30-07-2018

SPORTS
MONDAy, JULy 30, 2018
9
Bangladesh's players celebrate their 2-1 series win against West Indies on Saturday.
Photo: AP
Bangladesh still need to improve
says Mashrafe
Sports Desk: Bangladesh cannot lose
sight of their need to improve
consistently after the ODI series win
over West Indies, their captain
Mashrafe Mortaza has warned. The 18-
run win in Basseterre on Saturday
came after Tamim Iqbal,
Mahmudullah and Mashrafe combined
to put up a big score, before Rubel
Hossain and Mehidy Hasan Miraz took
key wickets to stall the home side's
progress, leaving Rovman Powell,
despite his big-hitting, too much to do
in the last 10 overs.
"If you consider the last three or four
months, we really needed to win this
series," Mashrafe said. "It is a good sign
ahead of the Asia Cup. But we have a lot
to improve. A series win isn't
everything. We have missed out on a lot
of areas. Rubel did exactly what the
team needed, which is a sign of our
improvement but we need them
consistently. We need to improve in our
batting too.
"I think we were still short by 20-25
runs. We should have taken an early
wicket because they have a top-heavy
line-up. Getting rid of [Evin] Lewis
early meant that Gayle had a bigger
challenge. He was going well but
Rubel's breakthrough eased it for the
rest of the bowlers. Getting regular
India awaits
Kohli magic
in England
Tests
Sports Desk: Virat Kohli
has plundered Test runs in
virtually every corner of
the cricket world but
England is a scoring desert
for India's superstar
captain ahead of a tricky
five-match series, reports
BSS.
He returned from his
first England series in
2014 with just 134 runs
from five Tests, unable to
counter swing bowlers.
India, with Mahendra
Singh Dhoni as captain,
lost the series 3-1.
The 29-year-old Kohli is
now back in England as
reigning International
Cricket Council player of the
year and the world's leading
batsman with an average of
over 53 in 66 Tests.
He has hit 301 runs in six
limited-overs matches on
the tour. India won the
Twenty20 series and lost
the
one-day
internationals, but Kohli
knows that his Test
performance - starting in
Edgbaston on Wednesday
Former India skipper
Mohammad Azharuddin
said Kohli is a completely
different batsman from
the last tour and an
exemplary leader of the
top-ranked Test side in the
world. "At that time, it was
his first tour… now he has
got so many runs behind
him and I think will
perform wonderfully
well," Azharuddin told
AFP.
"He has led India in so
many Test matches so I
don't think he will have
any pressure now as far as
leadership is concerned."
Kohli struggled against
seam bowlers in 2014 with
England paceman James
Anderson dismissing the
right-handed batsman
four times in the series.
wickets worked in our favour."
Mashrafe said the players had needed
a couple of days to get the three-run
loss in the second ODI out of their
systems, and the desire within the team
to bounce back was what helped them
in the third game.
"There's always an aftershock
[following such a close defeat]. We
regrouped in the two days in between,"
Mashrafe said. "We had optional
training, so only those who needed to
train went out.
"We said to each other that we
needed to use this last opportunity to
win the series. I think this win will be a
turning point for our mental strength."
Tamim Iqbal, who was adjudged
player of the match for his second
hundred in the ODI series and player of
the series for being the highest scorer
with 287 runs, said coming back after a
disastrous Test series made the ODI
series win more pleasing. Bangladesh
broke many unenviable records with
their batting performances in the two
Tests.
"It is a very pleasing win," he said. "I
think we won an ODI series [for the
first time] after 2016 although we won
matches during this period. It was very
important that we did well in the ODI
series after the way the Test matches
Sports Desk: Bowlers Kagiso Rabada and
Tabraiz Shamsi starred in South Africa's
convincing five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka
in the first one-day international in
Dambulla on Sunday, reports BSS.
Rabada and Shamsi claimed four wickets
each to help bowl out Sri Lanka for 193, a
total the visitors passed in just 31 overs to
take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
South Africa's chase depended on an 86-
run third-wicket stand between Quinton de
Kock and skipper Faf du Plessis, who both
hit 47.
