EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DELHI THE HINDU 18 SPORT THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Sindhu targets Olympics gold New year dampener for Chelsea, Tottenham Crucial win for Aston Villa at Burnley; high­flying Wolves lose to Watford World No. 1 ranking and a clutch of Super Series titles also on her radar PREMIER LEAGUE BADMINTON <> Essentially, I am keen to start off the Agence France-presse London V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM new year on a high HYDERABAD Tottenham and Chelsea in the Malaysian World champion P.V. Sindhu slipped up in the Premier Open and the said it is time to look ahead, League’s top­four race on leave the past, believe in her­ Indonesia Masters Wednesday but Leicester self and come back much this month tightened its grip on second more stronger. spot during a busy pro­ Sindhu, a star campaigner even as the other aspects of gramme of New Year’s Day for Hyderabad Hunters, is al­ the game are being taken football. so looking at the Premier care off during the daily Chelsea remains in pole Badminton League starting training sessions. position to secure the fourth on January 20 to fine­tune Champions League qualifica­ her game as she targets the What are the three goals you tion place but Frank Lam­ top slot for India for the To­ are chasing now? pard will rue conceding a kyo Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics gold, spectacular late equaliser in “Post the World cham­ World No.1 ranking and win­ the 1­1 draw against pionship gold last August, no ning a few Super Series titles Brighton. doubt I have had a disap­ including the All England. Those dropped points pointing run. But it is not all gave Jose Mourinho’s Spurs Moment of magic: Brighton’s Alireza Jahanbakhsh pulls off a stunner to leave Chelsea’s Your thoughts on the PBL... over. I can always come­ the chance to crank up the defence stranded. * REUTERS back,” the 24­year­old Sind­ This is going to be a different pressure on Chelsea and hu said in an exclusive inter­ PBL. There are a new set of Manchester United but it with an overhead kick to give win at West Ham on Chris Wood pulled a goal view with The Hindu as she players. Matches against slipped to a 1­0 defeat at his team share of the points. Saturday. back for Burnley with 10 mi­ shared her thoughts for the World No. 2 Tai Tzu Ying (for Southampton, while high­ Tottenham travelled to Watford continued its im­ nutes to go but Villa held on new year. Bengaluru Raptors) should flying Wolves went down 2­1 Southampton with the pressive run under new to secure all three points. be interesting, looking for­ at rejuvenated Watford. chance to overtake Manches­ manager Nigel Pearson, “It was massive. We’ve on­ Was 2019 better than 2016 ward to them. The league ter United and move three holding on to beat seventh­ ly had one away win all sea­ when you won the Rio has always been very inter­ Early lead points behind Chelsea but placed Wolves 2­1 courtesy of Olympics silver? son before this,” Grealish esting, lots of fun and excite­ Cesar Azpilicueta gave Chel­ fell behind to a 17th­minute first­half goals from Gerard told the BBC. “To come here, In 2016, no one expected me ment in the air. sea the lead in the early kick­ Danny Ings goal. Deulofeu and Abdoulaye one of the hardest places in to do well. Now there is a lot The whole atmosphere is off on England’s south coast. Mourinho was given an Doucoure. the league, it was well­de­ more recognition, expecta­ different out there in PBL as The visitors missed chanc­ extra headache with 15 mi­ Earlier, Villa beat Burnley served and well­needed.” tions are high and with that you play for yourself and al­ es to increase their lead but nutes to go, when Harry 2­1 despite seeing a Jack comes bigger responsibility. so for the team. were indebted to goalkeeper Kane limped off, clutching Grealish goal controversially The results: Brighton 1 (Jahan­ So both years are different The support too will be Kepa Arrizabalaga for pro­ his left hamstring. chalked off by VAR — a result bakhsh 84) drew with Chelsea 1 but with great memories. Aiming high: P.V. Sindhu, while admitting that her different and importantly ducing a series of sharp that lifted it out of the relega­ (Azpilicueta 10); Burnley 1 Essentially, I am keen to performances stagnated after the World Championship win, is you can correct mistakes, if saves at the other end. Leicester cruises tion zone. Wesley put Villa (Wood 80) lost to Aston Villa 2 (Wesley 27, Grealish 41); New­ start off the new year on a confident of doing well in 2020. * V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM any. Brighton scored the goal Leicester appears to have ahead in the 27th minute castle 0 lost to Leicester 3 (Pe­ high in the Malaysian Open its persistence deserved in put a mini­slump behind it, and captain Grealish dou­ On playing for Hunters. rez 36, Maddison 39, Choudhu­ and the Indonesia Masters Is there a critical review of tant to know your mistakes the 84th minute when Ira­ beating Newcastle 3­0 cour­ bled his side’s advantage ry 87); Southampton 1 (Ings 17) this month though it is not your game at the end of and work on them. I am We have to support each oth­ nian substitute Alireza Ja­ tesy of goals from Ayoze Pe­ four minutes before the bt Tottenham 0; Watford 2 possible always to keep win­ 2019? looking to be lot more pa­ er and play like a team to hanbakhsh acrobatically rez, James Maddison and break as his powerful effort (Deulofeu 30, Doucoure 49) bt ning every tournament. Yes, of course. It is impor­ tient now in my approach clinch the title. found the bottom­left corner Hamza Choudhury after its found the top corner. Wolves 1 (Neto 60). We have to counter the breeze factor: Rahane Getting used to the conditions will be the key, says India’s Test vice­captain INDIA’S NZ TOUR chance of emulating the class ler Neil Wagner as the bowler standing outside the crease on the basics as you can’t of 2009 under M.S. Dhoni’s to watch out for after his re­ to counter the swing could think too much about your Press Trust of India captaincy. cent exploits against Austra­ be the way to deal with them technique. It’s about keeping New Delhi “We played there in lia and prior to that, En­ but then, to each his own. your game simple, playing Ajinkya Rahane doesn’t fuss 2014... there is a breeze fac­ gland. “Wagner did well in close to the body, as late as over technical issues but In­ tor that is involved. I guess the recent series (27 wickets Different ways possible and according to the dia’s Test vice­captain feels getting used to conditions from last 4 Tests). You can’t “There are different ways to situation. Pace and bounce that the breeze in Wellington will be the key as there will take just one name. As a bat­ counter different kinds of will be different.” and Christchurch needs to be be more sideways movement ting unit, you’ve got to res­ bowling. Everyone has a dif­ factored in during the team’s because of breeze,” Rahane pect every bowler. ferent method. Few players Ideal preparation upcoming two­Test series said when asked about the love standing outside the Rahane will be playing for In­ against New Zealand next challenges. Natural game crease (to negate the swing) dia­A in the the second four­ month. “In the last tour, I played “As a home team, they have and some stand deep inside day ‘Test’ against New Zea­ India will be playing two in Wellington but [in] Christ­ an advantage knowing condi­ the crease. land­A to prepare for the big Tests in Wellington (Febru­ church, we will be playing a tions well but, at the same “Some take middle­stump series. ary 21­25) and Christchurch Test match after long time. time, we need to play our guard, few take leg­stump (February 29­March 4) after Getting used to conditions natural game also,” said the guard. Individual players “I think it’s a good idea to five T20Is and three ODIs. will be key,” he added. 31­year­old, who has scored should stick to their own have shadow tours with In­ In an exclusive interview 4112 runs in 63 Test matches. strengths.” dia­A. So, before playing Test to PTI, Rahane spoke on a Bowler to watch With Trent Boult and In New Zealand, playing as matches, if India­A matches host of issues with regard to Rahane, who has been doing Wagner looking to bring the close as possible to the body are there, it’s good prepara­ Right approach: According to Ajinkya Rahane, the focus should be on the basics while playing in the upcoming tour where the his homework for the tour, ball back into the right­han­ will be very important, said tion for us. It helps in accli­ New Zealand and not think too much about technique. * R.V. MOORTHY current team has a good singled out left­arm fast bow­ ders, Rahane feels that Rahane. “You have to focus matisation. Malinga to 2008 under-19 World Cup an Kohli and Dhoni named captains in lead Sri Lanka, Mathews back important milestone: Kohli ESPNcricinfo’s teams of the decade IANS The list: New Delhi ‘It helped us get a good platform and make our careers’ Men’s Test team of the decade: India skipper Virat Kohli has Alastair Cook, David Warner, REWIND been picked as captain of the Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli Test team of the decade, (Capt.), Steve Smith, Ben ANI while former captain M.S.