SPORT

Tuesday 7 March 2017

PAGE | 25 PAGE | 26 PAGE | 27 Top-ranked Johnsonson Pujara leads BarcelonaBarc face uphill wins WGC Mexicoo India's revival in taskta against PSG in crown Bangalore ChampionsCh League Qatar eye victory over

UAE after loss to Japan Bahrain women's team, aiming to complete a hat-trick at the GCC Women's Games, pose for a picture on arrival in Doha. Bahrain won the 2013 and 2015 Games held in Bahrain Japan players the beginning. Takaaki Oba Bahamas ticket and Oman respectively. celebrate scored Japan’s first goal with a The top three after scoring smart right-foot shot that caught keeper Amro Shana’ unawares, finishers will get the against Qatar before Brazilian-born ticket to represent in the AFC GCC Women's Games Ozu Moreira fired home to dou- Asia at the 2017 FIFA Beach Soccer Beach Soccer World ble his side's advantage. Championship Ozu then converted a pen- Cup in Bahamas. in Malaysia kick off in Doha today alty following a handball in the yesterday. area to extend Japan's lead and Fawad Hussain bring the first period to an end The Peninsula ceremony will be 'simple and The Peninsula with a comfortable lead for classy'. Mendes Marcelo’s side. he 5th GCC Women's Al Marri said that the com- fter facing a heavy Hotshot Ozu again showed Games will be kick off mittee had completed all defeat to Japan, his prowess from distance with Ttoday with an opening preparation to host the GCC Qatar are looking to his third after the restart, before ceremony at the Khalifa Ten- Women's Games,. bounce back Takasuke Goto rattled in a free- nis and Squash Complex. The event will be held strongly at the AFC kick shortly after and Takuya The 11-day event will see under the patronage of H E BeachA Soccer Championship, Akaguma scored to make it six 891 athletes representing Bah- Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al- targeting a win against neigh- for Japan. rain, Oman, UAE and the host Thani, Vice Chairperson and bouring rivals UAE in their A second penalty was country, Qatar taking part in the CEO of Qatar Foundation for second group C match today in expertly put away by Akaguma event. Education, Science and Com- Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. ahead of further strikes from Jun The Women's Games will munity Development. Qatar entered the event with Sakata and Goto. Akaguma went be contested in ten different Competitions will be held an aim to reach the semi-finals on to bag a third goal courtesy games namely basketball, on Aspire Dome, the Ladies of the competition but their taking part in the competition here to make sure we improve of yet another penalty, before handball, table tennis, volley- Club in Aspire Zone, the Eques- campaign suffered a jolt follow- with the top three finishers will our games to get the desired Ozu claimed his fourth from ball, chess, athletics, archery, trian Federation, and Lusail ing a 14-0 loss to mighty Japan be getting the ticket to represent result. The teams in the group close range and Sakata scored fencing, taekwondo and Shooting Circuit, Qatar Sports in their opening game. Asia at the 2017 FIFA Beach Soc- are very formidable but we will his second. bowling. Club, Qatar Bowling Center, and The coach Carlos Lisboa’s cer World Cup to held in Nassau, give our best to go beyond the A Tomoyuki Iino brace Bahrain will be looking to Qatar Chess Association. side need positive results in their Bahamas from April 27 to May group stage this time and enter rounded off the scoring as Japan complete a hat-trick having Meanwhile the organizing remaining next two group games 7. the semi-finals,” the coach had went top of Group C above the won the 2013 and 2015 Games committee of the event has to go beyond the group stage. Ahead of the event, Lisboa said. UAE who earlier beat Iraq 6-0. held in Bahrain and Oman been holding daily meeting for After meeting UAE, Qatar are hoped his team to give an However, the team had no Qatar have made two respectively. the last two months for the suc- slated to meet Iraq in their final improved show in the event. answer against two-time cham- appearances at the continental President of Qatar Women cessful conduct of the event group game tomorrow. “We know fully well our per- pions and five-time runners-up competition - the 2013 and 2015 Sport Committee (QWSC) Lulua which is being held in Qatar for As many as 12 teams are formances in the past and we are Japan who dominated right from editions that they hosted. Al Marri said that the opening the first time.

Qatar gear up for Cup qualifiers

Qatar national team players take part in a training session under the watchful eyes of coach Jorge Fossati in Doah yesterday. Qatar is preparing for the upcoming two matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Uzbekistan. Qatar will take on Iran in Doha on March 23 before meeting Uzbekistan on March 28 in Tashkent. Iran lead Group A with 11 points from five matches followed by South Korea and Uzbekistan with 10 and 9, respectively. Qatar are in fifth spot with four points from five matches and will have to win maximum Jassim Al Muraikhi of Qatar, winner in the Emir Cup 2017, poses for a picture along with the winner's cheque and bowling points from their remaining five matches to qualify for officials on Sunday at the Qatar Bowling Center in Doha. next year’s World Cup in Russia. Bowling: Qatar's Jassim wins Emir Cup

