فينيسيوس: متوتر قبل مواجهة ليفربول.. وسنقدم أفضل ما لدينا في النهائي

تحدث فينيسيوس جونيور مهاجم ريال مدريد في لقاء مع الصحفيين في اليوم المفتوح لوسائل الإعلام، وحلّل نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا، الذي سيُقام يوم السبت المقبل ضد ليفربول في باريس.

وقال فينيسيوس في تصريحات نشرها موقع ريال مدريد الرسمي: “أنا سعيد جدًا بهذا الموسم، وآمل أن يكون الأول من مواسم كثيرة مع هذا النادي، الذي يفعل الكثير من أجلي والذي يعلمني الكثير”.

وأضاف: “الثقة مهمة جدًا، والآن لديّ خبرة أكبر وذلك بعد مباريات كثيرة، وبعد اللعب إلى جانب لاعبين لديهم خبرة كبيرة وفازوا بألقاب كثيرة، أعمل بجهد وسأواصل ذلك”.

فينيسيوس تابع: “رودريجو، كامافينجا، فالفيردي، ميليتاو، وأنا، بدأنا للتو تاريخنا في هذا النادي، من المهم اللعب جنبًا إلى جنب مع لاعبين من ذوي الخبرة، هذا يمنحنا راحة البال التي نحتاجها”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كامافينجا يوجه رسالة لجماهير ريال مدريد قبل نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا

واستطرد: “ثقتي في نفسي وفي المدرب وفي الجميع، أريد أن أفعل كما فعل كريم بنزيما ولوكا مودريتش ومارسيلو والفوز هنا لفترة طويلة، الآن لدي المزيد من الخبرة، بعد العديد من المباريات مع مدريد، هذا هو العمل الذي كنت أقوم به وسأواصل القيام به”.

وواصل فينيسيوس: “نحن نستمتع حقًا بهذا الأسبوع بعد موسمٍ رائع، ليس فقط بالنسبة لي، ولكن أيضًا للفريق والمدرب”.

وأكد البرازيلي: “أنا أفكر في المباراة بالنهائي، تركيزي منصب عليها تمامًا وأفكر في ما يمكنني فعله وفي ما لا يمكنني فعله”.

وأتم: “أنا متوتر قليلًا أيضًا، هذه أول مباراة نهائية لي، إنها المباراة الأكثر أهمية، أشكر الجماهير على دعمي، سنقدم أفضل ما لدينا في باريس”.

Mark Waugh to replace Flower in September

Following recent press speculation, Essex is now in a position to confirm that it has secured the services of Australian test star Mark Waugh to take over from Andy Flower in September when he leaves for the ICC Trophy competition in Sri Lanka

Essex CCC Media Release08-Aug-2002Following recent press speculation, Essex is now in a position to confirm that it has secured the services of Australian test star Mark Waugh to take over from Andy Flower in September when he leaves for the ICC Trophy competition in Sri Lanka. Essex Chief Executive David East commented:”We are delighted that Mark will be returning to us. Andy Flower has done afantastic job this summer and will be greatly missed in September, but withMark supporting our push for promotion in the last four games of the seasonwe have high hopes of success.”Waugh joins Essex on 9th September to prepare for the Championship matchstarting against Durham at Riverside on 11th September, having completed a short tour in the UK promoting his new book. He has previously played for the Club in 1988, 1989, 1992 and 1995, and currently averages just under 60 in first class cricket for Essex.Mark Waugh commented:”I am really looking forward to my return to Essex. I have always enjoyedplaying for the Club and I hope that I can help them achieve promotion inboth league competitions this season.”

Southampton: Hasenhuttl should axe Valery

Ligue 1 champions Lille are reportedly interested in signing Yan Valery this summer, which could be the ideal opportunity for Ralph Hasenhuttl to get rid of the full-back, who has fallen down the pecking order in recent seasons.

What’s the word?

According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri on Twitter, the French full-back is on Lille’s shortlist this summer as they look to strengthen in the right-back position.

Valery struggled for game-time last season, making only three appearances in the Premier League before being enduring a less than successful loan spell with Birmingham City in the Championship.

