Happy New Year 2017

Here's Wishing All Sport Lovers a 
Very Happy New Year 2017

There is a ton of excitement in 2017 starting with the Australian Open Tennis Grand Slam, England's ODI series vs India, Australia v Pakistan ODIs, Champions Trophy Cricket In England, F1 season, English Premier League, Tennis Grand Slam season, IPL, ISL, Hockey and loads more....

Can't wait to grab a piece of the action!!

Who Will Win The Cup??  

ISL 2016: Recap Of the Season - ATK Wins Title, Kerala Wins Fans

#IndianSoccerLeague2016 #ISL 2016
#LetsFootball #Tournament #RoundUp

So, the #ISL Season 3 is finally over and #ATK deservedly won the final and the trophy for second time in 3 years. #KeralaBlasters came agonizingly second, yet again and will have to wait another year for a shot at glory.

Here's a round up of the entire tournament:

Week 1: #NEUFC North East United FC were surprise table toppers and #FCGoa were at the bottom stunning everyone.

Week 2: NEUFC started slipping but maintained their top spot. Kerala Blasters hadn't scored a single goal.Wow!

Week after week, the table positions started changing hands quickly especially the top of the table. #MumbaiCityFC held on to the top position the longest. 

#PuneCityFC and #NEUFC are the only teams not to participate in finals of any season yet. So, they do need to pull up their socks.

#DelhiDynamos' Souvik Chatterjee clocked most minutes on the pitch for any player this season, an average of 92 minutes on the pitch. That's staggering!
#DDs had a season high of 7,395 passes, almost a thousand more than second placed #ATK.

#ATK won the league, #Kerala won fans and their love. 

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Karun Nair Triple Century Sinks England, Well Almost

#IndvEng #TestSeries 2016
5th Test Match - #Chennai

Starting the day at 71*, little did #KarunNair could have imagined what a day this was going to be for him! By the time India's innings ended, 759 for 7 declared, he was walking back 303* (a massive achievement - only 2nd Indian behind Sehwag to do it) to setup a daunting task for the Englishmen to survive Day 5 of this test match.   

With able support from #Vijay, #Ashwin and #Jadeja, he piled up misery for England bowlers throughout the day. Session 1 was always going to be crucial with India still trailing by 86 runs, so caution was the keyword. The second session was in push mode to step up the scoring to build lead while the third one was turbocharge mode to set up a winning lead. He did all three with gumption and flair.

Well played Karun and there will be no surprises when the Man Of The Match will be selected tomorrow.

Brief Scores At the end of Day 4
England: 1st Innings - 477, 2nd Innings - 12/0
India: 1st Innings - 759 for 7 decl

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Ind v Eng Test Series 2016: India Take 3-0 Lead With Innings Win In Mumbai

#IndvEng #TestSeries 2016

#Ravi Ashwin wrapped up the England 2nd Innings within 8 overs of the 5th morning to give India a thumping win and 3-0 series win at Mumbai. There is one more test match at #Chennai to go but that is a #DeadRubber now.

Starting the day at 182 for 6, still 49 runs short of making India bat again, #JonnyBairstow and #JosButler were their only hopes to carry their innings forward and build some sort of leadf for their bowlers to bowl at. However, #Ashwin trapped Bairstow leg-before. He was quickly followed by #AdilRashid who holed out in the deep. 

It was #Butler to go next, trying to sweep against Ashwin, bowl taking the boots and spooning it to first slip. OUT was #Umpire verdict and Stokes challenged it. However, replays clearly indicated that the ball took Stokes bat, on the boots and popped up to slip for a simple catch. 

The very next over, Ashwin cleaned 'em all up, #JakeBall edging one behind. GAME OVER.
4 wickets for 14 runs in 8 overs on Day 5 and India won by a whopping margin of Innings and 35 runs.

Man of the Match:
Virat Kohli for his scintillating 235 to set a brilliant platform for his bowlers to take 20 wickets.
Ashwin wasnt far behind with 12 wickets but the stage at which Virat took control of the game was crucial in determining the outcome of the match. 


Kohli brought up his third double-ton of the year. He has scored a double-ton in the three consecutive series that he has played. First in West Indies, then against New Zealand at Indore and now against England. Prior to this year, Kohli had no double-ton in First-Class cricket. Not only he registered the highest score by an Indian captain but also the highest score by an Indian batsman against England. He broke a plethora of records, bringing India to the brink of another famous victory. India have lost their last two Tests against England at Mumbai, and therefore we can expect a refreshing change in pattern.

Brief Scores:
England
1st Innings: 400
2nd Innings: 196

India
1st Innings: 631

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ISL 2016: ATK v Mumbai City FC Semifinal First Leg Promises To Be A Thriller

#ISL2016 #IndianSoccerLeague
#Semifinals

#ATK being the first team to make the semi-finals in all the three editions, former champions know a thing or two about achieving success in the Indian Super League as they today stressed on a winning start in the last-four fixture against Mumbai City FC.

ATK were thrashed 0-3 by Chennaiyin FC last season in the first leg semi-final, something that led to their ouster in 2015.

