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New Delhi: Former Australia captain Ian Chappell reckons India will start as favourites in the Test series against England owing to a quality pace attack with plenty of depth and a top order that is more consistent than the visitors'. What should also bolster the home team is the addition of captain Virat Kohli to a strong batting line-up and their incredible recent triumph in Australia. "India will start as favourites after an exhilarating victory over Australia, overcoming all obstacles. When you add the name Virat Kohli to the batting order, the team suddenly assumes a bulletproof cloak," Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo . "In also adding the names R Ashwin, Hardik Pandya and Ishant Sharma to the list of available players, India take on an unbeatable appearance." The big-ticket series starts in Chennai on 5 February. Chappell feels India's formidable top order may tip the scales in favour of the home team, despite England's 2-0 swe

Melbourne: Japanese sensation Naomi Osaka on Sunday said she was committed to competing in the delayed Tokyo Olympics, but believed public approval was crucial for the Games to go ahead this year. Organisers are still adamant the Olympics can be held safely even if the coronavirus is not under control by the time the flame is lit on 23 July. The three-time Grand Slam champion admitted being worried by a recent poll that found 80 percent of the Japanese public were opposed to Tokyo hosting the event this year because of the pandemic. Large parts of Japan are currently under a state of emergency to tackle a spike in coronavirus cases, with borders closed to almost all foreigners. "My concern would be the general safety of everyone else because you're opening the country," Osaka said. "Everyone is flying in from different places. I would just want the public to feel safe." The 23-year-old has been the poster girl of the 2020 Olympics and still hopes to repres

Kolkata: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly was discharged from hospital on Sunday morning, three days after he underwent a fresh round of angioplasty to clear clogged coronary arteries, officials said. The 48-year-old cricket legend was hospitalised on Wednesday for the second time in a month due to his cardiac condition. On Thursday, two more stents were implanted during the surgery conducted by a team of doctors, including noted cardiologist Dr Devi Shetty and Dr Ashwin Mehta. "Ganguly is doing fine and his heart is as strong as a normal person. He had an uneventful recovery and we are hopeful that within the next couple of days, he will be able to return to normal life," a senior doctor of the private hospital, where he was admitted, said. The former India captain is required to follow a strict routine and needs to be on medication for a few months, he added. The batting great suffered a mild heart attack earlier this month and was diagnosed with Triple Vessel Disease.

A look at what's happening in European football on Sunday: ENGLAND Liverpool are seven points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City heading into a tricky-looking away match against West Ham, with the Hammers one of the surprises of the season under David Moyes. Liverpool got their title defence back on track with a 3-1 win at Tottenham on Thursday but the champions cannot afford a slip up if they are to keep in touch with City, who have won their last eight league games. Liverpool start in fourth place and two points ahead of West Ham, who have won their last four games. Tottenham are in sixth place and are set to be without striker Harry Kane, who was injured against Liverpool, for their away match against Brighton. Thomas Tuchel takes charge of his second match as Chelsea manager when Burnley visit Stamford Bridge, and third-place Leicester host Leeds United. SPAIN Spanish leaders Atlético Madrid visit Cádiz aiming to take full advantage of Real Madrid's loss

The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India was admitted to Apollo Hospitals in Kolkata on January 27 after discomfort and chest pain. from The Hindu - Sport https://ift.tt/2NQtJ14

Melbourne: Serena Williams and Billie Jean King, along with Naomi Osaka's boyfriend, influenced the three-time Grand Slam winner's decision to become part-owner of soccer team North Carolina Courage, she revealed on Sunday. Osaka, the US Open champion, announced the investment on Thursday, with the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club planning to tap into her passion for fashion by consulting the 23-year-old on design decisions for 2021. Osaka, who is in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, said she had noticed other sportspeople making similar commitments and "I always thought it was really cool". "Billie Jean King texts me sometimes, so I was getting inspired from her," she said of the tennis great who has stakes in several sports teams, including baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. "I remember reading in an article that Serena's daughter invested in a soccer team, too. I thought that maybe that's a really good direction to g

Chennai : England all-rounder Moeen Ali doesn't know how they are going to tackle Virat Kohli in the upcoming Tests against India and feels the batting maestro will be extra motivated to fire after missing his team's incredible triumph in Australia. Kohli, who had returned home after the opening Test debacle against Australia for the birth of his child, is back to captain the side in the four-match series against England, beginning on 5 February. "How do we get him out? He's obviously an amazing player, world-class, he's very motivated to do well and I'm sure he'll be even more motivated after they did well in Australia and he had to leave for the birth of his child," Moeen told reporters during a video conference. "I don't know how we're going to get him out because I don't think he has any sort of weakness but we have a good bowling attack, some pace in the line-up. "He's a great guy and a good friend of mine  —  we don

