SUNDAY, MAY 1, 2016 SPORTS India to resume West Indies ties with Test series NEW DELHI: India’s cricket board yes- statement released to the media. to return to play in India next year. head in the middle of the tour. the final of the World Twenty20 in terday announced the resumption of “With this understanding, bilateral The huge damages claim lodged by The two teams had been due to play Kolkata earlier this month, Darren bilateral cricketing ties with the West series as part of the Future Tours the BCCI had threatened to cripple the five ODIs, three Test matches and a T20 Sammy took a swipe at the governing Indies, saying its team will travel to the Programme will be resumed with the cash-strapped West Indies, which has international, but the tourists refused to body over what he said was a lack of Caribbean for a Test series later this year. Indian cricket team touring the West been at loggerheads with its own play- play on after the first four ODIs, with support for the players. “The BCCI (Board of Control for Indies in July-August, 2016 for a four ers. “BCCI is happy to resume their bilat- captain Dwayne Bravo leading a revolt The board slapped Sammy down but Cricket in India) and the WICB (West match test series,” it added. eral ties with the WICB,” Anurag Thakur, by the players. also announced plans for talks with sen- Indies Cricket Board) have resolved out- Earlier this month India’s board BCCI’s Honorary Secretary, said in the Bravo was subsequently sacked as ior players, many of whom have not standing issues arising out of the aban- dropped a $42 million damages claim statement. The West Indies players flew skipper and has since been an outspo- played Test cricket since 2014, turning donment of the tour of the West Indies against the West Indies over the aban- home from India in October 2014 when ken critic of the West Indies board. After out instead in lucrative domestic T20 team to India in 2014,” the BCCI said in a doned 2014 tour after the team agreed a long-running pay dispute came to a captaining the West Indies to victory in tournaments. — AFP Murray insists Djokovic can be beaten in Madrid MADRID: World number one Novak the 11-time Grand Slam champion can Djokovic returns to the Madrid Masters be stopped in the tournament that starts for the first time in three years, aiming to on Sunday. forget his blip at the Monte Carlo Masters “Everyone and anyone can be beaten, with a strong challenge expected from a but at the moment Novak’s consistency resurgent Rafael Nadal. is making him just that little bit harder to Djokovic was stunned in his opening beat,” said Murray. “He has incredibly match in Monte Carlo by the unheralded consistent ground strokes, so he likes to Czech Jiri Vesely, to lose for the first time draw the points out. I think more and in 2016 other than when he was forced more guys are trying to make the points to retire with an eye infection against against him shorter, they’ll move into the Feliciano Lopez in Dubai back in net a bit earlier and put him under pres- February. sure. “However he has the ability to The Serb’s absence cleared the way for make shots from everywhere so it Nadal to land his first Masters title in doesn’t always work. nearly two years and the Spaniard “It’s good to have multiple game extended his perfect start to the plans against him, if one isn’t working European clay-court season by claiming you can switch to something different, a ninth Barcelona Open last week to it’s important to keep him guessing and equal Guillermo Vilas’s record of 49 clay- make him as uncomfortable as possible.” court titles. Nadal will be eager to claim Djokovic, Nadal and Murray will be his 50th on home soil having reached the joined by Roger Federer in the Spanish final in Madrid in six of the past seven capital. The 17-time Grand Slam champi- years, although he was comprehensively on had initially planned to skip Madrid to beaten by Andy Murray as the Briton reserve his energy for the three remain- claimed his first Masters title on clay in ing Grand Slams and Rio Olympics later last year’s final. in the year. Murray has had an inconsistent sea- However, the Swiss’s plans have son as he has dealt with the extra burden changed having missed nearly three of becoming a father for the first time in months of the season due to knee sur- SAN JOSE: Roman Josi #59 and Pekka Rinne #35 of the Nashville Predators stop Joe Pavelski #8 of the San Jose Sharks from scoring in Game February. Yet, despite Djokovic’s domi- gery, including the Masters series events One of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on Friday in San Jose, California. — AFP nance over the past year, Murray believes in Indian Wells and Miami. —AFP Kyrgios downs Coric, eyes Joel Ward leads Sharks second Estoril final past Predators 5-2 ESTORIL: In-form Australian Nick Kyrgios Busta into a match-up with French third moved closer to a second consecutive seed Benoit Paire, a winner over Spain’s final at the Estoril Open after dominat- Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2. SAN JOSE: Since early in his career in off goals and really pushing for that next one.” The Predators struck early in the second after ing Borna Coric 6-4, 6-4 in the quarter- Carreno Busta is one victory away Nashville, the playoffs have brought out the The game lacked the usual playoff atmos- Matt Nieto was sent to the box for tripping in finals on Friday. World number 20 from a second career ATP final after los- best in Joel Ward. So it shouldn’t have come phere in the Shark Tank at the start where the offensive zone. Nashville had failed to Kyrgios, a losing finalist a year ago to ing in Sao Paulo to Pablo Cuevas in as any surprise to the Predators that Ward there were rows of empty seats in the first convert on 26 of its first 27 power-play Richard Gasquet, will Saturday face February. delivered in the third period in his first post- non-sellout in the playoffs in franchise history. chances this postseason, including one in the Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who beat Simon’s return to the seaside venue season game against his former team. Nashville’s tight-to-the-vest play also first period, and appeared on its way to anoth- Argentine seventh seed Leonardo Mayer outside of Lisbon for the first time since Ward set up the tying goal and then put helped keep the crowd out of it as the er blown opportunity. But late in the man 6-4, 7-6 (7/5). 2011 ended in disappointment, as the San Jose in the lead for good with a tiebreaker Predators did their best to prevent the Sharks advantage, Johansen slid a cross-ice pass to “He’s someone I watched when I was world number 18 was ambushed by his with 8:11 remaining in regulation to help the from setting up in the offensive zone and Fisher, who beat Jones with a wrist shot from growing up,” Kyrgios said of the veteran 50th-ranked opponent, managing only Sharks rally past the Predators 5-2 on Friday Rinne was once again sharp against San Jose. the circle to the short side. —AP Almagro. “I’ve always admired how he two aces and losing serve twice. “It as night in Game 1 of their second-round series. played. I’m not going to think too much the first time I’ve played him and he had “I just try to embrace the moment,” Ward about the match. I know what he’s going a really good match,” Simon said. said. “I think it’s just the atmosphere of the to do and I know what I have to do to “He was very consistent. The match crowds whether it’s home or away. It’s fun. win.” Kyrgios, who turned 21 this week, was close but always on his side. He Chen to face Malaysian Everyone is ramped up.” Ward set up Tomas and 19-year-old Croatian Coric are two of played the right shot at the right Hertl’s power-play goal that tied the game the most promising stars on the ATP but moment, he was the better player today. earlier in the period before scoring one of his rival in China final had never previously played each other. Paire, whose patchy game can come and own to help San Jose win its first playoff game The Australian broke early in both sets to go, found it tough to adjust to the faster when trailing after two periods since 2011. establish himself and keep the momen- conditions in the heat of the day after BEIJING: World number one Chen Long of the women’s competition world number Logan Couture added a power-play goal tum firmly on his side of the clay court. playing night matches previously, but China eased past compatriot Tian Houwei three and reigning Olympic champion Li and an empty-netter for insurance, before at the semi-finals of the Asian Badminton Xuerui dispatched South Korean seventh He sent over an ace for two match was pleased to get past Garcia-Lopez Tommy Wingels sealed it with another empty- Championship yesterday, setting up a seed Sung Ji Hyun 22-20, 21-11 in 40 min- points, with both saved by Coric, before without too much trouble.