Sports India

MARGAO, JUNE 22 — Shortly after Indian new coach Bob Houghton opined that the team was capable of performing a better show at the Vancouver international tournament and sounded happy with the performance of the players.

“There is lot of excitement in the camp. The boys are raring to go. It’s very encouraging,” Houghton said, while talking to Herald at the Nehru stadium, today.
He said the players, who had to endure uncertainty and poor planning in the initial days has settled down to a productive routine sessions at the Nehru stadium as they prepare for the Vancouver tournament and Asia Cup qualifying round.
Houghton was not ready to comment on the row over Bhaichung Bhutia’s decision to skip the ongoing camp, saying that he has not seen the player.
“It’s unfair to comment on the matter,” he added.
Asked whether any replacement would be made to the team, the coach said the players would be selected amongst the 32 probables.
He also expressed happiness over the composition of the team, saying the team is a balanced side and rated India U-20 as a good team.
Asked his views on the opponent teams, the coach said that modern football does not take any team lightly.
Meanwhile, clubbed with defending champions South Korea, India are seeded eight in the AFC U-20 tournament in Kolkata, with Coach Islam Akmadev saying the team can reach the quarterfinals if they play to their potential.
Kyrgystan and Jordan can be handled, the coach said.

Kolkata, June 25: Thousands of devotees will throng the streets of the city on Tuesday on the occasion of the Rathyatra. Along with ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), which brings out a chariot procession every year, there will also be a chariot procession by the authorities of the Swami Narayan Temple. The ISKCON chariot will be stationed at the Park Circus maidan where, for the first time, a children’s corner will be set up this year.

At a press conference today, S K Roy, chairman of the Peerless Group as well as the ISKCON Festival Committee, said that 2,000 foreign delegates scheduled to attend the Puri festival have also been invited to Kolkata. The return journey of the rath will be held on July 5. Dayaram Das, president of the ISKCON Committee, Kolkata, said: “This time we are going to make some arrangements for children’s entertainment. There will be quiz contests, movie and game shows related to Lord Krishna.”

The ISKCON rathyatra festival will be inaugurated by Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, union minister for information and broadcasting, at Subodh Mullick Square. The procession will start at 1 pm and will wind its way through Nirmal Chandra Street, S N Banerjee Road, J L Nehru Road and Park Street. The rath will be stationed at Park Circus maidan for seven days where various cultural and spiritual programmes will be held. The pandal area is said to be about one lakh square metres and the prasad or bhog will be distributed to around 25,000 devotees.

The rathyatra festival to be celebrated by the Swami Narayan Temple will be inaugurated by Pranab Mukherjee, Union defence minister, Prasun Mukherjee, commissioner of police, and footballer Bhaichung Bhutia. Around 1,000 devotees will follow the chariot that will start from the temple at 3.30 pm on June 27. The rath will make the rounds of Sarat Bose Road, Hazra Road, Asutosh Mukherjee Road, Elgin Road before returning to the temple.

“Our festival was celebrated for the first time in 1994. We have a 35-feet chariot which houses all three idols of Jagannath, Balaram and Subhadra. The idols have been brought from Puri and are made of neem wood. Bhog or prasad will be distributed at around 7.30 pm. We will not celebrate the return journey of the rath,” said Swami Dibyamurti of Swami Narayan Temple.

“The Kolkata police generally helps with the traffic control and the security arrangements because these are busy and important routes. The rath will stay in the temple for seven days and then return to our centre in Joka,” said Swami Dibyamurti.

St Kitts, June 26: V V S Laxman produced a timely century but could not prevent India from being bowled out for 362 in reply to West Indies’ 581, just before tea on the fourth day of the third Test today.

India thus fell short of the follow-on mark of 382, by 20 runs. Harbhajan Singh (38 not out) and Munaf Patel (13) put together a fighting last-wicket partnership of 47 runs in 15.4 overs, before Dwayne Bravo got the wicket of Patel, caught by Ganga. Earlier, Laxman made exact 100 runs before Collins had his wicket.

At lunch, the visitors were gasping at 241 for 6. The experienced Laxman was standing tall and alone amidst the ruins and was unbeaten on 68 after a five-hour vigil during which he faced 187 balls and hit 10 fours.

