Mohali, May 12: For the better part of the day, rumours flew thick and fast that Rahul Dravid had stepped down as captain. It was only when Dravid took his appointed place for the toss that some normalcy was restored. Unfortunately, everything else associated with the Challengers remained a constant, too.

The Challengers wallowed in self-pity, unable to even put up a semblance of a fight against Kings XI Punjab as they crashed to their seventh defeat in nine matches. It was not surprising that the locals didn’t turn up in large numbers to watch the game; they had seen and heard enough of the Challengers to give it a miss.

Winning the toss was the only thing that Dravid did right as they slipped into their usual routine. Their major area of concern, batting, continued to haunt them and the Challengers just couldn’t break free of the shackles that has enveloped them.

A poor score of 143 for eight in 20 overs was what the Challengers mustered and it soon became a walk in the park for Yuvraj’s band as the in-form Shaun Marsh kept his good run going with an impressive, unbeaten 74 to steer Kings XI to 144 for one, a comprehensive nine-wicket victory with more than four overs to spare.

Making first use of the wicket was of no essence as the Challengers lost wickets at repeated intervals and even the promotion of Misbah ul-Haq to number three didn’t work as he fell in the most unlikely manner. The Pakistani fell to the rarest of dismissals, hit wicket, as he trod on to his stumps.

Scorecard

Royal challengers

Batsman  how out  Runs   Balls   4s    6s
Arunkumar  c J’wardene b Sreesanth   1   3 0 0 Kohli b Chawla 21 22 4  0
Misbah hit wicket b Sreesanth 21   8 3 1
White c & b Chawla 10 14 0 0
Dravid b Pathan 29 27 2 0
Boucher run out (Chawla/Kaul) 39 31 4 1
Praveen b Sreesanth   5   7 0 0
Vinay Kumar  b Singh   1   3 0 0
Zaheer not out   1   4 0 0
Kumble not out   0   1 0 0

Extras (b 5, lb 2, w 8): 15
Total (in 20 overs): 143/8
FoW: 1-4 (Arunkumar, 2.1), 2-36 (Misbah, 4.6), 3-49 (Kohli, 5.3), 4-74 (White, 10.1), 5-102 (Dravid, 14.6), 6-123 (Praveen, 17.2), 7-129 (Vinay, 18.2), 8-139 (Boucher, 19.5).

Bowling O M R W (E)
Sreesanth 4 0  29 3 (1w)
Pathan 4 1  23 1 (1w)
Chawla 4 0  33         2        (1w)
VRV Singh 4 0  15        1       
Yuvraj 2 0  14 0 (1w)
Hopes 2 0  22 0 

Batsman  how out  Runs   Balls   4s    6s
Marsh not out 74 51 9 2
Hopes c Steyn b Vinay Kumar 27 19 0  3
Pomersbach not out 34 24 3 2

Extras (lb 5, w 4)    9
Total (in 15.4 overs):  144/1
FoW: 1-42 (Hopes, 6.2).

Bowling O M R    W (E)
Steyn 2 0  33  0  (2w)
Zaheer 4 0  35 0 
Praveen 2.4 0  15       0     
Vinay Kumar 2            0         11       1  
Kumble 4 0  36    0 (1w)
Kohli 1 0 9 0

Points tally

Team M W L T P Net RR
Rajasthan Royals 9 7 2 0 14 +0.59
Kings XI Punjab 9 6 3 0 12 +0.45
Chennai Super Kings 9 6 3 0 12 +0.10
Kolkata Knight Riders 8 4 4 0 8 +0.54
Delhi Daredevils 8 4 4 0 8 +0.50
Mumbai Indians 7 3 4 0 6 -0.45
Deccan Chargers 9 2 7 0 4 -0.35
Royal Challengers 9 2 7 0 4 -1.38
(collated under as team, matches, won, lost, tied, points, net run rate)

Kolkata, May 12: Things seem to be getting a little difficult for Delhi Dardevils, who have lost two games on the trot after beginning their Indian Premier League campaign in dominant fashion. Now lying fifth in the league table with eight points from as many games, Delhi need to get the better of Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday revive their prospects of reaching the semifinal.

