Ind A toil on opening day against nz
New Delhi: Will Young scored an unbeaten 117, steering New Zealand A to 221 for five against India A on the opening day of the second unofficial Test here on Friday. India A captain Karun Nair opted to field but he did not get the early wickets he was hoping for. The three India A pacers - Rajneesh Gurbani (2/36), Mohammed Siraj (2/26) and Navdeep Saini (1/66) - shared the five wickets amongst themselves. From 100 for two, the visitors bounced back to make it 141 for five before an unbeaten 80-run stand between Young and Theo van Woerkom (32 batting) helped New Zealand regain control of the innings. The opening unofficial Test of the three-match series had ended in a draw. Australia-bound India Test players like Ajinkya Rahane, Murali Vijay, Hanuma Vihari, Prithvi Shaw and Parthiv Patel had taken part in the game. They are all now preparing in Sydney ahead of the first Test beginning December 6 at Adelaide.
Injured Ngidi to miss Pak series
Cape Town: South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi will miss all South Africa's matches against Pakistan this season after suffering a knee injury. In a statement on Friday, Cricket South Africa said Ngidi, 22, had sustained a right knee ligament injury while fielding in a Twenty20 international against Australia last week. Team manager and doctor, said investigations and assessments on his return to South Africa had revealed a "significant" injury which will require a minimum of 12 weeks rest and rehabilitation. Ngidi will miss three Tests, five one-day internationals and three Twenty20 internationals during Pakistan's tour between December 24 and February 6.
Alcacer set to sign dortmund deal
Dortmund: In-form Prajnesh Gunneswaran dished out yet another impressive performance to make the semifinals of the KPIT-MSLTA Challenger, taming Alexander Nedovysov in straight sets, here on Thursday. Prajnesh tacked the seasoned Kazakh, who once figured in top-100 but is now 186, with ease, winning 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 23 minutes at the $ 50,000 hard court tournament. Prajnesh stood out with his fluent stroke-making, specially with his free-flowing forehand which is his biggest weapon. Earlier, Brayden Schnur prevailed in a tense marathon match against Frederico Ferreira Silva 7-6(4), 2-6, 7-5 after battling hard for two hours and 26 minutes. It was a nerve-wracking contest with both the players playing solid from the baseline. In another intense quarterfinal, third seed Elias Ymer had to dig deep to tame German qualifier Sebastian Fanselow 5-7 6-3 6-4.
Kante signs new Chelsea deal
London: Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante has signed a new five-year contract at Stamford Bridge, the Premier League club announced on Friday. The France international, signed from Leicester in the summer of 2016, has been an ever-present in the league for Maurizio Sarri's side this season. "N'Golo Kante has today extended his stay at Stamford Bridge by signing a new five-year contract," Chelsea said on their official website. Kante, 27, who won the World Cup with France in Russia in July, said: "I'm happy to extend my time with Chelsea. It has been two beautiful years and I wish for more to come. Kante, whose new deal will keep him at Chelsea until 2023, signed a five-year contract when he joined the club in 2016 for a fee reported to be around £30 million ($38.5 million).
Mane pens long-term contract
Liverpool: Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has signed a new long-term contract with the Premier League giants, the club announced on Thursday. The 26-year-old joined Jurgen Klopp's side from Southampton in June 2016, and has scored 40 goals for Liverpool, forming a deadly frontline alongside Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah. "I am very happy, very happy to extend my time at Liverpool," Mane said. "It is a great day for me and now I am looking forward to everything — to helping the team, to helping the club achieve our dreams and, especially, to win trophies. "For me, I have made the best decision in my career."