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Dec 182012
 

Chennai: Rado is the new Official Timekeeper of the Aircel Chennai Open 2013 which will be held from 31st December 2012 to 6th January 2013 at the SDAT Stadium in Chennai. This is the 18th edition of the tournament and promises to be the best yet with a field consisting of top international tennis stars.

Rado, which has been associated with the ATP World Tour and other international events in tennis, has come on board as Official Time Keeper of Aircel Chennai Open 2013 for the first time. A prominent sponsor and leading official timekeeper in international tennis for more than two decades, Rado is synonymous with precision timing in its products and on the courts.

As the Official Timekeeper, Rado will provide timing and scorekeeping services through the Aircel Chennai Open 2013, guaranteeing the precision and reliability of results. The displays on the Rado corner clocks will ensure that spectators across the world can follow each match and service speeds through the tournament.

Aircel Chennai Open 2013 will see in action an impressive line-up of Indian and International players including Tomas Berdych, Janko Tipsarevic, Marin Cilic and Stanislas Wawrinka, who are among the top 20 players in the world.

Ashu Jindal, COO, IMG Reliance said,” We are delighted to have a global brand like Rado associating with Aircel Chennai Open 2013 as the Official Timekeeper. Rado has long been associated with tennis and we are proud that they have decided to partner with Aircel Chennai Open.

We are excited and definitely looking forward for a strong and successful long-term association.”

By Indian Sports News Network

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Dec 182012
 

Indian players who disappointed the most in the series loss against EnglandEven though Indian cricket team had lots of forgettable moments in the past one and half year or so, the last one month period is something that they will want to wipe off from their memory chamber very soon.  

After a 0-4 whitewash against England last season, this series was seen as a grudge series and India indeed did start as favorite. Pundits termed England as the underdog team and taking into consideration men in blue record at home, one can only say that it was fair enough.

India were on course of exacting their revenge and beat England by nine wickets in the first Test at Ahmedabad. But the visitors scripted a remarkable comeback and won both the following matches in Mumbai and Kolkata.

1-2 down in the series, India started off well in the Nagpur match but then English players showed great character to shut any chances of an Indian comeback and did well exceptionally well to draw the match and win the series.

The series win has now helped England break their 28-year jinx on Indian soil; last time an English side won a series was in 1984-85. This is also for the first time that India lost a series at home in eight years, last time was in 2004-05 against Australia.

Indian team failed collectively in the series and it is a very herculean task to push them on the back-foot in these conditions.

India had many players who disappointed right through the series and let us take a look at them:

Sachin Tendulkar: The master blaster had been going through a very poor form and critics were after him. But more than anyone else, he had to prove a point to himself that he still belongs to international cricket. But he failed miserably in the series making calls for his retirement stronger than ever. In the six innings, he just scored 112 runs at an average of 18.66 including one half century. It has now been two years that maestro has not scored a Test century.

Yuvraj Singh: Yuvraj Singh who was making a comeback into the Test cricket after a long sabbatical flopped comprehensively in the series. Yuvraj made a earned a place in the team owing to his double century in the Duleep Trophy. He scored a brilliant half century in the first innings of the first Test and it looked like finally he would be would be able to cement his place in the team. But unfortunately, he could hang sustain his form. He was at sea in the subsequent innings and eventually was dropped from the fourth Test. He scored 125 runs in five innings at an average of 25 including an half century.

Ravichandran Ashwin: Ravichandran Ashwin’s recent performances in the longer version of the game made him the most important bowler for India in the series. He was expected to be the trump card for Dhoni, but he disappointed with his bowling. He flattered to deceive in the series and took only 14 wickets at an average of 52.64. His best bowling in the series has been 3-80. He however impressed everyone with his batting but then the team wanted him to deliver with the ball.

Zaheer Khan: The senior Indian bowler was woeful in the series. He never got it right in the series and his bad form prompted the selectors to drop him from the last match at Nagpur. In the three matches that he played, he just took four wickets bowling at an average of 53.25.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni: The series gone by raises serious doubts on his captaincy. After the success of the spinners in the first match, he was actually vocal about playing on rank turners and the idea cost him a lot. The complacency hurt India a lot and English spinners ran riot whereas Indian spinners were kept at bay. Also his decision making comes under scrutiny especially his idea of playing three spinners in Mumbai and Nagpur. It back-fired for India and it is only Dhoni who is to be blamed for it. Even his approach was far too defensive and he actually waited for England to make mistakes and hardly was seen taking any initiatives.

