SUNDAY 6 17 FEBRUARY 2019 SPPORTSORTS CHENNAI Vignesh replaces Natarajan in ‘JUST DOING MY JOB’, TN squad |NT Bureau| Chennai, Feb 17: : S Aniruda, Ro- SAYS ‘SUPERMAN’ PERERA hit Ramalingam and K Vignesh have been select- u ed to represent Helps Sri Lanka notch up epic win against SA the Tamilnadu State team in Durban, Feb 17 (AFP): to play it over by over and get us close, little by little. the Syed Mush- Vishwa told me: ‘I’ll hit the ball with my body, if noth- Match-winner Kusal Perera insisted ‘all I did was taq Ali Trophy ing else. You do what you can.’ I took a lot of strength my role’ after his epic 153 not out took Sri Lanka to a T20 League Tournament matches from that. Without any fear I took the single and gave dramatic one-wicket victory over South Africa in the to be held from 21 February to 2 the strike to him. He did a huge job.’ March at Surat, replacing Vijay fi rst Test at Kingsmead on Saturday. Perera scored 67 Plaudits poured in for Perera. ‘Kusal Perera !!!! WOW Shankar (Selected for India), T of his runs in an unbeaten 78-run last-wicket stand .... One of the greatest Test innings of all time,’ tweeted Natarajan (Injured) and V Athisa- with Vishwa Fernando which gave his underdog team former England captain Michael Vaughan. Dimuth yaraj Davidson (Injured). a sensational victory. Karunaratne, captaining Sri Lanka for the fi rst time, ‘When I was batting with the tail, I knew we couldn’t said: ‘We had to believe in Kusal. It was a fantastic win this match by just scoring singles,’ said Perera TN women knock against a really good fast bowling attack.’ Karu- after his career-best knock which was already being naratne said his team had gone into the match with hailed as one of Test cricket’s greatest innings. lose to Goa confi dence, despite being long-odds underdogs. ‘I was the last proper batsman left. When the time Sri Lanka had been mauled in series in New Zea- |NT Bureau| felt right for me, I took my chances.’ The left-hander land and Australia and had undergone upheavals in managed to keep most of the strike and played some Chennai, Feb 17: personnel, including the sacking of previous captain audacious strokes, including two sixes off fast bowler Dinesh Chandimal. Karunaratne said the tours of Dale Steyn and one each off Kagiso Rabada, Duanne Goa eased to a fi ve-wicket win New Zealand and Australia had helped Sri Lanka Olivier and Keshav Maharaj. ‘I tried to hit to the over Tamilnadu in the BCCI Elite prepare for South Africa. ‘We learned lots of things closest boundary,’ said Perera, who was described as C U-19 Women’s tournament in on how to play on these kinds of wickets, with pace ‘superman’ by opposition skipper Faf du Plessis. Margao on Saturday. After opt- and bounce,’ he said. He also pointed to Sri Lanka’s ing to bat fi rst, TN women were ‘It was a superman effort. He deserves all the ac- record in Durban. On two previous tours they had a restricted to 99 as Goa’s skipper colades,’ said du Plessis. Perera added: ‘I had really win and a draw against an 11-0 losing record on other Tejashwini Duragad was the pick wanted to hit two or three sixes off Steyn as we were grounds in South Africa. getting close. Thankfully I was able to do that. I think of the bowlers taking four for 19. ‘Everybody was keen to play here and to enjoy their my decision-making was really good.’ Perera paid trib- In reply, Goa reached the target game with clear minds to express themselves,’ he said. ute to Fernando who played his part in what was the with nearly 20 overs to spare and Sri Lanka made sure they could not lose the two-match highest last-wicket stand in a fourth-innings chase in fi ve wickets remaining. series but Karunaratne said they would be pushing for the history of fi rst-class cricket. Brief scores: Tamilnadu 99 in a series win in the second Test which starts in Port 45.5 overs (C Shushanthika 22, ‘I didn’t even look at the scoreboard when Vishwa Elizabeth on Thursday. Tejashwini Duragad 4/19, Savali came in and we had a lot of runs to get. I just tried Kolambkar 2/15, Diksha Gawde 2/6) lost to Goa 100/5 in 30.1 overs (Tejashwini Duragad 45) Focus on Mandhana as BPXI take on England Mumbai, Feb 17 (PTI): Mandhana recently scored 196 this game to get acclimatised to the runs in the three- match ODI series pitch, weather and local conditions. Focus would be trained