Gambhir and Dravid Take India to a Draw
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14 Saturday 8th January, 2011 BY S. RAM MAHESH his guard, settled into his bal- hour and a quarter, asked uncom- Barring a short period after Qualifying School Golf 2011 anced stance, and resumed. fortable questions with his left- lunch when he seemed to lose con- CAPE TOWN: Neither India nor Sehwag batted with greater cir- arm orthodox from both over and centration and aimed rash shots at South Africa deserved to lose this cumspection than common. Only around the wicket. Him not being Steyn and Harris, Gambhir batted Mithun turns pro most even of series; neither did, as on occasion did he attempt to light a big turner of the ball added to with clarity. His scoring strokes the third Test here in Newlands the ‘firecrackers' Harbhajan Singh the difficulty, for the batsmen were were often an extension of his final qualifying stage to earn concluded in a draw on Thursday. thought he might. forced to delay their decision to defence, bat held soft and straight full cards. Four days of animated cricket, He left as just as the hour was play or pad the ball away till the till contact before a turn of the Perera missed the top spot where the momentum swung less about to be marked, a speeding, last possible instant. wrists or a punch of the arms by one stroke when abruptly than at Durban, but no length ball from Morkel accosting The odd delivery ripped and timed and placed the ball. Australia’s Blair Wilson less dramatically, had reduced the a defensive stroke even as it was bounced from the rough, main- Steyn ended Gambhir's four- carded a final round par 72. Test to this: India had a day to bat forming to take the edge to first taining the air of uncertainty. and-a-half-hour vigil, a bouncer Mithun was ahead of Wilson out, 340 to chase if it could man- slip. Harris should have had Dravid from around the wicket grazing by 4 strokes going into the Sehwag's wicket, which com- ‘lbw': one that hurried on with the the glove en route to the ‘keeper. 3rd round. age the brio; South Africa had ten pleted a lean series for the opener, arm from around the wicket beat This left India in the capable, However, his 75 to wickets to take on a ground where Wilson’s 68 was too much of the last such endeavour, against a turnaround to catch up on England, had ended in heartbreak. the final day despite carding India, by choosing not to hazard a 2 under which was the best even a token attempt at the chase, score for the day.Wilson held allowed South Africa to encircle his nerve despite a shaky its batsmen in ring fields for much start with a double bogey on of the fifth day. But Gautam Gambhir and Dravid the 2nd and a bogey on the Gambhir (64) and Rahul Dravid 9th which was compensated (31) resisted the push for wickets, by bogies on the 5th, 11th Mithun Perera and 15th to end the day even making easier the lives of those who followed as India held on to Sri Lanka’s best amateur par and total 285 to Mithun’s draw its first series (1-1) in South golfer Mithun Perera was 286. runner-up in the Qualifying Rashid Khan of India, Africa. take India to a draw School for the 2011 Aircel who was joint leader after Professional Golf Tour India round 3, faltered badly with Crucial hour (PGTI) Season and was a double bogey at the 15th to The first hour was crucial — brought together two of India's the cut-stroke, hitting pad first; it reassuring hands of Tendulkar among 39 players from the slip into 3rd place. the new ball a pivot on which the best at batting time. For two and a was a difficult decision because and V.V.S. Laxman, who, despite contest could turn. Dale Steyn and half hours, punctuated by the bat and pad were close together, the odd moment that spiked the Morne Morkel began like they've break for lunch, Gambhir and and the umpire ruled in the bats- heart-rate, guided the side to safe- been known to, Steyn swinging the Dravid did just that: they batted man's favour. ty, batting 82 minutes together Air Force chief pays tribute to ball and moving it off the seam at time, rationing their concentra- But South Africa didn't have before the match was stopped. fast-medium speed, Morkel raising tion, switching on, applying their long to despair. Dravid fell shortly South Africa's Jacques Kallis Asanka and Pubudu it from a length at high pace. organised techniques to the ball at thereafter, caught at wide third was adjudged the Man of the Steyn beat Sehwag in the first hand, switching