Sports

Zurich, Jan 8: Argentina's Lionel Messi, 25, won the World Player of the Year award for an unprecedented fourth year running on Monday. The award came after a year in which the Barcelona player scored a record-breaking 91 goals for club and country. Real Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo was second in the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or award and Messi's Barcelona team-mate Andres Iniesta was

New Delhi, Jan 8: The decision to give MS Dhoni the Man of the Match award at Sunday's ODI against Pakistan surprised many watchers. Though the skipper had top-scored for India with 36, his wicket-keeping wasn't top-notch and he dropped the catch of his opposite number, Misbah-ul-Haq. Sources said Dhoni wasn't the frontrunner for the award but pipped others to the post at the last minute. The MoM

The seemingly straight ball makes an abrupt curve in the air. It curls in on the slender space between bat and pad. Don’t tell this to VVS Laxman. He’ll insist that the ball must be pasted to mid-wicket. But don’t tell this to lesser mortals either. They’ll moan that the bend of the ball is too much to cope with. So what’s it about the incoming ball that has given India a torrid time in the ODIs

New Delhi, Jan 8: In a report that threatens to shake the foundations of Indian cricket, it has been alleged that a panel of TV pundits adjudicated the Man-of-the-Match award in Sunday's ODI to Indian captain MS Dhoni to 'boost his morale'. A leading Indian English newspaper on Tuesday quoted a former cricketer, pleading anonymity, who voted in favour of Dhoni that Dhoni was given the award to

New Delhi, Jan 7: The Sandeep Patil-led National Selection committee bit the bullet and axed senior batsman Virender Sehwag from India’s squad for the first three ODIs against England. Sehwag’s exclusion from the playing eleven in the final one-dayer against Pakistan on Sunday was an ominous sign of things to come in Sehwag’s way. Young Ajinkya Rahane, who had been waiting in the wings for quite

New Delhi, Jan 6: A spirited India clinched a sensational 10-run victory in a low-scoring thriller to avoid a series whitewash and restore some pride in the third and final cricket one-dayer against arch-rivals Pakistan here today. The Indians were first bundled out for a paltry 167 in 43.4 overs but relied on a brilliant bowling display under pressure to stop the visitors at 157 in a nerve

Sachin Tendulkar, who has quit One-Day International (ODI) cricket, scored his 80th first class century for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Baroda at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. The 39-year-old nudged one to long leg for a couple to bring up his 18th Ranji hundred. He is now one short of the Indian record held by Sunil Gavaskar, who scored 81 first class hundreds. In Ranji

New Delhi, Jan 6: A fit-again India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat in the dead third rubber against Pakistan at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Sunday. India made two changes with Virender Sehwag and Ashok Dinda making way for Ajinkya Rahane and green horn Shami Ahmed. Pakistan made one change: Umar Akmal replaced Azhar Ali. Dhoni was doubtful for the match with a sore back

New Delhi, Jan 5: Duncan Fletcher's role may be under scanner following India's prolonged poor run of form but Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today refused to blame the coach, saying the utmost responsibility for performance lies with the players. Dhoni was asked about the role played by Fletcher as India have lost one series after another. "It's time that players take the responsibility

New Delhi, Jan 6: India's horrendous batting show continued unabated as the hosts were bowled out for a paltry 167 against Pakistan in the third and final cricket One-day international, here today. So pathetic was India's batting that they could not even last the full 50 overs after electing to bat. They were bundled out in 43.4 overs as Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal recorded a career-best