SAFF Cup: With Robin Singh injured, India must look to it's young brigade for semi-final glory

Thiruvananthapuram: Six days, nine matches and an astonishing 31 goals later, the SAFF Championship is out of its group stage. Semi-finals beckon four teams that have passed the test — India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan. It has been an exhilarating round of fixtures in the group stage, with an average of 3.4 goals scored per match. Defending champions Afghanistan have scored over a third of those goals — 11 in three games — and conceded just one.

It's Afghanistan's last SAFF Championships as they have now moved to the newly formed Central Asian Football Association (CAFA), and they want to finish on a high. But after a miserable World Cup qualifying campaign, hosts India will give their last inch to go all the way.

India will now face Maldives in the first semi-final on 31 December after the 2008 SAFF champions lost 4-1 to Afghanistan in the final group B game. And though the Blue Tigers have momentum following their 4-1 thrashing of Nepal, Maldives have more than enough in them to pull off an upset and send India packing in their own backyard.

Sunil Chhetri in action during the SAFF Cup. PTI

Maldives did lose to Afghanistan by a big margin, but the score doesn't come close to illustrate how difficult they made it for them.  And Maldives had rested five key players, just like Afghanistan, including their sensational captain Ali Ashfaq.

"We chopped and changed the team quite a bit tonight. I'm not quite sure we'll concede four goals like that again, it was just one of those nights for me. The goals we conceded were poor, now our focus is on the semi-finals," Maldives coach Ricki Herbert said after the loss to Afghanistan.

Herbert didn't seem fazed by the prospect of facing the hosts and tougher opponents India in the semi-finals and was relishing the chance to take on the men in blue.

"I think it's going to be great, all the pressure's on them. They're hosting it, they'll want to win it. I think they need to win it," he said, deflecting the pressure on the Indian team.

Herbert, the former NorthEast United coach, is not wrong. The pressure is on India, especially after a dismal run in the World Cup Qualifiers. True, Constantine is building a young team and has given youngsters a chance to shine (under the Englishman's second spell, 22 Indian players in the space of 10 months have been handed their senior team debuts) but while that is remarkable and encouraging, the results matter. Everyone would fancy India to bring home the SAFF Cup. Even though he doesn't admit it, Constantine must be feeling the pressure.

Although India have played a game less than Maldives and Afghanistan and thus have had more time to rest, recover and train, they have suffered a blow ahead of the do-or-die semi-final fixture. Star striker Robin Singh, who scored both the goals in the opener against Sri Lanka, will miss the rest of the tournament owing to the knee injury he suffered in the same match. An MRI revealed that the striker's knee injury is graver than it looked initially.

With Robin Singh sidelined, India will lose physicality and their aerial threat in the attacking third.

Constantine, who had initially dismissed the injury as "nothing serious", said he was disappointed to lose the Bengaluru FC and Delhi Dynamos striker.

"It's a blow and a loss for us. He had started to score for the national team on a regular basis and is such a hard working guy," the India head coach said ahead of the semi-final clash.

India won't be allowed to replace the injured forward, in accordance with SAFF guidelines.

However, the situation could be a blessing in disguise for the team as Constantine now has the opportunity to go a step beyond his word on trying out young players. The stage is set, and the occasion is big — the semi-finals of the SAFF Championships. Eighteen year old winger Lallianzuala Chhangte has had a dream of a start to his national team career. Constantine has the opportunity to show a bit more faith in him and hand him his first start. The kid will be under pressure but it will be a great opportunity for him to show that he can handle it. If his peach of a goal against Nepal announced an arrival, he now has the perfect chance to prove that he is here to stay.

Indian will also have to be wary of the Maldivian attack -- especially their captain and No 7 Ali Ashfaq. He was saved for the semi-final and the Indian back four will have to keep a tight mark on him. Early on in the match against Nepal, Indian defenders were caught off-guard by Nepal's intent -- Maldives will be no different.

Constantine made five changes to the squad in the second game. One can expect a few changes for the semi-final as well. Gurpreet Singh will be back between the posts and Jeje Lalpekhlua should start up front. But with Sandesh Jhinghan and Anas Edathodika injured, India still don't seem to have a settled defensive combination.

Whatever the Blue Tigers' starting XI may be, all of them must come up with their best to advance to the final on 3 January. After all, they are the hosts. And as Herbert said, the entire nation is looking at them.

Virender Sehwag admits he was 'hurt' when dropped 'without any communication from selectors'

New Delhi: Legendary opener Virender Sehwag admitted that he was "hurt" after being dropped in the middle of the 2013 Test series against Australia without any "communication from team management or selectors."

Sehwag was dropped after the second Test against Australia in Hyderabad but the 'Nawab of Najafgarh' felt that selectors should have given him an option to play two more Tests and retire in an India jersey.

