sehwag put on 213, Sehwag & Dravid have added 255 — the first case of 200-plus stands for first two wickets in a Test.

Stats
The scoreboard says it all

319 runs, 304 balls, 42 fours 5 sixes

Chennai Test ended in a draw

South Africa’s batsmen didn’t really find their feet against the Indian spinners, partly because they weren’t required to, but nevertheless managed to quell any hopes of an unlikely India win in the opening game of the three-Test series. Neil McKenzie led the way to a dreary draw, adding an unbeaten 155 on Sunday to his first innings 94, as South Africa formally declared their second innings closed at 331 for five, with a possible 14 overs left on the final day. Umpires Asad Rauf and Tony Hill, who had been on the field for all the five hot days, then conferred with acting Indian captain Dhoni and called off the match. Some of the blame for the inaction on the final day must be laid at the doors of the Indian spinners, even if the Indian captain Anil Kumble refused to acknowledge it at the post-match press conference minutes after his South African counterpart had admitted that his left-arm spinner Paul Harris wasn’t at his best during the Test. They need to be commended for their never-say-die efforts on Day One and Two but more was certainly expected of the combined experience of Kumble and Harbhajan Singh on this third-day like Day Five pitch, which, it must be said, never broke up but only ended up breaking just the bowlers’ hearts. Skipper Kumble went off the field shortly after lunch with a right groin niggle, which along with Sachin Tendulkar’s absence due to a groin strain and stomach problems, had the substitutes doing duty while vice-captain Dhoni led the side. The sweep was the most used shot on the day, perhaps the planned counter-measure against the spinners. One such shot provided the first real chance of the day, with McKenzie’s overnight partner, Hashim Amla, who turns 25 on Monday, receiving an early birthday gift by getting a reprieve. Sree Santh, positioned at long leg just for this rare chance, ran in a few yards but spilled the somewhat tough chance, only to earn a mouthful from the angry bowler, Harbhajan, who then proceeded to demonstrate to the Kerala pacer how it was done when he dived to stop a certain boundary. Amla (81), then on 55 in the day’s 12th over, was lucky again when RP Singh dropped him off his own bowling 17 runs later. Amla, though, was determined to get out on the day and soon enough he guided a Kumble delivery to Rahul Dravid at slip. Three more wickets fell on the day, Harbhajan picking up Jacques Kallis and Ashley Prince cheaply, after which Sehwag, who in Kumble’s absence was asked to bowl as many as 22 overs,snapped up AB de Villiers. Those wickets, however, came when the possibility of a result was long over.

Brief Score

South Africa

Batting

Ist Innings: 540/10, Hashim-159, Mckenzie-94, Smith-73, Boucher-70

2nd Innings: 331/5, Mckenzie-155, Hashim-81

Bowling

Ist Innings: Steyn-4/103, Ntini-3/128, Harris-3/203

2nd Innings: Did not bowl

India

Batting

Ist Innings: 627/10, Sehwag-319, Dravid-111, Jaffer-73

2nd Innings: Did not bat

Bowling

Ist Innings: Harbhajan-5/164, Kumble-2/106, Sehwag-1/37, Sreesanth-1/104

2nd Innings: Harbhajan-3/101, Sehwag-1/55, Kumble-1/57

Hashim cracks 159 as SA post 540 on day 2 at chennai test

There’s a little bit of steel in everybody’s life claims an advertising line on display at the Chidambaram Stadium. But out in the middle of the ground, there was no life and only steel on a surface that was supposedly made of clay, sand and stone. Why even the tracks just outside the stadium, the ones made of real steel and on which local trains run, seemed to have more life. Having got first use of such a surface, it was no wonder that the South African batsmen simply continued from where they had let off on day one. Batsman after batsman came, saw and went to sleep on the lifeless strip laid out for the first Test between India and South Africa here. No amount of conch-blowing or drum beating by the more than modest crowd that had gathered on another hot day served to wake up the Indian bowlers either, most of whom were forced to go through the motions as the visitors recorded their highest total in this country. November 2004 in Kanpur was when the Proteas had made 510 in their first innings. On Thursday, they made 30 more, ending with 540 from a little over 11 hours of easy-paced batting. Setting of new marks is bound to happen under the circumstances that have prevailed here over the first two days. But what will worry the Indians is that their previous highest against the South Africans is just 466, also made in the same Kanpur Test. The strong 82-run start that openers Wasim Jaffer (25 batting) and Virender Sehwag (52 batting) got them off to and the fact that the pitch doesn’t look ready to break anytime soon, may just help alleviate some of the fears of chasing down such a huge total. The day’s play can perhaps be best summed up by the fact that while only one batsman, Hashim Amla (159) scored a ton, as many as four Indian bowlers conceded over 100. But the Indian bowling didn’t wilt as much halt, a mere 23 overs in the morning session and 27 in the next, showing that like the batsmen, the normally hard-hitting Mark Boucher (70 from 146 balls) included, the bowlers too weren’t in any hurry. Only one man was in a different mood, AB de Villiers, looking to push from the word go. Like on the first day, a little bit of sledging from Sree Santh brought about a break in concentration and off he went edging to ’ketkeeper MS Dhoni. The 66-run fifth wicket association gave way to a 99-run partnership between Amla and Boucher which strangely enough was broken by way of a runout on a day when the Indian outfielding went from bad to worse. The mistake though was made by Boucher who called Amla for a run only to later turn his back on him. Having batted for nearly seven hours, Amla, who struck seven of his ten fours today towards the offside, may have even been relieved.

SA got a fantastic start on Day 1 at chennai

A brown, barren pitch, a green, quick outfield and a really bright, hot day greeted the Indian and South African teams when they took the field for the opening Test. This combination of the pitch and weather allowed a confident batting side help themselves to runs against a hapless set of bowlers. The Indian bowlers didn’t exactly restrict the South Africans but it certainly served to keep the visitors from running away with the honours on day one at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Wednesday. The visitors ended the extended day’s play on 304 for four, no doubt in a position to call the shots on day two but not exactly in the driver’s seat as yet even if Hashim Amla (85 batting) might think otherwise. It could have been far worse after the South Africans had got off to a fantastic start once South African skipper Graeme Smith called it right at the toss and gleefully conveyed his decision to bat. A 132-run opening stand by the same pair that had in the very recent past erased a five-decade old Indian record, would have put the scare into the Indian camp about things to come. That’s when the Indian spin twins, Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, got into the act. They first got rid of the two openers Smith (73) and Neil McKenzie (94) before accounting for the dangerous Jacques Kallis (13) and Ashwell Prince (23). Fighting against the unresponsiveness of the pitch and the aggression of the South African openers was not an easy task. The nature of the pitch also meant that there was less margin for error for the bowlers and so it was never going to be easy to restrict the scoring rate. Then again, being day one, the bowlers couldn’t exactly adapt a defensive approach. Initially the cost was high, McKenzie took the Indian seamers RP Singh and Sree Santh on with some exquisite drives in front of the wicket. Sreesanth did send down some beauties, managing to beat the bat on more than one occasion but that was until the ball was new. With no lateral movement available for love or money, the batsmen were always going to take over soon enough and so it proved with Smith too joining in. McKenzie was always expected to handle the fast men well but it was his handling of the spinners that was a revelation. There seemed no chinks to exploit during his 230-minute vigil and it took all of Harbhajan’s guile to get him out just six short of his century.

