CRICKET
Aussies frustrate India
Resolute rearguard action by Peter Handscomb and Shaun Marsh helped Australia escape with a remarkable draw against India on the final day of the third Test in Ranchi, India, yesterday. Having conceded a 152-run first-innings lead, the tourists were reeling when skipper Steve Smith departed, leaving his team at 63-4 with more than two sessions to go and the hosts confident of a win, but Handscomb and Marsh battled on through the entire second session to first erase the deficit and then ensure Australia were safe by the time they were separated. Handscomb made 72 not out, his third Test half-century, to help Australia finish on 204-6 before the players shook hands. Marsh made 53, the duo frustrating India for nearly four hours with a dour 124-run stand to shatter the hosts’ chances of going 2-1 up in the four-Test series.
SOCCER
Bayern edge closer to title
Bayern Munich extended their Bundesliga lead to 13 points as Thomas Mueller capped his 250th league appearance with a rare goal in Sunday’s 1-0 victory at Borussia Moenchengladbach. After second-placed RB Leipzig crashed to a 3-0 loss at Werder Bremen on Saturday, Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern took the chance to go further ahead in the table as they edge ever closer to a fifth straight title. It was Bayern’s sixth straight win in all competitions. “We played well in the first half and created good chances,” Ancelotti said. “I was very happy with the performance, especially as Borussia made it harder for us after the break.” “We knew it would be hard to get a win here, so we stepped on the turbo after the break,” Mueller told Sky Sports.
GOLF
Leishman holds off McIlroy
Australia’s Marc Leishman sank a 51-foot eagle putt on the 16th hole on Sunday and held off a charging Rory McIlroy and two others to capture the Arnold Palmer Invitational. One-putting the final four holes at Bay Hill in Florida, the 33-year-old surged late to claim his first PGA Tour victory since 2012. “It just all came together,” Leishman said. “To do it here is really good. It was just an unbelievable day.” Leishman fired a final-round three-under 69 to finish on 11-under 277 in the first event since the death of tournament namesake Palmer, the golf legend who had hosted the event annually. “Mr Palmer was a very special guy,” Leishman said. “To win it in honor of him was huge.” Americans Kevin Kisner and Charley Hoffman each fired 73s to share second on 278, with McIlroy and England’s Tyrell Hatton sharing fourth on 279. Taiwan’s Pan Cheng-tsung carded a 72 to finish tied for 56th pace on four-over.
GOLF
Nordqvist wins by two shots
Anna Nordqvist closed with a four-under 68 at the LPGA Tour’s Founders Cup in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday to hold off a trio of former major champions and earn her first victory of the season. Over the four days, Nordqvist posted 26 birdies, one eagle and just three bogeys to finish at 25-under 263, two shots better than Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, South Korea’s Chun In-gee and Stacy Lewis of the US. Nordqvist came within two strokes of the LPGA Tour record of 27-under set in 2001 by Annika Sorenstam and matched last year by Kim Sei-young. Kaohsiung-born Candie Kung was tied for 46th place on 12-under after a 71.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was