Esitha’s double powers Care FA to 2-0 win over Deccan Dynamos at Khelo India Women’s U-17 Football League

Esitha netted twice in the 13th and 33rd minutes to power Care Football Academy to a 2-0 win over Deccan Dynamos in the Telangana Football Association’s Khelo India Women’s Under-17 Football League

Published Date – 4 February 2024, 09:30 PM


Esitha’s double powers Care FA to 2-0 win over Deccan Dynamos at Khelo India Women’s U-17 Football League

Esitha netted twice in the 13th and 33rd minutes to power Care Football Academy to a 2-0 win over Deccan Dynamos in the Telangana Football Association’s Khelo India Women’s Under-17 Football League

Hyderabad: Esitha netted twice in the 13th and 33rd minutes to power Care Football Academy to a 2-0 win over Deccan Dynamos in the Telangana Football Association’s Khelo India Women’s Under-17 Football League at MJPBCWRSJDC College, Gajwel, Siddipet on Sunday.

In the other clashes, Siri’s 55th-minute strike led Telangana Sports School to edge past Hyderabad Women’s FC 1-0.


Results: U-17: Telangana Sports School 1 (Siri 1) bt Hyderabad Women’s FC 0, Gajwel FC 0 drew with Twin Cities FC 0, Care Football Academy 2 (Esitha 2) bt Deccan Dynamos 0, U-13: Twin Cities FC 2 (Ananya 1, Meena 1) bt Gajwel FC 1 (Lokshitha 1), Care Football Academy 2 (Ronisha 1, Nakshatra 1) drew with Hyderabad Womens 2 (Yashitha 1, Stefi 1), Deccan Dynamos 3 (Kavya 1, Supriya 1, Rohitha 1) bt Telangana Sports School 0.

Ranji Trophy: Tanay stars with fifer in Hyderabad’s win over Mizoram

For Hyderabad, Tanay finished the game with an impressive figure of 5/74 in 17.1 overs as the Rahul Singh led side continued their brilliance in the Plate Group with five wins from as many games collecting 35 points

Published Date – 4 February 2024, 08:45 PM


Ranji Trophy: Tanay stars with fifer in Hyderabad’s win over Mizoram

For Hyderabad, Tanay finished the game with an impressive figure of 5/74 in 17.1 overs as the Rahul Singh led side continued their brilliance in the Plate Group with five wins from as many games collecting 35 points

Hyderabad: Tanay Thyagarajan continued his impressive form with the ball picking up five wickets in the second innings to power Hyderabad to an impressive innings and 73-run triumph over Mizoram on the third day of the Ranji Trophy Plate Group match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.

The home side declared at the score of 465/9 after their ninth wicket Kartikeya Kak fell, adding seven runs to their overnight score. Hyderabad took a commanding lead of 266 runs. Mizoram lost Andrew Vanlalhruaia’s wicket in the sixth over of the innings.


And in the quick session, the visitor lost Agni Chopra and Jehu Anderson with the score at 38/3 in 9.2 overs as Thyagarajan bowled the latter. Wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals despite their skipper Lalhruai Ralte, with 40 runs and Mohit Jangra smashed quick fire 37 runs of 30 balls hitting three fours and sixes each, showing resilience.

For Hyderabad, Tanay finished the game with an impressive figure of 5/74 in 17.1 overs as the Rahul Singh led side continued their brilliance in the Plate Group with five wins from as many games collecting 35 points.

Support Telangana athletes, HCA chief urges government and corporates

There is a need to provide advanced training and financial encouragement to the sportspersons along with the development of the sports sector infrastructure in Telangana, said HCA chief

Published Date – 4 February 2024, 08:30 PM


Support Telangana athletes, HCA chief urges government and corporates

Jagan Mohan Rao awarded Isha singh a cheque of Rs 1 lakh on Sunday.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) president Arshanapally Jaganmohan Rao has urged the government and corporate giants to support athletes of Telangana at the annual celebration event of Akshara International School in Kukatpally, Hyderabad on Sunday.

The HCA chief stressed,“There is a need to provide advanced training and financial encouragement to the sportspersons along with the development of the sports sector infrastructure in the state.”


“For this reason, the MNCs operating in Hyderabad should willingly step up to help the athletes rather than putting the entire load on the government,” he added.

Jagan Mohan Rao awarded Indian shooting sensation Esha Singh with a cheque of Rs 1 lakh on behalf of Akshara Educational Institutions.

Important and satisfying to score runs at number 3: Shubman Gill

After scoring 104 out of India’s second innings total of 255 against England on the third day of the second Test, Gill was a pleased man.

Published Date – 4 February 2024, 07:46 PM


Important and satisfying to score runs at number 3: Shubman Gill


Visakhapatnam: Shubman Gill passed the number three test with a gutsy hundred here on Sunday, repaying the immense faith the Indian team management showed in him.

