Sports
Coming from the brink after being ‘zero for five’ at the forefront of Pravin Amre's book
New Delhi, May 14 (IANS) An atmosphere of disbelief began to set in the Mumbai dressing room during the second innings of their 2006/07 Ranji Trophy semifinal against Baroda at the Moti Bagh Stadium. Despite Mumbai taking a 91-run first-innings lead, their second innings began in a nightmarish fashion, which literally left them in an unprecedented situation.
With Sahil Kukreja, Wasim Jaffer, Hiken Shah, Rohit Sharma and Amol Muzumdar falling for ducks, Mumbai’s scoreboard read as zero for five. It soon became 17 for six with Abhishek Nayar’s fall, leaving Pravin Amre, the former India and Mumbai batter, in his first season as the side’s head coach, searching for heroes who would step up to rescue the team from this huge trouble.
Amre’s call was answered by Vinayak Samant, who made 66 off 136 balls and found support from Wilkin Mota’s 33 off 74 balls and Nilesh Kulkarni amassing 17 off 105 balls in a defiant fightback and take Mumbai to 145. In defence of 237, Mumbai bowled out Baroda for 173 and win by 63 runs to enter the final. Eventually, they beat Bengal to lift the Ranji Trophy for the 37th time.
Hence, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Amre’s book is aptly titled ‘Zero for Five’, which is a refreshing change from phrases or cricketing terminologies mainly used as titles of cricket-authored books. “As a player or coach, there are some games which are very important for your career. This was one of those games – I remember it came in my first year of coaching Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in 2006/07.
“I was the head coach then and had a very bad start by losing first three games and we had to win every game from there, otherwise we would have been relegated. We came back by winning all games outright to play the semi-final against Baroda at Moti Bagh Stadium. On a fine day, we were zero for five and as a coach, I felt it was the toughest situation for me to handle that,” said Amre in an exclusive conversation with IANS on the sidelines of the book launch in national capital, which had Ricky Ponting, Sourav Ganguly and James Hopes in attendance.
Amre, who made 103 off 288 balls on Test debut against South Africa at Durban in 1992, believes his book is also about bringing out the never-say-die attitude associated with Mumbai. “This book is also about how the Mumbai team bounced back – all credit goes to the players who handled the situation well. The partnership between Vinayak Samant and Wilkin Mota, also Nilesh Kulkarni batted well and got us some runs on the board.
“After that, we bowled well to win the game. We all enjoyed being there in the final and it was also Rohit Sharma’s first year in the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team. Then, we beat Bengal in the final, where Sourav Ganguly was also playing, and won the Ranji Trophy.
“Though I have been coaching in the IPL for around 15 years, this game against Baroda was a very important game for me to get the belief that I can be good at coaching. Also, its all about the belief that you can come back from anywhere, like how we were at zero for five,” he added.
In 2014/15 Ranji Trophy season, there was a sense of déjà vu for Amre and Mumbai when the side lost to Jammu and Kashmir, followed by Railways taking a first-innings lead against them. But Mumbai’s trademark fightback attitude helped them enter the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual champions Karnataka.
“If 2006/07 season was Rohit’s debut year, then 2014/15 season was Shreyas Iyer’s debut year. We did very badly in that game to lose to Jammu & Kashmir – I remember the news about it even spread in Parliament. But then Mumbai cricket is also having that culture of senior players coming to help the team.
“After that game against J&K, I remember calling Sachin Tendulkar as the team was so down. So I wanted someone to motivate the team and Sachin came for the Mumbai Ranji side after one phone call. He spoke so well to everyone in the team and that year, we went to the semi-finals.
“In Mumbai, it’s not just the coaches – even the senior players contribute a lot for the team’s cause – like Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin – they all are very keen, keep Mumbai cricket close to their heart and think about contributing to their success,” stated Amre, who played 11 Tests and 37 ODIs for India.
From coaching Mumbai in domestic cricket, Amre is now the assistant coach of IPL side Delhi Capitals, where he’s been since 2016 and also dabbled into scouting. He also had stints with Pune Warriors India and Mumbai Indians in the IPL, as well as with Seattle Orcas at the Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA.
