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THE HINDU DELHI WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2019 SPORT 19 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Hoping for Our bowlers pretty Rohit cut out to open, says Shastri the skies to India coach all praise for Shami’s resilience; feels Bumrah’s work load has to be astutely managed remain clear good at reverse EXCLUSIVE Amol Karhadkar PUNE The South Africans slogged swing, says Arun S. Dinakar it for well over four hours Visakhapatnam in the searing heat at the Amol Karhadkar Ravi Shastri enjoyed the pan­ Maharashtra Asso­ PUNE oramic view through the ho­ ciation (MCA) stadium on The nature of Test surfaces tel window as the sun the outskirts here. Rishabh in India have been starkly bounced off the Bay of Ben­ Pant tonked net bowlers la­ different under Virat Kohli gal as he pondered the ques­ ter in the afternoon during and his predecessor M.S. tions put to him. India’s optional training Dhoni. While Dhoni exploit­ The India coach’s answers session. But all through , ed the home advantage with — in an exclusive conversa­ both camps — and the tracks that assisted the spin­ tion with The Hindu — were groundstaff — kept staring ners, Kohli, after following sharp, precise and honest. at the skies, hoping for the that tradition early on, has The big positive for you from heavens not to open up. adopted a fair use policy. the Test here? With the city experienc­ This has helped India’s pac­ B. Arun. * K.R. DEEPAK A fast bowler taking five ing incessant showers in ers come into play in a big in the fourth innings the lead­up to the match, way. in India. and thunderstorms pred­ Arun, India’s bowling coach, stressed that the pac­ Your impressions on Shami. icted ahead in the week ers have the skillset to suc­ To bounce back from perso­ too, MCA’s Riyaz Bagwan ceed in varied conditions. nal issues and bowl the way did his best to put any “I think there is a chance he did was remarkable. He is doubts to rest, stressing on for the pacers on any track relentless, very skilful and at the sand­based outfield provided they have the ne­ you all the time. I would have that dries in no time and cessary skills. hated to face him. the pitch preparation be­ Settled unit: Ravi Shastri says Team India has progressed well with the bowlers capable of picking up 20 wickets ing on course. “Our fast bowlers have How concerned are you in a match. * K.R. DEEPAK Considering the rain, it done quite well abroad and about Bumrah’s stress didn’t come as a surprise in India. On Indian wickets, fracture in the back? Kohli about it. This was his <> [Dhoni] one of our Does the team have an open India has to find a stable No. that the pitch had a tinge of when the ball spins, it also Very concerned. Because he opportunity. greatest players... mind about M.S. Dhoni 4 in the shorter formats with live grass less than 48 becomes conducive for re­ is precious, special, diffe­ Opening is about the whether he wants to returning to the shorter the World next hours before the start of verse swing, and all our rent, and a match­winner. mindset. You got to respect formats? year? the game. But just when bowlers are pretty good at They are taking opinions on come back, that’s for the new ball. A lot of guys in He will go down as one of our wondered whether the ve­ reverse swing,” said Arun on whether he needs surgery. him to decide It is very easy for us to drop India should have opened in greatest players, very, very nue could reverse the poor Tuesday. We have to be careful about Kohli to No. 4. Then you will the last 20 years for the sake Ravindra Jadeja has been high up the list. rating it received for pro­ The second Test against his workload because he have the best No. 4 in the of team balance, but they making strides, with the bat Whether he wants to ducing a rank turner South Africa begins here on flat. Sometimes the outfield plays all three formats. world. But it takes time. didn’t have the stomach for and the ball. come back, that’s for him to against Australia in Febru­ Thursday. is also not great. For a bow­ Hardik Pandya too it. Excellent team­man. Has decide. I have not met him Shreyas Iyer has been ex­ ary 2017, the groundstaff While the Proteas pacers ler to be successful, one underwent a surgery for a realised his potential, which after the World Cup. He has cellent in recent months. He swiftly moved into action. failed to restrict India, Ish­ needs to learn to reverse the back injury recently. Similarities between Rohit is never easy. He has arrived to first start playing and let’s can be a really good No. 4. Soon after a member of ant