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England vs West Indies: Ben Stokes Becomes Second-Fastest All-Rounder To Test Double Of 4,000 runs And 150 Wickets

Ben Stokes picked up four wickets on Day three of the Test at Southampton.© Twitter England's stand-in skipper Ben Stokes on Friday became the second-fastest all-rounder to reach the Test double of 4,000 runs and 150 wickets. He achieved the feat during the third day of the first Test match between England and West Indies at the Ageas Bowl. With the dismissal of Alzarri Joseph, Stokes joined former England all-rounder Ian Botham and four other greats of the game in the club of 4,000 Test runs and 150-plus wickets. He finished with the figures of 4-49 in his 14 overs including five maiden overs. The 29-year-old all-rounder reached the milestone in 64 games. Only former West Indies great Gary Sobers is ahead of him, who achieved the feat in 63 Tests.Apart from Sobers and Stokes, former South African cricketer Jacques Kallis, India's Kapil Dev and ex-New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori are also on the list.Earlier in the first innings, Stokes played a knock of 43 runs, the highest for his side, and guided them to 204 runs.PromotedWest Indies were wrapped up for 318, taking a 114-run lead.England will resume their play from 15/0 on day four with Rory Burns and Dom Sibley unbeaten on 10 and 5 runs respectively. Topics mentioned in this article Read the full article

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IPL Has Given Indian Team Many Talented Players Over The Years, Says Amit Mishra

Answering the question, the spinner said: "IPL has kept on getting difficult with each passing season, especially it has been difficult for the spinners, I have played the tournament for 12 years now, this would have been my 13th, India has gotten a lot of talent through this tournament, many young players also got financial help through this competition.""When I played IPL for the first time in 2008, the batsmen had limited shots, but now the batsmen have many more things in their arsenal, they are more powerful, players now have more shots as well," he added.Mishra was also asked to give his take on going ahead with the IPL behind closed doors to which he said: "Things regarding coronavirus need to get normal first, we should give two-three months and then take a call on playing the tournament. Playing cricket is necessary but we should give some time to coronavirus, hopefully things will settle down by then."During the Instagram live session, Mishra also said that Eden Gardens would be his favourite ground in India.The spinner also said that Sachin Tendulkar has always been his role model, but added that he looked up to Anil Kumble and Shane Warne in his initial days as a cricketer.Mishra has played in every IPL edition so far and has represented Deccan Chargers, Pune Warriors India, Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Delhi Capitals.He is the first spinner in the history of IPL to take three hat-tricks.The spinner would have represented Delhi Capitals if the IPL had commenced from March 29 as was slated earlier.However, the tournament has been suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read the full article

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Coronavirus: BWF Pushes Back Thomas And Uber Cup Finals Again, To Be Held From October 3-11

On Wednesday, the BWF postponed the tournament once again saying it's not possible to hold the event before September."Following the Danish Government's decision on 6 April to extend a ban on "larger gatherings" in Denmark until the end of August, both parties agreed that it was no longer feasible to stage the championships on the rescheduled dates of 15-23 August," the BWF said in a statement."BWF in consultation and consensus with Badminton Denmark, tournament organisers, Sport Event Denmark and the local Aarhus government concluded that a move to October was the best solution."BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund said: "Our main priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of athletes, staff, volunteers, judges and the entire badminton community. We listened to the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO), various health experts, local authorities and the Danish Government and it became clear that hosting a big event like the TOTAL BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals before September would be difficult.""We are confident that we can stage a safe and successful championships on the new dates of 3-11 October while all the time monitoring the situation closely should things change again."Badminton Denmark CEO Bo Jensen added: "It is sad for us to change the dates again. However, our immediate concern is with the safety of all involved in this very uncertain time.""It's still an achievement for us to be the first country outside of Asia to host the TOTAL BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals and we are looking forward to welcoming fans, players, volunteers, officials and staff in the safest way possible."The BWF said possible solutions are being worked for its Annual General Meeting and Members' Forum.Both events are key highlights on the BWF calendar and were due to take place in Aarhus during the week of the TOTAL BWF Thomas and Uber Cup Finals 2020.The BWF had cancelled or suspended several tournaments post the All England Championships (March 11-15) due to the pandemic.  Read the full article

