When I asked UAE Skipper Muhammad Waseem why his team did not appeal for a walkover, he said his team had come to play, and that they had decided to wait as per the request from the authorities. Would any Test-playing country have waited and remained sporting enough to sacrifice their opportunity to play in the knock-out stage?
The Indian hockey team started its tour of Australia and New Zealand on a convincing note, drubbing a combined Queensland and New South Wales state team 8-1 in the opening encounter, thanks to winger Rajpal Singh's brilliant hat-trick, in Brisbane on Saturday.
England racked up an eighth successive victory against Wales with a 3-0 cruise in an international friendly at Wembley on Thursday.
Images from the World Cup match between Australia and New Zealand at Lord's on Saturday.
Striker Robert Lewandowski scored a second-half hat-trick as Borussia Dortmund reclaimed top spot in the Bundesliga with an awe-inspiring 6-1 demolition of VfB Stuttgart on Friday.
A round-up of Thursday's Europa League Round of 16 second leg matches.
Fiorentina, two goals down and reduced to 10 men, converted two quickfire penalties to draw 2-2 with AC Milan in Serie A on Sunday while a 12-minute hat-trick by German Denis gave Atalanta a 4-3 win at a stunned Inter Milan after they had trailed 3-1.
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is confident that stylish batsman Yuvraj Singh would go on to complete his hat-trick of tons in the third ODI against England on Thursday.
Cristiano Ronaldo warmed up in style for Wednesday's Champions League showdown with former club Manchester United by claiming a hat-trick and an assist as Real Madrid crushed Sevilla 4-1 in La Liga on Saturday.
England's Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad dispelled all doubts over his fitness with a hat-trick in a warm-up match against a New Zealand XI on Tuesday.
Theo Walcott evoked memories of the great Thierry Henry when his dazzling hat-trick inspired Arsenal to a 7-3 win over Newcastle United on Saturday in one of the best English Premier League games of the season.
Colombian striker Radamel Falcao scored a brilliant first-half hat-trick as Atletico Madrid crushed European champions Chelsea 4-1.
Powered by S Raleng's hat-trick, Services on Thursday thumped Bengal 4-1 to qualify for the Santosh Trophy National football championship final after a 39-year hiatus.
A hat-trick by David Villa helped Spain to a 4-1 win over Russia in their Euro 2008 opener on Tuesday.
Okram Ibobi Singh was almost written off after last year's crippling economic blockade in Manipur but the 61-year-old warhorse scripted a spectacular hat-trick for the Congress in the strife-torn state.
Here's a roundup of all Ranji Trophy matches played on Day 1 on Wednesday.
Striker Abhishek struck a brace as a dominant Indian men's hockey team outplayed China 7-0 in their last Super 4s match to reach the final of the Asia Cup
Harry Kane's hat-trick turned Tottenham Hotspur's potentially tricky FA Cup fifth-round tie at Championship side Fulham into a Sunday stroll by the River Thames as they won 3-0 at Craven Cottage.
Moroccan striker Alaaeddine Ajaraie struck a brilliant hat-trick as NorthEast United FC demolished Mohammedan Sporting 6-0 to enter the Kalinga Super Cup quarter-finals.
Vasco found Odafe Okolie too hot to handle as he scored a hat-trick to guide Churchill Brothers to a thumping 4-1 win in an ONGC I-League match at Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on Saturday.
Edeh Chidi scored a hat-trick to power East Bengal to a spectacular come-from-behind 4-1 victory over Salgaocar in a 13th round I-league encounter at the Duler ground, in Goa on Saturday.
Lionel Messi was lauded by opposition supporters on Sunday after he scored an outstanding hat-trick in Barcelona's 4-1 win at Real Betis, which put the Catalans 10 points clear at the top of La Liga with 10 games remaining.
"May take him for dinner tomorrow," the Mumbai batter quipped, trying to lighten the mood.
Odafa Onyeka Okolie weaved his magic on his I-League debut for Mohun Bagan, scoring a hat-trick, as the Kolkata giants thrashed Pailan Indian Arrows 3-1 at the flood-lit Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Sunday.
Statistical highlights of the Indian Premier League match between Kings XI Punjab and Deccan Chargers in Dharamsala on Saturday.
For 15 years, Messi and Ronaldo battled like no others. Now, Messi shares what made their rivalry so special.
Rangana Herath claimed his maiden Test hat-trick as 21 wickets tumbled on a frantic second day with hosts Sri Lanka closing in on a series-clinching victory against Australia in the second Test in Galle on Friday.
The victory after four qualifiers moved Ireland on to four points but they are still struggling in fifth place.
The IPL has produced many, many, memorable moments on the way.
Lionel Messi broke a Spanish hat-trick record and Luis Suarez struck twice as a rampant Barcelona took over top spot in La Liga with a 6-1 hammering of Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
Diamond Harbour FC continued their winning run in the 134th Durand Cup with a commanding 8-1 victory over BSF Football Club in a Group B clash in Imphal on Friday.
Roy Makaay scored a first-half hat-trick to steer Feyenoord to a 3-1 win over FC Groningen and a place in the last 16 of the Dutch Cup on Thursday.
Shahadat Hossain took Bangladesh's first ODI hat-trick but could not prevent a two-wicket defeat to Zimbabwe.
Battling a spate of injuries and non-selection of two star players Sandeep Singh and Sardara Singh -- double defending champions India will be looking to complete a hat-trick of titles in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup hockey tournament that begins in Ipoh, Malaysia, on Thursday.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das had stumped the market in the previous two policies - in August and in October - first with action and then with words. In August, it was the introduction of an incremental cash reserve ratio (I-CRR) to take out excess liquidity, which took the markets by surprise. In October, there was no action. Rather, what is known as "open mouth operation", Das' comment that the central bank might conduct open market operations (OMOs) by selling bonds tempered the euphoria in the bond markets after JP Morgan's inclusion of India in its Emerging Market Bond Index.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner as Portugal fought back to beat Germany 2-1 on Wednesday and reach the Nations League final.
"These victories are also going to generate an excess of euphoria so we have to be cautious," said the Spaniard.
It will be clear whether the voters preferred the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led regime for a third term or the "six guarantees" by the Congress worked any miracles or the BJP's BC chief minister 'mantra' wooed the electors or if there will be a fractured verdict, by tomorrow evening.
Raphinha scored twice as Barcelona overcame a two-goal deficit to secure a crucial 4-3 home victory against rivals Real Madrid in a pulsating Clasico on Sunday, edging them closer to the LaLiga title.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