The Peninsula Bowling Federation (ABF) and Kingdom International Open in the Year Mika Koivuniemi, A Kuwait Bowling Federation December 2015 in Saudi Arabia -Muraikhi rolled the only 300 assim Al Muraikhi of Qatar (KBF), crowned the winners of for his first career World Bowl- game in the finals and the fourth averaged 248 in the head-to- the tournament. ing Tour title, had to settle for perfecto of this year’s event only Jhead finals over two games Sheikh Talal Al Mohammad second place worth $6,000. to tie the Finn after two games, total pins to triumph in the Emir Al Sabah said that bowling is In the semi-finals Al- 506-506. Cup 2017 on Sunday at the Qatar witnessing a great development Muraikhi eliminated Shayna Ng The Qatari won a one-ball Bowling Center in Doha. in the Gulf region and Qatar in of Singapore, 477-463, while roll-off to advance. In the title match against particular due to the great sup- Louw ousted Siti Safiyah of The Emir Cup 2017 drew 84 Francois Louw of South Africa, port given to it. Malaysia, 509-436. players, 69 men and 15 women, Al-Muraikhi took a slim two-pin Jassim is the first Qatari win- Ng and Safiyah, who from 16 countries. lead after the first game, 258 to ner since Mubarak Al Muraikhi received eight pins women’s The Emir Cup 2017, the 256. He followed with a 247-217 won the event in the year 2010. handicap each game, earned opening event of the 2017 Asian win to capture the title and the Mubarak, who also won in 2007, $3,500 apiece for third and Bowling Federation (ABF) Tour $10,000 top prize, 505-473. is the lone two-time champion fourth place, respectively. season, was held at the Qatar Sheikh Talal Al-Mohammad in the Emir Cup history. In his round of 16 match Bowling Center, a 32-laner in Al-Sabah, President of the Asian Louw, who won the 9th against two-time PBA Player of Doha. SPORT 7 MARCH 2017 TUESDAY 25 Muir leads British medal Golf: Top-ranked Johnson harvest as Spanovic excels

Belgrade silver behind Pole Sylvester Reuters Bednarek and Lorraine Ugen wins WGC Mexico crown finished as the women's long aura Muir led an impres- jump runner-up. sive final day for Britain Shelayna Oskan-Clarke Mexico City L at the European indoor snatched the women's 800 AFP athletics championships with metres silver and Britain also her second gold medal of the finished as the women's 4x400 orld number three-day event after winning relay runners-up behind one Dustin the 3,000-metre race on Poland, who topped the over- Johnson held Sunday. all medal standings with seven off Spanish The day's action was also lit golds, one silver and four rookie Jon up by Serbia's Ivana Spanovic, bronzes. WRahm and England's Tommy who delighted the home crowd The British team finished Fleetwood over Sunday's final by retaining the women's long second with five golds, four sil- holes to win the World Golf jump title with 7.24 metres, vers and one bronze. Championships Mexico Cham- shattering her personal best by But for all of British and pionship by one stroke. 17 centimetres. Only two Polish exploits, Spanovic stole The reigning US Open cham- women have jumped farther the show in Belgrade's impos- pion became only the fifth player indoors, both in the 1980s - East ing Kombank Arena. to capture his first event after Dustin Johnson poses with German Heike Drechsler and Having entered as the moving atop the world rankings, the winner's trophy following Soviet Galina Chistyakova. strong favourite, the 2016 out- matching a feat done by Welsh- the final round of the WGC Muir, who clinched the door European champion and man Ian Woosnam, Australia's - Mexico Championship golf 1,500m gold on Saturday, set a Olympic bronze medallist Adam Scott, Fiji's Vijay Singh and tournament at Club de Golf new championship record of showed some nerves in her first American David Duval. Chapultepec in Mexico City 8:35.67 minutes and fellow attempt as she faulted. "It means a lot," Johnson said on Sunday. Briton Eilish McCoglan finished But the 26-year-old then of the achievement. third behind Turkey's Kenyan- took the lead with her second "It's a tough spot to be in. born Yasmine Can. jump of 7.16m before her best There's a lot of pressure on you. "I knew it would be a tough leap of the series which drew a I came out and hit the ball really race with Can and that she rousing ovation from a sellout well. I played great all week." would probably take the race 11,000 crowd. After back-to-back 66s, on 271 after closing with a fairway at the second and made with a 60-foot eagle on the final to me and I just tried to hang "I never imagined it would Johnson fired a three-under par 40-foot birdie putt while Rahm bogey while Johnson sank a hole, eagled the par-5 11th with on," a delighted Muir told be so emotional and I am so 68 Sunday, overcoming two shared third with England's Ross 15-foot birdie putt to share the a 14-foot birdie and sank a reporters. overjoyed it happened in front back-nine bogeys with a birdie Fisher on 272 with Belgium's lead. 33-foot birdie putt at 14 to match Asha Philip won the wom- of my home fans," Spanovic at the par-5 15th and three clos- Thomas Pieters and American Johnson put his approach at Johnson for the lead at 13-under en's 60 metres, Robbie Grabarz said in a trackside interview ing pars to finish 72 holes on Justin Thomas fifth on 273. the par-5 sixth to five feet and par. took the men's high-jump following the event. 14-under par 270. "I played just well enough I sank the birdie putt to seize the Rahm briefly took the lead Fleetwood finished second guess because I won by one," lead alone, then saw Thomas with a four-foot birdie putt at the Johnson said. stumble back with a double par-5 15th, but Johnson, in the It was the second victory in bogey after finding water at the final group just behind Rahm, as many starts for the 32-year- par-3 seventh and a bogey at blasted out of a bunker to two old American after taking the eight. feet from the pin and sank a title last month at Riviera and Johnson dropped a 30-foot birdie putt at 15 to regain a share It means a lot. It's marked the 14th PGA triumph of birdie putt at the eighth and sank of the lead. a tough spot to be Johnson's career. an eight-footer at the ninth to The Spaniard missed a six- in. There's a lot of Four-time major champion make the turn with a four-stroke foot par putt at 16 and an Rory McIlroy, who could have edge. eight-foot par putt at the par-3 pressure on you. I overtaken Johnson atop the But just when Johnson 17th to leave Johnson ahead by came out and hit rankings with a victory, fired a looked to run away, he stumbled two. the ball really well. 71 to share seventh with Amer- with bogeys at the par-4 12th, Fleetwood's final birdie icans Phil Mickelson and Brandt missing a five-foot par putt, and capped a round of 66 to keep the I played great all Snedeker on 274. par-3 13th, finding a bunker off pressure on the leader after week: Dustin Johnson began a stroke the tee. Rahm faded and Johnson found behind Thomas, who opened That opened the door and a fairway bunker off the 18th tee. Johnson with a birdie to stretch his edge late-charging Rahm, a 22-year- But he safely found the Winner Laura Muir (centre) and Eilish Mccolgan (third) of to two strokes, but the world old Spaniard in his WGC debut, green with his approach, rolled number one seized command battered it down. his first putt inches from the Britain and Yasemin Can of Turkey pose during the medals from there. Rahm, who won his first PGA cup and tapped in for the ceremony of women's 3000m at European Athletics Indoor Thomas never found the title in January at Torrey Pines victory. Championship in Belgrade, Serbia on Sunday. Penguins Ulis shines as Suns down Celtics; edge out Sabres Jazz, Pacers win in wild finishes

