Guitar man Anderson wants rhythm not blues against Federer
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\R London, Jul 10 (AFP) Kevin Anderson, the big South African who winds down from tennis by reaching for his guitar, admits he needs to be right on key from the start of his Wimbledon quarter-final against eight-time champion Roger Federer. The odds are stacked against Anderson who will be playing in his first last-eight match at the All England Club while Federer is in his 16th. He has also lost all four meetings against the 20-time major winner, failing to win a set off the great Swiss star. When asked what he admired about defending champion Federer, the 32-year-old Anderson was happy to reel off an exhaustive check-list. “His consistency, the way he plays such great tennis week in and week out,” said Anderson. “Just the way he moves, the way he conducts himself on the court is very impressive. Everything looks so easy, so fluid. “The variety he brings to the court. The use of the slice backhand. The use of his attacking forehand. His defence. He’s really got the complete package.” Anderson added that Federer, who won his first Wimbledon title in 2003, is the perfect role model for the sport — and for those players in the chasing pack. “The expectations he’s had to deal with for over a decade, 15 years, I mean, at the top of the game, he’s able to deal with it so well, which isn’t easy.” If Anderson is to shock Federer, who has only lost once before the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 15 years, he will need to call up the heavy artillery which has served him well at the tournament this year.advertisement He has sent down 96 aces in four rounds and dropped serve just six times.Anderson is also fourth on the fastest serve chart with a top speed of 140 mph (225.3km/h). However, Federer has held all of his 55 service games this year and last dropped serve in the semi-finals in 2017 — 81 service games ago. The 36-year-old is also on a streak of 32 consecutive sets won at the tournament, just two off his record. “I feel like a lot of aspects of my game can give him a lot of trouble,” said Anderson, the first South African man in the Wimbledon quarter-finals since Wayne Ferreira in 1994. “I’m a big player, big serve. I’m going to have to really take it to him. “Also at the same time try to treat it like another tennis match. Only my second time out on Centre Court. He’s played there a few more times than that. “The more I can just treat it like another tennis match, the better for me.” (AFP) ATKATK
Manchester United Jose Mourinho coach was happy with his club’s 1-1 draw against Mexican side Club America in the first pre-season friendly but he continued to rue the unavailability of options at his disposal.The English side managed to eke out a draw after Juan Mata’s 78th minuter equaliser canceled out Henry Martin’s opener on 59 minutes. Mata scored from a Tahith Chong cross from which Ander Herrera headed against the right post before Mata scrambled past Agustin Marchesin.United started the game with a back four of Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw. Ahead of them, the three midfielders were Scott McTominay, Herrera and Anders Pereira and the three forwards were Demetri Mitchell from the left, Anthony Martial from the centre and Mata from the right.Martial was hooked off in the 60th minute and was replaced by Chong while Matteo Darmian came on for Mitchell as well. As United chased the game, the youngsters injected more pace and Mata finally saved United’s blushes in the 78th minute. He was replaced by another United academy graduate and U-17 World Cup winner Angel Gomes in the 87th minute.The youngsters were raw but impressive. Chong especially from the right and Periera, who was returning from a loan spell in Valencia, looked sharp. But, Mourinho doesn’t seem to be too content with it as his concern of not having his full squad continued to be the tune of his press-conference.@Alexis_Sanchez is en route to #MUTOUR. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/Ob7fxqZDswadvertisementManchester United (@ManUtd) July 20, 2018However, Alexis Sanchez’s arrival will ease some pressure off him and the Chilean will have to be walk straight into the side after arriving in America, according to the United manager.”I don’t even know if he is flying, if he is in Los Angeles or if he is in Manchester – I have no idea about it,” he said.”There will be no (Romelu Lukaku) or (Marcus) Rashford, for sure, and we have to try with what we have. It’s not about if he (Sanchez) can play, it’s about when he has to. When Martial left the pitch, it was Mata (leading the attack). When Mata went to the sides, it was a kid that trained with us for the first time this pre-season (Mason Greenwood).””There’s no Lukaku or Rashford here and probably not even for the start of the Premier League, so it’s about when Alexis lands and when he lands, he has to play,” said Mourinho to an interview to MUTV.”He trained with us for five days before we departed to Los Angeles and we left one fitness coach behind with him to keep training with him. Of course, it’s individual training but when he arrives, he has to play.”However, he did appreciate the youngsters, who injected some pace and in the end managed to make a telling contribution in the game. He singled out young Dutchman Chong for his performances but added that he has to built his physical side before breaking into the first team.”He was good. He came with the intention to show, and in a moment where we have no strikers on the pitch, Martial was the only one and then he left, so we needed people to create, have some initiative, which he did. The action for the cross for the goal is a beautiful action. He was enthusiastic, he was confident to play,” Mourinho said in his assessment of the 18-year-old. Tahith Chong assisted Juan Mata for the goal against Club America (Manchester United Photo)”Of course physically he has his limitations, and when he has one more touch and he allows that body contact of course he loses it, but when he makes the ball move and attacks people one against one, he has quality. He’s a good kid.”The Manchester United manager signed off by saying that it was a good practice session against a well-oiled team and it was a good training session overall.”After five days of training you need to play and it’s good to play against a team that is at three days’ distance from starting their Mexican league.”So (they were) a team with intensity, a team with quality that pushed us to levels that we are not prepared for…so a good training session.”United will next play San Jose Earthquakes before taking part in the International Champions Cup with matches against AC Milan, Liverpool and Real Madrid.