More cricket awaits Team India

India will have a hectic playing schedule over the next one year, which features as many as 15 Tests apart from several ODIs beginning with the triseries against Bangladesh in the first week of June. The Bangladesh tournament also features Pakistan and will be held after the conclusion of the inaugural IPL on May 31. India would also take part in the Asia Cup in Pakistan from June 24, follow which they undertake a tour of Sri Lanka to play three Tests and five ODIs till Aug 30. Then the team goes to Pakistan again for the ICC Champions Trophy, from September 8 to 28. Next, India will host Australia for a four-Test series, to be played at Bangalore, Mohali, New Delhi and Nagpur, from Oct 9 to Nov 10. England will play seven ODIs and two Tests against India, which will end on December 23. From Jan 4 to Feb 20 next year, India will visit Pakistan for three Tests and five ODIs, before touring New Zealand from February 26 to April 15 to play three Tests and five ODIs.

Following is the schedule from June, 2008 to April 2009:

First week of June : Triseries in Bangladesh/India/Pakistan.

June 24: Asia Cup begins in Pakistan.

July 15 to Aug 30 : Tour of Sri Lanka for three Tests/5 ODIs.

Sept 8 to 28 : ICC Champions Trophy at Pakistan.

Oct 9 to Nov 10: Australia to tour India for four Tests at Bangalore, Mohali, New Delhi and Nagpur.

Nov to December 23: England tour of India for seven ODIs and two Tests.

2009: Jan 4 to Feb 20: India to tour Pakistan for three Tests and 5 ODIs.

Feb 26 to Apr 15 : India to tour New Zealand 3 Tests, 5 ODIs.

ICC Champions Trophy 2008 schedule announced

The International Cricket Council announced the schedule and venues for this year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2008 to be played in Pakistan from 11 to 28 September. Host Pakistan will face 2004 winner and 2006 runner-up West Indies in the opening match on 11 September (Thursday) in a Group A game at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore while defending champion and top seed Australia will open its campaign against India on 13 September (Saturday) the same venue. Karachi and Rawalpindi are the other venues to be used in this year’s event, which is very much an elite tournament with only the top eight sides in the world competing. As discussed at the ICC Board meeting earlier this week in Dubai, a full independent security assessment of the situation in Pakistan will be conducted in June. As compared to the 2006 tournament when 21 matches were played over 29 days, 15 matches will be played in 17 days this year in what is a much shorter, sharper format. The first semi-final will be played at the National Stadium in Karachi on 24 September while Rawalpindi will host the second semi-final on 25 September. Gaddafi Stadium, which hosted the final of the 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup, has been selected to stage the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2008. In India two years ago, sides ranked seven to 10th in the LG ICC ODI Championship table as on 1 April 2006, started the tournament by contesting a preliminary round with a round-robin format. The top two sides from that preliminary round went forward to the second stage which saw the top six sides from the LG ICC ODI Championship table divided into two groups, joined by the two qualifiers from the preliminary round. This year, the groupings were finalised on 12 March the basis of teams’ rankings in the LG ICC ODI Championship table as on 12 March which was the cut-off date for the determination of the seedings for the ICC Champions Trophy 2008. The eight teams were then split into two groups of four with a round-robin format in operation. The top two sides from each group will progress to the knock-out stage.

The following are the two groups (with seedings in brackets):

Group A: Australia (1), India (4), Pakistan (5), West Indies (8)

Group B: South Africa (2), New Zealand (3), Sri Lanka (6), England (7)

Schedule:

11 September – Pakistan v West Indies, Lahore.

12 September – New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Karachi.

13 September – Australia v India, Lahore.

14 September – England v Sri Lanka, Karachi.

15 September – South Africa v New Zealand, Rawalpindi.

16 September – West Indies v India, Karachi.

17 September – Pakistan v Australia, Rawalpindi.

18 September – South Africa v Sri Lanka, Lahore.

19 September – England v New Zealand, Rawalpindi.

20 September – Pakistan v India, Lahore.

21 September – Australia v West Indies, Karachi; England v South Africa, Rawalpindi.

24 September – 1st semi-final, Karachi.

25 September – 2nd semi-final, Rawalpindi.

28 September – final, Lahore.

FC Barcelona comes closer to Real Madrid in the Spanish La Liga

FC Barcelona closed to within four points of Real Madrid in the Spanish league, picking up a 4-1 win over Valladolid while the defending champions lost to Valencia 3-2. Bojan Krkic scored two second-half goals and set up the other two for Barcelona on Sunday. Madrid, which had been trying to maintain its sevenpoint lead at the top of the standings, lost at home when Javier Arizmendi scored in the 89th minute. Arizmendi outran Fabio Cannavaro to a long ball and then got around the Madrid defender before sliding his shot past goalkeeper Iker Casillas inside the far post. “The truth is lately we’re paying for our errors, which aren’t many, but we’re directly paying with goals,’’ Madrid coach Bernd Schuster said. “It’s not always necessary to risk so much to create an opportunity.’’ Madrid still lead the league with 62 points, followed by Barcelona with 58. Villarreal is third with 56 points. David Villa scored two goals, one from the penalty spot, for Valencia, which also reached the Copa del Rey final by beating Barcelona. Villa gave the visitors the lead in the 34th from a Madrid turnover, but Raul Gonzalez headed in an equalizer in the 35th. Raul scored his 15th goal by tipping Jose Maria ‘Guti’ Gutierrez’s short pass at the penalty spot in the 56th and volleying it past Valencia goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand. Hildebrand made up for that miss 10 minutes later when he dove to catch Sergio Ramos’ header on the goal line. Cannavaro then pushed David Silva inside the area and Villa took the penalty, catching Casillas going the other way in the 67th. Hildebrand twice stopped shots from substitute Gonzalo Higuain — first from a header, then on the rebound — in the 80th, and Raul Albiol cleared an angled shot from the Argentine forward off the line with three minutes left. The Germany goalkeeper then swiped Raul’s pointblank header over the bar a minute into injury time.

Serbian duo reign at pacific life open

Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic delivered a sparkling Serbian double on Sunday, their convincing victories at the Pacific Life Open reaffirming their nation’s arrival on the tennis map. Djokovic, the third-ranked player in the world, had already become a national hero with his triumph at the Australian Open, where Ivanovic finished runner-up in her second Grand Slam final. On Sunday, third-seeded Djokovic downed unseeded American Mardy Fish 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 to win the first of the prestigious ATP Masters Series events of the year. Ivanovic, the top seed in the WTA portion of the 5.7 milliondollar tournament, defeated second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-3 to lift the women’s trophy. For good measure, thirdseeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic made it to the women’s semi-finals, and Nenad Zimonjic was a doubles finalist. One wag quipped that Indian Wells should be renamed Serbian Wells. “This is something I think that we absolutely deserve,” Djokovic said. “We’ve been working very hard to throughout all of our lives, and this is just a crown for our work, and it’s paying off.” He said he hoped his success and that of his compatriots on the tennis courts would buoy a country that is now in some turmoil. “Considering the fact that our country is in a very difficult position, they are struggling economically and in politics as well, I just try to help my country as much as I can,” said Djokovic, who said he didn’t want to comment on the “Kosovo is Serbia” banner displayed by some fans in an upper deck of the stadium seats. The black banner was on view during Ivanovic’s match but had been taken down for Djokovic’s - at the request of tournament organizers. Kosovo’s ethnic Albaniandominated parliament unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on February 17. Most Serbs consider the southern territory the cradle of their nation’s history, culture and religion. Ivanovic, 20, said: “I don’t know much about politics, and I don’t get involved in that area,” she said. “You know, when I’m out here playing, I just want to represent my country in the best possible way. “Whatever’s happening, you know, it’s tough, but still, it’s very hard for me to say anything about it.”

Sania 31st in WTA rankings

Sania Mirza’s commendable run at last week’s Pacific Life Open that ended in the fourth round has helped the Indian ace gain a spot to be 31st in the latest WTA rankings issued on Monday. Sania, who battled a wrist injury through her fourthround loss to Slovak Daniela Hantuchova in the USD 2.1 million event, now has 917 ranking points. The Hyderabadi star has also gained three places in her doubles rankings, moving up to 22nd with 1830 points after the semifinal appearance in the Pacific Life Open. Sania and her American partner Bethanie Mattek had lost to the Chinese pair of Zi Yan and Jie Zheng in the lastfour stage.