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Smash Hit Michael Jordan Documentary Fills TV Void For NBA Fans

In all, 6.1 million people watched the opening episodes in the United States, making the Michael Jordan documentary Twitter's top trending topic and ESPN's most watched original program since the network began producing such shows 16 years ago. An average of 5.9 million viewers watched the latest episodes aired in the US on Sunday."The Last Dance" mixes previously unaired behind-the-scenes footage taken by a special camera crew with the Bulls during their 1997-98 NBA championship run with the retelling of Jordan's amazing story from his youthful days to Chicago's amazing dynasty run of six 1990s NBA titles.The project was set to be broadcast in June when the NBA Finals were scheduled, but when sports programs were wiped out due to the global virus pandemic, ESPN advanced the release date.The Jordan documentary's blockbuster success looks likely to spark similar projects.Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar who died in a January helicopter crash, had a personal camera crew follow him around during his final NBA season, ESPN reported last week, hinting that behind-the-scenes footage could become part of a Bryant documentary.Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, scored 60 points in his final NBA game in 2016, which capped the worst season in Lakers history at 17-65.Dwyane Wade, a member of the 2008 US Olympic "Redeem Team" that won Beijing gold after a 2004 bronze at Athens, says he is already executive producing a documentary about that collection of NBA talent.A lingering hatredESPN has aired discussion shows about the documentary after telecasts, with Sunday's episodes about Jordan's lingering hatred of the Detroit Pistons leading to Monday interviews with former Detroit star Isiah Thomas, notably about the Pistons snubbing the Bulls for post-game handshakes when Chicago swept the defending champions out of the 1991 playoffs."I hated them," Jordan said in the fourth chapter of the documentary. "And that hate carries even to this day."Thomas was not selected as a member of the 1992 Barcelona US Olympic gold medal "Dream Team" -- an NBA all-star lineup that featured Jordan -- and Thomas said Monday on ESPN that he hoped the handshake snub wasn't the reason why he didn't make the historic lineup."If I'm not part of the Dream Team for that lapse of emotion, for not shaking somebody's hand, then I'm more disappointed today than I was back then when I wasn't selected," Thomas said."I paid a heavy price. If that moment meant I'm not selected to be on the Dream Team because of that moment, that's hurtful. That cuts deep." Read the full article

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Coronavirus: Norwich City Defend Decision To Furlough Staff

Premier League strugglers Norwich City have defended their decision to use the British government's furlough scheme for 200 non-playing staff after the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. With vast swathes of British industry shut down because of the coronavirus, the UK government launched a scheme that sees 80 percent of wages up to a maximum of 2,500 pounds ($3,000) a month guaranteed during the economic crisis caused by the pandemic. Norwich, who were bottom when the campaign was suspended, and Newcastle are the only Premier League clubs currently using the job retention scheme.Bournemouth, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur performed U-turns due to a vocal backlash after initially announcing they too would take advantage of the scheme.Norwich say the suspension of football will cost them between 18 million pounds and 35 million pounds."The decision we made was in the best interests of the club and its staff," chief operating officer Ben Kensell told BBC Radio Norfolk."We've been very transparent that we're run in a self-financed manner."We generate a turnover of 123m - 93 million pounds of that is broadcast, and we've spent 125 million pounds this year - and that's how we run the club,"Ultimately, if we had the available cashflow to not have to take up schemes then, like other football clubs have, we would."The Canaries hope to make 2.5 million pounds of savings and have agreed with British tax authorities to delay 18 million pounds of repayments.Norwich players have not followed the lead of fellow professionals at Watford, Sheffield United, Southampton or West Ham in agreeing to wage deferrals or taking a pay cut as most of the Arsenal squad have agreed to.However, the players, head coach Daniel Farke, the executive committee and directors have donated more than 200,000 pounds towards local initiatives.Kensell said furloughing staff now could hopefully prevent the much more traumatic step of making people redundant once some form of normality returns."The difference is we're running it as a business and we're running it the best way we believe will help it for the future," said Kensell."It's also about our staff. What we don't want is a raft of redundancies."We knew we'd get criticised as a result of it; what we're not going to do is take a different view on that. We'll stick to our guns and we believe we are doing it for the right reasons."We've got the best owners (Delia Smith and her husband Michael Wynn-Jones) in football -- that's a fact. We haven't got the richest owners but we like to think we're doing things the right way." Read the full article

