Australia, England look for bragging rights ahead of World Cup

Having accumulated 15 points from four matches, the George Baily-led Australia undoubtedly start as overwhelming favourites with a fit-again Mitchell Johnson set to bolster the attack at the WACA.

Despite the absence of Michael Clarke, they have appeared to be a gelled unit, with both their batting and bowling clicking during the tournament.

Perhaps the biggest question mark for them is the form of Bailey. He has scored 10 and 5 in his two outings thus far, before being suspended for the Hobart match against England.

With Shane Watson still under an injury cloud, it is expected that the team management might give Bailey another go at number three in the batting chart. The rest of the batting line-up picks itself. With Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin and James Faulkner slotting in, they bat as deep as number eight.

The hosts will certainly bank on their pace battery led by Johnson and Mitchell Starc on a fast and bouncy track as.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Pakistan lean heavily on Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq

They came together with Pakistan struggling at 127-6 in the 36th over, and cracked a whirlwind 71 in 38 deliveries to ensure the total at least passed the 200 mark. But when Misbah fell for 58, his 38th half century, the last four wickets fell for just 12 runs as the innings folded
with 27 balls remaining.
   
Afridi, who posted his 39th ODI half century, was out for 67. New Zealand went into the match two days after completing a 4-2 series win over Sri Lanka, while Pakistan have not been tested since they lost a home series to New Zealand 3-2 before Christmas.
   
The difference in form was evident from the first over after New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum won the toss and put Pakistan into bat. Kyle Mills bowled four dot balls swinging away before bringing one back to remove Mohammad Hafeez without scoring.
   
He also claimed Younis Khan's wicket twice. The first time, with Younis on five, the batsman was recalled when replays showed he was caught off a no ball, but on nine he was unquestionably trapped leg before wicket.
   
Ahmed Shehzad and Haris Sohail went in similar fashion, flinging the bat at wide deliveries with Shehzad caught behind for 15 off Trent Boult while Sohail was snapped up by Martin Guptill at point for 23 off Corey Anderson.

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Laird two ahead at Phoenix Open, Woods shoots 82

On a day that will be best remembered for the worst single round by Tiger Woods in his storied career, an error-riddled 82, Laird used a series of precise approach shots to card a second straight five-under-par 66 at TPC Scottsdale.

Playing in unusually wet conditions more reminiscent of his native Scotland than the Arizona desert, Laird reeled off four birdies in five holes from the 13th before missing a six-foot par-saving putt in semi-darkness at the last.

"The big thing was I drove it well," the three-times winner on the PGA Tour told reporters after posting a 10-under 132 halfway total.

American Daniel Berger (69) was alone in second place on eight-under, while another tour rookie Justin Thomas (68) was next on seven-under.

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Tri-series: Captain Dhoni blames batsmen for loss to England

England booked a berth in the final of the One-Day International (ODI) series against Australia, courtesy a three-wicket win over India at the WACA.

"When we started batting, I thought we did decent with the new ball and a bit more runs initially would have helped. Good bowling and poor selection of shots led to the low score and 40-50 more runs would have helped," Dhoni said.

Another dismal batting performance by India saw them being bowled out for 200 in 48.1 overs.

Opener Ajinkya Rahane was the only standout performer, scoring 73 off 101 balls. His and Shikhar Dhawan's opening wicket partnership of 83 runs was the lone bright spot in an otherwise dreadful batting performance.

"I don't think the wicket played a factor but the English bowlers extract more from these conditions. We have to look at our attack keeping in mind the balance of the side," he said.

The 34-year-old also defended the decision to play both the left-arm spinners -- Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, saying they add value to the side with the bat.

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England beat India by three wickets, face Australia in tri-series final

In a do-or-die game, India's batsmen let the team down badly as they frittered away a good start to be bundled out for 200 in 48.1 overs, losing as many as nine wickets for 97 runs from a relatively comfortable 103 for one.

England were tottering at 66 for five at one stage but staged a gritty fightback through James Taylor (82) and Jos Buttler (67) as their stand steered the team home with 19 balls to spare at the WACA ground. England will now take on Australia in the final on Sunday.

It was yet another disappointing show by the Indians, who have now failed to win a single international match during their ongoing tour of Australia.

The tournament, which served as a dress rehearsal for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup, has shown that there are lot of chinks in defending champions' armoury as they lost three out of the four matches while one was abandoned.

While it a mixture of variable bounce and poor application which resulted in India's batting downfall, it was Ajinkya Rahane, who some what proved to be a saving grace with a patient knock of 73 as his teammates did not show the stomach for a fight.

On the otherhand, it was diminutive Taylor alongwith the flashy wicketkeeper batsman Buttler, who showed a lot of resolve despite losing the top five as their 125-run partnership guided Eoin Morgan's team home.

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Sauber focus on the future after dismal 2014 season

The Swiss team, who have been struggling financially, drew a complete blank for the first time in their 22-year history last year - one of only two outfits to end the campaign without scoring.

"2014 was a very disappointing year. However, this is in the past, and we now focus on what comes next. We have learned our lessons and are confident for the new season," said team principal Monisha Kaltenborn in a statement.

"We have to improve, and be able to fight for championship points." Sauber have an all new lineup in Sweden's Marcus Ericsson and Brazilian rookie Felipe Nasr.

The Ferrari-powerd C34 car's colours, a marked change from last year's grey livery, reflected the nationalities of the two drivers as well as their backers on a car short of prominent sponsors.

Mexican sponsors Telmex have departed following the exit of Esteban Gutierrez, now a Ferrari reserve, while Japanese backer NEC has also migrated to rivals Force India. Banco do Brasil has arrived with Nasr.

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All eyes on Alonso and McLaren in Jerez

As the Spaniard warned fans when the new McLaren-Honda MP4-30 was unveiled on Thursday, there are sure to be problems between now and the season-opener in Australia on March 15.

McLaren are starting a new era with Honda, after two decades with Mercedes, and much of the paddock buzz when the cars get out on track in Jerez will focus on how the new Japanese power unit performs.

"Our first target will be to learn the maximum from the car at the pre-season tests, understand the package, and extract as much performance as possible," said double world champion Alonso.

"That won't be easy or trouble-free, but we're ready for that," added the man who left McLaren under a cloud of controversy in 2007 and returns after five frequently frustrating years at Ferrari.