After scoring 104 out of India’s second innings total of 255 against England on the third day of the second Test, Gill was a pleased man.


It was his first 50-plus score in 13 innings and the first substantial knock after deciding to move down a place in the batting order.

“It was very important and very satisfying for me to be able to score runs at number three. It felt pretty good, especially in the situation given when we lost Yashasvi and Rohit, as they were really good at giving us good starts at the top of the order.

“I think it was important for us to get a big lead and to be able to get as many runs as possible,” said Gill, who survived two close DRS calls early in his innings before gaining confidence.

Ever since his U-19 days, Gill has been rated highly and last year he came of age with a stellar white ball season. However, the success in the traditional format eluded him over the past six months.

Gill knows that the team has high expectations from him and perhaps that is why his celebrations post the landmark were rather subdued. He did not last long after reaching the milestone, falling to a reverse sweep.

“It felt good. I just thought the job was not done for the team. So, that’s why it was a little mellowed celebration,” he said.

Talking about his struggles early on when James Anderson was making the ball talk, he said: “I was just taking one ball at a time and obviously, there was a lot happening around the crease. A couple of wickets fell early and then me and Shreyas had a good partnership.” Gill was guilty of using hard hands in the series opener and even reached out to a fairly wide ball in the first innings here to get out. He put in the hard yards in the nets ahead of the second Test and that seemed to have worked for him.

“I think it’s very important to stay true to who you are and how you have gotten there. Sometimes if you get over-defensive or over-aggressive or try to play or try to be someone that you are not, then you are prolonging those innings.

“Then you’re sometimes not able to get out of that shell that was my thing going into this Test that I’m going to play how I’ve played my cricket throughout,” Gill shared his thoughts on dealing with the lean phase.

‘Not easy to score runs here’

Gill felt England will find it tough to chase down a record 399 on day four. He was also asked about England chasing a mammoth 378 against India rather comfortably in Edgbaston in 2022.

“As the game goes on, it will have variable bounce as we saw today. It is not turning as much as the other pitches but it is definitely doing something. It is not easy to score runs here.

“England are never out of the game. I think this is a different kind of wicket than what we played at Edgbaston.

Having said that, the morning session will be very important for us as we have seen there is always a bit of moisture coming at the start of the day. That will be the key for us,” said Gill.

 Almost seeing a little bit of the fear of Bazball, says Cook on India’s batting in second innings

But after that, Gill fell as his reverse sweep off Shoaib Bashir took a glove edge to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

Published Date – 4 February 2024, 07:23 PM


 Almost seeing a little bit of the fear of Bazball, says Cook on India’s batting in second innings


Visakhapatnam: Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook believes India became cautious in the back end of their second innings due to the fear of Bazball.

On day three, India were comfortably placed at 211-4 in their second innings, with Shubman Gill having made his third Test century. More importantly, it was Gill’s first hundred as a No.3 batter in Tests, after suffering a lean patch and pressure being there on him to justify his place in the playing XI.


But after that, Gill fell as his reverse sweep off Shoaib Bashir took a glove edge to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

Axar Patel was trapped lbw by Tom Hartley, while KS Bharat, in a bid to break the scoring drought, mistimed his pull to wide mid-on off Rehan Ahmed and Kuldeep Yadav top-edged a slog-sweep to mid-wicket off Hartley.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah shared a stand of 26 runs for the ninth wicket but took 12 overs for the partnership to build. Ashwin took time before getting three boundaries off Rehan, as he and Bumrah curiously didn’t attempt much aggressive shots.

Eventually, Bumrah edged to gully off Hartley, falling for a 26-ball duck and Rehan ended India’s innings when Foakes took a sharp catch of a faint outside edge coming off Ashwin’s bat, as the hosts lost their last six wickets for 44 runs. You’re almost seeing a little bit of the fear of Bazball. They’re 400 runs ahead, but in the last half an hour they had Ashwin blocking it almost as if every run was so important and you think if it were against any other side, I’ve led before and all that, this Indian side would be trying to crash this ball around the park with the tail and get bowling.”

“There’s just something about this side which has caused a bit of chaos in the opposition, and India are so wary of this. The chances of England chasing 400 in the subcontinent in the fourth innings are very, very low, but they just know that if Crawley gets going, Stokes gets going, Root gets going, it’s happened to them in the past,” said Cook to TNT Sports.

Cook, who captained England to a 2-1 series win in India in 2012, also feels that India not winning a Test match at home in their last three Tests, might have also played a role in their defensive batting in the fag end of their second innings, which also spilled over on their bowling tactics before stumps.

