QATAR SENIOR MEN'S BASKETBALL LEAGUE: Al Gharafa Sports Club beat Al Rayyan 105-63; Al Arabi SC beat Al Wakrah 89-82

MONDAY 14 DECEMBER 2020

F1: Verstappen wins season-ending race as Hamilton secures third spotBasically, we did everything right. Once you start up front you can control the pace a bit more and it makes your life a bit easier. I had to go through a bit of traffic and some back-markers, but overall it was just a very strong race for the team.

Sport | 10

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Max Verstappen

Sport

Ulsan’s extra-time penalty sets up Doha blockbuster with PersepolisREUTERS – DOHA

Junior Negrao’s penalty deep in extra time earned Ulsan Hyundai a date with Iran’s Persepolis in next week’s final of the Asian Champions League after a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Japan’s Vissel Kobe in Doha yesterday.

The Brazilian drove his effort from the spot into the bottom corner a minute from the end of extra time to take Ulsan into the final for the first time since their only previous Asian title win in 2012.

There they will face a Persepolis side that qualified for the decider back in October as the leading side from west Asia, following a centralised tournament in Qatar in a biosecure environment due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Ulsan have come through a similar event featuring the leading teams from east Asia and did so as Yoon Bit-garam’s deflected effort in the 81st minute can-celled out Hotaru Yamaguchi’s opener for the Japanese side prior to Junior Negrao’s late winner.

With Andres Iniesta not included in Kobe’s matchday squad after aggravating a thigh injury against Suwon Bluewings in the previous round, the J-League side struggled in the opening 45 minutes.

Ulsan, though, were unable to take advantage, with Kim In-sung squandering a pair of opportunities to put Kim Do-hoon’s side in front in the space of six minutes.

The second, in particular, should have given Ulsan the lead after Kim Kee-hee’s punt forward was missed by Junior Negrao but fell kindly for Kim In-sung, only for the unmarked 31-year-old to steer his shot wide of the post.

Ulsan were to regret those errors seven minutes into the second half as Yamaguchi struck for Kobe, hitting his

first-time effort beyond Jo Su-huk fol-lowing Takuya Yasui’s corner.

Ulsan pulled level when the Video Assistant Referee intervened to overturn a decision that had seen their equaliser, which came as Bjorn Johnsen deflected Yoon’s effort over the line, ruled out for an offside in the build-up. Replays showed Kim In-sung had

stayed onside and, with the goal counting, the game went into extra time.

Saves from Daiya Maekawa kept Kobe in the game, but his clumsy chal-lenge on Junior Negrao in the dying seconds gave Ulsan a penalty, and the Brazilian scored from the spot to send his team into the final.

Ulsan Hyundai FC players celebrate after defeating Vissel Kobe in the AFC Champions League semi-final played at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha yesterday.

Al Sadd warm up for Amir Cup final with big QSL winTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

Al Sadd went seven points clear at the top of QNB Stars league standings with a dominant 4-1 win over Al Gharafa at the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium yesterday.

Boualem Khokhi (5), Santi Cazorla (63), Akram Afif (84) and Baghdad Bongah (90) were on target for the Xavi-Hernandez-coached Wolves as the former champions warmed up for the upcoming Amir Cup blockbuster in style.

Koo Ja-Cheol scored the only goal for Al Gharafa in 77th minute.

The result lifted Al Sadd’s points tally to 25 while second-placed Al Gharafa’s balance remained at 18.

Spaniard Xavi was elated after the big win and expressed his happiness on his team’s performances.

“The victory was against one of the best teams in the League," Xavi said.

"Al Gharafa is an organised, effective and strong team that is very fit, and winning it by four gives us

great confidence (ahead of the Amir Cup final),”Xavi said after the match.

The Amir Cup final will take place on December 18 - Qatar National Day, at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 venue at Al Rayyan which will be declared open just before the match.

In just the second minute of the fast-paced clash yesterday, Al Sadd captain Hassan Al Haydous, darting down the right flank, delivered a near-perfect cross for Baghdad Bounedjah, but Al Gharafa defender Tamim Al Muhaza kept his nose ahead of the feared Algerian striker to head the ball for a corner.

In the fourth minute, Al Gharafa’s Homam Elamin brought down Al Haydous close to his own box with a reckless tackle that saw the Qatar national team skipper writhing in pain.

Khoukhi did not disappoint with the resultant free-kick, sending the ball into the net with a slick shot that sailed into the top right of net with Al Gharafa keeper Salah Hassan unable to stop the ball.

Al Sadd doubled their lead when Muftah brought down Guilherme Torres resulting in a long-range

free-kick. Cazorla curled in a free-kick that sailed above the Al Gharafa wall and dipped on the goalkeeper before

bouncing. In the 74th minute, Hanni, found Koo with a neat cross and slipped in the ball from touching dis-tance of the goalline. Koo charged into the Al Sadd box and fired home with a powerful shot.

Ten minutes later, Afif produced a deft left-footed flick from an acute angle into the top of the net for his fifth goal of the season.

Bounedjah added Al Sadd’s fourth goal in the last minute from close range.

In other matches yesterday, holders Al Duhail defeated Al Arabi 2-0 thanks to a brilliant double by Edmilson Junior while Al Sailiya lost to Qatar SC 1-3.

Third placed Al Ahli has the oppor-tunity to advance to second spot in the rankings if they can overcome Al Kharaitiyat when the two teams meet at Al Ahli Stadium today.

Today’s first match will be played between Al khor and Al Wakrah while Al Rayyan and Umm Salal will be in contest in the final match of Round 9.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS Al Sadd 4-1 Al Gharafa Al Duhail 2-0 Al Arabi Al Sailiya 1-3 Qatar SC

TODAY'S FIXTURES Al Khor VS Al Wakrah

At Al Ahli Stadium (5:30pm) Al Ahli VS Al Kharaitiyat

At Al Ahli Stadium (7:45pm) Al Rayyan VS Umm Salal

At Al Duhail Stadium (7:45pm)

Al Sadd's Santi Cazorla shoots to score against Al Gharafa.

Chairman of the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC), H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, and the Chairman of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC), are seen upon the Qatari delegation's arrival in Muscat, Oman, to attend the General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The host city of the 2030 Asian Games will be announced on December 16, 2020, during the General Assembly.

I would like to thank our Omani brothers for the generous

hospitality as we visit the brotherly country to participate

in the General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia. The

OCA will choose the host city for the 2030 Asian Games.

We will hold discussions with the heads of the Asian

NOCs to vote in favour of Doha's bid file on Wednesday.

