Dhawan shines, others faulter as India post 285/7 vs Hong Kong
Dubai, Sep 18 : Opener Shikhar Dhawan (127) smashed a brilliant century to set a perfect platform but some poor batting from the middle-order saw India posting 285/7 runs against Hong Kong in Group A One-Day International (ODI) match of the Asia Cup here on Tuesday.
At one point India 240/2 in 40 overs but after the fall of Dhawan, who slammed his 14th ODI ton, the other middle-order batsmen went to pavilion one after another, thanks to clever bowling by the Hong Kong spinners.
Put in to bat, Indian openers Rohit Sharma (23) and Dhawan started the proceeding on a positive note, forging a 45-run disciplined partnership in eight overs. Rohit displayed some beautifully crafted shots but was soon picked up by pacer Ehsan Khan. His 22 ball innings included four boundaries.
New batsman Ambati Rayudu (60) then joined Dhawan in the middle started punishing the bad balls. The duo played freely and smashing the Hong Kong bowlers all around the park to build a 100-run partnership.
Rayudu and Dhawan completed half-century before Rayudu was caught by Scott McKechnie off Ehsan Nawaz in the 30th over. But unperturbed by the fall of wicket, Dhawan kept on playing the attacking game and completed his 14th ton.
New batsmen Dinesh Karthik and Dhawan then played attacking cricket and in the process Dhawan gifted his wicket to spinner K.D. Shah. His 120 ball innings was comprised of 15 boundaries and two sixes.
It was all going perfect, but after Dhawan's wicket, spinners attacked Indian batsmen and took wickets in clusters.
The first one to go was M.S. Dhoni (0) and then it was Karthik. Kedar Jadhav (28 not out) along with other batters --Bhuvneshwar Kumar (9), Shardul Thakur (0) and Kuldeep Yadav (0), however tried to pace up the innings towards the end but could not breach the 300-run mark.
Brief scores: India: 285/7 (Shikhar Dhawan 127, Ambati Rayudu 60; Kinchit Shah 3/39) against Hong Kong.
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Mumbai mayor hosts flower Holi event, calls for eco-friendly festivities
Mumbai (PTI): In a bid to promote sustainable festivities, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde on Tuesday hosted a 'Phulanchi Holi' (Holi of flowers) event, urging Mumbaikars to ditch chemical colours and avoid water wastage for an eco-friendly celebration.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) initiative, held at Rajawadi Garden in the eastern suburb of Ghatkopar in the presence of MLA Parag Shah, aimed to promote the use of flower petals and discourage the burning of hazardous materials during Holika Dahan.
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Speaking on the occasion, Tawde said festivals such as Holika Dahan and Rangpanchami should be observed with social responsibility and environmental consciousness.
"As the mayor of Mumbai, I wanted to send a message by organising 'Phulanchi Holi'. Citizens should avoid cutting trees for Holika Dahan and instead use dry wood, and plastic, tyres, rubber and chemically treated materials should not be burnt," a release quoted Tawde as saying.
She also appealed to citizens to avoid water wastage during the celebrations and to opt for natural and organic colours.
According to the BMC, the flowers used during the event were collected for processing into organic compost. The area was cleared immediately after the programme to reinforce the message of a "cleaner and greener" Mumbai, the release added.
