Sponsors Flee Druggie Sharapova
MOSCOW — Three of Maria Sharapova’s major sponsors are cutting ties with the Russian tennis star after she acknowledged failing a doping test at the Australian Open.Sportswear giant Nike, Swiss watch brand Tag Heuer and German luxury car company Porsche moved quickly to distance themselves from the five-time Grand Slam winner after she announced the positive test at a news conference in Los Angeles on March 17.“We are saddened and surprised by the news about Maria Sharapova,” Nike said in a statement. “We have decided to suspend our relationship with Maria while the investigation continues. We will continue to monitor the situation.”TAG Heuer said its deal with Sharapova will not be renewed. The sponsorship expired at the end of 2015 and discussions had been taking place on how to extend it.“In view of the current situation, the Swiss watch brand has suspended negotiations, and has decided not to renew the contract with Ms Sharapova,” TAG Heuer said in a statement.Porsche said in a statement that it has “chosen to postpone planned activities” with Sharapova “until further details are released and we can analyze the situation.”Sharapova said she failed a doping test at the Australian Open in January for the little-known drug meldonium, which became a banned substance under the World Anti-Doping Agency code this year.The former world No. 1 took full responsibility for her mistake and could face a lengthy ban from the International Tennis Federation, possibly ending her season and preventing her from competing for Russia at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.“I know that with this, I face consequences,” Sharapova said. “I don’t want to end my career this way, and I really hope I will be given another chance to play this game.”The 28-year-old Sharapova said she has been taking meldonium, a blood flow-promoting drug, for 10 years for numerous health issues.Meldonium was banned because it aids oxygen uptake and endurance, and several athletes across international sports have already been caught using it.Sharapova and all players were notified of the changes in the WADA banned substances list in December. Sharapova claimed she simply missed the change, neglecting to click on the link.“I take great responsibility and professionalism in my job, and I made a huge mistake,” Sharapova said. “I let my fans down. I let the sport down that I’ve been playing since the age of 4, that I love so deeply.”Sharapova is one of the top female players of her generation, with 35 career singles titles and over $36 million in career earnings. That earning potential is thought to be easily dwarfed by the earnings she generates from her commercial appeal.Sharapova is thought to be the world’s highest-paid female athlete due to endorsement deals and her extensive business ventures, including a high-profile candy line, Sugarpova. Forbes estimated her earnings at $29.5 million for 2015.“She’s a one-woman marketing machine,” said Nigel Currie, an independent British-based sponsorship consultant. “There are lots of male stars in the world, but not many female stars.”Currie said it’s “unbelievable” how such a mistake could have happened since Sharapova has such a big support network, adding that it’s also “amazing” how quickly sponsors react.“They are paranoid about their image, and the slightest risk to their image, they run to the hills,” he said.___By James Ellingworth and Pan Pylas. AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributedTweetPinShare0 Shares
PORT ST. LUCIE— Infielder Ruben Tejada has been released by the New York Mets, who decided he was superfluous.New York announced the moved Wednesday. Tejada will receive $491,803, which is 30 days’ termination pay, rather than the $3 million salary under the contract he agreed to on Jan. 15.Tejada signed with the Mets in 2006 and spent parts of six big league seasons with New York. But after the Mets offered him a contract on Dec. 2, they signed free-agent shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera and acquired second baseman Neil Walker from Pittsburgh. With Wilmer Flores also on the roster, Tejada’s future with the team became uncertain.He hit .261 with 23 doubles, three homers and 28 RBIs last year. His season ended when the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Chase Utley broke Tejada’s right leg with a takeout slide in the NL Division Series.TweetPinShare0 Shares
Breaking news in Panathinaikos! In the aftermath of last night’s heavy defeat by Olympiacos, Argiris Pedoulakis resigned from being head coach of the Greens.Panathinaikos suffered a big loss in the hands of their arch-rivals which brought some major developments in the team’s camp. Argiris Pedoulakis is no longer at the helm of Panathinaikos after his resignation was accepted by the club’s management.According to sources close to the club, there was a specific term in Pedoulakis’ contract that allowed for a an assistant coach from USA to come and provide help with team’s offensive game. When Pedoulakis was reminded about it after the game vs Olympiacos, he refused to accept such a move, which brought a breach in the relations between him and the management and, ultimately, his resignation.This was the second tenure of the 52-year old coach in Panathinaikos. He was the one that succeeded Zeljko Obradovic in 2012, staying in the team until the mid of 2013/2014 season.The Greek club will now have to conduct a major search in order to find his replacement with the season underway and many crucial games arriving.Source: EurohoopsTweetPinShare0 Shares
PIRAEUS- The administration of Olympiakos is ready to renew its confidence in coach Pedro Martins for the rest of this campaign and next season as well. On his end, the Portuguese tactician has already sent a clear signal that not only does he want to stay at Olympiacos but he wants the main players of the squad to remain with him in Piraeus.“I am completely satisfied at Olympiacos, but I am not happy that we did not reach the point of competing for the title. I feel great here with all the people in the team and it is my great desire to stay, “the 49-year-old Martins said.To a question about next season’s roster:“The ability of our players is far superior to last year. Everyone has managed to raise their value. In the summer we had to assemble a new team. Right now, all players have shown what they can do. Everything depends on the market, but it is our desire to keep all of our players at the club “.Beyond that, Pedro Martins referred to Olympiacos’s game against Atromitos in Faliro on Sunday (12:30 o’clock New York time), stressing that regardless of which players will be used, the goal is to always play good football to satisfy the fans.“We do not know yet who will be available, because some players have had long trips and participated with their national teams. We will see their condition and we will decide. I always want to present a good showing for our fans, regardless of who we play. We wants victories and titles, we know that the difference between us and PAOK is a large one but we will not stop trying. Aside from the points, we want quality football and our fans have realized that. That sort of style of football is our great promise”, said Martins.Pape Abou Cissé also made a statement with the Senegalese center-back revealing that he is aware of the interest in his services from teams located outside of Greece.