Sheikh Joaan leads Qatar delegation at OCA General Assembly in Muscat

Liverpool’s Jota out for up to two months, Matip injured at FulhamREUTERS – LONDON

Liverpool forward Diogo Jota will miss the Christmas fixtures after manager Juergen Klopp confirmed his knee injury picked up against FC Midtjylland in midweek was worse than first thought.

Jota was injured close to the end of Liverpool’s 1-1 draw in the Champions League.

“Yeah, it’s worse than we first thought and better than we then thought,” Klopp said before kickoff in their Premier League clash at Fulham yesterday.

“But he will be out for a while. We don’t know exactly but one-and-a-half, two months. It’s pretty similar with Kostas Tsimikas, by the way. Unbelievable.” Klopp was dealt a further injury blow during the 1-1 draw at Fulham with central defender Joel Matip withdrawn at halftime after suffering a back problem.

Liverpool are already without key defender Virgil van Dijk after he suffered a serious knee injury in October and Joe Gomez also because of a knee injury.

11MONDAY 14 DECEMBER 2020 SPORT

Vodafone, Padel In to hold five major tournamentsTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

Vodafone Qatar and Padel In, the first and only indoor padel club in Qatar, have partnered to hold 5 major padel tournaments before May 2021, kicking off with the Qatar National Day (QND) 2020 Tournament.

The QND Padel Tournament kicked off yesterday and will con-tinue till Thursday at Al Sadd Sports Club.

Padel enthusiasts will also get the opportunity to take part in the other tournaments scheduled next year in January, National Sports Day in

February, March and during the holy month of Ramadan.

As part of the partnership, Voda-fone’s GigaNet network will power the Padel In venue giving the organisers the seamless connectivity needed to hold large sporting events and to live-stream the matches for audiences to enjoy the excitement of the tournament from anywhere on their smartphones. In October, Vodafone was named the Official Sponsor of the 2020 Padel Tournament, organised by the Qatar Olympic Committee which saw huge participation- testament to the sport’s rising popularity in the country.

A mix between tennis and squash, padel is the fastest growing racket sport in the world due to the fun, easy and social nature of the sport.

This latest partnership with Padel In is a continuation of Vodafone Qatar’s support of the country’s sports sector.

The Company, especially their network, has already had a significant role in several of the country’s highly successful local and international sporting events including the 24th Arabian Gulf Cup, The Amir’s Sword Festival 2020 and 2020 Qatar Masters Golf Tournament.

European Football Results

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS

Crystal Palace 1 (Schlupp

81) Tottenham 1 (Kane 23)

Southampton 3 (Adams 34,

Armstrong 62, Redmond 83)

Sheffield United 0

Fulham 1 (De Cordova-Reid

25) Liverpool 1 (Salah

79-pen)Played Saturday

Manchester United 0

Manchester City 0

Newcastle 2 (Almiron 1,

Gayle 82) West Brom 1

(Furlong 50)

Wolves 0 Aston Villa 1 (El

Ghazi 90-pen)

Everton 1 (Sigurdsson

22-pen) Chelsea 0

SPANISH LA LIGAReal Sociedad 1 (Bar-

renetxea 20) Eibar 1 (Enrich

65)

Real Betis 1 (Ruibal 51) Vil-

larreal 1 (Pau Torres 5)

Elche 0 Granada 1 (Suarez

42)

Played SaturdayValencia 2 (Soler 26-pen,

Vallejo 83) Athletic Bilbao 2

(Villalibre 55, Garcia pen-79)

Getafe 0 Sevilla 1 (Etxeita

81-og)

Huesca 1 (Ontiveros 66)

Alaves 0

Real Madrid 2 (Casemiro 15,

Oblak 63-og) Atletico Madrid

0

GERMAN BUNDESLIGA RESULTS

Augsburg 2 (Serdar 32-og,

Richter 90+3) Schalke 2

(Raman 52, Boujellab 61)

Played SaturdayBorussia Dortmund 1 (Reyna

39) VfB Stuttgart 5 (Waman-

gituka 27-pen, 53, Foerster

60, Coulibaly 63, Gonzalez

90+1)

RB Leipzig 2 (Sabitzer

26-pen, Olmo 41) Werder

Bremen 0

Borussia Moenchengla-

dbach 1 (Embolo 70) Hertha

Berlin 1 (Guendouzi 47)

Freiburg 2 (Grifo 79-pen,

Jeong 90+2) Arminia

Bielefeld 0

Mainz 05 0 Cologne 1 (Rex-

hbecaj 55)

Union Berlin 1 (Proemel 4)

Bayern Munich 1 (Lewand-

owski 67)

ITALIAN SERIE A RESULTS

Cagliari 1 (Sottil 42) Inter

Milan 3 (Barella 77,

D'Ambrosio 84, Lukaku

90+4)

Atalanta 3 (Gosens 44,

Malinovskiy 55, Toloi 63)

Fiorentina 0

Napoli 2 (Lozano 53,

Petagna 68) Sampdoria 1

(Jankto 20)

Bologna 1 (Christante 24-og)

Roma 5 (Poli 5-og, Dzeko

10, Pellegrini 15, Veretout

35, Mkhitaryan 44)

Genoa 1 (Sturaro 61)

Juventus 3 (Dybala 57, Cris-

tiano Ronaldo 78-pen,

89-pen)

Played SaturdayCrotone 4 (Messias 7, 90+6,

Reca 49, Eduardo Henrique

56) Spezia 1 (Farias 18)

Torino 2 (Belotti 66, Bon-

azzoli 67) Udinese 3 (Pus-

setto 24, De Paul 54,

Nestorovski 69)

Lazio 1 (F. Caicedo 56)

Hellas Verona 2 (Lazzari

45-og, Tameze Aousta 67)

FRENCH LIGUE 1Nice 0 Rennes 1 (Niang 28)

Played SaturdayMarseille 2 (Thauvin 5, Bene-

detto 13) Monaco 1 (Ben

Yedder 79-pen)

Lens 2 (Omlin 35-og, Kakuta

49-pen) Montpellier 3

(Mavididi 15, Mendes 25,

Laborde 68)

Palace hold Tottenham as Salah saves LiverpoolREUTERS – LONDON

Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane scored his ninth Premier League goal of the season, but Jeffrey Schlupp’s equaliser and some superb saves by Vicente Guaita left the league leaders frustrated in a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace yesterday.

Kane struck in the 23rd minute with a low long-range shot that deceived Guaita as Tottenham began in confident fashion in the Selhurst Park drizzle.

But Palace responded impressively to dominate after the break and Schlupp grabbed a deserved leveller from close range in the 81st minute.

Ben Davies struck the crossbar and Guaita made stunning saves from Kane and Eric Dier as Tottenham sparked back into life late on but had to be content with a point.