Having learnt their lessons the hard way, ATK's South African midfielder Sameehg Doutie said they're focused on a winning start and hoped they would have the advantage to start the semifinal leg at home.

#TableToppers #Mumbai City #FC, on the other hand, qualified for the #Semifinals for the first time in three seasons after they outclassed defending champions #Chennaiyin #FC 2-0.

Their only loss at home this season had come against the same team Mumbai City FC who won via a 79th minute Diego Forlan goal in the league fixture on October 25.

Their record at the adopted Rabindra Sarobar Stadium has been poor with only one win (against Delhi Dynamos FC) from seven matches but Doutie said it did not matter.

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Its 6 Out Of 6 For India Womens Cricket Team In Asia Cup

#AsiaCup #WomensCricket
#IndvPak #AsiaCupFinal, #Bangkok

India maintained its unblemished record of winning all 6 editions of Women's Asia Cup till date and cemented their position as the strongest team in the continent by a fair distance. They now have a 32 match unbeaten record in the Asia Cup tournaments. This is the second edition of Asia Cup being played in #T20 format.

In the final, they were up against arch rivals #Pakistan and it was billed as a "thriller in the offing" game. It turned out to be damp squib. Batting first India scored 121 for 5 as they labored to their score in 20 overs. Pakistan bowlers applied pressure all the way and had it not been for a superb 73 from skipper Mithali Raj, they could have been in big trouble.

However, all signs of a classic game soon evaporated as the India spinners applied their version of the squeeze on the Pak batsmen and snuffed the game away. Mithali Raj was adjudged player of the match and the series. Kudos to the team on this triumph.

Brief Scores: 
Ind 121 for 5, 20 overs
Pak 104 for 6, 20 overs  

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F1 World Champion For 2016 Is Nico Rosberg

#F1 #MotoRacing #FinalRace
#AbuDhabi

In a thrilling season finale, Nico Rosberg, needing a podium finish to win the #Title, finished second behind his biggest threat and teammate Lewis Hamilton to claim the biggest prize in motor racing. The overall season was so closely fought that the difference between 1 and 2 was a mere 5 points. It was that close!

Although #Rosberg's title success was overshadowed by teammate Hamilton's defiance of team orders, his German company, Mercedes, was all praise of the new champ. Coping with Hamilton's tactics to back him up into the field, Rosberg pulled off a sensational #Overtaking move on Max #Verstappen to recover a position he had lost in the #Pitstops.

Hi Mercedes boss, Lowe said: "Many people can win a race but a championship is about that endurance. This is the longest season in the history of the sport. Nothing sums it up better than this Abu Dhabi win.

"To hold your nerve. Nico was squeezed from the front and the back. There was a very crucial overtake he had to make on Max knowing if he lost the car it would be all over. Holding his nerve through all of that: these are the marks of a great champion."

Hamilton said after the race that his championship was derailed by reliability problems, which included engine failures in qualifying earlier in the campaign and that blow-up in Malaysia.
For Wolff, while accepting that the Sepang failure ultimately proved decisive, he also believes that Rosberg deserves credit for the way he approached the campaign.

Lewis Hamilton remarked "Racing against the most talented driver as a teammate and winning a world championship and making it close the years before is quite an achievement. I think we should honor that, because he is a tough cookie and he doesn't let go. There are quite some remarkable character traits about him that make him a world champion and a worthy world champion."

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Ind v Eng Test Series 2016 - Fifties From Nos 7-8-9 Ensure India Lead by 117

#IndvEng #TestSeries 2016
3rd Test Match - #Mohali

Day 3
Dogged fifties from India's No. 7 R Ashwin, No. 8 Ravindra Jadeja and No. 9 Jayant Yadav ensured India drove in the advantage in the first innings of this crucial test match (3rd of  5 match series, India leading 1-0). India lead by 117 runs at the changeover and England have their work cut out on a pitch where bounce is going to be the biggest area of concern for either side. India will bat last, so they will look forward to keep England to as low a score as possible. 

Day 2
After Kohli and Pujara ensured safety by batting out a good second session and reaching 148 for 2, the last session on Day 2 started quite dramatically. Pujara mistimed one in the deep in the very first over, Rahane's poor form in the series continued as he perished for a blob soon after. This was followed by a horrible mixup between Kohli and debutant Karun Nair leading to the latter's runout. From 148 for 2, India slipped to 155 for 5. England came back strongly in the game.

First Ashwin and Kohli ensured no further casualty until the score reached 204. Then Kohli lost his concentration and nibbled at a delivery outside off to get caught behind for a wonderful 62. India were still in a perilous condition.

Ravindra Jadeja strode in and got into his groove quickly. His style of batting ensures one thing. He will get quick runs and put pressure on the opposition with his unorthodox batting. Thats exactly what happened since Captain Cook had to place in out fields to avoid runs. As a result, the pressure eased off and both batsmen made merry of the English bowling.

