एएफसी च्यालेन्ज कप छनोट फुटबलमा नेपाल बंगलादेशसँग पराजित भएको छ । सोमबार भएको आफ्नो दोस्रो खेलमा घरेलु टोली नेपाल बंगलादेशसँग २(० ले स्तभ्द भएको हो ।
हारसँग नेपालको अघिल्लो चरणको प्रवेश कठिन भएको छ । पहिलो खेलमा नदर्न मारियानालाई ६(० ले हराएको नेपालले अघिल्लो चरण प्रवेशको सम्भावना जिवितै राख्न प्यालेस्टानलाई हराउनै पर्छ भने बंगलादेश र नदर्न मारियानाबीचको खेलको नतिजा कुर्नुपर्छ ।
लगातार २ खेल जितेको प्यालेस्टाइन ६ अंकका साथ समूहको शीर्ष स्थानमा छ भने ३ अंक जोडेको नेपाल दोस्रो स्थानमा छ । समान अंक जोडेको बंगलादेश गोल अन्तरका आधारमा तेस्रो स्थानमा छ । पुछारमा रहेको दर्नद मारियानाले भने अंकको खाता नै खोल्न सकेको छैन ।त्रिपुरेश्वस्थित दशरथ रंगशालामा भएको खेलमा नेपालले सुरुमा नै दुई वटा अबसर खेल पाल्यो । त्यसलगतै बंगलादेशले पनि राम्रा मौका गुमायो ।
निकै प्रतिस्पर्धात्मक खेलमा २७ औं मिनेटमा बल क्लियर गर्ने क्रममा रक्षक किरण चेम्जोङले फल गरेको भन्दै रेफ्रीले पेनाल्टी दिए, जसमा रोनीले गोल गरे । पेनाल्टीको निर्णयप्रति असन्तुष्टी जनाउँदै दर्शकले चर्को हुटिङ गर्नुका साथै मोबाइलको झटारो हानेपछि केहीबेर खेल अवरुद्ध भयो । रेफ्री, एन्फा र एएफसीका अधिकारीहरुबीचको छलफलपछि फेरि खेल सुरु भएको थियो ।
त्यसपछि पहिलो हापमा नेपालले खेलमा र्फकने केही मौका गुमायो । ३७ औं मिनेटमा जगजित श्रेष्ठको पासमा कप्तान सागर थापाले हानेको बल बारको केहीमाथिबाट जाँदा दर्शक चुकचुकाए । दोस्रो हापको सुरुमा नै भरतको प्रहार बारमा लागेपछि नेपालले बराबरी गर्ने मौका गुमायो । ५७ औं मिनेटमा काउन्टर आक्रमणमा रोनीले नै गोल गरेपछि नेपाल २(० ले पछि पर्यो ।
Brazil have included forwards Hulk, Neymar and Alexandre Pato in a strong squad for this summer's Olympic Games.
Santos' Neymar has nine goals in 18 games for the senior team, while AC
Milan's Pato and Porto's Hulk have also impressed for the full side.
Hulk is one of three over-aged players along with defenders Marcelo (Real Madrid) and Thiago Silva (AC Milan).
Coach Mano Menezes has also picked Manchester United defender Rafael and Tottenham midfielder Sandro.
Hulk, 25, has scored three goals for the senior side since making his full debut in 2009 and the coach said he hoped the Porto player's experience would help his side.
"He brings a lot of strength to the team," said Menezes. "His experience will be important in big matches, as well as his great ability to be decisive."
Menezes has also selected several promising young stars such as Santos midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso, striker Leandro Damiao and midfielder Oscar (both Internacional) and Sao Paulo midfielder Lucas, all of whom have senior caps to their name.
Brazil, who are aiming to win their first Olympic football title, have been drawn in Group C along with Egypt, Belarus and New Zealand.
But before that they will play a warm-up friendly against Stuart Pearce's Team GB side at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium on 20 July.
Goalkeepers: Rafael Cabral (Santos), Neto (Fiorentina)
Defenders: Marcelo (Real Madrid), Rafael (Manchester United), Danilo (Porto), Alex Sandro (Porto), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Juan (Inter Milan), Bruno Uvini (Sao Paulo)
Midfielders: Romulo (Vasco da Gama), Ganso (Santos), Oscar (Internacional), Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur), Lucas (Sao Paulo)
Forwards: Neymar (Santos), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Leandro Damiao (Internacional), Hulk (Porto).
Replacements: Marquinhos (Corinthians), Giuliano (Dniepr/UKR), Cassemiro (Sao Paulo), Gabriel (AC Milan/ITA)
Santos' Neymar has nine goals in 18 games for the senior team, while AC
Milan's Pato and Porto's Hulk have also impressed for the full side.Hulk is one of three over-aged players along with defenders Marcelo (Real Madrid) and Thiago Silva (AC Milan).
Coach Mano Menezes has also picked Manchester United defender Rafael and Tottenham midfielder Sandro.
Hulk, 25, has scored three goals for the senior side since making his full debut in 2009 and the coach said he hoped the Porto player's experience would help his side.
"He brings a lot of strength to the team," said Menezes. "His experience will be important in big matches, as well as his great ability to be decisive."
Menezes has also selected several promising young stars such as Santos midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso, striker Leandro Damiao and midfielder Oscar (both Internacional) and Sao Paulo midfielder Lucas, all of whom have senior caps to their name.
Brazil, who are aiming to win their first Olympic football title, have been drawn in Group C along with Egypt, Belarus and New Zealand.
But before that they will play a warm-up friendly against Stuart Pearce's Team GB side at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium on 20 July.
Goalkeepers: Rafael Cabral (Santos), Neto (Fiorentina)
Defenders: Marcelo (Real Madrid), Rafael (Manchester United), Danilo (Porto), Alex Sandro (Porto), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Juan (Inter Milan), Bruno Uvini (Sao Paulo)
Midfielders: Romulo (Vasco da Gama), Ganso (Santos), Oscar (Internacional), Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur), Lucas (Sao Paulo)
Forwards: Neymar (Santos), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Leandro Damiao (Internacional), Hulk (Porto).
