ICC T20 World Cup Warm Up Match Result: Pakistan Beat India By 5 Wickets

Happening In Sri-Lanka, The T20 World Cup there was a rivalry warm up match between Pakistan and India.India Won The Toss and Chose To Bat 1St.India posted a competitive 185 for 3, riding on Virat Kohli's unbeaten 75, but listless bowling in the death overs allowed Pakistan to overhaul the target with five balls to spare at the R Premadasa stadium.At one stage, the Pakistanis were in a spot of bother, at 91 for five, but the diminutive Akmal launched a fierce counter-attack, and with the experienced Shoaib Malik added 95 runs off 50 just balls to see the side home.For India, birthday boy Ravichandran Ashwin was the most successful bowler, scalping four wickets for 23 runs.Earlier, Kohli celebrated his ICC ODI Player of the Year award with yet another sterling knock of 75 not out, while Rohit Sharma returned to form with a 40-ball 56.The highlight of India's innings was a 127-run fourth-wicket partnership between Kohli and Sharma that came off just 77 balls.Kohli decorated his 47-ball stay at the crease with seven fours and two huge hits over the fence, while Sharma struck six boundaries and two maximums.Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was the most successful Pakistan bowler with figures of two 22 from four overs.Electing to bat, Gautam Gambhir (10) and Virender Sehwag (26) stitched 41 runs for the opening stand before the former was cleaned up by Umar Gul in the fifth over.To make matters worse for India, dangerman Sehwag departed in the next over after being unable to keep a cut down. He was caught by Shahid Afridi off Ajmal's bowling.But then came the in-form Kohli and Sharma, who combined beautifully to raise the century stand, which laid the foundation of India's total.The duo, however, started cautiously before opening up.Both Kohli and Sharma initially started with ones and twos but noever wasted an opportunity to hit boundaries and sixes.They were especially severe on leg-spinner Afridi, who gave away 41 runs from his four overs.Afridi conceded 15 runs off his final over, courtesy a four by Kohli and a six and boundary from Sharma's willow.Not only Afridi, the other Pakistani bowlers too had to bear the brunt of Kohli and Sharma's destructive moods as the duo scored boundaries and sixes at will towards the business end of the innings.The duo, however, brought up their half centuries in contrasting fashion. While Kohli struck a boundary to notch his fifty, Sharma found the landmark with a single.The century-stand partnership between Kohli and Sharma finally ended in the 19th over when Ajmal went through the latter's defences, but not before the duo had already inflicted serious damage on Pakistan.Chasing the competitive total, Pakistan suffered twin blows in the fourth over in the form of opener Imran Nazir and young Nasir Jamshed.In search of a big hit, Nazir skied a delivery from Ashwin to a running Suresh Raina at long-on.A ball later an unlucky Jamshed fell victim to an unnecessary mix-up with his skipper, Mohammad Hafeez, as Pakistan slumped to 33 for two by the fourth over.Hafeez and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal then joined hands and held fort for Pakistan with a 51-run stand. Kamran adopted an aggressive approach from the onset as all the Indian bowlers faced the Pakistani stumper's wrath. He welcomed Harbhajan Singh with a six over mid-off, off the spinner's first delivery, and then hit Yuvraj Sing for two boundaries in the next over.Harbhajan was again at the receiving end as the Pakistani wicketkeeper-batsman smashed him for two more fours in his next over. But some erratic shots from the Pakistani batsmen brought India back into the match when, returning to the attack, Ashwin struck twice in the 10th over.Ashwin accounted for Hafeez and Shahid Afridi in a span of three balls. While Hafeez hit one straight to Sharma at long-on, Afridi's ariel shot was taken by Zaheer at long-off. Ashwin struck again in his next over as Umar Akmal lobbed one straight back to the bowler to see Pakistan in some trouble at 91 for five. Kamran, however, was in no mood to give up without a fight and clobbered Zaheer for two consecutive sixes in the 15th over to bring up his fifty in style.In experienced Malik, Kamran found an able partner. The duo went about their business sensibly. While Kamran was at his devastating best, Malik adopted a calm approach.Needing 56 off 30 balls, Kamran kncoked the stuffing out of pacer Laxipathy Balaji, who conceded a mammoth 32 runs off his final two overs.Kamran then hit Irfan Pathan out of the park to finish off the proceddings in an emphatic fashion.