Off spinner Akila Dananjaya struck at
crucial moments to get three wickets but
Jean-Paul Duminy ensured a swift chase
with his 32-ball unbeaten 53.
But it was a superb opening pace spell
from Rabada and Shamsi's career-best
figures of 4-33 with his left-arm wrist spin
that led South Africa to their first victory on
tour after being swept aside in a two-Test
series. Sri Lanka's innings lasted just 34.3
overs but batsman Kusal Perera hit a gritty
81 to lift the hosts from a precarious 36-5
following their decision to bat first.
Kusal, whose 72-ball stay included seven
fours and a six, put on a crucial 92-run sixthwicket
stand with Thisara Perera, who made
49 to give the team total some respect.
Kusal and Thisara counter-attacked to hit
went. "We came back strongly in the
first ODI and although we should have
won the second game too, nobody gave
up hope. I think it was the most
pleasing aspect. The best feeling is
when you score runs and your team
wins. I think my hard work paid off. I
was patient in all three matches."
After Tamim fell for 103, Bangladesh
needed to press on in the last 11.5 overs.
Mashrafe promoted himself to No 6,
adding 53 runs for the fifth wicket with
Mahmudullah. Bangladesh reaching a
300-plus total was only possible
through his 25-ball 36, and
Mahmudullah's unbeaten 49-ball 67.
Mashrafe said coach Steve Rhodes
wanted to start the big hitting from the
35th over, which is why Mashrafe
moved himself up- the order.
"Coach wanted to change the trigger
after 35 overs. So I told him that I should
go," Mashrafe said. "It would be harder
for a batsman to start hitting as there's a
value to his wicket. I thought I should
take the risk. Coached backed me.
"I always feel at ease seeing
[Mahmudullah] Riyad at the wicket.
We have had small partnerships in the
past. He has always done well in the
crisis moments. I think Tamim, Shakib,
Mushfiqur and Riyad were outstanding
in this series."
South Africa beat Sri
Lanka in 1st ODI
the South African bowlers to all parts of the
ground as Sri Lanka reached 100 in the 16th
over. The left-handed batting duo cashed in
on the inexperience of rookie pacemen
Willem Mulder and Andile Phehlukwayo as
they plundered runs.
But the introduction of spin in the 18th
over put Sri Lanka in trouble again. Shamsi
broke the dangerous partnership by getting
Thisara caught behind. Kusal kept up the
good work to get his fourth ODI fifty and got
support from Akila Dananjaya with a 38-run
partnership.
He finally fell to Shamsi after attempting a
reverse sweep to get caught at point and the
innings folded soon after. South Africa had a
wobbly start to their chase after opener
Hashim Amla and Aiden Markram fell to the
guile of Dananjaya, who opened the attack
for the hosts. The left-right batting
combination of de Kock and du Plessis
blunted Sri Lanka's spin threat with their
measured approach.
However de Kock and du Plessis were
denied their fifties after Dananjaya and leftarm
spinner Lakshan Sandakan got the
batsmen out respectively. Duminy, who hit
six fours and two sixes, kept calm to
complete his 26th ODI half-century and the
veteran left-hand batsman hit the winning
runs.
Kagiso Rabada celebrates a wicket in South Africa's comfortable ODI win
over Sri Lanka.
Photo: AP
Putin awards
Russia's chief
coach with
Alexander
Nevsky Order
Sports Desk: Russian
President Vladimir Putin
presented the coaching staff
and players of the national
football team with state
awards on Saturday, reports
BSS.
The Russian team's chief
coach Stanislav Cherchesov
was bestowed with the
Alexander Nevsky Order,
while the Order of Honor
was awarded to goalkeeper
Igor Akinfeev and central
defender
Sergey
Ignashevich.
Honorary certificates were
also given to other players
and coaches.