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Neil Nitin Mukesh goes down memory lane as he recalls playing young version of Govinda in 'Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharni' from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/3crsLT9

According to the Spanish daily ‘El Mundo’, it is the most expensive contract ever paid to an athlete. from The Hindu - Sport https://ift.tt/3abYHbe

Madrid: La Liga chief Javier Tebas has accused FIFA president Gianni Infantino of supporting the launch of a breakaway European Super League despite world football's governing body being officially opposed to the project. In an interview with AFP, Tebas called on Infantino to deny he is in favour of the controversial breakaway competition that would transform the landscape of European football. Tebas claims Infantino has been "working on" and "encouraging" its formation and said FIFA's president could even be given a role with the new league once it is set up. When contacted by AFP, FIFA referred to its statement on 21 January , which was signed by Infantino and said "such a competition would not be recognised by either FIFA or the respective confederation." FIFA added any club or player participating would be banned from competitions organised by FIFA, such as the World Cup, although it is unclear if such a move would be legal. Yet Tebas bel

England’s Football Association has vowed to work with the British Government and social media platforms to tackle racism after a spate of incidents over the past week involving Premier League players from Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United being targeted by online abuse. In the aftermath of his team’s goalless draw with Arsenal on Saturday, Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford claims he was racially abused through social media platforms. Rashford did not post screenshots of the offensive messages he received post-match, instead tweeting “humanity and social media at its worst.” Humanity and social media at its worst. Yes I’m a black man and I live every day proud that I am. No one, or no one comment, is going to make me feel any different. So sorry if you were looking for a strong reaction, you’re just simply not going to get it here 👊🏾 — Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) January 30, 2021 “Yes I’m a black man and I live every day proud that I am. No

San Diego: Patrick Reed was involved in another rules controversy Saturday in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He also had a share of the lead with Carlos Ortiz. On the par-4 10th, Reed hit a 190-yard shot out of a bunker with a TV replay showing the ball bounced once before settling into the rough. Believing the ball didn't bounce, Reed picked it up to see if it was embedded before a rules official arrived. Reed told the official that no one in his group, as well as a nearby volunteer, saw it bounce. Reed was awarded a free drop and saved par. He bogeyed four of the next holes before birdieing No. 18 for a 2-under 70 and a share of the lead with Ortiz at 10 under. Ortiz had a 66 on the South Course. In December 2019 in Tiger Woods' Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, Reed was penalised two strokes for appearing to deliberately improve his lie in a bunker. The full exchange as Patrick Reed takes embedded ball relief on No. 10. pic.twitter.com/gSPH6PrAoW — PGA

Barcelona: Lionel Messi’s most recent contract with Barcelona is worth up to 555 million euros ($673 million) over four seasons, the El Mundo newspaper reported on Sunday. The Spanish daily said it had access to the document Messi signed with the Catalan club in 2017, which included fixed incomes and variables that could reach nearly 138 million euros ($167 million) each season. The newspaper said it is the most expensive contract ever paid to an athlete. Messi would have to pay about half of that amount in taxes in Spain. The report said the 33-year-old player has already secured more than 510 million euros ($619 million) of the total contract. The leak comes as Barcelona tries to manage a huge debt prompted mostly because of the coronavirus pandemic. The club has been led by a caretaker board since president Josep Bartomeu resigned in October while facing a no-confidence motion. New presidential elections are scheduled for 7 March. The newspaper also detailed how Messi rewarde

Margao : Having suffered their third defeat of the season, ATK Mohun Bagan will aim to get their mojo back and close in on leaders Mumbai City when they take on Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League on Sunday. ATK Mohun Bagan might find themselves in a comfortable spot in the league table, placed second after 14 games. But there's no denying that the former champions have not been at their best lately. Their struggles continued against Northeast United as they slumped to their third defeat of the season. In their last four matches, the Mariners have witnessed a dip in form, notching just one win while losing twice. Their defence has been under the pump, shipping four goals. In their opening nine games, Bagan conceded just thrice, highlighting their defensive struggles. Upfront, the lack of missed chances has continued to cost them points, with the Kolkata side scoring just thrice in their last four games. They have netted just 13 goals all season, which is the third-worst t