New York Los Angeles Tyler Ulis (left) of the Utah. Elsewhere, there was Agencies AFP Phoenix Suns attempts another wild finish in a shot against the Atlanta as Glenn Robinson onor Sheary scored with hoenix Suns rookie Boston Celtics during drained a three-pointer 2:56 left in regulation as Tyler Ulis and Utah their NBA game at with 0.6 seconds left as the C the Pittsburgh Penguins PJazz big man Rudy Talking Stick Resort Indiana Pacers overcome a erased a three-goal deficit on Gobert shared the limelight Arena on Sunday. six-point deficit with less Sunday for a 4-3 win over the on Sunday with a pair of than two minutes to play to Buffalo Sabres at PPG Paints stunning buzzer beaters to stun the Hawks 97-96 at Arena. lift their NBA Western Con- Philips Arena. Justin Schultz set up ference clubs to victory. In Dallas, Oklahoma Pittsburgh Penguins centre Jake Guentzel reacts Sheary's goal on a back-door Gobert's tip-in game City Thunder star Russell play and finished with a goal after scoring a goal against the Buffalo Sabres winner in overtime was Westbrook, the league's and two assists. Evgeni Mal- during their NHL game in Pittsburgh on Sunday. originally ruled no good, but leading scorer, was frus- kin added a goal and an assist was counted after a video trated all night long by the for Pittsburgh. stopped 42 of 45 Pen- Ryan scored the win- review, and the Jazz Mavericks defence and fin- Buffalo took a 3-0 lead in guins shots. ner when Jeff Skinner's defeated the host Sacra- ished with 29 points in a the first period but lost for the Jake Guentzel tied it initial shot deflected off mento Kings 110-109. 104-89 loss. sixth time in seven games for Pittsburgh 3-3 at Jakob Chychrun, off the Ulis scored a career- Dallas won for the (1-3-3) as its playoff hopes 16:14 of the third when far post and then back high 20 points, including a fourth time in five games to continue to dwindle. he tipped the puck past into the crease with walk-off three pointer from climb within two games of Goaltender Matt Murray Nilsson. Smith sprawled on the the right side as time a playoff position. Germa- started for the 17th time in the Hurricanes 2, Coy- ice out of position. expired to gave the Suns a ny's Dirk Nowitzki finished Penguins' past 21 games but otes 1 Blue Jackets 3, Dev- 109-106 victory over the with 18 points and 12 was replaced by Marc-Andre Derek Ryan knocked ils 0 Boston Celtics. rebounds for his fifth dou- Fleury after giving up three in a rebound off a fortu- The Blue Jackets per- France's Gobert fin- ble-double this season. goals on 21 shots in the first nate bounce with 3:57 severed behind a ished with 24 rebounds, the Westbrook shot just period and his team trailing left in regulation and 20-save shutout by goal- last one on a tip of a missed eight of 24 to go along with 3-0. Fleury (16-8-5) stopped backup goalie Eddie tender Sergei Bobrovsky shot. six rebounds and five all 28 shots he faced. Lack made 24 saves as and two points apiece "I was at the right place assists. He also picked up Anders Nilsson (9-9-4) Carolina snapped a four- from Oliver Bjorkstrand at the right time. I didn't know how much time was Gobert reached up and his 14th technical foul on game losing streak. and Sam Gagner. left, but I saw (Hill) go off to tapped it home. the season and a flagrant NHL RESULTS Peter Holland scored Columbus is now NBA RESULTS the left side, and I just tried The referee originally foul for shoving a Maverick Carolina 2 Arizona 1 the lone goal for Arizona, 4-1-1 in its last six games, Dallas 104 Oklahoma City 89 to go get it," Gobert said. ruled that Gobert's tip came player in the third quarter Vancouver 2 Anaheim 1 which got 33 saves from while the Devils suffered Utah 110 Sacramento 109 Willie Cauley-Stein after the final buzzer but In Washington, Bojan St. Louis 3 Colorado 0 Mike Smith but wasted their seventh consecu- Phoenix 109 Boston 106 made two free throws with reversed the call. Bogdanovic made eight of 10 Minnesota 3 San Jose 1 three power-play oppor- tive defeat. Boone Jenner W'ton 115 Orlando 114 eight seconds left to put the Gobert finished with 16 three-pointers, including two

