Thursday, December 31, 2020

Kiren Rijiju extends New Year greetings, urges people to 'stay fit'

Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju on Friday extended New Year greetings to everyone and urged people to "spread love and compassion".

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Let's turn 2021 into a turning point: Ronaldo greets fans on New Year

Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday extended greetings to his fans on the occasion of New Year and said "may 2021 be a year to always remember for the best reasons".

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Avoid handshakes, use electronic team sheets: BCCI

On Wednesday, the Board sent an exhaustive 30-page long list of Covid protocol, including the Standard Operating Procedures (TOI has a copy) to all the teams for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy, which will kick off the severely curtailed 2020-21 domestic season from January 10.

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ACB celebrates Rashid Khan's historic achievement at ICC awards

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) celebrated the historic achievement of star spinner Rashid Khan who was named the ICC Men's T20I Player of the Decade and featured in the T20I Team of the decade as well.

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Need to counter India’s leg-side trap, says Labuschagne

The middle-order batsman said the Aussies have been stifled by a leg-side trap set by India. In both the Tests so far in Adelaide and Melbourne, India have crowded the leg side with fielders and the fast bowlers have predominantly bowled straight at the stumps when the ball gets old.

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Michael Kindo was a pillar of strength, says Ajitpal

India's former hockey captain Ajitpal Singh fondly remembered his 1975 World Cup teammate Michael Kindo, who passed away in Rourkela on Thursday. Kindo was 73.

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NZ's Henry replaces injured Wagner for second Pakistan Test

Canterbury fast bowler Matt Henry was called up to the New Zealand squad for the second Test against Pakistan, starting on Sunday at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, to replace the injured Neil Wagner, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Friday.

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United eye Premier League summit after Liverpool stumble

Liverpool will start 2021 in a familiar position at the top of the Premier League but with a rejuvenated Manchester United leading a pack of challengers who are all within striking distance.

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Erling Haaland back in action as Bundesliga returns from mini-break

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Braut Haaland is expected to make an eagerly awaited return from injury as his side look to battle back into the Bundesliga top four with a win over high-fliers Wolfsburg on Sunday.

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How Indian bowlers put the choke on Aussies

Since 2018-19, when Virat Kohli’s boys won the series 2-1, there has been a remarkable decrease in Aussie run-rates. In 11 innings (8 in 2018-19 and 3 on the current tour), the Australians have touched a run-rate of 3.0 only once, in the first innings of Perth where they won the Test.

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Smith hasn't been in a good space mentally: Kim Hughes

​The 31-year-old’s woeful form is definitely a worry for the hosts ahead of the third Test in Sydney starting from January 7. While some have questioned Smith’s technique against the Indian bowlers, former Australian skipper Kim Hughes offered a different point of view.

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Australia's batsmen must 'grind' to foil India's plans: Labuschagne

Australia's batsmen must balance aggression with discipline to combat India in the third Test in Sydney after being pinned down by their bowlers in the first two matches, number three Marnus Labuschagne said.

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Neymar laughs off reports of New Year's party for 500 guests

Neymar laughed off controversy Thursday over reports he was throwing a mega New Year's party for 500 guests, posting a video online of preparations for what he called a "low-key dinner" with family and friends.

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Kohli, Smith are the best, lucky to play against them: Williamson

After displacing Virat Kohli and Steve Smith to reach the number one spot in the ICC Test rankings for batsmen, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson on Thursday said he was just trying to do the best for his side which reflected in the rankings. Willamson did briefly occupy the top spot towards the end of 2015, but either Smith or Kohli have been number one since. This year too, Smith was at the top for 313 days and Kohli for 51, before Williamson surged ahead.

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Can't wait to see what the next decade has in store for me: Steve Smith

Three days after bagging the ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Decade award, Australia batsman Steve Smith on Thursday said he is humbled to get the honour and thanked all the supporters for showing faith in him. He further said he is excited to see what the next decade has in store for him.

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Britain should be 'proud' of knighted Hamilton, says Mercedes boss

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Britain should feel proud to have a "ambassador of the calibre of Lewis Hamilton" after the Formula One world champion was awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours list.

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Former umpires sue ECB over alleged racial discrimination

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has been sued by former umpires John Holder and Ismail Dawood for alleged racial discrimination during their time in the board's employment, a report said.