Manchester United sinks Liverpool

Manchester United, sent on their way by a rare goal from unsettled defender Wes Brown, beat 10-man Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday to stay firmly in charge in the Premier League. United are now enjoying a fivepoint lead at the top over Chelsea who won 2-1 over Arsenal at home. They have 73 points from 31 matches with seven matches to go. Chelsea have now 68 from 31 while Arsenal are now thrid with 67 from 31. Liverpool remain fourth with 59. It was Didier Drogba scored two crucial second half goals to lift Chelsea into second place. Arsenal were leading by a first half goal before Drogba displayed his killer instincts to virtually kill off Arsenal’s title hopes. After the dismissal late in the first half of Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano for dissent, Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani added late goals as United extended their streak over fierce rivals Liverpool to seven wins in their last eight meetings. Brown, who had previously scored only two goals in 10 years for his hometown club, headed in a Wayne Rooney cross 11 minutes before halftime. Ten minutes later, Liverpool were reduced to 10 men when midfielder Mascherano, who had been booked early on for a late tackle, was given a second yellow card by referee Steve Bennett. The decision prompted a furious response from the Argentina international who had to be dragged away from the official by several of his team mates. Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez was also incensed by the decision after Mascherano responded to a booking for Fernando Torres, who could have been sent off himself in the second half as he allowed his frustration to show. United manager Alex Ferguson, speaking to Sky TV, said: “He kept badgering the referee. We talk about (curbing) dissent and I think that was dissent.” The incident summed up an unhappy afternoon for Liverpool, who have not beaten United since April 2004 and have now failed to score in their last seven league games against Ferguson’s side. They came into the game in decent form, having won their seven previous matches, but their key players, Torres and Steven Gerrard, made little impact. Ronaldo, the league’s leading scorer, also looked subdued for long periods but still managed to score his 24th league goal of the season as United could have won by a bigger margin. Only a superb performance from Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, who was nevertheless at fault with Brown’s goal, spared Liverpool from total humiliation, the Spain international single-handedly keeping United out until the closing stages.

In matches on Saturday, Aston Villa lost 1-0 to Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers won 3-1 over Wigan, Bolton Wanderers drew 0-0 with Manchester City 0, Everton drew 1-1 with West Ham United 1, Middlesbrough beat Derby County 1-0, Newcastle beat Fulham 2-0, Reading beat Birmingham City 2-1 and Tottenham Hotspur beat Portsmouth 2-0.

Fish stunned Federer at Pacific Life Open

Mardy Fish pulled off a whale of an upset, stunning world No. 1 Roger Federer 6-3, 6-2 to reach the final of the ATP Masters Series Pacific Life Open on Saturday. Fish next faces Australian open champion Novak Djokovic, who ousted defending champion Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2. Djokovic, the third seed, turned the tables on the second-seeded Spaniard, who beat him in the final here last year. Fish, ranked 98th in the world, needed just 63 minutes to roll past the Swiss superstar, who mustered just one break point and couldn’t convert it. The defeat leaves Federer still searching for his first tournament victory of 2008, the first time since 2000 that the 12-time Grand Slam champion has gone so far into a season without a title. Fish sent a shock through the stadium-court crowd with his first break of Federer in the second game. He held for 3-0 and never looked back, taking the opening set in 39 minutes. The American opened the second set with a break — firing a stinging service return on break point — and broke again in the fifth game for a 4-1 lead. Federer fended off two match points against his own serve in the seventh game, but Fish took a 40-0 lead in the next game to give himself three more chances, and claimed the unlikely triumph when Federer netted a forehand. Fish had lost all five of his previous encounters with Federer, winning just one set in the process. “I’ve had a great record against him, always controlled matches against him,’’ Federer said. “Today was different. He played great today, so congratulations. Fantastic.’’ Fish became the lowest-ranked player to beat Federer since then 101stranked Richard Gasquet of france beat him at Monte Carlo in 2005. However, Federer said that was misleading, since Fish has been ranked as high as 17th in the world in March of 2004. “We all know how good Mardy can be,’’ Federer said. While Fish had to battle through five tough rounds to reach the semifinals, Federer enjoyed a first round bye and then advanced from the quarters on a walkover when his scheduled opponent, German Tommy Haas, withdrew with a sinus infection. “I was a bit deflated yesderday,’’ Federer said. “I was ready to play against Tommy. But that’s not an excuse. Mardy played incredible.’’

Raikkonen on song at sepang

In Formula One's second race of the season Force India ticked off the biggest, burning question off their list on Sunday. Not just for their benefit, but also for all those doubters out there. After the disaster that was Melbourne, a finish in Malaysia, was obviously the main objective of the team. And Giancarlo Fisichella’s twelfth-place at the Sepang International Circuit illustrated the progress that Force India, erstwhile Spyker, has made in the past five months. Finishing ahead of the two Williams cars Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima and the two dawdling Super Aguris is a noticeable and irrefutable improvement that the Silverstonebased team has racked up over the past few months. For Ferrari, it was a confirmation of what they are capable of. They had the fastest car and the coolest driver. After Felipe Massa lost the race lead to teammate Kimi Raikkonen, a one-two for the Scuderia outfit looked ripe for the taking. But after Massa’s rear wheels locked up, it was left up to Raikkonen to do the needful. BMW’s Robert Kubica benefited from Massa’s error, coming second and McLaren’s Heikki Kovalainen finished the podium. On a hot and humid afternoon, the start for the two Force India drivers, Fisichella and Adrian Sutil, was conflicting. Sutil, who had a disappointing qualifying session on Saturday, found the gaps and the pace to leap from 20th to 14th within just five laps. He was set for a few more upgrades before a hydraulic problem sealed his fate. Sutil had no option but to switch the engine off and pull off the track and onto the grass. “Sutil had such a great start, especially after a difficult qualifying session. He was looking very good. Unfortunately, it was an instantaneous failure and there was nothing we could do. Fisi put up a very solid, midfield performance. It’s definitely the biggest positive we take from the race. We’ve got the base and hope to build on it now. We can start beating some of the teams out there and win some points,’’ Mike Gascoyne, chief technical officer, said. Seventeenth on the grid, the start wasn’t the best of times for the Italian driver. But after a tyre-change in the first stop, the race pace of the Ferrari-powered car was clear to see. “I had a miserable start. There was too much wheelspin and some problem with the clutch and I lost a lot of positions. I was also suffering a lot of understeer with graining on the soft tyres but after we made the switch to hard tyres in the first pitstop, things improved. I’m pretty happy with the way the car behaved,’’ a very tired-looking Fisichella said. The slow start could also be attributed to Fisichella’s slightly cautious approach to the race. Chuckling he admitted, “I was a little careful as I wanted to drive more than one lap.’’ Through the weekend, the VJM01 showed a very competitive race pace, as Fisichella drove the car to its limit and battled through the midfield pack and set a set of laptimes just over one second from the leaders. Fisichella was also, in a sense, able to extract his revenge over Honda’s Rubens Barrichello, who nudged him out of Q2 reckoning on Saturday. Barrichello finished 13th, one behind Fisi.

