16 DECCAN HERALD

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Sport
Ramdin suspended, may miss India game
LONDON, DHNS: West In-

Miami Heat ease past San Antonio Spurs in Game Two of NBA Finals. P 17

Cricket Champions Trophy

In brief
Fighting India down Argentina
Eighth seeded India overcame a fighting Argentina 2-1 in their opening pool fixture of the WSF World mens team squash championship, reports IANS from Mulhouse, France. Argentina seriously troubled India on Sunday. Robertino Pezzota put Argentina ahead with a 99minute five-game win over Harinderpal Sandhu. Saurav Ghosal tied the match up with a straightgames win and then Indias fourth string Mahesh Mangaonkar came from a game down to beat Leandro Romiglio, much to the relief of the Indian camp.
Results: Pool H: India bt Argentina 2-1 (Harinderpal Sandhu lt to Roberto Pezzota 9-11, 11-2, 116, 11-13, 6-11; Saurav Ghosal bt Hernan DArcalengo 11-7, 11-8, 11-2; Mahesh Mangaonkar bt Leandro Romiglio 8-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8).

Indias class vs Windies flair

Tough conditions await both teams as they brace up for a thrilling encounter
From Madhu Jawali LONDON: Three days after their winning start to the Champions Trophy against South Africa, the Indian team hit the ground for its first practice session in biting cold conditions at the English capital.

dies maybe without the services of their first-choice wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin for the India game on Tuesday as he was suspended for two matches after being found guilty of Level 2 offence during their Fridays match against Pakistan here at The Oval. Ramdin was also fined 100 per cent of the match fee for violating Article 2.2.11 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel (the Code) which relates to conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game. It can be recalled that Ramdin had been charged by umpires for wrongly claiming a catch off Pakistani skipper Misbah-ulHaq. With Ramdin not pleading guilty, the ICC held a hearing on Monday and found the stumper guilty as charged. Ramdin was charged in relation to the circumstances surrounding his asserted catch of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq in over 8.6. The charge was laid by the on-field umpires Steve Davis and Nigel Llong, third umpire Tony Hill and fourth umpire Richard Kettleborough. Ramdin pleaded not guilty to the offence and, in accordance with the provisions of the Code, a full hearing was held on Monday, with Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees appointed to adjudicate the matter, said an ICC release. Ramdin, however, can appeal his suspension to a Judicial Commissioner within 24 hours and if he does so he will be eligible to play the India game, pending the outcome of the appeal. If the player accepts the punishment, reserve wicketkeeper Devon Smith is likely to be drafted into the side. Explaining his decision Broad said: This is regarded as a serious offence as it is the responsibility of all players to act in the spirit of the game. I hope Mr Ramdin has learnt his lesson from this incident and that we will not see such behaviour by him or any player in the future. The range of permissible sanctions for all first Level 2 offences is the imposition of a fine of between 50-100 per cent of a players match fee and/or a suspension of up to two Suspension Points, equivalent to two (2) ODI matches.

After a brand of cricket, that was at once refreshing and regaling, India have firmly established themselves as one of the favourites to go all the way in the final edition of the biennial event. Having reeled off three consecutive wins, including two warm-up matches, this India side struts a quiet confidence that belies the storm around it back home. Its been particularly tough for MS Dhoni, whose integrity has been questioned in a section of the media for his alleged conflicts of interest. But the Indian skipper has managed to keep himself and the team unaffected by all the happenings and which is amply reflected in their performance since their arrival in the UK. They have been here for a fortnight and already this tour has proved better than their bilateral series against England in 2011. During that forgettable sojourn, India didnt manage a single win across all formats while this time they have appeared a team to beat with allround dominance of their rivals. With an eye on a berth in the semifinals, India will look to tame a solid West Indies who snatched a narrow three-wicket win over Pakistan in their opener here in a low-scoring affair. The forecast for rain on Tuesday, though, threatens to spoil their plans. From gentle warmth of Cardiff to depressingly overcast conditions of London, there has been a drastic shift

SL umpire Francis passes away

Renowned Sri Lankan umpire K T Francis, who stood in islanders inaugural Test match in 1982, has passed away after losing battle against acute diabetes, family sources said on Monday, reports PTI from Colombo. He was 73. Francis died in a hospital on Sunday, they said. A Tamil, Francis along with Herbie Felsinger officiated in Sri Lankas first-ever Test match against England in Colombo in February 1982. He was a member of the ICC international panel of umpires and officiated in 25 Tests and 56 ODIs between 1982 and 1999.

