India clinch series
against Australia
Agence France-Presse . Nagpur
India capped a tight bowling display to record a crushing 172-run victory over Australia in their fourth and final Test and wrap up the series 2-0 here on Monday.
Australia were bowled out for 209 on the final afternoon as they chased an unlikely 382 to suffer their first Test series defeat since the 2005 Ashes in England.
It was also India’s first Test series win over Australia in seven years as they clinched the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Matthew Hayden alone sustained his team’s slim hopes with a bold 77.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was the highest wicket-taker with 4-64, while leg-spinner Amit Mishra (3-27) and fast bowler Ishant Sharma (2-31) provided valuable support.
‘Once they lost three wickets in the morning, we started smelling victory. We had our plans and executed them very well,’ said India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
‘It was worrying the way they started scoring in the morning, but we knew it would be difficult to sustain that kind of a scoring-rate.
‘Our fast bowlers did the trick, especially since there was nothing in the wicket for them. They were backed very well by spinners. All the bowlers shared responsibility. It was an outstanding team effort.’
Only three teams—the West Indies (v Australia in Antigua in 2003), India (v the West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1976) and Australia (v England in Leeds in 1948) — have chased more than 382 in the fourth innings to win a Test.
Australia’s chase was virtually over with the dismissal of Hayden, trapped leg-before by Harbhajan while attempting to turn the bowler on the on-side in the afternoon session.
Hayden had been looking dangerous with his exciting strokeplay, using his feet remarkably well against spinners and punishing fast bowlers in a 93-ball knock that contained one six and eight fours.
But he received little support from the other end as wickets kept falling. The tourists lost their last seven wickets for just 59 runs, leaving Cameron White the second-highest scorer with an unbeaten 26.
‘It would have been unbelievable if we had chased the target. It was achievable, but on a wearing wicket with quality spinners bowling, it was tough,’ said Australia captain Ricky Ponting.
‘We were not good enough here and in Mohali (where Australia lost by 320 runs). It has been a fair result. We played good cricket in Bangalore (first Test), but from there we have been chasing.
‘India played good cricket and their (defensive) tactics to slow us down on the third day, I think, was the turning point. We weren’t patient enough.
‘All the boys will learn from this. I am still learning and others will also learn what it takes to play good cricket in India.’
Australia had no option but to go for quick runs in a bid to square the series, but suffered a huge setback in the morning when they lost three big wickets.
They made 98 runs in the two-hour session despite India’s slow over-rate (21.3 overs), but lost overnight batsman Simon Katich (16), Ponting (eight) and an unwell Michael Clarke (22) who batted with a runner.
India set a defensive field in the initial overs and succeeded in getting the wicket of Katich, who top-edged a Sharma delivery while swinging across the line, with wicket-keeper Dhoni taking the catch.
Ponting failed to beat a Mishra direct-hit from mid-off while going for a risky single.
Hayden continued to defy the Indian attack, once stepping out to hoist part-time spinner Virender Sehwag for a six.
Brad Haddin (four) soon followed Hayden, giving Sachin Tendulkar his 100th Test catch at mid-on while attempting a big shot off Mishra.
Harbhajan sparked celebrations in the Indian camp when he trapped last-man Mitchell Johnson leg-before.
I want to cherish this for
a long period: Ganguly
Cricinfo
Speaking after his final day of international cricket, Sourav Ganguly has said his most significant contribution was to raise the image of Indian cricket by building a team that was competitive overseas.
‘During the phase from 2000 to 2005 [when he was captain], and it’s still going on now, Indian cricket’s image has gone up immensely, especially while touring,’ Ganguly said. ‘We were always termed as soft when we travelled. I think that has changed considerably. At the present moment India are a formidable side home and away.
‘I was lucky to have Sachin [Tendulkar], Rahul [Dravid], VVS Laxman, Anil [Kumble], [Virender] Sehwag and Harbhajan [Singh] probably playing their best cricket at that stage. We’ve always been a strong team at home. The overseas results I’ll always cherish.’
Under Ganguly’s captaincy, which began in November 2000, India won 11 Tests overseas including matches in Sri Lanka, West Indies, England, Australia and Pakistan. India’s success abroad has continued even after Ganguly’s tenure ended but he felt that the challenge for Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team now would be to continue winning after the retirements of key players. However, he felt Dhoni would be up to the task.
‘Captaincy is a spark, it’s not just preparation or the homework, it’s about the spark on the field, which MS [Dhoni] has,’ Ganguly said. ‘He’s got that extra bit of luck which you require in captaincy. I have never believed too much in the drawing board. I see a lot of that in MS Dhoni. He doesn’t believe much in team meetings and all. He just does what he sees on the field. He will be tested when India goes overseas and I’m sure he will live up to it.’
There was a lovely moment during the final passage of the Nagpur Test when Dhoni handed over the captaincy to Ganguly for some time. It was a magnificent gesture and fittingly, it was exactly eight years to the day since Ganguly had begun his tenure as captain in 2005.
‘I didn’t expect MS to ask me to captain the side for five overs,’ Ganguly said. ‘I was already switched off, so he woke me up. I didn’t know what was happening the first six seven balls. Luckily they were nine down so I managed to do it for three and then said it’s his job, not mine any more.’
Ganguly had been under tremendous scrutiny before the start of this series and his place in the squad was uncertain after he was left out of the Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy. However, he was named in the 15-man squad and he announced his retirement before the series began. Ganguly made valuable contributions during his final series, steering India to safety in Bangalore, scoring a century in Mohali, and 85 in the first innings of the Nagpur Test. He finished the series with 324 runs at an average of 54 and India regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
‘We’ve beaten the best team in the world 2-0,’ he said. ‘I’ve played well, the team’s played well. There were lot of doubts after we came back from Sri Lanka. The way this Test match finished … it’s probably one of the best finishes I’ve seen in terms of a team performance. I want to cherish this for a long period. I could easily sacrifice ten to 12 Tests for this.’
When asked which of the numerous series that he’s been involved in was the most memorable, Ganguly thought for a moment before picking out two of India’s best moments in this century: the 2000-01 home victory against Australia and the drawn series in Australia in 2003-04.
Was he disappointed with his first-ball duck his final innings? ‘I was disappointed with the 85 I got,’ Ganguly said. ‘I was so close to getting a hundred. That was more disappointing than the first-ball duck.’
Ganguly left a Test venue as an Indian cricketer for the final time on the shoulders of Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman but the dramatic scenes that played out after Kumble’s announcement in Delhi were absent. ‘This is my time to leave,’ he said, and he went quietly.
Ponting defends using part-timers
Agence France-Presse . Nagpur
Australia captain Ricky Ponting on Monday defended his controversial decision to use part-time bowlers at a crucial stage in the fourth and final Test against India here.
He was criticised for pressing part-timers Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke into the attack in a bid to make up for a slow over-rate on Sunday when India were struggling to set a stiff fourth-innings target.
The hosts were 166-6 at the tea break for an overall lead of 252 before skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh put on a vital 108 runs, taking advantage of the non-regular Australian bowlers.
Under the International Cricket Council regulations, a captain can face a ban for his team’s slow over-rate.
‘The thing I’m most disappointed about is that there seems to be this inference out there that I’ve put myself totally ahead of the team,’ Ponting said after his team’s 172-run defeat.
‘Anybody who knows me or knows the way I play my cricket or operate around the Australian team or any team would hopefully not say that’s the case. Nine overs to me is totally unacceptable. So, there’s a lesson in it for everyone.’