Columbus 3 New Jersey 0 tunities in the third scored the only goal G'State 112 NY Knicks 105 Kings ahead 109-108. points and Rodney Hood in the final 66 seconds, as the

Pittsburgh 4 Buffalo 3 period and lost for the Columbus needed with Indiana 97 Atlanta 96 Following a timeout, had a team-high 28 points Washington Wizards rallied

Calgary 5 NY Islanders 2 fifth time in its last seven 13th goal at 2:45 of the Orleans 105 LA Lakers 97 Jazz guard George Hill's in his first game back after past the Orlando Magic games. second period. jump shot fell short, but a two-game absence for 115-114. 26 SPORT TUESDAY 7 MARCH 2017 'Pakistan wins today' as final passes off peacefully

Lahore called it a "momentous occasion for AFP Pakistan", while fans at the ground said they had sent the militants a akistan on Monday hailed the suc- message. cessful staging of the Pakistan "I felt no fear and I just came to give PSuper League final as a step a message to terrorists that Pakistanis towards restoring international cricket are not afraid of their cowardly acts," in the country after a deadly attack on said Mohammad Nauman, who paid the Sri Lankan team in 2009. $40 for his ticket. With nerves jangling after a recent Peshawar Zalmi rode on a 32-ball resurgence of militant violence, tight 40 by the in-form Kamran Akmal, who security blanketed Lahore's sold-out clobbered six fours and a six to reach Gaddafi Stadium but the game went off 148 for six off their 20 overs. peacefully with Peshawar Zalmi beat- Skipper Sammy hit two sixes in his ing Quetta Gladiators by 58 runs. 28 , while fellow West Indian Fans held up banners proclaiming paceman took 3-31 for "Pakistan wins today", reflecting a Quetta. mood of defiance. The rest of the Peshawar Zalmi's players and officials celebrate with the PSL trophy after defeating Quetta Gladiators in the In reply, Quetta were shot out for Twenty20 tournament was played in final in Lahore on Sunday. 90 after being rocked by left-arm spin- the United Arab Emirates for safety ner Mohammad Asghar, who finished reasons. same ground almost exactly eight years February left 130 people dead and "My good friend Lala (Afridi) said: with three for 16 in his four overs. "Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday may ago that Pakistan cricket suffered its broke a long lull in violence that had 'If we get to the final you should come Eight security experts attended the have won the Pakistan Super League worst blow when Islamist militants encouraged authorities. to Lahore'," Sammy told the crowd. game, including officials from the Inter- (PSL) but the real victory was that of opened fire on a bus carrying Sri Fears of a fresh incident threatened "I am glad I came to experience national Cricket Council. the country, which after years of ter- Lankan cricketers, killing eight people to overshadow Sunday's final, as top the atmosphere here. Even though Delegates from Sri Lanka and rorism and turmoil was able to stage a and wounding nine, including six vis- players such as Quetta's Kevin Pie- Peshawar came out on top, cricket Bangladesh, who are rumoured as pos- landmark international event in iting players. tersen and Luke Wright pulled out was the real winner in Lahore," he sible candidates to tour Pakistan, were Lahore," the Express Tribune said. The attack effectively snuffed out ahead of the clash over security added. also at the ground. Thousands of police and troops Pakistan's home international sport- concerns. Fans around the country watched "We will give good news to fans patrolled the area around the Gaddafi ing fixtures, with no major teams But the West Indies' Darren Sammy the match on giant screens placed in soon that an international team will Stadium and military helicopters visiting the country since. bucked the trend to captain Peshawar marketplaces, while many tweeted come to Pakistan," said tournament whirred overhead in heavy security Holding the final in Pakistan had Zalmi to victory, after replacing Paki- under the hashtag chairman Najam Sethi, although sim- more commonly associated with vis- drawn criticism from some quarters, stan's Shahid Afridi who was forced out #CricketComesHome. ilar statements in the past have gone iting heads of state. It was outside the after a series of militant attacks in with a hand injury. Legendary paceman Wasim Akram unfulfilled.

