The Indian Panorama

Tag: Sports

  • U.S. Indian-origin players put up a fighting performance against India before going down

    U.S. Indian-origin players put up a fighting performance against India before going down

    By Prabhjot Singh

    India ran through a couple of rough patches against “mini India” before Surya Kumar and Shivam Dube helped it scrap through with a seven-wicket win in the T20 World Cup at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, June 12. It was India’s third consecutive win and first loss for the USA.
    An unbeaten 72 -run fourth wicket partnership between Suryakumar (50 not out) and Shivam Dube (31 not out ) cliched the game with 10 balls to spare. At one stage, India was struggling at 39/3 at the end of 7.3 overs. Studded with two sixers and as many fourers, it was Surya Kumar’s first half century in the T20 World Cup that came from 49 balls that saw his team through.
    It was a big heartbreak for the home team as it did try to match its much superior opponent in every department of the game.
    Saurabh Netravalkar did what Arshdeep Singh did in his first over. Saurabh had a much bigger fish in his net when he trapped Indian star batsman Virat Kohli for a duck. After skipper Rohit Sharma had taken a single off the first ball, Saurabh had Virat Kohli caught behind by Andrias Gaus to make India 1/1, not a good start for the pre-tournament favorites. With the second ball of his second over, he sent back Indian skipper Rohit Sharma caught by Harmeet Singh for three to make India 10/2.
    The form of Indian star openers must be worrying the team management as Kohli has not even entered double figures in three innings he played. Rohit had slightly better performance than him but least inspiring. After Saurabh dismissed both Kohli and Rohit Sharma, it brought together Rishabh and Surya Kumar together to pull India out of woods. Rishabh Pant (18), who survived a close run out call, went without any addition to his individual score of 18 to make India 39/3. He was clean bowled by Ali Khan, Rishabh and Surya had added 29 for the third wicket. On the halfway mark, India were 49 for three.
    Indian batsmen struggled as they took the score to 60 for three in 13 overs with Surya Kumar on 23 and Shivam Dube on 13. It was after a considerable wait that Surya Kumar hit India’s third boundary on the last ball of the 14th over to make it 67 for three. Interestingly, when India reached 76 for three at the end of 15 overs, three of its batters – Rishabh (18), Surya Kumar (29) and Shivam Dube (23) had hit a boundary and a six each.
    A hit to the maximum and a boundary of successive balls by Surya Kumar in the 17th over helped India cross the 100-mark.

    Arshdeep Singh took two wickets in his first over.

    Two wickets in the opening over, including a wicket on the first ball of the match, gave India a dream start against “Mini India” team. Arshdeep had opener Shayan Jahangir trapped leg before with his first ball and on the last ball of the over sent back Andries Gaus, caught by Hardik Pandya, for two to make it 3 for 2. It was at this stage that Steven Taylor and Aaron Jones were brought together to put up 22 runs for the third wicket before Hardik Pandya in his second over had Jones caught by Mohammad Siraj for 11. Earlier on Jones had hit Siraj for the first six of the US innings..
    Opener Steven Taylor, who tried top held the US innings together was the fourth man to return to pavilion after scoring 24 with two hits to the maximum. Immediately after hitting his second six, he was clean bowled by Axar Patel to make the score 56 for five. He and Nitish Kumar had added 31 runs for the fourth wicket. Nitish who made 27 was the fifth man to go. His wicket was claimed by Arshdeep Singh, his third of the innings.
    When Arshdeep got Harmeet Singh caught behind by Rishabh Pant, it was his fourth wicket and he ended his spell with flattering figures of four for nine, perhaps his best in T20 cricket. Hardik Pandya was other successful Indian bowler claiming two for 14 in 4 overs while Bumrah remained wicketless for 25 runs in 4 overs. Jasdeep Singh was the last US batsman who ran himself out on the last ball of the innings.

    Saurabh Netravalkar’s double strike left India at 33/2 at the end of the Powerplay

    ‘Mini India’ vs India
    As many as eight players in the USA T20 World Cup squad are either born in India or have grown up there. Two of them – Saurabh Netravalkar and Harmeet Singh – have even represented India at the U19 World Cup. Batter Milind Kumar has played over 100 first-class and List-A games for Delhi and Sikkim. The others – left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige and captain Monank Patel, fast bowler Jasdeep Singh, and left-arm spinner Nisarg Patel- have played age-group or club-level cricket in India. Batsman Nitish Kumar, who comes from Punjab, also had his first lessons in cricket back home.
    They have played a huge role in making the USA a side to reckon with. USA have already made heads turn at this T20 World Cup by beating Canada and Pakistan. They were sitting at the second spot in Group A and needed to win one of their remaining two group games to qualify for the Super 8 stage in the West Indies. Their opponent, India, was a different ballgame altogether. Not just because they are the strongest team in the group and one of the contenders to lift the trophy but also because many of the USA squad members once harbored the dream of representing India at this level.
    And players like Nitish Kumar and Harmeet Singh proved their worth with the bat to help USA cross the three-figure mark in what otherwise is a low scoring T20 World Cup. US had set up a contestable 110-run target for India. And India had put in its best to achieve the target with only 10 balls to spare.
    (Prabhjot Singh is a senior journalist who writes with equal aplomb on sports and politics. He can be reached at prabhjot416@gmail.com)

