20 Saturday, January 6, 2018 SPORTS Australia’s Steve Smith reacts (Picture courtesy: cricket.com.au) Max matured a lot, says Daniel Ricciardo London one-to-one and apologised for aniel Ricciardo says his the incident. DRed Bull Formula 1 team- “The hot water in Budapest, Smith, mate Max Verstappen has that was a bit of a test,” “matured a lot” over the past Ricciardo said. year and now has more respect “Fortunately he handled it for his rivals. well afterwards and apologised Ricciardo finished 32 and did what he had to. points clear of Verstappen “So I feel like there is that Khawaja in the drivers’ standings in respect for each other. Max 2017, but the latter suffered matured a lot this year, on and more reliability problems, off the track. particularly early in the season. “On-track, he was more The two clashed in Hungary, sensible. He was under a lot less after Verstappen locked up and scrutiny than he was last year. put ran into the side of Ricciardo “I feel like he also respects into the right Turn 2 left- the competitors a bit more.” hander on the opening lap. Ricciardo said he has no Ricciardo described the move problem going wheel-to-wheel as “amateur”, and Verstappen against with Verstappen in the Aussies later spoke to his team-mate future. (autosport) in control Daniel Ricciardo (L) with Max Verstappen (file pic)

Sydney 44 with Khawaja reaching his shots to finish with no wicket teve Smith racked up highest score of the series on for 58 off 17 overs. another milestone as he 91 in Australia’s 193 for two Warner reached his BRIEF SCORE Scontinued to torment England in reply to England’s 346 first fourth half-century of Australia 2 for 193 (Khawaja 91*, and Usman Khawaja neared a innings. the series before James Smith 44*) trail England 346 (Root century to put Australia in So far in the series Smith Andersoncoaxed an edge to 83, Malan 62, Cummins 4-80) by a strong position after day has scored 648 runs at 162. wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow 153 runs two of the final Ashes Test in The pair shared in a 107- for 56 after Bancroft was Sydney yesterday. run partnership after the loss bowled by Stuart Broad for a The Australian skipper of openers Cameron Bancroft seven-ball duck. Smith pulled off a stunning became the second fastest and David Warner. England’s maligned tail one-handed catch to dismiss batsman to reach 6,000 Test Khawaja raised his third earlier piled on runs before Dawid Malan for 62, but the runs in his 111th innings, fifty of the series with a six the tourists were bowled out Australians were guilty of second only to the legendary down the ground off Moeen at lunch. two embarrassing dropped Don Bradman. Ali. Newcomer Tom Curran catches to give England a Smith, with three centuries Debutant Mason Crane, the smacked 39 off 65 balls, helping hand. in this five-match series, has youngest specialist spinner at Moeen Ali hit 30 and Broad The Australian skipper been the bane of the England 20 to play for England in 90 clubbed two sixes in his 31 off made an athletic diving team and was potentially years, troubled Smith and 32 balls as England lashed out catch to end the dangerous heading towards another ton. Khawaja with his wrist spin, late in the extended morning batsman’s innings at second At the close, Smith was on enticing some edges and false session. slip off Mitchell Starc. (AFP)

Indian fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar takes the Newlands in hair-raising action. Bhuvneshwar wicket of Dean Elgar (Picture courtesy: AP) rama, thy name is Test cricket. At Kumar began proceedings by spiriting Newlands. On a pitch with a bit of three wickets in his first three overs. To Dspice. With a build-up that did not lack ensure there wasn’t one-way traffic, AB for shots across the bow. de Villiers produced a half-century that Faf du Plessis confessed he had a score was downright delectable. He had total to settle, and so he armed himself with control of the game and the opposition four fast bowlers the envy of the world. at his mercy when the debutant Jasprit SA make Virat Kohli saw Dale Steyn, Kagiso Bumrah - who played his last first-class Rabada, Morne Morkel and Vernon game almost a year ago - knocked back Philander during warm-ups. His only the off stump. comment with regard to was “we knew India’s hold-one-end-up bowler they were going a batsman short and we Hardik Pandya got rid of du Plessis for big strikes want to get at them with the new ball”. 62 mere moments after a remarkably But really, how could anyone avoid tight lbw call went against the visitors. the temptation of unleashing that attack, Kohli probably had that running in his in any condition let alone a surface with head - and the South African captain’s both pace and lateral movement. Given pre-series comments about revenge - after falling 11 overs to turn the game, Philander when he indulged in a send-off and was dismissed M Vijay, Steyn claimed soon cautioned by the umpires. BRIEF SCORE Dhawan to move into the top-10 wicket- Worried that things had calmed too India 28 for 3 (Pujara 5*, Rohit takers in Test history and Morkel lured far down, Quinton de Kock played like for 286 0*, Morkel 1-0)South Africa Kohli into a familiar trap behind the he was the action hero who always gets 286 (De Villiers 65, Du Plessis 62, wicket. India bowled South Africa out shot at but never gets hit. Anyone who Bhuvneshwar 4-87) for 286 but then they limped to stumps stepped away from their screens during 28 for 3. play, please report to the cricket gods for Cape Town dealt almost exclusively punishment. (espncricinfo)