Tottenham, top of the league after 11 games for the first time since 1984, moved to

25 points from 12 games, one ahead of second-placed Liverpool.

Palace are in 11th spot with 17 points.

“I am experienced with football and the Premier League, and I told the players what could happen, and it hap-pened,” Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho said.

“I am never OK with a point. Every game we go to win, and if sometimes we don’t win it because of credit to the opponent, and sometimes it is because we should do better. Today I think it was a bit of both.”

M o u r i n h o ’ s s i d e ’ s impressive march to the top of the table has been built, of late, on defensive solidity and lethal counter-attacking, but yes-terday they started on the front foot. Guaita made great saves to keep out Tanguy Ndombele’s shot and a Kane header but was left red-faced as Kane took a pass from Son Heung-min in

the 23rd minute and skimmed in a low right-foot shot that swerved and skidded off the turf and went through the keeper.

The closest Palace came to an equaliser before the break was just before the interval when Eberechi Eze’s deft right-foot curler beat Hugo Lloris but hit the outside of the post.

Tottenham’s attacking threat diminished after the break as Palace, buoyed by the return of 2,000 fans for the first time since March, got on top.

Schlupp scooped one good chance over the bar, and Christian Benteke should have done better with a header.

But Palace got their reward when Eze’s wickedly curling delivery from a free kick was not dealt with by Lloris, and when the ball came to Schupp he fired it in.

Tottenham went all out for the late win, but Guaita was inspired in goal. First he kept out Kane’s glancing header

from Serge Aurier’s driven cross, then he flew through the air to beat out Dier’s free kick.

Elsewhere, Champions Liv-erpool missed an opportunity to go clear at the top of the Premier League as they needed a late Mohamed Salah penalty to salvage a 1-1 draw at lowly Fulham yesterday.

Juergen Klopp’s side were outplayed by Scott Parker’s adventurous team before halftime at Craven Cottage and trailed to Bobby Decordova-Reid’s superb 25th-minute effort. They were more like themselves after the break and levelled in the 79th when Salah beat Alphonse Areola from the spot after a rather harsh handball decision.

The visitors looked likely to go and grab the winner but Fulham held out for a well-deserved point to leave Liv-erpool level on 25 points with leaders Tottenham Hotspur.

Fulham are fourth from bottom with eight points.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane attempts a header during Premier League match against Crystal Palace yesterday.

Juventus’ Cristiano

Ronaldo and Genoa players

in action during their Serie A

match in Genoa, Italy, yesterday.

Roma hit five in first-half rampage to hammer BolognaREUTERS – ROME

AS Roma went on the rampage and blasted five first-half goals past a pitiful Bologna side on their way to a 5-1 away win in Serie A yesterday.

Each team also had two goals disal-lowed, and Roma hit the post as they went fifth in the table with 21 points, one more than Juventus.

Bologna midfielder Andrea Poli opened the floodgates when he turned a Leonardo Spinazzola pass into his own net after five minutes. Edin Dzeko ran

onto Lorenzo Pellegrini’s through ball to add a second for Roma five minutes later.

Bologna’s second-choice goalkeeper Federico Ravaglia, making his Serie A debut, had to pick the ball out of the net again after only 15 minutes after Pel-legrini scored from Spinazzola’s pass.

Furious Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said his players would be con-fined to a training camp, known locally as ‘ritiro’, until Christmas.

“The first half was disastrous,” he said. “We played like amateurs against

a professional team. From tomorrow we go into training camp and we’ll clear our minds. I warned the lads it would happen if they showed the wrong attitude again.” “We’ve been through a lot together and I’ve always tried to look after them. Sometimes I’ve made excuses for them, as you do with children, but there’s a limit to everything.” Pellegrini then had a goal disallowed for offside and Bologna pulled one back in the 24th minute - although it was scored by a Roma player, Bryan Cristante turning Musa Barrow’s cross into his own net.

Jordan Veretout finished off a neat passing move for the fourth in the 35th minute, and Henrik Mkhitaryan put the finishing touch to Rick Karsdorp’s run down the right for the fifth one minute before halftime.

Mihajlovic made three halftime sub-stitutions, and his team stemmed the tide after the break. Barrow and Nicolas Dominguez had goals disallowed for Bologna for offside while Pellegrini had another Roma effort chalked off as offside shortly afterwards, before Borja Mayoral hit the woodwork for the visitors.

Ronaldo brace seals Juventus winREUTERS – GENOA

Cristiano Ronaldo converted two late penalties on his 100th appearance for Juventus in all competitions as the Serie A titleholders ground out a 3-1 win away to a dogged Genoa side yesterday.

Ronaldo, who also converted two penalties in the 3-1 win at Barcelona tomorrow, fired into the middle of the goal in the 78th minute and struck again 11 minutes later, taking his league tally this season to 10.

Juve had struggled to open up the Genoa defence, finally breaking through with Paulo Dybala’s first league goal of the season in the 57th minute, only for Stefano Sturaro to equalise against his old club four minutes later.

Juve are fourth with 23 points from 11 games and are still unbeaten, although they have drawn five times. Genoa, who narrowly escaped the drop last season, are one off the bottom with six points.

Real Madrid take derby honours as Atletico lose unbeaten runAFP – MADRID

Real Madrid reignited their La Liga title push on Saturday beating leaders Atletico 2-0 as their city rivals suffered a first league defeat of the season.

Real, who salvaged their Champions League campaign in midweek by making the last 16, moved to third in the table, three points behind Atletico.

It was a disappointing night for Diego Simeone's side who had boasted a 26-match unbeaten run in the league, stretching back to February.

That was a run which con-sisted of 17 wins and nine draws. Real had been the last team to beat Atletico in the league.

"We confirmed the improvement we showed in many areas against Sevilla and Borussia, and gave another good display," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, reflecting on his side's wins in the past week which have helped turn around the season.

His team were in front after 15 minutes when Casemiro headed home a corner from Toni Kroos. That was reward for Real's early pressure which had seen Karim Benzema denied by a fine save from Jan Oblak moments earlier.

Atletico, who also made the Champions League knockout round in midweek, struggled to make any impression and star striker Luis Suarez was an anonymous figure up front.

Real went 2-0 up after 63 minutes with Kroos again the provider. His pass eventually fell for Dani Carvajal who unleashed a 30-metre drive which hit the post but was diverted into the net by the helpless Oblak. The 'keeper was credited with an own-goal for his troubles. It was only the fourth goal conceded by the usually water-tight Atletico defence in 11 league games this season.

It was a night of frustration with Simeone's men managing just one shot on target.

Portuguese star Joao Felix showed his displeasure at being replaced by Saul on the hour.

Suarez allowed himself an ironic smile when he too was benched in favour of Geoffrey Kondogbia in the 73rd minute.

