ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2021 SPORTS 15 Ali tests positive for virus as England arrive in Sri Lanka Rahul out for India; Australia’s Warner set for comeback SYDNEY Jan 5, (AP): KL Rahul has ing XIs on a wicket that traditionally been ruled out with injury, denting In- takes spin. dia’s stock of backup batsmen. Australia coach Justin Langer indi- David Warner is set for a comeback cated Warner would return following and Will Pucovski has been given almost six weeks on the sidelines with the all clear, meanwhile, in potential a groin injury, saying the veteran open- South Africa take series as boosts to Australia’s struggling top er was “very, very, very likely to play” order. on his home ground. With a series lead on the line at An independent neurologist gave the Sydney Cricket Ground, there’ll 22-year-old Pucovski clearance from be changes in the personnel when the a concussion sustained in a tour game, third Test starts Thursday. an assessment that put the young open- The Board of Control for Cricket er into the frame for a test debut. Sri Lanka resistance fades in India on Tuesday said Rahul had Both openers went through batting sprained his left wrist during batting practice on Tuesday, along with for- practice on the weekend and would re- mer skipper Steve Smith who is strug- turn to the National Cricket Academy gling for runs in this series. Joe Burns in Bengaluru for rehabilitation on the was cut from the Australia squad after injury. the second test, leaving a vacancy in Rahul hasn’t played a Test match the opening pair, and makeshift opener since 2019, but was factoring in calcu- Matt Wade could easily return to the lations for a return with the series tied middle-order to create another spot. 1-1 and two matches remaining. Rohit Sharma seems set to make his return from injury, with the only doubt over CRICKET where. With Mayank Agarwal tallying just “All the concussion protocols ... 31 runs in four innings this season, it have been passed. He’s been cleared could be a straight swap at the top. and that would be very heartening India’s batting depth is being tested. for him,” Langer said of Pucovski. Skipper Virat Kohli played in the fi rst “There’s no reason why Will can’t be Test, which Australia won by eight selected now. It’s just working out the wickets, before returning home to be balance of our team, where we’re at with his wife, who is expecting the in the series ... we weigh up whether couple’s fi rst child this month. this test match is right, or the next test Stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane match is right.” posted a century that was instrumen- Also: tal in guiding India to an eight-wicket win in the second Test at Melbourne HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka: England last week. allrounder Moeen Ali was isolating Both teams are in Sydney, weigh- in Sri Lanka after testing positive for ing up the best formulations for start- the coronavirus upon his arrival in the South Asian country for the team’s two-Test cricket tour. Pace bowler Chris Woakes has been deemed as a possible close contact of Ali and was also observing a period of self- isolation in developments which have cast an early shadow on the tour that takes place weeks after a white-ball trip to South Africa was derailed by a spate of positive COVID-19 results. The whole squad was given a clean bill of health prior to departure and again after quick turnaround testing on arrival in Hambantota on Sunday, only for the more-sophisticated PCR process to show Ali was carrying the virus, according to the England and Wales Cricket Board. Ali is due out of isolation on Jan 13, the day before the fi rst Test starts in Galle. Woakes is being advised to isolate for a minimum of seven days. England’s players were hosed down with disinfectant spray after disem- India’s Mayank Agarwal bowls barking their charter fl ight, before be- in the nets at the Sydney Cricket ing kept in 48-hour solitary quarantine Ground during training in Sydney in a hotel. They will undergo testing on Jan 5, ahead of their cricket Test for a second time on Tuesday, with against Australia starting Thursday. plans to begin training having been de- South Africa’s Dean Elgar plays a shot during play on the third day of the second cricket Test match between South Africa and Sri Lanka at Wanderers (AP) layed until Wednesday at the earliest. Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, Jan 5. (AP) Howes leads motorbikes Proteas win by 10 wickets JOHANNESBURG, Jan Al-Attiyah wins Dakar Rally stage 5, (AP): South Africa beat Browns’ Stefanski Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in- ‘positive’ for virus JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia, Jan 5, (AP): side three days in the second Nasser Al-Attiyah won his third stage Casali agrees to 1-yr deal with Giants CLEVELAND, Jan 5, (AP): of the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia and and final Test on Tuesday to The Cleveland Browns will play cut his defi cit to overall leader Ste- SAN FRANCISCO, Jan 5, (AP): for making the opening day active clinch the series 2-0 and gain their first playoff game since phane Peteransel to fi ve minutes on Catcher Curt Casali agreed to a roster or $125,000 apiece for 30, 60, some revenge for a surprise 2002 without first-year coach Tuesday. $1.5 million, one-year contract 90 and 120 days on the active roster. loss to the Sri Lankans the Kevin Stefanski, who tested Al-Attiyah won the prologue and with the San Francisco Giants on ❑ ❑ ❑ positive for COVID-19 just two the second stage, and had to open the Monday, a month after he was cut last time they toured. days after leading the team back 403-kilometer (250-mile) loop around by the Cincinnati Reds. Phil Hughes has retired from South Africa’s quicks bowled Sri to the postseason. Wadi Ad-Dawasir, a blend of rocky The 32-year-old Casali hit .224 baseball, more than two years after Lanka out for 211 in their second The team announced Stefan- canyons and dunes. with six homers and eight RBIs in 31 throwing his last pitch. ski’s positive result on Tuesday The Qatari dominated, beating Henk The 34-year-old right-hander said innings at the start of the day at a – 18 years to the day since the games and 93 plate appearances last typically pace-friendly Wanderers, Lategan of South Africa by 2-1/2 min- year, when he earned $541,667 in on Twitter on Sunday he was an- Browns’ last postseason game. utes. Peterhansel overcame an early punc- prorated pay from a $1,462,500 sal- nouncing what’s been “fairly appar- leaving the Proteas batsmen with a Also, Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bi- ture and was third, four minutes back. ary. Reds pitchers were 14-11 with a ent ... these last couple years.” simple target of 67 to win. tonio and wide receiver KhaDarel Some contenders didn’t fare so well. South Africa got there without los- South Africa’s bowler Wiaan Mul- Hodge also tested positive along 3.68 ERA in his starts. “Through many ups and downs der bowls during play on the third Defending champion Carlos Sainz, Casali has a .230 average, 37 over 12 years, I look back and am ing a wicket and in just 13.2 overs as with two staff members - tight racing second early on, lost his way the home team cruised to victory. Aid- day of the second cricket Test homers and 105 RBIs in seven ma- incredibly proud of what I was able match between South Africa and ends coach Drew Petzing and de- along with Saudi fl agbearer Yazeed jor league seasons with Tampa Bay to accomplish,” he said. “While in- en Markram was 36 not out and Dean Sri Lanka at Wanderers stadium in fensive backs coach Jeff Howard. Al Rajhi. Sainz was back on track 31 (2014-17) and Cincinnati (2018-20). juries have forced this chapter of my Elgar 31 not out. Johannesburg, South Africa, Jan 5. Special teams coordinator minutes later and Al Rajhi after 45 San Francisco opened a roster life to come to a close, I’m very ex- Sri Lanka tested South Africa in (AP) Mike Priefer will be the acting minutes. spot by unconditionally releasing cited to pursue other passions. As my stages but their hopes ultimately faded head coach Sunday. left-hander Andrew Suarez, whose job title shifts from baseball player to when captain Dimuth Karunaratne was Bitonio and Hodge played in RALLYING rights were sold to South Korea’s dad I’ll always feel very connected out at the start of the day and soon after Sunday’s win over the Steelers, LG Twins. Casali can earn $500,000 to this game and the relationships I making a century. Karunaratne led the who rested quarterback Ben Ro- in roster bonuses, either $500,000 have made.” resistance with his 103 but he went less ethlisberger and several other top Bernhard Ten Brinke of the Neth- than fi ve overs into the day’s play, and players to be fresh for the playoffs. erlands, in the top fi ve with about 40 with his exit Sri Lanka lost their last NFL rules state that anyone kilometers to go, rolled his car and and defending champion Ricky Brabec and I felt right at home.