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A year ago, almost to the day, Australia played a dead Test against England at The Oval. The touring team had been through the darkest of midlands valleys in Birmingham and Nottingham, losing the Ashes in a pair of humiliating defeats that exposed the XI as wholly unsuited to the conditions.But with the urn gone and critics sharpening their caustic prose, the team responded with a far better display in that final Test. They were helped in part by the conditions - it is harder to green up the Oval wicket than those of Edgbaston or Trent Bridge - and also by the reduced intensity of a less consequential Test match.Nevertheless, an innings victory was nothing to be sniffed at, and a fitting farewell for the dual retirees Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers, who were soon to be joined on the sidelines by Shane Watson, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson in addition to the already retired Ryan Harris. A key member of the win was Peter Siddle, an older head ideally suited to English seamers yet somehow ignored until too late to make a difference to the series result.Twelve months on and Colombo seems about to bear witness to a similar sequence. The first two Tests have gone conclusively Sri Lankas way, and the pitch at the SSC is the series fairest if also its driest. Meanwhile, the inclusion of Shaun Marsh has added belated solidity to a batting line-up that could have done with his brand of batting when the destination of the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy was still up for debate.Many a cricket follower likes to poke fun at Marsh, he of the near binary home series against India a few years back, then a series-shaping hundred in South Africa followed immediately by a pair in the next Test and omission from the decider. Then there was the day he was run out for 99 chasing a first Test hundred in Australia - moments that have ensured few cricketers can polarise like him now that Watson in particular has retired from the national team.But at the same time, Marsh is the only member of this squad to have in his possession a Test hundred in Sri Lanka, on debut in Pallekele nearly five years ago. The next Test was played at the SSC, and it was Marshs ever-so-patient 81 that anchored an otherwise wobbly top order. Bizarrely, that match was Marshs last Test match in Asia until this week.The horrors of 2011-12 at home banished him from the Test team for quite some time, meaning he did not figure in the squads to go to India in 2013. He was set to go to the UAE in 2014, before an elbow injury sustained in the IPL necessitated surgery and a delayed start to the 2014-15 season. In both cases, Australian results on tour suggested they could have and indeed did do worse by not having Marsh available to use his mercurial talents in conditions where he was less likely to fall prey to bounce and seam.Marshs height and reach allow him a decent stretch forward. His power and timing allow him the ability to generate bat speed and scoring zones when he has little pace to work with. Equally, his vast experience in the IPL has given him a level of accomplishment in numerous attacking strokes to spin, and a courage to use them regardless of whether the ball is turning or not. In short, Marsh has a game that can work in this part of the world, a rare gift among contemporary Australian batsmen.One of the key findings of the Australian tour party on this trip is the fact that top six success at home is no sort of indicator for how batsmen will fare in Asia. Before this match, the coach Darren Lehmann contended that changing last summers combination pre-emptively would likely have met with a cold public response. If you have a look at our summer and the way our batters played, he asked, if we didnt take any of those batters, how would we be viewed in the press?Yet it should be among the first lessons learned by any selector that their job is not to curry public favour but to choose winning teams. Earlier in the same press conference, Lehmann had spoken of the importance of batsmen being proactive, not reactive when spinners have conditions in their favour, a maxim he lived by with great success. Selection for Colombo, also including Moises Henriques as a specialist batsman, was nothing if not reactive.As Marsh accumulated calmly on the second afternoon, looking so secure where Joe Burns had been skittish and Usman Khawaja stranded, it was hard to escape the sense that much like Siddle he had been ignored for too long on this tour. Whether or not Australia have other batsmen at home who may also be able to aid the next Asian assignment in India next year remains to be seen, but certainly Peter Handscomb will have his claims.Either way, Lehmann, Rod Marsh and the rest of the selection panel must start to show their proactive side as a matter of urgency. As former Test cricketers, all are conscious of the gravity of their roles, and of a responsibility not to be flippant. But to badly misquote Oscar Wilde: selecting one player too late may be regarded as a misfortune; to do it again starts to look like carelessness. .