McLaren ran Honda's RA615H engine last November in a test that was plagued by gremlins.

"We don't expect to be pumping in 100 laps a day. It is going to be lots of system checks. Don't expect too much from us too soon. It is about working out the reliability aspects of the engine," said Alonso's team mate Jenson Button.

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Sands and Safarova claim women's doubles title

The unseeded Mattek-Sands and Safarova beat five seeded pairings to win the title on Rod Laver Arena, the first of the titles to be decided at this year's Australian Open.

It was also the first time the 29-year-old Mattek-Sands and 27-year-old Safarova had played together in a tournament, and they are the first new pairing to win the women's doubles title at Melbourne Park since 2005.

Mattek-Sands won the mixed doubles title at Melbourne Park with Romania's Horia Tecau in 2012.

The victory makes up for a disappointing singles campaign for Safarova, who entered the season opening grand slam as the 16th seed but lost in the first round to Yaroslava Shvedova.

Mattek-Sands made the third round of the singles, losing to third seed Simona Halep.

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Hosts Kalinga Lancers will eye revenge against UP Wizards

The Lancers suffered a disheartening 1-5 defeat against Uttar Pradesh Wizards in their previous encounter at Lucknow and the hosts is practicing various strategies to put-up a stimulating performance on their home turf.

Jude Felix, Coach, Kalinga Lancers said: "Yesterday's performance was very disappointing for the team but we are not demoralised. We still have the best players and young talents, who have ability to win any match. Boys have the confidence and now we have understood our opponents' game, so we are looking forward to a good competition in tomorrow's match.

Uttar Pradesh are upbeat after their one-sided win against Kalinga. The Wizards had scored four goals in the last eight minutes and earned five crucial points to push the Lancers to third position.

Their players are riding high on confidence after getting back their lost form and will go all out to maintain their winning spree tomorrow.

With the Dutch player Wouter Jolie and penalty corner specialist VR Raghunath as defenders, the Lucknow-based team will utilise all their big guns such as Jeroen Hertzberger of Netherlands and SK Uthappa in the forward line.

Dutch players Bob De Voogd and Alexander Baart along with Australian Eddie Ockenden will be mending the midfield, while Kalinga will have to find a way to get past world-class goal-keeper PR Sreejesh.

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Michael Clarke back to prove fitness for World Cup

Clarke sustained the latest in a long line of hamstring injuries while fielding in the first test against India in Adelaide in December and underwent surgery soon afterwards.

The 33-year-old batsman has been given until Australia's second World Cup match against Bangladesh on Feb. 21 to prove he is fit to play a part in the tournament, which Australia are co-hosting with New Zealand from Feb. 14 to March 29.

Clarke will play only as a batsman for his Western Suburbs against Gordon this weekend and will get another chance to bat when he features in a Cricket Australia XI in a match against Bangladesh in Brisbane next Thursday.

"I am really happy to be playing for my Grade club this weekend and regard this as a positive step on my road to a return to full fitness," Clarke said in a Cricket Australia statement.

"It is exciting to be at this stage where I can consider walking onto a cricket field again and ... the signs are positive.

"But at the same time I know I have to respect the fact that I am on a daily programme and there is no point in us getting too far ahead of ourselves."

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McLaren unveil Honda-powered MP4-30 F1 car

The British marque will be running Honda engines for the first time since 1992 and they hope that Alonso and Button will help them end two years in the Formula One wilderness.

But despite resuming their partnership with Japanese engine manufacturer Honda, the new car retains the predominantly grey livery synonymous with the team's 20-year partnership with Mercedes.

"Although our renewed alliance began again many months ago, the launch of the McLaren-Honda MP4-30 marks the start of a lengthy journey," said chief executive Ron Dennis in a statement.

"We've come a long way already and, although there's a lot of work to do before we can expect to repeat the level of success we enjoyed together 25 or so years ago, it's already clear that there's enormous synergy and potential in our partnership.

"I'm positive that, together, we'll get to where we want to be: winning Grands Prix and eventually World Championships as McLaren-Honda."

Flecks of red along the MP4-30's snout recall the red and white cars of McLaren's Honda-powered glory days in the late 1980s, when Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna dominated the sport.

Those days have seemed a distant memory over the past two seasons, during which time McLaren failed to register a single victory, but two-time champion Alonso said the team are ready to challenge for honours again. 

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Belly putter fan Bradley adapting well to shorter version

As of January 1, 2016, the Royal & Ancient and United States Golf Association will ban long putters being anchored to the body, forcing Bradley to ditch a method he has employed for all three of his PGA Tour wins, including the 2011 PGA Championship.

On Thursday, Bradley wielded the shorter putter to great effect as he fired a six-under-par 65 to end the opening round of the Waste Management Phoenix Open just one stroke off the pace set by compatriot Ryan Palmer.

"Feels so good to go out and play a really solid round tee to green," Bradley told reporters after piling up seven birdies and a lone bogey.

"Made a bunch of putts, which feels good. It's a relief to go out and shoot a good number in the first round."

Bradley first used a short putter at the Memorial tournament in late May last year before switching back to the longer version. He then ditched the belly putter after the Ryder Cup in September and has not used it since.

"It's so very much a work in progress," said the 28-year-old, whose most recent PGA Tour victory came at the 2012 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

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Tiger Woods struggles as Palmer sets pace in Phoenix

Palmer, bidding for his fourth career victory on the U.S. circuit, covered his last seven holes in five under par to card a seven-under 64 in the opening round at the TPC Scottsdale before play was suspended for the day in fading light.

Nine players were yet to complete the round when the siren sounded to halt the action with PGA Tour rookie Daniel Berger the best placed at six under after 16 holes.

Keegan Bradley and Masters champion Bubba Watson opened with 65s but 14-times major winner Woods looked very rusty in his first PGA Tour event in five months as he started out with an erratic 73 on a mainly overcast day in the Arizona desert.

Watched by massive galleries more reminiscent of a major championship than a regular tour event, Woods mixed four bogeys with a double, an eagle and two birdies to end the day well off the pace and under pressure to make the cut.

"Mentally I'm a little bit tired from the grind of trying to piece together a round when I was five-over-par (after 11 holes)," the former world number one, who has been working on a swing change with new consultant Chris Como, told reporters.

