WORLD OF SPORT

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Marsh family moment almost ended in run out Shaun and Mitchell Marsh’s overflowing emotions on scoring centuries batting together almost ended in embarrassment on the fourth day of the fifth Ashes Test against England. The Marsh boys became only the third set of brothers to score centuries in the same innings for Australia. Shaun Marsh was subsequently run out for 156, while brother Mitchell hit 101 for both their second centuries of the series. They joined Greg and Ian Chappell and Steve and Mark Waugh to score fraternal centuries for Australia, but it could have ended very differently. Mitchell Marsh embraced his elder brother mid-pitch before sensing danger and scrambling back to his crease to avoid being run out. “That was my fault,” Shaun said. “I think emotions sort of got the better of me and I just wanted to give him a hug. I saw him starting to celebrate and I lost all concept of where the ball was and what was happening with the ball. He pushed me off him and said ‘you better get down the other end.’ Thankfully, it all worked out and I was just really happy for him.” ▷▷▷ Hansdotter sees the positives in defeat Most athletes would not take being well beaten in a competition so congenially, but Frida Hansdotter had nothing but praise for Mikaela Shiffrin after the American won her 40th skiing slalom World Cup race. Shiffrin was more than a second ahead of the rest of the field at the Podkoren course in Slovenia. Hansdotter said that Shiffrin’s dominance of the sport can be a good thing, even if it is stopping her winning herself. “It’s frustrating, but it is also good for the sport,” said the Swede, the only skier other than Shiffrin to win the World Cup slalom title in the past five years. “All of us want to ski faster than her but she is on another level. We need to train harder and ski faster.” ▷▷▷

PSG set to act over pair’s extended holiday time Edinson Cavani and Javier Pastore will need to provide answers to their tardy returns from Latin America with both men absent from the Paris Saint-Germain squad to face Rennes in the French Cup last night. Sources close to the club say both men face heavy sanctions with Cavani returning two days late on Friday and Pastore yet to return. Cavani said he had wanted to spend the New Year celebrations with his family and had complications booking flights back. Pastore told Yahoo sports from Argentina he had personal issues to settle, and adamantly insists the no show has nothing to do with a desire to quit PSG. “I love Paris and I love PSG,” Pastore said.