limited-overs finisher and. now, bat in the crucial No. 4 position in Tests. His elevation up the order is a result of AB de Villiers injury-enforced absence but he has embraced the challenge as though

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The New York Giants suddenly have added concern at defensive end. With Jason Pierre-Paul still recovering from back surgery in early June, the Giants practiced Wednesday with fellow defensive end Justin Tuck sidelined by an undisclosed back problem. "Hes got a tight back," coach Tom Coughlin said after practice without being specific. "Theyre just taking the precautions." Coughlin hopes that Tuck will be able to play in New Yorks preseason opener at Pittsburgh on Saturday night, but added his condition needs to improve a little. Bothered by a number of injuries, including a neck problem, Tuck had an off-season in 2012, finishing with four sacks and 55 tackles in 55 games. As the teams defensive captain he took a lot of criticism when the Giants finished next to last in the league in defence. Tuck was not available for comment after practice. Backs are a touchy topic. Jason Pierre-Paul played 16 games last season with a sore back, but never disclosed the seriousness of the injury. He had disk surgery in June and he wasnt sure on Tuesday whether he would be ready to play in New Yorks season opener at Dallas on Sept. 8. Free agent signee Cullen Jenkins, who has been starting at defensive tackle, moved to the outside to take Tucks spot at end. "Hes a tough guy to block no matter where he is," Coughlin said about Jenkins, who played last season with Philadelphia. "Hes very effective, very good. Moves well. Just gives us a nice piece of versatility to be able to play him basically wherever we need." Shaun Rogers took over at defensive tackle for Jenkins. New York has had a couple of injuries this week that may make some players a question mark this weekend. Justin Pugh, the offensive tackle who was the Giants first round draft pick, running back Ryan Torain and guard James Brewer have suffered concussions this week and have missed practice. Rookie safety Cooper Taylor was out Wednesday with a hamstring injury. The injury to Brewer has created a chance for guard Brandon Mosley, a fourth-round draft pick a year ago who spent the season on injured reserve with an ankle problem. Brewer had been starting at right guard with veteran Chris Snee on the physically unable to perform list. Snee, who had off-season hip surgery, was activated on Tuesday but he is not ready to play in a game, so Mosley will start. "Hes had some very good practices," Coughlin said. "He occasionally suffers from a lack of experience when something new confronts him. Hes been impressive. Hes a tough kid. Hes battling." The Giants also announced the retirement of safety Deon Grant, who sat out last season. He last played in the Giants Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots in February 2012. "Hes one of our guys. He did a great job when he was here. Mr. Versatility," Coughlin said. "He played linebacker. He played back in the secondary. We had a package basically designed to get him and others on the field at the same time and he responded very, very well. He was a very, very smart player; a guy who could direct traffic back there. The guys really respected him. He had the ability to recognize when things werent championship quality and he would call peoples attention to that." Swell Flaschen Schweiz . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Swell Flasche Rosa . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. http://www.swellflascheschweiz.ch/ . PETERSBURG, Fla. Hydro Flask Flasche Schweiz . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. Hydro Flask Schweiz . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Welcome home, JP Duminy. Home to the WACA. Where you started once and now where you have started again.Welcome home, Dean Elgar. Home to the WACA. Where your start could have been your end and where you have now gained seniority.Welcome home, South Africa. Home to the WACA. Where your top four have never collectively failed and youve never been defeated. Its nice to be back, isnt it? Especially because it seems that all around you there are mirrors to reflect the good memories.Duminy and Elgar debuted here, so it is a special place for both, even though Elgars start wasnt: he made a pair in 2012. At least he knew things could only get better. Duminy, on the other hand, scored a match-wining half-century when he replaced an injured Ashwell Prince in 2008. Prince was then the man who talked Duminy out of Test retirement earlier this year when, after a period of poor form, Duminy considered calling time.If there was a period which said thank goodness he didnt, it came after lunch on day three of his return to Perth. Duminy creamed four cover drives, two off Mitchell Starc, two off Josh Hazlewood, none off particularly good balls but all with the class of French music at dinner time. Then came the complete opposite, a scything cut off the back foot from a horrible Nathan Lyon delivery, a shot that said he could dominate as much as he could delight. Just like that Duminy shifted gears, went from 74 to 96 and to within touching distance of a milestone to add to his already impressive record against the toughest opposition out there.Duminy averages 50.93 in 11 Tests against Australia, miles ahead of 34.22 overall. Three of his hundreds have been scored against them, two in Australia. This one meant something a little more. It was celebrated with an unusually long hug on a stinking hot day with Elgar, who had reason of his own to understand the importance.While Elgars place has not come under the same microscope as Duminys, he has yet to put in that series of big performances that cement a Test spot. He enjoyed a breakthrough innings in the same Test Duminy last scored a century - Galle 2014 - and since then he has been through four opening partners, none of whom appeared a permanent match. Elgar became the constant, albeit not consistent, perhaps aided by how much he serves as a reminder of his illustrious predecessor. Elgar has the same raw technique as Graeme Smith, the same ability to score runs by what seems like sheer will and even the same snarl. Although significantly shorter, he is starting to stand as tall as Smith used to aand has demonstrated the same appetite for a battle and attitude of resilience.ddddddddddddOn the second afternoon, he got into a short-ball battle with Mitchell Starc and survived. On the third morning, he had a similar fight but with Starc pitching it up. Both times, Elgar did not allow himself to be frustrated by the constant threat. He won in the end. Starc eventually served up a half-volley on the pads and Elgar played a Duminy-esque stroke to take him to fifty.Less attractive shots followed, including the heave that should have seen him dismissed on 81, but the hallmark of his innings was not strokeplay but spirit. Elgar simply wanted to stick around. He wanted it so much that he faced more balls than he has in any Test innings before. He wanted it so much that when he got it, it really showed. The gaze at the bat that hit the shot that brought the hundred held for a few seconds longer, the smooch of the badge lasted longer too and then he did not seem in a hurry to get anywhere. He simply batted on.Elgar has finally done what Smith built his career on. He scored a first second-innings century and it could prove decisive. That he scored it on the ground where he was twice taken out by Mitchell Johnson in match where he would have wanted to make an impression can be seen as a sign of how far he has come.Contrastingly, for Duminy, it was a realisation of how far he had to go to get back here. In the last two years, Duminy has put an immense amount of work into improving. He has overcome problems against the short ball and spin, learnt to take responsibility as a limited-overs finisher and. now, bat in the crucial No. 4 position in Tests. His elevation up the order is a result of AB de Villiers injury-enforced absence but he has embraced the challenge as though it were something he wouldnt mind continuing with, not least because it gives him the opportunity to become more consistent.Since 2008, when Duminy made his debut, he has twice gone more than two years without a Test hundred - Jacques Rudolph is the only other South Africa batsman to do so in that time, though his drought was caused by accepting a Kolpak deal. Duminys lengthy lean patches have taken their toll and both the team and his own reputation have suffered. But here, back at the WACA, he put 141 runs between himself and the suggestion that his talents were on the wane, coming full circle at a place he can truly call a second home. ' ' '