“I feel very tied with this club, we are a family. My only regret is that we could not win the league title. I know that there is interest, but I don’t listen at all, I am focused and happed at Olympiacos,” Cissé said, who later referred to his presence with his country’s National Team in Copa Africa, which will take place in Egypt this summer.” It’s a success that we made it to the final stage, and that I got to share those moments with my teammates. We want to win the trophy for the first time because Senegal is a country that has never won the Copa Africa.For the match against Atromitos, Cisse said: “It’s a small derby, we want to win. It is an important match for Atromitos, who wants to beat us to third place. We are playing at home, we have to be focused. We had a lot of absences due to the international break during the lead-up to the Atromitos match but we have to try to do everything we can so that we can win”.It is worth noting that the the “red and whites” match with the Peristeri-based club will take place with a sold-out Karaiskakis Stadium since the tickets that had been still available on Friday were less than two thousand in number.New Rumors Swirl Around FortounisThe Turkish Press continues to circulate rumors that Constantinople powerhouse, Fenerbachçe S.K., is interested in acquiring Greek attacking midfielder Kostas Fortounis from Olympiacos. Turkey’s “Fanatik” newspaper in an article on Friday (29/3) said that “Fener’s” coach, Ersun Yanal, has concluded that Fortounis was his chosen player so that Fenerbahçe can improve their midfield. Yanal’s assistant, Recep Karatepe did not only scout the 27-year old Greek international in the match Olympiacos played against Aris recently but instead he scouted Fortounis in two other matches as well. The same report from “Fanatik” uncovered that an order has been given to the director of transfers for “Fener” Damien Comolli to start negotiations with Olympiacos to acquire Fortounis.A the same time, there are rumors that Italian side Lazio have Fortounis in their transfer “crosshairs” as well.This coming Wednesday (3/4), Olympiacos will appeal against the decision of the Super League Disciplinary Committee’s primary decision to continue the derby with Panathinaikos that was interrupted in the 70th minute at OAKA.If the “Reds” win the appeal, they will then win the match by a court decision with the score of 0-3 and Panathinaikos will be docked three points. If the “Greens” win, the date will have to be decided so that the two sides can resume for what would’ve been the last 20 minutes of the match.TweetPinShare0 Shares
Socionext has developed the “SC1701” series, the third generation of its high-performance graphics display controllers. In addition to further strengthening the graphics function enabling 4K resolution and deep color processing for state-of-the art in-vehicle display systems, Socionext incorporated APIX3 technology supporting increased demand for high speed video and data connectivity up to 12 Gbps.The SC1701 features further evolved functions and performance for in-vehicle remote display applications, supporting up to one U-HD (4K) or two F-HD (2K) displays at 30bpp. The controller is capable of driving up to two TCON-less displays by its integrated TCON function. To support that, the device is capable of receiving two separate video streams over a single link. Its future-proof design supports through its video link up to 9,6 Gbps uncompressed or up to 28 Gbps compressed video by utilizing the VESA DSC compression method. The built-in HDCP decryption technology enables video content protection allowing high-value content for a richer user experience.The built-in Socionext SEERIS graphics processor provides 2D rendering with deep color (30bpp) support through its entire pipeline. In addition, it provides extended flexibility by its capture port through a MIPI-DSI2 or OpenLDI input interface.The featured MII/Ethernet interface allows bidirectional communication to utilize most of the capabilities provided by the APIX3 protocol. This allows video or auxiliary data originating from an Ethernet camera or a touch controller connected directly to the SC1701 to be streamed back to the central or head unit.Socionext paid special attention to implementing latest automotive safety functions which are necessary to meet the industry’s integrity requirements. The SC1701 Display Controller stands out through its diagnostic capabilities, the built-in multi window signature unit, its picture freeze detection feature and the multi-level CRC checks. In addition, it provides protection against illegal access, therefore, enhancing the security features and data integrity.Share this:TwitterFacebookLinkedInMoreRedditTumblrPinterestWhatsAppSkypePocketTelegram Tags: Chips & Components Continue Reading Previous The Benefits of C and C++ Compiler QualificationNext Lanner: IoT-ready solution for machine vision and physical security
Samsung’s 2017 flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8, was launched in India last year at around Rs 58,000. Around 14 months later, the smartphone can now be found for as low as Rs 38,000 on Paytm Mall. While the phone is actually listed at Rs 45,990, Paytm Mall is throwing in a cashback of Rs 8,000 as well via a promo code, which effectively brings the price of the Galaxy S8 down to Rs 37,990. This sounds like a pretty sweet deal considering all that tha flagship phone has to offer.There are a number of things to love about a phone that brings a near bezel-less Infinity Display along with top-notch hardware as well as some stellar cameras. At Rs 38,000, the Galaxy S8 sounds like a steal, or at least it would have been a clear choice for many had it been a few months ago. But now, the phone falls in the same segment as the OnePlus 6, which was launched in India a few weeks ago at an even lower price point of Rs 34,999. You also have the Honor 10, which is even more affordable at Rs 32,999. These are the phones Samsung’s Galaxy S8 will be competing against and here’s what you need to know.