He observes a huge difference between coaching a domestic side and an IPL franchise. “It’s so different – like in the franchise cricket, there are different nationalities and players. As the Mumbai head coach, it was so easy to go and motivate the team, but here its different as so much hard work is involved at the franchise level. I am just very fortunate to work with Sourav and Ricky here in the IPL.”
IPL 2024 has seen the Impact Player rule being a big talking point, especially with batting scores resembling towering heights of sky-scrapers in metropolitan cities. But Amre has a different take on it.
“That’s good for cricket as ultimately people want to see boundaries and sixes coming. Even a Ricky Ponting or Sourav Ganguly mentioned about the importance of power-hitting because the ability to hit sixes is going to help a lot. Nobody thought that in 40 overs of an IPL game, more than 500 runs will be scored.
“So, it’s good; cricket is improving, people are interested and every team is so good, like they can beat anybody, which is the beauty of IPL. I am sure BCCI’s technical committee will be there (to look into the rule’s future), because whatever good is to be done for the IPL, they will continue to decide in that way.”
He was also affirmative in the proposal of the U23 CK Nayudu Trophy doing away with the toss. “There are so many times where home advantage is there and the whole purpose behind BCCI promoting all of this is to get match-winning players. Sometimes the toss matters in when the good players are getting. So, they wanted to do that and see how the players benefit from it and take the teams to the next level.”
In his extensive association with cricket, first as a player and now as a coach, apart from being a scout and selector, Amre has rarely sounded emotional. But being asked about DC skipper Rishabh Pant, who he identified as a promising youngster for the franchise, Amre’s soft-spoken voice bears a trace of emotion.
“I was so genuinely happy from the bottom of my heart on seeing him return to the game at Mullanpur, as it was really tough, not just for Rishabh, but also for any other cricketer to return after being away from the game for nearly 18 months.
“We have to give credit to Rishabh in how he has fought back to make a comeback to the game as a winner. Not only in batting, he’s also kept wickets and is the leading run-getter for Delhi Capitals in this season. I really wish him all the best for the (T20) World Cup.”
Amre signed off by being glowing in his words for Jake-Fraser McGurk and Abishek Porel, the two young batters DC unearthed this season. “We need to give credit to our scouting team as the duo have the talent which is really very rare, to be honest. They have worked well in this format and proved themselves with their strike-rates, which is ahead of others.”
–IANS
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Sports
Winning Olympic medal not only transforms the lives of athletes, but also of their families and villages: Sakshi Malik
Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Star Indian wrestler Sakshi Malik said winning Olympic medal not only transforms the lives of athletes, but also of their families and villages
India will be sending a contingent of close to 120 sportspersons to the Olympics, including an Athletics team led by the defending champion in the men’s javelin Neeraj Chopra, a 21-member shooting team and a 16- member men’s hockey squad.
Malik speaking at the panel discussion ‘An Olympic Dream: Sport in India,’ hosted by the JSW Group, Asia Society India Centre, and the Consulate General of France in Mumbai, three of India’s most prominent athletes shared their inspiring journeys and reflections on the transformative power of Olympic dreams.
Sakshi Malik, an Olympic bronze medallist in wrestling narrated her story of triumph and the ripple effects of her success. “An Olympic dream is not just an athlete’s dream; it’s the dream of an entire family,” said Malik emphasizing how her victory had brought about profound changes not only in her life but also in her community.
After her historic medal win, the Chhotu Ram Stadium in Rohtak, where she trained, was transformed from having a tin roof to becoming an air-conditioned hall. A stadium named after her was even built in her village.
Malik spoke passionately about the surge in popularity of wrestling among girls in Haryana. “Everywhere you go, there’s a stadium every ten minutes, and you’ll find girls training in each one. The old mindset that girls couldn’t wrestle has changed dramatically.”
For the first time, five girls are going to the Olympics for wrestling while only one boy is going. Girls, who were once suppressed, are now boldly stepping forward and excelling in wrestling,” she added.
Dipa Karmakar, India’s pioneering gymnast, reflected on the bittersweet experience of finishing fourth at the Rio Olympics. “As an athlete, the fourth place can be the worst place to be in. Not just for me, any athlete who finishes in fourth place can never sleep,” she shared.
