Club World Cup: Inter Milan, Monterrey settle for 1-1- draw; Sundowns and River Plate win

Sydney, Jan 3 (IANS) With speculations suggesting that Rohit Sharma has played his last Test match for the Indian national team, and the skipper having ‘opted to rest’ for the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant labelled the move as an ‘emotional decision.’

“It was an emotional decision because he’s been the captain for a long time. We see him as the leader of the team. There are some decisions that you are not involved with, it was a call by the management and I was not a part of that conversation so can’t explain further,” said Pant at the end of the day press conference.

Rohit has averaged just 6.2 from the three Tests he played against Australia with the highest score of 10. Speculation around him not playing at Sydney emerged after head coach Gautam Gambhir refused to term him as a guaranteed starter in the pre-match press conference.

Sharma opting to sit out paved the way for vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah to lead the Indian side in a series-deciding match. The 27-year old went on to highlight the Indian spearhead’s positive approach to the game.

“The message (from Bumrah) is to be positive all the time, don’t think about what has already happened and. just give your best on the field. That’s what you want from your captain, being in a positive frame of mind and keep moving the game forward each and every day,” he added.

Pant was India’s highest scorer on Day 1 having scored 40 runs off 98 deliveries, in an innings laced with three boundaries and one six. Pant’s wicket brought upon a late collapse, with Nitish Kumar Reddy being caught at slips on the very next delivery. Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar’s wicket fell soon after but a lot of controversy surrounded the manner of the latter’s dismissal.

Sundar was adjudged caught behind off Australian captain Pat Cummins. The on-field umpire, Saikat Sharfuddoula, had initially ruled Sundar not out, but Australia opted for a review.

Joel Wilson spent considerable time analysing the replays to determine whether Sundar had gloved the short-pitched delivery. The Snickometer showed a spike as the ball passed near Sundar’s glove, but the visuals raised questions. One frame appeared to show no spike when the ball was closest to the glove, while the subsequent frame captured a spike.

Pant went on to claim there’s not much to say about the decision but called for a better use of technology in order to provide conclusive results.

“There is not much to say because technology is one part which you as a cricketer can’t control. I feel whatever decision is made on the field has to stay with the on-field umpire, unless it’s so conclusive to change the decision. End of the day it’s the umpire’s decision and I can’t challenge it every time but the technology can be a little better,” he said.

–IANS

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Madrid (Spain), April 22 (IANS) Four games in La Liga on Wednesday have a lot to say about the title race, next season’s Champions League berths, and the struggle to avoid relegation. Real Madrid make the short trip to Getafe after Sunday’s injury-time win at home to Athletic Club Bilbao, and depending on FC Barcelona’s result against Mallorca on Tuesday, Madrid could kick off seven points behind the league leaders and again need to win to keep in touch.

Saturday’s Copa del Rey final in Sevilla comes three days after the game, with Madrid understandably unhappy at having 24 hours less preparation and recovery time for that match than Barca.

With Kylian Mbappe doubtful with an ankle injury, Carlo Ancelotti will probably make rotations to try and keep key players fresh for Saturday, with Brahim Diaz and Arda Guler getting a chance and David Alaba returning in defense, reports Xinhua. Getafe are safe from relegation in mid-table and have little at stake other than pride.

Athletic Club Bilbao remain in fourth place, with a five-point lead over Villarreal in fifth, and coach Ernesto Valverde will make wholesale changes to the team that was second away from taking a point from the Bernabeu on Sunday.

Valverde complained publicly about the scheduling that forces his side to kick off at 7 pm on Wednesday after not finishing until 11 pm on Sunday, giving his players just 68 hours between one game and another, when this match could easily have been played on Thursday or Friday.

Players such as Davi Vivian, Yeray Alvarez, and Oihan Sancet will all start on Wednesday, although Nico Williams is a doubt with a slight groin injury, while Javier Munoz is suspended, and Fabio Silva is a doubt for a Las Palmas side that has given its survival hopes a boost with consecutive wins.

Villarreal travel to Celta Vigo for what promises to be an entertaining match against a rival looking to qualify for Europe next season, and who pushed Barcelona all the way before losing to a 98th-minute penalty at the weekend. Alex Baena is out for Villarreal, but Yeremi Pino showed with a goal at the weekend that he is a more than able deputy.

Wednesday’s last match sees Alaves at home to Real Sociedad in a Basque derby. Alaves need a win after slipping into the bottom three at the weekend despite a draw away to Sevilla, while Real Sociedad still have a chance to qualify for Europe after drawing in Villarreal.

–IANS

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Vadodara, Feb 13 (IANS) The third season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 is upon us, and Gujarat Giants are all set for their home debut as they take on defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the brand-new Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) Stadium in Vadodara on Friday.

Speaking ahead of the match, both head coach Michael Klinger and captain Ashleigh Gardner shared their thoughts on the team’s readiness for the season and their excitement about playing at home for the first time.

“Our first three games are in front of a Gujarat crowd. Hopefully, not just from Vadodara, but fans from across the region will come in, wear orange, and support us. Last year, we had to play against RCB in Bangalore and Delhi Capitals in Delhi, and they had some big crowds there. It would be great if we can create the same atmosphere here,” said Klinger.

Gardner, who will lead the side for the first time, added, “We get to play in front of our home fans for the first time, which is exciting. I feel like we’ve built a really strong base with our fans, and hopefully, we can start the season the way we really want to – especially here at home, playing in front of our fans.”

In their home leg, Gujarat Giants will also face UP Warriorz on February 16 followed by Mumbai Indians on February 18. Speaking about the conditions at BCA Stadium, Klinger said, “The stadium looks fantastic, and from all reports, the wicket is really good – a proper batting wicket that will hopefully produce a lot of runs, mainly for our team, but either way, it’ll make for exciting cricket for the crowd.”

When asked about expectations for the season, the 27-year-old Aussie all-rounder said, “With the team we have at the moment, I think we can play some really competitive and exciting cricket, which is really cool.”

Meanwhile, Klinger revealed that the team will take an aggressive approach in the tournament. “I think you can expect some attacking cricket. I feel we have the squad now, with the batting depth and firepower, to play really aggressively. We’ve set some targets that we’re looking to achieve, and we’re certainly aiming to play entertaining cricket.”

“But more than anything, I hope people see us as an enthusiastic group with a lot of energy. That will be most evident in our fielding because, for us, that’s non-negotiable,” he concluded.

–IANS

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