Manika Batra, who won four medals in Table Tennis at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, is yet to receive the cash reward promised by the Delhi government even, more than three months after her historic effort in Gold Coast.Manika Batra, who hails Delhi, made the whole country proud as she won an unprecedented four medals at the Gold Coast – including two gold medals (team and singles), a silver (doubles) and bronze (mixed doubles).As per the existing policy of the Delhi government, a CWG gold medallist gets Rs 14 lakh for gold, Rs 10 lakh for silver and Rs 6 lakh for bronze. Since the amount of the cash prize was a lot lesser than what the athletes from Haryana and Tamil Nadu get, a revised proposal had gone to the Delhi government for approval.A gold medal winner from Haryana receives Rs 1.5 crore and Tamil Nadu government gives Rs 50 lakh for the yellow metal.Dharemender Singh, Deputy Director of Education (Sports) in the Delhi government, confirmed the Manika’s file has been sent to the cabinet for approval.”The file of the specific case you are referring has gone to the cabinet for approval,” Singh told PTI.READ – Manika Batra and team finally board flight to Australia. What delayed them?Sources close to the player revealed that under the revised reward, Manika stands to get Rs 1.7 crore for her four medals (Rs 50 lakh each for gold, Rs 40 for silver and Rs 30 lakh for bronze). At the felicitation ceremony organised by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) on Sunday, Manika said she is confident of getting her due soon from the Delhi government.advertisement”I don’t know why it has not happened so far but I know it will happen,” said Manika, who is now preparing for the next month’s Asian Games in Indonesia.WATCH – Manika Batra accepts Prime Minister Modi’s fitness challengeThe central government had promptly felicitated the medal winners 15 days after the Games, held from April 3-15.TTFI secretary M P Singh expressed disappointment at Manika not being given her due by the Delhi government.READ – Manika Batra, glamour girl of Indian table tennis, becomes a Games legend”I wish it had happened earlier. Most state governments have already felicitated their medal winning athletes. They are the pride of the entire nation,” M P Singh said.In fact, Manika had met Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia in May and they both promised her “full support”.READ – I don’t want to stop here, I want to win more medals for India: Manika BatraThe irony of the entire matter is that double Olympic medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar happens to be OSD Sports in Delhi government. It could not be confirmed that if the champion athlete too is yet to receive his cash reward for winning the gold medal in Gold Coast.
Virat Kohli was named man-of-the-match for his spectacular 97 and 103 in India’s historic Test triumph over England. After dedicating the victory to Kerala flood victims, Kohli also had a special word for wife Anushka Sharma.Anushka, one of India’s leading movie stars, was present at Edgbaston when Kohli scored his first ever Test hundred in England. She was also in the stands at Trent Bridge when Kohli scored his second hundred in England – a fine 103 in tough conditions. Kohli said Anushka was his biggest motivator who kept pushing him to do better.Kohli and Anushka got married in a secret ceremony in Tuscany in December last year.On Monday, when Kohli got to his 23rd Test hundred, he and Anushka exchanged kisses. Their affection made headlines all across the cricket world. In the past, Anushka has often been trolled everytime Kohli failed. He had to tweet and slam those trolls who targetted Anushka for his failures as a cricketer.However, this was a sweet moment for the power couple. An Indian Test win in England and Kohli leading from the front.READ – India complete historic Test triumph in England: Recapping all seven victories”I want to dedicate my innings especially to my wife. She’s motivated me a lot, kept pushing me. She’s the only one who keeps me positive out there.”She has copped a lot in the past but she deserves the credit for this one,” Kohli said.Kohli also became the second most successful Indian Test captain after Sourav Ganguly. Overall, this series has been a different story from the 2014 series where Kohli managed only 134 runs from 10 innings.advertisementREAD – Virat Kohli breaks Sourav Ganguly’s record as Test captainIn six innings so far this year, Kohli has scored 440 runs including twohundreds and two half-centuries. Kohli, who since the tour of England in 2014, has been the most dominating batsman across formats in international cricket, said he did not really think of that nightmarish tour and instead said he was pleased with the way India performed in all three departments in the game.India were severely criticised for their poor performance at Edgbaston where they failed to chase down 194. At Lord’s, the Indians were completely outplayed in conditions loaded heavily in favour of England.READ – Virat Kohli breaks Sourav Ganguly’s record as Test captainThen there were concerns over the attitude of the Indian team who did not practice enough enough before the Test series.After the victory on Wednesday, Kohli said he was happy his batsmen did everything they had discussed at team meetings leading up to the third Test.”It has been a very pleasing performance in all three departments. It was a a complete Test match for us. We only spoke about the fact that we were only outplayed in one Test out of the five we had played since South Africa, and that was at Lord’s.”We spoke about stepping up as batsmen, and that’s what we did, and we set it up for the bowlers. The bowling group was eager to take those 20 wickets again – the question was what we could do as batsmen to give them that cushion. When both skills come together with slip catching, we win Test matches.READ – Virat Kohli dedicates historic Test triumph to Kerala flood victims”Everything came together for us. It was very crucial how Rahane played, having lost Puji (Cheteshwar Pujara) just before lunch.”Kohli also reserved speical praise for his pacers. Hardik Pandya took a five-wicket haul in the first innings while Jasprit Bumrah, returning to the Test team after an injury lay-off, took his second five-wicket haul in the second innings to set up India’s victory.”The most pleasing thing for me to see was that the four fastest bowlers in the series have all been Indians. We’ve worked on our fitness, on our mindset, cutting down on loose deliveries. They’re getting better and better the more Test cricket they’ve played. It’s a delight to watch when they’re running in,” Kohli said.