By Indian Sports News Network

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mahendra singh dhoni
ravichandran ashwin
sachin tendulkar
yuvraj singh
zaheer khan

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Dec 182012
 

Dipika Pallikal first Indian to break into top tenNew Delhi: Ace Indian squash player Dipika Pallikal won her first round match at the World Open in Grand Cayman island in the Caribbean.

Pallikal defeated Malaysian qualifier Delia Arnold 13-11, 11-9, 11-9 in a hard fought match.

The 10th seeded Indian started the match a bit slowly and ended up losing the opening game. She came back strongly in the following two games to seal the match.

Pallikal will now face world No.2 Raneem El Weleily.

By Indian Sports News Network

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dipika pallikal
world open

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Dec 182012
 

Sachin TendulkarThe fourth and the final Test match between India and England being played at Nagpur ended in a draw. England won the series 2-1 and ended their 28 years old draught. Looking back at the series it will be fair to say that England were the better side out of the two and deserved to win the match.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni after the match said that the better team won. He also noted the fact that England was well balanced and won precious moments of the series.

No one could have predicted the result after what happened in Ahmedabad. But the English side showed why they are such a force in Test cricket. They played some incredible cricket to win the next two Tests of the series. Even in this match, England played very well to secure a draw and ensured that there was no coming back for the home team.

So, the embarrassment continues for MS Dhoni and his men. Indian team have to go under a reality check after this result because the team looks to have more problems than answers.

Let’s now have a look at some of the hits and flops from both teams in the Nagpur Test:

India:

Hits:

Virat Kohli: Kohli was struggling in the series and questions were asked about his temperament for the longer version of the game. Kohli needed a big innings and that’s exactly what he came up with. He came at a time when India lost two quick wickets. Soon he lost Gambhir at the other end but that had no effect on him. He played a brilliant knock and added crucial runs with his skipper. Kohli scored a century under most testing conditions and it was his longest innings in terms of ball faced.

MS Dhoni with the bat: Dhoni was under tremendous pressure before the Test started and needed runs desperately. He came up with a solid 99 and that would keep his critics who doubted his place in the team at bay for some time. Like Kohli it was Dhoni’s longest innings in terms of time spent on the crease. He was unlucky not to have got to a century.

Flops:

Sachin Tendulkar: The master failed again! Sachin was in desperate needs of some runs but got out to a brilliant ball. Sachin has never been under so much pressure and it seems to have a massive influence on his batting. Sachin once again looked circumspect at the crease and that cost him his wicket in the end.

R Ashwin: He has been one of the biggest disappointments of the series for India with the ball. Ashwin’s job is to pick wickets and he completely failed at that. He took only one wicket in the first innings and was very lucky to get two wickets in the second innings. He was brilliant with the bat in the series but he is in the team for his bowling.

MS Dhoni as a captain: Dhoni was impressive in England’s first innings and handled his resources pretty well. He came up with a brilliant innings with the bat, but failed as a captain at the most crucial time. India’s only chance of winnings was to get England out in the second innings. It is true that the pitch had nothing but Dhoni once again waited for something to happen rather than trying to make things happen. Indian team’s approach in the first hour’s play on day four surprised everyone and Dhoni will have to take the blame for the humiliating series loss.

England:

Hits:

Jonathan Trott: Trott has been wonderful for England in the recent time, but struggled in the series. He played a good innings in Kolkata but everyone expected a big innings from him. Trott came up with a series winning hundred for his team. He got out after getting a start in the first innings but ensured that he crossed the three figure mark in the second.

Joe Root: It was a brave move from the team management to bring in a debutant opener to play in the middle-order in what was a very important game for England. Root had a massive test and he cleared it with flying colors. His partnership with Matt Prior in the first innings took England out from a losing position and he can be very proud of his performance.