EASY GOING: India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shikhar Dhawan arrive at The Oval for a practice session ahead of their match against West Indies. AFP

in weather and it, therefore, puts them slightly on the back foot so far as acclimatising to the conditions is concerned. West Indies, having emerged unscathed in trying circumstances here, can claim to have better knowledge of the conditions whereas India will have to make quick adjustments to their game. Their win against South Africa in Cardiff came in vastly differing set-up. The pitch was fairly conducive for batting and there was not much for the bowlers in the way of either swing or spin. Given how the first match here panned out with fast

bowlers from either side putting the batsmen through the ringer, it remains to be seen if India would tweak their strategies. Though Dhoni gave little hint of his combination for the match, he did suggest that playing four seamers always resulted in slow-over rate which meant he was always in danger of sitting out of a match. Bringing in another seamer also means excluding either Ravindra Jadeja or R Ashwin, an option Dhoni wouldnt prefer. Having said that it wouldnt be a bad gamble to add an extra paceman with the likes of Suresh Raina and

after their stupendous show against the Proteas, will face a different challenge here. West Indis may not possess the most potent attack in the world, but they have a bunch of quick bowlers that can be lethal in favourable conditions. In Kemar Roach, Ravi Rampaul and skipper Dwayne Bravo, the Caribbean pace attack has both variety and edge to test a strong Indian batting. They might also sacrifice a batsman to further bolster their pace department and the 68 Jason Holder may Rohit Sharma can be relied well get a look-in. The Windies batting too upon to send down a few wears an intimidating look overs. Indian batsmen, on a high notwithstanding its struggles

Star Cricket, 3.00 pm IST

against Pakistani bowlers. Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Kieron Pollard, batting in that order, can turn the match on its head in the bat of an eyelid. That they can bat till eight can prove crucial in a low-scoring match. Indian pacers should relish the conditions as well, particularly Bhuvneshwar Kumar whose proven skills to swing will keep India in good stead. Though Umesh Yadav is a rare find for India with a capacity to bowl fast, he needs to bowl with more precision. Speed without control is a sure recipe for disaster.
DH News Service

Living in the present helps Dhoni

LONDON, DHNS: The way MS

We will use short balls

LONDON, DHNS: Indian batsmen may have come away with reasonable success against South Africas tactics of using the short ball, but West Indies believe its still the best weapon for their bowlers for the time being. I think well, said West Indies coach Ottis Gibson when asked if his bowlers would use bouncers. Look, the last time we used short pitch bowling it was Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Michael Holding and people like that. We don't have those guys, those tall guys anymore. So as we saw against Pakistan, we pitched it up, we swung it a little bit and we put it in the right areas, and I suppose that will be the strategy going forward. With West Indies set to play India on the same pitch where they beat Pakistan three days ago, Gibson hoped it would be-

Denesh Ramdin

Dhoni has marshalled his team in these times of crisis has been nothing short of extraordinary and the Indian skipper feels his ability to live in the present is the reason behind him not getting perturbed. Well, I've always said being in the present really helps because it really takes things off your mind that are not really in your control, noted Dhoni on the eve of Tuesdays Group B match against West Indies here. If you talk about what's happening right now, we are busy doing our practice session, we had a team activity yesterday, and we are quite busy doing all that stuff. Those are the things that are really in our control and will really help us improve our game. Being in the present really helps, and that's