Jerome Taylor (3-77) sent shockwaves through the Indian camp when he ripped open their batting with three wickets in six balls. Rahul Dravid (22), Yuvraj Singh (0), Mohammad Kaif (0) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (29) were all cooling their heels in the pavilion as the Test was suddenly brought alive.

Dhoni appeared to have weathered the storm after adding 61 runs for the sixth wicket with Laxman when he fell to Corey Collymore (2-37) 20 minutes before the lunch break.

Taylor struck off the fifth ball of his first over when he jagged one back sharply at Dravid and caught him plumb in front of stumps. His next over was still more dramatic as he took care of the two other recognised batsmen. Yuvraj Singh hung his bat out at a slanted delivery and was caught behind by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin.

Mohammad Kaif was then ruled out leg before wicket off a delivery which could have been heading down the legside.

Laxman and Dhoni then held their ground stubbornly before the latter became another leg before victim, this time to Corey Collymore.

The West Indian quick bowlers prospered on a wicket which had early moisture on it and from the end where Taylor picked his three scalps, the ball also tended to keep abnormally low.

With the wicket deteriorating and full five sessions still left in the game, India seem to have been caught in a cleft in this game.

The second day’s play in the third Test between India and West Indies at St Kitts on Friday was called off due to heavy rains.

The showers started right after the two teams went in for tea with the hosts at 420 for five in their first innings and with no signs of a let up the umpires decided to suspend play for the day.

Shivnaraine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels were unbeaten on 24 and eight, respectively.

The day prior to this had been bright and sunny, especially for the Windies who pounded the Indian bowlers to all parts of the park in the morning session.

Resuming on the overnight score of 207 for one, Daren Ganga and Ramnaresh Sarwan notched up their maiden Test hundreds against India to put their side in a strong position.

The two put on 203 runs for the second wicket.

While Ganga’s hundred anchored the West Indies innings, Sarwan provided most of the excitement in the morning.

Ganga brought up his third Test hundred with a boundary off Munaf Patel. He took 249 balls to reach the milestone.

Sarwan on the other hand rushed towards his century when he hit Patel for six consecutive fours in a single over. He soon brought up his ninth Test ton to celebrate his 26th birthday in style.

Sarwan took just 132 balls to reach the three-figure mark.

Sarwan’s feat of six consecutive fours is only the third such occasion in Tests.

The record for most runs in an over in Tests, however, belongs to Brian Lara who plundered 28 runs (4, 6, 6, 4, 4, 4) from Robin Peterson of South Africa at Johannesburg in 2003-04.

Applying the brakes

Munaf Patel finally got the breakthrough for the Indians as he picked up two crucial wickets in a span of three overs just before lunch.

He first dismissed Ganga for 135. His innings included 15 hits to the fence. He then quickly got rid of skipper Lara for 10 runs, trapping him leg before wicket.

The teams went for lunch with the scoreboard reading 362 for three.

S Sreesanth picked up his first wicket of the match right after lunch as he got rid of the dangerous Sarwan. He was trapped lbw for 116. Sarwan’s 174-ball innings included 17 boundaries and one six.

The loss of three wickets slackened the pace of scoring as Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo tried to string a partnership.

Harbhajan Singh, who came in for some harsh treatment from the West Indies batsmen, finally had something to celebrate when he dismissed Bravo.

Bravo was caught behind by wicketkeeper M S Dhoni for 21.

Lara had earlier said the team was aiming to play five sessions and put up a big score that would put the Indians under pressure.

The plan seems to have been implemented well and considering the good form of India’s batsmen there could be another cliffhanger in the offing, unless the weather gods write a different script.

GUANTANAMO: Supreme Court ruling could force changes, or even an end, to trials

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - A former driver for Osama bin Laden may help decide the fate of dozens of Guantanamo Bay detainees, and perhaps all of them, as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on his legal challenge to the first U.S. war crimes trials since World War II.

The court, which is expected to rule as early as Monday, is considering a range of issues in Salim Ahmed Hamdan’s case, including whether U.S. President George W. Bush had the authority to order military trials for men captured in the war on terror and sent to the Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Bush recently suggested the ruling will help him determine what should be done with all the prisoners at Guantanamo, where the U.S. holds about 450 men on suspicion of links to al-Qaida or the Taliban.

