India hammer England by 434 runs in third Test
Rajkot, Feb 18: India beat England by a whopping 434 runs in the third Test to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series here on Sunday.
This was India's biggest Test win in terms of runs, surpassing the 372-run victory over New Zealand in 2021.
Set an improbable victory target of 557, England collapsed to 122 all out in 39.4 overs on day four.
Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers for India, taking five wickets for 41 runs in 12.4 overs.
It was easily England's worst batting effort of the series with no batter able to cross the 20-run mark barring number 10 Mark Wood (33).
On the same pitch, India amassed 445 and 430 for four declared in their two innings respectively.
The massive win was set up by Yashasvi Jaiswal who remained unbeaten on 214 in India's second innings. The other centurions of the game were Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja.
Sarfaraz Khan scored back-to-back fifties on his debut.
The fourth Test will be played in Ranchi from February 23.
Brief Scores:
India: 445 and 430 for 4 in 98 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 214 not out, Sarfaraz Khan 68 not out, Shubman Gill 91; Rehan Ahmed 1/108)
England: 319 and 122 all out in 39.4 overs (Mark Wood 33; Ravindra Jadeja 5/41, Kuldeep Yadav 2/19).
It's @imjadeja with the final breakthrough š #TeamIndia win the 3rd Test by 434 runs! šš
— BCCI (@BCCI) February 18, 2024
Scorecard ā¶ļø https://t.co/FM0hVG5X8M#TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/A4juPRkWX8
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Priyanka Gandhi visited Zubeen Garg's cremation ground for politics: Himanta
Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday accused Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra of doing politics over the death of Zubeen Garg, two days after her visit to the singer’s cremation ground.
Speaking to reporters at BJP state headquarters here, Sarma announced that he will not visit Garg's cremation ground 'Zubeen Khetra' till the Assembly elections are over.
"'Zubeen Khetra' should not be used for political purposes. Priyanka Gandhi came to Assam for political purposes and spent just two minutes at the cremation ground," he said.
Stating that no one should visit 'Zubeen Khetra' when they come for political purposes, Sarma said that is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah have not been there despite visiting the state multiple times over the last three months.
"Why didn't Priyanka Gandhi visit Swahid Smarak or Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s memorial? The Congress is openly doing politics over Zubeen Garg. They made people emotional and sought votes," he alleged.
On Friday, Vadra visited Garg's cremation ground and said the iconic musician was the "voice of Assam's soul" and he is "above politics".
The Congress leader, who was on a two-day trip to the state to shortlist party candidates for the upcoming Assembly polls, made an unscheduled visit to 'Zubeen Khetra' at Sonapur on the outskirts of Guwahati without any media presence.
The celebrated singer died under mysterious circumstances in Singapore on September 19 last year while swimming in the sea. He had gone to the island nation to attend the 4th edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF).
The CM further claimed that around 12,000 BJP workers donated blood on Zubeen Garg's birthday in November last year.
"Whose value is more -- Priyanka Gandhi who spent two minutes or me who arranged 12,000 blood donors? People are using Garg's name and doing politics," he added.
Sarma pointed out that it was he who had selected the location to make 'Zubeen Khetra' and arranged everything.
"If Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have courage, let them go to Swahid Smarak and confess that their grandmother and father had committed sins during Assam Agitation," he added.
A 'Swahid Smarak', the martyrs memorial, was inaugurated in December last year in the state capital in memory of more than 850 people from the Assamese community who had died during the six-year long Assam Agitation.
"I will not go to Zubeen Khetra till the elections are over. I feel no candidate should visit it if they are contesting elections," Sarma said.
Talking about public demand to set up a fast-track court for speedy trial of Garg's death, the CM claimed that a "conspiracy" is happening in that aspect.
"The judge, in whose court the case is going on at present, has rejected three bail petitions of the accused. Seeing this, two others withdrew their bail applications," he added.
Sarma claimed that a preparation is going on to take away the case from this judge to help the accused.
"This is a design of a particular news channel, a particular newspaper and Congress to change the judge, give bails to the accused before election and blame the BJP," he added.
"It is just politics. There is a conspiracy to give bail and put BJP in awkward position," he said.
Sarma said the Assam Cabinet on February 26 will take a decision whether the case should be handed over to a fast-track court.
"We may transfer it, but we will not be responsible for the consequences of the case then," he added.
Garima Saikia Garg, wife of Zubeen Garg, and Public Prosecutor Ziaul Kamar on February 16 had expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of the case being heard by the Kamrup Metropolitan District and Sessions Court.
With several petitions filed before the court on different aspects by the accused, the entire process has been delayed as the trial is yet to begin, Kamar had said.
NEIF chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer's manager Siddharth Sharma, his two band members Shekhar Jyoti Goswami and Amrit Prabha Mahanta, his cousin and Assam Police DSP Sandipan Garg, and his PSOs Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya are in jail as accused in the case.
