India defeat South Africa by two wickets to make U-19 World Cup final for ninth time
Benoni (South Africa), Feb 6: Five-time champions India overcame some jittery moments to defeat South Africa by two wickets to advance into the final of the Under-19 World Cup for the ninth time, here on Tuesday.
Skipper Uday Saharan led from the front with a calm and composed 81 (124 balls), while Sachin Dhas scored 96 to bail India out from being 32/4 in their tricky pursuit of 245.
The duo, who had put together a 200-plus stand against Nepal in the previous match, this time stitched a 171-run alliance that came off just 187 deliveries to seize control.
Needing 19 from 19 balls, India lost two wickets -- Aravelly Avanish (10) and Murugan Abhishek (0) in three balls -- but Saharan kept calm in the company of Raj Lambani (13) who sealed their fifth successive final with a boundary.
The pace duo of Kwena Maphaka (3/32) and Tristan Luus (3/37) were the pick of South Africa bowlers.
Earlier opting to bowl, the Saharan-led side restricted South Africa to 244/7.
Wicketkeeper-batter Lhuan-dre Pretorious (76, 102 balls) top-scored for South Africa opening the batting, while Richard Seletswane made 64 off 100 deliveries in a 72-run stand.
New-ball bowler Raj Limbani (3/60) was the pick of the Indian bowler, while Musheer Khan bagged 2/43. Naman Tiwari and Saumy Pandey took one wicket apiece.
Brief Scores:
South Africa 244/7 in 50 overs (Lhuan-dre Pretorious 76, Richard Seletswane 64; Raj Limbani 3/60).
India 248 for 8 in in 48.5 overs (Sachin Dhas 96, Uday Saharan 81; Kwena Maphaka 3/32, Tristan Luus 3/37) by two wickets.
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Jharkhand horror: Man kills live-in partner, chops body into 40 pieces
Ranchi (PTI): A 25-year-old man, who works as a butcher, allegedly strangled to death his live-in partner and chopped her body into 40 to 50 pieces in a forested area in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, police said on Wednesday.
The accused, identified as Naresh Bhengra, was arrested.
The matter came to light after around a fortnight after the killing when a stray dog was found with human body parts near Jordag village in Jariagarh police station on November 24.
Bhengra was in a live-in relationship with the deceased, a 24-year-old woman also from Khunti district, in Tamil Nadu for the past couple of years. Sometime back, he returned to Jharkhand, got married to another woman without telling his partner anything and went back to the southern state without his wife to join her.
"The brutal incident occurred on November 8 when they reached Khunti as the accused who had married another woman did not wish to take her home. Instead, he took her to a forest near his house at Jordag village in Jariagarh police station and chopped the body into pieces. The man has been arrested," Khunti Superintendent of Police Aman Kumar told PTI.
Inspector Ashok Singh who investigated the case said the man worked in a butcher shop in Tamil Nadu and was expert in slicing chicken.
“He admitted chopping the body parts of the woman into 40 to 50 pieces before leaving those in the forest for wild animals to feast on. The police recovered several parts on November 24 after a dog in the area was seen with a hand," Singh told PTI.
Singh said that the woman, who was unaware of his marriage, pressured him to return to Khunti. After reaching Ranchi, they boarded a train on November 24 and headed to the man's village.
"Under a plan, the man took her to Khunti in an autorickshaw near his home and asked her to wait. He returned with sharp weapons and strangulated her with her dupatta after raping her. He then cut the body into 40 to 50 pieces and left for his home to live with his wife," Singh said.
The woman, however, had informed her mother that she had boarded a train and would be living with her partner, the police officer said.
Following the recovery of body parts, a bag was also found in the forest with the murdered woman's belongings including her Aadhaar card. The mother of the woman was called at the spot and she identified her daughter's belongings.
"The mother suspected the man behind the crime who after being nabbed by the police admitted to chopping the woman into pieces," the official added.
The incident has sent shockwaves among people in the region, with the Shraddha Walker murder case of 2022 still fresh in their memory.
Walker was killed by her live-in partner who chopped her body into pieces before dumping them in the jungle in South Delhi’s Mehrauli.
