First Test: Bangladesh slip to 37/2 at tea as India take control
Chattogram (PTI): Pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav reduced Bangladesh to 37 for 2 at tea after a stunning lower order fightback helped India take control of the opening Test against Bangladesh here on Thursday.
Siraj struck on the very first ball when he induced an edge off lefthander Najmul Hossain Shanto with an away going delivery.
Leading the pace department in absence of Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, Yadav then reduced Bangladesh to 5 for 2 inside the fourth over after inducing an inside edge off Yasir Ali, who was playing away from his body.
But thereafter Litton Das calmed things down with his fluent drives and remained unbeaten on 24 off 26 balls.
At the break, Das and Zakir Hasan (9) were in the middle with Bangladesh trailing India by 367 runs with eight wickets in hand.
The opening session was all about Ravichandran Ashwin (58 off 113 balls, 2x4, 2x6) and Kuldeep Yadav, who made a perfect case for him as an allrounder in absence of Ravindra Jadeja, with a career-best 40 (114b; 5x4).
Playing his first Test after more than 22 months, Kuldeep extended a splendid support to Ashwin as the duo frustrated Bangladesh with an 87-run partnership for the eighth wicket.
The 28-year-old Kuldeep, who has a century and six fifties averaging 22-plus in first class cricket, got off the mark after 18 balls as he looked solid with his defence. His slog sweep and reverse sweep shots also caught the attention.
Ashwin, who has five Test centuries including four against the West Indies, showed a lot of composure and maturity en route to his 13th Test halfcentury.
The duo hardly took a foot wrong pushing India past the 400-mark after the visitors resumed the day at 278 for 6 and lost overnight batter Shreyas Iyer (86) with the addition of just four runs to his total.
Having batted India out of a tricky spot on the opening day, Iyer once again failed to get to a well-deserved hundred and got out with addition of just four runs to his overnight total.
Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan mostly employed his star spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz to go in tandem with pacer Khaled Ahmed but Ashwin hardly looked in any trouble.
He made his intent clear stepping down to Mehidy for a six. Luck also favoured Ashwin when he survived an 'umpire's call' after left-arm spinner Taijul Islam had him trapped in front of the legstump when he was on 34.
That pace spearhead Ebadot Hossain was taken out of the attack after his impressive spell of 4-1-7-1 in the morning also helped the Indian cause.
Kuldeep also oozed confidence as Ashwin was happy to take singles and give him the strike.
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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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