Virender Sehwag called time on a glittering international career. Reuters

"I hadn't scored runs in two Tests against Australia. So, I was thinking I would get a couple of more opportunities to perform well in the last two Tests (of the series) and then get dropped if I didn't perform. If the selectors would have given me that option to play two more Tests and say that you play the two matches and then retire, I would have thought about it," Sehwag told ESPNCricinfo

Asked if the communication was lacking from BCCI and team management's end, Sehwag agreed.

"Absolutely, nobody called me from the team management, selectors or BCCI. I got to know about it from newspaper, that hurt me then but I am fine with it now," Sehwag said.

During his last three seasons in first-class cricket, Sehwag batted in the middle-order, something that he wanted in the Indian team but was denied.

"I told the management (about wanting to bat lower down) but they felt that I was still good enough to play as an opener and they didn't want to take chances with the opening pair. I tried my best but could not get an opportunity in the middle order," he said.

"When I played my last series, Tendulkar was still there, Kohli and Dhoni were there. Pujara was playing as the No. 3 batsman. Tendulkar was playing at 4, Kohli at 5 and it meant that I had to bat at No. 6 after Tendulkar as you could not ask him to bat at No 3 or 5. So, there was no chance for me to bat in the middle order."

Sehwag however did not make any bones about the fact that he had a horrible next season for Delhi just after getting dropped and that effectively ended his chances of a comeback.

"When I got dropped, I was thinking that I'm a good player and can get back into the Indian team but I was still living in the mindset that I am an aggressive opener and can score runs but I did not realise that domestic cricket is totally different to international cricket and I was still playing in the same way," he said.

"I did not score runs that (2013-14) season and my highest was 50-odd (56) and I was struggling to cope up with conditions in Delhi. I then changed my thinking next year and batting style by giving myself a little more time and I scored 500 plus runs, but I needed to score big in the previous season and maybe I would have got back into the team. It was too late but I was playing because I wanted to play the game."

Sports in 2015: Cricket soap-opera dominated by Virat Kohli's captaincy as Saina-Sania enjoy a dream year

New Delhi: A phase of transition gripped India's favourite obsession both on and off the field but tennis ace Sania Mirza and top shuttler Saina Nehwal ensured that sports other than cricket also had their moments of glory as they geared up for next year's Olympics in a low-key 2015.

That cricket dominated headlines for most part of the year was hardly a surprise given the drama which unfolded in an episodic manner, be it on the field or inside the BCCI power corridors.

Whether it was Virat Kohli starting his Test captaincy reign in the middle of a high-profile series in Australia or N Srinivasan waging a lone battle to save his chair before eventually bowing out from both the BCCI and the ICC, cricket was undoubtedly a soap opera that had the fans hooked.

India Test Captain Virat Kohli. Photo: BCCI

The feisty and ferocious Kohli ushered in the new age Indian cricket team with an approach which had the purists divided.

The sight of an Indian team unabashed about getting under the opponents' skin as much with words and gestures as with sheer superiority of skill was met with mixed response from both the fans and yesteryear stars of the game.

The Cricket World Cup made a return to Down Under, as Australia and New Zealand hosted the tournament after a gap of 23 years. Coming into the tournament in poor form, the Indian team lead by MS Dhoni managed to reach the semifinals to the surprise of many, riding on a remarkable collective bowling effort. The team lost to eventual champions Australia, who won yet another one-sided World Cup final against co-hosts New Zealand.

It was also a year which marked the end of an era with the retirement of swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag and pace spearhead Zaheer Khan.

Away from the cricket field, it was a year in which Sania was undoubtedly the biggest success story with her staggering 10 titles on the tour -- two of them Grand Slams.

Her pairing with Swiss legend Martina Hingis was near invincible through the year and the duo enjoyed a 55:7 win-loss ratio, clinching nine titles together in all. The stupendous success catapulted the duo to world number one spot in women's doubles. Sania also fittingly won the Raji Khel Ratna award.

Among the men, India's 'ageless wonder' Leander Paes continued to bring laurels for himself by winning three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles with Hingis being the common factor.

Sania Mirza. PTI

If Sania ruled the tennis court, Saina rediscovered herself on the badminton court, becoming the first Indian woman shuttler to occupy the world number one spot, though for a brief period, before injury derailed her run to an extent.

The London Olympic bronze-medallist snared two titles and became the first Indian woman to make the finals of the All England and the World Championships.

Away from the glaring spotlight, the shooters were on mark, bagging seven Olympic quota places through various events and they would once again be the country's prime medal hope in Rio de Janeiro.

However, as has been the case for several years, administration of sports in India remained woefully managed.

