SUNDAY 6 27 JANUARY SPORTS CHENNAI Indian women’s hockey team lose Windies humiliate Murcia (Spain), Jan 27 (PTI):

Indian women’s hockey team put up a spirited fi ght before losing 2-3 to Spain in their opening match England with 381 run win against hosts Spain here. Udita (12th minute) and Gurjit Kaur (48th) scored for India, while Maria  Roston Chase bags eight- haul Tost (23rd), Lola Reira (39th) and Begona Garcia (40th) sounded the  board for Spain on Saturday. Holder adjudged Man of the Match India used strong attacking strat- egy to begin the fi rst quarter on a Bridgetown (Barbados), their 91 years as a Test-playing stumping Sam Curran down the against India in Jamaica in just positive note. The team made the Jan 27 (AFP): nation. Chase made the most of leg-side off Chase 40 minutes into his second Test in 2016. fi rst breakthrough when it man- a fourth day pitch showing more the fi nal session. If West Indies expectations in aged to earn a penalty corner in the Roston Chase proved the unlike- signs of wear but also benefi ted ‘To come back the way we have the victory push on the fourth 8th minute but could not convert ly bowling hero as the off-spinner from poor shot selection by an as a team and for me personally morning were that pace would the shot. However, in the following destroyed England with career- England side that looked shell- after the last few months is really replicate the devastation of the minutes the forwardline worked best fi gures of eight for 60 as the shocked from the events of the satisfying,’ said Holder after vic- fi rst innings, the lanky 26-year- together to support experienced West Indies crushed the visitors previous two days when they tory was formalised. ‘This is just old changed the narrative when Vandana who created a splendid by 381 runs to win the fi rst Test were routed for just 77 in their the fi rst Test of three and there is he ended opening batsman Rory opportunity for compatriot Udita to at Kensington Oval on Saturday. fi rst innings. a lot of work to be done. Achieving Burns’ quest for a maiden Test score in the 12th minute. Set the improbable target of 628 They then saw the West Indies consistency continues to be the century off the fi nal delivery be- A reverse pass by Vandana was to win, the tourists slid to igno- mass 415 for six declared in the key.’ Given England’s dominance fore lunch. Burns top-scored for picked up well by Udita who made minious defeat in bright sunshine second innings with Jason of Sri Lanka and their spinners England with 84. Enjoying the no mistake in sending it past the on the fourth day, losing their last Holder starring with an unbeaten in sub-continental conditions less conditions and England’s indeci- Spanish goalkeeper Maria Ruiz six for 31 runs either side double-century and wicketkeeper- than two months earlier, the man- siveness, he added the wickets of to take a 1-0 lead. In the second of the tea interval to be dismissed batsman Shane Dowrich contrib- ner of their capitulation would England skipper Joe Root, Ben quarter, hosts Spain stepped up for 246, ending a winning streak uting 116 in an unbroken have been particularly surprising. Stokes and Moeen Ali, the off- their game after the initial setback of fi ve matches. seventh-wicket partnership of Not that it mattered in the least spinning all-rounder suffering the to score an equaliser in the 23rd It was the largest margin of vic- 295. It was left to stand-in wicket- to Chase who reaped considerable indignity of a “pair” in the after- minute through Maria Tost. While tory by the West Indies on home keeper to complete the reward to eclipse his previous best noon to end the tourists’ hopes of the second half saw both teams soil and third largest anywhere in dismissal which sealed the result, Test innings fi gures of fi ve for 121 taking the match into a fi fth day. defend well to contain each other from taking a lead. Our challenge is to build I told myself to keep partnership at top: NZ coach

