Mumbai snaps Chennai`s 7-match winning streak

May 6, 2013

Mumbai_snapsMumbai, May 6: Mumbai Indians on Sunday snapped Chennai Super Kings`s seven-match winning streak with a crushing 60-run victory in a lop-sided Pepsi Indian Premier League match here.

Electing to bat, Mumbai scored 139 for five with captain Rohit Sharma top-scoring with a 30-ball 39 not out and then shot out Chennai for just 79 in 15.2 overs at Wankhede Stadium to halt the visiting team`s dream run in the tournament.

Pragyan Ojha (3/11) and Mitchell Johnson (3/27) shared six wickets among them while Lasith Malinga grabbed two wickets for just six runs. Harbhajan Singh and IPL debutant Pawan Suyal chipped in with a wicket each to help Mumbai put brakes on Chennai juggernaut in IPL 6.

Chennai`s 79 all out today turned out to be the lowest total posted by them in IPL, their previous lowest being 109 against Rajasthan Royals in 2008 in Jaipur. This was also the lowest total by any team this IPL season, beating Delhi Daredevils` 80 all out against Sunrisers Hyderabad yesterday.

Today`s loss was the heaviest defeat for Chennai in the IPL in terms of runs.

Till this match, Chennai looked the most formidable and consistent team but they were never in the run chase today as they suffered a top-order batting collapse with half their side in dressing room for just 34 runs in the seventh over.

They would have been in an even worse situation had the normally brilliant Mumbai fielder Kieron Pollard not dropped Chennai opener Michael Hussey (22) thrice in three successive balls in the first over of the innings bowled by Mitchell Johnson.

Pollard later took catches of Suresh Raina (0) and Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (10) but again dropped Ravindra Jadeja (2) though it was a difficult one.

Despite today`s loss, their third in 12 matches, Chennai still lead the table with 18 points while Mumbai jumped to third place with 14 points from 11 games.

With the win today, Mumbai maintained their unbeaten run at home this season while Chennai lost their first away match this year.

Drama unfolded in the first over of Chennai run chase as Johnson scalped three wickets in his second over and the third of the innings in the form of Murali Vijay (2), Chennai's last match hero Suresh Raina (0) and S Badrinath (0).

Johnson dismissed Vijay and Raina in successive balls while Badrinath was out two deliveries later. Next over -- the fourth of the innings -- saw pacer Pawan Suyal taking the wicket of Dwayne Bravo (9).

Promoted up the order, R Ashwin (2) did not last long as he was out off the bowling of Harbhajan after facing eight balls while attempting an atrocious-looking shot, leaving Hussey and Dhoni a tall task to chase the target.

Malinga and Harbhajan tied down the two in-form Chennai batsmen and Hussey fell victim of Ojha in the 10th over while trying to accelerate the innings, holing out to Dwayne Smith at midwicket.

Two overs later, Dhoni perished becoming Ojha's second victim as the Chennai captain drove straight into the hands of Pollard at long-off and with it, the Chennai run chase virtually ended.

Malinga added to the woes of Chennai by taking two wickets in four balls in the form of Chris Morris (1) and Mohit Sharma (0) in the 13th over. Jadeja hit two fours off Johnson but it was just delaying the inevitable.

Chennai were let down by their batsmen as only three of them -- Hussey, Dhoni and Jadeja -- could come up with double-digit scores.

Earlier, all-rounder Jadeja led a disciplined bowling performance by Chennai as they restricted Mumbai to 139 for five.

Jadeja scalped three wickets for 29 runs and rattled the Mumbai Indians top order after the home side elected to bat.

But captain Rohit Sharma's (39 not out) late flourish and Harbhajan (25 not out) useful contribution helped Mumbai post a challenging total with the duo sharing 52 runs from just 4.9 overs for the unfinished sixth wicket.

Harbhajan hit two fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 11-ball knock while Rohit struck three fours and a six in his 30-ball unbeaten innings. The duo took 19 runs off the last over bowled by Ben Laughlin.

Incidentally, this was the lowest total posted by Mumbai Indians at home this season, after scoring in excess of 170 in their previous games here.

Mumbai openers started slow and scored just 21 runs in the first five overs. Sachin Tendulkar (15) tried to up the tempo by scoring 11 runs off Mohit Sharma in the sixth over with a six and a four but the veteran was trapped leg before by Jadeja in the next over.

After Tendulkar's dismissal, with 40 runs on board, Mumbai Indians started losing wickets in a heap.