“It may also be a little bit of confidence in this India side, they’re not playing their best cricket, so they’re just giving themselves that extra bit of protection (with the bat). We saw it in that last session, I cannot remember an Indian side, in the last four or five overs, not having any fielders round the batters for their spinners on the third evening.”

”Not to have a short-leg or silly point, It is almost mind-boggling the effect this has had on the opposition. No side has ever got near this sort of total on the subcontinent. We’re only talking about it as a possibility because of what Ben Stokes has drilled into the side.”

England ended day three at 67/1 in 14 overs, in a chase of 399. Though they lost Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley remains not out on 29, alongside the promoted Rehan Ahmed, who’s unbeaten on nine, with England needing 332 more runs for an astonishing victory in what is the toughest challenge of the Bazball era so far.

Cook believes Crawley will be a crucial figure in England’s chase. “Zak Crawley is going to play such an important part tomorrow. His ability to score at the rate he does and how hard he can be to bowl at, as such a boundary hitter, he’ll play an important part in the morning.”

 ‘I don’t want to write England off because people have done that before and I’ll hold my hands up, I did in the first Test when they were 190 behind. That took a special innings from Ollie Pope and it’s going to need a genius innings. They do have the potential to do it.”

Japan embassy extends congratulations to Team Melli

The embassy issued the statement on its official social account following Iran’s 2-1 victory over Japan in the quarter-finals on Saturday. 

The Japanese diplomatic mission in Tehran congratulated the Iranian team on Instagram by putting a picture of Alireza Jahanbakhsh the star and scorer of Iran’s winning goal in this game with a caption: Congratulations to all the people of Iran. Hoping for the success of the Iranian national team in this competition.

Japan embassy extends congratulations to Team Melli

With the thrilling victory over Japan and advancing to the semi-finals, the Iranian national team will compete with Qatar in the next stage.

AMK/IRN

Iran’s national football team rises to 20th in FIFA rankings

Iran’s victory over Palestine, Hong Kong, the UAE, Syria, and Japan in the AFC Asian Cup 2023 in Qatar paved the way for their ascent in the FIFA ranking.

After defeating Japan 2-1 and cruising into the semifinals, Team Melli’s points in FIFA ranking increased +21.04 and reached 1608.27.

Among Asian teams, Iran continues to hold the second position, after Japan with 1614.33 points.

Iran has a chance to replace Japan in the FIFA ranking by defeating their opponents in the semifinals and final of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Argentina, the champion of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, still holds the top position, while teams like France, Brazil, England, Belgium, Croatia, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, and Spain occupy the second to tenth spots.

Powerful football teams such as Sweden, Ukraine, Serbia, Poland, Scotland, Wales, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and Norway are now ranked lower than Iran’s national team.

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MLS loan deal in the works for Argentine winger Luca Orellano

Cincinnati will have the 23-year-old under contract until December, with the option to make the deal permanent when the loan concludes, as reported by Lance and quoted by Xinhua.

Updated On – 4 February 2024, 12:37 PM


MLS loan deal in the works for Argentine winger Luca Orellano


Rio de Janeiro: Vasco da Gama has reached an agreement to loan out Argentine winger Luca Orellano to Cincinnati FC, according to media reports in Brazil.

The 23-year-old will be tied to Cincinnati until December, with the Major League Soccer club having the option of making the deal permanent when the loan ends, Lance reported as quoted by Xinhua.


It added that Cincinnati beat off interest in Orellano from several Argentine clubs.

Orellano has made just 25 appearances and scored two goals since joining Vasco from Velez Sarsfield on a three-year contract last January.

Cincinnati will begin its 2024 MLS campaign with a home match against Toronto on February 25.

Premier League: Watkins shines as Aston Villa reclaims top four spot

Villa reclaims the top four, holding a two-point lead over Tottenham Hotspur, who faced a draw against Everton earlier in the day.

Updated On – 4 February 2024, 12:38 PM


Premier League: Watkins shines as Aston Villa reclaims top four spot


South Yorkshire: Aston Villa dismantled Sheffield United 5-0 at Bramall Lane as they got back to winning ways in the Premier League.

Villa move back into the top four, two points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who were held at Everton at the start of the day while the defeat leaves Sheff Utd with 10 points, 10 from safety at the bottom of the table.


Four goals in 18 first-half minutes blew the Blades away, kickstarted by John McGinn’s 12th-minute opener.

Ollie Watkins’ drilled shot and Leon Bailey’s left-foot curler made it 3-0 to the visitors after 20 minutes, with Youri Tielemans cannoning number four in off the crossbar.

Alex Moreno’s emphatic volley bagged a fifth two minutes into the second half as Villa secured a first league win of 2024.

The resounding triumph was also the club’s first away win against United in the top flight since 1994.