WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016 SPORTS Kohli receives mace after India tops Test rankings

INDORE: Skipper Virat Kohli was yester- position. Batting legend and ICC Hall of Clarke, Steve Smith (Australia), Andrew awards, so have the boys. This is much India had replaced Australia at the day presented with the ICC Test Famer Sunil Gavaskar presented Kohli Strauss (England), Graeme Smith, more special. The last time India got the top of the rankings after their series win Championship mace as India were offi- with the mace on behalf of the Hashim Amla (South Africa) and Misbah- mace, I was watching on TV,” said a against the West Indies in August, only cially crowned the number one side International Council at Indore’s ul-Haq (). delighted Kohli. to be leapfrogged by Pakistan later. after their 3-0 thrashing of New Zealand. Holkar Stadium. India are now four points in the rat- “The key right now is maintaining our “The number-one ranking has India, who had reclaimed the top Kohli was only the second India cap- ings above arch-rivals Pakistan, who game. We’re working really hard on the changed hands three times in as many spot in the world Test rankings after tak- tain after Mahendra Singh Dhoni and enjoyed the top spot only briefly after areas needing improvement and we’ve months, indicative of the current com- ing an unassailable 2-0 series lead in the 10th overall to receive the mace Misbah received the mace last month in been able to correct the wrongs quickly petitiveness of ,” ICC chief Kolkata, won the third and final Test by since its introduction in 2001. The others Lahore. and we’d like to continue that and give executive Dave Richardson was quoted 321 runs yesterday to consolidate their are Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Michael “I’ve got a few Man of the Match the people what they want to see.” as saying in a release. —AFP Buttler bust-up will fire up series decider

CHITTAGONG: The on-pitch bust-up On-field umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat between England’s Jos Buttler and had initially turned down pacer Taskin Bangladeshi fielders during the second Ahmed’s lbw appeal against Buttler. one-day international will fire up both Bangladesh then sought a television teams for the series decider, visiting bats- review, which confirmed the ball that hit man Moeen Ali said yesterday. Buttler’s back foot would strike the mid- England face Bangladesh in the third dle-stump, and the skipper trudged back and final match of the series in the port to the pavilion to leave England on 123- city of Chittagong today, hoping to end 7. The verdict triggered high spirits in the the hosts’ unbeaten run in their last six Bangladesh camp and several players home ODI series. exchanged words with Buttler, forcing The series, currently level at 1-1, hit the umpires to immediately intervene. the headlines when Buttler reacted “Hopefully both teams will behave angrily to celebrations upon his dismissal well and we can look back at the series in Sunday’s match, which his side lost by and say this was a very good cricketing 34 runs. series,” Ali said. He hoped Bangladesh’s The International Cricket Council cau- recent home record - losing four matches tioned Buttler for his reaction and out of 22 since November 2014 - would docked 20 percent of Mashrafe Mortaza inspire England. and Sabbir Rahman’s match fees for their “Bangladesh are good at home any- part in the incident. “Now both teams way, any ground at home. It just eggs us will be wanting to win more than before,” on to score big runs and win,” he said. Ali told reporters during a news confer- “It’s going to be a tough game for us, ence in Chittagong. we know that, they should have proba- Buttler’s dismissal was pivotal on bly won the first game, they let us off a Sunday, with England starting badly little bit. We still have our best to come.” while chasing Bangladesh’s total of 238- Bangladesh lost Friday’s opening 8. The visiting skipper was threatening to encounter by 21 runs, seeing six turn the match with a run-a-ball innings fall for 17 runs and being dismissed for of 57 that ended controversially. 288 in reply to England’s 308-9. —AFP INDORE: India’s Test cricket team poses with the ICC Number 1 Test cricket team trophy, after winning the three Test cricket match series against New Zealand at The Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore yesterday. —AFP Pujara, Ashwin lead India to series sweep