Replacements: Marquinhos (Corinthians), Giuliano (Dniepr/UKR), Cassemiro (Sao Paulo), Gabriel (AC Milan/ITA)
The 21-year-old striker quieted his of critics by leading Italy to an unexpected spot in the European Championship final, scoring twice in the first half in a 2-1 victory over Germany on Thursday night.
After his second goal, Balotelli stripped off his jersey and flexed his
muscles in a defiant pose — even if that meant an automatic yellow
card.
"This is the greatest night of my life, but I hope Sunday is going to
be even better," Balotelli said, looking ahead to the final against
defending champion Spain. "In the opening matches I had a lot of
chances, and I wasn't able to finish them. But In football you also need
luck."
In the 20th minute, Balotelli had no trouble getting past Holger Badstuber to head in a pinpoint cross from Antonio Cassano. Then in the 36th, Balotelli received the ball behind the defense and blasted a long shot into the top right corner.
With three goals, Balotelli is tied for the tournament lead. After the match, Italy coach Cesare Prandelli was asked if this was the best match of Balotelli's career.
"Balotelli's career has just started," Prandelli said.
Germany's winless streak against Italy in major tournaments reached
eight matches. The Germans failed to trouble Italy for much of the
match, although Mesut Oezil scored a consolation penalty in injury time
after Federico Balzaretti was whistled for a handball.
Germany entered the game on a world-record 15-match winning streak in competitive matches."It's a very bitter defeat," Germany captain Philipp Lahm said. "We tried everything in the second half but our goal came too late. We have so much potential in our team but if we cannot give the right performance at the right time or are not clever enough, then we lose such a game."
The final in Kiev, Ukraine, will be a rematch of Italy and Spain's 1-1 draw that opened Group C.
"We showed we're on Spain's level and that's where we started this run," Italy midfielder Claudio Marchisio said. "It's no longer a question of fear. Now we've got to pull out everything we still have inside ourselves."
While Italy has won four World Cups, it's only European Championship
title came in 1968. As they did in winning the 1982 and 2006 World Cups,
the Azzurri have managed to maintain their focus despite a match-fixing
and betting scandal at home."All I can say is that when you talk about Italy, everyone needs to be careful," Prandelli said. "We played an extraordinary match. We displayed a model of fair play and attachment to this shirt."
On a pleasant evening at the National Stadium Warsaw, Cassano set up the opening goal by befuddling Germany defenders Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng to lift the ball in Balotelli's direction.
The second goal began with a long vertical pass from Riccardo
Montolivo, whose mother is German. Balotelli collected the pass with his
back to the goal, controlled the ball with his chest and then sprinted
forward and unleashed a blazing shot from the edge of the area as
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer again stood immobile."We did what we had thought would put them in trouble," Prandelli said. "We played centrally and looked for one-on-one opportunities with Cassano."
Even before scoring, Italy controlled the pace of the match, although Germany did have several chances from Hummels, Toni Kroos and Oezil.
In the 35th, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon preserved the lead by swatting away a long shot from Sami Khedira — and Balotelli doubled the lead a minute later.
To start the second half, Germany coach Joachim Loew brought on Miroslav Klose for Mario Gomez at center forward and replaced Lukas Podolski with Marco Reus on the wing.
With Germany appearing slightly more organized, Lahm had a great look at the goal in the 49th but shot way over the bar.
"If we had scored earlier, there could have been more for us," Loew said. "The disappointment is great. Nobody is speaking in the dressing room. The players are crying. ... But I am not going to question everything we've done. This team has great quality. It will continue to develop and learn."
Buffon made another impressive save in the 62nd, leaping to push a free kick from Reus off the bar.
While Italy largely sat back and protected its lead in the second half, the Azzurri did produce some dangerous counterattacks. Marchisio shot just wide in the 67th and 75th and substitute Antonio Di Natale missed another chance in the 82nd.
Di Natale came on in the 70th after Balotelli went down with a cramp to his left leg.
White-clad German fans greatly outnumbered Italian supporters, unveiling a huge banner before kickoff that featured a giant "G'' for Germany. However, most of the stadium was filled with Polish fans cheering for Italy.
"We're living a dream along with millions of Italians," Italy defender
Giorgio Chiellini said. "We're going to enjoy this victory a little
longer, then we'll think about Sunday, because we want to continue
dreaming."
Kathmandu: Red Bull in Nepal has launched a consumer promotion campaign
“RED BULL CASHFULL”. The consumer promotion campaign offers consumers a
chance to win cash prizes of NPR 5000, NPR 10,000, NPR 20,000 and NPR
100,000.
The Red Bull promotion cans have a silver pull off ring on top of the can and the prizes are printed under the pull off ring of the can.
The lucky winner possessing the pull off ring, with cash prize printed on it, needs to call 01-4444444 to claim the prize.
Consumers are required to keep the whole portion i.e. the whole pull off ring and the portion where prize is printed together when claiming the cash prize. The claimed cash prizes are subject to tax deduction as per the law of Nepal. The above descriptions of “RED BULL CASHFULL” campaign are also printed on the body of the Red Bull can.
Red Bull is one of the most popular energy drinks among youths in Nepal as well as around the world. Red Bull enhances performance, improves concentration and boosts reaction speed.
Red Bull is available in 250ml golden cans in Nepal and is exclusively imported and marketed by GB Marketing Pvt. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Gorkha Brewery Pvt. Ltd.
The Red Bull promotion cans have a silver pull off ring on top of the can and the prizes are printed under the pull off ring of the can.
The lucky winner possessing the pull off ring, with cash prize printed on it, needs to call 01-4444444 to claim the prize.
Consumers are required to keep the whole portion i.e. the whole pull off ring and the portion where prize is printed together when claiming the cash prize. The claimed cash prizes are subject to tax deduction as per the law of Nepal. The above descriptions of “RED BULL CASHFULL” campaign are also printed on the body of the Red Bull can.
Red Bull is one of the most popular energy drinks among youths in Nepal as well as around the world. Red Bull enhances performance, improves concentration and boosts reaction speed.
Red Bull is available in 250ml golden cans in Nepal and is exclusively imported and marketed by GB Marketing Pvt. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Gorkha Brewery Pvt. Ltd.
Cricket looks to hit big in this year’s Pulsar Sports Award, with
strong challenge coming from swimming with spots in each of the
nominations announced for four categories on Tuesday.