Tendulkar's opening partner Dwayne Smith (22) departed in the next over when he was caught and bowled by fellow West Indian Dwayne Bravo. West Indian all-rounder Pollard (1) was promoted up the order but could not contribute much.

One-down batter Dinesh Karthik then played a cameo with a run-a-ball 23 before being dismissed by Jadeja. Karthik struck Jadeja for two fours and a six in successive balls before perishing at deep midwicket.

Mumbai was then struggling at 82 for five before skipper Sharma and Harbhajan started the repair job in the 16th over.

The Chennai bowling attack was disciplined till Laughlin conceded 19 runs in the last over. Laughlin leaked 46 runs in his four overs without picking up a wicket. Off-spinner R Aswhin and Bravo grabbed a wicket each.

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Agencies
August 7,2020

Islamabad, Aug 7: Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, known for his blistering deliveries on the cricket field, recently baffled many with a deadly off-field bouncer by claiming he is willing to eat grass if it enabled an increase in budget for his country's Army!

"If Allah ever gives me the authority, I will eat grass myself but I will increase the budget of the army," said Akhtar in an interview with ARY News.

The 'Rawalpindi Express', considered the fastest bowler in history said he does not understand why the civilian sector cannot work in collaboration with the Armed forces.

"I will ask my army chief to sit with me and make decisions. If the budget is 20 per cent, I will make it 60 per cent. If we insult each other, the loss is ours only," the once feared fast-bowler said.

Akthar had also claimed to ARY News interview that he was willing to take a bullet for his country and had turned down a county stint just because he wanted to fight the 1999 Kargil War.

Ties between India and Pakistan have been strained in the recent months over several issues, the latest being Pakistan's attempt to broach in the UNSC the issue of Kashmir on the first anniversary of the India's move to scrap the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and to split the erstwhile state into two union territories .

Pakistan also has not been in a good financial position and under prime minister Imran Khan, himself an all rounder cricketer, has added nearly USD 22 billion, that is 35 per cent to the nation's international debt pile in the last two years, according to an Asia Times report in July.

While Pakistan recently received USD 1.39 billion from the IMF to cushion the economic shocks caused due to COVID-19 outbreak, Akthar had a few months ago proposed that a joint cricket match be played between India and Pakistan to raise funds to fight the coronavirus. The suggestion that was put down by cricketers in India.

Meanwhile the 'Pindi boy' whose deadly pace and bounce was once dreaded by batsmen had recently taken to Twitter to deny former India cricketer Virender Sehwag's claim of sledging him.

Sehwag along with other Indian crickerters such as Harbhajan Singh and even Rahul Dravid had been at the receiving end of Akthar's sledging and antics during their playing days.

"Yes, totally self made story by him. Mujhe yeh bol k bach k jana kidhar tha us nay," Akthar tweeted to a report in which Sehwag claimed that he had sledged the 'Rawalpindi Express' by telling him that Sachin Tendulkar was his father.

During an awards ceremony Sehwag had recounted that fed up with Akthar's sledging and retaliated by telling him to say the same things to Tendulkar, who smashed the 'Pindi boy' for a six. Sehwag quipped that he told Akthar then that "Baap baap hota hai".

In the recent ARY interview, asked about the allegation made against him by former India cricketer Virendra Sehwag that he makes pro-India comments for greater following on social media channels, Akhtar said, "I cannot talk on the basis of hate." 

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News Network
February 21,2020

Wellington, Feb 22: shant Sharma's lion-hearted bowling effort met its match in Kane Williamson's elegance as New Zealand ended an attritional second day of the opening Test against India with a slight upper-hand, here on Saturday.

After another lower-order collapse that saw India get bundled out for 165, Ishant, coming straight back from an ankle injury, took three for 31 in 15 overs despite Williamson's effortless 89 in New Zealand's day-end score of 216 for 5.

New Zealand now lead by 51 runs.

Mohammed Shami (1/61 in 17 overs), during his final spell of the day, removed Williamson, who couldn't check an uppish drive. Henry Nicholls' (17 off 62 balls) struggle seemed to have hampered Williamson's rhythm.

During the final hour, Ravichandran Ashwin (1/60 in 21 overs), who also bowled beautifully throughout the day, relieved Nicholls' of his agony with a delivery that had drift and a hint of turn as India skipper Virat Kohli snapped the low catch at second slip.

Williamson looked good as he hit some delightful strokes square off the wicket. The square drive on the rise off Jasprit Bumrah (0/62 in 18.1 overs), followed by a cover drive, showed his class.