India eventually succeeded in setting a tough 382-run target for Australia, who were bowled out for 209 to lose the series 2-0. The two other matches were drawn.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said Monday he will seek an explanation from Ponting over his much-criticised bowling tactics in the final Test, after the captain received a lashing from the Australian media.
But Ponting remained defiant.
‘I’m a little bit disappointed with some of the criticism, particularly from former Australian captains,’ he said.
‘I had Jason Krejza bowling at one end and Cameron White, who had been the number one spinner in the first three Tests, operating from the other for a couple of overs. That didn’t work out the way I’d have liked.
‘In the situation when we were nine overs behind, as captain of the Australian team I feel I have a lot of responsbility to play the game in the right spirit. I have an obligation to try to bowl 90 overs in the day.’
Ponting conceded India played better cricket throughout the series.
‘This tour we have just been outplayed. India have been better than us in every aspect of the game. When we are outplayed I’ll always be the first to say we have been,’ said the Australian captain.
‘Coming here on the third morning, I was really positive but India adopted a certain style of play (defensive field placings) that made it very difficult for us and then chasing 382 today was exceptionally difficult.’
Ponting was all praise for debutant off-spinner Krejza, who finished the match with 12 wickets.
‘For someone to take 12 wickets on debut is a magnificent achievement. He has worked exceptionally hard,’ said Ponting.
‘He has been waiting for an opportunity and it presented itself in this last Test and he has stood up to be counted probably more than anybody else has in the whole series with his one opportunity.’
Krejza, 25, was named man of the match.
Barisal in driving seat
Staff Correspondent
Barisal were in the driving seat against Dhaka as they took a healthy 158-run first innings lead after dismissing Dhaka for 116 on the second day of the Ispahani Mirzapore Tea 10th National Cricket League fifth round at the Shaheed Chandu Stadium in Bogra on Monday. Chittagong rode on Foysal Hossain’s century to score 293 all out in their first innings against Sylhet at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium.
Barisal v Dhaka
Barisal resumed at 230 for 4 and lost the remaining six wickets to be all out for 274 in 110 overs. Opener Nasiruddin Faruq started with 106 added only three runs before being dismissed. His 264-ball innings featured 10 boundaries. Another overnight unbeaten batsman Raisul Islam contributed 39 runs. Elias Sunny claimed three more wickets to finish with 5-63 while Al Hamim took two wickets for 66 runs. In reply, Dhaka were bundled out for a paltry 116 runs in 45.2 overs. Middle-order Marshall Ayub’s 31 and Nadif Chowdhury’s not out 27 at the lower order were the notable scores. Pacer Talha Jubair picked up four wickets for 30 runs while new-ball bowler Sajedul Islam grabbed two wickets for 27 runs. Barisal scored 38 for 2 in 13 overs in their second innings at stumps on day two.
Chittagong v Sylhet
Hosts Chittagong started the day with 225 for 5 and managed 293 for all in 115.5 overs in the first innings. Middle-order batsman Foysal Hossain Dickens, who resumed at 85 runs, scored 129 runs off 267 balls with 21 boundaries. Opener Gazi Salauddin scored 50 runs, while Rezaul Karim made 31 with five fours.
Nabil Samad had an eight-wicket haul after he added four more on Monday to finish with 8-69 bowling 38.5 overs.
Sylhet scored 195-9 in 64 overs at the end of the day. Rajin Saleh’s 43, Saikat Ali’s 40 and Ejaz Ahmed’s 22 were the notable scores. Rashedur Rahman and Shubhashish Roy were batting with 29 and 4 runs.
Raihan Uddin and Mohammad Younus claimed two wickets each for 52 and 42 runs respectively.
Rajshahi v Khulna
Jahurul Islam scored 130 runs off 252 balls with 16 fours and a six to guide Rajshahi to 303 for five in 104 overs against Khulna at Khulna Divisional Stadium.
Earlier, Khulna made 229 runs in their first innings. Rajshahi skipper Anisur Rahman scored 67 runs with seven boundaries while all-rounder Sohrawardi Shuvo was unbeaten on 30 runs that included two fours and a six.
Pacer Ziaur Rahman picked up two wickets for 51 runs.
Chess team flies to Dresden today
Staff Correspondent
A 15-member Bangladesh chess squad will be flying to Dresden, Germany today to participate in the 38th Chess Olympiad starting on Wednesday. The biennial event this time is participated by a record 152 countries.
BRAC Bank, the development partner of the Bangladesh Chess Federation, has provided Tk 4,00,000 to chess federation for this purpose.
Grandmasters Ziaur Rahman, Enamul Hossain Razib and Abdullah al Rakib, FIDE Masters Abu Sufian Shakil and Minhajuddin Ahmed Sagar will be playing in the men’s opening event. International Women’s Master Rani Hamid, Women’s FIDE Masters Shamima Akhter Liza, Shabana Parvin Neepa and Tanima Parvin and Nazrana Khan Eva will be playing in the women’s event.
Czech Grandmaster Igor Rausis will act as coach of the men’s team while Mohammad Jahangir Islam will be the non-playing captain of the women’s team.
BCF member Shahidul Islam Miah will represent Bangladesh at the FIDE Congress and Professor Jahangir Chowdhury will also be with him. Harunur Rashid, the international adjudicator of the country, will also fly to Germany.
At a press conference at the NSC auditorium on Monday BCF general secretary Jamilur Rahman, BOA secretary general Kutubuddin Ahmed and head of marketing of BRAC Bank Abedur Rahman Sikder wished the best for the team.
Rusty Pakistan face West
Indies in Abu Dhabi
Agence France-Presse . Abu Dhabi
Pakistan hope they can shake off rustiness and put off-field problems behind them as they gear up for a one-day series against the West Indies starting here on Wednesday.
Shoaib Malik’s side is woefully short of match practice, having played just five one-dayers against strong opposition this year—four against India and one against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan were forced to host minnows Zimbabwe and Bangladesh for one-dayers after Australia, South Africa and New Zealand refused to tour the country due to security fears.
And the chance to test themselves against the world’s best in September’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan was denied as the tournament was postponed for the same reasons.
The refusal of the West Indies to play in Pakistan, also over security fears, forced the choice of the neutral venue of Abu Dhabi for the three-match series.
Cricket-starved Pakistan have also faced off-field problems, which led to the sacking of their Australian coach Geoff Lawson after just 13 months in the job. He was replaced last month by Intikhab Alam, a former Pakistan captain.
And Pakistan’s woes mounted when they lost prolific batsman Mohammad Yousuf, who was banned for joining the rebel Indian Cricket League earlier this month. He was initially named in the 15-member squad for this series.
Alam though is not perturbed over the lack of match practice.
‘We may have played less cricket but I don’t believe in such negatives. This is a very important series for us because after this we have India touring us and for that we need better rhythm,’ said Alam.
Pakistan host India for three Tests, five one-dayers and a Twenty20 match early next year.
Pakistan also had to leave out opener Nasir Namshed, who pulled out hours before the team’s departure due to lack of fitness. He was replaced by Khurrum Manzoor.
In contrast, a collection of West Indies players recently hit the jackpot when they thrashed the England Superstars in the Stanford Twenty20 finale in Antigua, earning millions of dollars in the process.
West Indies coach John Dyson said he hoped the series against Pakistan would help the team’s preparations for next month’s tour of New Zealand.
‘Newcomers Brendan Nash, Leon Johnson and Shawn Findlay showed they are ready to perform against Pakistan,’ he said.
