Representational image.(File) Former Espanyol captain Victor Sanchez has joined Australian club Western United on a two-year deal, the A-League side said on Friday. The 33-year-old midfielder, who started his career at Barcelona,…
Month: February 2021
3rd Trial: De Kock, Steyn give South Africa the boundary against Pakistan after Day 3
ImageSource:AP QuintondeKockscored129off138ballsforSouthAfricainthesecondinnings QuintondeKockmadeafree-flowingcenturyatNo.7andequaledhiscareer-bestscoreasSouthAfricaturnedthescrewonPakistanonSundaybysettingthetourists381towinthefinalTestandavoidaserieswhitewash. Pakistan’sbatsmenrespondedwithsignsofthefightthat’sbeenmissingformostofaone-sidedseriessofar,reaching153/3atstumpsonthethirddayofthefast-movingthirdTest.Thatreducedtheequationto228morerunsneededwithsevenwicketsinhand. AsadShafiqwas48notoutoff47ballsandapproachingthedauntingchallengewithanattackingmindset. BabarAzam,oneofPakistan’sbestbatsmenthisseries,wassettlinginon17notout. ThescaleofthechallengeforPakistanwasstillsignificant. Thetouristsneedtomakethesecond-highestfourth-inningsscoreeverattheWanderersinJohannesburgtoavoidlosingtheseries3-0.Therehaveonlybeenthreefourth-inningstotalsof300ormoreinmorethan60yearsoftestcricketattheWanderers.SouthAfricaholdstherecordwithits450-7againstIndiainDecember2013andPakistan’swouldbethenextbestscoreshoulditchasesuccessfully. Withtwodaysoftheteststilltoplay,survivingforadrawisanunlikelyproposition.It’sallornothingforPakistan. OpenersImam-ul-Haq(35)andShanMasood(37)gavePakistanapositivestartwitha67-runpartnership.BothfelltoDaleSteyninthespaceoffourovers,though,areminderthatwicketshavefalleninclutchesonaswingingandseamingpitchandPakistanisstillalongwayoffvictory. DuanneOlivierthenremovedAzharAliwithabrutishshortballthatrearedupatthebatsman’shead.AzharglovedtowicketkeeperdeKocktogiveOlivier,Pakistan’smaindestroyer,his22ndwicketoftheseries–surelyenoughforthemanoftheseriesaward. Olivier’sreturnisthesecond-bestforaSouthAfricanbowlereverinathree-Testseriesandthreewicketsofftherecord.HecouldstillbreakthatrecordwithsevenPakistanwicketsonofferinthefinalinnings. Olivierwasn’tevenmeanttoplaythisseriesbutwasgivenaplacewhenLungiNgidiwasinjured. Earlier,deKockhit129fromjust138ballswith18foursandasixasheandHashimAmla(71)puton102anddugSouthAfricaoutoftroubleinitssecondinnings. TheywerelargelyresponsibleforsettingPakistanthebigtarget. DeKockarrivedwithSouthAfricaon93/5andinaprecariouspositionanddepartedat302/8withhisteamincompletecontrol.SouthAfrica,whichresumedthedayon135/5,waseventuallyalloutfor303. Thewicketkeeper-batsmanlookedassuredthroughout,saveforafewnervousmomentswhenhewason99andcouldn’tfindthesingleheneededforhisfourthtestcenturyandfirstintwoyears. AfteracoupleofabortedrunswithbattingpartnerKagisoRabada,andoneshotwhichhitRabadaandpreventedruns,deKockgotonethroughforaboundaryandwascelebratinghalfwaydownthepitch,ononekneeandpunchingtheair. DeKockputon79withtailenderRabadafollowingthecenturystandwithAmlaandeventuallyfellcaughtinthedeepoffleg-spinnerShadabKhan. Pakistan’sbatsmencameoutfighting,though,withShafiqespeciallypugnacioustocrackeightfoursandcombineinanunbroken49-runstandwithBabar. TheykeptPakistan’shopesoftakingsomethingfromtheseriesaliveforatleastonemoreday.
