Firstpost Spodcast Episode 201: Igor Stimac set to be appointed head coach of Indian football team, Supernovas' win over Velocity and more

In football news, Croatia’s World Cupper and former manager Igor Stimac will be appointed the Indian football team’s head coach. This was confirmed after the AIFF Technical Committee recommended his name for the top job on Friday. The 51-year-old Stimac, a part of the Croatian team that finished third in the 1998 World Cup, received the nod from the Technical Committee, which interviewed four shortlisted candidates. Gokulam Kerala thrashed SSB Women’s Football Club 5-0 to post their third win on the trot in the Indian Women’s League on Thursday. Anju Tamang scored a brace in the first and 89th minutes while Anita Rawat scored in the 39thminute, Ranjana Chanu in the 46th, and Bawitlung Vanlalhriattiri in the 74th as a rampant Goklulam dominated the match almost entirely. In fact, Gokulam took the lead immediately after the start of the game. An intricate move was converted into a goal by India international Anju Tamang. The entire move took Gokulam just 14 seconds, which made this the fastest goal scored in the 2018-19 season of the IWL. In cricket news, Cricket Australia has praised Australian cricketers’ post-Sandpapergate conduct as the men’s team registered its first violation-free season in seven years. CA said the Australians’ once-notorious behaviour has significantly improved amid attempts to clean up the game’s culture after the ball-tampering scandal. Chairman Earl Eddings said, “Everyone in Australian cricket is well aware that it’s not just winning that counts, but how we play the game, and the players have certainly embraced that spirit.” He added that the men’s national team had no conduct citing during the 2018-19 season, the first clean sheet in seven years, and Code of Conduct charges at all levels dropped 74 percent. He said umpires had also reported they were being accorded more respect from players as the new, less abrasive culture beds in. Teenager Jemimah Rodrigues struck an unbeaten 77 to help Supernovas beat Velocity by 12 runs and enter the final of the Women’s T20 Challenge on Thursday. The two sides will face off once again in the summit clash on Saturday as the third team, Trailblazers, who also secured the same two points as Velocity and Supernovas, finished third on the basis of net run rate. It was a must-win match for the Supernovas, and 18-year-old Rodrigues’ 48-ball 77 not out ensured they reached 142/3 in their 20 overs. She struck 10 fours and one six in her aggressive innings. Supernovas’ bowlers then restricted Velocity to 130/3 to win the final round-robin league match of the tournament and make it through to the final. In tennis news, top seed Novak Djokovic qualified for the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open, beating Frenchman Jeremy Chardy for the 13th time. The Serbian star needed less than 90 minutes to extend his domination of French opponents, beating Chardy 6-1, 7-6. Djokovic holds an overwhelming record against the French, standing 66-2 against them since leading Serbia to the 2010 Davis Cup title over France. He won the opening set in less than half an hour, but was forced to a tiebreaker as Chardy’s resistance stiffened in the second. He will face ninth seed Marin Cilic next after the Croatian put out Laslo Djere 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, winning 11 of the last 13 games.