HOW THEY FINISHED

1. KIMI RAIKKONEN (Fin) Ferrari 1:31:18.555

2. ROBERT KUBICA (Pol) BMW Sauber +00:19.570

3. HEIKKI KOVALAINEN (Fin) McLaren 00:38.450

4. JARNO TRULLI (Ita) Toyota 00:45.832

5. LEWIS HAMILTON (GBR) McLaren 00:46.548

6. NICK HEIDFELD (Ger) BMW Sauber 00:49.833

7. MARK WEBBER (Aus) Red Bull 01:08.130

8. FERNANDO ALONSO (Esp) Renault 01:10.041

9. DAVID COULTHARD (GBR) Red Bull 01:16.220

10. JENSON BUTTON (GBR) Honda 01:26.214

11. NELSON PIQUET (Bra) Renault 01:32.202

12. GIANCARLO FISICHELLA (Ita) Force India 1 lap

13. RUBENS BARRICHELLO (Bra) Honda 1 lap

14. NICO ROSBERG (Ger) Williams 1 lap

15. ANTHONY DAVIDSON (GBR) Super Aguri 1 lap

16. TAKUMA SATO (Jpn) Super Aguri 2 laps

17. KAZUKI NAKAJIMA (Jpn) Williams 2 laps

Retired

Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota—1st lap after collision with Rosberg;

Sebastien Bourdais (Fra) Toro Rosso—1st lap, spun off track;

Adrian Sutil (Ger) Force India—6th lap, hydraulic problems;

Felipe Massa (Bra) Ferrari—31st lap, spun off track;

Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso—40th lap, engine failure;

Fastest Lap: Nick Heidfeld, 1:35.366, lap 55.

CHAMPIONSHIP STAKES Drivers

1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 14

2. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 11

3. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber 11

4. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) McLaren 10

5. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber 8

6. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams 6

7. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 6

8. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 5

9. Kazuki Nakajima (Japan) Williams 3

10. Sebastien Bourdais (France) Toro Rosso 2

Constructors

1. McLaren 24

2. BMW Sauber 19

3. Ferrari 11

Ronaldo stars as Man Utd wins

Cristiano Ronaldo was hailed as a footballing “genius” after the Portugal winger eclipsed George Best as the highest-scoring winger in Manchester United's history and helped edge the Red Devils closer to another English title. Ronaldo took his United scoring tally for the season to a remarkable 33 goals after hitting the net twice as Sir Alex Ferguson's side defeated Bolton 2-0 at Old Trafford on Wednesday. United, who entertain fourth-placed Liverpool on Sunday, are now clear favourites to retain the Premier League title after opening up a three-point advantage over second-placed Arsenal with eight games to play. Ronaldo went past Best's record of 32 goals in a single season—set in 1967-68—with two fabulous first-half strikes, an opportunist finish from 12 yards followed by a stunning 30-yard free-kick. Ferguson was glowing in his praise of Ronaldo, who he made captain for the night in the absence of Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney. “He didn't make a big issue of it,” said Ferguson when asked how Ronaldo reacted to being handed the captain's armband. “He looks comfortable with the responsibility that comes with the role. It was a marvellous second goal.” Ferguson had bemoaned his side's "charitable" finishing before this game yet he need not have worried. After seeing his side struggle to overcome doomed Derby County four days earlier and having been eliminated from the FA Cup the previous weekend, Ferguson had demanded his players rediscover their touch in front of goal. The message was heeded by Ronaldo as he notched his 23rd and 24th league goals of the campaign, but Ferguson insisted the title race remained open even though his side are in pole position. “The important thing was that we had the opportunity and the incentive to go three points clear of Arsenal, our nearest pursuers,” the Scot said. “It’s nip and tuck now. I think it's going to go to the wire. Chelsea will be key because they have got us and Arsenal at home. It's a lead, it's not a significant lead but it’s a lead nonetheless. With eight games to go the team who plays with the most consistency now will win it.” Ferguson made seven changes from the side who struggled to beat Derby and revealed that he had been looking at options ahead of Sunday's meeting with Liverpool. Gerard Pique came in for the injured Rio Ferdinand while Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs were all rested.

Chelsea squander chance in thriller: Chelsea, meanwhile, lost ground in the Premier League title race as Avram Grant's side blew the lead three times in a dramatic 4-4 draw at Tottenham. The Blues had only themselves to blame for failing to keep pace with leaders Manchester United after leading 3-1 and then 4-3 with five minutes to play in one of the games of the season at White Hart Lane. Didier Drogba opened the scoring early on only for Jonathan Woodgate to equalise. Michael Essien and Joe Cole put Chelsea in charge but Dimitar Berbatov and Tom Huddlestone levelled for Spurs. Cole's second goal looked to have won it but there was a sting in the tail when Robbie Keane equalised two minutes from time with a curling shot from 25 yards. Instead of sitting level with Arsenal and within touching distance of United, Grant's team are now five points off top-spot and two behind Arsenal, who they face on Sunday. This could be the night Chelsea regret most if they don't reclaim the title. Memories of their League Cup final defeat to Spurs were still raw for Chelsea but the chance to maintain their pursuit of the title was more important than settling old scores. The temperature of an already fiery clash rose when Ashley Cole caught Alan Hutton with a nasty lunge. The tackle drew an angry response from both benches, with Spurs demanding a red card, while Grant had to be restrained after trying to berate Hutton for exaggerating the foul.

Sania bows out of pacific life open

Troubled by a painful wrist, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza fell 6-1 7-6 (4) to defending champion Daniela Hantuchova in the pre-quarterfinals of the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells on Tuesday. The 21-year-old Hyderabadi’s failure to cash in on a handful of game points set the players apart in the first set. Sania was a trifle defensive on the big points, which cost her dear. The striking Indian was up 40-0 on two of her service games (second and fourth) and 15-40 on the Slovakian’s serve in two other games of the set, but conceded the advantage in each of those games. In the second set, Sania started going for more and with greater consistency, but hurt her wrist at 3-2 when she played two forehands late. There on it was a struggle for the Indian with her forehand and serve against an opponent, who gives little away. Sania missed a couple of game points and the chance totake a 5-3 lead. The elegant Slovakian then broke in the 11th game, when her opponent double faulted, but dropped serve in the next game as the set drifted into tie-break. Hantuchova blasted out a 4-0 lead, but Sania reduced the margin to 4-5. That was as much as the Indian could manage against the title holder. There’s considerable swelling on Sania’s right wrist. The India number one will see how she feels on the morrow before deciding if she will take the court for her doubles quarterfinals. Sania and American Bethanie Mattek are scheduled to take on the second-seeded pair from Taipei — Yung-Jan Chan and Chia-Jung Chuang. Sania, who has lost to Hantuchova in their two career meetings, said she had been struggling with a sore wrist all week at Indian Wells. “I’ve actually had it for a few days now since we’ve been playing in the wind,’’ the 21-year-old from Hyderabad added. “In the wind, you’re hitting it all over the place and your wrist takes a lot of pressure. I play a lot with my wrist, on my forehand especially. Right now it’s very, very painful and I’m going to get an MRI (scan) in the next couple of days.’’ “Usually it doesn’t get this sore, so I’m a little worried right now. It gets sore and then it gets OK when I ice it,’’ Sania said.