While the men and women who matter got busy preparing for Rio Olympics next year, the politicking among officials, especially boxing, made for a depressing footnote. In fact, the sport does not have a national federation anymore and the effect is beginning to show inside the ring as well with none of the boxers managing to secure an Olympic berth so far.

However, Vijender Singh turned out to be one bright spot amid the gloom, stunning one and all with his decision to turn professional. He has so far been an unstoppable force, winning all his contests via knockouts.

The year began with the cricket series against Australia well in progress. The team was recovering from the shock of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's retirement after the Melbourne Test and there was eagerness to see Kohli's approach to captaincy amid the dramatic turn of events.

The Indians lost the series but there was near unanimity that Kohli was the man to take Indian cricket forward. The Delhi batsman did not disappoint and delivered the first series win as captain in Sri Lanka, ending a 22-year wait.

The young leader then made history when he led India to a 3-0 series win at home against No.1 Test side South Africa, who were made to taste an overseas loss after nine years.

But even in its moment of glory, controversy did not leave the Indian team with a furore on the pitches prepared for the series culminating into an ICC warning for the country.

There were googlies being bowled inside the BCCI boardroom as well and after brazening out the 2013 spot-fixing storm for more than a year, Srinivasan was finally bowled out.

Shashank Manohar, under whom Srinivasan served as Secretary, managed to get the BCCI rally behind him for a second stint as President of the country's richest sports body.

File photo of Shashank Manohar and N Srinivasan. AFP

Eventually, Srinivasan also had to give up on his ICC Chairmanship after the BCCI withdrew its support to the once all-powerful figure. It was Manohar again who replaced Srinivasan.

The Indian Premier Leaguecontinued to churn out on and off field drama with Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals suspended for two years for involvement of their key officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra in betting-related activities during the 2013 season.

Meiyappan, the former Team Principal of CSK, and RR co-owner Kundra were suspended for life for indulging in betting and bringing the IPL and the game into disrepute. But the players of the two teams were not made to suffer even as they had to split ways with new inductees Pune and Rajkot pitching for the big guns from the suspended sides.

If Pune got the prized catch in Dhoni, then Rajkot bagged Suresh Raina, the two CSK veterans, who had seen the champion side win three editions of the cash-rich league.

Coming to other sports, grounded in obscurity for long, India's young shooters and exponents of skeet shooting came of age with eye-catching performances at home as well as on foreign shores.

The likes of Abhinav Bindra, an Olympic champion and the country's most talked-about marksman, pistol ace Jitu Rai, Gagan Narang and Apurvi Chandela, among others, helped in swelling the number of quotas earned by India for the coming summer's quadrennial extravaganza in Rio de Janeiro.

Often considered the weakest discipline for Indian shooting, skeet also took a step forward with Mairaj Ahmed Khan securing the country its maiden Olympic quota in the category.

In hockey, on-field achievements often jostled for space with off-field drama as the sport endured a roller-coaster year
during which the players scripted historical feats but coach Paul van Ass' acrimonious ouster and Gurbaj Singh's suspension created its share of storm.

While the women team's return to Olympics after a hiatus of 36 years and men team's breaking of a 33-year-old medal jinx in a major international tournament by winning Hockey World League Final were the high points, van Ass' bitter sacking and experienced midfielder Gurbaj's nine-month suspension summed up a mixed year for Indian hockey.

Indian women's team will be participating in Olympics hockey for the first time since 1980. Photo: FIH

With a pretty decent start to his stint, van Ass' next assignment was the Hockey World League (HWL) Semi-final in Antwerp, Belgium.

In HWL Semi-final, India put up an inconsistent show but managed to finish fourth, losing 1-5 to Great Britain in the third-fourth place play-off match.

But a major controversy broke out after India returned from Antwerp as van Ass was sacked unceremoniously just six months into his job following a bitter public spat with Hockey India president Narinder Batra.

On the wrestling mat, if a keen tussle for a ticket to Rio between double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar and rising star Narsingh Yadav grabbed headlines, the youngsters showed the sport's bench strength in a country that gave the world the much-touted Pro Wrestling League this year.

It was Narsingh sealing an Olympic berth for India that remained the highlight of the year.

At the last edition of the quadrennial event in London, Sushil and Narsingh had participated in different weight categories. While Sushil won the silver in 66kg, Narsingh, a veteran of 74kg, bowed out in the first round.

Since then Sushil has climbed up to 74kg division after the FILA, the governing body for international wrestling, re-jigged the weight categories. Sushil had bagged one silver and a gold medal in two tournaments he had participated since moving up the weight division in 2013.

But Sushil's absence from the mat for more than a year has not only seen Narsingh represent India in that weight division but also win medals consistently.