During his time with the Blues, the 22-year-old made just two starts in the second tier, which does not bode well for his future in Hasenhuttl’s side, especially with Kyle Walker-Peters likely to keep his starting spot on the right for the significant future having been one of the Saints’ best performers last season.

Should Southampton get rid of Valery?

In the absence of Walker-Peters through injury last season, Hasenhuttl played the likes of Jan Bednarek, James Ward-Prowse and Jack Stephens at right-back rather than keeping Valery as the backup, which suggests that he doesn’t rate the youngster particularly highly.

Whilst it is something of a surprise that the French champions are reportedly keen on Valery this summer, it could represent a golden opportunity for Southampton to sell him. Also, it could be difficult for the right-back to turn down a move back to France, where he would have the opportunity to play in the Champions League.

If Southampton can put the funds from his exit into finalising a loan deal for Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams, then they would be bringing in an upgrade on Valery who can also provide cover for Romain Perraud at left-back. Therefore, it would make a lot of sense for the Saints to cash in if a replacement can be signed quickly.

The Athletic’s Southampton correspondent Dan Sheldon certainly doesn’t rate Valery particularly highly, as he criticised his form in 2020, saying: “He’s so vulnerable at the back. At the moment, he is their weak link in defence.”

Therefore, if Southampton can sell Valery this summer, then they should certainly do so as it seems clear that he doesn’t have much of a future in Hasenhuttl’s side.

In other news… Southampton heading for disaster over “outstanding” beast, fans will be fuming

Nico López apoia técnico na decisão de usar William na lateral esquerda

MatériaMais Notícias

Apesar do mistério do técnico Antônio Carlos Zago, a tendência é que o lateral-direito William atue mesmo pelo lado esquerdo do campo neste domingo, quando o Internacional enfrenta o Juventude, às 16h (de Brasília), no Alfredo Jaconi, em Caxias do Sul.

Se realmente for um dos titulares do Colorado, o jogador terá total apoio dos companheiros de equipe. Para o atacante Nico López, apesar de William ser destro, ele tem condições de atuar na vaga do lesionado Carlinhos.

– Acho que o William pode jogar lá (na esquerda), ocupar o lugar de Carlinhos e nos dar mais possibilidades. É um jogador importante, já no ano passado foi assim. Temos um plantel muito competitivo, com muitos jogadores. Estamos muito contentes pelos resultados e vamos seguir por este caminho – disse o uruguaio em coletiva, após o treinamento na manhã deste sábado.

Depois de sofrer com lesões, Nico López também comentou sobre sua adaptação na equipe gaúcha e garantiu que quis ficar no Internacional mesmo com o rebaixamento da equipe para a Série B do Brasileiro.

– Estou melhor este ano. Fiz uma pré-temporada completa, o Antônio me dando confiança, os companheiros também, estou contente. Queria ficar no Inter para tirar de onde nunca tinha estado. Vou seguir trabalhando para dar algo mais – concluiu o jogador.

A tendência é que contra o Juventude o Inter vá a campo com a seguinte formação: Danilo Fernandes; Alemão (Junio), Léo Ortiz, Paulão e William; Charles, Rodrigo Dourado, Uendel, Roberson e Nico López; Brenner.

No Gauchão, o Internacional ocupa a nona colocação na tabela, com sete pontos. Já o Juventude é o sexto, com oito pontos somados.

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Butcher the man most likely to succeed, says Atherton

Former England captain Michael Atherton has backed Mark Butcher to be the next captain of the national team