Matt Prior: His contributions might go unnoticed but he was a game changer for England in this series. Prior has a habit of scoring important runs and he did that in this match. His fifty in the first innings was very important and the confidence he showed certainly helped the youngster at the other end.

James Anderson: It was a treat to watch Anderson bowl in the past couple of matches. Anderson had a bad first Test but came back strongly after that. His spell with the old ball when he picked the wickets of Sachin and Gambhir was phenomenal. Indian captain went to the extent of saying that Anderson was the main difference between the two sides.

Ian Bell: Before the second innings of this Test, Bell looked completely out of sorts. But like every good player he delivered when it was most important. Along with Trott he put up a series winning partnership. He made a brilliant 116 not out.

By Indian Sports News Network
 

Tags:
ian bell
indian sports news
james anderson
joe root
jonathan trott
matt prior
ms dhoni
r ashwin
sachin tendulkar
virat kohli

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Dec 172012
 

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni praised England fast bowler James Anderson and said that he was the major difference between the two sides. Dhoni in the post match press conference said that Anderson’s ability to get reverse swing from the old ball made him very dangerous and he played a crucial role in his team’s series winning performance.

“He was at the batsmen all the time, specially the second and third spells of his where the ball had started to reverse and still was slightly on the harder side. He made the most out of that spell and kept the batsmen guessing. I think the major difference between the two sides was James Anderson who bowled very well,” Dhoni said.

Dhoni said that England were the better team and deserved to win. He also said that their team was very well balanced.  “If you see their side, they are a very well balanced side. The two spinners they have got,  Monty is a very good spinner and Graeme Swann is among the best in the world.” 

Dhoni said that there were a few positives that the team can take out from this loss. There were a few positives and a few places where we lost out. That’s the reason we lost the series,” he said.

On the pitches that he got in the series Dhoni said, “The wicket at Mumbai was a very good wicket. Good bounce and turn was there for the spinners.”

On the Nagpur pitch he said, “I felt the wicket improved as we went into the fifth day. How many on-drives did we see on the first day, but today there were five to nine on-drives against the spin which means the grass grew and it made the track better paced for batsmen to play their strokes.”

On the defensive field that India put on the fourth and the fifth day, Dhoni said, “We bowled for ten hours and got three batsmen out; you have to evaluate the wicket from this. We can keep three or four slips but the wicket should really support that. Okay I did not have a silly point or a short leg for a long time but how many balls went there?”

Dhoni backed the young players in the team and said that they should be given a longer run. “You have to back youngsters who you think are very talented and can succeed at the top level even if they fail initially. Without trying them out how will you know? It’s difficult to replace Rahul Dravid or VVS Laxman or Sachin Tendulkar. What’s important is whether the youngster coming in can absorb the pressure,” he said.

On the Indian fielding, Dhoni said, “We have seen some improvement especially in this Test match where we had a few young players who we could place at points and restrict them  from taking singles and rotating the strike. Yes, a few catches were dropped, but that again is part and parcel of the game.”

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james anderson
mahendra singh dhoni

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Dec 172012
 

reddyKolkata: A brilliant spell of bowling from Shami Ahmed and some sensible batting saw Bengal beat Hyderabad by four wickets in a Group A Ranji Trophy match being played at Eden Gardens.

Shami Ahmed followed his good work in the first innings and picked up six wickets in the second innings to stop Hyderabad at 181.

Needing 181 runs to win Bengal got off to a descent start as Rohan Banerjee and Arindam Das added 32 runs for the first wicket. Banerjee continued after losing his opening partner, Bengal lost three quick wickets from the other end and some respite came for them in the form of Wriddhiman Saha.

Together Saha (52*) and Banerjee (56) took Bengal closer to the target. The home team did have some nervous moments in the end but reached the target eventually.

Brief Score

Hyderabad 115 (Shami 4-36) and 181 (Akshath Reddy 49, Ashish Reddy 42, Shami 6-71)     

Bengal 116 (A Das 73, Anwar 5-44, Ashish Reddy 5-51) and 183 for 6 (Banerjee 56, Saha 52*)

By Indian Sports News Network

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anwar ahmed
arindam das
ashish reddy
indian sports news
ranji trophy

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Dec 172012
 

sainaLucknow: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has been given the top billing in women’s singles for the USD 120,000 Syed Modi International India Grand Prix Gold Badminton Championship. Taufik Hidayat is the top seeded player in the men’s category.