– The Galaxy S8 comes with a gorgeous design that includes curved glass on the front and back and a display that stretches edge-to-edge. Its probably one of the best designed phones in a while (carried forward by the Galaxy S9) and also comes in a compact form factor that makes it feel extremely good to hold. The OnePlus 6 also features an all-glass design, but its bigger and doesn’t quite match the Galaxy S8’s aesthetics. The Honor 10 comes with an aurora glass back is able to reflect light, resulting in a psychedelic colour scheme that looks stunning and is probably the closest to taking on the Galaxy S8 in the design depratment.advertisement– Out of the three phones, the Galaxy S8 is the only one to sport a 5.8-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display, which means colours look vivid and punchy and the deep blacks look great as well. The OnePlus 6 and Honor 10 only manage to bring Full HD+ displays, which may sound a bit disappointing on paper, but real-world usage will not disappoint. All three phones offer bright and vivid displays, but the Galaxy S8 probably gets an edge (quite literally) thanks to Samsung’s excellent panel. — That being said, the OnePlus 6 and Honor 10 come with notches that allow for a larger screen real estate, which may attract some consumers out there who prefer the 2018 industry trend. The Galaxy S8’s Infinity Display comes with symmetrical, narrow bezels on the top and bottom, which would please consumers looking for an affordable notch-less flagship right now.– The Galaxy S8 also comes with some really great cameras that outclass the OnePlus 6 and the Honor 10. The 12-megapixel ‘dual-pixel’ rear camera with f/1.7 aperture takes some great pictures in broad daylight and also does well in low-light and the same can be said about the front camera as well. At the time, the phone could easily take on the cameras on the Pixel and iPhone 7.– The OnePlus 6, on the other hand, doesn’t fall in the same ballpark as the Galaxy S8 when it comes to photography. OnePlus flagship manages to capture good shots outdoors with good colours and detail, but the phone fails in low-light conditions. Meanwhile, the Honor 10 gets a lot of AI help thanks to its chipset which helps capture better photos compared to the OnePlus 6. But the Honor 10 is only as good as its price tag and doesn’t come close to the Galaxy S8.– While the Galaxy S8 looks stunning and comes with exceptional cameras, the biggest issue with the flagship is its software. The phone was launched with Android 7.0 Nougat-based TouchWiz UI and received the Oreo update only a few months ago. While Samsung’s skin is a lot better compared to the olden days, it still comes with a lot of duplicate apps, which can start to weigh down the phone after a while.– The OnePlus 6 is the closest to stock Android among the three and offers an exceptionally smooth and responsive UI with a very light OxygenOS skin on top. It also ships with Oreo out-of-the-box and is guaranteed to get Android P in the future and possibly Android Q as well. The same cannot be said of the Galaxy S8, unfortunately, and timely security updates are also going to be an issue here, especially now that the phone has aged. Even the Honor 10 ships with Android 8.1 Oreo-based EMUI 8.1 which is pretty cluttered and confusing. So as far as latest, clutter-free and secure Android software goes, the OnePlus 6 takes the cake.advertisement — A good chipset is what drives the overall experience and the Galaxy S8 does come with last years flagship chipset – Exynos 8895. While not a Snapdragon SoC, the Exynos chip makes the Galaxy S8 feel smooth and is quite capable of handling intensive tasks. But we are in 2018 now and the chipset inevitably will be compared to the likes of the newer Snapdragon 845 that powers the OnePlus 6. In this battle, a dated chip like the Exynos 8895 will start to wane. The OnePlus 6 is the cheapest smartphone in India to sport the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset, making it a stellar option at Rs 34,999.– The OnePlus 6 is ridiculously fast and performs smoothly no matter what you throw at it. Whether it is graphic intensive games or multitasking, the OnePlus 6 will breeze through anything and a lot of the credit also goes to how well optimised the software and chipset are. The Honor 10 with a Kirin 970 chipset is also a snappy performer, but even this falls a little short of the Snapdragon 845 SoC.– The 3,000mAh battery inside the Galaxy S8 will make you want more after a day full of intensive usage. On an average, the phone should get you through the day but on other days you may find yourself reaching for the charger twice. The Honor 10 is also pretty much on the same boat here. Despite a larger 3,400mAh battery, the Honor 10 will find it difficult to go beyond a day. Again, its the OnePlus 6 that really manages battery life extremely well, promising a good day and a half worth of battery life even with intensive use.– In conclusion, the Galaxy S8 at Rs 38,000 is a fantastic deal if what you’re looking for is a stellar design, a gorgeous Quad HD+ display and exceptional cameras. But when it comes to software, chipset and battery life, the OnePlus 6 and Honor 10 are the better options and they also come in cheaper as well.ALSO READ: Is this Samsung Galaxy S10? Probably not, it’s too early to talk about next Galaxy
India rode on a defiant 146-run fifth wicket stand between half-centurions Ajinkya Rahane and Rishabh Pant to reach 308/4 and more importantly cut down the deficit to just 3 runs at stumps on Day 2 of the second Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday.At close of play, both Pant (85 not out) and Rahane (75 not out) closed in on their respective centuries even as the West Indian bowlers failed to keep the momentum of the second session, where they managed to take three key wickets of Prithvi Shaw (70), Cheteshwar Pujara (10) and skipper Virat Kohli (45).Resuming the final session at 173/4, Rahane and Pant mixed caution with calculative aggression to steady the ship after the middle-session scare.India vs West Indies 2nd Test Live Streaming: How to watch IND vs WI Live Streaming on Hotstar, JioTV and AirtelIndia vs West Indies 2nd Test live streaming from Hyderabad: Watch IND vs WI 2nd Test match free live streaming online: Watch IND vs WI Final Live on Hotstar, JioTV and Airtel TV.What time does the 2nd Test between India vs West Indies start?Day 3 of the first Test starts on 9:30 AM IST on October 14, Saturday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.What TV channel and live stream is the 2nd Test between India and West Indies Live Streaming on?Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD in English commentary and Star Sports 3 and Star Sports 3 HD in Hindi Commentary. Hotstar, JioTV and Airtel TV will live stream India vs West Indies match.Where will the 2nd Test between India and West Indies be played?advertisementThe 2nd Test between India and West Indies will be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad from 09:30 IST.Where can I watch the India vs West Indies 2nd Test live?The match will be shown in Star Sports network and can also be streamed on hotstar.com.Where can I check the online live updates of the India vs West Indies 2nd Test?You can follow our ball-by-ball-updates of the match between India vs West Indies from our live blog on indiatoday.in.What are the squads for the 2nd Test between India and West Indies?India: Prithvi Shaw, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Rishabh Pant (WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Shardul Thakur.West Indies: Kraigg Brathwaite, Kieran Powell, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Sunil Ambris, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich (WK), Jason Holder (C), Devendra Bishoo, Jomel Warrican, Shannon Gabriel.
