THE HIMALAYAN MAIL JAMMU Q SATURDAY Q JUNE 26, 2021 11

Defending champion Halep withdraws Will leave out Maxwell, from Wimbledon with injury Stoinis for T20 World Cup? NEW DELHI, JUNE changed ... it was just NEW DEHLI, JUNE Japanese also skipping 25: Australia limited-overs bloody blurry. In the day- 25: Defending champion Wimbledon following her skipper Aaron Finch on Fri- time it wasn't as notice- Simona Halep pulled out withdrawal from Roland day said several short-for- able, at night it was more of Wimbledon on Friday Garros due to mental mat players have a 'very real- noticeable, especially play- after failing to recover health issues. istic' chance of being ing in Dubai where the from a calf injury she suf- In their absence, Belaru- overlooked for T20 World lighting isn't as good as fered last month, the world sian Aryna Sabalenka will Cup selection after opting what we've got in Aus- number three Romanian climb up to be the number out of the upcoming tours of tralia."I just noticed it said. two seed behind top- West Indies and more then, (my eyesight) In May Halep exited the ranked Australian Ash Bangladesh. wasn't very sharp, and claycourt event in Rome Barty with the singles draw Seven cricketers -- David there were little halos after suffering a calf injury for both men and women Warner, Pat Cummins, around lights and a bit of a during her second-round to be held later on Friday. , Jhye trail on the ball." match against Angelique "I can honestly say that Richardson, Kane Richard- "I tried contact (lenses), Kerber and was subse- I'm really down and upset "I gave it everything I have to save that feeling for son, Marcus Stoinis and and couldn't get them right quently forced to miss the about having to take this good international perfor- Chairman of selectors had in order to be ready to next year." Daniel Sams -- who recently … they just wouldn't sit French Open. decision," Halep added. mances. So yeah, ab- Trevor Hohns had also play Wimbledon and after Halep was denied a played in the IPL have right in my eye." "It is with great sadness "This period has been dif- solutely, there's going to be hinted that there is no having such special mem- chance to defend her title pulled out of the twin tours, He said he underwent that I'm announcing my ficult but to miss the last opportunities for guys to guarantee that some of the ories from two years ago, I when Wimbledon was can- while Steve Smith has been the surgery after returning withdrawal from The two majors has made it put their hand up and take IPL returnees who have was excited and honoured celled last year due to the rested to fully recover from from the New Zealand tour Championships as my calf even more challenging spots," he was quoted as as opted out of the squad for to step back on these beau- COVID-19 pandemic. an elbow complaint which (in March). injury has not fully recov- mentally and physically. saying by .au.com. the white-ball tours of tiful courts as defending She joins world number flared during the BCCI's "We thought that was the ered," the 29-year-old, "We will see what the fu- Australia will on Monday West Indies and champion. two Naomi Osaka in with- high-profile T20 tourna- best time to be able to get who won the title when ture holds but I'm hoping fly out to the Caribbean for Bangladesh would get an "Unfortunately, my body drawing from the grass- ment. it done. It was about a Wimbledon was last held it will make me a stronger the July 10-25 tour with an automatic spot in the T20 didn't cooperate and I'll court Grand Slam with the Finch said the absentees three-week process and it in 2019, said on Instagram. person and athlete." are in genuine danger of 18-man squad short of up World Cup. was really smooth." missing out on the show- to seven frontline T20I Finch also said he had With much of Australia's piece event in October-No- players. experienced 'blurry vision' upcoming cricket set to be vember as others stake their Finch last week said it during last year's IPL in the played at night, Finch said 'WTC triumph will take a couple claims. had been a 'long-term plan' UAE and had a surgery on the true results of his "Yeah, very realistic (to for all-format stars Warner his left eye recently. surgery will be borne out. miss out on T20 World and Cummins, both So far, the surgery has "I'm seeing them pretty Cup). You have to go on cur- among Australia's highest- been a success, yet the 34- good (now). I've only being of weeks to sink in' paid IPL players, to miss year-old believes the true rent form, and you pick hitting them indoors on NEW DELHI, JUNE guys who are playing well. the 10 T20Is and three indication will come when hard . It's all clear 25: New Zealand pacer For guys to be on this tour, ODIs in the Caribbean and playing under lights, which now, it seems really good. Tim Southee said their to get the first opportunity Bangladesh after that. Australia are set to