Pakistan will be looking for an impressive performance from star paceman Shoaib Akhtar, yet to play a one-day international this year for fitness and disciplinary reasons.
Akhtar, with 219 wickets in 138 one-dayers, returned to the squad in August for a Twenty20 tournament in Canada.
‘Akhtar has overcome his problems and we hope he delivers for the team,’ said Alam.
Teams (from):
Pakistan: Shoaib Malik (capt), Salman Butt, Khurrum Manzoor, Khalid Latif, Younus Khan, Misbahul Haq, Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Umer Gul, Rao Iftikhar, Abdur Rauf, Saeed Ajmal, Sohail Tanveer, Fawad Alam
West Indies: Chris Gayle (capt), Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lionel Baker, Carlton Baugh, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Shawn Findlay, Leon Johnson, Xavier Marshall, Nikita Miller, Dave Mohammed, Brendan Nash, Daren Powell, Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor.
Booters take on Myanmar today
Staff Correspondent
Bangladesh face hosts Myanmar in the inaugural match of the six-team 3rd Grand Royal Challenge Cup at the National Stadium in Yangon today. The match kicks off at 3:00 pm (BST).
Bangladesh have been placed in group A with strong Indonesia and hosts Myanmar, while group B comprises Vietnam, Malaysia and Hyundai FC.
In the remaining group match, Bangladesh will play against Indonesia on November 13.
Bangladesh lost to Myanmar 1-2 in the 2005 edition of the competition and also lost 0-1 in the Merdeka Cup last month.
Ctg MSC beat Arambagh
Staff Correspondent
Chittagong Mohammedan prevailed in the home match registering a 1-0 victory over visiting Arambagh in the lone match of the Citycell B League at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong on Monday.
Rafael Sagno of Chittagong Mohammedan struck the matchwinner in the 63rd minute.
Chittagong Mohammedan took their tally to 13 points from eight matches while Arambagh remained on their previous six from the same number of outings.
Nat’l Swimming from Wednesday
Staff Correspondent
The Mercantile Bank 23rd National Swimming Championships start at the National Swimming Complex at Mirpur on Wednesday.
A total of 271 male and 77 female swimmers from 29 teams will compete in 41 events, including three diving and water polo events, in the three-day championships, sponsored by Mercantile Bank Ltd which has provided Tk 10,00,000 out of the total budget of Tk 11,00,000 for the meet.
Mahbubur Rahman Shahin, the newly-elected general secretary of the Bangladesh Swimming Federation, hoped to turn the meet into a hunting ground for new talents. ‘We are trying to spread swimming across the country and holding the national meet just after 11 days after taking charge of the federation,’ said Shahin.
The managing director of the Mercantile Bank, Dewan Mujibur Rahman, expressed his optimism of a successful meet. ‘As part of our corporate responsibility we have involved ourselves with swimming and we will be continuing our association in the future, we hope swimming will bring laurels for the country,’ said Mujibur Rahman.
Dewan Mujibur Rahman also declared awards of Tk 20,000 each for the best female and male swimmers, Tk 10,000 each for the rising star of both boys’ and girls’ sections.
BFF plans ‘Concert for Football’
Staff Correspondent
The Bangladesh Football Federation in a bid to raise funds for the development of football at the grass-root and youth levels has planned to organise ‘Concert for Football’ throughout the country in co-operation with Antor Showbiz, a leading event management firm of the country.
The BFF and Antor Showbiz signed an MOU at the BFF House in this regard on Monday.
The federation, realising that the fund provided by the FIFA and the AFC is not adequate for chalking up a good development programme, took the initiative to build its own fund. For the first time in the history the BFF is going to stage a concert in each of the 64 districts and the six divisional headquarters.
BFF president Kazi Salahuddin was in buoyant mood when declaring the programme at a press conference on Monday. ‘Development in the youth sector is the prime objective of our federation and running the programme throughout the year requires a lot of money, we will use the fund only for football development and not for the league or any tournament,’ said Salahuddin.
‘We will also finalise a long-term development programme in January, 2009 and from then on it will run on its own, we have already started a U-18 camp and are looking forward to increasing the number of players to 60 from the present 30, within three years we hope to see some quality footballers,’ said Salahuddin.
Swapan Chowdhury, the chairman of Antor Shwobiz, assured that all the leading performers will be joining the effort. ‘We hope to start the programme from Chittagong on November 27 and it will continue up to April 14, 2009. Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be our concert days and we hope to stage the concert with all the leading performers like James, Ayub Bachchu, Momtaz and Mila,’ said Swapan.
Swapan hoped that he would be able to provide Tk 2 crore to the federation coffers. The BFF will get 60 per cent of the net profit from the concerts and Antor Showbiz will take 40 per cent.
BFF vice-presidents Monjur Hossain Malu, Shawkat Ali Khan Jahangir and Kazi Nabil and members Anwarul Huq Helal and Golam Rabbani Helal were also present at the press conference.
Symonds back in Australian team
Agence France-Presse . Sydney
Errant all-rounder Andrew Symonds has returned to the Australian team, ending his forced exile, Cricket Australia said Monday.
Symonds was included in an Australian team for an exhibition Twenty20 match against an all-star side in Brisbane on Friday.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said Symonds, punished for missing a team meeting during the Bangladesh one-day series to go fishing in Darwin in August, had done what was necessary off the field to earn his way back.
‘He has made significant progress during his enforced lay-off and we are happy that he is now available to be selected for Australia again,’ Sutherland said in a statement.
‘When he is up and firing, he is one of the very best players in the world and I’m delighted that he will play in the All-Star Twenty20 match and wish him well.’
Asked by reporters if he was on his last chance, Symonds said: ‘I would have thought so - if I make another mistake, it’s not going to be a pretty ending and I realise that.
‘I’ve got to be careful, but at the same time I’ve still got to be the player and person (who) plays my best cricket.’
Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said he was advised by CA last week to consider Symonds for selection.
‘CA advised that Andrew had completed the welfare process he has been undertaking over recent times and it was with great pleasure that we were able to select him for this game,’ Hilditch said.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting, along with pacemen Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Stuart Clark will be rested from the game.
‘The selectors, after consultation with our medical and coaching staff, have decided that after a tough tour of India a number of players will have their workloads monitored and managed,’ Hilditch said.
Express fast bowler Shaun Tait was also named in the Australian team, the first step back towards international cricket for the South Australian after he took a break from the sport in January citing stress and exhaustion.
‘Shaun is a dynamic bowler in all forms of the game and given his outstanding performances in interstate one-day cricket, we feel he is ideally suited to the Twenty20 format,’ Hilditch said.
Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist will lead the All-Stars, whose squad includes former Australian opener Justin Langer.
The Australian team (from): Michael Clarke (captain), Michael Hussey, Brett Geeves, Brad Haddin, Matthew Hayden, David Hussey, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Andrew Symonds, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson, Cameron White.
Simon piles on woe for Federer
Agence France-Presse . Shanghai
Top seed Roger Federer was shocked by Gilles Simon of France on Monday, denting his bid for a Masters Cup hat-trick and adding more woe to his troubled season.
Federer, who withdrew from the Paris Masters with a back injury, was sublime in the first set but then lost his way as Simon won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 to make it two wins out of two against the ex-number one.
‘I didn’t serve full-blast, especially from the start. I don’t know if that cost me the match,’ said the Swiss.
‘I was still in a position to win. It was just a pity I couldn’t get to the finish line.’