Despite the heartbreak, Karmakar emphasized the importance of resilience and learning from setbacks. Her journey has spurred a cultural shift in Tripura, where gymnastics is now embraced with renewed enthusiasm. The 2016 Olympics led to significant infrastructure improvements, including the installation of crucial equipment like foam pits, which were previously unavailable.
Karmakar also highlighted the critical need for funding and support at the grassroots level. “Until we are successful, we don’t get anything as athletes. Gymnastics was such a sport where people didn’t know much about it, and girls were underestimated,” she said.
If this was done earlier, our Olympic medal count would have been in double digits. But I believe it’s going to happen in the upcoming Paris Olympics,” Karmakar predicted, expressing hope and encouragement for the future.
Priya Mohan, a rising star in athletics, shared her perspective on the journey of an athlete and the importance of perseverance. “I believe that every athlete has their own timeline for success. Most athletes peak around 24 or 25 years old,” she stated, drawing inspiration from competitors like Alison Phillips.
Mohan underscored the influence of Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal win, which she witnessed while training for the World Junior Championship. “That Olympic gold, along with India’s record haul of three medals, transformed our mindset. It showed us that achieving such success is possible for us too,” she said.
Parth Jindal, founder of JSW sports further elaborated about Neeraj Chopra, “Neeraj Chopra’s story is a remarkable testament to talent identification and resilience. We discovered Neeraj in 2015 through our sports excellence program, and in 2016, he shattered the World Junior Championship record and won a gold medal in Poland with an 86.48-meter throw. Had he achieved that throw at the Rio Olympics, he would have secured a bronze medal. His journey only became more compelling from there.
–IANS
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Sports
Copa America 2024: Brazil head coach Dorival believes Vinicius suspension could be ‘Endrick’s moment’
Las Vegas, July 6 (IANS) Brazil and Uruguay are all set for what could turn out to be the match of the tournament in the quarterfinals of Copa America at the Allegiant Stadium.
A lot of conversation on this match surrounds how Brazil will cope without their star player Vinicius Junior who has been suspended for the game after picking his second yellow card of the tournament against Colombia.
Ahead of the game against Uruguay, Brazil head coach Dorival Junior confirmed that 17-year old Endrick will be starting for the nine-time Copa America winners.
“Endrick. It will be Raphinha, Rodrygo and Endrick. We lost an important player, but we gained another searching for his chance. Who knows, this could be Endrick’s moment,” said Dorival Jr to reports in the pre-game press conference.
The Selecao have been struggling in recent outings and finished second in Group D behind Colombia setting up the game against Uruguay in the quarter-finals of the tournament.
The Real Madrid forward is Brazil’s highest goalscorer at the tournament with two to his name and will be missed in the duel against the record champions.
“He’s not specifically a fixed No 9, a reference point, who prefers to basically plays as a pivot. He’s a player who drops in and out and has this movement,”added the Brazil head coach.
–IANS
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Sports
Wimbledon: 'I'm enjoying every moment', says Ons Jabeur
New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Last year’s runners-up Ona Jabeur is enjoying her time at Wimbledon so far after reaching the third round of the tournament with successive straight wins in the opening matches.
Tunisian tennis player said her playing style suits grass courts and she hopes to do well in the ongoing Grand Slam.
“It’s an honour for me, representing my country and my continent. Obviously, there’s a bit of pressure, but it’s a good pressure, a good responsibility to send a positive message. I hope I’m doing it well. I will continue doing that. I hope I can inspire more and more and see more players from my country and my continent being here. I am enjoying every moment, and I love playing on grass so much that my game really suits this beautiful court. I’m just trying to be here, enjoy every moment, enjoy the crowd, the love of the crowd, and prepare like I prepared for the other years,” Jabeur told Star Sports.
Talking about her wish to visit India soon, she said, “I need just 2 million more Indian fans, please, follow me. I need to go, seriously, I need to go to India. I’ve never been there. This is one of the items on my bucket list. My fans in India, I’m looking forward to coming one day. I really love the country and I want to discover it more and more. So when I have time, I really want to go and enjoy it there. It’s coming from the heart, really. And Sania (Mirza) will be there.”
American tennis player and current world no.2 Coco Gauff shared her thoughts on dealing with emotions and expectations coming into Wimbledon.