INDORE: Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin Ashwin then disposed of the tail as the hosts ing yourself. This is a proper team series win. It claimed seven wickets to lead India’s whitewash celebrated their 3-0 series triumph. wasn’t just one individual,” said Kohli. of New Zealand as the hosts romped to a 321- India had already gained the upper hand run victory on day four of the third and final Test PUJARA HEROICS after bowling out New Zealand for 299 in yesterday. Ashwin with career-best match fig- Earlier in the day, a century by Cheteshwar response to their massive first innings score of ures of 13-140 helped India skittle out the visi- Pujara had put the hosts on course to set New 557 for five declared. tors, who were chasing a daunting 475-run tar- Zealand a daunting victory target at India’s Kohli’s second Test double-century paved get, for 153 in under two sessions of play at newest Test venue, Indore’s Holkar Stadium. the way for India’s dominance as he registered Indore. Pujara struck an unbeaten 101 as India, who his career-best score of 211. Ashwin, the highest -taker in the three started the day on 18 without loss, declared The star batsman put on a record 365-run Tests with 27 scalps, was named both man of their second innings on 216 for three in the fourth-wicket partnership with Ajinkya Rahane the match and player of the series. afternoon session. (188) to keep the New Zealand bowlers on the India, who climbed to the top of the world Pujara, who recorded his eight Test hundred, field for close to six sessions. Test rankings after their series-clinching win in put on 76 for the second wicket with Gautam “We wanted to show better cricket than we Kolkata, remain in number one position ahead Gambhir (50). did, but full credit to India. They outplayed us in of Pakistan. “If you see Pujara hitting a fast bowler back all areas and we have to weather these wounds,” New Zealand, whitewashed in India for the over his head, it is the best example of express- said a disappointed Williamson. — AFP second successive time after their 2-0 loss in 2012, suffered an early blow when Umesh Yadav trapped opener Tom Latham lbw for six. The vis- SCOREBOARD itors took tea on 38 for one but lost nine more wickets in the final session of play. INDORE, India: Final scoreboard of the third and final Test between India and New Zealand in Indore yesterday: “The bowlers have responded beautifully India 1st innings: 557 for five declared (V. Kohli 211, A. every time we’ve been in pressure. Someone Rahane 188, R. Sharma 51 ) New Zealand 2nd innings: has always put up their hand,” said Indian skip- T. Latham lbw b Yadav 6 per Virat Kohli. “And that’s the difference: this New Zealand 1st innings: 299 (M. Guptill 72, J. M. Guptill lbw b Jadeja 29 team is up, we get wickets in bunches. We have Neesham 71; R. Ashwin 6-81) K. Williamson lbw b Ashwin 27 that attitude and we do get the results.” R. Taylor b Ashwin 32 CHITTAGONG: England cricket Jos Buttler plays football during a practice Ashwin, who registered his 21st five-wicket India 2nd innings: overnight 18/0 (M. Vijay not out 11, L. Ronchi b Ashwin 15 C Pujara 1 not out) J. Neesham c Kohli b Jadeja 0 session at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong yesterday, ahead of the haul in Tests, took charge in the evening session third (ODI) cricket match against Bangladesh today. England M. Vijay run out 19 B.J. Watling not out 23 to remove skipper Kane Williamson for 27. G. Gambhir c Guptill b Patel 50 M. Santner b Ashwin 14 cricket coach Trevor Bayliss said that he hoped captain Jos Buttler would stay out of It was the fourth time in a row that he had trouble after he was given an official warning for his on-field behaviour during the C. Pujara not out 101 J. Patel b Ashwin 0 dismissed the Black Caps’ star batsman, who V. Kohli lbw b Patel 17 M. Henry c Shami b Ashwin 0 team’s 34-run loss to Bangladesh on October 9. — AFP missed the second Test due to a viral infection. A. Rahane not out 23 T. Boult c & b Ashwin 4 Ross Taylor showed some aggressive intent Extras (b4, lb1, w1) 6 Extras (b2, nb1) 3 with 32 off 25 balls including five fours and a six, Total (3 wickets dec; 49 overs) 216 Total (all out; 44.5 overs) 153 but did not last long before he was bowled by Fall of wickets: 0-11* (Gambhir, retired not out, 2.5 Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Latham), 2-42 (Williamson), 3-80 appoint another Ashwin turner. overs), 1-34 (Vijay), (Taylor), 4-102 (Ronchi), 5-103 (Neesham), 6-112 2-110 (Gambhir), 3-158 (Kohli) (Guptill), 7-136 (Santner), 8-138 (Patel), 