This summer Russia
hosted its first-ever FIFA
World Cup, which kicked off
in Moscow with a
remarkable opening show at
Luzhniki Stadium on the
evening of June 14 and
ended with a spectacular
final match, played also at
the Luzhniki Stadium,
where France confidently
defeated Croatia 4-2 to win
the much-coveted World
Cup Trophy.
The national football team
of hosts Russia managed to
make it to the quarterfinals
stage of this world
championship,
where
Croatia edged them out in a
4-3 penalty shootout win on
July 7 at the Fisht Arena in
Sochi. Earlier President
praised the performance of
the team and urged the
players to "keep the fighting
spirit" for the upcoming
football events.
Baker breaks
100m backstroke
world record
Sports Desk: Kathleen
Baker set a world record of
58.00sec Saturday to win
the 100m backstroke at the
US
swimming
championships, reports
BSS.
Baker, silver medalist in
the event at the 2016 Rio
Olympics, improved on the
world record of 58.10 set by
Canadian Kylie Masse at the
World Championships in
Budapest on July 25 of last
year. Baker, who tied for first
with Regan Smith in the
200m backstroke this week,
clocked a blistering 27.90sec
over the first 50m and held
on for the victory.
She notched the first world
record of the
championships, the
selection meeting for next
month's Pan Pacific
Championships in Tokyo.
Silva scores twice
as Man City rallies
to beat Bayern
Sports Desk: Pepe Guardiola finished
Manchester City's US tour with a deserved 3-
2 victory over former club Bayern Munich,
but his evening was soured with an injury to
new signing Riyad Mahrez, reports BSS.
Two goals from substitute Bernardo Silva
helped Manchester City come from 2-0
down to end a run of two defeats in this
International Champions Cup campaign
with youngster Lukas Nmecha scoring in
between.
Mahrez, however, went down twice with
what looked like an ankle problem.
He was eventually forced off after just 27
minutes and looked in discomfort.
With the traditional English season opener
- the Community Shield - taking place next
Sunday at Wembley against Chelsea, coach
Guardiola will assess the Algerian's fitness as
the start of the Premier League campaign
looms into view.
Meanwhile Guardiola's squad flew back to
Manchester at the end of the Saturday
match.
City's opening games against Borussia
Dortmund and Liverpool had both ended in
narrow defeats, but with Guardiola opting
for familiarity - eight players in the starting
lineup here had begun all three games of this
US tour - it was another young side full of
running.
"We analyzed our mistakes in the previous
games and did it better against Bayern
Munich," said Guardiola. "We were able to
play good and overcome the situation when
we were 2-0 down."
Bayern's main men Arjen Robben and
Franck Ribery looked dangerous on the ball,
yet with Mahrez afforded plenty of space in
midfield the English champions dominated
the early stages and really should have
opened the scoring.
Mahrez, who had already spent a few
minutes getting treatment after being
challenged, sent German-born City striker
Nmecha through only for his shot be saved
Rubel reprimanded
for breaching ICC
Code of Conduct
Sports Desk: Pacer Rubel Hossain has received an
official reprimand for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code
of Conduct during the deciding ODI against the West
Indies on Saturday, which the visitors won by 18 runs in
St Kitts to take the series by 2-1, said an ICC media
release yesterday, reports BSS.
Rubel was found to have breached Article 2.1.4 of the
ICC Code of Conduct for players and player Support
Personnel, which relates to "Using language or a gesture
that is obscene, offensive or insulting during an
international match".
In addition to the reprimand, one demerit point has
been added to the fast bowler's disciplinary record.
Rubel now has two demerit points after he had received
one demerit point for showing dissent during the
second T20I against Afghanistan in Dehradun in last
month. As such, he now has two demerit points against
his name.
The incident happened in the 28th over of the Windies'
run-chase when Rubel used an inappropriate word,
which was picked up by the stump mic, after Shimron
Hetmyer edged him for a boundary.
After the end of the match, Rubel admitted the offence
and accepted the sanction proposed by Chris Broad of
the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees and, as
such, there was no need for a formal hearing.
