Sports List, Nov 28

Davis Cup: India set to steamroll depleted Pak

Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan), November 28

India are expected to demolish the challenge of the depleted Pakistani team in their Davis Cup tie, which starts here tomorrow after the fixture was shifted to this neutral venue from Islamabad following a drama-filled build-up. The uncertainty over the venue remained till the last moment and it only added up to the confusion regarding the players’ selection in both the teams. The tie will be played on indoor hardcourts due to the sub-zero temperature here.

Eventually, the International Tennis Federation moved the tie to Nur-Sultan after its independent tribunal rejected the Pakistan Tennis Federation’s review appeal. While it resolved the security concerns of the Indians, the shifting of the tie did no good to the competition. India, with players of the calibre of Sumit Nagal, Ramkumar Ramanathan and Leander Paes, were anyway expected to win easy, but the pulling out of Pakistan top players Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan has made it a no-contest.

Learning experience

Pakistan’s team comprises at least three players in their mid-teens, and the tie will be a learning experience these young players. The winner of this tie will travel to Croatia in March 2020 for the World Group Qualifiers.

Ramanathan will open the tie tomorrow against Muhammad Shoaib, who has not won even a single match in the main draw of an ITF Futures tournament. The 17-year-old has not played a single match in the entire 2019 season. In the second singles, Nagal will take on Huzaifa Abdul Rehman, who did well on the junior ITF circuit.

Whitewash?

India’s non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal said the team is looking for a whitewash. “Pakistan has young players who seem to be hitting well and free. They are playing against a tough Indian team with nothing to lose. We are looking to whitewash them,” Rajpal said.

On the second day of the tie on Saturday, Paes and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan will take on the combination of Shoaib and Rehman before the reverse singles are played. Even if India take an unassailable 3-0 lead, the fourth rubber will be played. The teams have a choice of not playing the inconsequential fifth rubber. — PTI

Bhupathi says AITA, govt didn’t back players in Pak Davis Cup furore

Mumbai: Former Davis Cup captain Mahesh Bhupathi said India’s tennis players were abandoned by their federation and the government when they expressed security concerns about travelling to Pakistan for their Davis Cup tie, which was eventually shifted due to security concerns. Bhupathi also said he still cannot get over the “hurt” caused by the All India Tennis Association’s (AITA) manner of sacking him, adding it was hardly a surprise given how AITA has dealt with players in the last two decades. “India-Pakistan is a unique scenario. Tension has been there since inception of Pakistan. No other sporting team has toured there for two decades and all of a sudden they are saying India tennis team should go, and everybody is criticising the boys for taking a stance, that was very unfair,” Bhupathi said.

Sania set for return at Hobart International

Mumbai: Sania Mirza confirmed that she will be back to competitive tennis at Hobart International in January 2020, two years after taking a maternity break. The 33-year-old, who last played at China Open in October 2017, will team up with Ukraine’s Nadiia Kichenok, the current world No. 38. Sania, married to Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik, gave birth to their first son, Izhaan, in October last year. “I am playing in Hobart, and then I am playing the Australian Open. I am planning to play a tournament in Mumbai next month but I am 50-50 about it, so let’s see how my wrist behaves. We will see, but Hobart and Australian Open (for sure),” she said. — PTI

43 Wins for Leander Paes in the Davis Cup, a record for most doubles win

75 Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, the Chennai left-hander, is set to make his Davis Cup debut, becoming India’s 75th player to appear in a Davis Cup tie.

2 Losses for Sumit Nagal in the Davis Cup. He has lost both his singles matches so far — against Spain (2016) and China (2018)

7-7 Win-loss record for India’s No. 2 singles player Ramkumar Ramanathan in eight Davis Cup ties

I thought I’d take India to win in World Cup: Kohli

But maybe that was just my ego talking, says India captain

New Delhi, November 28

He hasn’t seen too much of it but India captain Virat Kohli says he is not immune to being affected by failure, the most recent being India’s semifinal exit from the ODI World Cup. The swashbuckling batsman said the loss to New Zealand by 18 runs was hard to deal with. “Do I get affected by failures? Yes, I do. Everyone does,” Kohli said. “At the end of the day, I know my team would need me. I had the feeling so strong in my heart that I am going to come not out and make India go through that tough phase in the semifinal. But then again, maybe that was my ego talking because how can you predict something like that? You can only have a strong feeling or maybe it was a strong desire to do something like that.”

Talking about his desire to leave behind a legacy, Kohli, who has scored 11,520 runs in ODIs and 7,202 in Tests, said: “I hate losing. I don’t want to walk out and say I could have done this. When I step out on the field, it’s a privilege. We want to leave behind a legacy that future cricketers will say we want to play like that.”

The Indian team is currently gearing up for the limited-overs series against West Indies, which starts on December 6. PTI

Bangladesh opener Hassan fined for overstaying in India

Kolkata, November 28

Bangladesh cricketer Saif Hassan was stuck at the Kolkata airport for staying in India on an expired visa and had to pay a penalty of Rs 21,600 before he could fly back home. Hassan travelled with the Bangladesh team as a back-up opener for the Test series which they lost 0-2 against hosts India. Hassan, who missed the Day/Night Test at Eden Gardens because of a split webbing in his hand, had stayed back with the team without realising that his six-month visa had already expired. “His (Hassan) visa expired two days ago and he realised it only at the airport. He could not board the booked flight. As per the new rules of overstay, he had to pay the fine,” Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commissioner Toufique Hassan said. “Thankfully the Indian High Commission processed his visa and gave him the exit clearance and he left for home yesterday.”