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India Beats England In 2nd Test By 246 Runs To Take 1-0 Lead In Series

#IndvEng #TestSeries 2016
2nd Test Match, #Vizag

India crushed England by 246 runs to win the 2nd test and take a 1-0 lead in the 5 Test series.
Starting at 87-2 overnight, they soon crumbled to 115 for 6 and eventually capitulated after lunch to 158 all out. R Ashwin, debutant Jayant Yadav, Mohd Shami and Ravindra Jadeja shared the bowling honours.

Man of the match undoubtedly went to Virat Kohli for his stunning century in the first innings and stoic 81 in the second innings, clearly the difference between the two sides. 

England will be heartbroken because they had fought valiantly until the fag end of the day yesterday only to lose the openers late in the day to hand India the advantage going into Day 5. 




Rookie off-spinner Jayant Yadav enjoyed a memorable Test debut with figures of 3-30 while star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin also bagged three wickets. Ashwin was the most successful among the Indian bowlers with a total of eight wickets in the match.

The third Test begins at Mohali on November 26.

Brief Scores:
India Ist Innings: 455
England Ist Innings: 255
India IInd Innings: 204
England IInd Innings: 158

India won by 246 runs

Man of the Match: Virat Kohli

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PV Sindhu Wins China Open Super Series Title In Style

#Badminton #SuperSeries
#ChinaOpen

#PVSindhu wins China Open to open her Super Series' account.
This is just the beginning for the lanky #Olympic #Silver #Medalist and one of many more to come for sure. Her first major win since her Olympic histrionics in Aug 2016.


Sindhu rode on her fine form to clinch the China Open Superseries Premier event beating Sun Yu of China 21-11, 17-21, 21-11. Coming on the back of a tiring three-game match in her semifinals,she showed no signs of fatigue as she zoomed her way through the opening game.

Though Yu won the second game at 21-17, Sindhu didn't let that affect her as she regrouped soon and was on top of her game in the third. Banking on her quick returns, smart shot selections and a handful of powerful #Smashes, the Indian #Shuttler wrapped up the third game 21-11 to win the tie.

Saina Nehwal (in 2014) and Srikanth Kidambi (in 2014) are the other two Indians to win the China Open Super Series. 

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ISL 2016: Mumbai City "Blast" Kerala Blasters 5-0

#ISL2016 
#Indian #Soccer #League

#MumbaiCityFC misfiring attack came to life against #KeralaBlasters
On Saturday, facing the best defence in the league, a team that had just registered two wins on the spin while scoring five goals, and coming into the game on the back of a week's rest, Mumbai's misfiring attack — that had just drawn a blank in Goa three days ago — had the odds stacked against them.

Within five minutes of the whistle, the famed Kerala rearguard was breached. It wasn't just a goal that gave Mumbai's attack the confidence which was lacking, but it also set the tone for the rest of the evening. Lining up in a 4-3-3 formation rather than their usual 4-2-3-1, Mumbai's extra man in the middle of the park was telling, right from the outset.

As the #Blasters tried to play their way out, Krisztian #Vadocz won the ball in midfield and immediately found Sunil #Chhetri, who had dropped deep to collect the ball. The Indian captain then found Matias #Defederico on the right side and played it to him first time. 

By then, Diego #Forlan had made a run from the left into the space vacated by Chhetri, and Defederico while shielding the ball from the Blasters players, waited for Forlan to reach the danger area and then floated a brilliant through ball with the outside of his foot. Forlan was away. The Uruguayan used his experience and shrugged off Cedric Hengbart's challenge before firing past Graham Stack.

The attacking trio of Forlan-Chhetri-Defederico was combining and inter-changing, and with Cafu bombing forward occasionally, the hosts were creating menace in the Kerala defence. On 13 minutes, the visitors conceded a cheap free-kick just outside the box in the wake of growing pressure from the home side.

It gave Forlan the chance to give fans in India a glimpse of his real quality. He stepped and dispatched the free kick in the top corner in typical Forlan style and Mumbai were simply over the hill and gone too for away for Kerala, even with just 15 minutes played.

What followed was something Mumbai had been doing pretty well already this season. The 2-0 lead gave them the opportunity to control the game and they did just that. While it meant surrendering a bit of possession to the away side, but it hardly bothered the home side who almost never lost their defensive shape.

The back four were solid and very well protected by Sehnaj and Vadocz, while Forlan and Defederico, playing as inverted wingers, immediately dropped back to make it a five-man midfield every time the hosts appeared to lose control of the ball. It wasn't left to chance and it happened every single time.

With every player performing their duties perfectly, it was only in the 90th minute that the visitors got their first shot on target from open play - a hopeful long range effort from full-back #Josu. It also took them 61 minutes to register their first shot on target, which was a tame effort from CK #Vineeth from a set piece.

Despite having 19 points on the board, Mumbai aren't assured of a place in the semi-finals yet, but with such good defensive discipline been shown by the entire team and with a strong attack that's come alive just at the right moment, they are few flaws in the team at the moment.

#DelhiDynamos might have a few things to say, but Mumbai City FC are now the league's team to beat.

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ISL 2016: Chennaiyin FC Break Winless Streak, Beat FC Pune City 2-0

#ISL2016 
#IndianSoccerLeague

#Chennai: Defending Champions #ChennaiyinFC were back to their winning ways through #Jeje Lalpekhlua and Davide #Succi #Goals beating FC Pune City 2-0 in their Indian Super League (ISL) football match at Chennai.