Another Olympic medallist Yogeshwar Dutt continued to prove his mettle in whatever limited tournaments he participated in despite being bogged down by injuries for a major part of the year.

Another success story was scripted on the golf course as Anirban Lahiri savoured unprecedented success, dominating the headlines with his record-breaking achievements, which included two European tour titles and a fifth place finish at a Major.

In a watershed year which saw him juggle between Asia, US and Europe, Lahiri emerged as the new poster boy of Indian golf clinching the Indian Open and Maybank Malaysian Open, earning a fifth place finish at PGA Championship, qualifying for the prestigious President's Cup, claiming the Asian Tour Order of Merit and achieving a career-best ranking of World No. 34 among others.

Anirban Lahiri. AFP

For boxing, it was another year in which the administration of the sport itself remained in a state of paralysis but Vijender's stunning professional plunge and Shiva Thapa's World Championships medal lifted the gloom to an extent.

With Vijender's departure to the pro circuit, the slot for India's No.1 amateur boxer fell vacant and though there is no particular contender in sight right now, the year 2015 did throw up some exciting talent, which had been around for a while but gained in maturity and confidence.

This breed includes Shiva (56kg), Mandeep Jangra (69kg) and Vikas Krishan (75kg) among a few others. Shiva shone a shade brighter than the rest by becoming only the third Indian boxer ever to win a medal at the World Championships.

It was a brilliant year for the 22-year-old Assamese during which he won a bronze at the Asian Championships before the historic bronze at the World Championships in Doha.

The only blip was his failure to book an Olympic berth, for which the World Championships was a qualifying event.

In fact, no Indian boxer could fetch an Olympic quota place in Doha but given the administrative mess, which led to the national federation's suspension for the second time in three years, it was no small achievement to clinch a medal at the showpiece tournament.

In women's boxing, it was all about the return of L Sarita Devi, the former world champion who had been serving a one-year ban for her emotional outburst at the 2014 Asian Games medal ceremony.

The Manipuri came back into the reckoning with some good performances in a training-cum-competition trip to China.

On the football field, the national team plummeted to depths unseen in years but the mediocrity, which has become a norm with the beleaguered outfit, got lost in the shrill din of the spectacle called Indian Super League even as the great Pele grabbed headlines briefly with his week-long sojourn.

Globally, the beautiful game witnessed the good, bad and ugly in equal measure.

From Barcelona's treble winning season to Cristiano Ronaldo claiming the Ballon d'Or for the second time running, to the long-standing FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini getting banned for eight years by the apex body's Ethics Committee, football had a bit of everything for almost everyone.

Elsewhere, Pankaj Advani's name continued to sum up Indian cue sports for yet another year as the long-time posterboy took his world title count to an unprecedented 15.

File picture of Pankaj Advani. PTI

On the badminton court, Saina was not the only one making hay as K Srikanth also won two titles.

Srikanth had emerged as the next big thing last year when he had beaten two-time Olympic champion Lin Dan en route to his China Open triumph and the 22-year-old from Guntur continued his rampaging run in the first half of the season, winning the Swiss Open and India Open in March besides reaching the World No. 3 ranking in June.

In squash, Joshna Chinappa overtook Dipika Pallikal to become India's highest-ranked player while off the court N Ramachandran's role as the boss of the world governing body was questioned in what turned out to be a memorable year for
India.

Joshna had the most fruitful time among the country's three torch-bearers including Dipika and Saurav Ghosal.

The highlight of her season undoubtedly was getting the better of world number one Raneem El Welily in the opening round of Qatar Classic. A couple of USD 15,000 titles in Melbourne and Mumbai along with a semifinal finish at the USD 50,000 Carol Weymuller Open in New York eventually helped her reach a career-high rank of 13, a jump of nine places since December 2014.

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  Milestones and controversies in Indian sport 2015: From Sania's super run to CSK and RR suspension
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On the flipside, weightlifting brought India a bad name with the highest number of dope cheats this year, threatening the country's participation in next year's Olympic Games with the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF) staring at a suspension.

After a dope-free 2014, it seemed that Indian weightlifters had successfully managed to bury the ghosts of drug menace but it came back to haunt the country this year with highest number of offenders ever to be registered.

If the early part of the year was marred by one of the biggest doping scandals in recent times with as many as 26 lifters provisionally suspended by the IWF after testing positive for banned substances at various domestic meets, the end of 2015 saw two women athletes failing dope tests at an international event.

As per the rules, three positive tests at international events in a calendar year result in a one-year ban for the national federation. Thus, one more positive case can destroy India's chances of participating in next year's Rio Games.