Rio de Janeiro: Breno Lopes scored in the ninth minute of injury time as Palmeiras won their second Copa Libertadores title on Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Brazilian rivals Santos at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium. Traditionally decided over two legs, for the second edition running the final - delayed two months by the Covid-19 pandemic - was played as a one-off contest, kicking off in sweltering heat and inside a largely empty ground. Breno came on as a late substitute and planted a magnificent header beyond Santos goalkeeper John deep into stoppage time to settle a scrappy encounter and earn Palmeiras a spot in next month's Club World Cup in Qatar. "I can't describe the emotion," said Breno, calling it an "unforgettable day" as Palmeiras added to their 1999 triumph, when they overcame Colombia's Deportivo Cali on penalties. "We wanted this title, I was rewarded with the goal and we're the Libertadores champions." Palmeira

Melbourne: Poland's first Grand Slam singles champion Iga Swiatek insisted Sunday her expectations were low for the Australian Open, with the teen star keen to take the pressure off and focus on having fun. The 19-year-old ensured her place in history by winning the French Open last year, crushing defending Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-4, 6-1. Back in Melbourne for the opening major of the year on 8 February, she plays her first match since that breakthrough in the warm-up Gippsland Trophy this week after a fortnight of mandatory quarantine. "Well, I'm not anxious, I'm mostly excited," she said. "Basically I have, like, some amount of stress, but it's a normal amount. "I don't feel more pressure than before French Open. Actually, I'm kind of confident that I can play good tennis, but it all depends on my preparation, on my attitude. "I'm trying to keep my expectations low, even though I did a really good pre-season.&

Vasco : Hyderabad FC will have a chance to move to the third spot on the Indian Super League table and boost their playoff chances when they take on Chennaiyin FC at the Tilak Maidan on Sunday. A win will help Hyderabad overtake FC Goa, who currently occupy the third spot, and get closer to ATK Mohun Bagan who also play on Sunday. However, for Chennaiyin, three points are exactly what separates them and their opponents in the day's early kickoff. Current form would favour Hyderabad who are not only playing well, but are on a six-match unbeaten run. But coach Manuel Marquez will be worried by the fact that four of those six games ended in draws despite Hyderabad arguably looking the better team. He believes the solution is simple his strikers need to take their chances more. "The team needs to score (from) the chances, that is very clear. But the most important thing is to have these clear chances. I think that it's true that the team plays good football that is attrac

Berlin: Bayern Munich remained seven points clear at the top of the Bundesliga following a 4-1 victory over Hoffenheim on Saturday as Robert Lewandowski continued his incredible scoring run with his 24th league goal this season. Lewandowski scored for the ninth straight Bundesliga game, while Jerome Boateng, Thomas Mueller and Serge Gnabry also hit the net at the Allianz Arena "4-1 is a very good result for us. We have won our last four games - that is our yardstick," said head coach Hansi Flick, whose side have regained form after back-to-back league and cup defeats earlier this month. The European champions exacted perfect revenge for their only defeat of 2020 after losing by the same 4-1 scoreline at Hoffenheim last September. Bayern were all business in Munich as Boateng headed the hosts into an early lead. Mueller then added a second having earlier struck the post. It was 2-1 at the break as Hoffenheim striker Andrej Kramaric, who netted twice in the reverse meetin

Marseille:  Marseille hit out at a "frenzy of violence" as their game against Rennes in France's Ligue 1 on Saturday was postponed after hundreds of angry supporters broke into the club's training ground and caused widespread damage in a protest. The hardcore Ultras, who were demonstrating against the club leadership and the team's poor recent run of results, assembled in the afternoon in front of Marseille's La Commanderie training ground, throwing smoke bombs and firecrackers. "Several hundred Ultras used force and violence to get into the training ground, including the first team's building," the club said in a statement. "A frenzy of unjustifiable violence put the lives of those present in danger. Thefts were committed and vehicles damaged. Five trees were burnt down...several hundred thousand euros worth of damage was caused." Local police in France's Bouches-du-Rhone department earlier said 25 arrests were made and seven p

Madrid: Real Madrid had Eder Militao sent off in a 2-1 defeat by Levante on Saturday, handing Atletico Madrid the chance to move 10 points clear at the top of LaLiga. Zinedine Zidane's defending champions sit second in the table, seven points behind Atletico, who have two games in hand and face Cadiz on Sunday. Militao was shown a red card in the ninth minute at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium, with his team already without their injured captain Sergio Ramos and COVID-stricken coach Zidane. Marco Asensio gave Madrid the lead four minutes later but Jose Luis Morales equalised close to half-time before Roger Marti made up for missing a penalty by scoring the winner. Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman had admitted earlier on Saturday his team "have to be realistic" about their chances of overturning Atletico's considerable lead in the table. And with Real Madrid slipping up again, it may now take a seismic collapse for Atletico to miss out on repeating their incredible L

