EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DELHI THE HINDU 18 SPORT FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2019 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE India expected to dominate Pakistan Sania plans comeback in January Agence France-Presse New Delhi Ramkumar to open proceedings with Nagal playing second singles Sania Mirza on Thursday an­ nounced her return to com­ DAVIS CUP petitive tennis at the Hobart International in January, two Press Trust of India years after taking a materni­ ty break. NUR-SULTAN (Kazakhstan) The 33­year­old, who last A formidable India is expect­ played at the China Open in ed to demolish the challenge October 2017, will team up of a depleted Pakistan in the with Ukraine's Nadiia Kiche­ Davis Cup tie to be played in nok — ranked 38 in the WTA the indoor courts of the Na­ doubles chart. tional Tennis Center from Sania, who married form­ Friday after the fixture was er Pakistan cricket captain Returning to action: Sania Mirza, who took a two-year shifted to a neutral venue fol­ Shoaib Malik, gave birth to maternity break, announced that she will play at lowing a drama­filled build her first child — a son which the Hobart International. * AFP up. the couple named Izhaan. While security concerns “I am playing in Hobart, (for sure),” said Sania. place between January 11­18 were resolved, the shifting of then I am playing the Austra­ She added that she had and is a key lead­in tourna­ the match did no good to the lian Open... I am planning to experienced “a lot of ment to the Australian competition. play a tournament in Mum­ change” after having a baby. Open. India, with players of the bai, which is a $25,000 (ITF “Your routine and sleep Sania, regarded as India’s calibre of Sumit Nagal, Ram­ women's event) next month, pattern changes. I (now) feel best­ever women’s tennis kumar Ramanathan and vet­ but I am 50­50 about it, so fit, my body is where it used player, will partner Ameri­ eran Leander Paes, was al­ let’s see how my wrist be­ to be before I had the baby,” can Rajeev Ram for the ways expected to win easily, haves. We will see, but Ho­ Sania said. mixed doubles at the Austra­ but the pullouts of Pakistan’s All set: The Indian and Pakistan teams strike a pose after the draw was made on Thursday. * COURTESY: TWITTER bart and Australian Open The Hobart WTA takes lian Open. top players Aisam­ul­Haq DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Qureshi and Aqeel Khan has DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD made it a no­contest. The schedule Bhupathi cannot get over the ‘hurt’ Windies SCOREBOARD Learning experience B Nov. 29 (Fri): Ramkumar It will be a learning expe­ Ramanathan v Muhammad Press Trust of India was disappointed with the someone new in the on top Afghanistan — 1st innings: 187. 32-5-114-3, Zahir 13-2-53-2. Shoaib, Sumit Nagal v MUMBAI West Indies — 1st innings: rience for Pakistan’s junior way the Federation dealt system’ and I would have Shayan Acharya Afghanistan — 2nd innings: players, who will lead their Huzaifa Abdul Rehman Kraigg Brathwaite lbw b Amir 11, Mahesh Bhupathi on with it. When they wanted respected that but I didn’t Lucknow John Campbell c Ihsanullah b Ibrahim Zadran lbw b Cornwall 23, B country’s challenge in the Nov. 30 (Sat): Leander Paes Thursday said he cannot me to become captain, even get that call.” Amir 55, Shai Hope c Ihsanullah b Javed Ahmadi c Cornwall b Chase tie, the winner travelling to & Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan v get over the “hurt” caused they flew down to “Honestly, the way the Shamarh Brooks scored a Rashid 7, Shamarh Brooks b Amir 62, Ihsanullah run out 1, Rahmat Croatia in March 2020 for Shoaib & Huzaifa by AITA’s manner of Hyderabad, had a meeting federation has dealt with gritty 111 against Afghanis­ 111, Shimron Hetmyer lbw b Shah c Brooks b Cornwall 0, Asghar Afghan c Brooks b Corn- the World Group qualifiers. B Dec. 1 (Sun): Reverse sacking him for refusing to with me,” said Bhupathi. not only me but everyone tan on Thursday, taking the Rashid 13, Roston Chase c Ibrahim wall 0, Nasir Jamal b Chase 15, The match will offer the singles travel to Pakistan for a “I don’t mind if they think in Indian tennis for the last West Indies closer to victo­ b Zahir 2, Shane Dowrich lbw b Amir Hamza c Cornwall b Chase 1, 46­year­old Paes a chance to DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Davis Cup tie on security that it is time for me to 20 years, there is no ry. Afghanistan’s