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Rohit Sharma gears up for Sydney Test with first practice session at MCG

Rohit Sharma, who had missed the limited-overs series as well as the first two Tests against Australia due to a hamstring injury that he sustained during the IPL, was seen taking catching practice in the photographs.

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Working hard, want to see myself getting the medal in Tokyo: Sindhu

Training in the town of Milton Keynes in England, champion shuttler PV Sindhu is leaving no stone unturned to put on a medal-winning show at the Tokyo Olympics next year.

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ICC Test Ranking: Rahane climbs to 6th, Kohli remains at No. 2

India captain Virat Kohli held on to his second position while stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane broke into the top 10 after gaining five places in the latest ICC men's Test batting ranking released on Thursday. Rahane climbed to the sixth spot after scoring 112 and 27 not out to inspire India's eight-wicket series-levelling win in the second Test against Australia in Melbourne.

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2020: When sport went out of life and life went out of sport

There were deaths that left fans distraught, there was a retirement that was expected but still seemed unacceptable, training across sports shut down for most of the year and athletes copped with one cancelled tournament after another as fear of the virus took precedence over the desire to compete.

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LeBron James celebrates birthday with milestone in Lakers win

Los Angeles superstar LeBron James celebrated his 36th birthday on Wednesday with another NBA milestone, scoring double-digit points for the 1,000th straight game in the Lakers' 121-107 victory over the Spurs in San Antonio.

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Becky Hammon makes NBA history as first woman to lead team

San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon made history on Wednesday, becoming the first woman to take charge of an NBA team when she took over after head coach Gregg Popovich was ejected.

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Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Shardul Thakur likely to play in Sydney Test, Umesh Yadav out of series

The Indian team management is likely to prefer Shardul Thakur over left-arm pace sensation Thangarasu Natarajan in the third Test against Australia in place of injured Umesh Yadav.

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Williamson overtakes Smith, Kohli to be top Test batsman

Kane Williamson leaped from third to first after his player-of-the-match effort leading the Black Caps to a 101-run victory over Pakistan this week, scoring 129 in the first innings and a rapid 21 in the second when New Zealand were building a lead before declaring.

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NZ's Wagner ruled out of second Pakistan Test with broken toes

New Zealand pace bowler Neil Wagner battled through the pain of two broken toes in the first Test against Pakistan but coach Gary Stead said he would miss the second match at Hagley Oval in Christchurch starting on Sunday.

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Real Madrid should have killed off Elche: Zidane

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane was annoyed his side could not seal victory after they were held to a 1-1 draw at Elche on Wednesday and slipped two points behind La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid.

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Australia prepared to risk David Warner in Sydney even if not fully fit

David Warner may play the third Test against India even if he is short of full fitness as Australia look to the veteran opener to strengthen the top order, assistant coach Andrew McDonald said on Thursday.

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MCG win tribute to team's bench strength: VVS Laxman

Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman heaped praise on the Indian cricket team for their eight-wicket victory against Australia in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

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Australia vs India women's ODI series postponed due to COVID

The Australia-India women's ODI series slated for next month has been postponed to next season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cricket Australia said on Thursday.

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Lewis Hamilton knighted in UK honours list

Lewis Hamilton has been knighted in Britain's traditional New Year Honours list after equalling Michael Schumacher's record of seven Formula One world titles.

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Liverpool frustrated by Newcastle in 0-0 draw

An off-key Liverpool were frustrated for a second successive game by struggling opponents as they were held to a 0-0 Premier League draw at Newcastle United on Wednesday.

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Real Madrid frustrated by Elche to leave Atletico clear at top

Real Madrid were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw at struggling Elche on Wednesday, losing ground in the La Liga title race to leaders Atletico Madrid.

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Manchester City kick off new year at Chelsea after COVID clearance

Manchester City kick off the New Year at Chelsea on Sunday, eager to move on from a recent COVID-19 outbreak and get back to putting pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool.

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Ajinkya Rahane showed mental strength after 2018 SA tour: Devang Gandhi

Being dropped from two Tests in South Africa in 2018 despite being the designated vice-captain was probably the lowest point in Ajinkya Rahane's career. It was a turbulent time for Rahane. His spot in the Test XI seemed to be in jeopardy and his future in limited-overs cricket too didn't look promising.