on in-form against hosts New Zealand, includ- The England eves also boast of opener Smriti Mandhana when she ing a 100 and 90. She would be keen some big names in Tammy Beu- leads the Board President’s XI in a to carry that form into the upcom- mont, Heather Knight and Danny warm-up match against the visit- ing home series and a good knock White, who had smashed the In- ing England women’s team here in the warm-up match will only dian bowlers during the T20 series on Monday. The match is being boost her confi dence. Apart from last year. The trio and others would Race walker played at the Wankhede Stadium Mandhana, BPXI wicket-keeper R be hoping to start the campaign on and Mandhana, who is being helped Kalpana is also in the ODI squad a positive note. by team coach W V Raman to build and she could also benefit from The following three-match ODI up her patience, would be keen to playing in the practice game. series, forming part of the ICC Irfan aims high put the lessons learnt into practice On the other hand, England Championship, will be played at before plunging into the series women are a force to reckon with in the same venue on the 22nd, 25th Chennai, Feb 17 (PTI): opener here this Friday. the 50-over format and they utilise and 28th of this month. Indian race walker K T Irfan Saturday said his aim was to do well in next month’s Asian Race Walking Championship in Japan MMessiessi ppenaltyenalty lliftsifts BarcaBarca and secure qualifi cation for the World Championships later this year. u GGriezmannriezmann eeclipsesclipses TTorresorres wwithith 1130th30th ggoaloal ‘I am very happy to win a gold medal here (in the National Open Madrid, Feb 17 (AFP): Race Walking Championship). It win a gold though the timing was normal. ‘Yeah... race is good. Cli- Lionel Messi scored a penalty and missed another as La Liga leaders is my fi rst event of the season and Barcelona ground out an unconvincing 1-0 win over Real Valladolid, I have done well. Now my aim is to mate not so good.. Having trained in Patiala and then in Bengaluru while Antoine Griezmann surpassed Fernando Torres with his 130th do well in the Asian meet in Nomi goal for Atletico Madrid. City, Japan and gain qualifi cation where it was cold, the conditions were humid here and I was able Messi’s fi tness was again in the spotlight on Saturday after a niggling for the World Championship,’ he thigh strain in recent weeks, but he completed the full 90 minutes at told PTI here. to achieve normal training,’ he added. The walkers have only two the Camp Nou and hit the 30-goal mark at Barcelona for the 11th The Kerala athlete had won opportunities to qualify for the straight season. the 20 km race (Elite) for men Worlds to be held in Qatar in Sep- The Argentine coolly dispatched a spot-kick just before half-time, drill- in the 6th National Open Race tember but Irfan is not too worried ing beyond the reach of Jordi Masip after Gerard Pique was bundled Walking Championship in a after not being able to achieve it to the ground by Valladolid midfi elder Michel. Masip brilliantly tipped time of 1:26:18.00, well below the here and said he could do it in the over a Messi volley soon after the interval and Luis Suarez wasted a World Championship qualifi ca- Asian Championship next month. huge opportunity to double the lead shortly after replacing Kevin-Prince tion standard of 1:22:30. He said ‘I wanted to do it here.. but am Boateng with an hour gone. Japan was always good for him Messi found himself booked for dissent after an apparent foul on him as he had won a bronze medal in confi dent it can be achieved in went unpunished, and he then blew the chance to kill off Valladolid the Asian meet in 2017 and hoped Japan next month (during the when Masip kept out his second penalty of the night -- awarded fol- that this time he would be able to Asian meet),’ he added. The walk- lowing a trip on Philippe Coutinho. meet the qualifi cation standards. ers were missing the presence of The excellent Masip alertly gathered Messi’s follow-up header and ‘I am looking forward to the foreign coach Alexander Artsy- again denied Suarez late on as Barca pulled seven points clear of Asian Championship. Japan is bashev, whose contract ended in Atletico ahead of their trip to Lyon in the Champions League last 16. very good for me. I have always September last year.