India first team to qualify for World Cup semifinals after crushing Sri Lanka by 302 runs
Mumbai, Nov 2: India became the first team to qualify for the World Cup semifinals after beating Sri Lanka by a massive 302 runs here on Thursday.
Mohammed Shami (5/18) and Mohammed Siraj (3/16) ran through the Sri Lanka batting line-up as the Islanders were bundled out for 55 in 19.4 overs while chasing 358.
Kasun Rajitha top-scored for Sri Lanka with 14. Only two other Sri Lanka batters -- Angelo Mathews (12) and Maheesh Theekshana (12 not out) -- could reach double digits.
Earlier, sent in to bat, India amassed 357 for 8.
Virat Kohli (88 off 94 balls), Shubman Gill (92 off 92) and Shreyas Iyer (82 off 56) led India's batting.
Ravindra Jadeja's 35 off 24 balls pushed India past 350.
Left-arm pacer Dilshan Madhushanka was the stand out bowler for Sri Lanka ending with figures of five for 80 in 10 overs.
Brief Scores:
India: 357 for 8 in 50 overs (Virat Kohli 88, Shubman Gill 92, Shreyas Iyer 82; Dilshan Madhushanka 5/80).
Sri Lanka: 55 all out in 19.4 overs (Kasun Rajitha 14; Mohammed Shami 5/18, Mohammed Siraj 3/16).
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Opposition raking up Dalit CM issue to divert attention: Karnataka Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday accused the opposition of "unnecessarily stoking" the debate over a Dalit Chief Minister to deflect attention from governance.
He asserted that only the Congress has the commitment to elevate a Dalit leader to the top post.
Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara said the ongoing discussion on a Dalit Chief Minister was being amplified by opposition parties.
“This is the work of the opposition. To hide their own failures, they are raising the issue of the Chief Minister. Isn’t the administration running smoothly? Isn’t the Chief Minister governing?” he asked.
The Minister noted that for the past 10–12 days, detailed budget discussions had been held across departments and governance was progressing normally.
Parameshwara, who is a Dalit, said the Congress alone had the history and political will to make a Dalit Chief Minister.
“Yes, it must be the Congress party. Who else will do it?” he said, while clarifying that the timing of any such decision would be determined by the party high command.
On Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s media statement targeting the JD(S) and invoking social justice, Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah had earlier been part of the JD(S) and even served as its president before being expelled.
He noted that the internal history of that party was best known to those within it and declined to comment on specific internal matters.
Defending the Chief Minister’s ideological position, Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah’s politics had always been rooted in social justice and that there was nothing new or opportunistic about his stance.
The Chief Minister, he said, had consistently built his political career on that foundation.