It was Federer’s 14th defeat in a season in which he lost his five-year Wimbledon streak and then four-and-a-half-year top ranking to Rafael Nadal.
He also flopped in the Beijing Olympic singles but took doubles gold and claimed his 13th Grand Slam title at the US Open, closing on Pete Sampras’s record of 14.
The 27-year-old was beaten in his first round-robin match here last year, by Fernando Gonzalez, but came back to clinch his second consecutive Masters Cup title and fourth overall.
‘I’m going to go match by match. That’s the only way to go here anyway,’ Federer said.
‘But at least it’s the only tournament where I have a chance after losing in the first round. So again, I’m happy it happened here.’
He started like the Federer of old and waltzed through the opening set, going a break up and then coolly acing the first set point. Simon was a break down early in the second before he found his feet, breaking back and then forcing three more break points in the seventh game.
He levelled the match on another superb break point, out-volleying the sprawling Federer at the net.
Simon looked to have let his chance slip when he wasted three break points in the third set but he pounced in the seventh game and then aced his first match point.
‘I’m very happy and very exhausted,’ said the 23-year-old. ‘It was a very long match but I played my best tennis in the last two sets.’
Federer, who has been taking painkillers and getting daily treatment on his strained back, said he was not troubled by the problem but played with less aggression than usual. ‘I had matches in Basel I was serving 15 aces. Here I was serving three aces. Definitely it was a factor today,’ he said.
‘I was just being cautious and then on top of that just not feeling it well. I haven’t been serving much all week, maybe 50 serves in the last nine days.’
Federer is still in the running for his fifth year-end title with Red Group matches against Andy Murray and Andy Roddick to come. Simon, the world number nine, is making his debut at the elite eight-man tournament after Nadal pulled out citing fatigue and tendinitis.
He also won their first career meeting at Toronto in July, which was Federer’s first match after the epic Wimbledon final against Nadal.
Venus bags maiden year-end win
Agence France-Presse . Doha
Venus Williams won her biggest title outside of Wimbledon for seven years when she captured the WTA Tour’s year-end event for the first time here on Sunday.
Williams’ 6-7 (5/7), 6-0, 6-2 win over Vera Zvonareva, the week’s surprise packet, in the final of the Sony Ericsson championships, proved that she is still a major force on surfaces other than grass.
Although the five times Wimbledon champion was often not at her best, and somtimes laboured to impose her heavy game on her opponent, there was no doubting her fight or her ability to figure out a way to win.
She also proved to have the greater stamina because well before the end Zvonareva, who has clocked up 27 matches since the US Open and played eight tournaments in nine weeks, was spent.
Near the end she collapsed on the ground and burst into sobbing, apparently because of the exhaustion which was diminishing her brilliantly rhythmic ground strokes.
‘It was a hard fought match right down to the end,’ reckoned Williams, though that hardly looked the case. ‘I am so excited. I wanted it so bad.’
Asked how she recovered from her first set setback, when she had a long lead in the tie-break only to lose it and then lose the set on an unlucky net cord, Williams said: ‘That’s tennis.
‘Sometimes it goes your way and then all of a sudden in comes crashing down.
‘It’s been a pretty good year for me. Next year I hope I can stay healthy and I can go higher,’ added Venus, who will finish the year as world number six. Zvonareva will be seven, her highest ever.
Williams began sluggishly, perhaps suffering lingering effects from the tough match in which she beat world number one Jelena Jankovic the previous day.
She lacked penetration off the ground, and the more she sought to generate pace, the noisier she became with her gasp-grunts.
Dhoni carries forward
Ganguly’s flame
Cricinfo
Exactly eight years to the day since he first captained India in a Test, against Bangladesh in Dhaka, Sourav Ganguly marshalled the resources one last time. The ninth Australian wicket had fallen and the fielders were hovering around Cameron White and Mitchell Johnson with Harbhajan Singh and Amit Mishra having scripted a dramatic post-lunch collapse. It was a remarkable gesture from Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and it said much about how quickly he has grown into the job. A less secure man would have wanted to hog the limelight, but by ceding space to one of Indian cricket’s all-time greats for a couple of overs, Dhoni showed just how aware he was of the bigger picture.
It came through in the tactics he employed as well. There had been scathing comments made about the 8-1 fields and wide bowling on the third morning, but there was tacit acknowledgement from Ricky Ponting that he would have loved it if his bowlers could have exercised similar control. Dhoni may have re-ignited debates about the spirit of cricket and a win-at-all-costs mentality, but as far as the team was concerned, eight wickets for 166 runs in a full day on a batsman-friendly pitch was nothing to sneeze at.
‘He has that extra bit of luck you need,’ said Ganguly later, and he wasn’t being uncharitable. There were moments in the match when Dhoni’s leadership appeared bereft of direction, but then something would happen that made you forget what had preceded it. So it was on Monday afternoon with Matthew Hayden flailing away at the bowling with the air of a man who refused to countenance defeat. Runs were being leaked at an alarming rate and there were no close catchers for either Hayden or Michael Hussey as Dhoni concentrated on cutting off the fours.
Then, he threw the ball to Mishra. The game changed. His fourth ball from round the wicket was a perfectly pitched topspinner that reared up like many a Kumble special had over the previous two decades. All Hussey could do was lob to slip, and the mini-crisis was over. Hayden then tried to improvise once too often against Harbhajan and after that, the outcome of the match was in no doubt.
The early belligerence from Australia, and Hayden in particular, had pushed Dhoni on to the defensive quickly. Ishant Sharma, the standout bowler of the series, bowled to an 8-1 field against Simon Katich, and had seven on the off side for Hayden. But with plenty of runs being surrendered behind the wicket, Zaheer’s opening spell of six overs cost 44 runs.
Again, Dhoni came up with the right change. Stroke of genius or plain luck, Harbhajan’s arrival at the bowling crease changed things. Dhoni put down a chance off the second ball he bowled, but there was an element of recklessness in Hayden’s approach that made India believe that playing the patience game would bring about a breakthrough.
India managed just 21.3 overs in that first session, and the shadow cast by dismal over-rates that caused Ponting to take his eye off the ball on the fourth evening appeared to affect Dhoni too. With Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan bowling offspin in tandem, Hayden was only too happy to tee off, especially with the variety of sweeps that caused such devastation back in 2001.
Dhoni though never loses his cool. The field went out, the game seemed to drift and then Mishra came on. It was almost as though Australia had been lulled into a false sense of security and then struck with an upper-cut. Within minutes, the fielders were swarming around the bat and the men-on-the-rope tactics quickly forgotten. Mishra was far too much for the tail to handle, and there was just enough uneven bounce to make Harbhajan dastardly difficult to play.
‘There will be greater tests for MS, especially when he takes the team abroad,’ said Ganguly afterwards. It was a quiet reminder to everyone of just how hapless India once were when they left home comforts behind. But though Dhoni may not quite have been Safe Hands behind the stumps in this game, there’s enough intuition and spark in his leadership to suggest that Indian cricket’s future could be very bright indeed.
At the start of the millennium, Ganguly started the journey to ‘raise Indian cricket’s profile overseas’. For 10 minutes this afternoon just before a famous triumph was clinched, the past and future were intertwined. In so many ways, Dhoni is the best man to carry forward the Ganguly flame. These could well be the best of times.
Sunny beats Faizan
United News of Bangladesh . Dhaka
Omar Faruk Sunny of Bangladesh beat Faizan Khurram of Pakistan by 6-2, 6-1 sets in the singles event of the 1st Junior South Asian Tennis Championship at the National Tennis Complex at city’s Ramna Monday.