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Rusty Tiger Woods delivers good, bad and ugly

Playing in only his second tournament in five months after enduring back problems for much of last year, the former world number one looked rusty as he struggled with his short game under leaden skies at the TPC Scottsdale.

Woods sprayed his drives, under-hit several approaches and was a frustrated figure after duffing a few chip shots from just off the green before ending the day a distant eight strokes off the early lead.

"It was just about trying to be so committed to the swing change and do it," Woods, who has been working with new consultant Chris Como, told reporters after hitting only five of 14 fairways and reaching 10 of 18 greens in regulation.

"I struggled with it at the very beginning. I saw a lot of balls go to the right, then I started to fix it on the back nine.

"I just need tournament rounds like this where I can fight, fight through it, turn it around, grind through it and make adjustments on the fly."

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Tomas Berdych knocks Rafael Nadal out of Australian Open

In doing so, Berdych avoided becoming the first man to lose 18 straight tour-level matches against a single player. It marked his first win over Nadal since the 2006 Madrid quarterfinals.

The 29-year-old Czech has not dropped a set this fortnight, and awaits the winner between three-time finalist Andy Murray and 19-year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios, who face off on Tuesday night.

Berdych also reached the semi-finals last year in Melbourne.Nadal, the 2009 champion, was facing a top 10 opponent for the first time since defeating Novak Djokovic in the 2014 Roland Garros final.

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South Korea Olympic star Park fails drug test

But his management were quick to blame an injection given to the national pin-up by a local doctor. Park, one of South Korea's most decorated athletes, received chiropractic treatment at a local hospital prior to last year's Asian Games, when he was given an injection that contained a banned substance, a news agency reported.

"At the time, the hospital offered to give Park an injection and he repeatedly asked if it contained any illegal substances," the management statement said.
  
"The doctor said there would be no problem. And yet it turned out the injection contained a banned substance.

"He hasn't even taken cold medicine so that he wouldn't fail doping tests. Park is more shocked by this result than anyone else."
      
The agency said they were planning to take legal action against the hospital. Cornel Marculescu, executive director of world swimming body FINA, declined to comment , saying only that FINA's anti-doping commission would meet in late February.

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Contract row is no big deal: PCB official

"It is no big deal... The players want certain clarifications and have some reservations but our representative in New Zealand is talking to them and it will not affect the performance of the team on the ongoing tour," the senior PCB official said.

Pakistani players have refused to sign the central contracts which were extended by three months by the board before the squad departed for New Zealand last week.
   
The existing contracts had expired on December 31, 2014 and as per practice the board is supposed to give out six month or 12-month new contracts.
   
The official said that the board had taken the decision to give three-month contracts as some players had already announced they would be retiring from one format of the game after the World Cup.

"Plus we didn't have enough time to review performances of all the contracted players and some upcoming players in the domestic season. So we decided to extend the existing contracts by three months as a legal requirement," he explained.

He said that the need to extend the contracts by three months was a necessity since players needed to be covered under certain clauses during the World Cup.
   
"Their payments, insurance, medical cover, bonuses and other aspects like discipline and safeguarding the PCB's commercial interests were the reasons for extending the
contracts by three months," he said.

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Pakistan hope to lurch from disaster to triumph

The talented yet unpredictable side are haunted by injuries to their fast bowlers, the suspension of match-winning spinner Saeed Ajmal and a tussle for the captaincy between Misbah-ul Haq and Shahid Afridi.

All seems to have settled down as Misbah's men embark on a mission to match Imran Khan's World Cup triumph – Pakistan's only win -- in Australia some 23 years ago.
  
"This team has the spirit of cornered tigers," said chief selector and former captain Moin Khan, a key member of 1992 winning team. "If they play to their potential this team can surprise the world."

Captain Misbah, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, is also confident of the best results.
  
"The format of this World Cup is such that teams have a lot of opportunities," said Misbah, who will retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup.

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Sharapova schools Bouchard to advance in Melbourne

The 27-year-old Russian has now beaten the talented Canadian 20-year-old in each of their four meetings, three of which have been at grand slams.

The second seed jumped on a clearly nervous Bouchard in the first game of the match by breaking serve and not allowing her opponent to settle.

The early setback affected the Canadian's timing as she made 20 unforced errors, before Sharapova broke again in the ninth game to take the first set in 41 minutes.

The five-times grand slam winner made another fast start in the second set, racing through her first service game and breaking in the fourth to give her the opening needed to set up a semi-final against 10th-seeded compatriot Ekaterina Makarova.

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5th ODI: India vs Australia match abandoned due to rain

After being put into bat, India were 69 for two after 16 overs when play was stopped due to rain at 5pm local time (11:30 IST) and after a wait of three hours the umpires decided to call off the match.

The two teams take two points each from Monday's match, which means that the final league game between India and England on January 30 at the WACA in Perth will be a straight knockout for a chance to play Australia in the final on February 1 at the same venue.

Unbeaten Australia, who have 15 points after Monday's no result, have already qualified for the final while winless India and England have two and five points respectively. A team gets four points for a win.

India had lost to Australia and England in their first-leg matches of the double round robin format tournament.

The start of the match was delayed by 40 minutes due to drizzle since morning and there was first rain interruption at 3:30 pm local time (10 am IST) when India were six for no loss in 2.4 overs.

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Gifted, controversial Juan Roman Riquelme retires

Riquelme's decision, which he announced on Sunday, came as a surprise since he was weighing up the chance of a move to Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno, having quit Argentinos Juniors after helping them secure promotion back to the first division.
             
The 36-year-old had left Boca, the top Argentine side he helped win a string of domestic and international titles and where he had stated he was more important than the club president, at the end of last season in June.
             
"I don't know if this is a special day, but it is important... I've made the decision not play football any more," Riquelme told former Real Madrid and Argentina defender Enrique Wolf in an exclusive interview on a TV sports programme.
             
"I was sure that to do something important it had to interest and motivate me. I think that after having fulfilled my commitment to Argentinos and all Boca's dreams, this is what's best."
             
Riquelme is best remembered in Europe for his often brilliant Argentina form and for having missed a penalty for Villarreal, his second Spanish club after Barcelona, in a Champions League semi-final shootout with Arsenal in 2006.