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have placed centre Cody Hodgson on injured reserve and recalled two players from their AHL affiliate in Rochester. . Datsyuk will miss Tuesdays game against New Jersey and could be sidelined longer, while Cleary will likely miss at least the next three games. Its been an injury-plagued season for Datsyuk, who has suited up for just 39 games. . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. . Mitch Holmberg added a goal and three assists. Connor Chartier also scored for the Chiefs (3-0-0). Luke Harrison spoiled Garrett Hughsons shutout bid with a power-play goal at 13:17 of the third period. The Spokane goaltender finished with 28 saves, including a Brandon Fushimi penalty shot in the second period that would have tied the game 1-1. . In what the team had called a retirement, Ryan said Thursday that he is resigning as chief executive of the Rangers in a move effective at the end of this month. RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Latest on the Rio de Janeiro Summer Games opening ceremony (all times local):11:54 p.m.Brazilian marathoner Vanderlei De Lima has lit the cauldron at the Rio Games.De Lima was one of the suspected candidates after Pele revealed earlier Friday that health problems would keep him from attending the opening ceremony at Maracana Stadium.So 12 years later than he likely would have, De Lima got his golden moment.De Lima was leading the 2004 race at the Athens Games when a protester attacked and disrupted his run. De Lima wound up finishing third, but has been lauded for how hes handled the incident.Gustavo Kuerten carried the torch into the stadium, then handed it to Brazilian basketball legend Hortencia Marcari. She brought it to the stage, then De Lima brought it up the stairs and held it aloft for 60,000 to cheer.With that, the cauldron -- one unlike any other in Olympic history -- was lighted.Brazilian officials wanted this cauldron smaller than most, a reminder to reduce global warming caused by fossil fuels and greenhouse gases. The flame is housed in a giant sculpture, with spirals to represent the sun.---11:40 p.m.The first recipient of the Olympic Laurel asked the athletes of the Rio Games to follow him and help support the youth of the world.Kip Keino, a two-time Olympic champion who went on to open an orphanage in his native Kenya, gave a heartfelt speech at the opening ceremony of the Rio Games on Friday night.He thanked his supporters, then told the athletes inside Maracana Stadium that he had a humble request.Keino said, Join me and support all the youth of this world to get the basics of humanity: food, shelter and education. Education not only empowers our youth to be better citizens and leaders of the future, but it will also help them make a positive change and a mighty difference.Change for good was a major theme of the opening.With green Olympic rings and white kites, organizers of the Rio Games tried to stress two very important messages at the opening ceremony: Take better care of the planet, and each other.Once the Brazilian delegation entered Maracana Stadium to end the parade of nations at the opening, rings carrying seeds and soil were moved into the Olympic five-ring shape -- and displayed in green in a reference to transplanting depleted forests, not the traditional colors of the games.Not long afterward, the dove of peace was flown, only in this case instead of a bird it was 200 white kites. The kites were taken to Kenya and given to children who had never played with ones before. They wrote messages of peace on them, and then the kites were taken back to Rio to be flown by children in Brazil.---11:35 p.m.Brazilian sailing Olympian Robert Scheidt has taken the athletes oath, on behalf of all competitors at the Rio Games.The oath reads: In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams.Also, Martinho Nobre took a similar oath on behalf of all judges who will oversee competition in Rio over the next two-plus weeks, and Adriana Santos recited an oath for all the coaches involved in these games.The oath has been taken by an athlete before every Olympics since 1920. Past oath-takers include the American grandfather-grandson duo of speedskater Jack Shea (1932, in his native Lake Placid) and skeleton competitor Jimmy Shea (2002, before the Salt Lake Games). The Sheas are part of the first family with three generations of Olympians, and both Jack Shea and Jimmy Shea won gold medals after taking the oath.