SCOREBOARD WEST INDIES Rashid 9-0-53-2 (3w); M Ali 10-0-44-1. K Brathwaite st Buttler b Ali ...... 42 ENGLAND Pujara Ieads India's E Lewis c Billings b Finn ...... 8 J Roy c C Brathwaite b Nurse ...... 52 K Powell c&b Finn ...... 9 S Billings c Powell b Gabriel ...... 0 S Hope c Buttler b Stokes ...... 16 J Root (not out) ...... 90 J Mohammed c Rashid b Plunkett ...... 50 E Morgan lbw Nurse...... 7 J Carter c Rashid b Plunkett ...... 39 B Stokes c Hope b Bishoo...... 1 J Holder c and b Rashid ...... 15 J Buttler c Hope b Bishoo ...... 0 C Brathwaite c Billings b Rashid ...... 23 M Ali b Nurse ...... 3 revival in Bangalore A Nurse b Plunkett ...... 13 C Woakes (not out) ...... 68 D Bishoo (not out) ...... 0 Extras (LB-1, W-4) ...... 5 S Gabriel (run out) ...... 1 Total (for 6 wkts) ...... 226 Bangalore controlled knock as he kept a India's Cheteshwar Extras (B-1, LB-2, W-6) ...... 9 Did not bat: A Rashid, L Plunkett, S Finn. AFP persistent Australian attack at Pujara plays a shot on Total (all out) ...... 225 Fall of : 1-1, 2-87, 3-108, 4-113, 5-117, 6-124. bay, prompting skipper Steve third day of second Test Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-21, 3-46, 4-118, 5-159, 6-173, Bowling: S Gabriel 3-0-17-1; J Holder 10-0-46-0; C atsman Cheteshwar Smith to rotate his bowling 7-199, 8-219, 9-224, 10-225. Brathwaite 4-0-38-0; D Bishoo 10-0-43-2 (3w); A against Australia at M Bowling: S Finn 8-1-38-2; C Woakes 8-1-26-0; L Nurse 10-0-34-3 (1w); J Mohammed 4-0-15-0; K

