The New Nation - Internet Edition

India secure win to level series

BBC Online

India earned a thrilling eight-wicket victory within three days in the third and final Test against South Africa in Kanpur to level the series 1-1.

The home side dismissed the tourists for 121, with Harbhajan Singh (4-44) and Virender Sehwag (3-12) leading the attack on a vicious, turning pitch.

Only captain Graeme Smith (35) managed an innings of any genuine substance.

Set a target of 62 to win, India lost openers Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer, but Rahul Dravid hit the winning runs.

The victory ensures India maintain their position in second in the ICC Test rankings - as well as earn stand-in captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni a memorable debut victory.

South Africa's prospects of setting the home side an intimidating fourth-innings target on a spiteful and demonic pitch were frustrated by a stubborn final-wicket partnership between Sree Santh and Ishant Sharma.

The fast bowlers yielded 37 priceless runs in the morning session to extend India's first innings lead, batting out 11 overs for a 60-run advantage.

Left-arm spinner Paul Harris eventually made the breakthrough when Santh was caught at short cover by Ashwell Prince for 29.

But the deficit proved a significant burden for South Africa, who lost opener Neil McKenzie, adjudged lbw by umpire Asad Rauf attempting to pull a straight delivery off Santh.

Hashim Amla followed for a duck immediately after - on the stroke of the lunch interval - lobbing up a diving bat-pad catch for Jaffer.

With the tourists in serious danger of capitulating at 27-2, Smith and Jacques Kallis set about rebuilding their fragile innings.

The experienced pair had put on 38 when Kallis was undone by off-spinner Sehwag's first delivery, which spat and turned viciously and took the top of the bat into the hands of Jaffer at short leg.

The part-timer then ended Smith's resistance with the score on 72, bowling the left-hander around his pads with a full-length delivery just before the tea interval.

The dismissal of second Test double centurion AB de Villiers - who managed seven before gloving Harbhajan to VVS Laxman at leg slip - sparked a six-wicket collapse as South Africa capitulated for 31 runs in 16.5 overs in the final session.

Sharma accounted for Mark Boucher (5) - the first of three quick wickets - with a sharp delivery that extracted steep bounce and a faint edge into Dhoni's gloves.

And the 19-year-old sent Morne Morkel (0) back to the pavilion three balls later, cartwheeling the left-hander off stump with a delivery that kept low.

Harbhajan took care of Harris (0), providing first slip Dravid with his 172nd catch of his Test career.

The off-spinner bowled Dale Steyn (7) from around the wicket as he attempted to smash him over mid-wicket.

And Sehwag wrapped the innings up when Makhaya Ntini (0) gloved yet another vicious turner into the hands of Sourav Ganguly at short point.

With just 62 runs to chase, openers Sehwag and Jaffer began the final innings like a one-day international.

Jaffer smeared two aerial fours off Morkel and Steyn while Sehwag smashed two successive straight sixes off Harris's first two balls.

But the left-armer earned his revenge with his next delivery as Sehwag attempted to repeat his antics, but top-edged a simple catch to Prince at point.

Morkel subdued the exhuberant home crowd when Jaffer was trapped lbw for nine with India teetering at 32-2.

But the experience of former captains Ganguly - named man of the match for his crucial 87 in India's first innings - and Dravid ensured no further alarms in the Indian dressing room.

And Dravid clinched the win with a fine sweep off Harris, sparking joyous scenes of celebrations for the hosts.

Harbhajan earned the man of the series award thanks to his 19 wickets in the three-Test series.

Bangladesh outplay Qatar 3-0

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh outplayed Qatar 3-0 in the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group 4 on the final day of the five-day meet at the Hasanal Bolkhia National Sports Complex in Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei on Sunday.

In the first singles, Amal Roy of Bangladesh beat his Qatari opponent 6-1, 6-2 while Shibu Lal defeated his opponent from Qatar 6-1, 6-1.

Then in the doubles, Ranjan Ram and Shibu Lal defeated their opponents by 6-1, 6-4.

Earlier, on Saturday, Bangladesh conceded a 1-2 defeat to strong Saudi Arabia.