Coach Greg Shipperd, however, feels that losing close matches and his side’s below par fielding are the main causes for worry. "It was a disappointing defeat last night (against Rajasthan Royals). We lost yet another close game which is really unfortunate," Shipperd said. "In most of the games, we have bowled quite well. But the fielding hasn’t been up to the mark. We dropped a few easy catches in our previous game as well. So, this is an area we urgently need to work on," he added.

The opening duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir have played a significant part in most of the matches the Daredevils have won. Their early dismissals have caused problems, Shipperd admitted. "The Sehwag-Gambhir opening combination is always a strong one. Their early exit did make our middle order feel the pressure."

Mohali, May 12: To say that the Royal Challengers are in a state of flux is a gross understatement. Over the last couple of weeks, Rahul Dravid’s men have unwittingly adhered to Murphy’s Law: everything that can go wrong has gone wrong for them and their worst fears are what the future holds. Ridiculed for picking a team fit for the longer version and chastised for their mediocre performance, the Challengers are like the walking wounded. Wounded in pride and wounded in soul.

With just six games left in the Indian Premier League, Dravid’s men will need all the luck in the world to turn things around. Even then, it may not be enough and the worst thing that could have happened to them is the loss of faith in the team by its owner, Vijay Mallya. Having steadfastly maintained silence until now, Mallya has come out with a scathing indictment of Dravid, the team and its former CEO, Charu Sharma.

What it does to a team already struggling for confidence is to only hurl it back further and there is no gainsaying the fact that the team is like one split family. Forget the camaraderie between the players, they probably won’t even have the inclination to look each other in the eye. Little wonder then that they stayed locked in their rooms prior to the match against the Kings XI Punjab on Monday.

By sacking Sharma midway through the competition, Mallya sent shockwaves through the camp and now by voicing his displeasure with the composition of the squad, he has numbed them beyond belief. "We haven’t played good cricket, it’s understandable that such comments will come. The big names aren’t doing well, we haven’t got the combination right," was all Dravid said.

Perhaps, this is the reason why the Royal Challengers are travelling with their families. Most of the 18-member Challenger team and the support staff have been joined by their families and it’s a big entourage with wives and kids in tow. Apparently, finding solace in their nearest ones seems to be the only option for the suffering Challengers. Then again, they have only brought it upon themselves.

With Mallya’s patience wearing thin, a fallout was inevitable but even then, the sheer drama took one’s breath away. How the Challengers tackle their next six games is the big question. To say that they have to pick themselves off the floor is mildly stating the obvious but it’s easier said than done. Despite being under tremendous pressure, Dravid has maintained equanimity. "We need to win those close games, the ones that we lost by three runs, ten runs and 11 runs. We need to get consistent. I still maintain in the quality in the team," said the captain putting on a brave face. More than anything, Mallya is upset with the team selection and has insisted at every turn, right from the day the Challengers were launched, that Misbah-ul-Haq is his choice.

Does it mean Dravid and Sharma were against the Pakistani’s inclusion? It has also been suggested in some quarters that Sharma lost his job because of the manner in which Misbah was repeatedly benched.

Jaipur, May 12: Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warned termed the blistering 74-run knock of Shane Watson as the "best" knock which helped them take a "sweet revenge" from Delhi Daredevils here on Sunday. "Watson’s innings was turning point of the match. His innings was perhaps the best in the tournament. It was most valuable and brilliant innings," Warne said at the post match press conference.

"I am happy with the team’s victory, sitting on top of the table. Revenge was sweet," he said in an apparent reference to the nine-wicket lose against Delhi in the away tie early in the tournament. Warne also apologised to his team for bowling a costly over.  "Things went according to our plan till 19th over. I apologise for that over. I was hit for 27 runs. I am 27 and I don’t think so at this age it was that bad. But we gave 20-25 runs extra to them," he said.

Warne was happy that his team executed all the game plans well. "We bowled well and were able to contain them. We had plans for Sehwag. Dmitri, Watson Siddarth (Trivedi) and Munaf intentionally kept the ball slow," he said.

Bangalore, May 12: Seldom does Vijay Mallya vent his frustration in public. And when he does, he comes out loud and clear. He minced no words when he hit out at Royal Challengers’ icon Rahul Dravid and CEO Charu Sharma, whom he sacked for his team’s ignominious show in the DLF Twenty20 IPL.