The charge was leveled by on-field umpires S. Ravi, and
Joel Wilson, third umpire Richard Illingworth Nigel
Duguid Marais Erasmus and fourth umpire Nick Cook.
Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official
reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a
player's match fee, and one or two demerit points.
by Sven Ulreich.
It wasn't long before Nmecha had the
opportunity to make amends as another
classy through ball from Mahrez set him free,
but this time he was denied by the post.
That was to prove a costly couple of misses
because on 14 minutes, Bayern were ahead.
The lively Rafinha found space on the right
and his cross was headed in by Meritan
Shabani.
It was a good team goal and on 23 minutes,
Ribery and Robben combined for number
two. The French midfielder's lofted through
ball found the Dutchman in the area and his
two touches - one to control and one to
expertly lift the ball past Claudio Bravo -
were top class.
And all of a sudden, a difficult evening for
Guardiola darkened on 27 minutes when
Mahrez was forced to leave the field with an
injured ankle.
"We will see, maybe it is not a problem,"
said Guardiola.
The Algerian limped off to be replaced by
Portuguese midfielder Silva, who scored the
goal his team's display had deserved on the
stroke of half-time.
The former Monaco star ran unchallenged
25 yards out and produced an excellent low,
curling finish leaving Ulreich with no chance.
The Bayern keeper was being kept busy
and on 51 minutes, he was picking the ball
out of the back of the net once more after
Silva fed Foden and when his curling shot
was parried, Nmecha was on hand to steer
home from close.
No-one could begrudge this young City
side a share of the spoils, but the game was
turned on its head with 20 minutes
remaining. A first City appearance for 17-
year-old Spanish attacking midfielder
Adrian Bernabe quickly resulted in a third
goal for Guardiola's side. The former
Barcelona youngster teed up Silva who
wriggled clear in the area before drilling low
past Ulreich for the winner.
Two goals from substitute Bernardo Silva (R) helped Manchester City
come from 2-0 down to end a run of two defeats in their International
Champions Cup campaign with a 3-2 win over Bayern Munich. Photo: AP
Say I'm your No.1: goalkeeper
Buffon faces fight at PSG
Sports Desk: Italy legend Gianluigi Buffon has a fight on
his hands for the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper's shirt as
coach Thomas Tuchel revealed he had not yet decided who
was his number one, reports BSS.
Buffon has made his first move abroad at the age of 40 but
faces stiff competition at the French club, which shares his
ambition of a first Champions League title.
Tuchel has an embarrassment of goalkeeping riches
including Alphonse Areola, a member of France's World
Cup-winning squad, German international Kevin Trapp,
Sebastien Cibois and Remy Descamps.
"He's (Buffon) not afraid to fight for his place, Kevin and
Alphonse are not afraid to fight for their place," Tuchel said
in Singapore, ahead of Monday's friendly with Atletico
Madrid. "This is the kind of competition that I would love to
have in every other position." The German added: "This is a
situation we need to handle relaxed but clearly. When
everybody is there and everybody has shown up and
everybody is healthy at the top level, then it's time to decide."
Buffon has not had the easiest of starts with PSG, shipping
four goals in his first two friendly appearances against
Bayern Munich and Arsenal. Buffon, who clocked up 656
appearances in 17 years at Juventus, insisted he never
expected simply to be handed a starting spot. "In 24 years of
my career, nobody has ever told me that I had the number
one shirt by right. It's come through hard training and being
selected based on merit," he said. "So I'll continue to do that
and also work towards developing the other goalkeepers in
the squad." The 2006 World Cup-winner also denied that the
chance of winning an elusive Champions League title was the
main motivation behind his move to PSG on a one-year deal.
"This decision was made so I could continue… to play at the
top level," he said. "I've always been excited by the thought of
a challenge abroad, a challenge as ambitious and important
as this one at Paris. "I think after 40 years in Italy, a change
will be good for me from a personal point of view as well as a
professional one."