In track and field, as many as 15, qualified for the Rio Olympics, including ace discus thrower Vikas Gowda. That was the highlight of a year of mixed achievements while off the track, young sprinter Dutee Chand won a landmark case against world
body of the sport IAAF.

Also, the buzz around India's speculated bid for the 2022 Olympics died after IOC President Thomas Bach -- during a visit to the country -- ruled out any such possibility.

In overall analysis, Indian sports did not have anything spectacular to celebrate this year but neither was it a completely disappointing one.

With all eyes trained on the Olympics next year, 2016 promises to be infinitely more exciting for the country's sportspersons.

La Liga: Barca back on top as Messi nets on 500th appearance, Ronaldo double saves Madrid

Lionel Messi scored on his 500th Barcelona appearance as the European champions moved back to the top of the table with a 4-0 win over Real Betis as La Liga returned from a curtailed winter break on Wednesday.

Atletico Madrid remain level on points with Barca thanks to two goals in the final two minutes from Angel Correa and Antoine Griezmann to emerge 2-0 victors at Rayo Vallecano.

And Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice and missed a penalty as Real Madrid eased the pressure on under-fire coach Rafael Benitez with a 3-1 win over Real Sociedad to stay two points behind the leaders.

Lionel Messi (R), celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal against Betis. AP

Barca celebrated their fifth trophy of 2015 before kick-off after adding the Club World Cup to their haul last time out with Messi captaining the side in the absence of Andres Iniesta.

"It has been a spectacular year and we wanted to finish it this way," said Messi.

"It will be difficult to improve on what we have done, but we always try. We have a great squad that are desperate to continue winning."

Yet, on a day dominated by controversial refereeing decisions, they were handed a gift to open the scoring after a decent start by Betis.

Antonio Adan clearly played the ball before catching Messi as he punched the ball to safety, but referee Inaki Vicando Garrido surprised everyone by pointing to the spot.

Neymar hit the bar with the resulting penalty, but Heiko Westermann could only turn the rebound into his own net under pressure from Ivan Rakitic.

From Betis' misfortune the floodgates opened as a lovely one-two between Neymar and Messi allowed the later to tap home his 425th goal for the club.

Luis Suarez added a third with a cool finish from Sergio Busquets's pass inside the first minute of the second-half.

And the Uruguayan rounded off the scoring seven minutes from time as Barca set a new record tally for the calendar year of 180 goals.

At the Santiago Bernabeu, Ronaldo recovered from a terrible start after blasting his first penalty of the day over the bar to put Madrid in front from another spot-kick just before half-time.

Bruma levelled for an injury-hit Sociedad minutes after the break, but Ronaldo delivered when his side needed a goal once more to restore the lead 23 minutes from time before Lucas Vasquez added a late third.

"We controlled the game and had a lot of chances, which, if we had taken them, would have made the second-half more comfortable," said Benitez.

"I congratulate the players for their attitude from start to finish. We worked hard, reacted well and got the three points."

Rumours over Benitez's future refuse to go away after a disappointing first six months in charge at the Bernabeu with the former Liverpool boss even claiming there is a media conspiracy against him on Tuesday.

- Controversial penalties -
But his side had luck on their side in the first-half as Sociedad's lost top-scorer Imanol Agirretxe and playmaker Sergio Canales to injury and saw referee Jose Luis Gonzalez award Madrid two controversial penalties.

The first spot-kick was given for an apparent push by Yuri Beriche on Benzema at the back post. Yet, for the first time in his Madrid career, Ronaldo failed to even hit the target from the spot as he blasted wildly over.

The World Player of the Year made amends three minutes before half-time when he converted his second penalty after Yuri was again penalised for blocking Gareth Bale's cross with an outstretched hand.

Despite the adversity they faced, Sociedad kept the ball off Madrid for long spells and hauled themselves level in spectacular style four minutes after the break when Bruma curled home his first league goal for the club into the top corner.

Yet, despite all their troubles, Ronaldo remains ever reliable source of goals and he delivered once more with a sweetly struck volley from Marcelo's corner for his 25th goal of the season.

And Vazquez ensured all three points when he coolly controlled and finished Bale's fine cross to make it 3-1 three minutes from time.

Atletico looked to be heading for a second consecutive disappointing result after losing 1-0 at Malaga before the 10-day winter break as Rayo's defence - fresh from conceding 10 to Real Madrid last time out - stood firm for 88 minutes at Vallecas.

However, Diego Simeone's substitutions swung the game in Atletico's favour as Thomas Partey teed up Correa to smash home his first goal in three months.

And another substitute Jackson Martinez then played in Griezmann to register his 13th goal of the season with a lovely dinked finish two minutes later.

The Year In Review: A great but not-so-great 2015 for shuttler Saina Nehwal

It was a great year for Saina Nehwal but it was also not a great year.