In another match, Mofazzal Hossain from Bangladesh lost to Heera Ashiq of Pakistan by 1-6, 3-6 sets. In the day’s other matches, Thuruna Eshwaratge of Sri Lanka beat Diwakar Ojha of Nepal 6-0, 6-0 while Arvind Fernando of Sri Lanka defeated Suyash Rajbhandari of Nepal, also 6-0, 6-0.
Wenger’s young guns can build
on United victory
Agence France-Presse . London
Arsene Wenger expects his young guns to build on the momentum created by Arsenal’s stunning win over Manchester United when they face Wigan in the League Cup fourth round today.
Wenger uses the competition as a way of grooming his emerging talents for the Premier League, and last time out in this tournament they beat strong Championship side Sheffield United 6-0.
Supporters watched in delight at the weekend as Arsenal beat English and European champions Manchester United 2-1, but the same fans will gather at the Emirates Stadium in hope of seeing another thrilling night of football from an almost entirely different set of players.
One of the players called upon will be Carlos Vela, the 19-year-old Mexican who scored a hat-trick in that success over Sheffield United.
Nicklas Bendtner is likely to play beside him in attack, and is looking forward to creating an exciting partnership.
‘Carlos works hard and is a really good finisher,’ Bendtner said. ‘I think we combine really well, we played a lot together during pre-season. We are delighted to have him here.’
Wenger has no fears over using this fixture to give his more experienced players a well earned rest.
Only goalkeeper Lukasz Fanianski and midfield players Alex Song and Denilson are likely to feature from the side that beat United.
‘The team shows a good mixture of talent,’ Wenger said. ‘They also show a mature collective spirit to play the way we want to play.
‘I am very proud of that. We looked strong when we played against Sheffield United in every individual position, and that takes a lot of hard work.
‘I would not be afraid to use any of my young learning their jobs.’
Englishman Jack Wilshere, 16, is another player who will get a chance to prove himself to the home supporters.
‘He’s already well known,’ added Wenger. ‘We have seen the level he is capable of already but I try to play it down. The talent is there, and the spirit too. He has an exceptional future ahead.’
Wigan have collected just one victory from their last six outings. The Latics have played Arsenal eight times, and only once have they come away with a victory.
The visitors do not have the luxury of being able to field a completely different team from the one which drew with Stoke City at the weekend, but they will be without England international Emile Heskey for the Emirates trip after he suffered a hamstring injury.
Henri Camara is now expected to make his first start for the club since he began in the League Cup win over Notts County back in August.
The Senegalese international is in no doubt that he can handle the match if manager Steve Bruce decides to give him an opportunity.
Ribery fires Bayern to within
point of leaders
Agence France-Presse . Berlin
French star Franck Ribery scored his fourth goal in four consecutive league games on Sunday to seal a 2-1 win at Schalke 04 to put defending champions Bayern Munich in touch with the leaders.
Despite missing the first five games of the season after damaging ankle ligaments playing for France against Italy during Euo 2008 in June, Ribery is back to his best and his first-half strike in Gelsenkirchen put Bayern third.
‘That was world-class! You won’t see better than that,’ pundit and Bayern president Franz Beckenbauer told German channel Premiere after watching Ribery.
Hoffenheim dropped to second in the table by virtue of their 1-0 defeat at Hertha Berlin on Sunday as Bayer Leverkusen took over as league leaders with a superior goal difference.
But with five wins from their last five league games, defending champions Bayern are now on 24 points just one behind Hoffenheim and Bayer.
Last month’s slump—which saw them drop to 11th in the table—now looks a thing of the past.
‘We are very content to drive home with three points,’ said Bayern coach Jurgen Klinsmann. ‘Schalke put us under a lot of pressure in the first half.
‘We had to correct a few things tactically in the break and afterwards the team was much more compact and things worked better.
‘We want to be top of the league as fast as possible, the points will come our way, it is just a question of time.’
Bayern took the lead as early as the third minute when Italian World Cup winner Luca Toni, back from a rib injury, combined with Munich captain Mark van Bommel and fired home from close range.
Schalke replied almost immediately when striker Jefferson Farfan converted a pass from Brazilian Rafinha and slotted his shot past Bayern goalkeeper Michael Rensing after five minutes.
The best goal of the game came when Ribery linked up with Brazilian midfielder Ze Roberto and scored on 31 minutes after some quick passing to give the guests the three points.
Having won their previous five league games, Hoffenheim were brought back to earth when they were lost 1-0 to Hertha Berlin at the Olympic Stadium.
Terrible defending by Hoffenheim gave Hertha’s former Liverpool striker Andriy Voronin a simple one-on-one with the Berlin goalkeeper on 70 minutes and he made no mistake to put Hertha fifth.
And Germany striker Mario Gomez scored a late header to seal a 2-2 draw for VfB Stuttgart against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Anderson ready to be
Fergie’s next gem
Agence France-Presse . Manchester
Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Anderson to become Manchester United’s next midfield legend as he prepares to unleash the Brazilian and his fellow Old Trafford young guns against Queen’s Park Rangers today.
The Premier League champions, stung by Saturday’s 2-1 league defeat against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, face Championship outfit QPR in the League Cup fourth round with boss Ferguson ready to rest his established stars.
Promising youngsters Jonny Evans, Rodrigo Possebon, Darron Gibson and Danny Welbeck are all set to be handed the chance to shine.
But Ferguson admits that 20-year-old Anderson, a 19 million pounds buy from Porto 18 months ago, is the player that he has the highest hopes for amongst his young crop when it comes to emulating the likes of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes.
Ferguson said: ‘Anderson is a different type of player altogether to Roy Keane, but when you are looking for that central midfield player - we’ve got Scholes who is coming to the end of his career, Roy Keane has left us to try his hand at management - you say, ‘who is going to function for Manchester United?’
‘Then a 19-year-old lad comes in and you see his performance level. You know he is going to become a terrific player and life moves on. United move on, it’s inevitable.
‘Our style has changed over the last few years. We’ve got different types of players to ten years ago, so you cannot replicate every team with identical players.
‘When I first came here they used to say Bryan Robson was king and you cannot win a game without him. I began to believe it as well because we didn’t operate as well without him.
‘We had to change the mentality - change the mental toughness. They thought you could never find another Robson, but then Roy Keane came along and filled the breach marvellously.
‘Then they thought you would never get another Keane, but then someone like Anderson steps through the door and the cycle just keeps going.’
United crashed out of the League Cup to Coventry City last season after Ferguson rested his first-team stars in favour of handing his youngsters valuable experience.
The experiment backfired, however, and two Michael Mifsud goals sealed a famous 2-0 victory for the Sky Blues at Old Trafford.
Iain Dowie, who guided Coventry to that giant-killing, misses out on the chance to repeat the feat with QPR having been sacked by the west London club last month.
Caretaker-manager Gareth Ainsworth is set to remain in charge for the trip to Old Trafford after inspiring his team to a 1-0 weekend win against Cardiff City.
But the former QPR midfielder admits that the glamour clash against the European champions has barely been mentioned at Loftus Road since the draw was made last month.
Ainsworth said: ‘The United game has not been in my thoughts because we have had enough to focus on with the league games.
‘The players discussed it when the draw was made, but now that the Cardiff game is out of the way, we can all start planning for Old Trafford.’
