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Day: June 4, 2023

4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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Australia favourites on paper but Indian players have edge in terms of match fitness: Shastri

Ravi Shastri, former head coach of India cricket team. File | Photo Credit: M. Vedhan The Australian team on paper holds slight advantage on a bouncy Oval track but both Ravi Shastri and Ricky Ponting feel that the Indians are better prepared for the World Test Championship final beginning Wednesday with IPL game-time under their belt. Shastri, Ponting and Pakistan legend Wasim Akram all feel that the Oval track will remain fresher than it usually is as it has never hosted a Test match in June in the venue's 140-year history. Shastri, a former India head coach who guided the team to inaugural WTC final in 2021, felt that had Jasprit Bumrah been there, India would have started on even keel if not as favourites. "I would say if you look at pace attack, if Bumrah was there, I would say i...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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Records are good but now it’s about the next step says Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic took one French Open record away from 14-time champion Rafa Nadal on Sunday when he became the first player to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals for a 17th time — but the Serb will not let that milestone distract him from the job at hand. Djokovic’s main focus has been to win a men’s record 23rd Grand Slam title next weekend and he moved closer to that goal by crushing Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas 6-3 6-2 6-2 to set up a last eight showdown with 11th seed Karen Khachanov. “Well, I’m proud of it (the record of quarter-finals), but my attention is already in the next match,” Djokovic said. “I mean, obviously quarter-finals, Khachanov, I know what my goal is here. “I’m trying to stay mentally the course and of course not look too far.” Djokovic is tied with Spain’s Rafa...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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French Open: Record-setting Djokovic wants to see ‘healthy’ Nadal back in 2024 – Times of India

PARIS: Novak Djokovic reached his 55th Grand Slam quarter-final and record 17th at the French Open on Sunday before urging a "healthy" Rafael Nadal to return next year and resume their epic rivalry.Djokovic, chasing a third Roland Garros championship and 23rd men's Grand Slam title, eased past 94th-ranked Peruvian opponent Juan Pablo Varillas, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.The 36-year-old Serb, champion in Paris in 2016 and 2021, will face 11th seed Karen Khachanov for a place in the semi-finals.Djokovic is one of the favourites to claim the French Open this year with 14-time champion Nadal sidelined for the first time since 2004 after failing to recover from a hip injury.On Saturday, the day of his 37th birthday, it was revealed that Nadal would require at least five months of rehabilitation following...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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Football fan arrested for wearing offensive jersey to FA Cup final referring to Hillsborough tragedy

London police said that a soccer fan was charged Sunday with wearing an offensive jersey to the FA Cup final that apparently referred to the 1989 Hillsborough Stadium disaster where 97 Liverpool fans died. James White, 33, of Warwickshire, will appear in court June 19 on a charge of displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. A photo retweeted by police after Saturday’s match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium showed a man wearing a United shirt that had the number 97 on the back and the words “Not Enough.” The Football Association said that it spotted the offensive shirt on social media and security tracked down the man wearing it, leading to his arrest. “We will not tolerate abuse relating to Hillsborough or an...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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Carlos Alcaraz swings into French Open quarter-finals – Times of India

NEW DELHI: In a spectacular display of dominance, world number one Carlos Alcaraz powered his way into the quarter-finals of the French Open with a commanding 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Italian player Lorenzo Musetti on Sunday.The 20-year-old Spaniard, who achieved a quarter-final finish in his debut appearance at Roland Garros last year, showcased his formidable skills once again. Alcaraz's remarkable performance sets up a potential mouthwatering semi-final clash against Novak Djokovic, should he overcome his next opponent, either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Sebastian Ofner.On paper, Musetti appeared to possess the necessary tools to pose a challenge to Alcaraz, including his deft touch, superb backhand, and a previous clay victory over his Spanish counterpart. However, on the court, Musetti...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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Sri Lanka bounces back to beat Afghanistan in second ODI

Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne and Pathum Nissanka run between the wickets during the second match against Afghanistan at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota on June 4, 2023. | Photo Credit: AFP Sri Lanka bounced back to beat Afghanistan by 132 runs on Sunday to square the three-match one-day series.It was Sri Lanka’s biggest win over Afghanistan in ODIs and makes amends for its disappointing performance in the first ODI on Friday, which they lost by six wickets.Having set Afghanistan a stiff 324-run target, fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera dismissed the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz cheaply for two runs to give his side an early advantage. Although Afghanistan put together two strong partnerships after that, the required run rate kept climbing and the Afgha...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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England’s Jack Leach ruled out of Ashes with stress fracture

