Gopal's 61 keep Karnataka afloat
Bengaluru: Sheryas Gopal strcuk a timely unbeaten half-century on Saturday as Saurashtra and Karnataka were headed for an exciting finish in their Ranji Trophy semifinal clash. After bundling out Saurashtra for 236 for a slender 39-run lead, Karnataka ended the third day at 237 for eight to extend their overall lead to 276. Gopal and Abhimanyu Mithun (35) were unseparated after putting on crucial 61 runs for the undefeated ninth wicket when the stumps were drawn for the day. Pacer Jaydev Unadkat (3/35) and left-spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (3/77) shared six wickets between them in visitors' fight back. With two full days left in the game and Saurashtra having ever-reliable Cheteshwar Pujara in their ranks, chasing a target in the vicinity of 300 should not be a big task for the visitors. In the quarterfinals, Saurashtra had chased down 372, highest ever successful chase in the history of tournament, against Uttar Pradesh.
Anand plays draw; Gujrathi wins
Wijk Aan Zee: Anand slipped to joint fourth spot after a draw with Poland's Jan Krzysztof Duda, while Vidit Gujrathi improved his chances by defeating third seed Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan in the 11th round of Tata Steel masters here. Anand did not get much with his white pieces out of a Petroff defense game and nothing eventful happened in the contest with the Polish youngster matching him move-for-move. The draw took Anand to 6.5 points out of a possible eleven and the Indian ace will now have to beat both Ding Liren of China and Gujrathi in order to keep his chances alive. Gujrathi, meanwhile, seems to be hitting brilliant form in the last few games. While the victory against Vladimir Kramnik of Russia in the previous round will be something that the Indian will cherish for a long time, the win over Mamedyarov will also be a bright spot in what seems like a glittering career ahead.
Bagan face East Bengal in Derby
Kolkata: Having found their mojo back, Mohun Bagan will look to avenge their last month's defeat and at the same time derail East Bengal title hopes in the return leg derby at the Salt Lake Stadium on Sunday. Mohun Bagan lost 2-3 in the first leg on December 16 but since then, the Mariners have managed to turn things around under the guidance of new coach Khalid Jamil, having won successive matches. But a stern test awaits Jamil, who last season coached East Bengal as the I-League winning former Aizawl coach will bank on their star Haitian Sony Norde in the grudge match. With 22 points from 12 matches, the red-and-gold brigade are ahead on paper. A win will close the gap on leaders Chennai City FC who are at the top with 30 points from 13 games. But a loss meant that East Bengal's maiden title hopes will become shaky as Mohun Bagan, who are sixth in the table with 21 from 13 matches, will look to upset their rivals plans.
Sharma, Bhullar stay at T-38th
Dubai: Indian golfers Shubhankar Sharma and Gaganjeet Bhullar carded two-under 70 and three-under 69 respectively to lie tied 38th after the third round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on Saturday. Shubhankar gained eight places, while Bhullar moved 18 places up to Tied-38th at six-under each. Bryson DeChambeau, called the 'Mad Scientist' in golf, has all his irons and wedges cut to the same length of 37.5 inches to suit his own theories on the game.