Aussie press slams
Ponting tactics
Agence France-Presse . Sydney
Australian press Monday criticised Ricky Ponting for worrying more about his own threatened suspension than his team’s chances of levelling the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India.
Cricket writers and commentators were stunned by what they saw as his efforts to improve Australia’s sluggish over rate rather than going for broke to try and win the vital Nagpur Test.
Reports said Ponting eased the pressure on India when he pressed part-time slow bowlers Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke into the attack in the final session of the fourth day’s play, apparently to make up for a slow over rate.
Under International Cricket Council regulations, a captain can face a ban for his team’s slow over-rate.
One writer described it as Ponting’s worst day as national captain.
‘Ricky Ponting had every reason to hang his head in shame after allowing India to escape the noose in the crunch fourth Test,’ The Daily Telegraph’s Jon Pierik said.
‘In his most embarrassing moment in his 48th Test as Test captain in five years in charge, Ponting opted to worry more about improving Australia’s sluggish over rate than going for broke to try and snare a must-win match when a result was clearly on the line.
‘Ponting—amazingly—was more concerned about being suspended for next week’s first Test against cricketing backwater New Zealand at the Gabba.’
The Australian’s Malcolm Conn wrote: ‘In what must surely be Ricky Ponting’s worst day as national captain he may have cost Australia the Border-Gavaskar Trophy by attempting to save himself from suspension.’
In the television commentary box at the ground, Allan Border, the former Australian captain whose name adorns the trophy, was incredulous.
‘I don’t know what to make of all this. They go into the tea break on a high and come out worrying about over rates,’ Border said on air. ‘I am glad Ricky can’t read my mind right now because he is not going to like it.’
The Sydney Morning Herald’s cricket columnist Peter Roebuck said it was one of the most baffling displays of captaincy seen in the long and proud history of Australian cricket.
Hughes backed by City chairman
Agence France-Presse . Manchester
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has been told he has the ‘highest regard’ of the Premier League club’s Abu Dhabi owners by chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
The two men met before the 2-1 home defeat by Tottenham on Sunday - a result that meant City had won just one of their last seven league games and were now just one point above the relegation zone.
But Al Mubarak, who saw that match, insisted suggestions former Wales and Blackburn boss Hughes’s position was under threat were ridiculous.
We are calm and under control and we on the board have the highest regard for Mark,’ he told the club’s website, mcfc.co.uk, on Monday.
‘I am personally committed to him as I am committed to the partnership between executive chairman Garry Cook, Mark and myself.
‘This is a winning team that is going through a learning curve right now.
‘Thankfully I do not read the newspapers that are saying he is under pressure but I find it incredible.
‘I am told that there are reports that we are associated with two different coaches and that we are about to sign them. It is rubbish.’
Hughes, speaking after Sunday’s loss, said: ‘The chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, was over at my house last night and we had a great meeting.
Al Mubarak also said Monday that he and the Abu Dhabi United Group were committed to a 10-year plan for City and would put funds in place to bring in new players during the January transfer window.
‘While January is going to be an interesting opportunity for Mark to improve the team, this is an exciting dynasty we are building and we are only in the first two months.
‘I think people will see then that we have good foundations in place in the team, we have a good coach and that we will be upgrading in terms of players. Hopefully the results will come.’
Meanwhile the Football Association have confirmed that City captain Richard Dunne and Gelson Fernandes, both sent-off against Tottenham, will receive one-match bans, meaning they will miss Sunday’s league match against Hull.
Drogba returns to bolster Chelsea
Agence France-Presse . Blackburn
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is set to step up his return from a knee problem when the Blues take on Burnley in the League Cup on Wednesday.
Drogba, 30, has made two substitute appearances - in the 5-0 win over Sunderland and the 3-1 defeat to Roma - since suffering the injury in a goalless draw with CFR Cluj at the start of October.
The Ivory Coast star was left out of Chelsea’s 18-man squad for the 2-0 victory at Blackburn on Sunday, but assistant manager Ray Wilkins played down any fears that Drogba had suffered a set-back.
Drogba who has yet to score this season, is likely to be given a run-out against the Championship team Burnley at Stamford Bridge in midweek.
Wilkins also revealed that England midfielder Joe Cole, who has endured a stop-start season with a series of minor injuries could also be in line to face the Clarets as he works his way back from a hamstring problem.
He said: ‘Didier has been out for quite a period. We brought him back for a couple of little run-outs but he’s still not quite feeling good enough to come back into the fold so we thought it was best to leave him behind but I’m sure that he’ll be ready very shortly.
‘There’s no setback, he just doesn’t feel that he’s ready to crack on 100 per cent. There’s every chance he could be considered on Wednesday and Joe as well.
‘He’s had a little stiffness in the right hamstring but he’s been out for three weeks and when you’re coming back you tend to pick up a few little injuries.
‘Joe hasn’t really had a fantastic recuperation period. He’s done a lot of hard work, trying to get himself back fit but he’s put himself to the fore for us and made himself available when he wasn’t quite 100 percent fit and we’re delighted with that because he’s shown great spirit.’
That Chelsea are still top of the table even without Drogba is testament to the season being enjoyed by Nicolas Anelka.
The Frenchman, who only joined the Blues in January, took his tally to 11 goals for the season by scoring both goals in the win at Blackburn, which took the Blues back above Liverpool at the top of the Premier League on goal difference.
And Wilkins feels the France striker, who is with the eighth club of his career and has scored six goals in his last four appearances, is showing he can adapt to the role of a lone striker.
He added: ‘He’s doing a fantastic job and he was exceptional against Blackburn.
‘He’s worked extremely hard at his game and it’s not his game to play up there on his own and bring people into the game and hold the ball up, but he’s worked very hard at that aspect of his game and thankfully for him he’s managed to knock in a few as well.’
Anelka gives Scolari perfect
birthday gift
Agence France-Presse . London
Chelsea gave Luiz Felipe Scolari the perfect birthday present as the Blues returned to the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win against Blackburn on Sunday.
Less than 24 hours after being knocked out of first place by Liverpool, Scolari’s side were back in pole position thanks to Nicolas Anelka’s double-strike at rain-lashed Ewood Park.
Chelsea, who lead Liverpool on goal difference, went ahead when Jose Bosingwa’s long-range strike hit Anelka on the leg and trickled into the net past wrong-footed Rovers keeper Paul Robinson.
Anelka added a second in the 68th minute when he flicked his shot over Robinson from Frank Lampard’s pass.
That was enough to ensure Scolari’s 60th birthday celebrations went with a swing as Chelsea equalled a Premier League and club record of nine successive away wins.
Tottenham climbed out of the relegation zone after Darren Bent’s two-goal blast earned a 2-1 win against nine-man Manchester City.
The north London club’s remarkable resurgence under new manager Harry Redknapp continued at Eastlands even though they fell behind to Robinho’s close-range finish after 16 minutes.
The momentum swung Tottenham’s way when City were reduced to 10 men in the 26th minute. Gelson Fernandes, who had already been booked, was the player dismissed after a lunge on David Bentley.
Redknapp’s side took full advantage as Bent pounced on Richard Dunne’s mistake to level three minutes later.
Bent won it in the 64th minute when he buried a pass from Jermaine Jenas to take his goal tally to five in his last six games.
City’s dismal day was complete when Dunne was dismissed in the 83rd minute for professional foul.
Tottenham left-back Benoit Assou-Ekotto was also sent off in stoppage time but even that couldn’t prevent Mark Hughes’ side slumping to their third successive defeat.