Three swimmers and a coach are the four candidates in each of the categories—Best Male Player of the Year, Best Female Player of the Year, Best Youth Player of the Year and Best Coach of the Year. Equestrian also found an unlikely spot in the Best Male Player of the Year category.
The Best Male Player of the Year is likely to see a keen contest with each of the nominees—cricketer Parash Khadka, equestrian Dhurba Prasad Aryal, golfer Shiva Ram Shrestha, swimmer Shailesh Rana and sprinter Tilak Ram Tharu— having notable achievement last year.
Khadka made 95 runs to lead Armed Police Force to a triumph in the Sixth National Games over Nepal Police Club. His other achievements include guiding Nepal to their maiden semi-final of the ACC T2- Cricket Championship, helping minnows Nepal finish seventh in the World T20 qualifiers in UAE and bagging three most-valuable-player awards in the nine matches that Nepal played in the tournament.
Golfer Shiva Ram Shrestha won seven of the total 11 tournaments last year that saw his annual earnings surge to Rs909,600. Swimmer Shaliesh Rana also has a strong base—wining 14 medals, including 19 golds and four silver medals. He also set a new record of 2min 31.7 secs in the 200m individual medley and bagged seven gold medals in the 11th Galaxy Cup.
Tilak Ram Tharu rewrote the record books in the 400m by clocking 48.32 secs and bagged five gold medals in two tournaments. Another candidate Dhurba Prasad Aryal gave Nepal the only gold medal at the First South Asian Beach Games in Sri Lanka, wining an individual gold in equestrian. Likewise, Pramila Rijal (athletics), Shreya Dhital (swimming), Tara Pun (weightlifting) Nabita Shrestha (table-tennis), Ngashala Devi Tamang are the nominees in the Best Female Player of the Year category.
Pun looks the strongest of the five candidates, with two national records and an individual title of the Strongest Woman to help her cause. Pun set a new national record in the 69kg category, with a total lift of 157kgs including 91kg in clean and jerk. Her achievements did not stop there. The former Maoist combatant made another record in Weighlifting Grand Prix and was awarded the title of the ‘Strongest Woman’ at the First South Asian Weight-lifting Championship.
In Youth Player of the Year category, Prithu Baskota (cricket) looks the strongest bet with challenges coming from Sirish Gurung (swimming), Siddhanta Adhikari, Biswarupa Buda (athletics) and Rubin Chettri (cricket). Baskota, skipper of the Nepal U-19 team, was a key member in APF’s win in the National Games. He led Nepal to the second spot in the ICC U-19 World Cup qualifiers.
The Coach of the Year Award category has three candidates—Jagat Tamata, Nabin Singh and Pubudu Dassanayake—from cricket vying for the honours. Tamata, the coach of U-19 national side, made to the list on the back of his achievements in the U-19 World Cup qualifiers in Ireland.
Singh led Janakpur to title at the Women’s U-19 National Championship as well as securing a hat-trick of wins at the ACC U-19 Women’s Championship in Kuwait. Dassanayake, meanwhile, helped Nepal reach the ACC T20 Cup semi-finals and helped the team qualify to the ICC T-20 World Cup. The other nominees in the category are Ishowro Karki of swimming and Bir Bahadur Rana of judo.
Three swimmers and a coach are the four candidates in each of the categories—Best Male Player of the Year, Best Female Player of the Year, Best Youth Player of the Year and Best Coach of the Year. Equestrian also found an unlikely spot in the Best Male Player of the Year category.
The Best Male Player of the Year is likely to see a keen contest with each of the nominees—cricketer Parash Khadka, equestrian Dhurba Prasad Aryal, golfer Shiva Ram Shrestha, swimmer Shailesh Rana and sprinter Tilak Ram Tharu— having notable achievement last year.
Khadka made 95 runs to lead Armed Police Force to a triumph in the Sixth National Games over Nepal Police Club. His other achievements include guiding Nepal to their maiden semi-final of the ACC T2- Cricket Championship, helping minnows Nepal finish seventh in the World T20 qualifiers in UAE and bagging three most-valuable-player awards in the nine matches that Nepal played in the tournament.
Golfer Shiva Ram Shrestha won seven of the total 11 tournaments last year that saw his annual earnings surge to Rs909,600. Swimmer Shaliesh Rana also has a strong base—wining 14 medals, including 19 golds and four silver medals. He also set a new record of 2min 31.7 secs in the 200m individual medley and bagged seven gold medals in the 11th Galaxy Cup.
Tilak Ram Tharu rewrote the record books in the 400m by clocking 48.32 secs and bagged five gold medals in two tournaments. Another candidate Dhurba Prasad Aryal gave Nepal the only gold medal at the First South Asian Beach Games in Sri Lanka, wining an individual gold in equestrian. Likewise, Pramila Rijal (athletics), Shreya Dhital (swimming), Tara Pun (weightlifting) Nabita Shrestha (table-tennis), Ngashala Devi Tamang are the nominees in the Best Female Player of the Year category.
Pun looks the strongest of the five candidates, with two national records and an individual title of the Strongest Woman to help her cause. Pun set a new national record in the 69kg category, with a total lift of 157kgs including 91kg in clean and jerk. Her achievements did not stop there. The former Maoist combatant made another record in Weighlifting Grand Prix and was awarded the title of the ‘Strongest Woman’ at the First South Asian Weight-lifting Championship.
In Youth Player of the Year category, Prithu Baskota (cricket) looks the strongest bet with challenges coming from Sirish Gurung (swimming), Siddhanta Adhikari, Biswarupa Buda (athletics) and Rubin Chettri (cricket). Baskota, skipper of the Nepal U-19 team, was a key member in APF’s win in the National Games. He led Nepal to the second spot in the ICC U-19 World Cup qualifiers.
The Coach of the Year Award category has three candidates—Jagat Tamata, Nabin Singh and Pubudu Dassanayake—from cricket vying for the honours. Tamata, the coach of U-19 national side, made to the list on the back of his achievements in the U-19 World Cup qualifiers in Ireland.
Singh led Janakpur to title at the Women’s U-19 National Championship as well as securing a hat-trick of wins at the ACC U-19 Women’s Championship in Kuwait. Dassanayake, meanwhile, helped Nepal reach the ACC T20 Cup semi-finals and helped the team qualify to the ICC T-20 World Cup. The other nominees in the category are Ishowro Karki of swimming and Bir Bahadur Rana of judo.