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Coronavirus: Novak Djokovic "Personally Against Vaccination" If Made Compulsory For Tennis Players

Novak Djokovic has said he would be against a compulsory coronavirus vaccination if it became a requirement for tennis players to travel to tournaments. "Personally I'm against vaccination. I wouldn't like that someone forces me to get a vaccine in order to be able to travel," the world number one said late on Sunday. The Serbian star was speaking from Spain, where he is in lockdown with his family, in a video conference held on his Facebook for Orthodox Easter. "We (players) will have to travel. I think it will be the number one challenge," the 32-year said."If it (vaccination) will become compulsory what will happen? I will have to take a decision," on whether to get a vaccine or not, he said."This is my opinion at the moment. Whether it will change I don't know."There is currently no vaccine for the virus that has claimed some 165,000 lives around the globe, though labs around the world are racing to develop a treatment. Like the rest of the sporting world, tennis has been on pause since early March, with the ATP and WTA Tours suspended until mid-July at the earliest and Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War II.Djokovic estimated tournaments would not restart "before September or October"."The season will officially restart when everyone will be 100 percent certain that people can return, that there is no risk, that people are resistant to the virus and this takes time."Tournaments with travel limited to one country or a region could be possible, he said. Read the full article

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Can Only Battle Coronavirus By Staying Indoors: Cheteshwar Pujara

"Most of us are following the government guidelines on lockdown but there are still some who are taking the virus casually. They don't realise that they could too be affected."Every single person is a soldier at the moment. If you stay indoors, you are fighting the battle for your own country. There has to be a collective effort else we can't win this," said India's Test batting mainstay.After helping Saurashtra win their maiden Ranji Trophy title last month, little did he know that he would be spending all his time at home.Pujara is enjoying the "forced" break and most of his time goes into entertaining his two-year-old daughter.The closest he has got to a "hit in the nets" is by playing with a plastic bat."That is also for entertaining my daughter. No serious stuff. All of that can wait at the moment," he said.But a gym at home means he is not compromising on his fitness."I usually take everything in a positive way. Sometimes you need to take a break as a sportsperson and there can't be a better time. We just won the Ranji and it is the right time to take three to four weeks off."Luckily I have a gym at home. Being a small town guy, I can't go out to the gym and train there (because he will be mobbed). With gym at home, I can still do my strength sessions, cycling and running. I also do yoga which helps a lot," said Pujara.He was supposed to play county cricket in the UK but that too has been postponed at least till May 28 and faces cancellation.Considering the current circumstances, Pujara might have to wait till the Australia tour starting November to play his first competitive game since the Ranji Trophy final.But he is prepared for any eventuality."I would still have some first-class games before the Australia tour. I am prepared for anything. This is the time when we can't just be thinking about sporting events. First, we have to win this battle against coronavirus," he said."A person's life is much more important than a sporting event. All the sporting events (including Olympics) have been postponed. One has to be prepared as we are going through rare times."We just need to make sure the virus is contained and things get back to normal. After that we can talk about the game."Pujara has fond memories of the previous Australia tour in 2018-19 when India won their maiden Test series Down Under.He was named the player of the series for scoring 521 runs at 74.42, including three hundreds.His long hours in the middle and pacers' stellar performances made all the difference."I would still say it was a collective effort. Yes, I did perform exceptionally well. I am happy about that, no doubt, but when we go back again you have to start from the scratch. It (past performance) will help me for sure but one has to prepare again. You can't take your past glories to the current series," he signed off. Read the full article

