SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 2020 (PAGE 18) DAILY EXCELSIOR, JAMMU All-round India thrash Sri Lanka Serena Williams, Wozniacki Real Kashmir holds Punjab FC to 1-1 draw Excelsior Sports Correspondent of the net. Punjab were able to one with the keeper. He made no march into Auckland semis hold on to their slender lead head- mistake in striking the ball into the by 78 runs to win series 2-0 AUCKLAND, Jan 10: not played since losing the US SRINAGAR, Jan 10: Real ing into the tunnel. opponent's goal to score the PUNE, Jan 10: Open final last September. Kashmir Football Club made a Serena Williams wore down a But she is now in the semi- strong comeback in the second Shikhar Dhawan silenced his tenacious Laura Siegemund to finals of both the singles and dou- half to play out a 1-1 draw against critics, KL Rahul sizzled as usual make the WTA Auckland Classic bles in Auckland and said the former champions Punjab FC in and the trio of fast bowlers were semi-finals today, as the 23-time their home I-League match, here court time was beneficial in her intimidating in India's one-sided Grand Slam winner chases her today. bid to win a 24th Grand Slam in 78-run victory over Sri Lanka in first title in three years. Punjab FC scored the first goal Australia later in the month. the third T20 International today, Siegemund had upset US teen in 21st minute of the match sealing the series 2-0. "The body's feeling great. I prodigy Coco Gauff to reach the through Makan Chothe. However, India were sent into bat by Sri said I wanted to play singles and final eight and kept up the pres- The 'Snow Leopards' equalised in Lanka captain Lasith Malinga but doubles here so I knew what I sure until the first set hit 4-4, the 62nd minute through Gnohere on a flat track, the hosts managed was going to be up against and when Williams moved up a gear Krizo in front of a partisan crowd an above-par 201 for 6, largely due I'm happy to still be in the tourna- to win 6-4, 6-3 in just under 90 of 8,500 spectators at the TRC to Dhawan (52 off 36 balls) and ment," she said. minutes. ground. Rahul's (54 off 36 balls) opening Her semi-final opponent will Williams showed her class as After Thursday's draw, Punjab stand of 97 in little less than 11 be against the winner of the overs. she broke Siegemund and then FC are placed third on the table match between third seed Shardul Thakur (21 not out off Indian players celebrating dismissal of Sri Lankan batsman held serve to take the first set. with 10 points from seven games. Amanda Anisimova and Eugenie Players making all out efforts to get hold of the ball during a 8 balls) used his long handle to a during 3rd T20 at Pune. The German claimed her own Real Kashmir FC remained at Bouchard while the other semi match between Real Kashmir and Punjab FC at TRC ground in good effect and Manish Pandey service break early in the second eighth with six points from five SCOREBOARD will feature Caroline Wozniacki Srinagar. —Excelsior/Shakeel (31 off 18 balls) hardly showed INDIA INNINGS: set but her opponent broke back matches. This was Real Kashmir's any rustiness adding 37 runs in K L Rahul st Perera b Sandakan 54 third home match on the trot. equaliser. final 2.2 overs to take the score The second half resumed with Shikhar Dhawan c Gunathilaka b Sandakan 52 The match was a story of two Real Kashmir pressing high up Real Kashmir were in their past 200-run mark. Sanju Samson lbw b PWH de Silva 6 halves as the first belonged to the groove now, and Kallum came in In reply, Sri Lanka managed the field and pressurising Punjab. Manish Pandey not out 31 visitors who enjoyed a 62 per cent from the right with a beautiful low only 123 runs in 15.5 overs as In the 56th minute, Real cross across the face of the goal there was simply no resistance Shreyas Iyer c & b Sandakan 4 possession of the ball, whereas Kashmir playmaker Kallum from the islanders with the gulf in Virat Kohli run out (Gunathilaka/Perera) 26 the second belonged to the home Higginbotham cut through two but Mason could not get a touch class being so evident in a lop- Washington Sundar c Sandakan b Kumara 0 side. defenders on the left side of the as the chance went begging. sided contest. Eight Sri Lankan Shardul Thakur not out 22 Both the teams were looking box