Tuncay Sanli hit a late winner as Middlesbrough shocked Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park. Turkey forward Tuncay put Gareth Southgate’s team into the lead when he slammed in Stewart Downing’s cross after 34 minutes.
The visitors’ advantage was short-lived as Steve Sidwell equalised three minutes later with a header from James Milner’s cross.
Tuncay had the last word in the 88th minute when he seized on Sidwell’s woeful back-pass and stroked his shot past Brad Friedel to hand fifth-placed Villa a second successive defeat.
Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy dumped Newcastle back into the bottom three as his 100th career goal clinched a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage.
Andrew Johnson put Fulham in front after 23 minutes with a cool finish after Newcastle defender Claudio Cacapa headed a clearance against team-mate Fabricio Coloccini.
Ameobi put Newcastle back on level terms in the 57th minute when he met Damien Duff’s deflected cross with a close-range strike. But Coloccini’s clumsy tackle on Johnson gifted Fulham a penalty in the 66th minute. Murphy stepped up to restore the Cottagers’ lead and lift them out of the relegation zone at Newcastle’s expense.
Higuain sheds supersub tag
to make mark at Real
Agence France-Presse . Madrid
With Robinho jumping ship to Manchester City, Ruud van Nistelrooy out injured and Raul Gonzalez not at his best, Spanish champions Real Madrid needed someone to take on the goalscoring burden and Argentine Gonzalo Higuain has stepped up.
The 20-year-old Higuain scored four goals, including two penalties, as Real laboured to a 4-3 comeback win over Malaga on Saturday to stay two points behind leaders Barcelona.
Higuain was preferred to captain Raul in the starting line-up and repaid the faith with a quadruple to take his season’s tally to nine and it suggests he is ready to become more than a bit part player for Real.
‘I have never scored four in the same match and it was great to do it here at the Santiago Bernabeu,’ beamed Higuain.
‘They gave me the match-ball signed by everyone and it is truly an incredible feeling and one of the happiest days of my life. I dreamt of this before I came to Madrid.’
Higuain was recruited by Fabio Capello, now the England national coach, back in January 2007 with Real reportedly paying River Plate 13 million euros for his services.
With Raul and van Nistelrooy first choice Higuain pressed the substitutes bench, often playing out of position or coming on as an impact substitute.
Indeed the Argentine, nicknamed ‘El Pipita’ or ‘the little pipe’, developed a reputation as a supersub rescuing Real with some vital goals last season as they defended their league crown.
This season Higuain has forced his way into the first team on a more regular basis and coach Bernd Schuster is delighted with his progress.
‘Higuain is clearly playing in his favoured position (centre-forward) where he can use his speed and dribbling ability,’ explained Schuster.
‘I am delighted how things are going for him at the moment. He has really stepped up.’
Real failed in their bid to sign Spain’s Euro 2008 top-scorer David Villa from Valencia in the summer and Higuain may be able to save the club from a huge outlay on a new striker.
His finishing can be as lethal as van Nistelrooy’s and he also has the ability to dribble at pace to terrorise defenders.
Van Nistelrooy could be out for two to three months with a knee injury so Higuain can now expect a run in the team.
The next step for the youngster is forcing his way into the Argentina set-up by convicing new manager Diego Maradona that he is every bit as good as Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi.
‘At times like this I try not to get carried away and listen to the advice of the people around me,’ explained Higuain. ‘Things are going well and I have to stay calm.
‘I will carry on working hard and pushing myself to try and get in the Argentina squad.’
Higuain was actually born in France and could have represented Argentina or France at international level but eventually chose Argentina after admitting that he hardly spoke a word of French.
Last gasp goals put Inter
clear of Milan
Agence France-Presse . Rome
Two injury time goals from Inter Milan’s Julio Cruz and Lecce defender Andrea Esposito sent champions Inter top of Serie A at the expense of city rivals AC Milan.
Argentine substitute Cruz’s goal gave Inter a 1-0 victory over plucky Udinese while Esposito denied AC Milan a win in a 1-1 draw on the south coast.
AC Milan are joint second with Napoli, just one point back from Inter, after Diego Maradona’s former team beat Sampdoria 2-0.
The result in Milan was tough on Udinese, who were on the brink of holding out for a deserved point until they lost concentration at a corner.
Inter boss Jose Mourinho preferred to focus on his own team’s strength of character in battling to the end.
‘One day our opponents will score in the last minute but right now my team has the character that even when things are tough they never give up,’ he said.
‘Today’s match was difficult and it was even in the first half but after the break Julio Cesar didn’t have any problems. The goal came in the 91st minute but it could have come in the 89th or when Zanetti hit the post.
‘And maybe there should have been a penalty when a shot from Ibra hit a defender’s hand.’
The first half was notable only for being completely forgettable without a single chance of any significance.
After the break Udinese had good chances for Antonio Floro Flores and Fabio Quagliarella before Inter took control.
The hosts’ captain Javier Zanetti almost won it two minutes from time with a skidding long-range strike but that cannoned back off the post with Handanovic beaten.
But then deep into injury time Udinese’s defenders to a man got drawn to the near post at a corner, which was flicked on leaving Cruz free to head home in the middle of the six yard box.
Ronaldinho looked to have won the match for Milan for the third game running when he converted Pato’s cross from the right just 11 minutes remaining.
But Esposito came up deep into injury time to head home a free-kick and spark wild home celebrations.
Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti blamed the referee, claiming the free-kick should never have been awarded.
‘The game was won, the lack of concentration at the end was more on the referee’s part than our own,’ he said. ‘It was a foul that only gets blown up in Italy, referees in Italy blow their whistles too much.
‘That was our best performance of the season at home or away. We had many chances.’
Napoli opened the scoring in the first half through Daniele Mannini, who tapped home at the far post after a cross from Ezequiel Lavezzi.
Antonio Cassano had a goal harshly ruled out for offside before Mannini twice within a few seconds cleared off the Napoli line.
Uruguay forward Marcelo Zalayeta came off the bench to add the second, finishing off into the empty net after a shot from the excellent Lavezzi was deflected, wrong-footing goalkeeper Luca Castellazzi.
Lazio are up to fourth after a 3-0 win over Siena with captain Tommaso Rocchi scoring twice in the last four minutes following an opener from Argentine Mauro Zarate. Juventus are up to sixth after their fourth win in a row as they triumphed 2-0 at second from bottom Chievo.
Evergreen forward Alessandro Del Piero proved he’s lost none of his brilliance with yet another stunning free-kick five minutes before the break.
Del Piero has already hit the net with sumptuous free-kicks in victories over Real Madrid, Zenit St Petersburg and AS Roma this season and once again he demonstrated his unerring ability to find the top corner with a dead ball.
‘The key to our success last season and these last few games is Alessandro Del Piero,’ beamed Juve boss Claudio Ranieri.
‘Our team wants to fight and get back to its best. Then there is the impact of our stars that comes to the fore such as that of Del Piero, who in this moment is absolute magic.
‘He’s always been the leader, he carries Juventus and everyone else is right behind him. Given half a chance, he scores and that’s good for us and our morale.’
Vincenzo Iaquinta secured the three points by adding a second after the restart as Juve moved onto 21 points, just one win off top.
Fiorentina are also still in the mix, just one point behind Juve, as they won 2-1 at home to Atalanta.
Valencia keep pace with Barca
Agence France-Presse . Madrid
Just two points separate the top four teams in the Spanish first division after Valencia defeated ten-man Getafe 3-0 on Sunday night to move third above champions Real Madrid on goal difference.
