Sachin leads in hailing Dhoni on end of captaincy career

New Delhi, Jan 4, 2017, (PTI)

The sporting fraternity to congratulated Mahendra Singh Dhoni on his glorious captaincy career with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar leading from the front, saying "it's a day to celebrate his successful career and respect the decision.
Dhoni, the country's most successful skipper, today sprang a major surprise by stepping down as India's limited overs captain, thereby bringing an abrupt end to his glorious leadership tenure.

The 35-year-old Dhoni under whom India had won two World Cups and a Champions Trophy title, stunned the cricket fraternity by relinquishing the captaincy barely 11 days before the ODI series against England.

"Congratulations to MSD on a wonderful career as a captain leading India to success in both T20 and ODI World Cups. I have seen him emerge from an aggressive player to a steady and decisive captain. It's a day to celebrate his successful captaincy and respect his decision. Wish MSD the very best as he continues entertaining us on the field with his exploits," Tendulkar wrote on his congratulatory message.

Dhoni's decision has now paved the way for Test captain Virat Kohli to take over the mantle of the limited overs team as well.

While expressing his desire to quit captaincy, Dhoni conveyed to the selection committee that he will be available for selection as a player for the three ODIs and as many T20s against England starting January 15.

Sacked BCCI president Anurag Thakur too congratulated Dhoni on his achievement as captain.

"I congratulate @msdhoni on an illustrious career as Capt who led #TeamIndia to memorable victories in T20WorldCup 2007 & 2011 @ICC WorldCup!," Thakur tweeted.

Another former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth tweeted: "Sign of a true leader is to know when to pass the baton!Thank u for the entertainment skipper u r an #Inspiration @msdhoni #livinglegend."

Among other to congratulate Dhoni on his glorious captaincy tenure are ace shooter Gagan Narang and actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who potrayed Dhoni's role in his biopic.

"3 ICC titles and some glorious highs. Captain @msdhoni thank you for the memories! Wish you finish on a sparkling note," Narang tweeted.

Rajput added: "There is no one like you. You're the reason for millions of smiles. Take a bow my Captain.??"

Quiet end to a glorious era

Madhu Jawali Bengaluru: Jan 05 , 2017, DHNS

India enjoyed unprecedented highs during Mahendra Singh Dhoni's reign

Just as he had quit Test captaincy without any drama, Mahendra Singh Dhoni relinquished his job as India’s limited-overs skipper without a whimper. An email from the BCCI, not unlike when he retired from Tests in Melbourne in December 2014, disclosed Dhoni’s desire to step down from the post that he had held from 2007.

The stumper’s exit from the top job brings to an end a glittering captaincy career that was decorated with a World Cup (50 overs) triumph in 2011, the World T20 victory in 2007 and the Champions Trophy title in 2013. Dhoni had also presided over India’s rise to the top of Test rankings in 2009. Dhoni led India in 199 ODIs, winning 110, losing 74, tying 4 and with no result in 11. He also led India in 72 T20Is of which 41 resulted in wins and 28 in losses. One was tied and two had ended in no result.

Coming from the cricketing outpost of Jharkhand, Dhoni’s emergence as India’s most successful captain across all formats is a stirring story. Success came immediately to Dhoni who led an inexperienced bunch of Indians to the inaugural World T20 title in South Africa. Soon after he became the ODI captain as well after Rahul Dravid resigned from captaincy in the middle of the World T20 campaign.

Mixing his instincts with his unorthodox style, Dhoni enjoyed success after success. His decision to go at No 4 ahead of the in-form Yuvraj Singh and finish off the chase in the final of the 2011 World Cup against Sri Lanka was a testimony to his instinctive style of captaincy that helped India reap rich rewards. His stint as captain wasn’t without its share of controversies but it did little to diminish his legacy that was remarkable in its significance and unparalleled in its achievements.

Though Dhoni, in a way, had expressed his desire to continue at the helm till the 2019 World Cup after India’s defeat to West Indies in the World T20 in March last, there was considerable pressure on him to hand over the reins to Virat Kohli who has been riding a wave of success in the longer format. While there is little doubt that Dhoni is still the best wicketkeeper-batsman available in the country for the shorter formats, each loss by India was only adding to the chorus for his ouster from the hot job.

Though his wicketkeeping skills remain as effective, there is no doubt that he wasn’t the same force with the bat. He had often struggled to finish off matches in the last couple of years and his ability to manufacture shots at will had waned considerably. At 35, Dhoni is still one of the fittest players around in the world but pitted against his own high standards in the not too distant past, he was definitely falling short of unreasonable expectations.

Dhoni made 6633 runs as ODI captain at an average of 54 and a strike rate of 86 while he amassed 1112 runs in the T20Is he led at a strike rate of 122.60. However, since the series against South Africa in October 2015, he had registered only two half-centuries in 15 ODI innings in his 490 runs which came at an average of 35, almost 20 runs less than his career average as captain.

