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Politics Business Expressions General Sports Leisure States 14 January 1998   Azhar's men hope for an encore India will be hoping to repeat their victory over Pakistan in the league match when the two meet today for the first final of the tri-nation Independence Cup at Dhaka. India are likely to bolster their batting by including Hrishikesh Kanitkar in the team while Pakistan have already brought in leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed who didn't play in the league match.   World No 2 status for Paes-Bhupathi There is good news for Indian tennis fans. The Indian pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have now attained the World No 2 rankings in the doubles. Even in individual rankings, both of them are in the top 10 with Bhupathi at No 8 and Paes at No 10. Venus exposes chinks in Hingis' armour Venus Williams avenged her loss to World No. 1 Martina Hingis in the finals of last year's US Open yesterday. Fighting cramps as well as Hingis, Williams chalked up an impressive 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory in a second round match at the Sydney International tournament. Dolan, Kowal take US to top World record holder Tom Dolan and unheralded Kristy Kowal powered the United States to the top of the swimming medal table with victories on the second night at the World Championship in Perth, Australia yesterday. While Dolan powered to a win in the 400 metres indiviual medley, Kowal scored an upset victory in the women's 100 m breaststroke final.   Barua, Kunte score easy wins The fifth round of the Anibal Chess tournament being played at Linares in Spain brought a lot of cheer for the participating Indians. While Grandmaster Dibyendu Barua and National champion Abhijit Kunte recorded impressive wins to maintain their victorious run, former Asian women's champion Bhagyashree Thipsay also played well to secure a draw. Gopi in second round India's P Gopi Chand rallied from being a game behind to beat Japan's Fumihiko Machida to enter the second round of the $200,000 Japan Open badminton tournament on Tuesday. Gopi Chand, runner-up at the Indian Open last year, won 5-15, 15-6, 15-11.     Ailing Mahindras hope for revival   Mehta survives scare, Shah cruises   Ranji super league fixtures   Global Sport   Saleem qualifies despite defeat   Kochin keen on TFA boys   Dempo look to put Bagan fiasco behind   UBI cash on Shettys' display   Gokuldham, Scottish emerge supreme   PSCB favourite   India File   SAI's inaction against erring coaches baffling   Springdales run through Guru Harkishan School   Geology, Law enter semi-finals   Easy win for Central Bank   Khurana claims YMCA billiards title   Chandigarh weightlifting trials on January 17   Prahlad Srinath in quarterfinals   Injury blues dampen Churchill's goals