India’s Rohit Sharma burnished his reputation in limited-overs cricket with a second successive century, but could not stop Australia from winning the second one-dayer by seven wickets yesterday to consolidate their lead in the series.
For the second time in three days, India rode Rohit’s elegant century to post a 300-plus total before watching George Bailey help the hosts mount a clinical chase to put Australia 2-0 up in the five-match series.
Rohit showed the kind of form he is in, hitting a sparkling 124 and featuring in century stands with Test skipper Virat Kohli (59) and the selfless Ajinkya Rahane (89) to help India post 308-8.
Photo: AFP
Yet, the satisfaction of a team victory eluded him as Bailey (76 not out) saw Australia home after Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh had given the hosts a 145-run opening stand.
S Africa, ENGLAND
AP, JOHANNESBURG
Joe Root and Ben Stokes went on the attack with a rapid half-century partnership to propel England to 162-4 against South Africa in the third Test yesterday.
Root was 60 not out, and Stokes had clobbered six fours and a six in his 38 not out as England cut South Africa’s first-innings lead to 151 by tea.
Their fightback took England out of trouble at 91-4 when James Taylor fell to a juggled catch by Temba Bavuma at short-leg.
Debutant fast bowler Hardus Viljoen took a wicket with his first ball in test cricket for South Africa and Kagiso Rabada had 2-31 as the Proteas struck early blows in England’s reply.
NZ, PAKISTAN
Reuters
Paceman Mohammad Amir claimed a wicket on his return to international cricket following a five-year ban as Pakistan registered a 16-run victory over New Zealand in the first Twenty20 International in Auckland yesterday.
BANGLADESH
AP, KHULNA, Bangladesh
Bangladesh made a winning start to the year, beating Zimbabwe by four wickets in the first Twenty20 internationals yesterday.
Zimbabwe rode a 101-run partnership between Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda to pile up 163-7, but Bangladesh eclipsed it with 166-6.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but