Weekly Digest (Dec 23-29): From Shoaib Akhtar's comment on Danish Kaneria to Russia's WADA ban appeal

A round-up of all that happened in the world of sport over the last week.

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has urged people not to politicise the Danish Kaneria issue.

CRICKET

Nathan Lyon grabbed four wickets as Australia completed a crushing 247-run victory on day four of the Boxing Day Test against New Zealand. It gave the host an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. ( Report )

Peter Siddle

 

Peter Siddle has called time on his international career after 11 years representing Australia in Test, ODI and Twenty20 cricket. ( Report )

Danish Kaneria has said that whatever Shoaib Akhtar has spoken about the leg-spinner — being discriminated within the Pakistan cricket team during its playing days because of his Hindu faith —  is true. He, however, has urged people not to politicise the issue. In a statement, Kaneria has also revealed that his life is “not in a good shape” and therefore urged Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to get him “out of the mess.” ( Report )

Soul searching proved to be a cathartic experience for India’s Test captain Ajinkya Rahane, who learnt to accept rejection after being snubbed for last year’s ODI World Cup. Rahane was playing county cricket when his teammates were fighting it out in England. ( Report )

Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez was on Tuesday suspended from bowling in English cricket's domestic competitions after his action was again found illegal following an independent assessment. ( Report )

South Africa all-rounder Vernon Philander will call time on his international career at the end of the Test series against England in January 2020. ( Report )

FOOTBALL

EPL

Manchester United moved up to fifth on the Premier League table with a 2-0 win away to Burnley with goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial. ( Report )

Harry Kane's late penalty secured a point for Tottenham Hotspur against Norwich City, which twice relinquished its one-goal lead at Carrow Road on Saturday. ( Report )

Manchester City lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux, where it relinquished a 2-0 lead after goalkeeper Ederson was shown a red card. Adama Traore sparked the comeback before Raul Jimenez equalised and Matt Doherty scored the winner. ( Report )

Southampton secured a 2-0 win against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Boxing Day with goals from Michael Obafemi and Nathan Redmond. ( Report )

James Milner celebrates after scoring Liverpool's second goal with Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Robert Firmino.

 

Liverpool completed the league double over Leicester City with a 4-0 win. Robert Firmino scored a brace, while James Milner scored a penalty and Trent Alexander-Arnold added a fourth. ( Report )

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hailed his team's resolve after its 2-0 win against Burnley. ( Report )

ISL

David Williams's strike secured a 1-0 home win against Bengaluru FC, in what was the Kolkata-based club's first win over the defending ISL champion. ( Report )

FC Goa edged two-time ISL champion Chennaiyin FC in a seven-goal thriller with Ferran Corominas's 63rd-minute goal proving to be the winner. The result lifted Goa to the summit of the ISL table. ( Report )

The Indian Super League rearranged six fixtures with the Chennaiyin FC-Bengaluru FC match originally scheduled for February 7 moved to February 9. ( Report )
 

I-League

Goals from Danish Farooq Bhat and Bazie Armand helped Real Kashmir FC beat defending I-League champion 2-1 at the TRC Turf Ground. ( Report )

Indian Arrows rallied to beat Churchill Brothers 2-1 in its own backyard on Saturday. It was Arrows' first win of the season. ( Report )

HOCKEY

Young striker Dilpreet Singh was on Saturday included in a 32-member men’s core probables group for a two-week national coaching camp ahead of next month’s FIH Hockey Pro League, to be held in Bhubaneswar. ( Report )

BOXING

Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom (51kg) defeated Nikhat Zareen in an intense and ill-tempered trial bout in New Delhi on Saturday to make the Indian boxing team for next year’s Olympic qualifiers in China. After her bout, she courted controversy as she refused to shake hands with Zareen. ( Report )

The rematch between World Boxing Council heavyweight world titleholder Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury will take place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on February 22, next year. ( Report )

Former World Championship bronze-medallist boxer Gaurav Bidhuri has challenged the selection procedure for the trials for next year’s Olympic Qualifiers and sought Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju’s intervention in the matter. In the letter, Bidhuri claimed that he was unfairly kept out of the trials. ( Report )
 

MOTORSPORT

Charles Leclerc signed a contract extension with Ferrari, keeping him with the Italian constructor until 2024. ( Report )

TENNIS

 

Andy Murray will miss the Australian Open as a precautionary measure after suffering an injury setback. ( Report )

Kim Clijsters,   who retired for a second time in 2011, confirmed on Monday that she was making a comeback starting in Mexico in March. ( Report )

Lucas Pouille, a semifinalist at the Australian Open this year, has withdrawn from next month's tournament in Melbourne. ( Report )

Doubles star Sania Mirza on Tuesday returned to the Indian Fed Cup team after four years as she was named in the five-member squad, which features country’s top singles player Ankita Raina. ( Report )

Big pay rises are in store for players at January’s Australian Open with organisers on Tuesday announcing a 13.6 percent boost in the total purse to AUD 71 million (USD 49.1 million). ( Report )

US Open champion Bianca Andreescu   has delayed the start of her season by withdrawing from the Auckland Open. ( Report )

Long-time friends Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki will play doubles together for the first time at the WTA Tour’s ASB Classic in Auckland beginning on January 6. ( Report )

British tennis player Jay Clarke has revealed he experiences racist abuse "nine days out of 10". ( Report )

For India's tennis icon Leander Paes, 2020 will be the 'farewell year' as a professional player. On Wednesday, Paes announced that he will quit the game after next year and thanked his family for supporting him. ( Report )

Sania Mirza

 

Sania Mirza hits the court to train for season 2020. ( Report )

 

CHESS
 

Koneru Humpy's long wait finally ended after she beat Lei Tingjie in the Armageddon to win the Women's World Rapid Chess Championship in Moscow. ( Report )

All India Chess Federation endorses election on February 9. ( Report )

 

ATHLETICS

Russia on Friday formally contested its ban from major sporting events over doping violations, the head of its RUSADA anti-doping agency said. ( Report )
 

SHOOTING
 

Haryana dominated the mixed air pistol competition by winning all the three gold medals in the 63rd National shooting championship on Wednesday. ( Report )

GOLF

 

Udayan Mane   produced a flawless seven-under 65 on the final day to claim a thrilling one-shot win at the season-ending TATA Steel Tour Championship on Sunday.( Report )