The Bangladesh players returned home in batches with a few flying back on the same day they lost the Day/Night Test. Saif and the rest of the team were scheduled to leave on Monday but the young opener was held up at the airport for overstaying. — PTI

Smith looking to solve sleep problems and Yasir

Adelaide, November 28

Master batsman Steve Smith is consulting experts on how to get a better night’s sleep before cricket matches, but will be fully alert when facing his Brisbane nemesis Yasir Shah in the second Test here, according to Australia captain Tim Paine. Smith, a brand ambassador and investor in an Australian mattress company, revealed he was “an awful sleeper” during the Ashes series in England, saying his mind would race with thoughts about where to hit the ball and how to play various bowlers. Months later, on the eve of the pink-ball Test against Pakistan at Adelaide Oval, Smith was still tossing and turning, Paine said. “I know he’s working with people at Cricket Australia and elsewhere on trying to find a better night’s sleep,” Paine said.

“It’s not a great endorsement for his Koala mattress company but he’s working on trying to get better at that and trying to relax a bit more between games. I don’t think it’s an easy fix for someone who’s wired the way Steve is,” he added.

Paine confirmed Australia would have an unchanged line-up at Adelaide Oval after thrashing Pakistan by an innings and five runs in Brisbane to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Smith’s cheap dismissal was a rare highlight for Pakistan in Brisbane, and Shah celebrated by holding up seven fingers to show the number of times he has taken the Australian’s wicket. The gesture prompted jokes from Smith’s teammates that Yasir had “woken up the beast”, and the batsman remarked that he looked forward to his next battle with the 33-year-old spinner. — Reuters

Daryl Mitchell, son of England rugby coach, gets New Zealand cricket call-up

Hamilton, November 28

Just weeks after cheering England’s win over New Zealand at the Rugby World Cup, Daryl Mitchell has been named to make his cricket debut for New Zealand in the second Test against England here tomorrow. The all-rounder is the son of John Mitchell, the former All Blacks coach who is now an assistant under Eddie Jones with England, who beat New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup semis. He will replace the injured Colin de Grandhomme but New Zealand have delayed a decision on whether Matt Henry or Lockie Ferguson will come in for injured bowling spearhead Trent Boult.

With a Test cap to his name Mitchell will go a step further than his father, who played six mid-week tour matches but no Tests for the All Blacks before turning to coaching and taking New Zealand to third at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Daryl Mitchell has admitted he had mixed feelings when England beat New Zealand in the World Cup semifinals in Japan. They lost to South Africa in the final. “It’s a strange watch, to be fair. Your whole life you grow up supporting the All Blacks, but at the same time you want your old man to do well,” the 28-year-old Daryl said after England won 19-7. — AFP

Mairaj, Gurjoat lead qualifiers of skeet Nationals

New Delhi, November 28

Olympian Mairaj Ahmad Khan of Uttar Pradesh and Punjab’s Gurjoat Singh shot down all the 100 targets over four rounds of qualifying to lead the men’s skeet field in the National Shooting Championships. Punjab also dominated in other skeet shooting categories with Rajveer Singh Gill leading the men’s junior field while Ganemat Sekhon led both the women’s and women’s junior categories with one more round to go on Friday, followed by the finals.

Mairaj and Gurjoat began the day by sharing the top spot with India international Smit Singh, who had also shot two perfect rounds on Wednesday. However, Smit missed a couple of targets on the day to be part of a chasing pack of four with 98 hits in the 110-strong field. Others include Angad Vir Singh Bajwa and Amarinder Singh Cheema, besides youngster Rajveer. Rajveer was the most impressive, returning three perfect rounds on the bounce, including two today to also lead the men’s junior field.

Ganemat Sekhon missed three targets on the day and with her two misses on Wednesday, was one ahead of Areeba Khan, who has missed six overall till now. Darshna Rathore of Rajasthan was giving Areeba company on 94. PTI

Syed Modi International: Srikanth, Sourabh enter quarterfinals, Lakshya, Ajay lose

Lucknow, November 28

Kidambi Srikanth and Sourabh Verma advanced to the quarterfinals but Lakshya Sen bowed out of the men’s singles contest at the Syed Modi International Badminton tournament. Srikanth eked out a thrilling 18-21 22-20 21-16 win over compatriot Parupalli Kashyap. The world No. 12 Indian will next square off against seventh seed Son Wan Ho of South Korea. Sourabh defeated fellow Indian Alap Mishra 21-11 21-18 to set up a clash with Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn, who accounted for B Sai Praneeth 21-11 21-17. Sen, 18, could not produce his best and went down to the experienced Son Wan Ho 14-21 17-21. Ajay Jayaram was beaten 21-18 14-21 30-28 by China’s Zhao Jun Peng. The women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy retired after they were lagging 0-2 in the opening game against English pair of Chloe Birch and Lauren Smith. PTI