Short Corner — Chandigarh

Cricket squad
Adding to the mounting confusion about the Indian cricket team’s participation in the Commonwealth Games in Kaula Lumpur, BCCI secretary, Jaywant Lele categorically stated that, "We will decide on the team only on September 4. We will not announce the team before the end of the conditioning camp."

India `A’ win
India `A’ completed a total rout of Holland outclassing the hosts in all the three one-day cricket matches when the visitors scored an emphatic eight-wicket victory in the final tie in Amsterdam. An unbeaten 79-run third wicket partnership between Reetinder Singh Sodhi (48 n.o) and left-hander Rohan Gavaskar (44 n.o.) helped India `A’ overcome early losses and overhaul Holland’s meagre total of 96 all out with 23 overs to spare.

GM norm
Former national `A’ champion P Konguvel (5) kept alive his chances of earning maiden GM norm with a fine win over GM Gleizerov (Russia), but IM Abhijit Kunte (4) lost his chance of achieving the final GM norm, when he lost to GM Ljubomiv Ftacnik of Slovakia in the 8th round of the M K Cafe Cup chess tournament in Koszalin.

Mandke extended
It was a quiet day at the MCC Courts with seeds having a stroll in the park. Only last year’s runner-up Radhika Mandke, who is not seeded for the event had her hands full against Pooja Deshmukh of MP. In the end, Radhika kept her equanimity under hot conditions to book a berth in the quarter-finals of the IOB-MCC National junior tennis championship on Wednesday.

Leander cruises
Second seeded Leander Paes breezed through his first round match against Peter Luxa at the Binghamton Challenger. Paes won 6-1, 6-2. He now plays Italian World No 149, Cristiano Caratti on Thursday.