By day Jagathish Mani might seem like a regular auto rickshaw wallah who safely gets people to their destinations on time, but what sets him apart is his unique side-wheel driving on his rickety auto rickshaw. In fact, this amazing skill fetched him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The 31-year-old from Chennai stuns onlookers with his jaw-dropping tricks including side wheelies which is performed on just two-wheels. His father taught him to drive the three-wheeler at a ripe age of 13 and he has been performing extreme stunts for over a decade now. Jagathish was forced to drop out of middle school after his father fell ill and take up driving the auto rickshaw as a full time profession to support his family. But he still kept his passion for stunt driving alive.He says, “I love the thrill when I race the auto on two-wheels. I enjoy doing that, nothing else excites me more than the stunts I do with my auto. It startles everyone. Onlookers stop and see me in awe as I drive the auto on two wheels. I have not learned the tricks from anyone. It if the result of my efforts and passion. I always loved driving at very high speed. I would dream of performing the stunts on bikes but since it was out of my reach, I thought to why not try stunts with the rickshaw.”Jagathis admits that it took a lot of practice and hard work to get where he is, “I knew the risk involved in the stunts and how perilous it could have been if gone wrong. But I was determined to excel in it. And despite sustaining minor injuries and even a broken arm after the auto toppled, I did not lose hope and continued practising.”advertisementHis skill has brought him accolades and he also performed for local TV shows which helped him earn some extra bucks by the side. His popularity drew attention of Guinness World Record officials after which he was called for the show “Guinness World Records – Ab India Todega” in Mumbai during which he set the record for the Furthest distance side-wheel driving on a motor tricycle at the Juhu Aerodrome.To achieve this daring feat, Jagathish had to remain on just two wheels for the entire attempt and travel a minimum of 1 km, but he doubled the requirement by driving a remarkable 2.2 km.Elated with his achievement Jagathis says, “It was one of the happiest days of my life. I got the chance to show the world what an auto-driver can do. I wanted to show everyone that wheelie even though dangerous is not deadly and should be looked as a sport. I am glad my talent has been recognised,”The talented side-wheel auto rickshaw stunt man is fully aware that he might not have sponsors but is positive that one day he will perform on international competitions and shows.
Jose Mourinho stressed on the fact that his relationship with Paul Pogba was “good” and also added that the Frenchman will play in Manchester United’s Premier League fixture against West Ham on Saturday.Mourinho also had a message for Pogba after a turbulent week at the club both on and off the pitch. United were knocked out of the League Cup after their defeat to Derby and matters got worst when he announced that Pogba has been stipped off the vice-captaincy. The following day, a video of Pogba and Mourinho was released that showed the pair having a few animated conversations on the training ground.Asked about what went wrong and why Pogba was stripped off the responsibility, Jose had only one thing to say: “No player is bigger than the club.”Mourinho however, insisted that the pair has bo problems between them and the decision to take the captaincy away from Pogba was made after consulting all the coaches. But he refrained from giving any public explanation of why he had taken the position from his most influential player.Also read – Did Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba quarrell over timing of Instagram post?The widely regarded belief is that Mourinho ran out of patience with Pogba after the World Cup-winning star said that United should attack more at Old Trafford against teams like Wolverhampton Wanderers, who earned a draw against United at their home.”The squad and especially Paul know in detail why myself and my coaching staff decided to do that,” said Mourinho on being asked why he had made the decision to strip Pogba of being Antonio Valencia’s deputy as captain.Also read – Paul Pogba will not be vice-captain anymore but no fallout: Jose Mourinhoadvertisement”After weeks of analysing and changing opinions with my coaching staff, we made the decision that, from now, Paul is just a player and not a captain.”So decision made, I informed the player and the players and then, when I was asked before Tuesday’s match (against Derby), I confirmed it.”The player-manager relation is good. Nobody trained better than Paul on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. And tomorrow he plays. So, end of the story.”He is a player like the others. No player is bigger than the club and if I’m happy with his work, he plays and if I’m not happy with his work he doesn’t play. I’m really happy with his work this week.”Asked if he was concerned about United’s reputation after a week which had also seen footage emerge of a frosty training ground exchange between himself and Pogba, Mourinho said: “Manchester United is bigger than anyone and I have to defend that.”The footage was watched and analysed endlessly on social media but Mourinho said he didn’t care that it had been picked up by the cameras.Asked if it had been disruptive, Mourinho responded: “Disruptive? You made an incredible story out of 15 minutes of an open training session.”What happened the other day happens many days. Conversations with players I have many, many times. Loud critics, instructions happens every day.”United head to the London Stadium in urgent need of a pick-me-up as they lie seventh in the league, already eight points off the pace being set by leaders Liverpool and questions growing about Mourinho’s ability to inspire his prosaic-looking side.
