THE HIMALAYAN MAIL JAMMU Q SUNDAY Q FEBRUARY 14, 2021 11

2nd Test: Rohit ton takes India to 189/3 at tea 3 racewalkers qualify for Tokyo Olympics CHANDIGARH, FEB- RUARY 13: Three ath- letes, all racewalkers, have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. Haryana’s Sandeep Ku- mar qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the men’s 20- km racewalking event by creating a national record in 8th National Race Walking Championships in Ranchi. The 34-year-old Services athlete from Mahendergarh had missed the qualification mark by 34 seconds in the last year’s nationals. Second-placed Rahul also met the standards for the Tokyo Olympics. CHENNAI, FEBRU- added 103 runs so far and bit edgy close to his ton and nership steadied the ship for when pacer Olly Stone, Meanwhile, Priyanka ARY 13: Rohit Sharma pulled India out of a poten- an attempted sweep saw the the home team after Moeen playing his second Test, dis- Goswami, winner in the played some delightful tially tricky situation. ball hit the bottom of the bat had dealt a huge blow to the missed Shubman Gill for a women’s event, also made strokes to notch up his sev- England, Moeen Ali and fall just short of the hosts by castling Kohli with a duck. the cut for Tokyo. The trio enth Test hundred as he (1/70), Olly Stone (1/25) close in fielder. superb . Gill shouldered arms to a has also qualified for the steered India to 189 for 3 at and Jack Leach (1/46) He reached a well-de- Rohit added 85 runs for delivery that came in and 2022 World Athletics tea on the opening day of picked up a each in served hundred off 130 balls the second wicket with Pu- was rapped on the front Championships. the second match against the first session but could with a sweep off Moeen. jara (21, 58 balls, 2 fours) pad, to give England a great Services’ KT Irfan and England here on Saturday. not make an impact in the Rohit used the sweep shot and appeared to be taking start. India made three Bhawana Jat of Rajasthan Rohit, who has moved to second. Stuart Broad and to good effect against the India to a good position be- changes to their playing XI have already qualified for 132 (178 balls, 16 fours, 2 Ben Stokes have not got any spinners. He, however, was- fore the spinners struck. with left-arm spin the men’s and women’s 20- sixes), and vice- so far. n't as aggressive as he was in First, Jack Leach (1/23) all-rounder Axar Patel mak- km race, respectively. Ajinkya Rahane (36, 80 Moeen got the prized the first session. tossed one up to get Pujara ing his debut. The hosts also balls, 5 fours) helped the scalp of Kohli but that was Rahane, on his part, grew to edge one to Ben Stokes at recalled team recover from the early his only impact on the in confidence gradually and slip before Moeen sent back and Kuldeep Yadav while dismissals of captain Virat match so far. hit a few beautiful shots, in- Kohli. pacer Jasprit Bumrah was I won’t give you masala on Kohli (0) and Cheteshwar Rohit was in command cluding a back-cut off The home side, batting rested and Shahbaz Pujara (21). for most part, more so in the Leach. first after Kohli won the Nadeem and Washington The duo has first session. He appeared a The Rohit-Rahane part- toss, suffered an early jolt Sundar left out. captaincy: Rahane CHENNAI, FEB 13: When he faced the media in a video-conference today, Ajinkya Serena, Sabalenka; Osaka-Muguruza Rahane had a fair idea that a question about his indifferent form would pop up. He met the challenge head-on with a never-seen- before aggression. set up blockbuster clashes “See we are playing at home after two years. Our last home series was against MELBOURNE, FEB 13: Ser- Jabeur in 1hr 18min to set up a round. to fight back and outlast the 25- South Africa. If you take (the scores of that ena Williams overcame an error- showdown with Muguruza, who The defending champion said he year-old 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. series) out, you will find something over strewn start on Friday to thwart beat Zarina Diyas 6-1, 6-1 in just 56 had a tear but fought hard to beat He will now play 18th seed Grigor there,” Rahane answered in third person Anastasia Potapova and set up a minutes. America’s Taylor Fritz 7-6(1), 6-4, Dimitrov for a place in the quarter- with a deadpan expression, referring to his blockbuster fourth-round clash French Open champion Iga 3-6, 4-6, 6-2 past midnight. finals, with the Bulgarian through scores of 59 and 115 against South Africa in body language” in the first Test were due to with seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka Swiatek, 19, seeded at a Grand Slam Djokovic set-up a fourth-round after Pablo Carreno Busta retired that series in 2019. a change in captaincy, he was far from who thrashed American Ann Li 6- for the first time, beat France’s clash with big-serving Raonic after