9-138 (Henry), Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja soon joined Bowling: Boult 7-0-35-0, Patel 14-0-56-2, Santner 17-1- 10-153 (Boult) forces with Ashwin to dash New Zealnd’s hopes 71-0, Henry 7-1-22-0 (1w), Neesham 4-0-27-0 Bowling: Shami 7-0-34-0, Yadav 8-4-13-1, Ashwin 13.5- Streak as coach of surviving the day after getting the all-impor- Did not bat: R. Sharma, R. Ashwin, W. Saha, R. Jadeja, M. 2-59-7, Jadeja 16-3-45-2 tant wickets of Martin Guptill and James Shami, U. Yadav Result: India win by 321 runs, take series 3-0. Neesham. : Former Zimbabwe captain country, to be offered the post of head Heath Streak has been appointed nation- coach is a great honour and I know with al cricket head coach to replace Dav it comes responsibility not just to the Whatmore who was dismissed in June. players but to the fans and supporters of Iran football fans banned from celebrating on holy day “ has named former Zimbabwe cricket as well,” Streak said. captain Heath Streak as the new national “My promise is, I will leave no stone TEHRAN: Iranian football fans faced a tricky subdued spectators wearing black. Iran beat songs about Imam Hussein. balancing act yesterday as they watched their South Korea 1-0 with Sardar Azmoun’s goal 24 Two enormous black flags with Hussein’s head coach,” Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) said unturned in terms of our endeavour and team win against South Korea during a religious minutes into the first half. name were unfurled inside the stadium. in a statement yesterday. The 42-year- our quest to improve the team’s perform- holiday in which they were banned from Two big signs installed in the Azadi complex “Spectators and players of both countries have old was unveiled at a press conference in ances. I believe that we have the expressing joy. Many took part in mourning read in English “Hussein, the ark of salvation” been briefed to observe religious codes,” Zimbabwe’s second largest city resources here in Zimbabwe to do just processions as they gathered at the 75,000- and “Hussein, the everlasting voice of justice”. General Alireza Adeli, the interior ministry’s after accepting a two-year that and planning is obviously going to capacity Azadi (“freedom”) stadium in Tehran to Between the two halves, religious singers came police chief, told the Tasnim news agency contract. “For me, having captained this be a major factor.” Streak previously mark the eve of Ashura, one of the holiest days on the field and performed solemn religious before the match. — AFP coached a local cricket team and had in the Iranian calendar. For Shiite Muslims, stints as bowling coach for Bangladesh Ashura marks the death of Prophet and Zimbabwe. Mohammed’s (PBUH) grandson Imam Hussein He takes over as Zimbabwe bid to in the seventh century, and is traditionally a day qualify for the 2019 ICC Cricket World of sombre processions through the streets, in Cup. His immediate assignments are a which black-clad men beat their chests and two-match Test series at home to Sri heads in anger and despair. Lanka, and a one-day international tri- So it proved controversial with religious lead- series involving West Indies. “I feel that ers when the Asian Football Confederation with the upcoming series and the latter (AFC) match against South Korea was scheduled half of next year we have some really for the day before. “Bear in mind that if football good cricket coming up so we can really is going to be played on the eve of the Ashura, work towards improving,” he said. the atmosphere of this match must be 100 per- “I do see a strong future. Obviously cent in line with Ashura,” warned Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Ali Movahedi Kermani last things don’t just happen overnight. It’s a week, according to the ISNA news agency. process but I know that process can hap- “The entire stadium must be covered in black pen quickly and for me that will be a big and shouts of Hussein must be heard constantly goal to facilitate that,” he said. Streak from the crowd. Instead of the clapping in these replaces caretaker coach Makhaya Ntini games, all should shout ‘Ya Hussein’,” he said. with the South African returning to his The game, broadcast live on state television, TEHRAN: Iran’s supporters celerbate their opening goal during the 2018 World Cup qualifying Heath Streak role as bowling coach. — AFP showed a solemn black stadium packed with football match between Iran and South Korea at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran yesterday. — AFP