Indian sports news wrap: March 13

Here are all the major updates, scores and results of Indians from the world of sports on Wednesday, March 13.

Pragathi Gowda (centre), co-driver Trisha Alonkar and former World Rally Champion Karamjit Singh from Malaysia. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

MOTORSPORT

52 entries for 47th MMSC South India Rally

The 47 ^th MMSC South India Rally, to be run in Chennai from March 15 to 17, has attracted 52 entries.

The three-day event, organized by the Madras Motor Sports Club, and promoted by Blueband Sports, doubles up as the first round of AVT Gold Cup FIA APRC South India Rally - Asia Cup which has received 10 entries, all from India, and the Blueband fmsci Indian National Rally Championship (52 entries, including the 10 APRC contenders) to be contested over 137 Kms of 13 Special Stages and covering an overall distance of about 446 Kms.

The Asia Cup entry list is headlined by Mangalorean Aroor Arjun Rao (co-driver Satish Rajagopal), the 2023 Overall National champion, driving a Maruti Suzuki Baleno and representing Mandovi Racing. Rao also heads the INRC field which includes Delhi’s Harkrishan Wadia (co-driver Kunal Kashyap), the 2023 INRC 2 champion, and Chandigarh-based Jahaan Singh Gill (Suraj Keshav Prasad) of SNAP Racing who has moved up to INRC 2 after capturing the INRC 3 and JINRC titles last season.

A notable absentee is multiple APRC and INRC champion Gaurav Gill who had originally entered, but withdrew at the last minute due to delay in getting his Ford Fiesta shipped from Dubai in time for this weekend’s event.

The seven-round INRC comprises various classes that include Overall (INRC), INRC 2, INRC 3, Junior INRC (below 26 years of age) and Women, besides the FMSCI Challenge Cup, a non-championship category for Maruti Gypsy vehicles.

- Team Sportstar

CRICKET

Blind Cricket: India take unassailable series lead with seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in third T20

India defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the third T20 to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match Samarth Championship for Blind Cricket in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Chandana Deshapriya (76) scored a fifty to help Sri Lanka post 162/3 after being invited to bat first at the Karnail Singh Stadium.

Dinesh Rathva, Naresh Tumda, Lokesh and Pankaj Bhue, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, then contributed with the bat as India chased down the target with 27 balls to spare.

India thus claimed the bilateral series with two more matches to go.

India defeated Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the third T20. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Sri Lanka got off to a decent start but lost two wickets inside the power play. In a must-win match, Deshapriya and skipper Damith Sandaruwan then started rebuilding the innings.

While Deshapriya scored 76 runs in 63 balls, Sandaruwan struck 46 in 47 balls.

For India, Bhue picked a wicket.

Chasing 163, India started off well scoring 75 runs in the first eight overs. Pankaj and Dinesh laid the platform for the chase as the Men In Blue looked all set to claim the series.

India lost Dinesh in the eighth over an Pankaj in 12th but that didn’t derail the chase.

Naresh Tumda and Lokesha ensured India got over the line in the 16th over, asserting their dominance over the visiting side in the series. India made 164/3 in 15.3 overs.

- PTI

TENNIS

$25,000 ITF women’s tournament: Shrivalli Bhamidipaty beats Romania’s Maria Bara, advances second round

Shrivalli Bhamidipaty found her rhythm and outclassed the top seed Irina Maria Bara of Romania 6-3, 6-0 in the first round of the $25,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament at the Indore Tennis Club on Wednesday.

The 486th ranked Shrivalli will play Viktoria Morvayova of Sllovakia who beat Vaidehi Chaudhari in three sets.

Sahaja Yamalapalli played an equally strong game to ease past Zeel Desai for the loss of four games. Sahaja will play fourth seed Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand in the pre-quarterfinals.

Qualifier Vaishnavi Adkar fought well for two hours and 44 minutes, but got beaten 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 by Thasaporn Naklo of Thailand.

The Thai served big and did not drop a point in winning the last two games at 5-5 in the decider, firing two of her nine aces in the process. From being down 0-4, and 2-5 in the third set, Vaishnavi played her best to make a fight of it.

In doubles, top seeds Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale were beaten 6-3, 5-7, [10-7] by the Japanese, Akiko Omae and Mei Yamaguchi.