Abahani crush Wari Club by 6-1 goals

UNB, Dhaka

Abahani Limited made a flying start in the Brac Bank Club Cup Hockey 2008 with an emphatic 6-1 win over Wari Club in the day's first match at the Maulana Bhashani National Hockey Stadium here on Sunday.

Abahani Limited led the first half 2-0 in a one-sided affair.

Mohammad Mamunur Rahman Chayan and Mohammad Sabbir Hossain scored two goals each for the popular sky-blue outfit while Mohammad Moududur Rahman Shuvo and Russel Mahmud Jimmy netted one goal apiece.

In the day's other match, Usha KC blanked Azax SC by 5-0 goals after leading the first half 1-0.

Maksud Alam Habul struck twice while Khandaker Hasan Ahmed, Imran Ahmed Sohel and Rafiqul Islam Kamal scored one goal each for Usha KC.

2nd Div Cricket League begins tomorrow

UNB, Dhaka

The Metropolis Second Division Cricket League will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) with two matches on the opening day at separate city venues.

Prantik KC will face Kalindi KC in the opening match at the Jagannath Hall Ground (JHG), while Kakrail Boys Club will take on Farashganj SC in the day's other match at the City Club Ground (CCG).

On the following day (Wednesday), Green Leaf SC will meet Rayer Bazar Athletics Club at the CCG, while Eskaton Sabuj Sangha will play against Udayachal Club at the JHG.

Twenty-four teams -- split into four groups -- will compete in the League.

India prevails 3-2 while Japan wins reverse singles

AP, New Delhi

Japan earned some consolation for losing to India in its Davis Cup regional Asian tie by winning both reverse singles Sunday.

India had already won a place in the playoffs for entry to the 2009 World Group by winning both opening singles and Saturday's doubles to take an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the tie.

Japan, which only lost the opening singles in five setters, had a measure of satisfaction as Kei Nishikori beat Mahesh Bhupathi 7-5, 6-1 on Sunday, while Satoshi Iwabuchi downed India's captain Leander Paes 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

India could afford the indulgence of playing its two veteran doubles specialists in the singles.

It was Bhupathi's first Davis Cup singles match for seven years, while Paes last represented India in singles two years ago.

India - a four-time runner-up in the Davis Cup - has not been in the World Group since 1988. It will play one of the losers from this year's World Group first round for a place in the 2009 main event.

Japan will remain in Asia/Oceania zone Group One.

West Indies claim series victory

BBC Online

West Indies pair Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Marlon Samuels combined superbly to guide their side to a seven-wicket win in the rain-hit second ODI in Trinidad.

The win gave the home side a 2-0 winning lead in the three-game series.

Chanderpaul (52) and Samuels (54) hit six fours and five sixes between them as they made light of their revised target of 125 from 25 overs.

Sri Lanka had earlier reached 112-5 from 30.3 overs but rain twice interrupted their innings.

Opener Upul Tharanga's 40 from 82 balls was the best effort from the Sri Lankans with the bat, while Kumar Sangakkara made 28.

Sri Lanka started solidly but Mahela Udawatte was caught at backward point off Jerome Taylor in the ninth over.

Sangakkara joined Tharanga and they built on the work of the openers, but the West Indies' bowlers kept a tight rein on the scoring before Tharanga was caught at deep fine leg hooking at a short, rising delivery from Dwayne Bravo to leave Sri Lanka 78-2 in the 23rd over.

Rain soon stopped play with Sri Lanka on 83-2, but they resumed an hour later with a reduction in the number of overs to 47.

But the visitors struggled after that, losing Sangakkara, Kaushalya Weeraratne, and Chamara Silva for seven runs in the space of 13 balls before rain came down for a second time.

Nuwan Kulasekara boosted Sri Lanka's chances of winning when he dismissed West Indies opener Bravo, captain Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan early on.

But the home side quickly gained control thanks to Chanderpaul and Samuels, with man-of-the-match Chanderpaul securing the win when he sent a delivery from Tillakeratne Dilshan into mid-wicket for a single.

The third and final ODI in the series will be contested on Tuesday at the Beausejour Stadium in St. Lucia.

Pakistan Academy team arrives today

UNB, Dhaka

The Pakistan Academy team arrives here Monday to participate in the Grameenphone Academy Cup involving South Africa Academy team and hosts GP-BCB Academy team.