In all, the New Zealand skipper hit 11 boundaries off 153 balls.

Bumrah, in particular, was punished by Williamson, who also back-cut him for a boundary and Taylor then punished another half volley through the covers.

There were quite a few loose deliveries on offer from the Indian pacers and in between a few did beat the bat. With the 'Basin' baked in sunshine, batting became lot more easier and Black Caps seized the initiative.

Bumrah, in particular, failed to find his length consistently. Either he bowled too full and drivable length deliveries or too short that even Rishabh Pant failed to gather with the ball going a couple feet over his head.

This is where Ishant came into the picture. While he was lucky to get opener Tom Latham out with a delivery drifting on leg-stump, the other opener Tom Blundell (30) had a typical Ishant dismissal written all over it.

The ball was full on the off-stump channel and jagged back enough to find the gap between his bat and pad.

Williamson and Taylor then had a partnership of 93 runs during which New Zealand also got the lead before Ishant, coming back for his third spell, bowled one that reared up from good length and proved to be an easy catch for Cheteshwar Pujara at short-leg.

Once Nicholls came in, Williamson, who was batting fluently, suddenly had a player at the opposite end who scored only 4 off 34 balls.

Looking good for his 22nd Test hundred, Williamson, in his bid to get another boundary, couldn't check a cover drive and the low catch was taken by substitute fielder Ravindra Jadeja.

Earlier, New Zealand's debutant Kyle Jamieson and veteran Tim Southee took four wickets apiece as Indian innings folded in 68.1 overs.

Jamieson (4/49 in 16 overs) and Southee (4/49 in 20.1 overs) took four of the five wickets that fell on the second morning with India adding only 43 runs to their overnight score of 122 for 5.

Rishabh Pant (19) started with a six but then a horrible mix-up with senior partner Ajinkya Rahane (46) resulted in a run-out and the little chance of recovery was gone for good.

It was a poor call from the senior player and Pant had to sacrifice his wicket in the process.

Ashwin then received a beauty from Southee, pretty similar to what Prithvi Shaw got, while Rahane inside edged one while trying to leave it alone.

With India at 132 for 7, Rahane knew that time was running out as he played a square drive off Trent Boult to get him a boundary.

Southee then got rid of Rahane when he tried to shoulder arm a delivery that made a late inward movement. Mohammed Shami's entertaining 21 then enabled the visitors to cross the 150-run mark.

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Agencies
January 11,2020

London, Jan 11: Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's famous lap around the Wankhede Stadium after the World Cup 2011 win has been nominated in Laureas's list for the most inspiring sporting event in the last twenty years.

The moment featuring Tendulkar has been described as "Carried on the shoulders by a nation".

On his sixth attempt at the World Cup and with India not having won the competition since 1983, Tendulkar finally became a part of the team that lifted the coveted trophy. Carried on the shoulders of the Indian team, he made a lap of honour, shedding tears of joy after the victory was sealed in his home city.

The 2011 World Cup was also the first time, in which a host nation ended up winning the trophy.

Apart from Tendulkar, England's Andrew Flintoff is the only other cricketer to feature in the list. In 2005, England managed to defeat Australia in an Ashes Test, but Flintoff chose to first shake hands with Brett Lee rather than celebrate with his side.

Matthias Steiner (weightlifting), Natalie du Toit (swimming), Sky Brown (skateboarding), Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee (triathlon), Xia Boyu (mountaineering) have been nominated in the list.

Female tennis stars also feature in the list for coming up with an equal play, equal pay campaign. After pressure from Venus Williams and others, Wimbledon announced that female tennis players would receive prize money equal to the men's.

German international footballer Miroslav Klose was playing for Lazio in Italy's Serie A in 2012 against Napoli when he rose for a ball in the early moments of the game.

The ball came spiraling off his hand and skirted into the back of the net and a goal was awarded. While most players would carry on as if nothing had happened, Klose was honest with the referee and admitted that he handled the ball.

As a result, he also finds a place on the list.

The Laureus Sporting Moment Award celebrates the moments where the sport has unified people in the most extraordinary way.

This campaign has shortlisted 20 sporting stories from the last 20 years that have left their mark on the world.

The winner will be decided on the basis of public voting. It has already started, and the final date to cast the vote is February 16.

Finally, the result will be declared on February 17.
With three knock-out rounds, the top-20 moments will be whittled down to ten then five, with the top-five moments going head-to-head.

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