  • India and Afghanistan keep South Asian flags flying

    By Prabhjot Singh

    Cricket, a game of the British vintage, has become a religion for South Asians. So overpowering is its growing popularity in the subcontinent that in the ongoing T20 World Cup in Americas – West Indies and the USA are jointly hosting the 9th edition of this marquee event – 12 of the 20 teams are represented by players of the South Asian descent.
    Incidentally, a record number of six South Asian nations – India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Nepal – qualified for the T20 World Cup 2024, six other teams – Canada, Oman, Uganda, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the USA – are also represented by players of the South Asian descent.
    Otherwise, South Africa has won all its three matches played so far defeating two of Asian teams – Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Besides, it has beaten the Netherlands to stay at the top of the table with maximum thee wins from as many matches.
    Looking at analytics of the completed 21 of 55 matches of the tournament, performance of South Asian teams and players have been hawking media headlines. Playing against teams from other parts of the World, South Asians have a 3-4 record, with Afghanistan recording convincing wins against Uganda and New Zealand and India notching up a similar flattering win over Ireland, they have suffered some shocking defeats, including Pakistan losing super over game to the USA and Nepal going down tamely to the Netherlands. In the last game played today at Nassau Cricket Stadium, Bangladesh went down fighting to South Africa by 4 runs.
    South Africa 113/6 (Heinrich Klassen 46, David Miller 29, Quinton de Kock 18, Tanzim Hasan Shakib 3/18, Taskin Ahmed 2/19) beat Bangladesh 109/7 (Tawhid Hriday 37, Mahmudullah 20, Keshav Maharaj 3/27, Anrich Nortje 2/17 and K Rabada 2/19) by four runs.

    In the matches played among South Asian nations, India recorded an exciting 6-run win over Pakistan in a low scoring game while Sri Lankans were surprised by Bangladesh.
    Players belonging to the South Asian Diaspora have till now performed well for the countries of their present abode. When the US shocked Pakistan, it was all because of some good batting by the team captain, Monnak Patel. Other players of the South Asian descent who have done well include batters Pargat Singh (Canada) Shreyas Movva (Canada) and Vikramjit Singh (the Netherlands.
    Former Pakistani cricket star Shahid Afridi wrote in his column that in the game between India and Pakistan, it was an easily chaseable target. No team has ever defended a lower total at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, he wrote holding that
    Pakistan’s bowling was disciplined and it managed to restrict what is the best batting line-up in the world to just 119.”
    He quoted Indian skipper Rohit Sharma admitting that his team did not bat well enough and the loss of early wickets, including his own and that of Virat Kohli to bring the game to life. Early removal of both of them gave Pakistan plenty of momentum.
    “There has been a lot of talk about the drop-in pitch in New York and the surface was a little slow compared to the batting-friendly pitches we have become accustomed to in T20 cricket,” wrote Afridi but went on to add that the pitch should never be used as an excuse and neither captain did so – they know that top-level professionals should know how to adjust to any conditions.
    “I believed India’s batters were 35 to 40 runs short of where they wanted to be. In my experience, international cricket and especially the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is all about handling pressure. On the big days, you have to have nerves of steel until you make it through.
    “India stayed positive and calm until the last ball and the pressure of the run chase was not handled well by Babar Azam’s side. The key difference between the two teams was India’s consistency, self-belief, discipline and attitude on the field. The Pakistan batting line-up simply isn’t clicking and what we saw was a weak display of power hitting,” Afridi added. India has now won seven of its eight matches against Pakistan at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

  • For New Yorkers, the T20 World Cup is over

    For New Yorkers, the T20 World Cup is over

    By Prabhjot Singh

    After eight of the 20 teams participating in the T20 Cricket World Cup went all out in their quest for a place in the Super 8, curtains were rung down on the makeshift Nassau County International Cricket Stadium. The closing game, between the two undefeated teams – India and the USA – was not without its anxious and exciting moments before the host team conceded defeat by seven wickets with 10 balls to spare.
    Teams that played in New York included India, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ireland, Canada and the host USA. India won all of its three games here to stay on top of Group A. South Africa also won all its three games here.
    Though it was the last game, it was not the end of cricket here at Long Island where sports goods dealers are hoping for a huge demand for cricket equipment in the coming times. “The game has come to stay here. And the growing interest of the youngsters is reflected by growing demand for the game gear here,” remarked a shopkeeper of Floral Park.
    Many youngsters felt encouraged to take their first lessons in the game from the players and officials of the participating teams.
    Since there were terrorist threats, especially to the India-Pakistan game, the police did not take any chances for any of the eight games played here. It was only after the end of the India-USA game that the police started dismantling its security apparatuses. The police did not let its guard down till the end as India was playing.
    Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder was quoted saying in the Media that it has been the highest level of security that has been in place during the World Cup. Most cricket fans had to walk from Nassau Coliseum to get to the stadium in Eisenhower Park. As fans make their way in, they were immediately ushered into security checks where they were forced through a screener and were checked two or three times before ever entering the grounds.
    Police said it had on an average deployed about 300 officers at the stadium alone. There were K9 units, mounted police and partners from multiple agencies working together to make sure everyone was safe.
    County officials also claimed that they put a lot of work in to making sure the event ran smoothly. The local businesses welcomed the holding of T20 World. Cup here as it gave a boost to them.
    “When you are charged with keeping 34,000 people safe every day – a lot of work but it is worth it. As close to perfect as you can possibly get,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, told Media on the last day of the event.
    A Long Island-based company Landtek, installed the field and the main pitch where the cricket matches were played. Getting the right type of grass for the historic event was no easy feat. “This job in our backyard was special,” said the owner of the company. He revealed that twenty-two tractor-trailers took the trip from Florida to New York. The trays carrying the drop in pitches were approximately 10 x 82 feet long weighing approximately anywhere from 16 to 18 tons a piece.”
    Nearly 200,000 pounds of sod made the long journey from Boynton Beach, Florida, to Nassau County as workers started installing it in April at the 34,000-seat temporary cricket stadium constructed for the event.
    In the games played here, South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets, the Netherlands by 4 wickets and Bangladesh by 4 wickets; India beat Ireland by 8 wickets, Pakistan by 6 runs and the US by seven wickets; Pakistan beat Canada by seven wickets and Canada beat Ireland by 12 runs.