The three-team tournament will begin on Tuesday with the hosts taking on South Africa Academy team in the opening match at the Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Ruhul Amin Stadium (BSSRAS) in Chittagong.

On the following day (Wednesday), the hosts will face Pakistan Academy team, also at the same venue.

After the league basis matches, all at the BSSRAS, the two top teams will meet in the final on April 23 at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium (SBNS).

After the one-day tournament, the Pakistan side will play two four-day matches against their Bangladesh counterparts -- the first on Apr 26-29 at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium (SCS) in Bogra and the 2nd on May 2-5, also at the same venue.

Meanwhile, the GP-BCB Academy team made a good start to the Academy Cup winning the two-match four-day series 1-0 against South Africa Academy team.

The hosts outplayed the Proteas side by an innings and 68 runs in the first four-day match and the 2nd match ended in draw.

One-day Fixture:

One-day Date Academy Sides venue

1st Apr 15 BCB vs SA BSSRAS

2nd Apr 16 BCB vs Pak BSSRAS

3rd Apr 17 SA vs Pak BSSRAS

4th Apr 19 BCB vs SA BSSRAS

5th Apr 20 SA vs Pak BSSRAS

6th Apr 21 BCB vs Pak BSSRAS

Final Apr 23 --- vs --- SBNS

Sharapova books WTA final against Cibulkova

AFP, Florida

Australian Open champ Maria Sharapova reached her first claycourt final Saturday after 16th seeded American Lindsay Davenport withdrew from their scheduled match due to illness.

Sharapova was 0-3 career in claycourt semifinals prior to the walkover win at this 600,000 dollar clay court event.

The top seed will be after her third title of the year and the 19th of her career on Sunday when she faces Dominika Cibulkova.

It was a disappointing end to a promising tournament for Davenport, who was a win away from reaching her fifth career final at this Tier II event.

The 31-year-old American had won 14 straight matches here, having gone 10-0 in winning back-to-back titles from 2004-05. She also won in 1997 and was runner-up in 2003.

In a battle of unseeded 18-year-olds in the other semi-final, Cibulkova emerged with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Alize Cornet.

The 34th-ranked Slovak will be appearing in her maiden WTA Tour final Sunday when she faces Sharapova for the first time.

Cibulkova has made an impressive run through the draw with upsets of No. 2 Anna Chakvetadze, 11th-seeded Amelie Mauresmo and No. 14 Victoria Azarenka.

Cornet also had posted her share of surprises here with wins over No. 9 Sybille Bammer and 13th-ranked Virginie Razzano, but was denied what would have been her first Tier II final appearance.

The Frenchwoman played in her first championship match at the Tier III Acapulco event last month, finishing as runner-up to Flavia Pennetta.

Akmal, Butt carry Pakistan to 308

Sports Desk

Kamran Akmal teed off with a manic 81-ball 100 and Salman Butt rounded off with a more measured and career-best 132 as Pakistan totaled a competitive, if ultimately disappointing, 308 for 8 in game three in Lahore. It should have been sizably larger given that Akmal's blitz had Pakistan at 151 for 0 in the 23rd over, but Bangladesh pulled matters back superbly, limiting the damage in the slog overs rather efficiently, taking four wickets and allowing 72 runs. Butt stuck around to ensure a superb platform wasn't entirely squandered, scoring his fifth ODI hundred and first against anyone but India. Pakistan will back themselves to wrap up the series against a side that's yet to win a game in the country.

From 17 in seven overs Pakistan went to 51 from ten and after the completion of the Powerplays they were 132, thanks largely to Akmal's belligerence. Given lives on 1 and 19 - the second a terrible call for a second and an even worse throw from the deep - he revved up the pace after a watchful start with a three consecutive fours in the eighth over as Shahadat Hossain held back his length with fine leg inside the circle.

Further boundaries followed as mid-off allowed the ball to roll through his legs and an inside-edge sneaked to fine leg.

Abdur Razzak came on as Bangladesh took the second Powerplay and Akmal took an immediately liking to him, making room to cut square off the pitch repeatedly. His fifty came up with one such slash to deep cover, off just 43 balls. Razzak continued to struggle for length and with no assistance from the surface Akmal continued to milk runs. Shakib Al Hasan was welcomed into the attack with a straight six.