Newcastle secured 1-1 draw against Birmingham

Michael Owen’s secondhalf goal allayed Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan’s relegation fears in securing a 1-1 Premiership draw at Birmingham. England coach Fabio Capello watched Owen show his predatory instincts in front of goal as he levelled matters 10 minutes into the second half on Monday with his seventh goal of the campaign. James McFadden had given Birmingham a deserved half-time lead but it was a different story after the break when the Magpies looked the more menacing. The Scot punished some poor defending to put the Blues ahead but the visitors were much improved in the second half to grab their equaliser through Owen. Mc-Fadden pounced on an error by Abdoulaye Faye after 33 minutes before beating Steve Harper — but he admitted he did not think the goal would stand. Keegan made four changes and fielded an attack-minded line-up. Strikers Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins were handed their first starts under Keegan alongside Owen in what looked like being a 4-3-3 system. Joey Barton and Geremi also came into the starting line-up while omitted were Alan Smith, Damien Duff, Charles N’Zogbia and the injured James Milner. Blues boss Alex McLeish made just the one change from the side beaten 4-2 at Portsmouth last week with McFadden recalled in place of Mauro Zarate. McFadden quickly made his presence felt for the home side. His dummy allowed Fabrice Muamba to make a good break down the right flank and his teasing cross was headed clear by Steven Taylor. Then the former Everton player unleashed a 20-yard drive which took a slight deflection off Habib Beye and flashed only a couple of feet wide of Steve Harper’s goal. Then after 33 minutes McFadden broke the deadlock with his ninth goal of the campaign — and his fourth for Blues since his six million pound move from Everton. There appeared little danger when David Murphy lofted the ball in the box but McFadden was able to turn Faye before clipping the ball wide of Harper into the corner of the net. After 50 minutes Owen — unmarked 10 yards out — tried to curl the ball past Taylor but the Birmingham goalkeeper made an excellent reflex save to deny him at the expense of a corner. However, Owen was not to be denied and after 56 minutes he levelled.

Test squad picked for first two tests against SA

Jaffer, Yuvraj retained in Test squad as selectors stick with experience

The Dilip Vengsarkar-chaired national selection committee sprung no surprises in the course of its 90-minute meeting at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday evening. The 14-member team was announced by the BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah after he received the go-ahead from Board president Sharad Pawar, who was busy at a Parliament session. The selectors expectedly stuck to the team that did duty in Australia, but at least for one man, tragedy struck even as the meeting was in progress. Left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, fielding in the Deodhar Trophy tie between Central Zone and West Zone, suffered a ligament tear in his left ankle while attempting to get to a hardhit straight drive by Virendra Sehwag. The unfortunate Railwayman who was first named in the squad was later ruled out. Ironically enough, Karthik’s replacement is to be young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, off whose bowling the shot had been struck by a rampaging Sehwag. Chawla had first been put on standby for Harbhajan Singh. For Delhi, there was some disappointment, as Ishant Sharma was ruled out due to injury while Gautam Gambhir, the star of India’s ODI campaign in Australia, was ignored. Ishant Sharma was asked by the Board to take rest for another week as a precautionary measure before undergoing another assessment, following the fitness test on Sunday. Should he have recovered enough by then, there is every chance that he will be added on as the 15th member for the second Test at Ahmedabad, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah informed. The meeting was also attended by skipper Anil Kumble and new coach Gary Kirsten, who revealed later that he thoroughly enjoyed his first experience as part of a selection meeting. “It’s going to be a learning curve. At the end of the day, you have got a whole lot of people that have got certain ideas and opinions about things. And there are times when you are going to have a difference of opinion,” he said. Kirsten, as also Kumble, didn’t have a vote at the meeting but wasn’t too perturbed about that. Along with the 14-man squad — picked for the first two Tests of the three-Test series — the selectors also named two standbys in wicketkeeper/batsman Dinesh Karthik and spinner Piyush Chawla and asked ODI skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and offie Harbhajan Singh to report at the NCA here for a fitness test on March 21, five days before the first Test at Chennai on March 26. Now that Chawla is already in, the wise men will have to come up with another name in case Harbhajan is ruled out. As it stands, the squad consists of seven batsmen, one wicketkeeper batsman, three spinners and three new ball operators. Whatever discussion took place behind closed doors, apart from the focus on who was injured, who was not and whose fitness was yet to be tested, only two names — that of opener Wasim Jaffer and Yuvraj Singh — had any contestants. Having delivered in the last home series against Pakistan, Jaffer was rightly retained, the contenders for his spot Gautam Gambhir and Akash Chopra losing out in the process. As for Yuvraj, his four abject failures in the first two Tests in Australia notwithstanding, the sheer talent that the stylish left-hander possesses just could not be ignored. With regard to the fast men, it was decided that three pacers would do — for sure only two will play in any one home Test. Thus, there was no looking beyond the fit again RP Singh and S Sree Santh, with utility man Irfan Pathan joining them. The only question that was left unanswered was that of the support staff for Kirsten. “That hasn’t been finalised,” revealed the coach, adding that it was likely that bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh were likely to be retained. “At this stage it looks likely, so hopefully that will happen,” said Kirsten.

The Squad: Anil Kumble (captain), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (vice-captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag, Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, RP Singh, S Sreeshant, Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla. Coach: Gary Kirsten.

English Premier League round up

Brian McBride scored the lone goal in Fulham’s 1-0 win over visiting Everton, giving the struggling club their first victory in the Premier League in more than a month. Fulham’s attempt to climb out of the relegation zone was also helped by fellow struggling club Bolton’s 1-0 loss to 10-man Wigan on Sunday. Bolton have 25 points and are in 18th place, with Fulham one place and two points behind. Only five points separate 14thplace Reading from Fulham in 19th. Manchester City rallied to beat Tottenham 2-1 with goals from Nedum Onuoh and Stephen Ireland. McBride scored his second goal of the season in the 67th minute in windy, rainy conditions at Craven Cottage. Simon Davies crossed the ball into the box after a run down the left, and Joseph Yobo’s failed clearance fell to McBride, who headed it in. Eddie Johnson, one of five American players on Fulham’s team in the game, came close to doubling the lead in the 88th when he sent a powerful shot just over the bar. Everton beat Fulham 3-0 at Goodison Park in December, but the Toffees still haven’t won at Craven Cottage since 1966. Everton lost to Fiorentina in the UEFA Cup on Wednesday on penalty kicks. It was Fulham’s first win since a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa on February 3 — and only their fourth this season.

Hamilton won first race of the season

Force India Feel The Heat As Cars Drop Like Dead Flies At Oz GP

A bit of trivia for starters. How many times in a season do 22 cars line up on the grid and only six last the complete distance of 58 laps? Well, at the Albert Circuit, it’s a new record of sorts, though of a dubious kind. In the Formula One’s 2008 season opener, the Australian Grand Prix, officially only six finished, bettering the ignominy of 2006 when only 13 cars lasted the distance. On this unforgiving circuit, with track temperatures climbing to 52 degrees, egos melted as cars got fried and dropped out like dead flies, while some drivers got caught out by the devils. For Force India, the Australian odyssey is best forgotten. After a decent Friday and a below par Saturday, it turned out to be a disastrous Sunday. On the first lap as drivers were trying to slot themselves at the first corner, lead man of the team, Giancarlo Fisichella, went off on the first corner after being nudged by Nelsihno Piquet and Timo Glock from either side. Fisichella had Sebastian Vettel for company on the walk back from first corner to the pits. Second Ferrari driver Fillipe Massa, who started from second row, too spun and kissed the wall that damaged his front wing endplate. Another driver too made contact, but the pileup brought out the safety car that helped them to the pit for a quick repair. No such luck for Fisi, though. The safety car made its appearance twice more on lap 30 and 45. In Fisi’s absence, Adrian Sutil took charge of the team’s fortune after having to start from the pits because his chassis had to be changed following a spin in the qualifying that punctured the bodywork. After seven laps, he moved into 13th place ahead of Formula 1 newcomer Sebastian Bourdias. But that was the only high that Vijay Mallya could draw from the race. A hydraulic failure meant endgame for Sutil a lap later. The team couldn’t put the car through the normal installation lap as sporting regulations prevent it post qualifying. Of course, the biggest casualty was defending champion Kimi Raikkonen when his car died on him on lap 53. Interestingly, all the cars running on Ferrari engines failed to complete the race. While mayhem continued, Lewis Hamilton maintained his imperious drive. He appeared to be in a different class, even as double world champion Fernando Alonso drove a stunning race to climb up from 12th to fourth. But the biggest cheer was heard from the Williams paddock when Nico Rosberg crossed the finish line in third place, 8.1 seconds behind Hamilton. His pace must have come as a huge relief for the Grove-based outfit that hasn’t had the best of time on the last 10 years barring a few podiums here and there. Though the first race of a new season hardly points the compass in the right direction, but if Mercedes are able to sustain this level for the next 17 races, then Hamilton just might be still able to become the youngest world champion. Honda too showed signs of coming to life, but their Australian dreams crashed after Rubens Barrichello was disqualified.