It was a great year because the list of Indian sportsmen and women who have reached the pinnacle of their sport is a small one and in 2015, Saina joined that list by becoming the first Indian women’s badminton player to get to No 1 in the world.

But it wasn’t a great year because Saina won just two tournaments in 2015 – the Syed Modi International and the India Open – and finished sixth race to the Dubai Superseries leaderboard, with Carolina Marin and Saina’s three Chinese rivals all ahead of her.

If she can break through the final glass ceiling and put her hands on the big prize, then not just trophies, but history beckons. Getty Images

It was a great year because Saina reached the finals of the All-England Championship and the World Championships for the first time, not only a significant personal breakthrough as no Indian badminton player – male or female – had reached a World championship final before.

But it wasn’t a great year because Saina lost to Marin in both finals and ended the year with injury trouble and a first-round exit at the World Superseries finale in Dubai. Marin’s win-loss record for the year was 36-8; Saina’s was 25-10.

It was a great year because Saina made history all over the place and we should all be very proud of what she has accomplished.

But it wasn’t a great year because the harsh truth about sports is those who win the big tournaments – the Majors – are remembered and treasured above all else.

How many of us remember Serbian Jelena Jankovic was once the World No 1 in women’s tennis back in 2008? Jankovic has never won a tennis Grand Slam and her achievement, at least on the world stage, is effectively a footnote in women’s tennis. Meanwhile Marion Bartoli, who never got close to being the best women’s tennis player, will forever be remembered as Wimbledon champion.

None of this is not to denigrate what Jankovic has achieved in her career, which is considerable, but only to illustrate that history belongs to those who win on the biggest stage. Roger Federer’s greatness spreads outwards from his 17 Grand Slam titles. It is a number every tennis fan has on the tip of his or her tongue. That Federer trails Jimmy Connors in overall singles titles 88 to 109 is a stat few know and fewer care about.

Likewise, Jack Nicklaus is considered to be the greatest golfer ever because he has won 18 Majors, more than anyone in history, including Tiger Woods.

This is the gap in an otherwise glittering career that Saina, who will turn 26 in March 2006, still needs to fill. To do so, she has to find a way to lift her game to the level Marin has set in order to win a big tournament or two. The timing is all the more important because the Rio Olympics lurk around the corner. Winning a medal, let alone gold, will be no easy task.

What’s more, sport is a constant arms race with new threats perpetually appearing on the horizon. At the Dubai Superseries, Japan’s Nozomi Okuhara, still only 20, waltzed through the field. She beat Saina and Marin in the group stage, Marin again in the semi-finals and then topped Wang Yihan in the final. And she did it all without dropping a game.

The good news is Saina is expected to be fully fit by the end of January, 2016.

"She has four injuries. But the most severe are the injuries in the groin and ankle areas. The ankle and groin are almost cured... I can say 75 to 80 percent. And I expect her be 100 percent fit by the third week of January. As of now she is still in the rehabilitation stage. Within a few days she will be returning to full practice," physio Kiran Challagundla told the Times of India on 27 December.

When her body isn’t holding her back, Saina has proved her skills are a match for anyone on the court. She has also learned what it takes to get to the finals of badminton’s biggest events, having done it twice in 2015. Determination and belief are the other necessary ingredients. Saina has to believe she is the player to beat, not the others.

If she can break through the final glass ceiling and put her hands on the big prize, then not just trophies, but history beckons.

From unknown game-changer to national team: Six weeks that changed Hardik Pandya's life

"Once a king is always a king,” is Hardik Pandya's Whatsapp status. It is an intriguing saying. But everything about Hardik Pandya has been intriguing so far in his nascent cricketing career.

Ten months ago, Hardik Pandya was an unknown. Today, the 22-year-old been flooded with congratulatory messages and interview requests after making the cut for India's T20 squad for the Australia tour. The Indian Premier League has changed his life.

"No one knew who Hardik Pandya was before the IPL, I don't think even you must be knowing who Hardik Pandya is," he told Firstpost. "It changed everything. Wherever I go now, people know who Hardik Pandya is. It has changed my life."

Hardik played a crucial role in helping Mumbai Indians win the 2015 IPL title, and from then on, things have never been the same.

He was five-years-old when his father Himanshu Pandya wound up his small car finance business and shifted from Surat to Baroda for the cricketing careers of his two kids - Hardik and Krunal. Himanshu enrolled both brothers in former India cricketer Kiran More's academy. Both the brothers made steady progress through the junior ranks amidst extreme financial constraints and family crisis.

All this while, Hardik's reputation as a game-changer in club cricket continued to grow. "He won a lot of matches single-handedly for our club," Krunal told Firstpost.

