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Mohali (PTI): The sale of tickets for the second ODI cricket match between India and Pakistan here on November 8 would commence on November 1, the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) said here on Monday.

The tickets have been priced in four denominations of Rs 300 for General Block, Rs 1,000 for the VIP Block, Rs 5,000 for thtickets have been priced in four denominations of Rs 300 for General Block, Rs 1,000 for the VIP Block, Rs 5,000 for the Terrace Block and Rs 10,000 for the air-conditioned lounge, PCA Treasurer G S Walia said in a statement.

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Roger Federer won his seventh tournament of the season yesterday, beating the unseeded Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-4 to successfully defend his home-town title in Basle and ensure he finishes the season as world No1 for a fourth consecutive year.
Federer had not dropped a set in any of his previous seven meetings with the world No29 and the Swiss Indoors final proved predictably straightforward. “It’s been a fantastic week, having the support of my home crowd behind me all the way,” said Federer after receiving a standing ovation at the tournament where he once worked as a ballboy. “Securing the No1 ranking for the year and doing it here is particularly special.”

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South Africa took six Pakistan wickets for just 20 runs off 36 balls to achieve a sensational win and clinch the five match one-day series by 14 runs. Pacemen Albie Morkel finished with 4-44 and Makhaya Ntini grabbed 4-61 as the tourists pulled off a sensational victory from the jaws of defeat as Pakistan were dismissed for 219 in 46.3 overs.

“It is fantastic to win both Tests and one-dayers and this was an incredible win. We took huge catches and the ball swung in the end and helped us to take those last wickets,” Graeme Smith, the South Africa captain, said.

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Ranchi: Indian cricket team’s skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been nourishing hopes of setting up a cricket academy in Jharkhand but the busy cricket schedule ahead has put his project in limbo.
Clark predicts 4-0 whitewash over India

“Immediately it is very difficult, because there is Pakistan series. (And) next six months also, we are playing cricket,” Dhoni said when quizzed on his plans for the academy.

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NEW DELHI: The National junior football championship will be played at Gurgaon and Faridabad from November 14 to 30.

Teams will compete on a league basis and the topper from each of the eight groups will make it to the quarterfinals.

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Chennai (PTI): World No.2 and French Open Champion Rafael Nadal of Spain has set his eyes on the elusive Chennai Open ATP title to start the 2008 season on a winning note.

The 21-year old Nadal, who won his third straight title at the Roland Garros this year, had confirmed his participation for the South Asia’s premiere ATP tournament which is in its 13th edition, a release from IMG, the organisers, said on Tuesday.

On his third appearance in the Chennai Open in last five years, Nadal sounded confident of making a good start to the new year with a title win here.

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HYDERABAD: P. Narjit Singh provided the silver lining in the ring for he was the only Indian to enter the final (54kg) as four of his teammates — H.K. Beliwal, G. Satyaraju, D. Bhagyarajan and Mohinder Thapa — were knocked out in the semifinals of their respective weight categories in the fourth Military World Games boxing championship at Gachibowli Indoor Stadium here on Friday.

However, all these losing semifinalists will be bronze medal winners and Narjit a silver medal even if he loses the final to be held on Saturday.

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Slipping two places, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza was 32nd in the latest WTA Tour rankings released on Monday.

The 20-year-old, who has had to cut short her engagements because of a stomach muscle injury however managed to stay in top-20 in the doubles, ranked 19th.

Sania will not be seen in action till the Hopman Cup, were she has earned a direct entry. The tournament begins Dec 30.

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Jalandhar, Oct 22: India’s top 14 teams would battle for supremacy in the 24th Indian Oil Surjit Hockey Tournament, to be played here at Olympian Surjit Singh astro-turf hockey stadium, Burlton Park from Oct 26.

The tournament is organised by Surjit Hockey Society in the memory of Olympian Surjit Singh Randhawa, former skipper of the Indian team, who met with a tragic end near Jalandhar on January 7, 1983.

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Melbourne (PTI): Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has highlighted concerns that his side may be physically and mentally exhausted when it arrives in Australia in December following a gruelling schedule.

The Indians have been flat out almost since May, and they will play arch rival Pakistan in a three-Test and five-match limited-overs series before reaching Down Under.

“We have a 10-day gap right now, and in between the Pakistan series and the Australian series we have just a three or four-day gap,” Dhoni said.

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