In stark contrast, Zidane could be especially pleased for Casemiro who had returned from Covid-19 quarantine while Carvajal had recovered from a right leg injury.

It was a night to remember also for captain Sergio Ramos who was playing in a Madrid derby for the 43rd time,

Atletico, meanwhile, could lose top spot on Sunday when second-placed Real Sociedad welcome Eibar.

10 MONDAY 14 DECEMBER 2020SPORT

Stage set for FIA Rally title showdown at Hail Baja 2THE PENINSULA – DOHA

As teams refettle cars and compet-itors take some much needed time off during the official rest day at ‘Hail Rally Toyota 2020’, attention now turns to what is set to be a gripping finale to the 2020 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Bajas at Hail Baja 2 tomorrow and Wednesday.

The three major titles are still up for grabs and Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah’s start-to-finish victory at Hail Baja 1 has opened the door to a fascinating number of permutations to decide the outcome of the overall Drivers’ Championship.

Official points still need to be approved by the FIA but, provisionally, Al Attiyah has catapulted himself into third in the rankings with 28 points and now trails new leader Vladimir Vasilyev by 15 points and team-mate Bernhard Ten Brinke by 14.5 points.

Russian driver Denis Krotov is fourth, seven points adrift of Al Attiyah, and also still in with a math-ematical chance of snatching the title, while a win for Carlos Sainz at Hail Baja 2 and serious trouble for all his rivals would open the door for the Spaniard to snatch glory at the 11th hour.

A repeat success and two stage wins for Al Attiyah would be sufficient to clinch the FIA Baja title if neither Vasilyev nor Ten Brinke could finish inside the top three.

With the three-time Dakar champion determined to show his teeth and push for the title, rival drivers within the X-raid Mini team, most notably Sainz and Stéphane Peterhansel, could well become the thorn in his side if the battle was to be as intense on Hail Baja 2 as it was last weekend.

Stage wins for either of the Mini JCW Buggy drivers could change the situation completely and deprive Al Attiyah of vital points.

As second-placed Ten Brinke said: “Maybe I can self improve a little. We are still in for the title. We are two and Vasilyev (Vladimir) is one, but if Nasser wins the next race and we are not in the top four (subject to stage wins), Nasser can win. Let’s see, we have two days to make better steps for the next Baja.”

Despite drive shaft issues and a disappointing finish at Hail Baja 1, Vasily Gryazin remains in prime position to claim the FIA T3 title. In the unofficial standings, the Russian SRT Can-Am Maverick X3 driver holds a 25-point advantage over Saleh Al Saif and a 28-point lead over Guil-laume de Mevius.

A finish should guarantee the Russian the title and only outright

victory and two stage wins would enable his Belgian rival to tie, should Gryazin fail to finish. Al Saif knows that victory and two stage wins would give him the title if the Russian was to retire. Bernt Hoffman is not competing.

Two competitors will also be looking anxiously at each other to decide the outcome of the new FIA T4 category. Again subject to FIA approval, Kees Koolen heads into a showdown with Poland’s Aron Domzala holding a seven-point advantage.

The Dutchman admitted at the post-event press conference that he hadn’t even considered his chance of taking the title until the conclusion of Hail Baja 1 and he now stands in prime position to battle with Domzala. Both drivers will be at the helm of South Racing Can-Ams, the latter running under the Monster Energy Team banner. Victory for either driver should confirm the title.

‘Hail Rally Toyota 2020’ is taking place under the supervision of the Hail Regional Development Authority in co-operation with the General Authority for Tourism and National Heritage and the General Authority for Sport.

Today, the competitors will pass through scrutineering checks between 10.00 and 14.00hrs.

Overdrive Racing’s French driver Ronan Chabot is expected to join the FIA field alongside Czech driver Martin Prokop and the two new X-raid Yamaha SxS vehicles for twice former DTM champion and triple Race of Champions winner Mattias Ekström and Italian female racer Camelia Liparoti.

Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah

Bernhard ten Brinke

F1: Verstappen wins season-ending race as Hamilton secures third spot

AFP – YAS MARINA

Max Verstappen claimed his second win of the season and the 10th of his career yesterday when he drove to a clinical victory for Red Bull in a pedes-trian season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The 23-year-old Dutchman dominated from start to finish as he turned his third pole position into a demonstration of speed, talent and flawless strategy to leave both Mer-cedes men well beaten behind him.

It was the first time he had claimed a lights-to-flag victory in Formula One.

“What a way to close a season - fantastic mate,” said his Red Bull engineer at the end on team radio. “After such a busy year, I think everyone was a bit tired at the end, but it is amazing,” he replied.

Verstappen eased home 15.976 seconds clear of Valtteri Bottas, who at least recovered

some pride by taking second after his forlorn showing at the Sakhir Grand Prix, and 18.415 ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

On his return to action after

recovering from a bout of Covid-19, Hamilton struggled to make any impact as he battled through ahead of Alex Albon, who finished fourth in the second Red Bull, just 1.5 seconds adrift

of the out-of-sorts champion.“You can’t win them all,”

said Hamilton. “And, consid-ering the last couple of weeks that I’ve had I am genuinely happy with the weekend, even

I am have not been 100 per cent.

“But, congratulations to Max. It was a hard race for me and I am glad it’s all over. It’s a fantastic result anyway to get two podium finishes.”

Mercedes team-mate Bottas said: “The Red Bull was too quick today. We could not get near them and could not keep up with them, but it was a solid race from my side.”

Lando Norris came home fifth ahead of his Ferrari-bound McLaren team-mate Carlos Sainz, a solid showing by the precocious pairing that secured third place in the constructors’ championship on a day when they announced an American consortium is buying a major stake in the team.

Daniel Ricciardo, in his last race for Renault before replacing Sainz at McLaren, was seventh ahead of Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon in the second Renault and Lance Stroll of Racing Point.

Red Bull’s Dutch driver Max

Verstappen celebrates with

his team after winning the Abu

Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix at the

Yas Marina Circuit yesterday.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen leads the pack.