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Manchester City Midfielder Says Liverpool Deserve To Be Premier League Champions

Liverpool should be awarded the Premier League title if the season cannot be completed due to the coronavirus pandemic, says Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. Jurgen Klopp's men were a tantalising two wins away from their first league crown since 1990 when the season was suspended earlier this month. The shutdown is currently due to last until April 30. Premier League chiefs are due to meet on Friday, with no indications of when football will resume. Gundogan, whose side trail Liverpool by 25 points, told German broadcaster ZDF that if the season could not be finished, Klopp's side deserved the title."It would be OK for me," he said. "As a sportsman you have to be fair."The 29-year-old German international, who has won the Premier League title with City for the past two seasons, said it was unlikely that he and his teammates could resume training at the end of April."Honestly, I can't imagine (that happening) and also, I don't know how realistic it is," he said.Figures on Sunday revealed that 1,228 people with coronavirus have died in Britain. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is among more than 19,500 people who have tested positive for COVID-19.Aleksander Ceferin, president of European football's governing body UEFA, said on Saturday that the 2019/20 campaign could be "lost" if it could not be restarted by the end of June.Gundogan conceded that Premier League chiefs were faced with a difficult choice."There are different opinions," he said. "For clubs who have had a very good season, it obviously wouldn't be nice if it was cancelled now."On the other hand, for clubs who aren't doing as well and are maybe in the relegation places, an abandonment would obviously suit them."Cancellation would have a knock-on effect on the second-tier English Championship, with both Leeds United and West Brom occupying the two automatic promotion places.Gundogan said he would be willing to take a pay cut if English clubs followed the examples of Serie A leaders Juventus and his former club Borussia Dortmund."Of course I think it's OK, that goes without saying -- (but) there's been no discussion in England yet," he said. Read the full article

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Coronavirus: F1 Team Mercedes To Manufacture Breathing Aid For Patients

Medical researchers and engineers have teamed up with Formula One outfit Mercedes to adapt a breathing aid for mass production that could keep coronavirus patients off much-needed ventilators. University College London said UK regulators had approved its adaptation of the continuous positive airway pressure device (CPAP), which helps patients with breathing difficulties. A version of the equipment, which increases air and oxygen flow into the lungs, has already been used in hospitals in Italy and China to help COVID-19 patients with serious lung infections.Teams at UCL and Mercedes have reverse-engineered the device and say they can make them quickly "by the thousands" and provide hospitals across Britain, as pressure builds due to more confirmed cases.Reports from Italy indicated about 50 percent of patients given CPAP did not need mechanical ventilation, which requires sedation and a tube placed into the patient's windpipe, UCL said.Clinical trials with 100 of the machines are to be carried out at University College London Hospital, it added in a statement on Sunday."These devices will help save lives by ensuring that ventilators, a limited resource, are used only for the severely ill," said UCLH critical care consultant Mervyn Singer."While they will be tested at UCLH first, we hope they will make a real difference to hospitals across the UK by reducing demand on intensive care staff and beds, as well as helping patients recover without the need for more invasive ventilation."Britain's state-run National Health Service currently has some 8,000 ventilators and the government has ordered 8,000 more. But there is concern there will be a shortage as the virus peaks.Prime Minister Boris Johnson has put his government on a war footing, appealing to major manufacturers and industry to repurpose their production, including for medical devices.Tim Baker, from UCL's mechanical engineering department, said the process took days instead of years and improvements were made to the devices using computer simulations to help mass production.UK-based Formula One teams and their technology partners have been involved in a variety of schemes to meet medical needs in a partnership called "Project Pitlane".With the season suspended due to the outbreak, they say they are well-placed to help because of their engineers' expertise in rapid design, making prototypes, testing and assembly.Andy Cowell, managing director of Mercedes-AMG High-Performance Powertrains, said: "We have been proud to put our resources at the service of UCL to deliver the CPAP project to the highest standards and in the fastest possible timeframe." Read the full article

