India ride on fifties by Gill, Pant to reach 195/5 at lunch, trail by 40 runs against NZ in 3rd Test
Mumbai (PTI): Rishabh Pant’s (60) blitz and Shubman Gill’s resolute unbeaten 70 propelled India’s counterattack on second morning of the final Test as the hosts raced to 195 for five at lunch, trailing New Zealand by another 40 runs in the first innings here on Friday.
Having ceded control to New Zealand in final minutes of the opening day’s play with an embarrassing collapse, India showed better resolve to make a speedy recovery while knocking off a significant chunk of the first-innings deficit.
At lunch, Ravindra Jadeja (10 not out) was accompanying Gill who hit four boundaries and a six in his 106 ball stay.
Pant's quickfire 60, laced with eight fours and two sixes, was instrumental in taking the advantage away from the Kiwis who were gifted three unexpected wickets by the Indians in the last day’s session with batting mainstays Virat Kohli (4) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (30) committing harakiri.
Pant and Gill, entrusted with the job to control the damage on day two, took an aggressive route as they tore through the Kiwi bowling attack to plunder 77 runs in 14 overs in the first hour, putting on an overall 96 runs for the fifth wicket off only 114 deliveries.
If Pant was more belligerent of the two, Gill showed remarkable improvement in his defence against spinners while the two young Indians were also favoured by luck for being brave in their endeavour with some ordinary fielding by New Zealand.
In the 26th over, Gill charged against Glenn Phillips' (0/54) first ball of the day only to sky the ball towards long-on and despite having covered the distance, substitute fielder Mark Chapman spilled what would have been a regulation catch.
Gill was on 30 when Pant had joined him on first day evening with India’s backs pressed firmly against the wall, in the 19th over of the innings.
In the 30th, both the batters brought up their respective half-centuries.
Like Gill, Pant too was provided with a reprieve off Phillips when Matt Henry (1/26) spilled another regulation catch at long-off.
Pant had made his intentions clear in the first over when he gently drove Ajaz Patel (2/76) down the ground for a four off the first ball, danced down the track for another four on the next delivery and deliberately opened the face of the bat to guide the ball for another four past first slip.
The Indian wicketkeeper-batter’s charge, however, came to an end half an hour before lunch when Ish Sodhi forced Pant on the backfoot with one that turned sharply in.
The umpire’s on-field call of leg-before against Pant stayed as replays showed the ball would’ve clipped the leg-stump when India reviewed.
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Himachal’s Sammoo village does not celebrate Diwali due to centuries-old 'curse’; Here’s why
Hamirpur: The residents of Sammoo village in Hamirpur district located in Himachal Pradesh are continuing a centuries-old tradition of not celebrating Diwali. No houses are lit during the festival, no special dishes are prepared, and no sounds of crackers are heard.
This is an ancient custom that people have been following for ages due to the fear of a curse from a woman who committed Sati on Diwali, according to a PTI report.
The legend goes that, many years ago, the woman who had left for her parent's home to celebrate Diwali received news that her husband, a soldier in the king's court, had died. The woman, who was pregnant, was devastated and burnt herself on her husband's pyre. It is believed she cursed the villagers, declaring that they would never again be able to celebrate Diwali.
As a result, the village has not celebrated the festival since, with elders reportedly warning younger generations that celebrations would invite misfortune, disaster, and deaths.
Bhoranj panchayat pradhan Pooja Devi stated that since she got married and moved to this village, she has never witnessed Diwali being celebrated. “Even if the villagers settle outside, the curse of the women won’t leave them. Some years ago, a family from the village settled far away were preparing some local dishes for Diwali when their house caught fire. The people of the village only worship Sati and light diyas in front of her,” Pooja Devi was quoted as saying by the news agency.
The report also cited another village elder, who has lived through more than 70 Diwalis without celebration, mentioning that whenever someone attempts to celebrate, tragedy strikes the village.
“For hundreds of years, people have refrained from celebrating Diwali. On the day of Diwali, if a family, even by mistake, bursts crackers and makes dishes at home, then disaster is sure to happen,” the report quoted another villager.
The people in the village have tried a lot of measures, such as havans and yagyas, to get rid of the curse. However, nothing has reportedly worked.
