Ashwin Doubt As India Coach Demands Openers Step Up
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Tottenham Hotspur hit Everton for a six in Premier League PAGE 19 MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2018 Thomas Bryant lifts Washington Wizards past Phoenix Suns in OT thriller PAGE 18 BIG BASH LEAGUE THUNDER VS SYDNEY SIXERS Mbappe fires PSG past Nantes as Monaco lose again AFP good holiday,” bemoaned Hen- PARIS ry. “Now you have to work and make do with what you have. KYLIAN Mbappe grabbed “It’s necessary to work and the winner as Paris Saint- work. There are still a lot of Germain beat Nantes 1-0 Cool Win points to play for and that’s to go into the winter break the only positive thing about unbeaten in Ligue 1, as With Neymar away, Angel this evening.” Thierry Henry’s Monaco suf- Di Maria was in the line-up Monaco were champi- fered defeat by rock-bottom and came closest to making ons in 2017 but now have 13 Guingamp on Saturday. it 2-0, forcing a fine save World Cup star Kylian points from 18 matches, just World Cup star Mbappe from Nantes goalkeeper Mbappe stole in at the two more than Guingamp, and stole in at the far post in the Ciprian Tatarusanu. vice-president Vadim Vasilyev 67th minute for his 13th league far post in the 67th said the club needs to dip into goal of the season, making him minute for his 13th the January transfer market. France’s top scorer with Ney- the Argentine hit the crossbar league goal of the “Until tonight, I thought we mar away on holidays in Brazil. from the rebound. season, making him didn’t need new players, but we PSG coach Thomas Tuchel Meanwhile, third-placed France’s top scorer do,” Vasilyev told Canal+. can also go on holiday relaxed Lyon drew 1-1 at fourth- “It’s difficult to analyse right with his club on 47 points, as placed Montpellier after now as I’m upset like the sup- second-placed Lille, 13 points opening the scoring thanks porters. I understand the disap- adrift, lost 2-1 at home to Tou- to their captain Nabil Fekir pointment, it’s up to us to act louse. “I’m very happy because before a great header from and draw the right conclusions.” we can see the progress of the Ruben Aguilar gave the sur- Strasbourg paid hommage team,” said Tuchel. “You can prise-package southerners a to the victims of a terror attack feel the energy, it’s a good share of the spoils. that killed five people on De- thing to build on next year.” Henry’s Monaco were cember 11 in their first home With Neymar away, Angel dreadful and the former Arse- game since as they won 2-0 Di Maria was in the line-up nal striker spat on the ground against Nice. and came closest to making it after Nolan Roux of Guingamp Meanwhile, Marseille, 2-0, forcing a fine save from made fools of the Monaco de- in sixth, drew 1-1 at Angers Nantes goalkeeper Ciprian Ta- fence to make it 2-0. Paris Saint-Germain’s (PSG) French forward Kylian MBappe celebrates after scoring the winning goal during the French L1 match against and fifth-placed Saint-Etienne tarusanu, who then watched “I’m not going to have a Nantes (FCN) at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on Saturday. (AFP) beat Dijon 3-0. INDIA VS AUSTRALIA BOXING DAY TEST Ashwin doubt as India coach demands openers step up Samba among world’s top five to end 2018 with win streaks of 10 or more LLUSTRATING the fierce Icompetitiveness of athletics at the moment, just five ath- India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (left) with Australian counterpart letes will begin their 2019 sea- Nathan Lyon during a meet the fans event in Melbourne on Sunday, sons with unbeaten streaks of ahead of their third Test match. (AFP) 10 or more competitions. Topping the men’s list is AFP cerned, we are going to take Abderrahman Samba, who MELBOURNE a look and evaluate over the made his first full interna- next 48 hours,” Shastri said. tional 400m hurdles season a ACE spinner Ravichan- Left-arm off-spinning notable one. The 23-year-old dran Ashwin remains an in- all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja Qatari was a perfect nine-for- jury doubt for the third Test is also carrying a niggle, but nine in the event this year to against Australia, India coach experienced batsman Ro- build a 10-meet streak in his Ravi Shastri said on Sunday hit Sharma, who also missed event. Among those was his as he demanded his opening Perth after hurting his lower spectacular 46.98 shocker at batsmen step up to ease pres- back, is fit again. Australia captain