Stephen Lamb28-Aug-2002Former England captain Michael Atherton has backed Mark Butcher to be the next captain of the national team. The present incumbent, Nasser Hussain, recently indicated that he intends to stay in the job for another year.Although Marcus Trescothick, 26, the current vice-captain, and Michael Vaughan, 27, have both been mentioned as likely candidates, Atherton believes they should extend their success as England’s opening batsmen while Butcher, 30, takes the reins.”It looks like it is out of those three and I think the bookies’ favourite isTrescothick. My own personal choice would be Mark Butcher, I just think he has got a good cricket brain,” said Atherton.The Surrey left-hander made a successful return to international cricket against Australia last summer, crowned by his memorable, match-winning 173 not out against Australia at Headingley. He currently averages 32.87 in Tests.”He’s in prime form, old enough to have seen some of the vagaries of the gameand experienced some of the ups and downs,” Atherton told a Sports Writers’Association lunch in central London. “I would like Trescothick and Vaughan to flourish at the top of the order. They should be left to concentrate on that.””Butch has been through a bad run of form and left out of the team, he’s seenthings outside of the game which have affected his life and he’s come through.”Atherton also believes that if Graham Thorpe is fit, focused and available, he should be included in the squad for this winter’s Ashes series in Australia.Thorpe, 33, is taking a break from all cricket to spend more time with his young children, but has been asked to tell the selectors whether he is available for the Australian tour this week.”He is still the best player in the team and the one the Australians rate themost,” said Atherton. “They think of him as being our only world-class player.If he is fit and half-focused he is not right, I think you take him if he isfully focused. If Graham is fit he is an automatic pick for the selectors.”Of Darren Gough, who is aiming to prove his complete recovery from a troublesome knee injury, Atherton said: “If he is anywhere near fit they can take him and rely on back-up from the academy. It will be good for him if he can get fully fit over the next month and I think the selectors will take a risk on him.”Although England lost 4-1 last summer when injuries undermined their challenge, Atherton believes their chances this winter are better.”I think we will do rather better than people expect, I’ve played under Duncan Fletcher and been very impressed by what he has done as coach. The team is definitely moving in the right direction.”Fletcher will begin talks about a new contract with the England and Wales Cricket Board next Monday.”I hold him in the highest regard and I hope the ECB can capture his servicesfor the foreseeable future,” said Atherton. “They should go with what Duncan Fletcher wants because he’s an extremely clear-sighted coach with a long-term vision. I think they should give him his hand and let him do what he wants, I amvery impressed by his handling of the team.”

Waughs move closer to World Cup on the sidelines

SYDNEY, July 19 AAP – Steve and Mark Waugh are almost certain to be watching next year’s cricket World Cup from the sidelines after the national selectors sent a clear message to the unwanted pair today.