A headed goal by Jeje in the 44th minute and another strike from Succi in the 51st minute were enough for Chennaiyin to collect three points from their first win after beating NorthEast United in Guwahati on 20 October 2016.

#Pune will be concerned about their chances of #Qualification for #Semifinals. The team coached by former ISL winner Antonio #Habas is now placed sixth, although they are only a point behind the defending champions.

Needing to win to keep their chances alive, Chennaiyin coach #MarcoMaterazzi made five changes to his starting line-up as he introduced players like #Eder Monteiro, Hans #Mulder, Davide #Succi and Manuele #Blasi to the starting line-up while #Karanjit Singh was preferred as goalkeeper.

#Habas did not change much, making just one, opting for Raju #Yumnam in place of Rahul #Bheke. Pune started well and had decent chances before they fell by the wayside. #Anibal Zurdo was the first to try his luck with a #Freekick that missed the target by a whisker and Lenny Rodrigues made a fine run on the right but his final attempt lacked power and direction, despite being in a good position.

Raphael #Augusto was the most impressive player for #Chennaiyin. The Brazilian made his intention clear in the 21st minute when he intercepted a pass from Jonatan #Lucca, ran down the flank but ended with a disappointing right-footer when passing to Succi would have been a better option.

Chennaiyin drew first blood just before half-time through Jeje. Bernard Mendy started the move by playing the ball for Raphael in the middle. The Brazilian found Mulder whose cross for Succi got a touch before reaching Jeje and the highest Indian goal-scorer in the ISL did the rest by beating Pune goalkeeper Edel Bete with a smart header from close.

#Bete and Pune were down again early in the second session. In the 51st minute, Succi rose high to head a brilliant cross from Raphael and beat both his marker, Eduardo Ferreira, and a leaping #GoalKeeper.

Pune tried to fight their way back but Chennaiyin were just too solid in defence, not giving any chance whatsoever to their rivals.

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ISL 2016: Kerala Blasters Insult National Anthem, Trouble Foreseen

#ISL2016
#IndianSuperLeague

ISL #Franchise #KeralaBlasters could be in for trouble, with a complaint being filed against them for 'insulting' the Indian National Anthem.

The complaint, pertains to a few players in the franchise keeping their right hand over their heart during the National Anthem, as is the custom in certain countries. The report stated that had been lodged with the Kochi police after their game against #MumbaiCityFC.

Organizers instructed the franchise not only to ask the players and the player escorts to refrain from the practice, but to announce to the fans via the Public Announcement System to stand in 'attention' while the #National #Anthem is sung, even though there is no official legislation to support the same. 

The side have been warned of serious repercussions if they fail to follow the directions. The team officials were reportedly instructed about the same during the Match Commissioner's Meeting (#MCM), which is held a day before every fixture in the tournament.

Kerala Blasters beat Mumbai City FC 1-0 in the fixture in which they committed the alleged 'offence', with Michael Chopra scoring the goal in the 58th minute of the match. The franchise is co-owned by Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.

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Courtesy: Getty Images

India Cricket - Test Players Must Provide Excitement Says Virat Kohli

#India #Cricket

India must play exciting #TestCricket to entertain crowds, #Skipper #ViratKohli said after defeating New Zealand, amid waning interest in the game's longest form. India regained the #TopSpot in the world #Rankings in #Tests.

The series against the #BlackCaps marks the start of a packed programme of international cricket for India who also host #England, #Bangladesh and #Australia later this #Season. Kohli said players needed to interact with the crowd during Tests, in a similar fashion to the high-energy, limited-overs games.

"You have to interact with them, you have to make sure they are a part of the whole thing. You feed off their energy. It happens so much in limited-overs, so why not in Test cricket?"

The comments come as Test cricket struggles to find an audience in the #Twenty20 era, prompting last year's introduction of day-night Tests played under lights with a pink ball in Australia. 

Former cricket greats including Shane #Warne and some cricket board chiefs have also flagged slashing the format from five to four days. But controversial plans to create a two-tier Test system have been scrapped by cricket's world governing body #ICC after India's powerful board led a backlash.

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ISL 2016: Forlan Leads Mumbai Beat ATK

#ISL2016 #Indian #Soccer #League

Star Uruguayan striker Diego #Forlan struck a late goal as Mumbai City FC snapped Atletico de Kolkata's unbeaten run with a 1-0 victory and jumped to the top spot in the Indian Super League (#ISL) in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The former Atletico Madrid and Villareal star with more than 100 caps for his country, scored the all-important goal in the 85th minute to help his side record their third win in seven matches.

With Tuesday's win at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium, Mumbai jumped three places to be at the top spot of ISL table with 11 points from three wins, two losses and two draws, pushing NorthEast United (NEU) to the second position. NorthEast have 10 points from six matches.

This was Forlan's second goal in the tournament after he scored from the spot in Mumbai's 1-0 win against NorthEast at home on 7 October. For ATK, it was their first loss in six matches and they are now on third spot with nine points from two wins, three draws and one loss.