man Doug Bracewell (57) sharing fighting: Osaka 58 runs with no 10 Lockie Fur- gusen. ‘We haven’t build partner-  Aus Open champ becomes world number one ship across the top 6-7, which was the strength of what we did so well Melbourne, Jan 27 (AFP): three championship points leading 5-3 in the against Sri Lanka and what we second set. The never-say-die Kvitova forced a haven’t clicked or done here yet. Japan’sJapan’s Naomi Osaka said she was “in deciding set before Osaka fi nally edged ahead As a batting unit, that is going to a state of shock” Saturday after with a decisive break early in the third. ‘Of be our challenge going into the next holding her nerve to battle course I felt very disappointed and sad when three games, to build those partner- past Petra Kvitova to win the I had three match points,’ she said ship,’ the coach said. Australian OpenOpen in a three-three- ‘I tried to tell myself there’s nothing I can ‘Our guys know that you can’t rely set thriller that also de-de- do about it. Told myself I’m playing a fi nal Mount Maunganui, Jan 27 (PTI): on lower order to win games, its got livered her the world and need to keep fi ghting and couldn’t act to be the top order to score the ma- number one ranking. immature and needed to keep fi ghting.’ Her New Zealand coach Gary Stead jority of the runs, we haven’t done The fourth seed and jubilation was a marked contrast to Osaka’s Saturday said that the biggest that as yet in the two games. I still US Open champion maiden Slam win last year, when she tearfully challenge for his batsmen in the have faith in our squad, we are still triumphed 7-6 (7/2), hid her face as boos rang around Flushing remainder of the series is to build in someway experimenting, trying 5-7, 6-4 in a 2hr Meadows in the wake of losing fi nalist Serena partnerships at the top of the order. to work our what is our best XI is, 27min epic over the Williams’ tirade at the umpire. This time, New Zealand were dismissed for and it is an ongoing thing, it will Czech eighth seed Osaka cried with joy and smiled as she be- 234 in reply to India’s 324 for 4 to slightly change with the conditions to claim back-to-back came the youngest woman to win back-to-back suffer a 90-run loss in the second as well,’ he said. GrandGrand SlSlamsams anandd bebecomecome majors since Martina Hingis in 1998 and the the fi rst AsiaAsian,n, male or female,female, ODI. The hosts had lost the open- New Zealand struggled against youngest number one since Caroline Wozni- to hold the top spot. The JapaJapa-- ing match by eight wickets. Asked the wrist spin duo of Kuldeep Ya- acki in 2010. Her gutsy performance confi rms nese youngster fell to one knee about the performance, Stead said: dav and Yuzvendra Chahal, who her status as the leading light of tennis’ new in celebration, head bowed, as ‘It (performance) has improved accounted for 12 wickets out of 20 generation. Kvitova can console herself with Melbourne Park erupted in slightly but obviously not a pol- a career-best performance at Melbourne Park, wickets. ‘We didn’t have the part- thunderous cheers. ished performance from us. They nerships, it is not that we can’t play where she did not drop a set on her way to ‘I felt like I was in a the fi nal. It was her fi rst Grand Slam decider batted well and I was thinking it spin bowling, it is just that we have state of shock through since a burglar slashed her racquet hand in could have been 350 plus. So I am taken some options which haven’t thetht e entire trophtrophyy prpres-es- a 2016 knife attack and the Czech has shown pleased with the back end bowling been the best option at times,’ he entation,’ the 21-year-21-year- she is again a contender at the majors. ‘Thank performance there. In the end, the said. oldolo d said. A rattled OsOsa-a- you for sticking with me even when we didn’t work Bracewell put in was a prom- ‘Look, I have faith on our guys. kak almost blew her title know if I would able to hold a racquet again,’ ising sign but it wasn’t a complete We played spin very well against hopeshopes with one hand Kvitova told her team, with her voice crack- performance by any means.’ Sri Lanka, so it is not like we can’t, on the trophy when ing. “It’s crazy. I can hardly believe that I just New Zealand failed to build part- it is just that we haven’t done it as sheshs e fafailediled toto convertconvert played in a Grand Slam fi nal again.’ nership at the top with no 8 bats- effectively here.’ Adnan’s effort St. Bede’s wins JSK finals goes in vain | NT Bureau | | NT Bureau | Chennai, Jan 27: Chennai, Jan 27:

