Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday flayed poor umpiring in the first Test against the West Indies after beating them by 63 runs at Sabina Park in Jamaica.
Dhoni said, "The match would have ended even earlier had correct decisions been made and we would have been in the hotel much earlier."
As many as three Indian batsmen -- Dhoni (16), Virat Kohli (15) and Suresh Raina (27) -- fell to dubious decisions which could have gone the visitors' way.
Kohli was the first one to be declared out following a debatable decision by English umpire Ian Gould in India's second innings. Then Raina was given out off Devendra Bishoo while attempting a sweep shot. However replays showed there was no glove or bat involved. Dhoni was also unlucky as he fell to a no ball delivery.
These umpiring decisions might open the debate over the use of umpire decision review system (UDRS) again, which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has opposed.
The BCCI has been opposing the UDRS and has refused its usage in the upcoming Test series in England.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Saina Nehwal In Indonesia Open Finals
Defending champion Saina Nehwal inched closer to a third successive Indonesian Open Super Series badminton title after advancing to the finals with a three-game triumph over Chinese Taipei's Shao Chieh Cheng in Jakarta on Saturday.
The fourth-seeded Indian won 21-14 14-21 21-17 in a 45-minute battle against giant-killer Cheng, who had created quite a flutter by upstaging top seed Shixian Wang and seventh seed Xin Liu earlier in the tournament.
The opening game was fought on even keel before Saina reeled off seven successive points to nose ahead.
The 21-year-old Indian lost the momentum in the second game as Cheng drew level with more net winners than Saina's.
The third game was a closer affair but Cheng didn't have a reply to Saina's 11 smash winners, which sealed the game and the match for her.
The fourth-seeded Indian won 21-14 14-21 21-17 in a 45-minute battle against giant-killer Cheng, who had created quite a flutter by upstaging top seed Shixian Wang and seventh seed Xin Liu earlier in the tournament.
The opening game was fought on even keel before Saina reeled off seven successive points to nose ahead.
The 21-year-old Indian lost the momentum in the second game as Cheng drew level with more net winners than Saina's.
The third game was a closer affair but Cheng didn't have a reply to Saina's 11 smash winners, which sealed the game and the match for her.
Lopez Upsets Roddick At Wimbledon
Rank outsider Feliciano Lopez of Spain buried eighth seed Andy Roddick under a hailstorm of aces as he won 7-6 (7/ 2), 7-6 (7/ 2), 6-4 to enter the fourth round at The Championships on Friday.
At a time when millions of dollars spent on the sport by the United States Tennis Association are yielding no results, Roddick was a big hope for the Americans.
But the way Lopez, who had lost seven times in a row before this to Roddick, cranked up his serve and won a pair of tie-breakers was proof he was going to do the damage.
That it happened as early as the third round at Wimbledon will rankle Roddick as he was never able to generate the pace and settle into a rhythm.
Watching left-handed Lopez in action was a delight, though had this been the Wimbledon of yesteryears, with the ball zipping off the surface and staying low, the Spaniard would have found it tough.
For Roddick, this was the 11th straight appearance at this venue, and there was more hype than hope of him doing well.
At a time when the top four in men's section fancy their chances of winning the title, Roddick had to do something big this fortnight.
Having lost three finals to Roger Federer at Wimbledon, Roddick will remain one of the enigmas who couldn't seal a title here.
His aggression was muffled on this day as the bearded Lopez, sporting a white headband and tied ponytail, could play the big shots when he needed them most. Proof of it was the two tie- breaks where Roddick came short.
Apart from the 28 aces which Lopez rifled in, he kept the unforced errors to a miserly seven. The angles he conjured up from the backcourt and midcourt added to his repertoire.
"It's definitely a great win for me. I had never beaten him before, so this is important for me as it comes at Wimbledon," said Lopez.
"I played a tough match against Roddick at Queen's where I lost in the third round. He managed to do something there."
So at what stage did Lopez think he would win?
" Even at two sets to love, I knew Andy was going to be there. I finally realised I had won when I shook hands with Andy. I knew I had won," added the modest Lopez.
"I had a couple of good years before this at Wimbledon but this is unbelievable. When I came into the locker room, my coaches told me I played solid and otherwise I wouldn't have won two tiebreaks," said Lopez.
"For my game, this grass suits well. Everything was working for me today. And to win the first set was important. It was an unbelievable match," he summed up.
Roddick was gracious in defeat.
"He played well and served well. He mixed up his serves well."
In the ladies' section, the big casualty was No. 2 seed Vera Zvonareva, who went down 2- 6, 3- 6 to 32nd seed Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki needed to tighten her game in the closing stages to defeat Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano 6-1, 6-3 to enter the third round on Court 2.