Michael Donaldson19-Jul-2002SYDNEY, July 19 AAP – Steve and Mark Waugh are almost certain to be watching next year’s cricket World Cup from the sidelines after the national selectors sent a clear message to the unwanted pair today.The 37-year-old twins, dropped from the national side earlier this year, couldn’t count themselves among Australia’s top 28 one-day players after failing to make it into the Australia A one-day side to play seven one-dayers against South Africa A in September.The 14-man national side is the same as that which took on Pakistan in three one-dayers last month with the addition of Queensland spin bowler Nathan Hauritz.The 14-man A team is not an experiment with youth – it has its share of experienced players, including Justin Langer, Greg Blewett, Ian Harvey, Andrew Symonds and Simon Katich, who doesn’t even have an Australian Cricket Board contract.The fact the brothers weren’t included is a clear pointer to their future in limited overs cricket.Adam Gilchrist, vice-captain to Waugh in the Test side and deputy to Ricky Ponting in the one-day side, was surprised the twins weren’t in one of the teams.”It is a bit odd,” Gilchrist said.”Obviously … the Waughs could easily slot into any team and still do well.”Langer, who played his last one-dayer for Australia five years ago, will captain the A side.He refused to discount Steve Waugh’s chances of a recall to the national side but figured it unlikely.”There is no doubt he has got the ability to, (it is) whether the opportunity comes up for him to,” Langer said.”Having spoken to him recently, he still has the desire to do it and, if any person could do it against all the odds that are probably stacked against him to do it and make a return, he could.”Both Waughs are still counted among the world’s top-20 one-day players with the latest PricewaterhouseCoopers ratings having them at equal 19th.National selection chairman Trevor Hohns said he was “very, very comfortable” with the two sides, including an A side which included newcomers in 21-year-old NSW all-rounder Michael Clarke and Tasmanian pace bowler Damien Wright.”There’s a couple of guys there I suppose who are a bit of a look and see proposition – we are experimenting a little bit,” Hohns said in a statement.”These matches against South Africa A provide players with valuable experience at the international level and importantly, for those players who may eventually be selected for the World Cup, the familiarity of playing in South Africa.”Steve Waugh, through his manager Robert Joske, said he’d wanted to go on the tour.”I was more than willing to go on the tour if selected but that is not the case,” said Waugh, who will travel to India next week as part of his deal with sponsor MRF.Joske described Waugh as “stoic and strong”.Mark Waugh’s manager, Leo Karis, said he was “not overly surprised” the long-serving batsman had been left out of the A team.He said his client hadn’t given up hope of forcing his way back into World Cup calculations with strong performances in the domestic one-day competition.The national side will play Pakistan and possibly Kenya in a one-day series in Nairobi – pending a security report – from August 27 to September 7.Australia will then travel to Sri Lanka for the ICC Champions Trophy from September 12-29, where it’s drawn in the same group as New Zealand and Bangladesh.Four group winners advance to the knockout semifinals.ACB chief executive James Sutherland said Australia’s participation in the Kenyan tournament would be confirmed once the regular security and operational checks had been done.The tournament was originally to have taken place in Pakistan, and was to have involved New Zealand.But security concerns ruled out Pakistan as a venue and New Zealand said it wouldn’t play in Kenya because it had promised its players a full break in July and August.Kenya was likely to take New Zealand’s place in the triangular tournament.”The ACB has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board that the Australian team is available for the Kenyan one-day international series,” Sutherland said in a statement.”But participation is subject to our satisfaction that player security measures are in place and cricket facilities are adequate.”We need to go through some formalities before we confirm our participation.”Australia and Pakistan have to yet to sort out a venue for a scheduled three-Test tour of Pakistan in October.Bangladesh looms as a possible host after Pakistan was ruled off-limits due to on-going security concerns.Cricket in Pakistan has been badly hit in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks on the United States and the resulting war on terror in Afghanistan, as well as tension with neighbouring India.The two Australian teams named today were:Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Adam Gilchrist, Michael Bevan, Andrew Bichel, Jason Gillespie, Nathan Hauritz, Matthew Hayden, Brett Lee, Darren Lehmann, Jimmy Maher, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Shane Watson.Australia A: Justin Langer, (capt), Simon Katich (vice-capt), Greg Blewett, Nathan Bracken, Ryan Campbell, Michael Clarke, Stuart Clark, Ian Harvey, Mark Higgs, Brad Hogg, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Brad Williams, Damien Wright.

Not adding up

Stephen Fleming knows precisely why New Zealand won Wednesday’s fourth Cable & Wireless One-Day International in which contentious calculations raised eyebrows around the region