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Sourav Ganguly on Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul: ‘People make mistakes ‘
ImageSource:PTI SouravGangulyonHardikPandya,KLRahul:’Peoplemakemistakes’ FormerIndiancricketteamskipperSouravGangulyhasdefendedcricketersHardikPandyaandK.L.Rahulovertheir”KoffeeWithKaran”episodecontroversy.sayingpeoplemakemistakesbuteveryoneshouldmoveonandensureitdoesn’thappenagain. GangulyspokeatthetrailerlaunchoftheHindifilm”22Yards”,withthecastmembersBarunSobti,GeetikaTyagiandChaitiGhoshalanddirectorMitaliGhoshalhereonWednesday. PandyaandRahulwereslammedovertheirsexistcommentson”KoffeewithKaran”.Despiteanapologytofansandtheirownteammates,PandyaandRahulweresuspendedbytheBCCIandoustedfromathree-matchODIseriesagainstAustraliainSydney. Askedifmoderndaycricketersshouldberesponsiblewhilegivingstatementsonapublicplatformasawholelotofyoungsterslookuptothem,Gangulysaid:”Ihaven’twatchedthatepisode.Iwatch‘ComedyNightswithKapil’.Jokesapart,Ifeelthatyoucan’tgeneralisethatonlymoderndaycricketersshouldbehaveresponsibly.Peoplemakemistakes.Let’snotgettoofarintothat. “Iamsurewhoeverhasdoneitwillrealisethatandcomeoutasabetterperson.Weareallhumanbeings.Wearenotmachinesthateverythingyouputincomesoutperfect.Youhavejustgottolivelifeandletotherslive.Theyareresponsiblepeople.Theymayberolemodelsbuttheyareunderpressureallthetimetoperform.Certainthingshappeninlifeandaseveryone,weshouldmoveonandmakesurethatitdoesn’thappenagain.” DoeshefeelmoderndaycricketersofIndiaaren’tresponsibleintheirbehaviourascomparedtothepastgenerationofcricketers? Gangulysaid:”Ifeelmoderndaycricketersarealsoresponsible,disciplinedandobedient.Inlife,certainthingshappenandyoumakesomemistakesso,let’snotgettoofarintothat.LookatViratKohli,heissuchafantasticrolemodel.Indiaisafortunatecountry.Everygenerationproducesplayerswhoallofuscherish.” HesaidIndiahasproducedgreatcricketerslikeSunilGavaskar,SachinTendulkarandViratKohliovertheyears. “TherewasSunilGavaskarandwhenheretired,peoplethoughtwhoisnext,thenSachinTendulkarcameandwhenTendulkarretired,peopleagainaskedwhoisnextthenpeoplesawViratKohli.So,weareaveryfortunatecountryintermsofsportsandalotofthesecricketersarefantastichumanbeingsbecausetheycomefromverymiddleclassbackgroundsandfighttheirwayup.” BollywoodhasmadefilmsonthelifeofsportspersonalitieslikeMilkhaSingh,MahendraSinghDhoniandnowKabirKhanismakingafilmontheIndiancricketteam’sWorldCupvictoryin1983. IfabiopicismadeonGanguly’slife,thenwhichactorshouldplayhisrole? “ItisdifficultformetoanswerthatquestionbecauseIhaven’tthoughtaboutabiopiconmylife.Peopleshouldfirstmakeabiopicofothersportspersonalitiesandifpeoplehaveaninterestinmybiopic,thenwewillsee. “IreallylikedthebiopicofMilkhaSinghandMahendraSinghDhoni.ThefilmonSachinTendulkarwasabitdifferent.Now,IhaveheardthatthefilmonIndia’s1983WorldCupwinisbeingmade.IfeelthatwasagreattimeforIndiancricket,soIamlookingforwardtoseethatfilm.Asfarasmybiopicisconcerned,wewillwaitandseeasatthemomentIhaven’tthoughtaboutit.”
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