Pujara hit an options. Chinnaswamy Stadium Plunkett 7.5-1-32-3 (2w); B Stokes 5-0-29-1 (1w); A Brathwaite 5.2-0-22-0; J Carter 2-0-10-0. unbeaten half-cen- Rahane was equally persist- in Bangalore India tury to lead India's ent in his resolve to give the yesterday. spirited fightback visitors a daunting fourth innings Bagainst Australia on the third day chase as he hardly played a loose of a gripping second Test in Ban- shot during his 105-ball stay. Root hits unbeaten 90 galore yesterday. The 29-year-old Pujara, who The hosts were 213 for four recorded his 14th Test fifty in his at stumps, leading Australia by 46th Test, capitalised on a as England clinch series 126 runs in their second innings dropped chance by Smith at first after the tourists' hopes of build- slip off Nathan Lyon when he ing a big lead were undermined was on four. North Sound, Antigua going on a slow pitch and were by an outstanding bowling per- Off-spinner Lyon, who had Reuters dismissed for 225 with 13 balls formance by Ravindra Jadeja. grabbed a career-best Test haul left of their 50 overs. Pujara on 79 and Ajinkya of 8-50 in the first innings, went oe Root struck an unbeaten Jason Mohammed, who top Rahane on 40 were batting at wicketless on a day when Indian 90 as he and Chris Woakes scored with 50, featured in a close of play. spinner Jadeja claimed six wick- Jsteered England to a four- 72-run partnership for the The duo put together a stub- ets. It was Australian seamer victory over West Indies fourth wicket with Kraigg born 93-run partnership for the Josh Hazlewood who rattled the in their second one-day inter- Brathwaite, who contributed a fifth wicket to lift India from a Indian top-order with his three national on Sunday. slow 42 off 70 balls. wobbly 120-4 at Bangalore's M wickets, including the prized England, who scored 226- Jonathan Carter offered a Chinnaswamy Stadium. scalp of skipper Virat Kohli in the 6, claimed an unbeatable 2-0 brief cameo with 39 off 36 balls Pujara led the way with his afternoon session. Hazlewood lead in the three-match series. but was deceived by a slow ball They beat the hosts by 45 runs and lofted a catch off Liam SCOREBOARD trapped Kohli lbw for 15 on a who top-scored with 90 in at the same Vivian Richards Plunkett, who took 3-32. shooting inswinger and a review India's first innings, put on 45 Stadium on Friday in the open- England’s reply got off to a India (I innings): ...... 189 6-220, 7-269, 8-274, 9-274, 10-276. did not help the star batsman as with Pujara after Abhinav ing encounter. poor start as opener Sam Bill- Australia (I innings): Bowling: Sharma 27-8-48-1 (3nb); Yadav 24-7-57-1 he walked back to a stunned Mukund (16) was bowled by Root played a typically ings was caught behind for a D Warner b Ashwin...... 33 (1nb); Ashwin 49-13-84-2; Jadeja 21.4-1-63-6; Nair silence at Bangalore's M Chin- Hazlewood early in the lunch flawless innings to carry Eng- duck in the first over. M Renshaw st Saha b Jadeja ...... 60 1-0-7-0. S Smith c Saha b Jadeja ...... 8 India (II innings): naswamy Stadium. session. land home with 10 balls to spare But Root kept the runs tick- S Marsh c Nair b Yadav ...... 66 L Rahul c Smith b O'Keefe ...... 51 India's move to promote all- O'Keefe lured Rahul into a as he and Woakes stemmed a ing over steadily as he and P Handscomb c Ashwin b Jadeja ...... 16 A Mukund b Hazlewood ...... 16 rounder Jadeja in the batting drive outside off stump and a mid-order slump with an Woakes steadied the situation M Marsh lbw Sharma ...... 0 C Pujara (batting) ...... 79 order also backfired when the diving Smith took a brilliant one- unbroken 102-run partnership for England with Windies key M Wade lbw Jadeja...... 40 V Kohli lbw Hazlewood ...... 15 left-hander was bowled by handed catch at first slip. for the seventh wicket. bowler Shannon Gabriel bowl- M Starc c Jadeja b Ashwin ...... 26 R Jadeja b Hazlewood ...... 2 Hazlewood for two to leave the In the morning session, left- Woakes survived being ing just three overs before S O'Keefe (not out) ...... 4 A Rahane (batting)...... 40 hosts reeling at tea. arm spinner Jadeja returned dropped twice to score 68 as suffering a side strain. N Lyon lbw b Jadeja ...... 0 Extras (B-10)...... 10 J Hazlewood c Rahul b Jadeja ...... 1 Total (for 4 wkts) ...... 213 India's trouble started when with figures of 6-63 to help dis- both teams used the brief series The last match of the series Extras (B-14, LB-3, NB-5) ...... 22 Fall of wickets: 1-39, 2-84, 3-112, 4-120. opener Lokesh Rahul fell to left- miss Australia for 276 in their to prepare for June’s Champi- in the series will be played at

Total (all out) ...... 276 Bolwing: Starc 10-0-45-0; Hazlewood 16-0-57-3; Lyon arm spinner Steve O'Keefe after first innings, a lead of 87. ons Trophy. the Kensington Oval in Bridg- Fall of wickets: 1-52, 2-82, 3-134, 4-160, 5-163, 27-2-69-0; O'Keefe 16-3-28-1; M Marsh 3-0-4-0. hitting a dominant 51 and hand- Australia lead the four- West Indies, who won the etown, Barbados on ing India a good start. Rahul, match series 1-0. toss and chose to bat, never got Thursday. South African attack bolstered ahead of NZ Tests

Wellington limited-overs fixtures of the tomorrow, could be a chance assuredness guided the side Philander's career best Reuters ongoing tour, with Morkel hav- to work Morkel and Philander through several tense moments bowling of 6-44 also came ing recovered from a back into Test form. in New Zealand. against New Zealand, with an outh Africa will miss AB de career-threatening back injury South Africa coach Russell Should Morkel and Philan- average of 15.53. His career Villiers following his deci- and Philander dealing with a Domingo said that while the der replicate past form against average is 21.40. Ssion to opt out of Test nagging ankle problem. absence of influential batsman New Zealand, however, de Vil- The pair are likely to join cricket this year but their ranks South Africa have won their de Villiers would be keenly felt liers may not be missed much Kagiso Rabada in an impres- have been bolstered by the last three Test series and will in the Test series, they had no at all. sive pace attack after the return of Morne Morkel and head to England for a full tour option but to move on. Morkel's best bowling in an 21-year-old showed in the final Vernon Philander for the three- starting in May. De Villiers's flashing bat innings of 6-23 came against one-day international in Auck- match series against New Their three-match series in produced 262 runs in the five New Zealand and while is land on Saturday that he was Zealand. New Zealand, which kicks off one-day matches at an aver- career average is 29.33, against warming to New Zealand Morne Morkel Both players missed the at University Oval in Dunedin age of 87.33, while his calm the hosts it is 20.94. conditions. TUESDAY 7 MARCH 2017 SPORT 27

