Under-17 world cup: We conceded a stupid goal in first half, says India coach

Agencies
October 7, 2017

Oct 7: Team India coach Luis Norton de Matos was 'happy with the performance but unhappy with the result' after his side's 0-3 loss to USA in their opening Group A clash at the JLN Stadium in the FIFA Under-17 World Cup on Friday.

Matos accepted that there was big gap between the two teams. "We started the game but slow. There was a big occasion to get a goal in first minute but after that they controlled the game. We didn't lose control and we didn't lose our focus. I am not happy with results of course," said Matos, during the post match conference.

Trailing 0-2 with about seven minutes of regulation time left, India came agonisingly close to scoring their first goal in the premier event, but defender Anwar Ali's effort hit the woodwork.

And, quiet rightly so, the ball thudding against the horizontal left Matos shattered.

"If we had scored that goal, the scoreline would have been 2-1 and USA would been different in the last 10 minutes.

"That could have changed the complexion," he said.

"I'm happy with the collective effort of the players for the team, but not happy with the results. As I had said, there is a big gap between us and other teams in our group."

After a first half in which India rarely got a feel of the ball, the host nation produced an improved performance in the second half.

"USA played with with very strong force. This was the first time for our players playing in front of 40,000 people. They missed some chances. USA was much more experienced team."

"Of course there is this big problem of culture of not playing in such competitions. It is the first time they are playing in a tournament of such magnitude." "USA played seven international games in the last two months as part of preparations. They have been preparing very hard for this tournament."

However, the match marked a historic moment in the history of Indian football, as the Indian U-17 National Team became the first ever Indian participant in a FIFA Tournament.

In the country's maiden appearance, India showed sparks in patches, but lagged way behind in class.

"We conceded a stupid goal in the first half. At half- time, it was very much possible to overturn the game," he stated.

"We were more confident in the second half. For Indian players the experience of playing in the World Cup will help them in the long run," said the 63-year-old who was entrusted with guiding the U-17 team in the mega event this March.

USA coach John Hackworth, too, was not pleased with his team's performance, but praised the Indians for their spirit and tenacity.

"I am not very happy with the performance. This is not the way we play. But India really put up fight. They were hard to break down. So, full credit to them," Hackworth said.

Asked to name one Indian player who stood out in the game, the American picked three - central defenders Anwar and Sanjeev Stalin and goalkeeper Dheeraj Moirangthem.

"The two stoppers stood out and also the goalkeeper did a very good job."

Midfielder Chris Durkin also praised the Indian team but said they got a little complacent in the second half, which was evident in their play.

USA scored in the 30th, 51st and 84th minute to emerge winners in the Group A match.

In the early minutes of the first half, India saw the efforts go off-target after USA started putting pressure on Indian goalkeeper Dheeraj Moirangthem.

USA was awarded a free-kick in the 10th minute, after the hosts committed a foul, which the boys in blue successfully managed to defend.

India were awarded the first corner of the game when Aniket Jadhav tries to cut into from the right. However, the hosts failed to convert it into a goal.

It was in the 30th minute of the game when USA put themselves ahead courtesy Josh Sargent, who successfully converted the penalty into a goal which was awarded to him after he was tripped by Jitendra Singh.

The visitors started the second half with enhanced energy and enthusiasm.

In the 51st minute, USA doubled their lead through Chris Durkin.

Though, India's star forward Komal Thotal created multiple chances and impressed the home side with his skills, USA survived the scare and started a counter-attack.

Andrew Carleton eventually pulled back the third goal for his side just six minutes before the full time to give the visitors a 3-0 lead, after India hit the crossbar.

The Indian Colts will now lock horns with Colombia on October 9, followed by their final group game against Ghana on October 12 respectively at the same venue.

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News Network
January 27,2020

Hamilton, Jan 27: In awe of Jasprit Bumrah, New Zealand wicketkeeper Tim Seifert says the Indian speedster's subtle variations have been difficult to pick in the ongoing T20 series and his side needs to a learn a thing or two about adapting from the visitors.

India beat New Zealand by seven wickets in the second T20 International in Auckland on Sunday to grab a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Bumrah returned with figures of 1-21 from his four overs as Indian skipper Virat Kohli changed his bowling plans from the first game.

"Even in the first game, Bumrah bowled slower balls that were going wider. Normally, death bowlers get into straighter lines, plus yorkers and mix it with chest height. He kind of changes things a lot and is tougher to play," Seifert said.

"...the ball was holding a lot more which made it tougher. So sometimes as a batsman you have to move away from the stumps and see if they bowl straight. I was backing myself to do something different instead of just standing there at the wicket," said the stumper, who remained unbeaten on 33 off 26 balls.

"It was tricky and the ball was holding a little bit. When Kane (Williamson) got out in the over against Yuzvendra Chahal, we knew it was the over to push because they had Bumrah coming back," he added.

He said New Zealand batsmen need to take a cue from their Indian counterparts on how to adapt to different conditions quickly.

"...Indian batsmen showed how to get under the ball and time it. They showed it a couple of times that and on the slower wickets you just have to keep it like that. Once you lose your shape, you are not in position," he said.

