Cricket
Alastair Cook led England’s dogged resistance with a diligent 50 before falling to the final delivery of the day as India stayed on course for victory in the second test yesterday. Trapped in front by a Ravindra Jadeja delivery, Cook reviewed but could not get the lbw decision overturned in what was a massive blow to England ahead of an intriguing fifth day’s play today. Joe Root was batting on five with the tourists on 87-2, still needing 318 runs for an im-probable victory on a track offering significant turn and uneven bounce.
Rugby Union
France missed an injury-time drop goal as stand-in flyhalf Bernard Foley inspired Australia to a 25-23 win in Paris, late Saturday, their third consecutive victory in the autumn internationals. Foley, handed a starting place after Quade Cooper was ruled out through injury at the last minute, scored a try and kicked 10 points as Australia followed up their victories against Wales and Scotland. Tevita Kuridrani touched down for Australia who were also awarded a penalty try. Foley became the only player to start all Australia’s tests in 2016.
Golf
Sweden’s Henrik Stenson has won European Tour’s Order Of Merit for the second time after none of his challengers could replace him at the top of the money list on the final day of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai yesterday. The title caps a special year for the 40-year-old, who claimed his maiden major title at the British Open in July as well as a silver medal at golf’s first showing at the Olympics for 112 years. Stenson finished the tournament in some style, carding a seven-under round of 65 which included a run of five birdies in the opening seven holes, as well as one on the final hole.
Auto Racing
Mexico’s Daniel Suarez became NASCAR’s first foreign-born champion last weekend by winning the season-long Xfinity Series. The 24-year-old won the final race of the season at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in south Florida to clinch the overall title. Suarez was born in Monterrey and started racing carts before moving to North Carolina as a teenager to pursue his career. The Xfinity Series is a secondary competition on the stock car circuit below the main NASCAR Sprint Cup series.
Doping
Craig Reedie has been re-elected for a second three-year term as president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the organisation said on its Twitter account yesterday. Reedie, 75, has been involved with WADA since its foundation in 1999 and was elected its third president in 2013. He had faced stinging criticism from national Olympic committees days before he stood for re-election for WADA’s handling of the Russian doping scandal in the build-up to the 2016 Rio Games. He had to defend the timing of the release of part of the so-called McLaren report into doping in Russia shortly before the August Games. The report uncovered systematic state-sponsored doping in Russia.
Rugby Union
Malakai Fekitoa and Sam Cane have both been cited for “allegedly tackling an opponent dangerously” during New Zealand’s 21-9 victory over Ireland on Saturday. Referee Jaco Peyper sin-binned Fekitoa for his high tackle on Simon Zebo, while Cane was merely penalised for his thumping hit on Robbie Henshaw. Leinster centre Henshaw was removed from the field on a stretcher and faces further concussion checks, remaining a doubt ahead of Ireland’s final autumn clash with Australia on Saturday.