India set to usher in a new phase

August 22, 2012

india

Hyderabad, August 22: Since they came together in November 1996, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman have been two of India’s stronger batting pillars in Test cricket.

Dravid made his debut at the historic Lord’s in June 1996 while Laxman earned his India cap four months later against South Africa in Ahmedabad. The runs they have stacked up together is staggering, the number of matches they have won with or without each other is impressive. More importantly, though, the legacy they have left behind will be hard to match.

A cursory glance at their batting stats reflects the void they have left behind with their departure within the space of five months and the enormous task the youngsters have of stepping into their giant shoes. The two stylish right-handers amassed 22,069 runs between them in 298 Tests combined with 53 centuries in total.

In their first 16 partnerships together, they didn’t have a single century alliance but once Kolkata 2001 happened, they became an irresistible force. Of the 11 century stands between them, they have two triple-ton associations, the only Indian pair to do so. And only on one occasion, the 2008 Sydney Test during which India were at the receiving end of umpiring errors, did India lose when the two produced a partnership of 100 or more.

The duo’s contributions, however, transcend mere numbers. Along with Sachin Tendulkar, and on some occasions Sourav Ganguly, they changed how the rest of the cricketing world perceived India. During their time, India successfully shed their image of flat-track bullies, flattening bowlers of great repute in different venues and varying conditions.

While it’s unfortunate that they had to see the reputation they had built for India suffer a mighty blow in their last two away series, it shouldn’t take any gloss off their careers.

The epochal 376-run stand against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 2001 ought to be the high point of their batting partnership, but this was just the beginning of several more such significant collaborations which heralded India’s ascendancy. Proud cricketers that the two were, they bowed out as gracefully as they batted, setting a perfect example for Gen Next to follow both on and off the field.

On Thursday, when Mahendra Singh Dhoni leads his team against New Zealand in the first Test, it will be the first time when neither batsman will be part of this Indian side in more than 16 years. While Virat Kohli has shown Test credentials with a sparkling century against Australia at Perth, the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara, who is returning after an injury lay-off, and Suresh Raina, back in the fold for the longer version, have the golden opportunity to firm up their claims against a Kiwi attack in familiar conditions.

As it’s unwise to build a temple on the basis of mere promise, it’s equally harsh to run down these youngsters on the basis of a few failures.

If anything, they should be judged over a longer period for neither Dravid nor Laxman became legends overnight. It’s just the beginning of what’s going to be a testing, hectic season for India but the New Zealand series may well offer clues to what the future holds.

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Agencies
January 9,2020

Atlanta, Jan 9: Top tennis stars like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams will be playing an exhibition match to raise funds for Australia's bushfire relief.

Apart from these three, Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas have also confirmed their availability for the match, CNN reported.

The match will be played on January 15 at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena. The Australian Open Rally for Relief will be donating the proceedings from the ticket sales to the bushfire relief efforts.

Tennis star Maria Sharapova had also announced on Wednesday that she had left 10 signed pairs of her tennis shoes in her Brisbane hotel that members of the public could buy with a donation to the Australian Red Cross.

"Brisbane, I have signed ten pairs of my tennis shoes, left them at the @BrisbaneTennis
desk at the Westin Hotel, alongside a donation envelope for fire rescue efforts.They're yours to keep,we just ask you to donate AUD 300 a pair. All money going directly to Red Cross," Sharapova tweeted.

Earlier, former Australian spinner Shane Warne on Monday had announced to auction his Baggy Green cap to raise funds for victims of devastating bushfires in Australia.

Taking to Twitter, Warne made the announcement and posted a statement.

"The horrific bushfires in Australia have left us all in disbelief. The impact these devastating fires are having on so many people is unthinkable and has touched us all. Lives have been lost, homes have been destroyed and over 500 million animals have died too," Warne wrote.

"Everyone is in this together and we continue to find ways to contribute and help on a daily basis. This has led me to auction my beloved baggy green cap (350) that I wore throughout my Test career," he added.

Warne joined a growing list of cricketers to raise money for the bushfire victims. Australian players Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell and D'Arcy Short have already announced that they will donate AUD 250 each for every six they hit in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) to support bushfire victims.

Athletes from other sports too joined the movement as tennis stars Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic decided to donate 25,000 dollars each for Australia's bushfire relief fund.

Wildfires have been raging across Australia for months, killing 23 people, burning about 6 million hectares (23,000 square miles) of bushland and killing a billion animals.

Naval and air rescue operations were launched on Friday as mass evacuations of towns at risk of being engulfed by flames got underway.b

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News Network
June 20,2020

Jun 20: Bengaluru FC (BFC) have signed Brazilian striker Cleiton Silva for a one-year deal, the ISL club said in a statement on Saturday.

As per the agreement, BFC have the option of extending Silva's contract for another year.

The 33-year-old, who started his career with Brazilian side Madureira, moved to Thailand where he spent the better part of the decade playing for Muangthong United and Suphanburi, apart from stints in Mexico and China.

Silva, who also operates on the wing, became the first foreign player to reach the 100-goal mark in Thailand and finished top scorer of the Thai League 1 for two seasons. He also tops the charts of the all-time leading scorers of the League.

His biggest success came at Muangthong where he racked up 57 goals in 79 appearances and won three major trophies in as many seasons at the club.

The Brazilian, who was in talks with the Blues last season before the deal didn't materialise, said he was glad to have finally made the move.

"I've signed with Bengaluru FC because I want to be a champion and this is a club that is always after titles. I have that opportunity once again at BFC. I want to make the club and its fans happy. I have been following the club for some time now because we were in talks a while ago. And I liked what I saw. I am looking forward to making my way to Bengaluru and am excited to meet my new teammates, the fans and embrace the city," said Silva.

Silva, thus, became BFC's first new foreign signing of the season after the club had handed extended deals with Juanan Gonzalez, Dimas Delgado and Erik Paartalu.

Bengaluru FC coach Carles Cuadrat said Silva's addition was an important one, given his penchant for scoring.

"Cleiton has a proven track record when it comes to scoring and this is an area we needed to strengthen on the squad. The goals aside, he even has an eye for a quality final pass and we're looking forward to working with him," he said.

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Agencies
March 6,2020

Mumbai, Mar 6: Former India batsman Virender Sehwag expressed excitement over the upcoming Road Safety World Series and said he is looking forward to playing with Sachin Tendulkar again.

"I am very excited about this tournament because I will get another chance to play with Sachin. We have played many international matches together and there was a gap and then we played an All-Star match and now again getting a chance. I am looking forward to playing with Tendulkar," Sehwag told media persons.

In the opening match of the Road Safety World Series, India Legends will play against West Indies Legends on March 7. The main aim of the Series is to create awareness about road safety and change people's mindset towards their behaviour on the roads.

Sehwag hailed the initiative of Road Safety World Series and said: "I think it is a very good initiative by the government that they are working towards creating awareness regarding road safety. Awareness regarding road safety is important for everyone."

Road Safety World Series, a five-nation T20 cricket tournament, will showcase some of the biggest names in cricket from India, Australia, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and South Africa.

Players who will feature in this series include Tendulkar, Sehwag, Brian Lara, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Brett Lee, Brad Hodge, Jonty Rhodes, Muttiah Muralitharan, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Ajantha Mendis and many more. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is the Commissioner of the Series.

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