  • June 7 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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  • USA cause an all-time great upset, defeating Pakistan in super over

    USA cause an all-time great upset, defeating Pakistan in super over

    By Prabhjot Singh

    The USA could not have asked for more. After a winning start in the first-ever T20 World Cup on its soil, the home team continues to produce historic moments as it stunned Pakistan with a splendid nail-biting finish in the super over. Earlier, a boundary of the last ball had helped the home team to extend the game to the super over. The decisive super-over saw the USA batsmen put up 18 runs on the board before taking a wicket and restricting Pakistani batsmen to 13 in one of the major upsets in instant cricket.

    Pertinently, the USA had defeated its neighbor and arch-rival Canada in the opener in what was termed the revival of the 188-year-old cricket rivalry between two North American nations.

    With two wins from as many matches, the USA now stands at the top of the pool.

    Once again, Grand Prairie Stadium has proved lucky for the US team. Two games played at a 7,000-capacity stadium have ended in impressive wins for the hosts.

    The USA owes its triumphs – both against Canada and Pakistan today – to kits players of Indian origin as skipper Monank Patel made a well-deserved 50 in a game that saw Pakistan put up 159 for seven. The USA responded well finishing at the same total with a boundary coming off the last ball of their 20 overs innings.

    While the USA is playing its first-ever T20 World Cup, Pakistan has reached at least the semi-finals in six of the eight editions of the T20 World Cups, including a runners-up finish in the 2022 edition. But today, it was not the day of one of the Asian cricket giants. They were up against a USA team that did everything right on the day to pull off one of the biggest results in the history of the game.

    Pakistan relied on Mohammed Amir for the super over. Three wides and a couple of overthrows saw the home team put up an impressive score of 18 with Aaron Jones contributing the only boundary in the decisive over. And when Pakistan returned to bat, Netravalkar, also a player of South Asian origin, held his nerve and verve to restrict Pakistan to 13 for one. It was another migrant of South Asian descent, Nitin Kumar, who scored a boundary of the last ball to force the game to the super over.

    The match would go down in the annals of US cricket as the most stunning win ever recorded on American soil in this ancient game seeking a comeback.

    Chasing 160 for an outright win, the US lost its opener for 12. It brought in skipper Monank Patel who chipped in with a classy 50 and stood like a rock as the Pakistani bowlers toiled hard to keep the Americans from reaching anywhere near the victory target. He put in 68 with Gaus in a game-changing partnership.

    Set 160 to win in regulation time, the USA very nearly won the game in their initial allocated overs as their top order dealt well with a high-caliber Pakistan attack.

    Opener Steven Taylor departed for 12 (16) in the final over of the Powerplay, but Monank Patel and Andries Gous put Pakistan on the back foot with a brilliant partnership that moved the tournament co-hosts into treble figures and seemingly in control of the run chase.

    Monank was particularly impressive, hitting a classy half-century to give his side hope, putting on 68 in a crucial stand with Gous.

    Now, Pakistan faces India on Sunday. After its shock defeat at the hands of the USA, demand for tickets for the India-Pakistan game has dropped significantly.

    Though the ICC stated that all efforts are being made to make the drop in pitches at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium to produce some excellent cricket on Sunday, the US has put a spanner with its superb showing at Dallas, one of two other venues of the T20 World Cup.

  • When the T20 World Cup matches are played on “ghost” pitches

    When the T20 World Cup matches are played on “ghost” pitches

    India starts in style with an impressive win over Ireland

    By Prabhjot Singh

    After incurring few blows, including a hit on the shoulder of its skipper Rohit Sharma, India raced to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Ireland in its T20 World Cup opener at Nassau County Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. Wicketkeeper batsman, Rishabh Pant, who smashed McCarthy’s second ball of 13th over to the maximum, to hoist win for the 2007 Cup champions India, had also received a nasty hit on his elbow early in the innings.

    These blows apart, players and team officials, are making no secret of their feelings about the variable bounce of the “ghost” or “drop in” pitches on use here at County Cricket Stadium. None of the four innings played on this pitch in the two matches so far, any team would reach the triple figure mark.

    In the opener, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 77. Ireland innings folded up for 96. Indian bowlers cannot be denied their due as Hardik Pandya (three for 27), Jaspreet Bumrah (two for 6 ) and young Arshpreet Singh (two for 30) bowled extremely well on a pitch of uneven bounce.

    While the Indian batting coach Vikram Rathod said that playing conditions were the same for every team, Indian batsmen have quickly adapted themselves by trying to “control the controllable”. He admitted that the “drop in” pitch at Nassau County Cricket Stadium was a “challenging wicket”.

    Varying are opinions of players and team officials who have had a chance to train or play on this ground.

    “Toss is crucial on this ground and we are lucky, we won the toss and bowled first,” he said corroborating what the Springboks did in the first game against Sri Lanka. They won the toss and put in their opponents to bat first and bowled them out for 77.

    India saw its skipper Rohit Sharma hoisting milestone of completing 1000 T20 runs by clubbing successive balls from Joshua Little to the maximum to reach the mark in style. At that time, he had reached 42 from 33 balls to take India to 64 for one in 9 overs. Earlier, India lost its star batter Virat Kohli caught at third man off Mark Adair for . Rohit retired at 56 putting Rishabh Pant in command who closed the game with a six of McCarthy with eight wickets and 46 balls to spare.

