It was billed as the battle of the two unbeaten sides in the tournament and arguably the two best performed at that, and the final did not disappoint, with the match going right down to the wire. Set 166 to win, Pakistan seemed destined to fold meekly in pursuit of victory at 94/9. However, Babar Butt and Imtiaz Tarar dug in and frustrated the Australians, combining for the most important partnership of the match....
Virat Kohli’s side are bidding to become the first ever Indian team in history to win a Test series in Australia, with the first of four meetings between the two beginning in Adelaide on Thursday. Shorn of Steve Smith and David Warner due to bans, Australia are in somewhat of a transitional phase and they have lost their last two Test series against Pakistan and South Africa. Langer acknowledged that will encourage India, but he also warned the team top of the current ICC rankings that they are under greater pressure due to their poor record in Australia....
After Shikhar Dhawan was out early, Rohit and Virat Kohli set the platform for a 300+ score with a second-wicket partnership worth 207. Cameos from MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja towards the end helped propel India to 309. Despite losing Aaron Finch and David Warner inside five overs, Smith and Bailey’s 242-run partnership for the third wicket brought Australia to within touching distance of a record chase at Perth....
India are going into the series with a very strong and balanced 18-member squad. They seem to have the perfect mix of youth and experience in all the departments. The Indian Test team announced for the tour is as follows: Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant (wk), Parthiv Patel (wk), Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravi Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Hanuma Vihari, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar....
The tourists’ line-up is set to include 16-year-old Test debutant Naseem Shah, as well as fellow teenagers Shaheen Afridi and Musa Khan. Pakistan will need all three to be on their game as the visitors are huge underdogs, having not won a Test in Australia since 1995. Also see – World Test Championship points table But captain Paine revealed a methodical approach which suggests the hosts will not be underestimating their opponents in Brisbane....
No. 4-seeded Li advanced to her third final in four years at Melbourne Park with a 6-2, 6-4 win over 19-year-old Canadian Eugenie Bouchard on Thursday. No. 20-seeded Cibulkova later trounced 2012 Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 6-2 to reach her first Grand Slam final. MORE: Federer vs. Nadal for finals | Must-see images from Melbourne | Video Li twisted her ankle and fell over twice before losing the 2013 Australian Open final to Victoria Azarenka....
The dominant world No. 1 dismissed concerns over her knee in the first round and backed that up with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh at Rod Laver Arena. MORE: Classic photos of Serena Williams | Best scenes from the Australian Open With the roof open after Melbourne’s rainy weather cleared, Williams’ power was simply too much for Hsieh to handle. The world No. 90 tried some craft with slices to get into the second-round match, but that barely troubled 21-time grand slam champion Williams....
Luckily for him, Federer overcame his hiccups to register his 58th win at the ATP Finals tournament and give himself a chance to qualify for the semi-final. By his own assessment, over the years, Federer learned to take lessons from his on-court experience, making subtle adjustments to his game. Round-robin matches at the ATP Finals are quite tricky, and even a player of Federer’s calibre cannot take them lightly....
A joint investigation undertaken by BuzzFeed News and the BBC uncovered documents that suggest tennis authorities failed to act upon repeated warnings regarding claims of match-fixing involving a number of players on the professional circuit. AUSTRALIAN OPEN: Men’s winners of the 21st century | Women’s winners of the 21st century The report included allegations that a former U.S. Open champion and doubles winners at Wimbledon were among 16 players who had repeatedly been reported for losing when highly suspicious bets have been placed against them....
Rafa Benitez’s side came into the game on the back of a goalless draw with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, which made their chances of beating the drop slimmer but they were able to make amends this time. Atsu came close to scoring on two occasions in first-half but the midfielder saw his efforts go wide before he fired straight at Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland following a DeAndre Yedlin’s cutback....
After their trip from the past, Zeke and Eren fight for control over Ymir. Zeke refuses to believe that Grisha saw in Eren’s memories was destiny. Who will win, and what of Ymir? Will she continue to be a pawn to others? Sadly, Ymir Fritz is used to being a tool for others. Her past was clouded with time, but her role never changed. Ymir was always under the command of the Eldian King....
