ARAB TIMES, TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2021 SPORTS 14

Hosts win by seven runs India hold nerve to beat England, win ODI series 2-1

PUNE, India, March 29, (AP): India held its stage, Sam played well, but we kept taking Pandya had shuffl ed too far across allowing nerve in the fi nal over to win the third and fi - wickets to put enough pressure on them,” India Ben Stokes to clean bowl him round the legs. nal one-day international by seven runs against captain Virat Kohli said. “The mindset shifted Thakur (30) and Krunal Pandya (25) did England and clinch the series 2-1. in the last couple of overs (but) Hardik (Pan- damage before Wood returned and ended In- Sam Curran, batting at No. 8, hit an unbeaten dya) and Nattu were brilliant to fi nish it off.” dia’s hopes of crossing the 350-run mark with 95 off 83 balls which threatened to snatch a dra- Wood took all his wickets off his last seven three quick wickets. Reece Topley ensured all matic victory for England. deliveries as the India innings folded quickly, seven England bowlers were among the wickets Needing 14 runs off Thangarasu Natarajan’s losing four wickets for just eight runs. when he picked up the last one of Bhuvneshwar last over, England fi nished on 322-9 in reply to The hosts had appeared well set to go beyond Kumar. India’s 329 all out in 48.2 overs. the 350-run mark when Pandya and Pant bat- Curran, who hit nine fours and three sixes, ted together. They helped India recover from a kept England in the hunt by farming the strike middle-order collapse with a 99-run fi fth wick- with Wood after England looked all but out of CRICKET et stand off 70 balls. the game at 257-8 in the 40th over. Dhawan and Rohit Sharma (37) had pro- Curran nearly turned the tables with a 60- Shardul Thakur claimed 4-67 but it was two vided India with a whirlwind opening stand run ninth-wicket stand with Wood (14) before early wickets from Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3-42) of 103 runs but spinners Adil Rashid (2-81), Wood was run out off the fi rst ball in the last which helped India keep ahead and strike with Liam Livingstone (1-20) and Moeen Ali (1- over. regular wickets before Curran’s brilliant fi ght- 39) grabbed four wickets between them to re- India had its chances but dropped four catch- back. duce India to 157-4 before Pandya and Pant es as Curran was twice let off the hook on 22 “We didn’t win the game, but happy with the Members of the Indian team celebrate with winners trophy after their win in the third One revived the innings. and 87 before Natarajan was left with enough way I played,” Curran said after being named Day International cricket match between India and England at Maharashtra Cricket Asso- Pant and Pandya both hit four sixes each and runs in the bag in the 50th over to complete In- man of the match. “I haven’t done something ciation Stadium in Pune, India, on March 28. (AP) fi ve boundaries apiece before England struck dia’s treble at home against England. like that for a while, especially for England. through its seamers. “Unbelievable innings from Sam Curran,” Fair play to Natarajan, he had six deliveries time in the series and Mark Wood’s 3-34 helped dya (64) all scored half centuries but India lost Stand-in captain Jos Buttler plucked a bril- Buttler said. “We’re disappointed, we came there and showed why he’s a good bowler.” to avert an even larger score for India. Rishabh its way in the latter half of the innings. liant left-handed catch off Pant behind the here and we wanted to win, but there have been England won the toss for the third successive Pant (78), Shikhar Dhawan (67) and Hardik Pan- “England will not throw in the towel at any wicket off Curran’s full-pitched delivery and great learnings throughout the process.”

Dahmen captures 1st PGA Tour title Hamilton holds off Verstappen Horschel takes Match Play as Park wins Kia Classic in return