    The sheen and glory of the big win has been partially taken away by the pitches, curated in Florida and brought in here the newly fabricated Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, the game’s first-of-its-kind modular playing arena that has got mired into controversies, less than a week of its commissioning.

    Its uneven bounce and behavior have been worrying teams. India, after winning the toss, put Ireland into bat first as pacers Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj exhibited speed and uneven bounce that saw Indian keeper both jumping high and bending low to gather dot balls in the power play. Arshdeep was first to meet with success as he had removed both Adam Balbirnie and Paul Stirling with impressive figures of two for four at one stage. Arshdeep came for severe punishment in his fourth and last over to end with figures of 2 for 30.

    Jaspreet Bumrah was virtually unplayable on this unplayable pitch after he came as a first change to end with two for six from three overs,.

    Paul Stirling was clueless to a sharply bouncing delivery that crept up from length and led to a top edge. Harry Tector was hit on the gloves by another Arshdeep delivery and shook his fingers in pain. Later, he was dismissed by a Jasprit Bumrah delivery that darted into him, taking an inside edge onto his helmet on the way to the cover fielder. The uneven and abrupt bounce continued as one of rising deliveries of Arshdeep flew over the head of Benjamin White.

    Great Little Master Sunil Gavaskar, who is one of the commentators, could not resist saying: “You can see the bounce. The ball is climbing over the stumps. LBWs will be a little difficult.”

    Determined Ireland batters waged a fight and managed to reach 96 even after being reduced to 50-8 at one stage.

    When India came to bat in chase of the winning target of 97, skipper Rohit Sharma had to retire hurt after he was hit on the shoulder by a Josh Little delivery. Rishabh Pant, too, received a blow to his elbow off the same bowler. He needed a check from the physio before resuming.

    As I mentioned in one of my previous dispatches, four main pitches and six drop-in surfaces were curated in Florida and transported to New York for the T20 World Cup. Some experts who support drop in pitches hold that it takes time for the surfaces to settle down before it starts supporting both batters and bowlers alike.

    It is not pitches alone that have come under severe criticism. Even outfields, too, have been drawing wrath of some players and officials. Some sandy patches were picked for mention.

    Since the match of the tournament – India-Pakistan encounter – is to be played on one of these four “ghost” or “drop in” pitches on June 9, it may also like earlier matches turn out to be a low scoring game to the disappointment of cricket crazy South Asian Diaspora here.

    “We want to see action, hits to the maximum and some entertaining cricket and not the ball playing the mischief,” remarked a veteran cricketer, Mr Yash Kapoor, who is long settled here.

  • Indian Diaspora holds the limelight in T20 World Cup

    Indian Diaspora holds the limelight in T20 World Cup

    Six of 20 participating teams are represented by Indian Diaspora

    By Prabhjot Singh

    After the hosts USA defeated Canada in the opening game of the T20 World Cup in Dallas last weekend, Indian Diaspora continues to hold the limelight in this marquee event. In the second game on the same venue, it was the European challenger, the Netherlands beat Nepal by six wickets, focus continued on players of the Indian origin.

    The USA-Canada match saw several players of South Asian origin in action. The second game, too, saw players of Indian origin playing a crucial role in the win for the Dutch.

    Though Cricket is a game of British origin, it has, like field hockey, come to be known as a game of the South Asian Diaspora. Six of the 20 teams competing in the first ever T20 World Cup being held on the US soil have players of South Asian descent.

    While the USA team is led by Monank Patel, it has several other p[layers of South Asian descent. They include Shayan Jahangir, Jessy Singh, Ali Khan, Nitish Kumar, Saurabh Netravalkar, Nisarg Patel. Harmeet Singh, and Milind Kumar. Contrary to belief that cricket is a new game to the American continent, there has been a long history of this “gentleman game” being played in the continent even before the “Test” cricket was introduced. A three-day match played in New York had seen visiting Canada triumph by 23 runs in 1844. Incidentally the first Test match between Australia and England dates back to 1877, 33 years after the first recorded international game in North America. Canada is also led by a player of South Asian origin. He is Saad Bin Jaffer who is credited with taking the wicket of Pakistan’s star batsman Babar Azam. Other players of Canadian team of South Asian origin include Ravinder Pal Singh, Harsh Thakker, Dilpreet Singh, Navneet Dhaliwal, Pargat Singh, Junaid Siddiqui, Kaleem Sana and Shreyas Movva. They dominated the high scoring opening game of the tournament, giving the nearly filled Stadium a good return for its money.

    Good work by players of South Asian Diaspora continued in the second game at Dallas where Vikramjit Singh, while playing for the Netherlands, knocked off 22 runs of the Nepalese attack to help his team win the opener. Teja Nidamanura is another player of Indian origin the Dutch team.

    Brief Scores of that game are Nepal 106 (19.2 overs) (Rohit Paudel 35, Karan KC 17, Gulshan Jha 14, Logan van Beek 3/18, Tim Pringle 3/20 and Paul van Meckeren 2/19). The Netherlands 109/4 in 18.4 overs( Max O’ Dowd 54 not out, Vikramjit Singh 22, Sybrand Engelbrecht 14, Dipendra Singh Airee 1/6.Sompal Kami 1/18, Abinash 1/29).

    Other than the US, Canada and the Netherland teams, players of South Asian descent are also represented on New Zealand, Oman, and Uganda.

    While Rachin Ravindra and leg spinner Ish Sodhi are donning Kiwi colors in the T20 World Cup, four players are in the Oman squad. They are Jatinder Singh, Prajapati Kashayap, Pratik Athawale and Sunny Shrivastav.