In a TV interview, the liquor baron bared his heavy heart, suggesting that it was not quite the squad that he had sought. He had wanted players of his choice, but Dravid picked the men he deemed would deliver in the league. "I had my own list (of players) but the fact is Rahul Dravid and Charu Sharma had their own list and at the end of the day, I decided to take the back seat," Mallya said.

"I was very tempted to bid for players whom I wanted but they held me back. Obviously things have turned out differently," he added. Six defeats in eight matches is indeed a dubious record, which Dravid wouldn’t be proud of. At least, he braved to admit that Mallya had every reason to be upset with the lacklustre performance of his side. "We haven’t done as well as we had expected to. The big guns haven’t fired," said Dravid.

Mallya regrets that he was not part of the goings on when his franchise bid for players in the auction at Mumbai. "When I participated in the second auction, Charu was tentative of the players I wanted. It was I who picked Misbah-ul-Haq," said Mallya. Deccan Chronicle asked Charu, the sacked CEO, about the players Mallya had wanted to be picked for his team. "He had a wish list. He wanted almost all the best players in world cricket. But we had to consider a lot of aspects: whether the international players whom we were going to bid for would be available right though the IPL," he said.

"And if he were to talk about the second round of bidding. I think we did well to get Ross Taylor, who performed creditably in the games he turned out for us. The rest of the lot in the mop-up auction were under-19 players," said Charu, who had cast his weight behind the players that Dravid had asked for.

With Royal Challengers boat sinking with each outing, both Mallya and Charu have categorically said it was Dravid, who picked the players. Should Dravid then be blamed for the debacles? Did he allow sentiments to cloud his player assessment when he handpicked the ‘roses’ from the IPL bouquet? Certainly, there was no place for Wasim Jaffer and a couple of fuddy-duddies, who don’t fit the fast and furious Twenty20 format, where there is little scope for a comeback from the dumps.

The blame game will continue until the IPL dust settles down. But Mallya could have been a tard patient. If he were to take a look at Manchester United’s road map, he would understand that they took a long while before becoming a successful football outfit.  If he were to look away from sports for comfort, he could find solace in Virgin Atlantic’s Richard Branson’s quote: "Some you win and some you lose. Be glad when you win. Don’t have regrets when you lose. Never look back. You can’t change the past."

At least, Mallya can change the future. He could handpick the very best from the cricketing world.  If Mallya’s Twenty20 hit out on Sunday were to be taken seriously, there certainly will be no place for Dravid.

Bangalore, May 12: For a person to spend Rs 463.4 crore for a team and see it languish at the bottom of the IPL table is obviously frustrating. Vijay Mallya again came out with scathing remarks on the performance of his Bangalore Royal Challengers team on Sunday. As the owner of the team and a man who has tasted more success than defeat in life, it has been a rough IPL ride for Mallya.

Former cricketers felt it was high time that the Challengers rose to the occasion and restored some of their lost pride. "It is time that they played as a team. With due respect to Dravid’s contribution to Indian and Karnataka cricket, I feel that it is high time that he took decisions on his own. While selecting a team there should be no friendship," said former pacer Dodda Ganesh.

Echoing this view was his former teammate Sujit Somasunder. "They have failed to strike the right combination. At a time when most of the teams’ batting line-up is settled, we are still searching for the right batting line-up. It is time that the players did some justice to their talent," he said. The duo also felt that the Challengers had failed to fire as a team. "It is time that they kept their personal differences aside and played as a unit, which they have failed to do till now," said Sujit.

With just two wins from eight outings, the Challengers only have to play for their pride. "The selection policy itself was defective. There is no balance in the team because each player is good in his own right, but it is gelling as a team that matters the most. It is time that they learnt from their mistakes and rectified it," was the refrain of former players.

Ipoh, May 12: India warded off a spirited second half resurgence by Belgium to script a 6-4 victory and keep themselves afloat in the Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament here on Monday. The Indians opened up a flattering 5-1 lead by half time but their opponents fought back brilliantly to score three goals in the second session. But young Indians managed to hold on their lead to record a second successive win in the seven-nation tournament.