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Sania-Soares move into Australian Open third round

The top-seeded Indo-Brazilian duo served past Abigail Spears and Santiago Gonzalez 7-5, 6-7 (3) [10-8] in the second round encounter to keep their good work going.

The US-Mexican pair gave a bit of a hard time to the Sania-Soares combine but the experienced pair handled the pressure with ease.

Sania though had bowed out of the women's doubles event after losing the first round match to Su-Wei Hsieh of Chinese Taipei.

There were also cheers for India in the junior boys singles section as Sumit Nagal humbled Yosuke Watanuki of Japan 6-2, 6-3 in the second round encounter.

Indian veteran Leander Paes will also be seen in action along with his mixed doubles partner Martina Hingis later in the day.

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Padma Shri came as a pleasant surprise: Mithali Raj

“Honestly when I was pitted against Virat Kohli, I gave up because when you compare us with men’s cricket then we think that we may not get it. So I was not expecting it, but it came as a pleasant surprise,” Mithali told PTI from her Hyderabad home.

A veteran of 153 ODIs, 10 Tests and 47 T20 internationals since making her debut in 1999, Mithali, 32, believes that the Padma Shri will certainly help the cause of Indian women’s cricket.

“It (the national awards) is a nice way of appreciating your efforts, because at a time when I started playing cricket, there was no awareness for women’s cricket. People were not even knowing that women’s cricket existed. And from that phase to today where people would want to follow women’s cricket, I think we have come a long way,” Mithali said.

“These awards will really prop up the young girls and players to take up the sport and do much better. With this award probably people will be following women’s cricket keenly and will take a note of the international calender of women,” she added.

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Stan Wawrinka dismisses notions of vengeance

Wawrinka avenged his early exit at last year's French Open with a 7-6(2) 6-4 4-6 7-6(8) victory over  Guillermo Garcia-Lopez on Monday to book his place in the last eight and now must face his U.S. Open nemesis Kei Nishikori.

"It's always tough to play against him. He's a great shot maker. He's always taking the ball really early and doesn't give you a lot of time," Wawrinka said about Nishikori, who followed him into the quarter-finals with a 6-3 6-3 6-3 win over David Ferrer. "He's a tough, tough player."

The fourth-seeded Wawrinka has adopted a low-key approach to his title defence at Melbourne Park, swatting away questions about how last year's experience could help him with a polite, but standard response -- that was last year.

The approach was evident again on Monday when asked if the five-set loss to Nishikori in the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows would have any influence on Wednesday's clash.

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Ghana boss Grant slams organisers for bad bus, commute

The Israeli said his team, who lost 2-1 to Senegal on Monday, had to train at Oyala instead of Mongomo, where they face Algeria on Friday and also South Africa next week.

"We had to drive one hour while Algeria could train near the hotel," an irritated Grant told reporters on Thursday. "They change the venue of the training, both of us need to train one hour from the hotel a day before the game. We asked to come closer, they didn't let us do it."

The journey was not helped by a sub-standard bus, the former Chelsea manager said. "I am sorry to say you need to see our bus. It is a bus which behaves like a ship.

"We are the only team that receives this bus, the other team have a good bus. So when I say good words about the organisation I want you to know about the other things."

The coach, who has also managed Partizan Belgrade, West Ham United and Israel, said he would not been attending news conferences in future, adding he had been given little notice about timings and that he needed to be with his players.

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Algeria and Senegal bid to book last eight slots

Both countries came from behind to win their opening encounters on Monday and set themselves up for early qualification to the knockout stage.

Algeria, the top ranked team on the continent, take on Ghana in the first match of the double-header feature at Estadio de Mongomo, followed by Senegal's clash with the South Africans.

The group started with Senegal beating Ghana 2-1 with the last kick of the game and South Africa scoring an own goal, making a horrendous goalkeeping error and missing a penalty as they went down 3-1 to Algeria.

The two beaten teams realise the severity of their situation with Ghana's Christian Atsu, who plays for Everton, telling reporters they were severely disappointed at letting a lead slip against Senegal and determined to make amends.

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Australia eyeing Asian Cup title after reaching China

The Socceroos rebounded from their loss to South Korea in their final group match to beat China on Thursday and advance to the semi-finals, against either Japan or United Arab Emirates.

Cahill's two goals -- the first a bicycle kick and the second from a pinpoint header -- were still the talk of the country on Friday as his team mates gushed about his mesmerizing display.

"You can't say any more. The boy is a freak," said midfielder Mark Milligan. Veteran midfielder Mark Bresciano was also in awe of his team mate.

"He is a big inspiration not just for the young guys but for all of us," the 34-year-old told reporters. "He just doesn't stop...he is always capable of getting up and scoring the goals. Got to take your hat off to him."

Defender Trent Sainsbury said Cahill, the oldest in the team at 35, was playing as well as ever. "Everyone writes him off after he hasn't scored for maybe one game -- and he'll come back and score an overhead like that. It's just incredible," Sainsbury said.

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Sania-Hsieh stunned in second round of Australian Open

Struggling to find her rhythm from the start, Sania, who recently reached her career best doubles ranking of No.5 for the second time, looked out of sorts and failed to combine with Hsieh as they went down 7-6, 6-4 against the unseeded Canadian-Polish pair.

Sania and Hsieh, who had an easy first outing against the Argentine-Swiss combine of Maria Irigoyen and Romina Oprandi in the opening round were up against a resilient Gabriela and Alicja this time around.

Fighting hard for the first set, Sania and Hsieh finally went down in tie break after an intense 58-minute battle. Their relatively inexperienced opponents then gained confidence to bring up an authoritative brand of play in the second set to comfortably dispatch the much fancied pair.

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Ronchi, Elliott break record to rescue New Zealand

Their 267-run stand, smacked in 30 overs at Dunedin's University Oval, is the highest sixth-wicket partnership in ODI cricket and began when New Zealand were in dire straits at 93-5 after 20 overs.

The innings ended with Ronchi unbeaten on 170, his maiden ODI century, while Elliott was 104 not out for his second ton. After being sent into bat on a green-tinged wicket, New Zealand's top order fell rapidly before Elliott and Ronchi turned the mission around.

