JAMMU | TUESDAY | MARCH 2, 2021 JB SPORTS JAMMU BULLETIN 9 Atletico Madrid respond to dip in form Indian team trains for final Test, with statement victory at Villarreal top guns go full throttle at nets AHMEDABAD,MAR 1: MUMBAI, MAR 1: without a win in their last seven Big guns Virat Kohli, Rohit leaders Atletico Madrid league games. Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane secured a vital 2-0 win away to Unai Emery’s side took the game went full throttle at the nets Villarreal on Sunday to reaffirm to Atletico in the early stages but as the Indian cricket on their title ambitions following a dif- struggled to create any real danger Monday trained in earnest for ficult run of results. and fell behind from a set piece. the upcoming fourth and final Diego Simeone’s side were smart- Thomas Lemar whipped a corner Test against England. The fourth Test starts on ing from twin defeats to Levante and towards the far post and Savic nod- Thursday. Chelsea but went ahead in the 25th ded it across the goal where it was Captain Kohli, his deputy minute courtesy of an Alfonso inadvertently bundled in by Pedraza. Rahane and senior opener Pedraza own goal following a goal- Villarreal missed a great chance to Rohit were seen batting at the mouth scramble, the strike being equalise before halftime when nets in a video posted by the flagged offside then given after a Moreno scuffed a shot which keeper BCCI on Twitter. VAR review. Jan Oblak saved and Atletico cap- The three senior players Atletico survived another video tain Koke had to scramble the loose drove, pulled and flicked his arms over at the nets ond Test. review just before halftime when ball off the line. against the fast bowlers and against some of the world’s In the previous match, Thomas Lemar was shown a yellow Atletico nearly doubled their lead spinners at the Narendra best batsmen. India shot out England for card rather than a red for elbowing early in the second half through top Modi Stadium here. They were also seen field- 112 and 81 to wrap up the an opponent before record signing scorer Luis Suarez but the Head coach Ravi Shastri ing with Rahane, standing Test inside two days on a Joao Felix came off the bench to placed Real Madrid. really looking forward to the derby,” Uruguayan’s shot was tipped over was seen interacting with next to Rohit in the second challenging Motera track. slip position, taking a one- The Indian team had a full- double their lead in the 69th on the Real play at home to Real said Stefan Savic. the bar by Sergio Asenjo. Rohit and Kohli before the handed diving catch to his fledged practice session on volley. Sociedad on Monday before visiting “This was a very important game Villarreal reasserted themselves two-star batsmen sat together for a discussion. right. Sunday as well. A first win in four games in all Atletico next Sunday in a crucial in a ground that is always difficult on the game but again failed to get Left-arm spinner Axar The Kohli-led Indian team Leading 2-1 in the series, game in the title race. for us, we were on a bad run but we competitions moved Atletico on to past Oblak and were dealt a fatal Patel, who bagged 11 wickets lost the first Test in Chennai India will be without top 58 points after 24 games, five clear “This win gives us a lot of confi- stood tall.” blow by Felix, who celebrated his in India’s thumping win in by 227 runs, but bounced pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the of second-placed Barcelona, who dence and puts us back on the path Villarreal slid down to seventh in first goal since late January by put- the pink ball third Test at the back with a 317-run hammer- final Test as he has been have played 25, and six above third- we were on before and now we’re the standings on 37 points and are ting his finger to his lips. same venue, was seen rolling ing of the visitors in the sec- released from the squad. Get him back, Hogg says batting for Ashwin has not been treated properly, Maxwell eager to learn from Ashwin’s return to India ODI squad happy he is getting recognition: Saba Karim ‘pinnacle of the game’ Kohli at RCB “And he is a wicket taking years ago… He has come and WELLINGTON,MAR 1: option with the ball, as well scored runs in difficult situa- Australian all- as economical. Get him back tions quite often,” added rounder Glenn in. #INDvENG #Cricket,” Karim. In the 3rd Test, Maxwell is chuffed Hogg tweeted. Ashwin became the second about playing along- Ashwin, who has featured side and learning fastest bowler in history to from Virat Kohli in in 111 ODIs and 46 T20Is, reach 400 Test wickets, only the upcoming IPL, besides 77 Tests, has been out after Sri Lanka Muttiah’s calling the Indian of India’s limited overs side Muralitharan. While captain “the pinnacle for a few years now. He last Muralitharan had taken 73 of the game” for his appeared in an ODI game in Tests to reach the milestone, dominance across June 2017. Ashwin took 77 Tests. He sur- formats. The Kohli-led The 34-year-old played a passed New Zealand pacer Richard Hadlee and South Royal Challengers major role in India’s historic Bangalore bought Maxwell, who was released by Punjab Kings Test series victory in Africa’s Dale Steyn in the list after an ordinary IPL in 2020, for a whopping Rs 14.25 crore at Australia earlier this year. In of bowlers quickest to claim the auctions last month. “It’s (RCB stint) going to be next the third Test against England MUMBAI, MAR 1: 400 wickets in Tests. 