How would you like to sit beside a river, studying on a bright sunny day listening to birds chirping ? If given a chance, we would all love to study at a college like this where we can spend hours together exploring the beautiful campus, bunk classes, gossip in the most isolated place at the campus which might have not been discovered even by the college authorities.Studying in a campus with a beautiful environment is a blessing in disguise for all those who wish to study abroad. You don’t need an expensive destination to visit in the summer vacations, all you need is to spend time exploring these campuses listed below.Apart from the beauty of campus, the overall education imparted in college matters a lot.Taking into account a list of top colleges released by the ‘U.S. News & World Report’, here is a list of top universities to study in:1. Wake Forest UniversityThe Wake Forest University is consistently ranked among the top 25 universities for 20 consecutive years. Built in 1971, the campus is also the site of the infamous “Rolling the Quad”– a sports tradition carried out after a big victory in football and basketball.The Wake Forest University takes pride by boosting the T.K. Hearn Plaza (the Quad) which is the most happening hub for students.The university runs over 400 study abroad programs and has been in the top ranking list released by The Economist, Business Week, Forbes, among others.Image source: University official websiteadvertisement2. Washington and Lee UniversityFounded in 1749, the Washington and Lee University is ranked at 14 in the 2016 edition of the ‘Best Colleges in National Liberal Arts Colleges’. The college has more than 120 student organisations with numerous secret societies.This college bears over 51 percent students taking admission from across the world. The recommended programmes to study here are Advanced Studies in England and Budapest Semester in Mathematics.Image source: Wikipedia3. Hamilton CollegeThe Hamilton college, which is one of the premier colleges in the US, ranks at 14 in the top liberal arts schools list. The college conducts programmes in Spain, France and China, which are approved by 46 countries.Also, the university has 180 approved courses running successfully in institutes across the world, such as in the New York State Independent College Consortium for Study in India (NYSICCSI) which is a one-semester academic programme that offers studies in historical and contemporary India.Image source: University official website 4. Trinity College , USThis leading private institute was founded on 1823 and ranks 43 in the liberal arts college rankings for mainly its design, engineering and science programmes.Due to its location, students can get a chance to even attend concerts at the Comcast and Webster theaters. The college gives the opportunity to choose from more than 100 clubs and organisations .Image source: Media Cache 5. University of ColoradoThe University of Colorado, Boulder is a public college which laid its foundation in 1876. According to the recent data, the college has a total undergraduate enrollment of 26,426.The top ranked course that is successfully run by the institute is the Engineering – Civil and Structural course, which is ranked at 20 among other institutes.The building houses most performing arts programmes for the university and was fashioned in a neo-gothic architectural style.Image source: Wikimedia 6. Loyola University, MarylandThis Jesuit university is a regional university, established in 1852, has over 60 percent foreign students enrolled in different courses offered by the university. The university is currently ranked 3rd in the list of best liberal arts colleges.Apart from studies, the school pastime and fitness programmes in the state-of-the-art Fitness and Aquatics Center gives the facility of pool, sauna, hot tub, and racquetball and squash courts, among others.Image source: Forbes official website 7. Middlebury CollegeThe Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont and was founded in 1800.The college offers around 44 programmes in various disciplines like arts, humanities, literature, foreign languages, social sciences, and natural sciences.This 4th ranked university believes that “a student’s study abroad experience should be an integral and coherent part of his or her academic program at Middlebury.”Image source: University official website 8. Skidmore College, New YorkThe Skidmore College was founded on 1903. This private institution has a total of 2,632 undergraduate enrollment from 45 states and 60 countries. The college has over 235 dedicated teacher/ scholars and offers around 50 major in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences.Also, the university offers career related courses, such as in business, education, exercise science, and social work.Image source: Irenasendler organisation website 9. Soka University of AmericaadvertisementThe Soka University of America, established in 1987 is a non-profit, private, co-educational institution of higher education that is located in California. The college offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in liberal arts and a Master of Art (MA) programme in Educational Leadership and Societal Change.Students from more than 30 countries take up admission in this college that constitutes nearly half of the undergraduate population at the campus. Moreover, notable Soka graduates include Tahereh Mafi, author of the New York Times best-selling book ‘Shatter Me’.Image source: University official website10. Goucher CollegeRanked among the top ten innovative colleges in the US, Goucher also became the first college in the nation to implement an undergraduate study abroad requirement.This private university was founded in 1855 and since then, the college is redefining the meaning of a liberal arts education and preparing its graduates for jobs of the future.Image source: University official website