something I think most of the individuals need to do, he remarked. On a lighter note he added that keeping oneself off TV and newspaper also helps. Well, there are no channels and we don't get to read any newspapers, so whatever is happening back home is happening back home. We are just really doing the best we can. With so many West Indians appearing in the Indian Pre- MS Dhoni mier League, Dhoni was asked if the team needed to do any cording to the wicket, bowlers planning at all for those play- bowl differently; change of pace, bouncers or yorkers. So ers. I think a bit of basic plan- I think a basic game-plan is ning is something that's very something that's very necesimportant, he pointed out. ... sary, and you change or adapt But I've always believed that according to what comes your every individual bats in a dif- way, he reasoned. Dhoni answered in the negaferent way depending on how the wicket is behaving, and ac- tive when asked if he would

make any changes to the side that played South Africa. You'll have to wait when it comes to the combination because you may say, okay, overcast conditions so let us play with four seamers. But talking about the stats, the only stats we have got is we lose the game (whenever we play four seamers) and the captain gets banned. So, these are the two things that come out of four fast bowlers. The Jharkhandi felt the pitch might aid the spinners a bit. It's the same wicket that was used in the last game (between West Indies and Pakistan). It has a bit of a grass covering, and it had a bit of bounce in the last game. But since it's a used wicket, it may be that the spinners get a bit more turn compared to the last game.

have in the same way. The groundsman said it won't change much. He's put a little bit more preparation into it and stuff like that. In an ideal world, you would want to play on a fresh pitch, but the groundsman has said he doesnt expect the pitch to behave any different. He said he thinks it'll probably behave better than it did in the Pakistan game, so hopefully it will, he remarked. The Oval has been lucky ground for the West Indies in the Champions Trophy but the wins have come in some close finishes. They won the 2004 title here beating England in tense chase, as they overcame Pakistan the other day. We're very comfortable here. Our guys enjoy coming here and the history and everything else. We play some really good cricket here, he offered.

Lewandowski not moving to Bayern

Borussia Dortmund's prized striker Robert Lewandowski will not be making his anticipated move to Champions League winners and Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich in this transfer window, the club's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke said on Monday, reports Reuters from Berlin.

ICC apologises to SL for faux pas

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has sent a letter of apology to Sri Lanka for the countrys cricket team being greeted by a Hindi song at the ICC Champions Trophy opening ceremony on June 6 while all other teams were represented with music from their own countries, reports IANS from Colombo. The faux pas sparked protests in the Sri Lankan capital on Monday. A group of Buddhist monks who are members of the Sinhalese hardline organisation, Power of Ravana, handed over a letter to Sri Lanka Cricket demanding that the ICC apologise to Sri Lanka.

We panicked a bit in the middle

CARDIFF, PTI: New Zealand

skipper Brendon McCullum admitted they did panic during the tense chase against Sri Lanka but always had the confidence that his side would scrap through in a low-scoring Champions Trophy thriller here today. Sri Lanka are always a dangerous side and we panicked a bit in the middle. It is very important to scrap through, we have enough experience to deal with situations like this, although it did get tough towards the end, said McCullum at the post-match presentation ceremony. New Zealand pulled off a nailbiting one-wicket victory in Group A match to register their first win over Sri Lanka in four years. Chasing 139 to win, New Zealand huffed and puffed their way to victory with 13.3 overs to spare at Sophia Gardens. McCullum said the ball had started stopping a bit during their run chase. They have excellent bowlers in the ranks and the ball stopped a bit in the second innings. It was not coming on to the bat nicely but I thought we played well for the majority of the game, he said. McCullum said he was in-

credibly nervous at one stage but, I am happy with the result as our bowlers were the reason that we won today. Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews said his team was 3040 runs short of what would have been a match-winning total in their tournament opener. We probably needed 30-40 more runs. This was not the 200-run wicket that we originally thought, but we need to toughen up a bit. The wicket dried up a little during the game, Mathews said. Dilshan pulled up Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardena have been officially reprimanded for excessive appealing. According to statement from the ICC, Dilshan and Jayawardena were found to have breached Article 2.1.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to excessive appealing during an international match. The charges were laid by onfield umpires Bruce Oxenford and Rod Tucker, as well as third umpire Ian Gould and fourth umpire Steve Davis.