---11:30 p.m.Brazils Interim President has been booed as he spoke to help open the Rio Games.Michel Temer spoke for only a few seconds, and as he sat back down he was roundly booed by many of the 60,000 or so fans inside Maracana Stadium for the opening ceremony on Friday night.A short blast of fireworks followed Temers remarks, in part to drown out the booing.Temer took over following the suspension in May of President Dilma Rousseff on impeachment charges. Rousseff was not at the opening ceremony.---11:20 p.m.In the U.S., NBC is facing social media criticism for its decision to delay the broadcast of the Olympic opening ceremony so it can be shown in prime time in all time zones.Frequent commercial breaks including eight within the first 65 minutes of the ceremony also proved frustrating for time-shifting viewers accustomed to fast-forwarding through ads.NBC began its telecasting of the festivities an hour after they begin in Rio on Friday night. On the U.S. West Coast, the telecast of the opening ceremony wasnt set to start for another hour.NBC also didnt start streaming the event through its app or Olympics website until the television coverage began, and streamers had to authenticate their account with a cable or satellite service.The network usually plays a cat-and-mouse game to prevent other websites from streaming the event. It remains to be seen how successful it will be.---11:15 p.m.The President of the International Olympic Committee says these Rio Games will promote peace.Thomas Bach spoke not long after the parade of athletes into Maracana Stadium was completed on Friday night. Bach says all Brazilians can be very proud tonight, then went on to talk about the importance of these Olympics.Bach said, We are living in a world of crises, mistrust and uncertainty. Here is our Olympic answer: The 10,000 best athletes in the world, competing with each other, at the same time living peacefully together in one Olympic Village, sharing their meals and their emotions.Bach added that in this Olympic world, we are all equal -- words that were met with applause.He went on to ask the athletes to respect yourself, respect each other, respect the Olympic Values which make the Olympic Games unique for you and for the entire world.Bach concluded his remarks by presenting the Olympic Laurel to Kipchoge Keino, a two-time gold medalist from Kenya who went on to open an orphanage in his homeland.Bachs speech was preceded by one from Rio Organizing Committee President Carlos Nuzman, who said a new world is born today.---10:51 p.m.They saved the best ovation for last.With fans chanting in unison, Brazil has entered the opening ceremony for the Rio Games and was welcomed with long and loud cheers from the 60,000 or so inside Maracana Stadium. The host nation always enters last, and the Brazilians were immediately preceded by another crowd favorite -- the 10-person Refugee Team, which is competing under the Olympic flag.Modern pentathlete Yane Marques carried the Brazilian flag in to lead her countrys designation.---10:45 p.m.Years from now, organizers of the Rio Games hope theres 11,000 new trees in Brazil -- one for each athlete at the Rio Games.Each Olympian who entered the opening ceremony at Maracana Stadium on Friday night was given a seed and a cartridge of soil, which was to be placed in mirror towers all over the stage floor. Those cartridges will be taken to Deodoro and form what will be called the Athletes Forest.Theres 207 species of trees being planted, one for each delegation at the games. Its all part of a massive sustainability and environmental awareness effort at these Olympics.----10:35 p.m.For many nations, the Olympics are a regular occurrence.For Kosovo and South Sudan, this is a first.They marched into the opening ceremony of an Olympics for the first time Friday night, making their debut at the Rio Games. Kosovo was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2014; South Sudan was recognized last year.Kosovos flag was carried by judo athlete Majlinda Kelmendi, who competed for Albania at the London Games four years ago. Kelmendi won a world title while competing in Rio in 2013.After entering the stadium, Kelmendi said it is a historical moment for my country and for me. It is very motivating for me.Kosovo sent eight athletes to Rio. South Sudan, which had marathoner Guor Marial carry its flag, has a three-athlete team. Marial competed in London as an independent athlete.---10:30 p.m.A smaller Russian team has arrived at the opening ceremony.A state-sponsored doping program led to the exclusion of many would-be Olympians in Rio and threatens the medals that Russia won in recent past Olympics.The World Anti-Doping Agency recommended Russias exclusion from the Olympics, but the International Olympic Committee didnt go along. The IOC asked individual sports federations to review doping histories of Russian athletes, and less than 24 hours before the opening ceremony, the IOC was finalizing the list of eligible Russian athletes.