David Ferrer Into The Finals Off Davis Cup Final For Spain

So Now We Can Say That The "The Hero Of Spain" David Ferrer Defeated John Isner Of USA To lead Spain Into Finals Of Davis Cup By Beating Him 6-7 6-3 6-4.“It was a very tough, very difficult tie but we are really happy as we are in another Davis Cup final, something that is extremely hard to achieve,” Ferrer said in an interview with Spanish television.“Now we just need to enjoy it and rest and prepare for the final,” added the 30-year-old, who has won five titles this year and reached the U.S. Open semi-finals this month.Favourites Spain will seek a sixth Davis Cup triumph since their first in 2000 and will hope for a repeat of their last meeting in the final against the Czechs when the pair meet in November.Spain thrashed the Czechs 5-0 in the 2009 title match, their most recent meeting. Competition rules dictate that because it was in Spain the next must be in Czech Republic.World number six Tomas Berdych gave the Czechs an unassailable 3-1 lead in Buenos Aires on Sunday when he beat Argentine replacement Carlos Berlocq in the first reverse singles following the withdrawal through injury of eighth-ranked Juan Martin del Potro.Berdych and his team mates will likely choose hard courts for the Nov. 16-18 final as Spain are extremely tough to beat on their favoured clay and Spanish captain Alex Corretja said his players would just have to adapt.“Here you play in front of your home crowd and on your best surface and you pick everything,” he said on the Davis Cup website (www.daviscup.com).“We’ll wait and see what the opponents want and be ready for that and try to do our best,” he added.Ferrer said the Spanish were hoping talisman Rafa Nadal, who has not played since Wimbledon, would have shrugged off a knee injury in time to feature.“Spanish tennis is blessed with very good players, led by Rafa Nadal, and we hope he recovers soon because he is fundamental for us.”Isner told Spanish TV before Sunday’s match Ferrer was probably his favourite player on the tour for his work ethic and fighting spirit but it was the American who battled back from a break down to take the opening set 7-3 in the tiebreak.One U.S. fan held up a card counting each of Isner’s booming aces - he powered down 16 in the match to Ferrer’s five - but the American also made 70 unforced errors to Ferrer’s 32 and he was visibly tiring as his challenge faded in the fourth set.He saved a match point on his serve to stay in the match but it was merely delaying the inevitable as Ferrer sealed victory the next game when Isner went wide with a limp backhand.Ferrer flung his racket into the crowd before he, Isner and Corretja and U.S. captain Jim Courier shook hands at the net. Shortly after it was announced that Nicolas Almagro and Sam Querrey would not contest the dead final rubber.“I think it was a great battle between two of the best teams in the world,” Courier said.“Spain is the high watermark in Davis Cup in the last 15 years and we knew it was going to be a very tricky tie for us and we were close,” added the former world number one.Top-ranked U.S. pair Bob and Mike Bryan had kept their team’s hopes of upsetting the Spanish alive when they fought off a brave challenge from Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez to win their doubles on Saturday.Ferrer and Almagro beat Querrey and Isner respectively in Friday’s singles.Spain’s latest victory extended their unbeaten run at home to 24 ties dating back to 1999 when they lost 3-2 to Brazil in Lerida.The U.S. are the most successful Davis Cup nation with 32 titles, while Spain have dominated the competition over the past decade, with four titles since their first one in 2000.

German Bundesliga: Bayern Munich Gets Win, Dortmund edge past Leverkusen

Bastian Schweinsteiger scoring Against Mainz

Bayern Munich Retained Top of the league with lead of two points as they got a winning game against Mainz By 3-1 on Saturday as champions Borussia Dortmund kept up the chase with a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.Goals from Mario Mandzukic and Bastian Schweinsteiger after 13 minutes looked to have put hosts Bayern in an unassailable position but an Adam Szalai penalty on the hour set the stage for a tricky finale.Bayern, who welcome Valencia in the Champions League on Wednesday, were without wingers Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben who have minor injuries.Coach Jupp Heynckes initially left 40 million euro signing Javi Martinez on the bench again at the start.Bayern striker Claudio Pizarro came on late to equal the record for most Bundesliga matches by a foreign player at 336 but it was Toni Kroos who made sure of the points when he struck in stoppage time from a fine pass by Spain midfielder Martinez."We had a good start and played outstanding football for 30 minutes," Heynckes said. "After that we were too passive and allowed the opponents to come to us."Dortmund had no such nerves even though German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in the stands at the Westfalen stadium.A well-timed Mats Hummels header put the champions on track to maintain their 12-month unbeaten run at home. They also extended their league run to 31 games without defeat, closing in on the all-time record of 36 matches set by Hamburg SV.Jakub Blaszczykowski fired in their second goal from the far post six minutes before the break and fellow Pole Robert Lewandowski then headed home in the 78th to take fourth placed Dortmund to seven points from three games."This is the football we want and need to play to remain successful. The team showed what it can do," said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp, whose team host Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League on Tuesday.In an exciting derby Hanover 96 confirmed they were the top team in the north with a last-gasp 3-2 win over Werder Bremen to move into second place with seven points on goal difference.Szabolocs Huszti scored twice for Hanover, including a superb stoppage-time bicycle kick, to hand his team their second win in three games but the Hungarian was then promptly sent off for a second booking during the celebrations.Schalke 04 also moved up to seven points in third place with a 2-0 win at promoted Greuther Fuerth, who had former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, born in the Bavarian city, watching from the stands on a visit to his childhood club.Germany international Julian Draxler broke the deadlock straight after the restart with a 25-metre missile as Schalke boosted their confidence ahead of Tuesday's Champions League game at Olympiakos.Lewis Holtby sealed victory two minutes from time with his second league goal of the season, tapping in from close range.Borussia Moenchengladbach lost 3-2 at home to Nuremberg after going two goals down in 25 minutes. Luuk de Jong got one back and Granit Xhaka equalised in the 53rd but the outstanding Hiroshi Kiyotake swiftly put Nuremberg ahead again.VfB Stuttgart secured their first point and moved off the bottom with a goalless draw at home to Fortuna Duesseldorf.Hamburg SV, who have yet to earn a point, visit Eintracht Frankfurt, who have won both their games, on Sunday.

