AFC Asian Cup: Already Qualified India Draw 2-2 Against Myanmar

Agencies
November 15, 2017

Nov 15: Already through to the main tournament, India played out a 2-2 draw against Myanmar in the return-leg match of the AFC Asian Cup qualifying Group A match on Tuesday. The home side came back twice in the match to hold the visiting side and continue their unbeaten streak in 13 matches. Myanmar scored through Yan Naing Oo (1st minute) and Kyaw Ko Ko (19th) while Sunil Chhetri (12th; penalty) and Jeje Lalpekhlua (69th) found the target at the Nehru Stadium here. India had beaten Myanmar 1-0 in the first leg in Yangon in March through a Chhetri winner.

With this draw, India are on the top of the group with 13 points from five matches. Myanmar are placed second with five points from four matches.

India have already qualified for the AFC Asian Cup 2019 in UAE after beating Macau 4-1 in Bangalore last month.

True to captain Chhetri's words that Myanmar were a tough side, the visitors scored as early as the first minute before the home team defence could settle down.

A quick build up on the left saw Thein Than run down the left flank and send a perfect cross into the box for Yan Naing Oo to head in to put the home team under early pressure.

India's defence was shaken by the early goal and nearly conceded another two minutes later but Kyaw Ko Ko shot straight to goalie Gurpreet Singh Sandhu.

India took time to settle down and earned a penalty in the 12th minute when Heaing Bo Bo brought down Chhetri inside the box. Chhetri himself took the penalty and made no mistake in finding the net.

Myanmar showed a lot of urgency in their attack and once again took the lead in the 19th minute when Kyaw Ko Ko sent a stiff grounder that beat a diving Gurpreet to find the corner of the net.

India looked dangerous in their counter attacks and had their chances to restore parity but Sandesh Jhingan shot over the bar off a free kick taken by Eugeneson Lyngdoh in the 39th minute.

Chhetri too had a glorious chance to restore parity in the dying minutes of the first half but his angular shot off a Jeje through pass missed the target narrowly.

The second half was fought on equal terms as both the teams made forays but could not penetrate into the rival box. Chhetri once again saw his header going out from close off a cross from the right.

India continued to control the proceedings and finally restored parity in the 69th minute through Jeje.

Lyngdoh, who orchestrated most of the moves from the middle, sent a high lob for Jeje who chested the ball inside the box and essayed a low shot that beat rival keeper to find the far post.

Towards the end, Chhetri again had a glorious chance to score after he was involved in a one-two pass with Udanta Singh but he shot over the bar.

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News Network
April 4,2020

New Delhi, April 4: India skipper Virat Kohli has said that the 2014 Test series against England was the lowest point of his career.

He made the revelation during a candid Instagram Live session with former England batsman Kevin Pietersen.

To date, the 2014 Test series in England remains one of the worst Test series for Kohli as he averaged just 13.40 from 10 ten innings with his highest score being 39.

"I felt like as a batsman, you know you are going to get out in the morning as soon as you wake up. That was the time I felt like that there is no chance I am getting runs. And still to get out of bed and just get dressed for the game and to go out there and go through that, knowing that you will fail, was something that ate me up," Kohli told Pietersen.

However, just four years later, Kohli made a triumphant return to England as he scored a century in the opening Test of the 2018 series and finished as the highest run-getter in the series.

Kohli told Pietersen that the performance in 2014 came because he was just thinking about his own batting.

"2014 series happened, for all the younger guys listening, because I was too focused on doing well from a personal point of view. I wanted to get runs. I could never think of what does the team want me to do in this situation," Kohli said.

"I just got too engulfed with England tour - if I perform here, Test cricket, in my mind I am going to feel established and all that crap on the outside, which is not important at all," he added.
During the chat, Kohli talked about his favourite format in cricket and he also revealed the main reason for turning into a vegan.

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Agencies
August 2,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Sunday said the Women's IPL or the Challenger series, as it is better known, is "very much on", ending speculation about the parent body not having a plan for Harmanpreet Kaur and her team.

The men's IPL will be held between September 19 and November 8 or 10 (final date yet to be locked in) in the UAE due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in India. The women's IPL will also be fit in to the schedule, according to the BCCI chief.

"I can confirm to you that the women's IPL is very much on and we do have a plan in place for the national team also," Ganguly told PTI ahead of the IPL Governing Council meeting later on Sunday.

The BCCI president, who is awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on waiver of the cooling-off period to continue in the position, did not divulge details but another senior official privy to the development said that women's Challenger will be held during the last phase of IPL like last year.

"The women's Challenger series is likely to be held between November 1-10 and there could be a camp before that," the source said.

The former India captain also said that the centrally contracted women players will have a camp which has been delayed due to the prevailing situation in the country.

"We couldn't have exposed any of our cricketers -- be it male or female to health risk. It would have been dangerous," Ganguly said.

"The NCA also remained shut because of Covid-19. But we have a plan in place and we will have a camp for women, I can tell you that," he added.

The BCCI's cricket operations team is chalking up a schedule where Indian women are likely to have two full-fledged white-ball series against South Africa and the West Indies before playing the ODI World Cup in New Zealand. 

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News Network
January 18,2020

Hobart, Jan 18: In a dream start to her second innings after a two-year break, Sania Mirza lifted the WTA Hobart International trophy with partner Nadiia Kichenok after edging out Shaui Peng and Shuai Zhang in the final, here on Saturday.

The unseeded Indo-Ukrainian pair pipped the second seed Chinese team 6-4, 6-4 in one hour 21 minutes.

Playing her first tournament after giving birth to son Izhaan, the 33-year-old Sania has begun well in the Olympic year as she warmed up for the Australian Open in style.

It is Sania's 42nd WTA doubles title and first since Brisbane International trophy in 2007 with American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Sania did not compete on the WTA circuit in the entire 2018 and 2019 seasons to start a family with Pakistani cricketer husband Shoaib Malik.

Sania and Nadiia began by breaking the Chinese players in the very first game of the match but only to drop serve in the next.

The two pairs played close games towards the end and at 4-4, 40-all, Sania and Nadiia got the crucial break, earning the opportunity to serve out the set.

There was no twist in 10th game with Sania and Nadiia comfortably pocketing the first set.

The second set could not have started better for them as they broke the Chinese rivals to take early lead and consolidated the break with an easy hold.

The game of the Chinese was falling apart as they dropped serve again in the third but broke back immediately to repair some damage.

Sania and Nadiia were now feeling the heat at 0-30 in the sixth game but Peng and Zhang let them hold serve for a 4-2 lead. The Chinese though kept fighting and made it 4-4 with another break in the eighth game.

The Indo-Ukraine team raised its game when it mattered as it broke Peng and Zhang for one final time in the ninth and served out the match in the next game.

Sania and Nadiia split USD 13580 as prize money and eared 280 ranking points each for their winning effort.

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