"Try to get them (bowlers) off line or off balance, try to get into that position to hit good balls. That's T20 cricket as well. Sometimes it's going 100 per cent but some times you have to take a breath and re-assess. Indian batters did that well."

Seifert believes New Zealand bowlers did reasonably well in the two games but they have been outplayed by the Indian batsmen.

"To be honest, in the first game they were 110-1 and they had wickets in hand. We didn't bowl too badly in that first game. In the second game, we only got 130 and it is tough to bowl at Eden Park (with that total)," he said.

"170 was the target in mind but once you get 130 on the board, that was going to be very hard at Eden Park against a team that is very strong and playing really well. But our spinners were outstanding. Good balls have gone to boundary.

He said coming into the T20 series on the back of a lost Test rubber in Australia also didn't help New Zealand's cause in the first two games.

"Boys are coming off a Test series (in Australia) and a lot of them haven't played T20 cricket for a while," he said.

"But for some like me, I have had the Super Smash for the last two months, so I have played a lot of T20 cricket. They have two games under their belt now so hopefully they will have a better understanding."

Asked if New Zealand would want to play on India's strength of chasing, Seifert replied, "Even in ODI cricket, India have chased down big totals but I think on that wicket it was going to get slower and slower.

"But with that small target on Eden Park, something special has to happen with top six (for a collapse). One batsman got fifty and the other was batting very well. We needed top five-six in the first 10 overs," he said.

The Black Caps are still confident of bouncing back in the series.

The third T20 will be played here on Wednesday before back-to-back matches in Wellington and Mt Maunganui. Seifert said they would like to replicate the 2019 tour of India, where New Zealand came out 2-1 victorious in the three-match series.

"We have lost the first two games but we haven't played badly. We definitely haven't played our best though while India has played very well. If we lose the series on Wednesday, it is not the end of the world. But if we can turn things around, and win, we will take things from there," he said.

"We won the series 2-1 last time, so we have to treat it like a three match series again. But we have to treat it like the first two are must-win games."

"We are not playing our best at the moment. There are 20-odd games before the World Cup, and that tournament is the pinnacle, so we will get there (in preparation),” he signed off.

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Agencies
February 7,2020

New Delhi, Feb 7: It was on February 7, 1999, that Anil Kumble became just the second bowler in the history of cricket to take all ten wickets in an innings of a Test match.

He achieved the feat against Pakistan at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, now known as Arun Jaitley cricket stadium in Delhi during the second Test of the two-match series.

India had set Pakistan a target of 420 runs in the match and the visitors got off to a steady start as openers Shahid Afridi and Saeed Anwar put on 101 runs for the first wicket.

It was then Kumble who came into the attack and wreaked havoc on the Pakistani batting line-up.

The spinner, also known as 'Jumbo' first dismissed Afridi (41) in the 25th over. After the right-handed batter's dismissal, India kept on taking wickets through Kumble and Pakistan was reduced to 128/6 in no time.

Kumble then kept on taking wickets at regular intervals and he got his tenth scalp in the 61st over after dismissing Wasim Akram.

This effort enabled India to register a win by 212 runs, and Kumble became the second bowler after England's Jim Laker to take all ten wickets in a single Test inning.

Kumble finished with the bowling figures of 10-74 from 26.3 overs.

Kumble announced his retirement from international cricket in 2008 and finished with 619 wickets in the longest format of the game.

He has the third-highest number of wickets in Tests, only behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Australia's Shane Warne (708).

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News Network
February 13,2020

Feb 13: Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were buried in a private funeral service in Southern California last week, multiple outlets reported late Tuesday.

Citing Kobe Bryant's death certificate, Los Angeles Fox affiliate KTTV reported the remains of the former Lakers star and his daughter were transferred to Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary in Corona del Mar. Kobe and Brianna were laid to rest in a private ceremony there last Friday.

According to KTTV, the death certificate cited Kobe's cause of death as "blunt trauma" sustained in a "commercial helicopter crash." It also said his death was "rapid."

Corona del Mar is a community within Newport Beach, where the Bryant family lives.

Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, were among nine people killed when the helicopter they were in crashed on a hillside in Calabasas, Calif., northwest of Los Angeles, on Jan. 26. Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, 56; his wife, Keri; and their daughter Alyssa, 14 -- who played on the same club basketball team as Gianna Bryant -- also were killed. Christina Mauser, a 38-year-old who was the top assistant coach of the Mamba girls basketball team, was also killed in the accident, as were Sarah Chester, 45; her daughter Payton Chester, 13; and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50.

A public memorial service for the Bryants will be held Feb. 24 at Staples Center, beginning at 10 a.m. PT.

While the date -- 2/24 -- conveniently falls between two Lakers' home games, it still could have been chosen symbolically. Gianna -- one Kobe and Vanessa' four daughters -- wore No. 2 on her basketball jersey while Kobe was No. 24 for part of his 20-year-tenure with the Lakers, and his retired jerseys -- he also wore No. 8 -- hang at Staples Center.

The Los Angeles Times reported that "entry is expected to be severely restricted" at the venue despite Staples Center's capacity of about 20,000.

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