Confident Indians surge past listless Chinese Taipei

February 2, 2014

Chinese_TaipeiIndore, Feb 2: Somdev Devvarman tamed Ti Chen after a gruelling contest while Rohan Bopanna combined with Saketh Myneni to win the doubles rubber to give India an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie against Chinese Taipei here on Saturday.

Somdev on Saturday needed just eight minutes to complete the unfinished business as he beat Chen 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-3), 1-6, 6-2, 9-7 in the second singles, which could not be completed on Friday due to bad light.

Beginning the day at tied 7-7 in the fifth set, Somdev played attacking tennis, served well, hit the ball hard, found the lines and was able to pin Chen on the baseline to set up easy put away volleys.

This was exactly what Chen was doing to Somdev on Friday. The change in tactics was rewarding for the Indian as he broke Chen in the 16th game, albeit, after squandering two more match points. He had missed four chances on Friday to close the match. Finally, Somdev clinched the issue on his seventh match point when Chen hit one wide. Overall, the contest lasted four hours and 40 minutes over two days. It was the third meeting between Somdev and Chen. The Indian had beaten Chen in an away Davis Cup tie in 2009 and then at the Asian Games the next year.

Later, Bopanna and debutant Myneni brushed aside the challenge of Hsien-Yin Peng and Tsing Hua Yang 6-0, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) in two hours and 21 minutes to render Sunday’s reverse singles inconsequential. Originally Hsin-Han Lee was nominated to play with Peng but Taipei chose to play their number one player Yang, hoping the combination would pose a better challenge to the Indians. India would now travel to Korea for the second round tie in April and if they win that they will compete in the play-offs to re-enter the elite 16-nation World Group.

It is possible that the captain would change nomination for the two dead rubbers to be played on Sunday.

Bopanna, who touched a career-high doubles rank of world number three last year, showed his class and experience as he clearly was the most dominant player of all four.

He held his serves with ease, fired 18 aces and served at an intimidating pace, which was too hot to handle for Yang and Peng. Bopanna also returned well and was excellent at the net. Myneni also complimented his senior colleague well, conjuring some fine winners.

The Indians began with a bang as they bageled the visitors in the opening set in just 16 minutes, not letting them win a single game. Bopanna set the tone when he hit a volley winner and Myneni got into the business with an fine lob on the first break point of the match on Yang’s serve. However, despite the drubbing in the first set, Taipei players made a strong comeback by taking the second set via tie-breaker. Peng played a crucial part in that turnaround. He served well and was very sharp at the net.

They faced just one break chance in the second set and went on to shock the Indians in the tie-break. Bopanna could not serve that well in the tie-break and it went in Tapiei’s favour. The Indians regrouped and took a 4-1 lead in the third set by breaking Yang again in the second game. Myneni’s serve came under pressure as he faced two break chances in the seventh game but the home players did not let the visitors cash in on it.

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Agencies
January 25,2020

Headingley, Jan 25: England have become the first team in the world to score 500,000 runs in Test cricket. They achieved the feat during the ongoing fourth and final Test against South Africa being played at The Wanderers.

On Friday - the opening day of the Test match -- England captain Joe Root's single through the covers took the Three Lions to a landmark 500,000 run-mark in the longest format of the game. They achieved the feat in their 1022nd Test match.

Australia comes second in the list, with 432,706 runs in 830 Tests. India, meanwhile, are third, with 273,518 runs in 540 Tests, followed by West Indies (270,441 runs in 545 Tests).

In the third Test played at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth, England had become the first team to play 500 Test matches on foreign soil. Australia are the second team to play the most away Test with 404 matches they have played so far.

India have played 268 Tests on foreign soil in which they have won 51, lost 113 and 104 have ended in a draw.

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News Network
June 13,2020

Melbourne, Jun 13: Former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist and current opener David Warner have expressed gratitude to two Indian students for helping people in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gilchrist thanked Sharon Varghese, an Indian student who did her Bachelors in Nursing from the University of Wollongong.

Varghese has been was working on the frontline along with other health care workers to look after the residents of aged-care during the global health crisis.

"She gave up her time to work as an aged-care worker throughout that time. Sharon, I want to say congratulations on the selfless act and for wanting to thank people in Australia because you have enjoyed three and a half years living here. And that’s wonderful to hear," Gilchrist said in a video message.

"Just want to let you know, all of Australia, all of India and more importantly, your family will be so very proud of your efforts."

In another short video, Warner thanked Queensland-based Indian student, Shreyas Sheth.

"Namaste. I am here to say thank you to Shreyas Sheth who is doing selfless work to help others during the COVID crisis. Shreyas is doing his Masters in Computer Science at the University of Queensland and he has been part of University’s outreach program, preparing and delivering food packets to students in need right now," Warner said in the video.

"So I just want to say ‘good on ya’. I am sure your mum and dad and India are proud of you. Keep up the great work."

The videos were shared by Austrade India official twitter account, which have hit almost 10 thousand views in last one week.

Apart from the two cricketers, another Social Media Influencer Amy Aela also sent her thank you note to Liya, an Indian student from Griffith university for her work in providing mental health support to communities in Australia during the pandemic.

"Liya I just want to thank you...we definately need more people like you...just remember that Australia is so so proud of you, India is proud of you..please keep up the good work," Aela said.

Former Australian footballer Craig Foster also sent his thank you message to another Indian origin nurse Arushi from Deakin University. More than 100,000 Indian students are studying in Australia, currently making them one of the biggest cohorts of international students in the country.

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News Network
June 2,2020

New Delhi, Jun 2: Manchester United's Paul Pogba on Monday paid tribute to George Floyd, stressing that violent acts of racism can no longer be tolerated and they have to stop.

Pogba took to Instagram to write: "During the past few days I have thought a lot about how to express my feelings about what happened in Minneapolis. I felt anger, pity, hatred, indignation, pain, sadness."

"Sadness for George and for all black people who suffer from racism Every day! Whether in football, at work, at school, Anywhere! This has to stop, once and for all! Not tomorrow or the next day, it has to end today! Violent acts of racism can no longer be tolerated," he added.

Protests erupted in Minneapolis and other US cities on Tuesday after Floyd, an African-American man, died following his arrest by the four officers.

A viral video showed a police officer, Derek Chauvin, pinning 46-year-old Floyd to the ground with his knee on his neck for nearly eight minutes. Floyd died at a local hospital shortly thereafter.

The four police officers were fired. Chauvin was also charged with murder and manslaughter, according to Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman.

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zaki ahmed
 - 
Wednesday, 3 Jun 2020

This photograph in the above mentioned article is of Floyd Mayweather Jr , the world welterweight & super heavy weight champion & wrongly menitoned as Pogba .

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