Hardik Pandya celebrates the wicket of Delhi Daredevils' Angelo Mathews during match 39 of the Pepsi IPL 2015 (Indian Premier League) between The Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils held at the Wankhede Stadium. Sportzpics

But there was one moment that turned it around for Hardik. Baroda were struggling at 20/2 in their opening match of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, at the Wankhede Stadium last year, when Hardik walked in to bat in the fifth over and turned it around with a blistering 57-ball 82 (not out) facing the likes of Zaheer Khan, Dhawal Kulkarni and Pravin Tambe.

Baroda won the match and Hardik caught the eye of former India and then Mumbai Indians head coach John Wright who was present at the venue along with the MI think-tank. They were so impressed with the youngster that two days later they came back to watch his next match, against Gujarat. He didn't disappoint, finishing with figures of 4-1-7-3 and scoring 37 runs. Baroda won the trophy and Hardik had played a crucial role in their triumph.

"He batted really well and looked quite confident and that's how I know him," Aditya Tare, who shared the dressing room with Hardik in the IPL and was playing opposite him for Mumbai in that Syed Mushtaq Ali match, told us. "He looked a different player, he looked quite a quality player and different from all the other Baroda players. He was striking them pretty clean. That innings showed his quality."

From then on Mumbai Indians started following Hardik's progress. Not many know that he was called up to the Mumbai Indians camp as a back-up for an injured player during the 2014 season -- but his stay lasted only 15 days as the player got fit in time. While it surprised others, it wasn't a surprise for the Pandya family that he was picked up for the base price of Rs 10 lakhs by Mumbai Indians in the 2015 auction.

During the first few days with the team, Hardik admits he was star struck -- but given his jolly nature, he gelled with the entire camp quickly.

"At first we were just getting used to the stars. We had never seen Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar or Rohit Sharma this close. So the first couple of days went in getting used to it and then the feeling sunk in that -- okay, you are the part of the team and the stage belongs to you as well," Hardik said.

He had to wait for a while before making his debut against RCB in Mumbai Indians' fifth match of the season but he was in the selection mix in the previous matches too.

"We declare 12 people in the team meeting at the ground. I was in the 12-man team in almost all the games before I made my debut. So I was ready. It was the same before the RCB match - they had told everyone, be ready, but it was only when I saw Ricky Ponting taking out the new cap and heading towards me moments before the match that I came to know that this was my time and I was going to make my debut."

Hardik started off in a blistering fashion and the second delivery of his debut was a massive six over mid-wicket as he played a handy cameo (a 6-ball 16) which gave MI the momentum after four losses in their first four games.

“When he hit the six off the second ball, he got the confidence that yes I can belong to this level,” says Krunal.

Whether you ask his coach Ajay Pawar, his brother Krunal or his colleague Tare -- the buzzword they attribute to Hardik is 'confidence'. And it is this attribute -- a must for a top-level sportsperson -- that sets him apart from others.

"I don't take much pressure, I just keep calm. I put my hand up when the team needs me, when everyone is under pressure, I do it for the team, I take it as an opportunity and a challenge, if things are not going right, that's when you got to stand and deliver. If you do well there, then people will remember you forever."

It was this ability to stand and deliver that helped him turn matches for Mumbai Indians at crucial junctures.

Mumbai had got off to a horrific start and every match was a virtual knock-out for them from then on. Against CSK at MA Chidambaram Stadium, he helped them pull off an improbable win -- with 30 required from two overs, he hit a breezy 8-ball 21 including three sixes off the penultimate over from Pawan Negi which yielded 25 runs. This was the innings that marked his arrival on the big stage.

Hardik Pandya set off in wild celebrations after the win against CSK at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. Sportzpics

“I went out to bat, practically it wasn't looking good because (Dwayne) Bravo was bowling amazingly and he had one over left too. Obviously if we are confident we will be targeting a 16-run over or 17 max, but Bravo was bowling so well that even a 10-run over seemed difficult to score on that wicket. So we had to target the penultimate over accordingly and touchwood we scored 25 runs,” Hardik said.

But there was also a twist in fate that handed Hardik the chance to be the hero. "I don't know what happened to Rohit bhai(Rohit Sharma) -- when he got out and was walking back he stopped Bhajju pa (Harbhajan Singh, who was padded up to go next) and asked Ponting to send me.

"The wicket was not that easy and Rohit bhai later said that the chances of me hitting the ball cleanly were more because I was a proper batsman and would find it much easier to hit the ball."

Head coach Ricky Ponting described him as a 'fearless kid' and said that he had lots of very good skills as praise poured in from all quarters after that innings.

Hardik described it as one of the best moments of the IPL because it came in challenging circumstances.