In a recent interview, former selection committee chairman Sandeep Patil disclosed his panel had mulled replacing Dhoni at the helm but desisted from doing so keeping in mind the fact that the 2015 World Cup was around the corner. Whether such a message has gone from the MSK Prasad-headed present panel isn’t known but Dhoni’s surprise move transfers the reins to Kohli who can plan his path for the 2019 World Cup. The timing of the resignation is also significant as it gives Kohli ample time, heading into the defence of Champions Trophy in England this June.

Another feather in KSCA cap

Bengaluru: Jan 05 , 2017, DHNS

The Karnataka State Cricket Association has been in the forefront of embracing latest technology in various fields and in keeping with that tradition, the association on Wednesday commissioned the subsurface aeration and vaccum-powered drainage project, which was undertaken last June.

After installing solar panels to generate electricity, rain-water harvesting, sewage treatment plant, waste management, the KSCA has added another first to its credit. Touted as the first such facility to be installed in a cricket stadium in the world, the technology ensures the resumption of a match within a few minutes after it stops raining, by facilitating rapid drying of the ground.

Completed at a cost of Rs 4.25 crore and with an annual maintainance cost of Rs 7 lakh, the technology has been developed by the US-based SubAir and has been implemented by Great Sports Infra. The system is not only designed to ensure that no match is abandoned or unduly delayed because of a wet outfield but also make sure that the grass is both healthy and nourished.

The system automatically kicks into action the minute it starts raining, thereby not allowing any buildup of water on the outfield. It quickly removes accumulated water (36 times faster than drainage by gravity).

The spur to have a better drainage mechanism was the abandonment of the last four days of the Test match between India and South Africa Test here in November 2015. “With insurance companies not willing to insure the match because of the strong forecast for heavy rain during the Test, we ended up with a loss in excess of Rs 2 crore,” said Vinay Mruthyunjaya, the KSCA spokesperson.

“We then decided that while we can’t do anything about the rain, what happens thereafter is in our control. That’s how, after a series of discussions and demonstrations, we arrived at this decision aimed at not merely guard against loss for the KSCA but also for the spectators to get their money’s worth,” he noted.

Kevin Crowe, senior vice-president of SubAir Systems, explaining the mechanism involved, said: “There are sensors underneath the surface that gauge not just water levels but also salinity, the temperature and related parameters. “We have a separator at the ground through which the water and air are diverted to different outlets.”

The air that is sucked from underneath is routed out of the stadium, while fresh air is brought back in through the vacuum mode to prove greater oxygen to the grass. The water that is drained from the outfield will be stored in a tank that can hold up to 1.5 lakh litres, and will be reused for upkeep and maintenance.

Anil Kumar, the managing director of Great Sports Infra, said 100 litres of water could be evacuated every minute. “We have laid drainage pipes totalling 4.5 kilometres under the surface,” said Kumar.

'Golden couple' calls it quits

Toronto, Jan 05 , 2017, Reuters:

Two-time Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton announced his retirement on Wednesday, saying he had given everything he could to the sport. "I gave everything to the decathlon. I did all I could. Thank u for making it the best time of my life. I'm retiring," said Eaton on his Twitter account.

The 28-year-old American, who holds the world record in both the decathlon and indoor heptathlon events, won gold in the multi-event discipline at the 2012 London Olympics and successfully defended his crown at the Rio Games last August. "Frankly there isn't much more I want to do in sport," said Eaton on his website. "I gave the most physically robust years of my life to the discovery and pursuit of my limits in this domain. Did I reach them? Truthfully I'm not sure anyone really does. It seems like we tend to run out of time or will before we run out of potential."

Eaton walked hand-in-hand into retirement with his wife Brianne Theisen-Eaton who also reached the medals podium in Rio, taking bronze in the heptathlon. The Canadian was also twice a silver medalist at the World Championships, finishing runner-up at the 2013 Worlds in Moscow and again two years later in Beijing.

At the world indoor championships last year in Eaton's hometown of Portland, Oregon, the husband-and-wife team claimed a golden double, each topping the podium in their event. Athletics' golden couple had hoped to repeat the feat at the Rio Olympics but Theisen-Eaton was forced to settle for third behind Belgium's Nafissatou Thiam and Britain's Jessica Ennis-Hill. "I gave the last four years everything I could. I put my life on hold," said Theisen-Eaton, on the website she shares with her husband. "With that, I've decided to retire."

Arsenal, Bournemouth in goal fest

LONDON: Jan 05 , 2017, Reuters

Gunners rally from three-goal deficit to force thrilling draw

Flimsy before halftime, fabulous by the end; Arsenal revealed the split personality that has undermined so many of their Premier League title attempts as they snatched an unforgettable 3-3 draw at Bournemouth on Tuesday. Out-battled for an hour by their modest south coast opponents, Arsenal belatedly sparked into life and Olivier Giroud's glancing header two minutes into stoppage time completed their remarkable recovery from 3-0 down.

