India clinch T20I series against Australia as rain washes out 5th T20I
Brisbane (PTI): India clinched the five-match T20 International series against Australia 2-1 after the fifth and final game was abandoned due to rain here on Saturday.
Put in to bat, India made a blazing start with openers Abhishek Sharma (23 not out off 13 balls) and Shubman Gill (29 not out off 16 balls) going on the offensive.
But lightning stopped play with India cruising at 52 for no loss in 4.5 overs. Soon after, heavy rain lashed the Gabba, forcing the match to be abandoned.
Earlier, Australia had their chances to remove the dangerous Abhishek early but failed to capitalise on them.
Glenn Maxwell dropped a sitter after the left-hander miscued a shot in the opening over, while Ben Dwarshuis spilled a regulation catch in the fourth over when Abhishek was on 11.
Three balls later, Abhishek thrilled the Indian fans with a powerful flat six over mid-wicket.
Gill, meanwhile, took a special liking to Dwarshuis, cracking three boundaries off the left-arm pacer in the third over to keep India's brisk start intact.
The first T20I had also been washed out, while Australia won the second game by four wickets.
However, India bounced back strongly to win the third and fourth matches by five wickets and 48 runs respectively.
Australia had won the preceding ODI series 2-1.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