The first half was a very entertaining end-to-end contest, but neither team was successful to get the goal. Mumbai had a wonderful chance to take the lead in the 33rd minute but ATK goalkeeper Debjit Majumder made a vital save as he palmed over a ferocious shot by Sony Norde.

The home side started the second half brightly by introducing Bidyananda Singh, who whipped in some dangerous crosses in. After that, both the teams settled down and the match looked heading for a stalemate.

But then came the game-changing moment in the 85th minute when 37-year-old Forlan put in Norde's deflected shot-cum-cross into the back of the ATK net. This was Forlan's first goal from an open play.

ATK got a chance at the very end when they earned a free kick at the edge of the Mumbai box. Javier Lara took it and his powerful shot was on target but only to see Mumbai keeper Albino Gomes making a diving save.

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Ind v NEw Zealand ODI Series: Virat Masterclass Sinks Kiwis

#IndvNZ #ODI Series 2016
#Mohali, #Punjab

India Beat New Zealand by 7 Wickets in the 3rd #ODI #Match to take a 2-1 lead in the 5 match series.

Powered by #JimmyNeessham's super hitting in the final overs to sail New Zealand from a precarious 199 for 8 to 285 all out in 49.4 overs, the #Kiwis fancied their chances bowling under lights on a lively Mohali pitch.

They snuffed #AjinkyaRahane and #RohitSharma cheaply as well leaving India struggling at 52 for 2. In walked #Skipper #MSDhoni to join #ViratKohli. Slowly and steadily they began to maneuver the ship in direction safety. The no. 4 slot seems perfect for #MS since he can stablize and take the bowlers to the cleaners in the latter part of the #Innings. he did exactly that and added a valuable 150 partnership with Virat before being dismissed softly off Henry for a well made 80.

Virat on the other hand is increasing his #Chase reputation by the day. Cant remember India failing to chase a score when he has scored above 50. He is the bankable star for India in #Runchases and he did just that smashing his 26th ODI #Ton. A true masterclass to steer India to victory by 7 wickets.

All in all, a clinical victory for India as they head into the 4th ODI attempting to wrap the series.
The #BlackCaps need to find in all their reserves and assist their #Captain #KaneWilliamson salvage something from this horror tour for them.

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ISL 2016: Indian Players Need Better Facilities To Become World Class - FC Goa midfielder Jofre

#ISL2016
#IndianSoccerLeague #Season3

For Indian football to develop, the stress should be on creating an environment where players do not just enjoy the sport but are well aware of their tactical positioning, feels #Spanish #Midfielder #Jofre Mateu Gonzalez.

The #FCGoa #Footballer who robbed Atletico de Kolkata (#ATK) of a win by winning and converting a late #Penalty here on Sunday, said: "You need to have academies where children grow in a #Football environment."

"It's not only about practicing and enjoying the game, but knowing a lot about being part of a team, a lot of skills and #Tactical issues which you must know in your (playing) position," Jofre added.

"It's very good for the #League and for the country. And my mates (Indian players at FC Goa), you can see they are improving every year." Jofre, who has played over 300 games in the second division of the #Spanish #LaLiga, pointed out the importance of off-field activities like nutrition and rest, which are as important as the on-field development.

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Ind v NZ ODI Series: Kiwis Find New Zeal To Beat India By 6 Runs

#IndvNZ #ODISeries2016
#Kotla #NewDelhi

New Zealand defeated India by six runs in a closely-fought second One-Day International (#ODI) cricket match at the #FerozeshahKotla here on Thursday - the #Kiwis' first win on the current tour of the country.

#KedarJadhav (41) was the highest scorer for the hosts and skipper #MSDhoni contributed 39 runs in the team's chase of 243-run target. For New Zealand, #TimSouthee scalped three wickets while #TrentBoult and #MartinGuptill took two #Wickets each. #NewZealand scored 242/9 riding on skipper #KaneWilliamson's fine century (118). With the win, New Zealand squared the five-match series 1-1. It is also after 11 long years that India have lost an ODI at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground here.

"I feel this was one game where we lost wickets against the run of play, it was not that the deliveries were good, we just kept losing wickets," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony. "Until the end we had the run rate under control. When you're chasing you need to play 50 overs and at one stage it didn't look like we would," he said. Dhoni also credited New Zealand as his own bowlers for the superb show in the match.

"I felt the New Zealand bowlers bowled really well but we just kept losing wickets. I don't think there was a lot of #Dew, it was not coming out to the bat," he said. "I think we bowled really well, after the new ball it was key to get #ReverseSwing and put pressure on the #Batsman," Mishy (Amit #Mishra) bowled well and got crucial wickets.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was adjudged #ManOfTheMatch for his 118-run knock which was largely responsible for the visitors 242 run score on the board. Williamson too credited his bowlers for helping the Kiwis register their first win in the tour. "The wicket wasn't easy to increase the scoring rate, at the halfway stage we were a few off where we wanted to be. A lot of credit to the way we bowled, to create pressure on that surface was key and Trent Boult was outstanding," he said.

