Deccan Chronicle - Sports

IDEA inks sponsporship deal with Chargers

publisher@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

IDEA Cellular on Tuesday announced a multi-year sponsorship agreement with reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) champions, Deccan Chargers.

IDEA Cellular will be the principal partner of Deccan Chargers, starting with the third edition of IPL T20 Cricket Tournament, scheduled to start from March 2010, the company said in a statement.

During IPL 3, all 27 players of the team, along with the c

Force India unveils new car

publisher@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Force India on Tuesday unveiled its VJM03 car for the 2010 Formula One season, claiming that the newly-designed vehicle will be fit for all types of circuits unlike last year's VJM02 which was quicker on low downforce tracks.

Force India's chairman Vijay Mallya said his team is looking forward to a strong performance right from the start of the year in Bahrain.

"I don't think I am being over

India at 162/4, trail by 163 runs

publisher@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Following on, India were 162 for four in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day of the first cricket Test against South Africa on Tuesday.

Sachin Tendulkar (77) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (9) were at the crease.

India still trail by 163 runs.

Prakash out of singles event of Italy ATP Challenger

publisher@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

India's singles challenge ended at the euro 425,000 ATP Challenger event here with the first round defeat of Prakash Amritraj.

The unseeded Indian went down fighting 5-7 6-1 5-7 against local wild card Marco Crugnola in the opening round.

Prakash got no ranking points but earned euro 440.

The doubles event of the same tournament will see Prakash and Harsh Mankad competing with their respe

Follow-on Steyn on India

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: South African speed merchants Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel served up the exact ingredients the pampered Indian batting order dislikes. Swift through the air, a probing length and disconcerting bounce from a three-quarter length were mixed in the right proportions to leave India in disarray in the first Test here on Monday.
Following-on after being bowled out for 233, India lost openers Vir

Injured Lee may hang up boots

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: His international career derailed by one injury breakdown after another, Australian pacer Brett Lee says he is unsure about his future and may never bowl again.
After coach Tim Neilson virtually shut the Test door on Lee by saying that his future lay in ODIs, the 33-year-old pacer said he might be forced to make the hard choice if he fails to recover completely from the elbow surgery he

Rajasthan Royals go for global tie-up

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: Indian Premier League team Rajasthan Royals on Monday revealed first global franchise in T20 cricket at Lord’s in London on Monday.
Under the banner of the Royals 2020, Rajasthan Royals along with England’s Hampshire county cricket club T20 team, South Africa’s Cape Cobras, Trinidad and Tobago and an Australian domestic cricket team will join forces to create the world’s first gl

Reverse swing is key: Dale

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: The sight of Dale Steyn rushing in with rhythm and purpose is starting to become one of the endearing images of modern day cricket. Batting units around the world are finding it increasingly difficult to find solutions to his searing speed, movement and swing. The seven-wicket hero spoke to reporters after another rewarding day in office. Excerpts:
On the plan after tea: Van Zyl (team coa

Viru hopeful of hosts’ fightback

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: It took S. Badrinath, 10 years of hard toil on the domestic scene, 22 hundreds and stages in life where he had to fight self-doubt before arriving on the Test scene. Having earned his right to Test cricket the hard way, the Tamil Nadu batsman was not going to let the chance go by easily. The situation was shaky, the bowling close to hostile but Badri does what he does best — hang in.

‘Drogba’llistic missiles sink Gunners

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-0 to stay ahead of Manchester United in the race for the Premier League title.
Didier Drogba scored twice in the first 23 minutes to establish a dominance that Arsenal was unable to overturn despite an improved second-half performance.
Victory lifted the Blues to 58 points, two more than defending champion United and nine more than third-place Arsenal. After losi

Coach, team want captain replaced

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: In a move that could mean curtains for Rajpal Singh as skipper, striker Prabhjot Singh on Monday got a “green signal” from chief coach Jose Brasa and the 18-member World Cup squad, backing the former to lead the side instead. The development comes two days after Hockey India named Rajpal as skipper despite Brasa picking Prabhjot for the job.
Brasa called an emergency team meeting her

Steyn bowls SA to victory

publisher@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

South Africa defeated India by an innings and six runs on the fourth day of the first cricket Test on Tuesday.

Following on, India were bowled out for 319 runs with Sachin Tendulkar scoring 100.

Harbhajan Singh (39), Wriddhiman Saha (36), Zaheer Khan (33) came up with useful contributions, but India folded up in 107.1 overs.

Boxing trio bag gold, tally soars

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: Indian boxing trio of Chhote Lal, Suranjoy Singh and Amandeep Singh further swelled country’s medal tally on the penultimate day when each of them clinched gold in their respective categories at the 11th South Asian Games here on Monday.
Chhote Lal bagged gold in 57kg category, while Suranjoy and Amandeep won in 51kg and 48kg categories, respectively. With the top pugilists busy prepari

Morova Goodtimes, Desert Rule please

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: Morova Goodtimes and Desert Rule impressed the most in the workouts when the following horses were exercised on the trial track here on Monday.
Outer sand:
600 metres: A 2-year-old by Bees Prospector-Tactful (rb), Chronicle (rb) 44. Another Destiny (rb) 46.5. Sky Drive (rb) 46.
1000 metres: Morova Goodtimes (S. John) 1-9, 600/42.5, excelled. My Friend Paul (A. Velu) 1-13.5, 600/45.

