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SUNDAY, JANUARY 6, 2019 (PAGE 10) DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU Bopanna serves big in Tata India face Thailand in AFC India inch closer to maiden series Asian Cup campaign opener win before bad weather stops play Open title win with Sharan ABU DHABI, Jan 5: Football Federation SYDNEY, Jan 5: Championship. PUNE, Jan 5: smartly in this tournament even as ahead of the Australian Open. Divij Underdogs India will look at India are placed 97th in the India closed in on their maiden Sharan would require to do more has variation and movement in his their impressive results in recent Test series triumph in Australia Rohan Bopanna combined his FIFA charts compared to when they compete against tougher serve and he will get better. He def- months for inspiration when they Thailand's 118, but rankings will before bad light and rain combined booming serves with exquisite opponents at the Australian Open. initely outs pressure on the oppo- open their AFC Asian Cup football to delay the inevitable, adding more backhand winners during his blos- hardly matter in the continental Before this, Bopanna won the nents when he is at net," said 38- campaign against Thailand here showpiece. In fact, India are the hours to a wait of 71 years. soming partnership with Divij Vienna event in October 2017 with year-old Bopanna, supporting his Sunday. Bad light stopped play in the Sharan as the Indian pair won its second highest-ranked team in the Pablo Cuevas and Sharan won the partner. With the continental showpiece group after the UAE. final session of day three of the maiden ATP tour title at the Tata Antwerp trophy with Scott Lipksy It is the first title for both event being expanded to 24 teams fourth Test as the hosts, responding Open Maharashtra here today. Historically, India and in the same month. Bopanna and Sharan on the ATP for the first time from the earlier Thailand have played against each to India's mammoth first-innings Bopanna lost just four points on The Britons had won two titles World Tour after more than a year 16, the Indian side have a real total of 622 for seven declared, were his serve during the entire title- other 24 times with the South East on the ATP World Tour last year - after ending the 2018 season with- chance to make it to the knock-out Asian nation winning on 12 occa- reduced to 236 for six in 83.3 overs clash as the top seeded Indians pro- Stockholm and Eastbourne - and out a trophy even as they grabbed rounds, which will be a first after on Saturday. duced a dominating 6-3 6-4 win sions. India have won five times suffered their first defeat in a final. an Asian Games gold and immedi- their runners-up finish in 1964. while the remaining seven were With two full days play left in over British pair of Luke Sharan dropping the serve in ately decided to join forces, keep- Both in 1984 and 2011, India the game and Australia still 386 runs Bambridge and Jonny O'Maara. drawn. the eighth game of the second set ing in mind the 2020 Tokyo were knocked out of the tourna- But the two sides are more or adrift of India's score, the visitors This was veteran Bopanna's was the only blemish as there was Olympics. ment at the group stage. will fancy their chances of winning Kuldeep Yadav (2nd L) celebrates with captain Virat Kohli (L) 18th ATP tour title while Sharan has less unknown quantities as they no drama in the final after they Bopanna said the chemistry The two top sides from each of have played very few matches the four-match rubber 3-1. and teammates after dismissing Australia's captain Tim Paine. now won his fourth tournament on played two intense and dramatic was always there between them the six groups made up of four India first went Down Under the circuit and first on the Indian against each other in recent times. and the batsman, going for a drive, after. matches en route the title clash. even as they would look to have countries as well as four third-place The last time the two sides played back in 1947-48 under Lala failed to counter it and was bowled. Travis Head (20) added 40 runs soil. "This win surely is a big boost "perspective from outside" on their teams will advance to the Round of Amarnath's captaincy, and are yet to Bopanna carried the team against each other was in 2010. Cummins and Handscomb then for the fifth wicket with Handscomb combination. He also added that 16. Thailand won both matches -- 2-1 achieve series triumph there despite put on 38 runs