Ronchi, whose lusty hitting carried New Zealand home in the fourth ODI in Nelson on Tuesday, had nine sixes and 14 fours in his innings and faced 99 deliveries. Elliott, dropped on 47 by stand-in Sri Lanka captain Lahiru Thirimanne, faced 96 balls and hit two sixes and seven fours.

Thirimanne, promoted to lead Sri Lanka when Angelo Mathews was rested with a calf strain, won the toss and was immediately rewarded for opting to bowl with Martin Guptill caught behind first ball. In the following over, Brendon McCullum was dropped at backward point by Tillakaratne Dilshan and New Zealand were having trouble with the ball moving sharply off the seam.

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Meiyappan, Kundra indulged in betting: Supreme Court

"The three-member committee headed Justice Mukul Mudgal has correctly appreciated the facts as emerging from the documents and the depositions of witnesses recorded by it and rightly come to the conclusion that Gurunath Meiyappan was a team official of CSK," a bench headed by Justice TS Thakur said.

"That is so especially when India Cements Ltd who owns the team made a candid admission before us that Meiyappan was indeed a team official within the meaning of that expression under the rules. We, therefore, see no...reason, for us to disagree or reverse the finding recorded by the Probe Committee on that aspect," the bench, also comprising Jutice FMI Khalifulla, said.

The apex court also said that probe committee has, on the basis of the material available to it, held that Meiyappan was indulging in betting and the findings did not call for interference.

"We make it clear that given the nature of the proceedings entrusted to the Probe Committee and the standard of proof applicable to the same, we see no reason to disagree with the conclusion of the Probe Committee that Gurunath Meiyappan was indeed indulging in betting.

"The material assembled in course of the investigation by the Probe Committee provides a reasonably safe basis for holding that the accusations made against Meiyappan stood established on a preponderance of probabilities," the bench said.

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Supreme Court bars N Srinivasan from contesting BCCI elections

The apex court said this while striking down an amendment to the BCCI rules which permitted the office bearers of the apex cricket body to have commercial interests in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Champions League Twenty20 and all events organised by the BCCI.

The apex court bench, headed by Justice TS Thakur, held Srinivasan's son-in-law and CSK "official" Gurunath Meiyappan, and IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals' co-owner Raj Kundra guilty of betting and said the punishment will not only be confined to them but also extend to the franchises they represent.

The court set up a three-member committee headed by former Chief Justice RM Lodha to decide, besides other issues, the quantum of punishment to be given to Meiyappan and Kundra.

The court also asked Srinivasan to stay away from the BCCI on account of his commercial interest in CSK.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Real Madrid is world's richest football club

Despite a poor season on the pitch, United's income surged to 518 million euros (USD 599.4 million), from 424 million the previous year, with commercial revenue rising 24 percent and broadcast income 34 percent, Deloitte said on Thursday.

Real topped the rankings for a 10th year, coinciding with the La Liga club's record-extending 10th European crown, with revenue of 550 million euros, up from 519 million.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Asian Cup: Super Cahill sinks brave China

Hosts Australia had the upper hand against China without crafting the breakthrough, until 35-year-old Cahill pulled out a stunning bicycle-kick just after half-time.

The latest uber-strike from Cahill, whose World Cup volley against the Netherlands was short-listed for goal of the year, was followed by a trademark header for the 2-0 win.

Australia's victory ended an encouraging tournament from China, who won all three group games for the first time to end their 11-year absence from the knock-out stages.

The Socceroos will now face either Japan or UAE at Newcastle's modest Hunter Stadium, the smallest of the Asian Cup venues, on January 27.

"This is a big win for us, it's something that I knew deep down was going to happen before the game, because I believe in this team," said Cahill.

"I had to wait for my chance and I took two of them out of three and I'm pretty happy."

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Supreme Court verdict will impact all sports bodies: Mudgal

Delivering its long-awaited verdict, the court today held that the allegation of betting against Gurunath Meiyappan, a CSK team official and son-in-law of the BCCI President-in-exile and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra stands proved while the charge of cover up against Srinivasan "is not proved".

The SC also set up a judges committee under a former Chief Justice of India to decide on the punishment in the IPL scam that can threaten the future of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

Justice Mudgal, head of the apex court-appointed three-member committee, said the SC decision will also apply to all sports bodies.

"The judgment is a major advancement in public law. Being the SC verdict, it affects all sports bodies in the country. Conflict of interest arises not only in sports but also in all public bodies," he said

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Former administrators and players hail SC verdict

Delivering its long-awaited verdict, the court held that the allegation of betting against Gurunath Meiyappan, a CSK team official and son-in-law of the BCCI President-in-exile and Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra stands proved while the charge of cover up against Srinivasan “is not proved”.

The SC also set up a judges committee under a former Chief Justice of India to decide on the punishment in the IPL scam that can threaten the future of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR).

Former BCCI and ICC chief Sharad Pawar said the SC decision will bring to an end to all the unwanted things that have been happening in Indian cricket for some time.

“I am happy Srinivasan is out. Many things have been happening in cricket for so long and this verdict will help in ending them. The need of the hour is to bring a change in cricket set-up,” he said.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Bopanna-Nestor pair advances, Bhupathi-Melzer team crashes out

Bopanna and Canada's Nestor, seeded seventh, fought off a spirited challenge from Marcos Baghdatis and Marinko Matosevic 7-6 (2) 7-5 in their opening round in one hour and 46 minutes.    

There was not much to differentiate between the two teams as they hit an equal number of aces (10) and committed same number of double faults (5). Bopanna and Nestor won 87 points, only eight more than their rivals.

They will next take on Spaniard Feliciano Lopez and Belarusian Max Mirnyi, who got the better of Australia's James Duckworth and Luke Saville 7-6 (1) 6-7(5) 6-2 in their first round match.

Earlier, Bhupathi and Austrian partner Melzer suffered a 4-6 3-6 defeat against Argentine team of Diego Schwartzman and Horacio Zeballos in only 67 minutes.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Sledging was worse two decades ago: Andrew Flintoff

The ICC has warned of strict action, including bans, if players cross the line during next month's ODI World Cup to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand from February 14.    

Most recently, David Warner was fined 50 percent of his match fee for a verbal spat with Indian batsman Rohit Sharma during a tri-series match although the Australian later claimed that he was merely asking his rival to speak in English.

