15 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 2019 sports

Zidane the returning hero to have ‘unprecedented’ Wagner, Boult bowl New power at Real: media AFP | League, a trophy it won three times under Zidane, and the panish media yesterday Spanish Cup and a distant Zealand to series win Shailed ’s third in . surprising restoration as Real “Zidane was the standout Madrid coach as the “return favourite for Florentino Perez of the hero” and said the “sav- and the Real Madrid president Bouncer king Wagner’s two-day demolition of Bangladesh secures series iour” was also the “last shot” was willing to do whatever it of the struggling European took to get him back on side,” AFP | Wellington champions. continued . “It seems it Real president Florentino only required two conversa- hort-ball specialist Neil Perez “had pulled from his hat tions to twist his arm.” Wagner engineered an in- a rabbit called Zinedine Zi- AS, a Madrid-based paper, Snings victory over Bang- dane,” wrote Barcelona daily quoted Zidane as saying: “I ladesh in what New Zealand Mundo Deportivo. could not say no.” called “an ideal two days” in the Another Barcelona-based “The incoming boss has also rain-shortened second Test to daily, Sport, said “Zizou” is been assured that he will be wrap up the series with a game “the saviour” who is also Re- fully in charge of every aspect to spare. al’s “last shot to survive their of the running of the team, in- After the first two days were crisis.” cluding signings,” wrote AS, washed out, the match finished In Madrid, sports daily Mar- pointing out that this was “un- in the first session of the final ca wrote: “He is back and his precedented power” for a Real day in Wellington as New Zea- priority is to rescue and revi- coach. land completed a fifth consecu- talise a struggling squad that “Zinedine Zidane’s return as tive series win for the first time. has been on a downward spiral Real Madrid coach banishes In the face of Wagner’s re - ever since his departure on the spectre of Jose Mourinho, lentless bouncer barrage, Bang- May 31, 2018.” who a jittery Florentino Perez ladesh were all out for 209 to The 46-year-old Zidane had been toying with bringing give New Zealand victory by an replaced Santiago Solari on back,” wrote Alfredo Rebeno in innings and 12 runs to go with Monday and signed a contract AS, adding that Zidane “brings their innings and 52-run win in until 2022, with the club elim- a crucial measure of peace to the first Test. inated from the Champions the Bernabeu.” “It was an ideal two days,” said Tim Southee, who took over the New Zealand captain’s Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman is clean bowled off New Zealand paceman Trent Boult armband after Kane Williamson innings. Wagner factor” before arriving left for treatment to an injured After Ross Taylor’s 200 in New Zealand and he believed shoulder. steered New Zealand to 432 for his batsmen “have the skill lev- “With the amount of time that six declared in their first in- el” to handle the short-ball tac- was lost through rain, a lot of nings, a lead of 221, Bangladesh tic. people thought it was going to resumed on Tuesday at 80 for “We were handling him well be tough to win a Test inside three. but then we gave it away. We three days but we knew there They advanced to 112 before KNOW WHAT have to bat with more guts for was always going to be a little Trent Boult removed Soumya longer periods. A number of our bit of assistance in the wicket. Sarkar for 28 and Wagner made batsmen are playing half-heart- “The batters need a lot of sure the remaining wickets fell Of the 20 Bangladesh ed shots, or we are not com - credit for the way they put us in quickly. wickets to fall, Wagner mitted. We are in two minds such a strong position yesterday Only captain Mahmudullah took nine, including five whether to play a shot or not. that we only needed to bat once. Riyad and Mohammed Mithun, “You need to back yourself. If I think that was the backbone of who scored 67 and 47 respec- for 45 in the second you want to attack, you should another Test win for us.” tively, offered serious resistance. innings know how you want to cope Of the 20 Bangladesh wickets “We didn’t commit and back with their bouncer theory.” to fall, Wagner took nine, in- ourselves,” said Mahmudullah, The third and final Test starts Real Madrid´s newly appointed French coach Zinedine Zidane arrives to give a cluding five for 45 in the second adding they had discussed “the in Christchurch on Saturday press conference

Liverpool need improved away show BOC Presidential for Champions League: Van Dijk Australia confident of ODI election race open Reuters | London Germain in the group stages. TDT | Manama “The group stage games series victory over India iverpool must be ready were not as good as we want- he Bahrain Olympic Lfor a “big fight” when ed, but we got through to the AFP | New Delhi TCommittee (BOC) has they visit Bayern Munich in knockout phase,” Van Dijk announced that candidates the Champions League on told British media. “It’s ice-captain Alex Carey said for its presidential election Wednesday and are mo- going to be tough and VTuesday that Australia are are now eligible to submit tivated to improve their we need to do bet - confident of sealing what would their bid for the next elec- recent away record in ter than we did in the be a stunning one-day interna- toral cycle, the committee the competition, centre last away games in tional series victory in India announced yesterday. back Virgil van Dijk the Champions after two wins on the trot. Representative of His has said. League. Having been two down to the Majesty the King for Char- The Merseyside “We want hosts, Australia bounced back ity Works and Youth Affairs club travel to Ger- to do to win the third and fourth ODIs HH Shaikh Nasser bin Ham- many for the sec- everything to level the series, including ad Al Khalifa, who has been ond leg of their that is pos- with a record 359-run chase on president of the committee last-16 tie after sible to get Sunday. for 10 years, decided to de- the sides played through.” “We were put under pressure vote his effort as chairman out a 0-0 draw Bayern early in the series. It is obvi - of the Supreme Council for at Anfield in were happy ously really exciting going into Youth and Sports. last month’s to sit back tomorrow with the series on Following the announce- first leg. and defend the line,” Carey told reporters Australia’s Alex Carey plays a shot during a match against India (file photo) ment, the BOC issued a cir- Liverpool, in the first on the eve of the fifth ODI in cular for all 28 sports fed- who finished leg, but Van New Delhi. abroad. batsman smashed an unbeat- erations under its umbrel- as Champions Dijk is anticipat- “Obviously (we are taking) Australia, who swept the en 84 off 43 deliveries to lead la, requesting those with League run - ing a slightly more some momentum from the last two-match Twenty20 series to Australia’s highest-ever ODI Olympic sports to vote one ners-up last year, open game in the game. The boys are feeling con- kick of their limited-overs tour chase. of their representatives for have struggled reverse fixture fident,” he said. of India on a strong note, have Finch, Usman Khawaja and the one vacant seat in the away from home and is confident If Aaron Finch and company posted two 300-plus scores in Peter Handscomb have also all board of directors. in Europe this his team can win, it would be the only Aus- their last two outings. contributed in a big way, and It was also confirmed that year, losing at Na- prosper from sie team to win a five-match Ashley Turner was an unlike- Carey believes it would be hard the BOC ordinary general as- poli, Red Star Bel- Virgil van Dijk UEFA’s away ODI series after losing the first ly hero in the previous match in to name a standout performer sembly has been scheduled grade and Paris St goals rule. two matches either at home or Mohali when the middle-order in the series. for Thursday, April 11.