Friday, August 6, 2010

Gritty Sri Lanka leave India a mountain to climb Read more: Gritty Sri Lanka leave India a mountain to climb - Top stories - India tour of Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: India's renowned batsmen were handed a stern challenge to secure a series-levelling win in the final Test after Sri Lanka fought hard with both bat and ball on Friday.

India, set a victory target of 257, ended the rousing fourth day's play on 53/3 in their second innings, following a triple strike by lanky off-spinner Suraj Randiv.

Randiv, sharing the new ball with Lasith Malinga, had in-form Virender Sehwag caught in the slips in his first over and later bowled Rahul Dravid off the inside edge for seven.

He then dismissed opener Murali Vijay for 27 to a disputed catch at short-leg by Mahela Jayawardene, which was referred to the television umpire before the batsman was ruled out.

Sachin Tendulkar, the world's leading run-getter playing a record 169th Test match, kept India's hopes alive with a watchful unbeaten 11.

Nightwatchman Ishant Sharma was on two, with India needing 204 more runs on the final day with seven wickets in hand.

Sri Lanka made 267 in their second innings after a spectacular century partnership for the ninth wicket between Thilan Samaraweera and Ajantha Mendis.

India's spinners had sparked a dramatic collapse in the morning session as five wickets fell for 24 runs to reduce the hosts to 87/7 in an hour's play.

But the last three wickets added 180 runs to frustrate the Indians as Samaraweera followed his century in the first innings with a fighting 83 in the company of tailenders.

Samaraweera added 38 runs for the eighth wicket with Lasith Malinga (15) and Sri Lanka's record ninth-wicket stand of 118 with Mendis (78).

The duo flayed the Indian attack for two hours and 32 minutes before India broke the partnership in the first over with the second new ball.

Samaraweera attempted to pull a short ball from Abhimanyu Mithun and gloved a catch to Indian captain Mahendra Dhoni behind the stumps.

Mendis, who hit 10 boundaries and a six in his maiden half-century, scored 20 runs in the company of last man Chanaka Welegedara before being held in the covers off Amit Mishra.

India's three spinners, Pragyan Ojha, Mishra and Sehwag, claimed three wickets each on a pitch that support turn and bounce to the bowlers.

Sri Lanka added 18 runs to their overnight score of 45/2 when Ojha trapped nightwatchman Randiv leg-before for six, one ball after Dhoni dropped a simple catch behind the stumps.

Ojha then dealt two deadly blows in successive overs, getting rid of Sri Lanka's batting mainstays, Mahela Jayawardene and skipper Kumar Sangakkara.

Jayawardene edged a sharp turning ball to Rahul Dravid in the slips after making five, while Sangakkara (28) pulled a short delivery to Suresh Raina at square-leg.

It was the Sri Lankan captain's first failure in the series after making 103 in the first Test, 219 and 42 not out in the second and 75 in the first innings of this match.

Mishra, who was hammered for 1-140 in the first innings, then claimed two wickets with consecutive deliveries to reduce the hosts to 87/7.

Angelo Mathews hit a full-toss to Tendulkar at mid-wicket, while Prasanna Jayawardene was out leg-before off the next ball.

Malinga denied Mishra a hat-trick and partnered Samaraweera in the rescue act, before he was leg-before to Sehwag before lunch.
TOI

IHF regains government recognition

BANGALORE: In another swift move that consigned Hockey India to history, the Union sports ministry said on Friday that the Indian Olympic Association or Sports Authority of India would select and field the Indian hockey teams in international competitions from now on.

The ministry informed the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that this would be necessary in the interest of the game in the country as the HI is no longer the recognised national sports federation. The Sports Authority of India will be virtually in charge of the national teams, coordinating on the camps and tours till such time the IHF, which is now teh recognised body, takes over.

The ministry also told FIH not to assign any international tournament or have any commercial dealings with HI as it has assumed the character of a private body and no longer enjoys government recognition.

The IHF will be given adequate time to set in motion the unification process with the Indian Women's Hockey Federation but the sports ministry is categorical in its view that the KPS-Gill led body will have to kickstart the process in double quick time as well as keep its word on adhering to the government guidelines as it knuckles down to its work of governing the game again.

In its letter to FIH president Leandro Negre, the ministry said: "The president, IHF, has confirmed that the process of unification of the men and women hockey bodies at the national level is under way. It is expected to be completed soon. Once this process is completed, they will approach the FIH for recognition. Meanwhile, it is requested that the IOA or SAI may be permitted to field the Indian team for participating in various FIH recognised competitions."

The first of the tasks for IOA or SAI may be selecting the women's team for the World Cup in Rosario, Argentina later this month. The Commonwealth and Asian Games squads too may have to be chosen by either of these bodies in the coming weeks.

What can come as an irritant is the IHF's relationship with the FIH. With the FIH still backing Hockey India, the ministry feels the onus is on the IHF to effectively stake its claim. The fresh mandate to run the game - with the unification in place and government recognition - should convince the FIH adequately enough to change its stance, the ministry feels. In any case, how long can an international federation continue to back a ‘private body' which has lost the power to select a team that can legitimately represent India?

TOI