Four years ago on this very day, Rohit Sharma shattered the record books when he blasted his way to the highest-ever individual score in ODI cricket.During the fourth ODI of the five-match series against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Rohit struck 264 off 173 balls. The knock was studded with 33 fours and nine sixes.Rohit also broke compatriot Virender Sehwag’s earlier world record of 219 runs, which the former India opener had scored against West Indies in Indore, in 2011.Also Read – Sourav Ganguly lauds Rohit Sharma’s ability to score ODI double hundredsSachin Tendulkar was the first male cricketer to smash a double hundred in ODIs when he hit 200 not out against South Africa in 2010. Sehwag was second with his 219 and Rohit was third when he scored 209.Chris Gayle (215), Martin Guptill (237 not out) and Fakhar Zaman (210 not out) are the only other players to hammer a double century each in the 50-overs format.WATCH VIDEO HERERuns: 264Balls faced: 1734s/6s: 33 & 9Records broken: Numerous#OnThisDay in 2014, Rohit Sharma smashed the highest individual score in an ODI innings, against Sri Lanka in Kolkata. pic.twitter.com/GsU6LdWyKuICC (@ICC) November 13, 2018Rohit, who opened the innings with Ajinkya Rahane, was dropped at the start of the innings when he was on 4. Thisara Perera put down an easy catch at the third man off Shaminda Eranga in the fifth over.264 in November, 2013. 7 in September, 2017: Australia spoil Rohit Sharma’s homecoming at Eden GardensHowever, Rohit, who is a cautious starter, held his nerves to reach his fifty off 72 balls and gradually picked up momentum as the innings progressed.advertisementAlso Read – Rohit Sharma: The highest individual ODI score in numbers!He then raced to his century off 100 deliveries before he took the attack to the Sri Lankan bowlers.Rohit was also involved in a 202-run stand with Virat Kohli, who scored 66 before being run out. Rohit was eventually dismissed on the final delivery of the Indian innings for 264 off 173 balls (BCCI Photo)Even though India lost wickets at the other end, Rohit continued to destroy the bowling attack and reached the epic milestone off 151 balls.The 30-year-old kept the onslaught going but was eventually dismissed on the final delivery of the Indian innings for 264 off 173 balls. It was absolute carnage at the Eden Gardens as Rohit’s blistering knock powered India to 404/5.In reply, Sri Lanka were bundled out of 251 thus losing the match by 153 runs.Three years after the Eden Gardens knock, Rohit smashed his third double hundred (208 not out) against the same opponents in the second ODI at Mohali on December 13, 2017.Rohit Sharma 208 not out: All the numbers you need to knowRohit blasted 13 fours and 12 sixes in his unbeaten 153-ball knock, celebrating his second wedding anniversary with Ritika Sajdeh. He went past Surrey’s Alastair Brown in English county cricket and now tops the list of most double hundreds in List A cricket.Also Read – Rohit Sharma’s 3rd ODI double hundred: A recap of his 209 in 2013 and 264 in 2014Rohit’s unbeaten 208 was his fifth 150-plus knock, which is the joint highest with Tendulkar and David Warner. He had scored an unbeaten 171 against Australia in 2016 and 150 against South Africa in 2015. Rohit’s unbeaten 208 was his fifth 150-plus knock and also the highest score by any captain against Sri Lanka (BCCI Photo)This was his 16th ODI century overall and his 14th since he started to open the innings for India from January 2013. He is only behind South African Hashim Amla in the same time span coming out to bat at the same spot.Rohit’s unbeaten 208 is the second highest individual score by a captain, behind Virender Sehwag’s 219 against West Indies in Indore way back in 2011.After the match coach Ravi Shastri, during an interview for bcci.tv, asked Rohit to pick his favourite double hundred but the stylish Mumbai batsman said that was a difficult task.”I think it’s so difficult to pick one because all three have come at crucial junctures of the game. There were different scenarios. The 209 vs Australia came in a series-decider and the 264 vs Sri Lanka was after three months of layoff. I was nervous whether I would be able to score runs or not,” Rohit said.MUST WATCH: The Hitman @ImRo45 interview courtesy Head Coach @RaviShastriOfc in his style after the epic knock in Mohali. #TeamIndia #INDvSL https://t.co/I1FLMUot7L pic.twitter.com/mf5wNKwoATBCCI (@BCCI) December 14, 2017
Patna, Nov 30 (PTI) RJD president Lalu Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav Friday made his first appearance at the state assembly on the final day of the ongoing winter session. An MLA from Mahua in Vaishali district, Tej Pratap has kept away from his family as well politics since he filed for divorce on November 3.On Friday, he came to the Vidhan Sabha wearing a white dhoti and kurta and an off-white waistcoat besides sporting a red tilak on his forehead.He, however, avoided crossing paths with his younger brother Tejashwi Yadav, who is the Leader of the Opposition, as well as mother Rabri Devi, who occupies the same position in the legislative council, signalling disquiet in the family over the divorce issue. Tej Pratap declined to answer queries about his ongoing marital strife but was quick to defend his party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal’s (RJD) frequent stalling of proceedings in the House, which on Friday too was adjourned till 2 pm within minutes of commencement. Bihar is in turmoil. The opposition has to do whatever is possible to draw the attention of the government towards the plight of the people, he told reporters before getting inside his car and speeding away. Yadav, who had arrived here on Wednesday night, is said to be putting up at a hotel and while appearing before a court on Thursday in connection with his divorce petition, he admitted that he had not visited his home nor met any member of his family but declined to reply to further queries.advertisement Known for his volatile disposition, Tej Pratap’s decision to seek divorce from Aishwarya Rai, his wife of six months, has not gone down well with his parents and siblings. The court had posted the matter for further hearing on January 8, 2019. He had last month made it clear that he would not return home until his family came out in support of his decision. He was also conspicuous by his absence at a dinner hosted at the residence of Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday night. RJD state president and MLC Ramchandra Purve later said the get-together was organised to celebrate the success of the party in effectively putting the government on the mat during the ongoing session of legislature. PTI NAC SNS RHL
Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal were the stars at their star-studded sangeet ceremony that took place on December 8 at The Oberoi Udaivilas and Lake Palace.The function was a grand one which saw most Bollywood celebrities and other big names from the fields of politics, business and sports in attendance.While many celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Priyanka Chopra and Karan Johar gave rocking dance performances at the event, the romantic number by the bride and groom took the cake.Anand and Isha danced to a slow number, Perfect, and it was heartwarming to see the two smile so brightly.Take a look:Anand literally swept Isha off her feet!The happy bride Isha gave many dance performances, with his friends, his family and even some of the celebrities present there. It was a treat to watch. Here are some videos of her energetic dances:She is a stunning and happy bride and you know what they say about happy brides, right? They are the prettiest!After the two-day long pre-wedding festivities in Udaipur that went on from December 8 to 9, the much-awaited grand wedding of Isha and Anand will take place at Antilia in Mumbai on December 12.advertisementALSO SEE | Isha Ambani pre-wedding festivities in Udaipur: See all inside pics and videosALSO SEE | Isha Ambani wedding celebrations kick off with Anna Seva in Udaipur. See picsALSO SEE: Isha Ambani-Anand Piramal wedding invite is as royal as it gets. Watch unboxing videoALSO SEE | Isha Ambani pre-wedding festivities: New pics from venueALSO WATCH | Ambanis set the stage on fire at daughter Isha’s sangeet in Udaipur
Former New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori has stepped as the coach of Big Bash League side Brisbane Heat after four years in charge of the the team. Brisbane ended their league phase on Friday with a victory over Melbourne Stars at The Gabba in Brisbane.Brisbane are currently placed fourth in the points table and may still qualify for the semi-finals of the T20 league if other results go in their favour.”After careful consideration over the past few weeks, I have decided not to seek a contract renewal as head coach of the Brisbane Heat,” Vettori said in a statement on Saturday.”I informed the General Manager of my decision prior to the game against Melbourne Stars at the MCG and that was accepted by the club. I told the playing group and coaching and support staff of my decision before last night’s match.”I have loved my time at Brisbane, firstly as a player and then as coach, and the experience of being part of the growth of the BBL has been personally rewarding.”I would like to thank the players for their efforts and wish them all the best in their respective careers. There is some exceptional talent within that group and I hope they have every opportunity to realise their ability and potential in the future.”Thank you to all the professional and dedicated support staff and coaches – they have done sterling work for the team over the years. I wish the Heat organisation all the best into the future.”advertisementEarlier this week, Brendon McCullum had also decided to not renew his contract next season and played his final BBL game on Friday. McCullum scored 920 runs in 35 matches in the BBL since 2011 at an average of over 27 with 9 half-centuries to his credit.Brisbane Heat skipper Chris Lynn paid a rich tribute to Vettori and McCullum.”It was important for us to do our best to send Baz off a winner in our last home game but equally so for Dan. His [McCullum’s] composure throughout our campaigns has been a constant in the background and I’m grateful to have benefited from his experience and knowledge of the game,” Lynn said.Also Read | Nathan Lyon wants Australia to enjoy cricket on challenging India tourAlso Read | BPL 2019: Tamim Iqbal’s 61-ball 141 not out hands Comilla Victorians their 2nd title
Akshay Karnewar can do everything on a cricket field. He can bowl right-arm off-break. He can bowl left-arm spin. And he can bat. The 26-year-old Karnewar played a crucial role for Vidarbha in their victory over Saurashtra in the Ranji Trophy final in Nagpur.Akshay Karnewar is in action again for Vidarbha in the Irani Cup against Rest of India. In the first innings on the opening day, he picked up the important wicket of Shreyas Iyer which triggered a collapse.Karnewar is not just an effective ambidextrous bowler. In 11 first-class matches before the Irani Cup, which got underway on February 12, he had picked 31 wickets including two five-wicket hauls. He has also 429 runs at an average of 30.64 with a best of 94.In the final against Saurashtra, Karnewar scored an unbeaten 73 to lead a lower-order revival after Vidarbha had crashed to 196 for 7.Karnewar does not spin the ball much but his guile often leaves batsmen perplexed. On Tuesday against Rest of India, Karnewar bowled 15 overs, gave away 50 runs and picked up the wicket of Shreyas Iyer.Rest of India were cruising along at 231 for 3 with Iyer looking solid alongside first innings centurion Hanuma Vihari. But Karnewar ended Iyer’s stint with a sharp, accurate delivery.Following Iyer’s dismissal, Rest of India lost Ishan Kishan, K Gowtham and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja in quick succession.Also Read | U-23 bowler Shiva Singh’s 360-degree turn hogs limelight
With uncertainty continuing over the I-League encounter between Real Kashmir and Minerva Punjab FC, the fate of the February 28 Real Kashmir match against East Bengal, also scheduled to be played in Srinagar, has come under the cloud.The East Bengal match, earlier scheduled to be played on February 10, was postponed to February 28 owing to bad weather and ground conditions.Before Miverna Punjab FC asked for a change of venue or date in the light of the Pulwama terror attack, East Bengal club officials after their match against Shillong Lajong FC on Thursday, had appealed to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for either a change of date or venue.Now that Minerva have decided to take the legal route if the AIFF gives full points for the match to Real Kashmir instead of getting them to forfeit the match, East Bengal officials are also mulling the same line of action.”If three points are given to Real Kashmir for the match despite failing to provide security assurance, then we will appeal the decision and consider moving court for relief,” the club said in an official release.Debabrata Sarkar, an influential East Bengal club official, said: “When the state is facing so many problems and there is curfew, we do not understand why AIFF is so adamant about holding the match in Srinagar.”I don’t know what Minerva is going to do, but we may also think of going to court if the venue or date of the match is not changed.”advertisementIt is learnt that East Bengal have also appealed to the state federation and sought help of the state’s Sports Minister in this regard.As East Bengal and Real Kashmir are both title contenders, it will be interesting to see what step does the AIFF take regarding the match.