FIA WORLD CUP FOR CROSS-COUNTRY BAJAS –

OVERALL DRIVER STANDINGS:1. Vladimir Vasilyev (RUS) 43 pts

2. Bernhard ten Brinke (NLD) 42.5 pts

3. Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah (QAT) 28 pts

4. Denis Krotov (RUS) 21 pts

5. Andrey Novikov (RUS) 19.5 pts

5. Carlos Sainz (ESP) 19.5 pts

5. Aron Domzala (POL) 19.5 pts

8. Michal Maluszynski (POL) 19 pts

9. Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA) 16.5 pts

10. Vasily Gryazin (RUS) 13 pts

11. Sergey Uspenskiy (RUS) 12.5 pts

12. Yazeed Al Rajhi (SAU) 12 pts

12. Jakub Przygonski (POL) 12 pts

FIA WORLD CUP FOR CROSS-COUNTRY BAJAS – T3:

1. Vasily Gryazin (RUS) 56 pts

2. Saleh A Saif (SAU) 31 pts

2. Bernd Hoffman (ESP) 31 pts

4. Guillaume de Mevius (BEL) 28 pts

FIA WORLD CUP FOR CROSS-COUNTRY BAJAS – T4:

1. Kees Koolen (NLD) 48 pts

2. Aron Domzala (POL) 41 pts

3. Khalifa Al Attiyah (QAT) 19.5 pts

4. Gerard Farres (ESP) 19 pts, etc

F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

STANDINGS:DRIVERS1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 347 pts (champion)2. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) 2233. Max Verstappen (NED) 2144. Sergio Perez (MEX) 1255. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) 1196. Carlos Sainz (ESP) 1057. Alexander Albon (THA) 105, 8. Charles Leclerc (MON) 989. Lando Norris (GBR) 9710. Pierre Gasly (FRA) 7511. Lance Stroll (CAN) 7512. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 6213. Sebastian Vettel (GER) 3314. Daniil Kvyat (RUS) 3215. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) 1016. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) 417. Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA) 418. George Russell (GBR) 319. Romain Grosjean (FRA) 220. Kevin Magnussen (DEN) 121. Nicholas Latifi (CAN) 022. Jack Aitken (GBR) 023. Pietro Fittipaldi (BRA) 0

CONSTRUCTORS1. Mercedes 573 pts (champions), 2. Red Bull-Honda 319, 3. McLaren-Renault 202, 4. Racing Point-Mercedes 195, 5. Renault 181, 6. Ferrari 131, 7. AlphaTauri-Honda 107, 8. Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari 8, 9. Haas-Ferrari 3, 10. Williams-Mercedes 0

Final round of the 2020 world championship:

1. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull-Honda) 1hr 36:28.645

2. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) at 15.976

3. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) at 18.415

4. Alexander Albon (THA/Red Bull-Honda) 19.987

5. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Renault) 1:00.729

6. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/McLaren-Renault) 1:05.662

7. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Renault) 1:13.748

8. Pierre Gasly (FRA/AlphaTauri-Honda) 1:29.718

9. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Renault) 1:41.069

10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Racing Point-Mercedes) 1:42.738

11. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/AlphaTauri-Honda) 1 lap

12. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) 1 lap

13. Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 1 lap

14. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) 1 lap

15. George Russell (GBR/Williams-Mercedes) 1 lap

16. Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA/Alfa Romeo Racing-Ferrari) 1 lap

17. Nicholas Latifi (CAN/Williams-Mercedes) 1 lap

18. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) 1 lap

19. Pietro Fittipaldi (BRA/Haas-Ferrari) 2 laps

Fastest lap: Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Renault) 1:40.926 on

55th lap

DNF: Sergio Perez (MEX/Racing Point-Mercedes) 9th lap

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Vladimir Vasilyev

The three major titles are still up for grabs

and Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah’s start-to-finish

victory at Hail Baja 1 has opened the door

to a fascinating number of permutations to

decide the outcome of the overall Drivers’

Championship.

A repeat success and two stage wins for Al

Attiyah would be sufficient to clinch the FIA

Baja title if neither Vasilyev nor Ten Brinke

could finish inside the top three.

Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton

09MONDAY 14 DECEMBER 2020 SPORT

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Qatar Motor and Motor-cycle Federation (QMMF) has successfully completed all events listed on the national championships calendar for the year 2020, a top official said yesterday.

Amro Al Hamad, the Exec-utive Director of QMMF, said the national motorsport body had overcome COVID-19 related postponements to complete the calendar of events for 2020.

“We are proud to announce that this week’s event marked the QMMF’s target of com-pleting all national competitions for the year 2020. There were so many delays because of the COVID-19 situation and we had to reschedule or even postpone events but in the end we managed to do it,” Al Hamad said after the fifth and final round of Qatar National Baja concluded on Saturday.

“We did it really effectively. What’s worth mentioning is that a lot of federations around the world decided to cancel events as every country was battling with COVID-19 situation, but we managed to complete all national championships. We finished the QSTK, QTCC, Qatar National Baja and the Qatar National Sprint Championship - events that were halted in March,” Al Hamad said yesterday.

Also yesterday, Al Hamad announced that QMMF has decided to make the hugely popular Baja series bigger from next year.

“From next year, the Qatar National Baja series is going to be called the Qatar Off-Road Championship. It will be a mix between Enduro and Baja. The

first round is going to be Enduro and the last round is going to be Baja,” Al Hamad said while giving away details of the extended series. “In between it will be a mix of Enduro and Baja competition rounds. The points for Enduro and Baja will be accumulated for the final cham-pionship round. The sixth and final round will be an extended week of competition which will be held over two days.

“It will be longer Baja than usual. And it’s going to be double points. This will keep it interesting for all the partici-pants until the last round,” Al Hamad said.

When the COVID-19 pan-demic - sweeping the globe in

May, June and July - put a halt to sports activities around the world earlier this year, the QMMF suc-cessfully organised online series of events for Qatar, regional and international entries drawing massive response from the mot-orsport world.

Meanwhile, Khalid Al Mohannadi emerged as Qatar National Baja champion after winning the fifth and final round at the Sealine on Saturday.

Driving a Polaris, Al Mohannadi clocked a total time of 2:21:02.4 seconds with Russian co-driver Kirill Shubin. It was the second successive win for Al Mohannadi and his third overall, which fetched him

a total points of 97 and earned him QR80,000 in prize money.

Ahmed Al Kuwari, who fin-ished fourth in the final round in the Jeep, finished second overall with 72 points. Al Kuwari and his co-driver Manuel Lucchese walked away with QR60,000. Mohammed Al Meer had a disappointing final round, finishing fifth with co-driver Egor Okhotnikov, but that was enough for a overall third place with 50 points.

In the fifth round, Abdullah Al Rabban and Nasser Al Kuwari finished second clocking 2:51:09.5 seconds, but were well behind winner Al Mohannadi and Shubin. In third were Ahmed Al Mohannadi and Mubarak Al Khelaifi, who timed 3:06:35.4 seconds.

In the bikes category, Martin Chalmers riding a Yamaha emerged triumphant in the fifth round with a total time of 3:15:59.0 seconds. In second was Michael Anderson (Husq-varna), while William Magnat (KTM) finished third.