England spinner Jack Leach has been ruled out of the five-match Ashes series against Australia due to a stress fracture in his back, the country’s cricket board (ECB) said on Sunday. Leach, who took four wickets in England’s 10-wicket win over Ireland in a one-off test earlier this week, has been an ever-present in England’s squad under coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, claiming 46 test wickets last year. He was included in the 16-man squad for the first two Ashes tests announced by England on Saturday. Gutting news 😔 We're all with you, Leachy. — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 4, 2023 Leach’s injury is the latest major setback to England’s bowling department in the build-up to the series, with fast bowler Jofra Archer also ruled out. “The 31-year-old Somerset slow...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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WTC final | In England, you never feel in but you will have an intuition when to attack: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma during practice ahead of the WTC final. | Photo Credit: Reuters His only Test hundred outside the sub-continent came at the Oval in 2021 and India captain Rohit Sharma says one never feels "in" as a batter in English conditions but somehow develops an intuition as to when to attack the opposition bowling. Ahead of the World Test Championship final against Australia starting Wednesday, the Indian skipper, who has enjoyed the best batting average in his team (50 plus) since the inception of the tournament, feels that there is no substitute for hard grind on English tracks. "Look, I think, in England in general, it's pretty challenging conditions for batters. As long as you are prepared to have a good grind, you can have success," Rohit said during an ICC event 'Afternoon Wit...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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It’s better to stay a bit underdone than overdone: Pat Cummins on lack of game time ahead of WTC final

Australia captain Pat Cummins doesn’t mind staying a bit undercooked going into the high-octane WTC final against India rather than playing two months of T20 cricket and landing up jaded for a gruelling English summer. Asked if the bulk of the Australian side (save Cameron Green, David Warner in IPL and Marnus Labuschagne in County cricket) would be a bit rusty with virtually no game time since the India series, the skipper on Sunday begged to differ. “Breaks are rare to come by,” said the modern day great, who has 217 Test wickets from 49 games. “I have always said, with six Test matches (including five in the Ashes), it is better to be slightly underdone than overdone. I am talking from a bower’s point of view. So I want to be physically fresh. “Back home, we did lot of training. We ...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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England spinner Jack Leach ruled out of Ashes | Cricket News – Times of India

LONDON: England's Ashes preparations were dealt a blow on Sunday as frontline spinner Jack Leach was ruled out of the series due to a lower back stress fracture.The 31-year-old developed the injury as England wrapped up victory in a lone Test against Ireland on Saturday."A scan on Sunday in London has revealed a stress fracture, which will keep him out of the forthcoming Ashes Test series," the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement.No replacement for the Somerset left-armer has been announced, but Leach's absence leaves a big gap to fill for the selectors for the showdown against Australia.The first Test of the Ashes gets underway on June 16 at Edgbaston.!(function(f, b, e, v, n, t, s) { function loadFBEvents(isFBCampaignActive) { if (!isFBCampaignActive) { ...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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Like chalk and cheese: Ravi Shastri on the difference in situation between the 2021 and 2023 WTC finals

Ravi Shastri who was the Indian team coach in the last World Test Championship final compared the situation of the 2021 and 2023 finals and said they were like chalk and cheese. India were defeated by a buoyant New Zealand side last time out and Shastri said that loss “obviously hurts.” “When you don’t win it, it’s obviously going to hurt. and it should hurt. You are not there just to make the numbers. You are going to play to win and you want to win. But if I look in hindsight, the circumstances of that World Test Championship as opposed to now is chalk and cheese. It was tough times. There was Covid, there was quarantine. When it came to preparation too, it was hard on the players. You are 14 days in isolation and then in a week’s time, you play the game. While now, both teams have ha...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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In Bumrah’s absence, Australia hold advantage over India in bowling attack: Ravi Shastri | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Jasprit Bumrah's absence in the ICC World Test Championship final, which will start on June 7 at The Oval, gives Australia a notable advantage over the Indian attack, believes former Indian head coach and all-rounder Ravi Shastri.Shastri's opinion suggests that the Australian pacers possess an edge in terms of skill, potency, and overall effectiveness. This perspective highlights the formidable reputation of Australia's pace bowlers and their ability to pose a significant challenge to the Indian batting lineup during the crucial Test match.In an event ahead of the World Test Championship final, Shastri said, "If Jasprit Bumrah was there in the Indian squad, I would have said that both bowling attacks are strong. But their (Australian attack) has Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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It was a pleasure to share 2 more years with you: Neymar’s farewell message to Lionel Messi after final PSG game