London Olympics quarterfinalist Parupalli Kashyap is the top seeded Indian man ranked at number two.

The tournament being organised by the UP Badminton Association under the auspices of the Badminton Association of India (BAI) will see 150 top shuttlers from 12 countries  in singles, doubles and mixed doubles categories.

By Indian Sports News Network

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saina nehwal
syed modi international india grand prix gold badminton championship

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Dec 172012
 

cookNagpur: England ended their 28-year wait to win a Test series on Indian soil after they drew the fourth and final Test here at the Jamtha Stadium today.

The visitors won the series 2-1. 

The last time an English side had won in India was back in 1984-8 5 under the captaincy of David Gower. 

England who began the final day on 161-3 made Indian bowlers to toil hard and honours of the day was shared by Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell.

Both the batsmen started the day proceeding and batted with caution to slowly take the match away from India.

India required to take early wickets to make a comeback on the final day, but Trott and Bell show denied the hosts any advantage in the day.

Trott scored 147 off 310 deliveries laced with 18 boundaries, while Bell stayed unbeaten on 116 off 306 balls including 16 boundaries and a six.

After Trott was out, Bell and Joe Root guided England safely to 352 when both the captains decided to mutually end the match.

Ravichandran Ashwin was the most successful bowler for India with a haul of 2-99.

This is for the first time since 2004-05 after losing to Australia 2-1, that India lost a series at home.

The series started off on a great note for India as they convincingly beat England in the first Test at Ahmedabad, but after that England made a remarkable comeback to humiliate India in Mumbai and Kolkata.

Brief scores:

England 330 (Pietersen 73, Root 73, Prior 57, Swann 56, Chawla 4-69) and 352 for 4 (Trott 143, Bell 116*) drew with India 326 for 9 dec (Kohli 103, Dhoni 99, Anderson 4-81)

By Indian Sports News Network 

Tags:
ian bell
indian sports news
joe root
jonathan trott
ravichandran ashwin

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Dec 172012
 

ranjiDelhi: Delhi needs 269 runs to beat Maharashtra in a Group B Ranji Trophy match being played at the Roshanara Club Ground, Delhi. Maharashtra in the second innings scored 266 runs to set up an interesting final day’s play.

The visitors started the third day on 3/0. They had a very bad start to the day as they lost two wickets for only 22 runs on the board. Opener Harshad Khadiwale played some brilliant shots and got tremendous support from Ankit Bawne at the other end.

Together the two added 130 runs for the third wicket. Bawne got out on 55 but Khadiwale continued his good work. Delhi bowlers kept picking wickets at regular intervals. Khadiwale was unlucky not to get to three figures mark as he got out on 96.

Shrikant Mundhe (38) and Anupam Sanklecha (33) played descent little innings lower down the order to take the score past 250.

Brief Score:

Maharashtra 196 & 266 in 90.4 overs (Khadiwale 96, Bawne 55, Narwal 3-48)

Delhi 193

By Indian Sports News Network

      

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indian sports news
mithun manhas
nikit dhumal
ranji trophy
samad fallah
vaibhav rawal

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Dec 172012
 

The All India Football Federation appointed Retd. Justice A.K Ganguly (Former Judge, Supreme Court of India) and Chairperson West Bengal Human Rights Commission as an Independent “One Man committee” to hold and undertake as expeditiously as possible, detailed evaluation of all aspects arising out of or related to the I-League Match between Kingfisher East Bengal  and Mcdowell  Mohun  Bagan  on 9 December 2012 at Yuba Bharati Krirangan, Salt Lake City, Kolkata including the consequential resultant effect in consonance with applicable I-League regulations 2012-13.

Justice A.K. Ganguly will be giving directions accordingly and is expected to commence hearing on the subject issue from 24th December 2012 in New Delhi. AIFF and Mcdowell Mohun Bagan shall be given an opportunity to appear in the hearing through their respective authorised/legal representatives.

By Indian Sports News Network

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all india football federation

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