It was the first time Arsene Wenger's side had recovered from such a deficit to draw in the Premier League and while they remained fourth, eight points adrift of leaders Chelsea who have played a game less, it could yet prove to be pivotal moment in their season as defeat would have been a hammer blow.

Swansea City's new manager Paul Clement was not officially in charge of his side's match at Crystal Palace but his presence helped the Swans move off the bottom of the table with a 2-1 victory at fellow strugglers Crystal Palace.

Stoke City also beat Watford 2-0 to leave Chelsea's match at fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday the final instalment of the festive season’s hectic fixture schedule. The packed schedule over the Christmas-New Year period seemed to catch up with Arsenal who were back in action just 48 hours after beating Palace on Sunday.

They were second-best throughout the first half as Bournemouth moved 2-0 ahead after 20 minutes with a neat Charlie Daniels goal and a Callum Wilson penalty. Ryan Fraser made it 3-0 in the 58th minute before goals from Alexis Sanchez and Lucas Perez set up a barnstorming finale.

Bournemouth were hanging on grimly after skipper Simon Francis was sent off in the 82nd minute but were breached again by a rampaging Arsenal side in stoppage time as Giroud pounced to follow up on his "scorpion" volley against Palace on Sunday. Clement was named as Swansea's new manager shortly before they kicked off at Selhurst Park.

The former Bayern Munich assistant would have taken heart from the way his new club dominated the first half in which Alfie Mawson gave them a 42nd-minute lead and by the way they snatched a late victory through Angel Rangel.

Palace have now failed to win in their three matches under new manager Sam Allardyce and sit just above the bottom three in 17th place, one point above Swansea and Sunderland. Ryan Shawcross and Peter Crouch scored either side of halftime for Stoke as they eased into mid-table. 

Gutsy Kovalik douses Cilic fire

Chennai: Jan 05 , 2017, PTI

Slovakian stuns top seed; Paes-Sa out in first round

Little known Jozef Kovalik caused the biggest upset of the Chennai Open as he knocked out world number six and tournament-favourite Marin Cilic in a gripping pre-quarterfinal here on Wednesday. Kovalik, ranked 117, showed nerves of steel in a hard-earned 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-5 win over the ‘rusty’ top seed.

Cilic, who ended the 2016 season with a career-best rank of six, was pushed by the Slovakian in two hours and 48 minute match and was rewarded with the biggest win of his career. Kovalik next faces Daniil Medvedev, who shocked eighth seed Yen-Hsun Lu 6-4, 6-3 in his second round.

Cilic looked a bit rusty at the start as it took him almost 10 minutes to hold the first service game in which he saved a breakpoint and fought off five deuce points. He eventually sealed it with an ace. Kovalik impressed with his ground-strokes, specially backhand, retrieving ability and the court coverage. He managed to stretch points by engaging Cilic in rallies. The tall Croat started to serve better, losing only five points in his next five service games.

Kovalik had handed an opening to Cilic with a double fault at 2-2 but the Croat netted a backhand on next point to let go advantage. The world number six hit a forehand long at 4-5 to hand the Slovakian two set points. Stunned by the reversal, the Croat put his foot on the gas and raced to a 3-0 lead with a break in the second game. After a foot fault call at 15-15, which perhaps disturbed his rhythm, Kovalik hit a forehand long at 30-40 to face a break point.

Cilic played smart and pinned the Slovakian on the far left side of the baseline in a long rally and sent down a volley winner from a weak backhand return to seal the break. Kovalik prevented Cilic from walking away with a 5-1 lead by saving two breakpoints in the sixth game. Not only this, he broke Cilic back in the seventh and made it 4-4 with an easy hold in the next game.

The Slovakian though choked when he was serving to stay in the match at 5-6. He sent a backhand to net to hand Cilic his first set point and followed that with a long forehand to allow the Croat make a comeback in the match. The third set was again neck and neck before Kovalik cashed in on unforced errors from Cilic to get a break in the 11th game, setting himself up to close the match in his favour.

However, there was more drama to the match with Kovalik facing three breakpoints but Cilic could convert none. Eventually the Slovak converted his first match point. In another second match of the day, Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas outplayed Steve Darcis 6-2, 6-0.

In the doubles segment, India’s Leander Paes and his Brazilian partner André Sá were ousted in the in the opening round of the event. The Indo-Brazilian pair bowed out to the all-Indian pair of Purav Raja and Divij Sharan 6-4, 6-4. Meanwhile, Rohan Bopanna and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan got their campaign to a winning start with a comfortable 6-4, 6-4 victory over Brazil’s Marcelo Demoliner and Nikola Mektic of Croatia.

