17 FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 2018 sports Afghanistan fight in test debut India’s Dhawan and Vijay scored centuries

Reuters | Bengaluru pronged spin attack of Rashid Zlatan Ibrahimovic Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and fghanistan displayed Nabi on both sides of the . Just enjoy their stomach for a fight However, the tourists struck Ain their maiden test by back in the final session. yourselves, Zlatan claiming five in the final KNOW WHAT Vijay fell leg-before after tells Swedes session to leave India on 347 for offering no shot to a Wafadar six after the opening day of the to depart for 105. The Reuters | Moscow one-off contest yesterday. right-hander’s 12th test century India’s and has been played in included 15 boundaries and a weden’s former striker fellow centurion Murali Vijay Afghanistan since the mid six. SZlatan Ibrahimovic said raised 168 runs for the opening 19th century, but it is only Two balls later, Lokesh Ra- yesterday that they should stand to vindicate the decision in recent years that the hul, promoted to number three simply enjoy themselves to bat as the hosts cruised to 280 national team has become ahead of , at the World Cup because for one after thoroughly domi- chopped an innocuous Ah - without him in the team nating the first two sessions. successful madzai delivery onto his stumps there was no expectation. Afghanistan, who became the India’s Murali Vijay plays a shot to depart after a fluent 54. “I think Sweden, they 12th test playing nation, clawed Leading the Indian side in the have less pressure when I’m their way back in the final ses- first Indian to smash a centu- fours and three sixes. absence of regular skipper Virat not there, because when I’m sion at the M Chinnaswamy Sta- ry in the first session of a test Seamer Yamin Ahmadzai Kohli, who is recovering from a there we’re supposed to win scorecard dium with some lion-hearted as he and Vijay capitalised on claimed Afghanistan’s first wick- neck injury, Rahane made 10 be- everything,” the 36-year-old efforts by the bowlers against Afghanistan’s limited et in after the lunch fore becoming Rashid’s maiden said with customary can- India 347 for 6 (Dhawan 107, their top-ranked hosts. resources built around their break when Dhawan edged him test victim. dour. Vijay 105, Ahmadzai 2-32) Hardik Pandya was on spinners. to Rahmat Shah, who parried it Pujara scored 35, while “Just enjoy. No pressure, v Afghanistan 10 with Left-handed Dhawan batted towards the safe hands of Mo- stumper , play- because I’m not there,” the on seven at the other end when in the limited-overs mode to hammad Nabi at first slip. ing his first test in eight years, larger-than-life character stumps were drawn. smash 107 off 96 balls, studding Vijay then took charge and made four before being run out told reporters. Earlier, Dhawan became the his blistering knock with 19 punished Afghanistan’s three- in the frantic third session. Alonso sprinkles Spanish star Sharapova pulls out of Birmingham Reuters | Birmingham dust fading Le Mans aria Sharapova and Madi- Mson Keys have withdrawn AFP | Le Mans, France from next week’s Nature Valley I need to take care Classic in Birmingham as they of my body and ernando Alonso’s first ap- look to regain full fitness ahead make sure I stay Fpearance in the Le Mans of Wimbledon. 24-Hour Race this weekend has Sharapova, the 2004 Wim- healthy given a lift to the mythic race bledon champion, said she MARIA SHARAPOVA and to the World Endurance needed rest after reaching the Championship (WEC). French Open quarter-finals. healthy,” Sharapova said in a A declining sport is suddenly The 31-year-old Russian served statement. “Sometimes that in the grip of Nando mania. a doping ban in 2016 and was means you have to take tough Alonso is far from the first Spain’s driver Fernando Alonso (Toyota TS050 Hybrid LMP1) competes during forced to skip the grass-court decisions like this one.” Formula One driver to cross the qualifying practice session of the 86th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans season last year with a thigh American Keys, 23, will miss over in recent years, but his endurance race injury. “I need to take care of the Birmingham event due to an impact has been immediate. my body and make sure I stay Maria Sharapova (RUS) in action abdominal injury. The Six Hours of Spa-Fran- Media interest in Le Mans was not enough room for all the corchamps, where