India-Oz series timings changed
New Delhi: The dew factor has prompted the BCCI to revise the match-timings of the upcoming ODI cricket series between India and Australia starting October 13 in Pune. The match-timings have been pre-poned by an hour to ensure that dew does not hamper the side batting second even though the BCCI did not specify any particular reason for the new timings in the release issued today. Under the revised timings, the first session will be played from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm followed by an interval between 5:00 pm to 5:45 pm. The second session will be played from 5:45 pm to 9:15 pm, BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.
Oz vs Ind badly-timed, meaningless
New Delhi: Coming down heavily on Cricket Australia for agreeing to the upcoming ODI series against India, former captain Ian Chappell said the “badly timed” matches will dent the team’s morale by exposing its “glaring” batting frailties on spin-friendly tracks here. “Agreeing to this meaningless ODI tour of India so close to an Ashes series is evidence that Cricket Australia is more concerned
with dollars than sense,” Chappell wrote in ESPN Cricinfo. “Australia’s mounting Test losses not only hurt in the record book but have also shredded the team’s aura... Australia’s weakness in this bleak period has been batting in general, and coping with good spin bowling in particular,” he explained.
Aussies practice at CCI
Mumbai: The Australian cricket team on Sunday sweated it out at the Cricket Club of India in their first training session ahead of the seven-match ODI series against India that will be preceded by the lone Twenty20 game at Rajkot on October 10. The ODI rubber commences on October 13 in Pune and concludes in Bangalore on November 2. The team, which arrived last night, had a light training session and played football in their one-hour outing here. The visiting team would have another two-day practice session at the Cricket Club of India before leaving for Rajkot for the opening T20 game and they are expected to have proper net sessions tomorrow morning.
Hazard, Willian put Chelsea third
london: Eden Hazard and Willian came off the bench and scored as Chelsea won 3-1 at Norwich City on Sunday to climb to third place in the Premier league. The visitors took a fourth-minute lead when Oscar drilled home from Demba Ba’s lay-off, but Norwich gradually took the upper hand on a sun-soaked afternoon at Carrow Road. Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech had to prevent David luiz from putting through his own goal and Ricky van Wolfswinkel chested the ball wide from close range, before Norwich equalised in the 68th minute. Martin Olsson’s deep left-wing cross was headed back across goal by Van Wolfswinkel and Anthony Pilkington ghosted in behind luiz to glance a deft header past Cech.
CWG OC faces `350 cr legal cases
New Delhi: Nearly three years after the conclusion of Commonwealth Games here, the scam-hit Organising Committee is contesting two dozen legal cases involving a revenue of about Rs 350 crore against private companies which executed projects related to the mega-sporting event. “There are about 24 cases related to the Commonwealth Games pending in courts or undergoing arbitration. The total revenue involved in them is about Rs 350 crore,” Chief Executive Officer of the Games Organising body Jarnail Singh said.
Sania feels she’s a better player
New Delhi: As she closed her 2013 season with a bang by winning the prestigious WTA China Open, Indian tennis ace Mirza avowed that she is a better player compared to what she was last year. “I think, I have improved all round. Ny fitness has become better. I have also improved myself around the net. My serve has improved so I am a better player than what I was last year,” Sania said from Beijing. “There is no better way to finish the year. I have been playing well. Sometimes you are unlucky and you don’t win despite playing well. I am happy that I was able to convert these big moments and we played really well, especially in the last couple of weeks,” she added. Even as she changed five partners in 2013, Sania managed to win titles with three of them — American Bethanie-Mattek Sands, Chinese Jie Zheng and Cara.
Clarke, McCullum laud Afghans
Dubai: Australian captain Michael Clarke and his New Zealand counterpart Brendon McCullum on Sunday lauded Afghanistan for qualifying for the 2015 World Cup and hoped that the gritty side’s maiden experience at the biggest event turns out to be a memorable one. “It was only last year that we played Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates. They put up a good fight and showed strong potential,” Clarke was quoted as saying in an ICC release. “To obtain a qualification spot in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is something the squad deserves and we’re all really happy for them,” Clarke said from Sydney. McCullum, whose side will go head to head with Afghanistan in Napier on March 8 in the ICC World Cup 2015, said: “On behalf of the New Zealand cricket team, we would like to offer the Afghanistan cricket team our warmest congratulations on their efforts of qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.”
paceman steve Harmison retires
london: Stephen Harmison, the former England paceman who has failed to make a single fist-class appearance in Durham’s title-winning year, announced his retirement on Sunday. The 34-year-old, who took 226 Test wickets for his country, told regional newspaper Sunday Sun that he had “known for a while” that he would be calling it a day at the end of the 2013 season. “Today I am announcing my retirement from professional cricket,” Harmison said. “I was hoping to go out on a high in my benefit year but my body has not allowed me to, and I have not made a single first-team appearance. With my contract up at the end of the season, I have known for a while I would be calling it a day,” he said.
South win by 1st innings lead
Chennai: Former champions South Zone progressed to the semifinal of the Duleep Trophy cricket tournament by pipping West Zone by virtue of a 313-run first innings lead after their four-day quarterfinal match ended in a draw here on Sunday. South Zone will now play Central Zone in the last four game here at the M A Chdambaram Stadium from October 10-13. South Zone’s Malolan Rangarajan (5-101) wrecked havoc, dismissing five West Zone batsmen, while spinners Abhinav Mukund (2-8) and R Aushik Srinivas (2-52) shared four wickets between them. PNS/Agencies