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p17 2_Layout 1 12/7/14 9:39 PM Page 1 MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2014 SPORTS Australia brace for emotional Test MELBOURNE: The first Test Australia for it to be further limited or even hosts against India this week is set to be banned altogether. fraught with conflicting emotions as Few expect either team’s pacemen to players return to battle with a mixture of eschew the delivery at Adelaide, howev- relief and apprehension after the tragic er, and former Australia players have death of Phillip Hughes. called on them to send down a bouncer The Adelaide Oval was Hughes’ adopt- first thing to “clear the air”. ed home ground after his move from Australia have long prided themselves New South Wales, and both teams will on “tough, aggressive” cricket, particular- pay tribute there to the batsman who ly on their fast and bouncy home pitch- died in hospital last month, two days es, but their approach to the game will after being struck by a short ball during a be under heavy scrutiny. Sheffield Shield match. India will head into the match under- A number of his Australia team mates done, having had only one two-day tour were fielding for New South Wales when match against a rookie local XI to warm Hughes was felled at the Sydney Cricket up, with cricket virtually halted in Ground and all were present at his funer- Australia after Hughes’ death. al last Wednesday, along with India bats- Uncertainty pervades both sides in man Virat Kohli. terms of their lineups, with fitness Though the first test was delayed and queries over captains Michael Clarke and switched to Adelaide to allow players Mahendra Singh Dhoni. time to grieve, Tuesday’s opening day Clarke returned to training on will be a leap into the unknown for a Saturday as he races to recover from his number of them. “It’s been the most chal- third hamstring injury in three months. lenging, mentally, couple of days I’ve had Dhoni was expected to train on Sunday to go through in my career,” Australia all- after being sidelined with a broken rounder Shane Watson, who was fielding thumb. when Hughes was struck, told reporters Team mates have backed both to lead at training in Adelaide on Sunday. on Tuesday, but vice-captain and wicket- “Trying to process everything that keeper Brad Haddin will take over if happened, especially being there at the Clarke fails to prove his fitness, with bats- SCG. “But there’s no doubt I’ll be ready to man Kohli standing in for Dhoni. go on Tuesday.” Among a number of trib- India, who were whitewashed 4-0 in COLOMBO: Sri Lankan cricketer Lahiru Thirimanne plays a shot during the fourth One-Day International (ODI) match between Sri Lanka and utes, the Australian team will wear arm- their last tour Down Under in 2011-12, England at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium. —AFP bands and the number 408 on their play- have won only once from 10 test match- ing shirts, a reference to Hughes, the es against Australia at Adelaide Oval, 408th cricketer to play a test match for their sole victory coming in 2003. They Sri Lanka win over England Australia. are likely to need to record their second The fast bowler’s use of the bouncer win at the ground this week if they are to has come under scrutiny in the wake of have any hope of a breakthrough test COLOMBO: Kumar Sangakkara hit 86 as Sri Lanka Mendis after suffering cramps caused by stifling would have opened up the middle order and given Hughes’ death, with some pundits calling series win Down Under. —Reuters squeezed past England with six wickets and two heat and humidity. us a chance.” balls to spare in the fourth one-day international Eoin Morgan, leading England in Cook’s Morgan admitted he missed a second spinner in yesterday to take a 3-1 lead in the seven-match absence, struck 62 off 47 balls. Morgan smashed 18 James Tredwell to partner Moeen Ali on the slow series. James Taylor missed a maiden one-day cen- off the final over bowled by Tillakaratne Dilshan pitch that assisted turn. “It probably would have tury by 10 runs as England, electing to take first before he was dismissed off the last ball of the been nice to have another spinner in the side,” he strike, scored 265 before they were all out off the innings. Spinners Dilshan, Mendis and Rangana said. The fifth international will be played in last ball of their 50 overs in Colombo. Herath picked up three wickets each. “Taylor Pallekele on Wednesday. The series gives both But Sangakkara’s 90th