and the ball fell to Mason The duo of Kallum and Mason batsmen failed to reach double Extras: (LB-2, W-4) 6 to gain an early advantage and Robertson, whose shot was too were proving difficult for Punjab figures with Dhananjaya De Silva Total: (for 6 wickets in 20 overs) 201 Punjab FC took the lead after 21 weak to trouble the Punjab goal- to deal with. In the 82nd minute, a (51) and Angelo Mathews (31) Bowling: Lasith Malinga 4-0-40-0, Angelo Mathews 3-0-38-0, minutes. keeper. beautiful long ball by Kallum adding 68 for the fifth wicket. Dhananjaya de Silva 1-0-13-0, Lahiru Kumara 4-0-46-1, A confusion inside the Real Soon after, it was Danish found the head of a towering They lost four wickets in the Wanindu Hasaranga 4-0-27-1, Lakshan Sandakan 4-0-35-3. Kashmir box because of a long Farooq who tried a curler from a Mason, but the effort went just Powerplay overs and there was no SRI LANKA INNINGS: ball from Punjab opened up an distance but his shot did not have over the crossbar. coming back from that position. It Danushka Gunathilaka c Washington Sundar b Bumrah 1 opportunity for Chothe and he enough bend to trouble the Within a few moments, was primarily due to the pace and Avishka Fernando c Iyer b Thakur 9 made no mistake as he smashed Punjab goalkeeper. The home Punjab again had another nervous bounce generated by Jasprit Kusal Perera b Saini 7 the ball at the back of the net. team's effort finally paid off in the moment as Chesterpoul Bumrah (1/5 in 2 overs), Shardul Oshada Fernando run out (Pandey) 2 As the fans cheered on, Real 62nd minute. Lyngdoh's cross from the right Thakur (2/19 in 3 overs) and the and Jessica Pegula. Angelo Mathews c Pandey b Washington Sundar 31 to level at 3-3 and then command- Kashmir created a flurry of side hit the arm of Thoiba Singh ever-improving Navdeep Saini Former World number one A miscalculated header by Dhananjaya de Silva c Bumrah b Saini 57 ed the next three games. chances, but none of the home Danilo Augusto fell at the feet of but the referee turned down (3/28 in 3.5 overs), who again Dasun Shanaka c & b Thakur 9 Although still troubled by the Wozniacki, in the penultimate appeal for penalty. bowled an unplayable yorker to side players could find the back Gnohere Krizo, who was one-on- Wanindu Hasaranga run out (Chahal) 0 Auckland wind, Williams said tournament of her storied career, get Kusal Perera out. she was determined to prove her- knocked out defending champion Inter-Panchayat/Block Level Tournaments In fact, skipper Virat Kohli Lakshan Sandakan st Samson b Washington Sundar 1 Lasith Malinga c Kohli b Saini 0 self this week as she uses the and tournament fourth seed Julia could be lauded for promoting competition to fine-tune ahead of Goerges 6-1, 6-4 in the quarter- Sanju Samson (6) and Pandey, Lahiru Kumara not out 1 the Australian Open. finals. Block Domana to lock horns who have been benched for the Extras: (B-1, W-4) 5 Unheralded American Pegula, longest time. While Samson Total: (all out in 15.5 overs) 123 "The conditions definitely fluffed his lines, Pandey did his Bowling: Jasprit Bumrah 2-1-5-1, Shardul Thakur 3-0-19-2, didn't help, so it was good to get who is yet to face a seeded oppo- case no harm with a useful knock Navdeep Saini 3.5-0-28-3, Washington Sundar 4-0-37-2, through that," she said. Williams nent in the tournament, was up 6- with Bhalwal in Football finals towards the end. Yuzvendra Chahal 3-0-33-0. had her last tournament win at the 0, 3-2 against Alize Cornet when 2017 Australian Open and before the Frenchwoman retired hurt *AFCC scripts narrow win over Saffron Club in Cricket "One thing was always in the Lankan wrist spinners Wanidu 200-run mark. she arrived in Auckland she had with a thigh injury. (Agencies) back of my head that down the Hasaranga (1-27) and chinaman Rahul set the tone playing a Excelsior Sports Correspondent Jatin, Arun, Pranav and Nitin Batting first, Saffron Cricket line somewhere I will get a game Lakshan Sandakan (3-35) spun cut shot off rival skipper Lasith were the goal scorers, while Club scored 107 runs, while in and I was ready for it. That's what Gymnasts Priyanka, Jatin win JAMMU, Jan 10: Trouncing Anuj, Rajvir and Farhan netted reply, All Friends Cricket Club their web around the batsmen on a Malinga for his first boundary.