Lionel Messi recorded his second international hat trick, scoring three
times as Argentina edged Brazil 4-3 in an international exhibition game
Saturday.
Messi finished the season with a club and country record 82 goals,
scoring all three times off sizzling dashes through the Brazil defense.
Romulo opened the scoring in the 23rd minute for five-time world champions Brazil, which went with a young roster Saturday in front of a crowd of 81,994 at MetLife Stadium.
Messi gave Argentina a 2-1 lead with goals in the 31st and 34th minute on superb runs. Brazil's Oscar tied the score in the 56th minute and Hulk converted a corner kick dropped by goalkeeper Sergio Romero in the 72nd.
Argentina rallied three minutes later when Federico Fernandez scored off a corner kick by Sergio Aguero.
In the 84th, Messi picked up the ball at midfield, charged ahead and blasted a left-footed shot from 21 yards that went in just below the crossbar.
In 60 games for Barcelona this year, Messi scored 73 goals, breaking the European club record of 67 goals set by Bayern Munich's Gerd Mueller in 1972-73.
Messi also had nine goals in nine games for Argentina. His first hat trick for Argentina was on February 29.
Messi finished the season with a club and country record 82 goals,
scoring all three times off sizzling dashes through the Brazil defense.Romulo opened the scoring in the 23rd minute for five-time world champions Brazil, which went with a young roster Saturday in front of a crowd of 81,994 at MetLife Stadium.
Messi gave Argentina a 2-1 lead with goals in the 31st and 34th minute on superb runs. Brazil's Oscar tied the score in the 56th minute and Hulk converted a corner kick dropped by goalkeeper Sergio Romero in the 72nd.
Argentina rallied three minutes later when Federico Fernandez scored off a corner kick by Sergio Aguero.
In the 84th, Messi picked up the ball at midfield, charged ahead and blasted a left-footed shot from 21 yards that went in just below the crossbar.
In 60 games for Barcelona this year, Messi scored 73 goals, breaking the European club record of 67 goals set by Bayern Munich's Gerd Mueller in 1972-73.
Messi also had nine goals in nine games for Argentina. His first hat trick for Argentina was on February 29.
The feared Dutch strikeforce malfunctioned as Euro 2012 crossed into
Ukraine on Saturday but Germany proved as reliable as ever when they
opened their tournament with a 1-0 win over Portugal.
World Cup runners-up Netherlands had 28 goal attempts in the eastern city of Kharkiv's spider-like Metalist stadium but failed to convert any of them in a 1-0 loss to Denmark that leaves them in serious peril in a treacherous Group B.
Michael Krohn-Delhi's opportunist goal after 24 minutes earned the
Danes victory while later in Lviv, Mario Gomez's header was enough for
Germany to join the Danes on three points.
Just like the eventful opening day, matchday two of the tournament produced plenty of eye-catching football and a record with Dutch 18-year-old Jetro Willems becoming the youngest player ever to take the field at a European Championship.
It proved the only highlight for Netherlands who dare not lose to Germany when they meet next week in Kharkiv.
"I'm standing here a little bit speechless, because these three points were very important," Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel said.
"It's not over, though. There are two more matches to come. We played very well, but we didn't win. I prefer to play badly and win 1-0."
Bayern Munich's Gomez, guilty of several bad misses in the Champions League final against Chelsea, guided home a 72nd-minute header to settle a cagey clash with Portugal for whom Ronaldo failed to produce the form he displays for Real Madrid.
RUSSIAN HOOLIGANS
German fans were warned about throwing objects, apparently scrunched up paper, on the pitch in the first half, although more worrying for tournament organizers were reports of four stewards taken to hospital after a clash with Russian hooligans the previous night after the Russia v Czech Republic match.
"Such things can occur over the next 22 days. If it gets hot, drinks will be consumed and such things can happen. It's a normal situation," said Marcin Herra, head of the Polish company in charge of coordinating the finals told local television.
Co-hosts Ukraine's long-awaited big day was also tempered by ongoing off-field politics as the controversy over its human rights record refused to go away.
Officials of Denmark and Netherlands met victims of alleged police torture in Kharkiv where opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is jailed.
Sports ministers held three hours of talks on police brutality, homophobia and the need for an independent judiciary in the eastern city before the Group B match.
Government officials are already reeling from bad publicity over Tymoshenko's case and allegations of racism in the build-up to the tournament, the biggest sporting event in eastern Europe since the collapse of communism.
On the pitch, Denmark's gritty win revived memories of their unlikely triumph at the finals in 1992 when they arrived as rank outsiders but went on to lift the trophy in Sweden.
It also served as a warning to the rest of the so-called favorites and backed up Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon's claim that the "best don't always" win as he prepared for his side's opening match against holders Spain on Sunday.
FANTASTIC PERFORMANCE
"I'm happy and proud. I think it was a fantastic performance; we dared to play football against this Dutch team," Denmark coach Morten Olsen told reporters inside the stadium which, circled by blue metal girders, resembles a huge insect.
Netherlands had won 23 of their previous 25 competitive matches but chose the worst possible time to falter.
By contrast, Germany were iron-willed, gradually grinding down a Portuguese side who came close to breaking the deadlock when Pepe curled a shot against the woodwork in the first half.
Gomez headed in the winner after a deflected cross from Sami Khedira found him lurking unmarked.
"I had a good feeling from the start here and I wanted to give something back for the trust the coach put on me," he said.
Portugal, tournament hosts in 2004 when they also lost their first game before reaching the final, can take some heart from a performance that probably deserved a point.
It almost arrived late on when substitute Silvestre Varela was denied by Germany keeper Manuel Neuer.
Sunday's action comes from Group C with world champions Spain beginning the defense of their European title against Italy in Gdansk while Croatia meet Ireland in Poznan.
World Cup runners-up Netherlands had 28 goal attempts in the eastern city of Kharkiv's spider-like Metalist stadium but failed to convert any of them in a 1-0 loss to Denmark that leaves them in serious peril in a treacherous Group B.
