3rd ODI: Gill, Rohit tons propel India to 385/9 against NZ
Indore, Jan 24: Rohit Sharma scored his first ODI century in three years while Shubman Gill continued his explosive run to power India to 385 for nine in the third and final game against New Zealand here on Tuesday.
The two put up a belligerent 212-run opening stand as Rohit (101 off 85 balls) got to the three-figure mark for the first time since January 2020. Gill (112 off 78) got his fourth ODI hundred.
Rahul Dravid joked on the eve of the match that bowlers don't want to bowl as soon as they land in Indore because of the batter-friendly conditions. The batting great had a point.
The New Zealanders rolling over their arms during the first 25 overs would have shared Dravid's sentiment. At one point every ball that Rohit and Gill's bat touched was either flying to the boundary or over it.
Gill hit four fours and a six to plunder 22 runs off Lockie Ferguson in the eighth over, symbolising the kind of form the 23-year-old has been in lately. The youngster didn't have to even time the ball for it to run to the boundary. After three fours, he launched the short ball for an upper-cut six.
He reached his half-century when he drove the ball square off extra cover for a stylish four. A couple of overs later Rohit, too, brought up his fifty with a flat six over Mitchell Santner's head.
With the outfield quick and the wicket flat, the rather inexperienced New Zealand bowling unit had no answers to the Indian openers' carnage.
India raced to 200 with Rohit and Gill sharing 22 fours and 11 sixes between them.
Matching each other's strike rates, the 26th over saw both Rohit and Gill getting their centuries. Rohit pulled away to deep square to get to his century. Three balls later, Gill got to the triple-figure mark, his third in four innings.
New Zealand skipper Tom Latham used as many as six bowlers and it was his sixth option -- spinner Michael Bracewell -- who provided the tourists their first breakthrough.
Trying to slog one out of the park, Rohit missed the ball as it kept low and turned to eventually hit the stumps. His wicket was met with a roar by the partisan crowd, welcoming Virat Kohli (36).
A miscued shot in the next over spelt the end of Gill's innings as New Zealand struck twice in quick succession.
Ishan Kishan (17) didn't look too comfortable and took nine balls to open his account. A yes-no with Kohli, who had sprinted halfway, marked the end of the wicketkeeper batter's stay in the middle.
New Zealand were able to bring down the boundaries and sixes and, looking to play a big shot, Kohli couldn't beat Finn Allen at mid-off.
Looking on course for a 400-plus score, India endured a familiar middle-order batting collapse, before Hardik Pandya (54) provided the final flourish.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
_vb_21.jpeg)