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Coronavirus: Indian Sports Fraternity Salutes COVID-19 Fighters - Watch

#JantaCurfew pic.twitter.com/MMtjDpHVfe — Sjoerd Marijne (@SjoerdMarijne) March 22, 2020 Joining the #JantaCurfew is the Indian Women's Hockey Team's support staff! #IndiaKaGame @SjoerdMarijne @waynelombard pic.twitter.com/fOgJQw5yBT — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) March 22, 2020 Wearing the team's jersey, the players positioned themselves on different floors of the building and clapped in tandem. Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag took to Twitter to share his gratitude. "A big Salute to all the warriors who are working tirelessly. May this pass soon and may there be peace, peace and peace. Om Shanti Shantih," he tweeted. A big Salute to all the warriors who are working tirelessly . May this pass soon and may there be peace, peace and peace. Om Shanti Shantih — Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) March 22, 2020 Wrestling superstar Bajrang Punia also posted a video, showing a lot of people beating the plates, in solidarity with the medicos and all those who provide essential services. "I thank all the health-care workers and all the people in the frontline fighting COVID-19. You are the real heroes I salute you," Bajrang tweeted. I thank all the health-care workers and all the people in the frontline fighting COVID-19. You are the real heroes I salute you pic.twitter.com/U9FxPpJCup — Bajrang Punia (@BajrangPunia) March 22, 2020 Former India captain and coach Anil Kumble took to Twitter to express his gratitude. "Thank you to all the heroes who are helping us in fighting COVID-19. Let us stay strong and continue our fight," he tweeted. Thank you to all the heroes who are helping us in fighting COVID-19. Let us stay strong and continue our fight. #SocialDistancing #JanataCurfew — Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) March 22, 2020 The Olympic-bound athletes such as weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and sprinter Hima Das also joined the people of the country in the appreciation act as they were also seen clapping from the SAI centre in Patiala. Thank you all the doctors, nurses, caregivers, armed forces, support staff, airport staff & everyone else out there working relentlessly for us in these difficult times. #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/Uh5je9dBtf — Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) March 22, 2020 Star woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat also posted a video of her mother beating a steel plate with a big spoon. In another tweet, she posted, "Salute to all those who are working tirelessly. What a feeling to see India on a united front against this battle.!! " pic.twitter.com/AwlM0NxnFc — Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) March 22, 2020 Shooter Heena Sidhu also shared a video, shot from the balcony of her house, along with a tweet that read, "Here is the video from my balcony! What atmosphere!! Here is the video from my balcony! What atmosphere!! Thankyou everyone for fighting back and our heartfelt appreciation to all those who are fighting this disease by putting their lives on the line. #thankyou #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/UxaHZd9QZZ — Heena SIDHU (@HeenaSidhu10) March 22, 2020 "Thankyou everyone for fighting back and our heartfelt appreciation to all those who are fighting this disease by putting their lives on the line." Read the full article

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Coronavirus: Delhi Government Bans IPL Matches, Other Sporting Events