Barcelona lead the way with a point advantage over Villarreal and a two-point cushion over Valencia, now third, and Real who had a brief spell at the summit on Saturday.
A Manuel Fernandes strike, a terrific volley from Joaquin and a late Vicente Rodriguez effort helped Valencia overcome Getafe, who had been handicapped by the sending off of Roberto Soldado close to half-time, as Unai Emery’s team closed to within two points of pacesetters Barca.
‘It is a good win for us because Getafe are strong at home,’ explained goal hero Joaquin. ‘It was quite comfortable as we controlled possession and they got tired towards the end.
‘I was really happy with my goal. I made good contact and it just flew in.’
It was the first meeting between the two sides since last season’s Kings Cup final, which Valencia won 3-1, and there was no chance of revenge for Getafe.
Earlier on Sunday, Villarreal continued their impressive unbeaten start to the season, moving a point behind league leaders Barcelona with a 2-1 victory over Almeria.
Villarreal took an early strangehold on the match scoring twice in the opening quarter of an hour with Giuseppe Rossi scoring in the first minute before Jose Llorente registered his fifth of the season after 15 minutes.
Almeria pulled a goal back but Villarreal held on for their seventh win of the campaign.
Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini has worked wonders at El Madrigal with Villarreal now considered serious title contenders and the club are keen to tie him down to a longer contract.
‘We faced a really good team that were better than us in the second half,’ admitted Pellegrini. ‘The good thing is that we kept up our concentration levels to clinch the victory.’
Barcelona sit above Villarreal by a point after lighting up Camp Nou on Saturday, crushing Valladolid 6-0 with Samuel Eto’o scoring four goals in a dazzling display.
‘We are not the perfect team and haven’t won anything yet,’ warned Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.
Champions Real sit fourth, two points behind Barca, after Argentine Gonzalo Higuain scored four goals as Bernd Schuster’s team laboured to a 4-3 win over Malaga on Saturday.
Sevilla are trying to break into that top four and closed to within five points of Barca with a 1-0 home victory against Recreativo Huelva on Sunday.
Manolo Jimenez’s team bounced back from four successive defeats, including a midweek UEFA Cup loss against Standard Liege, with Frederic Kanoute’s 63rd minute strike proving decisive.
Mali international Kanoute also missed a penalty 12 minutes from time but it proved insignificant.
‘There is a sense of relief in the dressig room,’ admitted Sevilla defender Fernando Navarro. ‘We couldn’t afford to draw and this win is just what we needed.’
The Sevilla win was bad news for Atletico Madrid who were frustrated by struggling Osasuna in a 0-0 draw that leaves them down in seventh, six points off the Champions League spots.
It could have been worse for Atletico had French goalkeeper Gregory Coupet not saved Javier Portillo’s 19th minute spot-kick for Osasuna, who have still not won this season.
Atletico coach Javier Aguirre was accused of lacking ambition in the post match press conference which irked the Mexican who replied: ‘That is your (the press) point of view. I have mine and we never agree.
‘This point is no good for us and we have to try and win two or three matches on the spin to get involved with the teams at the top.’
Racing Santander’s in-form marksman Mohamed Tchite, who scored a hat-trick against Valencia last weekend, was on target again as his side ended Sporting Gijon’s run of five straight league wins with a 1-0 triumph.
Wenger expects tight race
Sportinglife . London
Arsene Wenger believes the battle for Premier League glory will go down to the wire this season.
The Frenchman had seen his Arsenal side written off prior to an impressive 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Manchester United on Saturday.
However, the Emirates Stadium success ensured the Gunners remain hot on the heels of top flight front-runners Liverpool and Chelsea, and took them two points clear of United.
With that in mind, Wenger certainly believes his side are well placed to mount a title tilt and silence those who continue to doubt the capabilities of his exciting young outfit.
‘It could be tighter than everybody expected it to be because the teams in the second part of the league have improved.
‘To go away and win at Stoke, at Blackburn, at Bolton, at Wigan, it’s difficult, more difficult maybe than 10 years ago.
‘And to deal with the Champions League and all these games is very difficult.’
Despite having slipped up against newly-promoted Hull and Stoke over the course of the season so far, Wenger maintains he had complete faith in his side’s ability to dispose of the Red Devils at the weekend.
He added: ‘I didn’t imagine the consequences of a defeat. I felt beforehand that it was important not to think about that, just think you want to win.
‘Part of the preparation was to go into the game with a winning attitude - that is what we tried to build up.
‘If you open the press or listen to the media, you always have the feeling that the world will stop if you lose the game.
‘But, in reality, it goes on the next morning. When you are under a lot of fire from the press, it’s not easy and I believe this team has a lot of character.
‘They have shown that and kept playing the way we want to play. ‘In our job, we can talk, talk, talk but, at the end of the day, it’s what you produce on the football pitch and against United the answer was right.
‘When you don’t win you get criticised and you have to take that and deal with that and show that you can take it.’
Fergie hits out at fixture list
Sportinglife . London
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes his team have been ‘handicapped’ by their fixture programme in the Barclays Premier League this season.
United have had an away match after each of their European clashes so far and Ferguson’s side will be on their travels again after their remaining Champions League group games against Villarreal and Aalborg.
Red Devils boss Ferguson believes that sequence has done his team no favours, with Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Arsenal, which came three days after the trip to Celtic, leaving United well off the pace domestically.
Ferguson also believes United’s run of games in the Premier League has been particularly tough, given the identity of their early opponents away from Old Trafford.
‘They say the league’s not handicapped but it is handicapped,’ Ferguson told Sky Sports News.
‘Every game after a European tie is away from home.
‘We’ve got the top 10 teams from last year’s league all away from home in the first half of the season. ‘So you can see it’s been a big challenge to us.
‘But hopefully, if we can get in among the top ones come the turn of the year, we’ll have a big chance next year.’
Ferguson’s players created enough chances to beat Arsenal, but Samir Nasri’s double proved decisive at the Emirates Stadium.
The United boss was impressed and took some heart from his team’s display.
‘It’s a consolation in one way but it doesn’t put bread on the table for you, it doesn’t get points in the bag for you,’ he said. ‘It was a disappointing day for us.’
United’s failure to take their chances was clearly frustrating for the long-serving Scot.
‘The consolation you take out of it is we played some fantastic football,’ he said.
‘And I think we made the best chances of the match and we could have scored four, five, maybe six goals.
‘But you have to take those ones early and that’s what cost us the game.’
Foreign birds leave
Cristiano in a flap
Agencies . London
Cristiano Ronaldo has had his feathers ruffled by foreign birds again - but this time at Manchester United’s training ground. Canada geese
have invaded United’s Carrington training HQ and
are dive-bombing Ronaldo and his team-mates, reports The Sun.
A club insider has revealed the birds have not only interrupted Sir Alex Ferguson’s training sessions but can ‘dive even better than Ronaldo’.
The Barclays Premier League champions spent £10m on the training facilities in the Cheshire countryside.
But the Sun’s source added that problems with the geese - as well as scores of frogs and toads - was one of the drawbacks of being out in the sticks.
United’s facilities manager Clive Snell told the newspaper: ‘There is a nature reserve within the boundaries and we’ve got two lagoons on site as
part of our water treatment system.
‘The reed beds attract the geese, who have been flying in and laying their eggs.’
Ronaldo has previously been the subject of several kiss-and-tell stories involving beauties from abroad.
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