St Bede’s AIHSS beat Jayendra VA Mohamed Adnan (4/16) deliv- Saraswathi MHSS Coimbatore ered a great spell but his effort went to win the Junuor Super Kings in vain as Vel Tech Science and Inter School T20 Championship Technology lost to Gojan SBT by 14 at ICL Shankar Nagar Ground in runs in the Thiruvallur DCA STAG CChettinadhettinad VVidyashramidyashram ttriumphsriumphs Thirunelveli on Saturday. Inter-Collegiate T20 tournament. | NT Bureau | scored 110. Chasing 111, Chet- Winning the toss and batting Adnan helped Vel Tech reduce tinad Vidyashram’s Abhilash fi rst, St. Bede’s scored 136 after Gojan to 105 for seven in the fi rst Chennai, Jan 27: scored an unbeaten half-century Prasidh Aakash scored an unbeat- innings. But, his side failed while batting, ending up at 91 for nine that helped them reach the target en half-century. Chasing the total, Vignesh S Iyer was adjudged the Akash 56 not out (40b, 3x4, 4x6s), Chettinad Vidyashram conduct- and bowing out. with nine balls to spare to clinch Jayendra Saraswathi MHSS could best batsman of the tournament. R.R. Akileshwar two for 21) beat ed the 4th Kumararani Meena Brief scores: the trophy. only score 129 for four in 20 overs, B Sachin from Sri Jayendra Sar- Sri Jayendra Saraswathi MHSS Mutthiah trophy Under 12 Invita- Velammal Inst of Tech 131 for 3 Result despite B Sachin scoring 57. With aswathi MHSS was adjudged the (Coimbatore) 129 for four in 20 tion tournament recently in 20 overs (J Sathish Shankar 45, Don Bosco 110 for 5 in 20 overs Prasidh Aakash and Saie Sharan player of the tournament. overs at Kumararani Meena Muthiah R Mani 33) beat Agarsen College (R Amrish 40, Muiralikrishna 31) picking up two wickets each, St. College ground, Adyar recently. Result (B. Sachin 57 (54b, 6x4s), R. 118 for 6 in 20 overs Gojan SBT 105 lost to Chettinad Vidyashram 111 Bede’s won the fi nal. St. Bede’s AIHSS (Chennai) 136 Rishikesh Trilochan 32, for 7 in 20 overs (P Siva Kumar 32, In the fi nals of the tournament, for 3 in 18.3 overs (Abhilash 55 Prasidh Aakash was adjudged for six in 20 overs H. Prashid Akash two for 25, VA Mohamed Adnan 4/16) beat Vel Chettinad Vidyashram faced Don n.o, V Anirudh 30, Kingsten 3 for man of the match and St Bede’s (M Mithul Raj 25, H Prashid Y.S. Saie Sharan two for 16 Tech Sci & Tech 91 for 9 in 20 overs. Bosco. Batting fi rst, Don Bosco 24) Tennis tourney for seniors concludes

gappan was the chief guest for the fi nals. Ganapathy | NT Bureau | Results follows: Runners: Rameez Cadar 35+ Singles: Samad & Vijay Venkatesan Chennai, Jan 27: Winner Vijay Kannan Result: 6-4, 6-1 The fi nals of the 13th edition of T.S. San- Runner Vinodh Sridhar 55+ Singles: thanam Memorial National Seniors Tennis Result: 6-3, 6-2 Winner: Nagaraj R Championship 2019 was held on Saturday, 35+ Doubles: Runner: Chellaiah 26 January at the Mylapore club, here, Winners Vinodh Sridhar & Vijay Kannan Result: 6-2, 6-3 under the auspices of All India Tennis As- Runners Abhinav & Adith 55+ Doubles: sociation (AITA) and Tamil Nadu Tennis Result: 6-3, 6-1 Winners: Sanjay & Nagaraj Association (TNTA). 45+ Singles: (Walkover because Gustavao Runners: Kartik Kailash & Nirmal The tournament gives seniors and vet- was sick) Result: 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (11-9) eran players a platform to showcase their Winner Nitten Kirrtena - - 65+ Doubles: passion towards the sports and this year Runner Gustavao A Perziano Winners - Venkatachalam & Govind 35+, 45+, 55+ and 65+. the champions in singles in 35+, 45+, 55+ a record number of 300 participants took 45+ Doubles: Runners: C H Naidu & Krishnaswamy Vijay Kannan, Nitten Kirtenna, R Nagar- and 65+ age group categories.Chairman, part in the tourney in singles and doubles Winners: Nitten Kirrtena & Rajesh Result: 6-3, 6-2. matches across the age group categories of aj, Venkatachalam and Govind emerged as Caborundam Universal Ltd, MM Muru-