AUSTIN, Texas, March 29, (AP): to win tense F1 season-opener Billy Horschel had just enough left in the tank to win the Dell Technologies Match Play with plenty of help from Scottie Scheffl er in a sloppy end to the Bottas fi nishes 3rd longest week in golf. Horschel made only one birdie in SAKHIR, Bahrain, March the championship match, chipping 29, (AP): World champion in from 40 feet on the fi fth hole, and left the big mistakes to the 24-year-old Lewis Hamilton just managed Scheffl er in winning 2 and 1. to hold off Max Verstappen to Horschel, who had never reached win the season-opening Bah- the weekend in four previous appear- rain Grand Prix and clinch ances at this World Golf Champion- the 96th Formula One win of ship, won six out of the seven matches over 122 holes he played at Austin his career. Country Club. He won $10.5 million The race was effectively decided Billy Horschel holds his trophy af- for sixth PGA Tour victory and fi fth ter winning the Dell Technologies when Verstappen overtook Hamil- individual title. Match Play Championship golf ton on Lap 53 of 56 but went too It ended a great run for Scheffl er, a tournament on March 28, in Austin, wide on a turn and off track limits. Texas graduate who had to beat three Texas. (AP) He was told by his team to give former Match Play champions and two players from the top 10 in the world to She won at Mission Hills in 2013 for Hamilton the position back, as he the third of her seven major titles. risked a time penalty. reach the championship match. Horschel won the match when Park gave the tour its fi rst interna- “It’s a shame but you also have to tional winner of the year, after Ameri- see the positives,” Verstappen said. Scheffl er missed a 10-foot birdie putt on the 17th. cans Jessica and Nelly Korda and “We are really taking the fi ght to them, Austin Ernst swept the fi rst three tour- and I think that’s great to start the year naments. like that.” GOLF Thompson bogeyed the last for a 69 to match Olson (68) at 9 under. MOTOR RACING Matt Kuchar won the consolation In Punta Cana, Dominican Repub- Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car followed by Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Nether- match over Victor Perez of France. lic, Joel Dahmen won the Corales Pun- lands during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, on March Verstappen still had a few laps to Kuchar, trying to tie Tiger Woods’ tacana Resort & Club Championship 28. (Below): Hamilton of Britain celebrates on the podium after winning the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the for his fi rst PGA Tour victory, avoid- catch Hamilton and he almost did, Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain. (AP) record with a fourth appearance in the fi nishing .74 seconds behind the Mer- championship match, didn’t make a ing a playoff when the wind pushed cedes driver. putt longer than 3 feet, 6 inches in his playing partner Rafael Campos’ fi nal “What a diffi cult race that was. semifi nal loss to Scheffl er. birdie try to the left. Max was all over me at the end and I Overseas Tokyo ticket holders In Carlsbad, California, Inbee Park Dahmen closed with a 2-under 70 was just about able to hold him off,” opened her LPGA Tour season with a on the windswept seaside course. He Hamilton said. “I knew he was going wire-to-wire victory in the Kia Classic started fast with a 40-footer for birdie to catch me and I thought it was going may get only ‘partial’ refunds on the eve of the fi rst major champion- on No. 1 and added three more next six to be impossible to keep him behind ship of the season. holes, then played the last 11 in 2 over ... That was one of the hardest races TOKYO, March 29, (AP): Many tickets. For $2,000 worth of tick- The Hall of Famer fi nally put it all with bogeys on par-3 11th and par- I’ve had for a while. I love the chal- fans living outside Japan who ets, for instance, the reseller can together at Aviara Golf Club, winning 5 14th and a series have hard-earned lenge.” bought tickets for the Tokyo Olym- charge $2,400. her 21st LPGA Tour title after fi nish- pars. With 22 races still to come, F1 fans pics from brokers – known as Au- CoSport, the ATR for the United ing second on the scenic course in The 33-year-old Dahmen fi nished could be in for a treat this season if thorized Ticket Resellers – will not States and other territories and coun- 2010, 2016 and 2019. She tied LPGA at 12-under 276. He didn’t get into Verstappen takes the title challenge to get full refunds. And they may have tries, said in a letter over the week- Founder Marilynn Smith for 25th the Masters with the victory because Hamilton. a long wait to get any refunds at all. end to ticket holders that it would place on the victory list and moved the tournament was played opposite Hamilton’s teammate, Valtteri Bot- The question of refunds came not refund the handling fee. It said within four of matching Se Ri Pak for the WGC Match Play event in Texas, tas, fi nished third but was way behind it would refund the face value of the the South Korean mark. but did wrap up a PGA Championship the front two. ticket and the shipping fees. Park closed with a 2-under 70 for berth and a spot at Kapalua in the Sen- Two-time champion Fernando OLYMPICS The letter, signed by CoSport a fi ve-stroke victory - the same mar- try Tournament of Champions. Alonso failed to fi nish the race on his president Robert F. Long, said: gin she took into the day - over Lexi Campos, the Puerto Rican player F1 comeback with Alpine. into play a week ago when local or- “CoSport and other Olympic enti- Thompson and Amy Olson. Park fi n- whose family has long had a home in Verstappen took a superb pole po- ganizers and the Japanese govern- ties encouraged the Japanese gov- ished at 14-under 274. the Dominican, had a 71. Winless on sition on Saturday, the fourth of his ment decided to bar most fans from ernment and organizers to refund After making three birdies in a four- the tour, he bogeyed the par-3 17th career, and started immediately ahead on Lap 1. Hamilton initially gained hole stretch around the turn, Park bo- to drop out of a tie for the lead and control of the race by making an ear- abroad because of the pandemic. all cost incurred by international of Hamilton under fl oodlights at the There are dozens of Authorized spectators.” geyed the 12th and 13th, then got the watched the wind move his 15-footer desert track. lier tire change than Verstappen, who Tickets Resellers. They are typi- Tokyo organizers have said they two strokes back with a 40-foot eagle off-line in the last few inches on the Verstappen got away cleanly while finally started trimming Hamilton’s cally appointed by national Olym- would refund the face value of the putt on the short par-4 16th. She three- par-4 18th. His only birdies came on Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc made a fine advantage and took the lead when pic committees and are allowed tickets, but are not responsible for putted the 18th for a bogey. the two front-nine par 5s. overtake on Bottas, but lost that po- Hamilton came in for a second tire to charge a 20% handling fee on other added charges. Park now heads to the desert for the Sam Ryder had a 67 to tie for second sition after the safety car came out change. ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage. with Campos.