QMMF completes all events listed on 2020 championships calendar

FIFTH ROUND

RESULTS

1. Khalid Al Mohannadi/Kirill Shubin (Polaris) Total time: 2:21:2.4 seconds; 2.

Abdullah Al Rabban/Nasser Al Kuwari (Jeep) 2:51:09.5; 3. Ahmed Al Mohannadi/

Mubarak Al Khelaifi (Canam) 3:06:35.5; 4. Ahmed Al

Kuwari/ Manuel Lucchese (Yamaha YXZ 1000R)

3:19:30.8; 5. Mohamed Al Meer/Egor Okhotnikov

(Chevrolet Buggy) 3:25:35.1; 6. Ahmed Allouh/ Tamer Al Hijazeen (Canam) 3:53:04.4

Overall ResultsDrivers: 1. Khalid Al

Mohannadi 97 points; 2. Ahmed Al Kuwari 72; 3. Mohamed Al Meer 50; 4. Ahmed Al Mohannadi 37;

5. Ahmed Allouh 33; 6. Abdullah Al Rabban 18Co Drivers: 1. Manuel Lucchese 60 points; 2. Egor Okhotnikov 40; 3.

Kirill Shubin 25; 4. Tamer Al Hijazeen 23; 5. Mubarak Al Khelaifi 23; 6. Nasser Al

Kuwari 18Bikes Category

1. Martin Chalmers (Yamaha) Total time: 3:15:59.0 seconds

2. Michael Anderson (Husqvarna) 3:18:48.2

3. William Magnat (KTM) 3:38:05:3

Al Mohannadi emerges as Qatar National Baja champion

We are proud to announce that this week’s event marked

the QMMF’s target of completing all national

competitions for the year 2020. There

were so many delays because of the

COVID-19 situation and we had to

reschedule or even postpone events

but in the end we managed to do it.

We did it really effectively. What’s

worth mentioning is that a lot of

federations around the world

decided to cancel events as

every country was battling

with COVID-19 situation,

but we managed to

complete all national

championships.

Amro Al Hamad

Executive Director of QMMF

Mecho, Munoz win top honour at VIP Padel eventTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Cristina Mecho teamed up with Olga Munoz to win the Gold Group at the VIP Padel Qatar tournament (Ladies League) that concluded on Saturday at Al Badel Stadium, Marsa Malaz Kempinski Hotel.

The duo of Encar Lillo and Ana Sainz claimed second position in the premier group, with Leah Hulatt and Tanya Von Berg clinching top honour in the Silver Group. Qatari pair of Reem Al Sharshani and Bashayer Al Nayef finished runners-up in the event.

The three-day event for ladies saw participation of 72 players forming 36 teams.

Director, Yasmian Events

and VIP Padel Qatar Tour-nament, Yasmine Ghanem Al Sharshani said: “It has been my love for sport, travel and inter-national sporting events that I got this idea of establishing a championship.

"While I was practising during the coronavirus

pandemic time being socially distanced, I realised the many benefits on physical and mental health of padel. The sport is physical and at the same time suitable for Qatari women. Many of them are playing padel, so the idea has been to make it more competitive.”

Yasmine, the first Qatari female golf player in the Qatar national team, who has repre-sented Qatar in many local and international tournaments, also thanked the sponsors -- Ooredoo, Marsa Malaz Kem-pinski, Maserati, Sports Corner, The Pearl Blue Salon – for their

support and faith in her to support the event.

The championship was attended by many fans, with Austrian and Greek ambas-sadors, and the champion of the rally, Nada Zidane also attending the closing ceremony.

Director Yasmian Events and VIP Padel Qatar Tournament, Yasmine Ghanem Al Sharshani poses for a photo with Fatma, one of the participants at the event. RIGHT: Yasmine Ghanem Al Sharshani with Moza Almouhandi.

The duo of Encar Lillo and Ana Sainz

claimed second position in the

premier group with Leah Hulatt and

Tanya Von Berg clinching top

honour in the Silver Group. Qatari

pair of Reem Al Sharshani and

Bashayer Al Nayef finished

runners-up in the event.

The three-day event for ladies saw

participation of 72 players forming

36 teams.

Severe storm postpones finish of US Women’s OpenAFP — LOS ANGELES

Dangerous weather halted play for the day in yester-day’s final round of the 75th US Women’s Open before leaders could even tee off, setting up a Monday finish to the year’s last major golf championship.

Japan’s Hinako Shibuno, the 2019 Women’s British Open champion, led on four-under par 209 after three rounds with American Amy Olson one stroke back at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas.

US Golf Association offi-cials stopped play 25 minutes before Shibuno was set to tee off in the final group and called off play for the day about 3 1/2 hours later “due to course con-ditions and anticipated inclement weather.”

Shibuno, 22, is trying to win her US Women’s Open debut as she did her major debut last year.

The “Smiling Cinderella” won four times last year on the Japan LPGA Tour.

Golfers were in three-somes and tee times had been moved up to try and finish by sunset, but the final three lead groups never reached the first tee.

T h e e v e n t w a s rescheduled from June due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which also kept spectators from attending.

Olson, seeking her first LPGA title after 147 starts, would be the first player to make the US Women’s Open her first LPGA title since Hilary Lunke in 2003.

Thailand’s Moriya Jut-anugarn and South Korea’s Kim2 Ji-yeong were the only other players under par after 54 holes, each on 212.

Moriya, whose only LPGA title came at the 2018 Los Angeles Open, could join her sister Ariya as a US Women’s Open champion, becoming the first siblings to each capture the crown.

Kim2 made the cut on the number and fired a bogey-free 67 on Saturday to charge into contention.

Ariya Jutanugarn, a two-time major winner, joined a pack on level par by opening with a birdie just before play was halted.

Also on level par yet to tee off were New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Americans Yealimi Noh, Megan Khang and Kaitlyn Papp.

Rugby: Dyantyi gets four-year doping ban

AFP — JOHANNESBURG

Springbok winger and 2018 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Aphiwe Dyantyi has received a four-year ban for taking three banned substances, a senior South African rugby official said yesterday.

“This long-running case is finally over and Aphiwe has been given a four-year ban,” said the official, who requested anonymity as he is not an authorised spokesman.

An announcement con-firming the ban is expected to be made today by South African Institute for Drug-free Sport (SAIDS) chief executive Khalid Galant. The ban bars Dyantyi from playing rugby until August 12, 2023 -- 14 days before the back capped 13 times by South Africa in 2018 turns 29.

Dyantyi tested positive for metandienone, methyltesto-sterone and LGD-4033, which are all on the World Anti-Doping Agency banned substances list, while attending a Springboks camp in August last year.

Khalid Al Mohannadi is

seen with other participants on

the podium.

RIGHT: QMMF President

Abdul Rahman Al Mannai and riders pose for a picture on the

podium.