Amnesty International and the American Civil Liberties Union said Friday that Bush doesn’t need a court decision to close the prison, which has drawn intense international criticism. The case has nothing to do with the prison itself, they said.

“Bush can close Guantanamo, but this (court) decision can’t,” said Ben Wizner, an ACLU attorney who monitors Guantanamo. “That’s not a question before this court.”

The ruling, however, could determine whether the government can proceed with military trials for Hamdan and nine other detainees who have been charged with crimes.

HAITI: Kidnapped Canadian released as U.N troops face surge in gang violence

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - A Canadian missionary kidnapped a week ago has been released, a colleague said Sunday as U.N. peacekeepers increased patrols amid an upsurge of violence in the Haitian capital.

Ed Hughes was released late Saturday on a rural road after kidnappers received a ransom raised by the missionary’s friends and colleagues, said Nelson Ryman, co-director with Hughes of the Tytoo Gardens orphanage.

“He called me in the morning and was extremely disoriented,” Ryman said from his home in Tampa, Florida. “A bit later I talked to him again and he said he plans to return to his children in the orphanage and plans to stay in Haiti.”

Ryman said the ransom was less than US$10,000 (euro8,000) but wouldn’t specify the amount.

Police and U.N. officials worked through a Haitian mediator to secure Hughes’ release.

Hughes, 72, was kidnapped - apparently by gang members - from his home just north of Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince on June 18. They threatened to kill him unless a US$45,000 (euro36,000) ransom was paid and later lowered the demand, according to Ryman.

Ryman said Hughes told him he was released during a storm Saturday night and was put in a “tap-tap” - pickup trucks used as collective taxis. Hughes, who made it back to the capital early Sunday, was resting at a safe location in Port-au-Prince, Ryman said.

JAMAICA: Island receives shipment of cement from Cuba to help ease shortage

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - A shipment of 8,000 tons (7257 metric tons) of cement from Cuba arrived in the Jamaican capital on Sunday - some two months after officials expected it would arrive.

The cement, which will help ease a shortage that has slowed construction on the island, will be issued for local distribution on Monday, said Commerce Minister Phillip Paulwell. It was not clear why the shipment was delayed.

Paulwell said it is the first of several shipments expected from Cuba to ease the cement shortage.

“This shipment, in addition to the other imports and production from the Caribbean Cement Company, should supply the weekly domestic demand,” Paulwell said.

Jamaica began negotiating with Cuba to supply cement after the main local producer, Caribbean Cement Company Limited, temporarily suspended production in March following claims of substandard product.

An internal inquiry later revealed that the company had distributed some 551,000 tons (500,000 metric tons) of faulty cement since November, according to Trinidad Cement Limited, the company’s major shareholder.

CRICKET: Laxman hits century but West Indies maintain control

BASSETERRE, ST. Kitts (AP) - VV.S. Laxman hit a defiant century for India on Sunday but the West Indies still secured a big first innings lead and put themselves in a position to push for a victory on Monday’s final day of the third Digicel cricket test at Warner Park.

India, starting day four on 150 for two in reply to the home team’s formidable first innings total of 581, was bowled out for 362 on the stroke of tea.

West Indies captain Brian Lara, despite a lead of 219, surprisingly opted not to enforce the follow on. The home team instead pushed on to 113 for four by close, taking their overall lead to 332.

India’s innings was dominated by Laxman, who topscored with an even century. Anil Kumble (43) and Harbhajan Singh (38 not out) boosted the visitors’ lower order.

“It’s quite pleasing to get a hundred, especially when the situation demaned it,” Laxman said after play.

Jerome Taylor ripped through India’s middle order in the morning session and ended with three for 118. Corey Collymore claimed three for 63 and Dwayne Bravo grabbed two for 38.

Pedro Collins chipped in with two for 117 before he left the field with an injury towards the end of the Indian innings.

CRICKET: Fast bowler Fidel Edwards expected to lead Barbados

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP) - Fast bowler Fidel Edwards will make his cricket comeback when he leads the Barbados bowling attack in the Stanford 20/20 Tournament to be played in Antigua next month.