and Shami oversha­ ball,” said Arun His surgery was successful. and Sehwag? after that astonishing innings see how things go. India’s support staff had a dowed Kagiso Rabada and “I think domestic cricket Both destroyers, both with What convinced the team­ We will know in two weeks’ Winning the Test series in close look at the pitch, the Vernon Philander. contributes a lot as you can the ability to score very big in the World Cup semifinal. management to pick time. Ideally we want him in New Zealand, never easy, will groundstaff was seen see that most exponents of given their tempo. With the ball, he’s accurate. Wriddhiman Saha in the Test every format. be India’s next major scrubbing it and mowing Doing it better reverse swing come from If it starts spinning, he is eleven? Rohit Sharma was great in his How impressed were you lethal. challenge. the grass. Arun felt that plying their the sub­continent because first Test as opener. with R. Ashwin’s bowling in As the No. 1 side we like to go Saha is the best ’keeper in With curator Pandurang trade in domestic cricket they need to adapt.” I would hate to see a player his comeback Test? India now has a varied attack and play against tough teams the world, and at home, Salgaocar keeping a close had helped the host pacers Given the weather condi­ of his quality sitting in the re­ He’s world class. A top­class that can sting. in their backyard. We are where the bounce can be va­ watch, it would be interest­ reverse it better. tions in Pune, it would be in­ serves. off­spinner. But the demands We have the variety to take confident against New Zea­ riable, his ‘keeping is inva­ ing to see if the 22­yard “Our bowlers are pretty teresting to see if the pacers In the West Indies I was of the game are such that you 20 wickets. Runs are impor­ land. Didn’t we beat Austra­ luable. Pant is still young and strip changes its complex­ skilful at reverse swing be­ would be forced to succeed very clear that he should cannot afford to rest on your tant. But 20 wickets are most lia down under after 71 has the time to improve his ion by the time of the toss cause when we play domes­ against the odds, or get fa­ open and had a chat with laurels. important. years? ’keeping. on Thursday morning. tic cricket, the wickets are vourable conditions. Confident India ready for the ODIs Tendulkar’s fangirl has arrived with a bang Mithali is back, will lead the side; Smriti out with toe fracture The 15­year­old Shafali Verma gets to live her dream

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD side. The arrival of expe­ P.K. Ajith Kumar pur, for Velocity. “I am also SA WOMEN IN INDIA JAIPUR Three-match schedule rienced players Marizanne happy that I have been part Kapp and to Shafali Verma was nine when of the Indian team that had Ashwin Achal B Oct. 9, Oct. 11 and Oct. 14 the ODI squad serves as she made that short journey and Smri­ Vadodara DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD another boost. to Lahli from her home in ti Mandhana,” she said. Having recorded a comforta­ International women’s Rohtak, along with her fath­ “Those three are great ble 3­1 win in the T20Is a few but for 23­year­old Priya Pu­ cricket returns to the Re­ er. She wanted to see her batters.” days ago, the Indian women nia. liance Stadium, nearly 18 idol, Sachin Tendulkar, play­ appear confident heading in­ “Priya has scored consis­ months after big crowds ing his last Ranji match. Favourites to the three­match ODI se­ tently in domestic circuit. created an exciting atmosph­ The Master Blaster didn’t Among the batsmen, A.B. de ries against South Africa This is her chance,” ere for the India­Australia disappoint her. He smashed Villiers is her favourite. “I al­ here. The home team, ho­ said. ODI series. an unbeaten 79 in the second so like Virat Kohli,” she said. wever, has to deal with a big Mithali, meanwhile, The Baroda Cricket Asso­ innings to guide Mumbai to a “I have always had great res­ injury concern. wears the national jersey for ciation officials are hopeful four­ victory against pect for attacking batsmen, Elegant opening batter the first time since announc­ of a large turnout once host Haryana, in 2013. She like Virender Sehwag.” is out for ing her retirement from again. Entry is free. came back home, deter­ She had, of course, grown the first ODI — at a minimum T20Is. The squads: mined: she wanted to play in Packing a punch: Shafali Verma has impressed one and all. up watching Tendulkar. “The — after suffering a toe frac­ The skipper will hope to India: Mithali Raj (Capt.), Jemi- front of such a crowd one * VIJAY SONEJI television would be switched ture during