Australia 86-1 in reply to India's 180 at stumps on Day 1 of pink ball Test
Adelaide, Dec 6: Australia reached 86 for 1 in their first innings after dismissing India for 180 at the end of the opening day of the pink-ball Test here on Friday.
Nathan McSweeney and Marnus Labuschagne were at the crease on 38 and 20 respectively when the stumps were drawn after 33 overs of play in Australia's first innings. The home side trail by 94 runs.
Opener Usman Khawaja was the lone Australia batter out for 13 off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah.
Earlier, India were all out for 180 at dinner after playing 44.12 overs as the visitors lost four and six wickets in the first and second sessions of the day respectively after opting to bat.
Nitish Reddy top-scored for India with 42 off 54 balls, while KL Rahul and Shubman Gill contributed 37 and 31 respectively.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (0), Virat Kohli (7) and captain Rohit Sharma (3) fell cheaply while Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin contributed 21 and 22 respectively.
Pacer Mitchell Starc was the wrecker-in-chief for Australia as he took six Indian wickets for 48 runs.
India made three changes with captain Rohit, Gill and Ashwin returning to the playing XI after missing the first Test which India won by 295 runs. Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel and Washington Sundar made way for them.
Brief Scores:
India: 180 all out in 44.1 overs (Nitish Reddy 42, KL Rahul 37, Shubman Gill 31; Mitchell Starc 6/48).
Australia: 86 for 1 in 33 overs (Nathan McSweeney 38 not out, Marnus Labuschagne 20 not out; Jasprit Bumrah 1/13).
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Commercial LPG price hike 'direct blow' to common man: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the union government over the recent hike in commercial LPG cylinder prices, calling it a "direct blow" to the common man and warning that rising fuel and tax burdens were quietly fuelling inflation and hurting livelihoods.
In a post on social media platform X, the Chief Minister said the increase would severely impact tea shops, darshinis (Quick service restaurants), small hotels, bakeries and street vendors, who depend heavily on commercial LPG, and accused the Centre of pursuing selective economic logic while burdening citizens.
"The recent hike in commercial LPG cylinder prices by about Rs 111 is a direct blow to the common man. Tea shops, small hotels, bakeries and street vendors depend on commercial LPG. When its price rises, food becomes costlier, livelihoods suffer and inflation quietly enters every household," Siddaramaiah said.
Responding to the Union government's explanation that the LPG price rise was due to an increase in Saudi Contract Prices (CP), the Chief Minister questioned the inconsistency in fuel pricing.
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"The Union Government now argues that LPG prices have increased due to the rise in Saudi Contract Prices (CP). If that is the logic, an important question must be answered honestly by Narendra Modi on why have petrol and diesel prices not been reduced when global crude oil prices have been consistently falling?" he asked.
Siddaramaiah pointed out that while Saudi CP may fluctuate, global crude oil prices, the primary input for petrol and diesel, have softened. "Yet petrol and diesel prices remain unchanged, burdening citizens while generating record revenues. This selective application of 'international price logic' raises serious concerns," he said.
The CM also flagged what he described as fiscal injustice towards states, alleging that Karnataka contributes far more to the national exchequer than it receives in return.
"Karnataka contributes 4.5 to 5 lakh crore every year to the national exchequer, but receives barely Rs 60,000 crore in return, often delayed. This is not cooperative federalism, it is fiscal imbalance," he claimed.
He further criticised the Centre over rising railway fares, additional cesses and surcharges outside the GST framework, and what he termed as the shifting of welfare responsibilities to states.
Referring to the VB-G RAM G Act, Siddaramaiah said states were now being forced to bear nearly 40 per cent of the cost, increasing their financial burden.
"India cannot be built by squeezing its workers, taxing its poor, and weakening its States. Economic governance must be rooted in fairness, transparency and compassion, not selective justifications," he said, adding "a strong nation respects its people, empowers its States, and ensures growth is shared fairly."