Haydn Gill14-Jun-2002Stephen Fleming knows precisely why New Zealand won Wednesday’s fourth Cable & Wireless One-Day International in which contentious calculations raised eyebrows around the region.Duckworth/Lewis! the New Zealand captain responded when asked what was the difference between this match and the preceding eight on the trot the Black Caps had lost.The Duckworth/Lewis method, which has attracted its fair share of criticism since it was introduced a few years ago to set revised targets in rain-affected One-Dayers, was brought into the play after the elements intervened at the Queen’s Park Oval.It appeared to give New Zealand a distinct advantage and they went on to win the match by nine runs to keep alive their hopes of clinching a series tie.While West Indies captain Carl Hooper went as far as to say the system needs to be fine-tuned, Fleming was much more conservative and it’s not because the rule favoured New Zealand on the day.I’m not bright enough to work that out and answer that question, Fleming said when asked if the method used to arrive at adjusted targets should be changed.I don’t know how to beat the system. If you say it is not good enough, you’ve got to come up with another one that is better.I’m not a person who is going to thrash something without giving it another alternative and I haven’t got one.When the rain which had been forecast interrupted the match just after 12:30 p.m., New Zealand were going well on 212 for five in 44.3 overs with Nathan Astle and Scott Styris moving merrily along in a sixth wicket century stand.Play was not possible again until 3 p.m. and by then only 33 overs were available to the West Indies.When the tabulations were made on the high-tech computers, the West Indies’ target was set at 212 in 33 overs.In short, the Black Caps scored at a rate of 4.78, while the West Indies were asked to score at 6.42. Such are the advantages or disadvantages of a system that was devised by two highly-qualified British mathematicians.We know what it is, Fleming said about the system.It provides a balance. It’s the only system we have. We’ve been on the other end of it a lot as well.He is perfectly correct when he says the system tries to provide a balance. Under the old rules when run-rate was used, West Indies’ target would have been 158 in 33 overs.Run rate has its issues as well. It’s not fair on the team batting first, Fleming said.Fleming’s opposite number, Hooper, called for some amendment to the Duckworth/Lewis rule after his side came up on the wrong at the same venue where they lost the decisive match against India in the preceding series.There is nothing you can do about it. It definitely needs fine-tuning, Hooper said. I think it has cost us two games this summer. We are probably not the first team to be hard done by it, but it needs to be looked at.Once the team batting first bats well and put up a decent score, and the minute rain intervenes, the team batting second is always going to be up against it.Bearing in mind New Zealand did not have the chance to take advantage of their final 5.4 overs when they had wickets intact, one can see to some extent the thinking behind the Duckworth/Lewis system.At times, however, when the calculations are done, they appear to give the side batting first the distinct advantage.And it was exactly the case on Wednesday when New Zealand’s decision to bat first on winning the toss was influenced to some extent by the anticipated afternoon rain.At the start of the day, you know there might be an option of that and you just have to work accordingly, Fleming said.The pitch, which appeared to be slightly under-prepared, had a bigger say in New Zealand’s choice to take first knock for the fourth successive time in the series.I really wanted to get the side performing well by getting a score on the board and putting pressure on the opposition because things like rain and Duckworth/Lewis are going to work in your favour, Fleming said. They had wickets in hand so they could go at a good rate. Even though people say they had to go over six, they had wickets in hand.