With Lionel Messi leaving Paris Saint Germain after helping them secure the French league, his now former teammate Neymar sent a farewell message to the Argentine magician. “Brother… it didn’t turn out as we thought but we tried everything. It was a pleasure to share 2 more years with you. Good luck in your new stage and be happy. I love you ❤️ #leomessi,” Neymar wrote on Twitter. Messi and Neymar had shared a locker room before PSG as well when they formed one of the most effective front trio at Barcelona along with Luis Suarez. Hermano.. no salió como pensábamos pero intentamos de todo. Fue un placer compartir 2 años mas con vos. Muchas suerte en tu nueva etapa y que seas feliz. Te quiero ❤️ #leomessi pic.twitter.com/6fkozlTUKi — Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) June 4, 2023 Messi was booed by...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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Shuttlers in Kerala lack financial support, laments HS Prannoy | Badminton News – Times of India

KOCHI: The current lot of Kerala shuttlers are doing extremely well on the international circuit. While HS Prannoy and Kiran are making waves on the men's singles circuit, Treesa Jolly and MR Arjun are causing a stir in women's and men's doubles respectively.The common thing about these shuttlers is that after making a mark at the junior level in the state, all four of them moved out of Kerala to badminton centres in Hyderabad and Bengaluru to bolster their careers.Prannoy, who is the flagbearer of Kerala shuttlers these days, believes that moving out of the state helped him and his contemporaries to achieve big in badminton since the state gives less support to shuttlers."Our state had the reputation of producing the best shuttlers in the country. Even today, I believe that Kerala has ...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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Max Verstappen wins in Spain to continue Red Bull sweep | Racing News – Times of India

MONTMELÓ (Spain): Defending double world champion Max Verstappen extended his lead in this year's title race to 53 points on Sunday when he completed a hat-trick by driving his Red Bull to a masterful victory in the Spanish Grand Prix.The 25-year-old Dutchman led from lights to flag to come home 24 seconds ahead of revitalised seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, in their much-improved Mercedes' cars.It was Verstappen's third consecutive win, his third in Spain, his fifth in seven races this season and the 40th of his career, achieved despite receiving three official warnings for exceeding track limits."It's such a big pleasure to drive a car like this," said Verstappen."And it showed again today. We were on different tyre strategies out there today and mostly I was on...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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Bangladesh call up uncapped duo for Afghanistan Test | Cricket News – Times of India

In preparation for the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan, Bangladesh on Sunday has announced the inclusion of uncapped batsman Shahadat Hossain and fast bowler Mushfik Hasan in their squad. The match is scheduled to begin on June 14 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, with the Afghan Test side arriving on June 10.Shahadat Hossain, a 21-year-old middle-order batsman from Chittagong Division, will make his debut in the longer format of the game. He has shown promise in his early career, amassing 1,265 runs from 20 first-class matches, including two centuries and ten half-centuries.Mushfik Hasan, a 20-year-old fast bowler, burst onto the scene during the 2022 first-class season for Rangpur Division. He has impressed with his performances, taking 49 wickets in 13 first-c...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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French Open: Doubles pair disqualified after ball girl is hit

Japan’s Miyu Kato and Indonesia’s Aldila Sutjiadi were disqualified from the French Open after Kato struck a ball down the court between points, hitting a ball girl, during their women’s doubles third-round match on Sunday. Umpire Alexandre Juge gave Kato a warning before Czech Marie Bouzkova and Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo, on the other side of the net, asked for their opponents to be disqualified. “No, no, let me explain to you. She (Kato) didn’t do it on purpose, she (the ball girl) didn’t get injured,” Juge said. Miyu Kato & Aldila Sutjiadi just got defaulted as Kato hit a ball girl accidentally at 6-7(1), 3-1. Ball girl is okay but got scared & started crying. Kato went to check on her & apologize but nothing could be done — supervisor called, default confirmed. pic.tw...
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4Jun By source belowNo Comments
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2nd ODI: Sri Lanka thrash Afghanistan by 132 runs to level series – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Sri Lanka produced an all-round performance to inflict 132-run defeat on Afghanistan in the second ODI at Hambantota on Sunday and drew level in three-match ODI series with a comprehensive victory. Sri Lanka successfully defended a target of 324 runs by bowling out Afghanistan for 191 in 42.1 overs, resulting in their biggest win in ODIs over Afghanistan.Led by the impressive performance of fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera, who made a remarkable comeback to the side after a seven-month absence due to ankle surgery, Sri Lanka's bowling attack was relentless.Chameera bowled two hostile spells, causing significant trouble for the Afghan batsmen and ultimately claiming two wickets for just 18 runs.Sri Lanka will be buoyed by the return of their main strike bowler, as they head to ...
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