The results:

Singles (first round): Shrivalli Bhamidipaty bt Irina Maria Bara (Rou) 6-3, 6-0; Viktoria Morvayova (Svk) bt Vaidehi Chaudhari 3-6, 6-2, 6-4; Ekaterina Yashina bt Michika Ozeki (Jpn) 6-1, 6-3; Yeonwoo Ku (Kor) bt Aanya Choubey (USA) 6-1, 6-0; Polina Iatcenko bt Akanksha Nitture 6-0, 6-3; Diana Marcinkevica (Lat) bt Rinon Okuwaki (Jpn) 6-2, 3-6, 6-2; Jacqueline Cabaj Awad ((Sswe) bt Daria Kudashova 6-3, 6-3; Sahaja Yamalapalli bt Zeel Desai 6-3, 6-1; Mananchaya Ssawangkaew (Tha) bt Rutuja Bhosale 6-2, 6-0; Thasaporn Naklo (Tha) bt Vaishnavi Adkar 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-5; Mei Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Akiko Omae (Jpn) 6-2, 6-1; Dalila Jakupovic (Slo) bt Ayumi Koshishi (Jpn) 6-3, 6-1.

Doubles (pre-quarterfinals): Akiko Omae & Mei Yamaguchi (Jpn) bt Rutuja Bhosale & Ankita Raina 6-2, 5-7, [10-7]; Riya Bhatia & Michika Ozeki (Jpn) bt Sharmada Balu & Rinon Okuwaki (Jpn) 6-1, 2-1 (retired); Ya-Hsuan Llee (Tpe) & Sohyun Park (Kor) bt Akanksha Nitture & Soha Sadiq 6-0, 6-3; Jacqueline Cabaj Awad (Swe) & Diana Marcinkevica (Lat) bt Dayeon Back (Kor) & Gyeong Seo Lee (Kor) 7-5, 4-6, [10-5].

-Kamesh Srinivasan

$15,000 ITF women’s tournament: Prathyusha Rachapudi loses in first round

Laura Dilekova of Slovakia beat Prathyusha Rachapudi 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the $25,000 ITF women’s tennis tournament in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, on Wednesday.

The results:

$15,000 ITF women, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt

Singles (first round): Laura Dilekova (Svk) bt Prathyusha Rachapudi 6-2, 6-2.

-Kamesh Srinivasan

GOLF

Hitaashee takes 10-shot lead in sixth leg of Hero WPGT

Hitaashee Bakshi maintained the tempo as she added a superb 6-under 66 to her first-round 64 to run away with a 10-shot lead at the halfway mark of the sixth leg of the Hero Women’s Pro Golf Tour here.

Hitaashee, who equalled the DLF Golf and Country Club course record of 64, had eight birdies against two bogeys on the second day.

As she raced to 3-under 141 for two rounds, Amandeep Drall, the winner last week, blazed the front side of the course with seven birdies on the way to a round of 69 that was damaged by three bogeys and a double bogey over the last five holes.

Playing alongside Hitaashee and Amandeep in the lead group was Vani Kapoor, who shot 4-under with five birdies against one bogey for a round of 68.

While Hitaashee was 14-under 130, Vani was at 4-under 140 and Amandeep was 3-under 141.

Amateur Zara Anand (71) and Gaurika Bishnoi (72) were tied for fourth at 1-over 145. Yet another amateur Vidhatri Urs (70) was lying sixth, while Astha Madan (72) and Riya Yadav (68) occupied seventh and eighth places.

Khushi Khanijau (70) and Jasmine Shekar (74) were tied for ninth to round off the top 10.

Interestingly, four of the six amateurs of which three -- Zara, Vidhatri and Heena Kang, who will play at the Queen Sirikit Cup in New Zealand, made the cut.

The cut came at 161 and 29 players will play the final two rounds.

-PTI

POLO

Northern India Championship

Three goals each by Padmanabh Singh and Juan Cruz helped Rajasthan Polo Club to a 9-6 victory over Vimal Arion Achievers in a league match of the Northern India polo championship at the Jaipur Polo ground here on Wednesday.

The results (league): Rajasthan Polo Club 9 (Padmanabh Singh 3, Juan Cruz 3, Salvador Jauretche 2, Jaisal Singh) bt Vimal Arion Achievers 6 (Chris Mackenzie 3, Daniel Otamendi, Dhruvpal Godara, Vishwarupe Bajaj).

-Kamesh Srinivasan