off, and then slip off a delivery from Tsotsobe Match as well as the Man of the Air Chief Marshal Roshan and Pubudu received a hand- over; Morkel hit Gambhir in the doing it all over again. that kicked and moved. Series. Gunathilaka honoured on some sum of Rs.100,000 each. second. The luck that is essential for Gambhir and Tendulkar played (The Hindu) Monday (Jan. 3) Asanka Speaking to ‘The Island’, survival on a wearing fifth-day out an anxious period to tea. Pradeep and Pubudu Squadron leader and media Gambhir needed a canteen of wicket was also with them. Gambhir was reprieved on 62 Ekanayake of Sri Lanka Air spokesman for the Sri Lanka ice to press to his left arm, a limb Brief scores: already battered by a rapid ball in Lonwabo Tsotsobe defeated both when A.B. de Villiers failed to hold Force by elevating their Volleyball Federation (SLVF), South Africa 362 (Kallis 161, Amla the match. But it only seemed to batsmen's edges — his bowling a sharp catch at silly-point, the ranks from Corporal to Padman D. Costa, said that 59, Sreesanth 5-114) and 341 Sergeant as a tribute to both Air Chief Marshal sharpen the left-hander's focus. from left-arm around when he leading edge off Harris travelling spikers who won bronze Gunathilaka should be com- Pain brings to life the senses bet- straightened the ball was particu- too quickly for him. (Kallis 109*, Boucher 55, medals in the AVC Xianning mented on his meritorious ter than anything else, which is larly impressive — and Steyn De Villiers, this time at back- Harbhajan 7-120) drew with Asian Beach Volleyball conduct that not only help why the injured batsman is always nearly had Gambhir edging a ward short-leg, put down another India 364 (Tendulkar 146, Gambhir Championship, which was volleyball but also all other feared, especially if his movement drive onto his stumps from a ball tough one; it wasn't clear if 93, Steyn 5-75) and 166 for 3 held in October, 2010, in sports at Sri Lanka Air Force. isn't unduly affected. Gambhir, that burst through the top surface. Tendulkar had touched it — (Gambhir 64) China. who lives for such days, marked Paul Harris, introduced after an Harris' anguish suggested he had. In addition, both Asanka (MP) Pakistan took four wickets in the middle ses- BY DOUG FERGUSON with everything going on - trying to magazine. "But we have decided it's sion. work on his swing and other now time for a break. I wish my McCullum hit an Umar Gul delivery to KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) - Tiger things." friends at Golf Digest continued Azhar Ali at backward point to trigger a suc- Woods has one less endorsement The announcement comes two success." cession of wickets. deal, ending his 13-year relation- weeks after Gillette said it would Ross Taylor top-edged an attempted cut off ship with golf's biggest magazine not renew its contract, which Rehman to wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal, and when they couldn't agree on how expired at the end of 2010. That Jesse Ryder was unluckily out lbw when a many hours he should devote to the brings to five the number of Guptill drive was flicked onto the stumps by job. endorsements Woods has lost since he was caught in extramarital bowler Wahab Riaz with Ryder out of his Golf Digest, with a circulation affairs. The other three are crease at the non-striker's end. of 1.65 million, announced Thursday the mutual end of a rela- Accenture, AT&T and Gatorade. Guptill made a laborious 50 - his fifth in tionship that began at the 1997 Golf Digest put his column on tests - facing 164 balls before he fell in the final Masters. He made his debut in the hold last February while Woods over before tea, hitting a full toss straight to magazine in June that year, and the took time off to sort out his person- cover. endorsement had been his second- al life, resuming the column in The home team sank into further strife longest, behind Nike. September. soon after the break when Young missed an "We appreciate the insights Woods' last column will be in attempted sweep shot and was out lbw. Tiger has provided to our readers," the February issue, an indication Captain Daniel Vettori also fell lbw, missing a Jerry Tarde, chairman and editor- that both sides had been negotiat- full-pitched delivery from Tanvir Ahmed when in-chief of the publication, said in ing a new deal. playing across the line. a statement. Woods' articles mainly Other playing Young is the 250th test player for New were instructional tips.