CRICKET
Embuldeniya limits India
Sri Lanka spinner Lasith Embuldeniya had three wickets as the visitors made a strong start to the second Test in Bengaluru yesterday, bowling India out for 252 in the day-night match. Sri Lanka’s openers were walking out for their first innings at press time last night.
CRICKET
Khawaja powers Australia
Australia opener Usman Khawaja’s 127 not out powered the visitors on day 1 of the second Test against Pakistan in Karachi yesterday. The hosts claimed only three wickets as Australia reached to 251-3 at stumps.
BASKETBALL
Popovich gets 1,336th win
Gregg Popovich is the winningest coach in NBA regular-season history, getting his 1,336th victory when the San Antonio Spurs rallied to beat the Utah Jazz 104-102 on Friday. Popovich broke a tie with Don Nelson, the friend and mentor he served as an assistant under while with the Golden State Warriors for two seasons beginning in 1992. The milestone came in the 73-year-old Popovich’s 2,030th game and 26th season with the Spurs, the only franchise he has served as head coach for.
TENNIS
Murray outlasts Daniel
Andy Murray on Friday outlasted qualifier Taro Daniel 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open for his 700th career victory. “It does mean a lot to me because I know how difficult it’s been, certainly the last few years,” Murray said, referring to injuries and a COVID-19 infection. “When you look at the players that have done it, most of the players that are up there and have won that many matches are certainly the best players of the last sort of 30, 40 years.” In the women’ singles, Emma Raducanu beat Caroline Garcia 6-1, 3-6, 6-1. In the women’s doubles, Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and partner Magda Linette of Poland are to play Chinese duo Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan at about 6:45am today Taiwan time.
RUGBY UNION
Pohipi seals Chiefs win
Rameka Pohipi yesterday dived over in the left corner three minutes after the fulltime siren to give the Waikato Chiefs a 24-21 win over the Canterbury Crusaders in Super Rugby Pacific. The Crusaders led 21-10 with a try to Braydon Ennor in the 46th minute, but the Chiefs monopolized possession for the remainder of the match and gradually wore down the resolute defense of the Crusaders to achieve their first win in Christchurch in six years. In Australia, the Queensland Reds needed a late score to hold off the Fijian Drua 33-28 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
EUROPEAN SOCCER
Lille draw, lose Sanches
Defending champions Lille OSC on Friday drew 0-0 at home against AS Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 and lost key midfielder Renato Sanches to injury. The Portugal international went off midway through the first half with a left thigh injury. He is doubtful for the Champions League match at home against Chelsea on Wednesday, with Lille trailing 2-0 from the first leg in the round of 16. In La Liga, Atletico Madrid edged Cadiz 2-1 to move into third place and earn a morale boost ahead of their Champions League trip to play Manchester United.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
VALUABLE POINT: Relegation-threatened Valencia snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw at CA Osasuna thanks to a remarkable backheel volley by Umar Sadiq Barcelona on Sunday secured a comfortable 4-0 win over Real Sociedad to move back top of La Liga. Aritz Elustondo’s early red card gave Hansi Flick’s side a comfortable afternoon, with Gerard Martin, Marc Casado, Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski on the score sheet. Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao on Saturday to temporarily knock the Catalans from their perch, while Real Madrid, third, lost at Real Betis Balompie. Flick was able to rotate his side a little ahead of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 visit to face SL Benfica tomorrow and still move one point above Atletico. “There were a lot of things that
Former Australian motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer Ryan Peake, who served a lengthy jail term for assault, yesterday produced a “life-changing” maiden win to qualify for The Open Championship. Peake held his nerve for a one-stroke victory at the New Zealand Open, earning him a berth at the major in Portrush, Northern Ireland, in July, pending clearance to travel as a convicted criminal. The 31-year-old from Perth celebrated animatedly and was showered with champagne by friends on the 18th green of the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown after a redemption story rarely seen in the refined sport of golf. Peake held back tears as he
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