---10:20 p.m.Tony Parker is making no effort to hide how much hes enjoying this opening ceremony.The San Antonio Spurs star -- and French point guard at the Rio Games -- says the Olympics are one of the greatest and biggest sports events in the world.On the floor of Maracana Stadium after the French walked into the opening Friday night, Parker said it was just an unbelievable feeling to be able to be here to represent my country.Parker is one of 46 active NBA players in these games.---10:15 p.m.Which countries are getting the warmest reception during the parade of nations?Latin countries, Italy, France, Japan and the United States got the biggest cheer from the crowd at Maracana Stadium at the opening ceremony of the Rio Games.Colombia is a neighboring country with plenty of supporters in Rio. Italy and Japan are two of the biggest communities that immigrated to Brazil. The American team also has a lot of support. Spain, Mexico and South Africa also got a big cheer from the crowd.Argentina, Brazils eternal rivals in soccer, got a mixed reaction.Of course, the loudest cheer will be saved for last -- when Brazil enters.---10:05 p.m.Jamaica is at the opening ceremony. Usain Bolt is not.The two-time defending champion in the Olympic 100- and 200-meter races, as expected, skipped the opening ceremony for the Rio Games on Friday night. Bolt announced his decision earlier in the day.Friday was the fourth anniversary of Bolt winning the gold in the 100 at the London Games.---9:51 p.m.Archer Zahra Nemati had a big smile and a wave for the crowd as she carried Irans flag into the opening ceremony in her wheelchair.Nemati is competing at the Olympics and Paralympics, where shes a defending gold medalist.She was a black belt in taekwondo before a car accident paralyzed her as a teenager. She picked up archery a few years later because she wanted to compete in a sport.Earlier Friday, she competed in archerys qualifying round at the Sambadrome. She shot 72 arrows and accumulated a score of 609 -- good enough for 49th position.Shes competing to make my family and the people around me happy, and let them know Im OK and Im strong.---9:45 p.m.Andy Murray has Olympic gold, two Wimbledon titles, a U.S. Open crown and is currently the No. 2 player in the world.But even for someone with his resume, Friday night stood out.Murray was the flagbearer for Britain at the opening ceremony for the Rio Games, and says it will go down as the proudest moment of my professional career.Murray will play both singles and doubles in Rio, the latter alongside his brother Jamie.Murray says hes been blown away by the flagbearer title, noting that it doesnt get much bigger than a chance to lead out your country.The British team got a big ovation from the crowd in Rio, as did the French team when it entered moments earlier. French President Francois Hollande was in the crowd, cheering for his nations athletes as they walked past.dddddddddddd---9:35 p.m.After 18 gold medals and 22 medals overall in his storied Olympic career, Michael Phelps has finally entered an opening ceremony.The flagbearer for the U.S. has led the contingent of red, white and blue-clad American athletes into Maracana Stadium, after being picked for that distinction earlier this week.More than 500 Americans are on the Olympic team, though as was the case with Phelps in past years, not all of them marched in the opening. Phelps competition schedule kept him from attending the first four openings of his Olympic career, and many athletes from around the world -- if theyre competing on Saturday -- tend to pass on the ceremony.The U.S. womens soccer team wasnt at the stadium because of their schedule and how far they are from the opening, but planned on having their own private ceremony of sorts. Players were set to wear their ceremony uniforms and essentially pretend marching, as if they were in Rio.Athletes spend hours on their feet at the opening and often get to their beds well past midnight, not exactly the best situation for athletes looking to perform their best a day later.Phelps said in the days leading up to the opening that he wants to take it all in, represent America in the best possible way and make my family proud. This time around, its about so much more than medals.---9:20 p.m.Given the water woes leading up to the Rio Games, sailing has had more than its share of problems going into these Olympics.But at the opening ceremony, some of the sports best will be on display -- no woes to be found.Theres 13 flagbearers at the opening ceremony from sailing, which is more than the sport had at the Beijing Games and the London Games combined.They are Sofia Bekatorou of Greece, Nicole Van der Velden of Aruba, Pavlos Kontides of Cyprus, Karl Martin Rammo of Estonia, Tuuli Petaja-Siren of Finland, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke of New Zealand, Vasilij Zbogar of Slovenia, Gintare Scheidt of Lithuania (the wife of popular Brazilian sailing star Robert Scheidt), Joao Rodrigues of Portugal, Rodney Govinden of Seychelles, Dolores Moreira of Uruguay and Cy Thompson of the U.S. Virgin Islands.