India pushing hard to ready CWG infrastructure in time: Gill

New Delhi, Nov 25: India is “pushing the hardest” to ensure that the infrastructure for the 2010 Commonwealth Games is ready in time, Sports Minister M S Gill said on Wednesday as MPs across the spectrum expressed concern in the Rajya Sabha over the country’s preparedness to host the event.

“We are here in a situation where we are pushing the hardest to see that the infrastructure is ready in time to enable the staging of test events (before the October 3-14, 2010 Games),” Gill said while responding to a calling attention motion in the house.

“It is now a question of coming out with dignity and honour. Today the country, the people, the prime minister, everyone is clear; please get it ready in time,” the minister maintained. “This is something that concerns me all the time,” he said, adding that a group of ministers under Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy meets once a week to monitor the progress in constructing the stadium and other infrastructure.

Lanka up against India’s 642 on a dicey track

Lanka up against India’s 642 on a dicey track

Kanpur, Nov 25: India’s lower-order crash triggered by left-arm spinner Rangana Herath after Rahul Dravid’s 28th century may have rattled the Sri Lankans seeing the way the Green Park pitch responded to the spinners in the second cricket Test here on Wednesday. Though the Sri Lankans lost only one wicket scoring 66 in reply to India’s 642, they realise that it is getting increasingly difficult to survive on a pitch of variable bounce and turn. Kumar Sangakkara (30) and Tharanga Paranavitana (30) survived a harrowing last hour as off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and debutant left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha made batting look difficult.

Jeev, Randhawa open strongly at World Cup of Golf

STAFF WRITER 16:40 HRS IST

Shenzhen (China), Nov 26 (PTI) Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa shared six birdies against a lone bogey to return a steady five-under 67 and take a share of the 15th spot after the opening round of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup of Golf here today.

Jeev and Randhawa shot three birdies each in a strong opening day performance.

The lone bogey in the card came off Jeev's club on the par-three second hole.

Both the players opened with par shots on the first hole and after Jeev had stumbled to a bogey on the second, Randhawa made up for it with a birdie on the third hole.

Jeev himself found a birdie on the seventh hole as the Indians combined for one-under at the end of the front-nine.

Stuart Broad eyes IPL contract

STAFF WRITER 16:56 HRS IST

London, Nov 26 (PTI) Having turned down an IPL contract in season-II for the sake of Ashes, England paceman Stuart Broad is now eyeing his maiden stint in Twenty20 tournament in its third edition next year.

Broad's representative is in touch with the IPL Chairman Lalit Modi and he may be included in the list of players on sale at the third IPL auction in January, provided he gets the nod of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

"We have had contact from Craig (Sackfield, Broad's agent) and all players now have to write to me directly and arrange an NOC (no objection certificate) from their board by December 31," Modi said.

"Then we will fix a minimum bid price and circulate their names to the franchises.

Sreesanth puts India on the threshold of victory

STAFF WRITER 16:59 HRS IST

Amlan Chakraborty

Kanpur, Nov 26 (PTI) S Sreesanth marked his return to international cricket with a devastating display of seam bowling to put India on the threshhold of a remarkable victory in the second cricket Test against a hapless Sri Lanka here today.

Sreesanth, staging a comeback after being in the wilderness for close to 18 months, snatched 5 for 75 in Sri Lanka's first innings and then drew first blood in the second innings leave the islanders in complete disarray.

With Sreesanth breathing fire, Sri Lanka's feeble first innings riposte wilted for 229, a whopping 413 runs behind the hosts' massive first innings total of 642. This was also India's highest first innings lead over the Lankans.