2nd Test, Day 3: India score 503 in first innings after Pujara's double century

March 4, 2013

Pujaras_double_centuryHyderabad, Mar 4: Cheteshwar Pujara scored his second double hundred and shared a record partnership with Murali Vijay as India took a huge 266-run first innings lead against Australia on the third day of the second cricket Test on Monday.

Despite failure of the other middle-order batsmen, India scored a commendable 503 in their first innings and the tea break was taken after the fall of last wicket.

Pujara added a whopping 370 runs for the second-wicket with Vijay before the latter was dismissed for a well-made 167, ending his 361-ball knock, in which he hit 23 boundaries and two sixes.

India's newest 'Run-Machine' Pujara scored a magnificent 204 before holing out in the deep fine-leg region while trying to hook a James Pattinson delivery. Pujara faced 341 balls with 30 boundaries and a six.

Once the partnership was broken, India lost wickets in a heap with last six wickets falling for only 43 runs.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a cameo, smashing 44 off 43 balls and added 56 for the fifth wicket with Virat Kohli (34) but the lower middle-order were snapped out in a jiffy.

Debutant all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was the most successful bowler grabbing four for 127 while Xavier Doherty took three wickets at the expense of 131 runs.

During the course of the marathon partnership between Pujara and Vijay, a few record tumbled by the wayside. The duo also eclipsed the 34-year-old second-wicket partnership record of 344 runs, set by Sunil Gavaskar (182) and Dilip Vengsarkar (157), against West Indies at Kolkata in 1978.

Pujara reached his double hundred, when he came down the track to whip Maxwell through the mid-wicket boundary.

The Australian bowlers lacked penetration and failed to cause any damage whatsoever as not even once did the pair looked like getting out.

Pujara and Vijay were unlucky as they failed to surpass the VVS Laxman-Rahul Dravid record partnership of 376 runs for any wicket against Australia at the Eden by seven runs.

Funnily, Sachin Tendulkar also got associated with a record.

Coming in to bat at No 4, Tendukar had to wait till the fifth ball of the 118th over to come in which is by far the highest duration that he has waited at the pavilion with his pads on.

In the morning, it took nearly 25 overs for Australia to finally get a breakthrough as Vijay gloved an off-break from Maxwell to Ed Cowan at backward short-leg to give the debutant his maiden Test wicket.

However, the Tamil Nadu opener had done his job and has now secured the opening slot for the time being. Vijay’s performance would certainly put a lot of pressure on the national selectors to axe Virender Sehwag, as they select the squad for the last two matches at the end of this Test.

Pujara didn't show any signs of hurry as he had enough time to play his strokes. With the pitch getting slower, Pattinson’s bouncers were also losing sting as the Saurashtra lad completed another personal landmark of 1000 Test runs.

Pujara became the second fastest in terms of innings to reach the landmark in 18 knocks -- second to Vinod Kambli, who had achieved the feat in 14 knocks.

Tendulkar hit Pattinson for a boundary past backward point but was caught down the leg-side by glovesman Wade. As Pattinson and other players went up with a caught behind appeal, umpire Kumar Dharmasena referred the legality of the catch to third umpire S Ravi. The third umpire adjudged Tendulkar caught behind.

In red-hot form, Dhoni started clobbering the bowlers from the word go as he hit seven boundaries before failing to clear mid-off fielder. Once Indian captain was out, the visitors didn't take much time to polish off the lower order.

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News Network
July 9,2020

Tokorozawa, Jul 9: Olympic boxing hopeful Arisa Tsubata is used to taking blows in the ring but it is during her work as a nurse that she faces her toughest opponent: coronavirus.

The 27-year-old juggles a brutal training regime in boxing gloves with long, irregular hours in surgical gloves at a hospital near Tokyo.

Tsubata mainly treats cancer patients but she said the virus was a constant threat, with medical experts warning at the peak of the pandemic that Japan's health system was close to collapse.

"We always face the risk of infection at medical facilities," she said.

"My colleagues and I have all worked under the stress of possibly getting infected."

Like most elite athletes, the virus played havoc with Tsubata's training schedules, meaning she welcomed the postponement of this year's Tokyo Olympics until 2021.

"It was a plus for me, giving me more time for training, although I wasn't sure if I should be so happy because the reason for the postponement was the spread of the infectious disease," she said.

Tsubata took up boxing only two years ago as a way to lose weight but quickly rose through the ranks.