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday made it clear that no sporting activity will take place in the national capital, including the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Addressing a press conference, Sisodia said: "We have decided to ban any sports activity where people will gather in huge numbers like the IPL. Social distancing is important to curb the breakout of coronavirus." In its order, the Delhi government said: "In exercise of the powers conferred by the Delhi Epidemic Diseasees, COVID-19, Regulations, 2020 under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1987, it is hereby directed that sports gathering (including IPL)/conferences/seminars beyond 200 people are prohibited in NCT of Delhi for the purpose of prevention and control of the outbreak of epidemic disease namely COVID-19."Welcoming the order, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said: "It is the need of the hour and we welcome the decision as you cannot have such mass gatherings at this point in time. You cannot decide who has the virus and it is best to avoid the situation."A total of seven matches in IPL 2020 -- beginning March 29 -- were slated to be played at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium on March 30 (Delhi Capitals vs Kings XI Punjab), April 10 (Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore), April 13 (Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings), April 19 (Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders), May 3 (Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad), May 6 (Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians) and May 13 (Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals).Clouds have been hovering over the IPL 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak which has infected 75 people in India so far and has resulted in death of one person in Karnataka.The Sports Ministry has already made it very clear to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) along with other national federations that any event that has to be held amid the coronavirus outbreak will have to be behind closed doors.Speaking to IANS, Union Sports Secretary Radhey Shyam Julaniya said on Thursday that if a sports event is unavoidable and has to be organised, it should be done ensuring there is no public gathering."All national federations, including the BCCI, have been told to adhere to the guidelines and advisory issued by the ministry of health and public welfare. We have also told them to avoid any public gathering and if a sporting event has to be organised, it should be done without gathering of people."It is the state government who has to manage the crowd and who have the power under the epidemic diseases act (Epidemic Act of 1897). If it is unavoidable and it has to be organised, then they should do it without collecting the crowd," he pointed.The central government on Wednesday suspended all visas, barring a few categories like diplomatic and employment, in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirusAll the eight franchises have already said that they are okay with the idea of the IPL being held with empty stands. But they wish for their foreign players to be made available from the start of the season.Speaking to IANS, an official of one of the franchises said that with the government making its stance clear and the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring the coronavirus outbreak a "pandemic", there is no other option than to play the match behind closed doors."See, the gate money is no issue as these things are insured. As for the fans, it is disappointing, but we don't really have much of an option as we have to abide by the diktat of the central government and even WHO has declared the outbreak a "pandemic". Read the full article

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Coronavirus: Australian Cricketers Stick With Handshakes Despite Threat

Australia's cricketers will continue to shake hands, coach Justin Langer said Monday, despite England enforcing a strict fist-bump only policy to prevent spread of the coronavirus. COVID-19 has claimed the lives of three Australians, with the global outbreak forcing a host of sporting fixtures around the world to be cancelled or played behind closed doors. Australia's three-game one-day series against New Zealand begins Friday and Langer said there were no plans to change how the team interacts in the dressing room or on the field. "No, we'll keep shaking hands... there's plenty of hand sanitiser in the Australian kits," he told cricket.com.au Monday following the team's 3-0 series loss in South Africa."I'm sure we'll just keep shaking hands and move on from that," he added.England captain Joe Root last week said his players would be talking sensible precautions on their tour of Sri Lanka."We are not shaking hands with each other, using instead the well-established fist bump, and we are washing hands regularly and wiping down surfaces using the anti-bacterial wipes and gels we've been given in our immunity packs," he said.Langer admitted that some players were exhausted heading into the series against New Zealand having featured in all three formats almost continuously since last year's World Cup, including the likes of leading batsmen Steve Smith and David Warner."The truth is we've got some weary boys at the moment, particularly our senior players," he said."They play so much cricket and you think about what they've done... since we started the World Cup (in England last year)."They're mentally tough guys but it's a real challenge for us."The first one-dayer begins in Sydney on Friday with the second two days later, before the series wraps up in Hobart on March 20. Read the full article

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Australia Overcame Lots Of Bumps On The Way To Win Women's T20 World Cup, Says Meg Lanning