Michael Krohn-Delhi's opportunist goal after 24 minutes earned the
Danes victory while later in Lviv, Mario Gomez's header was enough for
Germany to join the Danes on three points.Just like the eventful opening day, matchday two of the tournament produced plenty of eye-catching football and a record with Dutch 18-year-old Jetro Willems becoming the youngest player ever to take the field at a European Championship.
It proved the only highlight for Netherlands who dare not lose to Germany when they meet next week in Kharkiv.
"I'm standing here a little bit speechless, because these three points were very important," Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel said.
"It's not over, though. There are two more matches to come. We played very well, but we didn't win. I prefer to play badly and win 1-0."
Bayern Munich's Gomez, guilty of several bad misses in the Champions League final against Chelsea, guided home a 72nd-minute header to settle a cagey clash with Portugal for whom Ronaldo failed to produce the form he displays for Real Madrid.
RUSSIAN HOOLIGANS
German fans were warned about throwing objects, apparently scrunched up paper, on the pitch in the first half, although more worrying for tournament organizers were reports of four stewards taken to hospital after a clash with Russian hooligans the previous night after the Russia v Czech Republic match.
"Such things can occur over the next 22 days. If it gets hot, drinks will be consumed and such things can happen. It's a normal situation," said Marcin Herra, head of the Polish company in charge of coordinating the finals told local television.
Co-hosts Ukraine's long-awaited big day was also tempered by ongoing off-field politics as the controversy over its human rights record refused to go away.
Officials of Denmark and Netherlands met victims of alleged police torture in Kharkiv where opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is jailed.
Sports ministers held three hours of talks on police brutality, homophobia and the need for an independent judiciary in the eastern city before the Group B match.
Government officials are already reeling from bad publicity over Tymoshenko's case and allegations of racism in the build-up to the tournament, the biggest sporting event in eastern Europe since the collapse of communism.
On the pitch, Denmark's gritty win revived memories of their unlikely triumph at the finals in 1992 when they arrived as rank outsiders but went on to lift the trophy in Sweden.
It also served as a warning to the rest of the so-called favorites and backed up Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon's claim that the "best don't always" win as he prepared for his side's opening match against holders Spain on Sunday.
FANTASTIC PERFORMANCE
"I'm happy and proud. I think it was a fantastic performance; we dared to play football against this Dutch team," Denmark coach Morten Olsen told reporters inside the stadium which, circled by blue metal girders, resembles a huge insect.
Netherlands had won 23 of their previous 25 competitive matches but chose the worst possible time to falter.
By contrast, Germany were iron-willed, gradually grinding down a Portuguese side who came close to breaking the deadlock when Pepe curled a shot against the woodwork in the first half.
Gomez headed in the winner after a deflected cross from Sami Khedira found him lurking unmarked.
"I had a good feeling from the start here and I wanted to give something back for the trust the coach put on me," he said.
Portugal, tournament hosts in 2004 when they also lost their first game before reaching the final, can take some heart from a performance that probably deserved a point.
It almost arrived late on when substitute Silvestre Varela was denied by Germany keeper Manuel Neuer.
Sunday's action comes from Group C with world champions Spain beginning the defense of their European title against Italy in Gdansk while Croatia meet Ireland in Poznan.
Nepal’s no. 1 Aslesha Lissanevitch got hold of both the titles she had
contested after winning the U-16 girls’ singles while her brother,
Ivanhoe was barred from the same feat by Milan Rokka at national tennis
court Satdobato, Lalitpur on Saturday.
In the final day in the First Boris Lissanevitch Memorial Junior Open Tennis Championship, top ranked Lissanevitch, who already lifted the title of U-18 girls’ singles, demolished her familiar challenger Bibhuti Karki 6-3, 6-1 as her brother stumbled against Milan Rokka by
7-5, 6-4 in the U-18 boys’ singles in the tournament founded by their family to celebrate the contribution and dedication made by their late grandfather; Boris Lissanevitch in the development and popularity of the game in Nepal. Nevertheless, Ivanhoe and Bibhuti had something to celebrate as they had already won the title of U-16 boys’ and U-14 girls’ singles respectively.
Two national records were set in the tournament comprised of ten categories. The tournament also became ground breaking for Mahika Rana as she realised her maiden title in U-12 girls’ in her five years of tennis career.
In the final day in the First Boris Lissanevitch Memorial Junior Open Tennis Championship, top ranked Lissanevitch, who already lifted the title of U-18 girls’ singles, demolished her familiar challenger Bibhuti Karki 6-3, 6-1 as her brother stumbled against Milan Rokka by
7-5, 6-4 in the U-18 boys’ singles in the tournament founded by their family to celebrate the contribution and dedication made by their late grandfather; Boris Lissanevitch in the development and popularity of the game in Nepal. Nevertheless, Ivanhoe and Bibhuti had something to celebrate as they had already won the title of U-16 boys’ and U-14 girls’ singles respectively.
Two national records were set in the tournament comprised of ten categories. The tournament also became ground breaking for Mahika Rana as she realised her maiden title in U-12 girls’ in her five years of tennis career.
After weeks of anticipation, speculation and debate, Euro 2012 finally
gets under way on Friday when co-hosts Poland take on Greece in Warsaw.
The tournament sees 16 of Europe's best footballing countries compete for the Henri Delaunay Trophy, with the final taking place in Kiev on 1 July.
The home nations are represented by England - who begin against France on 11 June - while Republic of Ireland are also in action.
Football fans will see 31 games over the next three weeks, as Spain look to defend the title they won in Vienna four years ago.
Eight stadiums across Poland and Ukraine are being used for the tournament, from the smallest in Lviv which holds just under 35,000 fans, to the colossal 70,000-seater Olympic Stadium in Kiev which hosts the final.
BBC Sport's pundits have backed Germany to win this time around, with only former captain Alan Shearer backing England to make the last four.
As well as France, Roy Hodgson's England will come up against Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine in Group D, while Giovanni Trapattoni's Republic of Ireland are in a tough group consisting of Croatia, Italy and defending European and world champions Spain.
Other fancied teams this time around are the Netherlands - who are in the 'group of death' alongside the Germans, Portugal and Denmark - while Russia could spring a surprise from Group A.
England - who failed to qualify for the last tournament in Austria and Switzerland four years ago - have never won the European Championship, with their best result in recent memory a semi-final defeat by Germany at Wembley in 1996.