Flintoff said the language used in the years gone by was much worse.

"Twenty years ago, sledging was 10 times worse. Now, with stump microphones and cameras all over, everything gets picked up," Flintoff told 'BBC Sport'.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Formula One: Force India unveil car for 2015 season

The duo revealed the new model in a museum in Mexico City, which belongs to Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim who is Perez' sponsor.
  
Force India's billionaire Indian owner Vijay Mallya was especially proud of the new livery on the car which is brand new, a combination of silver and black with the team's traditional colour of orange streaking from the nose cone to the rear of the car in two symmetrical curves.
  
"I love the addition of silver, which makes the car appear more sleek and aggressive and I'm sure it's something that will appeal to the fans as well," purred Mallya.
  
"Our traditional team colours remain integrated in the livery, but we've given it a very modern twist."
    

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

I dwelt too much on my mistakes: Maria Sharapova

World No 2 Sharapova survived the scare to clinch the encounter 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 at the Melbourne Park here.

"I think I was dwelling too much on my mistakes, what I was doing wrong, not really being in the present, something that I'm really usually good at," Sharapova said.

Asked whether she felt relieved after the let off, Sharapova said, "Well, certainly, after being a point away from going out."

The 27-year-old also added she felt nice after overcoming such a tough challenge and has taken positives out of the encounter.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Dhoni wishes his hockey team ahead of league

Rays' captain and penalty corner specialist Ashley Jackson on Wednesday said that though he hasn't met Rays' co-owner Dhoni in person, he and his team have been getting messages from the wicketkeeper-batsman, who hails from the Jharkhand capital.

"I have not met him in person but we have got his messages, wishing us the best ahead of the tournament. It will be an honour to meet him some day," said the England midfielder, who also follows cricket.

"It is an honour to have him as our co-owner." The third edition of HIL commences Thursday with home team Kalinga Lancers taking on debutants Ranchi Rays at the Kalinga Stadium in this Odisha capital city.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

BCCI invites tender for IPL media rights

The upcoming seasons of the Pepsi IPL will be broadcast across the world through every technological medium available, thus reaching out to an even larger audience, BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.

The Digital medium, for instance, is rapidly gaining in terms of popularity and usage, with more and more fans relying on digital devices to follow their favourite teams and players before, during and after the matches.

The IPL will aim to enhance the viewing, digital and interactive experience for cricket fans across the globe, by introducing diverse consumer-friendly innovations that will bring them closer to the action.

"The ITT document will be available at the BCCI Headquarters at the Cricket Centre, Wankhede Stadium, D Road, Churchgate, Mumbai 400020, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm (from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturdays, and excluding Sundays), from Thursday, 22nd January 2015 to Monday, 2nd February 2015, at a cost of INR 2,00,000/- (non-refundable and non-adjustable), to be paid vide a Demand Draft drawn in favour of Board of Control for Cricket in India, payable at Mumbai or Chennai (Tender Fee)."

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Saina, Sindhu, Srikanth and Kashyap enter 2nd round in Lucknow

Olympic bronze medallist, Saina defeated Yin Fun Lim of Malaysia 21-17 21-12 and two-time World Championship bronze medallist, Sindhu thrashed qualifier Ekta Kalia 21-6 21-12 at the BBD UP Badminton Academy.

World No. 4 Srikanth, who won the China Super Series Premier last year, beat Shreyansh Jaiswal 21-14 21-13 while Commonwealth Games champion Kashyap edged past emerging player Subhankar Dey 21-11 22-20 in men's singles competition.

Among other top names, 14th seed Ajay Jayaram, 16th seed Arvind Bhat, fourth seed H S Prannoy, eighth seed RMV Gurusaidutt, seventh seed Sourabh Varma, sixth seed B Sai Praneeth made it to the second round.

In women's singles, Rituparna Das spanked qualifier Riya Mukherjee 21-7 21-16 and 2011 National Games champion Arundhati Pantawane brushed aside Slovakia's Jana Ciznarova 21-10 21-12.

Bahrain International Challenge winner P C Thulasi and Tanvi Lad also had a good day in office as they steamrolled qualifier Rucha Nikam and Russia's Anna Astrakhantseva 21-5 21-8 and 21-9 21-1 respectively.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Federer joins Murray, Dimitrov in Australian Open third round

Swiss Grand Slam master Federer was stung into action after losing the first set to reel in Italian Simone Bolelli in four sets and take his place in the seeded round. Murray, a three-time runner-up in Melbourne, extended his record against Australian opponents to 10-0 with a consummate straight sets victory over Marinko Matosevic.

Elsewhere, 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov overcame Lukas Lacko in four sets and seventh seed Tomas Berdych accounted for Jurgen Melzer. World number three Rafael Nadal was bidding to join them in his night match against American qualifier Tim Smyczek on Rod Laver Arena.

Second seed Federer, chasing his fifth Australian Open title, problem-solved his way to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Bolelli and will play another Italian Andreas Seppi in the third round.

The 17-time Swiss Grand Slam champion, who developed a mystery swollen finger during the contest, lost the opening set after the only break on his serve, but he found a solution and swept through the next three sets.

"It's always a good feeling fighting your way out of a match, winning the last three sets convincingly and actually playing really positive tennis," Federer said.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Jimenez among top golfers to tee off at the Indian Open golf

"I am very excited to play in the Indian Open. Golf in India has been growing, there is a lot of talent. I have seen Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar doing well at the EurAsia. I have heard a lot about India and I am looking forward to a good time in India," Jimenez, who has won 21 times on the Race to Dubai, said in a message.

The 51-year-old, who has represented Europe in the Ryder Cup on four occasions, was also the playing captain of the European Team at EurAsia Cup in Malaysia last year.

Jimenez will be a part of a strong field which is expected to include Bangladesh's Siddikur Rahman, who won the event in 2013, India's SSP Chowrasia and Anirban Lahiri, who were both tied second and Rashid Khan and Chiragh Kumar, who were tied fourth last year.

Even as entries continue to come in, some other top stars, such as Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa, the only three-time Indian winner of the Hero Indian Open, are also expected to participate.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Rashid Khan planning to secure European Tour card in 2015

"I am planning to go for European Tour qualifying in October this year," Rashid told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of Hero Indian Open, which will make its debut on the prestigious European Tour from February 19-22.