Sania enters fourth round of Pacific Life Open

Sania Mirza staged a strong comeback to beat ninth seed Shahar Peer of Israel and advance to the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells on Sunday.
The Indian ace won 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 and will next face defending champion Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia in the Tier-I event.
Sania, seeded 21st, lost the first set via the tie-breaker, but managed to come back strong in a tightly-fought second set winning it 7-5. However, the world number 32 had an easy time in the decider as she clinched it 6-3 to seal the contest.
It was Sania's fourth victory in as many matches over Peer, her former doubles partner.
"I was a bit irritated with myself, because I was fighting, fighting, the whole time, coming back all the time, levelling up and then not going up or finishing it," Sania said after the match.
Sania has also made it to the quarter-finals of the doubles event in this tournament. The 21-year-old partnering American Bethanie Mattek beat Tatiana Poutchek of Belarus and Russian Anastasia Rodionova 6-2, 4-6, 10-7 to advance to the last eight.

Real failed again at Riazor

Real Madrid lost 1-0 against Deportivo la Coruna in the Primera Liga on Saturday as they failed to break their jinx at the Riazor. The Spanish champions have not won in La Coruna since November 1991 and never looked like breaking the sequence after losing to a second-half own-goal by Portugal defender Pepe. Real stay eight points clear of second-placed Barcelona, who have 54. The match between Real Betis and Athletic Bilbao at the Manuel Ruiz de Lopera was abandoned midway through the second half with the score at 2-1 after Bilbao goalkeeper Armando was hit in the face by a bottle thrown from the stands. Armando had stitches for a cut near his eye. In the late game, Brazil striker Luis Fabiano took his tally for the season to 22 with both goals in Sevilla’s 2-0 win at Valencia. The first was a well-taken free-kick in the 11th minute and the second came soon after as he diverted Seydou Keita’s long-range shot past Timo Hildebrand. Although defender Raul Albiol pulled one back right at the end, Valencia and their under-fire coach Ronald Koeman left the pitch to a barrage of whistles from the home crowd.

Manchester United regain top slot as Arsenal stumble again

Champions Manchester United went back to the top of the Premier League on Saturday after they won 1-0 at Derby County and Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Middlesbrough at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal looked set for a rare home defeat until Kolo Toure’s header went in off defender Matthew Taylor and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer four minutes from time. Former Arsenal forward Jeremie Aliadiere marked his return from a fourmatch ban by scoring against his old club after 25 minutes with a volley into the roof of Manuel Almunia’s net. It was Arsenal’s fourth successive draw in the league and allowed United to move above them on goal difference. United have 67 points from 29 matches, Arsenal have 67 from 30 while Chelsea kept the pressure on the top two with a 1-0 win at Sunderland. They have 64 points from 29 matches and face Arsenal at Stamford Bridge next weekend. Cristiano Ronaldo was United’s hero at Pride Park, scoring with just 14 minutes to go as Derby, bottom of the table with only one league win all season and beaten 6-1 at Chelsea on Wednesday, offered far tougher resistance than United expected. Chelsea maintained their title challenge with a narrow away victory of their own, winning at Sunderland with John Terry grabbing the only goal after 10 minutes, his first of the season. On Sunday, Everton lost ground in the race for a Champions League place as Brian McBride’s header gave struggling Fulham a crucial 1-0 win at Craven Cottage on Sunday. Everton left bemoaning a lacklustre display that could cost them a top four finish. After Liverpool’s win against Reading on Saturday, David Moyes’s team are now three points behind their fourthplaced Merseyside rivals following their first league defeat of 2008.

Chelsia defeated Derby in EPL

Lampard On Fire As Chelsea Thrash Derby 6-1

England midfielder Frank Lampard struck four goals on Wednesday as Chelsea rebounded from their FA Cup reverse at Barnsley at the weekend to defeat Derby 6-1 in the Premier League. Lampard, who was left out of Saturday’s match, scored from the penalty spot in the 28th minute after he was fouled by Dean Leacock. He added three more in the second half. Joe Cole and Ivory Coast’s Salomon Kalou scored the other goals while David Jones notched a late consolation for Derby. Chelsea moved to within five points of Arsenal, who top the standings with 66 points from 29 games and are two ahead of champions Manchester United, who have a game in hand. Aston Villa, chasing fourth place, were held 1-1 by Middlesbrough at Villa Park. Portsmouth’s Jermain Defoe continued his run of form with two early goals as the FA Cup semifinalists beat Birmingham City 4-2.

India facing tough opponents in Champions Trophy Draw

Defending champions Australia have been paired in the same group as bitter rivals India for this year's Champions Trophy, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Thursday. Pakistan and runners-up West Indies are also in Group A for the sixth edition of the biennial tournament, which is to be hosted by Pakistan in September-October this year. "Group A comprises Australia, India, Pakistan and the West Indies while South Africa, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England form group B," the ICC said in a statement released from its headquarters in Dubai. India beat hosts Australia to lift a tri-series tournament earlier this month and are now considered the greatest threat to Australia's dominance. India's victory followed a bad-tempered Test series against Australia marred by allegations of racial abuse. Australia defeated the West Indies to take their maiden Champions Trophy title in 2006 in India.

Zaheer will not play against SA

Zaheer Khan is out of the Test series against South Africa. The injured left-arm seamer back from Johannesburg following a rehabilitation process, announced this himself just prior to the launch of Vijay Mallya owned Royal Challengers Bangalore team on Wednesday. "I am not ready for international cricket as yet," said Zaheer, adding: "It is not as if I am not fit yet, in fact I have started bowling but it is a question of being match fit." Zaheer was clear that he wasn't just looking at 100% readiness but in fact wanted to be 120% sure of being ready. "I have been told not to push things," he revealed. Zaheer is planning to play a few club and first class games before he tries a comeback into the Indian side. He however ruled out playing in the Deodhar Trophy, saying it was too early. As for turning out in the IPL tournament, Zaheer hope to be fit by then. "Hopefully I will be in a position to play four weeks from now. I am progressing well at the moment.”

Groeneveld Sania’s new coach

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza has hired the services of top tennis coach Sven Groeneveld, who is also coaching the world number two Serbian Ana Ivanovic. The 21-year-old, presently in Indian Wells where she’s playing the elite $2,100,000 Tier I tournament, started working with the Dutchman earlier this week. Groeneveld, who has almost two decades of international coaching experience behind him, has worked with Mary Pierce, Michael Stich, Greg Rusedski and Nicolas Kiefer among others in the past. He’ll work with Sania for 15 weeks during the course of the year. Groeneveld will coach the Hyderabadi during Grand Slams and Tier I tournaments. He will work in tandem with her father Imran, who will manage her coaching full-time for the rest of the season. “I’ve been fortunate to benefit from the skills of other topnotch coaches like Tony Roche, Bob Brett, Gabriel Urpi and John Farrington,” Sania said. “I’m confident that Sven will add another dimension to my game. Of course, my dad will continue to be with me to ensure the continuity in my development as he obviously understands my game and temperament better than anyone.” Sania, who travels with former WTA Tour physio Renuka Pinto, has been on the lookout for a coach in the new season. Last year, she worked in part with former pro Gabriel Urpi. Imran, who has coached and travelled with his daughter for the most part of the last three years, said: “I’ve known Sven for a few years now. Two years ago, he had mentioned that Sania had the best pair of hands in women’s tennis ever. He felt he could be of help in her development, but at that time Sania was working with Bob Brett. I’ve been talking with Sven for a while now and we’ll see how this goes from here.” Imran added: “Groeneveld is a vastly experienced coach, who has worked with the likes of Sharapova and Ivanovic. However, each player is an individual and that is something Sven understands.”