"The bowling was huge for us. We were below #Par but we did have enough runs to create a squeeze, dealing with the dew is never easy. The dew didn't help the #Spinners and they did a great job. There wasn't much turn but they did great for us. #Seam #Bowling was easier to face on that surface. It was a good game of cricket," Williamson added.

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ISL 2016: Delhi Dynamos Rally From Behind To Hold Mumbai City FC 3-3

#ISL2016
#Indian #Soccer #League #Season 3

#Delhi #Dynamos and #MumbaiCity #FC are at second position but the former are above because of better goal difference.

Delhi Dynamos staged a remarkable comeback to play out a 3-3 draw with Mumbai City FC in a high-scoring encounter of the Indian Super League (#ISL), which witnessed end-to-end football throughout, in New Delhi on Tuesday.

For Mumbai City FC, Hungarian midfielder Krisztian #Vadocz found the net twice, in the 33rd and 38th minutes, and the consistent Sony #Norde added to the tally by finding the back of the net in the 69th minute at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Richard Gadze opened the account for the hosts when he found the target in the 51st minute and then substitute Badara #Badji and #Marcelinho scored in the 76th and 82nd minutes respectively.

This was the ongoing #season's highest scoring game. It was an impressive outing by Mumbai too, considering that they were missing a few key players, though their coach Alexandre Borges #Guimaraes will be livid for twice letting slip the advantage.

Mumbai City FC remained on second position with two wins, two draws and a defeat after five appearances, while Delhi Dynamos moved to second place owing to a better #Goal #Difference than #AtleticoDeKolkata.

Dynamos have played four #Matches and recorded a win and three #Draws. This was their third successive draw after starting the #Campaign with a win. The match started on a positive note with both teams looking to #Attack. 

The first breakthrough came when Vadócz, after being fed by playmaker Leonardo Da Costa with a through, sent the ball into the bottom right corner.

Barely five minutes later, it was Vadócz again who emerged as the scorer. Norde took the freekick from just outside the box and Dynamos goalkeeper Roberto Volpato tried to palm it away, but Vadocz headed it off the rebound to make it 2-0 for the visitors.

Mumbai City went into the break with a comfortable two-goal cushion. The visitors were the better of the two sides in the first half. Two goals in the space of six minutes changed the complexion completely and the pressure was certainly on Delhi Dynamos and their coach Gianluca #Zambrotta. Before the breather, the hosts did not really create any great opportunities.

However, they upped their game in the second half and eventually forced Mumbai to settle for a stalemate. The Dynamos came out all guns blazing and first scored through Gadze. Skipper Florent Malouda sent a through to #Marcelo and he, in turn, squared one to #Gadze, who made no mistake while finding the back of the net.

Replay showed that Marcelo could have been offside, but the goal stood. Even as Dynamos tried to come back into the game, Sony Norde dribbled past Souvik Chakraborty and slotted the ball at the far bottom corner.

Mumbai were sitting pretty at that stage with a two-goal cushion again. But there was more to come as Dynamos rallied to find the net through Badji. Malouda played the ball to Badji and he only had #Volpato to beat, and he did that successfully.

As the Mumbai goalkeeper came out rushing to collect the ball, the referee called for penalty, and Marcelinho managed to beat Volpato with a wonderful spot kick. The goalkeeper guessed it correctly as he dived to the right, but the ball evaded his fingertips.

Mumbai made three changes from their 1-0 loss to Blasters. David Lalrinmuana, Boithang Haokip and Cardozo went out and in came Sony Norde, for his first appearance, Pronay Halder and Sena Ralte.

For #Dynamos, goalkeeper Toni Doblas alongside the likes of #Sweepers Lalchhawnkima, Ruben Rocha and holding #Midfielder Marcos Tebar were benched for this game and included in their places were former Aizawl goalkeeper Soram Poirei, David Addy and Ibrahima Niasse.

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ODI Cricket New Method To Minimise Loss Of Play In Rain-Affected Games

#ODI #Cricket

What happened at #Kingsmead, #QueensParkOval and more recently at #GreenPark in #Kanpur is fresh in memory. Rain had rendered the #Ground #Unfit for play resulting in #TestMatches in Durban and Port of Spain turning out to be a farce.

In the India-New Zealand Test in Kanpur, India's 500th Test match, which India won by 197 runs, the visitors were 152 for one at tea on the second day when it started raining. But though the rain relented and despite bright sunshine, the rest of the day's play was lost as the ground staff feared that removing covers immediately could endanger the ground. Moving the #Water #Logged #Covers, they reckoned, would result in seepage and more damage to ground conditions.

Agreed, elements are beyond control, but a solution to playground management is within reach. At least if Ch Yaamalaiah, a training and place ment officer at Krishna Chaitanya Institute of Technology and Sciences in Markapur of Andhra Pradesh, is to be believed. Yaamalaiah has applied for a patent titled: Methods and apparatus for covering a playground from rain.