    Uganda, representing Africa along with South Africa, also has three players of Indian origin in its ranks. They are Ronek Patel, Dinesh Nakarani and Alpesh Ramajani.

    Former Indian star allrounder Yuvraj Singh is one of the brand ambassadors of the T20 World Cup 2024.

    (Prabhjot Singh is currently in New York covering the T20 World Cup. He is a senior journalist who has the rare felicity of covering sports and political news with equal aplomb. He can be reached at prabhjot416@gmail.com)

  • Pragg claims maiden classical win over Carlsen to avenge World Cup final loss

    Pragg claims maiden classical win over Carlsen to avenge World Cup final loss

    Stavanger (TIP)- Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa crushed world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen for the first time in the classical format to emerge as the sole leader in the Norway Chess here. Having lost to him in the final of the last World Cup, Praggnanandhaa finally got past the home favourite in what would be known as a clear classical triumph. The Indian has also beaten him a few times at online and faster versions of the game in the past.
    Following the third-round win, the 18-year-old Indian now leads the men’s section with 5.5 points, half-a-point clear of American Fabiano Caruana who scored his first victory in classical against reigning world champion Ding Liren of China.
    Carlsen, on three points, is third in the updated standings but with each classical win worth three points, this might not hold for too long.
    Hikaru Nakamura of the United States, Firouzja Alireza of France and Liren are all joint fourth currently on 2.5 points in the six-player double round-robin contest.
    “I wish Magnus would take similar risks against us old folks,” said Nakamura on Carlsen’s choice of playing a risky battle against Praggnanandhaa.
    Classical chess, also known as slow chess, allows players significant amount of time to make their moves, usually at least one hour. Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa had drawn their previous three encounters in this format.
    In the women’s event, Praggnanandhaa’s elder sister R Vaishali maintained her sole lead after getting past Anna Muzychuk of Norway in the Armageddon game after drawing the classical one. Vaishali ensured a draw in Armageddon as black against Muzychuk.
    Vaishali rose to 5.5 points and enjoys a point’s lead over women’s world champion Wenjun Ju of China, who is sole second by half-a-point margin over compatriot Tingjie Lei.
    Muzychuk, Pia Cramling of Sweden and Koneru Humpy share the fourth spot on three points each.
    It was a Sicilian Kan, an opening that does not find many takers in the elite chess circles, wherein Praggnanandhaa got an advantage through better space control right from the beginning.
    The middle game saw Magnus’ king stuck in the centre and the Indian super-talent capitalised with some deft manoeuvres after the minor pieces were off the board.
    Eventually, the king’s vulnerability came to question as Praggnanandhaa posed some dangerous checkmate threats. The game lasted just 37 moves.
    Source: PTI

  • French Open: Top seeds blossom in Paris rain

    French Open: Top seeds blossom in Paris rain

    Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic soared into the third round of the French Open May 30 as tournament organisers stepped up their fight against unruly fans by announcing an alcohol ban in the stands while also dealing with the wet-weather backlog. Playing under the roof on Court Philippe Chatrier even as Roland Garros officials were scratching their heads over what to do with the schedule after a fifth straight rain-hit day, second seed Sabalenka blew away qualifier Moyuka Uchijima 6-2 6-2. “That’s the little advantage we get as top players because we play in big stadiums with the roof,” Sabalenka said. “So I knew that no matter what the weather is going to be, I’m going to play my match. That’s really helpful.”
    Defending champion Djokovic then outclassed Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena 6-4 6-1 6-2.
    Djokovic has been some way from his convincing best in an erratic season where he is bidding to win a record 25th Grand Slam title and the top-seeded Serbian was dragged into a battle by Carballes Baena after recovering an early break.
    “There’s always conviction and belief inside of me that I can win a Grand Slam,” Djokovic said. “That’s the reason I’m still competing at this level. I still of course sense that I have the game and I have the goods to go far,” he added. Source: Reuters

  • Wearing India jersey is different feeling, hope to make it count: Pant

    Wearing India jersey is different feeling, hope to make it count: Pant

    New York (TIP)- It would be 527 days since his life-threatening accident when Rishabh Pant dons the India jersey on June 5 at the Nassau County ground for the opening T20 World Cup match against Ireland and he can’t wait for it. On March 23 this year, Pant wore the blue of Delhi Capitals while making an emotional comeback after the horrific car crash in 2022 but he is more eager to wear a different shade of blue — the ‘India Blue’ to be specific.
    “Getting back on the field with an Indian jersey on is a different feeling altogether. this is something I missed a lot…Hopefully I (can) make it count and make it better from here,” Pant told BCCI.TV on the sidelines of India’s first net session ahead of the warm-up game against Bangladesh on June 1.
    Pant, who underwent an intense 15-month rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy, had teammate Suryakumar Yadav for company during this interaction and recalled the time how his presence helped him cope with the loneliness of his injury management programme in the NCA.
    “Seeing the team here and meeting them again, spending time, having fun with them, having a conversation with them, I really enjoyed,” a beaming Pant said. Having scored 446 runs in 13 IPL games, Pant is slowly getting back into the groove. The leaner and fitter Pant looked in nice touch at the India nets at the Cantiague Park on the outskirts of New York City.
    Pant also spoke about the prospects of cricket gaining popularity in the USA going forward. He felt the T20 World Cup could be the start of an eventful chapter.
    “We are used to playing in certain countries but this is a different prospect. It has opened up a different channel for sport because I feel cricket is growing around the world and…getting the exposure here would be nice for cricket as well as USA cricket,” he said.
    He spoke about the drop-in pitches that will be used during the tournament and also the bright sunshine that he and the rest of the team is getting used to. “New pitches are there. I’m just getting used to the conditions. The sun is a little bit brighter here, so just getting used to the conditions over here. Let’s see how it goes,” Pant concluded.
    Source: PTI

