Amitabh makes commentary debut
Adelaide: With his famed baritone, superstar Amitabh Bachchan on Sunday made an impressive commentary debut in the high-voltage India-Pakistan World Cup cricket match, here on Sunday. The legendary actor started off his on-air stint with former India captain Kapil Dev and ex-Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar in the pre-match show. Bachchan, 72, then eased into the commentary box with Akash Chopra and Akhtar for company. Trying to get his field placements right and making sharp comments about opener Shikhar Dhawan’s technique against the short ball, Bachchan seemed to pick up the ropes of commentary pretty quickly. Kapil soon joined the towering Bollywood legend in the box and the Haryana hurricane egged on the actor to keep up the good work. The joy continued for many a Bachchan fan, as Rahul Dravid and Arun lal also shared the microphone with the matinee idol as they discussed India’s winning moments in the World Cup. “Thank you for having me here. It was a unique opportunity for me and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Hope India wins,” Amitabh (who spoke in Hindi) signed off.
Federer ‘bleeds blue’ for india
Adelaide: Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer joined billion Indians across the globe to extend his support to the Indian cricket team for its World Cup clash against arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday. A winner of 17 Grand Slam titles, Federer on Sunday expressed his loyalty towards the Indian cricket team, as he posted a picture of himself with the Indian jersey. “Dressing up for a Gentleman’s game on Sunday. #BleedBlue,” wrote Federer on Facebook along with picture. Federer is no stranger to cricket, as he and Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar are known to be sharing quite camaraderie with the iconic cricketer a regular visitor to Wimbledon every year to see the Swiss play. Virat Kohli, who scored a century for India today against Pakistan, also met Federer in Sydney last month and had described the tennis player as an “absolute legend”.
Angry Pak fans smash TV sets
Karachi: Angry with their team’s defeat at the hands of arch-rival India in a cricket World Cup match, Pakistani fans on Sunday came out on the streets here and smashed their TV sets to express disappointment. Cricket-crazy fans in Pakistan woke up early to watch the eagerly anticipated clash between the arch-rivals in Adelaide hoping that the Misbah-ul-Haq-led side will change history but were left fuming as their team suffered its sixth straight loss to India in ODI World Cups. A Pakistani TV channel showed visuals of people taking to streets with TV sets and smashing them to pieces to show their anger at the Pakistan team’s showing. Giant screens had been put up at many public places as people gathered to watch the high-voltage clash but were left extremely disappointed with the outcome, Samaa TV reported. The green jerseys of the Pakistani fans looked like dots in an ‘Ocean of Blue’.
‘Don’t write off Malinga’
Christchurch: Sri lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan insists lasith Malinga will still be a factor at the World Cup despite the sling-arm fast bowler enduring a nightmare return to action after six months out. Malinga was smashed to all parts of the Hagley Oval in his team’s 98-run loss to New Zealand, ending with figures of none for 84 off his 10 overs as the Black Caps piled up 331. “Although Malinga’s figures look like a horror show with none for 84 from his 10 overs, he will have benefited from the outing,” Muralitharan said.