spinners Zahir 42, Jason Holder st Afsar b Afsar Zazai (batting) 2; Extras further better his Davis Cup grounds. step out, but a courtesy surprise. spun a web, but Brooks Amir 11, Rahkeem Cornwall lbw b Rashid 5, Kemar Roach lbw b Amir (lb-4, nb-1): 5; Total (for seven record for most doubles Slam trophies, will be part­ “I am still in touch with phone call saying ‘listen “But at some level it stood firm, hitting 15 boun­ wkts. in 36 overs): 109. wins. He stands on top with nering debutant Jeevan Ne­ the boys on a daily basis. I we think it is time to put kind of hurts,” he added. daries and a six. 3, Jomel Warrican (not out) 4; Ex- tras (lb-12, nb-1): 13; Total (in 43 wins, which he achieved dunchezhiyan. He ensured that West In­ Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-55, 3-55, 83.3): 277. 4-59, 5-96, 6-98, 7-109. last year while playing The left­hander will be­ dies reached 277 in the first Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-34, 3-116, against China. come India’s 75th player to fi­ mad Shoaib, who has not singles, Nagal will take on non­playing captain Rohit innings, a lead of 90 runs. 4-137, 5-150, 6-224, 7-243, 8- West Indies bowling: Roach 4-2- gure in a Davis Cup match. won a single match in the Huzaifa Abdul Rehman. Rajpal. Matches will start at In the second outing, Af­ 260, 9-270. 5-0, Holder 3-0-18-0, Warrican Jeevan set to make debut Ramkumar will open the main draw of an ITF Futures “We are looking to white­ 1:30 p.m. (IST) on Friday and ghanistan ended the day Afghanistan bowling: Yamin 10- 12-3-31-0, Cornwall 14-3-41-3, Paes, owner of 18 Grand tie on Friday against Muham­ tournament. In the second wash them,” said India’s at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. on 109 for seven. 3-24-0, Amir 28.3-4-74-5, Rashid Chase 3-1-10-3. West Indies Tamil Nadu and Karnataka start favourites in semifinals names squads Ashwin and Mayank expected to take the field; Rajasthan will bank on its speedsters; spin trio is Haryana’s strength for India tour DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD MUSHTAQ ALI Press Trust of India Friday’s matches ST. JOHN’S (Antigua) S. Dipak Ragav B Karnataka v Haryana, The West Indies on Thurs­ Surat 2.30 p.m. day announced its ODI and After close to three weeks of B Tamil Nadu v Rajasthan, T20 squads for the upcom­ league­style competition 6.30 p.m. ing series of India. Kieron spread over two stages, the DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Pollard will continue to business end of Syed Mush­ ting line­up in the form of lead both the squads with taq Ali is on with semifinals openers Devdutt Padikkal Nicholas Pooran as his de­ to be played at the Lalbhai and K.L. Rahul who have gi­ puty in the shorter format Contractor Stadium here on ven big starts in most match­ and Shai Hope taking over Friday. es, followed by the likes of the role of the vice­captain The stakes are high and Mayank, skipper Manish in the ODIs. big reinforcements in the Pandey and Karun Nair. The squads: form of Mayank Agarwal for The middle­order has not ODIs: Sunil Ambris, Shai Karnataka and R. Ashwin for been tested but Mayank’s Hope, Khary Pierre, Rostan Tamil Nadu have arrived starting at 6.30 p.m., the toss ing. On Thursday, Tamil Na­ presence should address Chase, Alzarri Joseph, Kieron with the duo wasting no time will become a crucial factor du went the extra mile in its that. K. Gowtham’s return in Pollard (Capt.), Sheldon Cot- in hitting the nets within as the side chasing is bound preparation by shunning the last match against Mum­ trell, Brandon King, Nicholas hours of reaching. to have a clear advantage as nets and instead opting to bai was a welcome sign as the Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, The Dinesh Karthik­led Ta­ dew could affect the team use the centre wicket at the off­spinner can open the at­ Evin Lewis, Romario Sheph- erd, Jason Holder, Keemo mil Nadu takes on Rajasthan bowling second. C.B. Patel Stadium. * VIJAY SONEJ tack as cover­up for the pac­ Different ball game: The Karnataka players at a training session on Thursday. Paul and Hayden Walsh Jr. and would want to continue It is an area where Rajas­ Spinners R. Sai Kishore I ers who have leaked runs. T20Is: Fabian Allen, Brandon its good run in white­ball than can neutralise a spin­ and Hari Nishanth practised fast bowlers Khaleel Ahmed can apply the squeeze in the nals with a loss each in the Haryana will rely upon the King, Denesh Ramdin, Cot- and Aniket Choudhary, middle overs.