for the seventh wick- for the fifth wicket and brought they focused more their service India, playing in their fourth and 1-0. eleven attempts. et. India requested for the second some respite to the desperate game. Asian Cup, are entering the tourna- The last time India beat At the Sydney Cricket Ground, new ball after 81 overs but were Australian middle order. Sharan said he could serve bet- ment on the back of a goal-less Thailand was way back in the 1986 the players went off with an hour's denied owing to bad light. But once again, as things looked ter than the previous days. stalemates against World Cup-win- Merdeka Cup in Kuala Lumpur. play pending in the day as bad light They kept the batsmen in the settled down, they manufactured a "The conditions were faster and ning Italian coach Marcello Lippi's On the eve of match, hampered proceedings, before rain middle for only a couple more overs wicket with Head hitting a full toss playing during the day made it easy. China and Oman in the lead-up to Constantine said that he "can't wait SCOREBOARD straight back at Yadav and was out Playing together at the Oil compa- the tournament. They lost narrowly for the match to begin". caught. ny's tournament helped and we (1-2) to Jordan in their third big Asked about Thailand losing to India 1st innings: 622/7 declared Earlier Harris' half-century had have to nurture this partnership," match ahead of the Asian Cup. Oman a few days ago while India Australia 1st innings: helped Australia reach 122 for one the 32-year-old from Delhi said. These results were preceded by drew with the West Asian country, Marcus Harris b Jadeja 79 at lunch. A little opening for a break a 13-match unbeaten run in inter- Constantine said, "They are differ- Usman Khawaja c Pujara b Kuldeep Yadav 27 Starting from overnight 24 for emerged for the top seeded Indians national friendly matches and the ent teams with a different set of Marnus Labuschagne c Rahane b Shami 38 no loss, Australia quickly got off the when Bambridge served a double Intercontinental Cup at home last players. Oman were trying out dif- Shaun Marsh c A Rahane b Jadeja 8 blocks in the morning session. summer. A kid being honoured by former Minister Sham Lal Sharma fault to go down 0-30 in the sixth ferent players, and so were Travis Head c & b Kuldeep Yadav 20 There wasn't much help from the Constantine's players will also during Annual Day celebration at Kids Dream PS Akhnoor. game but they came back strongly. Thailand." Peter Handscomb batting 28 pitch for the two pacers Shami and Left-handed Sharan was down be keen to improve upon the disas- India will look to their talis- Tim Paine b Kuldeep Yadav 5 Jasprit Bumrah (0-43) who started Kids Dream Public School celebrates Annual Day a deciding point in the next game trous performance of the country in manic striker Sunil Chhetri to get Pat Cummins batting 25 proceedings. when Bopanna made an error on 2011 edition, when it badly lost all them the goals, but the recent form Extra: (B-4, LB-2) 6 It could be seen from Jadeja Make Physical, Mental Education the overhead smash volley but the its group matches. of his strike partner Jeje Total: (for six wickets, 83.3 overs) 236 being brought on to bowl in the fifth Indians managed to hold. Sunday's Group A match Lalpekhlua could be a cause for Bowling: Mohammed Shami 16-1-54-1, Jasprit Bumrah 16-4- over of the morning, while left-arm Then followed a super show against Thailand at the Al Nahyan concern. The Mizo, though, has it 43-0, Ravindra Jadeja 27.3-9-62-2, Kuldeep Yadav 24-6-71-3. wrist spinner Yadav came on to as compulsory subject: Sham from Bopanna, who unleashed his Stadium will be crucial for India as Excelsior Sports Correspondent essential to accept defeat without in him to produce an impressive bowl three overs later. single-handed backhand thrice to a positive result will boost the performance. intervened and brought out an early before the umpires stopped play Australia sped to 50 within any sense of bitterness, ill-will or earn the first break of the match and Stephen Constantine-coached stumps. JAMMU, Jan 5: Former grudge. Sandesh Jhingan has spear- altogether owing to a thunderstorm seven overs of play on this third Minister and senior Congress then served out the set in the next. team's chances of making it to the headed the defence well and he This was after Kuldeep Yadav in the vicinity. morning, adding 27 runs in 29 min- He further expressed concern The Coorgi lost just three points Round of 16.