India make strong comeback on second day

There are some people who find a strong cup of coffee invigorating

Anand Vasu19-Mar-2001There are some people who find a strong cup of coffee invigorating. South India, and Chennai in particular, is famous for its good, strong coffee. Sadagoppan Ramesh, brought up on a steady supply of the aforementioned brew brought the crowds to life at his home ground with a cavalier 61 (164 mins, 133 balls, 6 fours). And then there are others who will tell you that there is nothing quite as calming as a cup of tea. The best tea in India comes from the East, where Shiv Sunder Das learnt to play all his cricket.In apt fashion, Das was the calming influence at the top of the innings with an unbeaten 84 (261 mins, 187 balls, 10 fours and 1 six). In the middle of all this, VVS Laxman, whose form has been pleasing as punch all season chalked up an unbeaten 59 (96 mins, 67 balls, 10 fours) and took India to 211/1 in response to Australia’s 391. Perhaps it’s the heat and humidity of the MA Chidamabaram Stadium in Chennai that’s inspiring all these visions of beverages!On a more serious note, the Indian batting had a chance to peddle their wares only because of that young man from Punjab who has been so successful in bowling off spin. Picking up his second seven wicket haul in as many innings, Harbhajan Singh reduced the Aussies from 326/3 to 391 all out. Matthew Hayden, resuming the day on 147, went on to make his maiden Test double hundred, standing tall among the shambles. Hayden’s 203 (474 mins, 320 balls, 15 fours, 6 sixes) was the highlight of a day of almost no success for the visitors. Continuing to play the sweep shot with great control, Hayden accounted for 56 ofthe 65 runs scored on the day. That tells you how badly the rest of the team failed. Once more, the Indians had managed to scalp 7 wickets in a single session.It all began when Steve Waugh, the most thoughtful man in the Australian team did something utterly thoughtless.Steve Waugh (47 runs, 176 mins, 150 balls, 4 fours, 1 six) was rapped on the pad by a Harbhajan Singh off spinner. The loud shout for leg before wicket was turned down even as the ball looped up and headed for the stumps; in a momentary lapse of composure the Australian skipper knocked the ball away with his gloves. A renewed appeal for ‘handled the ball’ ensued and Steve Waugh was back in the pavilion.A rather freak mode of dismissal, one that has happened only five times before got India its first breakthrough. (Russel Endean for South Africa v England, Cape Town, 1956-57, Andrew Hilditch for Australia v Pakistan, Perth, 1978-79, Mohsin Khan for Pakistan v Australia, Karachi, 1982-83, Desmond Haynes for West Indies v India, Mumbai, 1983-84, Graham Gooch for England v Australia, Manchester, 1993 are the previous occurrences of batsmen being dismissed ‘handled ball’)Off the very next ball, Ricky Ponting’s woeful run of form continued. Overbalancing completely to an offspinner from Harbhajan, Ponting (0) was well out of his crease when Sameer Dighe whipped the bails off to pick up his first dismissal in Test cricket. Adam Gilchrist made a solitary run before being trapped plumb in front by the offspinner from Punjab. Harbhajan, encouraged by the success on the second day began to give the ball a bit more air. Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie and Colin Miller all bagged ducks, the last two trying tohit Harbhajan Singh out of the ground. With Hayden in such good nick, all the tail needed to do was rotate the strike. Unfortunately for the visitors, common sense was left behind in hotel rooms and Australia were 385/9.When Hayden was caught in the deep, Harbhajan Singh had his seventh wicket and Australia were all out for 391.In response, India had a good outing in the field. Ramesh and Das posted an opening partnership of 123, India’s first hundred plus partnership in three series, the last one coming in late 1999 when Ramesh and Devang Gandhi put together 162 against New Zealand at Kanpur. The pair combined well, Ramesh playing the role of adventurous schoolboy while Das was deadly straight in attack and defense. When Ramesh was caught close to the bat off Warne for 61, VVS Laxman walked to the crease with a confident swagger. None of that confidence was misplaced as he flicked wristily through midwicket, punched forcefully through the off side and lofted effectively straight down the ground.Once again dominating the spinners in imperious fashion, Laxman was unbeaten on 59 at stumps. Das (batting 84) will go out with him tomorrow to try and stretch the advantage. The Indians however, will not be complacent in the least. After all, if there’s one side that never gives up, it’s Steve Waugh’s Australia.

RMC: باريس سان جيرمان لا ينوي تجديد عقد دي ماريا وسط ترقب برشلونة

كشفت تقارير صحفية فرنسية، أن نادي باريس سان جيرمان لا ينوي تجديد عقد الدولي الأرجنتيني أنخيل دي ماريا، ورحيله في الصيف المقبل أصبح شبه مؤكد.

دي ماريا عانى في المشاركة أساسيًا هذا الموسم مع قدوم ليونيل ميسي، وحجزه بجانب الثنائي نيمار ومبابي المراكز الأساسية في هجوم العملاق الباريسي.

إذاعة “RMC” الفرنسية، أكدت أن باريس سان جيران لن يمدد عقد أنخيل دي ماريا، ولن يفعل خيار التمديد لمدة عام إضافي كما يسمح عقده الحالي.

خيار التمديد لعام إضافي يعود بالموافقة بين الطرفين، لكن نادي باريس سان جيرمان لا ينوي استمرار أنخيل دي ماريا، ويترك له الأمر في التصرف بمستقبله.

طالع أيضًا.. مانشستر سيتي يوجه أنظاره نحو نيمار بعد هجوم جماهير باريس سان جيرمان

وسط كل هذا، برشلونة يرغب في ضم دي ماريا ويتابع الجناح الأرجنتيني ليحل محل عثمان ديمبلي، خاصة وأن سياسة النادي الكتالوني حاليًا هي التعاقد مع اللاعبين مجانًا بعد انتهاء عقودهم.

دي ماريا لعب من قبل لـ ريال مدريد وحقق مع الفريق دوري أبطال أوروبا 2014 مع المدرب كارلو أنشيلوتي قبل رحيله إلى مانشستر يونايتد.

لم تنجح فترة أنخيل في إنجلترا ومع المدرب فان جال، لينضم إلى باريس سان جيرمان بعد عام واحد فقط، والآن يخوض موسمه السابع.