Shivendra Singh and Sandeep Singh rammed in two goals while S.V. Sunil and Diwakar Ram chipped in with a goal each in the fast paced contest which saw India frittering away a few scoring opportunities. Alexender de Sadeleere, Jerome Trueyns, Thomas Briels and Charles Vandewgheles were the scorers for Belgium who very nearly caught up with the Indians in the second session.

India have now garnered six points from four matches and have show signs of improvement after losing their first two matches against New Zealand and Argentina. The team, mainly comprising of juniors, started off well by scoring as many as five goals in the opening session, but seemed to lose their rhythm after the interval with the forward line failing to break through the rival defence.

Belgium dominated the initial minutes before India scored its first goal through Shivendra Singh in the ninth minute. Despite the early goal, India appeared tentative but a few clever substitutions and placement of players by coach A.K. Bansal helped the team pick up the momentum. India showed commendable perfection in converting the penalty corners. Four goals of the six were scored converting the short corners. In 22nd minute, young drag-flicker Diwakar Ram netted second goal.

Kolkata, May 12: All of a sudden, the closing leg of the Indian Premier League is threatening to turn into a three-horse race for one spot in the semifinals, and the first of these crunch games comes up at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday with the Kolkata Knight Riders up against the Delhi Daredevils.

It will interestingly enough, a clash of two teams that are in the middle of very contrasting runs. The Daredevils got off to a blazing start, reeling off a series of comprehensive wins but have since then hit a roadblock that has disrupted their momentum completely.

In contrast, the Knight Riders are riding high and handsome, back to the sort of form that saw them swat Bangalore Royal Challenges aside in the IPL opener. Nothing reflects this more accurately than the form and performances of the two captains. Virender Sehwag was unstoppable in the initial leg of the competition, taking attacks apart with his customary nonchalance.

In that period, Sourav Ganguly looked all out of sorts and the inevitable whispers that accompany him everywhere grew louder that he was just not cut out for this abbreviated, super-fast version of cricket.

Yet, in the space of a week, it has all gone pear-shaped for Sehwag. He has seen his team lose two close games on the trot and clearly the pressure is telling, for he is suddenly no longer the Nawab of Najafgarh. In fact, he bears a distinctly hunted look these days and it is telling on his batting.

That is bad news for Delhi. From quite early on in the IPL, it was evident that the Daredevils were a top-heavy combo with the bat. In that phase, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan matched strides with their skipper and it looked beyond the ken of the remaining attacks to contain the three. Herein also lay a weakness, and that was first exposed by Punjab Super Kings. Get past these three and you have Delhi by the throat, was the message that went out from the PCA Stadium that April night. Given the sheer class and experience littering the IPL, it was inevitable that others would twig on to this and exploit the opportunity for all it was worth. Therefore we have seen in the last four games that once the runs dry up for Sehwag, Delhi pay the price and even the presence of Glenn McGrath and Mohammad Asif with the new ball has not been enough to offset this handicap.

Sunday’s battering at the hands of Shane Warne’s Royals was just the latest example. Delhi never were able to post enough runs and once McGrath and Asif has gone through their opening spells, Delhi were unable to check Rajasthan. It did not help their cause that Shane Watson was unstoppable on the day. For the Knight Riders and their unflappable coach-captain combination of John Buchanan and Ganguly, the basic battle-plan has already been mapped out. Said Buchanan here on Monday, "We want to deny Sehwag the space to score easy runs. Keeping him in check is important."

So important in fact that even Ganguly’s rebirth with the willow has been shaded somewhat. The elegant south-paw was in devastating form against the Chargers. Add to that his steady bowling that has already reaped rich dividend, and it is clear that Kolkata will take the field feeling pretty good about themselves.

Yet Delhi’s abilities do not quite equate with those of the Royal Challengers and the Chargers. This both Buchanan and Ganguly know. Which is why the Shoaib Akhtar question is still an open one.

"There is a very good chance we will play him, but we will only decide that after one last look at him tomorrow," Buchanan said.

Shoaib has been cranking up the pace steadily and under the eye of Ian Fraser has already come some way towards match-fitness. Kolkata, are willing to back their present lot to do the job and give him a little more time for the bigger battles ahead.

The plot is unravelling quickly for Delhi Daredevils. They were off the blocks in a rush but now have lost their way. Four wins and as many defeats perhaps convey the balance is not quite right. They did try to correct it against Rajasthan Royals by bringing in a specialist spinner in Amit Mishra and two all-rounders capable of bowling more than a couple of good overs or striking a few massive blows. Yet, it still didn’t work.