The 24-year-old has been sidelined since early June when a hamstring injury forced him of the ongoing test series between West Indies and India.

Edwards has received specialized treatment on the injury, and his personal coach Wendell Coppin said Sunday he will be ready for the Stanford tournament. The opening match against Anguilla is set for July 18.

In his international career, Edwards has taken 62 wickets in 24 test matches, and 24 in 19 one-day internationals.

Stanford 20/20 organizers have invited 19 teams from across the Caribbean to participate. The top prize is US$1 million (euro800,000).

assault on Harbhajan Singh was a calculated move aimed at upsetting the rhythm of the Indian off-spinner, playing his first Test on the tour.

“I knew he was coming back after a long break and wanted to put him off his line, carry the attack to him,” said Gayle, who made a strokeful 83 from 127 balls with five sixes and eight fours.

The aggressive opener clubbed ‘The Turbanator’ for three sixes – two of them in the same over at long on and long off.

Gayle also picked up S Sreesanth for some special treatment and explained his reasons for going hard against the speedster whom he hit for two sixes.

“He’s pretty aggressive himself so I try to put the fight back on to him,” said the left-hander.

Gayle, however, complimented Munaf Patel for getting the ball to reverse swing and ultimately consuming him in the afternoon.

“He bowled excellently and was getting the ball to reverse swing on me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get away from him during that spell,” he said.

Gayle, who completed his 4,000 runs in Test cricket when he was on seven runs, said he would like to score as many centuries as possible to be counted as one of the great West Indian openers.

Kuala Lumpur, June 23: India’s hopes of making it to the finals went up in smoke as they lost to Holland by a solitary second-half goal today while defending champions Australia whipped New Zealand 7-1 to set up a title clash with the Dutch in the Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, here.

The final is slated for Sunday and before that India will take on New Zealand in the bronze medal play-off.

In two contrasting outings, the Indians played their heart out but faltered at crucial moments before bowing to Holland while Australia made mincemeat of their neighbours, reducing the second semi-final virtually to a no-contest.

In the first semi-final, it was Roderick Weusthof’s 64th minute strike which dashed India’s hopes of making it to their fourth Azlan Shah final.

The match-winner came when Weusthof converted the team’s second penalty corner. For the Dutch, it was their first penalty corner conversion in the tournament. Playing with a three-pronged attack didn’t give India too many chances against a solid Dutch defence.

It was the Dutch who made the initial moves in the seventh and 10th minutes. The first real chance, however, came India’s way but Gagan Ajit Singh, who had positioned himself well, miscued the reverse shot.

Later, even Arjun Halappa and Rajpal Singh had a few sharp chances but the shots were not powerful enough to trouble the Dutch defence.

Pushing constantly, Holland earned their first penalty corner in the 23rd minute but the shot went abegging. India survived another scare when custodian Adrian D’Souza was stretched full in the 34th minute when Teun de Nooijer’s shot was well taken on the pads. At the break, both the teams were goalless.

A minute into the second half, Tushar Khandekar sped in and created a chance but the shot went past the post without any Indian forward filling in the gap.

India, finally, earned their only penalty corner of the match in the 42nd minute but Dilip Tirkey hit wide off the post.

It was clear that India were not getting into a rhythm. The midfield was defensive and wasn’t moving fluently to play in tandem with the forwards.

Kuala Lumpur, June 23: India’s hopes of making it to the finals went up in smoke as they lost to Holland by a solitary second-half goal today while defending champions Australia whipped New Zealand 7-1 to set up a title clash with the Dutch in the Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament, here.

The final is slated for Sunday and before that India will take on New Zealand in the bronze medal play-off.

In two contrasting outings, the Indians played their heart out but faltered at crucial moments before bowing to Holland while Australia made mincemeat of their neighbours, reducing the second semi-final virtually to a no-contest.

In the first semi-final, it was Roderick Weusthof’s 64th minute strike which dashed India’s hopes of making it to their fourth Azlan Shah final.

The match-winner came when Weusthof converted the team’s second penalty corner. For the Dutch, it was their first penalty corner conversion in the tournament. Playing with a three-pronged attack didn’t give India too many chances against a solid Dutch defence.

It was the Dutch who made the initial moves in the seventh and 10th minutes. The first real chance, however, came India’s way but Gagan Ajit Singh, who had positioned himself well, miscued the reverse shot.

