Sports
We want to emulate ATK’s success: Pune coach Popovic
Kolkata, Nov 26 (IANS) Despite thrashing defending champions ATK 4-1, FC Pune City coach Ranko Popovic on Sunday said they would love to emulate the success of their eastern rivals on the night and one match does not make a team bad.
ATK are the most successful team in three seasons of the Indian Super League (ISL), winning the tournament in 2014 and 2016.
“They are a good team. We are jealous of their success and want to come close to them. It is not correct to run them down after one (home) game. They have 16 more games to change fortunes. We have lot of work for us so we want to think about ourselves only,” coach Popovic said at the post match press conference.
Brazilian Marcelinho scored a brace either side of half-time to help Pune thrash ATK 4-1 in a second round tie.
Rohit Kumar (51st minute) and Emiliano Alfaro (80th) scored the second and fourth goal for the visitors as Marcelinho (13th, 60th) continued from where he had left last season, finishing top-scorer for Delhi Dynamos.
For the home side, who drew 0-0 in the last match as well away to Kerala Blasters, Bipin Singh (50th) netted a sublime free kick in front of 32,816 spectators.
“We did not expect to win by such a big margin but we came here to win and I was adamant on that yesterday as well,” Popovic said.
Rohit, whose second goal changed the tide towards Pune after Bipin had pegged back, said he is happy to have contributed.
“I am feeling good for the team and we played really well. The most important thing is to win the match and I am happy,” he said.
Pune next take on Mumbai City FC at home on November 29.
–IANS
dm/pur/bg
The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.
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