I must admit though Delhi were unlucky to come up against Shane Watson in such rampaging form. Watson was unstoppable and clearly is a man who can win a match of his own. Still, AB de Villiers and Dinesh Karthik in the middle are not pulling their weight for Delhi. Despite a good start, Delhi are choking in the middle overs.

The trouble is, even a good start might not be so easy against Kolkata’s Knight Riders. Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda, Umar Gul are tough to get away. Shoaib Akhtar and Ajit Agarkar are in the wings. It makes Delhi vulnerable, more so if batting first.

Delhi’s bowling has a might of its own but the lesser locals can be carted around with impunity. Despite the failure against Rajasthan Royal, I still feel Delhi had put their best team in the park. The trouble is they were possibly up against the best side in the competition. Rajasthan Royals are most dangerous when chasing a target. It’s instructive that their two defeats in this tournament have come about batting first. In many ways, the match between Delhi and Kolkata on Tuesday could be a clincher for the fourth semi-finalists’ spot though there still are a lot of games to go.

Mumbai, May 12: Four-time Olympian Dhanraj Pillay on Monday announced the opening of his hockey academy which will run under the aegis of the Mumbai Hockey Association to help revive the national sport at the grass-roots level, at the Cricket Club of India here. The main aim of the academy is to tap not just urban talent but also the largely ignored rural talent that is waiting to be unleashed.

What motivated Dhanraj to start an academy at a time when the sport is hitting an all time low? "It is still rural India that holds the key ingredients of making of a true achiever. Not that people in metros don’t have the same qualities, but they don’t realise what they have. Also, they are not willing to put in the same amount of hard work." The Dhanraj Pillay Hockey Academy has a three-year development plan to groom young talent for junior national events and the World Cup. An 18-day camp for 50 boys under-18 will kick-start its functioning at the Mumbai Hockey Association from Monday.

The 50 boys selected will be players from Olympian Vivek Academy (Varanasi), Brahmapuri (Nagpur) and some select players from Mumbai. Prof. Ratnakar Shetty, cricket control board chief administrator said, "It is very easy to criticise when things are going badly. But I really appreciate the positive efforts that Dhanraj has put in at such a time." The Indians sports ministry has promised to lay 40 astroturf pitches across the country for the development of the game, Shetty added.

Kolkata, May 12: Laxmi Ratan Shukla was subjected to heavy criticism after Bengal were relegated under his leadership from the Ranji Trophy Elite Group earlier this year. Wriddhiman Saha, a fringe player who would not have made it even to the Bengal XI, let alone the IPL had Deep Dasgupta been around. Ashoke Dinda is a frail-looking medium pacer from a nondescript village in Midnapore who was spotted in a talent hunt and has had a stop-start first class career. These also-rans have suddenly transformed into cricketers who are playing pivotal roles for the Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. And the chief architect of this transformation is coach John Buchanan.

"The talent was always there. It was a matter of encouraging them and allowing them to express themselves on and off the field," Buchanan said. "The team management gives support but it’s for the players to go there and perform. Saha, Laxmi, Dinda showed stomach for a fight. They backed their abilities, followed the schedules and have a good work ethic. Hopefully, they will continue with their good show for rest of the tournament."

Dinda so far has claimed eight wickets at a decent economy rate, Saha has scored 114 runs in five matches at a strike rate of 175-plus. He is also reliable behind the stumps. Laxmi, apart from his batting pyrotechnics in the slog overs, is fast maturing into a good death bowler.

"When I first saw them they were possibly a bit overawed by the presence of big stars in the team. But our main focus was team-bonding. It was important to make them feel that were the part of the whole picture," said the coach.

Mumbai, May 12: It is never easy taking the big stage. The mental strength required for a batsman to succeed in front of big crowds and bowlers of international repute, not to forget a massive television audience, is enormous. One Chennai youngster who has coped with this reasonably this is S. Vidyut of Chennai Super Kings. He has solved a major headache for the team management as far as the opening slot goes. With Stephen Fleming alongside, the top looks a little more secure.