Later, even Arjun Halappa and Rajpal Singh had a few sharp chances but the shots were not powerful enough to trouble the Dutch defence.

Pushing constantly, Holland earned their first penalty corner in the 23rd minute but the shot went abegging. India survived another scare when custodian Adrian D’Souza was stretched full in the 34th minute when Teun de Nooijer’s shot was well taken on the pads. At the break, both the teams were goalless.

A minute into the second half, Tushar Khandekar sped in and created a chance but the shot went past the post without any Indian forward filling in the gap.

India, finally, earned their only penalty corner of the match in the 42nd minute but Dilip Tirkey hit wide off the post.

It was clear that India were not getting into a rhythm. The midfield was defensive and wasn’t moving fluently to play in tandem with the forwards

To say that VVS Laxman was under pressure going in to bat in the third Test in St Kitts would be a huge understatement: in his three earlier innings in the series, he had scored 29, 31 and 0. It wasn’t just that he hadn’t got the runs; he had made it worse for himself by getting out in utterly irresponsible fashion. In fact, the pre-match talk was all about Laxman making way for an extra bowler.

On the fourth day of the match, Rahul Dravid will be relieved he didn’t make that decision, as Laxman grafted a hundred that might have saved India from defeat. The way he went about his innings spoke of the pressure he was under: initially he was all circumspection, carefully defending deliveries he would normally have caressed quite emphatically to the fence, and letting plenty of balls go by. His first 50 runs took him all of 143 balls, a scoring rate of two runs per over. He defended or left alone almost 62% of deliveries, and even his 42 drives only fetched him 30 runs.

Gradually, though, the rhythm returned, and his second 50 took him only 88 balls. His driving improved too as the innings wore on - he went on the drive 35 times, and scored 34. And even though he was dour and circumspect for much of his innings, his in-control factor was still a high 92% for the entire innings, indicating that his defence was sound. He never reached the heights that he is capable of, but for a batsman in the throes of a slump, this innings was a vital one, and it could be even more crucial if India end up saving the Test.

St. Kitts: West Indian captain Brian Lara said there was no way he could have enforced the follow-on against India on the fourth afternoon as he was not sure how his fast bowlers would have come out after hectic spells till then.

“If the deficit was around 300, we would have enforced (the follow-on). The fast bowlers had bowled 25-30 overs. Since our attack is based on them, it was important to have a break between the two innings,” Lara said.

“(Pedro) Collins had developed cramps and it was difficult to find out how the guys would have come out immediately,” he said.

Lara also outlined the reasons which could work in his side’s favour in the fourth innings when West Indies sets them a target.

“It will be a fresh bowling attack, Collins would have recovered and hopefully the pitch would deteriorate further, it was a better choice. It was always at the back of our mind that we wanted to set India a total,” he said.

Lara, though, was critical of his bowlers for trying too hard against the Indian tailenders “They tried too hard.

“They found themselves in an unaccustomed position and were very hungry. Hence they were not patient like they were with the top order Indian batsmen. It is something we would talk about (for the final day),” Lara said.

The West Indian skipper did not forget to praise VVS Laxman for his special hundred as well his own bowler Jerome Taylor who gave him an opening at the start of the day.

“Going into the day, I thought of getting out (Rahul) Dravid early. Doing that and getting a couple of more wickets after that was just the right kind of start we needed this morning. But VVS played a special innings. Losing your middle order and then performing the way like he did, you sometimes have to accept this from such players.”

TAKING NOTHING FOR GRANTED

Laxman on his part said that he could still not take anything for granted, especially when the middle order was as crowded as in the Indian team.

“I can only do things which are in my control and the rest you leave to the selectors and team management,” said Laxman.

Laxman is aware that there would be competition for places in the middle order once Sachin Tendulkar is back in contention.

“Competition is healthy. Good teams are always built around the competition.”

HAPPY TO BE BACK AT THREE

Laxman said he was pleased to be batting at number three, the position where he always bats for his state side. “I have always batted at number three for Hyderabad and for South Zone.

Before the series began, Dravid came to me and said he wanted me to bat at number three. In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, he wanted to bat at number four.”