Short corner — Chandigarh

Hockey team in good shapeIt was not the most impressive of workouts by the Asia Cup-bound Indian hockey team at the Mayor Radhakrishnan s...

Hockey team in good shape
It was not the most impressive of workouts by the Asia Cup-bound Indian hockey team at the Mayor Radhakrishnan stadium on Monday, but coach Vasudevan Baskaran put the exercise (an exhibition game against a Tamil Nadu selection) in perspective saying it was more a loosener which the National team won 3-1.

Sehwag shines
Down with fever, Delhi youngster Virender Sehwag was not all feeling comfortable while padding up. But aware of the tremendous responsibility on his shoulders, he was ready to put that behind him. With Delhi’s mainstay Ajay Sharma already back in the pavilion and the day’s centurion Ashu Dani just dismissed, the Punjab spinners, led by Harbhajan Singh, were threatening to run through the Delhi batting. Sehwag walked in with the follow-on threat staring his team in the face. Needing 381 to avoid follow on, Delhi were 241 for 5 then.

HP struggle
Chasing an uphill task of scoring 432 for victory, Himachal were struggling at 98 for 5 in their second innings againsst hosts Haryana on the penultimate day of their four-day North Zone Ranji Trophy match in Rohtak. Captain Rajiv Nayyar (25) and promising Sangram Singh (12) were holding the fort. Pradeep Jain dismissed two Himachal bastmen to put the visitors in a hopeless position.Earlier, Haryana declared their first innings closed at 361 for 9. Ajay Ratra (75), Rajesh Puri (56), Parender Sharma (36), Sanjay Dalal (56) and Ajay Ratra (57) were the main scorers. HP medium pacer Shakti Singh dismissed five Haryana batsmen for 84 runs.

BSF-PSB final
Holders Border Security Force (BSF), Jalandhar will clash with runners-up Punjab and Sind Bank (PSB), Delhi in the final of the 16th Indianoil Surjit Singh Memorial hockey tournament tomorrow. In the semi-final played today at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium, the bankmen beat Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Mumbai by 2-0 while a golden goal in extra time saw BSF get the better of Punjab Police, Jalandhar by 2-1. The all-Jalandhar semi-final between Border Security Force and Sind Bank and Punjab Police was played on a fast note.