Vidyut will have a pivotal role to play against the Mumbai Indians on Wednesday. Shaun Pollock will not be easy to get away but the manner in which Vidyut handled Glenn McGrath has given him confidence. "Having played a bowler of the calibre of McGrath, you get the confidence that anyone can be taken on. At the same time Pollock is not going to be easy to handle. He is a great bowler and it will be a privilege and an honour to compete against him. One thing I can assure is I will not be bogged down and will take my chances," says a confident Vidyut.

Having scored 107 runs in four innings at a strike rate in excess of 150, Vidyut can hope to ride the momentum. The result in the last two games has also helped lift the spirit of the team and that should only spur Vidyut on. "Even when we were losing, the morale was pretty good. It is difficult to keep winning in this format. We kept trying hard and sometimes it does not come off but the team was always upbeat," says Vidyut.

For a batsman who generates tremendous bat speed, Vidyut is ideally suited to take advantage of the field restrictions. He has never batted any differently even in the Ranji Trophy. A naturally attacking player he has often found it difficult to curb his instincts and that has led to his downfall on a few occasions. "I have worked on my shot selection. In T20 it is difficult to leave deliveries as it allows the bowler to settle down. I am still in search of what is the perfect approach but I am not going to hold back if there is anything to be hit," says Vidyut.

The IPL has provided a fine platform for players like Vidyut who have had their moments in the domestic scene yet could never really break through to the national side. Having represented the India Under-19 and 23 teams Vidyut lost it a bit in the last season before coming good in the national one-day competition to force his way into the Super Kings side. "The IPL is a great opportunity as we get to play against some of the best, to perform against them gives greater satisfaction."

Vidyut’s fielding in the IPL has been a plus. For a left-arm spinner he does not operate with a classic action but can be steady with his trajectory.

Ipoh, May 12: Second victory in a row after two defeats should be a pleasant experience for any coach, but A.K. Bansal was miffed as he thought India’s performance in Monday’s Azlan Shah outing against Belgium was a "horrible" one. Bansal was dejected with the fact that after leading 5-1 at half-time, India conceded three goals in the second half to manage a 6-4 win against the Belgians.

"It is a horrible win," Bansal said. "We had no business to let in so many goals, so much so that at one point of time it appeared we will lose," he said. Bansal said the team should have adopted an attacking approach after the change of ends."Some of our players are experienced ones, they should have borne this basic fact of competition. I am sorry to say our players, and forwards in particular, have to come up and be counted. We should not lack in mental strength," Bansal said.

Coming on to the positive side of the day, he said, "We required a win to attain some reasonable position in the tournament. We won, and the three points count much." "I normally deploy three forwards in the attack, and they get enough support from the attacking midfielders." "This way scoring so many goals in the first half was a positive aspect," he said. Asked why injured Sandeep Singh was fielded, Bansal said his injury was minor.

"Midway in the first half, I found our midfielders were committing mistakes and I wanted to stop that. Sandeep was a good choice. He went inside and scored two goals, then how can I pull him out" he said. Bansal, who never expected that all the four penalty corners would be converted in the match, complimented both Sandeep and Diwakar Ram for the success which brought India back into the reckoning in the tournament.

"Frankly speaking, both the players were in the doubtful list to make this trip." "Thankfully, they are here and you see for yourself their worth," Bansal said. Sandeep last played for India a year ago at the Champions Challenge Cup in Boom, Belgium. His love-hate relationship with the outgoing coach Joaquim Carvalho was cited as the reason for him not playing for the country.

After two back-to-back wins, India will get a couple of days’ break and Bansal will take his boys to Penang, a sea resort, for some well-deserved rest.

Jakarta, May 12: South Korea admitted it threw its Thomas Cup match against England on Monday, plunging the elite tournament into controversy and overshadowing China’s continued march towards the title.  The Koreans, who have emerged as a powerful force in men’s badminton, lost 4-1 after fielding a weakened team, with Asian champion Park Sung-Hwan and Korean Open winner Lee Hyun-Il playing doubles together instead of singles.

Team manager Kim Jong-Soo said their tactics were to avoid winning their group to ensure a more favourable quarterfinal draw.  "We formulated a strategy before we arrived where we want to meet Denmark in the quarterfinals, and that means not finishing top of the group," he said.

