Sports

CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand promised to bounce back quickly from their first-Test loss to Bangladesh and captain Tom Latham redeemed the pledge with a commanding unbeaten century Sunday on the first day of the second Test. Latham lost the toss for the sixth time while standing in as captain for Kane Williamson and had to bat on a disconcertingly green pitch …

World number one Novak Djokovic won a stunning victory on Monday over the Australian government, overturning the cancellation of his visa on Covid-19 health grounds, and ending his detention. It was an extraordinary setback for the government, which has imposed strict restrictions on its borders for the past two years to stop the spread of the coronavirus. In an emergency online …

LONDON: Second-tier Huddersfield created the first shock of the third round of the FA Cup by coming from behind to beat Premier League side Burnley 2-1 on Saturday. Crystal Palace survived a scare, though, rallying thanks to an inspired second-half display by winger Michael Olise to beat second-tier Millwall 2-1. Premier League clubs enter the world’s oldest knockout competition at …

MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic’s lawyers filed court papers on Saturday in his challenge against deportation from Australia that show the tennis star tested positive for Covid-19 last month and recovered, grounds he used in applying for a medical exemption to the country’s strict vaccination rules. The top-ranked Djokovic was denied entry at the Melbourne airport late on Wednesday after border officials …

SYDNEY: Usman Khawaja’s stunning return to Test cricket continued on Saturday with a blistering century in Australia’s second innings on day four which led the hosts to 265-6 declared and set England an unlikely 388 runs to win the fourth Ashes Test. Openers Zak Crawley and Haseeb Hameed then survived a nervous 11 overs in fading light to get England …

The six HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises on Saturday picked additional players and submitted partial replacements for unavailable players in a supplementary and replacement draft, said a statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The statement said the draft was held through a virtual session and the order of selection was decided through random draw. Karachi Kings had the first pick …

Battle-weary England dug in for a gripping draw with just one wicket left to deny dominant Australia a 4-0 series lead in the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney on Sunday. Number 11 batsman James Anderson safely played out a tense 102nd and final over from leg-spinner Steve Smith in deteriorating evening light as England ended on 270 for nine chasing …

WELLINGTON: New Zealand’s defeat in the opening match may have marred Ross Taylor’s farewell Test series but the retiring stalwart believes Bangladesh’s shock victory at Mount Maunganui was a massive boost for the game and the format. Bangladesh, currently ranked ninth, stunned world Test champions New Zealand by eight wickets on Wednesday for their first victory against New Zealand at …

ZURICH: Cristiano Ronaldo was left off the three-man shortlist on Friday for FIFA’s best player award for 2021, with Mohamed Salah on it instead. Six-time FIFA award winner Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski are also candidates to win the award on Jan 17. Lewandowski won last year ahead of Ronaldo and Messi. No player from Italy’s European Champ­ionship-winning team or …

JOHANNESBURG: India captain Virat Kohli should be “good to go” for the decisive third Test against South Africa, which starts in Cape Town on Tuesday, coach Rahul Dravid said. Kohli missed his side’s seven-wicket defeat in the second Test at the Wanderers after pulling up with a back spasm but has been back in the nets and resumed training, Dravid …