ISL 2024-25: Recovering from virus, Chennaiyin FC bullish about away clash with Mumbai City

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Chennai, Dec 19 (IANS) Chennaiyin FC will be looking to record back-to-back wins in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 when they take on champion side Mumbai City FC at the Mumbai Football Arena in Mumbai on Saturday.

Deputising for the unwell Owen Coyle, Wilson also provided updates on the availability of several players in light of the virus that has hit the camp. The assistant coach stated that Ryan Edwards, Lukas Brambilla, and Ankit Mukherjee were back in training, with the suspended Connor Shields and the recovering Elsinho Dias the only confirmed absentees for the Mumbai outing.

The previous match witnessed Elsinho stretchered off under medical care. Wilson also provided an update on his situation: “These things happen in a football match. Head coach Owen Coyle is very experienced, he knows how to take care of it, and he has been speaking with the players this week on how to move ahead. We are looking forward to Elsinho recovering and rejoining the team.”

Joining Wilson for the press conference was summer signing Kiyan Nassiri, who detailed his experience so far and laid down his personal goals for the season.

“I am just trying my best in training. Obviously, it’s not in my hands who makes it in the first eleven; I can train and do very well and keep my head up, keep training every day, keep giving my 100 per cent. If the coach decides I am fit to play, I’ll be there,” Kiyan said. “My plan is to get better every season. My mentality is always to win something with the club and I hope we get that this season.”

Chennaiyin’s earlier meeting against Mumbai City in the reverse fixture produced an entertaining 1-1 draw at the Marina Arena, which saw Edwards score his first goal of the season.

–IANS

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Mehidy Hasan denounces bowlers after 3-0 ODI series loss vs WI

Basseterre (St Kitts), Dec 13 (IANS) Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz criticised bowlers for their poor show in the four-wicket loss against West Indies in the third and final ODI to concede series 3-0 at Warner Park on Thursday.

Bangladesh posted a total of 321/5 riding on the half-centuries from Soumya Sarkar (73), Mehidy (77), Jaker Ali (62 not out) and Mahmudullah (84 not out) after being put to bat first.

In reply, debutant Amir Jangoo’s maiden ODI century (104 not out) and Keacy Carty’s 95 guided West Indies to a four-wicket win with 25 balls to spare as Bangladesh bowlers looked off rhythm in the defense of 322.

The hosts were reeling at 4/86 in 14.1 overs but the 132-run partnership between Jangoo and Carty set the tone of the chase with Gudakesh Motie making the vital contribution of 44 not out for the match-winning stand with the former.

“Losing after scoring 320 runs is disappointing. I did not believe that we would lose this match. To be honest, we picked four wickets inside first 20 overs but later they built a partnership of 150 runs and we could not get any wicket while they scored a lot of boundaries. We could not bowl the way we should have done and that was probably the problem,” Mehidy said.

“They needed to score (close to) 6.50 runs per over and you have to be calculative while chasing and we would have done the same thing. Obviously, the wicket was good and we had small mistakes. If we could have rectify those mistakes we could have done better. It is difficult for each bowler in this kind of wicket because you won’t get that much help when the batsmen play lot of shots the opportunity of scoring runs increases. It was challenging but I feel if we could do a bit better it would have been good both pacers and spinners,” he added.

Mehidy acknowledged that the series loss as a setback for Bangladesh’s confidence ahead of the Champions Trophy. However, he emphasised that there is still time to address their shortcomings before the global event. Bangladesh’s recent ODI form has been disappointing, with five losses in their last six matches, including series defeats to Afghanistan and the West Indies. Their only ODI success this year came with a 2-1 series win against Sri Lanka.

“Look this year we played six matches after the World Cup and lost five out of them. We were playing Test cricket but probably we think about the ODI. As the Champions Trophy is ahead, it would have been better if we could win it as it would have bolstered our confidence. We still have time in hand to work on our shortcomings,” said Mehidy.

“The positive thing is that we almost scored 300 runs in two matches. In the first match scored 295 runs and today we scored 321 runs. Jaker Ali finished well while the way Riyad bhai (Mahmudullah) batted and Tanzid Tamim batted at the top or the Soumya played today and I played two innings… so overall our batters batted well.

“The Champions Trophy is ahead and the wickets will be good there. It will be a challenge for the bowlers. Since we lost the game after scoring 300 runs, we can move forward with that mentality (of how to defend 300 runs) and work on it,” he added.

Bangladesh will now hope for a better show in the three-match T20I series, starting in Kingstown on Sunday.

–IANS

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Kolkata’s 16-year-old Anshul Mishra wins the 123rd All-India Amateur golf title

Chandigarh, Dec 16 (IANS) Kolkata teenager Anshul Mishra added his name to a list of illustrious winners of the iconic All-India Amateur Golf Championship at the Chandigarh Golf Club. The 123rd edition of the event, one of the oldest in the world, saw the 16-year-old Mishra beat his opponent Varun Muthappa 4 & 3 in the 36-hole final. That meant he was four-up with three holes to go.

The All-India Amateurs is the biggest amateur event in the Indian Golf Union (IGU) portfolio.

Watching him win was the 2012 All-India amateur winner, Chandigarh golfer Shubhankar Sharma, who had previously won the title in 2012. Mishra, who started his golf at the Royal Calcutta Golf Course under Inderjit Bhalotia, now trains with Jesse Grewal. He plans to try and play in US College golf.

Mishra was 15th in the stroke-play format. Then he beat Jaibir Singh in the pre-quarterfinals and won against Tushar Pannu in the quarters. In the semifinals, the youngster scored a win over Anant Ahlawat of Haryana.

In the final, Mishra took on Muthappa over 36 holes. Muthappa took an early lead but Mishra caught up and went 1-up ahead after the end of the first 18 holes. Mishra continued playing steady golf for the next few holes to extend his lead to 5-up after 28 holes.

Muthappa won the 29th hole and 30th hole to recover and reduced the margin and had a chance to win the 31st with a simple birdie. Mishra, however, halved the hole and then finally won the prestigious championship on the 33rd hole 4 & 3.

–IANS

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