The New Nation - Internet Edition

Kumble retires as India retain series lead

AP, New Delhi

India captain Anil Kumble ended his accomplished test career Sunday with his side leading Australia 1-0 in the series as the third test ended in a draw.

Legspinner Kumble, who suffered a serious injury to his left hand while fielding on Friday, announced his retirement with his side poised to record a series win over the world's top-ranked test team.

Australia entered the final day nurturing hopes of being able to push for a victory to square the series, and a win still appeared possible in the afternoon session.

However some stubborn batting by V.V.S. Laxman frustrated Australia's attack. India declared its second innings at 208-5 early in the final session, setting Australia a nominal target of 245 from 23 overs.

After a half-hour at the crease, Australia on 31-0 and a draw inevitable, stumps were called, meaning the series will be decided in the fourth and final test in Nagpur from Thursday. Australia currently holds the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and must win in Nagpur to retain it.

Kumble required 11 stitches after splitting the webbing in his left hand attempting a catch and, knowing he could not recover in time for the deciding test, he decided to retire after a career of 619 test wickets. Kumble had also missed the first two tests of the series with a shoulder injury.

India started the final day needing a couple of strong partnerships to end any hope of an Australian fightback and they achieved it through Laxman (59 not out), who had help from Sachin Tendulkar (47) and Sourav Ganguly (32 not out).

Laxman played some delightful drives and hit seven fours during his 130-ball knock, having registered his fifty with a cover drive for four off Michael Clarke before tea.

Tendulkar was closing on his second half-century of the match when he played back to Cameron White and edged to Matthew Hayden at first slip.

The dismissal reduced India to 145-5 in the middle session before Laxman, who scored 200 not out in the first innings, and Ganguly ensured there was no further loss before the declaration.

India employed a cautious approach to avoid the possibility of a batting collapse in the morning, but still lost Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid.

The breakthroughs gave the visitors some hope of running through the Indian order and staging a fifth-day run chase, but the Tendulkar-Laxman stand used up valuable time.

India resumed the final day at 43-2 - with a lead of 79 - and began watchfully, adding just 28 runs in the first hour.

Brett Lee (2-41) secured the first breakthrough after 30 minutes when he bowled Dravid (11) with a full inswinger that the Indian edged onto his stumps.

Opener Gambhir, who followed his first-innings 206 with 36, was untroubled until he missed a ball angled into him from Mitchell Johnson and was given out lbw by Aleem Dar despite the ball appearing to be heading down the legside.

Gambhir is waiting to discover the outcome of his appeal against a one-test ban for elbowing Australian bowler Shane Watson in the chest on Wednesday.

Australia was dismissed for 577 on the fourth day in reply to India's first-innings 613-7 declared.

BOA takes initiative to introduce 'Sports for all’ program

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Olympic Association has taken an initiative to introduce a five year long "Sports for all" program in the country to involve the masses in sports.

With the program, the BOA want to involve the hard working peoples living the country's remote areas, having no touch with the sports, at-least for a day long sports activities in a year.

Besides, they want to revive and popularize the local games and sports, which have gone almost into oblivion now.

With financial assistance of International Olympic Committee (IOC), BOA has decided to arrange a day long sports festival at-least in each district of the country .

It will start the program on Nov 5 at the Rangpur Zilla School ground, followed by Nov 16 in Sylhet.

The sports festival in Rangpur includes Rickshaw, Van, bullock cart and horse carriage race, boat race, fish hunting, Daria Bandha ete. The program will be followed by cultural show in the evening.

Both matches of 2nd Div Football League end in goal-less draws

UNB, Dhaka

Both matches of the Metropolis Second Division Football League ended in goal-less draws at the Bir Shreshtha Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium here Sunday.

In the first match, BG Press S&RC shared points with Friends Social Welfare Organisation in a goal-less affair while Dhanmondi Club made a tame draw with Sadharan Bima KS.

Today's matches: East End Club vs T&T Club Motijheel.

Dhaka declare 1st innings making 251 for nine

Sports Reporter

Dhaka Division declared their first innings making 251 for the loss of nine wickets against Khulna Division on the first day of the four-dayer of the Ispahani Mirzapur Tea 10th National Cricket League at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Sunday.

Later, Khulna Division were at the stumps at 18 for the loss of none.