08MONDAY 14 DECEMBER 2020Sport

Commercial Bank, ECGC host golf tournament for kidsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

As Commercial Bank and Education City Golf Club are gearing up to host the annual Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in 2021, the two parties teamed up to organise the Final Play to Par Tournament of the Year for kids recently.

After revamping the pro-gramme, ECGC launched the Play to Par in September 2020, a series tailored to take children from the practice area to the golf course. Now, the

programme of 2020 has come to an end with the Final Tour-nament of the Year event.

Around fifty kids partici-pated in the event and played enjoyable rounds of golf at one of the country’s most spec-tacular golf courses.

The tournament was split into two levels of players: The Play to Par Red and Orange level for younger kids, and the Play to Par Yellow and Blue level for older ones. Attendees enjoyed the challenging course while also taking in the stunning,

picturesque sceneries and green fields of the golf course.

“We are elated to partner up with ECGC for the second year. As we prepare to host Com-mercial Bank Qatar Masters in 2021, we take pride in sup-porting golf activities dedicated for kids, as such activities engage junior golfers and prepare them to be professional players in the future,” said Com-mercial Bank EGM, Chief Mar-keting Officer Hussein Al Abdulla.

“Golf and fitness education

and development of the child are our priority,” said Education City Golf Club General Manager Michael Braidwood.

“Our Play to Par revamped classes are delivered in a mem-orable, safe and healthy envi-ronment as we encourage learning through a multitude of fun exercises.”

After enrolling in Play to Par, children are allocated into the age and skill appropriate class. Each class has content developed to best suit the needs of the specific group.

Dec 17 - Dec 21, 202010:30 local | 23:30 GMT

Australia vs India, 1st TestAdelaide Oval, Adelaide

Dec 18, 202019:00 local | 06:00 GMT

New Zealand vs Pakistan, 1st T20

D/N Eden Park, AucklandDec 20, 2020

19:00 local | 06:00 GMTNew Zealand vs Pakistan,

2nd T20D/N Eden Park, Auckland

Dec 22, 202019:00 local | 06:00 GMT

New Zealand vs Pakistan, 3rd T20

D/N McLean Park, NapierDec 26 - Dec 30, 202010:30 local | 23:30 GMT

Australia vs India, 2nd TestMelbourne Cricket Ground,

MelbourneDec 26 - Dec 30, 202011:00 local | 22:00 GMT

New Zealand vs Pakistan, 1st Test

Bay Oval, Mt MaunganuiDec 26 - Dec 30, 2020

10:00 local | 08:00 GMTSouth Africa vs Sri Lanka,

1st TestSuperSport Park,

Centurion

INTERNATIONAL MATCHES IN DECHolder’s rearguard action keeps

West Indies alive in second TestAFP — WELLINGTON

West Indies captain Jason Holder held off a venomous New Zealand attack as the tourists survived to be 244 for six at stumps yesterday on day three of the second Test in Wellington.

They require a further 85 runs with four wickets remaining to make New Zealand bat again and avoid a second innings defeat.

Against a four-pronged pace attack, rated by the West Indies as “one of the best” in the world and who continued to get bounce and movement off the pitch, the tourists lost seven wickets in the first two sessions but only one after tea as Holder launched into the bowling.

He was not out 60, with eight fours and two sixes, when bad light ended play an hour early.

Joshua da Silva, in his debut Test, was not out 25 with the pair adding an unbeaten 74 for the seventh wicket.

New Zealand quick Trent Boult said they were targeting an early finish on day four with the new ball 14 overs away.

“It’s all set up nicely for us tomorrow,” he said.

“Hopefully we can scratch out a couple before the new ball and set it up nicely.”

“We don’t need to go looking to do too much. Keep it nice and simple like we have done throughout the innings and draw the error and I’m pretty confident we can do it.”

West Indies opener John Campbell eked out 68 runs in the second innings but said it was hard going in New Zealand conditions where the ball does a lot.

“It’s difficult. It’s one of the best bowling attacks in the

world right now in Test cricket and in their own conditions,” he said.

“When they bowl they put us under tremendous pressure.”

New Zealand needed less than five overs at the start of the day to take the remaining two wickets and end the West Indies first innings at 131.

Tim Southee mopped up the tail to finish with five for 32 to go with the five for 34 by Kyle Jamieson, who was not required to bowl on the third morning.

Faced with a 329-run deficit, the West Indies second

innings was already wavering at 73 for two by lunch with Boult accounting for Kraigg Brathwaite (24) and Darren Bravo (4).

Campbell and Shamarh Brooks put on 89 for the third wicket but just as they looked comfortable the West Indies lost their way losing three wickets for three runs.

Neil Wagner accounted for Brooks (36) and Kyle Jamieson removed Roston Chase for this second duck of the match and bowled Campbell for 68 and the West Indies went to tea at 158

for five. Despite a chilly breeze, more than 4,700 spectators filled the grass banks at the Basin Reserve waiting for New Zealand to mop up the tail.

But the only wicket to fall in the final session was that of Jer-maine Blackwood, bowled by Boult for 20 before the stubborn resistance of Holder and da Silva ensured the Test went into a fourth day.

Boult, unsuccessful in the first innings, has three for 75 while Jamieson’s two second innings wickets have given him seven for the match.

New Zealand’s paceman Trent Boult (left) shouts an unsuccessful leg-before-wicket appeal against West Indies Jermaine Blackwood on day three of the second Test match in Wellington, yesterday.

New Zealand 1st innings 460West Indies 1st innings (overnight 124-8)K. Brathwaite c Taylor b Southee .................... 0J. Campbell c Latham b Jamieson ..................14D. Bravo c and b Southee ..................................7S. Brooks b Jamieson .......................................14R. Chase b Jamieson ......................................... 0J. Blackwood c Latham b Southee ................69J. Holder c Boult b Jamieson ............................ 9J. da Silva c Watling b Southee .........................3A. Joseph c Watling b Jamieson ...................... 0C. Holder not out ................................................ 8S. Gabriel b Southee ...........................................2Extras (lb3, w1, nb1) .........................................5Total (10 wickets; 56.4 overs) ...............131Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Brathwaite), 2-22 (Bravo), 3-29 (Campbell), 4-29(Chase), 5-97 (Brooks), 6-111 (Blackwood), 7-117 (J. Holder), 8-117 (Joseph), 9-127 (da Silva), 10-131 (Gabriel)Bowling: Southee 17.4-6-32-5, Boult 14-5-34-0, Wagner 12-5-28-0 (1nb), Jamieson 13-4-34-5 (1w)