Razzano, who defeated Sania Mirza in the first round, produces some good tennis towards the end but it did not suffice.
After the match, Wozniacki stirred up the debate over who plays on the bigger courts.
"I think I deserve to play on one of the bigger courts. Obviously, everyone wants to play in there. It's up to the tournament to decide where we're going to play," she said.
Asked how it felt to play on grass, Wozniacki said: " I think I'm playing well on grass. You know, I'm serving well. I'm moving well. I move the ball around well."
For Venus Williams, it was a stroll in the park as she defeated Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-0, 6-2 to enter the fourth round.
Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova recovered from a poor start to defeat local favourite Laura Robson 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
With Laura serving big early on and throwing her racquet freely, Sharapova was feeling the heat.
But as the fifth seed in the tournament, she knew what it takes to come out of a tight situation.
"I felt I really started slow and she was much more aggressive than me. I really didn't have too many looks on her second serve," said Sharapova.
GOOD DAY FOR INDIA
Friday also saw Indian doubles pairs shine. Third seeds Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi advanced after a 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-4 victory over Croats Ivan Dodig and Lovro Zovko.
Somdev Devvarman and Japan's Kei Nishikori beat Rainer Schuettler and Alexander Waske 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-2.
In women's doubles, fourth seeds Sania Mirza and Russia's Elena Vesnina beat Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic and Kazakh Galina Voskoboeva 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
At a time when millions of dollars spent on the sport by the United States Tennis Association are yielding no results, Roddick was a big hope for the Americans.
But the way Lopez, who had lost seven times in a row before this to Roddick, cranked up his serve and won a pair of tie-breakers was proof he was going to do the damage.
That it happened as early as the third round at Wimbledon will rankle Roddick as he was never able to generate the pace and settle into a rhythm.
Watching left-handed Lopez in action was a delight, though had this been the Wimbledon of yesteryears, with the ball zipping off the surface and staying low, the Spaniard would have found it tough.
For Roddick, this was the 11th straight appearance at this venue, and there was more hype than hope of him doing well.
At a time when the top four in men's section fancy their chances of winning the title, Roddick had to do something big this fortnight.
Having lost three finals to Roger Federer at Wimbledon, Roddick will remain one of the enigmas who couldn't seal a title here.
His aggression was muffled on this day as the bearded Lopez, sporting a white headband and tied ponytail, could play the big shots when he needed them most. Proof of it was the two tie- breaks where Roddick came short.
Apart from the 28 aces which Lopez rifled in, he kept the unforced errors to a miserly seven. The angles he conjured up from the backcourt and midcourt added to his repertoire.
"It's definitely a great win for me. I had never beaten him before, so this is important for me as it comes at Wimbledon," said Lopez.
"I played a tough match against Roddick at Queen's where I lost in the third round. He managed to do something there."
So at what stage did Lopez think he would win?
" Even at two sets to love, I knew Andy was going to be there. I finally realised I had won when I shook hands with Andy. I knew I had won," added the modest Lopez.
"I had a couple of good years before this at Wimbledon but this is unbelievable. When I came into the locker room, my coaches told me I played solid and otherwise I wouldn't have won two tiebreaks," said Lopez.
"For my game, this grass suits well. Everything was working for me today. And to win the first set was important. It was an unbelievable match," he summed up.
Roddick was gracious in defeat.
"He played well and served well. He mixed up his serves well."
In the ladies' section, the big casualty was No. 2 seed Vera Zvonareva, who went down 2- 6, 3- 6 to 32nd seed Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.
Top seed Caroline Wozniacki needed to tighten her game in the closing stages to defeat Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano 6-1, 6-3 to enter the third round on Court 2.
Razzano, who defeated Sania Mirza in the first round, produces some good tennis towards the end but it did not suffice.
After the match, Wozniacki stirred up the debate over who plays on the bigger courts.
"I think I deserve to play on one of the bigger courts. Obviously, everyone wants to play in there. It's up to the tournament to decide where we're going to play," she said.
Asked how it felt to play on grass, Wozniacki said: " I think I'm playing well on grass. You know, I'm serving well. I'm moving well. I move the ball around well."
For Venus Williams, it was a stroll in the park as she defeated Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-0, 6-2 to enter the fourth round.
Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova recovered from a poor start to defeat local favourite Laura Robson 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
With Laura serving big early on and throwing her racquet freely, Sharapova was feeling the heat.
But as the fifth seed in the tournament, she knew what it takes to come out of a tight situation.
"I felt I really started slow and she was much more aggressive than me. I really didn't have too many looks on her second serve," said Sharapova.
GOOD DAY FOR INDIA
Friday also saw Indian doubles pairs shine. Third seeds Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi advanced after a 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-4 victory over Croats Ivan Dodig and Lovro Zovko.