"The Badminton World Federation (BWF) created these rules, but I’d much prefer having the two top automatically qualify for the quarterfinals."  The Thomas and Uber Cup tournaments are structured so that the top finisher in each three-team group receive a bye to the quarterfinals, while the other two play an elimination game to make the last eight.

If Korea finish top of their group they face the prospect of meeting defending champions China in the semifinals.  The Netherlands head coach Martijn van Dooremalen said the system was to blame. "I don’t think it is in the spirit of the game but the way the system is, you can use tactics to come second or third and avoid the bigger name teams."

Hyderabad, May 12: M. Sri Jitesh Swamy booked his final spot with a resounding victory over KVVS Dheeraj in the boys under-12 category of the Andhra Pradesh State Open junior tennis tournament at the Ganesh Raman Tennis Academy here on Monday.

Swamy scored a comfortable 10-3 victory to set up a clash with Yash Puri, who got the better of Ponnala Siddarth 10-6.

In the girls’ final, M.S. Dyuti saw off S. Manasi Reddy 9-6 and will meet Rashmitha Reddy, who squeezed past Neharika 10-7.

Results: Boys U-12 SFs: M. Sri Jitesh Swamy bt KVSS Dheeraj 10-3, Yash Puri bt Ponnala Siddarth 10-6. QFs: K.V.S.S. Dheeraj bt C. Tharun Anirudh 9-7, Yash Puri bt Prithiv Raju 9-0, M. Sri Jitesh Swamy bt Md Taquiuddin 9-2, Ponnala Siddarth bt M. Avinash Reddy 9-2. (PQFs): M Sri Jitesh Swamy bt Devesh Gupta 8-0, Md Taqiuddin bt Ch Venkata Shiva Sai 8-0, Tharun Anirudh bt T Sahith 8-1, M. Avinash Reddy bt Kunwar Gandhi 8-1, Yash Rori bt Sameer Krishna 8-2, Ponnala Siddarth bt Krishna Chaitanya 8-4, K.V.S.S. Dheeraj bt B. Vaishnav 8-2. Round I: M. Avinash Reddy bt Jai Sachdev 8-6, M. Sri Jitesh Swamy bt B. Sai Praneet 8-0, Devesh Gupta bt D.V. Hemanth 8-5, Md Taqiuddin bt L. Anirudh 8-3, T. Sahith bt AKS Shrawanth 8-3, C. Tharun Anirudh bt Sai Teja Reddy 8-5, KVSS Dheeraj bt Vamsi Krishna 8-1, Kunwar Gandhi bt Manoj Kumar 8-4, Rohan bt A. Nauuluri 8-4, Ch Venkata Shiva Sai bt Rishabh 8-3, B. Vaishnav bt Khush 8-1, Yash Puri bt Jaydev Sai 8-1.

Girls U-12 SFs: M.S. Dyuti bt S. Manasi Reddy 9-6, Rashmitha Reddy bt Neharika 10-7. (QFs): M.S. Dyuti bt S. Ravina Reddy 8-4. PQFs: Nidhi Surapaneni bt Reethika 8-0.

Port of Spain, May 12: West Indies cricketer Marlon Samuels has been found liable of one of the two bribery charges and faces a two year ban from international cricket. The West Indies Cricket Board found sufficient evidence to charge Samuels for allegedly passing on team information to Indian bookie Mukesh Kochar during the first ODI between West Indies and India in Nagpur on January 21 last year, Radio Jamaica reported. Samuel now faces a two year ban from international cricket, the report said.  The hearing was conducted by the WICB’s code of ethics and disciplinary committee.

Hyderabad, May 12: Deccan Chargers captain V.V.S. Laxman could be out for two weeks because of the injury he suffered during the IPL match against Kings XI Punjab. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a felicitation ceremony organised by Rotary International, Laxman revealed that he had been advised an MRI scan on his injured right hand and he would not play cricket for the next 15 days.

"I was injured while attempting a pull shot. Since then I’ve not been able to hold the bat. After a thorough check up, I’ve been advised to go for an MRI scan and I won’t be able to play for the next 15 days," Laxman said. The local Rotarians presented the Paul Harris Fellowship to Deccan Chargers’ cricketers. The honour, named after the founder of Rotary International, was bestowed on the players for their service in spreading goodwill and peace.