Milan: Romelu Lukaku scored a second-half double as Inter Milan kept the pressure on Serie A leaders AC Milan with a 4-0 win over Benevento on Saturday. Antonio Conte's Inter sit two points behind their city rivals, who beat Bologna 2-1 earlier on Saturday. A Riccardo Improta own goal put the hosts ahead early on against 11th-placed Benevento at the San Siro. Lautaro Martinez scored 12 minutes after the break before Lukaku added two more. Champions Juventus moved into third, seven points off top spot with a game in hand, after a 2-0 win over Sampdoria. Milan bounced back after losses to Atalanta in the league and to Inter in the Italian Cup on Tuesday, a game in which Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off. "It was a strong response from the team. A victory that gives us confidence at the end of a difficult week," said Milan coach Stefano Pioli. The midweek Milan derby was overshadowed by a clash between Ibrahimovic and former Manchester United teammate Lukaku. Ibrahimo

London : Manchester City opened up a three-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand to come as Pep Guardiola's men beat Sheffield United 1-0, while Manchester United played out a goalless draw at Arsenal on Saturday. Gabriel Jesus scored the only goal inside the first 10 minutes at the Etihad as City extended their winning run to 12 games in all competitions. Ferran Torres and Jesus were two of the five changes made by Guardiola and they combined to make the breakthrough as the Brazilian tapped home for his first Premier League goal since November. City failed to build on the lead, but comfortably held out for a 15th clean sheet in their last 19 games. "People think if we won the last one 5-0, we will win this one 5-0. This is the real world, not a fairytale," said City manager Guardiola. "Today when I see Sheffield is bottom of the league. You see his team and realise how tough is the Premier League." Second-placed United could have

Kolkata: BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly is stable and he is likely to be discharged from the hospital on Saturday if the results of the medical examinations to be conducted on him return normal, an official of the establishment where he is being treated said. "Ganguly''s health condition is stable. He slept well on Friday night and had light food in the morning," the official told PTI . Doctors are scheduled to conduct a few medical examinations on the 48-year-old former India captain to decide whether he is fit to be discharged from the hospital, he said. Ganguly had on Thursday undergone a fresh angioplasty and two more stents were implanted to clear his clogged coronary arteries. He was hospitalised on Wednesday for the second time in a month due to his cardiac condition. He had suffered a mild heart attack earlier this month and was diagnosed with Triple Vessel Disease. He had undergone an angioplasty procedure during which a stent was inserted to clear a blocke

Melbourne:  Australia head coach Justin Langer's intense "micro-management" coaching style has apparently not gone down well with a lot of players even as the former opener termed the insinuations as something that "couldn't be further from truth". The fissures in the Australian camp have come out in the open after an under-strength India came back from behind to hammer Australia 2-1 in their own den. According to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald  quoting multiple sources close to the Australian set-up, some players are apparently not happy with Langer's management style because of his intensity and mood swings. The report suggested that Langer is no longer able to cope up with demands of being a three-format coach. "Dressing-room sources say that over a gruelling summer, Langer's management style wore thin with some players, who on top of having to live in a bubble for months on end say they have become drained by his intensity and moo

Tokyo: An international badminton competition due to take place this spring in Japan has been cancelled, organisers said on Saturday, the latest sporting event to be hit by virus travel restrictions just six months before the Tokyo Olympics. The Yonex Osaka International Challenge for young players was called off "because it is difficult to host foreign players" under current immigration rules, the Nippon Badminton Association said. An association spokesman told AFP that he was concerned about the fate of other badminton competitions used as qualifiers for the Olympics. "We are worried about whether competitions scheduled for March onwards— which will be used as part of the selection process for Olympic athletes— will be held as scheduled," he said on condition of anonymity. The cancelled competition had been scheduled to take place from 31 March to 4 April. Large parts of Japan, including Tokyo and the western city of Osaka are under a state of emergency to

Melbourne : Australian showman Nick Kyrgios admitted Saturday he didn't miss tennis, nor the people in it, during his year-long coronavirus layoff, but now feels mentally refreshed and excited to be back. The 25-year-old last played in February at the Acapulco Open before a wrist injury and then the global pandemic brought his season to a halt. He opted not to travel for the US or French Opens and emerged as a moral voice for the game, blasting fellow stars  —  notably Novak Djokovic  —  over their behaviour during the virus crisis. "I don't miss too many people on the tour, to be honest. Apart from all the Australian guys," he said at Melbourne Park ahead of his comeback match in the ATP Murray River Open next week before the Australian Open on 8 February. "I'm not going to lie, I didn't miss the game that much. "I'm a competitor, I compete with everything I do. But I was playing computer games, all that kind of stuff, getting my little com