Somdev Devvarman and Japan's Kei Nishikori beat Rainer Schuettler and Alexander Waske 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-2.
In women's doubles, fourth seeds Sania Mirza and Russia's Elena Vesnina beat Renata Voracova of the Czech Republic and Kazakh Galina Voskoboeva 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
Anna Hazare May Agree To Keep PM Out Of Lokpal Ambit
Anna Hazare on Saturday hinted that his team would not be averse to keeping the Prime Minister outside the purview of the Lokpal while in office.
He said: "The government wanted the PM to be kept out of the ambit of the Lokpal while he is in power, so we discussed this. However, we are not ready to give such provision for (IAS) officers. There are some issues like this we are not ready to negotiate on." The social activist, however, wondered why there was hesitation on bringing the PM under the Lokpal's purview if he has not done anything wrong. "Why are you (the PM) afraid if you have not done anything wrong? If he says he is willing to bring himself under the Lokpal's ambit, it will set an example for others," the social activist said in an interview to a regional channel here.
Giving an indication of a climbdown from his stand, Hazare said, "We are willing to take two steps back if they (government) accept our main demands. We want a compromise. Going on a fast is the last step, but (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi and (Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh are silent," Hazare said, accusing the two of not taking a stand on the Bill.
He, however, stressed that they are trying to meet Sonia to "ascertain" her views regarding the Bill. "We have sought an appointment with her. We have been told that we would be given an appointment in a few days. We are also looking to consult the Opposition and other party leaders," he added.
Taking questions from channel viewers who asked about the effectiveness of the Lokpal, Hazare said 60 to 70 per cent of the corruption in the country would end if their version of the Bill came into effect.
Hazare further denied charges that the Lokpal will be like a parallel government. "It will function just like the Election Commission. It would be an independent body, but will not function like a parallel government," he said and stressed that provisions of the Bill were within the limits of democracy.
He claimed that the government is opposing the Bill because it is afraid it would lose its powers "They have got habituated to behave the way they have done in the last seven years," Hazare said, referring to the UPA government's seven years in office.
The civil society will soon be printing booklets on the Lokpal Bill and take the movement across the country, he said and exhorted people to come forward to ensure that the legislation is enacted.
"I termed our movement a second freedom struggle, because though the British have left the country, the problems of loot and terrorism still plague our country. People should come out and be prepared to go to jail or get beaten with lathis for this cause. We should be like Bhagat Singh and should not waver," he said.
The social activist refuted allegations that he was working as a front for the RSS. "I have never ever felt the need to go to any party. Our members are not affiliated to any political party," he added.
He said: "The government wanted the PM to be kept out of the ambit of the Lokpal while he is in power, so we discussed this. However, we are not ready to give such provision for (IAS) officers. There are some issues like this we are not ready to negotiate on." The social activist, however, wondered why there was hesitation on bringing the PM under the Lokpal's purview if he has not done anything wrong. "Why are you (the PM) afraid if you have not done anything wrong? If he says he is willing to bring himself under the Lokpal's ambit, it will set an example for others," the social activist said in an interview to a regional channel here.
Giving an indication of a climbdown from his stand, Hazare said, "We are willing to take two steps back if they (government) accept our main demands. We want a compromise. Going on a fast is the last step, but (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi and (Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh are silent," Hazare said, accusing the two of not taking a stand on the Bill.
He, however, stressed that they are trying to meet Sonia to "ascertain" her views regarding the Bill. "We have sought an appointment with her. We have been told that we would be given an appointment in a few days. We are also looking to consult the Opposition and other party leaders," he added.
Taking questions from channel viewers who asked about the effectiveness of the Lokpal, Hazare said 60 to 70 per cent of the corruption in the country would end if their version of the Bill came into effect.
Hazare further denied charges that the Lokpal will be like a parallel government. "It will function just like the Election Commission. It would be an independent body, but will not function like a parallel government," he said and stressed that provisions of the Bill were within the limits of democracy.
He claimed that the government is opposing the Bill because it is afraid it would lose its powers "They have got habituated to behave the way they have done in the last seven years," Hazare said, referring to the UPA government's seven years in office.
The civil society will soon be printing booklets on the Lokpal Bill and take the movement across the country, he said and exhorted people to come forward to ensure that the legislation is enacted.
"I termed our movement a second freedom struggle, because though the British have left the country, the problems of loot and terrorism still plague our country. People should come out and be prepared to go to jail or get beaten with lathis for this cause. We should be like Bhagat Singh and should not waver," he said.
The social activist refuted allegations that he was working as a front for the RSS. "I have never ever felt the need to go to any party. Our members are not affiliated to any political party," he added.
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