the Spaniard has been slipping. Between journalists who wanted to at- made his WEC debut in May 2013 and 2017, the number of tend Alonso’s press conference. “showed a 3,51% rise in attend- journalists accredited fell from “We do not necessarily have Alvarez, Golovkin ance compared with 2017,” said 1,405 to 1,225. more reporters than before, but Krygios wins in first a WEC spokesperson. WEC said it accredited 482 many more requests for Alonso rematch scheduled That’s good news for a dis- media representatives for the than for the other drivers,” said match after injury break for Sept. 15 cipline that has, in the last two Belgian race, up from 460 last one of Toyota’s press officers. years, lost Audi and Porsche, year, adding that was a record Nando is not alone. There Reuters | Stuttgart he banged down 20 aces on Reuters | Mexico City leaving Toyota, Alonso’s team, for the course for a non-F1 race will be 23 drivers with F1 ex- the grass and he delighted fans alone in the top category. and that it anticipates an in - perience on the grid at Le ick Kyrgios returned from with a trademark tick shot aul Alvarez will face Ka- Victory at Le Mans would crease at Le Mans “particularly Mans including 2009 champion Na two-month absence to which proved a turning point Szakhstan’s world mid- take Alonso a step closer to the from Spanish media.” Jenson Button and Juan-Pab- beat Germany’s Maximilian in the decider. dleweight champion Gen- triple crown of racing. He won In Spa, almost all the ques- lo Montoya, winner of seven Marterer at the Stuttgart Open With Marterer serving at 2-3 nady Golovkin in a rematch the Monaco Grand Prix in 2006 tions at the press conference Grand Prix and a string of races yesterday. Kyrgios played a shot through on Sept. 15, the Mexican and 2007 but finished 24th in were in Spanish. At Le Mans in IndyCar and Champ Car in The Australian fourth seed, his legs for a winner and it ap- boxer’s promoter Oscar De his only Indy 500 last year. on Wednesday morning there North America. who missed the French Open peared to ruffle Marterer who La Hoya. with an elbow injury, received then made two unforced errors The duo could not be sep- a bye in the first round and to drop serve. arated after last year’s bout reached the quarter-finals Kyrgios then held his next at the T-Mobile arena in Las with a 6-4 4-6 6-3 victory. two service games to book a Vegas, allowing Golovkin All eyes tracking Tiger as 118th US Open There looked nothing wrong clash with Spanish left-hander to retain his World Boxing with Kyrgios’s serving arm as Feliciano Lopez. Council (WBC), World Box- AFP | Southampton just the sixth man to claim the Lopez, runner-up last ing Association (WBA) and career Grand Slam, the US Open year before going on to win International Boxing Fed- iger Woods’s latest bid the only major missing from his the Queen’s Club title, beat eration (IBF) belts. Tto end his 10-year major resume. Frenchman Gilles Simon “I’m happy to inform that championship drought begins Mickelson, a six-time run- 7-6(6) 6-4. we have a fight September at a US Open stacked with talent ner-up in the event, is paired “This is very important for 15,” De La Hoya tweeted. and packed with compelling with two other multiple major me, to have weeks on grass. A rematch scheduled for story lines. winners lacking just one leg of It’s a very unique surface. You May 5 was cancelled after By the time Woods was to the Grand Slam - McIlroy, who play only two, three weeks a Alvarez failed a drug test tee off at Shinnecock Hills at Tiger Woods has yet to win the Masters, and year ... it’s so important to get for banned substance clen- 1:47 pm (1747 GMT) - along- Spieth, who has yet to claim a matches, to get hours on the buterol. The 27-year-old has side world number one Dustin McIlroy were set to be winding PGA Championship. grass and (you get more) when been temporarily suspend- Johnson and second ranked things up on the par-70 course Northern Ireland’s McIlroy you win,” he said. ed by the Nevada State Ath- Justin Thomas - the power- on New York’s Long Island. isn’t a fan of the so-called su- Top seed Roger Federer will letic Commission but will house group of Phil Mickel - Mickelson, who turns 48 on per-groups the US Golf Associ- be back in action today when be allowed to return to the son, Jordan Spieth and Rory Saturday, is vying to become ation likes to put together. Australia’s Nick Kyrgios he plays Guido Pella. ring from Aug. 17.