"I really want to get my ranking high to qualify for Olympics. We have Anirban (Lahiri). He has been playing very well for last couple of years. I have to play more Asian Tour event and that is reason, I will play may be just two or three events in India and spend more time in Asian Tour," he added.

The 23-year-old golfer won the SAIL-SBI Open and the Asian Tour's Chiangmai Golf Classic last year.

Talking about his victories, Rashid said: "I was not expecting to win two events in first year of Asian Tour. I barely made my cut in 2013. When I was playing in SBI Open, I thought that since I have done well here, coming close to winning it in 2013, I thought I can do better. I did well and it was a breakthrough win.

"The next win was in Thailand and it was a different feeling because you are competing against PGA Tour players. So, I really enjoyed the tournament," he added.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

India look for fresh start, take on England in tri-series game

In Brisbane, both sides will be looking to register their first win in this tournament with the hosts having stolen a march on them with two successive wins.

Australia beat England by three wickets in Sydney on Friday and then beat India by four wickets in Melbourne on Sunday.

They took a bonus point from the first game as well and sit pretty on nine points from two games. In this series, billed as the dress rehearsal for the upcoming ODI World Cup, these two sides will be keen to get a win under their belt.

India can take some solace from their match against Australia in the sense that they pushed the hosts a lot closer.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Ronaldo can overtake Messi to win more Ballon d'Or: Zidane

"Ronaldo will win more Ballons d'Or," he said on Monday. A week ago in Zurich, the 29-year-old Portuguese striker was crowned the world's best player of 2014 for the third time overall, leaving him just one behind his Argentine counterpart.

"What he's doing is from another planet. If this continues, he will improve even further and may end up winning more than Messi," said the iconic Zidane, 42, who's coaching Real reserves Castilla after retiring from soccer with Real, news agency reported.

The former France international had a lot to say about compatriot Karim Benzema, saying he's exceptional for Los Blancos.

"He is another very important player. Sometimes it is discussed whether to change to him to a No.9 for Madrid and it's wrong. All wrong," said Zidane.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Ajmal counts Pakistan out of World Cup semi-final race

Speaking on Geo Super channel, the seasoned campaigner tipped Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and India to be in the semi-finals.

"Pakistan's bowling is not strong for this tournament and if Muhammad Hafeez is also not cleared to bowl than our bowling is going to be tested a lot," he said.

Ajmal, who will fly to Chennai this week for the official ICC bowling assessment test to get his modified bowling action cleared, said that without him and Hafeez Pakistan has lost experienced bowlers in a mega event.

He said the Pakistan batsmen will have to perform extraordinarily well in all matches to give the team a strong chance of winning their matches. "But I still don't think Pakistan can be counted among the favorites to make the semi-finals. I see Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India in the top four because they are the teams in form at the moment."

Ajmal suspended from international cricket since last September said that the sort of form AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Brendon McCullum had shown in the run up to the World Cup indicated they were going to score in the mega event.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Pak players must be allowed to play in HIL: Sardar, Ajit

However, both Sardar and Ajit Pal said that the HIL officials must follow the Indian government's decision whether to allow the Pakistanis to play in the league.

"Pakistan have good players and they should be allowed to play in the HIL. Good players need to play in the league. But I also understand the situation and one must follow the government's stand on it," Sardar said during a promotional event of the Delhi Waveriders here on Monday.

Ajit Pal echoed similar sentiments, saying, "As a sportsman, I would say they should be allowed. But one must understand the situation."

As many as nine players from Pakistan had come to India for the inaugural edition of HIL in the year 2013, but they were forced to leave the country even before the start of the competition as there were protests from some political organisations.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Federer, Sharapova cruise at Open as Ivanovic crashes

Second seed Federer, third seed Nadal and sixth seed Andy Murray all enjoyed straight sets wins, with rising stars Simona Halep, Eugenie Bouchard and Grigor Dimitrov also progressing on a cool Melbourne day.

World number two Sharapova, looking for her first Australian title since 2008, swept aside Croat Petra Martic 6-4, 6-1.

"I made a few too many unforced errors but overall I'm glad I got through," said the Russian, adding that she was reaping the benefits of a strong lead up to the tournament when she won the Brisbane International.

It was a different story for fifth seed Ivanovic, a former world number one who came to Melbourne full of
confidence after a stellar 2014 that saw her climb the rankings.

She started well against unheralded world number 142 Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic, easily winning the first set, but then went to pieces, eventually crashing 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.

"I really struggled to find my rhythm today, I was just a little bit lost," said the stunned Serb, a perennial crowd favourite in Australia where she has family.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

3rd ODI: Stuart Binny strikes to scalp Moeen Ali early

Electing to bat on a bouncy Gabba pitch, India's top five batsmen were back in the dressing room by the 19th over with just 67 on board and they never recovered from there to be all out in just 39.3 overs. Binny, (44 off 55 balls, 3x4, 2x6) was the lone Indian batsman to show some resilience amid some poor shot selection by the rest of the line-up.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (34) and Binny made a valiant effort to revive the innings with a sixth wicket stand of 70 runs but once they were out, the tailenders could do little. Opener Ajinkya Rahana was the only top-order batsman who made a substantial contribution of 33.

For England whose bowlers bowled a stifling line and length with good use of bouncers, Finn took five wickets for 3 runs and he got ample support from Anderson who grabbed four Indian batsmen for 18 runs. Moeen Ali got the remaining one wicket.

Due to India's early dismissal, England started their chase and were placed at 41 for one after six overs at the scheduled break of play, with Ian Bell and James Taylor were the unbeaten batsmen at 28 and 3 respectively.

Binny was the wicket-taker so far having opened the bowling, with Moeen Ali (8) caught at mid-off in the third over.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Kane Williamson ton sees New Zealand to 2-1 series lead

Backed by lusty hitting from Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi, New Zealand overtook Sri Lanka's 276 with 11 balls to spare and move 2-1 ahead in the seven-match series.

In a tense finish New Zealand needed 47 off 36 balls when the 24-year-old Williamson was removed for 103, his fifth ODI century. Anderson was run out for 47 with New Zealand needing 32 runs with 26 balls left.

Up stepped Luke Ronchi to blast a rapid 32 including three sixes and Daniel Vettori hit a four as New Zealand finished with a flourish.