The tournament sees 16 of Europe's best footballing countries compete for the Henri Delaunay Trophy, with the final taking place in Kiev on 1 July.
The home nations are represented by England - who begin against France on 11 June - while Republic of Ireland are also in action.
Football fans will see 31 games over the next three weeks, as Spain look to defend the title they won in Vienna four years ago.
Eight stadiums across Poland and Ukraine are being used for the tournament, from the smallest in Lviv which holds just under 35,000 fans, to the colossal 70,000-seater Olympic Stadium in Kiev which hosts the final.
BBC Sport's pundits have backed Germany to win this time around, with only former captain Alan Shearer backing England to make the last four.
As well as France, Roy Hodgson's England will come up against Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine in Group D, while Giovanni Trapattoni's Republic of Ireland are in a tough group consisting of Croatia, Italy and defending European and world champions Spain.
Other fancied teams this time around are the Netherlands - who are in the 'group of death' alongside the Germans, Portugal and Denmark - while Russia could spring a surprise from Group A.
England - who failed to qualify for the last tournament in Austria and Switzerland four years ago - have never won the European Championship, with their best result in recent memory a semi-final defeat by Germany at Wembley in 1996.
Mahika Rana realised her maiden triumph in tennis after lifting the
title in the U-12 girls’ singles category in the First Boris
Lissanevitch Memorial Junior Open Tennis Championship at Satdobato,
Lalitpur on Thursday. Rana put an end to a barren run of five years,
defeating Ira Raut 6-3, 7-5.
Nevertheless, Raut shrugged off her defeat to win the title of U-10 girls’ singles. She edged Alsha Regmi 6-0, 6-0. Abhilasha Bista and Nima Rokka finished at third.
Shamyak Bhusan Bajracharya became the champion in U-10 boys’ singles after ending the challenge of Aryan Subedi 6-1, 6-0. Brishtit Gurung and Aryan Giri finished at third.
Meanwhile, national champion Ashlesha Lissanevitch and Bibhuti Karki confirmed their encounter for the ultimate glory in the U-16 girls’ singles.
Lissanevitch’s younger sibling, Ivanhoe and Ashok Kunwar will vie for the U-16 boys’ singles while Bibhuti Karki and Mayanka Rana will battle it out for the U-14 girls’ singles.
Nevertheless, Raut shrugged off her defeat to win the title of U-10 girls’ singles. She edged Alsha Regmi 6-0, 6-0. Abhilasha Bista and Nima Rokka finished at third.
Shamyak Bhusan Bajracharya became the champion in U-10 boys’ singles after ending the challenge of Aryan Subedi 6-1, 6-0. Brishtit Gurung and Aryan Giri finished at third.
Meanwhile, national champion Ashlesha Lissanevitch and Bibhuti Karki confirmed their encounter for the ultimate glory in the U-16 girls’ singles.
Lissanevitch’s younger sibling, Ivanhoe and Ashok Kunwar will vie for the U-16 boys’ singles while Bibhuti Karki and Mayanka Rana will battle it out for the U-14 girls’ singles.
Uruguay have moved above Germany to become the second-highest ranked team behind world and European champions Spain in the latest FIFA rankings published on Wednesday.
Germany, who together with fourth-ranked Netherlands, Denmark (9th) and Portugal (10th) are all in a tough Group B at Euro 2012 which starts on Friday, have slipped to third.
Argentina climbed two places to seventh while Brazil (5th) and England (6th) also moved up one spot. Portugal were the big fallers, plummeting from fifth following a dismal start to the year in which they have failed to win in three matches, scoring just one goal.
Meanwhile, Nepal continue to lead the South Asian ranking. Nepal hold 149th position ahead of Bangladesh and India, residing at 152nd and 164th positions respectively. Nepal are in 22nd positon in the Asian ranking which is led by Japan. Nepal along with Bangladesh and India remained unmoved from their previous positions while Afghanistan moved two places up to 168th.
Shamyak Bhusan Bajracharya and Aryan Subedi breezed into the final of the U-10 boys’ singles category while Ira Raut overshadowed Karuna Gauchan in the longest rally of U-12 girls’ to parachute into the semi-finals of the First Borish Lissanevitch Memorial Junior Open Tennis Championship on Tuesday.
Bajracharya surpassed Bisrith Gurung 6-1, 6-2 and Subedi defeated Aryan Giri 6-3, 6-4 in straight sets while Raut toiled hard to get the better of Gauchan 8-6, 6-8, 7-5. He took 3:10 minutes to cap a famous win against the agile Gauchan.
Likewise, Mayanka Rana, Mahika Rana, and Any Mathema also booked their semi-finals berth in the U-12 girl’s singles category. In the other matches played at the court of All Nepal Lawn Tennis Association, Pranab Kayastha, Samgrakshyak Bhusan Bajracharya and Shatyap Ilim made it to the semi-finals in the U-12 boys’ singles.
In the U-14 boys’ singles, Abhaya Gauchan, Shakshyam Karki, Pranab Kayastha, and Avash Malla also marched to the semi-finals while Bibhuti Karki, Any Mathema, and Mayanka Rana in the girls.’ Milan Rokka and Ivanhoe Lissanevitch secured their berth in the semi-finals.
Thames International College secured their semi-finals berth when Sagar
Malla and Bibhav raj Joshi shared a 49-run partnership for the first
wicket, building a solid foundation in registering a six wicket victory
over Kathmandu Model College in the Thames Inter College T20 Cricket
Tournament at Army School Ground, Bhaktapur on Thursday. Chasing a
modest total of 84 runs, Thames attained the target in the 15.1 overs
with the loss of four wickets. Earlier, after being sent to bat first,
Model also had made an impressive start with Saurav Nepal and Kshitiz
Puri sharing a 31 runs partnership for the first wicket. But Model
stumbled as their middle orders fell cheaply in regular interval. Man of
the match, Eraj Shrestha claimed four wickets for Thames to be a
fearful bowler for Model. Likewise, Universal College also made it to
the semi-finals after defeating KCMIT by six wickets. Chasing the
competitive total of 111 runs, Universal gained their target with the
loss of four wickets in the 19.2 overs. Nabin Shrestha (26x36x2), Kiran
Nepal (23x26x3) and Prajit Karmacharya (20x19x2) made worthy
contributions, while man of the match Kiran Nepal also made a defining
contribution with the ball when he chipped two wickets for Universal
College.