Tim Paine (left) and India skipper Virat Kohli during the launch of the India Summer Festival at the MCG on Sunday. (EPA-EFE) the IAAF Diamond League sure on Virat Kohli. “He has made a very good meeting in Paris, only the sec- Ashwin was sidelined with improvement but then again said that needed to change. There is no guarantee that counterpart Tim Paine. Test win on Australian soil in ond time the event’s 47-sec- an abdominal strain for the we have got to see how he pulls “It’s a big concern,” he said Rahul and Vijay will retain His animated wicket cel- a decade. ond barrier has been broken. second Test in Perth and was up tomorrow. But he looks when asked about the failure of their places with in-form Ma- ebrations were also frowned “Absolutely not. 1-1 in a se- Topping the overall list is sorely missed as Australia, led good as of today,” said Shastri. the openers to get a big score. yank Agarwal called up to the upon, but Shastri said he didn’t ries in Australia and we know world and Olympic champion by off-spinner Nathan Lyon, India go into the Mel- “It’s obvious and that re- squad as a replacement for have a problem with his skipper. we had our chances in Perth as Caster Semenya of South Af- won by 146 runs to level the bourne showdown with Kohli sponsibility and accountability injured young opener Prithvi “What’s wrong with his well. They’re ready,” he said. rica who extended her unde- series 1-1. and number three Cheteshwar has to be taken by the top order. Shaw, who has been ruled out behaviour? As far as we are “It’s not often that we’ve feated streak in the 800m to Shastri revealed Ashwin is Pujara is fine form, effectively “They’ve got the experi- of the series. concerned, he is an absolute been in a position where we’ve 29 finals this year, a campaign racing the clock to be ready for carrying their team during the ence, they’ve got the exposure Superstar captain Kohli gentleman,” he said. won one (on an overseas tour). that included victories at the the crunch Boxing Day Test in Adelaide and Perth games. over these last few years to scored a battling century in Shastri also denied India’s It’s 1-1. The boys know what Commonwealth Games, Afri- Melbourne, where the stakes But the opening pair of KL get out there and deliver. It’s Perth but he came under criti- morale had taken a hit by los- they can do, what they’re ca- can Championships, IAAF Di- are high in the four-Test series. Rahul and Murali Vijay have about how strong you are in cism for his sledging and heat- ing in Perth after their tense pable of and the potential that amond League final and IAAF “As far as Ashwin is con- struggled for runs and Shastri the mind.” ed exchanges with Australian victory in Adelaide -- their first lies ahead.” Continental Cup. Next on the list is Shau- nae Miller-Uibo who has raced unbeaten in her past 14 outings: eight at 200m and four at 400m, with an indoor Battered finger won’t stop me playing, insists Finch 300m victory in February and a street 150m triumph in May AFP going to explode”. percent over the last couple of added to the tally. The 24-year- MELBOURNE “It was a bit of a shock. days,” he added. old Bahamian’s last loss came Just the initial pain was the “I got sent some new bats, on 11 August 2017 when she AUSTRALIA opener Aaron thing that got me,” he said. so I’ve been walking around took bronze over 200m at the Finch said on Sunday that “Being hit a few times in the lounge room and waving World Championships. the only way he would miss the last month (made it worse), Injury woes them around. It feels okay.” Just behind Miller-Uibo is his home Test in Melbourne a couple of times by Starcy Finch, who is desperate Gong Lijiao of China whose cur- beginning Wednesday was if (Mitchell Starc) at training Aaron Finch was on 25 in for a big score to cement his rent 13-meeting win streak be- someone were to “cut off” his then obviously Shami.” Australia’s second innings place at the top of the order gan on 24 March at the National battered finger. But after being given the during the second Test in alongside Marcus Harris, Grand Prix final in Beijing. Finch was on 25 in Austral- all-clear by medics, Australia’s Perth when his right index said he would continue to re- Female World Athlete of ia’s second innings during the One-day and Twenty20 cap- finger was jammed by a brutal view the finger over the next the Year Caterine Ibarguen second Test in Perth when his tain is determined to play in the delivery from India fast bowler 48 hours.