After losing the early wickets of Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor cheaply, an unflustered Williamson led the rescue mission, first in partnership with Grant Elliott and then with Anderson.

He brought up his century with a steady accumulation of singles, only reaching the boundary seven times with six fours and a six. But having attained the milestone he was bowled by Thisara Perera and Anderson vacated the field soon after.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Smith to captain Australia in next tri-series match

Smith's appointment was made following approval by CA's Board of Directors to a recommendation by the National Selection Panel.

Smith replaces George Bailey, who is suspended for Friday's match as punishment for the team maintaining a slow over-rate during Australia's four-wicket victory against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Smith will become Australia's 22nd One-Day International captain, although he led the side in three of the four Tests of the Commonwealth Bank Test series against India in December and January.

"Steven's appointment was a straightforward decision given the excellent impression he made in charge of the side during the Commonwealth Bank Test series when he stepped in for the injured Michael Clarke," National Selector Rodney Marsh said in a CA release.

"It is unfortunate for George Bailey that he will miss the match in his home state but in Steven we have a dynamic player who leads from the front, by example, and we look forward to him doing so again on Friday," he said.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Socceroos goalkeeper Ryan's stock rises and rises

Not that he is desperate to leave Club Brugge, where he signed a new four-year deal last November and retained the Belgium Pro League goalkeeper of the year title last month.

Also awarded the Harry Kewell medal for Australia's outstanding under-23 player of 2014, Ryan would probably be attracting the attention of the best clubs in Europe even if he was not playing so well at the Asian Cup.

With little to do in Australia's victories against Kuwait and Oman, Ryan showed the concentration required of the best goalkeepers by pulling a couple of saves out of the top drawer when play finally came his way.

There was disappointment in Australia's third match when the hosts lost 1-0 to South Korea but the Socceroos qualified comfortably enough for the knockout stages and face China in the quarter-finals in Brisbane on Thursday.

"The tournament for me personally has been great," Ryan said.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

Algeria and Senegal off to winning starts

Moussa Sow scored with the last kick of the game at the Estadio de Mongomo to see Senegal to a 2-1 win over Ghana while South Africa missed a penalty and scored an own goal as they allowed Algeria to fight back and win 3-1.

The victories left both Algeria and Senegal on course for a knockout place if they win their next group games on Friday.

Senegal were behind after just 13 minutes when their captain Bouna Coundoul brought down Christian Atsu and Andre Ayew converted the penalty.

But patient play allowed Senegal to take command in the second half as they out-muscled a Ghanaian side who had new coach Avram Grant in charge for the first time.

Mame Biriam Diouf grabbed the second half equaliser when he  reacted quickest to a rebound before Senegal snatched the win deep in stoppage time.

A long upfield punt by Coundoul fell kindly for substitute Henri Saivet, whose crisp one-two with Diouf released Sow in the heart of the penalty box and the striker gave goalkeeper Razak Brimah no chance with a first-time shot into the far corner.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

2nd ODI: Rohit's century goes in vain as Australia beat India by four-wicket

After opener Aaron Finch’s confident 96-run knock, Australia were placed comfortably at 216 for two in a chase of 268 but India staged a late comeback by taking three quick wickets.

India dismissed Steve Smith (47), Finch and George Bailey (5) in a gap of 23 balls to raise hopes of a turnaround but Brad Haddin (13) and James Faulkner (9) batted sensibly to deny India a dramatic finish.

The hosts ended at 269 for six in exactly 49 overs with Faulknar dispatching a Buvneshwar Kumar full-toss to boundary ropes for winning runs. Electing to bat India had posted 267 for eight, built around Sharma’s 138-run knock, his sixth One-day hundred. He blasted nine boundaries and four sixes in 139 balls to score his third century against Australia.

The Mumbaikar put on 126 runs for the fourth wicket with Suresh Raina (51) even as Australian paceman Mitchell Starc produced a fine bowling display to pick 6-43 in his 10 overs.

Australia began their chase in a confident manner with Finch and David Warner (24) putting on 51 for the first wicket. Umesh Yadav broke the stand by dismissing Warner but seasoned Shane Watson lent solidity to the Australian innings with his 41.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

De Villiers shatters record and West Indies in 2nd ODI

De Villiers raced to his century off 31 balls – five balls fewer than the previous record - on the way to an astonishing 149 off 44 balls.

With opening batsmen Hashim Amla and Rilee Rossouw also hitting centuries in a South African record first wicket stand, South Africa piled up a massive 439 for two.

The West Indies were never likely to chase down a world record target but managed a respectable 291 for seven to give South Africa a 148-run win and a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

The target was never likely to be within the reach of the West Indies, especially after big-hitting Chris Gayle was caught at deep midwicket off Morne Morkel for 19 in the fifth over.

Dwayne Smith, caught off a Morkel no-ball in the first over when he had four, made 64 off 65 balls and Denesh Ramdin contributed 57 off 55 deliveries.

Amla (153 not out) and Rossouw (128) put on 247 for the first wicket - a record partnership for any wicket for South Africa. Rossouw was dismissed off the third ball of the 39th over.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News

"Sachin: A Lens Story": A photo tribute to Tendulkar

Christened “Sachin: A Lens Story”, the show will feature as many as 60 photographs capturing the happy, emotional and pride moments of the sporting legend, especially regarding Team India’s 2011 World Cup victory and his retirement. The exhibition is being organised as part of the ‘Run Kerala Run’, a marathon to be held across the state on January 20 to create awareness about the 35th National Games which the state hosts.

Tendulkar, the Goodwill Ambassador of the Games, is expected to participate in the marathon and join the exhibition after that.

Clicked by R S Gopan, the chief news photographer of Malayala Manorama Daily, the photos will be displayed in a special thematic gallery at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

A self-confessed Tendulkar fan, Gopan has so far captured thousands of frames of the iconic player in his 14-years long career as a press photographer.

Gopan said he had been following the batting maestro for the past several years and the show is the outcome of his decade-long effort.

“The 60 pictures, to be exhibited, were handpicked from over thousands of Sachin photographs which I took. It was a bit herculean task. But, I focused on the photos related to Team India’s 2011 World Cup victory and Sachin’s retirement,” he said.

Source: ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 News