West Indies 2nd innings (following on)K. Brathwaite c Young b Boult ......................24J. Campbell b Jamieson ...................................68D. Bravo c Nicholls b Boult ............................... 4S. Brooks c Watling b Wagner ....................... 36R. Chase c Latham b Jamieson ........................ 0J. Blackwood b Boult .......................................20J. Holder not out ...............................................60J. da Silva not out ............................................. 25Extras (b1, lb5, w1) .............................................7Total (six wickets; 65.4 overs) ..............244Fall of wickets: 1-37 (Brathwaite), 2-41 (Bra-vo), 3-130 (Brooks), 4-131 (Chase), 5-134 (Campbell), 6-170 (Blackwood)Bowling: Southee 17-4-63-0, Boult 15.4-1-75-3, Jamieson 15-4-43-2 (1w), Wagner 16-4-53-1, Mitchell 2-0-4-0Toss: West IndiesSeries: New Zealand lead 1-0Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Chris Brown (NZL)TV umpire: Wayne Knights (NZL)

SCOREBOARD

Babar to miss T20 series after fracturing his right thumb

REUTERS — WELLINGTON

Pakistan’s hopes suffered a big blow yesterday when captain Babar Azam (pictured) was ruled out of the three-match Twenty20 series against New Zealand after fracturing his right thumb during a practice session.

The batting mainstay will not be able to attend practice for at least 12 days, the Pakistan Cricket Board said, and he faces a race against time to be fit for the opening match of the two-test series from December 26.

“I have spoken with Babar and he is sad to miss the T20I series, as he was fully focused and keenly looking forward to the T20Is,” Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said the second-ranked T20 batsman in the world.

“We have a long season of cricket ahead and we now hope that he

regains complete fitness as early as possible so that he can return to competitive cricket,” Misbah said.

Babar’s injury came a day after top-order batsman

Imam-ul-Haq fractured his left thumb, also during a

practice session. Pakistan’s T20 vice-

captain Shadab Khan was also carrying a

groin niggle, the cricket board said. The first T20 will be p l a y e d i n Auckland on

Friday.

India and Australia A play to draw in tour matchAP — SYDNEY

Ben McDermott and Jack Wildermuth scored centuries yesterday to help Australia A salvage a draw against India ahead of the start of Thurs-day’s day-night first Test at the Adelaide Oval.

M c D e r m o t t a n d Wildermuth finished unbeaten on 107 and 111, respectively, when the captains agreed to shake hands.

India scored 194 and 386 declared after winning the toss and deciding to bat. Australia had 108 runs in its first innings and was 307-4 in its second when the match ended.

Earlier, Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant warmed up for the day-night Test with pink-ball centuries.

Vihari (104 not out), Gill (65), Mayank Agarwal (61) and Rishabh Pant (103 not out) all enjoyed productive stints at the crease on day two of the tour game at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Australia A’s attack was weakened by concussions to Cameron Green and Harry Conway, while Sean Abbott only delivered seven overs during India’s second innings because of a tight calf.

India reached 386-4 at stumps on day two, a 472-run lead.

Virat Kohl i and Cheteshwar Pujara, the vis-itors’ two best batsmen, opted for net sessions instead of appearing in the tour match.

Officials said veteran Rohit Sharma would join India’s Test squad for the second half of their series against Australia. Sharma sustained a hamstring injury during the recent Indian Premier League season then returned to lead the Mumbai Indians to a fifth title.

He will have to spend two weeks in quarantine upon arrival, as per Australia’s policy for all incoming travelers.

and we now hregains compearly as possican return tocricket,” Misb

Babar’s iday after top-

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Pucovski will return from concussion: RogersREUTERS — SYDNEY

Former Australia opener Chris Rogers expressed confidence that top-order batsman Will Pucovski (pictured) can bounce back from a concussion that ruled him out of the first Test against India in Adelaide.

Pucovski had been in doubt for the game starting on Thursday after he was struck in the head while batting for Australia A against the tourists last week and was ruled out for the test late on Saturday.

Rogers, the assistant coach of the A side, felt the 22-year-old would be right back in contention for the second test in Melbourne that starts on Dec. 26.

“Time is gold,” Rogers told reporters.

“Every day is going to count for him. And now he has a bit more time to prepare for (the second Test in) Mel-bourne, that’s going to help.”

Australian media reported that Pucovski had already suffered nine concussions, but Rogers, who also had issues with the head injury during his career, said he felt there were no fears about Pucovski’s technique and dealing with short-pitched bowling.

“I know he’s done so much work on playing the short ball and he just made a mistake. Sometimes you don’t always get it right,” Rogers added.

“But what people might not now is he played a couple of (Sheffield)

Shield games and they tried to bounce him from almost the 10th over, for his whole innings, and he got two double-hundreds.

“So he has actually been playing that short ball pretty well."

Starc to rejoin Australia teamREUTERS — SYDNEY

Fast bowler Mitchell Starc (pictured) will rejoin Australia’s squad in Adelaide today to prepare for the first Test against India after he withdrew from the Twenty20 series due to a family illness.

Starc will travel to Adelaide with several other members of the Australian side and the Indian team on a charter flight, Cricket Australia said yesterday.

“We feel for Mitch at this difficult time and were happy he h a s taken time o u t

to spend with his family,” Australia coach Justin Langer said in a statement.

“We look forward to welcoming him back into the squad on Monday.”

Starc’s return was also welcomed by fellow fast bowler Josh

Hazlewood as the home side continue their

push for a spot in the Interna-tional Cricket C o u n c i l ’ s world test

championship at Lord’s next

year.“It’s obviously

great news for us to have Starcy come

i n t o m o r r o w , ” H a z l e w o o d t o l d

reporters yesterday.

“He’s a huge part of our team and a huge part of our attack.

“Everyone knows his numbers with the pink ball are pretty special so we welcome him with open arms.”

Starc will only have two full days of practice with the pink ball ahead of the day-night Test, but Hazlewood said the disruptions caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic meant teams were used to changed schedules and preparations.

“If we’ve learned anything from this series it’s that nothing goes to plan,” Hazlewood said.

“I’m sure this hiccup will be no dif-ferent for Starcy.

“He’s a professional and he would have been doing everything he could over the last week and obviously once he comes into camp he’ll jump straight in and be ready to go.”

today to prepare for the first Test against India after he withdrewfrom the Twenty20 series due to a family illness.

Starc will travel to Adelaide with several other members of the Australian side and the Indian team on a charter flight, Cricket Australia said yesterday.

“We feel for Mitch at this difficult time and were happy he h a staken time o u to u t

Starc s return was also by fellow fast bow

Hazlewood asside con

pushin thtionC owo

chamat Lo

year.“It’s

great neto have St

i n t o mH a z l e w o o d

reporters yestereporters yeste