injured in the second set. He has scored 1,002 runs in his last 15 amused. “There are moments when you 3, 6-1, while 2019 champion Naomi Fiona Ferro 6-4, 6-3 to set up a the 14th seed beat Hungary’s Marton Earlier, Russian qualifier Aslan Test matches. “It’s all about the team and don’t have that energy but that doesn’t Oska was set for a showdown with meeting with Simona Halep, a 6-1, Fucsovics in four sets. Karatsev pulled off a big upset when not the individual and my focus is how can I mean that it has happened because of a last year’s runner up Garbine 6-3 winner over Russia’s Veronika Kyrgios produced a virtuoso per- the world No 114 blitzed eighth seed contribute for the team. If you take out the change in captaincy. As I have said earlier, Muguruza at the Australian Open. Kudermetova. formance in the first two sets, using Diego Schwartzmann into submis- last 10-15 Test matches, you will see some Virat is our captain and will remain our cap- Williams had 31 unforced errors Thiem overcomes Kyrgios every trick in the book, including sion 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 with a barrage of runs over there,” he said. “I don’t need to tain,” Rahane said testily. “If you are trying but wore down the Russian 7-6 Ice-cool Dominic Thiem rallied underarm serves and tweeners, as winners. think about what’s happening on the out- to dig in and find some ‘masala’ (contro- (7/5), 6-2 in 97 minutes on Rod from two sets down to tame flam- he fed off the energy at a boisterous Karatsev is making his Grand side.” versy), unfortunately you will not get it. Laver Arena. boyant Nick Kyrgios in front of a John Cain Arena, his favourite Slam debut at Melbourne Park and Rahane, for a change, was not ready to Look, body language can be a bit down at Naomi Osaka had to deal with a raucous crowd hours before Mel- court. is incredibly yet to drop a set as he take a backward step when faced with dif- times and the wicket was such in the first butterfly landing on her but was bourne goes into coronavirus lock- But he couldn't sustain the inten- set up a fourth-round meeting with ficult questions. When a scribe asked him two days, it could be because of that. There otherwise little bothered as she down while an injured Novak sity as US Open champion Thiem, Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat if the “drooping shoulders and negative could be many reasons.” Agencies, TNS breezed into the last 16 with 6-3, 6-2 Djokovic survived a massive scare last year's runner-up, found his 11th seed Denis Shapovalov 7-5, 7- victory over Tunisian 27th seed Ons against Taylor Fritz in the third groove with some dominant serving 5, 6-3 in an all-Canadian battle. I opted out of IPL to focus on Australian Open: Djoker survives national team: Root MELBOURNE, FEBRUARY 13: The Aus- He was proud to survive but unsure whether CHENNAI: England’s wins. “With the amount of tralian Open’s last day of crowds before a five- he could continue his bid for a record-extending Test captain Joe Root today Test in particular day lockdown ended with irate fans ejected from ninth title at Melbourne Park. said skipping the lucrative this year, didn’t feel like it Rod Laver Arena late today, and an injury-ham- “I know it’s a tear, definitely, I don’t know if I’ll IPL auction for a third suc- was the right time, didn’t pered Novak Djokovic rallying to claim victory manage to recover from that in two days,” he cessive year was a “very diffi- feel like I could throw all my in front of empty seats. said. cult decision”, and he made energy into it, which I think It was a surreal finish to a roller-coaster Day Serena through the call considering the na- it deserves,” Root said. “I 5, with Djokovic digging deep to complete a Serena Williams roared back from 3-5 down tional team’s full schedule don’t think it would serve courageous 7-6(1) 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-2 win over in the opening set to overcome Russian Anastasia this year. English cricket best with American Taylor Fritz after his title defence ap- Potapova 7-6(5) 6-2. The American will next face On February 18, a total of what’s to come... peared doomed due to an apparent side strain. fourth set of Djokovic’s match to have fans clear in-form Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. — Reuters 292 players will be auc- So, a very difficult deci- Fans were advised well in advance that they out but many left slowly and grudgingly. Some Major results tioned for the IPL’s next yond,” said Root, who sion. Hopefully next year, would need to leave the arena at 11:30pm, half booed and shouted for refunds on their tickets. Men: Dominic Thiem bt Nick Kyrgios 4-6 4-6 6- season. “It’s a very difficult played match-winning there’s more of an opportu- an hour before Melbourne entered a snap lock- Djokovic ended up completing