Comebacks are hard, Saina Nehwal knows that.On Sunday at the Odense Sports Park in Denmark, six years on from her last and only title at the tournament, Saina had a chance at redemption.After spending the majority of the previous year proving her fitness post her horrific knee injury, her steep climb back to the top was made tougher still.After beating the likes of Nozomi Okuhara and Akane Yamaguchi in the round leading up to the final, Saina found Tai Tzu Ying in the waiting.The world No. 1 is a mirror of her former self, some say. Times have changed and history is unforgiving.Denmark Open final: HighlightsIn the final of the women’s singles, Saina got off to the worst possible start. A long lifted serve to begin the proceedings, was a bit too long.Then the Taiwanese took over. Dictating the pace of the game with ease, as the 27-year-old Saina found it difficult to match the pace of her much younger opponent.She did it again, play it long at the serve, to give Tai Tzu the opening going the break leading 11-5.Some wise words from her fiancee Parupalli Kashyap, who has slowly started to ease into coaching himself, reinvigorated her. She returned fighting and dialled up her aggression. A perfect body smash knocked back some spirit in her game.But she was still behind. Tai Tzu made sure it stayed that way and raced away to a 19-12 lead with a feigned cross-court drop as Saina slowly made her way over.The game finished 21-13 in favour of Tai Tzu.advertisementThey changed sides and Saina’s fortunes changed along with it. The Indian got off to fiery start, letting her smashes speak, even Tai Tzu herself looked on stunned.Saina had found her mojo back and more importantly her length. The drift from her end helping run riot against her 24 year old opponent from Taiwan.She went into the break with a lead of 11-5.She shrieked and shouted her way to comfortable lead with Tai Tzu eager to get the game over and done with. With every point she willed herself over to the side, as the smashes continued to rain down.The match was tied apiece as Saina took the second game 21-13. Kashyap sat stone-faced and at the end of the final point, got up and walked over with a smile.That was the last of smiles though, because as soon the third and last game started, it was clear for everyone who was winning.Tai Tzu had been playing with a steady pace, unwilling to play it long into the rally but rather more than happy to prance over to the net and get a point.If Saina had thought that was extent of her game, they were wrong. Tai Tzu moved into top gear and raced away to a comfortable 11-2 lead at the break.The calls of ‘come on’ and yeah from Saina had dried up…she knew what was coming and after nearly an hour of badminton, she contemplated giving up.Yet she did not, the fighter in her would not allow her. Huffing and puffing, clutching at thin air, Saina lost 21-6 to much younger, much better player.The last time Saina defeated Tai Tzu was back in 2013, much has changed since then and now with the win on Sunday it becomes the 11th straight victory for the Taiwanese over the Indian.