one-day half-century laid played outstandingly well,” said Morgan. “We were teams a chance to build for the World Cup to be the foundation that enabled Sri Lanka to pass the good in patches, but if we had got Mahela held in Australia and New Zealand in February- target in the day game at Premadasa stadium. (Jayawardene) or Sanga (Sangakkara) early, it March. —AFP The left-hander put on 96 for the third wicket with fellow veteran Mahela Jayawardene (44) and 49 for the fourth with skipper Angelo Mathews. SCOREBOARD Sangakkara was dismissed in the 42nd over COLOMBO: Full scoreboard of the fourth one-day international between England and Sri Lanka in when 52 was still needed, but the fifth-wicket pair Colombo yesterday: of Mathews (51 not out) and Lahiru Thirimanne (19 England: Dilshan 10-0-64-3 (w2), T. Perera 2-0-19-0 (w1), Herath not out) saw the hosts home. M. Ali c Sangakkara b Dilshan 19 10-0-36-3, J. Mendis 7-1-39-0, A. Mendis 9-0-56-3 (w1). England were left to rue bowling 12 wides in A. Hales c Jayawardene b Prasad 0 what eventually turned out to be a close game. J. Taylor c K. Perera b A. Mendis 90 Sri Lanka: Steven Finn, Chris Jordan and Joe Root sent down J. Root b Herath 36 T. Dilshan c Morgan b Woakes 16 R. Bopara b Dilshan 22 K. Perera c Jordan b Ali 31 three each. “It was a good, close game,” said E. Morgan c Sangakkara b Dilshan 62 K. Sangakkara c Woakes b Jordan 86 Mathews, who hit the winning boundary off Finn. J. Buttler c Jayawardene b Herath 15 M. Jayawardene b Jordan 44 “We had to fight hard. I was a bit nervous at the B. Stokes c T. Perera b A. Mendis 6 A. Mathews not out 51 end, but I knew we had wickets in hand. It was a C. Woakes b Herath 6 L. Thirimanne not out 19 C. Jordan c T. Perera b A. Mendis 1 Extras: (b4, lb4, w12) 20 good team effort.” S. Finn not out 1 Total (for four wickets, 49.4 overs) 267 Taylor, given a chance to play his third one-day Extras: (lb1, w6) 7 Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Dilshan), 2-69 (K. Perera), 3-165 match only because skipper Alastair Cook was Total (all out, 50 overs) 265 (Jayawardene), 4-214 (Sangakkara). serving a one-game suspension due to slow over- Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Hales), 2-29 (Ali), 3-122 (Root), 4-170 Bowling: Finn 9.4-1-61-0 (w3), Woakes 9-0-53-1 (w1), Ali (Taylor), 5-173 (Bopara), 6-203 (Buttler), 7-219 (Stokes), 10-0-44-1, Jordan 10-0-35-2 (w3), Root 6-0-29-0 (w3), rates, seized the chance with delectable strokeplay. 8-238 (Woakes), 9-245 (Jordan), 10-265 (Morgan). Bopara 3-0-16-0, Stokes 2-0-21-0 (w2) Sri Lanka won by The 24-year-old hit six boundaries and two sixes Bowling: Mathews 6-0-21-0, Prasad 6-1-29-1 (w2), six wickets; lead 3-1 in seven-match series. in his 90 before holing out in the deep off Ajantha Belgium hold Aussies in Champions Trophy thriller BHUBANESWAR: Tom Boon slammed in a last- rewarded with just three seconds remaining in ing ahead at the rest of the tournament after gasp penalty corner to help Belgium force a dra- the match when Boon recovered a miscued recording their biggest Champions Trophy win matic 4-4 draw from world number ones drag-flick after a penalty corner and smashed in over Pakistan. Mohammad Hafeez Australia in the Champions Trophy field hockey the equaliser. “Hopefully, we can be part of something very tournament in Bhubaneswar yesterday. Belgium, who defeated Pakistan 2-1 in their special if we keep improving like this,” Jackson Hafeez setback deals blow Ruthless England destroyed Pakistan 8-2 in opening match on Saturday, have four points said. “We want to go from here with some good another pool A match of the eight-nation tour- from two games. The new-look Kookaburras, medals.” to Pakistan on eve of series nament at the Kalinga stadium, to build on the rebuilding after the retirement of veterans Liam Pakistan coach Shahnaz Sheikh said the bet- 3-1 win over World Cup holders Australia in their de Young and Rob Hammond earlier this year ter fitness and speed of European teams were opening game. and missing the injured duo of Jamie Dwyer and the main causes of his team’s two back-to-back DUBAI: Pakistan’s hopes of gaining a Pakistan have recalled experienced Australia, who have won the last five Mark Knowles, were left with just one point. defeats. “We Asians just can’t match the power of morale boosting one day series win over batsman Younis Khan after dropping Champions Trophy titles, appeared headed for England, who finished a credible fourth at the the Europeans,” the former international said.