McLaren leads SA to victory

Pacer scalps four wickets as Proteas defeat Pak by 67 runs
BIRMINGHAM: Riding on the back of an inspired bowling effort from Ryan McLaren, South Africa posted a thrilling 67-run win over Pakistan in their crucial Champions Trophy Group B match on Monday.

tually fell by the wayside as they were bowled out for 167 in 45 overs. Earlier, Hashim Amla (81) did most of the run scoring for South Africa Despite a splendid job by Pakistani pacers upfront, Chasing 235 for a win, Pak- South African batsmen did istan started off well but even- succeed in getting good starts,
SCOREBOARD
SOUTH AFRICA Ingram lbw Hafeez............................20 Amla c Hafeez b Ajmal .....................81 Du Plessis c Malik b Irfan.................28 De Villiers (run out)...........................31 Duminy (run out) ...............................24 Miller c Misbah b Junaid..................19 McLaren lbw Malik ..............................4 Peterson (not out)..............................16 Morris (run out) ....................................1 Phangiso (run out) ...............................0 Extras (LB-5, W-4, NB-1) .................10 Total (for 9 wkts, 50 overs)...........234 Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-122, 3-145, 4-186, 5-195, 6-203, 7-231, 8-234, 9-234. Bowling: Irfan 7-1-27-1, Junaid 8-045-1, Hafeez 10-0-38-1, Riaz 9-0-500, Ajmal 10-0-42-1, Malik 6-0-27-1. PAKISTAN Farhat b Morris.....................................2 Jamshed c&b Tsotsobe ....................42 Hafeez c Miller b Morris .....................7 Malik b Duminy ....................................8 Misbah c Amla b Tsotsobe...............55 Amin c Ingram b McLaren................16 Akmal c du Plessis b McLaren...........0 Riaz b Phangiso..................................13 Ajmal c Ingram b McLaren.................5 Junaid b McLaren.................................4 Irfan (not out) ........................................0 Extras (LB-7, W-8).............................15 Total (all out; 45 overs) ..................167 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-18, 3-48, 486, 5-129, 6-134, 7-148, 8-162, 9167. Bowling: Tsotsobe 9-1-23-2, Morris 7-0-25-2, McLaren 8-3-19-4, Phangiso 10-0-50-1, Duminy 7-0-261, Peterson 4-0-17-0.

Mercedes hearing on June 20

Mercedes and Formula One tyre supplier Pirelli will appear before an international tribunal in Paris on June 20 to answer charges of breaking the rules by testing in Spain last month, the sport's governing body said on Monday, reports Reuters from London.

Nadal qualifies for ATP Finals

TEXT BOOK South Africas Hashim Amla drives en route his half-century against Pakistan. AP

however, they were guilty of not converting those into big knocks. Faf du Plessis (28), skipper AB de Villiers (31) and JP Duminy (24) all departed after making small contributions. Amla too gifted his wicket on an extravagant shot, a reverse sweep, as he was batting confi-

dently and hardly looked like troubled by any bowler. His 81 came off 97 balls with nine shots to the fence. Resultantly, South Africa did not have the kind of batsmen who could get some quick runs to give fillip to the innings towards the end. Pakistani pacemen were not

unplayable but they did extract good bounce off the pitch to trouble the Proteas. Spinners Saeed Ajmal and Mahammed Hafeez too played a part in stifling the Proteas innings. They got just a wicket each but conceded just 42 and 38 runs respectively.
PTI

Rafael Nadal has booked his place at the World Tour finals after winning a record eighth French Open title, the ATP said on Monday, reports Reuters.

City sport
GOLF: USHA IGU Southern India Ladies and Junior girls championship, KGA, 8.00 am onwards.