  • May 31 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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  • May 24 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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  • May 17 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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  • May 10 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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  • May 3 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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  • April 19 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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  • Indian free style wrestlers miss out on Paris Games qualification

    Indian free style wrestlers miss out on Paris Games qualification

    Bishkek (TIP)- In a huge setback to Indian wrestling, Aman Sehrawat missed out on securing a berth for the Paris Games after losing his semifinal at the Asian Olympic Qualifier while Deepak Punia and Sujeet Kalkal were not allowed to compete after they reported late for weigh-in, here on Friday, April 19. Competing in 57kg category, Aman began in tremendous fashion, trampling his first two rivals—Yerassyl Mukhtaruly and Sunggwon Kim—by technical superiority but was pinned by Uzbekistan’s Gulomjon Abdullaev after falling behind by 10 points.
    A lot of hope rested on Aman, who has emerged as one for the future in a category in which Ravi Dahiya excelled. Among all the wrestlers in men’s free style category Asian Games bronze medallist Aman was the country’s biggest hope to win a quota place.
    Abdullaev began with a left-leg attack and converted that into a take-down. The Uzbek rattled Aman with a sensational four-pointer and within no time, the Indian was under pressure to make a comeback. It made him slow while the speed with which Abdullaev created opportunities helped him clinch the contest.
    Struggling at the edge of a circle to wriggle out of Abdullaev’s hold, Aman seemed to have given up and was pinned.
    In 74kg, Jaideep had a great start as he pinned Turkmenistan’s Al Arslan Begenjov but lost his quarterfinal to Kyrgyzstan Orozobek Toktomambetov on criteria after being locked 2-2.
    Sumit Malik (125kg) also lost his first round to Kyrgyzstan’s Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur by technical superiority while Deepak (97kg) faded in qualification round, losing by technical superiority to Arash Yoshida. This was after both Punia and Sujeet eventually managed to reach Bishkek after being stranded at the Dubai international airport due to incessant rain and flooding but could not report for the mandatory weigh-in on time.
    The organisers did not allow late weigh-in despite request from the Indian coaches.
    Punia (86kg), who had come close to winning a medal at the Tokyo Games, and Sujeet (65kg), were on their way to Bishkek when a majority of the flights leaving Dubai got cancelled or delayed because of the flooding at the airport. The duo, accompanied by Russian coach Kamal Malikov and physio Shubham Gupta, were forced to sleep on the floor and had no access to proper food due to the crisis in Dubai. Source: PTI

  • Rahul, de Kock slam fifties as LSG score 8-wicket win over CSK

    Rahul, de Kock slam fifties as LSG score 8-wicket win over CSK

    Lucknow (TIP)- Openers KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock produced a chasing masterclass on a slow pitch to power Lucknow Super Giants to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in their IPL match.
    Asked to bat first, Ravindra Jadeja came up with a solid unbeaten 57 before Moeen Ali (30 off 20) and MS Dhoni (28 off 9) went on a six-hitting spree to take CSK to a fighting 176/6.
    In reply, Rahul (82) and de Kock (54) batted with authority during their match-winning alliance of 134, the highest partnership for any wicket at the Ekana Stadium, as LSG scored 180/2 in 19 overs to recover from back-to-back losses and consolidate their position in the table. CSK, who came into the match with two straight wins, slumped to their third loss.
    Guilty of not capitalising on his starts, Rahul finally lived up to the expectations, smashing nine fours and three sixes in his 53-ball knock, while de Kock overcame a scratchy start to hit five fours and a six in his 43-ball knock.
    Rahul was the aggressor, playing some magnificent strokes to give LSG a flying start as the powerplay yielded 54 runs. After 10 overs, LSG were 89 for no loss.
    A one-handed catch from Jadeja finally ended Rahul’s fabulous knock but it was too late.
    Earlier, Rahul was spot on with his bowling changes as the pacers put the CSK batters under pressure initially before spinner Krunal Pandya tightened the noose in the middle overs.
    “Feels good at the end of the day. When you win, it looks like you make all the decisions right. Impossible to get all right. Depends on the kind of wicket we are playing on and the kind of batters there are. We spend time doing homework on tactics and we spoke about them not settling against one style of bowling,” Rahul said.
    Brief scores
    CSK: 176/6 in 20 overs (Jadeja 57*, Rahane 36, Moeen 30, Dhoni 28*; Krunal 2/16) vs LSG: 180/2 in 19 overs (Rahul 82, de Kock 54).
    Source: PTI

  • Candidates chess: Gukesh last man standing, Pragg & Gujrathi’s chances suffer blow

    Teenaged Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh produced another fantastic performance to crash through the defences of Azerbaijan’s Nijat Abasov and regain a share of the lead but R Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi bowed out of contention after the 12th round of the Candidates chess tournament in Toronto.
    With American Hikaru Nakamura scoring a victory over Firouzja Alireza of France, it is now a three-way lead at the top.
    Gukesh and Nakamura joined overnight leader Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, who drew with Praggnanandhaa, on 7.5 points and the three are now followed by Fabiano Caruana of the United States, who is on seven points.
    Praggnanandhaa is still fifth with six points with Gujrathi following him on five points.
    However, with just two rounds to come in the eight-player double round-robin tournament, it is almost impossible for the duo to finish on the podium. Alireza and Abasov fill up the rear of the table with 4.5 and three points, respectively.
    In the women’s section, the Chinese domination was cemented by Zhongyi Tan, who played out a draw with Nurgyul Salimova of Bulgaria.
    Russian Kateryna Lagno was only able to squeeze out half-a-point against another Chinese Tingjie Lei.
    India’s Koneru Humpy did well to hold Aleksandra Goryachkina of Russia to a draw, while R Vaishali scored her second straight victory at the expense of Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine.
    While Tan on eight points, Lei is half-a-point behind. The trio of Humpy, Lagno and Goryachkina are a distant third with six points. Vaishali moved to 5.5 points to take the sixth spot, ahead of Salimova and Muzychuk.
    The 17-year-old Gukesh is only the second-youngest in history to ever compete in the Candidates and the last time someone younger played was way back in 1959 — when Bobby Fischer stormed into the chess world.

