Firstpost Spodcast Episode 67: Bajrang Punia's silver medal, Bengaluru FC's win and more on daily podcast

Welcome to Spodcast, the sports update on Firstpost. Bajrang Punia won a silver in the 65-kg category at the ongoing Wrestling World Championships on Monday, losing to Japan’s Takuto Otaguro in the final. In the attacking, high-scoring final, 19-year-old Otaguro got off to an early lead against the Indian wrestler. A step out followed by a four-pointer from a lift gave him a 5-0 lead. Bajrang responded with a takedown and reduced the margin to just one point. The score was 6-7 at the end of the first period. Otaguro extended his lead once again with a take down and a step out, earning three points. Bajrang tried to attack but the Japanese wrestler managed to defend well, and won the final 16-9. We also discus the Indian Super League match between Bengaluru FC and FC Pune City which the former won 3-0 on Monday, with Sunil Chhetri scoring two goals. This win moves Bengaluru FC to the top of the table with seven points. Sri Lanka’s left-arm spinner Rangana Herath has decided to call time on his 18-year-long career. The veteran bowler said the Test match against England at Galle, played from 6 to 10 November, will be his last. It will be his 93rd Test match. He made his Test debut against Australia in 1999 at the same venue. 40-year-old Rangana Herath is one of Sri Lanka’s all-time leading wicket-takers, with 430 Test wickets. He has been a Test match specialist, more so after retiring from limited overs cricket in 2016. He took 74 wickets in 71 ODIs and 18 wickets from 17 T20s. Herath is the last of the active Test cricketers to have debuted in the 1990s. He was overshadowed by Muttiah Muralitharan during the first half of his career. He found more success after Murali retired in 2010. Hearth’s 430 wickets place him 10th in the list of highest wicket takers in Test matches.   In tennis news, there were more upsets at the WTA Finals tournament in Singapore. World No 6 Sloane Stephens, last year’s US Open winner, defeated the current US Open champion Naomi Osaka 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. In a dramatic match that lasted two hours and 25 minutes, Stephens traded sets with Osaka before the Japanese sensation lost her way in the third set. Osaka committed 46 unforced errors in the match, and had her serve broken three times in the final set. Before losing to Stephens, Osaka was in red-hot form, winning 14 out of 16 matches played. Stephens, who is seeded fifth in the tournament, said, “I competed really well and I knew I had to play good tennis to beat her. I just stayed tough and took my opportunities.”