Japan's oldie Barcelona dare to believe Miura surpasses England's Matthews mission impossible is possible Tokyo AFP the game buoyed by thumping Champions League 6-1 and 5-0 wins in their past winkle-toed Japanese Arsenal will have to two league matches and haven't Barcelona's Argentinian footballer Kazuyoshi given up hope of staging an Miura has racked up produce the biggest forward Lionel Messi T unprecedented comeback. another astonishing land- second leg comeback celebrates after scoring a to avoid a seventh No side has lost 4-0 away mark by eclipsing former from home in Europe and gone goal during the Spanish England great Stanley Mat- successive exit at the through in a two-legged tie, but league match against RC thews in the record books last 16 stage when with Barca's prolific front three Celta de Vigo at the Camp with his second professional they host Bayern. of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Luis Nou Stadium in Barcelona appearance since turning 50. Suarez they cannot be entirely on Sunday. Miura, who last week Paris discounted. became the first fiftysome- AFP "Against PSG we will run and thing to grace the J-League, fight and then we will see what played in Yokohama FC's 1-1 arcelona striker Ney- happens," said Neymar. draw against V-Varen Naga- mar vowed his side "It's really important that our saki on Sunday at 50 years will throw everything spirit is on the way up and our and seven days -- two days at Paris Saint-Ger- confidence too. I see us on the older than Matthews was main in their bid to up and with confidence. On when he turned out for Stoke Boverturn a four-goal deficit in Wednesday we are going to play City against Fulham in 1965. the Champions League last 16 really well." "(Matthews) was a legen- this week. Barca knocked PSG out at the dary player for us," golden PSG fired a significant warn- quarter-final stage in both 2012- oldie Miura told local media. ing of intent throughout Europe 13 and 2014-15, but the reigning "I don't actually feel like with a 4-0 rout of Barca in the French champions have the I've gone past a legend. I may French capital three weeks ago upper hand this time and Janu- have surpassed him in lon- and will aim to complete the job ary signing Julian Draxler is "Many teams have lost 5-0 extinguish any lingering hopes always proved a guarantee of gevity but I won't ever be able in the return leg at the Camp Nou confident of reaching the last at the Camp Nou, we know that Arsene Wenger's men have right success for the record 11-time to match his statistics and the tomorrow. eight for the fifth year in anything is possible," Draxler from kick-off in London. champions. career he had," added the But the Catalan giants go into succession. told PSG's club website. "But "We have to be highly Real have held a similar lead former Japan striker, dubbed deep down I'm convinced we'll focused and, most importantly, on eight previous occasions in "King Kazu" by his legion of qualify for the quarter-finals. show Arsenal in the first quar- European competition but only fans. "I think it will be important ter-hour they can forget the next progressed half of the time, pro- "It's not so much about to attack and not just think about round," Lahm said ahead of viding Napoli with reason to numbers anyway, it's more defending." today's clash, with the Premier dream they can pull off a shock. about how you play." Bayern Munich have one foot League side staring at a seventh "We believe in it. We know Miura lasted 54 minutes in the next round after thrash- straight last-16 exit. we can score two goals at the San at Nagasaki and failed to get ing Arsenal 5-1 at the Allianz Holders Real Madrid head to Paolo. We also know it will be in a shot on goal after play- Arena and look set to eliminate Napoli as clear favourites after quite a job for our defenders," ing for just over an hour in the Gunners in the last 16 for the a 3-1 win in the Spanish capital, Senegalese centre-back Kalidou last weekend's 1-0 home win third time in the past five but such an advantage has not Koulibaly told AFP following Sat- over division two rivals Mat- seasons. urday's 2-1 win at Roma in Serie sumoto Yamaga. "We have a big advantage, CHAMPIONS LEAGUE A. "It didn't get a sniff," said but Arsenal are dangerous, so we Borussia Dortmund trail 1-0 Miura, now looking to have to go full throttle to win," Champions League Last 16 Second Leg ahead of the visit of Benfica to become the first fiftysome- Fixtures (GMT) said Spain international Javi Today Signal Iduna Park on thing to score a J-League goal. Martinez, who netted his first Arsenal vs Bayern Munich (1945) Wednesday. Though the pin-up looks goal of the season in Saturday's Napoli vs Real Madrid (1945) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have been replaced by a few 3-0 victory at Cologne. missed a penalty as Kostas tell-tale wrinkles and grey- Napoli forward Dries Mertens (right) controls the ball near Philipp Lahm will miss the Tomorrow Mitroglou's second-half strike in ing hair, Miura has signalled

team-mate Kalidou Koulibaly during a training session on the game through suspension, but Borussia Dortmund vs Benfica (1945) Lisbon last month gave the Por- his intent to play until he's 60.