Soumya Sarkar struck a brilliant hundred while opener Imrul Kayes brought up his second century as Bangladesh thumped Zimbabwe by seven wickets to sweep the three-ODI series in Chittagong on Friday.Sarkar scored 117 in just 92 deliveries at a massive strike rate of 127.12 while Kayes scored 115 in 112 balls as the two combined for 220 runs, Bangladesh’s highest second wicket partnership, and helped their side chase a target of 287 runs in just 42.1 overs.Sean Williams’ career-best 129 not out and Brendon Taylor’s 75 went in vain as Zimbabwe were unable to defend their score of 286/5.Sarkar hit nine fours and six sixes in his 92 ball-117, his second century and the first after three years.Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 7 wickets in the third ODI and win the series by 3-0. pic.twitter.com/OpKRWXChE1Bangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) October 26, 2018He and in-form Kayes came together after fast bowler Kyle Jarvis struck in the first ball of Bangladesh’s innings, dismissing Liton Das for 0.Kayes followed up his career-best 144 and 90 with yet another century, his third and ended the series with 349, the second best in a three-match series, just behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam’s 360.As they set up the innings, Mushfiqur Rahim, unbeaten on 28, hit a six over deep mid-wicket to fittingly finish the game in a show of sheer domination.Earlier, Sean Williams and wicket-keeper Taylor’s 75 off 72 deliveries gave struggling Zimbabwe an impetus.Bangladesh need 287 runs to win the third ODI.To watch Zimbabwe tour of Bangladesh LIVE, Download the app from the links below and hit the LIVE Button.Android:https://t.co/gRrE3kJgYciOS:https://t.co/FfYlStljof #BANvZIM #Tigers #RiseOfTheTigers pic.twitter.com/uh15N08zImadvertisementBangladesh Cricket (@BCBtigers) October 26, 2018Bangladesh reduced Zimbabwe to 6/2 in three overs, after Mashrafe Mortaza opted to bowl first, keeping the dew factor in mind.Mixed with caution and aggression, Williams and Taylor shared a 132-run for the third wicket stand before the latter perished to a slog sweep against left-arm spinner Nazmul Islam Apu.Williams went on to play till the last and got a support in Sikandar Raza (40) and Peter Moor (28) with whom he further shared 84 and 62 runs to keep the side aloft.But Bangladesh bowlers bowled in disciplined manner towards the end to prevent Zimbabwe from going past 300 runs.Nazmul Islam claimed 2/58 while pace bowlers Abu Haider and Saifuddin took one apiece.(With AP inputs)
The Kerala CBSE School Management Association expelled Indira Rajan, the general secretary of the management, and the working president, G Rajmohan, from their posts following an allegation of financial mishandling, as per a TOI report.The association blamed them for organising a sports meet without CBSE’s permission and sent letters to the CBSE schools in the name of the organisation.What did the accused say?The duo who were accused said that they collected participation charges from the schools on their own accord.The duo has also promised a certificate that would be of advantage to the participating students.According to the president of the association, TPM Ibrahim Khan, they were planning to organise a similar event once again this year.About the money transaction Associate President Ibrahim Khan said that the money was not transferred from official accounts of the sports council.Indira Rajan refused the allegations and said that the organising committee is responsible for every single transaction and every account has been settled.She said in a statement that she is personally not a party to any collection or disbursement of funds.She also confirmed that she is open to discussions on the matter in an open forum of CBSE.Also read: CBSE CTET 2018: Qualified candidates to get their marksheet on DigilockerRead: Dalai Lama to address Mumbai students on ‘Concept of Maitri in Buddhism’ during visit
4th Test, Day 3 Scores(Full scorecard)Brief scores:India 622 for 7 declared (Pujara 193, Pant 159 not out, Jadeja 81, Lyon 4 for 178)Australia 236 for 6 (Harris 79, Handscomb 28 not out, Cummins 25 not out, Kuldeep 3 for 71)Australia trail India by 386 runsBatting great Ricky Ponting has heaped rich praise on Rishabh Pant, saying the India wicketkeeper-batsman has a good game sense and that he has the potential to play a lot of Test matches for the Asian giants.Ponting, who had worked with Rishabh Pant during Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 season at Delhi Capitals, is also confident that the 21-year-old will score more Test centuries than his celebrated senior India teammate, MS Dhoni.Ponting’s comments come after Rishabh Pant slammed his first century in Australia during Day 2 of the ongoing fourth Test between India and Australia in Sydney. The left-hander made a well-paced and unbeaten 159 as the visitors posted a mammoth total of 622 for 7 (declared) in the first innings.”He [Pant] is a real talent and an incredibly good ball striker. He has got a really good game sense as well. I have been lucky enough to coach him at Delhi,” Ponting told cricket.com.au.”We talk about MS Dhoni all the time and his impact on Indian cricket. He played a lot of Tests for India but made only six Test hundreds. This kid (Rishabh Pant) will make a lot more Test hundreds than that.”He has already scored his second Test ton and a couple of 90s to go with it. Look he is someone who could play a lot of Test cricket for India across formats. Pant is only 21 and is already into his ninth Test.”advertisementPant, who was fast-tracked into Test cricket, showed he is learning quickly when he curbed his natural instincts and ground down the Australian bowlers before going big on Friday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.Pant, as pointed out by Ponting, has scored two Test centuries from eight matches after making his debut in England last year. The youngster became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score a century on Australian soil when he reached the three-figure mark at the SCG.On the other hand, Dhoni, who had retired from Test cricket in 2014, amassed 4876 runs at 38.09 from 90 Tests, in which he scored only six centuries.Pant has to work on his keeping: PontingPonting also likened Rishabh Pant to Adam Gilchrist, saying that the India wicketkeeper is being compared to the wicket-keeping great back in Australia.”He has got to do a bit of work on his keeping and he will also become a better batsman. We talk about him in the commentary box and he is sort of like another Adam Gilchrist,” Ponting said.Notably, former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin told Sports Tak on Friday that Pant reminds him of Gilchrist.”Rishabh Pant batted really well but needs to improve his wicketkeeping. I was surprised that he hit only one six in his unbeaten knock. But he played very well and I feel India have found a batsman similar to Adam Gilchrist,” Azharuddin said.Also Watch | Cheteshwar Pujara and Rishabh Pant sign SCG honours board after sensational hundredsAlso Read | Australia batsmen have made too many mistakes vs India: Ricky PontingAlso Read | Rishabh Pant’s perfect birthday gift for his mother: A record-breaking hundredAlso See:
Virat Kohli scored yet another hundred in a successful run chase which didn’t really come as a surprise to anybody as he has been doing it for so long now but in a bizarre coincidence, it was for the third time in consecutive years that the Indian captain crossed triple figures on the same date i.e January 15.Kohli posted his 39th ODI century, his 24th in a second innings and his sixth against Australia, to lead a perfectly measured run chase which saw India surpass Australia’s total of 298-9 with four balls to spare on Tuesday.The last two years also saw Kohli scoring his first international hundred of the year on the exact same date.In 2017, Kohli had led India to a three-wicket win over England in the first ODI of the three-match series on January 15.Chasing a mammoth target of 351 for victory, Kohli paired with Kedar Jadhav to add 200 runs for the fifth wicket as India took 48.1 overs to win the match.Do Not Miss: Meet Chahal TV’s debutant – Captain @imVkohliIn our fun segment, we get the Indian captain talking about his 39th ODI ton, the @msdhoni finish & a lot more – by @RajalAroraFull Video Link https://t.co/Am0NCYFqs7 pic.twitter.com/GPtmNjfOCCBCCI (@BCCI) January 15, 2019Kohli had top-scored in that match with 122 runs while Jadhav made 120 as India took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The hosts went on to win the series after beating England in the second match by 15 runs while the Eoin Morgan-led side registered a consolation win in the third ODI.advertisementA year later, Kohli travelled to South Africa with the Indian team on his first big overseas assignment as India captain for a three-match Test series.He failed to get going in the first Test in Cape Town which India lost by 72 runs but bounced back in the second Test with 153 runs on the third day of the second Test, which again was his first hundred of the year and came on January 15.But the failure of the other batsmen in the team let India down as they lost the match by 135 runs to concede a 0-2 lead in the three-match series. India fought hard in the third and final Test, winning by 63 runs on a treacherous Johannesburg pitch to register a famous win on South African soil.Then on Tuesday (January 15, 2019), Kohli top-scored with 104 runs as India chased down a challenging total at the Adelaide Oval.Watch the full highlights from another ODI masterclass by Virat Kohli – his 39th(!) ODI hundred! pic.twitter.com/L2d2fciApmcricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 16, 2019He put on 82 in 13 overs in a critical partnership for the fourth wicket with MS Dhoni (55 not out), which steered India at a cautious pace towards a winning total but he was out at a critical moment, with his team still needing 57 from 38 balls.Former captain Dhoni played a subdued role in support of his successor Kohli as two players with the joint experience of more than 550 ODIs steadily chipped away at Australia’s total.With Kohli’s untimely dismissal, Dhoni took up the chase and carried India to a victory which will see the series decided on Friday in the third one-day international at Melbourne.Also Read | MS Dhoni talks a lot while batting and that helps: Virat KohliAlso Read | Virat Kohli will score 100 international hundreds if he stays fit: Mohammed AzharuddinAlso Read | Justin Langer in awe of Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni after India win Adelaide ODIAlso Read | Virat Kohli scores 39th ODI hundred: Shane Warne leads tributes for the King
Super-sub Naorem Mahesh Singh struck late in the match as Shillong Lajong FC stunned defending champions Minerva Punjab FC 1-0 for only their second win of the ongoing I League season, in Chandigarh on Friday.Mahesh Singh scored in the 84th minute even as Lajong goalkeeper Phurba Tempa Lachenpa was adjudged the Hero of the Match.Shillong Lajong, placed at the bottom of the points table.The result means that it is the eighth consecutive game for the defending champions where they haven’t been able to secure a win.The hosts, who made some interesting moves through both sides of the flank, couldn’t really find success partly due to lack of a good finish, and partly due to the observant and strong defense line of Lajong.Minerva, however, managed to break into the opposition box a few times, but couldn’t really make the most of all the opportunities that they were presented with.On the other hand, while Shillong made a limited number of moves but their attacks were more organised. However, their problems were similar to Minerva lack of a good finish.Shillong, however, got very close to taking the lead when an attempt from Khongsit from inside the box into the Minerva goal was beautifully defended by the hosts in the 31st minute.This was the closest chance that came by for the visitors who otherwise couldn’t really create any clear chance to score. The first half came to an end with both sides unable to break the deadlock.advertisementThe second half began with defending champions pressing hard from the first minute, but credit to Lajong’s goalkeeper Lachenpa and their defense for not providing any clear opportunity to the hosts.In the 56th minute, Shillong brought in Naorem Mahesh Singh, replacing Samuel Lalmuanpuia and that brought around a sea change to the visitors’ attacking style.Mahesh in combination with Khongsit made continuous attempts, finding ways into the Minerva box, but their lack of a good finish barred them from taking the lead.Shillong really came close to score again in the 75th minute when Kitboklang Pale made a brilliant run from the center line to play a beautiful pass to Khongsit inside the Minerva box, but to Shillong’s disappointment, the latter could not contain his shot, which went wide, denying the young visitors another clear chance to score.Minerva, who were attacking at short intervals, seemed scattered as most of their attempts were nulled by Shillong defenders.Shillong’s attacking game, which was already troubling the Minerva defense, finally yielded results in the 84th minute when an attentive Mahesh Singh found the back of the net, scoring on a rebound from Minerva goalkeeper Nidhin Lal. The rebound was a result of a shot from Sheen that Nidhin saved but failed to collect safely.Shillong attempted to double their lead in the 88th minute but Pale’s attempt was beautifully saved by Nidhin Lal. PTI AT AT