Dhaka Division faced an early debacle as they lost their first wicket for 27 runs.

One-down Shamsur Rahman and opener Elias Sunny repaired the damage adding together 88 runs in the second wicket stand before Elias sunny was run out by Robiul Islam when the team's total was 115 for the loss of two wickets.

Shamsur Rahman kocked a fine 53 off 70 balls amid nine strokes beyond the ropes.

Later, Nadif Choudhury made a nice 54 facing 103 deliveries.

He hit four sixers and three fours.

Earlier, Flias Sunny knocked a polish 44 off 110 balls including seven fours.

Besides, Nazmul Hossain added 36 runs to the Dhaka total.

Robiul Islam of Khulna grabbed three wickets giving away 44 runs while Ziaur Rahman bagged a pair of wickets at the cost of 30 runs.

At the Sylhet Divisional Stadium, Rajshahi Division were shot out for just 112 runs in the first innings against Sylhet Division on the same day.

In reply, Sylhet Division scored 97 for the loss of three wickets at the close of the first day's play,

Opener Jahurul Islam was the only notable batsman for Rajshahi. He hit 38 off 54 balls with seven fours.

Shubhashis Roy of Sylhet played the key role in demolishing Rajshahi innings and completed as 16.1-9-19-5.

Rashedur Rahman was the other remarkable bowler of Sylhet who shone with the cherry. He claimed three wickets in the space of 52 runs.

Later, skipper Imtiaz Hossain of Sylhet hit 37 off 58 balls with five shots across the fence.

Sohrawardy Shuvo of Rajshahi got two wickets for eight runs.

Brothers Union play 1-1 draw with Muktijoddha

UNB, Dhaka

Brothers Union Club played to 1-1 draw with Muktijoddha Snagsad Krira Chakra in the lone match of the Citycell 2nd B. League at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Sunday.

With this, Brothers Union Club improved their position securing ten points, while Muktijoddha Snagsad KC opened their account with one point, both playing six matches.Matiur Munna scored for Brother Union Club, while skipper Rokunuzzaman Kanchan equalized the margin for Muktijoddha Snagsad.

Brothers Union found the net in the very 4th minute as Munna pushed the ball form two yards after Zahid Hosain header came to his way after hitting the cross bar (1-0). Kanchan naturalized the margin for Muktijoddha Sangsad in the 10th minute with superb free-kick from the top of the D-box giving no chance to opponent custodian Ziaur Rahman.

Brothers Union kept the match in their side during the first half, while Muktijoddha Snagsad in the second half, but both the teams failed to increase margin further.

The Gopibag outfit got only a real scoring chance in the 59th minute, but Zahid Hossain's angular box shot off Pervez pass sailed over the cross bar.

Yellow cards - Biplob (Miktijoddha SKC).

Today's match: Arambagh KS vs Dhaka Abahani (BNS 5 pm).

Factbox of India test captain Anil Kumble

Reuters, New Delhi

Factbox on India test captain Anil Kumble who retired from test cricket after the third test against Australia in New Delhi on Sunday.

* Born on Oct 17, 1970 in Bangalore.

* Tests: 132 matches, 619 wickets at an average of 29.65. 2,506 runs with one century and five fifties.

* Switched from pace bowling to spin very early due to a jerky action and after his debut aged 19 in 1990 quickly became the pivot around which India began dominating home matches on spin-friendly pitches.

* Became only the second bowler in tests to claim all 10 wickets in a test innings in 1999, emulating England spinner Jim Laker, to bowl India to a series-levelling win over Pakistan in New Delhi.

* Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1996. Captain for one one-day match, a four-wicket win over England in 2002.

* The third highest wicket-taker in tests with 619 scalps, behind Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan and retired Australian Shane Warne.

* Retired from one-day cricket last year after India's first-round exit in the World Cup to finish with 337 wickets at 30.89 from 271 matches.

* Struck his maiden test hundred in the drawn third and final test against England at the Oval in August 2007, scoring 110 not out in his 118th test, the only hundred by an Indian during the 1-0 series win.

* Named test captain in November last year in the twilight of his career ahead of one-day captain and front-runner Mahendra Singh Dhoni to protect the wicketkeeper from the burden of handling too much too soon after Rahul Dravid abruptly quit captaincy.

* Announced his retirement on the final day of the third test against Australia in New Delhi on Sunday.