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Ravindra Jadeja in the same bracket as Ben Stokes: Dasgupta

India's Ravindra Jadeja is for now in the same bracket as England's Ben Stokes as an all-rounder, says former India wicket-keeper batsman Deep Dasgupta. Jadeja played an integral role in India's win against Australia in the second Test, returning with figures of 1/15 and 2/28 and scoring 57 in India's first innings.

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Backing Shubman and Siraj was a big call by Rahane: Amre

Interestingly, Ajinkya Rahane, as Test captain, has a 100% win record. He has captained three Tests so far and won all three. The first was vs Australia in 2017 in Dharamsala, when India won by 8 wickets and then vs Afghanistan in Bengaluru in 2018. India won that match by an innings and 262 runs.

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Covid and cricket: Melbourne Magic in morbid year

The challenges in a post COVID-19 world were new and unusual but unlike other Indian sports, cricket could partially redeem itself, thanks to the deep pockets of the BCCI and an intent to ensure that the "show must go on" with a glitzy Indian Premier League in an alien land.

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Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Warner, Pucovski in Sydney Test squad, Burns dropped

Opening batsmen David Warner and Will Pucovski have been included in Australia's 18-man squad for the third Test against India in Sydney but Joe Burns has been dropped after twin failures in Melbourne.

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1st Test: New Zealand seal 101-run victory over Pakistan

New Zealand's bowlers produced a late final session surge to guide their side to a tense 101-run victory over Pakistan in the first Test in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday and kept alive their hopes of reaching next year's World Test Championship final.

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Ind vs Aus: Players to train in Melbourne before moving to Sydney

Cricket Australia interim Chief Executive Officer Nick Hockley on Wednesday confirmed that Team India and Australia will not travel to Sydney on New Year's eve and will stay in Melbourne for a couple of days.

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3rd Test: Fans urged to cheer quietly at SCG amid Covid-19

Australian authorities are asking fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) not to cheer too loudly during the third Test against India next week as the city grapples with an outbreak of Covid-19. The New South Wales (NSW) government restricted movement and tightened curbs on gatherings in Sydney on Wednesday, as the state recorded 18 new cases.

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Questions before 3rd Test: Where will Rohit bat? Who will be in, who out?

The five-bowler strategy worked out perfectly for India in Melbourne but the Ajinkya Rahane-led side has some tough calls to make in the batting department, especially the opening slot, ahead of the third Test against Australia in Sydney with Rohit Sharma available for selection.

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India's greatest Test triumphs

India's win in Melbourne on Tuesday is one of their best when it comes to fighting against adversities.

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A rare away win for India without batting first

Winning an away Test match in SENA (SA, Eng, NZ and Aus) countries is no more a rarity in Indian cricket. But India doing it at the MCG without batting first is indeed rare.

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Ravichandran Ashwin cracks the code Down Under

In 2011-12 Down Under, Ashwin managed just 9 wickets in three Tests at an average of 62.77 (SR 112). Then during the 2014-15 tour, Ashwin scalped 12 wickets in three Tests @ 48.66 (SR 85.8). On both tours, his wickets mostly came when Australia had already put a massive total on the board and went for the slog, or against tailenders.

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T Natarajan could make his Test debut at the SCG

TOI has learnt from reliable sources in the BCCI that the 29-year-old Natarajan, who took two for 70 on his ODI debut and then scalped six wickets in the three-match T20 International series at an economy rate of 6.91, is set to replace fast bowler Umesh Yadav.

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Australia seek quick fix to batting woes after MCG defeat

Australia head to the third Test against India desperately searching for answers to their batting woes and with fingers crossed that sidelined opener David Warner will be ready to slot back into the side in Sydney.

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Kohli and Rahane: Contrasting captains, effective results

Both Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane have demonstrated they are shrewd leaders. It is not for nothing India won the 2018-19 Test series in Australia under Kohli's leadership. But their approach towards captaincy, on-field decision making and demeanour is totally different.

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T Natarajan could make his debut in the third Test at the SCG

TOI has learnt from reliable sources in the BCCI that the 29-year-old Natarajan, who took two for 70 on his ODI debut and then scalped six wickets in the three-match T20 International series at an economy rate of 6.91, is set to replace fast bowler Umesh Yadav.

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