do in all "I think the biggest test World Test Championship to really put their hand up But he termed the ab- eight of their fixtures in the will come in night matches, triumph will take at least a and take a spot is what it's sence of Maxwell, Jhye, Caribbean. that's when I noticed the couple of weeks to sink in. about," Finch said. Stoinis and Kane as "sur- "I noticed it during IPL. biggest difference in my New Zealand outclassed "It's tough to ignore really prising". One day it just sort of eyesight." India by eight wickets in the final in Southampton on Wednesday to be crowned the first-ever 'Golden opportunity' awaits World champions in .For Southee, it was- n't just about 15 players in the current squad. Serena at Wimbledon "It is amazing to be part NEW DELHI, JUNE winner Halep. of this team. We have been 25: Opportunity knocks for Gauff made the French working for this (WTC final Serena Williams on the Open quarter-finals this win) for the last two years. grass courts of Wimbledon month and, even though Not only the 15 players but next week when she faces a her Wimbledon prepara- others probably in the last "We knew it was going to rienced guys among us who final was probably the diminished field on her best tions suffered a blip when 5-6 years (have con- be tough on the final day, are synonymous with this biggest occasion. We surface at the famous All she lost to Anastasija Sevas- tributed) to get us to where three results were possible team not only in the last played some really good then and the first hour to be two years but also probably cricket leading up to it." England Club. tova in a warm-up event on we are now. Williams, 39, continues "It is very special. We had crucial. But picking up the in the last 7-8 years. To On wicketkeeper BJ Wednesday, she is poised to two wickets in that period have them, it was very Watling, who announced her quest for a record- take the next step in her come very close to a few equalling 24th Grand Slam tournaments. It is yet to was crucial in the end," calming for the guys in the his retirement during the young career. Southee said in a video in- change room," said WTC final, Southee said, title but her inconsistency "She has developed her sink in and may take a cou- has left many to wonder if ple of weeks." terview released by New Southee who took five "He is a champion bloke skill set to another level dur- Zealand Cricket. wickets in the match. and he has given his best the hard-hitting American ing the clay court season," Southee believes that the has the mental and physical crucial wickets of India "I have never experi- Opener Tom Latham throughout his career. He Evert said. enced 139 runs taking so said it has been "a massive deserved to finish like this." strength to string together "She got better and better captain Virat Kohli and seven high quality matches. Cheteshwar Pujara on the long (to chase down) and ride" in the last two years. "He's been the heart and Williams. Pliskova, have yet to estab- with each tournament. I there was a lot of nervous "For me, to be involved in soul of this group, he's of- "That's the question think if her serve is on, she final day had set up his everybody's been asking," "This is to me her golden lish themselves as great side's triumph. energy in the change the 2015 and 2019 World ten been the guy who goes opportunity," Evert said. grass court players, Evert could very well get to the room." Cup, to come so close and unnoticed, he just goes former world number one second week, even make a India lost Kohli (13 off 29 and 18-time Grand Slam "If there was ever a year added. balls) and Pujara (15 off 80 Captain Kane then come across the line about his business without that has looked good in the "(But) there's always two quarter or a semi, very possi- Williamson (52 not out) here in a completely differ- any fuss. champion turned ESPN an- ble at Wimbledon." balls) to a sensational Kyle alyst Chris Evert said on a last few years, if there ever sides to any coin. This new Jamieson inside the first and Ross Taylor (47 not ent format, a new format "He's been the guy in the was a Grand Slam she is ca- generation is fearless and Former world number out) took New Zealand that hasn't been contested crisis for us, we are going to call with reporters. one John McEnroe echoed eight overs of the day be- The combination of a fast pable, more than capable, of confident." home with a 96-run unbro- before is great. miss him," Latham added Evert's view. fore being all out for 170, surface that favours power winning... it would be this Fearless and confident is ken stand for the third "From our point of view on Watling who has played "I think she could poten- setting the Black Caps just hitters like Williams and a year's Wimbledon." an apt description of 17- ."We had two expe- to win a Test championship in 75 Tests. tially absolutely get to late 139 to win the WTC title. field in which