Alan Goldberger spoke to NBC News on Wednesday morning and said Watts was the victim of a “heinous crime.” MORE: Attacks on game officials are frightening | Sports’ dirtiest incidents “This wasn’t passion turning to violence, this was premeditated crime,” Goldberger said. “Two crimes committed in a period of just a few seconds. Very, very ugly. Civilized people don’t do that. They just don’t do it.” During the investigation by the Northside Independent School District of San Antonio, players accused Watts of using two different racial slurs....
Aubameyang played under Klopp at Borussia Dortmund and is the top scorer in the Premier League this season with 13. It was strike partner Alexandre Lacazette who netted the equaliser in the last meeting between the sides and Klopp says the Gunners have an enviable strike force at their disposal. Asked how much damage Aubameyang could cause, Klopp said: “A lot. Outstanding player, outstanding person, really funny and nice guy....
Aubameyang was presented a gift by Norwich goalkeeper Tim Krul, who lost possession as he attempted to clear the ball, allowing the Gabon striker to roll into an empty net and reach a half-century in 79 appearances in the competition. He is the 38th different Arsenal player to score 50 league goals, having joined the club from Borussia Dortmund for €63.8m (£56m) in January 2018. Aubameyang is the fastest Arsenal player to reach 50 Premier League goals and is the sixth-fastest to a half-century in the competition’s history, behind Andy Cole (65 games), Alan Shearer (66), Ruud van Nistelrooy (68), Fernando Torres and Mohamed Salah (both 72)....
That inconceivable, improbable antacid trip of a season can’t be playing out again as the November chill arrives and the heat of the moment overwhelms everything. “Our guys believe we’re going to win the game if it’s close,” says Auburn coach Gus Malzahn. Even if it looks like it’s out of reach. At this point, we shouldn’t be surprised by anything. We shouldn’t be dazed or dumbfounded or flat out speechless....
The fight, which took place at Skybar in downtown Auburn, led to the dismissal of maligned receiver Duke Williams after allegations that he punched several people in the brawl. One of those people reportedly was Dampeer, who had his jaw injured after being punched by Williams, according to witnesses. MORE: Dirty incidents, cheapshots, jerks give sports a black eye The Auburn police department told the Alabama News Network on Thursday that Williams has not been charged because none of the alleged victims have come forward....
The pair will contest the championship match in New Zealand just 48 hours before the big battleground in Melbourne, and each of them will be looking to head to the first Grand Slam of the year in positive spirits. Fifth-seeded Paire played his fourth straight three-setter of the week, this time overcoming the challenge of fast-rising Pole Hubert Hurkacz in the semifinals. The mercurial Frenchman was given a point penalty in the second set tiebreak which ultimately gifted the set to Hurkacz, after he became increasingly agitated by spectators shouting between points....
A Brief History of Headphones Headphones are an invention that stretches back into the 1880s. In those days, telephone operators would use heavy speakers perched on their shoulders to help them connect phone lines. Unfortunately, those speakers weighed a whopping 10 pounds! In the 1890s, a British telecommunications company, the Electrophone Company, developed a seminal set of headphones that hung below the face, called an electrophone. This device consisted of earpieces connected to a y-shaped handle, much like a modern-day stethoscope....
Powerful midfielder Ndombele has been in impressive form for the Ligue 1 side this season, making 45 appearances across all competitions and scoring two goals in the Champions League. His displays are reported to have drawn interest from a number of Europe’s biggest clubs, with Aulas confirming Juve, PSG and the two Manchester giants have all declared a liking for the 22-year-old. And Aulas believes a move to Serie A champions Juve - where Ndombele could play alongside former Lyon playmaker Miralem Pjanic - would suit the France international....
The American University of Malta have had mixed results with three victories and as many defeats in the six games they have played so far. Before the tournament enters the business end, the American University of Malta will look to make amends and aim for a better spot on the points table. Meanwhile, the Southern Crusaders are having a tough time in the competition with just two victories and four defeats so far....