  • April 12 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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  • Stronger, fitter Neeraj eyes triumphant start to season

    Stronger, fitter Neeraj eyes triumphant start to season

    Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra is into the final stretch of his pre-season training in Antalya, Turkey, and the 26-year-old is confident of repeating his top finish at the season-opening Doha Diamond League on May 10. Chopra won in the Qatari capital in 2023 with a throw of 88.67m, but this year, more than acing the Diamond League, the focus is understandably on retaining the Olympic crown.
    “Defending my Olympic gold is my biggest goal this season but there is still time for that. Before that, I will participate in 3-4 events and the target will be to finish well in each of them. That will put me in the right space going into Paris,” Chopra said in an interaction facilitated by JSW Sports. The six-month off-season since his last competitive appearance at the Hangzhou Asian Games — where he won the gold medal — has seen him train in Potchefstroom, South Africa before moving to Gloria Sports Arena in Turkey, primarily working on his strength.
    His two-member team of biomechanics expert Klaus Bartonietz and physiotherapist Ishaan Marwah has seen an addition in the form of strength and conditioning expert Spencer Mackay. Mackay had worked with Chopra during his rehabilitation phase post his elbow surgery in 2019 and sensing the need to raise his level in the Olympic year, the javelin ace has sought his services again.
    “I have been working on my strength and conditioning for the past 2-3 months. There is a lot of improvement in my technique when it comes to clean and jerk and snatches. I have also started javelin-specific workouts. I am really excited going into the season,” Chopra said.
    While Olympics remain the big prize, Chopra is not taking the tune-up lightly. It’s a change, he says, that has been brought about by his success in Tokyo.
    “Before Tokyo, I was satisfied by merely competing. I would finish fourth or fifth and would be alright. But post Tokyo, I have this desire to do well everywhere. I want to finish on the podium as much as possible,” he said, a testament to his stunning consistency post his Tokyo high.
    “I was never satisfied after Tokyo, but consistent results demand consistent training. I enjoy pushing myself in training, and now is the time to push from the 87-89m bracket and get consistent with bigger throws,” he added.
    The reigning world champion also showered praise on compatriot Kishore Jena — who he reckoned may throw 90m before him — and Germany’s 19-year-old sensation Max Dehning, the latest entrant in the 90m club.

  • Mayank Yadav unlikely to play LSG’s next 2 games

    Mayank Yadav unlikely to play LSG’s next 2 games

    Pace sensation Mayank Yadav is unlikely to play the next two games for Lucknow Super Giants as he continues his recovery from tightness in his hip, said head coach Justin Langer on Thursday, April 11. LSG face Delhi Capitals here on Friday before travelling to Kolkata for the away game on April 14. Langer and Co. is hoping that Mayank regains full fitness before the home game against Chennai Super Kings on April 19.
    “That’s the plan (to have Mayank fit for the match against Chennai Super Kings on April 19). We want him to play every game if possible,” Langer said on the eve of the game against DC.
    “But he’ll be working towards it; he’s working very hard every day to be ready for whatever our next game is. He won’t play tomorrow, it’s unlikely… with the very short turnaround, it’s unlikely that he plays these two games. But he’s certainly working towards playing whenever he possibly can.”
    Mayank, who became an overnight sensation by consistently bowling at 150kmph plus on his IPL debut, had gone off the field after bowling just one over against Gujarat Titans on Sunday.
    “He felt a little bit of tightness at the top of his hip leading into the last game, but that was about a one-out-of-ten pain, and we thought that they were clinical signs,” Langer said.

  • Mumbai Indians thrash Royal Challengers by 7 wickets to register 2nd win

    Mumbai Indians thrash Royal Challengers by 7 wickets to register 2nd win

    Mumbai (TIP)- Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan provided the fireworks with the bat after Jasprit Bumrah’s magical five-wicket haul as Mumbai Indians pummelled Royal Challengers Bengaluru by seven wickets for their second win in the IPL on Thursday, April 11.
    Kishan went ballistic to make 69 off just 34 balls (7x4s, 5x6s) and Suryakumar dazzled with a 19-ball 52 with four sixes and five fours, as Mumbai Indians overhauled RCB’s 197-run target in just 15.3 overs. RCB huffed and puffed but put up a challenging 196/8 courtesy skipper Faf du Plessis (61), Rajat Patidar (50) and Dinesh Karthik’s 23-ball 53 not out but the total proved to be far from enough.
    The tone for an aggressive reply on a placid deck was set by Kishan, who tore into Mohammed Siraj to collect 23 runs off the India pacer’s second over, hammering him for three sixes and a four.
    The onslaught continued when RCB introduced Glenn Maxwell in the sixth over, with the MI opener swatting two fours and a six to race to his first fifty of the season off only 23 balls.
    Kishan once again forged a vital stand for Mumbai in the company of Rohit Sharma, with the pair putting on 101 runs off 53 balls for the first wicket.
    While Rohit (38 off 24 balls, 3x4s, 3x6s) played second fiddle to both Kishan and Suryakumar, the former MI skipper also dished out some spectacular shots before he fell to a stunning one-handed diving catch at short fine leg from Reece Topley off debutant Will Jacks.
    Suryakumar, who was dropped by Glenn Maxwell at backward point on 15, went after Akash Deep in the 11th over to collect 24 runs with three sixes and one four.
    Playing only his second game after comeback from injury, Suryakumar was aided by wayward RCB bowlers who presented him plenty of deliveries to knock himself into form and the world No. 1 T20 batter obliged with a 17-ball fifty.
    The contest, which saw partisan crowds cheering loudly for both India stars Rohit and Virat Kohli, also witnessed booing of MI skipper Pandya intermittently.
    As he walked out to bat, Pandya was hit by loud boos but a section also began chanting ‘Hardik… Hardik’ with Kohli immediately encouraging the fans to cheer for the India all-rounder. Hardik made it harder for the fans to boo him by smashing three sixes in his 6-ball 21 not out. Earlier, Bumrah weaved his magic en route to a five-wicket haul before Karthik played a blinder in the death overs to take RCB close to 200.