"In a few years after becoming a nurse, I gained more than 10 kilos (22 pounds)," she laughed.

"I planned to go to Hawaii with my friends one summer, and I thought I wouldn't have much fun in a body like that. That is how I started boxing."

She quickly discovered a knack for the ring, winning the Japan national championship and a place on the national team.

But juggling her medical and sporting career has not always been easy and the first time she fought a foreign boxer came only in January, at an intensive training camp in Kazakhstan.

"That made me realise how inexperienced I am in my short boxing career. I was scared," she admitted.

Japanese boxing authorities decided she was not experienced enough to send her to the final qualifying tournament in Paris, which would have shattered her Tokyo 2020 dreams -- if coronavirus had not given her an extra year.

Now she is determined to gain the experience needed to qualify for the rescheduled Games, which will open on July 23, 2021.

"I want to train much more and convince the federation that I could fight in the final qualifiers," she said.

Her coach Masataka Kuroki told AFP she is a subtle boxer and a quick learner, as he put her through her paces at a training session.

She now needs to add more defensive technique and better core strength to her fighting spirit and attacking flair, said Kuroki.

"Defence! She needs more technique for defence. She needs to have a more agile, stronger lower body to fend off punches from below," he said.

Her father Joji raised Arisa and her three siblings single-handedly after separating from his Tahitian wife and encouraged his daughter into nursing to learn life-long skills.

He never expected his daughter to be fighting for a place in the Olympics but proudly keeps all her clippings from media coverage.

"She tried not to see us family directly after the coronavirus broke out," the 58-year-old told AFP. "She was worried."

Tsubata now want to compete in the Games for all her colleagues who have supported her and the patients that have cheered her on in her Olympic ambitions.

"I want to be the sort of boxer who keeps coming back no matter how many punches I take," she said.

"I want to show the people who cheer for me that I can work hard and compete in the Olympics, because of them."

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News Network
June 15,2020

Melbourne, Jun 15: Star Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is the best fielder in the game right now, according to Australian batting star Steve Smith, who also rated KL Rahul as the most impressive among the younger crop.

Smith, who answered questions sent in by his fans on Instagram on Sunday, also said the Indian Premier League is his favourite tournament to play in.

Jadeja known for his quick and sharp fielding tactics has earned praise from several former players and respect from the current stars and Smith is no different.

Asked who the best fielder in the current lot of players Smith simply replied stating it was Jadeja.

When quizzed about which Indian player has impressed him the most, the Australian batting mainstay said: "KL Rahul. Very good player!"

Rahul, who has played 36 Tests, 32 ODIs and 42 T20Is for Indian, has become a regular member of the national team in white-ball cricket. Besides showcasing his skills with the willow, Rahul also bears the responsibility of being the wicketkeeper in the limited overs format.

Asked Mahnedra Singh Dhoni, Smith responded saying the former Indian skipper is a "Legend! Mr Cool". While he called the current captain Virat Kohli a "freak" when it comes to batting ability.

The Rajasthan Royals batsman, who rated his first innings his 144 at Birmingham in the first Ashes Test last year as his favourite Test knock till date, said the Indian Premier League (IPL) is his favourite tournament.

"Tough to beat the IPL. Playing with and against the best players from around the world."

India is scheduled to travel to Australian for a full series later the year and the 31-year-old said : "Can''t wait. Going to be awesome."

Asked about his opinion on India batting great Rahul Dravid, Smith said "what a lovely gentleman and seriously good player."

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News Network
April 7,2020

London, Apr 7: Bowling coach Waqar Younis feels that it was the absence of pacers Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir which saw Pakistan getting whitewashed during Australia tour last year.

Amir and Riaz had quit the red-ball format ahead of the matches against Australia in 2019.

"Just before the Australia series, they ditched us and we had the only choice to pick youngsters.

We were the new management and decided to go on with taking in the younger lot and groom them. ESPNcricinfo quoted Younis as saying.

Pakistan was not able to win a single match in Australia as they got defeated both in T20Is and Test series.

"It's not like we have lost a lot, but yes they left us at the wrong time. But anyway, we don't have any grudge against them," Younis added.

"We cannot control players' choice on what they want to play, but then there should be a mechanism so we all are on board. "It's not like I am saying we could have won in Australia but we could have done better than what we have done," he opined.

Amir gave up the red ball format in July in order to manage his workload and extend his white-ball career for Pakistan as well as in T20 leagues around the world, while Riaz took an "indefinite break" from Test cricket in September last year.

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