---9:10 p.m.President Barack Obama says the Olympic Games build a sense of common humanity as countries pursue the ideal of sending their best to compete in a spirit of goodwill.Obama spoke to NBC ahead of the opening of the Rio Games.The president says people know that the Olympic Games are not going to end war, eliminate poverty or stop the tragedies that occur daily around the world. Yet, he says, the Games contribute to a sense of empathy.Obama says coverage of the events also tells stories of individual athletes working hard to achieve a high level of competition. He says telling such stories transports you into another place.---9 p.m.Germany was one of the first teams to enter the opening ceremony, much to the delight of one fan in particular.International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach -- a 1976 gold medalist in fencing for his native country -- stood and waved with both hands as the Germans walked into Maracana Stadium.Smiling broadly throughout, Bach remained standing until the entire contingent was inside the stadium.These are the first summer games Bach has presided over. He became IOC president in 2013.---8:50 p.m.The parade of nations has started, and as always Greece is leading off. Two-time Olympic sailing medalist Sofia Bekatorou is the flagbearer.Though most nations at an Olympic Games enter the opening ceremony in alphabetical order, there are exceptions. Greece goes first given its role as the birthplace of the Olympics. The host nation enters last, meaning Brazil will be waiting until the end of the parade to make its grand entrance. (In 2004, when Athens hosted the Olympics, the Greek athlete delegation entered last as well).Another quirk for the opening is that the local language is used to alphabetize, meaning Portuguese this year.So the United States of America -- 198th in English alphabetical order out of the 207 participating teams -- will enter 69th, since in Brazil the countrys name translates to Estados Unidos da America.If form from past games holds true, the parade of athletes should take slightly less than two hours.---8:45 p.m.Brazils long, proud musical history is on full display in this high-energy start to the opening ceremony for the Rio Games.From funk to samba to hip-hop, its all being featured as the opening builds toward the entrance of athletes from around the world. Among the featured artists: Ludmilla, Cristian Do Passinho, Lelezinha, Elza Soares, Marcelo D2 and Karol Conka.Video screens around Maracana Stadium are showing some of the lyrics, mostly in Portuguese, as fireworks go off and dancers clad in huge multi-colored wigs and red, yellow, white and orange outfits perform on the stadium floor.---8:35 p.m.Its been a source of long debate in Brazil about who invented the airplane.Most people say the Wright Brothers.In Brazil, they say Alberto Santos Dumont is the inventor -- and that the Wright Brothers actually invented a jumping machine. To pay homage to Dumont, a small plane appeared in the stadium during the portion of the opening ceremony that showed where Brazil began modernizing.The planes appearance only lasted for a few seconds.The next big part of the show got much bigger cheers -- that being Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen from one end of the stadium floor to another in a shimmering gown.As she walked, The Girl From Ipanema blared through the stadium.---8:25 p.m.President Barack Obama says hes ready to cheer on the U.S. Olympians.In a tweet on Friday night, not long after the opening ceremony started in Rio de Janeiro, the nations first fan wrote Our teams unity and diversity makes us so proud -- and reminds the world why America sets the gold standard.---8:20 p.m.All Olympic opening ceremonies tend to pay homage to the host countrys past, and this one is no different.An image of a Pau-Brasil tree -- the wood that gave its name to the country -- digitally appeared on the floor of Maracana Stadium a few minutes into the start of Friday nights opening ceremony for the Rio Games, as if in the Amazon rainforest.Its the countrys national tree, has been on the list of threatened Brazilian plants and its illegal to cut the few trees that remain.Brazil was thick forest when first inhabited more than 500 years ago, and organizers thought that was the logical place to begin the ceremony.Even some of the most subtle things at the opening have a meaning. The curved shape of the stages used in the ceremony are a nod to Oscar Niemeyer, a key figure in Brazilian architecture.