rivals such as Other threats to Williams year-old Coco Gauff, who in the event, semis, finals. Ash Barty and Simona apart from top seed Barty took Wimbledon by storm It's conceivable if things go Halep are competing after and defending champion in 2019 when she beat for- well." Indians don’t know how tough they injury plus Naomi Osaka Halep, including Bianca mer champion Venus missing for personal rea- Andreescu, Aryna Sa- Williams en route to the The Wimbledon main sons, opens the door for balenka, Barbora Krej- fourth round, where she draw matches begin Mon- are: Hockey coach Graham Reid cikova and Karolina bowed out to eventual title day. KOLKATA, JUNE 25: tally resilient they are, how While there, the 57-year- “We’ve had a lot of time India’s men’s hockey good they can be. So, I old tactician has prepared together. We spent a lot of On this day in 1983: Kapil Dev led coach Graham Reid is in think that part of it is really 10-minute videos of each time on building the men- awe of the “mental re- important,” Reid said in of his players’ life stories so tality of this group. The silience” shown by his virtual media interaction as to “understand more team got to know them wards amid the Covid-19 from Bengaluru, two days about their stories”. very well. I got to know all India won the World Cup pandemic and feels it after the announcement of “We did a 10-minute their stories backwards,” could well make all the dif- a 16-member Tokyo- video with each of them he added. NEW DELHI, JUNE the Windies' ranks, the to- ference when the side bound squad. with just myself and the Fourth ranked India will 25: It was on this day in tal looked fairly chaseable, chases its first Olympic “And don’t underesti- players, where they told begin their Olympic cam- 1983, Kapil Dev and his In- however, fine bowling from medal in over four decades mate the effect that will their stories and that’s very paign against New Zealand dia side made history, as India's attack helped skittle in the upcoming Tokyo have when the chips are powerful,” Reid, who on July 24. they won the ICC Cricket their opponents for just Games. down in Tokyo. I think I coached Australia during India are in Pool A along World Cup for the first 140. Reid is of the view that take a lot of solace from the Rio Olympics, said. with Olympic champions time. Lord's was the scene Mohinder Amarnath and Indians, in general, are un- that. “I intend to bring them Argentina, Australia, New for India's greatest cricket- Madan Lal were the stars aware of their own mental “As a coach, you always out in the next three weeks Zealand, Spain and hosts ing triumph at the time, as with the ball, taking three fortitude. want to do more but then to get all our guys to un- Japan. they beat two-time winners wickets apiece as India India reached the quar- I’ve also have had the confi- derstand the sort of things It’s been more than four West Indies by 43 runs to recorded a historic 43-run terfinals of the 2018 World dence in what we have that each player has been decades since the former lift the coveted trophy. victory. Cup in Bhubaneswar and been doing over this pe- through during their life,” giants won an Olympic Kapil Dev famously be- England's David Gower performed well in the FIH riod. So that’s the mentality he said. medal—the last being a came the first Indian cap- managed to finish top of the Hockey Pro League earlier we have to go into Tokyo “I’ve been very happy to gold in the 1980 Moscow tain to lift the Cricket World run-scoring charts at the this year, beating reigning with.” be honest. What has been Olympics. India boast of 11 Cup 38 years ago. Their 1983 World Cup with 384 Olympic champions Ar- The restrictions imposed really good in these last 15 medals, including eight route to the final saw them to his name while Indian gentina before a second on travellers from the months is having the ability gold, two silver, and a comfortably make it Windies in the final - who Batting first, India were medium-pacer Roger wave of the pandemic dis- country following the sec- to be able to get to know bronze dominating the through Group B with four were on the hunt for a hat- bowled out for 183 in 54.5 Binny proved his worth in rupted the world number ond wave meant that the the players. That’s some- scene in yesteryears. wins from six, before seeing trick of World Cup titles - overs, with Kris Srikkanth English conditions as he four side’s schedule. Indian team was stuck at thing perhaps that often Reid is hopeful of ending off hosts England at Old but was to be shocked by a top-scoring for them with finished the tournament as “I think Indians don’t re- the Sports Authority of In- you don’t get to do as a the medal drought this Trafford in the semi-final. determined Indian bowling 38. leading wicket-taker. ally understand how men- dia’s Bengaluru Centre. coach.” time. India came up against the line-up. Considering the talent in