“Just treating it and enjoying it, honestly. I think there’s always going to be expectations put on me, but I take it as an honour. I think if people expect big things from you, that means you’re doing something right, so hopefully I can continue to do things right,” she said.
Reflecting on her US Open win and aspirations for Wimbledon, she added, “It would mean a lot, especially here at Wimbledon; it’s probably the most prestigious tournament we have, and it would be an honour to maybe hold that trophy. But if not, I would love to at least win another slam to get that feeling again.”
Jabeur will take on Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina in the third-round clash on Saturday while Gauff will lock horns with countrymate Emma Navarro in the round of 16 match on Saturday.
–IANS
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Sports
'This time I'll send…': Neeraj Chopra's mother responds to PM Modi's 'churma' request
Panipat, July 6 (IANS) Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra’s mother Saroj Devi said she will send a special ‘churma’ (a popular delicacy from Haryana and Rajasthan) for Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the latter requested for it during a recent interaction with the athlete.
“We wish that Neeraj wins the gold medal again and get the opportunity to meet PM Modi again. Yes, this time I’ll send special churma made with ‘desi ghee’, ‘shakkar’ and ‘khand’,” Saroj Devi told IANS.
On Thursday, PM Modi hosted Paris Olympic-bound athletes at his residence to have a conversation with them. During such a chat with Neeraj, PM asked the javelin thrower to bring homemade ‘churma’ for him prepared by his mother.
Neeraj casually greeted the PM, saying, “Namaskar sir, kaise hain?” (Hello sir, how are you?) To which PM Modi replied with a chuckle, “Mai vaisa hi hu” (I am just the same).
PM Modi then joked, “Mera choorma abhi tak aaya nahi” (I haven’t received my churma yet), sparking laughter all around.
With a shy smile, Neeraj replied, “Is baar Haryana wala choorma khilayenge sir, pichli baar Delhi ka cheeni wala khaya tha” (This time I will treat you with churma from Haryana; last time we had the sugary one from Delhi).
The PM eagerly expressed his craving for homemade churma, saying, “Mujhe tumhari maa ke haath ka choorma khana hai” (I want to savour churma made by your mother).
After their humorous banter, PM Modi wished Neeraj all the best for the Paris Olympics, urging him to stay fit and injury-free.
Neeraj’s father Satish Kumar said his son detailed his training and preparations for the Olympics to PM Modi.
“Neeraj told PM that his training is going well and he’ll give his all to clinch the second gold medal for the country,” he said.
“He has missed some of the events in the past due to groin injury but now he has recovered and wants to focus on the Olympics. He wants to better his previous record and win a medal. He is currently training for 6-8 hours daily under the guidance of his coach and physio,” Satish added.
–IANS
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Sports
Euro 2024: Switzerland ‘will cause England problems’ in quarters, says head coach Yakin
Dusseldorf, July 6 (IANS) Switzerland have perhaps been the best team in the 2024 European Championship after Spain and Germany. The team has proved that they are up for a challenge as they defeated defending champions Italy in the Round of 16.
Ahead of their matchup with England, head coach Murat Yakin has promised that side ‘will cause England problems.’
“England have a lot of quality. We don’t know what they plan to do but we have shown already that we can mix it against big teams – against the defending champions [Italy] and the hosts [Germany]. We will cause England problems,” said Yakin to reporters in the post game press conference.
Switzerland were in Group A and their impressive outing saw them finish with seven points and finish second on goal difference. The side then went on to dominate Italy in their first knockout game with a 2-0 victory.
“I assume that England has enough quality to play well in a quarter-final but we are in good shape and have shown that we are ready to upset big teams. Why not give big England a problem and play our game and see what happens?,” added the Swiss head coach.
Switzerland will be playing their fifth ever major tournament quarter-final. They have been eliminated at this stage in all four of their previous attempts, this is the most any European nation has featured in quarter-finals of major tournaments without ever participating in a semi-final.
The winner of the tie will be facing the winner of the Netherlands vs Turkey quarter-final.
“Everyone is working towards a common goal. We’re happy to be here, living the moment. The mood in the camp is very good. We are developing together,” concluded the 49-year old.
–IANS
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