Vikranta Sampat and Ayush Goyal secured the quarter-finals berth in the
men’s open Kata competition at the Sixth Internation-al Karate
competition that kicked off at the covered hall of Nepal Sports Council,
Tripureshwor, on Thursday. Likewise, Saikat Hanna, Luvkush Golker,
Suvasish Dhanpath and Tanme Sinha also sailed to the quarterfinals in
the 45kg and 35kg weight categories respectively. In women’s category,
Sushmita Das and Indija Mohanti made it to the semifinals while Indija
Mohanti and Tejaswini Nandad also reached the semifinals in the open
weight category.
Kolkata Knight Riders found a surprise hero in Manvinder Bisla to bag
their maiden Indian Premier League title with a five-wicket victory over
Chennai Super Kings in a thrilling Twenty20 final on Sunday.
The little-known opener smashed five sixes and eight fours in his quickfire 48-ball 89 as Kolkata surpassed Chennai's total of 190-3 with two balls to spare at the Chidambaram stadium in Chennai.
Kolkata needed nine runs to win off the last over bowled by West Indies
seamer Dwayne Bravo, but Manoj Tiwary (nine not out) smashed the third
and fourth deliveries for fours to spark celebrations in his team's
camp.
Kolkata's other batting star was South African Jacques Kallis, who made a crucial 49-ball 69 with the help of one six and seven fours despite suffering a hamstring injury in the later part of his knock.
"Mission accomplished," said Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir.
"Chasing 191 against the defending champions in their backyard shows the character of Bisla. It proves a captain is only as good as his team."
Man-of-the-match Bisla and Kallis put on 136 runs for the second wicket in 13.4 overs before Tiwary and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (11 not out) completed the win to deny two-time champions Chennai a hat-trick.
"Bisla and Kallis got the partnership Kolkata needed," said Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
"I think the ball started coming on slightly better in the second half but under the conditions, we batted well. Our bowlers were not getting the reverse swing."
Australian paceman Ben Hilfenhaus bagged two wickets for Chennai, who were facing elimination at one stage of the tournament.
The little-known opener smashed five sixes and eight fours in his quickfire 48-ball 89 as Kolkata surpassed Chennai's total of 190-3 with two balls to spare at the Chidambaram stadium in Chennai.
Kolkata's other batting star was South African Jacques Kallis, who made a crucial 49-ball 69 with the help of one six and seven fours despite suffering a hamstring injury in the later part of his knock.
"Mission accomplished," said Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir.
"Chasing 191 against the defending champions in their backyard shows the character of Bisla. It proves a captain is only as good as his team."
Man-of-the-match Bisla and Kallis put on 136 runs for the second wicket in 13.4 overs before Tiwary and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (11 not out) completed the win to deny two-time champions Chennai a hat-trick.
"Bisla and Kallis got the partnership Kolkata needed," said Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
"I think the ball started coming on slightly better in the second half but under the conditions, we batted well. Our bowlers were not getting the reverse swing."
Australian paceman Ben Hilfenhaus bagged two wickets for Chennai, who were facing elimination at one stage of the tournament.
Nepal maintained their impressive run in the ongoing AFC U-14 Festival
of Football at ANFA Complex at Satdobato, Lalitpur on Tuesday as both
Nepali teams, Nepal ‘I’ and Nepal ‘II’ registered victories with a
convincing margin. In the first game Nepal ‘I’ defeated India ‘II’ 3- 1
while Nepal II thumped Sri Lanka ‘II’, 4-0. In other matches of the day,
India ‘I’ beat Bangladesh ‘I’, 2-1, Bhutan ‘I’ and Sri Lanka ‘I’ could
not be separated with a 2-2 scoreline and Bangladesh ‘II’ hammered
Bhutan ‘II’, 5-0.
Chelsea stunned Bayern Munich in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the
Allianz Arena to win the Champions League for the first time.
Thomas Mueller's late header put Bayern on the brink of victory on home territory but Didier Drogba levelled things up with a bullet header at the death before coolly converting the decisive spot-kick.
The tournament which gave Chelsea their greatest agony when they lost
on penalties to Manchester United four years ago in Moscow has now
delivered the greatest glory in their 107-year history.
Juan Mata missed Chelsea's first penalty but David Luiz, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole were all successful. Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer were all on target for Bayern.
The momentum shifted decisively when Cech denied Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger hit the post to leave Chelsea on the brink and present Drogba with his moment of destiny.
He was calmness personified as he rolled the ball past Neuer to spark wild scenes of elation among Chelsea's players, staff and supporters.
Suspended captain John Terry joined the celebrations and lifted the trophy alongside Lampard but it was Drogba who was the hero, running the length of the pitch swirling his shirt above his head in triumph, as owner Roman Abramovich finally claimed the prize he craved above all others.
The questions will now start about the future of interim manager Roberto Di Matteo - who has given the Russian what he wanted after so many painful failures, including that defeat on penalties by Manchester United in the rain of Moscow in 2008 which also saw Drogba sent off.
And it is hard to see how Drogba, now 34 but still able to produce the brilliance that defines big occasions, can be allowed to walk away as his contract reaches its conclusion.
This was a victory in the mould of Chelsea's semi-final win against Barcelona, built on resilience, discipline, defensive organisation and nerve at the crucial times and done without the suspended Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles.
Thomas Mueller's late header put Bayern on the brink of victory on home territory but Didier Drogba levelled things up with a bullet header at the death before coolly converting the decisive spot-kick.
The tournament which gave Chelsea their greatest agony when they lost
on penalties to Manchester United four years ago in Moscow has now
delivered the greatest glory in their 107-year history.Juan Mata missed Chelsea's first penalty but David Luiz, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole were all successful. Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer were all on target for Bayern.
The momentum shifted decisively when Cech denied Ivica Olic and Bastian Schweinsteiger hit the post to leave Chelsea on the brink and present Drogba with his moment of destiny.
He was calmness personified as he rolled the ball past Neuer to spark wild scenes of elation among Chelsea's players, staff and supporters.