  • IPL 17 : Shashank leads PBKS to second-highest successful chase against Gujarat Titans

    IPL 17 : Shashank leads PBKS to second-highest successful chase against Gujarat Titans

    Ahmedabad (TIP)- Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill’s unbeaten half-century was overshadowed by uncapped Shashank Singh’s fiery knock as Punjab Kings registered a thrilling three-wicket win in an IPL match here on April 4. Gill made 89 off 48 balls, the highest individual score this season, and in the process hit six fours and four sixes to guide GT to an imposing 199/4. He was also helped by B Sai Sudharsan’s 19-ball 33 and Rahul Tewatia’s eight-ball unbeaten 23.
    But there was a heartbreak in store for GT as Shashank played the knock of his life, remaining unbeaten on 61 off 29 balls during which he hit six boundaries and four sixes to guide PBKS home with a ball to spare.
    “Yet to sink in. Visualised all these things, but when it turned into reality… proud of the effort,” said Shashank, who was named the Player of the Match.
    He was ably supported by Ashutosh Sharma (31 off 17) as the duo shared 43 runs off just 22 balls to raise PBKS’ hopes, which eventually came true. Chasing a big total, PBKS suffered an early jolt in the form of captain Shikhar Dhawan, who played an Umesh Yadav delivery onto the stumps while going for a shot through the cover region. Jonny Bairstow (22 off 13) was then cleaned up by Afghanistan left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmad. PBKS kept on losing wickets at regular intervals as the next to follow was Prabhsimran Singh (35 off 24), caught by Mohit Sharma at short third-man, as the batter went for a heave against a tossed-up delivery from Ahmad only to get a top edge as PBKS slid to 64/3 by the end of the eighth over. Sikandar Raza was dropped twice in Umesh Yadav’s 11th over, albeit both were difficult chances.
    But it was Shashank who capitalised on the lives, clobbering Umesh for two fours and a six to pick up 17 runs in the 11th over. He kept on using his long handle, picking up a few boundaries and sixes to keep PBKS in the hunt and brought up his 50 off just 25 balls.
    Brief Scores: GT: 199/4 in 20 overs (Gill 89, Sudharsan 33 Williamson 26; Rabada 2/44); Punjab Kings: 200/7 in 19.5 overs (Shashank 61*, Prabhsimran 35, Ashutosh 31; Ahmad 2/32).
    Source: PTI

  • India among top doping offenders in the world

    India among top doping offenders in the world

    New Delhi (TIP)- India recorded the highest number of drug cheats in the world in 2022, a report released by the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) has concluded. India tested a total of 3,865 samples — urine, blood, and dried blood spot (DBS) combined — during the collection period that began on January 1, 2022 and ended on December 31, 2022, and 125 of them returned Adverse Analytical Findings (AAFs).
    India is the only country to have over 100 positive results. By comparison, countries with higher testing numbers such as China, USA, and Russia produced fewer AAFs.
    In percentage terms, India’s 3.2% of AAFs is the highest in the world among nations that tested more than 2,000 samples. Out of the 125 AAFs, 37 tested positive in out-of-competition testing while 88 returned positive in in-competition testing. India’s total of 3865 samples put them on the 11th spot among all countries. China tested most samples — 19,228 — but produced only 0.2% AAFs, or 33 positive results.
    Germany and Russia were next in terms of testing, 13,653 and 10,186 respectively, to be the only three countries to test over 10,000 samples. Germany recorded a total dope positive count of 42 while 85 Russian samples tested positive. In terms of absolute numbers, only Russia (85) and USA (84) come close to India’s 125. France recorded 72 AAFs out of 9775 samples while Italy had 73 positives from 9101 samples.
    Overall, 26 nations tested 2,000 or more samples with South Africa returning the second highest adverse finding at 2.9% (58 samples) after India. The third place was taken by Kazakhstan with 1.9% of its testing pool of 2,174 samples returning adverse findings.
    WADA noted a 6.4% increase in the total number of samples analysed and reported into its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS) in 2022 as compared to 2021. The percentage of AAF also went up from 0.65% in 2021 to 0.77% in 2022.
    “WADA’s Annual Testing Figures Report is the most comprehensive overview of all doping control samples,” WADA Director General Olivier Niggli said in a statement.
    “WADA is pleased to note that the number of anti-doping tests in the testing figures continue to increase across the board and are the closest to the pre-pandemic levels (2019). The Testing Figures Report is an important tool for collaboration between Anti-Doping Organisations,” he added. Source: HT