Tottenham Gets an unexpected Win against Reading By 3-1

Defoe Who mainly was the Hero for Tottenham Clash As He Scored 2 Goals Fantastically. Defoe put Tottenham ahead in the first half before two goals in three minutes secured the points for the Portuguese in the second period. There was time, too, to give Clint Dempsey a late run-out as substitute for the U.S. forward's first appearance since signing from Fulham on deadline day."It was a well-deserved win," Villas-Boas said. "Everyone performed to their top level and it is a win that will lift us up for the season. The most important thing today was the motivation of the players to change the negative results at home."Left winger Gareth Bale scored Spurs' other goal, a scuffed finish in the 71st following good work by Kyle Walker down the right, but it was Defoe who will take all the plaudits after destroying Reading's defense."Jermain is showing his abilities, the amount of shots he has on target is amazing," Villas-Boas said. "As the lone striker up front, he is linking well with the colleagues."Reading, who were poor throughout, rarely threatened Tottenham's goal and Brad Friedel's only concern was picking the ball out of the net in the last minute when Hal Robson-Kanu scored a consolation.The win comes as a huge relief for Villas-Boas, who had come under fire for his management during the club's first three games of the season.Last time out they were booed off for a dire performance against Norwich. At times Spurs looked clueless against the Canaries, but today the north London outfit put on a top-rate performance.Mousa Dembele, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Defoe were all at the top of their game as Spurs put on the kind of performance that at times set pulses racing during the Harry Redknapp era.They started well and although McCarthy was making his first appearance in the Barclays Premier League, but he showed no nerves to deny Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen with two fine reaction saves after three minutes.Vertonghen then launched a ball over the top from deep but Bale's first touch was poor and the ball dribbled wide.Reading thought they should have had a penalty in the 11th minute when the ball struck Kyle Walker's arm as he jumped for a Danny Guthrie free-kick, but Howard Webb ruled that Alex Pearce had fouled the right-back.The penalty call aside, Reading were struggling to make an impression on the game.The seemingly inevitable opener came after 17 minutes when Sigurdsson sliced open the Reading defence to find Lennon who squared for Defoe to rifle home from 15 yards.McCarthy then had to be at his best to deny Sandro from long range as Tottenham looked for a quick second.Defoe brilliantly took down a long raking pass from the excellent Kyle Naughton and slipped past two defenders but his toe-poke went wide.McCarthy then almost gifted the visitors a second when he dallied on the ball on the edge of his box. Defoe pinched it off the 22-year-old and squared to Sigurdsson but Pearce rushed back to clear the ball off the line.Another mix-up at the back gave Tottenham one more chance nine minutes before the break but Defoe over-hit a pass for Lennon.Reading started to get in to the game more but Friedel was largely a spectator, with Jobi McAnuff's wayward shot the Royals' only attempt at goal towards the end of the first half.Brian McDermott looked to Le Fondre for inspiration, the former Rotherham striker coming on for midfielder Jem Karacan at the break.The change had little immediate effect, as Tottenham continued to dominate.Dembele's deflected shot fell at Defoe's feet in Tottenham's first chance of the second half, but the England striker spooned his shot high and wide.Kaspars Gorkss then put in a superb last-ditch tackle to cut out Lennon's cross as Bale lurked in the centre of the box.Just after the hour Bale turned on the after-burners to sprint down the left and cross for Defoe, but the 29-year-old shot two yards wide.Spurs moved 2-0 up with 20 minutes to go through Bale. Walker skilfully slipped past two defenders and pulled back for the Welshman, whose scuffed shot looped over McCarthy in to the net.Any hopes Reading had of a comeback were extinguished two minutes later when a brilliant solo goal from Defoe killed off the match.The England striker robbed Gorkss on the half way line, stormed past four Reading players on a 40-yard run before slipping past McCarthy.The away fans, who so vocally booed Villas-Boas at White Hart Lane two weeks ago, chanted the Portuguese's name after the goal went in, clearly delighted at having put the game to bed.Defoe should have had a hat-trick in the dying minutes when he was picked out by Andros Townsend, but he volleyed way over.Reading were determined to score before the final whistle, however, and they almost grabbed one when Le Fondre's shot was cleared off the line by William Gallas.And they did get themselves on the scoreboard in the dying seconds when Le Fondre clipped a wonderful ball to the back post where substitute Robson-Kanu tapped home from close range.