The Committee of Administrators (CoA) and the BCCI have not prepared any note seeking a ban on Pakistan at the upcoming World Cup and even if such a move is made, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is bound to reject it.The Pulwama terror attack, that claimed the lives of over 40 CRPF personnel, has escalated the diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, the reverberations of which are also being felt in the sporting arena.Already, Pakistani shooters couldn’t make the World Cup in Delhi, starting Saturday, after not getting visas. And there is a demand for India to boycott its June 16 World Cup clash against the neighbours and the matter is likely to come up on the sidelines of the ICC meetings between February 27 to March 2 in Dubai.”There is absolutely no constitutional or contractual way this could happen. The ICC constitution allows members the right to participate in ICC events as long as they’ve qualified,” a BCCI official told PTI.Amid the spiralling speculation, the CoA, comprising Chairman Vinod Rai and former women’s captain Diana Edulji, will be meeting in Delhi on Friday to discuss the issue of multiple bodies claiming representation of Uttarakhand. But the Pakistan conundrum is likely to cast a shadow on what was to be a routine meet.”We will discuss all possible options tomorrow and do what is best for the country,” Edulji told PTI.A top BCCI source said even if a note is sent and the ICC agrees to put it out in front of member boards for a vote, India is unlikely to find any support from other nations.advertisement”In case India writes to ICC for Pakistan’s removal, then we have to build consensus first to move a resolution at it’s Annual Board Meeting in April. We no longer enjoy majority in the ICC board right now. If this goes for floor test we are certain to lose,” he said.”Not only that, serious doubts will emerge on our chances to host 2021 Champions Trophy and 2023 World Cup,” he added.The call to boycott Pakistan has been made by some prominent voices such as senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and former captain and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Sourav Ganguly.Among the current players, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and pacer Mohammed Shami have called for decisive action to deal with terror strikes carried out by Pakistan-based terror groups.Also Read | Diana Edulji denies differences with Vinod Rai on ousting Pakistan from Cricket World CupAlso Read | India can try and throw Pakistan out of World Cup but it won’t happen: Sunil GavaskarAlso Read | Sunil Gavaskar to Imran Khan: You are my friend. Where is Naya Pakistan?
Cristiano Ronaldo is “1,000 percent” certain to remain at Juventus, he said after they clinched the Serie A title on Saturday with a 2-1 win over Fiorentina.Ronaldo, dismissing suggestions that he could cut short his three-year contract, said he was delighted to have won Serie A at the first attempt, adding to his three English Premier League titles with Manchester United and two La Liga crowns with Real Madrid.”I’m really happy to have won the Italian title in my first season here. It has been a great season for this Juventus, we also won the Italian Supercup,” said the Portuguese forward, who has scored 19 league goals.”We didn’t do so well in the Champions League but there is always next year,” he added. “I will stay, 1,000 percent.”Defender Leonardo Bonucci, meanwhile, explained how Juventus had managed to bounce back from their shock Champions League quarter-final exit against Ajax on Tuesday when they lost 2-1 at home and went out 3-2 on aggregate.”I’m sorry about the Champions but we transformed the disappointment into anger and energy. This scudetto, the eighth in a row, is something unique,” he said. “We really want to celebrate, this success makes the season’s sacrifice all worth it.Coach Massimiliano Allegri said winning with five games to spare was a “testimony to our great season”.”We put aside the elimination that brought us disappointment and bitterness. Fortunately, we had this match that allowed us to close the championship,” said the 51-year-old who has been in charge for the last five campaigns.advertisementAllegri said his team, who fell behind after six minutes, needed to deal better with setbacks.”We came from Tuesday’s disappointment, then entered the field and conceded a goal,” he said. “We have to work on dealing with the unexpected, on Tuesday we suffered four devastating counter-attacks, today we did the same after we conceded the goal.”He said injuries had prevented Juventus from producing better performances.”In general, during the season, we were unable to find continuity,” he said. “There were constant new injuries and recurring fitness problems, so at times I had only 14 players to train with. Despite it all, we won by a big advantage.”Also Read | Arsenal, Chelsea reach Europa League semi-finals after hard-fought winsAlso Read | My players are heroes: Pochettino after Tottenham stun Man City in Champions LeagueAlso Watch:
Chennai has lost out on hosting Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 final due to the long-standing issue surrounding the empty stands at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad has been selected to host the big final on May 12.The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has not been given permission to open the I, J and K stands at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The TNCA has not been able to produce fit ceterificate for the three stands since 2012. The three stands, with a capactiy of close to 8,000 fans, has remained closed over the last few seasons.Nonetheless, the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will host the Qualifier 1 on May 7.”We had to shift the matches from Chennai to Hyderabad after TNCA intimated us that they have not procured the requisite permission to open the three stands I, J and K,” Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai told PTI on Monday.”Since the gate sales of the knock-out matches is BCCI’s prerogative, we had to take a call. We would be having two knock-out matches in Vizag,” he added.Meanwhile, the Qulafier 2 and the Elimiator will be held in Visakhapatnam on May 8 and May 10. While the two matches were initially scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, the city will witness Assembly elections on May 6, 10 and 14.Meanwhile, the exhibition T20 matches involving women’s teams will be played in Jaipur from May 6 to May 10. Apart from Trailblazers and Supernovas who had played last season, Velocity, a third team, has also been added to make it a three-team touranment.advertisementAlso Read | IPL 2019: MS Dhoni career-best in vain, RCB beat CSK in thrillerAlso Read | We need to bat well at the top: MS Dhoni after 1-run lossAlso Read | IPL 2019: Shakib to skip Bangladesh World Cup camp to stay with Sunrisers HyderabadAlso Watch | Love the energy of the Indian players in the IPL before World Cup: Virat Kohli