victory some 3 6-4 6-4; Felix Auger Aliassime bt Denis Shapo- decision. I am desperate to knocks of 218, 186 and 228 nity to potentially be a part down at midnight today to contain a fresh out- 20 minutes after midnight and his roars of tri- valov 7-5 7-5 6-3; Alexander Zverev bt Adrian be part of an IPL season and in the last three Tests to star of the IPL, or at least be in break of Covid-19. Play was suspended in the umph echoed around the arena. Mannarino 6-3 6-3 6-1 hopefully a few more be- in his team’s consecutive the auction.” Desperate gamble: India opt for rank turner, despite struggling against spin in first Test CHENNAI, FEBRUARY 13: In- are down. slight setback but hopefully he is fit his Test debut looks imminent. How- Toss crucial fired against them. In Pune in 2017, dia, desperate after losing the first With the crowd back inside the sta- and ready for the third Test,” skipper ever, Kuldeep Yadav, who last played a The toss will be very crucial and even punished them on a rank Test, have decided to go for the jugular dium, ready to egg him on, something Joe Root said today. Test two years ago, would fancy his the pitch turns square, Kohli will look turner on the first day. The home team by opting for a spicy turner against a he thrives on, the captain would be Early turn chances of getting into the XI, for he is to bat first and expect Rohit Sharma didn’t have a clue that the ball would well-prepared England in the second eyeing a good slugfest against a very A look at the newly-laid Chepauk a better attacking option than Wash- to go beyond the two or three pretty turn so much. Australia won the toss Test, which starts here tomorrow. resolute opposition. India need to win track, dark in colour, indicates that un- ington Sundar. However, on a rank shots that he has been contributing in and made 260 and 285, bowling out Preparing a rank turner is a big gamble two Tests and not lose any in this se- like the strip used in the first Test, this turner where batting becomes impor- recent times. He would have to give India for 105 and 107 to win by 333 which can hurt the home team too, ries to make the WTC final. one will offer turn early. “Yeah, it looks tant, all-rounder Hardik Pandya can the team a big score, which it desper- runs. It was on such a wicket that which Virat Kohli would be aware of, No James, Archer completely different. I am sure it will come into the mix. The 20-year-old ately needs from him. Kevin Pietersen’s made an epic 186 in as defeat would cost them a spot in the England will have a new wicket- turn from Day 1... But again, as I said Sundar currently doesn’t seem good Kohli gave a masterclass on how to Mumbai in 2012 — in that game, India World Test Championship (WTC) fi- keeper in Ben Foakes and Stuart before the first Test match, you have enough to play as a specialist third play reverse-swing in the first Test but had one paceman and three spinners, nal. Broad will replace James Anderson as to wait and see how it plays in the first spinner. Yadav is an excellent option, he needs the others to stand up, too. and R Ashwin and Pragyan Ojha After heroics in Australia, India suf- part of the team’s workload manage- session and take it from there,” vice- but the team management’s continued Whether it’s Cheteshwar Pujara or opened the bowling in both innings. fered a sobering 227-run defeat in the ment. Also in the mix is Moeen Ali, a captain Ajinkya Rahane said today. reluctance to play him is an indication Ajinkya Rahane or Rishabh Pant, the India lost despite batting first. In these first Test, which must have shaken a long-time nemesis of India, likely to will need a lot of its lack of faith in him. skipper will need support to keep his two games, it was the rival spinners complacent team out of its stupor replace Dom Bess, the top wicket- of support from the other end in terms Pandya, on the other hand, might team’s chances alive of booking a flight (Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar ahead of three high-stake Tests. It is taker in the first innings of the first of both restrictive and attacking op- just be able to score quick runs against to London. — Agencies in 2012 and Steve O’Keefe in 2017) the perfect stage for India’s mercurial Test. Jofra Archer’s elbow injury tions. A fit-again Axar Patel is the clos- the spinners and bowl eight-ten overs, Tables turned on turners who made the most of the conditions skipper Virat Kohli, who loves to bring might lead to the inclusion of bowling est to being a like-for-like replacement the likely maximum required from a In the past, India have suffered and tamed the Indian batsmen in their his A game to the fore when the chips all-rounder Chris Woakes. “Jofra is a for an injured Ravindra Jadeja, and pacer on a spinning pitch. when providing such pitches has back- own den.