The confidence grew and a match later, he followed it up with another crucial 45-ball 61 against Kolkata Knight Riders with MI struggling at 79/4. While Kieron Pollard struggled to clear the fence, Hardik hammered eight fours and two sixes which earned him the Man of the Match award.

"Hardik had an innate ball striking ability right from his childhood. When he was a kid hitting sixes gave him more happiness rather than the amount of runs he scored," said Krunal. In the IPL he was hitting sixes at will. Krunal however, believes that Hardik’s batting isn’t just one-dimensional. “He isn't a player who just slogs. If you see his innings against KKR, not a single shot was a slog, every shot was a cricketing shot. He is a proper batsman and a thinking cricketer.”

Those two innings left a mark on the millions of fans across the world - and on his teammates. "It's not an easy job for a young guy to come up and play in his first IPL and win games for Mumbai. He did it twice in three games which was incredible and everyone was happy for him," Tare said.

First getting into a jam-packed star-studded Mumbai Indians side, then winning the trust and then turning into a game changer, Hardik’s coming of age at the IPL was the stuff of dreams. Add to that the India call-up.

Hardik described the feeling: “First of all, they were just trusting me that this kid can do things because he is young and has the talent, but after those good performances, they were counting on me, they were expecting things that, ‘Yeah, he can win games for us’.”

Throughout the six-week period, Hardik was constantly in touch with his brother Krunal over the phone with whom he shares a special bond. He also got quite close to Ponting. The six weeks of IPL had brought about a turnaround in his life and also as a cricketer.

"I have improved a lot after the IPL. Whenever you play at a higher level, you always learn," says Hardik.

"Cricket-wise I learnt everything - batting, bowling, fielding. How to improve my personality. Everything... everything. IPL was a turnaround in my life."

"I think a lot now before doing anything, I read the game very well. I have sharpened my bowling as well. I am bowling quick, I am bowling on the right spots, I've been doing good in nets and working hard as well. Batting wise, I have always been very good so I am just sharpening my skills, but bowling wise I have improved immensely," Hardik added.

"After the IPL, his confidence level has gone sky high. He plays local cricket at-the-wheel now. I’ve seen him right from the time of Under-14 and I can feel the difference when he was upcoming and when he is established. He has gained more control now," says Pawar, who has monitored his progress at the KMCA since their Under-14 days.

Despite his IPL heroics, the India call-up came as a surprise to Hardik: “My first plan was to get into the eleven of MI. I was not expecting it (India call-up). Touchwood I have been very lucky to be selected for India,” he said.

“I was just thinking that I had to do well in the domestic circuit and I had to keep doing well to play for India."

Hardik didn’t shy away from crediting luck as much as the hard work he has put in to reach this stage: “I have been very lucky as well because whenever I did well, someone was watching me. You know things happen at the right time and with me that was the game. Everything was going right, everything came right. When I did well, someone was watching and making notes that Hardik Pandya is doing well.”

Ponting’s advice during the IPL still echoes into his ears every day: “He always told me one thing - don't stop working hard, you’re going to play big cricket if you keep on working hard. I always remember his words and keep working hard. I played a game today and scored 96 but still went to practice so I still remember his words.”

After the first qualifier against CSK, Sachin Tendulkar called over Hardik and told him that he will play for India in next one and half years. And here he is, it’s not even been a year and he is selected in the Indian squad. Sportzpics

After the first qualifier against CSK, Sachin Tendulkar called over Hardik and told him that he will play for India in the next 18 months. And here he is, it’s not even been a year and he is selected in the Indian squad. So what now?

“I want to cement my place in the India team at first, do well for India for a couple of years and next will be to achieve what the likes of Virat Kohli, (MS) Dhoni bhai and others have achieved. I know that if I do well in one format, I will be playing in all the three formats for India."

He uses the word ‘bro’ numerous times in the interview. With his funky clothing, trendy hairstyles, catchy celebrations and his love for West Indies players, you can see why he’s called a ‘rockstar’ in the Mumbai Indians camp.

And there was that Whatsapp status.

“Life has been teaching me a lot, a lot, I guess a lot. Life has taught me many things. In all the things, I try to live like a king, all the time. Whether I have money or I don’t have money, my way of living is the same. So that's why 'once a king is always a king'," Hardik explained.

But despite all the fame, he hasn't allowed the success to get into his head.

“He is a very down to earth person. He interacts normally with his academy team members when he comes to practice on the ground," coach Pawar said. “I just asked him a couple of days back, do you see any change in yourself. This was his reply: 'Sir achieve thaya no anand toh che, vaandho nai pan hu to e no e aj chu, mane to haji evu aj revanu game che. " (I am happy about my achievements but I am the same old Hardik Pandya and would love to remain the same.)"