The drill when it starts raining is cricket grounds are covered with multiple covers manually. It takes time to cover and they cannot cover the entire ground in time. Even after covering, rain water seeps through the edges and the ground gets damp in case of heavy rain. Even with #SuperSoppers at work, it takes time to dry the covers and matches get delayed or sometimes cancelled after a long wait due to #Wet #Outfield.

Yaamalaiah reckons the outfield would not get wet if the entire ground is covered with a single cover in quick time. #Rain water that falls on the cover, he said, will reach the boundary along the g round and flows out through the gutter/moat along the playing field. If his solution works fine, there will be no need for super soppers. His invention, Yaamalaiah said, does exactly that. The #Unicover method solves the problem by covering the entire ground with a single #WaterProof cover. That can be done by an apparatus which holds, unrolls and rolls back the rain cover. 

Instead of allowing water and #Mopping, this apparatus prevents rain water from falling on the outfield surface and the cover does not allow water #Seeping on to the ground as the said cover has no gaps. Water that falls on the cover reaches the edge/boundary of the ground and exits through the #Gutter.

Yaamalaiah said the apparatus is installed on one side of the ground near the boundary. It comprises two vertical bars, one rotatable horizontal bar and one rain cover. The waterproof cover, equivalent in size and shape of the playground, is wound to the horizontal bar that can be rotated with th e help of an electric motor.

When it starts raining, the apparatus' cover holding the bar is rotated so that the waterproof cover rolls on to the ground. Groundsmen spread the cover and rain water that collects on the cover rolls into the moat - as most playgrounds have surfaces that slope towards the boundary - so the ground staff can immediately roll back the covers, he said. 

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ISL 2016 2 week Review - Points Table, Team Standings, Match Results

#ISL2016

#Indian #Soccer #League

#Chennaiyin #FC registered their first win of the Indian Super League 2016 as they defeated #FC #Goa by 2-0 margin. For Chennaiyin FC, Mehrajuddin Wadoo and Hans Mulder scored one goal each to help their side open their account on the ISL 2016  points table. 

It is going to be a long season in the #ISL. We will bring you all the updates and news on the tournament which is expected to grip the imagination of football fans for more than two months. It is fair to say that with only eight teams competing with each other, there is little confusion on who stands where. All teams have a fair idea about their opponents and can eventually set a plan accordingly.

#AtléticoDeKolkata and Chennaiyin FC have been the two winners of the tournament thus far and what will really spice up things will be a new winner and it is fair to say that it is difficult to predict. #KeralaBlasters and #FCGoa have been the two runners-up which means that we have had four different teams in the two seasons as far as the finals go. 

Team Matches Wins Losses Draws Points 
NorthEast United 4 3 1 0 9 
Mumbai City FC 3 2 0 1 7 
Atletico de Kolkata 3 1 0 2 5 
Delhi Dynamos 2 1 0 1 4 
Chennaiyin FC 3 1 1 1 4 
FC Pune City 3 1 2 0 3 
Kerala Blasters 3 0 2 1 1 
FC Goa 3 0 3 0 0

One thing is for sure, predictions are most difficult to make. It will not be different at this point either. Anything other than a win will not shape up the points table and eventually the more results we have, the better it may be.

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ISL 2016 Last Minute Goal Exposes FC Goa Brittle Defence Vs FC Pune City

#ISL2016
#Indian #Soccer #League

Fragility is fast becoming the overarching trait that defines manager #Zico's #FC #Goa.This goes back to the last season of the Indian Super League (#ISL) in which #Goa thumped #MumbaiCity #FC by a record seven-goal margin, yet also suffered two 0-4 meltdowns against #AtleticoDeKolkata and #ChennaiyinFC, in addition to throwing away a last-minute lead in the final at home.

Dying moments of that final would've replayed in the minds of the Goan supporters on Saturday night, when #FC #PuneCity's forward Momar #Ndoye breezed past #Lucio, the home team's marquee defender, and curled in a 90th-minute winner that gave goalkeeper Laxmikant #Kattimani no chance of saving. It meant another disjoint display by Goa ended in another defeat.

FC Pune City had won only once in 14 away matches heading into this fixture and that was back in 2014 during the inaugural season. The visitors carried mental baggage of their own, even with a revamped squad. However, there's a growing belief in Goa's opponents that if you can stop Zico's men from scoring, you will, sooner or later, be gifted clear-cut openings to take full advantage of.

The Brazilian manager had a familiar moan after the match — "we created many chances but we were able to convert just once"— and to a certain extent, it's hard not to sympathise with him. Two gilt-edged chances fell to Romeo Fernandes, a second-half substitute who brought with him greater attacking emphasis, but the Indian winger shot one straight at the goalkeeper and skied the other high and wide.

On the other hand, Pune profited twice from a handful of their own opportunities. Arata Izumi converted a generous rebound into an open goal, while Ndoye found himself in space and one-on-one with Lucio. All of Pune's six shots were on target and, furthermore, they were unlucky not to have at least one, if not two, penalties (though Goa should've had one of their own too).

It's a worrying trend for Zico. Opponents, who acknowledge Goa's attacking potential, are content to sit back and then wait for the right opportunities to come by (though Pune were adventurous in patches).Owing to injuries in a revamped FC Goa squad, a new-look team is taking longer to gel — which means Goa must learn how to eke out points on the tougher days or, at the very least, not throw points away.