Everything was worthwhile by the end, however, with the unity of her Australian team a mentality to behold for the ever-modest Lanning."There's a lot of pride. This tournament was always going to be massive, we had our ups and downs throughout and everything was thrown at us," she said."To be able to come through and have the complete performance on the biggest stage, it's something that's pretty amazing and is testament to the group for delivering on that. The New Zealand game and the semi-final, that's the most nervous and sick I've felt playing cricket.""To get through that, coming in to the Final, everyone was a little on edge but it just happened. It was just there from the first ball, there's ups and downs throughout but to be able to lead this group is a real privilege - they make my job really easy.""It's such a great group to be a part of. Everyone rode the bumps, the highs and lows, to finish like this is just incredible."Such was the magnitude of the Melbourne final, Lanning struggled to settle at all prior to the match. Never before has the women's game seen a crowd comparable to the 86,174 that packed into the MCG, with the International Women's Day occasion one to behold for all involved.But the 27-year-old was calm when it mattered most - largely thanks to her Australia teammates holding back their own nerves on the big day. It wasn't always that way throughout the competition, admitting that their narrow escape from elimination forced a roller coaster of emotions in front of their home fans."This day is incredible, we couldn't have dreamed of this," she added. "When the organisers said they wanted to get that many people for the final, I must admit I was a bit skeptical. But you wanted to be there and be involved. There was such a big build-up, all the outside pressure and expectation - we wanted to come and win this tournament but it was something else.""The way we were able to react and deal with that was testament to the group - this day is certainly the best of my career so far. With this group of people, the support staff as well, Tayla and Pez who weren't out there on the field but were as much a part of it, it's such a special group and we really just good mates and love going out there and playing together." Read the full article

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‘It’s impossible,’ Lebron James says won’t play in empty arenas as NBA mulls coronavirus strategy - other sports

Basketball superstar LeBron James said he won’t play if his Los Angeles Lakers have to hold games behind closed doors due to the coronavirus outbreak.The NBA has reportedly told teams to look into strategies on how to play without fans in the arena amid concerns over the spreading virus.“Nah. It’s impossible,” James said after the Lakers’ 113-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.“If I show up to the arena and there ain’t no fans in the crowd, then I ain’t playing.” The league sent a memo to each team on Friday asking them to develop contingency plans to combat the spread of the virus. One of the alternatives is playing games behind closed doors.“I ain’t never played the game without no fans,” James said. “Ever since I started. This ain’t Europe.“I play for my teammates and I play for the fans. That’s what it is all about.” James and Anthony Davis scored all but one of the Lakers’ points in the final quarter Friday as they rallied to beat the NBA-leading Bucks and clinch their first playoff spot since 2013.- No high-fives -As fears grow over the spread of the virus, and sports leagues formulate contingency plans, the NBA’s Friday memo told teams to start “developing” plans on how to play games with only “essential staff” in attendance, American sports broadcaster ESPN reported.The NBA had sent out a previous memo to teams earlier this week, recommending players to use fist-bumps instead of high-fives with fans. It also said to avoid taking items such as pens, balls and jerseys from fans to sign.“The health and safety of our employees, teams, players and fans is paramount,” the NBA said in a statement on Monday.The NBA said it has been taking advice from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).“We are coordinating with our teams and consulting with the CDC and infectious disease specialists on the coronavirus and continue to monitor the situation closely.” The global spread of COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the international sporting calendar with Formula One motor racing, golf and athletics among the sports canceling or postponing events.In Italy, the hardest-hit European country with 148 deaths from the novel coronavirus, all major sports events, including football matches, will be played behind closed doors until April 3. Six Nations rugby games in Italy have been postponed.Davis Cup tennis ties in Italy and Japan are being played behind closed doors this weekend.The World Health Organization has called the spread of the virus “deeply concerning” as a wave of countries reported their first cases of the disease -- which has now killed nearly 3,500 people and infected more than 100,000 across 92 nations and territories. Read the full article

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Smriti Mandhana Says "Failure Teaches You More Than Success" After India's Women's T20 World Cup Loss