400 Test wickets. Both level,” Maxwell told Australian Associated Press (AAP). “He’s last week, he became the Ravichandran Ashwin has “Whenever the Indian team Hadlee and Steyn had taken (Kohli) been the pinnacle of the game for a while as a multi-for- “not been treated properly” has gone to play outside the fourth Indian to take 400 Test 80 Tests to achieve the feat. mat player from Tests all the way to T20s. “He’s been able to but he is now getting the Asian sub-continent, Ashwin Ashwin is also only the adapt his game, dominate for a long period of time and deal wickets. SYDNEY,MAR 1: be a great addition to Indian recognition he deserved to get has faced harsh decisions third Indian spinner to get to with the Indian pressure of being their captain and their best The fourth and final Test Former Australia all-round- side in the 50-over format. many years ago, said former quite a few times. If he has the mark after Anil Kumble player,” Maxwell added. The Indian is sched- er Brad Hogg has called for “I think it is a great option, between India and England India wicketkeeper Saba bowled one bad spell or not (619) and Harbhajan Singh uled to start in the second week of April and the swashbuckling Ravichandran Ashwin’s gives the batting line up extra begins on Thursday in all-rounder hopes to pick up some leadership qualities from the Karim. Ashwin has continued bowled well in a Test match, (417). Indian skipper, who will also be Maxwell’s captain at RCB. inclusion in India’s ODI depth allowing the top order Ahmedabad. The hosts lead his brilliant form from the he has been dropped quite a In the course of his match- the series 2-1. “I’m looking forward to watching him go about his work, not squad, saying the senior off- to be more aggressive at the Australia series to the ongo- few times. I have always felt winning performance in the just in games but in training, and hopefully tapping into some spinner is a wicket-taker who top,” Hogg said in reply to a After the Test series, the ing England series as well, that he has not been treated 2nd Test, Ashwin also over- of the leadership stuff and try and learn off him.” The 32-year- also adds depth to batting. tweet by a fan asking if two teams are scheduled to where he has registered a cen- properly,” said “I am happy took Harbhajan to become the old said that he has developed a “good friendship” with Kohli Replying to a tweet by a Ashwin can make a come- play five T20Is and three tury, a few five-wicket hauls that he is getting the recogni- second most prolific spinner over the years, adding that the Indian maestro backed him when fan, Hogg said Ashwin would back to ODI cricket. ODIs. and has also completed his tion he should have got many for India at home. he took a mental health break in 2019. I am confused about moaning and groaning about Meet Monchi: The master strategist behind pitch: Viv Richards slams critics of Indian tracks Sevilla’s continued success in Europe NEW DELHI,MAR 1: going to spin land. You should MUMBAI,MAR 1: on the cheap, Monchi has West Indian batting legend basically prepare yourself to In a world where each and continuously strengthened the Viv Richards is not amused know what you’re going to every passage of play gets foundations of the club. Over with past and present English encounter.” decoded into small bits of the course of his two spells as cricketers “moaning and Richards said that India numerical information, scop- the sporting director, he has have pushed England out of groaning” about the spin- ing the lay of the land as a brought players like Dani friendly pitches in India and their comfort zone, weeks Alves, Seydou Keita, Ivan after the visitors started the scout has become overly said the visitors did not pre- Rakitic and Jules Kounde to series with a big win. reliant on data. Or at least, pare well for the challenge. on low-risk deals The newly-laid Motera “Ever since that first Test that’s what a football scouting and, unsurprisingly, all of track in Ahmedabad became a match, England were in their mastermind thinks. subject of debate after India comfort zone. They have now Ramon Rodriguez Verdejo, them have helped Sevilla crushed England inside two been taken out of their com- more popularly known as reach newer heights. days in the third Test to go 2- fort zone at present and they Monchi, has revolutionised Monchi did leave Sevilla 1 up in the four-match series. have got to find ways and what it means to be a sporting once back in 2017 when he means to cope with what they The severe criticism came director ever since he packed his bags for Italy. He are going to encounter. “Spin from former England captains swapped his kit for a suit two lasted less than two years at like Michael Vaughan and a is also a part of the game, this AS Roma, but upon returning is what a Test match brings. decades ago. Through his section of the British media. were playing on,” Richards the tour. Weighing in on the to his hometown club, he was All the chatter has not gone said in a video posted on his debate, the batting great said, The Indian pacers have been reinvented approach of secur- Supercopa de Espana in 2007. the 52-year-old told once again amidst silverware. down well with Richards, Facebook page. “I just felt “… But now you’ve seen the brilliant over the past few ing cost-effective deals, Apart from the silverware, “Statistics and data are whose incredible range of that the ones who are moan- other side, and this is why I years in terms of substance, Monchi has built a system Sevilla have also made it to increasingly getting more Along with new head coach strokes and fearless approach ing, in my opinion, should think it was given the name the wicket-taking ability and that has become an obligatory ten other finals. important. But not just Julen Lopetegui, he started to the game terrorised the best realise that there are times Test match cricket, because of stuff like that.” blueprint for most clubs. “At Sevilla, we work with a expected goals or expected another “transformation of bowlers in his prime in that you’re