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ISL 2016 Chennaiyin FC Suffer Defeat At Hands Of Delhi Dynamos

#ISL2016
#Indian #Soccer #League

#DelhiDynamos #FC began their #ISL2016 campaign in style with a comprehensive 3-1 win against #Defending #Champions #Chennaiyin #FC at the Marina Arena. The home team looked a pale shadow of the team that went toe to toe against #AtleticoDeKolkata four days ago.

First of all, Delhi manager Gianluca #Zambrotta sprung a surprise by dropping his marquee signing, Florent #Malouda, to the bench. Bruno Pelissari, the Chennaiyin player who moved to Delhi Dynamos this season was benched as well. This turned out to be a masterstroke as Chennaiyin had to face five in the midfield. The defending champions could barely string a few passes at will at the center of the park. This is indicated clearly when we see Raphael Augusto had 67 (highest) passes while the highest among the other five of his teammates was a mere 37 passes. The midfield battle was Delhi's for the taking.
Chennaiyin's defence set up for a kicking

Bernard Mendy and John Arne Riise were caught out of position as the Delhi Dynamos' attacking players ran circles around them. A team that was touted to have the strongest defence, Chennaiyin have already conceded 5 goals in 2 games!

Delhi should have had 4 or 5 goals in the first half alone. They were denied as early as the 12th minute by the referee's assistant with a contentious offside call. Duwayne Kerr also didn't help matters making two costly errors - he was saved the blushes on the first one, thanks to Kean Lewis' heavy touch following his misplaced pass and the second was the penalty he conceded that led to the first goal. 

The centrebacks where caught ball watching as Richard Gadze split the defence to send Marcelo through for the second goal. And for the third goal again, Riise was too busy keeping up with the ball than with Badara Badji leaving young Jerry Lalrinzuala to handle him. Mehrajuddin Wadoo was the lone light of comfort within the chaos that was Chennaiyin's back four.

One of the biggest reasons John Stiven Mendoza flourished was because of the pace at which Chennaiyin could transition the ball up front. Raphael Augusto played a very important role in this aspect. He had the liberty to venture forward last season with either of Harmanjot Khabra or Manuele Blasi or Zakeer Mundampara providing the defence a screen. So far in the two matches that Chennaiyin have played, Augusto seems to be wasted in a deeper role and this has clearly affected the creativity from the midfield. Jeje's pass to send Dudu through for Chennaiyin's only goal was one of the flashes of brilliance which the forward had to create.

Chennaiyin, with just a point from two games, have a week before the next match to dwell on their mistakes. They should look to put on a much better performance for their beloved home crowd come next Thursday.

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Ind v NZ Test Series - Kohli Double, Rahane Tons Flatten Kiwis On Day 2

#IndvNZ #TestSeries
#Indore
#TestMatch

Day 2: Stumps - New Zealand, 29 for 0 (9 overs) trail by 529 runs


Rahane and Kohli put India in control at the end of the second day of the third Test. 

Day two of the third Test in Indore was studded with centuries from #Virat #Kohli and #Ajinkya #Rahane. The pair added 365 for the fourth wicket and en route broke a series of record, both personal and partnership ones. It was indeed a day to remember for the pair as India went through two sessions without losing a wicket.

The tiring New Zealand bowlers were punished as the duo kept collecting runs before Kohli fell in the first over after Tea for 211 while Rahane departed after for 188. Rohit Sharma then carted the bowlers away for a quick-fire half-century after which India soon declared for 557/5.

#Martin #Guptill and Tom Latham have started their innings strongly, seeing out the nine overs unscathed. New Zealand end with 28/0, with Guptill on 17 and Latham on 6.

#Rohit #Sharma came out all guns blazing with the intent of scoring quick runs. With #Jadeja, he added 53 runs in 59 balls before reaching his fifty in the bargain. India have done enough to last them across both innings.

Penalty: 
Ravindra Jadeja runs straight down the wicket. That, after a prior warning. A five-run penalty has been levied. 

Records tumbling: 
Kohli's 193* is the second highest by an Indian captain against New Zealand in Tests. Only Sachin Tendulkar's 217 in Ahmedabad in 1999 is higher.

New best scores: 

Kohli now has his second-best Test score, surpassing 169. Rahane, too, crosses his previous-best Test score of 147, getting to a score of 150-plus for the first time in Test cricket.

The last time two non-openers scored 150-plus in the same innings for India was Ganguly (239) & Yuvraj (165) vs Pakistan in Bangalore in 2007.

Kohli and Rahane surpass the Ganguly-Tendulkar stand of 281 to now being the second-highest against New Zealand in Tests. 

Century twins: 

After Kohli got to his century yesterday, Ajinkya Rahane scored his eighth Test century, his third at home, on the second day. Albeit increasing trouble against the short ball, he has emerged a winner. 

#LIVE #Score
India 557 for 5 decl
New Zealand 28/0 (9.0 Ovs)
Guptill  17 (30)

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