Liverpool into the champions league QF

Reds complete Inter mission
Become 4th EPL Club To Enter Quarters
Milan: Liverpool eased into the Champions League quarter-finals after a superb strike by Fernando Torres gave last season’s runners-up a 1-0 win at Inter Milan on Tuesday and a 3-0 aggregate victory. Inter, who had centre back Marco Materazzi harshly dismissed in the first leg, also went down to 10 men in the return match when defender Nicolas Burdisso was sent off for a second booking after a clumsy 50th-minute tackle on Lucas Leiva. Torres scored his fourth goal of the Champions League campaign 13 minutes later with a turn-and-shot on the edge of the area following a good run and pass from Fabio Aurelio. The Serie A leaders had several chances at a cacophonous San Siro but Argentine Julio Cruz and strike partner Zlatan Ibrahimovic were wasteful in front of goal. Liverpool join the other three English entrants, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, in the quarter-finals with AS Roma the only Italian side through. “Up to the sending off it was a difficult game. I think we controlled the game and deserved to go through to the last eight,” Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said. “We’re lucky to have Fernando. He only needs one chance, as he showed tonight.” Premier League leaders Arsenal beat holders AC Milan 2-0 at the San Siro last week to win 2-0 on aggregate and although Liverpool were not as stylish they completed the job just as effectively. An early long-range effort from Cruz was well saved by Pepe Reina before the Argentine shot wide. Swede Ibrahimovic also blasted over two free kicks and missed an excellent opportunity after an error by centre back Martin Skrtel. Liverpool were not content to sit back and made several forays forward. Aurelio’s long ball sent Ryan Babel clean through in the first period but home keeper Julio Cesar raced out of his box to clear. Esteban Cambiasso, one of several players to lose their footing, slipped in the area and let in Torres but the Spaniard shot at the keeper. He made no mistake midway through the second half though.

How IPL Teams Shape Up

The second round of IPL auctions are done with and it's time once again to look at how the franchises have built their teams for the 44-day tournament.

Bangalore

Bangalore have a far more balanced look after the second auction. Just when the batting order appeared too conventional for Twenty20, they poached Misbah-ul-Haq, someone who will add the X-factor. Shreevats Goswami, the Under-19 player acquired on Tuesday, will be the second-choice wicketkeeper. With a bowling attack that's one of the best in the tournament, Bangalore look a far more flexible unit.

Probable XI: 1 Bharat Chipli, 2 J Arunkumar, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Jacques Kallis/Misbah-ul-Haq 5 Virat Kohli, 6 Cameron White, 7 Mark Boucher (wk), 8 Zaheer Khan, 9 Anil Kumble, 10 Nathan Bracken, 11 Dale Steyn/Vinay Kumar.

Chennai

It was a quiet day for Chennai, having bought most of their players in the first auction. It's a squad with a fine balance of local and foreign talent and plenty of options in both batting and bowling. It's a side with quality fast bowlers, handy medium-pacers, fine spinners, big hitters, and accumulators. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain, couldn't have asked for more.

Probable XI: 1 Matthew Hayden, 2 Stephen Fleming/ Abhinav Mukund, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Jacob Oram, 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Michael Hussey/S Badrinath, 7 Albie Morkel/Parthiv Patel, 8 Joginder Sharma, 9 Napoleon Einstein, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan/ Makhaya Ntini, 11 Sudeep Tyagi/R Ashwin.

Delhi

A balanced side with an outstanding fielding unit, it also has enough local talent to give it good shape. The pace department is impressive but Delhi may still be pondering about spin. Daniel Vettori continues to be the lone specialist spin option, with Virender Sehwag backing up. Overall a side that looks like serious contenders.

Probable XI: 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Shikhar Dhawan, 4 AB de Villiers/Shoaib Malik/Tillakaratne Dilshan, 5 Rajat Bhatia, 6 Manoj Tiwary, 7 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Farveez Maharoof/Yo Mahesh, 10 Mohammad Asif, 11 Glenn McGrath.

Hyderabad

No need for the second auction here. The franchise spent most of their money the first time and quickly went about signing others from the catchment areas. It's a power-packed side with a fine mix of local and foreign players. Hyderabad are making the least noise among all the franchises but don't be surprised if you see them on top of the podium.

Probable XI: 1 Adam Gilchrist (wk), 2 DB Ravi Teja, 3 VVS Laxman (capt), 4 Arjun Yadav, 5 Andrew Symonds/Herschelle Gibbs, 6 Venugopal Rao/ Rohit Sharma, 7 Scott Styris/Shahid Afridi/Chamara Silva, 8 Pragyan Ojha, 9 Chaminda Vaas/Nuwan Zoysa, 10 RP Singh, 11 D Kalyankrishna.

Jaipur

They've no doubt gained the most from the second auction but are still too reliant on foreign talent. Shane Warne has plenty of options in the squad but he's allowed only four foreign players - a fact which will restrict the selection of the side. DImitri Mascarenhas, Morne Morkel and Sohail Tanvir are wonderful additions but all might struggle to get picked regularly.

Probable XI: 1 Taruwar Kohli, 2 Graeme Smith, 3 Yusuf Pathan, 4 Mohammad Kaif, 5 Anup Revendkar, 6 Kamran Akmal (wk), 7 Shane Watson, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Shane Warne (capt) 10 Pankaj Singh, 11 Munaf Patel.

Kolkata

Sourav Ganguly is the only high-profile Indian in the batting line-up. With only four foreign players allowed in the playing XI, it leaves them with a brittle middle order. Their only purchases on Tuesday were Iqbal Abdulla and Siddharth Kaul, both bowlers. It means the likes of Laxmi Ratan Shukla and other local players would need to fill the void in the middle.

Probable XI: 1 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 2 Chris Gayle, 3 Brendon McCullum (wk), 4 Ricky Ponting, 5 Laxmi Ratan Shukla, 6 Ajit Agarkar, 7 Murali Kartik, 8 Iqbal Abdulla/Saurasish Lahiri, 9 Shoaib Akhtar/Umar Gul, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Siddharth Kaul.

Mohali

A good second auction but the batting still looks thin on paper. Most of the options are foreign recruits and Yuvraj Singh might struggle to put a balanced XI in place. Ajitesh Argal and Tanmay Srivatsava, though, could be fine picks in the long run, with both players touted as future international stars. The bowling line-up has a fine mix - well represented in both pace and spin.

Probable XI: 1 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 2 Irfan Pathan, 3 Tanmay Srivastava, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Mahela Jayawardene/ Ramnaresh Sarwan/ Simon Katich, 6 James Hopes, 7 Piyush Chawla, 8 Ramesh Powar, 9 Brett Lee, 10 Ajitesh Argal, 11 Sreesanth.

Mumbai

Mumbai have a more settled unit now with Manish Pandey and Saurabh Tiwary beefing up the batting order. The only team without a foreign wicketkeeper [Delhi have AB de Villiers as a back-up option to Dinesh Karthik], Mumbai will rely on Pinal Shah from Baroda and Maharashtra's Yogesh Takawale. Expect fireworks from the top order: Ajinkya Rahane and Robin Uthappa following the two masters, Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya.

Probable XI: 1 Sachin Tendulkar (capt), 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 Robin Uthappa, 5 Manish Pandey, 6 Sourabh Tiwary, 7 Shaun Pollock, 8 Pinal Shah (wk), 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10, Lasith Malinga, 11 Dilhara Fernando.