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Nora Fatehi writes, 'I like revenge better and trust me.. it will be served' in a cryptic post from Entertainment - Videos - The Times of India https://ift.tt/3oApbsa

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BCCI to hold Hazare Trophy as per State units’ wish from The Hindu - Sport https://ift.tt/3pz5Skj

Chennai: Premier all-rounder Ben Stokes, pacer Jofra Archer and reserve opener Rory Burns on Saturday had their first training session at the Chepauk after successfully completing six days of hard quarantine, while other members of the squad cleared their second COVID-19 test. The trio were not a part of the Sri Lanka Test series with Stokes and Archer being rested for workload management purpose while Burns skipped the previous tour due to the birth of his first child. The trio had reached India earlier than their colleagues and having already cleared their three RT-PCR tests could hit the nets on Saturday. "The first group of players – Archer, Burns and Stokes – will practice each morning for the next three days. They are limited to a two-hour session," England's media manager Danny Reuben informed. "The entire England touring party received their second PCR COVID-19 test yesterday. All results returned negative results," he added. The full England squa

New Delhi: The BCCI will not be conducting its premier first-class domestic tournament Ranji Trophy for the first time in 87 years as the parent body opted for the Vijay Hazare Trophy as per the wishes of majority of the state units. The BCCI will also host the U-19 National One Day tournament for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and the Women's national 50-over tournament as per a letter sent by BCCI secretary Jay Shah to the state units. While BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Shah were keen to have the blue riband tournament that pays the maximum match fee (Rs 1.5 lakh per game approx) for the players, it is understood that a two-month long bio-bubble even for a truncated two-phased Ranji Trophy in times of the COVID-19 pandemic wasn't feasible. "I am extremely happy to inform you that we are going to conduct the Senior Women's One Day tournament simultaneously with the Vijay Hazare Trophy and follow it up with Vinoo Mankad Trophy Under-19. This has been decid

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The trio were not a part of the Sri Lanka Test series with Stokes and Archer being rested for workload management purpose while Burns skipped the previous tour due to the birth of his first child. from The Hindu - Sport https://ift.tt/3prYvLz

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has said that National Dope Testing Laboratory’s (NDTL) accreditation cannot be reinstated now as the New Delhi-ba from The Hindu - Sport https://ift.tt/36ngwTC

India's Jehan Daruvala made it to the podium on debut for Indian outfit Mumbai Falcons in the FIA Asian F3 championship in Dubai on Friday.His teammat from The Hindu - Sport https://ift.tt/3j4cnsX

The business-end of the ongoing Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 is fast approaching, and the race for the playoffs is intensifying as every match passes by. Bengaluru FC are struggling to return to winning ways, while Hyderabad are flying high on the fourth spot, and Mumbai City FC remain on top, maintaining a six-point lead. NorthEast United's win over ATK Mohun Bagan remained the lone victory over the last week in the ISL, with the remaining games during this period ending in draws. Here, we take a look at some talking points from the past week: Ahmed Jahouh disappoints once again Mumbai City FC’s defensive midfielder Ahmed Jahouh was coming fresh off a one-game suspension, but his late error in his team’s match against Chennaiyin left coach Sergio Lobera frustrated and disappointed. The controversial incident happened in the 76 th minute when the Moroccan footballer tried to be overconfident and brought down Chennaiyin’s Jakub Sylvestr inside the box, resulting in a pena

Kidambi Srikanth may have lost all his three group matches in the delayed $1.5 million prize money 2020 World Tour finals, but the agonisingly close manner of his defeats and his ability to go the full distance in encounters lasting well over an hour each gave rise to hope that the Indian badminton ace was returning to the kind of form that saw him end 2017 as the best shuttler on the international circuit. By contrast, PV Sindhu continued on her wayward ways; and, although she did redeem a bit of prestige by comprehensively beating the tournament’s sensation, Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand, in her final group match, the victory came in the course of an inconsequential encounter when there was no pressure at all on either combatant, as the Thai girl had qualified and Sindhu had been eliminated, regardless of the result of their clash. In the two Super 1000 tournaments that preceded the World Tour finals at Bangkok’s Impact Arena, Srikanth had provided brief glimpses of his return t