David Warner picks Rohit to break Lara's 400 not out Test record, recalls Sehwag's encouragement
Adelaide, Dec 1: Dashing Australian opener David Warner believes India's Rohit Sharma has the firepower to surpass West Indies great Brian Lara's record 400 not out in a Test match.
Warner, who scored his maiden triple ton (335) in five-day cricket during the ongoing second Test against Pakistan here, was just 65 runs shy of breaking Lara's record when skipper Tim Paine decided to declare the innings at 589/3.
Though he couldn't break the record, Warner believes it is possible to surpass the 400-mark and backed Rohit to achieve the feat in near future. Lara's 400 not out is the highest individual score in Test cricket which came against England in 2004.
"Yeah, look, I think it's about the person himself. We've got long boundaries, it is quite difficult at times. When fatigue sets in, it's very hard to try hard and throw your hands at it," Warner told 'Fox Sports'.
"At the end, I tried to run twos to lift the ante because I couldn't actually think like I could clear the ropes.
"I think, one day, if I've to name a player, I reckon it could be Rohit Sharma. Definitely."
Considered one of the best batsmen in ODI cricket, Rohit couldn't achieve much success in Tests initially but the Mumbaikar made a successful comeback to the longest format when he was included as an opener for the three-match series against South Africa.
As an opener in his first Test, Rohit scored twin-centuries against South Africa and was eventually named the Man of the Series.
Warner, who surpassed Sir Don Bradman's highest Test score of 334 during his unbeaten knock in the ongoing Day-night Test, also revealed that he had doubts about his Test career and it was former India opener Virender Sehwag, who had predicted that he would be a better Test batsman than a T20 cricketer.
"When I met Virender Sehwag while playing for Delhi in the IPL, he sat down to me and said I will be a better Test player than a Twenty 20 player. I said 'you're out of your mind, I've not played many first-class games'," Warner told reporters.
"He always said 'they will have slips and gully, covers open, mid-wicket stay there. mid-off and mid-on will be up, you can get off to a flier and sit there all day and you'll be picking them all off'.
"That's always stuck in my mind, it sounded very easy when we were discussing then."
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13 lakh litres of 'Rail Neer' supplied to train passengers daily: Government
New Delhi (PTI): Approximately 13 lakh litres of packaged drinking water -- 'Rail Neer' -- are being supplied to train passengers across the railway network daily, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday.
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations, the government also provided zone-wise details of the water vending machines (WVMs) installed there.
"To ensure the quality of drinking water being made available at the railway stations, instructions exist for periodical checking and required corrective action to be taken.
"Regular inspection and maintenance of drinking water facilities is carried out and complaints are attended to promptly," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while responding to a question raised by BJP MP Anup Sanjay Dhotre seeking to know the supply of drinking water at railway stations across the country
"Complaints regarding deficiency in services, including water supply, are received through various channels such as public complaints, web portals, social media, etc. These complaints are received at various levels, including the Railway Board, zonal railways, division office, etc.," Vaishnaw said.
"The complaints so received are forwarded to the concerned wings of Railways and necessary action is taken to check and address them. As receipt of such complaints and action taken thereon is a continuous and dynamic process, a centralised compendium of these is not maintained," he added.
Providing zone-wise details of water vending machines, the minister said 954 such machines have been installed across railway stations.
"The Indian Railways also provides safe and affordable packaged drinking water bottles -- Rail Neer -- approved by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in trains and at stations," Vaishnaw said.
"Approximately, 13 lakh litres of Rail Neer are being supplied per day to the travelling passengers in trains and at stations across the Indian Railways network," he added.