training. build on her terrific ODI mah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet day. A few days ago, her off at our home when he got The full extent of the inju­ form, which has seen her Kaur, , Deepti Shar- dream came true. what her idol was when he said. “I had also felt that I out,” she said. “My father ry and lay­off period will be­ score at an average of 105.25 ma, , Jhulan Gos- made his international de­ could be selected for the Wo­ and brother are also big come clear only after a full in her last nine knocks (dat­ wami, , Mansi Plenty to cheer about but. “I was determined to see men’s T20 Challenge at Jai­ cricket fans and used to play assessment is done at the Na­ ing back to April 2018). Joshi, , Poonam Ya- Not only did she play in front off the opening overs and pur a few months ago.” too.” tional Cricket Academy in South Africa, meanwhile, dav, D. Hemalatha, Rajeshwari of a crowd of over 15,000 at wanted to make a good score And it was at Jaipur that But, the people in Rohtak Gayakwad and Priya Punia. Bengaluru. Mithali Raj. * FILE PHOTO can take heart from the re­ the Lalbhai Contractor Stadi­ in the match,” Shafali told she announced her arrival. were not enthused by the sounding 105­run win South Africa: Sune Luus um in Surat, she also gave The Hindu at Surat a few She hit 34 off 31 deliveries, idea of a girl taking up crick­ Timeline not possible here on Tuesday. notched up in the fifth and fi­ (Capt.), Tasmin Brits, Trisha them plenty to cheer about days ago. “I want to play and was immediately hailed et. “They would ask: what Chetty, , Shab- Smriti made only 46 runs nal T20I. too. In only her second inter­ more such innings for India.” as a future star. “I enjoyed could a girl do?” she recalled. “Smriti needs to get an MRI. nim Ismail, , She still has some swelling, in the four T20Is earlier, but Lara Goodall, , national match, she smashed To play for India had been that experience at Jaipur,” “I had long braids at that which has to subside before her compact top­order pre­ Boost for South Africa , Nonkululeko Mla- 46 off 33 balls to star in In­ a dream all along for the Sha­ she said. “Playing against fo­ time; I chopped them off, an MRI can be done. It is dif­ sence in 50­over cricket – her Openers Lizelle Lee (84, 47b) ba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondu- dia’s 51­run win over South fali, who packs quite a bit of reigners and India seniors and for a couple of months ficult to put a timeline (on preferred format — will be and Sune Luus (62, 56b) miso Shangase, Mignon du Africa in the fourth T20I. power into her shots. “I was helped me greatly.” they probably did not realise her possible return),” India missed. Smriti’s absence is came good in great style, lift­ Preez and . And she did this at the age hoping that I would get a She said she loved playing that I was a girl as I trained head coach W.V. Raman said likely to result in an ODI de­ ing the spirit of a struggling Match starts at 9 a.m. of 15 — one year younger than chance in this series,” she alongside Mithali Raj at Jai­ with boys.” Curtain set to fall on drama that went on longer than necessary Murray shown the door nant ruling body in the game, more undimmed. Politicians, business­ mous decision. At 47, he is young, dia, shaken by corruption and per­ Federer gets past Ramos­Vinolas powerful than even the Internation­ men, career sports officials, cricke­ has been President of the Cricket sonality clashes and for three years al Cricket Council. As Tiger Pataudi ters, puppets on strings controlled Association of Bengal and head of now administered by a team ap­ once said, “If the International by others have all eyed it, displaying the board’s technical committee pointed by the Supreme Court. Cricket Council is the voice of crick­ a remarkable willingness to make and brings with him a wealth of ex­ Ganguly once famously said et, the BCCI is the invoice of crick­ “sacrifices” for the cause. perience as a cricket person as op­ when he was captain that he had BETWEEN WICKETS et.” This is partly because more mo­ posed to a politician for whom the the second toughest job in the coun­ ney passes through the President’s post is likely to be a mere stepping try (after the Prime Minister’s); he suresh menon Final act hands – theoretically speaking – stone to something else. might discover that given the cir­ Then Srinivasan overreached as he than through those of any other of­ cumstances, the job of the board tried to defend his son­in­law bet­ fice­bearer or player anywhere else. Objections president might deserve that rank­ he most coveted job in Indian ting on IPL