Earlier last week, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their baby boy, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.And now, according to multiple reports the royal baby’s uncle and aunt, Prince William and Kate Middleton have visited their nephew finally.The Duke and Duchess met Archie for the very first time this afternoon at the Forgmore Cottage.However, they did not take their three children – Prince George, Princes Charlotte and Prince Louis to meet their newborn cousin.According to multiple reports, the couple arrived at Meghan and Harry’s residence after the Duke of Sussex arrived from his trip to Oxford.A Royal correspondent tweeted, confirming the news that, “I understand that The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited their new nephew Archie at Frogmore Cottage. The visit took place after Harry returned from a day of engagements in Oxford.”Another source added, “Just to confirm that William & Kate visited their new nephew, Archie Harrison, at Frogmore Cottage after Prince Harry returned from Oxford.”They added, “Their children weren’t with them, however, so it will be a little while yet before George, Charlotte and Louis meet their new cousin.”Meghan Markle and Prince Harry welcomed their son, Archie-Harrison Mountbatten Windsor during early hours of the morning on May 6.ALSO SEE | Meghan Markle celebrates her first Mother’s Day with Baby Archie. See new picALSO WATCH | Meghan Markle-Prince Harry expecting their first child
Pakistan pacer Wahab Riaz says his team is not reading too much into the parallels being drawn with the victorious 1992 World Cup squad despite undergoing a similar resurgent campaign in the 2019 edition.Imran Khan led Pakistan to their first and only World Cup victory 27 years ago and the exact pattern of wins, losses and washouts is being followed in this summer’s showpiece.But Wahab, who took 2/29 and was unbeaten on 15 in his side’s three-wicket victory over Afghanistan here on Saturday, says the relentless mentality of his team is behind its remarkable resurgence.”We don’t really talk about 1992 that much. The first thing is in this team, everybody has the same purpose. That’s where we started off and where we remain.”The turnaround is due to the motivation and the ambition of the team to win this World Cup. Everybody wants that. Obviously, this will be the last World Cup for Shoaib Malik and this is the time we are needed the most.”Pakistan looked down and out after defeat to old rivals India but can now reflect on three successive victories over New Zealand, South Africa and plucky Afghanistan in a thriller at Headingley.Wahab, Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Shah Afridi are the most prolific pace trio at the World Cup so far, taking seven wickets against Afghanistan to add to their enviable haul.Wahab, 34, was left out of Pakistan’s preliminary squad for the tournament but, like his team, he has bounced back and is relishing forming part of a pace unit firing on all cylinders.advertisement”It’s very pleasing the way we are bowling as a team, particularly the way Shaheen has improved,” he said.”Shaheen was under pressure after his first game against Australia but he has come back and taken some important wickets for us.”Amir we already know is one of the best bowlers in the world who swings the ball both ways. That puts pressure on the batsmen to play him. It’s a good combination right now, we are trying to take wickets and that is putting the team in a great position.Also Read | England vs India: Jonny Bairstow 1st player to hit hundred vs India in World Cup 2019Also Read | Mitchell Starc – the unstoppable force that can lead Australia to World Cup gloryAlso See:
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has revealed his “sad secret” about the 2003 World Cup match against India which his team lost by six wickets.In the group-stage match played on March 1, 2003 at Centurion in South Africa, the Pakistan team failed to defend a target of 274. India rode on Sachin Tendulkar’s brilliant 98 to chase down the target with more than four overs to spare.In a video posted on his Youtube channel, Akhtar has revealed how his fitness and poor captaincy from then skipper Waqar Younis came in Pakistan’s way of registering their first-ever win over India at the World Cup.”The most disappointing match for me in my entire career was the 2003 World Cup match against India at Centurion. We had failed to defend a target of 274 despite having a very good bowling line-up,” said Akhtar.The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ revealed that the night before the match, he had to take 4-5 injections on his left knee because of which it became numb. “Because of the injections water had filled up in my left knee and there was no sensation in it.””After the end of our innings, I told my teammates that we have probably scored 30-40 runs less. However, all the players in the team shouted at me saying if ‘273 is not enough then what is’. They said we will be able to get India all out. However, I knew that the pitch was a good one for batting and it will remain so in the second innings as well.”advertisement”When we started the bowling, I noticed that my left knee had gone numb. Because of which, I wasn’t able to run properly through my bowling run-up. As a result I was not able to bowl properly. Indian openers, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, went for the charge from the word go. In fact, Sachin played me very well and even hit me for a six over point.”I had no clue how to bowl and get the breakthrough. Unfortunately, the captain (Waqar Younis) got me out of the attack. He brought me later in the innings where I just bowled fast and short. I got out Sachin at 98 on a short-pitched delivery. I told the captain that I should have persisted with such bowling from the very beginning. In the end we lost the match,” he added.The 43-year-old went for 72 runs in that match and picked up the sole wicket of Sachin, but by then the match was already in India’s pocket.”It was a bitter experience for me because we could have defeated India, both in 1999 and 2003, but we couldn’t. Not to take the credit away from India who have played us exceeding well at the World Cups,” Akhtar, a veteran of 46 Tests and 163 ODIs, said.”I still regret that loss. If we could have scored some more runs and bowled better, we could have won that match. But unfortunately, my fitness came in the way and also, it was poor captaincy that made us lose that match,” he added.India and Pakistan have faced each other seven times in World Cups, and the Men in Blue have won each time.