Guiding Light, Al Jadeed work attractively

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: Guiding Light and Al Jadeed pleased when the following horses were exercised here on Monday.
Sand:
800 metres: Grand Rapids (Ali Khan) 1-2, 600 in 44, easy. Art Connoisseur (Fentiman) 1-2, 600 in 45,unextended. Mighty Prince (Fentiman), Essence (Ali Khan) 59.5, 600 in 42, they moved together. Seno Rita (RB), Aadya Aadya Aadya (Nitin) 59, 600 in 43, they were handy. La Lapitus (Fentiman)

Pak leave out coach, Akmal

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: Pakistan on Monday left out coach Intikhab Alam and wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal from its 14-man side to face England in two Twenty20 matches.
There is speculation Alam will be sacked over Pakistan’s humiliating 3-0 Test and 5-0 one-day series whi-tewash in Australia last mo-nth, but a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official denied he had been dismissed. “Alam is not sacked. Ther

Nidhi, Nova cruise into 2nd round

publisher2@dc.com — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Feb. 8: Nidhi Chilumula of Andhra Pradesh advanced to the next round defeating Gujarat’s Saadgi Rajani 6-1, 6-4 in the women’s singles of the Nawab Moin-ud-Dowla Trophy national tennis tournament, being held at the Secunderabad Club here on Monday.
Top players Nova Patel and Sonia Dayal sailed into second round. While Nova downed Prerana Prathap of Karnatak 6-1, 6-2, Sonia packed off Haryana

Sachin to be part of revised version of 'Phir Mile Sur'

publisher@dc.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

New Delhi: With the new avatar of the popular 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara' song, which won the hearts of millions of Indians in '90s, getting a lukewarm response, its makers are planning a revised version featuring Sachin Tendulkar and some other cricket icons.

The new version 'Phir Mile Sur' which was launched on January 26, has received mixed reactions from people and critics alike, with the main

India all out for 233, SA enforce follow-on

publisher@dc.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

India were all out for 233 runs in their first innings, in reply to South Africa's 558 for six, after tea on the third day of the first cricket Test on Monday. South Africa have enforced the follow-on.

Virender Sehwag was the top scorer with 109 and Subramaniam Badrinath made 56. For South Africa, fast bowler Dale Steyn picked up seven for 51.

Sehwag, Badrinath steady Indian innings

publisher@dc.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Virender Sehwag scored a brisk century while Subramaniam Badrinath made an unbeaten half century on debut to steady Indian innings at tea on the third day of the first cricket Test against South Africa on Monday.

Sehwag scored 109 off 139 balls with 15 fours before being dismissed by left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell. But that was the only wicket India lost in the second session.

India reached 2

Sreesanth likely to return for Kolkata Test

publisher@dc.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Kerala pacer S Sreesanth is likely to play in the second Test match of the ongoing series between India and South Africa.

Sreesanth is expected to undergo a fitness test on February 10.

He was left out of the squad for the Nagpur Test due to a hamstring injury that he got during the series against Bangladesh.

India plays the second Test against South Africa in Kolkata from February 14.

Sehwag's half century keeps India afloat

publisher@dc.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

South Africa struck three blows before Virender Sehwag's defiant half century helped India reach 119 for three in reply to the visitors' mammoth first innings score of 558 at lunch on the third day of the first Test on Monday.

The pace duo of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel dished out fiery spells to dismiss in-form opener Gautam Gambhir, Murali Vijay and ace batsman Sachin Tendulkar cheaply before

Amla double gives India headache

publisher1@dc.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

NAGPUR, Feb. 7: Against an attack that predominantly lacked imagination and appeared listless for much of the day, Hashim Amla constructed an innings of epic proportions to help South Africa to a massive 558/6 declared at the VCA Stadium here on Sunday. During the course of his unbeaten 253 (675m, 473b, 22x4), Amla erased a few South African records in India.

Game still wide open, says Gary

publisher1@dc.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

NAGPUR, Feb. 7: India’s spinners found reasonable success in keeping the run rate down on Day Two of the first Test against South Africa here on Sunday. The target could have been far steeper had the methods adopted by the visitors been positive. But thanks to a more disciplined effort with the ball the run flow was stemmed.

“From 291/2 we had to get wickets or keep the run rate down to a r

IPL must feature the best: Azhar

publisher1@dc.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0530

Washington, Feb. 7: Backing Shah Rukh Khan on the Pakistani players’ participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL), cricketer-turned-politician Mohammed Azharuddin said the Twenty20 event should feature the world’s best players irrespective of their nationality.

“I feel all the good players from different countries should participate in such a big tournament,” Azharuddin said.