European Soccer Round Up

Barca’s title dreams virtually over

Madrid: Barcelona’s title hopes are hanging by a thread with Frank Rijkaard’s team eight points behind Real Madrid after a late goal from Jon-Dahl Tomasson helped Villarreal to a 2-1 win at Camp Nou on Sunday. With 11 games left Barca need a minor miracle to overhaul Real, 2-1 conquerors of Espanyol on Saturday, and prevent their arch-rivals from retaining the Spanish championship. Xavi Hernandez looked to have snatched a point for Barca after he cancelled out Marcos Senna’s first half penalty but Danish substitute Tomasson struck the winner nine minutes from time. It was a famous win for Villarreal who have completed a league double over the Catalans and are now only four points behind in third. Two weeks ago Barcelona were just two points behind Real but successive defeats to Atletico Madrid and Villarreal could have ended their title hopes. Barca were without Lionel Messi, sidelined for six weeks with a leg injury, but their attacking trident of Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto’o still made fearsome reading for the Villarreal back four. With Carles Puyol missing, Ronaldinho took over the captain’s armband. The home side dominated possession but Victor Valdes hauled down Guille Franco in the box and Senna braved the home whistling to convert the spot-kick.

Roma’s good run continues as AC Milan bounce back

Milan: Francesco Totti scored on his 500th professional appearance for AS Roma as the capital-based club closed the gap on leaders Inter Milan back to six points with a 2-0 win at Napoli. Just a week after Inter floundered on the south coast, Roma produced a clinical performance on Sunday to come away with the spoils and continue their recent surge. Meanwhile, AC Milan boosted their hopes of securing Champions League football again next season by closing on the top four with a 3-1 victory at Empoli. Simone Perrotta got Roma off to a dream start after only two minutes, converting a pass from Totti.

Leaders Arsenal held by Wigan

London: Premier League leaders Arsenal suffered a comedown from their midweek Champions League win over AC Milan as they were held to a 0-0 draw at strugglers Wigan Athletic on Sunday. Arsenal found Wigan more resilient than the European aristocrats were at the San Siro and had to settle for a point which put them two clear of second-placed Manchester United, but having played one match more. The Londoners have 66 points from 29 games, United 64 from 28 and Chelsea 58 from 27. Arsenal, drawing for the third successive game in the league, were far from their fluent best and created few clear openings.

Inter seek Champions League miracle

Milan: Inter Milan have problems in defence for Tuesday’s Champions League last 16, second leg against Liverpool where the Serie A leaders must overhaul a 2-0 first-leg deficit. Marco Materazzi is suspended after his harsh red card for two firsthalf bookings in the first leg at Anfield while fellow centre-backs Walter Samuel and Ivan Cordoba are probably out for the season after knee ligament injuries. Cristian Chivu missed Saturday’s 2-0 win over Reggina with a shoulder injury but is set to be fit for Tuesday when he may partner usual right-back Nicolas Burdisso in central defence. It was good news for Inter when striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned from two weeks out with a knee problem.

ARSENAL KNOCK THE WIND OUT OF AC

Enter Quarters Along With Man United, Barcelona And Surprise Package Fenerbahce
Belgrade: Arsenal sent holders Milan packing from the Champions League on Tuesday as the English Premier League leaders booked a quarter-final place with a 2-0 win at the San Siro. Manchester United eked out a 2-1 aggregate win over French rivals Olympique Lyon, Barcelona made smooth progress at the expense of Celtic while Turkish surprise package Fenerbahce sneaked through on penalties against Sevilla. Goals from Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor guided Arsenal to victory in Milan, the first by an English side against the Rossoneri at the San Siro, giving manager Arsene Wenger high hopes of lifting the trophy in May. Milan dominated the opening stages of a titanic tussle but Arsenal quickly found their feet and always looked more likely to score before Fabregas finally broke the deadlock with a stunning strike in the 84th minute. The midfielder took the ball in his stride and beat Zeljko Kalac in goal with a rasping low shot from 30 metres that crept into the bottom right corner before Adebayor sealed the win from close range in injury time. The Togo striker was left with a simple tap-in at the far post to score his first Champions League goal of the season after substitute Theo Walcott delivered a perfect low cross. English champions United were made to work hard and defend resolutely at times in a nervy 1-0 win over Olympique Lyon at Old Trafford, courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 30th goal of the season in all competitions. The winger pounced on a rebound from Anderson’s initial effort and threaded his shot past Gregory Coupet in the 41st minute as United equalled the record held by Juventus of 10 straight Champions League home wins. Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was pleased with the outcome that left his side on course to repeat the elusive 1999 treble although he acknowledged his troops struggled at times. “We should have done more with the possession we had in the second half and we made it difficult for ourselves. But defensively we did well, they didn’t have any chances in the game,” he said. Barcelona completed a 4-2 aggregate win over Celtic with a 1-0 second leg win at the Nou Camp after Xavi rounded off a flowing team move with a clever flick into the top corner. In contrast, their Spanish Primera Liga rivals Sevilla made a dramatic exit after taking a 2-0 lead against Fenerbahce in the opening 10 minutes through a pair of howlers by goalkeeper Volkan Demirel. The keeper let in long-range efforts by Daniel Alves and Seydou Keita but turned hero when he denied Julien Escude, Enzo Maresca and finally Alves in the penalty shootout. Goals by Brazilian striker Deivid either side of Frederic Kanoute’s effort had made it 3-2 to Sevilla at the end of regular and extra time to tie the score 5-5 on aggregate and force a thrilling climax.

We are the Champs

India Beat Oz To Sweep Triseries 2-0, Signal Shift In Cricketing World Order

It doesn’t get any better than this,’’ exulted M S Dhoni. As with his bold selection choices, bowling changes and winner’s attitude, he was spot-on. The Men In Blue didn’t just beat Australia, they made history, bagging a tournament that none of their illustrious predecessors had ever managed to capture, and no one ever will again — with this final, the curtain has come down on the Aussie triseries format. Dhoni and his men have probably accomplished even more. They may have signalled an impending change in the world cricketing order, while wrecking the aura of Australian invincibility. India has long had the financial clout. But now, with cricketing muscle lending that support, the power equations in the game seem to be shifting. In 1995, Australia had beaten the West Indies in the Caribbean to mark the ending of an era, and the beginning of another. After Tuesday, Australia may remain No. 1 in the ICC rankings, but it increasingly resembles an ageing bull elephant facing a younger, aggressive challenger, who senses that the leader is past his prime. That challenger is, of course, Team India — which shrugged off all the trauma of a bitter, ill-tempered tour to hold off Australia by a nailbiting nine-run margin. The young Indians sprinted singles, dived on the field to save precious runs and held their nerve even as the Australians, supposedly masters at handling crunch situations, disintegrated mentally. Throughout, they went sledge for sledge, eyeball to eyeball, till the Aussies blinked. In the process, Dhoni’s insistence on bringing fresh legs, and young bravehearts, into the ODI squad was thoroughly vindicated. It was a huge gamble, but it succeeded, enhancing Dhoni’s skyrocketing stature. He spoke later of how this was an important step in the building of ‘‘my team’’. Clearly, he’s no shrinking violet. Neither are his men. But then, shrinking violets don’t beat world champs on home turf. Everyone may not like the bold new face of Team India — indeed, some may find it abrasive. There is some truth to that, but perhaps it is precisely this cockiness that allows these youngsters to play their natural game, unfazed by the towering reputations of the other side. They expect to win — and do so. Dhoni has often spoken of how the men he has reposed faith in have responded spectacularly. They did it again. There was man of the match Praveen Kumar. Handed the new ball, he cleaned up the Aussie top order, then returned to claim a fourth wicket. There was Irfan Pathan, leaking runs throughout, then coming good when it mattered — with two wickets in the dramatic final over.