Results (prefix denote seedings): Men's singles, round 2: Dudi Sela (Israel) bt Chung Hyeon (South Korea) 6-2, 6-2; Jozef Kovalik (Slovakia) bt 1-Marin Cilic (Croatia) 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-5; Daniil Medvedev (Russia) bt 8-Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) 6-4, 6-3; 3-Albert Ramos (Spain) bt Steve Darcis (Belgium) 6-2, 6-0.

M S Dhoni: Master of his fate, Captain of his soul

New Delhi, Jan 5, 2016, (PTI)

Gut feeling and a sense of timing has always marked Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision making process in his illustrious captaincy stint and he once again showed that when he 'stumped' one and all with his decision to step down as skipper of India's limited overs team.
No one knows whether Dhoni has read the poem 'Invictus' or watched Hollywood actor Morgan Freeman recite it in his deep baritone: "I am the Master of My fate, I am the Captain of My soul".

The context of the poem may have been different but in spirit somewhere, Dhoni may find it eerily similar to his thought process leading up to the decision last night.

No Indian cricketer since Sunil Gavaskar showed such poise, grace and sense of foresight as the flamboyant cricketer from Jharkhand stepped down from the limited overs captaincy via a BCCI announcement yesterday.

When Gavaskar announced his decision to quit captaincy, it was after winning Benson and Hedges World Championship in 1985 and after scoring that epic 96 on a Chinnaswamy minefield in 1987, he called time on his illustrious career with people craving for more.

The most cliched statement that we hear from sportspersons is that "we don't play for records" but then hardly a few believe in what they say.

But in Dhoni's case, two instances would sum up his philosophy that he does not play for records. When he retired from Test cricket, he was 10 short of completing 100 matches for the country but in his heart he knew Virat Kohli was ready for the job. Dhoni went with his gut feeling.

Similarly, the first ODI against England on January 15 in Pune would have been his 200th match as captain but he would not bother. 90 and 199 are two telling numbers that tell the story. So, Dhoni did not care for records.

His decision gives Kohli exactly 30 months time to get his team ready for the next World Cup, but more so it shows that Dhoni always had the best interest of Indian cricket in mind.

With two World Cups (one 50-over and one T20) India won under his leadership, Dhoni will remain India's greatest limited overs captain and perhaps among India's top five ODI players along with Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Kapil Dev and Kohli.

Just like a film actor has some defining roles, Dhoni will be remembered for two decisions that made him the 'Captain Cool' for generations to come.

The first was giving Joginder Sharma the final over during inaugural T20 World Cup summit clash against Pakistan. The second was promoting himself ahead of Yuvraj Singh and winning that 2011 World Cup final in Mumbai.

It was a man who had the guts and gumption to take decisions which could have gone awry and made him look silly.

There's a bit of gambler in many of us but MSD was a bigger 'Punter' than Ricky Ponting ever was.

It's not easy to express one's feelings explicitly when it comes to dropping legends but Dhoni knew that Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid could become liabilities on the field on big Australian grounds and hence he conveyed his feelings to the selection committee before 2008 CB series.

Both Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma were revelations during that series, and that proved Dhoni's decision right.

Dhoni was not a technically gifted batsman but his temperament stood out and the 9110 ODI runs he has scored till now from 283 matches is a testimony of that. He has scored 1112 runs from 73 T20 International matches at an average of 35.87.

A player with a firm bottom hand grip, his signature 'helicopter' shot where he whipped the ball at the block hole straight into the stands earned him fans aplenty.

But then, how many players knew the value of converting one's into two's and two's into three's.

Once he became captain, he curbed his slam-bang approach pacing his innings to perfection.

On slow sub-continental pitches when others found it difficult to manoeuvre, he did that with elan.
If Tendulkar was the best judge of a single, Dhoni certainly was the best judge of a double.

His keeping was questioned at the beginning of his career but in his later years, he developed his own distinctive style. The back flick run-outs are treat to watch and he has been swift as anyone else on turning tracks.

Dhoni had an aggressive game but not in body language. He believed words like "revenge" are too strong to be used in sports.

And boy, he had a dry sense of humour, very distinctive and his own style.
Once David Warner and Ravindra Jadeja had a war of words and Dhoni was asked about it at end of the match. He smiled wryly and said: "That's what happens when schoolboys graduate to college."

And he invited an Australian journalist, who asked about his retirement, up on the dais after World T20 semifinal loss. Some found it funny and some rude but then Dhoni is Dhoni.

There's an old YouTube video of Dhoni singing the iconic Mukesh song "Main pal do pal ka shayar hoon" from the Bollywood film "Kabhi Kabhi".

Well MSD is much more than a "Do pal ka shayar". He's an entertainer par excellence. He is now running the last lap of his fantastic career. We should all enjoy till it lasts.