India international Udanta Singh feels that the Kings Cup tournament in Thailand next month will be a chance to show the upward graph in national team’s performance after its creditable show at the Asian Cup earlier this year.The Indian team was on the verge of making to the knock-out rounds of the Asian Cup in the UAE in January before a late goal by Bahrain dashed its hopes. The team will play in the Kings Cup starting June 5 in Thailand.”In the AFC Asian Cup, we showed what we are capable of. We were unlucky not to progress through to the next round. But our win over Thailand was a statement of our abilities as a young team,” Udanta said.”We can only go upwards from here and the Kings Cup will be another good platform to grow,” the India winger was quoted as saying by the official website of the All India Football Federation.India play Caribbean nation Curacao in their opening match of the King’s Cup on June 5 at Buriram, Thailand.The fleet-footed Manipuri said strength and conditioning plays a major role in the off-season and one can exceed his athletic capabilities with a proper programme when not engaged with football.”I took a couple of days off, and I got right back into the grind. I try to train daily, and do some sort of strength and conditioning or stretching daily so as to not only exceed my athletic capabilities but be in better physical form once the seasons starts,” he said.advertisement”It really depends what you want to do in the off-season. You can relax, or you can put the work in and get ready for the next season. I prefer the latter.”Also Read | Chennaiyin FC face Abahani Dhaka in their first away match of AFC CupAlso Read | arcelona likely to make renewed bid for Atletico Madrid’s Antoine GriezmannAlso See:
Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa was all praise for Afghanistan cricket team and said that Afghanistan will cause some upsets in the ongoing World Cup.His remarks come after Australia’s seven-wicket win over Afghanistan on Saturday at Bristol.”I think they are going to cause some upsets. They came out today and played some fearless cricket. They could have been in their shell, but everyone has been talking about them so much lately about how much they have improved and, to be fair, they have,” International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Zampa as saying on Saturday.”They lost wickets at times when they wouldn’t have wanted to, but the middle order came out and kept swinging and playing shots. The wicket today probably didn’t suit them as much as it might later down the track. The ball skidded on a bit,” he added.After electing to bat first, Afghanistan could only score 207 runs. But at one point the team was struggling at 77 for five. Late order blitz from skipper Gulbadin Naib and Rashid Khan allowed Afghanistan to post a respectable score on the board.Afghanistan’s spin bowling attack has always been a strength for them and Zampa opined that if Afghanistan can put up scores of above 250, then they will be a force to be reckoned with.”With the aggressive mindset with the bat, if they can get anywhere around the 250, 260, 270, with their bowling attack later down the track in the World Cup they definitely will cause some upsets. The wicket today probably didn’t suit them as much as it might later down the track. The ball skidded on a bit,” Zampa said.advertisementAustralia chased down the target reasonably easily as both David Warner and Aaron Finch struck the fifties.Afghanistan next takes on Sri Lanka on June 4 whereas Australia faces West Indies on June 6.Also Read | Salaam Cricket 2019: Full guest list, session names and timingAlso Read | Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan reveal the funniest sledges by Indian playersAlso See
Lionel Messi has regretted Argentina’s loss in their Copa America opener against Colombia and said that the team must take in the positive aspects of the match and guaranteed that there would be many chances to qualify for the quarter-finals.”It will take us a while to assimilate this defeat and accept it,” said Messi on Saturday, who is also the captain of the team, as he discussed the 0-2 defeat to Colombia on the first day of matches in Group B, which also includes Paraguay and Qatar.”You have to take the positive things from the mistakes made,” Messi said after the match that was played at the Fonte Nova Arena stadium in Salvador in northeastern Brazil, reports Efe news.The Barcelona star said he regretted the fact that the two goals scored by Colombia — in the 70th and 86th minutes — occurred at a time when, in his opinion, Argentina was playing better.”We have to think about getting up fast. There are still a lot of chances to qualify,” he added.For Messi, the team coached by Lionel Scaloni must “raise its head and move on”.Argentina’s journey in the group stage will end against Qatar in Porto Alegre on June 23, a day before Messi turns 32 years old.Also Read | Philippe Coutinho scores a double as Brazil beat Bolivia in Copa America openerAlso Read | Eden Hazard fuels ‘Galacticos’ expectations at Real MadridAlso See
It was called a game-changing moment of brilliance but New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill says his direct that ran out MS Dhoni in the World Cup semifinal against India was more a case of luck doing its bit for him.With that run out in the 49th over, India’s hopes ended in the tense semifinal at Old Trafford on Wednesday. The former champions went down by 18 runs against the last edition’s finalists.”I did not think the ball was actually coming to me, I tried to get there as soon as I could. Once I got hold of the ball, I thought it was actually quite straight. Lucky enough to get a direct hit from out there, lucky for us he was out of his ground,” Guptill said in a short video uploaded by the ICC on social media.Guptil had endured a below-par World Cup with the bat before this run-out redeemed him to an extent.It was that moment of brilliance which tilted the game completely in New Zealand’s favour with Dhoni getting out on 50 off 72 balls.Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja shared an 116-run stand for the seventh wicket to give India a fighting chance after a top-order collapse left them reeling at 24 for four.Also Read | World Cup 2019: India players to leave for Mumbai on July 14Also Read | Ravi Shastri defends decision to send MS Dhoni at No. 7 vs New ZealandAlso Read | Ravi Shastri to Team India after World Cup exit: Be proud of what you have done for the last 2 yearsadvertisement