---8:10 p.m.The unofficial anthem of Rio de Janeiro is being featured prominently as the opening ceremony gets underway.The song Aquele Abraco -- which translates to That Hug -- by Grammy winner Gilberto Gil played a role in both the closing ceremony of the London Games four years ago and in Brazils bid for these Rio Games.The song was the soundtrack for the opening video, which started precisely at 8 p.m. in Rio.Gil is credited for helping revolutionize Brazilian music in the 1960s. He wrote Aquele Abraco not as a celebration piece, but as his farewell to Rio. He was jailed in 1968 after angering Brazils military dictatorship and lived in exile in London from 1969 through 1972.The first line of the song : Rio de Janeiro is still beautiful.From there, fireworks blasted from the top of the stadium and the Brazilian national anthem quickly followed. Among the most generally cited lyrics to the song are these: Giant by thine own nature, thou art beautiful, thou art strong.The official Brazilian flag has been hoisted by Rio de Janeiros Environmental Police Command. Protecting and sustaining Brazils environment will be a theme of the opening, and will continue throughout the games.---8 p.m.The opening ceremony did not mean a warm reception for everyone.As Brazilian government officials took their seats, a smattering of boos could be heard in Maracana Stadium. It could be expected, given the political times in Brazil right now.Many residents are upset over how much money was spent on these games, saying it could have been better-directed toward Brazilian needs. Interim President Michel Temer took over following the suspension in May of President Dilma Rousseff on impeachment charges.And the booing didnt last long -- when the show started, the crowd roared in delight.---7:35 p.m.Long lines are still outside Maracana Stadium, waiting to get through the copious team of security and into their seats for the opening ceremony.But inside, the pre-show is underway.Brazilian entertainer and television personality Regina Case is on the stadium floor, teaching fans in the stadium certain roles they will play in the show. Case says that 60,000 fans will be in the stadium, but she reminded the crowd that 3 billion will be watching on television worldwide.Case told the crowd, Here in Brazil, we like to party ... and we believe the people are made to shine. And she reminded the crowd that they are the stars of this show as the lights of the stadium dimmed and the only illumination was coming from the lights of thousands of fans cell phones.Outside, military vehicles, police and 35 checkpoints filled the streets near the stadium. Their presence created long lines and traffic jams.Neither Brazils Defense Ministry nor Rio de Janeiro police will say how many security personnel are on the ground to secure the Olympic opening ceremony. As many as 85,000 will be on site until the end of the games. Thats twice as many as London four years ago. More would have been on the ground if Rio wasnt forced to cut about $550 million from the Olympic budget amid a recession.---6:55 p.m.Most of the nations marching in Fridays opening ceremony for the Rio Games will not have a head of state in Maracana Stadium to help cheer their arrival.Officials had predicted as many as 100 heads of state would attend the first Olympics in South America. But that fell way flat, with about 25 expected to attend Friday night -- in large part because of very uncertain political times in Brazil.For now, the country essentially has two presidents. Interim President Michel Temer took over following the suspension in May of President Dilma Rousseff on impeachment charges.Among those who are coming: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.---6:30 p.m.Fans are filing into Maracana Stadium, as the opening ceremony for the Rio Games gets set to begin later Friday night.Once considered the biggest stadium in the world with a capacity of nearly 200,000, Maracana Stadium now holds around 80,000 people.Opened in 1950 for the World Cup, in which Uruguay beat the hosts 2-1 in the final, the stadium has been renovated many times over the years. Pele scored the 1,000th goal of his career there in 1969, and the field has been the site for countless major soccer matches at many levels.Frank Sinatra, Tina Turner and Paul McCartney all played there in the 1980s to massive crowds of about 180,000. KISS, Sting, Madonna, Pearl Jam, the Rolling Stones and Prince are among the many other performers to grace Maracanas stage.The stadium was the site of the 2014 World Cup final. Germany topped Argentina 1-0 for the title.The closing ceremony is at the stadium as well, as are the opening and closing events of the Paralympics. ' ' ' |
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