going to get a the test of the mind and will The legend urged the Before his arrival in 2000, specific combination — the assists; accurate passes, duels process”; one that saw the every corner of the cricketing seaming track, a ball that is and everything else that goes English team to work harder Sevilla hadn’t won a major subjective and the objective. won, successful one-on-ones; arrivals of Lucas Ocampos, world. “I’ve been asked ques- basically jumping off a good with it when you’re compet- and face the challenge res- trophy since 1948. Following The scouting process gives us everything is a measure now. Luuk de Jong, Youssef En- tions recently about the Test length and everyone thinks ing. olutely. his involvement, the red-and- a subjective report of the A singular match generates Nesyri and Diego Carlos. match that was played in that’s a problem for batters,” “And the complaints have “Now that you’re in India, Since then, Sevilla have won India, the second and third he reasoned. been that the wicket is spin- you are going to encounter whites now have ten — six players and in parallel, we eight million data and our job Test match against England. The 68-year-old pointed out ning too much and all that things and have got to find a UEFA Europa League crowns procure the objective data is to identify the exact num- a UEFA Europa League, qual- “And I am a little confused that playing in India has most- sorts of stuff. This is another way. You’re going to get dirty. in 2006, 2007, 2014, 2015, through things like Big Data, bers for our player profile,” ified for UEFA Champions about the question really ly been about tackling quality side of the coin guys. There is nothing in the rule 2016 and 2020, one UEFA Artificial Intelligence and he continued. League, and are now on because there seems to be a spinners and that England “People seem to forget that book that says I’ve got to Super Cup in 2006, two Copa Machine Learning. If you Through his process of course to a Copa del Rey final lot of moaning and groaning may not have done their if you’re going to India, you score my runs in pretty, classi- del Rey trophies in 2007 and don’t take data into account, assessing relatively unknown and consecutive top-four fin- about the wicket that they homework properly ahead of should expect that. You are cal ways,” he said. 2010, and lastly, one it’s really not a good thing,” players and then buying them ishes in La Liga. Jose Fonte late header helps Lille stay Mumbai City pip ATKMB AC Milan edge AS Roma in thriller top of , Lyon held at Marseille to ISL League Winners Shield, to keep Serie A title race alive er Lucas Paqueta. MUMBAI,MAR 1: But Paqueta’s handball just AC Milan returned to form before halftime gave seventh- FC Goa qualify for semis with an enthralling 2-1 victo- place Marseille a penalty, and BAMBOLIM,MAR 1: ry away to AS Roma on Poland striker Arkadiusz Mumbai City FC beat ATK Mohun Bagan 2-0 in the final Sunday that restored a four- Milik confidently equalized league encounter of the on Sunday to point gap to Serie A leaders for his second goal in three book a place in the coveted AFC Champions League next sea- Inter Milan. games since joining from son. ’s side comfortably won after first-half goals The visitors hit the bar and Napoli. from (7th minute) and had two goals disallowed Lyon forward Memphis (39th). Despite losing the top spot to Mumbai, ATK Mohun before Franck Kessie scored Depay shot just wide from the Bagan will still harbour hopes of salvaging their season with a from the penalty spot to give edge of the penalty area 10 second successive Hero ISL title. them a deserved halftime minutes into the second half Being the team with the most goals from set-pieces this sea- lead. and, with 20 minutes left of son, Mumbai drew the first blood in a similar fashion, scoring Roma, who also had a goal with their first shot on target. an even contest, Paqueta was chalked off in the first half, sent off for a slightly late ’s free-kick fell to an unmarked Fall, whose PARIS,MAR 1: Saint-Germain and three angular header gave Mumbai the lead. The Mariners took con- quickly responded after the tackle on Dimitri Payet. Captain Jose Fonte rescued ahead of third-place Lyon, trol of the game soon after conceding but were forced to make break when midfielder Jordan a point for Lille with a thump- which drew 1-1 at Marseille Even with 10 men Lyon a substitution in the 19th minute with Prabir Das replacing the Veretout curled in his 10th hosts. to-back league defeats to ing late header in a 1-1 home in Sunday’s late game. looked the more dangerous injured Sandesh Jinghan. league goal of the season. The victory ends a four- Spezia and Inter. draw with Strasbourg to Lyon took the lead in the side, and Depay finished well Chances were far and few in between after the opening goal But a superb turn and finish match winless run in all com- “I told the team that two ensure his side stayed top of 20th minute through striker in the 83rd only for his goal to but it was from another set-piece that Mumbai doubled their from Ante Rebic put the visi- petitions for Stefano Pioli’s negative games can’t make us Ligue 1. Karl Toko Ekambi, who be correctly ruled offside, advantage. Hernan Santana’s free-kick rattled the underside of tors back in front after 58 side, whose hopes of a first lose the confidence we built Lille is two points ahead of swept the ball into the corner much to the Netherlands for- the crossbar and Ogbeche pounced on the rebound, heading minutes and they held on Serie A title in 10 years suf- together for over a year,” defending champion Paris after being set up by midfield- ward’s frustration. into an empty net. despite late pressure from the fered a blow following back- Pioli told Sky Italia.