Senior India player Smriti Mandhana called for the team to be left alone after its 85-run mauling by Australia in the ICC Women's T20 World Cup final in Melbourne on Sunday. Unbeaten throughout the tournament, India were outplayed in all departments of the game by the defending champions, who clinched their fifth world title in the shortest format. "This is a time to introspect. Failure teaches you a lot more than success. The team needs to be left alone and think of how we can be better in the next few years," Mandhana said after the match.A sluggish start with the ball and in the field undermined India's attempts to overhaul the defending champions in their own backyard with the support of a 86,174 crowd at the iconic MCG.Mandhana believed India are a transformed team in the shortest format, and she attributed it to head coach WV Raman."T20 was never our best format, one-day was definitely the preferred format. Now we're playing each format equally well. That is one thing the coach has helped us with and we've developed massively," she said."The youngsters coming in have totally changed the set-up and the best part of the tournament was it was a complete team performance. That's one thing Raman has done -- developing us as a team not just one or two players. Today, it didn't work out but we've grown as a team, not just as one or two players."Mandhana's disappointing T20 World Cup -- that saw her manage a top score of 17 in four innings -- continued as India sunk to 99 all out. She also revealed she told a tearful Shafali Verma to be "really proud" of her performances despite a devastating final.Teen sensation Verma was distraught after getting out for two with the bat and drooping Alyssa Healy on nine."Shafali and I were standing together when we were receiving our medals. She was in tears. I told her she had to be really proud of the kind of campaign she'd had. When I played my first World Cup at the age of 16, I couldn't hit the ball 20 per cent of what she can hit," said Mandhana."She has to be really proud of the way she played, but she was upset with the way she got out. She's thinking already how she can be better. She should be left alone, that's the most I can tell her." Read the full article

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Ranji Trophy Semi-Final: Sheldon Jackson Century Puts Saurashtra On Top Against Gujarat

Sheldon Jackson struck a gritty hundred before the bowlers shone as Saurashtra gained the upper hand on the second day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Gujarat here on Sunday. Jackson's knock of 103 helped Saurashtra post 304 and then the home team bowlers wreaked havoc on Gujarat's batting line-up to reduce them to 119 for six. Resuming on overnight 217 for five, through Sheldon Jackson and Chirag Jani (29), Saurashtra negated the early challenge posed by the opposition bowlers.Jackson got a reprieve on 82 when skipper Parthiv Patel dropped a catch off pacer Arzan Nagwaswalla. He made the most of this by notching up his 19th first-class hundred and third this season.Jackson and Jani were looking good before Gujarat bounced back with medium-pacer Roosh Kalaria sending both the batsmen back to the pavilion.He first trapped Jani in front of the wicket and then got Jackson to edge to Parthiv as Saurashtra slipped to 266 for seven.Jackson and Jani added 103 run wicket for the sixth wicket. Prerak Mankad (15) and Dharmendrasinh Jadeja (15) ensured the hosts didn't lose any further wicket till lunch. Saurashtra took lunch at 290 for seven.After lunch, Gujarat bowlers wrapped up the tail as Saurashtra lost three wickets for seven runs. Pacer Arzan Nagaswalla (5/81) grabbed a five-for, while Axar Patel took three wickets and Roosh Kalaria bagged two.However, Saurashtra pacers reduced Gujarat to one for 2 after Unadkat sent Priyank Panchal (0) in the first over and in the second over Chetan Sakariya cleaned up Samit Gohel (1).Then, Dhruv Raval (35) and Bhargav Merai (13) tried to steady the ship, but the latter was dismissed when he offered a sitter to Jackson off Prerak Mankad, as the visitors slipped to 37 for three.Raval, too, was unable to convert his start as he became Unadkat's second victim with Gujarat in deep trouble at 58 for four.Dharmendrasinh Jadeja then struck twice and got the prize wicket of Parthiv (27) as Gujarat had lost half the side for 95. It soon became 97 for six when Jadeja sent back Chirag Gandhi for a zero.Rujul Bhatt (27 not out) and Axar Patel (7 not out) made sure that there were no further losses before stumps.Brief scores: Saurashtra 304 (Sheldon Jackson 103, Kishan Parmar 37; Arzan Nagwaswalla 5-81) vs Gujarat 119/6. Gujarat trail by 185 runs Read the full article