1. Virat Kohli’s India Look to Clinch Series vs England in 4th Test
A dominant India will be eyeing to clinch the five-match Test series against England with yet another comprehensive victory when the two teams square off in the fourth Test in Mumbai on Wednesday. If India go on to win the Test then, it will be their record-equalling fifth consecutive series win.
With an unassailable 2-0 lead after three Tests, the confidence of the Virat Kohli-led team is sky high and they would like to regain the Anthony de Mello Trophy, which they had lost to Alastair Cook's side back in 2012.
However, one of India’s main batsmen, Ajinkya Rahane has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series due to a finger injury. Manish Pandey is set to replace the Mumbai player in the Indian squad.
And Shardul Thakur has been called as a back up for Mohammed Shami, who had a sore knee after the third Test.
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2. Porto Crush Leicester City 5-0 to Ease into Last 16 of Champions League
Porto eased into the Champions League knockout stages on Wednesday with a 5-0 win over Leicester City's hapless second-string side, who suffered the heaviest defeat ever by an English side in the European Cup.
With their qualification as Group G victors assured, the English champions changed 10 of their first-team line-up, leaving their hosts to cash in hungrily with a double from Andre Silva and fine strikes from Jesus Corona, Yacine Brahimi and Diogo Jota.
No English team had suffered such a huge loss in the 61-year annals of Europe's premier club competition and it was the worst reverse for any Premier League club in continental combat since Everton's 5-0 defeat, also in Portugal, at Benfica in the 2009-10 Europa League.
(Source: Reuters)
3. Late Reus Equaliser Means Dortmund Beat Real to Top Spot
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Real Madrid failed to win their Champions League group for the first time in four years when a late goal by substitute Marco Reus allowed Borussia Dortmund to equalise and clinch a 2-2 draw on Wednesday.
Zinedine Zidane's side looked to be on their way to securing first place in Group F when Karim Benzema knocked in Dani Carvajal's cutback in the 28th minute and the French striker stretched their lead by nodding in James Rodriguez's cross in the 53rd.
Dortmund hit back in the 60th minute with a close-range finish from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and a goal-line clearance from Reus stopped Cristiano Ronaldo restoring Real's advantage shortly afterwards.
The Germany international, who had begun the game on the bench after falling ill on Tuesday, tapped in a low cross from Aubameyang in the 88th minute to complete the comeback and score his third goal in two Champions League games.
(Source: Reuters)
4. Dempo FC Pull Out From I-League
Dempo FC on Wednesday pulled out from the I-League for the upcoming season in protest against AIFF's proposed roadmap to restructure domestic football, dealing another body blow to the sport in India.
Earlier, Salgaocar FC and Sporting Dempo FC pulled out from the league.
All the three Goan club owners – Shivanand Salgaocar, Shrinivas Dempo and Peter Vaz – had taken a united stand on 23 June 2016 to oppose the restructuring that makes Indian Super League (ISL) a top-tier league and relegates I-League to the second division or 'League One' as it will be called.
(Source: PTI)
5. Djokovic Has Not Worked Hard Enough, Says Boris Becker
Novak Djokovic lost his momentum in the second half of last season and was toppled as the world number one by Andy Murray because his work-rate dropped, the Serbian's former coach Boris Becker said on Wednesday.
Speaking a day after the two terminated their cooperation by mutual consent, German Becker said Djokovic's need to spend more time with his family had derailed him on the court.
He didn’t spend as much time on the practice court in the last six months as he should have and he knows that. Success like this doesn’t happen by pushing a button. Success like this doesn’t just happen by showing up at a tournament. You have to work your bottom off because the opposition does the same.Boris Becker
(Source: Reuters)
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