India’s Rohan Bopanna and his partner Denis Shapovalov failed to seal their spot in the finals at the ATP Montreal Masters after facing a straight-set defeat to the Dutch duo of Robin Haase and Wesley Koolhof in the men’s doubles event.On Saturday, the unseeded duo of Bopanna and Shapovalov lost 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 in the semifinal clash that lasted more than 90 minutes to bow out of the competition.Haase and Koolhof will now face the Spanish-Argentine pair of Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the title clash on Sunday.The Indo-Canadian had received a walkover in their quarterfinal clash against France’s Benoit Paire and Swiss Stan Wawrinka.Bopanna and Shapovalov had earlier knocked out the fourth seed French pair of Nichola Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin before defeating Kyle Edmund and Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the round of 16.
Photo Attribution: Icon SMIDating back to the 2009 Missouri game Dan Bailey has hit 46 of the 53 field goals he’s attempted in both college and the NFL, including game winners the last two weeks for the Dallas Cowboys.In Dallas’ home opener against Washington on Monday Night Football his team’s high-octane offense led by the most polarizing man in the world stalled out six times: twice at the 24-yard line, once each at the 23-yard line, 15-yard line, 10-yard line, and 6-yard line.Enter #5.By the way, who wears #5 as a kicker? What’s up with that?You all got to know him the last few years as “the dude who couldn’t miss an extra point except when we went to Texas.” He hit 181 in a row as a Cowboy – as if completing extra points is something we need to brag about. It was, however, a nice reprieve from the crossed fingers (and toes!) days of Jason Ricks and Bruce Redden.Well last night Bailey took aim at a Dallas Cowboys record with his six kicks. He broke the rookie record and came within one of the team record (7 – held by Chris Boniol and Billy Cundiff), and will forever be T3 in the NFL record books for “most FG in a single game.” Well maybe not forever, I guess somebody could come along and break the current record of 8 and he would be T4, but you get the point.His last one was from 40 yards out with less than two minutes left and there was absolutely no doubt. It would have been good from 55 on a 10-foot wide goal post.Between that, Dez’s 4 for 63, and Kendall Hunter’s dirty TD run on Sunday (1:50 mark) I’d say it was a pretty solid weekend for Cowboy alumni in the pros.Plus, Dez won his bet.If you’re looking for the comments section, it has moved to our forum, The Chamber. You can go there to comment and holler about these articles, specifically in these threads. You can register for a free account right here and will need one to comment.If you’re wondering why we decided to do this, we wrote about that here. Thank you and cheers!
If you’re looking for the comments section, it has moved to our forum, The Chamber. You can go there to comment and holler about these articles, specifically in these threads. You can register for a free account right here and will need one to comment.If you’re wondering why we decided to do this, we wrote about that here. Thank you and cheers! If you’re not enjoying what’s happening in Ames so far, here is Dana Holgorsen crowd surfing his team after beating Texas in Morgantown courtesy of former Poke Andre Sexton. Enjoy.
We all might have a severe disdain for 11 a.m. football games, but hey, at least we have a watch guide to get us through them. This week’s slate is not necessarily loaded, but there are some good Big 12 games.TCU at West Virginia. OU at Texas Tech looking for its first 4-0 Big 12 start since 2004 (!) We also get Alabama favored by nearly three touchdowns over the No. 6 team in the country. Parity!Thanks as always to Ryan Hartwig for his work.Weekend Watch Guide: Week 8If you’re looking for the comments section, it has moved to our forum, The Chamber. You can go there to comment and holler about these articles, specifically in these threads. You can register for a free account right here and will need one to comment.If you’re wondering why we decided to do this, we wrote about that here. Thank you and cheers!
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