Suspended captain John Terry joined the celebrations and lifted the trophy alongside Lampard but it was Drogba who was the hero, running the length of the pitch swirling his shirt above his head in triumph, as owner Roman Abramovich finally claimed the prize he craved above all others.
The questions will now start about the future of interim manager Roberto Di Matteo - who has given the Russian what he wanted after so many painful failures, including that defeat on penalties by Manchester United in the rain of Moscow in 2008 which also saw Drogba sent off.
And it is hard to see how Drogba, now 34 but still able to produce the brilliance that defines big occasions, can be allowed to walk away as his contract reaches its conclusion.
This was a victory in the mould of Chelsea's semi-final win against Barcelona, built on resilience, discipline, defensive organisation and nerve at the crucial times and done without the suspended Terry, Branislav Ivanovic, Ramires and Raul Meireles.
Nepal 2 team got off to a winning start beating Bangladesh 2 by 2-1 in
their match during the ongoing AFC U-14 Festival of Football at the
Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu on Saturday.
Earlier, Nepal 1 had played out a goalless draw against Bangladesh 1 in the inaugural match played at the ANFA ground, Satdobato. In another match, Nepal 1 thrashed Sri Lanka 1, 5-at the Dasharath Stadium. Apart from the host teams, young outfits from four South Asian countries—India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan—are participating in the festival. Put on board in 2004, the event has now focused primarily on promoting the game among youngsters rather than competing for a title. This year’s event has added a training for physiotherapist to courses for referees and coaches.
According to ANFA President Ganesh Thapa, the AFC-endorsed festival has been a big success. “The programme introduced by the AFC for the development football at grass roots level. After running as a competitive event in the initial years, it has since been organised as a festival,” said Thapa, who also holds an AFC seat as its vice president. According to Thapa the festival will be fruitful in producing technically sound manpower. “We could have sent only two referees and coaches had this event been held abroad. But we could include eight people as the hosts. This will be beneficial for the development of footabll.” The matches are played under two formats: half an hour match will be conducted in the first format while second format will feature an hour long match.
Earlier, Nepal 1 had played out a goalless draw against Bangladesh 1 in the inaugural match played at the ANFA ground, Satdobato. In another match, Nepal 1 thrashed Sri Lanka 1, 5-at the Dasharath Stadium. Apart from the host teams, young outfits from four South Asian countries—India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan—are participating in the festival. Put on board in 2004, the event has now focused primarily on promoting the game among youngsters rather than competing for a title. This year’s event has added a training for physiotherapist to courses for referees and coaches.
According to ANFA President Ganesh Thapa, the AFC-endorsed festival has been a big success. “The programme introduced by the AFC for the development football at grass roots level. After running as a competitive event in the initial years, it has since been organised as a festival,” said Thapa, who also holds an AFC seat as its vice president. According to Thapa the festival will be fruitful in producing technically sound manpower. “We could have sent only two referees and coaches had this event been held abroad. But we could include eight people as the hosts. This will be beneficial for the development of footabll.” The matches are played under two formats: half an hour match will be conducted in the first format while second format will feature an hour long match.
By the times these lines are read, Nepal’s cricket skipper Paras Khadka
would be acclimatizing in Canada, playing for Ontario Cricket Academy
& Club, becoming the first Nepali signing for the Club.
Canada may not inspire awe as far cricket is concerned, at least not like the Test playing countries. But we cannot forget that this country has already played a World Cup, and has cricket history dating back to 1844, when it played first ever international cricket fixture, against USA.
As we rejoice the selection of Nepali player for his achievement, we also need to understand why he is where he is. Whether you meet him during the match or in a café, you notice the emphasis he puts on the lines ‘leading from the front’. With him it becomes a cliché. Talk to him for an hour and you realize he’s used the line at least 10 times, or maybe 20, perhaps even without realizing. If you look at his performance, you realize that the words are not mere a part of a rhetoric, but conviction. Conviction has a strange way of manifesting itself, through performance, through attitude and sometimes also through words.
Opinions could be divided on whether Paras Khadka is the best ever cricket captain for Nepal. His supporters may say he is, for being the first captain to have won ICC tournament for Nepal - ICC World Cricket League Division 5. His detractors may say, it is too early to pass judgment. After all, he is yet to celebrate his 25th birthday. And he’s been in charge of Nepali team for just around two and half years. But, there are some in cricket circles already talking about him as the best. That is his biggest success.
Leading from the front is visible when the lad goes into the cricket field, commandeering his teammates (some of whom are older than him). You can hear him on the field, egging other players, aggressively but not too loud. He bowls, both medium pace and spin, and often returns with impressive figures. When batting, more often than not, he leads from the front too, putting a price on his wicket. It is not without reason that ESPNcricinfo glorifies him, saying, “He is also a man for a pressure situation.”
Canada may not inspire awe as far cricket is concerned, at least not like the Test playing countries. But we cannot forget that this country has already played a World Cup, and has cricket history dating back to 1844, when it played first ever international cricket fixture, against USA.
As we rejoice the selection of Nepali player for his achievement, we also need to understand why he is where he is. Whether you meet him during the match or in a café, you notice the emphasis he puts on the lines ‘leading from the front’. With him it becomes a cliché. Talk to him for an hour and you realize he’s used the line at least 10 times, or maybe 20, perhaps even without realizing. If you look at his performance, you realize that the words are not mere a part of a rhetoric, but conviction. Conviction has a strange way of manifesting itself, through performance, through attitude and sometimes also through words.
Opinions could be divided on whether Paras Khadka is the best ever cricket captain for Nepal. His supporters may say he is, for being the first captain to have won ICC tournament for Nepal - ICC World Cricket League Division 5. His detractors may say, it is too early to pass judgment. After all, he is yet to celebrate his 25th birthday. And he’s been in charge of Nepali team for just around two and half years. But, there are some in cricket circles already talking about him as the best. That is his biggest success.
Leading from the front is visible when the lad goes into the cricket field, commandeering his teammates (some of whom are older than him). You can hear him on the field, egging other players, aggressively but not too loud. He bowls, both medium pace and spin, and often returns with impressive figures. When batting, more often than not, he leads from the front too, putting a price on his wicket. It is not without reason that ESPNcricinfo glorifies him, saying, “He is also a man for a pressure situation.”
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