matches, forcing the Su­ There is too the enormous media According to reports, BCCI’s electo­ ing. He didn’t shrink from a chal­ Tcricket is not that of the coach or preme Court to take a call and coverage which can be monetised ral officer has received over a lenge then, and is unlikely to shrink captain, it is the President of the change the system. On October 23, by businessmen and usually rein­ hundred objections from various as­ from one now. His relative youth Crowd favourite: Roger Federer was cheered on by his Board of Control for Cricket in In­ the final act in the drama that began forces a political career. sociations on different issues in­ and the fact that he has been in con­ band of local supporters. * AFP dia. In recent years, the incumbent with the spot fixing scandal in the The power, prestige and pelf as­ cluding the naming of representa­ tinuous touch with the game since has automatically become the most 2013 IPL, seems set to conclude sociated with the job often attracts tives to the general body meeting. he last played the IPL in 2012, make SHANGHAI MASTERS and taking a 2­0 and 4­1 lead. powerful man in the game, respect­ with the election of office­bearers to politicians, which is hardly surpris­ The number probably indicates a him the kind of candidate the Lod­ But cheered on by his ed and hated in equal measure from the BCCI. That is six long years of in­ ing. Already there is talk of Home range from the ridiculous to the ha Commission (on which the Su­ Agence France Presse band of local supporters, Mumbai to London and from Cape transigence, confusion, rap on the Minister Amit Shah’s son throwing sublime, but each will have to be preme Court based its rulings) had SHANGHAI who held aloft banners pro­ Town to Sydney. India is where the knuckles, sackings of the top offi­ his hat into the ring. Another possi­ dealt with satisfactorily before the in mind when it suggested that A ruthless Roger Federer claiming their hero “super­ money is, where the television au­ cials, new rules, administrative un­ bility is Rajat Sharma, President of elections can proceed. more players should be encouraged claimed victory in his Shang­ human”, Federer won the dience is the largest, where a dom­ certainty, the Committee of Admi­ the Delhi and Districts Cricket Asso­ A couple of decades ago, when to take up administration in a coun­ hai Masters opener on Tues­ tie break — and the match — estic tournament like the IPL has nistrators and their issues, ciation whose nomination has pro­ Indian cricket was down in the try where the officials often appear day while Andy Murray went with a forehand smash. made millionaires of players around rewritten constitutions, more court voked complaints from his own as­ dumps, with a captain (among oth­ out of touch with the times. down scrapping in a bruis­ The results (second round): the world. cases and decisions that veered bet­ sociation. The clear picture will ers) accused of match­fixing, it was Whichever way it goes, there will ing three­set defeat to 12th­ Fabio Fognini bt Andy Murray When Jagmohan Dalmiya and ween caution and aggression. It will emerge later this week. If a politi­ Ganguly, the new captain who lifted be enormous relief in cricketing cir­ ranked Italian Fabio Fogni­ 7-6(4), 2-6, 7-6(2); Nikoloz Ba- then N. Srinivasan were Presidents, mean the end of the phase of power cian from the ruling party is in the the team from despair to delight cles. Uncertainty is never a good ni. Federer put it across silashvili bt Benoit Paire 6-4, Spain’s Albert Ramos­Vino­ 1-6, 6-1; Roger Federer bt Al- they were criticised for placing their without responsibility (CoA) and fray, then it is unlikely that a cricke­ with victories at home and abroad companion in sport, and, hopefully bert Ramos-Vinolas 6-2, 7-6 ambitions and India’s needs above responsibility without power ter will contest. Sourav Ganguly, and placed the team on the route to a new­look BCCI will have taken on las 6­2, 7­6(5). (5). Doubles: Rohan Bopanna & what was seen as the game’s re­ (BCCI). former India captain, has been qu­ the number one ranking. And now board recent lessons. Even old wine Ramos­Vinolas put up a Denis Shapovalov bt Karen quirements. But it meant that the Through it all, the allure of the oted as saying that if he is to take ov­ he gets another opportunity to raise in old bottles will come with a fresh better fight in the second Khachanov & Andrey Rublev BCCI emerged as the most domi­ top job in the BCCI has remained er, then it will have to be a unani­ the image of administration in In­ set of instructions. set, forcing the tie­breaker 6-1, 6-4. CM M ND-NDE YK