‘Happy to SAVE TEST: BINNY
Nottingham: Having answered his critics with a match-saving 78, Stuart Binny expressed his pride and happiness on getting India out of a sticky situation in his debut Test. “I was a bit disappointed with the way it went in the first innings. I did the hard work for the first 10-15 minutes - which is the most crucial phase for a batsman - and then played a loose shot to get out. So today I just wanted to go in there and spend as much time in the middle as I could,” Binny told BCCI.Tv at the end of the match. “The ball was reversing and wicket started doing a bit especially with the new ball. There are not many players, who get a chance to save the Test for their country on their debut. I did and I am really happy that I took it,” the burly Karnataka all-rounder said.
‘Time for MSD to go as Test captain’
Bangalore: Former Australia captain Ian Chappell does not find Mahendra Singh Dhoni good enough to be India’s Test captain anymore and said it was time to hand over the reins of the team to Virat Kohli. “I think it time for Dhoni to go and maybe it is right time for Kohli to come in as captain,” Chappell told PTI in an exclusive interview here. “Certainly, he (Dhoni) is not a Test captain. I think he is a good captain in shorter-version of the game. I don’t think there would be a problem to give it Kohli now, though,” he said. Chappell said India need a fresh brain to lead the side, but Indian selectors are not ruthless to take hard decisions. “Indian selectors do not have the ruthless quality as Australian selectors have. They wait for the guy to retire. I mean after he (Dhoni) lost 4-0 to England and Australia, if he would have been an Australian captain he would have gone. He did nothing to inspire the team,” he said. “You can always lose, that is fine, but you go down fighting. I did not find him do that. To me the captain has lost his usefulness and it is time for him to go.”
India seeded 3rd in CWG badminton
Glasgow: India has been seeded third in the mixed team event in badminton in the 20th Commonwealth Games which begins here on July 23. Badminton powerhouse Malaysia, meanwhile, will start their defence of the Commonwealth Games mixed team gold medal as top seeds while England has been seeded second. Malaysia won the mixed team event in the last two editions and will be aiming for a hat-trick at Glasgow. India had won a silver in the mixed team event in 2010 Delhi CWG. The mixed team event consists of a group stage followed by a knockout phase, with each tie determined from best-of-five contests featuring matches in each of the five categories, according to Badminton World Federation website. The 23 participating teams are divided into six groups: five groups consisting of four teams each and one with three teams. The six group winners and two runners-up with the best records in the groups will progress to the knockout round. Ten shuttlers will represent India at the Games. They are Saina Nehwal, P V Sindhu, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponappa, P Thulasi, K Srikanth, P Kashyap, RMV Gurusaidutt, Akshay Dewalkar, Pranaav Chopra.
Jaya announces Test retirement
Colombo: Former Sri lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene has announced his retirement from Test cricket following the home series against South Africa and Pakistan this year. Sri lanka Cricket (SlC) said Jayawardene, 37, has written a letter to the chief executive officer Ashley De Silva announcing his wish to retire from the longest version of the game. “It was not an easy decision to make given that it has been a great privilege and honour representing my country during the past 18 years, but I believe this is the right time”, Jayawardene was quoted as saying. The veteran batsman will play two Tests against South Africa on July 16 and July 24, respectively, followed by a two-match series against Pakistan in August. Jayawardene, though, added that he was fully committed to represent the country in the one-dayers. This would mean that Sri lanka will not miss him during the World Cup 2015 to be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand.
Amla set for historic Test
Galle: Hashim Amla will make history on Wednesday when he takes the field as South Africa’s first permanent non-white skipper, helming a team in transition after the retirements of Test greats Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis. Amla, a devout Muslim, was named captain last month after Smith retired from international cricket, signalling the end of an era which saw him lead out the Proteas a record-breaking 109 times over ten years. Thirty-one-year-old Amla is the first non-white player to captain the Test side in a full-time capacity — Ashwell Prince has skippered on a stand-in basis. His appointment was seen in race-conscious South Africa as evidence that cricket there is serious about racial transformation. A two-Test series against Sri lanka in Galle starting Wednesday is Amla’s first assignment as South Africa look to rebuild in the absence of Smith, all-rounder Kallis and experienced wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
Sharmila TO ATTEND presentation
New Delhi: The England and Wales Cricket Board has sent a formal invitation to late Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi’s wife Sharmila Tagore for the prize distribution ceremony after completion of the fifth and final Test between India and England scheduled from August 15-19 at the Oval. Since the India versus England Test series played in England is known as the Pataudi Trophy, it used to be presented by the legendary Tiger Pataudi, who was also there during the last edition in 2011. This time, Begum of Pataudi, Tagore, along with his son, Saif Ali Khan, who is the new Nawab of Pataudi, will be present at the ceremony. “Yes, I will be travelling to UK during the final Test match (at the Oval). I have already received a formal invitation from the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to be present at the Pataudi Trophy presentation ceremony,” Sharmila Tagore told PTI today. Asked whether the Indian Cricket Board has contacted her, the veteran actress gave a positive reply. “Yes, the BCCI has also confirmed me about the invitation in writing. Professor Ratnakar Shetty (GM, Game Development) on behalf of the BCCI has contacted me. It took some time but everything has been sorted out. So I can confirm that I will be present during the prize distribution ceremony after the final Test gets over,” Tagore said. The legendary actress also said that his son noted Bollywood actor Saif and daughter-in-law Kareena Kapoor will also accompany her during the event. “As of now among my other family members, my daughters (Sabah and Soha Ali Khan) might not be present. But Saif and Kareena are expected to be present during the event,” she said.
India a on backfoot
Brisbane: After a brave show on Day 1, India ‘A’ were pushed on the backfoot courtesy a fine fifty by Australia ‘A’ bastman Ben Cutting and a three-wicket haul by pacer Chadd Sayers on the second day of the final unofficial Test at Allan Border Field, here on Monday. Responding to 423 by Australia ‘A’ in the four-day game, the visitors ended on 165 for three on Sunday with Manoj Tiwary (50 not out) and Baba Aparajith (20 not out) fighting on. India ‘A’ still trail the hosts by 258 runs. Australia ‘A’ medium-pacer Sayers (3/22) sent opener Robin Uthappa for 10 and then cleaned up lokesh Rahul for 52, who notched up his eighth first-class fifty. Karnataka batsman lokesh looked solid in his 102-ball stay as his innings was laced by seven boundaries and a six. He did put on a 67-run second-wicket partnership with Jiwanjot Singh. Sayers struck again for the final time of the day to get Singh caught behind for 29 and put the visitors in trouble again.
Aparajith and Tiwary then stuck together to manage an unbeaten 69-run partnership and give the team hope for the next day’s play.