وفاز اللاعب الأرجنتيني بـ 4 بطولات للدوري الفرنسي في انتظار اللقب الخامس على الأرجح، وكأس فرنسا 5 مرات.

Mumbai crowned 1999-2000 Ranji Trophy champions

Baroda are the current Ranji Trophy champions after they beat Railwaysin a cliffhanger at Gujarat State Fertilizer Corporation Ground,Baroda

Santhosh S26-Apr-2001Baroda are the current Ranji Trophy champions after they beat Railwaysin a cliffhanger at Gujarat State Fertilizer Corporation Ground,Baroda. Last year it was Mumbai who took the glory, defeatingHyderabad by 297 runs at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on the 23rdApril.Mumbai and Hyderabad were at full strength, given the fact that allthe leading batsmen had got amongst the runs in the semi-finals.Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman were in brilliant form and it seemedthat the final match would be a high scoring one.Mohd. Azharuddin won the toss for Hyderabad and asked Mumbai to batfirst. It is not a practice in Indian domestic cricket to put theopposition in, given the nature of the wickets and the fact that mostmatches are decided on the virtue of the first innings lead.Mumbai did not have an ideal start, losing their captain Sameer Dighe(3). Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli got together at 72/3 and added104 runs for the fourth wicket. Tendulkar made 53 runs striking sevenboundaries and a six. Kambli (108) went on to reach his century withthe help of 15 fours. And, in the meanwhile he added 82 runs for thesixth wicket with Paras Mhambhrey.Ajit Agarkar (30) gave good support to Mhambrey and added 60 runs forthe seventh wicket. Mhambrey (75) played a crucial innings for Mumbai,punctuating his knock with seven boundaries. Mumbai were bowled outfor 376, with Venkatapathy Raju claiming 4/110.Hyderabad were bowled out for 195 in 64.4 overs, Ajit Agarkar (3/26)and Rajesh Pawar (3/44) doing most of the damage. VVS Laxman (46)riding on a triple hundred he made in the semi-finals was run out in atragic mix-up with Azharuddin (76). The two batsmen added 89 valuableruns for the third wicket. P Satwalkar (30) gave good support toAzharuddin, but the rest of the batting just caved in.Mumbai had a cracking start, scoring 103 runs for the first wicket.Wasim Jaffer (55), Dighe (46) and Jatin Paranjpe (42) all got amongstruns. The pitch was taking a lot of turn as the two Mumbai championbatsmen got together. Tendulkar and Kambli went on a run riot. Sixesand fours flowed in a hurry amongst a deluge of runs. Kambli (56) hitfive boundaries and three sixes as he went on to add 105 runs in just18.1 overs with Tendulkar.Tendulkar was not going to miss out on a big score in the secondinnings. He had the measure of the Hyderabad attack and went on doingwhat he does best, annihilating the bowling. He scored 128 runs off124 balls with the help of 13 strokes past the ropes and three hugeones over the fence. Mhambrey (30) again made a good contribution withthe bat. Mumbai scored 409 all out in the second innings, VenkatapathyRaju (5/123) and Kanwaljit Singh (4/136) toiled hard with the ball forHyderabad.Set an impossible target of 591 runs for an outright win in the finalinnings, Hyderabad had a mountain to climb. They lost an early wicketof Nandakishore (9) when the score was just ten. VVS Laxman and DanielManohar added 188 runs for the second wicket, as Mumbai struggled tomake a breakthrough. Laxman (111) was looking good for yet anothermassive score, but fell to the guiles of the left-arm spinner Pawar.His innings was decorated with two sixes and 13 boundaries off 192balls. Four overs later, Pawar bowled Manohar (71). He had struck 11boundaries in his patient knock.The young Mumbai spinner Pawar, spun a web with his left-arm orthodoxspin to pick up 7/103 to take his match tally to ten wickets. Agarkarbowled well to finish with three wickets giving away 46 runs.Hyderabad were bowled out for 293 runs in 98.2 overs. Mumbaicelebrated their 34th Ranji Trophy victory, adding one more triumph totheir glorious history.

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