Barcelona vs Paris St Germain (1945) eve of the UEFA Champions League football match against the Bayern skipper said his tuguese outfit the edge in their Miura shot to fame in the Real Madrid at the SSC Napoli training centre. team-mates would aim to tie. early 1990s as Asia's best- known footballer, helping to put the Japanese game on the map after the professional J-League was launched in 1993. Celtic face Rangers in semi-finals He blazed a trail for Jap- anese players when he joined Glasgow following a 2-2 draw, played a Celtic had to come from behind strongest team at the minute." minute equaliser before Scott Italy's Genoa in 1994 and AFP major part in ending Ronnie Dei- to beat St Mirren 4-1 in the quar- Celtic boss Rodgers, mean- Sinclair fired the Hoops in front. scored 55 goals in 89 games la's time as manager of the ter-finals on Sunday, with while, said he was delighted how Moussa Dembele knocked in for Japan. rch-rivals Celtic and Rang- Hoops, with former Liverpool Aberdeen seeing off Partick This- his team fought back to beat his 32nd goal of the season with Matthews enjoyed an ers will meet in the boss now in tle 1-0 thanks to a Graeme lowly St Mirren after going a goal substitute Leigh Griffiths grab- illustrious 33-year career and Asemi-finals of the Scottish charge at Parkhead. Shinnie goal at Pittodrie in the behind. bing a fourth to ensure Celtic won 84 England caps, includ- Cup next month, with holders Hibernian, however, won the day's other tie. Jack Ross' side lie five remain unbeaten in 34 matches ing two appearances for Great Hibernian drawn against Cup last season and the Edin- Hibernian were 3-1 winners points adrift at the bottom of this season. Britain. Aberdeen. burgh club will be up against an over Ayr on Saturday while the Scottish Championship but "I thought it was a great per- The former Stoke and Celtic, the Scottish champi- Aberdeen side who are second Rangers thrashed Hamilton 6-0. they belied their lowly status formance by us in the second Blackpool winger remains the ons-elect, have already beaten in the . "It is a good draw and I think as they gave the runaway Pre- half. I give a huge amount of only man to have played in fellow Glasgow giants Rangers Edinburgh-based Hibs are Hibs will see it exactly the same miership leaders an early scare credit to our players," said England's top flight at 50. three times this season but lost now in the Championship but way as we do," Aberdeen man- when Harry Davis handed the Rodgers. In one of the most bizarre to them in an clash at they have an excellent recent ager Derek McInnes told the BBC Buddies a shock lead in the 13th "We weren't so good in the moves in football, former the same stage of the Scottish Cup record after appearing in the on Sunday. minute. first half. We were just a bit Brazil captain Socrates Cup last term, with the Gers then semi-finals in each of the past "If we are all being honest, I However, two Celtic goals in below our tempo but we famously came out of retire- in the second-tier three seasons, with last year's think the three other teams two second half minutes quickly stayed calm and in the second ment at 50 to play for English Championship. success ending a 114-year wait would have wanted to avoid turned the game on its head as half we just upped the tempo non-league side Garforth That penalty shoot-out loss, for a third Scottish Cup triumph. Celtic because they are the Mikel Lustig headed home a 58th a little bit. Town in 2004. Napoli need to avoid distractions against Real

Rome Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri, both the coach and players, who Reuters a former bank employee who have refused to give interviews did not play professionally him- since. apoli will need to stay self, has moulded the likes of Italian media reported that focussed and avoid dis- Marek Hamsik, Dries Mertens, Sarri had already clashed with Ntractions if they are to Jose Callejon and Lorenzo De Laurentiis after a 1-1 draw have any chance of clawing Insigne into the most entertain- against Palermo at the end of back their two-goal deficit ing side in Italy's top flight. January. against Real Madrid in the Too often, though, Napoli There was more drama Champions League round of 16, seem to get distracted -- both when Napoli reacted furiously second leg today. on and off the field. after losing 3-1 away to Juven- Bidding to reach the quar- The latest episode began tus in the Italian Cup last ter-finals for the first time, Serie when their flamboyant club Tuesday, angrily criticising the A's highest scoring side certainly president Aurelio De Laurentiis referee for awarding two pen- have enough talent to cause an publicly criticised the team after alties to their opponents. upset against the titleholders, their 3-1 defeat in the first leg at Juventus defender Giorgio Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez (left) and team-mater Lucas Perez are seen during a training who are looking to reach the last the Bernabeu three weeks ago. Chiellini was among those who eight for the seventh season Not for the first time, he suggested that Napoli needed to session ahead of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg match against Bayern running. imposed a media blackout on calm down. Munich at Arsenal's London Colney training ground yesterday.