Australia 156/4 at stumps on Day 1, lead India by 47 runs
Indore, Mar 1: Indian batters' longstanding struggles against spin were thoroughly exposed before Australia applied themselves on a rank turner to take control of the third Test on a frantic opening day of the match here on Wednesday.
Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemman (5/16) picked up his maiden five-wicket haul as Australia skittled India out for a paltry 109 shortly after lunch on day one. Virat Kohli top-scored for India with 22 off 52 balls.
Trailing 0-2 in the series, Australia came out with a strong resolve and purpose to end the day at 156 for four, taking a 47-run lead.
Ravindra Jadeja (4/63) took all four wickets for India including that of stand-in captain Steve Smith (26 off 38) before close of play.
Usman Khawaja (60 off 147) was the standout performer for Australia as he tackled the skill-full Jadeja and R Ashwin with a straight bat and soft hands.
Marnus Labuschagne (31 off 91 balls), who was bowled off a no ball early in his innings, rode on his luck to share a 96-run stand with Khawaja, the highest partnership of the series for the visitors.
Though the usually accurate Indian spinners were not relentless with their lines and lengths, Khawaja and Labuschagne rectified the "sweeping" mistakes they made in Delhi by playing straight and trusting their defense.
When India were batting, the pitch seemed unplayable but Khawaja and Co. showed the way to the home team.
Khawaja's gritty knock also had a couple of drives on the off-side. He was also not shy of playing the reverse sweep but mostly played straight.
The southpaw hardly put a foot wrong in his crafty knock but when he did, he had to pay for it. In the 43rd over of the innings, Khawaja went for the sweep from around the off-stump off Jadeja and ended up giving a catch at deep midwicket.
Like Nagpur and Delhi, the game is set for another three-day finish and a 100-run lead on this surface will be worth gold.
India were also guilty of bowling four no-balls.
Earlier, having lost seven of the batters by the end of the opening session, India could add only 25 more runs to their total with Kuhnemann ending with career-best figures in first-class cricket.
If it wasn't for Umesh Yadav's 17 off 13 balls, India would have struggled to get past the 100-run mark.
The only wicket that came India's way in the afternoon session was of Travis Head (9), who missed a straight ball from Jadeja to be adjudged lbw.
It was a sign of desperation that India exhausted two of their three views in the first 10 overs. Labuschagne got a second life when India did not review a lbw call off Ashwin.
The great Matthew Hayden on air called the the black soil surface at the Holkar Stadium a day-three pitch and it sure behaved like one.
Three India batters including skipper Rohit Sharma (12), Jadeja (4) and Shreyas Iyer (0) perished while trying to attack.
Kohli looked assured in the middle before being trapped lbw by Todd Murphy towards the end of the session.
Winning the toss for the first time in the series, India expectedly decided to bat first. Shubman Gill replaced an out-of-form K L Rahul in the playing eleven while Umesh Yadav was brought in for the rested Mohammad Shami.
Having regained match fitness, both Mitchell Starc and Cameron Green made Australia's playing eleven.
Starc's first over to Rohit was among the highlights of the morning session. Before the spinners ran through the Indian batting, Starc got the ball to swing giving the India skipper a tough time.
Rohit got a faint outside edge on the very first ball he faced but Australia did not take a review. Three balls later, Starc got the ball to swing back in and it flicked Rohit's pads. Ball tracking showed the ball would have hit the off stump but Australia did not take the review.
Spin was introduced in the sixth over and Kuhnemman got the ball to turn sharply. In the last ball of the over, Rohit stepped out to play across the line and got beaten in the flight and Alex Carey made a clean stumping.
Kuhnemann had Gill caught at first slip with the opener getting a thick outside edge while offering a forward defence.
Cheteshwar Pujara's stay lasted only four balls as Lyon got one to turn massively from wide off stump that crashed into the middle stump. The ball kept a tad low as well and Pujara was found wanting on the back foot.
When Shreyas Iyer played an attempted cut on to his stumps, India had lost half their side.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Cong leader held for sharing AI image depicting Kerala CM with Sabarimala gold case accused
Kozhikode (Kerala) (PTI): A Congress leader was arrested on Saturday for allegedly sharing an AI-generated photograph depicting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan along with Unnikrishnan Potty, an accused in the Sabarimala gold case, police said.
The Chevayoor police took N Subarahmanian, a member of the state unit of Congress's Political Affairs Committee, into custody after registering a case against him. Later, his arrest was recorded after the interrogation and he was released on station bail, police said.
He was booked for sharing a post on a social media platform carrying a photograph depicting the Chief Minister and Potty together, with a caption questioning the reason for their alleged close relationship.
As part of the probe, a police team reached Subarahmanian’s house on Saturday morning to record his statement. Later, it was decided to take him to the police station for detailed interrogation, officials said.
The CPI(M) has claimed that the picture circulating on social media is AI-generated.
Before being taken to the police station, Subarahmanian told reporters that the picture he shared was not AI-generated, but was taken from a video released by the Chief Minister’s Office.
“What the police say are the words of the government. They are branding everything as AI-generated,” he alleged.
ALSO READ: Yelahanka evictions: Urgent resolution needed, says Grand Mufti of India
He further claimed that one of the photographs he posted was also seen on the social media account of BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar on November 29, but no case was registered against him.
“I will try to prove the authenticity of the photograph. Anyway, the case will reach the court,” he said.
Subarahmanian alleged that the government’s policy was to take action against people criticising the CM by sending them to jail. “People will not shut their mouths with such actions,” he said.
He also said that in his social media post, he had mentioned that the photograph was taken from Facebook. “Let’s wait and see,” he added.
The Police said a case has been registered under Section 192 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot and Section 120(o) of the Kerala Police Act for causing annoyance through communication.
Congress activists led by Kozhikode DCC president K Praveenkumar held a protest in front of the police station, terming the police action as illegal and unreasonable, as only bailable sections were invoked against Subarahmanian.
He alleged that police surrounded Subarahmanian’s house as if action was being taken against a hardcore criminal.
“Subarahmanian was in Kozhikode, and the police could have served a notice instead of creating drama by surrounding his house. The police will face the consequences of their actions,” he said.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph said the Chief Minister’s Office was trampling upon democracy and freedom of expression by registering a case alleging incitement to riot against N Subarahmanian for sharing the picture.
“Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is now leading Kerala along the same path shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government. These actions will not weaken or destroy democratic and secular Kerala, nor will they succeed in silencing the state,” he said.
Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan, said fake campaigns using AI tools were mostly carried out by the CPI(M).
ALSO READ: From Kannada medium school in Hejamady to IT leader in US: Inspiring story of Imtiaz Iqbal
“Mr Pinarayi Vijayan, who are you trying to scare? Are you trying to scare us? This is the end phase of your governance,” he said.
He alleged that a CPI(M) leader who was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for hurling explosives at police personnel was granted parole by the government just a month after being jailed in Kannur.
“You are in charge of the police and the Home department. Your DIG is accepting bribes and releasing prisoners on bail,” he alleged. Satheesan said the Chief Minister should not attempt to intimidate Congress workers, as they would not budge under such tactics.
“If you act in an autocratic manner, we are not afraid of you. You will have to arrest all of us. Such a chief minister is a shame for Kerala,” he said.
He said the CPI(M) had failed to learn from the public warning delivered through the local body elections.
“There is a bigger lesson waiting for you in the Assembly elections,” he said.
