England beat India by eight wickets in first T20I
Ahmedabad, Mar 12: Indian batsmen had little to offer in the face of a regimented English bowling effort on a two-paced track as the hosts received an eight-wicket hammering in the opening Twenty20 International here on Friday.
Indian batsmen struggled to score freely before Shreyas Iyer showed the way with a dogged 67-run knock that took Virat Kohli's men to 124 for seven at the the Narendra Modi stadium.
The home team could only manage 124 and in the absence of scoreboard pressure, England overhauled the target with ease in 15.3 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
The Indian batsmen never got the momentum going as England's pace-heavy attack, led by Mark Wood, used the extra bounce effectively to trouble them.
Most of the Indian batsmen went for flashy shots when placement would have served them well, as Iyer did later in the innings.
The world's biggest stadium, which has a seating capacity of 1,32,000, played host to 67,000 fans, according to Cricinfo, way more than the 50 per cent capacity that was to be filled for the game in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jason Roy scored a well-calculated 49-run knock while Jonny Bairstow's big hits showed there were no demons in the pitch as the Indians made it seem after being invited to bat by England skipper Eoin Morgan.
Roy struck the ball clean and hard to form a 72-run opening wicket stand with Jos Buttler (28), ending any hopes that the Indians harboured of getting back in the game.
The luxury of time allowed the England batsmen to play freely. None of the Indian bowlers looked like asking tough questions to the visitors.
Roy was trapped by Washington Sundar but by that time England had put 89 runs on the board. Bairstow (26) and Dawid Malan (24) took the side past the finish line.
Earlier, after India's top-order was blown away, Iyer gauged the nature of the pitch quickly and adjusted his game accordingly, playing a sensible innings that helped them cross the 100-run mark.
Laced with eight boundaries and a six, and coming off 48 balls, it was Iyer's best T20 knock. He fell in the last over.
England surprised India by opening the attack with leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who was not only economical but also dismissed Kohli (0) after KL Rahul (1) dragged one back onto his stumps from Jofra Archer (3/23).
Feeling the heat, Shikhar Dhawan, who got the opportunity since Rohit Sharma was rested, attempted to break the shackles with a flashy shot off Wood but completely missed the line to see his timber disturbed.
In-form batsman Rishabh Pant (21) was promoted to number four. He struck the ball clean, which included a reverse-flick off Archer for a six, but the England bowlers kept it tight.
The home team was tottering at 34 for three in eight overs.
Pant and Iyer added 28 runs for the fourth wicket before the former hit one straight to Bairstow off Ben Stokes.
That brought Hardik Pandya to the crease, who true to his style, looked for some big hits but could not do much. The visiting players wore black armbands in memory of former cricketer Joey Benjamin, who died Wednesday.
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Kerala Imam's call to open mosques for Attukal Pongala devotees goes viral
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The appeal of Palayam Imam V P Suhaib Maulavi to open mosques and Muslim houses to Hindu devotees on the upcoming Attukal Pongala festival day here has gone viral on social media platforms, with many netizens describing it as the example of the real Kerala story.
Attukal Pongala, which falls on March 3 this year, is considered one of the largest women gatherings in the world, in which lakhs of women, cutting across ages, gather in the capital city to take part in the festivities.
Maulavi, during his Friday sermon, urged the members of the Muslim community to extend hospitality to Hindu devotees arriving in the city for the Pongala festival.
In his address, he said that although Attukal Pongala is associated with a different faith and Muslims do not take part in its rituals and ceremonies, the occasion presents an opportunity to serve as gracious hosts to the thousands of women and children who visit Thiruvananthapuram as guests.
"Like last year, Pongala is being observed during the holy month of Ramadan this time as well. We must share the spirit of joy, fraternity and love that defines Ramadan with our sisters and their children who come here for Pongala," he said.
Maulavi called upon the community to arrange drinking water and Ramadan food items for the devotees and to ensure facilities for their rest.
"Arrangements should be made for their rest. Our mosques and homes should be opened to them. This is an occasion to openly demonstrate our love and brotherhood," he said.
Maulavi further stressed that the growing Islamophobia and hatred in the country and the world can be countered effectively only through love and fraternity.
He described the festival as an ideal opportunity to reinforce the message of harmony.
The Muslim cleric's speech soon went viral on social media platforms.
Cutting across religion, people shared his video clippings on various platforms and hailed his gesture as an example of the real Kerala story, harmony and brotherhood among different religions and communities in Kerala.
His appeal assumed significance in view of the ongoing row over the "Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond" movie.
