3rd test: Buttler scores century as England reach 373-4 at lunch
Southampton: Jos Buttler survived a scare on 99 before reaching his second test century as England strengthened its grip on the third and final test against Pakistan in a wicketless morning session interrupted by two rain breaks on Day 2 on Saturday.
England took lunch on 373-4, with Buttler on a career-best test score of 113 not out and opening-day century-maker Zak Crawley unbeaten on 186.
Needing one run to get to triple figures, Buttler was given out caught behind off Mohammad Abbas, with wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan up to the stumps taking a sharp catch. The England batsman immediately reviewed and replays showed no contact, with the noise being his bat hitting his pad.
Off the next ball, he stroked a back-foot drive into the off-side for three runs to bring up his first hundred as England's wicketkeeper. The other ton 106 against India two years ago was as a specialist batsman.
Buttler removed his helmet and saluted his teammates on the balcony after an important innings that further quietened the critics calling for him to be dropped because of wicketkeeping mistakes against the West Indies and Pakistan this season. At the start of this series, he acknowledged he was batting for his place in the team.
Crawley is close to a big milestone of his own after adding 15 runs to his overnight 171, also a personal-best in tests.
The fifth-wicket partnership between Crawley and Buttler grew to 246 runs, after coming together following lunch on Day 1 with England 127-4.
Brief showers took the teams off twice during the morning session, resulting in lunch being taken an hour later than scheduled.
England, which started Day 2 on 332-4, leads 1-0 and is looking to clinch a first series victory over Pakistan in 10 years, as well as a second of the summer after beating the West Indies 2-1.
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MEA reports more than 200 Indians enlisted in Russian military since 2022; 26 deaths confirmed
More than 200 Indian nationals have joined the Russian armed forces since 2022, with 26 are confirmed dead, MEA—The Ministry of External Affairs have informed the Upper house of the Parliament: Rajya Sabha.
In a written response, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, has stated that at least 202 Indians are reported to have joined the Russian army. Among these recruited personnels, 26 have lost their lives; while, seven individuals have been reported missing by Russian authorities. He added that the remains of two deceased Indian nationals were cremated in Russia.
Singh noted that the sustained diplomatic efforts by the Indian government have led to the early discharge of 119 individuals. He further added that the discussions are going smoothly with the Russians to secure the release of the remaining personnel, with efforts underway to facilitate the early discharge of 50 more Indian nationals.
According to the minister, the Union government is in contact with Russian authorities to ensure the safety, welfare, and prompt return of Indian citizens serving in the Russian army. The issue, he said, is being addressed at multiple levels, including interactions between senior leaders, ministers, and officials of both countries.
The said disclosure was made in response to queries raised by Saket Gokhale, the MP of Trinamool Congress, and Randeep Singh Surjewala, the MP of INC, regarding the number of Indians allegedly recruited into the military service in Russia; Along with the details of deaths and missing persons reported since 2022.
